in your schisme and errours and hearken to the counsell of Salomon Pro. 19.27 My sonne heare no more the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge Goe not I beseech you in the name of Iesus one step more forward in the way you are in For I call heauen and earth to record that it leades to destruction And why will ye die O ye children of men It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God for our God is a consuming fire I know you perswade your selues of better things and such as accoÌ„pany saluation You think that the way you now are in is the only way to life But what if you mistake it Christ telleth vs that many shall seeke to enter in at the straight gate Luk. 13.24 and shall not bee able Which cannot be vnderstood of men minding earthly things whether it be their profits or pleasures For they neither desire nor seeke after any such thing But of heretickes Schismatickes and sectaries You will say I know that you are no schismatickes because you separate from a false Church onely and ioyne to a true in deede if that which you teach of the visible Church were true then were all our congregations false Churches But heare and marke well what I say Such a visible Church as you require and pretend to be there is not in the world neither euer was You teach in this point that which is repugnant to the Scriptures and a thing vnpossible in it selfe to be Such a societie as you say a true visible Church is is not visible cannot possibly be seene or discerned But some of you will say are not our Ministers learned Yes That lets not but that both they may and indeede doe grossely erre in those things wherein they dissent from vs and from all the learned in the world Who knoweth not that among the Papists there be many of great learning and gifts which haue very great knowledge and skill in the arts in the languages are of excellent vtterance expert and ready in holy Scriptures can speake and write truely agreeing with the Scriptures of sundry of the secrets of the Kingdome of heauen as of God his nature persons attributes Of Christ Iesus his incarnation his birth life preachings sufferings comming to iudgement of the Resurrection of the life to come with many more of this kinde and yet notwithstanding in those points wherein they differ from the Church of England and all other true Churches they are blinde as beetles But you will obiect further that what you of the Separation hold is proued plentifully out of the word of God I acknowledge indeede that you abound and superabound in your allegations of Scripture Neuer any men contending for lyes did therein goe beyond you nor equall you neither If hereunto we adde their externall holinesse wee may safely say that in no faction or schisme that euer yet was in the world Satan did more transforme himselfe into an Angell of light then in this But what Their Scriptures being peruerted as the truth is and so tending to the destruction of the Reader all this is but sheepes clothing Mat 7.15 whereof Christ biddeth vs to beware Horrible and fearefull is your abusing and wresting of holy Scripture and to some incredible It had been well for you if you had been more sparing in your quotations then had yee lesse taken Gods Name in vaine who will not hold you guiltlesse for the same except ye repent And now dearely beloued behold Christ Iesus stands at the doore and knockes aloud tarrying and abiding there as one very desirous to come in and loth to be kept out He that hath the keyes of the house of Dauid who shutteth and no man openeth and openeth and no man shutteth open the doore of your soule that you may let Christ enter in And to that end open I humbly beseech you the eyes of your minde that you may bee able to discerne betweene things that differ and know truth from falsehood and reiecting and abhorring the one which is from the Diuell may imbrace the other which is from God And here my deare countrimen who lately are gone out from vs and become Anabaptists I beseech you consider of this one thing with me When you first separated from the Church of England did not you highly esteeme and reuerence the Church of Amsterdam euen as the deare spouse and body of Christ I meane the Brownists Church there Would not you then gladly haue had communion with them if possibly you could when you refused the same with vs Did not then all of you assure your owne soules that that way which then and still we call Brownisme was the onely way to life wherevpon in that way you would needs walke come on it what would imprisonment or banishment life or death Did not then some of the chiefe of you in my hearing magnifie M. Fr. Iohnson and their bookes specially the Apologie aboue all bookes next to the holy Bible And in all this you reioyced exceedingly How commeth it now to â—asse that so quickly not onely our Churches but the aforesaid Church at Amsterdam is likewise become an Harlot and Babylon That you abhorre now as much to haue religious communion with them as with vs How commeth this I say to passe but because that which the Apostle saith generally of all deceiuers is and must needs be in the particular true of you your selues being deceiuers That you wax worse and worse deceiuing and being more and more deceiued Thus haue I in few words by way of commination exhortation dehortation and supplication indeuoured to perswade you my brethren of the Separation speecially my countreymen who are lately entred into this way to renounce your errours and to breake off by repentance your grieuous sinne of separating and all the sinnes accompanying it If this I haue published preuaile not thus farre though not with all yet with some of you as to bring you to the sight and acknowledgement of your erronious doctrine concerning the visible Church and your peruerting of holy Scripture for confirmation thereof as my hope is it will I for my part doe confesse that I vtterly despayre of doing any good of you and say to you as I haue learned from the Apostle to speake in this case If any man be ignorant let him be ignorant I shall also hold it vaine to contend any further with you 1. Cor. 14.38 11.16 If any lust to be contentious saith Paul wee haue no such custome nor the Churches of God And so I end leauing the successe hereof both with you and others to the Lord whom in Iesus Christ I beseech to accept of this my poore and weake seruice and to grant that it may prosper to that end wherevnto by me his most vnworthy seruant it is intended euen to the glory of his great Name and edification of his Church Amen IOHN DAYRELL A
then it is taken for all that company which in a Citie Towne or Villages cohabiting professe the Christian or true Religion and doe ordinarily meet and ioyne together in the exercises of Religion This particular Church we call a Parish and being met together to ioyn in prayer in hearing of the Word and receiuing the Sacraments A Parish assembly which is a company of Christians dwelling in such a circuite as we call a Parish assembled in one place for religious exercise And in this sence is this word Church often taken in the new Testament and namely in these places following Rom. 16.1 1. Cor. 1.17 14.23 I commend vnto you Phebae our sister which is a seruant of the Church of Cenchrea As I teach euery where in euery Church As if a Minister of the Gospell should now say thus This is my opinion and so I teach euery where in euery Parish wheresoeuer I come If therefore when the whole Church is come together in one and all speake strange tongues there come in they that are vnlearned t is as if one should speak now when the whole Parish is come together Act. 14.23 and 27. And when they had ordained them Elders by election in euery Church that is as we say in euery Parish and prayed and fasted they commended them to the Lord. Behold then many Churches and one Church many particulars but one vniuersall Thus we see that the word Church in holy Writte is often taken for a company of men professing Christian Religion whether that company be great or small that is all one Sometimes in the Scripture the whole company of men that professed Christian Religion throughout the world that is the vniuersall Congregation of Christians is called a Church Of that company of Christians that ordinarily ioyned together in the exercises of Religion and sometimes the Christians that were of the same family And from hence by very good reason wee may well call all that professe Christian or true Religion in a Nation or all the Christians in a Nation the Church of that Nation whatsoeuer it be Let no man therefore hold that it is vnlawfull to say The Church of England the Church of Scotland c. as some of late haue done And thus much concerning the Church what it signifieth and what it is It remaineth that we be further instructed touching the visible Church that so we may the better know it and be able to discerne betweene a true visible Church and a false betwixt the Church of God and the Sinagogue of Satan That so to our further comfort or discomfort we may know to which of these we doe belong CHAP. IV. The visible Church is a mixt company compounded of Christians true and false the greatest part being the worst TO this purpose wee haue a very good place in the 11. of the Acts vers 26. And it came to passe that at Antiochia Barnabas and Saul were a whole yeer conuersant with the Church and taught much people in so much that the Disciples were first called Christians in Antiochia Where we may obserue that this word Church is explained by three diuers words People Disciples Christians By all which foure words the holy Ghost meaneth one and the same society For where it is said they taught much people it is all one as if it had beene said they taught the Church And in so much that the disciples in so much that the Church or they of the Church were first called Christians In that the Church is called a people we learne that one Disciple or Christian is not neyther can be called a Church But to that end there must be a company more or lesse as I haue noted in the beginning out of the signification of the word Secondly in that by the word Disciples is meant the Church and that by these two different words is meant one and the same company we learne that the Church visible is a people much or small hearing and learning those things which are taught them from God or seeming so to doe In a word that it is a company of Disciples whereof some few only are * Which bee they who yeelds obedience to the word of God Maâ—th 20.16 Proficients and doe learne aright the heauenly instructions the other being now Proficients or trewants yet comming to this Schoole of Christ doe only occupie a roome there according to that saying of Christ Many are called but few are chosen Last y in that the Church or they of the Church are called Christians and that by these two seuerall words the holy Ghost meaneth one and the same society we are taught that the visible Church is nothing else but a company of Christians which hath beene further confirmed by the former testimonies of holy Scripture and might be by more if need did so require Christians now are all they to be accounted who professe the Christian or true Religion A company of which make a Church as wee heare and these bee of two sorts Christians indeed and Christians in name onely Christians indeed be such who professing true Religion be withall religious indeed leading a religious holy life Or Christians indeed Iames 1.27 be they which partake with Christ in that holy anointing wherof the Apostle entreating of Christ speaketh in the first of the Hebrewes Verse 9. God euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes 2. Cor. 1.21 And to the Corinthians It is God which hath anointed vs who hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Such were those 5. Iohn speaketh of in his first Epistle Chap. 2.20.27 But yee haue an oyntment from that holy one And a little after But that anointing which ye receiued of him dwelleth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same annoynting teacheth you of all things and it is true and not lying As if hee had said what it teacheth is true and no falshood or error in it which must needs be because it is the Spirit of truth and therefore breatheth and inspireth nothing into any but truth The Spirit of God and of Christ that leadeth all them which haue it into all truth needfull to be knowne to saluation dwelleth in all these Christians so as hee that wanteth this spirit is no true Christian Rom. 8.9 According to that of PAVL If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his From whence also it followes on the other side that he who hath Christ his Spirit and he only is Christs that is a member of Christ or true Christian As he only was a Iew which was one within Rom. 2.29 circumcised in the heart and in the spirit not only in the letter or circumcision done by the hand so hee onely is a Christian which is one within baptised with the holy Ghost and not alone with water 2.
God in vaine Matth. 15.9 not one of them worshipped God aright in spirit and truth neyther did they liue after the lawes of God and Christ but after the lawes and customes and fashion of this world whereof they were When men spake to them of peace they were bent to warre and in stead of loue vnfained they did beare a perfect hatred to the Saints These men then were not such as be heere described yea none of them had any one of these properties which you necessarily require in euery member of the visible Church much lesse all of them And therefore by this description none of them were of the visible Church and yet by the Scripture it is plaine that they were all of the visible Church Thus we see your description accordeth not with the holy Scriptures neither hath warrant from thence but by them is easily conuinced notwithstanding you alledge for confirmation thereof sixe and thirty testimonies of holy Scripture But a thousand more so peruerted will not make good your description nor any other of your errors And because I know you will hardly leaue this hold and for that if this be battered downe and made euen with the ground you must needs betake your selues some other way I will therefore againe assault you by the force of another Argument If the visible Church be a company of faithfull and holy people that worship Christ aright are peaceably and quietly gouerned by his officers and lawes keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace and loue vnfained Then none haue been at any time of the visible Church but such as haue beene faithfull and holy did worship Christ aright c as followeth in your description But some haue beene of the visible Church who were not such as be heere described as Cain Ismael Esau Saul Doeg Ioab Absalom the Scribes and Pharisies with infinite others Therefore the visible Church is not a company of faithfull people worshipping Christ aright c. The Consequence of the Proposition I doe illustrate and confirme by the like If the visible Church be a company of people professing the true Religion then none haue beene of the visible Church but such as haue professed the true Religion If the inuisible Church be the company of the elect then none haue beene or are of the inuisible Church but such as were and are elect and their names written in the booke of life The assumption your selues will grant Againe I reason with you on this manner If this be a true description then no reprobates euer haue bin are or shall be of the visible Church but only the elect for none haue beene are or can bee such as are heere described but the elect But many reprobates haue beene are and shall be of the visible Church Therefore this description of the visible Church is false The Proposition must needs be true except Christ Iesus be the King Priest and Prophet of Reprobates and that Reprobates worship Christ aright in Spirit and truth be gouerned by his lawes as their only King keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace and doe vnfainedly loue the brethren Matth. 22.14 The Assumption will not be denied and it is manifest by that short speech of Iesus Many are called but few chosen This description being heretofore found fault with by some and Master Ainsworth iustifying the same it shall not be amisse to heare what hee saith in answere to them and in defence thereof Câ—unterpoys 208. They cauill at our description of a Church when we say that it is a company of faithfull people that truely worship Christ and readily obey him this say these Ministers is vtterly vntrue if it be vnderstood of the visible Church This is strange What would they haue vs describe the Church to be A company of Infidels or a company of faithfull and of infidels together when Paul teacheth that there is no communion betweene such 2. Cor. 6.14 15. or should wee say a people that falsely worshippe Christ Indeed if so we held we might well returne to their Church of England for there is false worship more then enough The Apostle writing to the visible Church of Ephesas calleth them Saints and the faithfull in Christ Iesus Will they say that this also was vtterly vntrue Their owne articles of Religion in England * Aâ—no 1562. Aâ—t 19. say thus The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithfull people c. And is this also vntrue I answere you hauing respect to your owne words A visible Church is a coÌ„pany professing true faith or a company professing the true worship of God some whereof haue faith in Christ I meane true and iustifying faith and worshâ—p God indeed euen in spirit and truth the rest being the greatest part are hypocriticall worshippers void of true faith hauing only eyther the temporall or historicall faith or no faith at all but very Atheists Yet professe they the true worship of God and faith in Christ Iesus and in this respect may be called faithfull in Christ Iesus and Saints because whatsoeuer they be their profession is holy and he holy in whom they would seeme to belieue and whom they seeme to worship truly And in this sence our Church saith A visible Church is a Congregation of faithfull people that is of such as professe faith in Christ Iesus Of this sort of Infidels and counterfeit Professors were Cain and for a time Ismael Esau also Saul Absalom Iudas Simon Magus with infinite more Vnderstanding Infidels thus as they may well be called Infidels or vnbeleeuers who haue not true faith Then I say the Church is a company of saithfull and of Infidels 2. Cor. 6.14 But if by Infidels you meane the same the Scripture vsually vnderstandeth by this word such as worship a false god and doe not so much as professe the worship of the only true God or faith in him then it is true that a visible Church is not a company of faithfull and Infidels together And the hauing communion with such Infidels as these in their false worship is that which the Apostle condemneth He doth not forbid to partake in diuine worship with such Infidels as formerly I haue spokeÌ„ of wicked vngodly men void of true faith as euery where very fondly you tel vs nor yet to communicate with these Infidels he speaketh of in true diuine worship but this he condemneth and argueth against That the children of God may not haue communion with Infidels and Heathens in their false and Idolatrous worship as some of the Saints at Corinth as it might seeme did repairing to the Idols Temples and ioyning therewith their neighbours that were Idolaters in their idolatrous worship This they thought they might lawfully doe so long as in their hearts and inward affections they condemned it and kept them pure as may be gathered from 2. Cor. 7.1 And this is it that Paul reproueth and nothing lesse then
