Church gouerned by the word not else And in this sense the good Kings both of Israel and Iudah were alwaies the head of the Church not in deciding matters of Faith and Religion for that Gods Word decides But this word Head of the Church must be warily vsed because it is not found in the Scripture but chiefe Gouernor is and therfore in that sense the King may be said to be head of the Church within his dominions because vnder Christ he is chief Gouernor Secondly they except say the vniuersal visible Church hath a visible head Now where is this visible Head Christ is not visible I answer Yes Christ is visible for first though he be not actually seene in this dispensation of time yet he may be seene If the King after he is crownd should keep himself in his Closet all his life time yet hee is a King and a visible King too though he be not actually seene of his subiects So Christ he is the King of his Church and is now in heauen where the Saints see him and where wee shall see him too and that with these eyes of ours and therefore he is visible though he be not actually seene of vs now Secondly I answer that in some sort he is visible daily in his Church in the Word and in the Sacraments especially in the Lords Supper in these Christ is amongst vs and in our sight crucified Gal. 3.1 Thirdly hee was once visible and seene on earth for many yeeres and shall bee seene by euery eye at the last day and that as the head of the Church Fourthly his Ministers together with lawfull Magistrates doe in some sort visibly represent him amongst vs. So that Christ and not the Pope is the head of the visible Church though he be not actually seene euery day amongst vs. And so much for the first Vse The second Vse is matter of comfort to Gods Church in Vse 2 that Christ is their head and that many wayes First it shewes the excellency of the Church secondly the neerenesse it hath with Christ lastly it shewes the safety of the Church First it shewes the excellency of the Church for seeing it hath such a glorious Head as our Lord Christ is therefore the body must needs be glorious too the greatest Kingdomes and Monarchs in the World come infinitely short of the excellency of the Church euen as farre as their Gouernors come short of the excellency of Christ that is as farre as mortall and sinfull man comes short of the eternall and blessed Sonne of God As Christ hath a Name aboue all names to bee the Head of heads that is the most excellent and glorious head so hath the Church in her measure a name aboue all names the body of bodies the most excellent and glorious body in the World Secondly it shewes the neere coniunction the Church hath with Christ and is matter of comfort to the Church in that respect There is no coniunction so neere as this let any or all the Societies in the World shew me such a neere coniunction betwixt them and their Gouernours as is betwixt Christ and his Church Seruants haue their Lords Companies their Masters Cities their Maiors Subiects their Kings Sheepe their Shepheards c. yea but the Church hath Christ to be her head and this is the neerest coniunction that can be Other Gouernours of other Societies those that are vnder them or conioyned with them in the same Company may haue hurt and yet they not know of it or if they know it they doe not affect it at least if they doe affect it it is but for conscience of their place onely But Christ knowes the harmes and wrongs that are done to his Church and affects them as done to himselfe Act. 9. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me saith our Sauiour he tooke the iniury that Saul offered to his Church as done to himselfe And of necessity Christ must needs be sensible of the harmes done to his Church as the head is of the hurt done to the body It is imposible but that the head should be sensible of the hurt done to the body and that in regard of it selfe as well as of the members This the Church considers and receiues inestimable comfort by the consideration thereof for by this they are assured of Christs neerest presence to them in their afflictions by meanes of this neere coniunction and also they are assured that he will releeue them of the wrongs and iniuries done vnto them and reuenge them on their enemies as done to himselfe And also he will mercifully recompence all our releeuers as if they had releeued him on earth in his greatest extremity This point is maruellous comfortable to all such as know themselues to be liuing members of his body the Church Thirdly this is matter of comfort to vs in regard of our safety which wee haue by meanes of this neere coniunction Christ is our head therefore we shall be safe the gates of hell shall not preuaile against vs we are builded vpon the Rocke and that Rocke is Christ and they shall neuer preuaile against vs if they can preuaile against Christ then they may preuaile against vs too but the one is impossible and so is the other too Secondly it assures vs that we shall preuaile against them nay it is past doing for it is done already for Christ our head hath ouercome the World the Diuell and all the powers of darknesse the head being aboue water the body cannot possibly be drowned I haue ouercome the World saith our Sauiour Thirdly it assures vs that certainly we shall liue and reigne in heauen for where the head is there the members shall be also Ioh. 17.24 yea wee are already by communication with him in heauenly places Ephes 2.6 because he being our Head is there already The third vse is for instruction that seeing Christ is the Vse 3 head of a true visible Church then we must labour so to esteeme him and to beleeue in him to reuerence him and to obey him as our head First therefore seeing it is the nature of the head to conuey life sense and motion to the Body let vs therefore waite vpon our head Iesus Christ and call vpon him for his life and Spirit and for his direction in all our actions both for matter of Doctrine and manners and discipline too and also let vs defie all other directions and all other counsels that doe not agree either particularly or at least in the generall with his reuealed will all directions therefore that are against Christ and against his Word though it were brought to vs by an Angell from heauen we must not receiue it but stand at defiance with it and we must submit our selues intirely to the Scepter of the Word and Spirit of our Head Christ It was Israels peruersnesse 1 Sam. 8.7 and the Iewes wilfulnesse Luk. 19.14 that they did refuse to haue Christ to be their head
administration of the World he doth it respectiuely to his Church for the good and benefit of his chosen There being then such a neere coniunction betwixt God and the Church and the Church carrying the precedency aboue all other of Gods works that are who seeth not that the doctrine concerning the Church doth very closely depend vpon the Doctrine concerning God and therefore hauing been informed and instructed in the Doctrine concerning God it followes naturally that we now be instructed in the Doctrine concerning the Church Secondly the order is as naturall in respect of Christ in the second question for there is a more immediate and farre neerer communion betwixt the Church and Christ in particular then betwixt the Church and God in generall for Christ is the King the Church is the Subiect Christ is the purchaser the Church his possession he is the Shepheard they his Sheepe he is the Vine they the Branches he is the Head they his Body hee is their Husband and they are his Spouse and therefore except we will dis-sunder these whom God hath ioyned most neerely together after we haue spoken of Christ it followes next and immediatly that wee speake of his Church You heard in the second question that Christ was incarnate and that hee was a fit Mediatour betwixt God and Man Now in this third question we are to heare who they are for whom he was incarnate and for whose sake he doth accomplish this work of Mediation and those are the Church And therefore in respect of the Doctrine of Christ handled in the second question it followes naturally that now in this third question we doe handle the Doctrine of the Church Thirdly in respect of all the three questions compared and laid together the order is very naturall ioyne them all together and they sweetly and orderly expresse the summe of all Religion God doth saue his Church by Iesus Christ God is the Author that saues Christ is the Instrument or meanes by whom hee saues the Church is the subiect or matter to be saued God purposed to saue his Church but not without the mediation of Christ Christ came to saue the Church but not without warrant frō God the Church is saued but not without God nor without Christ but by God in Christ according to that in 2. Cor. 5.9 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe where God is set downe in the first place Christ in the second and in the third the reconciled world that is the Church So you see the first branch of the Introduction the order of the questions in themselues and so our order to bee very naturall The second branch is this that the matter of the question is of great weight and importance For first the right knowledge and vnderstanding of the true Church is very profitable and of necessary vse and secondly the ignorance or mistaking of it is exceeding dangerous and hurtfull First the knowledge and vnderstanding of it is very profitable and of necessary vse and that in many respects first for direction secondly for confirmation thirdly for confutation and fourthly for consolation And first for direction for on the one side generally most men are endued with this principle that they ought to ioyne themselues to the true Church or else they can haue no saluation And on the other side generally all Heretikes and Schismatikes doe challenge to themselues the name of the Church as if they were the true Church and none else What is to be done in this vncertainty Wee must search the Word of God first learne there what the true Church of God is and that is the onely right Assembly that safely and boldly thou mayst ioyne thy selfe vnto Therefore for direction this question is very profitable Secondly for the confirmation of our faith for howsoeuer the Word and the Spirit are the best and most sufficient witnesses that the Faith wee embrace is the true sauing Faith yet our weakenesse requires also some outward witnesse to testifie the same vnto vs the best and onely witnesse in this kind is the true Church which is the Pillar of Truth Therfore we must first know what this true Church is and then finding that it doth embrace the same Faith with vs and we the same with it we are thereby certainely assured that we are in the right Faith Thirdly the knowledge of the true Church is profitable and necessary for the confuting of Aduersaries for the Papists on the one side and the Brownists on the other doe lay hard against vs that either we are no Church or at least a false Church therefore it is most necessary for vs to know what the true Church is that so we may discerne them and to iustifie our owne Church and our standing in it against all the oppositions Fourthly it is necessary for consolation and comfort of conscience for what greater comfort to a Christian soule then to know that it rests in the bosome of Gods owne Church I must first therefore know what this Church is before euer I can attaine to any sound comfort in this Case Therefore in these respects the question is very profitable and of great waight and importance Secondly the ignorance and mistaking of the true Church is exceeding dangerous and hurtfull for first many men are carelesse and wretchlesse and will not ioyne to any Church at all aske them the cause they wil answer First that there is so much difference about the Church that they know not what to make of it Secondly others would faine ioyne to the true Church but they dare not ioyne to this or that particular Church because they know not which or what is the true Church Thirdly others mistake the false Church for the true and so ioyne to the false in stead of the true and so runne headlong from God to the Diuell from truth and saluation to errour and condemnation I dare say that the very name of the Church misvnderstood hath been one of the greatest snares that euer the Diuell vsed whereby to entangle men in Popery and this one Allegation hath made more to become Papists and to continue Papists then any ten of their best Allegations and pretences besides Lastly those that doe ioyne themselues to the true Church are doubtfull of their standing whether they be in the right or not and not knowing the true Church are easily carried away to another Church that is worse or to a false Church So yee see how dangerous it is to mistake or not to know the true Church wee haue lamentable experience of these things amongst vs in these dayes some turne Papists some Brownists some become of no Religion at all euen for this that the true Church is either not knowne or not rightly vnderstood of them yea the best and most tender Consciences amongst vs are somewhat vncertaine and fearefull of their standing because they are not rightly acquainted with this
