Churches in England that have at present I know not for what cause laid aside that practice are therefore not visible true Churches Though I highly approve of such a solemn declaration of the faith if possible in the same sound forme of words to be universally made yet I humbly conceive that this is but a prudential humane Ordinance and therefore not so necessary or so neer the essence or so essential a mark of the Church as sound doctrine and pure Sacraments both which are undoubtedly of immediate divine institution and without which the Church cannot exist Which thing Trelcatius doth thus most accurately and fully open the proper and essential note of the visible Church which flows immediately from the very forme of it is but one viz. the Nota propria essentialis ecclesiae visibilis proximeque fluens ex forma illius unica est veritas scilicet verbi Dei Revelati ac communicati cui veritas Sacramentorum tanquam connexum inseperabile conjuncta est Utriusque enim veritas ita proprium essentiale est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecclesiae ut veritas haec ecclesia convertantur Instit Theol. p. 224. truth of the Word of God revealed and communicated to which the truth of the Sacraments is inseparably joyned for which he quotes Heb. 4. 12. John 10. 27. Matth. 28. 10. Rom. 4. 11. for as he addes the truth of both is such a proper and essential mark of the Church that this truth of both Word and Sacraments and the Church are convertible But of this I shall have more occasion in the next Chapter therefore I have onely this to do here namely to set this profession of the faith before you to consider whether it doth necessarily suppose saving grace or not in any of these senses 1. May not personal vocal profession be made without saving We are to acknowledge a Church of Christ more or lesse corrupt according to the greater or lesse abuse of Gods Word and worship Bp. Usher p. 39. his sum of Rel. grace and the truth be professed as well as beleeved where saving grace is wanting 2. May not ecclesiastical profession whether more formally by a solemn Creed read and silently consented unto by the people be also done and considered without any respect to saving grace in the declarer or consenters 3. Or that other real profession consisting in attendance upon the Ordinances of God be considered to have truth for its object both in Word and Sacraments and yet without respect to saving graces Againe the accidental notes of the Church are also generally acknowledged to be of two sorts inseparable or proper and separable or common The separable and proper notes of a true Church are said to be the pure preaching of the Word and the lawful administration of the Sacraments which are but the meanes or actions of conveyance and application of the foresaid truth of both unto the Church and so near unto the profession thereof which was said before to be the essential mark of the Church that I have already reduced it thither and need not repeat it here againe The separable notes of the Church whatsoever they be cannot conclude any thing against me because they are such I meane separable and therefore not necessary in our consideration of the being of the Church However that we leave not them onely untoucht they are usually reduced unto two heads 1. Ecclesiastical power 2. And holiness of life Ecclesiastical power hath three branches the power of Ministry the power of Order the power of Discipline all which may easily be considered without the least respect to saving grace 1. Judas may truely exercise his Ministry And 2. Outward Order may be fix'd and observed And 3. Discipline may be erected and dispensed without any necessary supposition of saving grace either in the parties so dispensing or in the objects openly scandalous on which the Discipline is dispensed as hath beene touched before and will be more fully handled hereafter I confesse holiness of life cometh neerest to shew its respect to saving grace but this also shewes as much respect to my cause as easily appeares by this concluding argument If holiness of life be separable from a true Church then saving grace is separable from a true Church for if a holy life doth not alwayes suppose saving yet saving grace doth not always produce a holy life But it is still confessed by those which write most accurately on the Church that holinesse of life is a separable accidental note which is onely necessary to the order and welfare of the Church and not to the being or truth thereof Now if saving grace be separable from a true Church then it may be considered to be truely such without respect thereunto The summe of the general Argument from the causes is this The Summe of the Argument from the causes in general All the causes of the visible Church may really exist without the work of saving grace viz. The efficient as Authour God Head Christ The end of the Glory of God on earth before men Worship The matter whether it be Professors of the faith The outwardly called Outward worshippers The form whether it be Constituting Distinguishing he forme constituting whether it be Faith Calling Society or community The form distinguishing whether it be Essential Profession of the faith or truth of word Sacraments ccidental inseperable Pure preaching of the word and administration of Sacraments Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace CHAP. XII The Argument from the definition of the visible Church first from its special quality HAving done with the causes we proceed to the definition whence we thus argue The definition of the visible Church doth not suppose saving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace therefore the definition the visible Church it self may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace for the definition of a thing is but that whereby the nature of that thing is declared or explicated and is plainly convertible with the thing defined Now whether the definition of the visible Church be inclusive of saving grace or not may appear First from the parts thereof severally considered And Secondly by a view of such definitions of the Church as are already given us by approved Authours 1. The parts are three 1. The special quality of the visible Church 2. Or the special work and employment thereof Or lastly the state and condition wherein the Church so qualified is rendred capable of that employment First let us look upon the special quality of the visible Church which may be conceived to be either the faith calling or profession thereof Whence by some the visible Church is in short defined to be a company or society of Beleevers or a company of men called by external vocation or a company professing the Christian and true Religion where the weight and emphasis rests upon
members of the Church but infidels but neither temporary beleevers nor foederal as before can ever from the Scripture be proved either to be infidels or savingly beleevers 2. Foederal faith is not justifying or in Wallaeus his word doth not justifie the childe yet this entitles the childe to visible Church membership and by this to wit foederal faith all that are borne in the Church are entitled and stand possessed of the said membership and this is the very state and case of most of the people of God in England and that which answereth our own case might give satisfaction without further enquiry 3. Yet if not a dogmatical faith a faith lesse then justifying or a temporary faith or a common faith which so farre draweth the person beleeving and to own and apply himself by desire of and submission unto Baptisme to the true Religion though it work not so deep as was before explained is sufficient to admit an adult heathen as more largely anon into communion with the Church as easily appears in Simon who had no more in the Eunuch who professed no more and in the stony ground which hereby stood in a due possession of this communion till in the time of temptation it fell away CHAP. XIII Touching Communion in the Ordinances of God and the place it hath in the definition of the Church WE now proceeed to the second great specialty observable in the definitions of the visible Church taken from its chief office and employment viz. communion in the Ordinances and worship of God Here though I do not altogether exclude the qualifications spoken to yet I shall humbly offer whether communion in the worship and Ordinances of God be not fitter to define the visible Church by then the former qualifications thereof Cons 1. Such as lay most weight upon the former qualifications of faith calling and profession in their definitions of the visible Church do yet ever adde more then a touch of this holy exercise and communion of it to the perfecting of their said definitions as will appeare expresly anon Amesius himself adds unto his societas fidelium ad communionem sanctorum constanter inter se Med. p. 168. exercendum Cons 2. These qualifications seeme fitter to define the Church as invisible by seeing they also are invisible indeed Ames defineth the Church to be coetus vocatorum but he evidently intends Vid. Med. cap. 31. 7. p. 162 the mystical or invisible Church it is a most usual thing for Divines to define the mystical by which they intend the Church of the saved after this manner viz by some occult invisible quality of faith love calling or the like whereas the defining of the Church from its outward acts and exercises in the worship of God is without some shew of exactnesse to define the Church as visible from something visible Cons 3. If the visible Church should take its definition rather from the said qualifications then from its communion in Ordinances then would the Church be rather known from the evidence of these qualifications then from its communion in Ordinances for that which flows most immediately from the essence of a thing into our apprehension and knowledge cannot but be reckoned the most essential and therfore the best mark of that thing But the Church on the contrary hath been ever better knowne and distinguished by the Ordinances wherein it communicates then from any personal qualities whatsoever 1. Therefore the truth of the Ordinances and the truth of the faith which is professed hath been ever respected and looked upon as an essential mark and indeed the onely essential mark of the true visible Church while personal qualities have beene ever reckoned among the seperable adjuncts thereof 2. Indeed purity of life and evidences of saving grace I humbly conceive are rather the purity of single members but the purity of Ordinances the purity of the Church as such so that the purer the Ordinances the purer the Church c. contra As even all our Divines do argue upon the Marks of the Church against the Papist and as is most punctually and fully asserted by the Irish confession Artic. 58. But particular and visible Churches of those that make a profession of the faith and live under the outward meanes of salvation be many in number wherein the more or lesse sincerely according to Christs institution the Word of God is taught not practiced and the Sacraments are administred not received and the authority of the keys is used not obeyed the more or lesse pure are such Churches to be accounted Cons 4. The Church is rather and better distinguished from O holy Socrates O holy Plato O devilish Christian O wicked Protestant Woods Serm. p. 49 its opposite viz. the world by its fellowship in Ordinances then by the evidence of inward qualities or saving grace any other way therefore its definition should rather be taken from thence 1. Many Christians are not so civil as some Heathens and many Heathens are not so profane as some Christians yet no Heathens do attend the Ordinances of God as Christians do in their solemn assemblies 2. As Heathens taken in a large sense for all infidels do openly oppose the true religion so Christians do more openly own and maintain the same in these their solemne meetings and properly publick assembles particular persons stand in most direct opposition to infidels not by their own private calling faith or profession but by their relation to these bodies and Assembles of Gods people and the communion thereof in the worship of God in publick 3. Therefore therein also the Church is most exposed to the malice of those that seek her life and thirst to destroy her very being in the world not so much in her righteousnesse towards men or in her private enjoying or separate professing the faith of Christ as in her publick and valiant owning and serving her Lord in the wayes and Ordinances of divine worship as it were to the worlds and the God of the worlds defiance for fear of whom they flinched Heb. 10. and forsock the assembling of themselves together with the Church Cons 5. This further appears if we well consider the onely way that God himself hath generally if not ever taken directly and judicially to un-church a people namely by removing his Ordinances and not his graces their faith calling or profession from them Look over all the books and works of God and see whether this can be questioned the very people that murthered Christ yet to them belongs the promise Acts 2. and they are the seed of the Covenant chap. 3. and so continue notwithstanding this height of all impiety untill the Ministry and Ordinances are turned from them to the Gentiles Acts ult 't is granted that such desperate wickednesse doth not onely deserve that God should spew a people out but also it doth violently provoke him to it yea it is threatned with it Rev. 3. 16. Yet observe they are to be
by persons who possibly never shall be saved and therefore who have not any saving grace The visible Church consisteth of good and bad as at the beginning we see it did in Cain and Abel whereupon our Saviour compareth the Church to a net in which are fishes good and bad But I shall conclude the matter out of doubt with the observation made for us by the industrious exposition of the English Articles The members of the visible Church it saith are some of them for God and some against God all of them not withstanding deemed parts of the Church so long as they make no manifest and open rebellion against the Gospel which also addes that the Churches bear witnesse hereunto referring us to confes l. Hel. v. 1. Art 14. and 2. c. 17. Bohem. c. 8. Gal. Art 11. Wittimb Art 32. Survic Art 15. whereunto I also refer my Reader CHAP. XXIII The judgement of the Brownists and of our Church against them herein THe third more special occasion exacting the judgement of the Church herein was given by the Brownists whereupon we shall briefly note two things to serve us in our passage 1. That it was the opinion of the Brownists that the essence of the visible Church consisted in saving grace contrary to what I am labouring to prove 2. That this was judged an errour and a great part of the errour of Brownisme as such by the eminent patrons of our Church and truth in that generation going onely before as in the present designe 1. That this was the opinion of the Brownists indeed viz. that the essence of the visible Church carrieth in it saving grace most plentifully appears by their asserting owning and pleading for the same in all their writings witnesse Smith Barrow Ainsworth Robinson Johnson and Cann c who tell us Defence of the churches p. 17 their Apol. p. 44 counterpoison p. 115. and 200 Barrows true description of the visible church p. 2 Principles and infer p. 8. 