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
peculiar to him and other ministers to administer it which wee blesse c. The third Duty is prayer Act. 6.4 and in the 1 Cor. 14.16 there the manner of publike prayer is plainely set downe that is that which is conceiued by the Minister and the people accompanying him in their affections and saying Amen The fourth Duty belonging to their Office is that they be an example to their flocke of holinesse in life so the Apostle exhorts the Elders to whom hee writ 1 Pet. 5.3 to bee an example to their flocke and so the Apostle exhorts Timothy to bee an example to them that beleeue 1 Tim 4.12 The fifth Duty is to visit the sicke So it is intended Iames 5.14 If any man bee sicke let him call for the Elders of the Church c. Their sixth Duty they are to vse and exercise the power of the Keyes both in binding and loosing for that also is common to them with the Apostles and that which is said to the Apostle in Ioh. 20.23 is said also to all true Ministers Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit on earth they are remitted c. This is peculiar to all in the Ministery and none else The seuenth Duty belonging to their Office is that they are to haue care ouer the poore I vrge it not so much that they should distribute with their owne hands yet that is needfull too where greater occasions are not hindred by it for so the Apostles all was brought and laid at their feet and they did distribute it till they had greater businesse in hand But this they ought to doe to see it performed by those that are in places both collections and distributions 1 Cor. 16.1 Eighthly and lastly their Duty is to bee continually resident and attendant ouer their Charge Act. 20.28 Take heede to the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers c. The very name Ouerseer intends so much that they must be continually resident ouer the flocke wherein the Apostles themselues though they went from place to place yet they were very carefull in visiting and in writing to the Churches which they had planted as Paul and Barnabas did Act. 15.36 and they did long to bee with them as the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 1.11 and when they were hindred from it they bewailed it as Satans worke therein So doth the same Apostle 1 Thes 2.8 and when they could not come themselues they supplied their bodily absence by the presence of their Ministers and Deputies as also by Letters But no ordinary Minister can thus excuse himselfe but they are continually bound to bee resident And the danger is exceeding great when the Pastor is absent as wee may see in the 1 Cor. 15.12 When the Apostle was absent some crept into the Church that taught errors and false Doctrine as that there is no resurrection c. and the danger of it amongst vs is too apparant and lamentable And therefore wee are to pray vnto God that those in Authoritie may force them that are tied to a Charge to be resident vpon it so much for Presbyters In the third place we come to Doctors I finde the word vsed in Ephes 4.11 and we expound it Teachers which hath two significations First I find it to bee vnderstood of those that teach the Word and that is the true and onely sense of it in the Scriptures secondly sometimes it is vnderstood of those that instruct Schollers specially in the grounds of Religion and so after in other matters and so it is taken in some antient Writers The question concerning Doctors is in the former sense this Whether there must bee such an one in euery particular Congregation as a seuerall Officer from the Pastor For answer whereunto I say that the Office of a Doctor is necessary in both senses generally in the Church and also in the former sense as hee is a Teacher hee is necessary in euery particular Congregation yea and further I say that if there bee in one and the same Congregation a Doctor in whom is the Word oâ— knowledge ioyned with a Pastor in whom is the word of wisdome 1 Cor. 12.8 it is not to be misliked But that this must be so of necessitie that wee deny for howsoeuer the gifts bee diuers the Doctors to teach and expound the Scripture the Pastors to apply it yet they may bee and are vsually found in the same Person and therefore wee shall find it Scripture that teaching and preaching concurre together in the same Officer so it is said of our Sauiour Christ himselfe Matth. 9.35 That hee went about teaching and preaching the Gospell And so it is said of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas Act. 15.35 That they continued preaching and teaching at Antioch And so the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.2 requires this in Timothy that he teach and exhort And this is generally required of all preaching Elders 1 Tim. 5.17 that they labour in the Word and Doctrine and what is that but to teach and apply And euery Minister must bee apt to teach What necessitie is there of a Doctor in euery particular Congregation Howsoeuer then they are diuerse gifts yet commonly they are found in the same person and that which they alleage Eph. 4.11 makes directly against them for if the Apostle there had meant to haue made them diuerse offiâ—es heâ— would haue disioyned theÌ„ with the same note of difference as hee did the other and haue said and some Pastors and some Teachers but in that he conioynes them together and saith Pastors and Teachers hee makes them to bee as one Now we come in the fourth place to gouerning Elders I finde Gouernors mentioned in Scripture as in the 1 Cor. 12.28 and also Rulers Rom. 12.8 And I deny not but this is of necessary vse in the Church for the Ministers must bee endued with it they must rule and gouerne as we haue seene before 1 Tim. 5.17 And it may bee of good vse too for the Church euen in those that are out of the Ministry as in the Christian Magistrate but that this must bee meant directly of some that must of necessity rule in euery particular Church besides the Ministers I cannot see specially seeing they ascribe to these Rulers a hand in the Censures of the Church which being a chief part of the power of the keyes and therefore appropriated to the Ministers and limited by Christ onely to the Apostles and them how shal they be imparted to others without their open wrong I will deliuer my iudgment briefely and freely in this case First either there were none such at all or if there were such they were onely by practice not by institution or if they were by institution yet they were for that present dispensation and not perpetuall or lastly if they were perpetuall yet our Church is not destitute in that case First either there were none such at all for first whereas it is said that the Iewes had their Elders
Christian borne and yet ioyne with the Iewish Church in their religion hee is not of the Christian but of the Iewish Church and so it is of all others So then the name of Church and Religion are in some sense yoke-fellowes all Churches receiuing denomination from the Religion they professe Now then Religion being as the forme of the Church giuing it name and being therefore looke what Religion it is that the Church professeth and such is the Church to bee reputed There is a true Religion and euery Church embracing and professing the same is to bee reputed a true Church as the reformed Churches There are many false Religions and euery Church professing such Religion are false Churches as the Churches of the Heathen that worship false Gods and so embrace false Religions And so the Churches of the Saracens that erect and set vp Mahomet against Christ and of the Iewes that deny the comming of the Messiah in the flesh are false Churches But there are some Churches that embrace party Religions in part true and in part false yea what Church is so pure that is not tainted with some error and what Church is there so impure that professeth not some notable heauenly Truths We must therefore consider what truths and what errors they hold and so the truth will bee soone decided Without Christ there is no saluation and so no true Church 1. Ioh. 5.12 He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life If yee aske me whether one and the same Church may not bee a true Church in respect of some in it professing the truth or in respect of some fundamentall truths professed in it and yet a false Church in respect of some professing falshood in it or in respect of some fundamentall truths ouerthrowne in it I answer Surely it may till such time as the false Church hath gotten the vpper-hand and makes lawes for her errors and against the others truths with sentence of abandoning all those out of their Church which doe hold the truths So it was with the Church of Rome before the Councell of Trent And thus it was with the Church of Sardy Reuel 3.1 4. she had a name to liue but was dead and yet in the fourth Verse the Lord saith He hath a few names in Sardy c. Therefore take this for a Rule Whatsoeuer Church embraceth Christ Iesus God and Man the onely meanes of saluation is a true Church though tainted with many errors besides and on the contrary whatsoeuer Church beleeueth not this is a false Church though it hold many other excellent truths besides So much of the diuision of the name of the Church Now wee come to speake of the diuision of the thing it selfe that is of Gods Church which is not so to be vnderstood as if God had so many seuerall kinds of Churches for the Church as I haue shewed before is one and the same from the beginning of the world to the end that Church of God which was in the beginning and remaines now and shall continue to the worlds end is but one and the same Church therefore when we mention the diuision of the Church it selfe we meane not that it is seuerally diuided into diuers and seuerall kinds but distinguished in it selfe in diuers and sundry respects and principally for these first in respect of the bounds and limits or compasse of it secondly in respect of the seuerall portions belonging to it in the seuerall estates that it is ordained vnto thirdly in respect of the outward state of it to the world sometimes knowne sometimes vnknowne First it is distinguished in it self in respect of the bounds and compasse of it and so it is either vniuersal or particular vniuersall that is the whole company of Gods chosen both in heauen an earth But this hath no limits but is dispersed farre and wide ouer the face of the whole earth and reacheth to heauen it selfe But because I haue spoken of this before both in the Adiunct Catholike and also in handling the generall nature of the Church therefore I will trust your memories for that Point and not speake more here of it In the next place a particular Church that is euery particular company of the faithful or at least of those that are called to the profession of the faith which being seuerall by themselues of seuerall times and places are but particular Churches But because wee shall speake more properly of this when wee come to speake of the visible Church therefore we will respit it till then Secondly it is distinguished in it selfe in respect of the seuerall portions that belong vnto it in the seuerall states that it is ordained to and they are two The first is on earth or in this life and that is a fighting or warfare and the second is in heauen in the life to come crowned and triumphing And accordingly the Church is diuided into the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant To begin with the first the Church Militant is the Congregation of the faithfull on earth that doe continually exercise a spirituall warfare against sinne and Satan and all the aduersaries of God and of his Religion Marke the parts of the definition I say it is a Congregation of the faithfull that doe thus fight for though Hypocrites and sometimes those that doe persecute the Gospell doe fight the Lords Battels and so in a generall sense may be reputed parts of this Militant Church yet that is but colourably and outwardly for some sinister respect not in truth and singlenesse of heart nor in true hatred of sinne nor in a true desire to obey God and to aduance his Kingdome and glory And therefore to speake properly none are true parts of this Church Militant but the faithfull onely Secondly I say it is a spirituall warfare and that in many respects First it is spiritual in respect of the end of it for though sometimes the aduersaries of the faithfull oppugne them in their bodies and outward states yet it is meerely in a spiritual respect either directly or indirectly to hurt their spiritual estate or life of Grace so likewise when the faithfull defend their bodies or outward estate against their aduersaries when they maintaine their reputations or their liues it is not so much for the thing it selfe as to defend and maintaine our spirituall estates Secondly it is spirituall in respect of the weapons that are vsed in this fight for they are chiefely spirituall on both parts the aduersaries weapons are temptations c. the faithfull their weapons are the whole Armour of God Thirdly it is spirituall in regard of the Generals of the Field on both sides which are Spirits Gods good Spirit on the side of the faithfull and Satan and spirituall wickednesses on the wickeds side The third thing in the note is this that this warfare must be exercised continually for the enuious man
profession Secondly their profession must be publike or open that is it must be so publike and open that there may be notice taken that such and such men are of such a society and Religion else they are rather of the inuisible Church spoken of before And looke as their profession is more or lesse publike so the Church is to be reputed more or lesse visible Thirdly as they must publikely professe so they must ioyne together in this profession and that intends first their separation from all others whether they be of none or of a contrary and diuers Religion and secondly it intends their associating or sorting of themselues together with professors of the same Religion growing into and liuing in a louing Communion and fellowship with them Thirdly it intendes that they must doe it voluntarily and of their owne accord some ioyne for fashion some for feare some for hope of gaine and some others for the sauing of their goods and the like yet all these doe it voluntarily for the will cannot be forced yea if they doe it against their will it is a sinne to them though they ioyne to the purest Churches in the world And so much for the second part of the definition that they must ioyne together in a publike profession of Religion Thirdly that there may be a true visible Church the Religion which this Company make profession of must be the true Religion for as without the Church there is no saluation so without the true Religion there is no true Church there are diuers Religions in the world and accordingly diuers Churches yet there is but one onely true Religion which is that which is contained in the Scripture the Word of Truth and so there is but one only true Church that is that which embraceth that true Religion So that whatsoeuer Congregation vnder the Sunne doth not professe that one true Religion let them professe whatsoeuer Religion they will besides they cannot iustly bee reputed true visible Churches For the better vnderstanding of this Point I will draw it into an Obseruation and so discourse of it at large and the Obseruation is this Doctr. Whatsoeuer Company or Congregation of men doe openly professe the sauing Truth of God the same Congregation and Company is to bee held and reputed a true visible Church The truth of this Doctrine holds generally in all Congregations whatsoeuer of that quality from the greatest to the least and from the best to the worst for first whereas all and euery Professor of Gods Religion through the world doe concurre and ioyne together in the acknowledgment of the common sauing faith though not in the outward Communion of the same Ecclesiasticall Assembly and therefore all these may bee termed a true vniuersall visible Church so also euery particular Ecclesiasticall Assembly professing the same sauing Truth and ioyning together in the outward Communion of one setled Congregation and obseruing the same lawes and Orders at the same time and place may be called a true particular visible Church and that whether it be in the same Countrey and Prouince or in a Parish or in a priuate house and accordingly they are called a Prouinciall a Parochiall or a domesticall Church and each of these is a true visible Church though one be vniuersall and the other particular For Instances of all these in Scripture First for a Prouinciall or Nationall Church which is a Company of people professing the same Truth in the whole Land or Nation you may see an instance Act. 9.31 Then had the Churches Rest in Iudea and Samaria and Galile c. There were Prouinciall Churches named by the Countrey they were in as Iudea Samaria c. And in the Reuelations the second and third Chapters the seuen Churches there mentioned were Nationall Churches as Ephesus c. And 1. Cor. 1.2 vnto the Church of God which is at Corinthus c. there was a nationall Church Secondly for a Parochiall or Parish Church which is a Company of people professing the same faith in a Towne or in a Parish we shal reade of them in Act. 14.23 Where it is said that the Apostles ordained them Elders in euery Towne Thirdly for a domesticall Church which is a Company professing the same faith in a priuat house as we may reade in the Rom. 16.5 and in the 1. Cor. 16.19 of Aquila and Priscilla with the Church in their House And Colos 4.15 We reade of a Church that was in the House of Nimphas though these are rather to bee reputed inuisible Churches except they may be so openly taken notice of and so notoriously knowne as the Church that was in Priscilla and Aquila's house then they may be called Domesticall visible Churches So much for the first diuision that some Churches are either vniuersall visible Churches or particular Churches and that either in a whole Land or in a Towne or in a priuat House Secondly whereas some Churches are more notoriously knowne some lesse yet both are true visible Churches though one be more visible and the other lesse visible In the time of the Apostles it was so the Church of Rome was notoriously knowne for their faith was knowne throughout the whole world Rom. 1.8 and their obedience was come abroad amongst all Rom. 16.19 so that this Church was more visible Other Churches were lesse knowne as the Church at Cenchrea Creet which are only named in the Scripture and no Epistle written to them Now because they are onely mentioned therfore they were lesse knowne and so lesse visible yet true Churches as wel as the other Thirdly whereas some Churches professe the sauing faith more purely and sincerely others more corruptly yet each of these is a true visible Church though the one bee more pure not more true the other lesse Instances of these we haue in the second and third Chapters of the Reuelation some Churches there were more pure some more corrupt yet all true Churches Churches more pure were Smyrna and Philadelphia all commended in them nothing dispraysed Churches lesse pure were Ephesus Pergamus and Thiatira in which Churches some things are commended some things discommended Churches yet lesse pure were Sardis and Laodicea where there is nothing commended but all things dispraysed So we see that some of these profest the true sauing faith more purely some lesse purely and some more corruptly yet euery one of them was a true visible Church Fourthly and lastly whereas some Churches are growne to some Ripenesse and perfection and to some setled forme of Gouernment others are in their infancy and haue not such a forme established for Gouernment yet each of these is a true visible Church though the one be more the other lesse perfect Instances of these we haue in Scripture First for them that were more perfect as at Hierusalem where Iames was Bishop there the Church was growne to some perfection there the Apostles met and had a Consultation
together Act. 15.2 there was a setled forme of Gouernment And so the Church of Philippi Phil. 1.1 was also grown to some perfection and setled forme of Gouernment they had their Bishops and Deacons So likewise the Church of Ephesus Act. 17.28 they had their Elders and Ouerseers Secondly some are lesse perfect as the Church in Creta which had some things that were vnperfect and therefore Titus was left there to redresse things amisse Tit. 1.5 And so the Churches of the Gentiles were not growne to that perfection and therefore the Apostles would lay no heauy burthen on them but that which they should be well able to beare Act. 15.19 yet these were true Churches So that though some visible Churches be vniuersall some particular some more notoriously knowne some lesse knowne some more pure some more corrupt and some growne to some perfection and ripenesse some in their infancy lesse perfect yet all these are true visible Churches so long as they professe the true sauing faith This may suffice for the illustration of the Note Now we come to the proofes of the point and first vnder the Law there was a set place chosen where the Lord would put his Name that is where Religion should bee profest and he dwels there that is as a Father or as a Master of the family begetting children and ruling and gouerning that family by his Word Now what is this vnder the Gospell but this that where Gods sauing truth is profest there God himselfe is present as in his true visible Church Matth. 18.20 Where two or three are gathered together in my Name saith our Sauiour there am I in the midst of them What is a Church but a company of people gathered together in the Name of Iesus Christ And what is it to bee gathered together in his Name but ioyntly to professe his sauing Truth And what are they in the midst of whom he is but his Church For so in Reuel 2.1 hee is said to walke in the midst of the seuen golden Candlesticks And what are the seuen golden Candlesticks but the seuen visible Churches Reuel 1.20 and this is not tied to any one place more then other but wheresoeuer saith our Sauiour two or three are gathered c. be it among the Iewes or among the Gentiles be it generally in the World or particularly in a Parish or House wheresoeuer it is saith our Sauiour I am in the midst of them neither doth hee say that of necessity there must be any great multitude of them if but two or three are gathered together in his Name he is in the midst of them So Act. 2.41 47. there was a true visible Church there was a company of people that receiued the Word that is that heard it and obeyed it and they were baptized that is they did not onely embrace but outwardly professe the sauing Truth and so they were added to the Church that is they were of the visible Church Doe but consider how the Apostle 1. Cor. 1.2 describes the Church of Corinth to them that are sanctified in Iesus Christ that is to those that haue true sauing Faith in Christ that sanctifies them Saints by Calling that is such as make profession at the least to be so with all that call on the Name of the Lord Iesus in euery place which phrase calling on the Name of the Lord generally in Scripture signifies the profession of Gods Religion so that those that thus professe the true Religion are true visible Churches Reuel 1.20 the Churches there are said to be golden Candlestickes Now what is the vse of a Candlesticke but to hold forth the light to be seene of men and this not onely experience teacheth but Christ himselfe teacheth it Mat. 5.15 Neither doe men light a Candle and put it vnder a Bushell but on a Candlesticke and it giueth light to all that are in the house And what is the true visible Church but a company that hold forth the light of the sauing Truth to bee seene by the World And those instances alleaged of those Churches that are some more visible some lesse some more pure some more corrupt some more perfect some more imperfect yet all of them true Churches prooues the whole substance of the Obseruation cleerely and directly And so much for the proofes The Reasons of the point are these First the sauing Reas 1 truth or faith it selfe is the life of the Church therefore they that professe it and thereby make it publikely knowne to the World that the same is the sauing truth and that embrace it they are a true visible Church Secondly where there is such a company professing Gods Reas 2 truth there they haue the promise of Christs presence in a speciall manner Matth. 18.20 but Christ is present no where in such a speciall manner but in his Church therefore such a company are a true Church Againe they haue also the promise of life and saluation Rom. 10.13 but none are saued but those that are of the Church therefore they are a true Church Thirdly the true Church is built on the Prophets and Reas 3 Apostles Ephes 2.10 that is on that sauing faith which they taught and wrote therefore they that professe this faith must needs be a true visible Church Fourthly there Christ is honoured and obeyed publikely as their Head Ephes 1.22 therefore they that professe to be such are his visible Body Fifthly there amongst such a company are the ordinarie meanes of saluation which are no where else to bee found but in the visible Church Matth. 16.19 Sixthly there his voyce is openly heard and in some measure obeyed therefore they are his sheepe and that is his fold Ioh. 10.27 Seuenthly all other societies and companies consist of those that professe such a Calling or Mystery and obedience thereunto therefore they that publikely professe the sauing faith of Christ and the knowledge of his Lawes and obedience thereunto they and none other are the true visible Church of Christ Eighthly the true visible Church is distinguished from all other societies whatsoeuer by this profession of the sauing faith for other companies of men either professe no Religion at all or not the true Religion therefore whatsoeuer company doth professe the true sauing faith and Religion that is a true visible Church of Christ Lastly the particular profession of the sauing faith makes a particular man a true member of the true visible Church as we may see in the example of the Eunuch Act. 8.37 38. he beleeued the sauing faith of Christ and was baptized and so made open profession of it and so became a member of the true visible Church If this profession in particular make a particular man a true member of the visible Church much more in generall doth it make a company of men professing the same faith to bee a true visible Church Vse 1 The Vses of the point are many The first is matter of reproofe against the Papists who lay