outwardly discerned to the worlds end And this is it that Austen and the Fathers meane when they compare the Church to the Moone that is sometimes in an eclipse so darkened that it cannot be seene So we see we haue the consent of the Fathers too against the Papists And so much for the proofe of the Point The Reasons are many and they all strengthen one another especially the first three must be laid together else they are not sufficient apart to proue the Point Reas 1 The first Reason is this The members of the Church are sometimes very few they are alwayes few in comparison to the wicked but sometimes they are few simply in respect of themselues as in the old World when the Church was in Noahs Family Now that which few doe except it be some notorious thing or person is little obseruable to the World Reas 2 Secondly as they are few so withall for the most part they are but meane persons the poore receiue the Gospell Now that which poore and meane Ones doe is generally neglected not taken notice of except it be some notorious exploit and therefore Reas 3 Thirdly that which they doe the profession of Christ is no such notorious thing that the World regards it or takes notice of it and therefore it is not sought after except it be either by the true members that seeke to ioyne with it and they are but very few or else by persecutors and such seeke after it onely to destroy it as Herod did after Christ Matth. 2.13 not to bee members of it And hence it is that they are so hardly discerned Fourthly their Persecutors many times bring them to Reas 4 this low scantling and so it was in the dayes of Eliah the Prophet the Prophets were slaine with the sword 1. King 19.10 and that was the reason of the scarcity of the faithfull in those times And so it was in Dioclesians time all the Christians that were found were put to death their bodies were burnt and their Temples were ouerthrowne where was the face of the Church at this time Persecution had brought it to this low scantling that it was not to be discerned And this is shadowed to vs in Matth. 8.24 by the ship that our Sauiour and his Disciples were in that was couered with waues so that it was hardly to be discerned yet it sanke not so is the state of the Church of God in this world that sometimes it is couered with the waues and rage of persecutors like to be swallowed vp hardly to be discerned but yet it liues Fifthly sometimes Heresies and Schismes arise in the Reas 5 Church and they sway the world after them ouercomming the true doctrine and the communion of the Church as it was in the time when Arius with his Heresie ouer-spread the whole world in so much that the World did wonder at it selfe to see it selfe become an Arian as the Ecclesiasticall History sets it downe Where could a man say now This is the true Church whereunto I must ioyne Sixthly those that make profession to be and indeed Reas 6 are of the Church are but men and therefore sometimes fearefull and will not stand to their profession but flie away as the Disciples of our Sauiour did Matth. 26.56 they all forsooke him and fled like fearefull men where was the face of the Church then Seuenthly Counterfeits and Deceiuers are very cunning Reas 7 and will set as good a face on idolatry and superstition on hypocrisie and on the Synagogue of Satan as the Church of God can doe on the sauing faith and Religion the false Apostles can transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ 1. Cor. 11.13 14. and Mat. 24.24 our Sauiour saith that false Christs and false Apostles shall arise and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they shall deceiue the very elect So that the true Church shall not be so easily discerned because of these deceiuers Reas 8 Eightly the Corruption of mans heart which suffereth it selfe easily to be drawne from the truth and to content himselfe with the name and shadow of the Church and Religion when the truth and substance is gone as the Scribes and Pharisies and the Iewes did in our Sauiours time And hence it is also that the Church is brought to so low an estate sometime Reas 9 Ninthly it is from the malice of Satan his instruments for they cannot abide that the Church should flourish so much as outwardly Reu. 12.4 to 14. who draue the Woman into the wildernesse but the great red Dragon the Diuell Reas 10 The tenth reason is taken from Gods mercifull prouidence and wisedome that hides his people from the rage of the wicked he hath them in a Corner and yet is contented to let them lie hidden that they may haue a breathing time from persecutions and that their enemies may not bend their forces against them therefore oft-times there is no apparant face of a true Church but God hides the faithfull secretly in his Tabernacle from the eyes of men that their enemies may not persecute them As also thereby hee tries the faithfull whether they will walke by faith as well as by appearance for whilst there is an outward face of a true Church many wil make an outward shew of the profession of faith and religion But when there is none then here is the triall whether men will walke faithfully or no. Likewise God doth it for the iust condemnation of the reprobate he leaues them iustly without any apparant teaching or profession of better Religion to perish in their owne sinnes and ignorance flattering himselfe that he is in the right because he can see no better any where else for when they heare of no better religion then their owne they harden themselues in it and so iustly perish Lastly God hath passed his promise onely for the perpetuity Reas 11 of his Church for the being of it not for any flourishing outward estate Matth. 16.18 The gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church to ouercome it and to destroy the being of it but any thing else they may do to it they may deface it suppresse it banish it driue it into a narrow Corner but they shall neuer ouercome it they may and doe destroy the perpetuity of the visiblenesse of it but the perpetuity of the being of it they shall neuer destroy Thus farre God hath promised and tyed himselfe and so farre we may expect and looke for it and no further So much for the reasons The Vses are these First this serues to refute those Papists Vse 1 that hold a perpetuall notorious visiblenesse of the Church Some doe not hold it therefore it refutes those that doe their Speeches are large in this kinde for they say that the Church must be as notoriously visible as any kingdome in the world and their notes of the Church as multitude succession pompe visibility headship and that at Rome
this as a generall ground that the onely way whereby we are to find out the true Religion is by the true visible Church which may be true in some sense but not in this And their reach herein is to make all the Christian World to suspend thēselues vpon their Church as that being alwayes visible and so to receiue that Religion and none but that which their Church doth teach For say they there is no way to find out the true Religion but by the true visible Church but ours is the true visible Church therefore if euer you will find out the true Religion you must find it out by our Church It is not to be denied but that a true visible Church is a good meanes to find out the true Religion being assisted with the continuall presence of Gods Spirit and being furnished with the Word and Sacraments and gifts for that purpose but whereas they say it is the onely way it is not true for the Scripture hath another way and a better Ioh 5.39 Search the Scriptures saith our Sauiour for they testifie of mee Againe if this be the onely way to find out the true Religion by the Church then a man must first be well assured which is the true Church before hee can safely relie vpon her iudgement for the truth of Religion so that whereas before his care was to find out the true Religion and thereupon resolues to search it out from the true Church now his first and greatest care is to find out which is the true Church for other companies that are not may and doe bragge oft-times that they are the true Church when there is no such matter what are wee to doe in this case This Doctrine tells vs directly what is to be done where is it that the sauing truth is professed There and no where else is a true visible Church so that whereas they say the Church is the onely way for the finding out of the true Religion it is plaine as we haue shewed that the true Religion professed is the onely way or at least the chiefe way to find out a true visible Church The case is this we say the true Religion shewes forth the true Church the Papists say the contrary that the true Church shewes forth the true Religion And this that they say is true in some sense but that which we say is true in a better sense for the true Religion shewes the true Church as the cause shewes the effects but the Church shewes the true Religion as the effects shew the cause As for example the Sunne-shine is the cause of the day and the day proues that the Sunne shines Now one man may reason thus from the cause to the effect and say The Sunne shines therefore it is day another from the effect to the cause It is day therefore the Sunne shines and both say true but the first is the more forcible kind of reasoning when we reason from the cause to the effects So when I reason thus Here is the true Religion therefore the true Church here I reason from the cause to the effects and this is a more forcible and better reason then to say Here is the true Church therefore here is the true Religion which is but to reason from the effect to the cause This wee shall find to be true in the Scripture phrase where the Church is compared to a Candlesticke now what serues that for but onely to hold out the light then the sauing truth is the Light or Candle now the Candlesticke is not seene at all without the Light of the Candle in the dark night though it were