10 that the Church is a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked men of the world and that it cannot consist of all sorts good and bad in which no unclean thing or person entreth that keepeth the unity of faith in the bond of peace and love unseigned that is a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him a company of Converts a visible communion of Saints that is such as are separate from all known sinne practising the whole will of God known growing in grace and knowledge and continuing to the end And more fully and accurately let Smith be heard once more in the name of the rest the true forme of a true visible Church saith he is partly inward and partly outward the inward Princ. inf p. 11 part of the forme consisteth in three things 1. The Spirit 2. Faith 3. Love The Spirit is the soul animating the whole body faith uniteth the members of the body to the head Christ Jesus love uniteth the members of the body each to other the outward part thereof is a vow promise oath or Covenant betwixt God and the Saints 2. Now that this was held the errour of the Brownist and a part of their Brownisme and that it was not the allowed opinion of the true Church especially in England appeares abundantly in the disputations of all our Divines against them wherein we find these two propositions irrefragably proved 1. That an Assembly may be a true visible Church though its worship be very corrupt 2. That persons may be members of the visible Church by professing the true Religion though without sincere grace or holy life the latter of which is directly for us and in defence whereof Dayrel so smartly replied to Mr. Ainsworth you speak saith he you know not what for herby you imply a true visible Dayr p. 36 37 Church is a company of people professing and practicing such things as will bring them to salvation Whereupon it follows that there is no hypocrite in the visible Church for whose practice is answerable to his holy profession he is no hypocrite nor reprobate or any that shall be damned and thus you unawares confound the visible and the invisible Church Johnson himself testifieth thus much on our behalf even while he His defence of the churches and Ministry of England p. 71. saieth his accusation against us the forward preachers of England as he pleaseth to call them teach saith he that the true visible Church of Christ is not a separated company of righteous men from the open wicked of the world but may consist of people good and bad Neither may we think that that this was the doctrine of the Episcopal A book by sundry godly and learned Ministers standing out suffering in the cause of non conformity party alone for the very non-conformists have a book extant intended purposely against the separation and therein neere the beginning of that book they openly acquit themselves of and charge Barrow and the old Separatists with this errour that they held the visible Church to be a company of faithful people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him CHAP. XXIV Seven Arguments yet further proving that the judgement of the Church hath alwayes been on our side introduced by two Objections THere is a twofold distinction by some made use of to evade or weaken the authority aforesaid 1. It is urged that some eminent Divines assert that hypocrites are onely equivocè and not verè of the visible Church But hereunto we need only remember what hath formerly been I think truely observed that such Divines understand by Church in the proposition the Church of the saved which they themselves usually called the Church Catholick or the Church inviand none can doubt but such Church-membership is predicable of hypocrite onely nominally or equivocally and not really 2. It is also pleaded that some as eminent affirme and teach that hypocrites are onely in the Church not of the Church But * This tenent may seeme to cross many of our own Dâ—vines in their writings against the Papists but indeed it doth onely seem so for it is manifest that the Church which they intend is not the same with this which I have to deal withal for they speak of the Chuâ—ch catholick consisting only of the Elect. Hudson his Epistle Here we may fairly understand our Divines to meane the visible Church in the former and the invisible Church in the latter branch of this distinction q. d. they are in the visible When Willet had let fall that expression that wicked men are in but not of the Church he presently corrected himself adding yea they wicked men may be members of the visible church for a time Gen. 2. contro of the church p 62 Church but not of the Church invisible as the number of the saved Or as before we received from Doctor Field We are to take them as intending onely when
the people not to suffer him to do his duty in administring to them or not to attend upon their own duty in communicating to say that a Minister is bound by Christs command to administer to all Church members and againe that he is bound in the Name of Christ to warne some not to receive is to make the will of Christ contrary to it self and to say that a Minister is bound to warne the wicked from the Sacrament and yet to say that the will of Christ is that all are absolutely bound to receive is to contradict our selves by the first we confesse that the will of Christ is that wicked men ought not to receive which is formally denied in the latter Neither is this gathered onely from the practice for it is indeed the expresse judgement of most eminent men in the Church almost 2. Churches judgement in all ages Irenaeus is expresse for it in his time who seemes to speak the unquestioned sense of the whole Church then for whom he maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apol. 2. this Apology with us saith he this nourishment is called the Eucharist of which it is lawful for none to partake but such as beleeve our doctrine such as are wash'd to remission of sinnes or baptized and such as live so as Christ hath commanded This place of Irenaeus gives cause of doubting to a learned man Ludov. Molinae Paraen p. 315. Whether it ought to be understood of Christians not admitted by confoederal discipline to partake of the Supper or whether they belong to that command of Paul 1 Cor. 11. whereby it is not lawful for an unworthy man or a man wanting faith to receive but tells us he could easily beleeve the latter adding that 't is granted to be spoken of such as are baptized and therefore Church-members who live not according to the doctrine of Christ and that is as much as I contend for that some baptized members of the Church ought not to partake of the Eucharist in the judgement of the Church in Irenaeus his time We have seen before what the judgement of the Church was in Chrysostomes time also and for the opinion of later fathers and Schoolmen 't is sufficiently known to be on our side as also of most of the Reformed Divines and Churches The Church of Bohemia in her confession saith that if any approach Reformed Churches of Bohemia this Table without such a man should greatly profane and reproach this Sacrament yea and the whole institution thereof appointed by Christ In like manner the Church of Scotland confesseth that the Scotland Supper of the Lord appertaines onely to such as be of the household of faith and can try and examine themselves to these accord the Churches of Auspurgh Saxony France Belgia and most eminently our own Church as appeared before from the Auspurgh Saxony France Belgia and England Common prayer and Directory to which our confession of faith lately framed may be seasonably added The Confession of faith saith that all ignorant and ungodly persons cannot without great sin against Christ whiles they remaine such partake of these holy mysteries Many eminent Divines joyn issue hecein Trelcatius Trelcatius teacheth page 185. that Materia seu subjectum participans sunt ij omnes qui per baptismum ecclesiae membra facti jam adulti sanam doctrinam profitentur Sanctae vitae testimonium habent to which he addes that hereby are excluded 1. Mortui 2. Aegroti moriturii 3. Pueri ac Infantes 4. Qui propter Haeresius dissolutam vitam excommunicati sunt legitime Bucanus loc com 48. qu. 8. to this question quibus est Bucanus Instituta coena Domini Answers non omnibus promiscuè Vrsine Cat. quae 8. to the same question answer tantum pii Ursin debent accedere Bishop Vsher is as plaine in answer to the like question viz. who are to be partakers of the Lord Supper saith he such Usher as are of yeares and of sound judgement to discerne the Lords body I might adde Ames Diodate Calvine Zanchy Perkins and infinite more but let me break off the trouble with these few sufficing for all SECT III. Objections hereunto Answered THis point is run upon by two sorts of Adversaries 1. By some too strict 2. By others too large 1. Some have ventured to say that Church-members or rather to use their own terme disciples as such have an immediate right in this Sacrament but none are disciples save persons so and so qualified These I do not purposely deal with here for the present they may be contented with a very short answer that both their Propositions are false or at least fallacious 1. That none are disciples but persons qualified with knowledge holinesse c. which they must needs grant to be false if they will avoid Anabaptisme seeing according to the principalls of Infant-Baptism all that are lawfully baptized are disciples Matth. 28. 19. and again that all that are lawfully baptized are not so and so qualified as in the case of Infants who are baptized and lawfully so 2. That all that are disciples are to receive the Supper this holds not 1. Till what I have urged for wicked mens Church-membership be refuted 2. Till Infants discipleship be denied 3. Or till both Infants and wicked Church-members yea and suspended yea excommunicate Church members are proved to have an immediate and present right to the Lords Supper seeing all such may be Church-members and disciples But let us rather weigh what is urged by the other larger party against this barr upon some Church-members to keep them from receiving the Supper 'T is scornfully urged more then solidly that then Church-members Obj. 1 by their wickednesse have it seems a writ of ease from their duty If wicked Church-members are forbidden the Sacrament Just as excommunicate persons have a writ of Ease from all other Answ 1 Ordinances as well as this 2. This gives a faire occasion to note the ground of that cloudy not to say contradictory way of some mens expressing themselves upon this point sometimes they say all Church-members are obliged to receive the Supper at other times when this pincheth that some Church-members viz. children c. are not obliged and ought not to be admitted Now both these are true and both are false as they may be understood All Church-members as such are under an obligation to receive and yet some Church-members are under an obligation to abstain and yet here is no contradiction in Gods Commands though there may be and I fear is in mens application of them in this case 3. And what is the ground hereof but want of care or skill to distinguish of Gods Commands and the force and obligation thereof Which if a little heeded may serve both to extricate these difficulties and solve the present objection 1. The command obliging to receive the Sacrament is to The Command to receive is mediate to some immediate
A DISCOURSE OF THE Visible Church In a large Debate of this famous Question viz. Whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace Affirm Whereunto is added a brief discussion of these three Questions viz. 1. What doth constitute visible Church-membership 2. What doth distinguish it or render it visible 3. What doth destroy it or render it Null Together with a large application of the whole by way of Inference to our Churches Sacraments and Censures Also an Appendix touching Confirmation occasioned by the Reverend Mr. Hanmore his pious and learned Exercitation of Confirmation By FRANCIS FULWOOD Minister of the Gospel at West-Alvington in DEVON I said I will also answer my part I also will shew mine opinion Job 32. 17. For many be called but few chosen Mat. 20. 16. and 22. 14. Rejicimus Catharos Navatianos Pelagianos Anabaptistas qui peccatoribus nullum ne in visibli quidem ecclesia locum relinquunt Alst comp Theol. part 5. loc 8. Christians truely regenerate are the members of the invisible Church It is the duty of the members of the visible Church to be truely regenerate Such are members of the visible that are destitute of saving grace Mr. Cotton of N. E. holinesse of Church members pag. 1. LONDON Printed by Tho. Ratcliffe for Abel Roper at the Sun in Fleetstreet over against St. Dunstans Church 1658. To the HIGHLY RENOWNED EDWARD CRESSET Esquire Master of that most famous Hospital called the CHARTER-HOVSE and one of the Honourable Trustees for maintenance of MINISTERS FRANCIS FULWOOD Formerly a Plant in that Excellent NURSERY Being earnestly pressed thereunto by many Obligations of duty and gratitude Doth with all Humility and due respectfulnesse DEVOTE and DEDICATE this Polemical DISCOURSE of the CHURCH c. TO THE READER OUR Reverend brother Mr. Francis Fulwood having taken great pains upon this question viz. whether the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace which we conceive to be a subject both weighty and seasonable We the Ministers of that part of the second division of the County of Devon who are appointed to meet at Kings-bridge do earnestly desire him to make these his worthy labours publick we being fully perswaded that they will prove very useful and acceptable to the Churches of God in this Nation now so much troubled with this great Controversie Kingsbridge in Devon Jan. 5. 1657. Signed by Robert Cary Moderator John Buckley Scribe In the Name and by the Appointment of the Rest TO THE REVEREND MY FATHERS and BRETHREN The Associated Ministers in the County of DEVON Reverend and Worthy Sirs YOu well know that the Reformed Churches have ever since they deserved that name been militant on both hands with the Papist on the one and with the Brownist Anabaptist c. on the other Against whom their first and maine scope was indeed to defend themselves to be the Churches of Christ yet in pursuit of Argument 't is very evident they were still driven to contend for the very being and nature of the Church Rejicimus catharos novatianos Pelagianos Anabaptistas qui peccatoribus nullum ne invisibili quidem ecclesia locum Relinqunt Alst Comp. Theae par 5. loc 1â— in general chiefly as invisible against the Papist and as visible against the Brownist c. The Brownist I humbly conceive assaulted the Reformed Churches with these two Positions 1. That a Church wherein there is a mixture of wicked persons at least tolerated cannot be a true Church 2. That none but the Elect or the truely godly are members of the visible Church 'T is confest this leaven was laid in the Church long agon Andiani pâ—opter hominum vitia coetum Orthodoxae ecclesiae deseruit quod donatistarum erroris postoa suit seminarium Dan. in Aug. de Her p. 976 even in the time of Cyprian as Augustine observeth and afterward kneaded in the lump by Donatus and its sournesse diffused very farre by the heat of his followers yet it was timely and effectually purged out by the learned and elaborate industry and wonderful success of Augustine But this ulcer broke sadly out again upon the Reformation and notwithstanding as to hic and nunc to time and place The Church hath been hitherto competently healed of it through the zealous instant and effectual endeavours of many of her champions yet grievous experience hath still found that at other times or in other places the botch hath risen and broke afresh with a more noisome stench and a more spreading and infecting nature then ever it had done before how evident and notorious is this in our calamitous Churches in England at this day how doth this disease range and its corruption spread over us having gotten its throne in the very heart of the people Wherefore I having also been formerly called forth both to a vocal and Scriptural defence of our Churches against A Sermon and dispute had at Wiviliscome in Somerset and Printed 1654 the first of these errours and there being some special occasion arising from some late scruples among my neighbouring brethren inviting me to deal with this latter of them this also being looked upon not by my self alone but by divers godly and Learned Divines to be the very core and root of most of our Controversies both about our Churches Sacraments and Censures I desire that this may be accepted to you my Reverend Brethren as all the publick Apology I thought fit to set before this my great and bold yet humble undertaking However I shall crave your patience a little longer while I shall labour to prevent mistake and unjust prejudices against the Treatise by setting down my minde as clearly as I can in a few following particulars 1. And first I am fully perswaded that such as have for their scandal of the brethren been justly excommunicated by the Church ought not to be received into communion again without the evidence of such repentance as is in the judgement of rational charity saving for the end of the censure is that the flesh of the offender may be destroyed and the spirit saved and in reason the means should remain applied till the cure be in likelihood done 2. Againe I fully consent with that Reverend man Master James Wood that such as have notorious marks of impenitency or unregeneracy upon them ought not while such notwithstanding the profession to be admitted or received into the communion of the Church at first though I dare not determine what is the true and next reason of their repulsion Mr. Wood saith the reason is not because they appear unregenerate but because a scandalous life is contrary to the very outward profession of the faith But may I have leave to demand how contrary certainly not so contrary to it but that it is consistent with it otherwise a scandalous Professour of the faith would be a contradiction and