as sometime they did then is their Doctrine vayne and to be reiected Marke 7 7 8. so that it is plaine that the Church is to bee beleeued and obeyed so long as they goe according to Gods Word but when they swerue from that they are no more to be beleeued Esa 8.20 to the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them except they speake according to the Scripture they are but darke and blind guides no light in them at all and that which is pretended to the contrary Matth. 18.17 is directly vnderstood of Church Censures which yet are not simply authenticall in themselues but as they are proceeded in Christs name Ver. 20. that is according to his order else there is no danger in it Iohn 9.34 Their last Position is this Position 3 which is directly against this obseruation namely That the authority of the Scripture depends vpon the authority of the Church In which grosse assertion they first dishonour God exceedingly as who should say man is to bee beleeued before God at least that God should not be beleeued but because of man Besides whence had the Scripture its authority in the writers of it from God or man Surely from God he is the author himselfe of Scripture 2. Timothy 3.16 euery Scripture is giuen by Inspiration from God then it must haue its authority from God who is the author of it Againe who giues vs faith the Church No it is the worke of God Iohn 6.29 Therefore that wee beleeue the Scripture to be Scripture or any booke of it to be Scripture it is wholly from God himselfe who workes Faith in vs to beleeue it Well Ob say they it is of God indeed that the Scriptures haue their authority but yet by meanes of the Church Answ I Answere It is true as the Church is the propounding witnesse thereof but not as enduing it with authority for that is from God alone and it is a great dishonour to him to giue any part of it to any other Secondly as it dishonours God so it disgraceth the Scriptures making them inferior to the Church whereas indeed they are the cause of the Church and subiecting them to the arbitrement of man whereas all our faith and discerning and thoughts are to be framed by direction from Scripture Ob. But they except and say It is no disgrace to the Scriptures that the Church is thus aduanced no more then it was to Christ that his Apostles gaue witnesse to him Answer I Answer yes for they make the Church aboue the Scripture in this case but the Apostles were witnesses of Christ as his vnderlings and Disciples They reply But the Protestants doe magnifie euery one himselfe as much as we doe the Church Answer I Answer No for euery one of vs beleeue that we are in the right because we goe by the right rule of the Scripture and the Spirit and so farre as the Church goes by that rule we will follow her as soone yea sooner then any particular man Thirdly this weakens and indeed ouerthrowes Religion setting it vpon man a ground weakeand insufficient whereas Religion must stand vpon Diuine authority else it is not sound Fourthly it spoiles the faithfull of their surest comfort which is this that God is the author of their faith and not man Fifthly it bereaues the Church of her maine hould and defence against the aduersary for whiles she saith the Religion which she professeth is true because shee saith so her selfe she layes her selfe open to the scoffes insultations of the aduersary For by that reason euery Religion wil be a true Religion seeing the professors thereof will say It is true as well and as confidently as the Church whereas if she say her Religion is true because God saith so in his word and so prooues it this is sufficient to stop their mouthes or else to leaue them without excuse Vse 2 The second vse is for Instruction teaching vs how to carry both our selues towards the Church and towards the Scriptures that is with an euen hand as our Sauiour said of tribute money giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is Gods So must we giue vnto the Church that which is the Churches and vnto the Scripture that which is the Scriptures First esteeme of the Scripture as Gods owne Word 2 Pet. 1.21 22. able to make vs wise to saluation and perfect to euery good worke 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17 Secondly esteeme of the Churh as the Piller that is as the keeper and vphoulder of the truth 1. Tim. 3.16 not that light but a witnesse of that light Iohn 1.8 she is to inquire search propound expound pronounce teach approue iudge according to Scriptures themselues and not otherwise she is as the woman of Samariah that propounded the Messiah to the men of the city and brought them to him but when they heard him they say now we beleeue not for thy saying but we haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeed that Christ Iohn 4.42 So the Church propounds and brings vs to the Scripture but when we looke into it and heare it speake then we beleeue But ye will say how then do we know which is Scripture or how shall we know that the contents therein are true and of God I Answer First wee shall know it from the Scripture it selfe as the Sunne is knowne by his owne light so the Scriptures are knowne by their owne light God speaking and shining in the Scripture Doe wee then beleeue the Scriptures because the Church saith they are Scripture No but because the Scriptures themselues say so 2 Tim. 3.16 Secondly we shall know them by the Spirit working in vs together with the Word and perswading vs that they are true 1 Iohn 5.6 Thirdly they are made knowne to vs by the miracles whereby they were first confirmed Iohn 20.30 31. Fourthly wee know them by the testimony of the Church that is that congregation that truly professeth the sauing faith of Christ So that first not euery company that professe themselues to be the Church but professing the sauing faith are to be beleeued And secondly not whatsoeuer the Church saith is to bee beleeued but that which she saith by the euidence of the Scripture it selfe and interpretation of the Spirit And thirdly that which is so beleeued is not chiefely to bee beleeued because she saith so but in a second place aftre the Word and Spirit And fourthly not formally or essentially but instrumentally as an outward instrument onely Fifthly and that which shee doth say so shee speakes not infallibly but with some faylings errors and imperfections mans corruption still bewraying its selfe euen when he is much inlightned Sixthly that which she speakes without error is not absolutely to be beleeued because the Church saith it but conditionally because shee speakes according
yet of his owne by possession and feeling and therefore euery man must haue iudgement of his owne too for faith without iudgement is blinde presumption And must I not rest on my faith in that sense And why not on mine owne iudgement too that is on Gods Iudgement which he hath endued my minde and soule withall Obiect 6 Lastly it is obiected This is strange say they wee heare them confesse that euery man though he be neuer so much inlightned yet he is subject to error and yet euery one of them assures himselfe hauing one Answ no more warrant then another that hee is in the truth I answer so farre as wee haue full assurance that wee are in the truth that is in matters fundamentall so farre wee doe acquit all the faithfull from being subiect to error finally and therefore this is no strangenesse at all And so much concerning this point The fiue and Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH COncerning the power of the Church we haue heard that it reacheth to persons and things for so we diuided it for plainenesse sake concerning Persons we haue done concerning things we haue entred into them and shewed that the things wherin the Church hath power are either matters of substance or matters of circumstance matters of substance and that either touching Scripture or besides Scripture touching Scripture and that either touching the authority or sense of Scripture Of these two last points wee haue spoken namely concerning the power of the Church touching the authority and sense of Scripture Now wee are to speake of matters besides Scripture which is the last point concerning matters of substance that is the point we are now to speake to matters beside Scripture for though in deede and in truth there is nothing to be held in matters of substance in Religion but what is sufficiently warranted by the Word either expressely or at least by sound consequence and deduction yet because some haue fondly imagined and confidently auouched that such things there are and that it is in the Churches power to ordaine them and because some churches haue vsurped and incroached vpon more authority in this case then euer was granted or comitted to them from God therefore in handling the authority of the Church this point also amongst the rest is needfull to be spoken vnto Matters of substance in Religion are of two sorts some concerning faith teaching vs what to know and beleeue others concerning obedience prescribing vs what to do and practise in each of these the Church hath a great hand where the light of Scripture goes before and where shee followes the Doctrine thereof accordingly but where the Scripture is silent in any thing of either or both these kindes there the Church must be silent too and not desire to speake Wee will deliuer the matter plainly by way of obseruation and that is this namely Doct. that the Church hath no power to decree and ordaine any matter of substance in Religion eyther for faith or for obedience without or besides the Scripture The places that prooue this point are of diuers kindes for plainenesse sake wee will reduce them to these heads first some places ascribe this authority to God alone the second sort commends vs to the sufficiency of the Scripture in it selfe the third sort condemne all adding to Scripture and the last sort condemne all Doctrine so taught The first that ascribe this authority to God alone they are these Iames 4.12 there is one Law-giuer which is able to saue and to destroy and what is it to ordaine matters of substance in Religion but to giue Lawes Lawes I say of the highest kinde such as we must liue and be saued by and who is it that giues these Lawes hee onely that is able to saue and to destroy for so the Law-giuer is there described which being peculiar to God alone hee alone must be the Law-giuer Now the Lawes that God hath giuen are contained in the Scriptures which are therefore called the Word of God because therein God hath deliuered his minde and meaning therefore besides those in Scripture no other Lawes are to be ordained for matters of substance in Religion another proofe of this kinde wee haue Matth. 23.8 10. Be not called Doctors and be not called Master for one is your Doctor and Master and who is that but Christ himselfe Now what is it to be our Doctor and to be our Master It is to teach vs what to beleeue and what to doe that wee may be saued therefore Christ being our onely Doctor and Master he alone is to teach and direct vs in matters of Saluation And in Ioh. 1.18 The Office of reuealing God to man is appropriated to Christ hee onely declares him and the reason is there implyed because he onely came out of the bosome of the Father and therefore he onely knowes the minde of his Father and therefore consequently he onely being of ability and authority to declare it so that whosoeuer takes vpon him to reueale any part of the minde of God hee must shew that he comes out of Gods bosome else hee neither must nor can speake in this businesse that Christ himselfe hath already reuealed that is that which is contained in the Scripture Now that we may know that this Rule is inuiolably to be obserued wee must know that all which euer had to deale in matters of saluation were precisely tyed and and confined to this scantling both teachers and hearers Teachers they must teach nothing in this kinde but what Christ in his Word hath first taught The Apostles and in them all Ministers are forbidden to teach any thing but what Christ commands them Matth. 20.28 that and nothing besides that yea the holy Ghost Christs speciall and chiefe Deputy on earth hee is to receiue of Christ and to shew that to the people Iohn 16.14 15. he shall receiue of mine and shew it vnto you And the Text saith in the 14. verse that he shall glorifie Christ in this as who should say if hee teach ought besides it were a dishonour and disparagement to the Lord Iesus much more if any other should doe so and so the hearers they are tyed to this scantling too for so it was prophesied before Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God will raise vp a Prophet vnto thee like vnto me from among you euen of your brethren vnto him yee shall hearken And this Prophet is Christ as the Apostle Peter proues Acts 3.17 And this was after confirmed by a voyce from heauen Matth. 17.5 This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him And it is the marke of Christs owne sheepe that they will heare his voyce Iohn 10.6.27 and his onely and not a strangers that is whatsoeuer is spoken not according to the voyce of Christ in the Scripture So much for the first sort of Scriptures The second sort that proue this point are such as commend vnto vs the
though they liue vnder the miserable slauery of the Turke yet are to bee accounted true visible Churches we will take our patterne by that of Constantinople where there is a Patriarke at this day who hath answered the Obiections both of the Protestants and Papists to their Religion Now there is a true Church First because they affirme the foundation and euery part thereof Secondly their errors doe not directly ouerthrow the foundation nor any part thereof For the first they hould so much of the right Catholique faith as may iustly intitle them to the name of a true Church The whole Creede that we professe they retaine also In the interpretation of some points they differ somewhat from vs but in the maine substance they agree holding the foundation firme and sure Christ Iesus God and man the onely Sauiour of the world c. they renounce the head-ship of the Pope and many other points of Popish Religion They submit themselues to the direction of Scripture though the interpretation thereof they would fetch most willingly from their predecessours the Greeke fathers of whom some being more sound others lesse their Religion is not so sincere as it should Therefore the second part of the proofe is whether their errors be such as directly ouerthrow the foundation or any part thereof They are tainted with the errors of free will Intercession of Saints and Transubstantiation and some other Popish opinions which yet they doe not maintaine altogether so obstinately as the Romish church doth But their maine error is their denying of the holy Ghost to proceede from the Sonne from the Father they acknowledge and by the Sonne but from the Sonne this they expresly deny Now wee know that the Doctrine of the maiestie of God himselfe in his nature and in his persons is a most profound and principall point in Religion and very warily to be considered of Euery error therein being dangerous and fearefull and neere to blasphemy And this very error happly if it be throughly sifted will be proued to ouerthrow by consequence the foundation yet seeing first it doth not directly ouerthrow any part of it and seeing secondly wee heare they doe not eyther absolutely oppose herein to the knowne truth or omit the search of Scripture for it but professe that vpon playner euidence of Scripture they will yeeld And thirdly seeing they hold the foundation and euery part thereof in expresse words we dare hardly charge them for hereticall Churches much lesse to bee no true visible Churches at all but that men liuing in those Churches beleeuing otherwise aright in Christ crucified and repenting of their manifold errors and ignorances may be all saued vndoubtedly Vse 1 The Vses of this point are these first it is matter of reproofe And first of the Papists and that in two points first in that they presuming the Church of Rome to be the onely true visible Church affirme that no Church is a true visible Church but they that are subiect to the Pope and haue him to bee their head we see here that these are true Churches and better then the Popish Church and yet are farre from his Iurisdiction yea they hate and defie it so that their definition of a true visible Church is false when they say that there is no true Church but that which is gathered vnder the head-ship of the Pope whereas the Greeke Churches as we see are true Churches and yet not gathered vnder that heade It is true that in former times A Patriarke of Constantinople did in ambition seeke the title of head or vniuersall Bishop And the Pope of Rome at that time withstood him saying that whosoeuer tooke vpon him that title should be the forerunner of Antichrist and it proued true for not long after one that succeeded that Pope tooke this title vpon him and was indeede Antichrist I say that a Patriarke in ambition sought it but now he is brought low enough his head is vnder the yoke of the Turke the Aduersary of Gods Church who then thought to be the head of all Churches But though he missed of that the Church still continued a true visible Church is so to this day and yet neuer acknowledged the Pope to be their head Secondly it meetes with them for their vncharitable censuring of these Churches as no true Churches of God They are both hereticall Schismatical say they what if they were so yet still they may be true Churches as wee shewed before For Heresie as I will not precisely condemne them so neither can I altogether acquitte them but as for Schisme they are guilty of none But only they are rent from the Romish Church in particular so that here is the quarrell because they doe not submit their necks vnder the Popes yoke And seeing they and euery particular church is a body within itselfe as that of Rome I see no reason that their estate should be iudged Schismaticall except they had departed when they had beene members of that Church but they were neuer subiect to the Church of Rome One thing there is found in these Greeke Churches which the Papists take in their state to bee a chiefe note of the Church and that is Succession of Bishops which is as currant in the Church of Constantinople and Alexandria as in Rome euen from the Apostles times Succession in Rome is a certaine note and marke of a true visible Church and there is as good Succession in the Greeke Churches as at Rome and yet they say they are no Churches at all eyther let them disclaime this in the one or acknowledge it in the other I am perswaded that the Lord hath preserued this succession in the Greeke Churches of purpose to abate the pride of the Romane Church building so directly vpon that allegation It would else haue beene a farre more colourable plea to the naturall man but they denying the force of the Vse 2 reason in others doe plainely answere themselues The second Vse teacheth vs the great goodnesse of God and the care he hath in the preseruation of his Church these Greeke Churches haue liued many a hundred yeeres vnder the gouernment and slauery of the Turke that bought and sould them and their children and amongst the Professours of Mahomet the foulest Idoll that the world affords In regard of gouernment they liue vnder what a heauy yoke is it what a bloudy seruice how many persecutions disgraces indignities taxes and oppressions horrible wrongs and miserable slaueries doe they vndergoe They are bought sould imprisoned and put to death It cannot be spoken what slauery they liue in And yet behould God hath vpheld his Church amongst them all to this day I dare say that Israels preseruation vnder the bondage of Egypt so many hundred yeeres was not more miraculous then this of these Christians vnder the Turks So likewise in regard of the Religion of those that they are mixt with it is an heauy yoke
of Iustification The fourth Instance is concerning Christ our onely Aduocate against other Intercessors Say with vs that Christ alone presents our suits to God and makes them auaileable with God and that he is to be called vpon as our onely Intercessor and then we giue him the due honour of his place office of Mediatorship Ioh. 14.13 For his Intercession is a speciall part of that office as well as Redemption wherein if he be acknowledged to bee as we make him our alone Intercessor he is much magnified But if others be ioyned with him as they make it hee is much disparaged as being not sufficient of himselfe but needs others helpe or at least in that office being but of smaller moment such as the Saints might mannage well enough And so not Christ onely but God the Father also is much dishonoured that would put his owne Sonne to that which meaner persons might doe as well as hee The fifth Instance is concerning the spirituall worship of God against Images Let vs worship God as we teach onely in Spirit and Truth without an Image and he is rightly and truely worshipped being serued as he is a most glorious Spirit free from any matter or forme or outward apprehension and impossible to be expressed by any sensible Representation whatsoeuer But worship him in or by an Image as they teach and practise and we cannot but defile our selues and in some sort the Lords great maiesty to our selues by many grosse carnall bodily and materiall thoughts and imaginations wholly mis-beseeming the purity of Gods nature being and maiesty as if hee were a carnall bodily or manly God then which nothing can bee more contrary to his nature and will and so not more derogatory to his glory The sixth instance is of our Communion against their Masse Celebrate the memoriall of Christs death as we doe in the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the Sacrifice of Christ once offered by himselfe on the crosse is thereby aduanced and acknowledged to bee a most perfect and sufficient expiation by it selfe of all our sins hereby it is only remembred and shewed according to the institution but not repeated But celebrate the death of Christ in the Popish Masse which the Papists themselues hould to be a propitiatory Sacrifice for the quicke and the dead and how can Christ once sacrificed be more disparaged The last instance is concerning the carriage of the meanes of Saluation in open sight and playne dealing amongst vs that all may looke into them with their owne eyes against their carriage of all in a cloud and shaddow and hukermucker Let Prayer be made in a knowne tongue and wee honour God not with lips onely but with vnderstanding too but let it be made in an vnknowne tongue as it is in Popery and we dishonour God babling and prattling to him we know not what Let the Scripture bee free and common to all that euery one may reade and vnderstand and the Lord is glorified in the comfort knowledge faith and obedience of many But let the Word bee kept from the people and then they cannot know God and so cannot honour him let men haue an explicite faith to vnderstand and beleeue particularly for themselues all things necessary to saluation and they shall glorifie God in giuing a reason of the hope that is them 1 Pet. 3.15 But if they be content with an implicite faith onely to beleeue as the Church beleeues they shall dishonour God in their blindnesse and ignorance and hardly shall the Lord be glorified in their Saluation God is iealous of his owne glory and so must all that professe his name and the more iealous we are of that and zealous for it the more truely Religious we are If wee bee out of our wits saith the Apostle we are it to God 2 Cor. 5.3 So we see in these seuen instances that our Religion is full weight in this ballance of Gods glory and the Religion of Popery too light not worthy to be tryed in this Beame The second ballance wherein we will try our Religion and theirs in these seuen instances is in the ballance of Gods Word for it is not enough to ayme at Gods glory in our owne intention but after his direction for hee cannot be truely glorified but so as himselfe teacheth in his word That is the best and true Religion of God thaâ— is most agreeable to Gods Word and that is the worst that most disagrees with Gods Word Leuit. 18.4.5 ye shall doe after my iudgements and seeke mine ordinances And Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Mat. 15.9 In vaine they worshipme teaching for doctrine mens precepts And 1 Ioh. 4.5 he that knoweth God heareth vs c where is Gods Religion to be found but in Gods book As the Iewes religion is found in their talmud the Turkes in their Alcoan But the religion professed in our Church is most agreeable to Gods Word and the Religion of Popery is not agreeable thereto therfore our Religion is the true Religion That ours is most agreeable to Gods Word not theirs see it in the first instance The sufficiency of Scripture and the absolute authority it hath aboue the Church and traditions this is agreeable to that in the 2 Tim. 3.16 17. for the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration from God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes And Iohn 10.27 my sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and 5. Verse they will not follow a stranger but flye from him for they know not the voyce of strangers For that which the Papists alleadge for the Church that shee is to bee heard Matth. 18.17 It is to be vnderstood subordinately to the word that is so farre as the Church is aduised by God in his Word and for that which they alleadge for traditions out of the 2 Thes 2.15 keepe the instructions which ye haue beene taught eyther by word or by Epistle by word and Epistle are meant one and the same thing onely the manner of deliuery was diuers sometimes by word sometimes by Epistle And seeing the authority of the Church aboue the Scripture and traditions bee each of them a disparagment to the word except the word should disparage it selfe which no wise man can imagine there is no seeking for any warrant for them within the word The second instance Gods free grace against mans free will Our Religion teacheth according to Gods Word Phil. 2.13 that it is God which worketh in vs both the will and the deed And 2 Cor. 3.5 that we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God And Ier. 31.18 Conuert thou me And there is no colour of any one direct place to the contrary in all the Scripture There are some
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