called vpon in and by the ministerie of the word that they would be saved and supp with Christ eat and drinke with him in the kingdome of his Father are the visible Church Reu. 3.20 Mat. 26.27 This cannot be denyed But good and bad are therevnto invited The visible Church therefore doth consist of these two kinds of men and not of righteous onely as the Separists doe teach Againe this mixture which we doe hould nay that the most of the visible Church are wicked is manifest by that which Iesus annexeth to this Parable wherewith al he doth knit it vp Verse 14. for many are called but few chosen Al that be vnder the call or voice of God calling vpon them in and by the Ministry of the word that they would repent and beleeue that so they may be saved and yeild an outward obedience to this call are the visible Church Of these saith Iesus that haue this externall calling and are the visible Church Ne putatetur sicut Donatistae putant quod velut vnus in turba latenter sui repsisset ignaris continuo Dominus in eodem ipso vno quem ligatis manibus pedibus in tenebras exteriores ex illo conuiuio proijci Iusfit multam societatem malorum esse intelligendam inter quos pauciores boni in conuivio Dominico viuunt significare non distulit Nam posteaquam dixit Ligate illi manus pedes proijcite eum in tenebras exteriores ibi erit fletus stridor dentium continuo subjecit Multi sunt vocatj Pauci vero electi Quomodo hoc verum est cum potius vnus e multis suisset proiectus in tenebras exteriores nisi quia in illo vno grande corpus figurabatur omnium malorum ante Domini iudicium conviuio Dominico permixtorum A quibus se boni corde interim ac moribus separant simul manducantes bibentes corpus et sanguinem Domini August Tom. 7. contra Donat. post collat cap. 20. there are many but among those but a few good and such as shall be saved And this is the scope and drift of the aforesaid Parable as is playne by the inference that he maketh thereupon in these words next following the said Parable for many are called but few chosen Wherein Iesus sheweth how this commeth to passe which before he hath taught in the Parable to wit that in the visible Church there are so many wicked and so few good so many prophaine earthly minded men and so few that doe earnestly desire and seeke after heaven and those things that lead therevnto and namely faith and holines without which no man shall see the Lord. Because saith he in the visible Church their are few elect who only can and doe beleeue and out of that faith leade an holy life the rest being reprobates and left in their naturall wickednes cannot but be wicked All in the visible Church these few elect excepted are wicked profane vncleane and an abomination to the Lord. With such faithfull ones converts such Saints righteous and holy persons as these doth the visible Church abound and overflow And this is no lesse manifest by the Parable of the seed wherein as the Minister of Christ it compared to a sower the word preached to seede so is the visible Church coÌ„pared to the field where seed is sowen and to such a field whereof three parts is naught and a fourth onely good By that which hath beene said it is manifest that in the Church visible there be not onely wicked men and extreamely or out of measure wicked but that the most therein are wicked children of Belial and few righteous therein to be found Yea the aforesaid cause and reason of our Sauiour considered how can it possibly be otherwise If therefore this be the state of our Church at this day as too true it is that in it there are many wicked and few godly yet this wickednes and vngodlinesse of the people and mixture of so many bad with so few good le ts not but that notwithstanding wee may bee and indeede are a true visible Church Tell mee now I beseech you how the aforesaid lines of yours for which you pretend Scripture and those that I haue here deliuered which all men may euidently see are grounded vpoÌ„ the holy Scriptur can possibly stand together You say that a true visible Church is a company of Righteous or godly men not mixed with but separated from the wicked of the world Wee say that it is not such a separated company but a mixt company of godly and wicked good and bad holy and profane You say that in the visible Church there is no vncleane thing that is no wicked person we say that in the visible Church the most are vncleane and wicked yea sometimes almost all be such And as this which we teach hath beene confirmed and your errour herein conuinced by the sacred Scriptures so may it be by your owne writings yea by the words next and immedâ—ately following your description of the visible Church wherein you teach this false and erronious doctrine Hauing defined or described the visible Church That is a company of people called and separated from the world by the Word of God and ioyned together by voluntary profession of the faith of Christ in the fellowship of the Gospell Apology 44. You thereupon make this inference And therefore no knowne Atheist vnbeleeuer hereticke or wicked liuer may be receiued or retained a member in the Church of Christ which is his body Now in that you say no knowne Atheist vnbeleeuer hereticke or wicked liuer you thereby imply and secretly acknowledge that Atheists vnbeleeuers and wicked men may be receiued retained members in the visible Church so they bee not openly knowne to bee such If then in the true visible Church there haue euer beene are and will be Atheists vnbeleeuers heretickes and wicked liuers as your selues according to the truth acknowledge then is the visible Church by your owne Doctrine a confused and mixt company of good and bad holy profane and not a separated company of Righteous men Saints and faithfull in your sence except Atheists vnbeleeuers heretickes and wicked liuers be righteous men be Saints be faithfull If you deny that your aforesaid inference doth imply so much as I affirme I make it plaine thus He that shall say No knowne Whoremonger may bee admitted to the Lords supper therein confesseth that a close or vnknowen whoremonger may bee admitted to the Lords supper Euen so it is in this case These men being thus conuinced and yet not enduring it may be to yeelde I knowe what will be their shift and euasion euen the same which the Donatists in the like case vsed before them Malos in ecclesia permixtos esse confessi sunt Donatistae sed oucultos cos esse dixerunt August Tom. 7. contra Donatistas post collat Cap. 7. Defence of the Churches and Minist of
obstinate or seperating such from the Church there is no danger of plucking vp the wheate with the tares Therefore of the excommunication of sinners apparantly obstinate or seperating such from the Church Christ speaketh not nor forbiddeth Your third argument followeth Iesus spâ—aketh of the vtter ruinating and destruction of the tares But excommunication rightly administred is not for the ruinating and destruction of any Therefore of excommunication Iesus doeth not speake We now see clearely that these two latâ—er arguments doe conclude and proue the same thing But what not that which your first argument doeth as you pretend and beare the silly reader in hand but in stead thereof this that in the parable of the tares Christ speakes not of excommunication or censures of the Church which we not onely confesse but teach and vrge against you But suppose they did soundly prooue that proposition for which the are produced to wit that in the parable of the tares Iesus doeth not speake of the tolleration of prophane persons in the Church yet did they not at all make against vs for by prophane persons you meane 1. Scandalous offenders or open wicked 2. Such onely deny eyther of these if you will And so by your owne proposition which forsooth you will prooue by three arguments you imply that we teach that by tares are meant scandalous offenders or knowne wicked onely The contrary whereunto is manifest by the premises You commit then here two foule faults besides the former One is you persue your owne shadowe in stead of an aduersary 2. You abuse the reader in making him beleeue wee hold that we doe not But to proceede say you It may be some will answere Iustif 117. that Christ doeth not heere forbid his Disciples the vse of the censures against the wicked but rather acquaints them before hand what will be the state of the Church and how the wicked will be suffered to continue in it vncensured This is indeede our answere and I will maintaine it against all gainesayers You adde and if this were so it made nothing against me nor for Maister Bernard No Maister Robinson If there will bee and continue wicked in the Church vncensured if this will be the estate of the visible Church by the testimonie of Christ Iesus then for as much as all that be and continue in the visible church are of it euen members of it it must needes be that the visible Church is a mixt company consisting of good and bad godly and wicked Now this makes as much for vs and against you as can be You write before thus Heere is no such mingle mangle as Maister Bernard would make of good and bad but all good Iustif 115. 112. 113. and so auowed by the holy Ghost And againe that if all the Diuines in the world should with Maister Bernard say that the visible Church is a mixt company yet the deuine Scriptures speake otherwise which you will clearely manifest And yet once more It is prophane diuinitie to make vngodly persons true matter of the visible Church These speaches of yours with this heere doe agree together as light and darkenes Againe if to the worlds ende there will be and continue wicked in the Church vncensured If I say this will be the estate of the visible church as the truth is to foretel comfort the godly against it is the very scope and drift of our Sauiour in this parable why do you then condemne vs for a false Church because of the wicked that are among vs Answere to a censo Epist pag. 35. and for this cause chiefely seperate from vs In these two respects principally say you your babylonish confusion of all sorts of people in the body of your Church without seperation and your Babilonish bondage vnder your spirituall Lords the Prelates we account you Babilon and flee from you Shewe vs how this speech here and your accounting our Church to be Babilon for the reason aforefaide and flying from it can possibly accord Iustif 117. You adde It were the Churches sinne so to suffer them that is the wicked to continue in the Church vnsensured And I deny not say you but Churches vsually are too negligent and remisse through want of zeale and faithfulnesse to the Lord in this dutie This is it we teach it were well for you yee had learned the same If you haue as you heere pretend why doe you account our parishionall assemblies because of the wicked that be in them false Churches and Synagogues of Sathan you acknowledge heere ecclesiasticall assemblies may bee true Churches notwithstanding there be and continue wicked in them vncensured And yet the truth is you all hold that where there are and continue wicked vncensured the same are false Churches Iustif 120. Finally say you The Lords field is sowen onely with good seed though by the malice of Satan and negligence of such as should keepe this field and vineyard and house of God adulterate seede and abominable persons may be foisted in yea and suffered also which the Scriptures affirme and we deny not Such is the excellencie and power of truth that it maketh sometimes the aduersaries thereof to yeeld and stoupe vnto it For twice together you doe against your selfe beare witnesse to the truth You here acknowledge that abominable persons may be in the Church of God yea and suffered also that is abide or continue there and that this the Scriptures affirme Now touching the particular point wee haue in hand this is the some and effect of that we say and contend for and you impugne and gaine say But answere mee Are there any worse in our Church then this adulterate seede you speake of and abominable persons 2. Can you adde thereto any more or worse then this that they are suffered also that is let to continue in our Church vncensured If notwithstanding this great sinne a societie may bee a true Church by the testimonie of the holy Scriptures why doe you for this very sinne Iudge and proclaime vs to the world to be a false Church and therevpon depart from vs True it is that for this cause onely you doe not deeme vs a false Church and leaue vs yet that you doe it for this cause yea chiefely for this very cause you cannot without blushing deny and this not onely your selfe but besides M. Ainsworth and M. Smith haue published and made knowne vnto the world as I haue manifested in my Epistle written to you of the Seperation That which you affirme here you contradict at least I thinke an hundred times Omitting them all see how you thwart your selfe in the two last lines of this present Section Iustiss 121. And so except the Church of England had been sowen with good seed without tares since that generall Apostacie it cannot be the Lords field In the beginning of the Section in thesi you affirme that howsoeuer the Lords field is sowen onely with good
because in his owne nature he is holy or holinesse itsâ—lâ—e but also in respect of his effect and operation for that all those in whom he is he sanctifieth and maketh holy Hereupon it followeth that if the visible Church and members thereof be the Temple of God Then are they sanctified by the Spirit of God and Saints indeede and consequently such as to whom the heauenly inheritance belongeth For the inheritance shall be giuen to all them that are sanctified as is taught Act. 20.32 Besides we haue heard that prophane Esau and many more who haue beene vnholy and vncleane disobedient yea abhominable rebellious and reprobate to euery good worke haue beene of the vis Church We may heere also remember that this Spirit which dwelleth in euery one that is the Temple of God is called the Spirit of Life as Rom. 8.2 not onely because in whomsoeuer it is it killeth and subdueth sinne and quickeneth to righteousnesse as Rom. 8.10 But for that he who hath this Spirit hath life it selfe euen eternall life begun in him This Spirit likewise is called the seale and earnest of our inheritance 2. Cor. 2.22 Ephes 1.13 Whosoeuer therefore hath this spirit is sure to inherite the kingdome of heauen because he hath God his seale and earnest thereof For as much therefore as the inuissible Church onely and members thereof haue and shall haue this life and inherite this kingdome They therefore onely haue this spirit and consequently are this Temple And this argument one may drawe from your owne words thereby to conuince this your error Christ say you dwelleth in and gouerneth by his holy Spirit his elect Confession of Faith 34. which he hauing once giueÌ„ neuer taketh away from them but still begetteth and nourisheth in them repentance faith and loue and all Christian vertues vnto immortallity From these and some other lines of yours I argue against you thus They whosoeuer they be which are the Temple of God haue the spirit of God dwelling in them whereby they are quickened and haue the life of God in them yea are quickned to immortallitie But the Elect onely haue this spirit as your selues affirme pag. 34. of your confession of Faith whereby they are quickened as pag. 26. of the same booke therefore the Elect onely and inuisible Church are by your owne doctrine the Temple of God and not the visible Church Thus your owne sword againe helpeth to pierce your side And heere this reason may be vsed against you Those whom Peter calleth a spirituall house 1. Pet. 2.5 Ephes 222. and Paul the habitation of God by the spirit bee heere called the Temple of God but by the first are meant the faithfull who are of the inuisible Church therefore by the latter the proposition is euident And so is the assumption to them who vnderstand these places it hath also in part beene cleared and shall be further foorthwith Finally this is easily conuinced by 2. Cor. 6.19 Knowe you not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you whom you haue of God And you are not your owne for you are bought for a price Here we see that they who are the Temple of the holy Ghost or the Temple of God are saide to be redeemed or bought with a price But the elect onely are redeemed euen by your owne confession therefore they are of the Elect and Church inuisible who bee the Temple of God and in whome God dwelleth by his Spirit But it is no maruell though this and many other Scriptures which by the holy Ghost are meant of the members of the inuisible you vnderstand of the vis Church Description of the vis church 2 seeing you doe the like by 1. Pet. 2.9 then which there is scarce a place in holy writ Confession of faith 6. Apologie 44. Communion of Saints 248. 470. Paralleles 61. Iustification 44. wherein the Spirit of God speaketh more manifestly of the inuisible Church or those thereof vvho be effectually called and that can worse be vnderstood of the visible And this I haue shewed in the second Chapter where I speake at large of this Scripture So that it may seeme altogether needlesse to adde any thing thereunto Yet neuerthelesse I will And the rather because you being told of your mis-applying of this Scripture doe iustifie it and confidently affirme that it is meant of the visible Church and argue for the same Counterp 158. Iustification 43. For the better vnderstanding vvhereof I will set downe some verses going before Yee as liuely stones bee made a spirituall house an holy priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ Wherefore it is contained in the Scripture Behold I put in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious and he that beleeueth therein shall not be ashamed 7. vnto you therefore which beleeue it is precious but vnto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner 8. And a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence euen to them which stumble at the word being disobedient vnto the which thing they were euen ordained 9. But yee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that yee should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light In the fift verse of this Chapter they who are spoken of in this 9. verse are there called First liuely stones Secondly a spirituall house Thirdly an holy priesthood Fourthly as Priests they are said to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ Now these liuely stones this spirituall house and these priests offering sacrifices acceptable to God in Christ are such onely as bee of the elect and inuisible Church as I haue plainely shewed in the second Chapter and euery babe in knowledge may hereby know because the Reprobate cannot offer any acceptable sacrifice to God Therefore of the inuisible Church and not of the vis Church Peter speaketh in this 9. verse By the 6. and 7. verses it is plaine that in this 9. verse he speaketh of the faithfull euen such as doe beleeue in Christ And this alone the elect doe In the 7 and 8. verses this our Apostle turning his spâ—ech from them that did beleeue to them that were so farre of from beleeuing in Christ that they did stumble at him so as hee was to them a rocke of offence endeth the 8. verse thus vnto the which thing they were euen ordained least now the beleeuing Iewes of whom hee had newly spoken should be terrified with that he had said of reprobation and some of them in their weakenesse feare least they were of the number of the Reprobates and such as God bad ordained to iust condemnation he telleth them in the 9. verse that this he meaneth not by them neither neede they to feare this at all for as much as