of gold so in the darknes of this World the Church which is the Candlesticke if it hold not forth the sauing truth which is the Light or Candle it cannot be seene it selfe So that it is the truth of Religion that makes a true Church and the profession of this truth makes it visible then the Church is not the only way to find out the true Religion nor yet the best way but the best and safest way to find out the true visible Church is to find it out by the true Religion which they professe And so much for the reproofe of the Papists Vse 2 The second Vse is for triall Is it so that euery Congregation openly professing the sauing truth of God is a true visible Church then here is the straitest and precisest Rule to measure the being of a true visible Church by the definition containing all true visible Churches and no more Therefore look wheresoeuer the true sauing faith is profest there is a true visible Church And looke where there is a true visible Church there true sauing faith is profest for these hold in reciprocall termes so that whether wee would proue any assembly to bee a true visible Church or reproue and conuince any for a false we must lay it to this Rule so whether they professe the sauing truth of Christ or not and accordingly esteeme and iudge of them to bee true or false Churches Here certaine exceptions may bee made to this Doctrine The first exception is this What doe you say that a company professing the sauing truth makes a true visible Church Will profession onely make a true visible Church I answer No First it is required Answ that the sauing truth be amongst them indeed else they are no true Church Secondly that being amongst them it is not to bee smothered but profest Thirdly that it bee not onely outwardly profest but inwardly imbraced too at least by some of them Rom. 10.10 The second exception is this But what say you if they professe it with their lips and deny it in their liues and practise is such a Church a true visible Church I answer Answ a fearefull state are all such Churches in for God cannot bee more dishonoured his Spirit more grieued his Gospell more reproched his children more offended Satan and all Gods enemies more gratified and aduantaged then by this yet farre bee it from vs to denie them to bee a true visible Church so long as Gods sauing Truth is profest amongst them it cannot bee though there be neuer so great and generall a falling away from the practise of it but that some doe liue as they professe though they be not seene to vs. And therefore for their sakes though they bee but few and not to bee outwardly discerned it is to be reputed a true visible Church though a very corrupt and impure one The third exception But what say you of such a Church which though they professe the whole sauing faith yet they doe in certaine some crosse opinions which ouerthrow it Answ I answer wee must consider what manner of opinions these be which that Church holdes First whether they be such as ouerthrow the foundation secondly whether they bee publikely profest as the Doctrine of that Church thirdly whether they bee persisted in after they haue been admonisht by
neighbour Churches Then they are no longer to be taken notice of as true visible Churches But on the other side if they be matters of smaller moment that doe not ouerthrow the foundation then the hay and stubble shall burne 1. Cor. 3.12 15. but yet they shall remaine still a true Church Secondly if they bee greater matters errors that doe ouerthrow the foundation yet if they be not publikely profest as the Doctrine of that Church yea though they be publikely profest yet if vpon admonition of other neighbour Churches they doe recant and reforme their Errors then they are stil to be accounted true visible Churches and it is a sinne for any to forsake them being in them yea it is a sinne not to ioyne as a member to them liuing in them Deu. 12.5 at least we are to ioyne with them in consâ—nt and Communion of profession The case of the Churches in the second and third Chapter of the Reuelation make the former exceptions cleere as you may see in your owne reading of them Vse 3 The third Vse is this Euery man that hath any Touch of Conscience or any grace in him is desirous to be a member of the true visible Church for that is a good pledge and witnesse to their soules that they are members of Christ Iesus Here then thou mayst learne to know whether thou art a member or no and so likewise how to become a member First therefore labour to finde out to know vnderstand and beleeue the sauing Truth of God and for this end we must heare the Word preached and conferre of it and ioyne with the godly and frequent publike Christian Assemblies and also we must pray to God for his Spirit that he would be pleased to acquaint thee with his sauing Truth and to open thine eyes that thou mayst see the right way and that he would also leade thee therein Secondly thou must labour as thou knowest it so likewise to professe it and make open shew of it to the world be not ashamed of it it is a Royall Calling if we bee ashamed of it Christ will be ashamed of vs before his Father and before his Angls in heauen and as we must not be ashamed of it so we must not be afraid to professe it it is not a matter of shame or feare to be of Gods Church but a matter of glory and comfort therefore bee not afraid of reproch persecution temptation all outward misery which wee are sure to endure if wee bee knowne to professe the sauing Truth of Christ Christ Iesus did boldly oppose himselfe against the high Priest and Pilate and the Iewes the Scribes and Pharisies and the Souldiers yea he opposed himselfe to Death it selfe and to all the powers of darknesse and to the terrors of God himselfe for thee and wilt thou bee afraid to oppose thy selfe to some few outward dangers for him Nay it is for our selues in the end for wee shall haue the glory of it yet bee wise and doe not rashly thrust thy selfe into any danger but if thou haue iust occasion and a Calling from God shunne it not for feare of men Let not thy false heart betray the truth of Christ his cause but relying vpon Gods power promise and protection stand to it resolutely and with a good Christian courage and say I am a Professor of Christ crucified and so I will continew by his Assistance euen vnto the very death though I be crucified euen as he was Thirdly we must see that our profession be not in hipocrisie for this is the Canker-worme that eates out Religion in the hearts of many professors therefore professe the Truth sincerely and in singlenesse of heart as in the sight of God who seeth and searcheth the Reynes doe it as the onely cause whereby we may and must bee saued and whereby thou lookest for thy reward in mercy at Gods hand at the last day doe it as in obedience to God to glorifie his Name and to aduance his Kingdome and to the confusion of Satan and his complices Fourthly as wee must do it without hypocrisie so we must see we practise it and that openly for our publike practise of it is our greatest and best part of our profession we must not be like those Titus 1.16 that in their words professe that they know God but by their workes deny him that is their workes stand vp against them and tell them to their faces that there is no such matter that which wee professe with our lippes wee must practise with our liues Put the case that two men bee at ods one man saith one thing another man proues the contrary by plaine and euident Arguments whether of these two is the best and greatest auoucher of the thing So it is in this he that professeth in his words onely the Truth of God and another which doth practise it in his workes which is the best and greatest auoucher of Gods Truth surely he that practiseth it in his workes Fiftly as wee must labour to doe these things our selues so we must do the best we can to draw others to it according to the Commandement of our Sauiour Christ to Peter Luk. 22.32 When thou art conuerted strengthen thy Brethren Which when I thinke on it cannot but admonish mee of my Duty and so it doth vs all that wee should labour to draw others to that good which wee our selues are partakers of Thus it was with the woman of Samaria when shee was conuerted she laboured to draw all the City of Samaria to Christ Iohn 4.28 29. Especially wee should labour with our owne families that they may serue God as Ioshua did I and my house saith he will serue the Lord. So shall we haue true visible Churches within the walls of our owne houses howsoeuer it be in the Land or Countrey or Parish where we dwell Vse 4 Lastly this should teach vs thankfulnesse for our State that the Lord hath vouchsafed so gratiously to shew himselfe to the people of this Land for many yeeres that the whole sauing Truth of God should bee knowne and professed and that by publike Authority it is countenanced amongst vs we confesse there are many sinnes in our liues defects in our state and wee mourne for them and groane vnder them and pray with sighes and teares against them and we trust God in his good time will heare vs and redresse these corruptions and abuses amongst vs yet through Gods mercy we professe the whole sauing truth and therfore we are a true visible Church of God against all Schismatikes and Papists and slanderers whatsoeuer Euery one may see and say that it is a miraculous and wonderfull of God that still this profession is maintained be thankfull for it and walke in Obedience to it and honor God for it and vse it well and pray and labour for the continuance of it to vs and our posterity to all generations The blessing is so much the greater and thank-worthy
Church So that in Ioh. 21. where our Sauiour saith three times to Peter Feede my sheepe c. What a slight ground is this to build the headship of the Church vpon And if they aske then why Christ should thus presse it vpon Peter so often The Fathers answer them that it is onely a speciall charge binding to Duty not any vniuersall authority or iurisdiction pressed thrice vpon him for his former threefold deniall of Christ that so hee might be the more carefull for the time to come else the charge is alike to all the rest of the Apostles for shall wee think that any of them were not bound to feede the sheepe of Christ as well as he The Apostle giues this charge to all Ministers 1 Pet. 5.2 Feed the flocke of God c. Yea but Peter is the Rocke and vpon this Rocke Christ will build his Church Matth. 