A Golden Chain, Text 1 (12 of 13)

A Golden Chain · Text 1 (12 of 13)

p. 476The vses which respects our liues and conuersations are manifold. First, seeing God hath elected some to saluation, & hath also laid downe the meanes in his holy word wherby we may come to the knowledge of our particular election, we must therfore as Saint Peter counselleth vsus,…. Pet. ….10. giuegive all diligence to make our election sure. In the world men are carefull and painefull ynough to make assurance of landes and goods to themselues and to their posteritie: what a shame is it then for vsus, that we should be slacke in making sure to our selues the election of God, which is more worth then all the world beside? and if we shall continue to be slacke herein, the leases of our lands and houses and all other temporall assurances shall be bills of accusation against vsus at the day of iudgement to condemne vsus. Secondly, by this doctrine we are taught to liue godly and righteously in this present world; because all those whome God hath chosen to saluation, he hath also appointed to liue in newnesse of life, as Saint Paul saith,Eph. 1.4.Eph 1:4 God hath chosen vsus in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him. And againe,Eph. 2.10Eph 2:10 We are created in Christ Iesus vntounto good workes, which God hath ordained that we should walke in them. And,2 Thes. 2.13.2 Thess 2:13 God hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth. The Elect are vessells of honour: Rom. 9. 2 Tim. 2.21.Rom 92 Tim 2:21and therefore all those that will be of the number of the Elect, must carrie themselues as vessells of honour. For so long as they lie in their sinnes they be like vessells of dishonour, imploying themselues to the most base seruice that can be, euen to the seruice of the deuill. The sunne was ordained to shine in the day, and the moone in the night, and that order they keepe; yea eueryevery creature in his kinde obserueth the course appointed vntounto it by creation, as the grasse to grow, and trees to bring forth fruit: now the elect were ordained to this ende to lead a godly life; and therefore if we would either perswade our selues or the world, that we are indeede chosen to saluation, we must be plentifull in all good workes, and make conscience of eueryevery euill way: and to doe otherwise, is as much as to chaunge the order of nature, and as if the sunne should cease to shine by p. 477day and the moone by night. Thirdly, when God shall send vponupon any of vsus in this world crosses and afflictions, either in bodie or in minde, or any way else (as this life is the vaile of miserie and teares, and iudgement must beginne at Gods house) we must learne to beare them with all submission and contentation of minde. For whome God knew before,Rom. 8.29.Rom 8:29 them he hath predestinate to be made like vntounto his sonne. But wherein is this likenes? Paul saith,…hil 3.10. in the fellowship of his afflictions, and in a conformitie to his death. And the consideration of this, that afflictions were ordained for vsus in the eternall predestination of God, must comfort our hearts, and restraine our impatience so oft as we shall goe vnderunder the burden of them. Hence againe we learne, that they which perswade themselues that they are in the fauour of God, because they liue at ease in wealth and prosperitie, are farre deceiued. For Saint Paul saith,Rom. 9 22.Rom 9:22 God suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared to destruction, to make knowne his power and to shew forth his wrath on them. This beeing so, no man then by outward blessings ought to plead that he hath the louelove of God. Sheepe that goe in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughterhouse then those which are kept vponupon the bare common: and they which are pampered with the wealth of this world, sooner forsake God, and therefore are sooner forsaken of God, then others. Salomon saith, No man knoweth louelove or hatred, Eccles. 9.…Eccl 9that is, by outward things: for all things come alike to all: the same condition is to the iust and to the vniust, to the wicked and good, to the pure and polluted. Lastly, it may be an offence vntounto vsus, when we consider that the doctrine of the Gospel is either not knowne, or else despised and persecuted of the whole world; but we must stay our selues with this consideratiō, that nothing comes to passe by chance; that God knowes who are his; and that there must be some in the world, on whome God hath in his eternall counsell purposed to manifest his power and iustice. Againe, Ministers of the Gospel may be discouraged, when after long preaching they see little or no fruit of their labours: the people whome they teach remaining as blind, impenitent, and vnreformed as euer they were. But they must also consider, that it is the purpose of God to choose some to saluation and to refuse others: and that of the first, some are called sooner some later, and that the second beeing left to themselues neuer come to repentance. To this Paul had regard when he said, If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that perish. And againe, We are vntounto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish.