that though some whose principles seem strictest may suspect that mine may favour wickednesse or not promote the reformation of the people I am most fully perswaded that there is no other lawful or possible way of a sound reformation of shaming sinne and encouraging holinesse but that which leads from these principles which I defend I should humbly beseech some abler pen to make trial if there be any doubt at all of it whether keeping to this maine principle the truth of our Churches he can possibly go in any other course or further in the same course towards their ends then I have done the truth is I rather feare the exceptions of those who judge me too strict then of those that censure me too large Onely one thing more I most earnestly begge not for my own but for Sions sake I earnestly begge though we cannot be in ever thing of one minde yet let us have but one heart and walk together in one way untill we must needs part resting upon the promise Phil. 3. 15. But O my dear brethren wherein so ver we must differ what urging crying reason is there that we should unite as one man to maintain our Churches in England that great dipositum put into our hands by our ancestors our very Birth-right and the greatest inheritance we can possibly leave our posterity after us what heed is requisite to keep out all disputes as well as principles that may but seeme to question them how are they struck at on every side how undermined how doth division and Heresie daily moulder them what a deluge of Popery is ready to overwhelme them The Sects which daily encrease and spread upon us as a Learned man from beyond the Seas complaines Notum est quot Sectae in Europa a reformatione surrexerint in dies surgunt suis commentis pernitiosae sua variotate notabiles immo nec non alicubi suis ausibus formidabiles Hot. tol Christ p. 119. Impossibile est ut vel per seculum serventur c. p. 118 How pernitious are they in their Heresies how notable in their variety and how formidable in their attempts The same Authour observes that after the manner of mans judging It is impossible that the Protestant Churches should be preserved one age longer against so great and so united a force against such depths of device and policy of the Sea of Rome unlesse they grow wiser and at length think more seriously of uniting among themselves and who knows but that this force may fall and the plot take first on England yea what fear should strike us what trembling should take hold upon us to think how we even we in the Ministry to whom the care of the Church is committed stand guilty of provoking our God to give us up to the cruelty of such as have rent themselves from us for our causing affecting indulging or suffering parties for our own undiscerned sehismatical inclinations or else to remove his Candlesticks from us who have had so little care of his Church or to resigne us in wrath to the lust and tyranny of bloody Popery who have almost lost our Protestantisme for a Reformation As my dear Brethren should our neglect of charity unity purity should our vanity oscitancy or any other kinde of folly indeed prevaile with God to let in a deluge of Popery upon England and by England upon all the Reformation should I say which the God of truth for ever avert the ruines of all Protestantism lie on us how sad would the weight yea how dreadful may the thought thereof be Quantum quaeso scandalum vae autem illi per quem evenit per quem stat ut non tollatur The Lord humble us the Lord awaken us shew us our danger strike us together that as one man of one head one heart one hand we may at length think of saving our selves our Gospel our Churches from that immanent danger which though every one speak of yet how few feel or lay to heart anaeternum as the Authour above admires adeousque incauti per manebimus ut videre nec quidem sentire possimus illos prorsus irreconciliabiles adversarios ex aequo partis ruinam per-utriusque schissuram a se invicem Meditari But I fear least some may be apt to censure this my undertaking as likely to make more breaches and divisions amongst us but the Lord knows how I have laboured to avoid any such thing and that had I not thought that the way wherein I stand was a middle way wherin I might easily shake hands with my brethren on both sides and labour to draw them neerer together I had never been so publick upon this subject this censure may haply be cast unjustly upon me by those that do not read me it cannot be justly by such as do Yea my Reverend Brethren let me conclude with this free and bold assertion that one of the greatest motives inducing me at first to study and now to publish this discourse was some good hopes that if this point of the visible Church and its membership was but once laid in its just latitude it might through mercy prove a happy means of bring us to see many of our errours and causelesse differences in the circumference while we are agreed and meet in the center and to draw more direct and closer lines therefrom hereafter the hearty earnest humble desire begging and prayer of Dearest Brethren Your unworthy brother and co-worker in the service of Christ and his Gospel FRANCIS FULWOOD AN ALPHABETICAL Table A TWenty Absurdities following this position that saving grace is of the essence of the visible Caurch p. 165. to p. 171. That which partaketh of the accidental fâ—rme of a thing must needs partake also of the substantial forme of that thing proved 68. and 112 113 114 Beleeving is Virtual or Actual 29 Some do not actually beleeve others renounce the faith 29 30 31 Persons may be passively bound when they do not actively binde themselves 97. The largest acceptation not always the lesse proper 111 The difference betwixt the infant state and the adult 134. to 142 Adult persons become Christians how 177 to 181 Admonition distinguished and pressed pag-285 286. a Church censure ibid. A discourse of the terms Equivocum Univocum Axalogum as applicable to the Church 21 22 23. the eager dispute about it is unworthy Divines 22. Logicians differ about the application of them 22. The desire of the Reverend brethren is that we lay aside these distinctions and solely adhere to the terme in the question viz. truely a Church of Christ 21 Titles equivalent to Church-member given by God himself in Scripture to wicked men 126. to 134 The Church is totum aggregativum discussed the nature of aggregatives 7 8. Rational aggregative bodies differ from inanimate heaps 114. yet the forme of such lieth in aggregation 115 The Anabaptists objection against our Churches Answered p. 207 298 Apostasie unchurcheth men as
when it is not seen by the world in its wonted splendor and glory by reason either of a cloud of persecution from without as the Church mentioned Rom. 11. 4. was or of a cloud of confusion thtough the spreading of error and the rents and breaches of schisme within whence many take occasion to pretend that they cannot tell where the true Church is as we have sad experience this day in England Hence Doctor Fulk on the Rhemist Testament Dr. Fulk â—n Rhet. Test Rom. 11. 4. granteth that we do conclude the true Church may for a time be hid or secret which our Divines do sometimes render by the terme invisible Yea Beza saith that the Church is oft-times brought to that estate that even the most Beza in Rom. 11 2. watchful and sharp-sighted Pastors think it to be clean extinct and put out The second of these senses of this distinction is the most usual in Authours and that wherein the visible Church is generally meant in this Treatise SECT VIII The visible Church most properly a Church Once more if I may have leave to digresse a little I shall humbly adde that it is my present opinion that the visible Church is most properly the Church of Christ though I dare not assert it with much confidence knowing that some later eminent Divines seem at least of another mind Yet I desire it may be heeded that I do not say that the visible Church is more truly much lesse more soundly and savingly a Church of Christ then the Church invisible but onely that the visible Church is without comparison or in it self most properly a Church of Christ And thus I hope to escape the challenge of the reformed Writers Of which at large hereafter chap. 16. Indeed they sometimes say that the invisible is the onely true Church but first they never questioned but that this onely true invisible Church was also visible in our sense and againe we may hear them explaine their position in Doctor Fields Field of the Church p. 12 13 14. expression When we say none but the Elect are of the Church we meane not that no others are not at all nor in any sort of the Church but that they are not principally fully and absolutely I presume therefore I may present my reasons for this my opinion without just offence to my Reader which are these Arg. 1. The Church of Christ is most properly visible therefore the visible Church is most properly the Church of Christ That the Church of Christ is most properly visible appeareth thus 1. Such as the parts of an Aggregative body are most properly such the whole is most properly as if the stones be precious so is the heap if they be vile so is the heap if they be black so is the heap if they be visible so is the heap and if they be most properly visible so is the heap for if the parts be so in themselves how can they be lesse visible in the whole 2. Now the Church is confessed to be an Aggregative body and yet the parts or members are doubtlesse visible in most proper speaking whether we consider them as Men or as men Called 1. The members of the Church are Men and who can doubt but that men are visible in the highest propriety of speech that runnes not against his own sense yea should we yeeld that saving grace alone doth unite men to the Church yet seeing 't is not the grace which is invisible that is the member but the man who is invisible the members of the Church are visible still For as Peter du Moulin saith those that are of this invisible Church are visible as they are men but not as they are His Buckler p. 264. elected 2. The members of the Church are as truely and properly visible as they are men called for 1. All the members of the Church whether they be elect or reprobate fall under the called Yea as Ames hath excellently noted the very elect are members of the Church not qua electi Medul p. 161 but qua vocati as they are called yea the very elect are not members of the Church invisible but as they are called the Church of the elect lying hid in the Church of the called as before was noted 2. Now all that are called are as such most properly visible for in their very state of calling the called stand most visibly distinguished from all other societies of men viz. in their profession of the name and worship of Christ before all the woâ—ld wherein the elect-regenerate or called are doubtlesse as eminent and open actors as the reprobate can be and consequently do as truely help to constitute and render the Church to be visible as they Therefore if that part of the Church which in one regard beareth the name of invisible be as properly visible as the other which is onely visible who can doubt but that the Church in general is most properly visible But as Doctor Field saith it cannot be but they that are of the true Church must by the profession of the Feild of the Church p. 14 15 truth make themselves known in such sort that by they profession and practice they may be discerned from other men And again the persons of them of whom the Church consisteth are visible their profession known even to the prosane and wicked of the world and in this sort cannot be invisible neither did any of our men teach that it is or may be Arg. 2. The whole Church doth most properly deserve the name Church for though both the visible and the invisible Church should be truely and properly a Church of Christ yet if in a strict consideration one of these is but a part and the other as the whole containeth that part that which containeth the other as its part must needs be the whole and best deserve the name of the whole Now the invisible Church hath beene found to be the part of the visible and the visible to be the whole containing that part seeing all that savingly beleeve do equally share in the Churches profession and visibility with the externally called Yea and they that is the sincere beleevers as Master Baxter asserts are His Rest p. 137 a part of the externally called who are the visible Church therefore as Master Blake reasons the invisible is onely one part and so His scals p. 157 not the Church in its most proper signification Arg. 3. The Church of Christ never ceaseth to be visible therefore the visible Church is most properly the Church of Christ for 1. The Church of Christ must needs import his Church in its most proper signification for he that speaks of the Church must either mean the onely Church or the Church emphatically so called in either of these senses the Church signifieth the Church properly so called 2 Again that which never ceaseth to be visible must needs be visible and indeed most properly
Scholastical Divine Reverend Master Norton of New England These things thus premised the Argument hence is this As the visible Church may be considered to be called out of the world so it may be considered to be a Church of Christ. What hath beene said hath put this out of doubt But the visible Church may be considered to be truely called out of the world without any respect to saving grace Therefore the visible Church may be considered to be truely a Church of Christ without respect to saving grace The minor here which is all that is left questionable is easily evident if we distinguish of the world as we are wont to distinguish of the Church viz. to be visible and invisible the visible world is the world of infidels and such as openly detest the true Messias the invisible world is the world of ungodly which being as tares amidst the what of the godly cannot be discerned by men The first is opposed to the visible Church the latter to the invisible out of the visible world the visible Church is called and out of the invisible world the invisible Church or the Church of the saved is called Againe the visible Church is as truely called out of the visible world of Pagans and Infidels and such as live without the pale of the Church as the Church of the saved is called out of the world of the vngodly doth not the eye of the whole world see this and bear witnesse to it viz. that the visible Church is by the calling of God in this sense effectually in that it is really separated Vocatio communis ab infide litate ad fidem evocat Trel ut supra from and stands in distinction and opposition unto the whole world of Infidels Pagans Turks and Jews and all other societies and parties of men in the world as the called of God his lot and portion and peculiar people all which and a great deale more Master Baxter as well as many others is pleased to acknowledge that the Scriptures attribute to the visible Church CHAP. VI. Arg. From the visible Church in its causes and first as it is of God HItherto of the quid nominis proceed we now to the quid Rei and to seek for that thing and nature and truth of being in the Church which the name we have found doth import I shall put my self and reader into the way of this search by an offer of this general Argument taken from the causes of the visible Church As we may consider the causes of any thing so we may consider the thing it self But we may consider the causes of this Church to be real causes without respect to saving grace Therefore the Church to be truely a Church without respect to saving grace I think the major will not be question'd by any seeing whatsoever any thing is in it self it is the same first in its causes Quicquid est in effectu prae existit in causis Causatum quod ex causa suum esse habet yea the very definition of the effect is that it is but the result or that which hath its very selfe of the cause and depends by its cause and therefore it is called effectum or a thing done or standing as it is by it cause and causalum that is a thing caused that is such a thing as is Causalitas sive causatio est influxus ille seu concursus quo unaquaequc causa in suo genere actu influit in effectum Suarâ—z no more a thing then what it hath from its cause or as it is caused and causality or causation which is but the formal reason of the cause is nothing else but that Influx or concurrence whereby every cause in its own kinde doth actually flow into the effect The minor onely then resteth upon proof viz. That the visible Church may be considered to have its true and real causes without respect to saving grace which I shall labour to maintaine by a particular induction and examination of the several causes of the visible Church in order the efficient the end the matter and form thereof Here now are two things to be joyntly enquired after First what these causes are Secondly whether they may be considered to be real causes of the visible Church without respect to saving grace Let us first then begin to consider the efficient cause of the visible Church thus namely what it is and what kinde of effects it worketh without respect to saving grace 1. The efficient cause of the visible Church is Principal Instrumental The principal efficient of the visible Church is secundum Efficient Constitutionem Ordinationem The principal efficient in the constitution of the Church is God Rom. 2. 