16.18 I answer if the Church were built vpon Peter then it was either built vpon his person or vpon his Confession but it was not built vpon his person for then when he died the Church must haue failed too Therfore the place must be vnderstood of Peters confession or of his faith or of that Christ which he confessed Christ built his Church on the confession of Peters faith because himself was the substance of his confession c. Peters confession of his faith is the Rocke in making knowne the Church But Christ himselfe is the Rocke as being the substance of that his confession so that the Church is not built vpon Peters person And if it had what is that to the Pope Vnlesse they can proue these two things First that Peter sate at Rome as head of the vniuersall Church secondly that hee intended to leaue his headship to the Pope of Rome and to none other which is a meere fancie and deuice of their owne braine for which they haue no colour So then Christ neuer gaue Peter much lesse the Pope this headship Secondly as Christ neuer did giue it so he saith expressely he neuer will giue it Luk. 22.25 26. Our Sauiour saith to his Disciples that it was enough for the Gentiles to be Lords and to raigne one ouer another but it shall not bee so amongst you saith he so that Christ checks them for hauing but a conceit of superiority so far is he from giuing it to any of them Further this being a great part of Christs glory as he is Mediator to be head of his Church hee will not giue it to any other Isai 48.11 My glory will I not giue to another And as Christ neuer gaue this nor meant to giue it to any other so no man is able to weeld or sway it no more than any one temporall Gouernor can rule all the Kingdomes in the world no this power is reserued onely to him that made the whole world and all things therein So that we see they ouer-reach in saying the Pope is the head of the vniuersall visible Church Secondly they ouer-reach as far in saying he is the head if you aske them what head they meane They will say onely a ministeriall head vnder Christ heere is some shew of modesty But aske them further what power they ascribe to him And then they bewray themselues for they say that the gouernment of the whole Church through the world depends on him that he hath power and authority to iudge and determine of all causes of Faith and Religion to rule Councells to order Bishops and Pastors to excommunicate and to suspend and to inflict other penalties vpon offenders yea whatsoeuer concerneth either preaching of Doctrine or the practice of Discipline in the Church of Christ the power of gouerning in all such causes they say lies in the Pope Is this to be a ministeriall head This is rather to be an absolute supreame head If by head they meant onely some chiefe Gouernour the name head in that sense might agree to some one man in respect of some one particular place for so the Scripture vseth the word in other cases in the 1 Cor. 11.3 The man is the womans head c. But neuer in this case for a man to be the head of the whole Church This transcendent power by them ascribed to the Pope is a great part of Christs owne power and can neuer agree to any man in the world for Christ is the onely Doctor of his Church Mat. 23.8 10. How then can the Pope determine all matters of faith and religion Is not this to make him a great Doctor yea the onely Doctor No say they for hee doth it but vnder Christ But he doth it of himselfe if the Pope in controuersies would take Christs booke and vse prayer to God for direction therein and in humility and sincere loue of the Truth would examine euery cause and so iudge there were some hope that he would doe many things well and that he would iudge rightly as in Christs stead and so honour his Master and doe good seruice to the Church But first he takes no such course but mingles with the word and vseth his owne Canons in stead of the word and he is so farre from vsing prayer to God for direction as that he presumes the truth is tyed to his Chayre and therefore that he cannot erre in any of his Sentences likewise hee is sinisterly affected to the Truth framing it to the state and practice of his owne Church and accordingly hee iudges and pronounces Secondly if he should take the former course yet his reach is not infinite hee cannot iudge rightly in all causes of faith and religion for no one man that euer was Christ Iesus onely excepted and his Apostles that was able to iudge of all Truth Therefore euery Pope in particular must be at least as one of the Apostles nay he must be as Christ is For if the Apostles could doe it yet they had fellowes Paul as well as Peter could do this But the Pope is without any fellow yea he will take vpon him to iudge of the Apostles owne Doctrine and writings so that though he pretends to be Peters successor only yet vpon the point he takes on him to be Peters Master euen to be Christ so proues himself to be very Antichrist yea and he not onely takes vpon him Christs Office but he takes his name vpon him also hee calls himselfe the chiefe Shepheard which name is proper to Christ onely 1 Pet. 5.4 What is this but to step into the throne of Christ But they except against vs and say doe you finde fault with vs for saying the Pope is the head of the Church Why you your selues make the King supreame head of the Church I answer how do we say the King is the head of the Church as they say the Pope is No but wee say the King is the head of the Church within his iurisdiction to see Gods religion maintained Answ and to see the
therby to disgrace Church-gouernment and to make it the greatest trouble-state in the Christian world What was it that the Disciples contended about in our Sauiours time Luk 22.24 Was it not the matter of Church-gouernment Who should be the chiefest amongst them and so the Ruler and Gouernor of the rest By this occasion the Diuell made strife amongst the Apostles And what bred those great broyles and contentions in the primitiue Church betwixt the Easterne and the Westerne Bishops Was it not Church-gouernment which should bee the highest See and who should bee the highest and chiâ—â—â—t Bishop To goe further what brought forth Anti-Christ into the world and that aduanced the Pope to that high pitch which hee came to was it not Church-gouernment The Pope audaciously ingrossing all Soueraignty in the Church to himselfe and many good Bishops and Churches in their weaknesse yeelding too much to him in that kinde by the peruersenesse of the gouerned In a word what dishonour hath hereby beene done to God What disgrace to Religion What hinderance to the prosperous successe of the Gospell and of the Kingdom of Christ What furtherance and aduantage to the Kingdome of Satan What heart-burning hath it bred amongst some How hath it alienated the hearts of others from vs and that in many that otherwise are inclinable towards vs What tumults hath it bred at home What clamours abroad What griefe hath it brought to our friends and well affected What reioycing to our enemies and profane persons What distractions and doubts hath it bred in weake and tender Consciences What disheartning and discouraging hath it beene How many excellent Talents for Gods ministry haue beene hereby buried in the ground without profit And so consequently many congregations destitute of their faithfull Ministers and of their heauenly food and left as a prey to the Rauening Wolues by this meanes had they not by the prouidence and wisedome of our Gouernours beene otherwise prouided for I dare vndertake that in all likelihood had not the Diuell cast this bone amongst vs and throwne this businesse of Church-gouernment as a football before vs for euery one to runne after and so to set vs all together by the eares this Church of England through Gods blessing had been this day the most famous and flourishing Church that euer was in the world whereas now this businesse this onely businesse of Church-gouernment hath occasionally by the peeuishnesse of some hatched nourished and brought forth much ignorance prophannesse vncharitablenesse contempt of holinesse neglect of Gods ordâ—â—â—â—ces loosenesse and licentiousnesse I grieue to thinke on these things and I can haue no pleasure to speake of them and we may be all ashamed of them before God and the World and it must be euery ones care and endeauour to be instant with God by prayer that in his good time he would be pleased to redresse these foule euils yet here I haue mentioned them to the end that we may be both whetted on by these considerations to looke the more carefully into this businesse and also that we might be admonished to carry our selues the more temperately and moderately towards it And so much of the first point namely of the harmes and euils that haue happened occasionally by this matter of the Church-Gouernment though in it selfe holy and good The second point is what is meant by Church-Government Yea see here two words Church and Gouernment and each of these may carry three senses First for the word Church wee are not here to vnderstand it of the Catholike Church for that being dispersed ouer all places of the world cannot well be brought within the compasse of the same Lawes nor ruled by the same earthly Gouernours it is impossible for the reatures to weild such a great charge The sole Gouernour of the Church in this sense is Iesus Christ the onely Head thereof And the onely Lawes it is to be gouerned by is the presence power and direction of the Spirit but here we vnderstand it of a particular visible Church whether it be Parochiall Nationall or Prouinciall for these being confined and bounded within their seuerall places may and must haue their seuerall Lawes and Gouernours euery one for and within it selfe of this Church it is that we here speake of whether it be greater or lesse Now we come to the next word Gouernment which word in a generall sense signifies to maintaine secondly in particular to gouerne First in generall in respect of the state of nature as wee are men so the Lord gouernes that is maintaines and preserues his Church seating euery particular Church in the place where it is making a Fence about it feeding and clothing them supplying their wants affording them helpes and meanes for their reliefe defending them from their enemies deliuering them from dangers causing them to thriue and prosper in outward things and couering them with his fauour as with a shield And this kind of Gouernment the Lord extends ouer the whole world yea euen to the wicked as well as to the faithfull yet with this difference to the wicked in the common fauour of his prouidence to the faithfull in the speciall fauour of his Grace in Christ for euen in the very temporall blessings that the faithfull haue in this life they are theirs by Grace and promise in Christ And therefore to the wicked they perish in the inioying of them they haue no further benefit of them but outward and temporall to the faithfull they are helpefull and seruiceable in some degree to the worke of their eternall saluation for so God intends them and so the faithfull accept and vse them This is for the generall Gouernment of God in respect of the state of nature as we are men Secondly there is a particular Gouernment in respect of the estate of Grace as we are men professing the sauing Faith of Iesus Christ and so the Gouernment is twofold inward and outward First inward and this is proper to the Spirit of Christ God onely ruling in the hearts of his chosen as a King by the power of his Word and Spirit conuerting them from the seruice of sinne to the seruice of God causing them to beleeue Gods promises in Christ and so iustifying vs from our sinnes crucifying the old man and quickning the new acquainting vs with his will and framing vs to obedience putting good motions from time to time into our minds and stirring vs vp and enabling vs to entertaine them graciously and to giue place vnto them and so sanctifying vs and further he assures vs of Gods loue and fauour and our election in Christ and so comforts vs further he increaseth these and other Graces in vs euery day more and more so long as wee are in this world till at length they bee fully perfected in vs and wee receiued into his Kingdome of glory in heauen and so hee glorifies vs. This this is the right Kingdome of God and of Christ whereby God raignes in vs as