Hitherto I hauehave deliuered the truth of this weightie point of religion, which also is the doctrine of the church of England: now it followeth that we should consider the falshoode. Sundrie Diuines hauehave deuised, and in their writings published a new frame or platforme of the doctrine of Predestination: the effect whereof is this. The nature of God (say they) is infinite louelove, goodnesse, and merciemercy it selfe: and therefore he propounds vntounto himselfe an ende answerable thereunto, and that is the communication of his louelove and goodnesse vntounto all his creatures. Now for the accomplishing of this supreame and absolute ende, he did foure things. First he decreed to create man righteous in his owne image: secondly, he foresaw the fall of man after his creation, yet so, as he neither willed nor decreed it; thirdly, he decreed the vniuersall p. 474Redemption of all and eueryevery man effectually by Christ, so be it they will beleeue in him: fourthly, he decreed to call all and eueryevery man effectually, so as if they will, they may be saued. This beeing done, he in his eternall counsel foreseeing who would beleeue in Christ, did thereupon elect them to eternall saluation: and againe foreseeing who would not beleeue but contemne grace offered, did thereupon also decree to reiect them to eternall damnation.

This platforme howsoeuer it may seeme plausible to reason, yet indeed it is nothing els but a Deuise of mans braine: as will appeare by sundrie defects & errours that be in it. For first whereas it is auouched that Adams fall came by the bare prescience of God,Act. 2.23.Acts 2:23 without any decree or will of his, it is a flat vntruth. The putting of Christ to death was as great a sinne as the fall of Adam; nay in some respects greater. Now that came to passe not onelyonly by the foreknowledge of God, but also by his determinate counsell. And therefore as the Church of Ierusalem saith, Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done: Act. 4.28.Acts 4:28so may we say, that Adam in his fall did nothing but that which the hand of God and his counsell had determined before to be done. And considering the will of God extends it selfe to the least things that are, euen to sparrowes; whereof none doe light vponupon the ground without our heauenly father, how can a man in reason imagine that the fall of one of the most principall creatures that are, shall fall out altogether without the will and decree of God. And there can be nothing more absurd then to seuer the foreknowledge of God from his counsel or decree. For by this meanes, things shall come to passe God aaNolente, nesciente, non curante.nilling, or not knowing, or not regarding them. Now if any thing come to passe God nilling it, then that is done which God would not hauehave done; and to say so, is to bereaue him of his omnipotencie. And if we shall say that things fall out, God not knowing of them; we make him to be imprudent, and denie his omniscience: lastly, if we shall say that a thing is done, God not regarding it; we bring in an idol of our owne braines, and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures. But it is obiected to the contrarie, that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam, then he was the author of sinne: which once to say, is blasphemie. Ans. The argument followes not.Volendo velle. There be three actions in the will of God; one whereby he doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it: and of all such things God himselfe is the author. The second is,22Nolendo nolle, or, penitus nolle. wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing: and all things thus nilled, can not possibly come to passe, or hauehave the least beeing in nature. There is also a third action which comes as a meane betweene the two former,33Remissè & velle & nolle, or, nolendo velle. which is remissely or in part both to nill and will a thing; wherby though God approoue not euill as it is euill, and therefore doth it not: yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others, or the being of it; because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of euill, it is good that there should be euill. And on this manner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam: and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man, though he decreed the fall, yet shall he be free from the blame thereof, which lies wholly vponupon the doer; these two caueats alwaies remembred: first that God by his will did not constraine or force the will of Adam to sinne, or infuse into it any corruption; and that p. 475therefore he sinned willingly and freely, onelyonly by theaaDecretum Dei non tollit libertatem voluntatis sed ordinat. necessitie of immutabilitie, and not by the necessitie of coaction: secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthie ende, which was, to lay downe a way tending to the manifestation both of iustice and merciemercy. Againe, it is alleadged that if God willed Adams fall, then his will is flat contrarie to it selfe, because he wills that which he had by expresse commandement forbidden. Answ. Indeede if God should both will and forbid one and the same thing, in one and the same respect, there should be a contradiction in Gods will: but that God doth not. He forbad Adams fall, as it was sinne: for so in eueryevery commandement sinne as it is sinne is condemned and punished: and yet because it was in a new respect, a meanes of manifesting his glorie, who is able to bring light out of darknesse; therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it. Incest as it is sinne, it is condemned in the seuenth commandement, and punished with death: yet as incest was a punishment of Dauids adulterie, God is said to take his wiues and to giuegive them to his sonne Absolom.2. Sam. 12.1….2 Sam 12:1