on earth for the Reas 4 worlds sake that must stand till the appointed time of dissolution but it cannot stand longer then the faithfull are in it for whose sake onely it is vpholden for the holy seed is the substance of the world as I shewed Isa 6.13 and therefore so long as the world stands they cannot be vtterly destroyed Fiftly the Church on earth is the Nurserie for heauen Reas 5 now in heauen are many mansions to be filled vp euery day therefore there must be a continuall supply from the Nursery on earth Sixthly there must be a continuall warre betwixt the Reas 6 seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 betwixt the wicked and the godly therefore as the wicked seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 betwixt the wicked and the godly therefore as the wicked the Serpents seed shal be alwayes on earth so likewise the faithfull the womans seed shal be alwaies on earth too Vse 1 The vses First this shewes the antiquity of the Church that it hath been from the beginning Truth is elder then falshood righteousnesse was before sinne Gods Church is ancienter then all prophane Assemblies whatsoeuer Caine is ancient being of the malignant Church but his Parents the Church in Paradise is ancienter Eue and Adam harkened to the voice of the Serpent and so committed sinne soone after the Creation yet there was a time before their fall when they beleeued and rested on God and his Word and were righteous The Diuell is a Lier from the beginning yet Gods Truth was in the beginning before that â—ie else it could not haue been peruerted with his Lye This serues first to stop the mouth of all Gainsaiers and aduersaries of Gods Church that Charge vs with nouelty to bee a new sect and challenge antiquitie to themselues that they are the ancient and true Church which are both lies for they are the nouellists not wee We are from the beginning before they had any being so that we are more ancient then they and their religion is nouelty and a new Sect. Secondly it may serue to confirme vs in the vndoubted assurance of the Truth and of that Faith and Religion which we professe That which is most ancient is most true as being immediatly and originally from the pure Fountaine the pure hands of God himselfe who is the ancient of dayes And contrarily all Religions which are lesse ancient are from some corrupt Channels degenerate from the originall sinceritie Now our Religion which we professe is most ancient and most pure and therefore let all contrary Doctrines and Religions hide their heads and be ashamed of themselues and yeeld the preheminence of pure Truth to our Religion that is most true and rightly ancient Vse 2 Secondly as this shewes the Antiquitie of the Church so likewise it proues the perpetuity of it As it was from the beginning of the world so it shall continue by succession to the end of the world as it was before all other Congregations so it shall see the rising and fall of all other Congregations but it selfe shall continue one and the same by a continuall succession where the Fathers are gone there Children shall stand vp in their steads and so Childrens Children to the worlds end There shall bee many changes and alterations from time to time yet still there shall bee a Church in all these changes If the Church faile in Paradise it shall be found out of Paradise If Israel fall away yet Iudah shall stand If the Iewes bee cast off yet the Gentiles shal be taken in Though Popery Turcisme and Iudaisme and Paganisme abound and fill the world and are vp in Armes against the Church yet there are some corners in the world that God hath reserued to shelter his Church in wherein they shall be preserued both from their persecution and infection The third Vse Is matter of Comfort to the faithfull Vse 3 First in regard of themselues for they are the onely people of continuance that are in the world they onely are sure of their estaâ—e and none else It is true that the wicked may flourish a long time in great prosperitie like to a greene Bay Tree but in time and sometimes very quickly they shall vanish away like smoke and consume as the fat of Lambes and nothing shall remaine of them but the faithfull shall stand fast for euer Psal 102.28 they may be afflicted persecuted and distressed on euery side yet they shall neuer be forsaken nor giuen ouer vtterly as a prey to their enemies If the wicked murder some of them yet God wil haue some of them remaine still let persecutours draw out the blood of Gods Children as long as they will or can yet still there shal be found some that will offer themselues to their bloody hands for the maintenance of Gods Truth as some are taken away God will still send them a new supply So then it is Comfort to them in regard of themselues that they shall neuer perish Secondly it is comfort to them in regard of their posterity and of the Church after them they need not say on their deathbeds as worldlings doe What shall become of my Children and goods after I am gone they need not say so of their spirituall goods let God alone with them leaue them to him the faithfull seed shall bee preserued and vpholden by his Fatherly prouidence to the worlds end and the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against them And as for the Truth of God the Gospell and the graces of the Spirit which themselues are seized on in their life time God will dispose of them to the right heires heires of his owne begetting add raising vp he will find heires for them successiuely from age to age to the last end Then Christ Iesus himselfe shall come and hee shall stand last vpon the earth and so the Church shall be the first and the last The first Adam the first man on earth beginning the Church on earth And the second Adam the last man vpon the earth finishing it vp by his personall presence hauing continued and maintained it by his owne power from the first beginning to the worlds end And shall the Church haue an end then No though all things bee then at an end yet the Church shall not yet be at an end but as it is for euer here so it shall continue for euer in heauen too and that in a farre safer and happier and more glorious estate then euer it did in this world Psal 102.28 Vse 4 The fourth Vse is for discouragement to wicked men and Persecutors in that which they doe against Gods Church What can they doe against it roote it out as many times they say they will No doe they what they can by themselues by their Instruments they can neuer roote it out Let Kings and Rulers and Gentiles and people fret and rage and band themselues together against the Lord and
Sauiour answers him What is that to thee follow thou mee For the exceptions made out of 1. Ioh. 3.10 where the children of God are said to bee knowne and the children of the Diuell Whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God c. And that in the 2. Ioh. 1. where the Apostle calles the Lady he wrote to Elect Lady And in the 1. Thess 1.4 knowing beloued saith the Apostle that ye are Elect of God These and such like places are thus answered that either this is spoken out of a Charitable perswasion or else it is spoken so of all because some are so for that seemeth to be the case 1. Thes 1.4 or if he had any certaine knowledge of any particulars it was by diuine Reuelation wee cannot say therefore out of a certaine knowledge that any particular man is a true member of the Church Onely this we may say that we are perswaded vpon good grounds he is so Vse 2 Secondly the Papists are here refuted for they sinne horribly in this kind in that they pray to such and such particular persons as Saints whereas many of them it is to bee feared are damned Spirits in Hell for false Teachers may be knowne by their fruits Matth. 7.19.20 Againe this refutes three other errors of Popery that do directly contradict these three branches of the Obseruation First they make Predestination to be contingent and so they say God himselfe doth not precisely know who are his for if Predestination do depend vpon mans will that if man will he shal be saued then God knows nothing till he see what man wil doe Secondly they deny certainety of saluation and so the faithfull themselues cannot know themselues to be Gods they will haue no man say certainely of himselfe that hee shal be saued and yet they will say it of others that they are saued And that is the third error which contradicts the third branch of this Obseruation in that they say the Church is alwaies visible and so generally others may know who are true members of the Church as well as themselues But we see all these errors are here refuted by this Doctrine wherein we haue taught and proued that the faithfull are onely knowne to God and themselues and to none other But if any man aske me How then shall wee loue one another and do good one to another as Brethren if we know not who are Brethren I answer we must perswade our selues of others that they are Gods vpon good grounds and good hope because wee see the fruits of faith and Repentance and loue in them so farre as can outwardly be discerned therefore we must be perswaded they are Gods and so we must loue them and doe good to them as Brethren The third Vse teacheth vs that if euery one may know Vse 3 himselfe to be Gods then euery one of vs should labour to learne this and know it for himselfe But you will say how shall we know this I answer by a due examination of thy selfe whether thou hast Gods Spirit the Spirit of Adoption which maketh vs to cry Abba Father that is which maketh vs go to God as to our father and to call vpon him as our father for that same Spirit beareth witnes to our Spirits that we are the Children of God Rom. 8.15 16. And in the 1. Cor. 2.11 12. What man saith the Apostle knoweth the things of man saue the Spirit that is in man euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God now we haue receiued not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen vs of God The Apostle saith no man knowes the things of God that is the secrets of God but the Spirit of God Now this is one of Gods secrets to know whether we are Gods therefore hauing this Spirit wee may know our selues to bee Gods And that wee may further seale this vnto our selues let vs labour to make our Election sure vnto our selues by walking in good workes striuing against sin and working the workes of Holinesse and Righteousnesse and obedience to God which are the fruits of the Spirit of God and so shall we assure our hearts that we are Gods And so much be spoken of this last Adiunct and also of the Article Now wee come to the fourth generall Head propounded to be handled in the Doctrine of the Church and that is the diuision of the Church Now the diuision of the Church is partly of the name and partly of the thing it selfe First of the name The name is doubtfull and carries many significations yea and many contrary significations and therefore is to be diuided accordingly In the largest sense it may be applyed to any multitude or company of people whatsoeuer whether in case of Religion or not in case of Religion and the originall word both Hebrew and Greeke in the old and new Testament will beare it In the old Testament Ezek. 32.22 there the name is applyed to Ashur and his company to a company of men not in case of Religion And the same is applied Deut. 33.4 in case of Religion to the Congregation of Iacob that is to the Church of God Nay further that name is extended to those that maliciously oppose the Church of God and oppose Religion Psalm 26.5 I haue hated the assembly or Church of the wicked So that the Hebrew word in the old and new Testament beares it as well for a company not in case of Religion as for a company in case of Religion So likewise the Greeke word Ecclesia in the new Testament beares it in this generall sense as Act. 19.32 where it is applied to a disordered assembly in a case of mutiny The assembly that is the Church was out of order And in the Act. 2.47 the same word is applied to the company of Beleeuers that is to the Church of God The Lord added to the Church So wee see how this word hath been applied in the old and new Testaments to any multitude or company of people whatsoeuer either in case or not in case of Religion Yea but yet it is restrained in ordinary vse of speech and so hath been for many yeeres vnto a company of people as professing some certaine Religion whatsoeuer Religion it bee the Church is accordingly so called for there is a true Religion and euery Church that imbraceth that Religion is a true Church And againe there are false Religions and they that embrace any of them are false Churches so euery Church receiueth her denomination from the Religion she embraceth As for example we call those Iewes which are borne Iewes but those onely are of the Iewish Church which embrace the Iewish religion so that if a Iew borne doe embrace the Christian religion he is not of the Iewish Church though he be of the Iewish Nation yet he is of the Christian Church So likewise if a man bee a
a difference betwixt one and the same Church in one respect and betwixt the same Church in another respect We considered of it as it was distinguished in three respects First in respect of the bounds and compasse of it and so we shewed that there was a generall and a particular Church Of the generall we had before spoken of the particular we were hereafter to speake when wee come to speake of the visible Church Secondly it was considered in respect of the seuerall portions and states allotted to vs and that was twofold the first in this world which is a fight or warfare the second is in the world to come which is a Crowne or Triumph In the first respect the Church is called the Church Militant In the second the Church Triumphant of this we spake the last time Now we are to speake of the diuision of the Church in the third respect And that is in respect of the outward state of it in this world and so it is visible and sometime seene vnto the world and inuisible sometime not seene to the world The Church of God doth sometime attaine to such a flourishing prosperous estate in this world as that first her members are many in number secondly they haue an outward forme of setled Gouernment thirdly their Religion is countenanced at least not violently opposed by the State and Authority where they liue Fourthly they make open profession of their faith and Religion Fiftly they haue publike and solemne Assemblies at ordinary and seasonable times and in due and conuenient place where the Ministers teach the Word and where the people heare the Word preached and where the Sacraments are administred and Discipline executed at least in some measure and that without danger and without prohibition I say the Church doth oft-times attaine to this state euen in this world and then it is called visible On the other side sometimes it is brought to such a low and distressed estate that scarce any of these are found there but rather all quite contrary First their number is small secondly they haue no such outward forme of gouernment setled amongst them at least not so exercised as that thereby the world should take notice of them that they are such a holy Society thirdly they and their Religion is distasted disgraced derided hated and persecuted euen to the very death Fourthly their profession is secret Fiftly their assemblies and meetings for Religious exercises are seldome or none at all or at least very priuate at such vncertaine times and in such priuy and close places as they can light vpon and that are best and fittest for their owne safety Lastly they are depriued and debarred of the publike vse of the ministry of the word and of the Sacraments and discipline And in this case it is called an Inuisible Church So you see in generall how the state stands between the Church visible and inuisible Now we are to speake of them in particular First of the Church inuisible The Church of God is said to be inuisible in these fiue Senses First it is inuisible because it is not seene nor acknowledged by the men of the world neither is it possibly to be discerned by the sense of the naturall man but whosoeuer sees it and knows it to be the Church of God must haue a better light then that of nature Secondly it is inuisible in respect of the inward graces it is endued withall as their Election Faith c. for these are not visible at all and so it is inuisible euen then when it is most visible Thirdly it is inuisible in this sense because the greatest and chiefest part of it is in heauen and so not to be seene by mans eye Fourthly the Church is inuisible in this respect because that Congregation that professe themselues to be the true Church of God are indeed sometimes no better then the very Synagogue of Satan such as ouerthrow the foundation and persecute that which is the true Church of God indeede and so vpon Tryall proues a false Church and so makes the true Church inuisible not to bee seene of men whiles the false Church intertaines mens eyes and thoughts doting vpon her deluding them and blearing and dazelling their sight they cannot nor do not looke after any other and so the right and true Church lies hidden from their sight euen as the painted Harlot carries away mens eyes from beholding the modest Spouse So while men dote vpon the painted shewes of a false Church they cannot behold the true Lastly the Church is inuisible in this sense because though there bee some true professours yet there is no publike profession at all or else it is very secret so that there is no certaine outward Testimonies whereby it may bee knowne to be the true Church In these fiue respects the Church may bee said to bee inuisible Marke this well for herein stands the difference betwixt vs and the Papists The Church say they must be so notoriously visible that there must be a great number of them and they must make open profession of their Faith and must carry themselues so as that euery man and woman may know that they are the Church and that euery one may know which is the true Church whereunto hee is to ioyne himselfe Opposite to this we say the Church is sometimes inuisible in these respects before set downe So howsoeuer there may bee alwaies a Church yet it cannot bee alwaies so notoriously knowne to all the world Further we must consider that the Church doth somtime signifie the vniuersall Company of Gods chosen in heauen and in earth sometime onely the Company of Beleeuers on earth When it signifies the vniuersall Company of Gods chosen in heauen and earth in this sense it is simply inuisible and that both actually that is it is not seene and also potentially that is it cannot be seene as in the first second and third senses we haue shewed For first neither can the naturall man see them nor secondly can their graces be seene neither thirdly can the greatest and chiefest part of them be seene being already in heauen Secondly when the Church signifies the company of Beleeuers on earth it is inuisible either simply or after a sort simply and so there is no Church on earth inuisible but in the first and second senses onely or else after a sort that is as opposed to famous visiblenesse generally pretended by the Papists namely that there is a great multitude alwaies openly professing the true Religion and that in such outward shew state and carriage that it is or may bee generally knowne to bee the true Church and that any faithfull man may point with his finger to such a Congregation and say boldly This is the true Church and so may see and know which is that holy Society amongst men where he may safely and where he must ioine himself for his saluation And in this sense that
outward face nor appearance of it to men It is true that it is for our sinnes that the Church is so distressed and Gods glory so hidden and true Religion so decayed and therefore we are to grieue for our sinnes but yet this is our comfort that it is not so bad as it seemes to bee for the Church of God and his Religion haue then as true a being as euer they had though not in that euidence and approbation before the World and therefore though thou seest it not yet God sees it Elias poore man saw none left with whom he might ioyne but God saw many thousands What if all be so desolate as it was in his time that thou canst see none of Gods Church but thy selfe that thou canst see no visible society of men in the world that thou canst safely ioyne withall yet know God hath his Church happily many thousands though they make little profession for the time that neuer bowed their knee to Baal Therefore let vs not iudge by sight but by faith and let this comfort and satisfie vs in the most desperate times that are The last Vse is for satisfaction to the Papists demands Vse 3 when they aske vs Where was your Church before Luthers time or what is become of all our Ancestors that were members of the Romish Church For answer to the first wee aske them Where shall the Church be in Antichrists time that is when they thinke Antichrist shall bee They answer it shall bee much obscured then But shall there bee a Church then or not Yes no doubt but there shal else their own Pillar of the Churches perpetuitie falles to the ground Why then might not our Church be a true Church in the daies of Popery whom we call Antichrist though it were much obscured We had a Church amongst them that did professe our Religion though much obscured by them euen before Luthers time To the second demand concerning our Fathers that liued in their Church what is become of them say the Papists are they damned Wee answer many of them though they liued amongst them were of the inuisible Church for the rest wee leaue them to stand or fall to their owne Master yet wee haue great hope of many that were members of their Church that liued before the Councell of Trent and before the Order of the poysoning Iesuites came vp And so much for answer to them as also for this Point The ninth Lecture of the Church THe last generall Point we spake of was concerning the diuision of the Church wherein we shewed that the Church was distinguished in it selfe in many respects the last whereof was this in regard of the outward state of it in the eye and appearance to the World In this state we shewed that it was sometime visible to bee seene by the eye of man and sometime inuisible not to be seene at all or at least very hardly to be seene Of the inuisible state of the Church wee haue spoken already in the last Lecture Now it remaines that by Gods assistance we speake of the visible Church for that is the Point chiefely in question Therefore leauing the inuisible Church to God he onely knowing who are his wee in the meane while beleeuing it and esteeming reuerently thereof wee proceed now to speake of the visible Church which may and is knowne not to God onely but also to the eye of the world That which hath been already spoken of the Church in generall and especially of the inuisible makes the way plaine before vs for the vnderstanding of that which followes so that now wee may find out the visible Church without any difficulty at all In speaking of the visible Church we must handle these Points first the definition of it secondly the causes of it thirdly the members of it fourthly the markes and notes of it fifthly the gouernment of it sixthly the priuiledges of it seuenthly the aduersaries of it eighthly the authoritie of it and lastly the application of it to all Churches in the world so farre as they are knowne to vs. First for the definition of it it is this Namely A true visible Church is a Company of people called and ioyning together in the publike profession of the true Religion Marke the parts of this Definition first that they may be a Church they must be a Company of people called secondly that they may be a visible Church they must ioyne together in publike profession And thirdly that they may bee a true Church they must professe the true Religion For the first they must be a Company for one man cannot make a Church a Church being as much to say as a Congregation and a Congregation consists of diuers persons one man cannot make a Congregation and therefore one man cannot make a Church Now whether this Company bee great or small three thousand or but three it is not much materiall so long as they be a Company more or fewer if they be so qualified as the rest of the definition requires they are a Church Secondly it is a Company called for so you may remember that I shewed you before that Church hath her name in the Greeke from calling Now whereas there is a double calling one outward the othe inward those that haue onely an outward calling are visible members if they obay the outward calling it is sufficient to make them to bee reputed in the Church But if they be true and sauing-members of the Church ordinarily they must be called not outwardly only but inwardly too and must yeeld obedience vnto both Thirdly a Company of people which is not spoken definitiuely as discouering what company that is a Company of men and women for that is vniuersally vnderstood but indefinitely and to inlarge the Capacity and boundes of the Church to all people and Nations in the world For so it was in part euen vnder the former Testament strangers ioyning with the Iewes were reputed of that Church Exod. 12. much more is it so now vnder the Gospell the partition wall being beaten downe Iew or Gentile or any people vnder the Sunne if they be rightly qualified as in the definition may make a true visible Church So much for the first part of the definition that they must be a Company and a Company called and a Company of people called Secondly that they may bee a visible Church as they must be a Company called to the profession of Religion so they must ioyne together in the publike profession of it wherein there are three things first that they must make profession secondly that their profession must be publike thirdly that they must ioyne together in this publike profession First there must be a profession for a Church is visible onely so farre forth as their faith and Religion is visible but this is not to be discerned but by their profession and therefore the Church is not visible but onely by profession so then there must be a