his instruments haue a speciall delight in disturbing this peace and spares no means but seekes all aduantages for the sowing of dissention in the Church and the members of the Church are too apprehensiue of it else he could not doe vs that harme he doth vnlesse we were so apprehensiue of dissention amongst our selues Now as the peace of the Church is indangered in many cases so especially in these First when men are addicted to one Minister before another one to Paul another to Cephas c. this comes of a carnall mind as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 3. and thus they wrong themselues and the Ministers too themselues in that they are hindred hereby from the good they might haue and their Ministers because that they make Contention betwixt them where otherwise none would bee Secondly this peace is indangered in the election of Officers some breeding and making factions for one against another as their affections leade them Thirdly it is indangered in deciding controuersies either of Religion or State one will be crossing and thwarting another in the heate of Contention and strife yea happily rent themselues from the Church if it may not goe as they would haue it Let Gods children bee admonished to haue no part in such Contentions but let them labour for the peace of the Church if they will haue peace in themselues for wee are called to peace to mind and to speake one thing if the good things wee seeke for may quietly and peaceably bee obtained it is well let God haue the glory and our selues may comfortably enioy the benefit of them But if they cannot bee had without breaking the peace of the Church what is to bee done They may haue comfort for they haue discharged their Consciences in seeking the best things and let them bewaille the corruptions of the times and keepe themselues vnspotted of those corruptions and pray to God for redresse Thus are wee to seeke the peace of the Church and not bee any cause of dissention whereby it may be broken The fourth Rule to bee obserued in the manner of the carriage of Church businesse is that whosoeuer hath any right in the performance of any such Duties bee not contemned nor rsterained of their right but that they be called to the businesse and permitted to speake and doe freely so farre as the Lord hath put into their hands For then the Lord is best pleased with a Businesse when it is ioyntly performed by eueryone that is authorised by himself therto the Magistrate must not neglect the Minister nor the Minister must neglect the Magistrate The Pastor must not neglect the flocke nor must the flocke neglect the Pastor but euery man must haue his due and doe his duty Looke into Act. 15.23 and see how the businesse was carried there the Apostles and the Elders and the Brethren had a hand in that businesse euery man so farre as concerned him Oft-times it comes to passe that there is a Diotrephes found in the Church as in the third Epistle of Iohn that loues to haue the preheminence and to sway all with their owne hand there this rule is broken sometimes in a Church the Censures of the Church are wrung out of the hands of the Minister and passed by another authority onely he may complaine and publish what others haue done himselfe can haue no further hold in them here likewise this Rule is broken Lastly many abuse their Christian liberty to the offence of the weake and so this Rule is broken for the weak brother hath his interest in my liberty as well as my selfe The fifth and last Rule is that all things in the outward Gouernment of the Church must bee so carried as best so farre forth as may be fits the Gouernment of the ciuill State wherein wee liue I would not haue any thinke that wee would draw Religion to the bent of the outward State but wee speake of outward Gouernment in the Church that wee say must not crosse the well established Gouernment of the ciuill State to cause Innouations and changes and troubles and confusions specially in a Christian Common-wealth It was neuer our Sauiours meaning that the outward carriage of Religion should ouerthrow the carriage of the temporall State But that Caesar should haue as well that which is Caesars as God that which is Gods I speake of a politike State already established by lawfull Authority and confirmed by wholesome Lawes and maintained by the ancient vse and custome of the place there Religion comming in afterwards it must bee framed for the outward carriage of it to the ciuill State except wherein Religion is plainely contradicted Our Sauiour no doubt was as carefull of ciuill Christian States as Moses was of the Iewish Policy but there Church-gouernment was fitted to their ciuill State and so must ours But you will say that both ciuill State and their Church-gouernment were each of them directly and equally from God True and are not all the powers that are ordained of God So the Apostle saith Rom. 13.1 and therefore though the Gouernment of ciuill States bee not now so immediatly from God as the Iewes was yet it is from God too and therefore by proportion where the gouernment of the ciuill State is ratified by vse Religion comming in afterwards in all equitie and reason it is to bee carried accordingly for the outward passages of it When the Apostle Peter perswades the scattered Iewes to submit themselues to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.3 it is a plain warning to them that nothing bee done by them in their particular carriage much lesse in the outward Gouernment of the Church which might bee preiudiciall to the gouernment of the ciuill State they must not crosse that vnlesse that crosse Religion as I said before The want of the due obseruation of this Rule hath made many become Anabaptists and despisers of Gouernment and in many places it hath made Religion fare the worse and the professors thereof to bee traduced for rebellious troublesome and dangerous people Enemies to the State So much for the manner of the carriage of Church Businesse Now we come to the third and last generall head namely the end that must bee aimed at in doing these Duties that must bee good too It must bee done with a single end and a sincere affection and intention free from all sinister respects either to themselues or others There are two good ends which wee must ayme at in all actions concerning Church-gouernment the first is the glory of God the second is the edification of our Brethren First wee must aime wholy and onely at Gods glory so the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.31 Whatsoeuer yee doe let all bee done to the glory of God For it is Gods businesse his gifts and officers and ordinances of purpose appointed for his glory after a speciall manner and therefore this requires a true zeale for the Lord of
Shepheards and of Christ Luke 2.19 51. she did ponder and keepe these sayings in her heart And this wil ripen our thoughts digest our readings and conceits as chewing the cud separating the refuse and turning the best into good nourishment The third duty is conference we must conferre of the things we reade and heare as the two Disciples did Luke 24.4 32. for this will reuiue our vnderstanding and quicken our wits and wheâ— our reason and helpe our memories and stablish our iudgement and throw out the hidden substance as it were from the huske and winnow away the chaffe from the wheat And fourthly to these we must adde patience wait the Lords leasure and tarry till he giue the succsse and till he reueale his will to thee and thus doing God will reueale it Phil. 3.15 all this while that thou hast beene toyling and striuing expect and waite vpon God and thou shalt finde the successe in Gods good time thou hauing vsed the meanes dayly labouring and praying for the effect be sure it shall bee reuealed vnto thee when it is best for thee and thou fittest for it and if it should neuer be reuealed to thee yet thy former paines seconded with patience shall make thy state as good in Gods acceptance through Christ as if thou haddest knowne it Fiftly that which strikes the nayle to the head is practise and experience a most certaine guide in all points fundamentall After we haue done all the former rules we must adde practice therefore practise Religion in the obseruation of Gods wayes in afflictions in temptations in the court of thine owne conscience in thy dayly watch in the continuall course and terme of thy life Iohn 7 17. If any man doe his will hee shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or no Act. 5.32 the holy Ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obey him Psal 119.100 I vnderstand more then the ancients because I haue kept thy Precepts God wil not see vs erre in Iudgement and practice too in such necessary points as he sees we desire as well to obey as to learne And so much for the second vse which teacheth vs warinesse and care and conscience in medling with Scripture Vse 3 The third Vse teacheth vs thankfulnesse to God that we liue in those times of light wherein we haue so many good helpes for the knowledge of Scripture learning tongues sciences histories wits all of them being at the highest and ripest now And many godly men both at home and abroad yea many Churches haue published their iudgement touching the sense of most places of Scripture And therefore if men will be blind now let them be blind for euer let vs take the benefit of these helpes thankefully and soberly and let vs adde to these the vse of those seciall helps before mentioned then it is not possible that we should erre fundamentally and finally in any truth But there are diuers exceptions made against this Doctrine Obiect 1 first say some all this while this is but priuate interpretation flatly forbidden 2 Peter 1.20 Answ I Answer that is priuate which is of man as we may see in the 21 Verse of that Chapter so that our interpretation according to the former rules being framed out by the Spirit is falsely called priuate that same Spirit teaching vs which teacheth all the faithfull Secondly It is excepted that this is a detraction from the Church I Answere No for any priuate man that beleeueth is of the Church and as the Church must trye the Spirits so must euery beleeuer 1 Cor. 12.10 and 1 Iohn 4.1 and as the Church hath the promise of the Spirit so hath euery beleeuer And this is a sure rule the Spirit doth infallibly teach euery one of Gods chosen first or last euery thing needfull for his saluation he vsing such meanes as the Lord hath appointed Phillip 3.15 It is so in manners therefore it is so in Doctrine each being a part of the truth which God requireth and which the Spirit leads vs into Psal 25.5 leade me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my Saluation And Psal 143.10 teach mee to doe thy will for thou art my God Euery one of the faithfull hath the Spirit to comfort them in their distresse to helpe them in their temptations to perswade them to holinesse and why not therefore to inlighten and teach them the truth Ob. 3 Thirdly It is excepted how doe you know whether such an interpretation be from Gods Spirit or from your owne fancy for any Heretique can and will say as much as you Answ 1 I Answer If the matter bee necessary to saluation the promise of God puts vs out of all doubt Iohn 16.13 when the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth Secondly hast thou sought and attained that interpretation by prayer Then out of question the Lord will not giue thee scorpions and poyson when thou askest fish Errors when thou askest the truth Thirdly doth it concurre with the articles of faith not doubted of then it is the truth Obiect 4 Fourthly Is it not more likely that a whole Church specially the Doctors and Pastors of it are so guided then a particular man and so are to bee beleeued before him Answ Answer yes If they follow the former rules and yet then they are to be beleeued not so much because they are the Church but because they are directed by those rules sometimes one particular man or two follow these rules but the present Church doth not in this case the one or two are to be beleeued before the present Church as in the time of Wicklife Husse and Luther one or few then deliuering the truth ought to be beleeued before the present Church because they obserued these rules Sometimes the Church doth obserue these rules and particular men doe so too then eyther they concurre and so the truth is directly deliuered receiued or else they dissente and then rather follow the streame then one or two if there be no other reason to the contrary For sometimes euen in this case too one man may see more then many as Paphnutius in the Councell of Nice Againe sometimes the Church obserues these rules and some particular men doe not so In this case particular men are right Heretiques and the other the true Church of God Fifthly It is Obiected that by this meanes we all rest on our owne Iudgement and so haue no faith in God Answ I Answer Our Iudgement in matters necessary to saluation being wrought in vs by the letter sense of Scripture revealed by the Spirit is not our owne iudgement indeede but Gods our frailties wherewith we are accompanied are ours onely but wee are endued with our iudgement from God so that we rest on Gods iudgement now and not our owne Euery man must haue faith of his owne that is though not of his owne by working