Some againe, as it appeares by their writings, feare to ascribe vntounto God so much as a permission of Adams fall: but no doubt they are deceiued. For if these rules be true; that God is omnipotent: that he works all things that are by the counsell of his will, and gouernes them: that he hath care and regard ouer man: that nothing is hid from him: that he is vnchangeable, there must needes be permission of euill. If the deuill could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christs permission,Mark. 5.1….Mark 5:1 shall we thinke that he could compasse the fall and ouerthrow of man, without a permission? Indeede to permit, is not to hinder euill when one may; and with men it is a fault, but not with God, because he is not bound to hinder the euill which he permits.

The second fault is, that they make the Prescience of mans faith and vnbeleefe, to be the bbor, as some speake…, a rule according to which he ordereth his decree.impulsiue cause of Gods decree. For they say that God eternally decrees to saue or refuse men, because he did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue. But indeede it is a manifest vntruth. Among the causes of all things that are, there is an order set downe by God himselfe, in which order some causes are highest some lowest, some in the midst. Now the highest cause of all is that, which ouerrules all and is ouerruled of none: and that is Gods will, beyond which there can be no higher cause: for God is placed aboue all, and subiect to none. And this very will of his is the cause of all things that hauehave beeing: for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth, and then afterward is willed of God; but first of all God wills a thing, and then afterward it comes to hauehave a beeing. Now to say that foreseene faith or vnbeleefe are the moouing causes whereby God was induced to ordaine men either to saluation or to iust damnation, is to vndoe this diuine order of causes, and to displace the linkes; in that Gods will is made a secondarie or middle cause subordinate to other causes placed aboue it: yea this is to make the will of God to depend vponupon the qualitie and condition of the creature, whereas contrariwise all things depend vponupon Gods will. Againe,Eph. 1.….Eph 1 Paul saith that God hath opened the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed to himselfe: whereby he makes a distinction betweene the creature and the Creatour. Men, when they purpose the doing of any p. 476thing, borrow reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselues from th… things to be done; because mans bare will is no sufficient cause to warrant the doing of this or that, in this or that manner, vnlesse there be iust reason. But Gods will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousnesse, and a thing is good, so farre forth as God wills it. Therefore there is no cause, why he should goe forth of himselfe for externall inducements and reasons of his eternall counsell: his very will in himselfe is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees. And hereupon Paul saith, that Gods purpose was in himselfe, to shew that there is no dependance of his will vponupon the creature, and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees he had no reference or respectiue consideration of the qualities and workes of men. Thirdly by this doctrine, there is fastened vponupon God want of wisdome, who is wisdome it selfe: and that is very absurd. A simple man that hath in him but a sparke of the wisdome of God, first of all intends with himselfe the ende and euent of the businesse to be done, and then afterward the means whereby the ende is accomplished: but in this platforme God is brought in, in the first place to foresee and consider with himselfe the meanes which tende to the ende, namely faith and vnbeleefe of men, and then afterward to determine with himselfe what shall be the ende and finall condition of eueryevery man either in life or death: as if a man should purpose with himselfe to build an house without any consideration of the ende why; and afterward conceiue with himselfe the particular vses to which he will applie it. Fourthly hence it followeth, that faith shall not onelyonly be an instrument, but also an efficient cause in the acte of iustification of a sinner before God. For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused; but foreseene faith is an impulsiue cause whereby God was mooued to choose some men to saluation (as it is saide:) and therefore it is not onelyonly an instrument to apprehend Christs righteousnesse, but also a cause or meanes to mooue God to iustifie a sinner; because iustification proceedes of Election which comes of foreseene faith: now this is erroneous by the doctrine of all Churches, vnlesse they be Popish. Fifthly, this doctrine takes it for graunted, that all both young and olde, euen Infants that die in their infancie, hauehave knowledge of the Gospell, because both faith and vnbeleefe in Christ presuppose knowledge of our saluation by him: considering that neither ordinarily, nor extraordinarily men beleeue or contemne the thing vnknowne. But how false this is, euen common experience doth shew. Lastly, this platforme quite ouerthrowes it selfe. For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam, are effectually both redeemed and called, the difference betweene man and man, standes not in beleeuing or not beleeuing, for all hauehave power to beleeue: but in this properly, that some are confirmed in faith, some are not. Now when all without exception are indued with grace sufficient to saluation, I demaund why some men are confirmed in grace, and others not confirmed; as also of Angels, some were confirmed and stand, and some not confirmed, fell? No other reason can be rendered but the will of God. And to this must all come, striue as long as they will, that of men beeing in one and the same estate some are saued, some iustly forsaken, because God would. Againe, as the foreseeing of …aith doth presuppose Gods giui…g of faith, vnlesse men will say it is naturall: p. 477so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone, doth presuppose the giuing of faith to some men alone. But why doth not God conferre the grace of constant faith to all? no other reason can be rendered, but because he will not. Thus then those men whose faith was foreseene, are saued, not because their faith was foreseene, but because God would.