29. in the administration or ordination of it is Christ thus God Rom. 12. 5 1 Cor. 3. 11 Col. 1. 18. is properly the authour and Christ is properly the head of the Church The instrumental cause of the Church especially in its constitution Acts 2. 41 2 Pet. 2 23 1 Tim. 2. 15 is the preaching of the word for how can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a preacher this distribution needeth no proof seeing it is generally allowed 2. Let us now come to our task and examine whether these efficient causes may not be considered to have a real influence into the visible Church which yet doth not include saving grace As for the instrument the preaching of the word we need not insist particularly thereupon partly because the instrument is but subordinate to its principal efficient in the same operation and therefore if the work of principal efficient be real so is doubtlesse the same work relating to the instrument of it and partly because the influence of this instrumental cause the preaching of the word into the constitution of the visible Church is reserved to be largely handled in answer to a great objection against cur Churches in England at the latter end of this discourse Therefore we have but two things here before us whether God may be considered to be truely the Authour or Christ to be truely the head of the visible Church without respect to saving grace and of these in order I shall humbly signifie my opinion by forming the same into Arguments The Argument from God as the Authour of the visible Church If God in the constitution of the visible Church by the preaching of the Word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace then he may without doubt be considered to be the real Authour of the visible Church without respect to saving grace But now God in the constitution of the Church by the preaching of the word may be considered really to effect the same without the bestowing of saving grace Here is nothing to be interposed but these foure things Mr. Perk. speaking of temporal beleevers saith 1. They have knowledg 2. they
God Joh. 1. 34. so Nathael professing said thou art the Son of God v. 49. But most remarkable is that eminent profession of Peter with Id est super hauc firmam confessionem tuam qua confiteris credis me esse Christum filium Dei viventis edificabo ecclesiam meam as Bucer in loc Christ his approbation annex'd to it Matth. 16. 16 18. thou art saith he Christ the Sonne of the living God to which our Saviour answers upon this rock upon this rock as some eminent expositors conceive of profession or upon this profession as upon a rock will I build my Church Christ then it seems will build his Church upon this rock of profession of the doctrine of faith and such as are built thereupon are true stones in his house and the true subject matter of his visible Church and those that require a profession of the grace of justifying faith or of saving grace as necessary to our entring the visible Church seem to lay another foundation thereof then Christ himself hath laid Therefore answerable hereunto is that of the Apostle being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets i. e. as Bullinger teacheth upon their doctrine not their grace nor yet Eph. 2. ult our own not as if the Apostles and Prophets were the foundation of the Church in their persons yet it seems they were so in their doctrine which was indeed the doctrine of that one foundation other then which none may lay viz. Jesus Christ Therefore accordingly the true visible Church hath ever hitherto been argued and knowne by the truth of the doctrine which it hath professed and not by the truth of its graces 4. Therefore the true and proper principle of this profession is but a dogmatical faith seeing that faith which is the principle of such a profession must needs fix upon the same object with that profession Faith is termed hystorical in the Schooles that goeth no farther then to give assent and credit to the story of that which God speaketh to be true Culverwel of faith p 16. Vid. Rogers of faith p 6. and Ball of faith page 3. Temporary faith hath more then the former adding to knowledge and assent a profession of the Word yet living still in their sinneâ— in a carnal estâ—te Rogers page 7 Temporal faith is to assent to the heavenly doctrine to professe it and to glory therein the devils beleeve historically Ursin Cat. English by Par. page 134 135. we professing what we beleeve and beleeving what we professe viz. the doctrine of faith as the common sense within receiveth the same object which the outward organ of the eye or ear seeth or heareth Yet I further yeeld that there is an act of faith more then meerly dogmatical or historical that doth many times if not ever engage a man to be so beleeving to make a profession to the world of what he beleeveth for it is not the bare beleeving of such a truth that puts a man on to professe it but usually something of an applicative faith added thereto which faith also must needs be yeelded to be very farre short of a justifying faith and is termed by Divines a temporary faith 5. Againe this profession put on as farre as it is possible is but either vocal by word or real by deed I meane be attendance upon the visible administration of the Gospel and worship of Christ whom we professe in the sight of men for that other profession of a holy life is so indirect a profession and so uncertaine a character of the true visible Church as that it was yet never allowed by the Church of Christ in any age to be a necessary requisite to the matter of a true Church 6. But by the two former branches of this profession the matter of the Church receiveth the name both of professours and worshippers which latter terme of worshippers I cannot but expresse my good liking to 1. Because the proper quality use end and businesse of the visible Church in the world is cultus gloriae Dei as before viz. to worship God 2. And Christ himself assureth us that his Father under the Gospel-dispensation sought a people to serue him by this very terme namely to worship him John 4. 3. And the rule for the finding out the material cause of a thing is Cujus rei propria qualitas in aliquo composito reperitur id est hujus materia 7. But to conclude not any one or all of these do necessarily suppose that faith which justifieth or saving grace a man may Eternally those are within the Covenant who expressing their repentance with their profession of the truth though they have not the sound work of faith nor never shall Hook surv p. 36. truely beleeve and outwardly profess the doctrine of Christ and constantly attend upon the Ordinances of worship a man may be a professour of the true faith and a worshipper of Christ with outward worship and thus be truely a part of the matter of the visible Church and all this without saving grace as none can deny 8. Therefore the subject matter of the visible Church may be truely considered to be the matter of the Church of Christ without respect to saving grace 9. Yea if we speak of particular members and not of the whole I conceive that so much as is already yeelded is not absolutely necessary to the matter of the visible Church for one that is born within the Church and never yet did actually renounce his relation thereunto though he do not actually beleeve or vocally professe c. as is the very case of Children Ignorants Ideots and Mad-men I doubt not to affirme to be a real part of the matter thereof For as Reverend Master Cotton from His holinesse of Church members p. 1. New England teacheth such as are borne of Christian parents and baptized in their infancy into the fellowship of the Church are initiated members of the same Church though destitute of spiritual grace until they justly deprive themselves of the priviledge of that fellowship CHAP. X. The Argument from the forme constituent of the visible Church HAving found the viâ—â—ble Church considerable as truely such in all the rest of its causes we now proceed to examine and argue from the form thereof And if we shall be able to prove that this cause also may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace I presume that nothing can possibly intercept this our conclusiâ—n there-from viz. then the visible Church may be considered Posita forma in materia cengrua necessario fit compositum Arist formam vâ—cat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be truely such in it selfe when it hath beene found to be truely such in all its causes without respect thereunto For Forma tribuit essentiam completam câ—mpâ—sitâ— it presupposeth the matter informed by it yea it is said not onely to perfect but even to give the very being to
in an united and conjunct sense is the forme of the Church that is neither the called nor society but these both together as a company or society of the called or the faithful though then we know not as before was said where to finde the matter of the Church and that the whole definition will be taken up in the form and consequently we may not grant it yet I conceive we may safely give it for the visible Church may be as well considered to be a society of persons called conjunctively as persons called and a society without respect to saving grace 3. And although we should farther give him that which also we have before denyed to grant him viz. that that faith which is the essential forme of the Church is a saving faith yet he is pleased freely to recompense us again with with as much in affirming that persons that are onely externally called and such as onely professe as himself speaks are truely members of the Church of Christ according to the outward state thereof or as it is a visible Church which is freely acknowledged to be all that is necessarily sought in the present controversie 4. Indeed he also adds that such profession and outward calling is but the accidental form of the Church as before which assertion we conceive will hardly bear this his conclusion however this is nothing unto us We thankfully take his concession and leave the consequence to be further considered CHAP. XI The Argument from the distinguishing forme of the visible Church WE now descend to the other branch of the formal cause called distinguens vel discriminans contained in those notes or marks whereby the Church is known to be true and distinguished from a false Church Whence the Argument is this The notes or marks of a true Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace therefore the Church her selfe None will venture upon the consequence for if those very things viz. the notes whereby alone we take to our selves a consideration of the Churches being and truth cannot be affirmed to have any dependance upon saving grace then certainly the Church may be considered to be truely such without respect to saving grace The Antecedent appears by an easie induction of the notes and marks of a true Church They are either essential or accidental it is generally agreed Professio verae fidei est maxime essentialis ecclesiae nota Med. p. 171. that the essential note of the Church is profession of the true faith which as Amesius saith is maximè essentialis in the highest manner essential to the Church Now the nature of an essential mark as the Schooles teach is certo demonstrare infallibly to demonstrate the essence of that thing of which it is a mark therefore profession of the true faith doth thus certainly infallibly demonstrate the essence and nature of the true Church but now profession of the true faith may be truely considered without respect to saving grace for the true faith may be professed by a Cain a Judas a Simon Magus a Demas and those that have no share at all in saving grace and that truely to as none I think will venture to question But this profession of the true faith I humbly conceive if we speak exactly as it is a mark of the true Church must be taken ecclesiastically and not personally for there may be a private personal owning and profession of the faith where there is no formal proper and exact Church and there we cannot affirme profession of the faith an essential note of the true Church personal profession I grant is a certaine mark of a member of the Church i. e. universal and ecclesiastical profession of the Church it self This ecclesiastical profession I conceive consists in attendance upon the Ordinance of divine worship and is rather a real then a vocal profession for the end of the visible Church being properly the worship of God the note thereof is properly that which renders it serviceable to its end which is attendance upon those things which are ordained for that end the Ordinances of divine worship I confesse Amesius intends a profession of faith formally and vocally taken which he distinguisheth from the solemne preaching Professio ista in coetu aliquo potest antecedere solennem verbi praedicationem Sacramentorum administrationem Med. p. 172. 30. of the Word and administration of the Sacraments By which he either meanes a profession made by all those that are admitted into an instituted Church which cannot I conceive be proved from Scripture to be a necessary duty much lesse an essential mark of the true Church and is not very consonant with reason seeing if this be maximè essentialis nota the Church may possibly through want of occasion of admitting be many years without such an essential note the nature of which if I mistake not requires that it be more usual Besides how such a profession can be looked upon as the profession of the whole which is of some necessity for its being a mark of the whole I know not it being not made by a publick Minister but a private member yea hardly a member if the end of his confession be in order to his admission but however 't is clearly the profession of the party and a note onely of his faith and worthinesse of admission and in any sober sense can hardly be look'd on as the profession much lesse the note and least of all the essential the chiefly essential note of the whole Church as indeed we never found affirmed before by any Authentick authour in the Church of Christ and which I humbly conceive is not Ames his sense here onely I took this occasion to free him from it because I fear these words of his are made a patron of such a practise But if this be not the profession of faith which Amesius affirmeth to be the note of the Church it must needs be the set and solemn declaration of the faith by the mouth of the Church to wit the Minister which was wont to be done as he requireth before the Sermon But this I humbly conceive is not to be distinguished from the Word and Sacraments as it is maxime â—ssentialis ecclesiae nota according to Scripture reason or the judgement of most if not all that have anciently written upon this subject is not the same faith professed by the Minister in preaching and the people in hearing and by both in participating in the Sacraments or seales thereof which is read in the Creed and are not these actions as visible and as essential to the Church as the reading and hearing of the Creed or dare any say that where there is a constant and diligent attendance on the preaching of the true doctrine and lawful administration of prayers and Sacraments that there we cannot discerne a true Church without a solemne declaring of the faith in a set Creed and most of our