bookes by the Scripture and not make any so of her selfe for this she cannot doe The third Position is this That as the Church cannot make any booke Canonicall which is not so of it selfe for she hath no power to deuise adde diminish or alter any part of Gods worship outward passages of Gods worship are much in her power as we shall see hereafter but that she may ordaine any part of his worship besides Scripture or affixe remission of sins or other supernaturall effects to the obseruations and ceremonies which she deuiseth all this is but will-worship hatefull to God and expresly forbidden Col. 2.23 Intolerable hath beene the presumption of the Church of Rome in both these For first they haue ordained besides Scripture Images satisfactons new Sacraments new intercessours new propitiatory sacrifices and sundry other parts of Gods worship and seruice Secondly euen to ceremonies of their owne deuising as to crossings processions ringing of Bels pennance and such like they haue ascribed forgiuenes of sinnes driuing away of Deuils and such like gracious effects wherein consists no small part of Gods worship The fourth point is concerning the customes of the Church custome we know preuailes much in matter of practice and many times they are very approuable and not to be varyed from but vpon good occasion yet in matters of Religion yeelding to customes hath bred much inconuenience as wee see amongst vs profaning the Sabbath by playing and walking in the streets and in the fields after the exercises is growen to such a custome as that men thinke it no sinne and so in other things And to speake plainely customes are but a carnall motiue apt to ouer sway the naturall man but of themselues besides Scripture they are no spirituall motiues to the true Beleeuer The ancient fathers tye vp customes in Religion thus short that they must be agreable to the truth so that where truth and customes agree there they are to be admitted else to be reiected Now what is truth Our Sauiour saith Gods Word is truth Iohn 17 17. then if there be any customes in matters of Religion besides the Scriptures which are the truth they must be abolished euen by the Iudgement of the Fathers whom the Papists would seeme to alleadge for these things yea but say they the Apostle Paul alleadgeth custome 1 Cor. 11.16 but how doth he alleadgeth them Against contentions because contentions are against the Word of God so that custome besides Scripture is nothing worth The last point is for matter of traditions Traditions are one mine Piller of Popery and if they leaue them once they will quickly leaue their Religion too Now if we vnderstand traditions in a general sense It intends the whole Doctrine of Saluation which from time to time hath beene deliuered from the fore fathers to the children of the Church And so we willingly embrace traditions as being the Doctrine contained in the word and so the speeches of many of the ancients are to bee expounded and doe make for traditions But in the particular sense as the Popish Church intends them that is vnwritten verities and matters besides Scripture then so there is no building on them If they be verities it is more then we know and being vnwritten we haue no warrant to receiue them to his point we say first eyther there were no such traditions at all or secondly if there were yet they were needlesse considering the sufficiency of the Scripture thirdly if they were needfull yet they were vncertaine lastly if they were certaine yet certainely they were but the words of men and not certainely the word of God First eyther there were none at all I meane for matter of substance yes say they for substance ye haue something by tradition as the Baptisme of Infants the change of the Sabbath and that so many bookes are Canonicall Scripture c. We Answer wee haue not these by tradition for they may sufficiently be proued by good consequence out of the Scripture As first for the Baptisme of Infants we haue the example of our Sauiour in Marke 10.14 And secondly for the Canon of Scripture we haue that place 2 Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture is giuen by Inspiration from God c. yea but what place in the word saith that so many bookes are Canonicall I Answer euery booke beares witnesse of it selfe and this place of them all that they are Canonicall Thirdly for the change of the Sabbath we haue Reu. 1.10 where it is called the Lords day so that we haue Scripture enough for these things to satisfie an humble minded man that is not contentious Secondly if there were any such yet they were needlesse for supposing the sufficiency of Scripture which we haue proued before what neede vnwritten traditions besides Scripture Indeed before the Word of saluation was committed to writing It was needfull that it should be deliuered by word of mouth from man to man but the word being now written and hauing beene now written these 1610. yeeres and as much written as euer shall be what haue we to doe with traditions besides Scripture Thirdly if they were necessary yet they are vncertaine for how shall I know that the Apostles deliuered ought by tradition or that the Churches after them be they either de facto or de iure For that which is alleadged from the Apostle in the 2 Thess 2.15 keepe the Instructions yee haue bin taught eyther by word or by Epistle whereupon they say the Apostle left traditions and Epistle I Answere these words doe not imply any diuersity in the things he taught but onely in the manner of deliuery looke what he preacht he writte And whatsoeuer can be alleaged for the Churches after them is but the testimony of man we must know it by history and what certainety is there in that to repose my Saluation vpon Lastly if they were certaine yet all this while they were but certaine the traditions of men and certainely not the Word of God And therefore here is the damnable presumption of the Papists that they by name call them the Word of God vnwritten equall them both in authority to binde the conscience in necessity to be beleeued and obeyed with the written word common sence and reason which is endued but with the least touch of Religion will easily decide this controuersie If we adde heere to determination of councels consent of fathers decrees of Popes and other patches and faynings of Popish Religion the conclusion must be this that either there were none such or if there were they were not beside Scripture but according to it or else if they were besides Scripture then they were no matter of substances nor Saluation nor to be receiued as such The second Vse is for Instruction to teach vs what Vse 2 it is that our faith must be framed by and what euery truth is to be tryed by And that is
vnto the time of reformation which being by Christ abolished are not fit for true worshippers which must worship God in spirit and in truth Iohn 4.24 their continuall smiting of their brests crossing of themselues numbring of their prayers lifting vp the hoast Signes Gestures Pictures and infinite such like trash some borrowed from the Iewes some from the heathen idle complements superstitious impious vnseemely most of them are vnprofitable scarce any of them warrantable indeede they are a meer foppery as many beholders haue iudged euen by sense and reason when they haue not beene besotted with their iuglings neither are they onely carnall that is full of shadowes and Ceremonies but they are carnall too that is as being most agreeable to flesh and blood what more carnall perswasion then this that a pardon for sinnes may be bought with money that a Priest may absolue vpon auricular confession that if a man haue no merits of his owne yet for money hee shall haue out of the Church Treasury the merits of Saints that after death hee may be relieued with prayers of the liuing that many sinnes are veniall and pardonable in their owne nature that if a man giue to Churches Hospitalls or monasteries or the like hee shall goe to heauen yea that which in shew is most labour to the flesh yet indeede is meerly carnall as their whipping of themselues almost to death there is no spiritualnesse at all in it it is but the blood of the body for the sinne of the soule the Prophet scoffes at such like dealing Micha 6.7 The truth is this that euery naturall man had rather be scourged and die then vndertake the spirituall combate against his beloued sinnes and the Papists vse that to be excused of this as they folishly imagine and they measure out Religion for the most part by natural reason grounds of Philosophy so that we see they haue a carnall Religion Secondly they haue a wil-worship that is a seruice for the most part of â—heir own deuising their pilgrimages praiers abstinence from diuers meats voluntary pouertie works of supererogation their Masses Satisfactions Holy daies fasting daies all these and many more are meerely mens inuentions so that God may say to them as he doth to the people of Israel Esa 1.12 Who required these things at your hands so that vpon the point we see that they serue please theÌ„selues but they serue nor please not God at all Thirdly they haue policies in their Religion for the maintenance of their outward state their purgatory praiers for the dead Images and Reliques of Saints erected in their Churches to be offered vnto are meerely a meanes to inrich their owne Coffers and to vphold the honour of the triple Crowne and to maintaine the Beast in her Scarlet colours when they sell a man a pardon for his sinnes or so many yeeres release from purgatorie for some round summe of money doe yee not thinke they laugh at him when he is gone euen as our cheaters doe when they haue gulled some poore simple hearted man They know these can doe no good and yet they practise this for policy Machiauel held it and these practise it that Religion is meerely a matter of policie to keepe men in awe and to maintaine a state cursed wretches haue they none to make a scoffe at but God and his Religion and seruice Is this to serue God no it is to make God to serue them and abuse and change his word to their