in the prosperitie one of another These alone remember the affliction of Ioseph and them that are in bonds as if they were bound with them But with the visible Church it is cleane otherwise The visible Church we haue heard is a mixt company of good and bad Prou. 11.10 nay that in it there be men notoriously wicked Now when these perish saith Salomon there is ioy meaning amoÌ„g the godly And so on the other side when it goeth hardly with the godly as it doth alwayes more or lesse the wicked that bee in the Church they reioyce Of the members of this Church some forget and minde not the affliction of Ioseph others clap their hands for ioy Behold the care fellowfeeling the mutual sorrow reioycing that is between the meÌ„bers of the visi church Such it is as was betwixt Cain Habel of whom the one slew the other betweene Ismal and Izhak Esau and Iacob Saul and Dauid the Scribes and Pharisees and Christ himselfe with all that acknowledged and professed him whereof the one sort hated and abhorred the other as appeareth by the holy Scriptures Remember also what in holy writ is geneâ—ally saide that the righteous are an abhomination to the wicked Prou. 29.27 the wicked vnto the righteous This considered how can the visible Church bee the body of Christ and the particular persons of the visible Church members for their parts and this is yet further confirmed in the very same Chapter 1. Cor. 12.13 when Paul speaking of the body of Christ saith that by one spirit we are all baptized into one body and all the members of this body made to drinke into one spirit Whereby we learne that all the members of the body of Christ haue the spirit of Christ by which they are quickened and vnited to him the head But this spirit haue onely the membâ—rs of the inuisible Church who truely beleeue in Christ and by faith are ingrafted into him they therefore alone are the body of Christ The error of these men in this particular springeth from hence that those things which by the Apostle are spoken in a certaine respect and of a part of the visible Church they vnderstand simply and of the whole visible Church And that we may yet further and better see both your folly and sinne herein remember wee here First that the visible Church is a mixt company consisting of diuers sorts of people good and bad godly and wicked Saints indeede and sinners Secondly that from thence doe arise different kinde of speeches of and concerning the Church accordingly as God in his word directeth and intendeth his speech to the godly or wicked in the church When to the wicked God applyeth and bendeth his speech reproouing them or denouncing iudgement against them because of the multitude of such in the church he speaketh as if they were all wicked and no godly in it And this is frequent in the Scriptures The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his maisters scribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood 4. Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquitie c Isa 1.3 Heare O Princes of Sodom hearken O people of Gomorrah vers 10. Oh that I might leaue my people and goe from them for they bee all adulterers and an assembly of rebels Ier. 9.2 Trust you not in any brother for euery brother will vse deceite vers 4 5 6. The good man is perished out of the earth and there bee no righteous men they all lye in waite for blood euery man hunteth his brother with a net c. Micah 7.2 On the other side when in his holy writ God applieth and intendeth his speech to the Godly as either commaunding exhorting or comforting of them he speaketh as if all in the Church were such Of this kinde are these Yee are all the sonnes God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26 Yee are sealed with the holy spirit of promise Ephes 1.13 1. Cor. 3.17 The Temple of God is holy which yee are knowe yee not that yee are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you You are the body of Christ and members for your part 1. Cor. 22.27 And where the Church is called Christs Spouse his Loue Salomons long Counterp 66. his Queene his Doue his Sster c. And let vs here remember a speech of M. Ainsworths and apply it to them You may saith hee much abuse any mans wordes if what hee speaketh respectiuely you will take and alleadge as spoken absolutely Thus deale you my brethren with the word of God Those things which in holy writ are spoken with respect and relation had to them of the inuisible Church you take as spoken absolutely of the visible Church Is this by your owne confession a great abuse and iniurie offered to mens writings and is it none torwe ye to deale in this manner with the holy Scriptures and writings of God In your Apologie you doe not onely tell vs that the visible Church is the body of Christ but who be the members of this body Not the Elect as one would haue thought but say you the Officers be members thereof Apologie 42. and 53. And some pages after The Church Officers are members of Christs glorious misticall body whereby Iudas comes to be a member of Christs misticall body for he was a Church officer If such be members of the misticall body of Christ then to be in Christ ingrafted into him euen a member of his body bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh is not a matter greatly to be reioyced in seeing it may fall into a reprobate which I hope you abhorre to say If you doe not speake it out Then also reprobates may be members of the misticall body of Christ For some Church Officers are reprobates and all Church Officers by your diuinitie are members of the misticall body of Christ But I will let these goe and vrge them no further If the visible Church be the body of Christ then say I againe all of the visible Church be members and not Church Officers alone And this you teach in vnderstanding 1. Cor. 11.27 Yee are the body of Christ and members for your part of the visible Church and M. Ainsworth in the 128 129. pages of the Counterpoyson In telling vs now that the Church Officers are members and therein appropriating the being of a member to an Officer and denying it to others and in another place and booke that all of the vis church are members of Christ his glorious body what doe you else but contradict your selues But to come nearer vnto you I confesse the visible Church is or may be compared to the body of man and the Officers of the Church to the members thereof thus or in this respect that as the body being one hath yet many members euery meÌ„ber his distinct office the tye to see the eare to heare the nose
SVMMARIE OF THE CHAPTERS THE FIRST BOOKE OF the Church triumphant and militant And sundry Titles in holy Scriptures given to the same specially to the Militant Church Chap. 1. pag 1. The Vse of the former doctrine Chap. 2. pag. 14. Of the Visible Church and the diverse acceptations of the Word Church Chap. 3. pag 20. The visible Church is a mixt companie compounded of Christians true and false the greatest part being the worst Chap. 4 pag 23. Of Religion what it is and how distinguished Chap 5. pag. 32. That the Profession of Religion maketh one a member of the visible Church Chap. 6. pag 3. That the Church of England is a true Church and our parish assemblies true visible Churches Chap. 7. pa. 41. THE SECOND BOOKE A Confutation of H. Barrow his description of a true visible Church Chap. 1. pag. 51. A confutation of another description of the true visible Church giuen by the Brownists Where much is said concerning the first gathering of a Church and commixture of good and bad in the Church Chap. 2. pag. 60. Of the matter and forme of the visible Church Chap. 3. pag. 161. Whether thc Couenant of life and saluation which God made with Abraham and his seede where made with the visible or inuisible Church Chap. 4. pag. 186. The titles which the Separists ascribe to the visible Church are to be vnderstood of the inuisible Church onely Chap. 5. pag. 197. The Churches of the Brownists by their owne doctrine are false churches and therefore men ought to separate and come out from among them Chap. 6. pag. 215. The controuersie betweene vs and the Brownists concerning religious communion is here debated Where is shewed First that wee may lawfully ioyne in diuine worship with them which are not members of the Church Secondly with the open wicked And that thereby neither the faithfull nor the holy things of God are polluted Chap. 7. pag. 217. The Arguments of the Brownists whereby they would proue our church to be a false church and the answere vnto them Chap 8. pag. 229. How the Separists to iustifie their separation from the Church of England doe shamefully peruert the holy Scriptures Chap. 9. pag. 257. THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. Of the Church Triumphant and Militant and of the sundry titles in holy Scripture giuen to the same THe word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Church signifieth an assembly or company called out from other and in the new Testament thereby sometimes is meant The company of the Elect 1. Cor. 1.10 euen that whole company that God hath chosen and called and wil call out of mankind vnto the fellowship of Iesus Christ in him to haue life eternal And this is manifest by the fift to the Ephesians Husbands loue your wiues euen as Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it 26. That he might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the Word 27. That hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blame And a little after No man euer hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it Vers 29.32 euen as the Lord doth the Church And againe This is a great secret but I speake concerning Christ and concerning the Church All this must needs be vnderstood of all the Elect which society is foure times heere called the Church For first those which be heere called the Church Christ is said to Loue But on the Elect only Christs loue is set as on his spouse them alone hee nourisheth and cherisheth as a man doth his owne flesh The company of the Elect are meant therefore by the Church Againe it is said He gaue himselfe for the Church thereby also it is cleare by Church is meant onely and all the Elect sith for them alone and for all them he died and not for the reprobate And whereas Christ is said heere Iohn 17 9.20.25 compared with Iohn 10.27.28 Mat. 25.33.34 to sanctifie the Church and cleanse it c. And the Elect only be thus sanctified and clensed this sanctification being begunne onely in them in this life and perfected in them alone in the world to come at which time they shal be without spot or wrinkle their vile bodies being made like to Christ his glorious body and their sinfull soules like to his most holy and glorious soule and so a most glorious Church or company it followeth necessarily thereupon that by Church heere the holy Ghost meaneth the congregation of the Elect which is that we call the inuisible Church and not the visible Church which consisteth as well of Reprobate Matth. 16.8 as Elect as the Separists will haue it Of the inuisible Church also our Sauiour Christ speaketh vnto Peter saying Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church By him vnderstood Christ Iesus and the gates of hell shall not ouercome it Meaning that in him and vpon him the Elect whom heere hee calleth his Church should bee so rooted and grounded that no enemies no not Angels Principalities nor Powers with all their power and subtiltie should be able to preuaile against them or any of them But the visible Church is and hath beene from time to time shaked and battered in her parts yea sometimes made euen with the ground Of it therefore this Scripture cannot bee vnderstood as some affirme but of the inuisible which is nothing else but the communion of Saints that are and shall be Of the Church we haue againe a description together with a distribution in the 12. to the Hebrewes where Vers 22. for the better vnderstanding of the Doctrine we haue in hand wee may obserue the seuerall titles that bee giuen vnto it First it is called the Citie of the liuing God Rom. 12.2 because they of this society when they be called liue not after the lawes customes and manners of this world whereof they bee not though they be in it but are therein as foriners and strangers but after the lawes statutes and ordinances of God set downe in his word Iohn 15.19 17.14 1 Pet. 2.11 Psal 119.1.2 so that in life and conuersation they differ from other men yea from that themselues did sometime leade Secondly it is called the celestiall Ierusalem as whereof that earthly Ierusalem was a figure Also because the Citizens of this Citie seeke those things which are aboue Col. 3.1.2 setting their affections chiefely on heauenly things not minding in the first places earthly things as they doe whose portion is this world Phil. 3.19.20 Psal 119.57 and not God And thus as they of this fellowship are cleane changed and differ from all other in outward carriage and from that themselues were before so in inward affection and disposition Thirdly it is called the Church of the first borne because they are that company which was figured by
Cor. 2.11 and of some secret inward or hidden The Lord only knoweth who are his And no man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him 2. Tim. 2.19 By departing from iniquity and other infallible tokens a man may be certaine for himselfe that he is one of this Church in Christian charity also hee is to hope well of others and to iudge rashly of none but no man can be sure of the election of another This society then is visible and knowne to God alone inuisible and vnknowne to men and is therefore called the Inuisible Church Thus vnto the Church many sweet and glorious titles are euery where in the Scriptures giuen and most ioyfull and excellent things of it spoken It is called as we haue heard the City of God the celestial Ierusalem the Church of the first-borne which are written in heauen the family or houshold of God a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Priesthood being all Kings and Priests vnto God an holy Nation a peculiar people-redeemed and called by God out of darkenesse and the kingdome of darknesse into his marueilous light a spirituall house the Temple of God to be a Ephes 2.22 the habitation of God by the Spirit and the body of Christ It is also called a b 1. Cor. 14.33 Church of Saints c Iohn 10.27 the sheepe of the Lord d 1. Pet. 5.3 the heritage of God to bee short Christ his e Sal. Song 6.8 Doue his e Sal. Song 6.8 vndefiled who is f Ibid. 4.7 all faire and no spotte in her his g Ibid. 5.2 sister his g Ibid. 5.2 welbeloued h Ibid. 6.3 his loue his i Ibid. 5.1 Spouse his k Psal 45.9 Queene the ioy of the whole earth This Church is the Lords l Exod. 19.5 chiefe treasure aboue all people though all the earth be his and they in whom he delighteth as men doe in treasure Behold they are m Isa 49.16 grauen vpon the palme of his hand he that n Zachar. 2.8 toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye All of this society and onely these Iesus will o Matth. 1.21 saue from their sinnes and from the p Rom. 8.1 condemnation that is due vnto them for the same and q Iohn 10.27 will giue vnto them eternall life So that of all men these with Dauid may say r Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindfull of him And the sonne of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels and crowned him with glory and honor O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the world To this Church are made the promises of Å¿ Reu 1.13 God his protection presence of peace t Ier. 31.3 of loue u Prou. 1.23 of his spirit and to this society is that gratious * Gen 17.7 couenant of life and saluation made In conclusion this Church though in it x 1. Cor. 13.11 infancie it be y Song 1.4 blacke yet is it comely as the Tents of Kedar and as the Curtaines of Salomon and when it commeth to z Ephes 4.13 perfect age it shall be most a Song 6.3 beautifull and b Ephes 5.27 glorious without spot or wrinkle yea most wonderfull and euen c Song 4.9 rauishing men to conceiue much more to behold what then to enioy so blessed a communion And thus much concerning the doctrine of the Church which we call Inuisible Let vs now proceed to the vse thereof CHAP. II. The vse of the former Doctrine Iohn 3.3 Rom. 8 9 If the flesh or sinne beare rule and be the Lord master of the house commanding soule and body then man is and to be called carnall of a sinner But if the spirit haue the dominion or rule as he hath in all those in whom he is though not at all times and in all actions the flesh sometimes preuailing against the spirit then and from thenceforth such are indeed Saints or spirituall men so to be called and ought not to deeme themselues sinners or wicked men nor so by others to be accounted Exod. 4 25 Matth. 26.41 BY this we haue heard we may see what a holy and heauenly society this is and that blessed is the man who is one of the Church holy righteous are they in this life but more holy righteous in the life to come When once the Spirit of God regenerateth and dwelleth in one of these which in the appointed season he doth in them all and only in them then ceaseth he to be prophane and beginneth to be holy and forthwith becommeth of a carnall a spirituall man and a Saint of a sinner and is from thenceforth so to be called man hauing his denomination of the more principall or of that which is in him predominant Euery one of these from the time of this new birth or regeneration and this great and admirable change and alteration giueth to God that which is his that is worship liuing holily towards God and to man that appertaineth to him liuing righteously towards him Euery one of these is carefull to performe all duties to their superiours equals and inferiours Neyther will they wrong their neighbour in his person goods or good name or doe that to another which they could not bee contented should be done to them When through humane frailty for the spirit being willing the flesh is weak they faile in any duty to God or man by eyther omitting the good they should do or committing the euill they are forbidden to doe then their hearts smites and wounds them for the same and they haue no peace within nor their wound healed and bound vp vntill both they haue obtained a pardon from God in Christ for that sinne and a setled purpose and full resolution neuer by the grace of God to commit it againe He that hath receiued the Spirit of God knoweth that these things I write be true Who seeth not that these are an holy people indeed and holy Priesthood as the Scrâ—pture calleth them These are Saints indeed though on earth By this holines thou mayest know thou art of the Church one of Gods elect and heire of saluation If this be begun in thee in truth though in great weaknesse then it is certaine that thou art one of this society Iohn 9.31 Iames 3.2 and shall all of them be Saints in heauen All other the Scripture calleth Sinners but not these though in many things they all of them sinne Is not this an holy and heauenly company on earth before they come to heauen Holy heere in part though they shall be perfectly holy without spot and wrinckle only in heauen whereinto this holy nation alone shall enter and no vncleane thing These are blessed and sweet companions for him that is iourneying from earth to heauen By how much