The third fault is, that they ascribe vntounto God a conditionall Purpose or counsell, whereby he decrees that all men shall be saued, so be it they will beleeue. For it is eueryevery way as much against common sense, as if it had bin saide, that God decreed nothing at all concerning man. A conditionall sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally, and therefore vncertenly: and when we speake of God, to determine vncertenly, is as much as if he had determined nothing at all, specially when the thing determined is in the power of mans wil, and in respect of God, the decree may come to passe or not come to passe. Men, if they might alwaies hauehave their choise, desire to determine of all their affaires simply without condition: and when they doe otherwise it is either because they know not the euent of things, or because things to be don are not in their power. No reason therefore that we should burden God with that, whereof we would disburden our selues. Againe, the maiestie of God is disgraced in this kind of decree. God for his part would hauehave all men to be saued: why then are they not? men will not keepe the condition and beleeue. This is flat to hang Gods will vponupon mans will, to make eueryevery man an Emperour, and God his vnderling, and to change the order of nature by subordinating Gods will which is the first cause to the will of man, which is the second cause: whereas by the very law of nature, the first cause should order and dispose the second cause. But for the iustifying of a conditionall decree it is alleadged, that there is no eternall and hidden decree of God beside the Gospel, which is Gods predestination reuealed. Ans. It is an vntruth. There be two wills in God,aaquid vult sié…i de nobis, r, in nobi…. one whereby he determineth what he will doe vntounto vsus or in vsus: the other, bbquid vult s… ri á no…is.whereby he determineth what we shall doe to him: Now Predestination is the first: whereupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessing of God, whereby they are deliuered which are deliuered, and the Gospel is the second. Againe, Predestination determines who they are, and how many which are to be saued, and hereupon Christ saith,Ioh. 13.18.John 13:18 I know whom I hauehave chosen: but the Gospel rather determines what kind of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saued. Lastly, Predestination is Gods decree it selfe: and the Gospel is an outward meanes of the execution of it: and therefore though the Gospel be propounded with a condition… yet the decree of God it selfe, may be simple and absolute.

The fourth defect, is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace, a…pertaining to all and eueryevery man: which may be fitly tearmed the Schoole of vniuersall Atheisme. For it pulls downe the pale of the Church, and laies it wast as eueryevery common field: it breeds a carelesnes in the vse of the means of grace, the word and Sacraments; when as men shall be perswaded that grace shal be offered to eueryevery one effectually, whether he be of the Church or not, at one time or other, wheresoeuer or howsoeuer he liue: as in the like case, if mē should be told that whether they liue in the market towne or no, there shall be sufficient prouision p. 478brought them, if they will but receiue it and accept of it, who would then come to the market?