natural act and the very essential efflux of community therefore coetus a coire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is truely rendred an Assembly or Congregation Prop. 3. Communion then hath the next necessity and place to community in the definition of the Church as being the essential property thereof and its formal evidence Prop. 4. The means of this communion or its specification is the Ordinances or worship of God instituted and enjoyned by Christ in the Gospel Prop. 5. Would we view all the three special particulars that lay claime to this definition at once I humbly conceive 1. That the qualifications spoken of viz. faith calling c. taken with Ames in a saving sense they best serve to define the Church invisible 2. Communion in Ordinances best serve to define the universal visible 3. And this community or proper society best serves to define the particular instituted visible Church which is the Church which we finde most frequently defined by Authors not but that they may all have their place in the definition of the particular Church but I think thus they may all have the chiefest and most necessary place in the definition of the Church Prop. 6. We then may hence note three degrees of necessity in these three great parts of the definition of the Church 1. The Church cannot be without the qualifications specified yet they may be where the Church viz. a particular Neque tamen sufficit subitanea aliqua conjunctio sanctae communionis exercitium ad ecclesiam constituendam nisi etiam constantia illa accedat quoad intentionem saltem c. Am. Med p. 170 instituted Church is not viz. in the called or beleevers scattered 2. Actual communion constantly attended on cannot be where the Church is not yet the Church may be where there is no actual communion the Church is really when it doth not meet or assemble together this is more necessary then the formes 3. Communion or society referring to this communion can neither be where the Church is not neither can the Church be where this is not therefore this is necessary even with the highest degree of necessity for a right defining a particular visible Church which further appeareth thus 1. Because as before we conceive the very forme of the Definitio propriè dicta vel essenâ—ialis est physica quae datur per Meteriam formam vel metaphysica que datur per genus differentiam Church to consist in coetu in society or community it being an aggregative body but I still intend such a community as relates to communion in the worship of God now desinitions being onely to explicate the essence of a thing and the forme being neerest to the essence and as Aristotle saith the very quid and essence it self definitions are best when taken from the forme 2. Definitions are fittest to be taken from hence because the qualifications mentioned are supposed in the persons of this society and this community doth essentially con-note the communion in Ordinances in the habit or first act of it when the second act or actual communion is unavoidably suspended by intrinsick or extrinsick necessity thereof 3. These qualifications may be where there is no Church and a Church may be where there is no actual communion at present The action being ended the Assembly is dissolved and is no longer in being whereas the Church which was assembled doth no lesse continue afterward then before Hook eccles pol. 89 and therefore neither of these are so fit to define the Church withal as community that was now observed to be convertible with the Church 4. The Names of the Church do generally intimate this community for its most usual and proper name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scharpius acquaints us that it is from convocando and that among the Athenians it signified a company called together voce praeconis to hear the sentence of the Senate which Assembly the Latines called concio and this saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transferred to a holy use we see here one actual Congregation of the people and this called ecclesia from their being convocated and this usual actual convocation must needs suppose a community by which they were held in a constant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a convocando apud Athenienses significabat coetume reliqua Turba voce praeconis ad audiendum Senatus sententiam convocdtum qui coetus latinis concio dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad res sac as traducitur Nempe ad significandum sanctum coetum voce praeconien verbi vocatorum ad oracirla divina audienda Joh. Scharp Carsus Theol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gâ—aecis celebre usitatura significans proprie coetus hominum a suis sedibus in alium convocatorum ad aliquid audiendum Poly. Anth. p. 969. Vid Bul. dec p 135. preparation for these summons but he proceeds to tell us what it is in a holy sense viz. an holy Assembly of persons called together by the voice of the Preachers of the Word to hear the Divine Oracles Langus also teacheth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greeks signifying properly a company of men called together from their own seats into some other place ad audiendum to hear something whence the occasion being frequent and solemn the company became a society or an habitual company constantly attending in one place upon Gods worship which is properly a Church of God therefore in Latine 't is called Congregatio haply from the Hebrew Katial Congregavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s metaphorical names import no lesse 't is called a Body a House a Family a City a Flock a Kingdom all which connote union and such as directly intends communion and fellowship 5 The Church is therefore called a Way I persecuted saith Paul this way unto the death Acts 22. v. 4. which is a figure pointing at the persons that usually walked together in Visibilis ecclesia est coetus eorum qui per verbum externum Sacramentorum ac disciplinae ecclesiastice usum in unum externum corpus coalescunt disp 40 Thes 32 Est unitas ecclesiae quae late patet in Sacram. omnium societate communione His Vind. p. 9 Visibilis ecclesia est coetus communiter vocatorum tum electorum tum reproborum p. 194. Arnob. p. 156. upon the 19. Art allowed by the former Church of England one way of worship and evidently intimateth that the persons that thus walked together were a fix'd community or society 6. Some that define the Church leave out the foresaid personal qualifications so do the Leiden Professours the visible Church say they is a company of persons that by the external word the use of the Sacraments and discipline are united into one outward body And Augustine 't is the unity of the Church which lieth broad in the society and community of all the Sacraments Some againe that define the Church do not expresse it communion
above all the nations that are upon the earth And to anticipate any that should restraine and limit this Covenant-holinesse consistent with actuai wickednesse to the time of the Law The Apostle Peter hath taken the very same passage and made its application to the times of the Gospel 2 Peter 2. 9. If yet any possible scruple remaine seriously weigh that method of reasoning God is pleased with in Psalm 50. 7. God threatens there to testifie against Israel a sufficient note of Israels wickednesse yet in the same verse God owneth Israel a competent token of Israles holinesse but how dâ—th God own wicked Israel not in Covenant yea doubtlesse in both the maine parts thereof thou art my people and I am thy God hear O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God here is sufficient doubtlesse infinitely to supersede what can lawfully be argued against the possibility of a wicked Israelite his being in Covenant from v. 16 17. so much insisted on 3. Therefore nothing is more trite in reformed Writers especially against the Anabaptist then the distinction of persons holy vel actu vel orasione professione debita holinesse real and relative habitual and imputed foederal and inherent who generally acknowledge that some persons are holy in a relative foederal and imputed sense and by profession obligation separation and calling that are not holy really as it stands opposed to relatively actually personally or inherently who are yet onely called to be Saints taking the word called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut sint sancti as Paraeus Aretius and divers others do in which sense Master Baxters words are ordinarily quoted That there are His Rest p. 105 many Saints or sanctified men that shall never come to Heaven who are onely Saints by their separation from paganisme into the fellowship of the visible Church Whence also Chamier proportionably reasons quomodo Paulus dicebat Romae i. e. omnes sui temporis Judaeos esse sanctos quod eorum Truncus i. e. Abraham sanctos fuisset 4. We need not trouble our selves to prove particularly that the judgement of the reformed Churches is that foederal holinesse doth proceed into the Adult estate seeing those Churches viz. of New England which alone are capable of suspition in this controversie have expressely declared for it or at least very strongly Mr. Cottons way of the Church of New England pag. 51. intimated in these words those say they that are baptized in any Church may by vertue of this former interest require the Supper in that Church if there be no impediment in regard of their unfitnesse to examine themselves Which yet Master Baxter hath somwhat more clearly for saith he their being baptized persons if at age or members of the universal Church into which it is that they are baptized is a sufficient evidence of their interest to the Supper till they do by heresie His Rest p. 104 or scandal blot that evidence which assureth us to be the confident issue of much doubting dispute and study of the Scriptures 5. Yea that prudent Ordinance called confirmation though of singular use in the hurch if well managed and that onely thing that seemeth against us in this part of dispute it being looked upon as a mean of passing from the Infant to the Adult estate yet it is most evident this did not intend to exclude those that were found ignorant and wanted a fit and ready answer at their examination presently out of the Church or on the other side to admit the rest upon a new account into Church-membership they being sufficiently so before for they stiled this exercise not an admission but a confirmation or if in any respect it was an admission the term thereof was only into the company of adult Church-members or to some higher priviledge of the visible Church viz. the Supper and not at all to the state or society of Church-members as such Neither did such examinants intend at least a direct search for evidence of grace but competency of knowledge or at utmost a renuing of that covenant or promise personally and actively which before in their infancy they were only passively and in their sureties bound unto Which promise having for the object of it repentance and obedience and being for the nature of it a promise that is respecting the future and being made for something yet to be doth rather suppose that as yet they have not repented nor entred upon a course of new obedience and consequently are not yet supposed to have any saving grace though thought fit upon such a promise to pass by confirmation of their examinants out of their Infant into their Adult estate 6. If those that do not render this answer of a good conscience are no longer within the Church I demand whether they were truely members of the Church in their state of Infancy or onely seemingly so 1. If it be replied that they were onely seemingly so then Infants interest in the Church by foederal holinesse is not a real interest which is plainly Anabaptistical or at least but dependently and upon the supposition of future saving grace which is absurd and plainly against the Scripture For after heaven had reveal'd that Ishmael was none of the seed of the promise of salvation with Isaac and that to Abraham Vid. Gen. 17 himself he is yet by vertue of his relative foederal holinesse from his fathers family and in plaine obedience to Gods command circumcised by Abraham the mark and token of the Covenant of God And the bond woman and her sonne who indeed was Ishmael are clearly intimated to be within Gal. 4. 30. where they are charged to be cast out Where also the Apostle assures us that this history of Ishmael and Isaac was allegâ—rical and served to conclude that even in the dayes of the Gospel to the end of the world there should be Ishmaels as well as Isaac's in the visible Church the Apostle arguing v. 29. from then to now 2. Againe if it be said that such were really visible members before in their infant estate but now they wanting that which their Adult estate requires to continue this their membership they cease to be any longer so I then must demand whether they cease to be so on course and by any thing which flowes from the nature of such a state or whether they cease or rather are made to cease to be so by violent censure or Excommunication 1. If the first be chosen viz. that they cease to be any longer members of themselves without any censure of the Church 1. I humbly conceive here is a new way of loosing Church-membership viz. by ignorance wickednesse c. unknowne to the Scripture or any age of any Church before 2. Then Ideots and distracted persons cease to be members of the visible Church at their Adult estate 3. What shadow of Scripture or reason is there that ignorance for which
CHAP. XXVI What is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Church A twofold answer hereunto considered BUt least my notion of the visible Church wherein as my question leads me I have hitherto rather hovered in generals and negatives should be left suspitious or obscure I shall now pitch upon a more fix'd particular and positive discourse in answer to the three plaine cases or queries following which haply may prove a fit medium betwixt the debate already had and some plaine practical and necessary inferences that are yet to be drawn from the whole The Queries are 1. What is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Quid constituit Quid distinguit Quid destruit Church 2. What is requisite to evidence this visible Church-membership to others 3. What is that that doth dismember or cut one wholly off from the visible Church Quest 1. Then what is requisite to constitute a member of the visible Church Answ Mr. Cotton answers in the name of the Churches in New England thus 't is not the seed of faith nor faith it selfe that knitteth a man to this or that particular visible Church but an holy profession of the faith and professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ in their communion his way of those Churches p. 84 85. Supposing what is herein to be supposed viz. that the way of entring the universal visible Church is not here concerned Secondly that the way of Infants becoming Church-members is not here intended I could even signe this answer Onely I must needs except against its fitnesse to be applied to the cases of most Churches seeing it onely intends that which is more extraordinary viz. the entring of Heathens into our Chuâ—ches and leaves untouch'd that which is the ordinary and daily means of increase or continuance of them by our children born therein to God and to this priviledge of visible Church-membership Master Hudson also towards the latter end of his discourse of the Church proposeth and answereth this same Question viz. what is requisite to make one a member of the visible Church his answer hereunto conteineth three things Competent knowledge holinesse of life and subjection to the Gospel By which his answer it appeares that he likewise intended onely that which is requisite to make an adult Heathen a member of the Christian Church not at all noting the common way of entring into the Church and Covenant amongst us viz. by birth-priviledge However let me humbly offer this question whether all such as are not so qualified may be truely said to be no Church-members even amongst the Adult if so then there are no ignorant or unholy persons in the visible Church which cannot well be imagined to be Mr. Hudsons meaning by any that consult his p. 9. where we finde him asserting that the difinition of the Church is true of the godly as well as of the hypocrite and therefore true of the hypocrite but if he did not mean to exclude all such as want a competency of knowledge and holy life then these things specified are not conditions necessarily requisite to visible Church-membership which I presume to be the truth as well as Mr. Hudsons intention Indeed all must grant that Church-members of years ought to be competently knowing and of an holy life c. and this is necessary upon all Church-members as such with a necessity of the precept but it is therefore necessary with such a necessity viz. of the means as without it none can be truely in the Church I cannot but deny many things are necessary to the well-being that are not so to the truth or being of the visible Church-membership and so are these mentioned as I conceive doth already and by and by may further appear CHAP. XXVII A distinct consideration of admission