We account of all men next to the King his children most honorable and happy especially his sonne and heire that is to inherit the Kingdome Hereupon the seruants of Saul speaking thus to Dauid Behold 2. Sam. 18.23 the King hath a fauour vnto thee be now therefore the Kings sonne in law DAVID answered Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the Kings sonne in law seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation What then may it seeme vnto vs who are but dust and ashes nay worse then so by nature the children of wrath and of the Diuell to become by grace the adopted children of God Ephes 2.3 Iohn 8.41.44 It is a matter of great honor and dignity to bee the sonne and heire of a Noble man specially of a King And is it not a much more glorious thing to be the sonne and heire of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings All men bestow and leaue vnto their children according to that themselues be and haue The meane man an inheritance or portion according to his abilitie be it more or lesse The Gentleman leaues to his children according to his estate and worth The noble-man after his and the King according to his greatnesse Euen so it is betwixt God and his children What and how great then shall be the portion and honor of these children seeing it shall be agreeable to the greatnesse of their heauenly Father and that which beseemeth the children of such a Father It must needs be such as neither eye hath sâ—ene nor eare hath heard nor euer came into mans heart in a word incomprehensibly glorious Because of this the estate of these in the world to come is not only called a glorious estate Rom. 8.18.21 and vers 17.30 1. Iohn 3.2 Phil. 3.21 and the glorioas liberty of the sons of God and they then said to be glorified and to be like vnto Christ partaking with him in glory both in soule and body their vile bodies being made like vnto his glorious body but is also inlarged thus that they shall then haue a most excellent and eternall waight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 To set forth also the excellent an glorious estate and condition of these in the world to come it is often said in the Scriptures that they shall haue a Kingdome Feare not little flocke Luke 12.32 for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit for there is the Kingdome of heauen And to the same end it is called the kingdom of God and of heauen 1. Cor. 6.9 Heb. 12.28 2. Tim. 4.8 1. Cor. 9.25 Mat. 5.3 and said to be such as cannot be shaken On the heads of these Kings shall be set a crowne of righteousnesse yea an incorruptible crowne of glory Happy then and a thousand times happy are all of this Church and company that shall haue such and so glorious a kingdome whereof also there is no end but they shall raigne for euermore These 1. Pet. 1.4 2.1.11 howsoeuer they be not borne nor come by discent to this heauenly kingdome and inheritance Ephes 1.4.5 Act. 13.48 yet are they of God chosen and ordained thereunto before the foundation of the world was laid as appeareth by that sentence of Christ the Iudge of all men which he shall one day pronounce vpon them Come yee blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world And therefore they who in their minoritie and nonage haue not yet receiued this inheritance and kingdome are as sure of it as if they were inthronized and in possession thereof Because as God himselfe so all things in God and namely this election of part of mankind vnto saluation is vnchangeable So that heauen and earth shall sooner passe away then any one of this chosen generation perish Are not they now happy who are sure to inherite this Kingdome albeit they yet haue it not What though in this world and for the present 1. Cor. 15.19 they bee of all men the most miserable yet neuerthelesse if we haue respect to their future estate Heb. 11.26 1. Pet. 1.4 to this great recompence of reward and inheritance immortall by the power of God reserued for them in heauen they are of all the children of men the most happy and those only who be happy all others being in a most accursed estate coÌ„dition And thus much concerning the Church or that we cal the Inuisible Church the knowledge whereof we referre to God the searcher of hearts proceed we now to entreate of the visible Church which men can know and discerne and is therefore called visible into which all they must retire themselues in this world that will be gathered with the inuisible Church into heauen in the world to come according to that saying Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued For this cause it standeth vs vpon diligently to search and enquire into this matter and so for thee Christian Reader to giue good eare to that which followeth CHAP. III. Of the visible Church and diuers acceptation of the word Church AS sometimes this word Church must be taken in that sence I haue already spoken of that is for all the elect or some speciall company of the elect as is manifest by the premises so in many other places of holy Scripture it cannot possibly be so vnderstood but must of necessity haue some other signification Verse 3. In the 8. of Acts Luke reporteth of Saul that he made hauocke of the Church And no lâ—sse doth the Apostle say of himselfe 1. Cor. 15.9 I am not meete to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God In these places and very many more by Church we cannot vnderstand the Elect except we will imagine eyther that Saul knew whom God had elected or that all bee elected who are persecuted both which are very false How then must wee vnderstand this word Church heere And what may we doe to finde out the true sence and meaning of this word in these and such other like places where it cannot be taken in the former signification Surely it may easily and and safely be done by conference of Scripture as we shall see Verse 3. In the 22. of the Acts Saint Paul hath these words of himselfe I was zealous towards God as yee all are this day vers 4. And I persecuted this way vnto the death binding and deliuering into prison both men and women And Galath 1. Thus he likewise speaketh of himselfe Vers 13. yee haue heard of my conuersation in times past in the Iewish religion how that I persecuted the Church of God extreamely and wasted it 14. And profited in the Iewish religion aboue many of my companions of my owne Nation and was much more
zealous of the Traditions of my Fathers In both these places the Apostle deliuereth one and the same thing but in different words which helpeth greatly to the vnderstanding of both In eyther of these places and in the words next following these Paul relateth his conuersion to the Christian Religion and calling to the office of an Apostle and in these words heere set downe he declareth his zeale before the time of his conuersion and calling to the Apostleshippe to the Iewish Religion and hatred to the Christian and the professours thereof This hatred hee setteth forth by an effect thereof to wit his persecuting I persecuted saith hee this way that is this Religion to wit the Christian Religion which now I embrace and professe As if he had said when I was of the Iewish Religion I persecuted this Religion whereof now I am and could not away with it Religion he termeth way and so doth hee vse it in Acts 24.14 After the way which they call Heresie so worshippe I the God of my Fathers It is likewise so taken in the 22. verse of the same Chapter and in diuers places besides And it is rightly called a way Because it only sheweth the way to saluation Also because that as he that is in a way goeth on therein and standeth not still so hee which is religious indeed standeth not at a stay Prou but is euery day more religious then other Being like vnto the light which shineth more and more vnto the perfect day I persecuted â—aâ—th hee this way why but hee could not persecute the Religion it selfe By these words then he vnderstandeâ—â— those 〈◊〉 were of this way or Religion meaning the 〈…〉 Râ—â—â—gion When then in this place of the Gaâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 former it is said that Saul persecuted the Châ—◠〈…〉 meaning is that hee persecuted th◠〈…〉 of men which professed the Christian Religion which heere is called the Church And so it is called twice in the 8. of the Acts. And at that time there was great persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem that is the Christians there And a little after But Saul made hauocke of the Church That is of the professors of Christian Religion whereby we learne and that from the holy Ghost to define the true visible Church thus It is a company of people professing the Christian or true Religion or thus It is a company * To wit from the rest of the world Rom. 16.5.23 called out of the profession of Christian Religion And thus wee are to vnderstand many other places Greete the Church saith Paul that is in their house meaning by Church the professors of Christianity or Christian Religion And againe in the same place GAIVS mine hoste and of the whole Church that is of all the Christians saluteth you This word Church thus vnderstood is taken eyther largely or strictly largely for all men that throughout the whole world professe the Christian or true Religion as in 1. Cor. 10.32 Giue none offence neyther to the Iewes nor to the Grecians nor the Church of God that is nor to any of the Christians or people of God In the same sence it is vsed Act. 8.3 1. Cor. 15.9 Gal. 1.13 In which places it is said of Paul that he did persecute the Church of God that is them that professed the Christian Religion wheresoeuer he came And euen so it is vsed Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church that is to them that embraced and professed the Christian Religion from day to day such as should be saued In this respect or sence we may say the visible Church is Catholike or vniuersall not tyed as sometimes it was to the Land of Iudah nor visible in one people alone as vnder the Law it was in the people of Israel But comprehendeth vnder it all Nations or people professing true religion being now visible in one country and now in another sometimes in a few sometimes in many Lord of Plessis of the Church c. 20. This vniuersall Church comprehendeth vnder her all the particular Churches gathered together in diuers Countries and sundry parts of the world the which likewise we cal Churches So learned men speake of the East Church and the West Church the Greek Church and the Latine Church In like manner say we at this day the Church of England the Church of Scotland the Church of France none of these or the like are Catholike or Vniuersall This is said after the very same sort as when we speake of some parts of the Ocean sea we call them the Sea as the South sea the North sea the Brittish sea c. And wee giue them all the name of Ocean although wee know that there is but one Ocean and not many of the which by these names we make many distinctions because it is but one vniforme body from which the vnity may bee distinguished but not diuided And so also must the vnity of the Church be acknowledged When therefore wee speake of all the Christians and professors of true religion in a Nation as in England Scotland France c. we may rightly say the Church of England the Church of Scotland the Church of France yea thus meaning we cannot properly and fitly say The Churches of England c. in the plurall number Thus you see what we call the Catholike or Vniuersall Visible Church euen the Congregation of all those that doe professe true Religion throughout the whole world distinguished as hath beene said into many particular Churches All which together make but one body And in this sence the word Church is diuers times vsed in the sacred Scriptures as partly appeareth before we call it Catholike because as one saith it is vbique diffusa spread euery where scattered farre and wide ouer all the world And visible it is said to be quia rationabilis because it is conceaueable by reason It is not so much seene with the eye though it be called visible quam intellectu mente ratione as with the vnderstanding the minde and the reason as is well said by one When this word Church is taken strictly and not in so large and generall sence as before it is vsed eyther more or lesse strictly when it is taken in the strictest signification and for the least company thereby is meant eyther the Gouernours of the Church and so it is vsed twice in one verse Matth. 18.17 If hee refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church and if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Or all the Christians in a family or one house And so it is vsed in these places following Collos 4.15 1. Cor. 16.19 Philip. 2. and such like Salute Mimphas and the Church which is in his house Aquilla and Priscilla with the Church that is in their house salute you greatly in the Lord. To Archippus and to the Church that is in thine house Lesse strictly and
Let the Christian Reader iudge of this kind of dealing But let vs heare more of your answere These examples we acknowledge all Christian Princes should follow hauing equall power with these Kings of Iudah Counterpois 230. to abolish all idolatrie within their dominions yea and to punish obstinate idolaters and not suffer any superstitious worship among their subiects but to procure their conuersion by the word yet not to compell them to be members of the Church because they cannot giue them Faith and Repentance which is the onely doore into Christ Kingdome and cannot be opened to any but by God alone And a little after Your people should haue yeelded their owne willing consent which they neuer did but were and still are compelled by law and penaltie to bee of the Church and Religion established Replie If Christian Princes haue equall power within their dominions with that the Kings of Iudah had in theirs then are they not onely to abolish all idolatry within their dominions which you confesse but also to command and by law and penaltie to compell their people to be of the true Religion and to worship God according to his word that is to professe true Religion and worship for further then the outward profession man cannot goe which maketh a member of the visible Church But the former of these is true by your owne confession therfore the latter The consequence of the proposition is grounded vpon this that the Kings of Iudah proceeded thus farre when they reformed the Church as appeareth by the premises and namely by the 2. of the Chro. 34.2 which Scripture is singular to this purpose And Iosiah did that was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God 3. For he tooke away the altars of the strange gods and the high places c. 4. And commanded Iudah to seeke the Lord God of their Fathers and to doe according to the Law and the Commandement 5. Therefore the Kingdome was quiet before him Here we see that Iosiah did not only abolish idolatry and all false worship but besides commanded his people to worship the true God called here the God of their Fathers according as he had commanded which is that wee call true worship And it is euident that therein he did well First because this is rendred for a proofe or instance of that which is generally said of him in the second verse And Asa did that was good and right in the eyes of the Lord for he tooke away the altars c. And commanded Iudah to seeke the Lord c. that is to serue the Lord in that manner he had commanded Secondly because for this very act of his God blessed him with outward peace as vers 5. Therefore the Kingdome was quiet before him Are Christian Princes only to abolish idolatry within their dominions and to punish obstinate idolaters and not to compell their subiects any further Then belike they may let their people be of no Religion euen Atheists and not punish them so long as they be not idolaters But why may not Kings compell their subiects to professe true Religion and to submit themselues to the true worship of God which maketh them members of the visible Church Because they cannot giue them faith and repentance which is the only dore into the Church and cannot be opened to any but by God alone It is true indeed that Princes though their power is great yet are too weake hereunto But we must know that profession of faith and repentance sufficeth to the making of a member of the visible Church and thereunto the Magistrate can compell That which you say of the visible Church is true of Heauen faith and repentance is the only dore into it and God in Christ only can and doth open it But is very vntruely said of the visible church especially considering your quoted Scriptures for confirmation thereof require faith and repentance indeed and speake of true repentance and sauing faith It greeueth me to see how many places of Scripture are heere peruerted by you as namely Ioh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him vp at the last day And againe vers 65. No man can come vnto me Note heere their abuse of holy Scripture except it be giuen vnto him of my Father That which is heere spoken of the members of the inuisible Church when they are inwardly and effectually called and indued with faith in Christ Iesus That it is God and he alone who giueth them to beleeue meant hereby by comming vnto Christ you ignorantly vnderstand of and apply to all of the visible Church whereof the most haue only the externall calling and will by these Scriptures proue that no man can be of the visible Church except God call him and draw him and by his Spirit perswade him Counterpoys 134. Cant. 1.3 For which purpose also as I remember you alleage elswhere that speech of the faithfull Draw me and we will runne after thee He that seeth not this your abuse of Scripture it is because he wanteth some of that eye-salue mentioned Reu. 3.18 to anoint his eyes with The rest of your quotations for breuity I passe by together with this your doctrine the falshood whereof shall hereafter be made euident in a more conuenient place You tell vs that Christian Princes are to punish obstinate idolaters yet not to compell men to be of the Church First Because in such a case they must yeeld their owne willing consent Secondly Because they cannot giue them faith and repentance which is the only doore into the Church and cannot be opened to any but by God alone Suppose I. N. an idolater by the Kings authority be for his idolatry punished with imprisonment or losse of goods or some such like punishment and that he remaining still an idolater in the loue to his liberty or goods pretendeth great hatred to idolatrie and loue to the true worship of God whereupon after profession of his faith and repentance made he is receiued into the Church Yee cannot deny but that this man is a member of the visible Church for against such a one you cannot shut the doores of the Church and all in the Church are members thereof Tell me now First whether this man became not a member of the Church by compulsion and whether by punishment men are not after a sort compelled to doe the contrary to that for which they are punished and whether this is not intended and aymed at in punishments And so heere that I. N. being punished for his idolatry should forsake that and worship God according to his Word which makes one a member of the visible Church Secondly whether this hypocrite and deepe dissembler doe this of his owne willing consent or rather against his heart and will compelled thereunto by law and penalty Thirdly I demand whether this man hath faith and repentance and hath passed
