Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Article 10
The tenth Article of the people who follow the right religion: that is, the Church of God.
10 There is but one Church of God, and the ſame is catholike and ſpread ouer all the world, holding onelyonly the true faith of Chriſt: and it is made viſible and knowne by the profeſsion of the ſame faith: which is in the preaching of the pure word of God, and right adminiſtration of his holy ſacraments.
IN this Article is a double deſcription of Chriſtes Church, firſt in regard of the nature, and ſecond, in regard of the viſible markes. The nature is in three things, vnitie, and vniuerſalitie, and faith: The markes are declared by their profeſſion, which is preaching and adminiſtring the word & ſacraments. By vnitie wee vnderſtand, that God hath not diuers Churches of diuers ſectes, in diuers places or times, but howſoeuer times and places may hauehave ſome externall and temporal differences, yet in all times and places, the people whom God alloweth and accepteth to bee his church, are but one miſticall bodie, wherof Chriſt is the head: and as it were one ſheepfold, wherof Chriſt alone is ſheapheard. And therefore the Church of the fathers before the law, & the Church of the Iewes vnderunder the law, and of the gentiles vnderunder the goſpell, are not three Churches but one, in one felowſhip with God, by one Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt as it is written:aEpheſ. 1.1…. That in the diſpenſation of the fulnes of times, he might gather in one all things both which are in heauen and which are in earth, euen in Chriſt. Then muſt it needs follow, that diſtance and difference of time & place, nation, or language, doth not diſanul this vnitie, ſo long as it may be ſaidaAct. 15.9.: God put no difference between them and vsus after that by faith he had purified their hearts. By vniuerſalitie we vnderſtand that the Church is not tied vntounto any one place perſon, nation, or language, citie or countrie, but as Saint Peter ſaith:bAct. 10.31. In euerie nation hee that feareth God and worketh righteouſneſſe is accepted with him. How be it in the diſpenſation of times, there is ſome difference: for it pleaſed God for the wickedneſſe of the nations, for a time to place his holy oracles & couenantes in that one nation of the Iewes, vntill theſe laſt daies, when Chriſt came and tooke away the partition wall, and opened the kingdome of heauen for all people to enter in, and to bee made one church with the Iewes. Yet although the ſinnes of the gentils did ſhut them out for a ſeaſon: God ſo diſpoſed it that the time of the fathers and Moſes & the prophets do witneſſe that now in the end of the worlde they ſhould bee admitted into the ſame fellowſhip, and no nation barred from being of the Church of God. The laſt point in the nature of the church is the chiefeſt, without which they cannot be the church: for it is Chriſtc1. Pet. 3.18. that bringeth vsus to God. And as S. Paul ſaith,dEphe. 2.18. we both (that is, Iews & gentils) hauehave an entrance to the father by one ſpirit. Therefore this is the true, proper and onelyonly being & nature of the church: That eGal. 3.26.we are all the ſonnes of God by faith in Ieſus Chriſt, & hauehave f1. Ioh. 1.3.fellowſhip one with an other, in the fellowſhip which we hauehave with the father, and with his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt. Now this faith and fellowſhip doth appeare to the world by our profeſſion, & that is commonly ſeene and diſcerned in all conſtituted churches by theſe two marks, Gods word and ſacraments. And this thou mayeſt directly learne in the ſtory of Abraham, firſt for the nature of the church, where God preached the goſpell to him, there he deſcribeth what it ſhould be: Firſt the vniuerſalitie, when he ſaith, all nations or families of the earth: ſecondly the vnitie, whē he propoundeth thē vnited in one ſeed, in one & the ſame happines. And laſtly ſeeing that this ſeed is Chriſt, and this happines is the bleſſed eſtate wee hauehave in the fellowſhip with God, in whoſe preſence as thegPſal. 16.…. pſalme ſaith, is the fulnes of ioy. It muſt needs follow, that God herein taught Abraham, that this ſhould be the nature of his church, To bee in his fauour by fath in Ieſus Chriſt. This verie thing in all theſe three reſpectes, was further ſhewed him,hGen. 17. in the change of his name, & addition of circumciſion, as is plainely expounded by S. Paul in the fourth to the Romanes. Then as touching the marks, Abraham profeſſed the true and liuing God & faith in Ieſus Chriſt: which is teſtifiediGen. 18. & 12. & 15. by teaching his familie the way of the Lord, that is, the word of God & ſacraments, by his altar, circumciſion & ſacrifices: & ſo was Abrahams houſe knowen to be the viſible church of God as it is written:kGen. 20.22. 1 Cor. 14.25. God is with thee in all that thou doeſt. And verily ſuch is the church of England, which hauing bin taught of God as Abraham was, doth alſo beleeue concerning the Church of God in the verie ſame maner: For we ſay, thatlApolog. part. We beleeue that there is one Church of God, and that the ſame is not ſhut vp (as in times paſt among the Iewes) into ſome one corner or kingdome, but that it is catholike and vniuerſall diſperſed through out the whole world. So that there is now no nation which may truely complaine, that they be ſhut out and may not bee one of the church & people of God: and that this Church is the kingdome, the bodie and the ſpouſe of Chriſt, and that Chriſt alone is the prince of this kingdome, and that Chriſt alone is the head of this bodie, and that Chriſt alone is the bridegroome of this ſpouſe. And againe:aArtic. 19. of the church. The viſible church of Chriſt is a congregation of faithfull men, in the which the pure worde of God is preached, and the ſacraments bee duely miniſtred, according to Chriſtes ordinance &c. Which our beliefe (if you marke it) nothing differeth from that of Abrahams time, and is further confirmed by Moſes.