of Infants and adult persons the condition of Infants Church-membership HAving thus prepared my way for an answer let me renue my question and what is it then that constitutes a member of the visible Church But seeing all but Anabaptists must needs acknowledge that the way and termes of the admission of Infants and such as are adult doth plainly differ a necessity is thereby granted us first to distinguish accordingly before I define or fix my answer if I would speak distinctly of things that differ 1. Then the first if the question be concerning Infants I may The way of infants admission briefly answer and boldly say that the condition or ground of infants admission into the Church is easily resolved by all but Anabaptists and yet as lightly considered by most for who else doth offer to question but that those that come into the Church in their infancy do advance thereunto by their Birth priviledge that they were borne to God in Covenant with him and his people and signed and sealed such by Baptisme But that this is as slightly considered and as lightly weighed by most that assert it is too too evident for how few do hence consider that then most of our people in England stand Church-members by verture of their birth-priviledge and are accordingly to be dealt withal as such how few do clearly see themselves hence enforced not to deal with them as Heathens or as persons out of the Church and not to require qualifications in order to their admission they being admitted already unlesse they have thus extinguished this their interest by such a violent course as will afterwards be spoken of How sweetly would the clear consideration of this original Church-membership common to our people lead us to see a great measure of the mystery and ground of most of our confusions and sad distractions to pitch and settle here even in the want of a more serious considering what this principle so generally granted viz. that we are borne Church-members and sealed such even from our infancy might prevent and conclude Yea what can we imagne to have a more direct and kindlier tendency to the ending of our differences thus desperately heightned then a serious sincere and impartial yeelding to the natural ducture and true consequences of this irresistible truth both about the Church and Sacraments But that is our misery which Justinian termeth but an inconvenience we puzle our selves about a way of settlement while Inconveniens est omissis principiis origine repetita illo tis manibus materiam tractare indeed they are off from our ground or rather expect the still waters and silver streams of peace and purity in the waters of strife or divided streams or rather flames of our own contention every one prosecuting the ground of division with pretence of union and beginning at the foot that 's cloven when it were better prudence to begin at the well-head to find and detect the cause of our breaches and the true meanes of our reconcilement which I verily believe chiefly to consist in a right understanding and diligent prosecuting this principle of infant Church-membership in the true and genuine
had his Church because he had thousands which never bowed their knees to Baal but whose knees were bowed unto Baal even they were also of the visible Church Apostasie a genus or an integrum of heresie and schisme And if it be yet urged that apostacy should be reckoned among the meanes of unchurching I reply that Apostacy may be thought to be a genus of heresie and schism or a compositum made up of both and the perfection of heresie and schisme as it is in the first respect totum universale or in the latter respect totum essentiale vel integrale whose species or whose parts are heresie and schism 1. Now if we consider apostasie as a genus of heresie and schism Apostasie as a genus c. is such in grammar and Scripture then we may conceive heresie or a falling from the faith to be one kinde of Apostasie and Schisme or a forsaking the Assemblies to be another kinde of Apostasie by the one men fall from the truth and by the other from the Church and by either or both from God Apostasie thus understood as I humbly conceive both according to grammar or the Etymology of the word which is in general onely a falling from which may equally respect the truth and the Church and also according to Scripture or the use thereof in the Scripture is such in the first and properest sense of the word Now if we take Apostasie in this signification it cannot be reasonably added as a third meanes of unchurching unto Heresie As a compound the usual sense and schisme seeing that a genus is universale and not individuum and existing onely in its species and not as distinct thereunto or in it self 2. If we take Apostasie in the sense of the Church wherein it is usually taken for a compound of perfect or total Heresie and Schisme or a perfect and absolute renouncing the faith and forsaking the communion of the faithful then I answer that it seemeth needlesse to adde this as a third means of unchurching in this sense either seeing it hath no other nature or force thereunto but what it received from its parts to wit heresie and schisme which have been before insisted upon so that all the difference is that heresie and schisme considered in themselves do unchurch apart and considered in Apostasie they do unchurch together or they are considered to do that together in Apostasie which they were considered to do before apart in themselves and this need not be added as a third meanes which hath no energy to do this effect but that which it receiveth from the other two yea even as it consisteth wholly thereof I conclude this discourse with a synopsis of what hath been said herein given us in those pertinent words of Learned Willet Synop. of the second contr of the Church he first tells us who may not be of the visible Church viz. Infidels i. e. such as are not baptized 2. Hereticks 3. Schismaticks to which he addes excommunicate persons he secondly teacheth who are or may be of the visible Church viz. 1. Such as are not predestinate 2. Manifest sinners de facto 3. Close Infidels i. e. hypocrites CHAP. XXXV Our Churches in England are true Churches inferr'd from the former discourse I Had once resolved to have written no more but finis to the former discourse and to have entrusted it as it is to the impartial improvement of my Readers Genius for who seeth not what great things a very little use of reason may inferre therefrom both touching our Churches Sacraments and Censure However though peaceable prudence be ready to advize as things and persons now are to be very sparing in taking the advantages offered us thence yet love to the truth and the zeale of the house of the Lord hath prevailed with to add something upon each of these heads as most direct and easie conclusions from the former premises and first concerning our Churches thus If we seriously consider what hath been said what can possibly hinder us from concluding therefrom that our publick Congregations in England are true Churches Were not all our members borne in the Church baptized in the Church and have they not hitherto remained in communion of the Church hath Apostasie Heresie Schisme hath a removal of the Candlestick or excommunication it self if it have such a power unchurched them Are not all our Congregations called out of the world of Infidels Turks Jews yea and Papists too and do not they stand as holy communities separate therefrom to the true worship and ordinarily exercised in the Ordinances of God Doth the Scripture require any more to the essence of the Church then ours have or doth it note any thing sufficient to unchurch that ours are not free from are not all the causes distinguishing marks of the true visible Church eminently in ours or doth not the whole definition thereof agree to them do not all the Churches salute and own us as true Churches and would not many dangerous absurdities both in judgement and practice immediately follow the denial thereof Are our Churches corrupt in their conversation true but the essence of the Church consisteth not in saving grace nor its visibility in an holy life besides what Scripture-Church is there except one viz. that at Philippi but is even by the Scripture it self both blamed for corruption and also acknowledged to be a Church or people of God But I intend not to enlarge here having elsewhere largely anticipated this discourse onely having often observed one great objection taken from the first constitution of our Churches to be the last and onely hold of the ancient Brownists as also of the subtiler sort of our later Anabaptists to whom we might adde the Papist I shall spend the remains of this chapter in the view and answer thereof 't is this Obj. Our Churches were not rightly constituted at first therefore they are no true Churches Answer This Objection as it lieth thus in general may be easily evaded upon all our adversaries own principles 1. To the Papists we reply that our Church was at first rightly constituted upon Popish principles for do they not say that we were at first converted unto Christianity by the preaching of Augustine the Monk and that he was commissionated thereunto by the Pope himself 2. To the Brownist we say that we were at first converted by the Ordinance of preaching whether of Joseph or not to which we may adde in answer to the Anabaptist that our ancestors were then baptized upon their personal professing the faith at years of discretion which thing cannot be rationally doubted seeing all are agreed that Heathens are not to be baptized but upon such profession of the faith and againe that our Ancestours were Heathens before their conversion to Christianity Object I know that all these adversaries are ready to reply that something hath since intervened that hath destroyed our Churches Answ Yet then the objection taken
from our first constitution is vanish'd for now the fault it seemeth is found in something that hath happened since which also ought to be made to appear 1. To be truely charged upon our Churches And Secondly sufficient to destroy them otherwise our Churches being thus confessed to be truely and rightly constitute at first and nothing being found to destroy their being or truth since it cannot be denied but that they are true Churches still Let it be therefore briefly examined what they severally alledge against us Obj. 1. The Papists object that our schisme from the Church of Papists Rome hath destroyed our Church Answ But this will never serve their turne without the proof of two things which are never to be proved 1. That the Church of England was guilty of Schisme by renouncing obedience to the Church of Rome For 1. England was never an obliged member of that particular Church of Rome but a Sister Church unto it Secondly as we and Rome were both members of the Catholick Church we never separated from Rome onely in those things wherein Rome first separated from God truth and us 2. That Schisme meerly of it self without heresie is sufficient to destroy a Church which the Scriptures never affirmed and which they know that the Ancient fathers ever denied Object The Anabaptists object that though we were lawfully baptized at first yet our present members are not and where Anabaptists there is no true baptisme there is no true Church Answ But there are three rotten pillars to uphold this argument which cannot support themselves 1. That Infant-baptisme is no lawful baptisme which they themselves now see that they cannot evidence and are therefore now weary of the point and onely labour to prove the lawfulnesse of beleevers baptisme 2. That Infant-Baptisme may not be true and effectual baptisme though they could possibly prove it to be unlawful and that we should not have been baptized till years of discretion fieri non debuit factum valet is sometimes a good Rule an errour in a circumstance doth not null the action persons baptized with water in infancy and with the holy Ghost since who dare say they are not baptized 3. That Baptisme is of the essence of Church-membership Learned Master John Goodwin hath written a Treatise on purpose upon this subject shewing by many arguments that supposing Baptisme not lawfully administred to Infants yet this is no just ground of separation from such Churches as do baptize infants and one hath made an attempt to answer them but with very unhappy successe Whether Infant-Baptisme hath plaine Scripture proof or not 't is both certaine and plaine in Scripture that the children of Lamb. Church-members are born in the Church and Covenant of God But from what Scripture can it be inferr'd that one that is borne in Covenant ceaseth to be so if not Baptised I know not I grant that the admission of persons not borne in the Church ought to be solemnized with Baptisme yet I conceive that Baptisme is the seal and badge of this his admission rather then essential to it and that he is a member indeed and before God by his sincere embracing the Christian Religion in his heart though not baptized though his submission to Baptisme be a necessary expression of his Christian profession for the Churches satisfaction and yet I conceive there is much difference betwixt the cases of such persons and of those that are borne in the Church and that this difference is clearly revealed in the Scriptures of both Testaments Object There is but one thing that hath any colour of bjection in Scripture against it that the person not circumcised should be cut off from the people and that he had broken the Covenant of God Gen. 17. 14. But this is easily removed for both his sin and punishment plainly intimate such a persons interest in the Covenant 1. He hath broken my Covenant that was his sinne of which he had not been capable had he not been in Covenant and therefore a person refusing circumcision was in Covenant 2. His punishment was to be cut off from the people which also intimates that at present he was among Gods people and to be punished with that punishment which was peculiar unto them it matters not what was meant by this cutting off for whether it was by death or excommunication we can thence onely argue desert of the like punishment in the like case and not that such a person is not yet in Covenant before this punishment is inflicted which is onely due unto him for breaking the Covenant in refusing the seale of the Covenant which he could neither have beene guilty of nor had any right unto unlesse he had been in Covenant Certainly therefore faith and not Circumcision or Baptisme is that which enters a man into Covenant with his seed we say Baptisme is the Seal of the Covenant and the badg of Christianity yea the Anabaptists and we are agreed in this that Baptisme is to be administred onely to such as are in Covenant already and consequently that persons are in Covenant before they have right to Baptism and therefore baptisme is not of the essence of the Cevenant or Church Object The Brownist supposing the destruction of our Churches Of Brownists in Queen Maries dayes thus objecteth The true Church is gathered by the preaching of the Word but the Churches of England were called onely by Queen Eliza's command and not by the preaching of the Word therefore they are no true Churches Answ This is the Goliah-objection yet with no great difficulty vanquished for 1. It cannot be proved that we wholly lost the being of a Church by the Marian persecution The Fundamental points touching God Christ Scriptures Ordinances did still shine through that red vaile at least they were never covered much lesse lost in that Popish Rabble which God most graciously and suddenly cleansed by the means of that happy succeeding Queen so that it was rather a reformation then a constitution of a Church which we then received and the Queen did no more in putting for her entrusted power for recovery of our former purer Religion then what other Scripture-Princes had done before her with applause from heaven The people in Josiahs time were farre more Idolatrous then in Queen Maries the like might be observed of Hezekiahs time see how Ahaz and Amon left them 2 Chron. 28. 2 3 4. and 23. and 33. 2 3 4 5 9. yet we find that these Princes compelled all that were found in Israel to serve the Lord their God as it is said of Josiah 2 Chron. 34. 33. who commanded the people to serve the Lord 2 King 23. 21. and Hezekiah with his Parliament made a decree requiring the people from Dan to Beersheba to return againe unto the Lord God of Abraham whom they had forsaken 2 Chron. 30. 56. Now who will say that Israel was not a people of the Lord because thus reduced againe