because in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne and likewise at this day our parishionall assemblies are no such societies as consist of such onely but had and now haue in them many false and counterfeite Christians and Professors Therefore at the first they were and so continue false visible Churches Is there any so blind who seeth not that hereby they shut out of the Church all Hypocrites For true Professors are opposite to false and counterfeite Professors which are those we call Hypocrites A true Professor is he who is the sonne in trueth that he professeth and maketh shew to be Who professing godlinesse is godly Directly contrary to this man is the Hypocrite The like may be saide of a faithfull and true Christian But a true visible Church saide those Schismaticks is a company of true Professors and Christians and not a mixt company of true and false Professors Therefore in the visible Church by their doctrine there are no Hypocrites With Barrow and Robison doth Maister Ainsworth accord Counterp 72. as being led by the same spirit The Apostle saith he sheweth Iam 1.18 1. Pet. 1.23 That Christs Church is a people begotten with the word of trueth that is the Gospell but your Church was first begotten gathered constituted ordered and is still continued by the Magistrates word and authoritie which if it did not enforce the people the estate wherein you now stand would soone bee changed and your Church dissolued And where you learned so to inforce faith and constraine men to bee members of your Church Alcoran chap. 18. 19. I can not tell vnlesse you would follow Mahomets doctrine who taught that men should bee compelled to the faith by the sword Before you teach that a visible Church is a company of people that doe repent and beleeue the Gospell and here you terme it a people begotten by the Gospel and borne a new nor of mortall but of immortall seede and so all are regenerated that bee in the visible Church and consequently shall inherit the Kingdome of heauen For can hee dye that is begotten and borne of immortall seede whereof both these Apostles speak This doctrine and all of this kinde hereafter following take it as it is by you deliuered and it is palpably false so as it needeth no confutation But your meaning it seemeth is that All in the true visible Church liue so holily righteously and soberly touching their outward carriage before men that wee cannot in equity nor charity account otherwise of them then faithfull and such as haue repented and are conuerted to God and are begotten and borne a new Principles and Inferences 7. yea Elect as M. Smith saith And for this cause as these men suppose all in the visible Church are called Saints and Faithfull As Ephes 1.1 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ c. But herein it must needs be they are deceiued seeing there haue beene true visible Churches in former times wherein some members and those not a few haue beene so vile and abominable as the faithfull then liuing could neither in equitie nor charitie iudge so of them as you speake Except they should haue iudged otherwise of the tree then according to the fruits nay cleane contrarie to it whereas our Lord sayth Yee shall know men by their fruits Mat. 7.16 euen as the tree is knowne by the fruits thereof That which M. Smith here affirmeth I haue answered here after in the next Chapter and thither I referre the Reader for further satisfaction Obserue besides the abuse of scripture here Note here their peruerting of Scripture The words of Iames be Of his owne will begate hee vs with the word of truth that wee should be the first fruits of his Creatures By vs who are said here to be begotten by the Gospell the Apostle meaneth himselfe and the rest of the faithfull members of the inuisible Church and not himselfe the rest of the visible Church as you fondly imagine and beare the simple Reader in hand Rom. 6.13 12.2 As the first fruits vnder the Law were dedicated to God and offered vnto him so all the faithfull consecrate and giue vp themselues wholly to God a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto him which is their reasonable seruing of God and not all of the visible Church as you in the application of this Scripture tell vs the most whereof giue themselues and their members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne wherein they walke according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Of true beleeuers and none others S. Peter also speaketh For they onely are borne a new of that immortall seede hee mentioneth which Iohn 1.12 proueth As many as receiued him to them hee gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Againe these that are thus borne a new as 23. vers are said to be redeemed vers 18. to beleeue in God verse 21. To haue their soules purified by the Spirit verse 22. But such as bee of the inuisible Church onely are redeemed beleeue in GOD Counterpoys 158. are purifyed by the Spirit Of such therefore the Apostle here speaketh Hereby it is plaine that you speake vntruely when you say That places setting forth the inuisible Church are not by you brought to set forth the visible Church Yet Ainsworth in slandering and blaspheming our Church is worse and more intollerable then Barrowes whereof wee haue heard before Hee saith not onely that our Church was first begotten and gathered but addeth and is still continued by the Magistrates word and authoritie excluding the words of GOD as if our Church were neither begotten at first nor continued now by the Ministerie of the Word And where learned yee say you so to inforce Faith and constraine men to be members of your Church I answere Not out of the 18. and 19. Chapters of Alcoran which you by your Cotation in the margent imply but out of the sacred scriptures Not from the example of Mahomet but from the commended examples of the godly Kings of Iudah as I haue shewed Thus much you cannot tell or see The greater is your ignorance and blindnesse A spirit of errour hath put out the eye of your vnderstanding But where learne you to compare the doctrine of God to Mahomets doctrine and the examples and practise of the good Kings of Iudah which you acknowledge all Christian Princes should follow with Mahomets example and practise Counterpois 230. Cursed is that zeale which carieth a man beyond all bands of truth and sobrietie Paul being very zealous spake yet the words of truth and sobernesse The Lord lay not this blasphemie to your charge To that which hath been said I onely adde this That if a visible Church were a company of men truely and vnfainedly religious as you in your whole doctrine of the visible church
pretend then thus farre you had rightly described the Church For no man can be ordinarily religious indeede except as you speake here hee first be called by the Word of God Here the counsell perswasion commandement and threat of man will not auaile No humaine force and compulsion will serue the turne it must be diuine and from God whereof we reade Luke 14.23 Salomons song 13. Iohn 6.4 Act. 16.14 Compell them to come in God himselfe by the Ministerie and preaching of the Word his Spirit accompanying the same must perswade and draw else we hang backward and continue still irreligeous and prophane as we see in the example of Lydia whose heart the Lord opened that she attended vnto the things which Paul spake Neither can we without this calling by the Word be assured that wee are of the inuisible Church This is that we call the internall and effectuall Calling and is proper to the inuisible Church All that haue this calling may assure themselues of their election and saluation This the Apostle confirmeth Rom. 8.30 11.29 and of this calling speaketh where he saith Whom he predestinated them also he called and whom hee called them also be iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified And againe the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And thus are all of the inuisible Church called in their appointed time But concerning the visible Church this calling by the Word is not necessarie so that without it we cannot come to be of this fellowship Which we cannot chuse but see if we call to minde that which we haue beene taught That a visible Church is a company professing true religion To ioyne in which outward profession whereby we become members of the visible Church one may be drawne by the commandement threat counsell and perswasion of man the Word of God neuer comming neare his heart And so I leaue the first part of your description and proceede to examine that which therein followeth A visible Church say you is a company of people seperated from the world This doe we also hold and teach rightly vnderstood that is touching their professioÌ„ of the true religion and so are we seperated from Heathens Infidels Turkes Papists Anabaptists c. But thus you vnderstand not these words you meane hereby that a visible Church is a company of faithfull and righteous men onely or Saints not mixed with but seperated from the open wicked of the world That this is your meaning it is plaine by your owne Treatises as forthwith we shall heare and namely where you say Defence of the Churches and Ministers of England 71. that a visible Church is a seperated company of Righteous men from the open wicked of the world and cannot consist of all sorts of people good and bad And for the proofe of this point and part of your description you send vs to Iohn 17.14 I haue giuen them thy word Apologie 44. Marke here their peruerting of Scripture to the end of this Section and the three next following and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world as I am not of the world Whosoeuer shall aduisedly reade this Chapter may easily see that these words are meant of the eleuen Apostles being parcell of that part of Christs prayer hee made for them in particular That Iesus speaketh here of his elect Apostles it is manifest both by the words going before this 14. verse and specially by verse 12. as also by the verses following after and namely by verse 18. and 20. what is this at all then to purpose Surely no more for the proofe of the point then if you had produced the first words of Genes In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Frame your Argument and the vanitie of your proofe will appeare If that the Apostles members of visible Churches were separated from the world then all the members of a visible Church must bee separated from the world But the first is true Therefore the second To this effect you must marke your Argument or none at all Giue mee leaue now to argue after the same manner If the Apostles members of visible Churches were preachers of the word and had the gift of miracles then euery member of the visible Church must be a preacher of the word and haue the gift of miracles But the first is true therefore the second Thus could I proue that the members of visible Churches must haue no certaine abiding place but goe from place to place â—rom one countrey to another throughout the world for the Apostles did so Therefore in vaine is this testimonie alledâ—ed by you and you therein take Gods name in vaine I doe not deny but that many things spoken of or to the Apostles or required to be in them are likewise required and happily found in euery member of the visible Church The Apostle prayed and heard the word so it may bee doe all the members of the visible Church Some of the Apostles Iesus commanded that they should fast and pray lest they did enter into temptation the same he requireth of all in the Church But this is it I say and meane That it followeth not necessarily that because this or that qualitie or gift was or ought to be in the Apostles therefore it is and ought to bee in euery member of the visible Church But happily you will not vnderstand this scripture of the eleuen Apostles but extend it further Seeing by the Text it is euident that Christ spake and meant it onely of them without falsifying the Text you cannot stretch it an haire breadth further But suppose the words might be vnderstood more largely the vtmost extent must be to the Elect. First because Iesus speaketh of them for whom he prayed and these be onely the Elect. Secondly hee speaketh of those which are hated of the world and of such as being in the world are not of the world and such alone bee the Elect. Now this maketh not at all for you no more then the former For what though the Elect which are in the visible Church be separated from the world which is true as Christ here meaneth doth it therevpon follow that all in the visible Church are separated from the world Iudge your selues So one may proue that all of the visible Church shall be saued because the Elect which be in the visible Church are heyres of Saluation Another fault which in alleadging this Scripture you commit is this that you mis-vnderstand these words of our Sauiour are not of the world whereby he meaneth not separated from the world in your sence that is from the open wicked in the world but that his Apostles were not worldly indeede louing the things of the world or that they were such as would not conforme and fashion themselues to the manners and customes of this world would not follow this world as worldly minded men doe in that which is euill
therefore the world should hate them With this speech of Christ agreeth that of Peter It seemeth to them strange 1. Pet. 4.4 that ye runne not with them to the same excesse of ryot therefore speake they euill of you Suppose then that Iesus did not speake here onely of the Apostles nor yet solely of the Elect but that his speech was more generall and reached euent to the visible Church yet would not this testimonie proue that for which it is by you produced to wit that a visible Church is a company not mixed with but separated from the open wicked of the world Much lesse then vnderstanding this Scripture aright and as is before expounded Thus is to set the holy Scriptures not on the tenters which is euill but on the racke which is farre worse No lesse faultie are you in alledging to this purpose the 20. verse of this said 17. Chapter I pray not for these alone but also for them which shall beleeue in me through their word Where Iesus speaketh of and prayeth for the Elect onely and inuisisible Church militant and not for the visible Church But grant it were spoken and meant of the Church visible yet would it not serue to proue that for which it is by you alledged In like manner you here peruert Act. 19.9 Rom. 1.6.7 10.14 15 17. Ezek. 36.38 which for breuitie I passe by contenting my selfe to haue giuen you and the Reader a taste onely of your abuse of Scripture And here marke I beseech thee Christian Reader and forget not that this dâ—ctrine of these men is as contrarie to the Scriptures as darknesse is to light They teach you see that a true Church is a company of people separated from the world that is a separated company of righteous or godly men from all open vngodly or wicked and cannot consist of these two sorts or kindes of men of godly and vngodly good and bad holy and prophane such a mixt and confused company cannot be say they a true visible Church This mixture they condemne and vs for teaching it and euery where in their bookes cry out against it with open mouth Saying it is a a Confession of Faith 6.10.11 confused order and such societie a confused and mixed people that b Aâ—swere to M. Stone 6. lye scattered in the dust mixed with the prophane without seperation and it is an Antichristian confusion And tell vs that a true visible Church is an other manner of society That it is c A true desâ—ription of the visible Church pag. 1. a company of faithfull and holy people worshipping Christ aright gouerned by his lawes keeping the vnitie of Faith in the bond of Peace and loue vnfained Againe that it is a company of Conuerts of such as are d Apologie 37. already conuerted to God Moreouer that it is e Principles and inferences concerning vis Churches 7. a visible communion of Saints that is f Priâ—c and Ius 10. Iustification 105. of men seperated from all knowne sinne practising the whole will of God knowne growing in grace and knowledge and continuing to the end Because of this say they the visible Church is g Apologie 44. A true Description of the visible Church 1. confesâ—ion Faith 6. called a Church of Saints a Kingdome of Priests a Royall Priesthood a chosen Generation and an holy Nation And to make vp the full measure of their errour in this particular they assure vs if wee will bee so mad as beleeue them that a true visible Church hath in it onely such as if none other affirming that h A true Description of the visible Church pag. vlt. Communion of Saints into it entreth no vncleane thing neither whosoeuer worketh abominations and lyes but they which are written in the Lambes Booke of Life But without this Church are Dogges and Enchanters and Whoremâ—ngers and Idolaters and whatsoeuer loueth and maketh lyes as if none such were within the church And to put this doctrine of theirs out of all doubt and controuersie i Illud ostendere tentauerunt Donatistae â—rolatis multis testimoniis diuâ—narum Scripturarum quod Ecclesia Dei non cum mâ—loâ—um hominum commiss one futura praed cta sit August Tom. 7. collat cum Donatistis Defence of the Churches and Ministers of England 7. Counterpois 14. and 23. they alleadge for proofe thereof all most infinite places of Scripture Thus we see summarily what these men do held and teach concerning the subiect or matter of the visible Church and this part of their description thereof euen the same with the Donatists And applying this doctrine vnto vs they affirme that the Church of England is a false Church and our parish assemblies false visible Churches because they are not separated from the prophane of the land but remaine still in confused assemblies Let vs now heare what God teacheth vs in his word Certainely that which is directly contrary vnto this In the holy Scriptures wee learne that as in the barne-floore there is Chaffe mingled with Corne Mat 3.12 13.25.47 and in the field Tares growing together with Wheate and in the draw-net cast into the Sea things gathered of all kindes and as in a great house there are not onely vessels of golde and siluer but also of wood and earth some for honour and some for dishonour 2. Tim. 2.20 So in the visible Church there are men of all kindes Hypocrites and sincere good and bad holy and prophane faithfull and vnbeleeuers Nay by the Scriptures it is manifest By vnbeleeuers I meane men void of true Faiâ—h that the greater part of the visible Church are Reprobates Hypocrites vngodly men prophane walking after their owne lusts as by that which followeth doth appeare In the 32. of Numbers of the Church and people of God Moses saith that they were a company of sinfull men Verse 14 and behold yee are risen vp in your fathers stead as an increase of sinfull men still to augment the fierce wrath of the Lord toward Israel and in the 5. of Deut. Ye haue beene rebellioas vnto the Lord since the day that I knew you In the first of the Prouerbs wee haue wisedome Verse 24. that is Christ Iesus the wisedome of the Father speaking after this manner I haue called meaning by his seruants in the Ministerie and yee refused I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard But yee haue despised all my counsell and would none of my correction And a little after they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. They would none of my counsell but despised all my correction These contemners were prophane and vngodly persons and yet were they of the visible Church because they were within the sound of wisedomes voyce and call Yea marke further how some times almost all of the visible Church are despisers of the Ministerie and word of God and therefore prophane and godlesse For it is not said