Vniuersall grace hath three parts. Vniuersall Election: vniuersall Redemption: vniuersall Vocation. Vniuersall Election of all and eueryevery man, is a witlesse conceit: for if men vniuersally be appointed to grace without exception, then there is no electing or choosing of some out of mankind to grace: and if some alone be appointed to grace, as it must needes be in election, then is not grace vniuersall. And it is flat against the word of God. For Christ auoucheth plainely that fewer be chosen then called,Math. 2….14.Matt 2:14 and (as afterward we shall see) all are not called.Ioh. 17.2,11, 24.John 17:2John 17:11John 17:24 And he further saith, that all which are giuen vntounto him shall be one with him and hauehave life euerlasting: but all men shall not be one with him and hauehave life euerlasting: and therefore all men are not giuen to Christ of the father, that is, ordained to saluation. And the Scripture saith, that all mens names are not written in the booke of life:Apoc. 17.4. and 20.22. Math. 25.…4.Rev 17:4Rev 20:22Matt 25:4 and that the kingdome of heauen was not prepared for all. And whereas men build this their vniuersall election vponupon the largenesse of the promise of the Gospel: vponupon the like ground they might as well make an vniuersall decree of Reprobation, whereby God decrees all men to be damned indefinitely vponupon this condition, if they doe not beleeue. Now if vniuersall Reprobation be absurd, as it is indeede; then vniuersall Election of all and eueryevery man must take part therewith.