Moſes tought Iſrael this vnitie and fellowſhip of faith in one Church: when hee gaue themb1. Cor. 10.1.2. all one ſpirituall Manna, and made them all drinke of the ſpirituall rocke, which followed them, which rocke was Chriſt, and he taught them that there ſhould be an vniuerſalitie; namely that the gentils ſhould bee of the church as well as they, & together with them, where he ſaith,cDeut. 32.43. Sing ye gentils with his people, Which thedRom. 15.10. Apoſtle doth interprete to meane the calling & ingrafting of all nations, into the ſame fellowſhip of the Church. The markes are cleare in his time. For they had the preaching ofeDeut. 4. verſ. 6. Gods word and nothing els, and the adminiſtration of ſuch ſacraments as God did ordaine for that time, as thefExod. 12. paſſeouer and other ſacrifices: therefore Moſes taught & conſtituted no other church then is before deſcribed.
But the Prophets open this matter more fully in many places, but I wil onelyonly recite that where God ſaith concerning ChriſtgEſai. 49.6.: It is a ſmall thing that thou ſhouldeſt be my ſeruant, to raiſe vp the tribes of Iacob, & to reſtore the deſolations of Iſrael: I wil alſo giuegive thee for a light, that thou mayeſt be my ſaluation vntounto the ende of the world. Where is plaine to be ſeene the vniuerſalitie of the Church, in that all nations are reſtored in and by Chriſt as well as the Iewes, the vnitie and felowſhip with God is plaine in that, one Chriſt ſaueth Iewes and gentils. Wherefore in anohter place it is ſaidhZachar. 13.1: In that day there ſhalbe a fountaine opened to the houſe of Dauid, and to the inhabitants of Hieruſalem, for ſinne and for vncleaneſſe: iCap. 14.8.And in that day ſhal their waters of life go out from Hieruſalem, halfe of them toward the eaſt ſea, and halfe of them toward the vttermoſt ſea, and ſhalbe both in ſommer & winter. And the Lord ſhalbe king ouer all the earth: in that day ſhall there bee one Lord, and his name ſhalbe one. What is this fountaine but Chriſt which is of the houſe of Dauid, and what is the opening of this fountaine and flowing of waters, but the preaching of the goſpell, as the prophets alſo ſay:kEſai. 2.3. The law ſhall go forth of Sion, and the word of the Lord out of Hieruſalem. What is this eaſt and vttermoſt ſea, this one Lord and king of all the earth. But that the Church ſhould be made vniuerſall and one in Chriſt, being of one faith throughout the world. And they note out the viſible markes of the church: firſt the preaching of Gods pure word, where propheſying of the church of the gentils it is ſaidlMicah. 4.2.: Many nations ſhall come and ſay, come and let vsus go vp to the mountaine of the Lord, and to the duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page houſe of the God of Iacob, and hee will teach vsus his waies and we will walke in his pathes, &c. And concerning the ſacraments: Chriſt aMalac. 3.3.ſhall ſit downe to trie and fine the ſiluer, hee ſhall euen fine the ſonnes of Leui, and purifie them as golde and ſiluer, that they may bring offeringes vntounto the Lord in righteouſneſſe &c. Whereby is taught, that where God gathereth his Church by Chriſt, there he placeth his word, and there he teacheth them to worſhip him aright, which as it was by offeringes in the law, ſo it is by ſacraments in the goſpell: therefore by theſe thinges they are to bee diſcerned. For when theſe thinges fayled, and the peoplebEſai. 5 24. Hier. 16.10.11 Hoſ. 8. & 1. & 2. caſt of Gods word, and his ordinaunces in ſacrifices and ſacraments, God caſt them out of his ſight, and out of his grace, as a people without the true markes of Gods church.