and vs one would thinke should now be ended considering how clearely the trueth shineth on our side yet for feare it prooue otherwise I will adde something more In the third to the Galathians verse 29. Paul saith thus to them And if ye be Christs then are yee Abrahams seede and heires by promise As if he had said If yee beleeue in Christ whereby you are made one with him then are ye indeede the seede of Abraham and heires of eternall life according to the promise God made with Abraham From hence I reason thus All they and onely they who be Christs that is are ingrafted into him by faith are Abrahams seede to whom the promise of eternall life is made But all of the church inuisible and onely they are Christs ingrafted into him by faith Therefore all of the inuisible church and onely they are Abrahams seede to whom the promise of eternall life is made The Proposition is proued by these words of the Apostle If Christs then are ye Abrahams seede The Assumption needs no proofe Againe I argue from hence thus against you If the vis Church be Abrahams seede and they to vvhom the promise of saluation was made then the vis Church and consequently all the members thereof are heires of saluation But this latter is false Therefore the first The Assumption you will not deny and the Proposition is as cleare by this Scripture and needs must be true seeing God is faithfull and constant in the performance of his promise which he could not be if any one of those should goe to hell to whom he hath made promise of heauen God is not as man Num. 23.19 that he should lye neither as the sonne of man that hee should repent Hath he said and shall hee not doe it And hath hee spoken and shall he not accomplish it No no. God is true Rom. 3.4 though euery man be a lyar If therefore God haue made a couenant or promise of saluation vvith the vis Church as you all affirme and specially M. Smith euer and anone in his Parralleles then all of the visible Church shall be saued But for as much as many of that societie shall be damned it cannot be that to them this promise was made but to some other company euen to the heires of saluation And this latter may bee confirmed and so you conuinced by your owne words By faith saith M. Ainsworth we are the seede of Abraham and consequently heires by promise of the blessed inheritance and so doe enter into his rest Com. of Saints 321. Here you affirme that the company of the faithfull or true beleeuers are the seede of Abraham with whom God made this couenant which manifestly ouerthroweth you Secondly that they who be the seed of Abraham are heires of the heauenly and blessed inheritance And heere I reason thus from your owne words They onely are the seede of Abraham vvith vvhom God made that gracious couenant of life euerlasting that be heâ—res of the blessed inheritance and doe enter into the hâ—auenly rest But the elect or inuisible Church onely are heires of the blessed inheritance and doe enter into the heauenly rest Therefore the elect or inuisible Church onely are the seede of Abraham with whom God made that gracious couenant of life euerlasting The Proposition is your owne the Assumption I trust you abhor to deny imbrace therefore the conclusion wherevpon necessarily followeth that God made not this couenant with the vis Church as all of you doe teach but with the inuisible as wee affirme But you tell vs that 1. Tim. 4 8. doth proue this Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Here is mention indeede of a promise concerning life eternall But to whom it is made Paul answereth to the godly But such onely are the elect and inuisible Church Therefore to them and not to the visible Church is the promise made of life euerlasting by Christ So that this Scripture maketh against you Moreouer you alleadge here 2. Pet. 1.3 According as his diuine power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine to life and godlines Peter here telleth vs that all good things belonging to life eternall are giuen vs of God But to whom To the visible Church We reade no such thing but cleane otherwise To vs saith he As if he had said to me and the rest of the elect That by life here the Apostle meaneth life eternall no man will deny Neither that life eternall shall bee giuen vnto them to whom all things appertaining to that life are giuen Seeing then the inuisible Church onely haue all things pertaining to life giuen them of God forasmuch as they onely enioy that life and that the Apostle speaketh of them who are made partakers of this gift it followeth necessarily therevpon that hee speaketh onely of the inuisible church Obserue besides that hee saith not onely that God hath giuen vs all things that appertaine vnto life but addeth and godlinesse Implying thereby that they to whom this life is giuen of God haue first all things pertaining vnto godlinesse bestowed vpon them in this life before they enioy that life eternall in the world to come But to the inuisible Church onely all things pertaining to godlinesse are giuen Therefore of the inuisible Church the Apostle here speaketh and not of the visible as you affirme And here marke how M. Ainsworth applying this Scripture to the vis Church doth conuince both himselfe and his friends Let vs saith he consider some principall of the many good thâ—ngs Communion of Saints 165. 168. 170. that God doth giue vs pertaining vnto life godlinesse Among these he nameth Faith And what faith That saith hee whereby our fathers walked with God pleased him wrought many good workes obtained good report and in the end the saluation of their soules It is the gift of God vnto his chosen people which therefore is called the faith of Gods elect And a little after The most excellent fruit that we reape of faith is our iustification in the sight of God by his grace in Christ Iesus Hereby it is plaine enough though there is much more seruing to this purpose that hee speaketh of iustifying faith Another good thing pertaining to life and godlinesse that is giuen vs of God is saith he sanctification Ibid. 177.179.183.186 also the feare of the Lord loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith vnfained the loue of God and his loue shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto them with other graces of this kinde From these words of your owne I argue thus against you Of that Church or company of men Peter here speaketh to vvhom of God are giuen iustifying faith sanctification and the other graces before specified But the said graces are giuen onely to the elect and
the faithfull are onely doth and can offer such sacrifices Therefore the inuisible Church are this royall Priesthood or kingdome of Priestes and not the visible Church If I should haue saide nothing M. Ainsworth himselfe wil suffice for the conuiction of this error Communion of Saints 248. They whom Christ hath made Kings and Priests vnto God his father being a Kingly Priesthood euen a kingdome of Priestes and a holy nation hauing part in the first resurrection the second death may haue no power ouer them but sit with Christ in his throne euen as hee ouercame and sitteth with his Father in his throne From your owne words I argue thus against you They who are this royall Priesthood that is Kings and Priests vnto God haue part in the first resurrection the second death hath no power ouer them but sit with Christ in his throne But the inuisible Church onely and company of the Elect haue part in the first resurrection the second death hath no power ouer them Ergo the inuisible Church is this royall Priesthood The proposition your owne words doe prooue The assumption needes no proofe And againe in another place hee conuinceth himselfe and his friends Seeing then saith he we haue receiued such grace from God Communion of Saints 487. 488. so many as beleeue in the name of his sonne Christ as that we are through his mercy made a chosen generation a kingly Priesthood washed from all our sinnes in the blood of Christ and raigning with him on earth by mortifying and subduing our earthly members what remaineth then but that we purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit From hence I inferre that either the visible Church and consequently all the members thereof are washed from their sinnes mortifie and subdue their earthly members which no man will affirme or else the visible Church is not that royall Priestood whereof the Scripture speaketh for they that are this royall Priesthood are washed from their sinnes by your owne confession Iudge now thy selfe Christian reader whether this that M. Ainsworth writeth heere doeth not conuince that he saith else where Communion of Saints 470. And now that all Christians are made Priests vnto God euen a Kingly Priesthood to raigne vpon earth and to haue their power of Christ to iudge all that are within the Church and cast out the wicked from among them they ought to reteine and vse their power By Christians he meaneth here the members of the visible Church and of all them he affirmeth that the are Kings and Priests vnto God And to increase his sin after his and their accustomed manner he alleadgeth three places to prooue this his error namely 1. Pet. 2.9 Reu. 1.6 5.10 For the conuincing of which errors their are no testimonie in holy Scripture more excellent as we may appeare by the premisses Whereby it is euident they are strangely blinded in their vnderstanding seeing in the middest of a glorious light they see not the light but grope as men in palpable darkenesse And heere fitly I returne that vpon you M. Ainsworth which you falsely apply to vs. The Reader may see how your right eye is blinded to bring Scriptures so plaine against your selues Besides the three former testimonies you alleadge one another that likewise maketh not for but against you If you will heare my voyce indeede Counterp 79. Exod. 19.5 and keepe my couenant then you shall bee vnto me a kingdome of Priests but the Elect onely and they which are of the inuisible Church doe this which the Lord heere requireth Therefore they onely are the kingdome of Priests here spoken of Againe the visible Church these fewe excepted in it which are of the inuisible Church doeth not heare Gods voice indeede but contemne it doeth not keepe but breake his couenant and therefore is not a kingdome of Priests to God For what though this speech was spoken to the visible church They therein of the inuisible Church onely could did keepe the condition heere required They therefore alone make this Kingdome of Priests Thus your owne sword helpeth to pierce your side Neither is that so fit a title for the visible Church the sheepe of Lord seeing in the Scriptures specially of the new Testament ordinarily by sheepe are ment the Elect and Church inuisible I am the doore of the sheepe Ioh. 10.7.15 Matth. 25 33. I lay downe my life for my sheepe when the Sonne of man commeth in his glory he shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on the left In a word If wee would knowe who indeede are the sheepe of the Lord and rightly so to be called Christ himselfe telleth vs againe in the 10. of Iohn saying Vers 27. my sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish Thereupon M. Ainsworth saith well such were not of Christs sheepe for then he would haue giuen them life eternall and for confirmation therof he quoteth this place of Iohn Communion of Saints 58. Wherby he imployeth that all Christs sheepe shall haue life euerlasting From whence it followeth that this title Christs sheepe or the sheepe of the Lord appertaineth to the elect and inuisible church and cannot rightly be saide of the visible Church except all the visible Church shall be saued A great part of the visible Church are so farre from being like to sheepe that they may more fitly be compared to wolues Mat. 10.26 Luke 10.3 Behold I send you as sheepe in the middest of wolues These whom Christ calleth wolues were the visible Church of the Iewes In which Church were but a fewe sheepe You teach further that the visible Church is in the Scripture called the Temple of God and this you will proue by 1. Cor. 3.17 Knowe yee not that you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 17. If any man destroy the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which yee are I would desire no better place for the confutation of this error then this you alleadge for probation thereof See you not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in all those who be this Temple of God now God his spirit dwelleth onely in the Elect They are of the Elect therefore and inuisible Church who are the Temple of God That God breatheth his Spirit onely into the Elect it is manifest by Rom. 8.14 as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sonnes of God And by Gal. 4.6 And because yee are sonnes God hath sent foorth the Spirit of his sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Againe the Temple of God is heere saide to be holy which must needes be because the Spirit of God dwelleth in him that is this Temple and it is holy which is therefore called the holy Spirit and the holy Ghost â—â—to oâ—eâ—y
they are not of that generation and stocke of mankinde which God hath ordained to destruction as the former despisers of Christ but of the generation which God hath chosen and appointed to life euerlasting which generation is that we call the inuisible Church Why the elect bee heere called a chosen generation you may reade further Chap. 1. And there also see that these titles royall Priesthood holy Nation peculiar People which these men vnderstand of the visible Church cannot be so taken But are meant of the faithfull or true beleeuers al which are of the inuisible church Both by the words themselues then of this Scripture â— meane verse 9. and also by the coherence or depeâ—dance thereoâ— with that goeth bâ—fore it is euident that this Scripture is peâ—uerted by thâ—se men and misapplyed Nay this is euident by their owne vvritings And here with mee obsâ—rue a secret ouer ruling hâ—nd of God M. Ainsworth hauing made a large Treatise iâ—tituted the Communion of Saints and there hauing spoken many excellent and glorious things of the Saints rightly vnderstood that is of Saints indeed or the faithfull sanctified by the Spirit of God and Faith in Christs who are so of the visible Church as withall they be of the inuisible Church but by him meant and misapplyed to all the members of the vis Church Saints by profession which shameth the whole Treatise making it almost as full of lies as lines Hee I say hauing done this euer and anone throughout his whole booke behold how in a conclusion which he affixeth to the said booke he conuinceth himselfe of errour touching a great part of that hee had said before and namely concerning this place of Peter which a Pag. 470. before he vnderstood of the visible Church and members thereof Thus beginneth he his conclusion b 487. 4. 88. seeing we haue receiued such grace from God so many as beleeue in the name of his Sonne Christ as that we are raised vp from the graues of sinne c. being through his mercy made a c 1. Pet. 2.9 chosen generation a kingly priesthood washed from all our sinnes d Deut. 1.5 in the bloud of Christ and e Reu. 5.10 raigning with him on earth by mortifying and subduing our earthly members what remaineth but that wee purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit With your owne weapons thus I fight against you All they and they only who beleeue in Christ are by his bloud washed from their sinnes mortifie and subdue their earthly members are this chosen generation and royall priesthood But onely the elect and inuisible Church beleeue in Christ are by his bloud washed from their sinnes mortifie and subdue their earthly members Therfore the elect onely and inuisible Church are this chosen generation and kingly priesthood and therefore not the visible church as these men do teach The proposition is your owne the Assumption deny if you will But M. Ainsworth by three reasons will proue that this scripture is not to bee vnderstood of the inuisible Counterp 158. but of the vis Church The first is layed downe in these words This place of Peter speaketh of and to the vis or sensible Church for the Apostle wrote to the vis Christians the strangers that then dwelt in Pontus Galatia c. In the tenth Chapter of this booke I haue answered this reason at large and shewed the vanitie of it notwithstanding something I will adde heere Be it granted that Peter writ to the vis church though something might be said against it as that he writeth to them that had obtained like precious faith with him which none but the chosen and of the inuis chureh haue yet this proues not that this 9. verse is true and to be vnderstood of the vis Church no more then it followeth that these sayings of Paul are true and to bee vnderstood of the vis Church and all the members thereof Yee are bought for a price 1. Cor. 6.20 Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.20 3.26 Ephes 1.13 yee haue receiued the spirit of Adoption ye are the sonnes of God who hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts ye are all the sonnes of God yee are sealed with his holy Spirit of promise the earnest of our inheritance with many such like because the Epistles wherein these are vvere vvritten as you affirme to visible or sensible Churches The second reason followeth in these words This which Peter speaketh chap 2.9.10 is as Moses spake of old to the visible Church of Israel Exod. 19.6 I answere though Exod. 19.6 was spoken to the vis church of Israel yet it was in respect of them therein vvho were of the inuisible church and of Gods elect and is true onely of such as I haue shewed before euen so it is here Your last reason followeth Againe say you Peter mentioneth the end of their calling to this dignitie viz. to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darknesse into his maruellous light which whether it appertaines not to the visible Church I leaue it for euery true member thereof to Iudge It cannot be denied but that Peter speaketh of them vvho of God are called out of darknesse that is out of sinne and ignorance into his maruellous light that is to the knowledge of God and holinesse for which maruellous mercy receiued out of the very sense and feeling therof they praise God and indeauour all the dayes of their life to walke worthy of it which is heere called the shewing forth of the vertues of him that hath called them But the inuis church onely and company of the elâ—ct are called out of darknesse into this maruellous light being called therefore the children of the light and they alone out of a sensible feeling of this great mercy doe praise blesse God for the same and indeauour to liue to him vvho hath thus called them Of the inuisible Church therfore called heare a chosen generation doth the Apostle Peter speake in this place So this reason maketh greatly against you Counterp 158. No lesse blame-worthy are you for maintaining this That no places of Scripture setting forth the inuisible Church are by you brought to set forth the visible Church The contrary to this appeareth plainely by this Treatise To proue that they vvho be of the true vis church are called out of the world Apologie 44. Counterp 133. or seperated from the world a seperated company of righteous men vsually you quote Ioh. 15.15.19 and 17.9.14 16.20 Tell mee now who be they that beeing in this world are not of this world Are not the elect onely such know you not that they who be not of this world doe belong to a better world Moreouer doth Christ pray for the vis Church or the inuisible onely and company of the elect what meane you then to apply Scriptures concerning these things to the vis Church seeing they be spoken
Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it 26. That hee might sanctifie it and cleanse it 27. That hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame Here be diuers reasons to proue that that Church which in the holy scriptures is said to be the body of Christ and whereof Christ is the head is the inuisible Church and not the visible as you do hold For first Christ is the Sauiour of that Church or company of men which is his body But hee is the Sauiour and giueth saluation onely to the Church inuisible Ergo c. Secondly Ps 55. 11.5 Christ loueth the Church which is his body But hee loueth onely the elect and church inuisible hating all others as workers of iniquitie Rom. 9.13 Ergo c. Thirdly Christ died or gaue himselfe to death for the church which is his body But hee died onely for the elect and church inuisible Ergo the inuisible church on ly is his body Fourthly that church which is the body of Christ Iesus by his spirit in this life sanctifieth and cleanseth in part and peâ—fectly in the life which is to come at which time it shall be without spot or wrinkle holy and without blame and so a glorious church indeede But this onely Christ doth to the inuisible church and all the members thereof and not to the vis church the greatest part whereof hâ—e leaueth to the vncleane spâ—rit who leadeth them into all manner of vncleanenesse and wickednesse Therefore the inuisible church onely and not the visible is the body of Christ The seuerall Propositions of these foure arguments are euident by this present Scripture The Assumptions of them all are so cleere that you neither will nor dare deny It resteth therefore that you imbrace the conclusion Ephes 2.22.23 4.12 15.16 Col. 1.18.24 And here we learne how to vnderstand those places of holy Scripture where Christ is said to be the head of the Churth and the Church is called his body Not of the vis church as you doe but of the inuisible church or that company of the elect vvhich is by faith vnited to Christ and by loue one to another that is of the faithfull These are they which are the mysticall body of Christ whereof he is the head Counterp 127. Apologie 44. A true Description of the vis church 2. pag. 1. 1. Cor. 12.27 1. Cor. 6.19 7.23 But you will say doth not the Apostle writing to the vis church at Corinth say Ye are the body of Christ and members for your part What proofe can be more plaine then this I answere doth not the same Apostle writing to the same church likewise say Ye are not your owne yee are bought with a price If this argument of yours were ought hence it vvould follow that Christ Iesus hath redeemed the vis church and so by consequent Reprobates When Peter teacheth that only the Elect or church inuisible are redeemed with the precious bloud of Christ 1. Pet. 1.2.18 Confession of faith 26. which you likewise acknowledge From hence also it will follow that all of the vis church are in Christ Iesus and that Christ is vnto them wisedome righteousnesse sanctâ—fication and redemption because Paul writting to the Corinthians saith yee are of him in Christ Iesus 1. Cor. 1.30 2. Thess 1.1 who of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption By this reason you may as well Prooue that all of the visible Church are the Sonnes of God and that therein is no childe of the diuell because Paul writing to the visible Churches of Galatia saith thus Yee are all the Sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.26 And that all in the visible Church haue faith in Christ Iesus that is true and iustifying faith and an hundred more of most false positions will ensue of this kinde of reasoning as hath ben shewed before To make this argument good you must proue that all the speeches of Paul in his Epistles written to Church or churches were by him spoken meant to all the members of the visible Church and are true of them In the meane season for the better informing both of you and others we must vnderstand that where the Apostle writing to a Church or certaine Congregation saith that they are redeemed by Christ 1. Cor. 6.15.1 are in Christ Iesus that they beleeue in Christ that the Spirit of God dwelleth in them that their bodies are the members of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise the earnest of their inheritance Ephes 1.13 that they are all the Sonnes of God the body of Christ and euery one a member for his part and he their head Wee must I say knowe that these speeches with many more of this kinde are not spoken and meant simply of the visible Church and so of all the members thereof but of some certaine persons in the inuisible Church that is the elect These also are very probable the Apostle respected and meant onely in and by the title of Saints so often vsed in the beginning of his Epistles as Rom. 1.7 1. Cor. 1 2. Ephes 1.1 If by Saints we vnderstand Saints indeede that is such as whose hearts are purified by faith and sanctified or made holy by the Spirit of God which exposition these two last testimonies fauours much then this title he vsed onely in regard of the elect that were in the visible Churches whom solely or at least chiefly he respected in his saide Epistleâ— and for whose sake he did write them and not in respect of the visible Churches with all their members Which being so as it is very absurde to conclude from this title of Saints that none are in a true visible Church but Saints I meane Saints indeede so is it no lesse absurde to collect from this speech of Paul yee are the body of Christ and members for your part that the visible Church is the body of Christ and euery member thereof apart Yea this latter the two next verses going before these wordes yee are the body of Christ doe manifestly conuince for in them it is saide and implyed that as the members of a mans body haue care one for anoâ—her 1. Cor. 12.25.26 and such a fellow-feeling as if one member suffer all will suffer with it and if one member be had in honour all the members reioyce with it so is it with the members of the body of Christ But this care and fellow-feeling this mutiall sorrowe and reioycing is onely to be found in the faithfull and Saints indeede members of the inuisible Church they therefore are the body of Christ or at the most the visible Church is so called hauing relation to these These are they that weepe with them that weepe and reioyce with them that reioyce
head thereof for it is written Counterp 127. God hath appointed him ouer all things the head of the Church which is his body Ephes 1 22.2â— and againe to the Church of Corinth it is said Ye are the bodie of Christ 1. Cor. 12.27 But the Church of England is not the body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof Therefore the Church of England is not a true Church This Argument M. Smith likewise vseth against our Churches and Particular Congregations Your Parish assemblies haue not Christ for their head Ergo they be false churches Paralleles 87. Ephe. 1.22.23 1. Cor. 12.27 Gal. 3.16 Ephes 5.23 Wee answere that these and all other places of holy writ wherein Christ is said to bee the head of the Church or the Church is said to be his body that by Church wee are to vnderstand that societiee we call the inuisible Church or company of beleeuers which be a part therof or if in any of them we may vnderstand the vis Church it must needs be spoken in respect of them therein that are of the inuisible Church which commeth all to one And thus Christ Iesus is the head of the church of England and it is his body and so your Assumption is false Surely it is admirable that all of you are so farre blinded as to teach that a Confession of faith 10. 52. 58. 68. Apologie 44. Communion of Saints 6. 455. 475. Description of the vis church pag. 1. The visible Church is the body of Christ and that without any limitation exception respâ—ct or restraine For shew mee one line in all your bookes tending this way And heere behold the absurditie of your Proposition Euery true Church is the body of Christ meaning euery true particular visible Church or congregation wherevpon followeth that how many particular Churches there be so many bodies of Christ and so you make a monster of Christ But how monstrous soeuer this is you wil proue it and that by Scripture For it is written say you God hath appointed Christ ouer all things the head of the Church which is his body Ephes 1.22.23 I answere You speake of euery particular visible Church and the Apostle here of the inuisible Church which is Catholicke or vniuersall part whereof is now in heauen and part on earth as verse 10. For confirmation whereof also serue these words verse 22. God hath appointed him ouer all things How maketh this Scripture then any thing for you The inuisible Church and company of the Elect is the body of Christ Your proposition is Euery true particular visible Church is the body of Christ These are different propositions and euery babe may see the former of these is no proofe of the latter and that the former being true this latter may notwithstanding be false That this Scripture is to bee vnderstood of the inuisible Church it is manifest by that hath been said Also by the words next following in verse 23. which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Whereby we learne that without the Church here spoken of Christ Iesus doth not account himselfe full perfect and entire but as it were maimed euen as a head without a body Such is his loue to this church and high account of it But this fulnesse to Christ doth the inuisible Church bring Of the inuisible church therefore doth the Apostle here speake And marke how neither of the first words of your Proposition are vsed here by Paul He saith not euery Church as you doe which might seeme to haue implyed that he had spoken of the vis Church or Churches nor true Church which had made it cleare on your side For true cannot fitly be said of the inuisible Church forasmuch as there is no false inuisible Church Onely the word Church he vseth without any such addition which word in holy writ is indifferently vsed for the inuisible and visible Church as before I haue shewed and here for the inuisible as the reasons aforesaide doe manifest This Scripture therefore is preuerted by you and maketh nothing for you But bee it graunted that Paul speakes here of the visible Church and that there is no abuse of Scripture at least that if not here yet 1. Cor. 12.27 he speaketh of the Church visible yet neither will that helpe you seeing the visible Church cannot bee saide to bee the Body of Christ but in respect of the Elect that are in the visible church now this will not profit you at all for to vnderstand these Scriptures of the visible Church as you will haue it marke how your argument must be framed Euery true visible Church is the body of Christ and hath him for the head thereof in respect of the Elect therein The Church of England is not the Body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof in respect of the Elect therein Therefore the Church of England is not a true visible Church Thus your argument should haue beene composed and what is wanting is to bee vndeâ—stood and then wee answere you by denying your assumption and doe affirme that the Church of England is the body of Christ and hath him for the head thereof in respect of Gods elect that be in it And in this sence also as well as in the former the same may be said of vs that Paule saide of the Corinthians Yee are the body of Christ and members for your part And here I cannot chuse but wonder at the extreâ—me folly of this maâ— Who prouing that the Church of England is not the body of Christ neither hath him for the head thereof whereas he should direct his speech against the goâ—ly among vs and prooue thaâ— they are not the Body of Christ nor haue him for their head in steaâ— thereof he doth direct it to vse his owne words to our prophane people Counterp 128 mockers and contemners of Religion that blaspheame God and his holy name euen in the stretes as they walke such as call themselues the damned crewe Familists Atheists and all other sorts of miscreants and wicked liuers These children of wrath saith he this sinfull generation cannot possibly be members of the Body of Christ nor haue him for their head seeing they are not partakers of his life and spirit nor called to his faith neither admitteth he any such vnto him vntill they repent he hath no concord with Belial therefore not with the children of Belial the members of his glorious body must not be the dead stinking and abhominable members of Sathan Light and darkenesse heauen and hell will as soone bee vnited together And in this path doe tâ—ey all tread Thus can I prooue that the church of the Iewes as in other ages so namely in Dauids time and in Isaiah his time was a false Church for as much as the Iewes then were a prophane people Isa 2 3â— mockers and contemners of Religion c. Of the
concerning ecclesiasticall gouernment Whereupon it is that in the words immediatly following the former you tell vs of admonition reprehension and excommunication and not a title of any other commaundement of Christ But how doe you prooue this to bee the meaning of Iesus Till you be able to make this manifest which I thinke will neuer be I for my part will reiect this your glosse and vnderstand this Scripture more largely And here in the ende of my Booke may that iustly be retorted vpon M. Ainsworth which he vniustly in the beginning of his Counterpoyson doth auouch against vs. Counterp epist I haue also produced their own testimonies against them that the Saints on earth may say Their rocke is not as our rocke euen our enemies being Iudges Deut. 32.31 And if they will yet resist the world may see they are condemned by themselues For these reasons you condemne our churches and holde them to be false visible Churches whereupon you doe separate It had bene fit you had better informed your selues in the doctrine of the Church and learned first what a true vis church is and what a false and to haue bene able to discerne and put a difference betweene the invisible and vis Church and the Scriptures concerning them before you had thus presumptuously taken vpon you to condemne our congregations to be false Churches My brethren you take to much vpon you You condemne and speake evill of those things ye know not See to it Remember also that this definitiue sentence you haue giuen of our churches is not in a corner where some fewe onely might heare and spread the same but in the streets yea in the high streete among the presse and entering of the gates or rather vpon the house toppe as Absalom abused his fathers concubines so as whosoeuer hath an eare except hee stoppe it cannot chuse but heare it both in this age present and in the ages succeeding O that you were wise to consider of these things To the aforesaide arguments M. Ainsworth addeth two other which he inferreth vpon the former â—nd as a buiâ—ding erected vpon this foundation That our church is a false church The drift of the one is to prooue That men ought to separate from our Church and haue no coÌ„munion with it seeing it is a false Church of the other That our Ministers are no true Ministers of Christ and therefore not to be heard I doe not meane to answere the saide Arguments for that is needlesse considering what a sandie foundation they stand vpon as appeareth by the aforesaide tractate but will onely retort them vpon themselues That Church saâ—th hee which is not the true Church of Christ and of God Counterp 150 ought not by any true Christian to bee continued or communicated with but must be forsaken and separated from and a true Church of God sought and ioyned vnto where Christ and saluation by him may vndoutedly be had Because wee are willed to abstaine and separate from the false Church 2. Cor. 6.14.17 Reu. 18.4 Hos 4.15 Isa 48.20 Ier. 51.45 Zach. 2.6.7 1. Cor. 10 20.21 c. Wee are willed also to seeke and ioyne vnto a true Church Deut. 12.5 Song 1.6 Ier. 50.4.5 Isa 65.9 Psalm 26.5.6 87.2.5.6 Act. 2.47 But the Church of England is before proued not to be the true Church of Christ and of God Therefore it ought to bee separated from and a * To wit theirs for none otheâ— I dare be bold to say doe they hold for a true Church if they which freely professe what herein they thiâ—ke true Church sought for and ioyned to of such as would be saued This I returne vpon them thus That church which is a true church ought to be continued or communicated with and must not be forsaken and separated from because wee are commaunded to abstaine and separate from a false Church onely 2. We are commanded to seeke and ioyne vnto a true Church But the Church of England is before prooued to bee a true Church Therfore the Church of England ought to be coÌ„tinued and communicated with and must not bee forsaken and separated from His other Argument concerning our Ministers is this These Ministers which haue and execute the ministery of a false Church are not the true Ministers of Christ and consequently not to bee heard or obeyed as Shepheards of our selues Because the ministerie of a false Church must needes be false also seeing the Church hauing no interest in Christ can haue no interest in a Christian Ministery Besides Christ hath giuen his ministerie to his owne Church onely Ephes 4.11.12.14.15.16 1. Cor. 12.27.28 See also Ioh. 10.1.4.5 Act. 20.28 Ioh. 21.15.16 But all the Ministers of the Church of England haue and execute the ministerie of a false Church for so by the former arguments that Church is prooued Therefore they are not the true Ministers of Christ and consequently not to be heard or obeyed as Shepheards of our soules Hereupon I reason thus These Ministers which haue and execute the Ministery of a true Church are the true Ministers of Christ and consequently to be heard and obeyed as Shepheards of our soules Because the ministery of a true Church must needes be true also seeing the Church hauing interest in Christ hath interest in all the gifts hee bestoweth vpon his church and hath therefore interest in a Christian ministery Besides Christ hath giuen his ministery to his owne church so that Christs church is not destitute of his ministery Ephes 4.11 1. Cor. 12.28 c. But the Ministers of the church of England haue and execute the ministery of a true church for so by the former arguments contained in the 8. Chap. of this Booke that church is prooued Therefore they are the true Ministers of Christ and consequently to be heard or obeyed as shepheards of our soules To this argument and demonstration as M. Ainsworth thinketh he addeth this Epiphonema For the further descryiâ—g of the false ministery of this church I referre thee good Reader to a Treatise lately published intituled Reasons and Arguments proouing that it is not lawfull to heare the ministery of England And to another heretofore published called a Treatise of the Ministery of the Church of England And thus endeth hee his Treatise I answere that to these Reasons and Arguments M. Wutton hath reâ—urned an answer and sent it ouer to M. Iohnson the Authour of them about three yeeres since expecting aâ—l this while his reply But hetherto we heare of none and it is very likely neuer shall If not iustifying your Arguments you proceede still to auouch that our ministerie is a false ministerie notwithstanding the vanitie of your Arguments to this saide purpose bee discouered your consciences conuinced and mouthes stopped all the world may plainely see you neither loue nor contend for the trueth but loue more the praise of man then of God and therefore doe contend Thus much of the Church and of the different points