if wee consider the State of this Land from the beginning Before Christs comming what were wee but Gentiles and so without Christ And secondly euen since Christs comming what were wee but euen Pagans in the highest degree Like Nimrods and Giants most brutish and vnreasonable and therefore it is a wonder that any of their seed should be wrought vpon and brought to grace Thirdly when we were conuerted by what meanes was it but by the Romish Church Which though it were more pure then then it is now yet it was in her declining dayes and they could teach no better then they had themselues and therefore that wee hauing been Gentiles and Pagans and afterward conuerted by the Papists that wee I say should professe Gods sauing Truth and so bee a true visible Church this should stirre vs vp to the more thankefulnesse to God Fourthly England hath beene as true a Slaue to Popery and the Kings of England as true Slaues to the Pope as Spaine or any other Kingdome in the world is to this day Fiftly Consider when Reformation beganne King Henrie the eighth and Luther were at great variance the King opposing him and threatning that if the Duke of Saxony would not punish him he would fetch him thence by the eares Sixthly consider how all conspired together to keep out the true Religion Abbies and Monasteries filled the land that were built of purpose for the honour of the Romish purple Whore Seuenthly consider that King Edward that first restored Religion amongst vs was but a Child and yet out of the mouthes of Babes and sucklings God ordayned strength for the establishing of his Truth amongst vs. Eightly his life being but short what followed As bloody a Persecution as euer was all being bent against the profession of this sauing faith and yet for all this that God should preserue his Church amongst vs this is a great blessing and worthy of all thanks for the bloodshed then was so farre from destroying the Church as that it was a meanes to increase it many by seeing the constancie of the Martyrs then were conuerted and many by reading their stories since haue been confirmed in the Truth so that that which the Diuell intended for the destroying of Gods Church was the meanes of establishing it amongst vs. Ninthly come to Queene Elizabeths time shee went through many troubles and was very hardly preserued yet at length shee obtayned her right and came to the Crowne and she established Gods Truth amongst vs against all the practises of the Instruments of Satan yet she was but a weake woman much indangered yet still preserued and by her meanes God continued his Truth long amongst vs. Tenthly come to our King Iames it was very strange that he should come in in peace though it were his right it was the Gospell that had preuailed with vs and subdued our affections else there being an heart-burning betwixt that nation and vs we hauing beene enemies there would haue followed a bloody warre or else some ciuill dissention which would haue made a foule wracke of Religion and a destruction of Gods Church amongst vs. Lastly if we consider how many Fauorites Popery hath had and that of men of State and Authority which haue laboured vnder hand to bring in Popery againe and yet that God should not withstanding all his enemies continew his sauing-truth amongst vs this should stirre vs vp to great thankfulnesse we cannot consider of these things but wee must confesse them to be the finger of God And therefore this should stirre vs vp to the more thankfulnesse to God that hath thus brought in and continued his Religion amongst vs and so to continue vs to be a true visible Church as also it should stirre vs vp to pray for the Continuance of it And so much for this point The tenth Lecture of the Church NOw that wee haue spoken in the first place concerning the definition of a true visible Church wee come in the second place to speake of the causes of it For that was the second point laid downe to be spoken to in the handling of the visible Church Wee must know the Causes of it for vntill we know the causes of a thing wee can haue no perfect knowledge of that thing for then wee know a thing rightly and in its kind when wee are well acquainted with the Causes thereof This point is the more carefully to be lookt into because wee are challenged and endited by many of our Aduersaries especially those of the separation that our Church hath not her being from such causes as it should and therefore that ours is a false Church Now vpon the discouery and view of these causes it wil appeare to any man that can and wil ingenuously apply it that wee haue the right Causes of a true visible Church and therefore that our Church is a true Church of God The causes of the being of a Church are generally of two sortes the first sort are such as cause the Church directly and of themselues purposely tending to that end the second sort are such as doe not cause the Church directly and of themselues but onely as by the way being ouer-ruled by some other cause that makes them helpfull to the being of a Church and that sometimes besides sometimes against their owne bent and intendment We will speake of these last sort of causes first First God ouer-rules some things to make them helpfull to the being of the Church besides their own bent intendment as when the thing it selfe is neither here nor there to the being of the Church yet by accident it furthers it As for instance Sometimes a mans ordinary busines is a cause of the being of the Church as wee see in the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4 7. shee came about her ordinary businesse to draw water at Iacobs Well now this in it selfe could bee no cause of the Church yet this was so ouer-ruled by God that it was a Cause of the being of the Church in Samaria For she heard Christ and beleeued in him and ranne and told it in the City and they came also and heard him and beleeued in him and so became a true visible Church The second cause is matter of affliction and this is sometime so ouer ruled by God that it causeth men to be of the Church and this was the case of the prodigall Child Luk. 15.17 he might haue perished in his affliction yet God made this a by-cause to make him to be of the Church Lastly the death of some great man that is sometime so ouer-ruled by God that it is the cause of the being of a Church As the death of Herod Act. 12.23.24 What was the death of Herod to the being of a Church more then the death of an Hog Yet God so ouer-ruled it that besides it owne intendment it was helpefull to the being of the Church Secondly some things are ouer-ruled by God against their owne bent and
notwithstanding because that by the sweetnesse of that little Religion they haue they are whetted on to an hunger and thirst after more and doe vnfainedly seeke and desire to be further partakers of the Churches Communion therefore they are in respect partly of those beginnings and tastes which they haue of Religion and partly of those desires to be further partakers of the Churches communion they are I say in this respect true members of the visible Church by right though not by possession of this sort were those in the primitiue Church which were called Catechumeni or Nouices that began to be instructed in the grounds of Religion that vpon their further growth and fitnesse they might soone after bee made partakers of Baptisme and so become members by possession It is in this spirituall building as it is in the building of a materiall Church which is built of stones whereof some are layd already and so are parts of the Church by possession others are onely taken out of the Quarry and are vnder the workemans hand in fitting and preparing for the building and are not yet placed within the building as the others are and so are no parts by possession yet these stones because they are not onely appointed but also being in the Workemans hand a fitting for the building therefore they haue a place by right in the building So likewise it is in the spirituall building of the Church there are some members that are placed in the Church already and so are members by possession of which we shal speake in their due place others there are that are a fitting and preparing vnder the workmans hand that Faith may be wrought in thē that so they may afterward be baptised become members of the church by posession as it was with those Nouices in the primitiue church Now that these are members by right before they are baptized the reason is very good for put the case that these should dye before they bee baptized shall we say they are damned or that they died out of the Church God forbid But rather we must say that they died within the Church though not by possession yet by right and so were saued A third sort that are members by right though not by possession are the seed of the faithfull that die before they can be conueniently baptized I say before it can conueniently be had for if it be neglected or contemned where it may conueniently be had it is sinne but if it cannot conueniently be had and so they die before they bee baptized these are members by right though not by possession they haue no possession among the members of the Church because they are not baptized yet being borne within the Couenant wee are charitably perswaded that they are a holy seed and we must acknowledge them to haue a right among the members of the visible Church A fourth sort are those that haue true repentance and faith in Christ begotten in them in an extraordinary manner as amongst the Turkes and Infidels but yet doe not know any other to ioyne with them nor for them to bee ioyned with if they did know any such and might conueniently ioyne with them they would of these we are charitably to be perswaded that they are members by right though not by possession Lastly there are some that haue been possessed as members of the Church and yet either of their owne accord haue made a voluntary separation and so haue dismissed themselues as Schismatikes doe or else they are excommunicate by the Discipline of the Church and so are dispossessed by others for some sinne these afterward if they repent of their schisme or of their sinne and desire to be restored into the Church againe though they die before their second admission yet still we are charitably to bee perswaded that by right they are members of the Church though not by possession The second Branch is that some are members by posfession and not by right and they are such as are baptized and planted in the Church already but haue no true right nor title to it for after they haue gotten to be members by possession they grow lewde and profane in their liues and so by right they are no members of the Church They are so but by intrusion and vsurpation and haue gotten possession by colourable and fraudulent meanes pretending to bee that they neuer were that is that they are true beleeuers when indeed they are not nor euer were such for if they were they would bring forth better fruits Of these there are two sorts notorious offenders and secret hypocrites First notorious offenders such were the sonnes of Eli 1 Sam. 2.12 17. they were members of the Church by possession but they were such notorious wicked men so that they made the offering of the Lord to be abhorred therefore they were not members by right And such are many amongst vs that were baptized in their infancy but when they are of yeares they shew themselues openly prophane and of dissolute liues their Baptisme giues them possession but their prophanenesse and dissolutenesse of life vtterly disables them from hauing any right at all in this body for if they had their right they should bee turned out But you will say So they are cast out when they are once knowne to bee such and then they are not members by possession neither I answer It is true they are so where matters are carried as they ought to bee but yet sometimes the Church is in a weake case and hath not this power their hands are tyed and they cannot doe it or else if they haue power sometime they are negligent and do not exercise that power they haue or if they be forward in it yet at least there must be a time for admonition betwixt their discouery and casting out and so still for a time they are members by possession but yet not by right In the second place there are some secret hypocrites that are members by possession but not by right and these are all such as are baptized and accordingly goe on in an outward conformitie to the lawes and gouernment of the Church in outward shew as well as true beleeuers but yet are not such for within they are full of wickednesse and haue not that true faith in their hearts which outwardly they professe like to Iudas that profest himselfe to be one of Christs Disciples and a member of the true Church and outwardly carried himselfe as a true beleeuer but yet within he was a diuel and a child of perdition no member of the Church by right though he were by possession It is with them in this case as it is with a man that wrongfully possesseth an house all the while that it is not discouered he is accounted the true possessor of that house but afterward when it is proued he is not so then he is thrust out so that though he had possession yet he had no right to
and naturall Mother that Reas 5 brings forth a Childe of her owne body and after she hath brought it forth nourisheth it with her owne milke So likewise the Church that doth beget us by the Word of Truth and nourish us with the Sacraments is not shee a true Church Sixthly every Tree is knowne by the fruites Matth. 7.16 Reas 6 17. The false prophet is knowne by his false doctrine for so the place intends if that bee a sufficient marke to know them by then true doctrine is a sufficient marke to know the true Church by Seuenthly it is Christs presence that makes a true visible Reas 7 Church therefore the Word and Sacraments outwardly representing Christs presence so as nothing else doth and so making him notoriously present make a true visible Church Lastly frō the sufficient enumeration of the parts of a true Reas 8 visible Church it must be so none are members and parts of it but the Ministers and people now the Ministers doing their duties in dispensing Gods mysteries both for preaching the Word and administring the Sacraments they are the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and the people doing their dutie in obeying that they teach at least outwardly they are the sheepe of Christ Ioh. 10.4 Now which of these markes might be spared or what other are Vse 1 there that neede to bee added Therefore where these are there is a true visible Church The vses of the point are these The first vse is matter of reproofe and that of many aduersaries First it reprooues such as except and say first that other Congregations besides Except 1 the true visible Church have these markes and therefore they are not sufficient nor infallible markes I answere Answ It is true that other Congregations pretend to haue these markes as what Heretikes or Schismatikes are there that will not say they have the Truth and right faith with them this is the generall claime of them all the Scriptures are ours and for us But this is a false pretence for when it comes to the tryall it will appeare that it is but their saying not that it is so in truth for either they will refuse some part of the Scripture or else they will mangle and deprave it or else they will take the Letter for the sense as the Papists doe in the matter of Transubstantiation this is my Body and other Heretikes that because it is said He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire therefore they baptize with fire taking the Letter of the Scripture instead of the sense of it Or else they adde somthing to the word as traditions and such like and so though they doe approue and take it in at the fore-doore yet they cast it out at the backdoore so that indeede they haue it not at all whatsoeuer they pretend we may say truly therefore that they challenge these markes but wee cannot say they are theirs but they still remaine the proper right of Gods true Church Wee know that the Divels policie and the depth of his subtiltie is to imitate apishly the courses of God that thereby hee may deceiue the more cunningly and therefore hee will counterfeit Gods owne markes and cognisance but wee must trie the Spirits 1 Ioh. 4.1 and the proofe will make all cleare for Sathan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and his Apostles can transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ and his Ministers as though they were the Ministers of righteousnesse 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. So then though these lay claime to these markes and say they are theirs yet they have no right to them it is but their vaine bragges their master Sathan himselfe alleageth Scripture and pretends it is for him but hee was shamefully discouered by our Sauiour for hee left out part of it and depraued it as wee may see Math. 4.6 7. And so the harlot Pro. 7.14 said I have peace-offerings this day I have paid my vowes therefore came I out to meete thee she pretends to pray but her intent was to play the harlot And so Zidkiah 1 King 22.24 braggs that hee had the Spirit of Prophecie when indeede it was a lying Spirit that was in his mouth So the Congregations of Heretikes and of Schismatikes lay claime to the Word and Sacraments and say they are theirs when as indeede they are not because they doe either refuse some part of them or depraue them or adde vnto them their owne Inuentions Secondly that except and say that many visible Churches haue Except 2 not these markes at least not all of them alwayes I answer yes they haue them all Answ and that alwayes in some measure more or lesse els they are not true visible Churches For the better vnderstanding hereof consider these two things first the different estate of Churches sometimes Gods Church doth thriue and flourish and then it hath all these markes without doubt Gods Word is truly preached the Sacraments rightly administred and obedience to them both is professed and yeelded and that in an high degree But sometimes a Church of God is not in such an excellent estate some are but in their beginings newly planted and so cannot haue all at once but hath euery thing in its order place first the Word is tendred to them then the people if they beleeue and submit themselues and professe obedience to it they are to be made partakers of the Sacraments First Baptisme and then the Lords Supper so far forth as it is a visible Church it hath all these marks these Church's are but in their beginnings and therefore they haue but the beginnings of these notes and markes Againe sometimes a Church is in a dying and decaying estate either by reason of Apostacie or persecution if the Church bee in a decaying state by Apostacie what shall I say to such Churches I say that so farre forth as these be true visible Churches so farre forth they retaine these markes if they be but the remainders of a Church then they haue the remainders of these markes if it bee a dying and a decaying Church then it hath dying and decaying markes So then these markes must be found in all true visible Churches according to the state of those Churches if it be a dying Church then the Word and Sacraments and Obedience are dying and decaying too but when it is quite fallen it ceaseth to be a true visible Church nor hath it these markes And so likewise in the time of persecution when the Church is so persecuted that there are none left to make open profession of the Faith and Religion of Christ yet so long as there are any that publikely suffer for the Gospell so long there is a true Church though troubled and brought low for by their suffering they professe obedience to the Gospell and though they are debarred of the publike vse of the Word and Sacraments yet the fruit and effect of them is still visible
and so they haue these notes and markes in some degree Secondly consider in what state or sense these markes are necessarily required in the Church they should be and sometimes are in the purest and soundest Churches in an high and excellent degree There is the true Word without tradition the true Sacraments none but those that Christ instituted true obedience without resistance to any part of the knowne Will of God and answerably this true Word must bee truely and soundly preecht these Sacraments onely so administred as Christ hath commanded without any addition and this true obedience truly professed without any sinister respect And this all Churches are to pray and labour for and thus it ought to bee in all true visible Churches but yet they are generally otherwise in all visible Churches in as much as all are subiect to errors and corruptions but yet so long as the true markes are found in any visible Church though they bee not so rightly and sincerely carried as they should the same is a true Church though not so pure as some others if they haue the true Word though mixt with some errors so they be not such as ouerthrow the foundation they are a true Church though more corrupt As for example the Church of Galatia embraced the true Word but not truly preached for they taught iustification by workes Gal. 3.1 2 3. and some thinke that they were then in the state of Apostacie and yet they were a true visible Church and are so called Gal. 1.2 So secondly for the Sacraments looke into the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 11.22 to the end of the Chapter they had the Lords Supper but it was much depraued and not so sincerely administred as it ought to haue beene and yet they were a true Church and so for the Doctrine of the Resurrection a materiall point in Religion there were some that denyed it in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 15.12 and yet they were a true Church Lastly for profession of obedience the Church of Sardis Revel 3.3.1 had a name that she liued but was dead they were generally in the estate of Apostacie in that Church yet because they made profession of obedience though not sincerely and because some amongst them did truly professe as in the 4. ver therefore it is called a Church I speake not this to cherish any Church in the corruptions that they are in but onely to keepe vs from an vncharitable conceit of such a Church as not to esteeme it for a true Church because the Word is not so truely preacht nor the Sacraments so rightly administred nor profession of obedience so sincerely yeelded as it ought to be Thirdly they obiect and say that these are not more Except 2 knowne than the Church and so are disabled by your own rule before given from being the principall markes I answer they must be and are better known than the Church for seeing that onely is a true Church which professeth the true Faith as wee haue shewed before therefore wee must first know which is the true Faith before wee know which is the true Church and so as they must bee more knowne so they must bee first knowne I know a visible Church as a company of men not by their faith but as a Church by their faith only and their profession of it As I know a Musitian because of his Musicke not the Musicke by the Musitian And so much for reproofe of these first sort of Aduersaries that except against this Doctrine Secondly it reproueth others that obiect and say that there are other markes required as well as these as first Loue to the Brethren I answer This is a part of their obedience which they professe Secondly say they there Except 1 must bee a lawfull Ministery I answer that is presupposed and intended in the two former markes Answ when we say Except 2 that the Word must be truly preach'd and the Sacraments rightly administred Answ Yea but say they specially Discipline Except 3 that is an essentiall marke I answer That is a good marke Answ but not essentiall the Church hath a being and a wel-being Discipline is a note of the wel-being of the Church not of the true being of it for it is no part of the essence of the Church and so it is excluded from being a necessary marke of a true Church because it is not essentiall I confesse where that Discipline wants that God calls for in his Word that so farre that Church is an imperfect Church but yet not a false Church As a man sicke of the Palsey his sinewes are weak his hands tremble his ioynts are not soundly knit together this is a crazed and diseased man not a false man So that Church that wants Discipline is not well and soundly tied together in the ioynts and so is an imperfect Church not a false Church I speake not this as I said before to cherish any Church in their corruptions for they are to labour against them but yet let vs iudge charitably and not say Such a Church is a false Church when indeed it is but a bad Church Thirdly and lastly there are other aduersaries here reproued that obiect against this Doctrine and they are the Papists They obiect and say that these markes are not the principall but others are more required than these and that as better markes They alleage foure first Antiquity secondly Succession thirdly Multitude lastly Vnity or Consent These are strange markes of a true Church First for Antiquitie can that find me out the true Church then it would follow that euery ancient Church were a true Church and so the Church amongst the Turks should be a true Church because it is ancient therefore it is Antiquity of truth not of place or people Look what Church maintaines the ancient Doctrine of truth that is the true Church so that antiquitie separated from the truth is no note of a true visible Church Caine and Satan were ancient yet no true Church but ioyne this note with the Truth The true Word preach'd which is one of our notes and then it is a true marke Secondly for Succession What succession of Bishops or of men that sit in one Chaire Is this a Note without the Word or with it If they say without the Word that is falsâ—â—f with the word then still they run vpon our notes and markes of the Church for wee say that Succession of true and sound Doctrine is a special Note of the Church Succession of it selfe is no Note it is as if a man should say This is my Horse because this is my Bridle as if his Bridle would not serue any other Horse Thirdly for multitude they make that a Note of the Church but it is quite contrary for generally the true Church is the fewest in number and for the most part the greater number are the worst and by this Rule in Christs time the Scribes and Pharises and Iewes were