As for the vniuersall Redemption of all and eueryevery man, it is no better then a forgerie of mans braine. There shall be many in the day of iudgement of whome Christ shall say, that he neuer knew them. Againe he saith,Math. 7.23. Iob. ….36.Matt 7:23 He which beleeueth not is alreadie iudged, and the wrath of God abides vponupon him. But if all were effectually redeemed, & onelyonly condemned for not beleeuing in Christ, it should hauehave beene saide that they are alreadie iudged, and that the wrath of God not abides but returnes vponupon them. Iob. 17.9.Job 17:9Christ makes no intercession for the world: and therefore his redemption is not effectuall to all men. For the intercession is the meanes of applying the satisfaction. If it be saide that by the world is meant onelyonly contemners of grace, it appeares to be otherwise in that Christ opposeth the world to them which are the fathers, and are giuen to Christ by him: thereby signifying that by the world he meanes all such as are not the fathers, and were neuer giuen to Christ. And he laies downe his life for his sheepe: Ioh. 10.27.John 10:27now the sheepe hauehave all these brands or marks; they heare his voice, they know him, they follow him, they shall not perish, none shall pluck them out of Christs hands: and these are onelyonly such of whom Paul saith; Who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect: it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne? And if this should be true,Rom. 8.33.Rom 8:33 that Christ was crucified and died no lesse to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the damned, then for the sinnes of Peter and Paul and the rest of the Saints, it followes necessarily that all their sinnes are forgiuen: considering that remission of sinne depends inseparably vponupon satisfaction made to Gods iustice for sinne: and satisfaction doth necessarily abolish all fault. We graunt that Christs death is sufficient to saue many thousand worlds: we graunt againe it is eueryevery way most effectuall in it selfe: but that it is effectuall in, or vntounto the person of eueryevery man, that we denie. For if it were thus effectual, then it should be applied to the person of eueryevery man, as to Cain, Iudas, Nero, Heliogabalus, p. 479&c. euen as the plaister is laid to the sore: beeing applied, Christs righteousnes should be imputed for the iustification and sanctification of all and eueryevery mā: and thus some iustified before God and sanctified should after goe to hell and be damned, whereas Dauid, neuer so much as dreaming of this diuinitie saith, that they are blessed which hauehave the pardon of their sinnes:…sal. 32.…. Rom. 5.1.Rom 5:1 and Paul, that they which are iustified hauehave peace with God. But let vsus heare what reasons may be alleadged to the Vniuersalitie of redemption: I. Ezechiel 33. v. 11. As I liue saith the Lord, I will not the death of the wicked: but, that the wicked returne from his wicked way. Answ. The place is to be vnderstood not simply but in respect; of the twaine God rather wils the repentance of the sinner then his death. Againe, he wills not death as it is the destruction of his creature; and so this place may be vnderstood: yet neuertheles he wills the same as it is a means of manifestation of his iustice: and therefore the prophet Esai saith,Isai 45.7.Isa 45:7 that God createth euill. II. 1. Tim. 2. God would hauehave all men to be saued and come to the acknowledgement of the truth. Ans. The place is meant not of the persons of all particular men, but of the orders and kinds of men. For in the first verse Paul exhorted Timothie that praier should be made for all men: and in the second verse opening his owne meaning, he addeth these wordes, for kings and all that be in authoritie: as though he should say, wee must pray not onelyonly for priuate men and for the common people, but also for publike persons, though they persecute the Gospell. But why? because in that very order God hath his elect which shall be saued. And on this manner Paul expounds himselfe elsewhere. There is neither Iewe nor Grecian: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ. Gal. 5.27.Gal 5:27III. Rom. 11. v. 32. God hath shut vp all in vnbeleefe that he might hauehave mercy on all. Ans. The word all, must be vnderstood of all that are to be saued, both of Iewes and Gentiles, as the article added to all importeth,foreign and the meaning is, that God will saue all whome hee purposeth to saue of his mercy, and not of their merit, because al are sinners as well Iewes as Gentiles: thus Paul expoundes himselfe, Galat. 3.22. The scripture hath concluded all vnderunder sinne, that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue. And if wee should expound the worde all, for eueryevery particular man, as some would hauehave it, Paul must contradict himselfe, who said before that God would hauehave merciemercy on whome hee will hauehave mercy, and whome he will he hardeneth, and in this very chapter his drift is to prooue the reiection of the Iewes, and the calling of the Gentiles. IV. Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onelyonly begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but hauehave euerlasting life: and Ioh. 6.…1. I will giuegive my flesh for the life of the world. Answ. By world, wee must not vnderstand eueryevery particular man in the worlde, but the Elect among the Iewes and Gentiles: for in both these places Christ doth ouerthwart the conceit of the Iewes, which thought that they alone were loued of God, and not the Gentiles. And howe this word is to be vnderstood in the newe testament, Paul doeth fully declare. Rom. 11. v. 12. If (saith he) the fall of them, that is, the Iewes, be the riches of the worlde, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, &c. and v. 15. If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the worlde, what shall the receiuing be but life from the dead. Where by the worlde, hee vndestandes p. 480the bodie of the Gentiles in the last age of the world. And thus he fully declares his owne meaning, when he saith to the Corinthians,2. Cor. 5.18.2 Cor 5:18 God was in Christ reconciling the world vntounto himselfe. V. Rom. 14. v. 15. Destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ dyed. 2. Pet. 2.1. Denying the Lord that bought them, and bring vponupon themselues swift damnation. Therefore Christ died for them also which are condemned. Answ. The reason is not good. For in these and such like places the scripture speakes of men, not as they are indeede before God, but as they are in appearance and profession, and as they are in the acceptation with men. For so long as a man holdes and imbraces the Christian faith, so long in the iudgement of charitie wee must esteeme him to be one that is redeemed by Christ, though indeede he be not. And this is the meaning of Peter when he saith, that false prophets denie the Lord that bought them. IV. In the preaching of the gospell grace is freely offered not onelyonly to the Elect, but to all men indifferently: and God in offering grace deludes no man: and therefore Christs death appertaines and belongs to all men indifferently. Answer. The preaching of the Gospell is an ordinance of God appointed for the gathering togither and the accomplishment of the number of the elect: and therefore in the ministerie of the word, grace and saluation is offered principally and directly to the elect;, and onelyonly by consequent to them which are ordained to iust damnation: because they are mingled with the elect in the same societies: and because the ministers of God, not knowing his secret counsell, in charitie thinke all to be elect. And though God in offering grace doe not conferre it to all, yet is there no delusion. For the offering of grace doth not onelyonly serue for the conuersion of a sinner, but also to be an occasion by mens fault of blinding the minde and hardening the heart, and of taking away excuse in the day of iudgement.