In the goſpel this vniuerſality and vnity in the nature of the church is taught, where Chriſt ſaith:cIoh. 10.16. other ſheepe I hauehave alſo which are not of this fold: them alſo muſt I bring, and they ſhall heare my voice: and there ſhalbe one ſhepheard and one fold. Where when he ſaith other ſheepe not of this fold, he ſignifieth that in election and promiſe the gentiles ſhould bee of the Church: this noteth the vniuerſalitie, and when he ſaith hee will bring them and they ſhall heare his voice, he vnderſtandeth their calling, and ingrafting into the ſame church in the ſame vnitie of faith. And laſtly it ſhould be but one, as one folde vnderunder ſhepheard: which he expoundeth where he ſendethdMath. 28.19. his Apoſtles to teach all nations. The end whereof (as the ApoſtleeEph. 3.6. teacheth) is that the gentils ſhold be inheritors alſo, and of the ſame bodie & partakers of his promiſe in Chriſt by the goſpell. For which cauſe it is ſaid.gGal. 3.28. There is neither Iewe nor Grecian, bond nor free, ther is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Ieſus, that is to ſay, there is no exception of countrie, eſtate or ſex, but if they beleeue in Chriſt Ieſus, they are all of the ſame true and catholike church as citizens of the ſame citie, children of the ſame houſe, & ſtones of the ſame building, built vponupon the foundation of the Apoſtles and Prophets, Ieſus Chriſt being the chiefe corner ſtone. The outward markes are ſet vponupon this church thus, when the Apoſtles preached.aAct. 2.41.42. Then they that gladly receiued his worde were baptized, and the ſame day were added to the church about three thouſand ſoules, and they continued in the Apoſtles doctrin and fellowſhip, and breaking of bread and prayers. Where you may ſee, that the doctrine of the Apoſtles, which is the woord of God, and the ſacraments, are markes of ſeperation, to diſcerne the church of Chriſt frō others. Hereof it is, that S. Paul cōmendeth the church of Coloſſe, to hauehave the right badge of gods people, where he ſaid, that in his ſpirit, he ſaw bColoſ. 2.5.there good order & ſtedfaſt faith in Chriſt: for amongſt other things the due adminiſtratiō of the ſacraments, was a good note of their good order, as in the contrary thec1. Cor. 11.17 20.34. Corinthians are reproued: & that the right preaching & profeſſion of Chriſt ſheweth their ſtedfaſt faith, the Romanes, and the Theſſalonians are greatly extolled by this marke, thatdRom. 1.8. 1. Theſſ. 1.8. their faith was publiſhed throughout the whole world, & ſpread abroad in all quarters. And that you may perceiue the vertue of theſe markes, and firſt for the preaching of the pure word of God, harkē what the holy Apoſtle affirmeth, when the miniſters e1. Cor. 14.24.25.propheſie (that is preach) If there come in one, that beleeueth not, or vnlearned, (that is, who neuer knewe the difference of the church of God from others) he is rebuked of all men, he is iudged of all (that is, all the preaching miniſterie, by the pure word of God, do ſhew him his wretched and euill eſtate) and ſo are the ſecrets of his hart made manifest, and ſo hee will fall downe with his face, and worſhippe God, and ſay plainely, that God is in you of a truth. What is all this? but that he diſcerneth by the preaching, that they are a people among whom God dwelleth, that is to ſay the viſible church of God: The like he teacheth vsus of the ſacraments, where he ſaith,f1. Cor. 10.21. You cannot drinke the cup of the Lord, and the cup of the diuels &c. which words manifeſtly teach, that the ſacraments are ſuch a marke, proper to the church, that they which be in the church and partakers therof, muſt ſeperate themſelues from all pollutions of idolatrie and abominations of the heathen and wicked men, and to be knowen to bee of the viſible church of God by the right vſe and celebration of Chriſtes holie miſteries: as it is alſo written,a1. Cor. 11.26. As often as you eat this bread and drinke this cup, ye ſhew the Lords death till he come: When then the true Engliſh Chriſtian ſhall ſee that both in profeſſion and practiſe, the church of England hath the verie nature of of the true church of GOD, and alſo by the true markes, it is viſibly knowen and diſcerned, to be a right member of the vniuerſall bodie of Chriſt: he ſhall hauehave great cauſe to glorifie almightie GOD, that hath vouchſafed him that merciemercy and honor, to be of that fellowſhip, which is with God the father and with his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt agreeing with Abraham, Moſes, the Prophets, and with Chriſt and his Apoſtles.