unto him by the command of these Kings in like manner our gracious Queen Elizabeth did her duty to God in following these happy Kings in the like case in England and the people did no lesse then their duty to God and the Queene in returning to their God at the Queenes command 2. Neither can it be sufficiently proved that the preaching of the Word is of absolute necessity at the first constitution of a particular Church especially where some Knowledge of God and his wayes is presupposed as our case in England then was 1. I grant that in ordinary cases the preaching of the Gospel is required to the constitution of a Church but that there can be no extraordinary exception to this rule I deny especially when men would thence reason us out of our senses as well as our Churches we see our Churches in all the parts and essentials of true Churches shall we yet argue against what we see and not believe our own eyes because their first constitution was not as we would have had it or as indeed ordinarily Churches are constituted would it not have been judged a madnesse in Caine and Abel to have reasoned their parents out of the number of man-kinde because they were not born of a woman as men ordinarily are Let who will undertake to prove that our Churches in England were not constituted at first by the preaching of the Word and I dare engage to make good the assumption that our Churches in England are true Churches and thus we may haply discover another extraordinary way of constitution of Churches besides the preaching of the Word 2. The preaching of the Word as necessary to a true Church may be thought to be either antecedent or subsequent to the constitution thereof either of which is sufficient provided that the people are brought to a willing embracement of the Christian profession by any other means so that where the Candlestick is pitched and the Ministry of the Word is fixed among any people that freely attend upon it there none may doubt but that God hath chosen a people to be his Church for here are found the infallible marks of a true Church Now none can deny but that our Congregations in England if they were not at first reduced by the Minstry yet they have enjoyed it ever since that their reduction from the Popish yoak in the dayes of that famous Queen and that none may have cause to say that this our attendance on the Ordinances of God is generally forced by a Law as was wont to be laid to our charge we have of late a most clear evidence that it is indeed free and voluntary seeing all compulsory meanes are known to be rebated and taken away in the present liberty 3. Much lesse can it without grosse ignorance or dangerous impudence be denied that the Ministery of the word was instrumental with the Queens command to the reduction of the people in her dayes from Popery to Protestantisme yea 't is well known that divers Ministers were sent into all parts to satisfie the people touching that change in Religion which she then was about and allowed the people that their returne might be free above half a years time to consider of it and what law was made at length to compel in any regard was made by consent of the people themselves in Parliament all which are so evident in history that I shall need say no more thereof However suppose that all these things should be granted them 1. That we lost our Churches in Queen Maries dayes 2. That a true Church can be constituted onely by the preaching of the Word 3. That our Churches in Queen Elizabeths dayes were gathered or rather compelled onely by the Queens Command 4. And consequently that they then were no true Churches but societies of Heathens all which have appeared to be false yet what will this adversary conclude from thence against our present Churches especially if we adde the serious consideration of these four following particulars 1. That our people have had the preaching of the Word ever since 2. That they are now a willing people in Gods publick worship all meanes of compulsion being now taken off 3. That they became thus willing to embrace and abide in the true Religion by the preaching of the Word seeing no other meanes by their owne principles could make them so 4. And therefore consequently we stand true Churches now by their own principles being constituted such at length by the long abiding of the same among us if not so at first by the preaching of the Word CHAP. XXXVI Inferences from the former discourse concerning Baptisme and title to it WE have found the former doctrine helpful to us in the vindication of the truth of our Churches let us follow it a little further and it may haply discover something also touching their title to Sacraments And First of Baptisme Secondly of the Supper Concerning Baptisme it follows that if the former principle stand the children of foure sorts of persons may lawfully communicate Baptisme thereof the children of such as have no saving grace nor evidence of it the children of visibly wicked persons the children of the excommunicate and the children of such as ought not to be admitted to the Lords Table which will fall into so many Positions 1. Then first saving grace in the parent is not absolutely necessary to a real-right nor its evidence to a visible right in baptism for his child or the children of such as have no such grace and make no satisfactory evidence thereof to the Church may yet have a clear and good title to Baptisme and be lawfully baptized 1. The children of such as have no saving grace may have a Children of graceless persons have right in Baptisme real right in baptisme because such parents may notwithstanding their want of saving grace be really members of the visible Church and be themselves really baptized which is all that is requisite to entitle their children to visible Church-membership and consequently to baptisme the children of such parents are within the Covenant and interest in the Covenant carrieth Foederatis competit signum foederis doubtlesse a right in it to some seal of the Covenant and if to any must it not be to the first viz. Baptisme 2. The children of such as give no satisfactory evidence of saving grace may yet have a visible title to baptisme and a just claime for it from the hands of the Church because such parents may without such evidence have evidence enough of their interest in the Covenant and the visible Church sufficiently satisfying the Judges thereof by some other means for that which being real giveth real right to Ordinances in Gods account being visible or seen and known or not to be doubted of by men giveth visible right thereunto in the Court of the Church But something else besides such saving grace being real giveth real right to Ordinances therefore
warrant the casting the excommunicate out by degrees and prudence encouraged by general Scriptures doth doubtlesse prescribe and urge this as well as that yea and with better advantage Whereupon though not so early may I not say as wisely the Church afterwards took up this course of mercy and gentlenesse patience and forbearance in ejecting and indeed abated of the former rigour severity and zeal in readmitting by such slow degrees and who doubts but that the Gospel being so rich in mercy and forbearance and the Ministry standing in his stead who hath all fulnesse of grace and every Ordinance being a mean of salvation our liberty is broader and our errour lesse in the wayes of indulgency and clemency then of judgement and punishment the rule of mercy exceeded is but an errour of charity whereas excesse in justice proceeds into injury and cruelty But however that be concluded this sufficeth my present purpose if such suspention be not lawful then excommunication in whole is necessary for the rejecting a scandalous person from Church-priviledges and if it be lawful yet excommunication is still necessary hereunto seeing such suspension is nothing save onely as it is a part and beginning of excommunication and hath no warrant but in those Scriptures where excommunication is founded and is indeed excommunication and every person rejected regularly from the Supper stands excommunicate though but in part Hence will easily flow some seasonable intimations which I crave leave to note only 1. It hence then follows that we in our Churches may not reject any of our brethren from any part of our Church-communion for their conversation-sake if they be not liable to censure that is as before we explained if they be not guilty of some great sin and persist therein with obstinacy we are taught even from new-New-England that they proceed not to censure but in case of known offence and such offence as cannot be healed without censure and what Church among the very Brownists and Anabaptists proceeds by any other rule Let us impartially reckon of scandal and censure with the Scriprure either in the Old or New Testament and I presume this matter is ended we must not proceed to so high a censure as Excommunication upon stricter termes then the Scripture doth nor take scandal as deserving so high a censure in a stricter sense then the Scripture doth 2. Then to reckon any of our members among dogges and swine before they have been duly admonished if not excommunicated is rash judgement 3. Our provoking the Gommunicants when the fault is not known save privately to make publick exceptions against the lives or actions of any that deserve admission to the Sacrament and not rather to put them upon their proper duty of private admonition and correption seemeth to crosse our Saviours directions Matth. 15. 5. in this case CHAP. XLI We may not account the members of our Congregations to be without until they are cast out THe second inference touching Censures is this if wicked men be indeed consistent with visible Church-membership then we may not reckon any member of our Congregations to be without though wicked and scandalous until he is made such by Church-censure and cast out The reason of this connexion is evident for our Congregations are true Churches And secondly the members of true Churches are to be accounted to be within and not without until they are excommunicated or cast out notwithstanding their scandal The incestuous person is an invincible instance here 't is known that he was very scandalous yer 't is plain he was still within and accordingly liable to the Churches judgement until cast out Yea 3. Without hesitancy I assert that there is no way or means or remedy to be found in Scripture or in the practice or judgement of any Church of casting out scandalous persons from Church-communion or interest but the censure of excommunication But these things have I hope been demonstrated before I shall therefore here only adde my wonder at those that allow our Congregations to be true Churches and yet not only reckon of but even deal with many yea most of the members of such Congregations as heathens before any censure have passed from the Church upon them an easie way I confesse to cut off the trouble of duty in Admonition and Excommunication But I fear not so easie a way of satisfying conscience or quitting our selves to our Master in the day of our account O that men would seriously consider what Word of God or Church of Christ will owne such practice at that great day and yet is it not a general miscarriage the Loâ—d awaken us to see that there is no other way for scandalous members to become Mat. 18. as heathens but by not hearing the Church which presupposeth admonition CHAP. XLII We are bound to proceed against scandalous persons within our Congregations by way of Censure LAstly if wickednesse or scandal render not the members of our Congregations to be no Church-members then are we not bound to proceed against the scandalous in our congregations by way of censure this is indeed the hardest task but yet it is not a clear duty and the great and likeliest remedy of reforming the scandalous and preserving the rest from leaven and destruction If persons be scandalous and within what can free them from Ecclesiastical censure or excuse us from judging them with it do not ye judge them that are within i. e. quatenus within and consequently all that are within is not Christs discipline as extensive as his Church or is there any room in his house not under his keyes any Schollar in his School not under his Rod or any subject in his Kingdome not under his power where then is his glory Yea do not those forcible and plain commands Tell thy brother of his fault and if he hear thee not tell the Church and if he hear not the Church let him be to thee as an heathen and a publican an heretick after the first and second admonition reject In the Name of the Lord Jesus deliver such an one unto Satan Put away from among your selves that wicked person c. do not these direct and pressing commands convince reprove rebuke exhort both Ministers and people as with thunder and lightning doth not the rod of severer discipline in the ancient Churches in more perillous times lash our fearfulnesse lazinesse unbelief and neglects herein The good Lord spare and pardon yet shame us and rowse us to our duty that we may no longer conferre with that flesh and blood that cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven tbat the Ministry may effectually quicken the people to a regular course of admonition and proceed with them to an high censure upon just complaints of such as are found obstinate Certainly this is the remedy appointed by Christ for a Reformation and while this way is obstructed either by us or our people it is no great wonder if mens devices though never so
Sacraments is a penalty inflicted upon them and so it cannot be but as it is gradus vel pars a step unto or part of excommunication and then I am satisfied Neither fourthly do I think confirmation to be of so absolute necessity as that in no case a person might proceed into the higher Prov. 4. Confirmation not absolutely necessary priviledges of adult members without it or unlesse he be first confirmed by the Church 1. Should such a thing be affirmed by any as I hope it is not or at least not meant it is not easie to perceive what a heavy charge of grosse usurpation is laid upon many of the Churches of Christ thereby where the Ordinance of confirmation was never in use and yet the Ordinance of the Supper of the Lord ever celebrated The Centurists tell us that of confirmation after baptisme there De confirmatione subsecura baptismum in alinarum praeterquam occidentalium ecclefiarum historiis nihil legitur Cent. 4. p. 422. is nothing to be sound in the histories of any but the Westerne Churches And 't is very evident by the complaints of many of the most eminent Reformed Divines and their wishings for it that Confirmation is not all in practice with them And though there was the Name and shadow of it formerly in England yet the learned Doctor Hamond complaineth of its sleight and perfunctory managing and desires that therefore it might universally be done over again Yea our worthy authour himself observes that as confirmation was used by the Bishops 't was lettle lesse then ridiculous a meer vain and empty ceremony an empty shadow a vaine invention of superstitious men and consequently not the Ordinance of God in Scripture 2. But to the matter it self give me leave to note three steps or degrees of necessity 1. In the first step or degree of necessity stands I conceive Three degreeâ— of necessity In the first stands self-examination self-examination in order to a proxime right in the Supper this seemes to be the very condition without which no person can possibly have such a right or priviledge and in that sense absolutely necessary thereunto this is expresse in the text without this a person sinnes if he takes c. and this I mean self-examination is that very thing as Reverend Master Cotton well observes wherein alone the condition of right in the Eucharist the Christian passeover now lies stricter upon us then the condition of right in the Jewish Passeover did upon them in the time of the Law 2. In the second step or degree of necessity stands the parties In the second stands knowledge c. knowledge or ability to examine himself this is by evident consequence grounded upon the former suppofition viz. that none may receive without self-examination necessary also for knowledge is a necessary to self-examination ratione medii as this is to a right in the Supper ratione precepti and I conceive without knowledge some way appearing to the Churches satisfaction none ought at first to be admitted to the Lords Table this being to let a person into possession of that wherein 't is evident he hath no right I mean immediately for he that doth not examine himself hath no such right he that hath not competent knowledge doth not examine himself and he that appears grossely ignorant 't is evident he hath not competent knowledge by