To conclude this point; Vniuersall redemption of all men, we graunt: the Scripture saith so: and there is an vniuersalitie among the elect and beleeuers: but vniuersall Redemption of all and eueryevery man as well the damned as the elect and that effectually, wee renounce as hauing neither footing in the scripture, nor in the writings of any ancient and orthodoxe diuine, for many hundred yeares after Christ, his wordes not depraued and mistaken.

As for Vniuersall vocation, it is of the same kinde with the former… because it is slatte against the word of God in which is fully set downe a distinction of the whole world from the creation to the daies of Christ, into two parts: one, the people of God beeing receiued into the couenant: the other, (beeing the greatest part of the worlde) No-people, and forth of the couenant. From the beginning of the world to the giuing of the lawe, the Church was shut vp in the families of the Patriarches: and the couenant in the verie familie of Abraham was restrained to Isaak:Gen. 6.Gen 6 and the members of these families, for this cause, were called the sonnes of God: the rest of the world beside being tearmed as they were indeede, the sonnes of men. From the giuing of the lawe til Christ, the nation of the Iewes was the Church of God, and the rest of the world beside, no people of God.…sa 4….9. Ose. 2.23. & 1 10. …a…h. ….11. Act. 14.16. …. 2.13.Hos 2:23Hos 1:10Acts 14:16Acts 14:2Acts 14:13 And therefore Esai calls them prisoners and them that are in darkenesse: and Ose, Such as are without merciemercy and no people: and Zacharie, Such as are not ioyned to the Lord: and Paul. Such as are set to walke in their owne waies, being without God and without Christ in the world. And this distinction p. 481betweene Iewe and Gentile stood till the very ascension of Christ. And hereupon when he was to send his disciples to preach,Mat. 10.6.7.Matt 10:6Matt 10:7 hee charged them not to goe into the way of the Gentiles; and not to enter into the cities of the Samaritanes, but rather to goe to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel: and when the woman of Canaan made request for her daughter, he gaue a deniall at the first vponupon this distinction, saying,Mat. 15.22.Matt 15:22 It is not meete to take the childrens bread and giuegive it vntounto dogges: and againe, I am not sent but vntounto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel. It wil be said, that this distinction arose of this, that the Gentiles at the first fell away from the couenant, & contemned the Messias. It is true indeede of the first heades of the Gentiles the sonnes of Noe: but of their posteritie it is false, which in times following did not so much as heare of the couenant, and the Messias. The Prophet Esai saith of Christ,Esai 55.5.Isa 55:5 A nation that knewe not thee, shall runne vntounto thee. And Paul speaking to the Athenians saith,Act. 17.30.Acts 17:30 that the times of this their ignorance God regarded not: but now admonisheth all men eueryevery where to repent: and to the Romanes he saith, that the mysterie touching Christ and his benefits was kept secret since the worlde began,Rom 16.26. 1. Tim. 3.16.Rom 16:261 Tim 3:16 and nowe opened and published among all nations. And if the Gentiles had but knowne of the Messias, why did not their Poets and Philosophers who in their writings notoriously abuse the Iewes with sundrie aaApella, Verpus, Recutitus, Sabbatarius, Cultur….nickenames, at the least signifie the contempt of the Redeemer. Wherefore to holde, and much more to auouch by writing, that all and eueryevery one of the heathen were called, it is most absurde: and if it were so, the Caniballs and the sauadge nations of America should hauehave knowne Christ without preaching which by the histories of the discouerie of those countries, is knowne to be false.

Againe, if the: Vocation of eueryevery man bee effectuall, then faith must bee common to all men either by nature or by grace, or both: now to say the first, namely that the power of beleeuing is common to all by nature, is the heresie of the Pelagians, and to say it is common to all grace, is false.2. Thess. 3.1.2 Thess 3:1 All men hauehave not faith, saith Paul: nay many to whome the Gospell is preached, doe not so much as vnderstand it and giuegive assent vntounto it;2. Cor. 4.4.2 Cor 4:4 Satan blinding their mindes that the light of the glorious gospell of Christ should not shine vntounto them: and to saie that faith is partly by nature & partly by grace, is the condēned heresie of the semi-Pelagian:2. Cor. 3.5.2 Cor 3:5 for we can not so much as thinke a good thought of our selues.