no more of an antient Church than of one that hath beene within these two hundred yeares Let vs take the meane betwixt both these embrace them reuerently where they are not contradicted by the Word and so they are a sufficient warrant in those cases if wee bee destitute of better And so much bee spoken for the warrant of those things which are to bee done in Church-gouernment Now we come to the second generall head the manner whereby they must be carried that must be good too as well as the warrant whereon they are grounded for many times good things are marred by ill handling therefore that these good things may not bee marred with ill handling Obserue touching the manner of the carriage of them these Rules First that the most necessary and materiall duties bee first and chiefly prouided for secondly that all things bee done decently and in order thirdly that the peace of the Church be not troubled fourthly that whosoeuer hath any right in the performance of this businesse be not contemned or restrained of their right Lastly these duties must be so carried so farre as may be as best fits the ciuill Gouernment wherein wee liue We will begin with the first that is That the most necessary and materiall duties must bee first and chiefly prouided for and they are the Word and Sacraments and Prayer and the Ministery these must bee first looked to so our Sauiour himselfe takes this course he first prouides for these Matth. 28.19 Go teach all Nations baptizing them c. And so the Apostle Peter in Act. 2.37 38 c. First he preacheth and baptizeth And so the Apostle Paul in the 1 Cor. 15.3 First of all saith he I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued how that Christ died for our sinnes c. First hee preacheth Faith and Repentance and the Reasons are plaine for this for these are the foundation of Religion therefore these must bee first laid else there can bee no building secondly these are the gatherers of Gods chosen if they haue not these none can be conuerted at all thirdly these are so effectuall to the being of a Church that where these are found there is a Church and where they are not there is none therefore these must bee first and chiefly prouided for The due obseruation of this Rule if it were carefully looked into would preuent much ignorance and dissention and other inconueniences many there are that nuzzle the people vp in Ceremonies onely and goe no further as the Popish Church This is a cause of horrible blindnesse and ignorance the people for the most part resting there and thinking they haue Religion enough if they obserue such and such Ceremonies and so are carelesse of true growth in Christianity by the true vse of the Word and Sacraments These are Pharisaicall courses to tythe Mint and Annise and to leaue the weighty matters of the Law Matth. 23.23 Others beate first and chiefly on Discipline and would haue that and nothing else taught a preposterous zeale which wrought much dissention as by lamentable experience we may see in our Church for this hath been an occasion that many haue separated from our Church and that many liue discontent in it not being first well grounded in the principall first faith and repentance must bee taught and afterward Church-gouernment The second Rule is All must bee done decently and in order for so is the expresse Rule 1 Cor. 14.40 First then decency is required in Church-gouernment this is required in ciuill and naturall duties and therefore in Christian and religious duties it is required much more Now this is not in all places alike for we must vnderstand that that which is decent in one place may bee vncomely in another that is to be reputed decent in any place which the customes and fashions of the place not repugnant to the Rules of Nature Ciuilitie and Gods Word haue made decent as for example prophesying with the hat on in the Church of Corinth vndecent 1 Cor. 11.4 but in the reformed Churches in France made decent by Custome they being in Gods stead to speake vnto the people they thinke they may bee couered Therefore still such customes are to bee considered and accordingly decency to be esteemed Secondly Order is required in Churchgouernment so it is in all other things specially it must be so in Gods Church he being the Author and God of order and not of confusion This was it that commended and graced Salomons house exceedingly so that the Queene of Sheba was rauisht to see it in the 1 King 10.5 and shall hee that is greater than Salomon the Lord Iesus want it in his house the Church It is a speciall grace belongs to the visible Church and therfore Cant. 4.2 Salomon speaking of the order of Gods Church shewes how comely it is Thy teeth are like a flocke of sheepe in good order which go vp from the washing c. Dauid was enamoured with it Psa 68.25 speaking as vnder a vaile of the godly order which is in Gods Church faith the Singers went before the Players of instruments came after and in the midst were the maides playing with Timbrells Now this order extends it selfe to two things first in things to bee done in the Church secondly in the persons that doe them First in things to bee done there must be order as in prophesying that one speak after another 1 Cor. 14.31 and so in order the Word must bee preacht before the Sacraments be administred prayer must bee before preaching Baptisme before the Lords Supper as also smaller matters must bee layd by while greater are in handling Act. 6 2. sometimes extraordinary cases of necessity may ouerbeare this Rule but generally it must bee thus So there must bee order in Persons the Superiours must bee first respected whether hee bee superior in yeares or in gifts and graces the Pastor must rule the flocke and not the flocke the Pastor Finally it is with vs in the Church as it is with Souldiers in the field euery man is placed by the Captaine and must keepe his ranke And so it must bee with vs wee must keepe our ranke that God hath placed vs in in the Church and not breake out for that is a grieuous sinne I would this were well looked into in our Church that men would not go beyond their rankes for this breedes disorder and confusion in the Church The third Rule is that the peace of the Church bee not broken nor troubled the Apostle in Ephes 4.3 would haue vs whatsoeuer wee doe to keepe peace and hee vseth a speciall phrase there Keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace As if hee should say if yee keepe not peace which is the bond your spirituall Communion is in danger to bee soone dissolued And in the 1 Cor. 11.16 the Apostle teacheth that contentiousnes is not tolerated in the churches of God The enuious Serpent and
contrary so often as they preuaile against vs so many victories they get ouer vs and so many wounds they giue vs also let the Promises of God encourage vs that not a bone of ours shall be broken nor the gates of hell euer preuaile against vs. The two and twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH TOuching the seuenth generall point propounded to bee handled in the Question concerning the visible Church namely of the Aduersaries that oppose set them selues against it wee haue propounded these seuerall heads to speake vnto First that the Church of God hath many Aduersaries and opposites so long as it is in this world Secondly what these Aduersaries are Thirdly their dealing against the Church Fourthly the course and dealing of the Church against her Aduersaries And lastly the course and dealing of God to both The two first points wee haue already spoken to Now God willing wee are to speake of the three last points The 3. point then that we now first are to speak to is how the aduersaries behaue themselues in oppugning and fighting against the Church for as in all other conflicts and encounters It is a great aduantage for a man to know the carriage of his Aduersaries fight so in this spirituall conflict that the Chuâ—ch doth mannage against her Aduersaries for the Lord of heasts It is a singular helpe to vs and a very needfull thing to be well acquainted with the proceedings of our enemies to know their weapons purposes Stâ—atagems and practices and the whole course and manner of their fightings against vs for thereby wee shall be the better armed and fitted to meete with them at euery turne to ward off their blowes and defeate their enterprises and to match their assaults and to preuent and auoide their dangers This was a singular helpe to the Apostle Paul the faithfull Souldier of Iesus Christ in his fight 2 Cor. 2.11 marke the reach of the place the Apostle was not ignorant of his Aduersaries enterprises he knew them well enough and thereby hee preuented Satan from circumuenting him And this helpe our Sauiour would haue all his Disciples furnished withall and therefore he fore-shewes Matth 10 16 17. their enemies dealings against them that so they being forewarned how their Aduersaies would deale with them they might also bee fore-armed how to answer them and bee prouided against all their attempts Behold saith he I send you as sheepe among wolues and so in the 19. 20 21 23. c verses our Sauiour still foreshewes the manner of their Aduersaries dealings against them the brother shall betray the brother to Death and that they should bee hated of all men for his names sakes c And in Matth. 24. from the 9. to the 26. vers our Sauiour makes a great discourse to this purpose And in the 25. verse he purposely specifies this prediction Behold I haue told you before thereby calling on them to consider aduisedly of it as who should say that that very prediction and foretelling them of it were a sufficient Caueat at least a very necessary helpe in their fight against their Aduersaries And so in Luk. 21. from the 8. to the 19. verse where he first acquaints his Disciples with their Aduersaries courses and then teacheth them how to defend themselues from them where our Sauiour shewes plainely by his owne practice how needfull it is to know our Aduersaries fight that so wee may wisely and safely encounter them If ye aske me what their dealings and attempts are against the Church I answer Of sundry sorts yea indeed of all sorts And therefore take the matter fully and plainely in this Obseruation The Aduersaries of the Church Doctr. as they are great and many so they doe assault vs euery way they leaue no meanes vnattempted whereby they may procure the vtter ruine and ouerthrow at least the hurt and trouble of the faithfull Their maine Intent is to ouerthrow the faithfull if they can possibly but if they faile in that as the Lord keepes them from that yet rather then they will sit still and doe nothing they will bee doing all the mischiefe and harme to them that they can I shall not need to distinguish the courses of Satan himselfe from his Instruments they are in effect all one for what himselfe doth hee stirres vp his instruments to doe the like and what they doe it is not of themselues but by his appointment so that the discouery of the one is also the discouery of the other For proofe of the obseruation see what the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 5.8 Your Aduersarie the Deuill like a roaring lyon goes about seeking whom hee may deuoure that is to say hee casts about euery way to doe vs hurt one search will not serue his turne but he searcheth euery corner and spies euery aduantage still going about and seeking to deuoure In Matth. 5.11 Our Sauiour giues vs a sufficient Intimation of their malicious disposition against vs that they will not sticke to speake all manner of euill falsly against vs and they that will not sticke to speake if it were in their power will not sticke to doe all manner of euill to vs To display the point more at large wee will descend to some particulars First let vs consider the matter they strike at or the marke they shoote at Secondly the manner of their opposition first the marke they shoote at is either Religion it selfe or the Persons that professe it and indeede whatsoeuer they doe against our Persons their quarrell is against our Religion to goare that through our sides so that if wee would leaue our Religion our Enemies would leaue to hurt vs Religion is their Quarrell so saith our Sauiour Matth. 10.22 you shall be hated of all men that is true indeed but it is for my name First the persons that professe Religion is the marke they shoot at see this in the example of Iob in the 1 and 2 Chapters see how Satan set himselfe against him in his Cattell seruants Children wife body and if he might haue had his will against his life and soule too and see how hee musters vp his forces against him euery way theeues fire winds botches wife and friends and all at once to ouerwhelme him with an heape of temptations In the new Testament wee find this true in the example of the Apostles 1 Cor. 4.9 to the 13. I thinke saith he that God hath set out vs the last Apostles as men appointed to death for wee are made a gazing stocke c we hunger and thrist are naked and buffetted c so we see how hee setts himselfe against the persons of the faithfull See also how he sets himselfe against their profession Acts 4.18 21. Peter and Iohn are charged to preach no more in the Name of Iesus and threatned if they doe And Acts 5.18 the Apostles are laid hands on and put in prison and in the 33. vers they consult to slay them and in
the 40. vers they beate them and command them againe not to speake in the name of Iesus what could the Deuill haue done more against the Gospell as things then stood All these places both the former and these latter proue that they set themselues against their persons and their profession both but the former are more directly against their persons the latter more directly against their profession So wee see the practices of our Aduersaries against our persons and against our profession yet here is the difference that they oppose against Religion for it selfe but they oppose against our persons for our Religion Secondly for the manner of their opposition they doe it sometimes openly sometimes secretly openly so did Saul Acts 9.1 2. when he went with open mouth to make hauocke of the Church sometimes they doe it secretly that is when either they cannot doe it openly at all or at least when they cannot doe it openly with such safety to themselues and such hurt and danger to their enemies thus it was in Galat. 2.4 the false brethren crept in craftily into the Church to spy out their liberty that so they might the better bring them into bondage we shall find both these kinds of oppositions Act. 6.9 10 11. where certaine of the Synagogue disputed with Stephen and thought to haue borne him downe openly but when they were not able to resist the wisdome and spirit by which he spake then they secretly suborned witnesses to accuse him falsely Secondly againe sometimes they oppose by strong hand as Herod Acts 12.1.2 he stretched forth his hands to vex certaine of the Church and he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and when Satan doth thus oppose hee is a Lyon sometime by fraud and subtilty hee opposeth the Church and then hee is a Serpent and so in Acts 7.19 Stephen saith the Egyptians dealt subtilly with the Israelites the third thing in the manner of their opposition is the meanes or weapons whereby they fight against Gods Church and they are infinite I shall touch those onely that are most materiall and the first kinde is carnall reasons and these are the fittest weapons for carnall men to fight withall and readiest against the truth and the Church as they being both spirituall and professed enemies to flesh and blood See how they flourish with this weapon first with multitude yours cannot be the true Religion say they for but few embrace it the multitude is against you and it is euery where spoken against as they said to Paul Acts 28.22 Againe saith the false Church wee haue far greater pomp and glory and greater riches Reuelat. 17.4 besides say they you haue no great men to applaud you doe any of the Rulers beleeue in him say the Iewes Iohn 7.48 Lastly there is say they no point of your Religion either pleasing to nature or almost iustifiable by reason and therefore saith carnall reason yours is not the true Religion but you must needs be of the right way If these kind of weapons preuaile not then they take other kind of weapons and close in neerer with vs forcing vs with Religious pretences and so striuing to beat vs with our owne weapons they pretend that they haue the Scriptures so did the diuell Matth. 4.6 that they are the Church as the wicked Iewes did Ierem. 7 4. so for miracles they pretend they haue them too they haue the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders 2. Thes 2.9 so they pretend to be Abrahams children Iohn 8 39. and to be Moses Schollers and Disciples Iohn 9.28 yea to be Gods owne seede Ioh. 8.41 So they pretend to be Prophets Reuelat. 2.20 yea to be the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 yea and to be Angells of light verse 14. and for outward holinesse they will haue more then ordinary as the Scribes and Pharises had Matth. 23.27 And for simplicity which is the proper note of Christs sheep they will so cunningly pretend it that you would take them for sheepe of Christs owne fold and they cannot be discerned to be rauening Wolues till they bewray it in their workes and therefore our Sauiour saith Matth. 7.15 Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing c. And when they faile this way then they will fall to more grosse dealing flattering vs with faire promises as the diuell dealt with our Sauiour Matth. 4.9 such and such things will I giue you if you will doe thus and thus if this will not preuaile they will labour to seduce vs with lies and errors as the Serpent did Eue Gens 3.4 5. or else they will labour to corrupt our sincere worship of God with inuentions and traditions of men as the Pharises did Mat. 15.3 If they can preuaile none of these waies then they will raise vp flanders and false reports against our persons howsoeuer wee carry our selues as they did against Christ and Iohn Baptist Mat. 11.18 Our Sauiour â—ame eating and drinking and they say behold a Drunkard and a Glutton Iohn Baptist came neyther eating nor drinking and they said hee had a diuell so they raised vp false reports of our Religion as they did in the Apostles time Rom. 3.8 Some say that he taught that we might do euil that good may come thereof c. If this be not enough they will breath out threatnings against vs as Saul did against the Church Acts 9.1 If that serue not their turne they will procure Lawes and Decrees against vs as they did against Daniel Dan. 6.7 8. and Letters of State as Saul did Acts 2.9 And their last and sorest and commonest weapon of all is blowes persecutions banishments imprisonments and all the punishments they can deuise as their hatred is deadly against vs so they cease not to pursue vs to the very death cruell blood-suckers they are for when they cannot sucke Religion out of our hearts yet they will sucke our liues and our bloods out of our bodies In a word there is no one thing in the world but the diuell and his instruments catch at it and take hold of it as a weapon in their fury to hurt and strike at Gods children withall The reasons of the point are these First the sillinesse Reas 1 and nakednesse and weaknesse of the faithfull and their condition in this life is such that they are euery way exposed and of themselues lie open to the danger of their enemies somethings they cannot doe to defend themselues for want of power and worldly wisdome as God knowes they be very simple and weake and other things they must not do for want of warrant from God without which their tender consciences dare doe nothing whereas if they could and might shift for themselues by hooke or by crooke as others doe it might be a good safegard to them and hence it is that our enemies assault vs euery way The second reason is drawne from
to the word and the Spirit There must be a perswasion in vs that the Word is of God else there is no profit by it 1 Thessa 2.3.2 Peter 1.19 20. 2 Tim. 3.16 And therefore still the Preface of the Prophets is Verbum Domini And so much shall seue to be spoken concerning the authority of the Scripture The foure and twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH COncerning the power of the Church yee haue heard how it extends it selfe to persons and things for so we diuided it for our more easier proceeding in the point that which concernes persons wee haue already spoken of And that which concernes the thing wherein the Church hath power wee haue entred into and shewed that they are of two sorts eyther matters of circumstance or matters of substance The Churches power in matters of substance are eyther in matters touching Scripture or besides Scripture touching Scripture and that I shewed was of two sorts eyther touching the authoritie of Scripture or the sense of Scripture Of the authority of Scripture we spake in the last Lecture Now wee are to speake of the sense of Scripture which wee shall be the longer in handling because looke what was wanting in the former point shall be here supplyed Touching this point what authority the Church hath in the sense of Scripture it is as materiall and as difficult a point as the former First as materiall for after we are made acquainted which the letter of Scripture so that we know which are Canonicall bookes written by the Infallible direction of the Holy Ghost and that euery thing contained in them is the vndoubted truth of God wee are still as far to seeke in matters of faith as before till we proceed further and be acquainted with the sense and meaning of Scripture for the Word of God is not so much the letter as the sense and the Scripture is not so much the bare written word as the right meaning and vnderstanding of that which is written That what a man saith is his speech indeed in common acceptation But yet if it bee not taken in the sense hee meanes it he will and may iustly disclaime as none of his speech A mans meaning is contained in his words as the things signified in the signe because words are the signification of our meaning but the subiect of them wherein it properly rests and is seated is the breast of the speaker So the Word of God is in the Scripture as the signe whereby God signifies his meaning but the subiect of them wherein properly the meaning of them restes is in God himselfe so that this is a materiall point to be knowne Secondly it is as difficult a point as the former for after we heare which is the right letter of Scripture it is as difficult to know which is the right sense as before it was to know which was the right letter for the same words sometimes haue diuers significations and one and the same sentence may be vnderstood many wayes and diuers men are of diuers minds expounding one and the same Scripture diuers wayes euery man abounding in his owne sense the true beleeuer expounding it to the maintenance of the true Catholique faith the Heretique to the maintainance of his Heresie Yea among and true beleeuers themselues one interprets the same words to that opinion that he fauours and another to a contrary that he fauours What is to be done in this case The Church is here thrust vpon vs as the onely or chiefest vmpyre in these differences and that alone to be the true sense which shee pronounceth And surely I see not but that the Church may as probably and plausibly challenge authority to deliuer which is the meaning of Scripture as which is the letter of Scripture We haue giuen the Church her due touching the former acknowledging her authority in and about the letter of Scripture but not ouer or aboue it and so God willing we will deale as ingenurously in this concerning the sense of Scripture But yet we will limit and bound it within certaine necessary cautions and limitations And that we may doe so we will handle it by way of Obseruation The Obseruation is this Doct. That howsoeuer the Church hath great authority in expounding Scripture yet she must not expound it as shee list and according to her owne minde but according to Gods minde and the meaning of the Scripture it selfe But say some the Church will not nor cannot expound them Ob. but according to Gods minde and therefore this is a needlesse Obseruation I Answer It is true that the Catholique Church that is Answer the whole company of the faithfull cannot do otherwise But particulâ—r visible Churches may and oft times haue expounded Scripture to their owne minde and not according to Gods minde And therefore it is reason that they should bee thus bounded and limited we will proceed then to the proofes of the obseruation And first I will prooue it by rules And secondly by examples The rules in the Scripture are plaine for this note and that first in generall Esay 8.20 To the law to the Testimony c. whosoeuer is the speaker and whatsoeuer he speakes in matters of God and of Religion and therefore specially in expounding Scripture it must be according to the law and the testimony that is according to the meaning that God intendeth therein and so in the 1 Peter 4.11 the Apostle saith Let him that speakes speake as the words of God that is in Gods sense As in generall all must thus speake Gods Word so specially the Preacher or whosoeuer that takes vpon him to expound Gods Word he must speake it as the Word of God that is not onely for the manner of it reuerently and zealously as becomes the Word of God but for the matter much more that is in the same sense that God himselfe hath spoken it as hee being then in Gods stead and deliuering his message else he speakes his owne words not Gods Secondly more particularly Iohn 5 39. Search the Scripture saith our Sauiour he doth not bide them take the Scriptures and reade them and giue what sense of them they thinke good But he bids them search them that is examine them and consider aduisedly of them lay them rightly together weigh one place wel with another and make diligent inquiry after the sense reach that God intends in them And so we shall find that they are first witnesses of Christ and then that they are helpes to eternall life See it yet more neerely Rom. 12.6 Let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith saith the Apostle whereby prophecy is expresly meant interpretation of Scripture for so it is taken in the 1 Cor. 14.3.31 and that is to be framed according to the proportion or Analogy of faith which whether it be meant of faith contained in the Creede or of the measure of faith that God hath endued vs with all yet still
perfection and sufficiency of Scripture for if the Scriptures containe all things necessary to saluation then what hath the Church to doe in such matters besides Scripture the Church and the Scriptures stand in oposition in this point for that sufficiency being granted to the Scripture it disanulls all such power challenged to the Church and that power being granted to the Church disanulls that sufficiency of Scripture but the Scriptures are sufficient as wee will proue by these places following Iohn 20.31 but these things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his name All things that Christ spake and did are not written yet there is enough written for quantity and enough for power to cause vs to beleeue and so to beleeue that we may haue life through his name and therefore sufficient enough for all matters of saluation 2 Tim. 3.16 17. The whole Scripture saith the Apostle is giuen by inspiration from God and is profitable to teach and to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto euery good worke heere are reckoned vp such speciall works as are most effectuall to teach both faith and obedience and these are ascribed to the Scriptures True say the Papists they are ascribed to the Scriptures as being profitable to these but yet not sufficient yes it is sufficient too for it is so farre profitable to euery one of these that thereby the man of God is made perfect to all good works and is not this as much as if the Apostle had said the Scriptures had beene sufficient for euery matter of saluation and that hee meanes so is plaine in the 15. verse thou hast knowne the Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise vnto saluation so much for the second sort of Scriptures The third sort are such as absolutly forbid any addition or detraction from Scripture as in Deut 4.2 there is an absolute prohibition yee shall put nothing vnto the Word of God which I commend you neither shall ye take ought therefrom and Pro. 30.6 put nothing vnto his Words lest hee reproue thee and thou be found a lyer Reuel 22.18 19. If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any man shall take away God shall take away his part out of the booke of life c. Now then if the Church can decree any matter of saluation besides Scripture and not adde to Scripture nor diminish from it then they may haue some colour for it notwithstanding these prohibitions but if that be impossible as it is then this is simply vnlawfull The Apostle amplifies this point by way of comparison Galat. 3.15 If it be but a mans testament no man will adde to it much lesse to the Testament of Christ The last sort of Scriptures are those that condemne all Doctrines so taught eyther without or besides Scripture Esa 29.13 It is a sore complaint which the Lord takes vp against the people there because the Religion they looked to be saued by was taught by the precepts of men and Matth. 15.9 Christ vtterly reiected this worship as vaine and hypocriticall when they teach for Doctrine mens precepts and 1 Tim. 6.3 4. If any man teach otherwise and consenteth not to the wholesome Doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ he is puft vp and knoweth nothing It is selfe-conceit and grosse ignorance yea and not onely when it comes from an ordinary man but if it come from an Apostle nay an Angel if they should teach any other Gospell not only that is against this but besides this which I haue taught you saith the Apostle hold him accursed Galat. 1.8 9. So that if any either Apostle or Angell from heauen deliuer or teach any other Gospell that is any matter of substance in Religion though it be but besides that which we haue in the Scripture they are accursed And so much for the proofe of the point The reasons are many And the first reason is drawne Reas 1 from the nature of faith which carries alwaies a iust correspondency to the Word of God Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Faith comes by hearing of whose sayings mans No but the Word of God whatsoeuer God speakes faith heares it and most willingly and sweetly beleeues and embraceth it but what any else saith whether it be man or Church or Angell as it is not powerfull to beget sauing faith so also it is the nature of faith to refuse it or at least to suspect it because it is beside the Word and God speakes it not Secondly The second reason is drawne from the state Reas 2 of conscience which is this God hath endued our conscience through his mercy and ordinance with that freedome and liberty that is in subiection to none but to God onely and therefore whatsoeuer God commands or forbids the conscience well rectified yeelds to it acknowledging the authority of the speaker to be a binding Law which necessarily must be obeyed but when a matter is imposed by man onely without or beside the prescript of God the conscience feeles not the commanding power of God to ouersway it and therefore may and must and doth take the benefit of her liberty and this is it the Apostle saith 1 Corinth 3.23 Be not the seruants of men The third reason is drawne from the property of the Reas 3 things themselues that are to be beleeued and they are matters necessary to saluation and therefore wee must haue such a sure ground and warrant for them as that we may be bold to hazard our saluation vpon them Now the Church being it selfe subiect to error where iâ— builds not vpon Scripture is vnable therefore to afford any such warrant therefore without and besides Scripture the Church hath no power in such things Reas 4 Fourthly that which the Church doth heerein in ordaning any thing in matters of saluation without or besides Scripture she doth inioyne it with condition of damnation to those that doe not beleeue and obey it Let them be accursed that doe it not but damnation is not to be threatned by any but those that haue power to inflict it but the Church hath no power of her selfe to inflict it and therefore it is ridiculous in her to threaten it The Church indeede threatens it in excommunications but that is not of her selfe but vnder God and in his name who is also able to inflict it as hee is to threaten it in his Word but wee speake heere of matters besides Scripture and therein the Church hath no power at all to inflict no not instrumentally in the lowest degree therefore not to threaten damnation and so consequently not to decree any such things Reas 5 The fifth reason is drawne from a rule of