the first he hath no right coram Deo and by the last he hath none coram Ecclesia 3. In third and last or lowest step of necessity stands in the In the third stands the means of discovering this knowledge way and meanes of obtaining and discovering this knowledge or ability for self-examination obtaining on the persons part and discovering on the Churches The way and meanes for the Church to discover this knowledge or ability of her members by for of that we are about is usually called catechizing examination or conference or some of these made more solemne by that Ordinance we are now about viz. confirmation Some one of these I think is necessary though not in so high a degree as the former yet not necessary 1. With a necessity of the meanes as if no person might have a right in the Supper without it 2. Nor necessary at all as to the giving any real right to a person in the Supper 3. Nor yet necessary by any expresse command in order to the letting persons into profession of it 4. But yet necessary with a necessity resulting from that care which the Church should have of Gods Ordinance as also of her own children least she should give the Sacrament to those whom the Lord denieth it and least she suffer what she may help viz. her members to eat their own judgement and this I conceive is not onely allowed but required of the Church by general Scriptures requiring all things to be done to edifying and faithfully dispensed Alexander seems to weaken the necessity of confirmation Sed duo instituit per seipsum c. part 4. quaest 8. memb â— Art 1. by observing that whereas baptisme and the Supper were instituted by Christ himselfe and were therefore maximè necessaria this of Confirmation was given by his Apostles though I â—ay no stresse upon that as will suddenly appeare yet I hope none will deny 1. That the Lords Supper is part of Gods worship Haec disciplina si hodie valeret c. Instit l. 4. c. 19 par 13. and Examination and Confirmation are but parts of Discipline so Calvine calls confirmation 2. That the Ordinances of worship are more necessary then those of discipline 3. That the Ordinances of Worship are alwayes necessary to be dispensed but not so those of Discipline 4. Lastly therefore persons may sometimes be admitted to the Lords Supper and have a true right therein which is no doubt an Ordinance of Worshâ—p without being first examined or confirmed by Church discipline as none can deny but those multitudes were in the second of the Acts they were baptized and we hear no more but that they passed immediately without any further Ordinance of discipline intervening to full communion in all Ordinances of worship But more particularly I conceive that confirmation is not necessary Confirmation not necessary in three cases to a persons proxime right in the Lords Supper especially in three cases 1. First with respect to the party when it is not 1. When not required required of him by the Rulers of that Church wherein he lives Binnius observes that some collect from the forty eighth Canon of the counsel of Laodicea that the baptized are bound under sinne to take the Sacrament of Confirmation but it is onely dum commode possunt when they conveniently may and therefore they seeme not to be obliged when both opportunity and possibility are denyed that Erit Adultis quando dabitur recipiendi copia neceâ—â—arium See Mr. Hanmore p. 59 60 is when it is not used in the Church wherein they live 't is necessary
therefore as Peresius saith when opportunity is offered and consequently not necessary if no opportunity be offered or it cannot be had Object But if confirmation be a necessary ingredient to a proxime right in the Lords Supper how can it be supplied or how can a person have such a right without it Answ Therefore it may be remembred that confirmation or examination giveth no right at all to the person it Confirmation giveth no right onely evidenceth and confirmeth his former right and lets him into possession by admission to the Sacrament the person if self-examined hath right according to the word before confirmation 1 Cor. 11. 28. and by confirmation or approving of the Church hath indeed that which is called an Ecclesiastical right yet very improperly it being onely an evidencing and testifying of the former right which before he had as to God and conscience now in the Court of the Church for no man can convey a title to Gods Ordinances We must hold the distinction betwixt the means of conveying aright which here is self examination and the meanes of discovering this right and giving possession which is Church-examination approbation or if you will confirmation which I conceive is necessary to be submitted to by the people when it is required but not any necessary ingredient into any thing of their right or title to any Ordinance Confirmation when it is required is necessary to possession but not to right in the Lords Supper but when not required necessary to neither for if the Ministers neglect their duty in not â—equiring the people to be confirmed there is no reason the people should be kept from the Sacrament which is doubtlesse a clearer duty and a better meanes of the peoples confirmation then that which hath appropriated the name thereof 2. Secondly I conceive confirmation or examination is not so necessary when the end is attained before without it When the end is otherwise attained Discipline is no farther a duty then it is a meanes and meanes as such are onely necessary for the attaining their ends therefore where the end is attained unto there is no doubt lesse need of the meanes thus where a discovery of a persons grace and knowledge and fitnesse for the Sacrament the ends of confirmation is attained as it sometimes is by other meanes there I conceive that confirmation is not absolutely necessary to the letting in of a person to possesse his right in the Lords Supper it being no more required for the said ends then any other meanes conducing thereunto onely as it is a better meanes and in it selfe more likely and apt to obtaine them 3. Thirdly I conceive that confirmation not absolutely When likely to do hurt necessary to be used but may and ought to be dispensed with when the putting it in practice is likely to do more hurt then good viz. when upon a serious consideration of the peoples jealousies prejudices or any other kinde of distempers upon them it is rationally judged that seeming new and great and solemne undertaking will rather make some violent disturbance rupture or schisme among them and alienate their hearts and persons further from us then any way better reform or order them The Churches in Switzerland see much in that of Augustine that sometimes the wickednesse of the people is such that they are not fit for discipline and Augustine thought the Apostle saw the same in the Church of Corinth God grant we may not too soone have cause of the same complaint in England especially as to so solemne an Ordinance of discipline and so little as yet understood by the people as confirmation is where a medicine is like to do good 't is folly to omit it but where it is likely to hurt 't is folly I think to apply it especially after we have tried somewhat already of a very like nature to the same sore with but indifferent or bad successe Object But it may be said that if confirmation be required by God in Scripture it may in no case be dispensed with Answ I think the rule holdeth not to any part of discipline as discipline opposed to doctrine and worship a reproving our brother or telling him his fault is more clearly commanded then confirmation yet in some cases this is to be dispensed with Matth. 6. 7. 2. But secondly confirmation as now desired I think is not to Confirmation not expresse in Scripture or ancient churches as now desired be found in any expresse command or example in Scripture or indeed the ancient Churches Confirmation may bee lookt on in three special periods First as it was in the times of the Apostles Secondly as it was in the times next the Apostles 3. As in times nearer to us 1. First in the times of the Apostles I do yet beleeve Confirmation as used by Apostles that confirmation was nothing else but imposition of hands with prayer on persons without exacting any Covenanting or profession of the faith in order thereunto that they might receive the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost Thus the holy Ghost himselfe hath interpreted it in Acts 19. verse 6. when Paul had laid his hands upon them the holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied and why it should not be thus understood whatsoever a learned man conceiveth to the contrary in chap. 8. 17. I see no reason considering the phraze verse 16. as yet the holy Ghost was fallen upon none but them a phraze I think peculiar to the extraordinary descentions of him in those dayes as also that had been onely to have strangthened them in the truth against persecution as Simon could hardly or not so easily have seene that so presently as v. 18. so would he scarcely have thought it worth his money wherewith he thought to have purchased that gift of God verse 19 20. In this extraordinary sense of the holy Ghost I am also apt to conceive of imposition of hands Heb. 6. 2. with great respect to that most ingenious and elegant glosse of the Reveverend authour of the first Epistle to the exercitation yea from this very Text I humbly conceive the Ancients took their usual formes of speech of enlightening and receiving the holy Ghost referring the first to baptisme and the last to laying on of hands and truely methinks this same reference is even percevable in the Text it selfe being vid. Heb. 6. 2 4 once enlightened seeming to relate to Baptismes and being made partakers of the holy Ghost to laying on of hands 2. Secondly if we look upon laying on of hands as it was used Confirmation as used in times next the Apostles in the times next and immediately after the Apostles or as soone as we reade of its use in the Churches after the times of the Apostles we finde not that I can yet discerne any examinations or confessions immediately preceding it or coming between baptisme and it we do not finde that children were called at ripenesse of age
it for me it was noted before Apol. p. 88. that he allowed us the former branch of the distinction viz. vocation unâ—ffectual as common to Pagans and again in terminis he affords the latter viz. vocation which is effectual only to bring men to an outward profession which he also saith is larger then Election 4. Lastly I acknowledge 't is the sense of the distinction and not the terms I contest for and if I may be granted that let these be censured as my reader pleaseth 2. Now that this external or more properly common call is truely a call and that those that are called therewith are truely called though not savingly appeareth thus 1. This was the called which our Saviour affirmeth the many were called withal For first these were called not with the calling common to Heathens onely nor with that calling which is proper to the Elect therefore they were called according to that only branch remaining viz. the common effectual call which brought them into the visible Church 1. This Call cannot be meant of the uneffectual call common to Heathens these words of Christ many are called are the close of two Parables Matth. 20. 16. and 22. 14. the one of labourers called to the vine-yard the other of guests called to the feast and in both applyed to them that answered to the call that came and laboured in the vine-yard that came with other bidden ones to the feast and not to those that refus'd 2. Neither yet can it be meant of the saving effectual Call for we see it is applied by Christ unto more then are capable of saving vocation more then are Elected as before was noted therefore it must needs be meant of that which is termed an effectual call opposed to that which is ineffectual and a common call opposed to that which is more then common viz. saving 2. This must needs be truely a call because it is the same call which the Elect partake of I grant rhe Elect partake of an higher call viz. a saving which the reprobate never enjoy yet the Elect have the same call which the reprobate have as seemes clearly to be collected from the words before us for the few chosen are apparently included in the many called they were all called and but few of them chosen 3. This common Call is a true effect therefore also truely a call yea a divine effect a work of God himself and that he is Vocatio communis est actio Dei Instit p. 109 pleased to efficere as Trelcatius speaks who further and more expressely termes it Gods action therefore doubtlesse not counterfeit but true in its kind 4. This common call is also a true cause and therefore it must needs prove it self to have a true being to be truely a call in its kinde for nihil agit quod non est It is a true cause for it worketh true effects persons by this common call are truely brought out of the world of infidels and united to the visible people and Church of God to own and professe Jesus Christ to attend upon the wayes and Ordinances of his worship to see some necessity of faith and repentance and of yeelding obedience to the Gospel of Christ as Trelcatius aptly asserts vocatio communis est Actio Dei gratiosa qua homines ab infidelitate ad fidem evecat Instit p. 109. 5. In this common call are both the necessary parts of a Duo enim haec concurrere necesse est ut vocatio sit efficax vocationem Dei nostram ad illam vocationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu relationem p. 222. true Call truely and really therefore the totum also Trelcatius teacheth that two things concurre to make a call effectual or true the call on Gods part and the answer on ours so that all those that do answer the call wherewith God calleth them truely and really in aâ—y measure are so far truely and really called of God though not fully and savingly as the Elect regenerate are But now none can doubt but that men by this common call alone may and do answer the call of God truely and really in a great measure as before is noted therefore the common call is truely and really such CHAP. V. Arg. 2. From the Etymology or the name of the Church WE now descend to the second Argument offered us from Ecclesia ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of the Church as it is more immediately derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and denoteth a calling out But that we may lay the foundation well before we begin to build there are three things to be truely premised before we fix the Argument 1. That this Etymology of the word doth not in the least contradict but most evidently perfect and compleat the former for by the former the Church is concluded to be called in a general and simple sense and by this the Church which was thus before said to be called is in a more strict close and respective sense said to be called out where we have plainly intimated to us that there is some special term place or state out of which or from which it is called 2. That this Etymology is generally allowed by those that we Etymologicè ecclesia est coetus publicaÌ„ autoritate evocatus de eccles p. 214. finde most accurate upon this subject Etymologicè saith Trelcatius the Church is a company called out by publick authority and pasor doth not onely derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evoco but even renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine by Caetus Evocatus which is in plaine English a company called out 3. That this calling out which we finde in the name of the Church doth not so properly or exactly note the inward state from which as the outward caetus or society out of which it is called which will be easily granted me to be the world therefore we finde the Church set in opposition to the world out of which and not to sinne darknesse or Satan from which we are called according to that of our Saviour I have chosen you that is by calling as we know he did his Disciples out of the John 15 19 world Whence as the Learned Master Baxter seals with a certainly all Divines in their definitions of the Church are agreed that it is a society of persons separated from the world to God or called Against Tombs out of the world and therefore no society the calling of whose members hath not the world for its terme from which hath persons Nullus coetus cujus membrorum vocatio non habet mundum terminum aquo habet sanctâ— voâ—atos pro proximâ mateâ—iâ Norton in â—eâ—p ad totam quest syllâ—g p. 1â—5 of a holy calling for its next matter or by consequence can be a true Church as another argues who cannot be imagined possibly partial to my cause namely that learned and