vile purposes Secondly as they erre and are foulely corrupted in the carriage of Gods worship in generall so are they also in the particular parts of it for first the word which was purposely deliuered to the Church for their light to walke by this is purposely obscured by the Papists that to the people it is a darke light they see little or nothing by it The word is to be preached there is little preaching among them or if there be any they preach faction traditions and commandements of the Church and the Word of God least of all As for any other publike minstration of the Word it is altogether in an vnknowne tongue without any profit or edification to the people well yet if the people might haue accesse to the Word as the Bereans had that they might heare the Pharises but yet beware of their Leauen it were somewhat but they are kept farre enough from that they shall learne no more but what the Priests and Iesuits teach them they are likely to be good Christians then and they must take all vpon their words a sure ground to build vpon this is a notable policie to cloake their errors that the people may not discerne them and a great dishonour to God to suppresse and smother vp his owne ordinances and to put that Candle vnder a Bushell which himselfe hath put on a Candlesticke that it might giue light to all in the house and a notorious wrong to Gods people to sterue them of the food of life and to keepe them hood-winkt that they might not see with their owne eyes into the euidences of their owne right and matters of their owne saluation Secondly the Sacraments not to speake of the number of them increased by them from two to seuen though I know there is no authority in the world can make a Sacrament but those Christ Iesus himselfe hath ordained But euen in Christs own Sacraments they are full of abominations as first in Baptisme they adde oile salt spittle and exorcismes and I know not what toyes and toyes are loathsome in Gods Seruice but in the Lords Supper their corruptions are not onely in the outward Barke as they are in Baptisme but in the very sap hart there is adoration of the Sacrament as of God himselfe and defrauding of the people of the one halfe of it and the making of it a Sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead and the making of Christs owne body by the hands of the Priest all these are wicked deprauations either of the nature or right vse of this holy Sacrament Thirdly for their Discipline they haue scarce any thing sound in that the Lawes they rule by are Canons and Lawes of their owne making and not found in the Scripture the ouerseer is the Pope armed as well with a Temporall as with a spirituall sword the power of the keyes that also is horribly abused by them in binding excommunicating true Beleeuers Christian States and Princes that will not submit to the Popes yoke in stead of obstinate offenders against Gods Law and so in loosing absoluing offenders for money and for fauour yea and before repentance too because before the fact whereto if wee adde their dispensations and reseruations whereby they haue an absolute power to free whom they will see now if there be any fouler carriage in any heathen State in the world Fourthly for their prayers they are
conscience to proceede in it as they had begunne whatsoeuer Decrees of men were to the contrary notwithstanding if any trouble did ensue of it it was not their sinne nor any fault in the cause but in mens ill dispositions that would abuse so good a cause to their bad purposes vpon this very protestation it was that then presently and euer since not onely there but generally in all places these Princes and States and all other men and Churches approuing the reformation were called Protestants The name we for our parts do neither greatly approue nor much dislike yet seeing it was imposed vpon so good an occasion that is that Princely and Christian resolution to hold out zealously for God and his Religion against all Decrees and threatenings of man wee see no harme in it and so are well enough content to beare and weare his Title And so much be spoken in generall concerning the reformed Protestant Churches Now we are to descend to a more particular handling of these Churches and so to the maine marke which all this while we specially aimed at of these reformed Churches some are more some are lesse reformed and each of these either for Doctrine or Discipline for some are more reformed in Doctrine then others but lesse in Discipline some are more disciplined then others yet their Doctrine is not so sound as theirs whose Discipline is faulty The Churches in Geneua France and Holland and others of that mould both for Doctrine and Discipline are thought by some the best reformed and yet I heare that the Brownists deny euen Geneua to be a true Church but first I see not but that they may say as much and as iustly against their aduersaries as their aduersaries against them Besides if it be proued that those which are lesse reformed be true Churches it will necessarily follow that these are so much the rather and therefore we need not to bestow time and paines to proue them to be true Churches Those that are accounted lesse reformed are as some thinke the Lutheran Churches The Lutheran Churches are lesse reformed for Doctrine first we will speake of the Lutheran Churches they are so called because they maintaine certaine priuate opinions that Luther held or at least is pretended to haue held contrary to the iudgement of other reformed Churches for our better vnderstanding I will speake first of their difference in opinion from vs Secondly of the tumults that haue risen betwixt vs and them by reason of these differences And thirdly I will shew what wee are to esteeme of these Churches notwistanding these differences And first of their difference in opinion they are first more easie and fauourable in matter of Images then wee are though they worship them not besides they teach that the elect may vtterly fall away from the estate of grace which we deny but the greatest and mainest difference betwixt them and vs is partly in the matter of vbiquity and partly in the matter of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For the first they affirme that Christ euen according to his humane nature is euery where whereas we hold and teach and haue Gods Word for it that since his ascention his body is contained in one certain place namely in heauen Acts 3.21 So in the Sacrament they affirme that his body is really present in vnder and with the Bread and Wine we say that Christ is really there onely to the faithfull Receiuer and onely Sacramentally and Spiritually and not bodily as Iohn 6.63 These two be matters of very dangerous consequence such as if they were throughly prest they would giue a shrewd blow to the ouerthrowing of the truth of Christs humane nature for if Christ haue a true body then it cannot be but in one place at once I am not heere to discusse these points but onely as falling in by the way haply heereafter I may haue some fit opportunity to speake of them more fully onely let it suffice for the present that these their opinions nor any of them doe directly deny the foundation nor any part thereof So much for their opinions Secondly the tumults and vnnaturall contentions raised betwixt vs and them by reason of these differences they are growne to a great heighth very bitter and vncharitable on both sides wee are bitter enough against them but they as men of fiery spirits are maruellous bitter against vs as bitter as against the Papists yea they are more bitter against vs then they are against the Papists I cannot thinke or speake of these things but with griefe of heart therefore I will suppresse them in silence it had beene best if they had neuer beene broacht but now that they are it is best to bury them in silence and perpetuall obliuion but yet seeing there are such dissentions I will first shew what exception the Papists take against vs for them Secondly what vse we are to make of them For the first the Papists reioyce greatly at it it is meat and drinke to them that we are thus together by the cares and they insult ouer both parties alleaging it as a firme exception that therefore the reformed Churches are no true Churches and their Religion no true Religion this is a very malicious but yet a very weake consequence it is a malicious practice of theirs to build vp themselues on other mens ruines yet when all is done others ruines will make but a weake and sandy building First wee will answer to the men and then to the matter first to the Papists we answer what if there be dissention betwixt vs what get they by that Indeed if they agreed with them in all things that they oppose vs then it were some exception but the maine difference betwixt the Lutherans and vs is in the matter of vbiquity and consubstantiaton wherein they are as opposite to them as to vs and therefore they haue little vantage by that Besides if dissention betwixt vs make vs to be no true Church then they are no true Church for the Papists themselues are at as great dissention and as bitter one against another as euer wee were and that not only of old but euen at this day the Iesuits and Secular Priests maintaine a mortall hatred betwixt them And therefore if this be a sufficient exception against vs It is so also against them and therefore wee answer them with Chirst in the Gospel Hypocrite first pul out the Beam out of thine owne eye c. Mat. 23.2 First let them purge their Church of their owne dissentions and differences and then let them charge ours Secondly wee answer to the thing or matter it selfe that consent doth not alwayes proue them to be a true Church that doe consent nor that to be a true Religion that is consented in neither doth dissent alwaies proue them to be a false Church that doe dissent in some things nor that a false Religion that is in some things dissented in First