proportion in like cases Christ himselfe when hee came to teach saluation spake nothing but from the father Iohn 12.49 50. and whatsoeuer the Spirit doth teach hee receiued it from Christ Iohn 16.13 If Christ doe tye himselfe to teach those things and nothing but those things hee receiued from the Father and the Spirit nothing but those things he receiued from Christ then I hope the Church hath not greater liberty in respect of the Scripture then Christ in respect of his Father and the Spirit in respect of Christ Therefore as Christ spake nothing besides that hee heard of his Father and the Spirit nothing but that hee receiued from Christ so by proportion the Church is to speake nothing in matters of saluation besides Scripture Reas 6 Sixthly the Church is to do nothing heerein but by direction and assistance from the Spirit and as it is horrible presumption to say the contrary so the Papists themselues sometimes ingenuously confesse that the Testimony oâ— the truth consists in the holy Ghost and the Prelates iointly so that it is not in the Church alone without the Spirit And what doth the Spirit teach the Church any new Doctrines or Reuelations No but that which Christ hath reuealed before If ye compare Iohn 14.26 with Iohn 16.13 14 15. you shall finde that the holy Ghost whom Christ promiseth to send shall teach all things that Christ hath taught which beâ—ng the same which is in the Scripture then the Spirit teacheth the Church nothing besides Scripture And so the Church is able to decree nothing besides the Scripture because shee is able to doe nothing without the Spirit Lastly when things are decreed by the Church are Reas 7 we to receiue them hand ouer head or vpon tryall and examination If ye say haâ—d ouâ—r head without examination that were a gracelesse speech and vtterly vnlawfull being against the rules of the Word 1 Thess 5.21 Trye all things 1 Iohn 4.1 Trye the Spirits If then they must be receiued vpon tryall and Examination how must they be tryed and by what rule Eyther by the Iudgement of the present Church or by the Scripture If ye say by the Church that were to make her Iudge in her owne cause then it must bee examined by the Scripture as the men of Berea did Paules Doctrine Act 17.11 they searched the Scriptures daily whether the things were so as he taught So the things the Church decrees must bee tryed by Scripture and if that cannot approue them as being not there found they are to be reiected and the authority of the Church in imposing them to be disclaimed So we see in reason that the Church hath no power nor authority to decree anything or matter of substance in Religion â—yth 〈◊〉 faith oâ— for obedience without or besides Scripâ—â—â— The â—irst vs◠〈…〉 of reproofe of sundry Popish practises and positions not to name all For indeede if this point be well vnderstood it razeth and ouer throweth the very foundation of Popery Here then we see first that the Church cannot coyne any new Articles of faith why is any man so gracelesse to doe so yes the Papists doe so And howsoeuer many of them will not seeme to fauour it in word yet their practise makes them guilty of it Pope Pius the fourth propounds a Creede and tyes his children the Papists to it wherein after hee had set downe the twelue articles contained in the Nicene Creede he addeth twelue more of his owne concerning traditions Purgatory c. And these hee will haue acknowledged and vndoubtedly beleeued as the former and is not this to coyne new articles of faith Ob. But say they why may not we doe so as well as you that haue your articles of Religion and all reformed Churches haue their seuerall confessions wherein there are many things besides those in the Creede and yet professed and beleeued Answ as well as they I Answer It is not a like comparison for we though we doe beleeue many things that are not in the Creede yet wee beleeue nothing besides Scripture and that which is soundly proued by Scripture is to be beleeued as well as that in the Creede But theirs are such for the most part as haue little or no shew of Scripture for them but are matters besides Scriptures which they obtrude on the people meerely or at least principally by the authority of the Church But hath the Church then no authority about Articles of Faith newly to be made I Answer No But onely as thus if any article hath beene neglected obscured and layen hidden in former times the places of Scripture whereon it is grounded being not well vnderstood then the Church hath power to declare and publish it vpon the better vnderstanding of such places as it is proued by And this is not to make new articles of faith but to reuiue and renew those that were before and that not beside the word but with and by the word This may be cleared by an Instance The article of Iustification by Faith had lyen hidden for many yeeres before Christ came but when Christ and his Apostles came they reuiued it and yet made no new article of it but the same that was taught from the beginning of the world to come neerer home After that this doctrine was againe obscured lay hid for many yeeres till it pleased God to raise vp Luther and others which brought it forth to that cleare light that it was in in the Apostles times And is this to make new articles No but to reuiue and to bring to light that which had lyen hid a long time And thus far the Church may goe and no further The second Position is this that the Church cannot make any booke to be Canonicall Scripture which is not so of it selfe For this is to ordaine and decree matters of substance in Religion besides Scripture But do the Papists doe this yes they doe and therefore are here to bee reproued for it as being vtterly vnlawfull for them so to doe For first the number of Canonicall bookes are certaine as themselues confesse and therefore no authority can admit more Secondly if the Church hath power to make bookes that are Apocrypha Canonicall then also shee hath power aswell to reiect some that are Canonicall for hee that hath power to build hath also power to destroy And what were this but for the Church to mayme and mangle the Booke of God as shee list her selfe what an horrible wrong were this to God Thirdly the sheepe of Christ heare his voice they doe not make or frame it Lastly as a Gold smith takes a peece of gold and tries it whether it bee right or counterfeit by the touch stone and before he finds it to be true Gold he doth not make it true Gold for if he finde it to be counterfeit all the Gold smiths that are cannot make it true so must the Church cry which are Canonicall
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
great saying none other thing then that which the Prophets and Moses did say should come that Christ should suffer c And Act 28.23 he expounded and testified the kingdome of God perswading them concerning Iesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets And 1 Cor. 15.3.4 I deliuered vnto you first of all that which I receiued that is how that Christ dyed for our sinnes according to the Scriptures c And so Apollos Act 18.28 mightily conuinced the Iewes and that publiquely shewing by Scripture that Iesus was Christ still the Builders made the Scriptures their rule and line whereby they taught And this foundation in Scripture is sometimes set down in fewer words as in the 1 Cor. 2.2 Iesus Christ and him crucified sometimes in more words as in the 1 Tim. 3.16 great is the mystery of godlinesse God was manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles beleeued on in the world and receiued vp into Glory But this is the substance of all Iesus Christ God and man the onely Sauiour of the world as hee is reuealed in the Scripture the shortest is intended by the holy Ghost and so it is to bee vnderstood of vs in this largenesse and the largest is sufficiently comprised in this shortnes And that this is the right foundation of the Church first appeares plainely by the difference betweene Christians and professors of other Religions If a Gentile or Pagan dispute with a Christian how happinesse is to be attayned We say by Iesus Christ they will reiect him and say there is no Christ and de ride vs to thinke that he can make vs happy So let a Iew and a Christian dispute about happinesse we say by the true Messiah Iesus Christ as he is thus reuealed They say by the Messiah but this Iesus thus reuealed say they is not hee looke into Act 25 13. to 19 the matter there in question is this very foundation Iesus and there is a Gentile Festus speakes scornefully of him there are the Iewes denying him and opposing against him and there is Paul a Christian professing and auouching him and that no doubt as hee was reuealed in the Scriptures for that was alwayes his manner before The like in effect we haue in the 1 Cor. 1.23.24 there the Iewe and the Gentile and the Christian they all fight about the foundation Christ to the Iewes hee is a stumbling blocke to the Grecians foolishnesse but to them that are called the power of God to saluation saith the Apostle So we see plainely this is the foundation Iesus Christ God and man the onely Sauiour of the world as he is reuealed in the Scripture The resolution then is this those hereticall assemblies that directly deny this foundation or any part therof cease to be Christians are no more visible Churches But those that directly affirme the whole foundation and euery part thereof though they doe hould some erronious Positions wherby they ouerthrow some part of the foundation by necessary consequence are yet to be held true visible Churches Marke the termes of the Resolution there be many by-wayes there is but one right way It is easy to misse of the right way hard to hit it to deny directly any part of this foundation is enought to make such persons no true visible church but to affirme one part is not enough to make them a true visible Church But they must affirme the whole and euery part of the foundation Now then we are to speake of the Churches according to their diuisions And first of the Greeke Churches they are generally disperst in most of the Easterne parts of the world And to speake plainely God hath in some sort euen a visible Church dispersed in euery part of the world at this day Those that are most remote from vs in the Easternely parts of the world are comprehended vnder the name of Greeke or Easterne Churches because though neither their language bee Greeke nor their scituation altogether Easternly yet they haue receiued their faith for the most part from the Greeke Churches There are Christians amongst the East Indians there are some there making publique profession of the faith of Christ as others doe of Iudaisme and Mahometisme c. whether they be the beginnings of faith as being but lately planted amongst them or the remainders of faith as being planted of old I am not very certaine nor is it much materiall so long as they beleeue in Christ crucified and professe it so far as the Lord hath reuealed vnto them why may they not be acknowledged for true visible Churches In Russia there are many professed Christians that are after the manner of the Greeke Church they are full of Ignorance and superstitions the Lord inlighten them and purge them yet professing Christ crucified their onely Sauiour though by some consequences as mediation of Saints they deny it they are not to be denyed to be true visible Churches And so in Ethiopia there are found great store of Christians who though they bee circumcised and tainted with many grosse errors yet holding the foundation Christ crucified for their Saluation may iustly bee acknowledged true Churches And so in many other Easternly countries as in Persia and Assyria there are many Churches of sundry names as the Iacobites minorites c but most of them are nestorians as being suspected to hold with Nestorius that there are two persons in Christ which yet they haue quitted themselues of And they were onely so called because they opposed most vehemently against the contrary error of Eutychus who held confusion of natures in Christ In Armenia likewise are many Christians who are generally held to bee Eutychans but they haue also cleared themselues but because they opposed the Councell of Chalcedon which condemned that heresie All these beleeue and professe Christ crucified and therefore howsoeuer all of them are either corrupt persecuted scattered or disorderly yet farre be it from vs to deny them to be true Churches of God let vs esteeme them as brethren and magnifie the Lord for them and let vs pitty their defects and reioyce at their graces And let vs intreate the Lord for them as the Church in Cant 8 8. did sometime for vs Let vs pray to God to perfect the beginnings of some of those Churches to build vp the ruines of others and to purge away the errors and corruptions of them all that so if it be his blessed will they may be glorious and flourishing Churches euen in the eyes of the world And so much of these Churches that are generally called Greeke Churches Now we come to speake of those which are more particularly and properly called Greeke Churches lying in and about Greece And these are more particularly to be spoken to And therefore wee will handle them by way of obseruation which is this namely That the Greeke Churches euen as they stand at this day
They are mingled with the professors of Mahomet which is a most pestilent Religion directly opposite to the Christian faith admitting no colour of Reconciliation but if we beleeue in Christ we must reiect Mahomet and if we beleeue in Mahomet we must reiect Christ And yet the Lord I say hath shewed himselfe a Ruler in the midst of his sorest enemies preseruing his faith and Church euen wheâ—e Satans throne is as he did the church of of Pergamus Reu. 2.13 secondly as it is a Pestilent Religion directly opposite to Christ so consider that it generally abounds and swarmes ouerspreading a great part of the knowne world and yet in these places the Lord hath reserued a remnant that sticke close vnto him and that follow not the sway of the world as he had 7000. in Israel in the daies of Elias that had not bowed their knees to Baall Rom. 11.4 so hee hath many thousands among them that haue not bowed the knee to Mahomet Thirdly consider the pleasingnesse of that Religion of Mahomet a great inchanter of nature yet still the Lord hath preserued some that chose rather with Moses to suffer aduersity with the children of God then to inioy for a season all the pleasure that euer Mahomet could euer promise or bestow vpon them Surely we must needs acknowledge it to be a heauy iudgement of God that such flourishing Churches in Achaia Macedonia Corinth Ephesus c. should come to that miserable ruine and desolation that Mahomet should raigne amongst them so generally in Christs own Territories and let vs know that it was for their vnprofitablenes in the vse of the Gospell and other meanes of grace which God so freely offered them and let vs consider of it and feare and labour to profit by the Gospell and pray to God that the like befall not vs for our vnprofitablenesse This I say is a great iudgement of God vpon them and yet withall see how in wrath God remembers mercy and in despight of Satan Turke and Mahomet and other instruments hee plucks out some as firebrands out of the fire to be professors of his sauing faith and members of his Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against them And so much of the Greeke Churches both improperly and properly so called Now wee come to the Westerne and Latin Churches which are generally of two sorts some acknowledging the Pope their head as the Church of Rome it selfe and sundry others that hold communion with that Church both in Doctrine and in all or most of the corruptions thereof others renouncing his headship and refusing to communicate in the deformities corruptions and abuses of the church of Rome being therefore called the reformed Churches I shall not neede to speake of the former in euery particular looke what is said of the Church of Rome it selfe the same may be applyed to all the rest as is the mother so is the daughter Ezech. 16.44 We will deliuer her state in two obseruation First we will shew what may be said in charity and yet in truth and sound iudgement for the church of Rome Secondly what may be said in zeale and yet in truth too and found iudgement against it For the first the obseruation is this Doctr. 1 That the Church of Rome euen as now it stands may in some sense be iustly reputed and acknowledged a true visible Church consider rightly of the Note First wee doe not absolutely say it is a true Church but for ought wee see it may in some sense be iudged a true visible Church Secondly wee say not a sound Church no that wee flatly deny as vntrue but a true visible Church as a man though hee be wounded fainting and dying yet so long as there is any sparke of life in him hee is a true liuing man not a false though he be an vnsound and dying man Thirdly we make a difference betwixt the Papacy or the Popish factâ—on and some better spirits in that Church which no doubt haue a righter beliefe and walke with a righter foote in the profession of the Gospell then the faction doth and these being mingled together with the rest the whole may be called a â—â—ue Church for their sakes as was in our Sauiors time the Scribes and Pharises were a faction in the Church pretending Religion and the true worship of God and yet swaying all against the truth and sincerity of it in their courses Mary Simeon Anna Zachary and Elizabeth and a few more with whom our Sauiour ioyned or rather they with him as liuing member of Gods Church and should not the whole be rightly acknowledged to be a true Church because of them Doubtlesse it may and so the church of Rome may rightly be acknowledged to be a true Church in respect of some better spirits that are mixed with them and not in respect of the Papacy and Popish faction alone The reasons to proue them a true Church are these first Reas 1 they haue beene a true Church of God directly affirming euery part of the foundation and they doe not directly deny any part of it yea in outward shew of words they expressely affirme it still and therefore may truely be acknowledged a true Church That they haue beene a true Church of God is plaine enough Rom. 1.8 But yee will say that is no sound arguement that they are so still I answer that yet this is to be considered for it is a great matter that must make a congregation that hath beene a true Church to become a false one and with more charity and loue are such to be censured that are in the state of Apostacy then other congregations holding the same errors that are but onely comming on in the saith and haue not yet beene throughly possest of the true being of a Church The Church of Ephesus was fallen away from her first loue Reuel 2.5 And the Church of Sardy had a name that she loued and yet was deade Reu. 3 1. And yet God calls them true Churches still A Church in Apostacy that is falling not vtterly fallen is still a true though an vnsound and dying Church hauing been a true Church and not directly ouerthrowing the foundation so long it may be still intituled a true Church well then the church of Rome hauing bin a true church it must appeare that they in outward shew at least affirme the whole foundation and euery part thereof but this they doe they affirme the whole foundation at least in outward shew and sound of words they professe the same Scriptures and the same Creed that we do yea they professe in words the very same foundation before spoken of in the very same termes in effect Looke into the Rhemists Testament you shall see that vpon those places 1 Tim. 2.5 1 Iohn 1.7 they acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the onely Sauiour of the world and therfore they may in some sense be rightly acknowledged
office of the mediator the third is concerning Images the fourth is concerning Iustification for the first which is her corruption in Doctrine concerning the Scripture which is the truth and ground of Religion they teach uery erroniously not onely that which disparageth them which yet is a presumptuous sinne but that which by consequence vtterly ouerthrows them First in that they dare deny the sufficiency of Scripture Secondly in that they peruert the truth of Scripture thirdly in that they disanulle the authority of Scripture First they deny expresly the sufficiency of Scripture whereas God hath deliuered them as a particular rule 2 Tim. 3.16 they say No It is not sufficient of it selfe they must be pieced and perfected by traditions No man dare adde to the will of a dead man and yet these are so shamelesse and presumptuous that they dare presume to adde to the sacred Testament of Iesus Christ thus they deny the sufficiency of Scripture Secondly they peruert the truth of Scripture teaching and deliuering first concerning the translation that none is to be admitted as authenâ—icall but the vulgar Latine translation which themselues confesse is sometimes faulty and doth misse of the meaning of the Holy Ghost secondly for the interpretation of Scripture they will admit of none but such as it pleaseth the fathers to giue who themselues acknowledge may and doe sometimes erre and are deceiued now to teach that an vntrue translation is the Text of Scripture and an vntrue interpretation to be the sense of Scripture what is this but to make the Scripture vntrue Third they disanull the authority and credit of the Scripture and that many wayes first teaching that the Apochryphall bookes which are knowne to containe certaine vntruthes to be Canonicall Scripture secondly equalling the traditions of men with the written Word of God and vrging them to be receiued with as great authority as the Word of God Now if the Word of God be of no more authority in matters of Saluation then the word of man it is very feeble and not worth trusting to Thirdly they goe further preferring the authority of the Church aboue the Scripture the Scripture say they is to beleeued for the authority of the Church that is as much as if they should say God is not to beleeued for his owne sayings but for the witnesse of man thus they disanull the authority and credit of the Scripture Now all these layd together see whether that may not be iustly taken vp against them which our Sauiour speaketh against the Iewes Iohn 8 47. he that is of God heareth Gods Word ye therfore heare them not because yee are not of God and Iohn 10.26.27 ye beleeue not because yee are not my sheepe my sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me Gods children heare his word and will not impeach the truth and credit of it the Popish faction will not heare it but will impeach the truth and credit of it and therefore they are none of Christs sheepe So much for their error in Doctrine concerning the scripture where wee see that their fountaines are corrupt and therefore we are like to finde but foule waters in their Channels Their second Error in Doctrine is concerning the direct office of the mediator God saith directly that there is but one Mediator betwixt God and man that is Christ 1. Tim. 2.5 they say there are many the blessed Virgin Mary and other Saints not onely praying for vs but to bee inuocated by vs doth not this iustle Christ out of his roome at least to sit so close that others must sit in commission with him in that office they would shift it off with this that they make the Saints mediators of intercession onely and Christ of Redemption and the Apostle say they when he saith there is but one Mediator c. hee meanes of Redemption not of intercession I Answere that the Apostle in that place speakes of a Mediatour of intercession for he speakes of Prayers and intercessions in the first Verse and as in reason he that is to make intercession for any must be able to reconcile them and to take away the enmity and to bring the parties whom he intercedes for into fauour else it would be a friuolous and vayne intercession and he that intercedes for any must be such an one as the person interceded doth appoint or at least approue of for that businesse euen so the Scripture propounds Christ alone to be intercessor in both these respects 1 Iohn 2.1.2 If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocat with the Father Iesus Christ the Iust and he is the propitiation for our sinnes He is our Aduocate or intercessor and our propitiation or reconciliation both and Iohn 16.23 whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he shall giue it you hee doth not say whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my mothers name or in the Saints names but in my name And therefore both Redemption and Intercession are oft times in Scripture by name ioyned together as in that 1 Tim. 2.5 6 there is one Mediator betwixt God and man c who gaue himselfe a Ransome for all men Rom 8.34 who shal condemne vs it is Christ that died ye rather that is risen again who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for vs so that we see to be mediator of intercession is as peculiar to Chrst as to be mediator of redemption They shift again say we pray to the Saints not as helpers but as intercessors onely but wee pray to Christ as intercessor and helper by his owne power too I answer yet still they make them intercessors then though not in the same degree and so they eyther iustle Christ out of his roome or set his mother and the Saints on the Bench with him but if therebe any other intercessors then either the intercession of Christ is imperfect or else the intercession of the Saints is superfluous But say they we doe no more to the Saints in heauen then yee doe to the Saints on earth and then the Apostle did to the Thessalonians in the 2 Thes 3.1 Brethren pray for vs c. I answer First wee haue a warrant for this Scripture but for the other wee haue none at all Secondly will any man say that the Apostle made them intercessors for him This were a disparagement to him no but hee intreats them to be fellow Suitors and ioint Petitioners to God with him and for him Thirdly the Saints that are aliue we haue accesse vnto and can vtter our mindes to them but so wee cannot to them that are deceased and therefore they that pray to them though it be but as fellow suitors they make God of them in that very fact that is they make them knowers of the desires of the heart for Prayer is the desire of the heart and to know that is proper to God