betweene vs and you eoncerning the same That little which is heere saide of our Ministery is as you may seâ— vpon occasion and by the way Truely I much desired to haue added something heere in dâ—fence of our Ministery and answere to your sophismes but for diuers reasons whereof some be mentioned in the epistles dedicatorie I thought good to forbeare and at this present to say no more CHAP. IX How the Separists to iustifie their separation from the Church of England doe shamefully peruert the holy Scriptures AS for the proofe of the particular points wherein wee and you of the separation doe differ you shamefully abuse and peruert the sacred Scriptures euen all of you without exception as manifestly appeareth by the premises so in the maine difference concerning the separating of your selues from our church you doe the like whereof I will giue the Reader likewise a tast For the iustifying of their separation they alleadge diuers places of holy Scripture and specially three which they take to be very pregnant for them One of them is taken out of the 19. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles The wordes bee these Vers 8. Moreouer he that is Paul went into the Synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three moneths disputing and exhorting to the things that appertaine to the Kingdome of God 9. But when certaine were hardned and disobeyed speaking euill of the way of God before the multitude he departed from them and separated the Disciples and disputed daily in the Schoole of one Tyrannus We answere These men from whom Paul and other Christians separate were open contemners nay blasphemers of the way of God Because of this open contempt of theirs for it is saide they spake euill of that way before the multitude the Apostle durst not Preach the word of God vnto them neither could haue done without sinning against God for our Sauiour hath fordidden to giue that which is holy vnto Dogges Matth. 7.6 and to cast pearles before Swine And least wee should thinke this were onely true of priuate admonition or reproofe wee may remember that to the 70 Disciples hee giueth the same commaundement concerning publike teaching saying to them when he sent them foorth to Preach by two and two Luke 10.10 But into whatsoeuer Citie yee shall enter if they will not receiue you goe your wayes out into the streetes of the same and say Euen the very dust which cleaueth on vs of your Citie wee wipe of against you Except therefore we be such despisers as these this Scripture maketh not for their Separation but is misapplied and wrested by them And notwithstanding S. Paul with the other Christians did well in separating from them aforesaide they doe sinfully in departing from vs. Another testimonie of Scripture and of all the most vsuall and principall they take out of the 6. Chapter of the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians Vers 14.15 Bee not vnequally yoaked with Infidels for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse And what communion hath light with darkenesse And what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath the beleeuer with the infidell 16. And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idoles for yee are the Temple of the liuing God as God hath saide I will dwell among them and walke there and I will be their God and they shall be my people 17. Wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord and touch none vncleane thing and I will receiue you 18. And I will bee a father vnto you and yee shall bee my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almightie Thus endeth the 6. Chapter and thus farre doe the Separists coate and vrge this Scripture but no farther But heereunto let vs adde the first verse of the 7. Chapter for that maketh greatly for the right vnderstanding of this Scripture Seeing then we haue these promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit and finish our sanctification in the feare of God By these words of the Apostle it should seeme that sundry Christians in Corinthus according to their accustomed manner before the time of their conuersion went sometimes to their idols Temples where were nothing but grosse and heathenish Idolatrie and their with their neighbours vvho were heathens and infidels did ioyne together in their idolatrous worship or at least in their holy feasts as is said 1. Cor. 8.10 which they did celebrate to the honour of their Idols and so were dâ—fiâ—ed with the worship of idols thinking with themselues that they might lawfully ioyne with them in externall idolatrie and thus farre yeeld with their bodies so long as they kept their soules pure to the Lord. The Apostle hearing of this great corruption among many others telleth them that they must withdraw themselues from this idolatrous worship and defilement and separate themselues For they cannot worship God and the Diuell they are so contrarie one to another euen as light and darknâ—sse But if they thus worship idols they worship the Diueâ—l and thereâ—ore so doing they cannot worship God That they who worship idols doe worship the Diuell hee hath shewed them in his former Epistle in these words What say I then That the idol is any thing 1. Cor. 10.19 Or that that which is sacrificed to idols is any thing Nay but that these things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Deuils and not vnto God and I would not that you should haue fellowship with the Deuils Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the table of Deuils And whereas they excused this fact of theirs thus as sundry doe their going to Masse at this day that now they went not with this minde as sometimes they did to giue honour to the idols for they knew well that an idol is nothing that is that there is not any God-head in an idol and therefore did keepe their soules pure from all pollution hee answereth that they whom God vouchsafeth this honour to be his children must keepe themselues pure not only in soule but also in body 1 Cor. 6.20 called hâ—re flâ—sh glorifying God in their bodies and in their spirits for they are Gods that so they may be wholly pure Thus we see the occasion the scope and drift of the Apostle and the true sence and meaning of these words Whereby wee learne That the worshippers of the true God may not communicate with heathens and infidels in their idolatrous or idol worship which is no bâ—tter then the worship of the Diuell And to apply this That a Christian at this day being in Turkey may not pertake with them in their worshipping of Mahomet or beeing among heathâ—ns ioyne with them in their heathenish and idolatrous seruice Which maketh nothing for their separating from vs in the worship of the true God because of some corruptions therein Except it be all one when externall worshâ—p in
part is corrupted as in some matter of circumstance or ceremonie and when it is corrupted in the whole substance and body thereof which no man sure in his wits will affirme These men in alleadging this Scripture for the iustiâ—ying of their Separation doe compare and equall first our publike worship of God with the Idolaters of Corinthus their publike worship Secondly those Idolaters with vs. And except there bee a likelihood and equalitie betweene these worships and worshippers this place of holy Scripture they peruert and abuse because otherwise it proueth not their Separation to bee lawfull Let vs therefore see the sweet harmony that is betweene these things and persons Wee in our Churches or Church-assemblies vvorship the true and liuing God and touching the substance according to his word Wee in our Temples haue the Word of God read and as soundly interpreted and â—ightly applyed as either is or euer hath beene in Christendome since the Apostles dayes with great power fruit and efficacie in the hearts of the hearers so as sinners are thereby conuerted from going astray themselues being iudges Wee in our publike assemblies call vpon the liuing God and that onely in the name of Iesus Christ and doe receiue onely the Sacraments which the Lord Iesus hath instituted But the Corinthians in their Temples fell downe before their Idols which vvere representations of their feined gods prayed before them and to a false God and together with their Idols worshipped the Diuell as wee haue heard And as for these Corinthians they were all Heathens and Infidels voide of all knowledge and profession of the true Religion whereas wee all professe the true religion and many of vs through the grace of God walke according to our hoâ—y profession Considering then the great difference and inequalitie betweene vs and them our worship theirs it may very well be nay is lawfull to communicate with vs in diuine worship and yet vtterly vnlawfull to partake with such grosse Idolaters as these Corinthians in their worship And what an absurd kinde of reâ—soning is this We may not ioyne with Heathens and Infidels in their idol-worship and seruice indeede of the Diuell Therefore not with Christians in the worship of the true God corrupted This testimonie of the Apostle proueth only this Antecedent or first part of this reason and the conclusion here is that which in the general you inferre of this Scripture Looke well I beseech you in the feare of God of this consâ—quence and consider of the lightnesse and vanity thereof To alleadge this Scripture or any such like for the proofe of the aforesaid conclusion and the iustifying of your seperation is a very childish part and to no purpose and yet there is not any thing more vsuall with you If you will write and speake as beseemeth but men and to the point in hand shew vs where the Apostle moueth the Christians in Corinthus or elsewhere which were more holy and sincere then the rest to seperate from the other Christians because of some corruptions in the externall worship of God And this may aboundantdantly suffice for answere to this your second testimony of holy Scripture Wherein I haue been the larger because the wise and considerate Reader may from thence receiue an answere to the third place of Scripture here alleadged by you taken forth of the 18. Chapter of the Reuelation where thus S. Iohn speaketh Verse 2.4 And I saw another Angell come downe from heauen and he cryed out mightily with a lowd voice saying it is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great Citie and is become the habitation of Diuels and the hold of all foule spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird 4. And I heard another voice from heauen say Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues Both these Scriptures teach and perswade though by diuers reasons one the same thing that is That wee must separate and goe out from idolaters and not communicate with them in their idolatrous or idol-worship and therfore one and the same answere may serue them both They differ onely in this that the one speaketh of heathen the other of Antichristian Idolatry and idolaters condemning all communion with them in externall worship And heare that which before we haue heard wee must againe remember and not forget That it is one thing when the worship of God is corrupted in the substance and whole body thereof as it is in the better of these worships and another thing when it is corrupted in part as vvith humane ceremonies or ordinances of lesser moment With the former of these kindes of worship we may haue no communion which these two places of holy Scripture doe directly proue but nothing else With the latter kinde of which our worship is vve may lawfully communicate Thus vve see how the principall testimonies vvhich out of the sacred Scriptures the Separatists produce to vvarrant their separation are falsely applyed miserably vvrested and peruerted by them The scope vvith the true sence applyed to a lâ—ke case is a true allegation of Scripture else it is but a wretched abuse thereof as one saith very well Nay you haue so accustomed your selues to sinne in your allegations and quotations of Scripture that oftentimes when you haue the truth in hand and goe about to confirme that by Scripture you are then also faulty herein vvhereof I vvill giue you and the Reader a taste Princip and Infer 12. The meanes say you of saluation are the Word Sacraments Prayers Censures and the ordinances of Christ for the dispensing of them all Rom. 3.2 4.11 Luk. 19.46 Mat. 18.15.17 Act 2.42 1. Cor. 11.23.26 Mat. 28.19 Psal 149 6.9 Who considering these manifold testimonies can otherwise thinke but that this proposition in euery part therof is soundly proued I deny not but acknowledge this to be an vndoubted truth but onely take excâ—ption against your manner of prouing it You are to proue here and pretend to proue first that the word is a meanes of saluation To this end you send vs to Rom. 3.2 Vnto the Iewes were committed the Oracles of God Is not heere a goodly proofe of the aforesaid Proposition Tell me I pray you whether any place in Scripture wherein mention is made of the word of God be not as good a proofe as this produced by you Had you quoted Ioh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life Or 1. Pet. 1.23 Where the word of God is calâ—ed immortall seede Or 1. Cor. 1.28 21. It pleaseth God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue those that beleeue Or any such as thesâ— whereof there be store in the booke of God then had your allegation bâ—en pertinent where now they be friuolous And what meane you to omit these vvitnesses which would speak materially and to purpose and instead of them bring forth such as doe not
say a word for you It argueth that there is not that feare in you of taking Gods Name in vaine and of doing the work of the Lord negligently that should be In like manner you deale in the other parts of this position For whereas you should proue that the Sacraments are a meanes of saluation and the like by prayer and censures you send the Reader to some pla es of scripture where there is mention indeed of a Sacrament of Prayer and of Censures but not a word there to proue them to bee the meanes of saluation Such as these are a l the quotations you haue for proofe of your opinions The way or doore say you whereby both members and officers enter in is Christ that is the way taught by Christ in his word Pag. 13 Ioh. 14.6 10.3.7.9 17 17. Mark 13.34.37 Hereby you intimate that for as much as we walke not in this way nor enter in by this doore members into communion and officers into offices therefore our people are not in communion or bee not members of true visible Churches nor our Ministers Ecclesiasticall Officers but meere priuate That in this way wee walke and enter into the Church and Ministery by this doore it hath touching the former of these beene already made manifest True it is that in neither of these we haue walked or doe with that straight foote we should and that in them wee bewray humane frailtie but such as through the mercy of God in Christ nullifies not our Church and Ministerie no more then Iacobs infirmities in the way hee walked to the blessing hindered him of the blessing Or his faultie entrance into the married estate with Leah made a nullitie in their Matrimonie so as they liued perpetually in adultery And seeing I am fallen into this point of your peruerting and abuse of Scripture and got into this field a large one I confâ—sse and able to tyre a horse I will goe a fewe steppes or pases further therein I take no exception against this position but your proofes thereof In Ioh. 14.6 I am that Way that Trueth and that Life Our Sauiour speaketh of the way to Heauen that by him we must come thither if euer wee will bee there That by him we must haue life eternall else we dye eternally This to be Iesus his meaning we may easily see by the dependance of this verse with the former Christ fortelling his Disciples of his Passion then approaching and of his going to Heauen to prepare a place for them vseth thereupon these wordes And whither I goe yee knowe and the way yee knowe Thomas answers Lord we knowe not whither thou goest how can we knowe the way Iesus replies I am that way meaning that leades to Heauen which is the place whither I goe This is the right sence and meaning of this Scripture For our Sauiour returning a direct answere to Thomas and therefore concerning that way which leadeth to the place whither hee was now going which was Heauen it must needes be that he speaketh of the way to Heauen What meane you now speaking of the way or entrance into the visible Church to coate this Scripture for confirmation thereof In the way Iesus heere speaketh of the Elect onely and the inuisible Church doeth walke for to them alone he is the way In the way you speake of the visible Church the reprobate as well as the Elect doe walke All that walke in the way Iesus speaketh of shall be saued But many of those which tread the way you speake of shall bee damned Christ Iesus then you speake both of diuers societies and of diuers wayes Indeede you speak of a way and heere that word way is vsed Is that enough If I were to prooue that by Christ Iesus as by a doore wee must enter into Heauen and for proofe thereof should alleadge Gen. 6.16 The doore of the Arke thou shalt set in the side thereof Or Gen. 19.6 Then Lot went out at the doore vnto them and shut the doore after him all men would laugh at me Be not offended with me Thus M. Smith deale you M. Iohnson Ainsworth Robinson and Barrow full often in your allegations of Scripture There is nothing more vsuall with all of you then this to vnderstand that of the visible Church which by the holy Ghost is meant and spoken of the inuisible Church or some members thereof Heere is Church and Church but different Churches and Societies members and members but of diuers bodies and therefore the Scriptures concerning one make not at all for the other Your quotation of Ioh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy trueth thy word is trueth is idle and to no purpose Iesus speakes there of his eleuen Apostles as is euident by the verses precedent and subsequent specially by the 20. verse praying for them to his Father that seeing he was now to send them into the world to Preach the Gospell to euery creaâ—ure as hâ—s Father had seâ—t him into the world to performe the worke of redemption as vers 18. that he would indue them with gifts of his Spirit for the discharge of the office of Preaching or of Apostleship This you alleadge to prooue â—hat the way taught by Cbrist in his word is the way or doore whereby members are receiued into the visible Church and Officers into Offices Frame your argument and conclude this proposition from this Scripture and the vanitie of your proofe will appeare Like to this is your last testimonie Mark 13.34.37 And those things that I say vnto you I say vnto all men watch For further proofe of your abuse of Scripture your confirmation of your tenth position in the 71. Page of your Apologie may suffice To prooue that the Sacraments being seales of Gods couenant ought to be administred onely to the faithfull and baptisme to their seede which no Christian man vnderstanding this position aright denies or doubts of you coate aboue 50. testimonies of holy Scripture and that which is worse scarce halfe of them as I verily thinke doe manifestly and directly prooue that for which they are by you alleadged And for a tryall and tast thereof let vs heare one or two of your testimonies in stead of many as Ezek. 13.22 Because with your lies yee haue made the hearts of the righteous sadde whom I haue not made sadde and strengthened the hands of the wicked that hee should not returne from his wicked way by promising him life And Reuel 17.1 Then there came one of the seuen Angels which had the seuen vialls and talked with me saying vnto me come I will shew the damnation of the great whore that sitteth vpon many waters Hereunto adde Prou. 9.1.5 Hos 2.2.4 Ezek. 16.59.60.61.62.63 And 23.41.42 Psal 22.30 with sundry others These men being told of their abuse of Scripture doe vtterly deny it and cast it from them as a very slander But how iustly they are by vs charged therewith and how sinfully they stand out against it and blesse themselues in that which is euill doth partly heere appeare but more fully throughout this whole Treatise FINIS