Two Treatises Against the Papists, Article rebutted 22
The 22. article, although it be very confuse, yet it conteyneth in effect 3. demandes.
1 I aske also whether any man for the space of that 1000. yeres, of blindenes could be saued, out of that secrete and small Church, which they say was the true Church, if they aunswer me, there might be some saued, with our Sacraments, and in the Communion or fellowship of the Papistes out of the Protestants Church, then there was a way to heauen, out of Gods Church: if they say that none could be saued by our Sacraments out of their close Church, then all men yong and old perished for those yeares without any hope of mercy, because they could not vnite them selues, and be incorporate to that company and Congregation, whereof they neuer neither hearde, nor coulde by any meanes surmise. Therefore let any man aliue proue vntounto me that either any man could out of the true Church be saued.
NO man aliue that knoweth what the true Church meaneth, will say, that any man can be saued out of the true Church, for he that is not a member of the body of Christ, cā by no meanes receiue any benefit of Christ to his saluation. Therefore how long so euer the true Church were hidden, whether it were a thousand yeres (as you beare men in hand that we should say) or two thousand yeares it is not materiall, this is certeyne, that out of this Church, none could be saued, and though you count it smal, as in deede in respect of the world, it is but a small flocke, and fewe are elected, and fewe finde the streit gate of life. Luke 12. Matth. 7. & 20. yet is the number of it greater, then mans eye commonly can discerne. As when Elias thought that he only had bene left alone of the true Church: God answered, that he had yet reserued 7000. that neuer bowed their knee to Baal. 1. Reg. 19. And as Esay declareth when the people shoulde be almost all destroyed, yet a remnant should be saued, which though it seemed to be small, yet it should ouerflow and fill all the world with righteousnes, Esa. 10. and though it shal be like a gathering of grapes when vintage is ended, or the shaking of an oliue tree when men thinke they hauehave left no…hing vppon it, yet there be two or three in the toppe amonge the boughes, & foure or fiue vnderunder the leaues in the highest brā ches. Esay. 17. & 24.
2 Or that any other company could be knowne for the true and onelyonly Church but our common Catholike societie.
THe true Catholike Church was neuer so secrete or hidden but it might be knowne of all those that had eyes to see it, whose hartes were lightened with the spirite of God and were enstructed by the worde of God, that they might vnderstande the trueth, and knowe the spouse of Christ from the common strompet of Antichrist.
3 Or that all men were damned for a thousand yeares togither because they coulde not finde, nor surmise of any other Church, then that which practiseth all holy functions, which Christ left for our saluation in the world, and I recant.
WE take not vponupon vsus to medle with God his iudgments, whom he condemneth, & for what causes, further then the word of God teacheth vsus, namely that as many as hauehave not beleued in the onelyonly sonne of God, are condemned for their vnbeliefe, other secret causes we remit to his secrete counsell and knowledge. And wheras you say that the popish church practiseth all holy functions that Christ left for the saluation of his Church, it is most false: for first you doe not preach remission of sinnes in the bloode of Christ onelyonly, for either you preach not all, or else you preach remission of sinnes in any thing, rather then the onelyonly merites of Christ, as in mens owne merites, workes of supererogation, pardons, masses, beggarly ceremonies, as holy water, auriculer confession &c. Secondly, you minister not the Sacraments purely according to Christ his institution, but either corrupt and defile them with mans traditiōs, as you do Baptisme, or else cleane chaūge the vse of them, as in the Lordes Supper, which you make a Sacrifice, an idoll, a Priestes breakfast, and defraude the people of the one halfe of the sacrament, as though you were wiser then he, that instituted it in both kindes. Thirdly, discipline you hauehave conuerted into tyranny and couetousnes, reteyning nothing but the name of it alone: Wherefore seeing you exercise no holy function after Christ his institution, but cleane contrary to the same, and doe obstinately defend the filthy whore of babylon against the cleare light of the Gospell, & the true spouse of Christ, ye shall be damned except you recant.