but say they the Saints in heauen can know the desires of our hearts by our words But how shall they heare our words God reueales them say they to the Saints I answer there is no warrant for that And thus we see that the Papists making other intercessors besides Christ they iustle Christ out of his roome or set others on the Bench with him and so much of their error in Doctrine concerning the direct Office of the mediator The third point is concerning images they teach that images are to be worshipped though God himselfe hath exprssely forbidden it Exod. 20.4 in the second Commandement and if that Commandement forbid Idolatry as what other meaning can it haue then they teaching the contrary doe teach flat Idolatry And if Idolatry be spirituall whoredome and if a Spouse playing the Harlot is to be diuorced from her husband both which are largely set forth in Ezech. chap. 16. Then howsoeuer the church of Rome hath beene the Lords owne Spouse yet vpon this abominable whoredome she deserues iustly to be diuorced and cut off as a filthy Strumpet but let vs heare how this Harlot pleads for her selfe to saue her credit and honesty First say they we worship not the Image but God in and by the Image I answer did not the heathen doe so and yet they were abominable Idolaters yea say they but they made Images of the false gods we of the true God I answer yes they made Images of the true God too Acts 17.23 whom ye ignorantly worship him declare I vnto you saith the Apostle And did not the Israelites worship the true God in an Image Exo. 3â— 9 and yet they were horrible Idolaters nay the very resembling of the inuisible God in any mâ—de image is in the second CoÌ„mandement and else where directly forbidden as flat Idolatry Nay is it possible that any man falling downe before the Image to worship God in it can be freed from worshipping the Image it selfe at least in outward worship which worship God challengeth as intirely to himselfe as the inward the matter is so plaine that themselues confesse that they worship the Image but here they haue another deuice some honour say they we giue indeede to the Image it selfe but that is a lesser honour but the greater we giue to God alone so they distinguish without any ground from the Scripture for both these worships are condemned alike in the Scripture Rom. 1.25 there the great worship is condemned Galat. 4.8 there the lesser worship is condemned when it is not performed to God Besides to examine the matter a little further I would faine know whether that lesser honour which they giue to the Image be any part of that worship which is due to God or not If they say it is not then there is some religious worship which is not due vnto God and so the Saints belike haue that which is not befitting his Maiesty whereas wee know that little great worship is all too little for his greatnesse If they say it is part of that worship which is due to God then it is plaine Idolatry for God will not giue the least part of his glory to any other Esa Lastly if this lesser seruice could or were or might be giuen to Images yet not the greater worship but they giue to the bread in the Sacrament to the wooden Crosse yea to the Image of God and Christ this greater worship this very Latria this they professe to be due and accordingly they giue it them which is as grosse Idolatry as any among the heathen We come now to the last point concerning their Corruption in Doctrine and that is in the matter of Iustification which is the life of Religion and the ground of Saluation as being our reconcilement to God and acceptance into his Fauour wherin consists our whole Comfort and true happinesse therfore to erre in this point is most dangerous of all The Apostle saith directly Gal. 2.16 that a man is not iustified by the workes of the Law they say directly that a man is iustified in part by his owne works And here they mince it lest they should make a manifest Contradiction to the world and say that their works doe not iustifie of themselues but because of the diuine Grace dwelling in vs which makes vs worke and that we are saued by grace the Apostle saith it and ye grant it where then is the difference Surely the difference is very much though in appearance there bee little or none at all For by grace they vnderstand the gifts of Grace inherent in vs as faith and hope and loue c And so they directly conclude that our Iustification is by inherent Righteousnesse But the Apostle saith and so say we that we are iustified by the Grace and free Fauour of God in Christ Ephes 2.8 9. and Titus 3.3 and not by the workes of Righteousnesse which wee haue done Our Iustification is onely by Christs Righteousnesse imputed which wee apprehending onely by Faith that is beleeuing it for our selues and so applying it to our owne State by the comfortable perswasion of Gods Spirit in our hearts are therefore iustified by faith alone Alone I say not but that it is ioyned with good works in our liuing but because Christ our Iustifier is apprehended by our faith and not by our works Gods plaine truth without any quillets is this God is all in all for our saluation hee chose vs to saluation before the world was he calls vs takes vs out of our filth and bestowes his Spirit and the gifts thereof freely vpon vs and hee receiues vs into glory at the end of our life and all this he doth freely for his names sake and for the grace and mercy and merits of Christ Iesus without any merits of our owne or deseruing the least blessing at his hands this is the plaine truth of God the opposite whereof is a most fundamentall error and they that disclaime it not I see not how they can possibly be saued And so much be said for their errors in matter of Doctrine Secondly their errors and corruptions in matters of practice and they are of two sorts The first is their corruption in practice in the carriage of Gods worship And the second is their corruption in their ordinary manners First for the carriage of Gods worship they are exceedingly corrupt in their practice and this we will shew first in the generall Secondly in the particular parts of it In the general carriage of Gods worship they erre and are foulely corrupted for take it as it is caried by the Popish faction and it is fitter for man yea for an Idol then for the true and liuing God to be honored and serued by for first it is a carnall seruice full of Rites and Ceremonies like vnto that of the Iewes Heb. 6.10 Which stood only in meats drinks and diuers washings and carnall ordinances imposed on them
eight and Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH WE haue as ye haue heard made our diuision of Churches into the Easterne and Westerne Churches and we haue made an end of our discourse concerning the Easterne And haue entred into the discourse concerning the Westerne And these wee shewed were of two sorts first some that receiue and acknowledge the Pope to bee their head as the Church of Rome and other her accomplices secondly some that refuse to communicate with her at least in her abuses and are therefore called the Reformed Churches Concerning the former we haue spoken of them all in the name of the Church of Rome for what is said against her is said against them as is the mother so are her daughters Now therefore we come to speake of those that renounce the head-ship of the Pope and refuse to communicate with the Church of Rome And are therefore called the reformed Churches for whereas the Church of Rome was sometime a true and sound visible Church but in processe of time did degenerate and staine her selfe with sundry corruptions and abuses both in Doctrine and practise as hath beene shewed It pleased God to inlighten the minds of many godly and learned diuines amongst them that they saw and discerned these corruptions and withall stirred vp their hearts to oppose openly against them both by preaching and writing Now those congregations that by these mens labours were called out of Babylon and embraced a purer profession did thereby gaine the name and title of reformed Churches as leauing the Church of Rome as a deformed Church still wallowing in her owne corruptions but themselues hauing recouered in some sort the ancient Beauty and Integrity of the ancient time and sounder Churches Now to make the way plaine before vs wee will speake first of the causes of this Reformation secondly of the manner of it first for the causes of this Reformation they were waighty and necessary many notorious errors and grosse abhominations both in Doctrine and manners as before we haue shewed possessing the whole body of that Church yea the head and all such as the Christian world hath oft complained of and the godly had groned sore vnder the burden of them for many yeeres and could beare them no longer so then they had waighty causes for this Reformation Secondly the manner of the carriage of it was approouable and good they did nothing herein for the substance of the businesse but that which might well beseeme Gods people and whereof they had many commendable presidents of other godly men in like cases For first they gaue notice to that Church that such and such corruptions were amongst them secondly they made proofe out of the Scriptures the onely Iudge in matters of Religion that they were corruptions thirdly they besought the guides and Gouernors of the Church as they tendred Gods truth and glory and the peoples Saluation for some speedy redresse of these things fourthly they denounced Gods Iudgements against them if they did not reforme and that was their vtter ruine both here and for euer if they did not hearken vnto them fifthly after all these meanes vsed and after long expectation of some good euent and yet nothing dâ—ne finding no amendment but that indeede matters did waxe worse and worse that old burthens were continued new imposed that were worse their admonitions reiected errors corruptions stiffely maintained the seekers of reformation hated reproached persecuted excoÌ„municated and the like finding no redresse they left them gaue them ouer as our Sauiour commanded his Apostles so they shooke off the dust of their feete against them As if they should haue said vnto them after this manner Doe you serue what gods yee will wee and our Congregations will serue the Lord doe yee worship God as yee list your selues we will worship him after his owne will reuealed in his word seeing we cannot procure a generall redresse of these corruptions amongst you wee must and will redresse them in our selues what could these men doe more then they did or what fault iustly can be charged on these proceedings The Papists deride and scoffe at this reformation and deny it to be any reformation at all but rather say they it is an Innouation made by Heretikes but till such time as they can proue the truth of God in his Word to be heresie they shall be neuer able to conuince this for an hereticall Innouation as they falsely and maliciously slander it but in despight of their malice it must be acknowledged and stand good for a godly and Religious reformation of things amisse another manner of reformation then that of the Papists in the Councell of Trent wherein though some things were well and commendably redrest yet the whole Tenor of that reformation runnes on this promise that the authority of the Pope be no way impeached the Councell would haue some reformation but yet so as the Popes authority may not be mâ—ddled withall wheras that very authority is partly one of the chiefe corruptions it selfe and partly thâ— maiâ— occasion and ground of all the rest at least it is th◠〈◊〉 hinderance that the rest is not reformed 〈◊〉 â—â—at except that be reformed there can be no sound and through reformation at all so that there is great difference betwixt their reformation and ours For wee square all by the rule of Gods Word they by the authority of the Pope So much of the reformed Church in generall There is also another Title that these Churches are stiled with and that is Protestant Churches the reason of that name is this vpon the first sounding of the Gospell by Luther in Germany there was great stirre and much adoe among the people and not onely there but generally in all places some embracing the Doctrine of Luther others still continuing in the Popish Religion the Emperour and the States consult together how to pacifie these tumults many meetings they had and many Decrees they made against it one Decree more famous then the rest was made at Spier in Germany Anno 15 29. where it was enacted by the States of the empire that men should not abolish the Masse nor make any further change in Religion till there should be a generall Councell to determine these differences which because the people should not thinke they would delude them they promise to call it within a conuenient time within a yeere or thereabouts This Decree was much distastfull to those Princes and States that had ingaged themselues with Luther in this worke of reformation and therefore they made a generall protestation against it to this effect That howsoeuer they did vnfainedly affect the peace of the State both in Church and Common-wealth and would willingly satisfie the Emperor in all that lawfully they might yet because that reformation in hand was Gods owne worke it must not tarry mans leysure for God was to be obeyed before man and therfore they were bound in
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
consent proues not alwaies a true Church nor a true Religion for then the Iewes should be a true Church and their Religion true because they all consented to crucifie Christ and with one voyce cryed Crucifie him crucifie him here is consent and yet in the bloodiest matter that euer was in the world And so on the contrary Peter Paul and Paul and Barnabas should be of a false Church and a false Religion because they dissented and contended sharply but this was nothing to ouerthrow the truth of their Religion nor of the Church they were members of yea we see oft times that the worst matters are carried with the greatest consent and the best with great dissention as it is in the body that is the soundest body that striues most to expell hurtfull humours so that is the soundest Church that is most exercised with bickerings against the aduersaries of the Truth and in the true Church it is needfull that there should be dissentions and heresies that those that are approued may be knowne 1 Cor. 11.18 19. So much be spoken for the Papists exceptions which they take against vs for this dissention Now secondly wee are to shew what vse we are to make of these dissentions and differences surely though wee will not name them yet wee may make many good vses of them and first this should stirre vp our bowels of compassion to mourne for the breaches of Ierusalem and to see the Lord dishonoured and his truth blasphemed and the Church miserably distracted by mens infirmities frailties and dissentions Secondly this discouers the diuells malice that cannot not endure to see the worke of God to goe on prosperously forward but sets euen the builders themselues at variance to hinder them from building and from ioyning together with one hand against the common aduersarie yea he carries them into such outrage of passion and speech that thereby their persons and cause is much disgraced before the world so that if they were censured by his outrage they may seeme rather to be of the diuell then of God Thirdly heere wee may see the corruption and weakenesse if not wilfulnesse of men that rather then they will disclaime their errors and put vp disgracefull and opprobrious speeches they passe not to set the whole Church of God on fire Fourthly hence wee learne the nature of truth that neuer comes forth but incumbred with many oppositions both within and without and still mingled with some errors and contentions euen in the chiefe professors themselues Lastly hence we learne the power wisedome and goodnesse of God so that doth restraine the rage of man and the malice of Satan that howsoeuer we differ in some points yet we agree in the chiefe as in Iustification by faith alone and howsoeuer we differ among our selues yet each of vs agree against Anti-Christ and Popery with a common hand though not so throughly as otherwise we might doe yet so as neither of vs yeeld one iot to the Papist though they expected long ere this to haue deuoured both them and vs as a prey or at least that they should haue slept in a whole skinne as wee say working vpon the aduantage of our former dissentions The third point is what wee are to esteeme of these Churches notwithstanding these errors and dissentions Surlev if we should condemne them as false Churches wee should be very vncharitable and wicked For they haue been the chiefest instrument vnder God of our calling therefore far be it from vs to deny them to bee a true Church Besides we should wrong them much for seeing they affirme directly the foundation and euery part thereof there is no colour why wee should giue such hard sentence against them therefore let vs esteeme them as brethren and acknowledge them to be Gods owne Churches and let vs commiserate their blindnesse and ignorance and let vs beare with their infirmities and let vs passe by the wrongs they offer vs and let vs blesse God for the good that is in them and let vs intreate God to open their eyes and to pacify their mindes and to reconcile these vnhappy differences that are betwixt vs and to knit our hearts together in the bond of peace that we may be all of one minde and iudgement and speake one and the same thing And so much bee spoken concerning the Lutheran Churches Now we come to speake of our own Church which hath beene the speciall reach and shall bee the finall conclusion of this whole discourse We are generally acknowledged by most Protestant Churches that we are as well reformed in Doctrine as any Church It is Gods great mercy to vs that we are so reformed in the best and weightiest things And it is no small comfort to vs that wee haue the approbation of other Churches confessing for vs that we are a true Church of God sound in the faith so that if we doe faile in discipline as they say yet the substance being sound the danger is the lesse Discipline makes onely for the Beauty of a Church but yet neyther doâ—h the presence of it make a true Church nor the absence of it cannot marre the life being of a true Church therfore if wee be not reformed herein as we should for some reformation we haue many points and parts of Discipline are farre better amongst vs then in the Popish Churches yet as long as our faith is sound the life and being of our Church is sound and good I will deliuer the point by way of Obseruation Doctr. and that is this The Church of England euen as now it stands though it be guilty of many saylings and weaknesses yet notwithstanding it is a true and in good measure a sound visible Church of God first I doe acknowledge many faylings weaknesses in our church that I may not bee mistaken as if I should smooth vp the State of our Church as many doe with all is well when some things are amisse or iustifie euery particular because we haue many good things amongst vs No if there be any Baal amongst vs let him plead for himselfe I wil not plead for him Secondly I say that it is not onely a true but in some good measure a sound visible Church to distinguish it from other Churches specially from the Church of Rome which in some sense as we shewed is a true visible church but very vnsound but ours is true sound too that in some good measure The want of which difference rightly obserued hath caused many vncharitable censures to passe from vs against the church of Rome from the separatists against vs Thirdly I speake of the Church of England indefinitely which seemes strange in some eares that the whole company of professors in England should be called one Church and so make a nationall Church which say they is meerely a humane inuention not warrantable by the Word but to iustifie this speech against their exception take these
reasons First where there are many particulars of one and the same kinde there must bee acknowledged by the rules of nature and reason some generall notion or apprehension wherein they all meete together to beare the name and to comprehend the nature of all As for example there are many particular persons of men being of one and the same kinde and therefore there must be one generall humane nature in which they must all meete and bee comprehended And therefore whereas we haue many Parochiall Churches in England of one and the same kinde they all may rightly be tearmed and comprehended vnder one name that is the Church of England Secondly if but two or three congregations liuing in a City or about it may be so called the Church of that City as it is very probable if we compare Reuel 2.1 with Acts 20 17. why may not therefore all Parochiall Churches of any one land bee called the Church of that land or nation Thirdly it is not against the nature and being of a Church to be nationall the Church of the Iewes was directly so vnder the former Testament the Iewes being cast off the Gentiles are come in their steade and therefore where any whole Nation of the Gentiles doe publiquely and generally embrace the sauing ordinances of God as the Iewes did I see not but that they may rightly bee called by the name of a Nationall Church why may not the Church of England be called a Church of England now as well as the Iewes were called a Iewish Church heretofore Lastly whereas I speake of our whole Church in generall that it is in some measure a sound Church it must be vnderstood in respect of the better part the whole taking the denomination from them for if it be proued true but in some parts that is in our most Religious and best ordered congregations that they are so then I hope charity will grant I am sure reason will that the whole Church may lawfully take her denomination from the better part else no part 〈◊〉 congregation can be rightly affirmed to bee a true and sound Church for it is so called properly in respect of the true beleeuing and liuing members that are therein though the greater part oft times are Hypocrites Thus we see the note is set vpright Let vs proceede to the proofes of it Reas 1 Many reasons may be alleadged to proue it three or foure shall serue the turne The reason before mentioned prouing the Greeke Romane and Lutheran Churches to be true Churches being applyed vnto vs proues vs sufficiently to be a true Church because wee affirme the whole foundation and euery part thereof But in this we haue vndertaken more that is that our Church is in some good measure a sound visible Church and therefore that is the point here to bee holden to And the first reason to proue this is from the infallible markes of a true and sound Church Wheresoeuer the Word and the Sacraments are in publique profession in vse so that the Word in some good measure is purely taught and the Sacraments rightly administred and obedience to them both accordingly professed there is a true and in some good measure a sound visible Church But in the Church of England the Word and Sacraments are in publique profession in vse so that Word is purely taught and the Sacraments rightly Administred and obedience to them both in some good measure professed And therefore the Church of England is a true and a sound visible Church For the proposition I haue handled it before in deliuering the markes of a true Church and therefore I will referre you thither for the proofe of it For the Assumption none will deny but wee haue the Word and the Sacraments and profession of obedience to them both but the Question is whether wee haue them purely or no for the measure of the soundnesse of a Church is esteemed according to the measure of the purenesse of these markes where they are more pure there is a more sound Church and where they are lesse pure there is a lesse sound Church But in the Church of England they are pure without traditions or mans inuentions therefore the Church of England in some good measure is a sound visible Church Wee are charged by the Separatists that we preach canons and mans constitutions as Gods Wor◠But wee Answer These are not taught for Doctrines but onely serue for some passage and carriages touching Gods Seruice specially in Church gouernement Secondly they say we suppresse some part of Gods Word as Discipline I Answere All that we know wee teach expresly and impartially if there should be any faylings as we know there are in all Churches yet that hinders not but that they are in some good measure purely taught And so the truth still stands good that the word taught amongst vs so also the Sacraments are rightly administred amongst vs for the substance of them if there be any error in circumstance as wee know none neyther yet that doth not nullifie the action nor ouerthrow the truth of this Assumption Likewise obedience is truely professed thereunto at least by some yea by a great many too through Gods mercy And therefore the note stands firme and true that the Church of England euen as it now stands is a true and a sound visible Church Reas 2 The second reason is taken from the comparison of the visible Church with the inuisible Take it thus that faith and Religion which being truely beleeued and obeyed by the whole company of the Elect makes them the true Church inuisible the same faith and Religion being publiquely taught and learned in a visible congregation and by them professed iointly to bee beleeued and obeyed that in some good measure makes them a true and in that proportionable measure a sound visible Church for the visible Church is so called respectiuely to the Church invisible as they publiquely and ioyntly professing the same sauing faith which the inuisible in the minde and truth of heart beleeue and obey But our Church doth ioyntly and publiquely professe that faith which the inuisible Church doth truely embrace and thereby is made a true Church visible euen that whole truth that is reuealed in the Word as by our articles of faith and Religion it doth appeare which is the ioynt confession of our Church yea our very aduersaries may witnesse for vs in this Aynsworthe saith I doubt not but your Doctrine hath saued many therefore it must needs bee the same Doctrine of faith which makes the true Church inuisible And so Iohnson acknowledgeth that very many amongst vs are true Christians by that knowledge and faith which here they haue attayned vnto only setting them a part from the constitutions of our Church and if any man elsewhere in the world doe truely beleeue and obey that faith which we professe who can deny him to bee a member of the true inuisible Church Our Church