therefore professing to beleeue and obey the same sauing faith which the inuisible Church doth truely beleeue and obey and which is of some amongst vs truely beleeued and obeyed therefore our Church must needs be a true a sound visible Church The third reason is drawen from the effects of the Reas 3 Doctrine and ministery of our Church and is thus framed That Church whose Doctrine and ministery by Gods blessing is so effectuall that ordinarily it workes sauing faith in the hearts of the hearers is a true and in some good measure a sound visible Church But the Doctrine and ministery of the Church of England by Gods blessing is so effectuall that ordinarily it workes sauing faith in the hearts of the hearers And therefore the Church of England is a true and a sound visible Church The Proposiâ—ion is proued Rom. 10.17 faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God where the Apostle proues that ordinarily the Word is powerfull to beget faith in the â—earers being preached by such as are sent of God Verse 15. and therefore our ministery doing the same is a true ministery sent of God and so our Church a true and in some good measure a sound Church of God But our aduersaries except against vs that our Ministers are not sent nor haue a lawfull calling from God I Answer the place proues that such whose Doctrine and Ministery doe ordinarily worke faith are sent of God but such are ours and therefore they are sent of God And that our ministers haue a lawfull sending shall God willing bee shewed hereafter They except againe and say that in their assemblies there are many more conuerted then in our Churches Answ I Answer was there any of these assemblies such that in any one of them ordinarily there were such effects If there were then that assemblie was a church but if it were extraordinary then the exception is nothing to this purpose But they except againe that others conuert also by conference and disputation and that out of a visible Church Answ I Answer doth not that argue that such men embrace the sauing faith at least in profession and therefore when this is done by an ordinary ministery in a visible congregation doth it not hence follow that such an assembly dot at least in profession hold the sauing faith is so a true and in some good measure a sound visible Church But the Doctrine and Ministery of our Church workes such effects and that ordinarily as by daily experience appeares And therefore our Church is a true and in some good measure a sound visible Church But say they It is not ordinary in our churches but onely extraordinary as it is amongst the Papists I Answere what is ordinary That is ordinary which is vsually done and that by such meanes as are ordained for that purpose But this is done by our Doctrine and ministery which are the meanes ordained to beget faith and is ordinarily and vsually done not now and then in one or two but it is done dayly and many experiments confirme it as any may be an eye witnesse of it that liues amongst vs Besides when a man is conuerted to God out of the office of the ministery as by conference disputation c that they acknowledge to bee ordinary else this is a meere cauill not opposing our Proposition but where one is so wonne many are wonne by our Ministeries and therefore to deny this to be ordinary amongst vs which oftentimes produceth such effects and yet to alledge the other as an ordinary meanes which yet is but seldome so effectuall is not ingeniously nor sensibly much lesse charitably done Sure I am if that be ordinary then ours is much more there being an especiall promise to our publique labours herein And therefore these reasons considered It follows that our Church is a true and a sound visible Church The vses are these first for instruction Secondly for reproofe The vses for instruction are these first Is it so that the Church of England is a true and a sound visible Church Then this teacheth vs that lawfully safely it may be communicated withal without dishonour to God or iust offence to any of the faithfull or danger to our owne soules or scruple of conscience And this we must not onely know but wee must practise it all those that liue within this land and so haue opportunity to be members of our Church they may and must come and ioyne in communion with vs and repaire to our assemblies and heare our Ministers and professe obedience to our faith God requires this Deut. 12.5 ye shall seeke the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse out of all your tribes to put his name there and there to dwell and thither thou shalt come and as God commands it so his children haue practised it as Dauid Psal 26 5 6 8 I haue hated the assembly of the wicked I will wash mine hands in innocency oh Lord compasse thine Altar Oh Lord I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth And so the faithfull that were newly conuerted Act. 2.42 continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and Prayers And in the 47. It is said the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued And therefore such as be not ioyned to our Church must resolue to ioyne and those that are already ioyned must continue their communion with her And there are also many particular motiues to induce to it which I alleadge not as reasons to proue directly that necessarily we must ioyne but they may serue onely as perswasions to a man well affected and not carried away with preiudice that hee may safely communicate with our Church First if there were no other motiue but this it were sufficient we hould the foundation The second motiue is this we haue the whole Doctrine of sauing faith taught amongst vs and in some good measure truely profest if any Church can teach any one substantial article of sound Religion that we professe not then we may more colourably be forsaken but seeing it is not so there is no iust cause or pretence but that they may communicate with vs whither would they goe we haue the words of eternall life as Peter said to our Sauiour Iohn 6.68 Thirdly we haue a powerfull Ministery to exhort reproue comfort c. to beget faith where it is wanting to increase and confirme faith where it is begun to perswade men to holy obedience and to renounce their sinnes and to make restitution of wrongs and to bee sound in Religion and to hunger and thirst after rightousnes and to bee zealous for Gods glory and for all good duties And therefore wee are â—o communicate with this Church where the ministery is thus powerfull and if we forsake her it were iust with God to giue vs ouer to our former errors
them It is a foolish doctrine of the Papists That ignorance is the mother of deuotion it must needs be a blind and gracelesse deuotion in thâ—t minde where knowledge hath not first inlightned the vnderstanding Let vs now come to the fourth and last ballance and therin try our religion and theirs in these seuen instances and that is the ballance of comfort of conscience that is the true Religion that bringeth soundest comfort of conscience for that is the right Gospell that brings glad tydings of peace to the afflicted soule and agrees directly with Christs spirituall office Esay 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me therefore hath the Lord anointed me he hath sent me to preach good tydings to the poore to binde vp the broken hearted c and Matth. 11.28 But the Religion of our Church brings sound comfort to the conscience and the Popish Religion doth not so but rather purposely afflicts mens consciences then comfort them terrifying them with a slauish feare nourishing the Spirit of bondage and bringing men backe as it were to the Law againe Therefore our Religion is the true Religion theirs is the false See this in the first instance waighed in this Ballance The sufficiency of the Scripture sets the conscience at rest as hauing all that is needfull to be beleeued or done set plainely before vs in Gods Booke so that we need not wander after vncertainties and doubtings but we may know what wee must trust vnto And the absolute command of Scripture conuinces the conscience that it is well done and both together assures the conscience of him that endeauours truely to frame himselfe thereunto that he is in the right way to heauen and in the certaine state of grace and Saluation Secondly if all be of Gods free grace and not of mans free will then wee are singularly comforted in that all our thoughts desires and workes are not our owne for then they would be loathsome to God who can bring a cleane thing out of an vncleane But they are Gods owne doings and they are the actions of his owne Spirit and therefore cannot but be acceptable vnto him Thirdly if Iustification be by faith alone without mans merits then we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 And then wee haue assurance of Saluation being grounded not on the sands of our owne merits but on the immouable rocke Christ Iesus and his righteousnes and the fauour of God and the free promise of mercy in him Fourthly if Christ be our onely Aduocat we haue assurance to bee heard Iohn 16.23 and 1 Iohn 5.14 15. and Rom. 5.1 2. for what can the Lord deny his owne Son or us for his sake whereas if we haue other aduocats we know not whether they heare vs yea of many we know not whether they be Saints or no or if they doe heare vs yet wee know not whether they will or can helpe vs yea we hauing no sound warrant to pray to Saints we know not whether the Lord will bee angry with vs for such an vnwarrantable course so fare the worse for sodoing amongst men Fifthly if we worship God in Spirit and truth and not in Images then we haue assurance that we worship the true God and that after the true and right manner And this is the specificall difference of Gods Religion from all other Religions whatsoeuer whereas if we worship in or by an Image wee doe still suspect whether wee doe well or no for euen nature it selfe if it be well marked abhors that God should be reputed a materiall substance and therefore how can God be pleased that he should be so resembled Sixthly if we celebrate the memoriall of the Lords death in our Communion then the benefit of Christs death is effectually settled to the beleeuing soule by the presence of the Spirit and the comfort and strength of the bread and the sweetenesse and comfort of the wine in our stomacke workes an answerable correspondency by the thing signified to the soule and puts vs in possession of it Lastly if we haue the meanes of Saluation plainely deliuered vnto vs that we may see into them with our owne eyes and not darkely as they are amongst the Papists then we know what we worship Iohn 4. Wee walke in the light whereas they poore soules goe on in the darke not knowing whither they goe So wee see in all these foure ballances that their Religion is too light and ours is downe weight And so we see that they are iustly reprooued for censuring our Church to be a false Church because wee haue a false Religion whereas theirs is the false and ours is the true Religion Secondly It is for reproofe of the Separatists They are very clamorous and bitter against vs But I purpose God willing briefly to answer the sum of all their exceptions and to let all their bitter clamours alone Their first Exception is against the constitution of our Church they say it hath a false constitution and therefore is a false Church But this is a false Consequence and can neuer be prooued there be many froggs and mice and other Creatures generated of putrefaction and yet are true froggs though they be not produced by naturall generation And hee that out of the very stones can raise vp children vnto Abraham is able to gather a Church otherwise then by that which they call a true constitution so that the consequence is false and the Antecedent is false too For our Constitution through Gods mercy is true and sound Constitution signifies sometime the state which a thing is framed vnto as the naturall constitution of the Body that is the state condition or dispensation which by the rule of nature it is endued with sometimes it signifies the Act whereby it is to be framed as the naturall constitution of the body that is the Act of Nature whereby it is constituted Each of these are in the Church as being a Body in a borowed sense And the constitution of ours is true in the first sense we haue the Word Sacraments ministry and Gouernment and people professing the true Religion and obedience thereunto And therefore what need we to inquire into the Act whereby wee were so constituted as thereby to disproue the Truth of our Church As for example when I come into a strange place that hath the name of a City and there I see people corporations Ciuill assemblies lawes and orders and a generall profession of obedience thereunto Shall not I hold that a true City though I know not how it was founded and gathered But if it be necessary to be inquired into in the second sense the Constitution of our Church is true and good in that sense also men are truly called and gathered amongst vs by the ministry of the Word but say they they were not so gathered at the first I Answer first if they were not it is no preiudice to vs we are so now