Esa 9.21 And so the Papist is against the Seperatist and the Seperatist against the Papist and both against our Church of England Each of them crying out with open mouth against the Church of England and our standing therein And the Papist thinks wee cannot iustifie our selues against their exceptions but that we must incline to the Seperatists And the Seperatists boast that wee cannot acquit our selues of their exceptions but that wee must incline to Popery here then is our present taske how to deliuer our selues from both these Aduersaries that we may fall foule on neither they doe not assault vs both in the same kinde nor about one and the same thing Each of them haue their seuerall Quarrell and each doe mannage a seuerall fight against vs and therefore we must frame our seuerall defences accordingly against them The Papist hee strikes mainely against our Religion the very life of our Church The Seperatist strikes specially at the State of our Church The exceptions of the Papist is the more dangerous but yet altogether vniust and vntrue that of the Seperatist may seeme to haue some more colour of Truth in some points but is much lesse dangerous First wee will beginne with the Papist as being the ancienter enemy of the two and his Quarrell the greater And because he excepts against our Religion we will ballance their Religion and ours together and so put the matter to triall and ioyne in this Issue whether their Religion be better then ours or our Religion better then theirs And because false Ballances are an abomination to the Lord we will disclaime them Carnall Reason outward Pompe plausible shewes and probabilities are deceitfull waights not fit for this vse Let vs bring them to the Scales of the Sanctuary and examine them by the equall and true waights of the Lord himselfe that is by such spirituall and sound considerations as the holy things of God are to be esteemed and tried by it were tedâ—ous if not infinite to reckon vp all the diffâ—rences betwixt them and vs I will therefore cull out six or seauen of the principall for Instances and thereby yee may iudge of the rest And I will weigh them in foure exceptionlesse Ballances and make it plaine God willing in euery one of these six or seauen Instances by euery of these foure Ballances that our Religion will hold waight full waight downe to the ground and that theirs is too light not worthy to be brought to the Beame The foure Ballances that wee will weigh these Instances in are first the Ballance of Gods glory Secondly the Ballance of Gods Word Thirdly the Ballance of true holinesse Fourthly the Ballance of peace of conscience The Instances of the differences betwixt them and vs which we will weigh in these Ballances are these The first is of the sufficiency of Scripture and the absolute Authority it hath aboue the Church and Traditions The second is of Gods free grace against mans freewill The third is of iustification by faith alone against mans of merits The fourth is of Christ our onely Aduocate against other Intercessors The fifth is of the spirituall worship of God against Images The sixth is of our Communion against their Masse The last instance is of our carriage of the meanes of saluation in open sight and plaine dealing that all may looke into them with their owne eyes against their carriage of all in a cloud and shaddow and huckurmucker of these in order And first let vs weigh these seuen Instances in the first Ballance and that is the Ballance of Gods Glory For that is the best and truest Religion of God that tends most directly and intirely to Gods Glory All that wee doe must bee framed and referred to Gods glory 1 Cor. 10.31 specially our Religion Col. 3.16.17 And if men should deuise a Religion for any God true or false they would resoule That that were the best Religion whereby that God to whom it is erected might bee most glorified yea our very Religion it selfe what is it But our worshipping of beleeuing in calling vpon and obeying God which is nothing else but our very glorifying of God But the Religion professed by the Church of England doth most directly and intirely tend to Gods Glory and the Popish Religion doth not but contrarily it tends to his Dishonour and therefore our Religion is the true Religion of God theirs is not as wee shall see in these Instances The first is concerning the sufficiency of Scripture and the absolute authority thereof aboue the Church and Traditions put this into the Ballance of Gods Glory and admit as we doe that the Scripture is sufficient in it selfe and hath absolute Authority aboue the Church and Traditions and see how Gods Glory is thereby aduanced for thereby God is acknowledged to haue prouided most bountifully and sufficiently for his Church a perfect rule of faith and life that needes no addition and thereby God shall rule by his owne will and Lawes and bee worshiped by his owne ordinances onely all which are matters of Gods greatest honour But deny this as the Papists doe and preferre or equall the Church with the Scripture and mingle Traditions with Gods Word and all this Glory shall be much ecclipsed The second Instance is of Gods free-grace against mans free-will Admit that all the good we do or haue proceeds meerely from the grace and Spirit of God without any will or towardlinesse to good in our selues And the Lord is thereby rightly and truely glorified If wee haue no sufficiency of our selues no not to thinke well but that the will and the deede be both from Gods grace If we haue nothing in Abilty or desire or endeuour but as wee are effectually mooued by the Spirit then the whole glory of our working which is the greatest honour we can here doe to God is wholly ascribed vnto God alone But deny this as the Papists doe and auouch that there is some freedome in our owne will to good then God doth the lesse for vs and so doth the lesse glorifie himselfe on vs extoll man in this corrupt estate and dishonour God but dishonour man herein and extoll God The third Instance is of Iustification by faith alone against mans merits If it be said as we say That wee are iustified by faith alone without mans merits and we yeeld to Christ Iesus the glory and prerogatiue of our alone and all-sufficient Sauiour and we magnifie his righteousnesse as being of that infinite worth and power in and by it selfe as to make vs truely and perfectly righteous that beleeue it which as his proper due is directly assigned of his father and iustly challenged by himselfe and worthily obtained by his doings sufferings and victory But say as the Papists doe that wee doe merit some fauour with God by our owne good works and then we detract from Christs glory and make men compartners together with Christ in this glorious worke
indirect allegations by way of inference from Gods commandements bidding vs to doe well and from his promises if we doe well which rather send vs to God for that which we cannot doe of our selues then imply any ability for the doing of them in our selues The third instance iustification by faith alone against mans merits we teach according to the Scripture Rom. 3.20 28 that by the workes of the law no flesh shall bee iustified But that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law And Gal. 2.16 A man is not iustified by the workes of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ And Ephes 2.8 9. by grace ye are saued through faith not of workes c And Titus 3.5 not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs That which the Papists pretend to the contrary Iames 2.24 yee see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely doth not crosse the former except they wil blaspheme and say that God doth contradict himselfe but is plainely spoken of another saith that is dead Verse 90. whereas iustifying faith is a liuing faith and of another iustification that is before man as Verse 18. whereas this is before God The fourth instance Christ our onely aduocate against other intercessors wee hold and teach according to the Scripture 1 Iohn 2.1.2 that wee haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and hee is the reconciliation for our sinnes And Reuel 8.3 Another Angell came and stood before the Altar hauing a golden censor and much odours were giuen vnto him that he should offer with the Prayers of all Saints This Angell is Christ who as the high Priest in the Law Exod. 28.38 doth appeare before God making the Prayers of the Saints acceptable to God And there is not any shew of warrant in the word neyther for any one no nor for all the Saints together to doe the like The fifth instance the spirituall worship of God against images Our Religion teacheth according to the Word Iohn 4.23.24 that all true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth for the Father requireth euen such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and truth And Exod. 20.4 5. Thou shalt make thee no grauen Image thou shalt not bowe downe to them c This second Commandement is so plaine for this that the Papists leaue it out in some of their Catechismes and make vp the number of ten Commandements by diuiding the last And there is not one titâ—le of Scripture for Images neyther precept dispensation exception or example approoued but on the contrary they are fearefully threatned and strangely punished The sixth instance Our Communion against their Masse Our Communion is warranted by Gods Word 1 Cor. 10.16 the Cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ c And 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25 c whereas their Masse hath no warrant at all in the Word not so much as the name of it found there nor in the Nature of any propitiatory Sacrifice nor any Intimation of repeating it but directly the contrary as wee may see Hebr. 10.10 14. the offering of the body of Christ once made with one offering c The seuenth Instance our carriage of the meanes of Saluation in open sight against their carriage of all in a cloude Our prayers made in a knowne Tongue are warranted in the word 1 Cor. 14.14 15. If I pray in a strange Tongue my spirit prayeth but my vnderstanding is without fruite what is it then I will pray with the Spirit but I will pray with vnderstanding also c And so for the word to be free and common to all as it is with vs hath his warrant Matth. 5.15 neither doe men light a candle and put it vnder a Bushell but on a candlesticke and it giueth light to all that are in the house And Prou. 9.4 5. who is simple let him come hither c And Esa 55.1.3 Loe euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c encline your eares and come vnto me and your soule shall liue So likewise hath an explicite faith his warrant Ioh. 9.35 Doest thou beleeue in the Son of God where our Sauiour requires an explicite and particular faith in the blinde man And in the 1 Pet. 3.15 the Apostle would haue vs bee ready alwaies to giue an Answer to euery man that asketh vs a Reason of the hope that is in vs c That which the Papists pretend to the contrary Matth. 7.6 Giue yee not that which is Holy to Doggs c is a malicious peruerting of Christs Words to his peoples destruction and their owne Ruine Thus wee see that their Religion is too light and oars full weight in this second Ballance of Gods word Let vs try them in the third Ballance The Ballance of true holinesse That is the best and true Religion of God that is most powerfull to worke Holinesse of heart and life for God is holy and our calling and the end of â—â— what cold deuotion will there be in vs and what hourely prayers and little faith and lesse reuerence as dealing with men and not with God himselfe For the fifth instance If wee worship God in Spirit without Images it workes in vs Spiritualnesse and truth for wee presenting our selues in all our worship nakedly without any Image before the Lord as before a pure Spirit wee are stirred vp thereby and growne by vse to frame our selues to his owne Image to be spirituall men and spiritually minded spiritually affected our vnderstanding will thoughts desires meditations and courses will be spirituall and heauenly lifted vp to an higher strayne in affection and eleuation of Spirit the onely meanes whereby to be truely renewed in the Spirit of our minds it will be a notable meanes against all carelesnesse and Hypocrisie and formality in our hearts and liues Sixthly our spirituall and true Communion with Christ against their Masse By this Communion Christ spiritually enters into vs and stirs vs vp to the life of God and incorporates vs into his mysticall body here faith doth her right office in discerning the Lords Body with a spirituall eye and applying Christ and his death and merits soundly to the heart of the receiuer and feeding vpon Christ in heauen at Gods right hand whereas in the Masse there is but the flesh which without the Spirit profiteth nothing and the bodily eye and hand and mouth and belly doe in a manner all faith doth little or nothing Seuenthly if the meanes of Saluation be carried openly and not in a cloude then all is done in knowledge and vnderstanding And then there is an holy will desire deuotion affection and endeuoure to serue the Lord in an holy manner as may best beseeme him and
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
Bellarmine tendeth directly hereto and they labour to proue it with all their power and it stands them vpon for if this doth not stand the whole forme of their Church falls to the ground For whereas they say the true Church is alwaies notoriously visible and therefore their Church being so is the true Church We say and haue prooued that the true Church of God is sometime brought into such straights that the outward face thereof doth not at all or at least doth hardly appeare and therefore it will follow that if their Church haue and shall be alwayes notoriously visible then theirs is not the true Church Their exceptions bee of small moment if they be well considered I will stand but vpon two or three of the chiefe They alleage out of the fifth of Matthew and the fourteenth Verse That the Church is the light of the World now the light is alwaies seene therefore the Church is alwayes seene I answer This is spoken personally to the Disciples Ye are the light of the world and it is to be extended to the Ministers of the Gospell in regard of the Duty of Holinesse to be practised by them that they should not walke offensiuely to the World but rather to prouoke them to the practise of holinesse by the light of their good example How doth this serue then to proue the continual visiblenesse of the Church Besides I say that a Light may bee eclipsed for a time and yet be a Light still The Moone is a Light and yet not alwayes visible for sometimes it is eclipst and yet then it is as good a Light as when it is in her full brightnesse and therefore if this were to be vnderstood of the Church it doth not proue that it is alwaies visible because it is a Light Further I say that by that reason their life for that is as well if not chiefely vnderstood by the Light as vers 16. is also without error too as well as their Doctrine and that alwayes which is not so Lastly if it doe giue Light alwayes yet it is but to those that are in the house verse 15. that is to those that are members of the Church and that wee easily grant but what is this to proue the notorious visiblenesse of the Church to the world Secondly they alleage the eighteene of Matthew and the seuenteenth vers where our Sauiour saith Tell the Church and therefore there must bee alwayes a visible Church Marke saith Campian here is a remedy for a disease now the disease remaines alwaies and therefore the remedy must alwaies remaine I answer It is true it is a remedy for those that lie in such a state there spoken of and in some sense it is alwaies performed euen when two or three are ioyned together in the faith though there be no knowne visibility they may tell one another for it is not here meant that they shall appeale to Rome Their third exception is this but say they they that beleeue be they few or many must make profession of their faith else they cannot bee saued Rom. 10.10 now if they must alwayes make profession then they are alwaies seene and so the Church is alwayies visible I answer It is true they must professe alwaies and so they doe except it bee in time of their infirmity But must they do it to all the world No they may doe it among themselues alwayes though there bee but two or three of them yea and when they are many they may doe it to the eye of the World too if there bee no certaine danger in it yea though there be certaine danger in it yet if they haue a calling to it they are resolute euen to die for the profession of it and that is as much profession as is required And yet because their number is but few and that they liue in certaine places and are in this case for the most part obscure and simple men therefore it is not possible that any such generall notice should bee taken of them and those that doe heare of them or see them are vsually little mooued by their example at least they are seldome perswaded that they are the true Church and so ioyne with them Therefore there is no such perpetuall notorious visiblenesse of the Church as they would haue We will returne vpon them with these two Points and choke them with these two bones First wee aske them where the Church shall be when Antichrist comes for they themselues confesse that in Antichrists time there shall bee a desolation of the Church therefore by their owne confession it may and shall be sometimes inuisible Yea but say they ours is the true Church still though it be then obscured and we say then that Antichrist is come and our Church obscured therefore by their owne reason our Church is the true Church The second is from their Church which they haue here among vs they haue a Church here among vs here be Papists and Masses Arch-priests and Priests this themselues will not deny nay they boast of it sometimes yet is their Church visible among vs They will not affirme it at least they will not say it is visible in their sense that is that the world may take notice of it neither was it euer countenanced nor tolerated in our State so that in our sense and to vs it is inuisible and so may our Church bee to them The second Vse is for admonition to admonish vs that Vse 2 wee should not alwayes expect a glorious estate of the Church outwardly this is for earthly States and Kingdomes wee must not dreame of a temporall Kingdome here for Christs Kingdome is spirituall not of this World The Papists they say that it must be as glorious outwardly as any kingdome in the world but we must take heed that we be not carried away with shewes with the lookes of the Whore for Gods Kingdome comes not with obseruations Vse 3 Thirdly this may minister comfort to vs and may stay vs in the most desperate times that are when Satan rages most when persecutors are most bloody and deadly when the Prophets are slaine Gods Altars destroyed the Couenant forsaken when wee see hauocke to bee made of the Church faith renounced when wee see those that made great profession of Religion to hide their heads and like Starres to fall from Heauen when we see the Sunne to bee darkened and the Moone to bee turned into blood when we see Antichrist in his pride and pompe in the very Temple of God himselfe when wee see Heretikes swaying the World after them Schismatikes cutting and tearing out the bowels of their Mother the Church Nay euen in the generall Apostasie and reuolt from all Grace and Religion when there shall bee no honesty nor conscience found amongst men yet be not dismayed but rest thy selfe fully contented and satisfied with this truth that surely still God hath his Church in the World though there bee no
that say wee haue no true Ordination we Answer that we had our ordination from the Church of Rome at the first and that being a true visible Church therefore we haue a lawfull Ministery Vse 3 Thirdly this may serue for satisfaction to that question which the Papists aske vs where was your Church before Luthers time did he erect a new church No he erected no new church but by his Ministry brought many faithfull out of their impure and vnsound Church into a more sound and pure Church not onely for matters of ceremonies for then he had beene a Schismatique to separate from them but for matters of substance so that this point well considered preuents a number of inconueniences which wee should runne into if wee should fall into that heate of zeale as to deny them to bee a true visible Church Vse 4 Fourthly this may comfort vs in respect of our fathers that haue liued in the Popish Church what shall we thinke of them that they liued in no true visible Church and therefore could not be saued far bee it from vs no we are perswaded that they liued in a true Church and that many of them where sound in those times and now saued they attained not to that high straine of Iustification by workes I would faine know whether they did not doe that they did ignorantly or whether they did challenge or disclaime their merits on their death beds many at the point of death disclaime their merits now though that point now is more stiffly defended by the Popish faction then euer it was much more did they doe it then Now to disclaime all their owne merits at their death is not that both repentance of former errors if any in that kinde and faith in Christ alone too If any beleeue in Christ crucified in truth of heart though hee hold but by the hemme of his garment shall he perish Surely no. Vse 5 Lastly this teacheth vs to vse charity towards them of the Popish Church in censuring of their estate we are not rigourously and rashly to call for fire from heauen vpon them as the Disciples would haue Christ haue done on the Samaritanes No yee know not what Spirit ye are of saith our Sauiour wee must not rashly Iudge them to bee vnbeleeuers but rather mis-beleeuers And so much for that point what in charity and yet in truth maybe said for that Church The seuen and Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH HAuing entred into the last point concerning the matter of the Church namely the application of the Doctrine of the Church to all Churches that we know in the world After we had diuided them according to their scituation and language into the Easterne and Westerne the Greeke and Latin Churches we beganne with the Easterne and Greeke Churches and so proceeded to the Westerne and Latin Churches And of them I tould you that some were vnder the yoke of the Pope and haue him to bee their head Others haue shooke off that yoke and head-shippe and are therefore called the Reformed Churches Concerning the Church of Rome that which is spoken of her may be applyed to her Adherents as is the mother â—o is the daughter as I haue said Now for the Chuâ—ch of Rome I propounded these two obseruations to be spoken to first what might be-spoken in charity for her and yet in truth and sound iudgement too and of that we haue spoken Secondly what in zeale and yet in truth and sound iudgement too may be said against it And that is it which wee are now to speake to what may be said in zeale and yet in truth and sound iugement against her A point very needfull to be well cleared and rightly vnderstood for whereas we haue deliuered in the former obseruation that the Church of Rome in some sense may rightly be reputed a true visible Church ' Euery one will be ready to except against it and say why then haue yeâ— forsaken it why doe ye not still hould communion with her what iust exception can yee alledge for your separation from her For Answere to which exception Doct. 2 I will propound in the second place this obseruation namely that howsoeuer the Church of Rome in some sense may be reputed a true visible Church yet it is maruellous vnsound and corrupt and exceedingly corrupt with many foule abuses errors and abhominations yea so corrupt as it is not lawfull nor safe for vs to communicate with her The Obseruation ye see consists of two branches the former is the ground of the latter auouching that shee is polluted with many foule abhominations the latter is an inference from the former that therefore it is not safe nor lawfull to ioyne with her The whole obseruation is to be vnderstood of that Church specially in respect of the Popish faction the Pope and his Darlings for as when wee spoke in charity for them acknowledging that in some sense they are to be reputed a true visible Church it was intended of some that were of better Spirits amongst them that are sounder in some chiefe points of Religion and that are not so obstinate in their errours as the rest So now that we come to speake in zeale against them that they are so foulely polluted that it is not safe to ioyne with them It is intended in respect of the Pope and his chiefe Darlings and factors called the Popish faction neyther is this any wrong to the Church that we so speake of the whole body in generall tearmes because the Church and faction are there mingled together in that Body as when wee come into a Barne floore and see a great deale of chaffe in the same heape with good wheat we may speake fauourably of the wheate and say there is good corne and we may speake disgracefully of it too and say it is but light stuffe We will begin with the first part of the obseruation that condemnes her corruptions And we will reduce all her corruptions to these two sorts First matter of Doctrine secondly matter of practice And though these be much incident one to the other yet for playnnesse sake we will distinguish them God willing as well as wee can First for Doctrine the point is this The Doctrine of the Church of Rome as it is at this day vnderstood and maintained by the Popish faction is very vnsound and corrupt full of grosse and abhominable errors they haue changed the truth of God into a lye light into darknesse and the Gospell of Christ the comfortable Doctrine of grace and faith into the erors of Antichrist and the damnable Doctrine of workes and merits and of mans traditions We wil not speake of all her corruptions in doctrine that were too much only we will shew it in some chiefe particulars that briefely we wil reduce them to these foure heads The first is error in Doctrine concerning the Scripture the second is concerning the direct