The last defect in the platforme is, that they ascribe vntounto God a wrong end of his counsels: namely the communication of merciemercy or goodnesse in eternal happines. For the absolute and soueraigne ende of all Gods doings must bee answerable to his nature, which is not merciemercy and louelove alone, but also iustice it selfe: and therefore the right ende is the manifestation of his glorie both in iustice and merciemercy by the expresse testimonie of scripture. Againe, if the communication of his goodnes were the highest end of all his counsells, all men without exception should be saued, because God can not be frustrated of his end and purposed: & if but one man be damned, he is damned; either because God will not saue him, or because he can not. If they say he will not, then is he changeable; if he can not, then is he not omnipotent, considering his purpose was to conuey happinesse to all creatures.

Thus much of the efficient cause of the Church, namely Gods predestination: p. 482which doctrine could not here bee omitted considering no man can beleeue himselfe to be a member of the Church, vnlesse withall hee beleeue that he is predestinate to life euerlasting. Nowe wee come to the second point, namely the Mysticall vnion, which is the very forme of the Church, whereby all that beleeue are made one with Christ. Ga…. ….28.To the causing of this vnion two things are required, a Donation or giuing of Christ vntounto that man, which is to bee made one with him: and a Coniunction betweene them both. Of the first, the Prophet Esai saith,…sa…. 9.16. Rom. 8.31.Rom 8:31 VntoUnto vsus a child is borne, and vntounto vsus a sonne is giuen: and Paul, Who spared not his owne sonne, but gaue him for vsus all: how shall he not with him giuegive vsus all things also? And touching it sundrie points must be considered. The first is, what is meant by this giuing? Ans. It is an action or worke of God the Father by the holy ghost, whereby Christ as redeemer in the appointed time is really communicated to al ordained to saluation in such manner, that they may truely say, that Christ himselfe withall his benefits is theirs, both in respect of right thereto, and in respect of all fruit redounding thence, and that as truely as any man may say that house and land giuen him of his ancetours is his owne both to possesse and to vse.

The second point is, what is the very thing giuen? Answ. Whole Christ God and man is giuen, because his humanitie without his godhead, or the godhead without the humanitie doth not reconcile vsus to God. Yet in this giuing there must be a diuers consideration had of the two natures of Christ… for the communication of the godhead is merely energeticall, that is, onelyonly in respect of operation; in that it doth make the manhood personally vnited vntounto it to be propitiatorie for our sinnes and meritorious of life eternall. And to auouch any communication of the godhead in respect of essence, were to bring in the heresie of the Maniches, and to maintaine a composition and a commixtion of our natures with the nature of God. Againe, in the manhood of Christ wee must distinguish betweene the subiect it selfe, the substance of body and soule, and the blessings in the subiect which tend to our saluation. And the communication of the aforsaid manhood is in respect of both, without separation: for no man can receiue sauing vertue from Christ, vnlesse first of all he receiue Christ himselfe, as no man can hauehave the treasure hid in the fielde, vnlesse first of all he hauehave the fielde: and no man can be nourished by meate and drinke vnlesse first of all he receiue the substance of both.Ioh 6.53 54.John 6:53 And this is the cause why not onelyonly in the preaching of the worde but also in the institution of the Lords supper, expresse mention is made, not onelyonly of Christs merit, but also of his verie bodie and blood, whereby the whole humanitie is signified, as appeares by that place where it is said,Ioh. 1.14.John 1:14 that the Word was made flesh. And though the flesh of it selfe profit nothing as S. Iohn saith, yet as it is ioyned to the godhead of the sonne and doth subsist in his person, it receiueth thence quickening vertue, to reuiue and renue all those to whome it shall be giuen. Lastly, among the blessings that are stored vp in the manhood of Christ for our saluation, some are giuen vntounto vsus by imputation, as when wee are iustified by the righteousnesse indeede inherent in his manhoode, but imputed vntounto vsus: some by infusion, as when holinesse is wrought in our heartes by the spirit, as a fruite of that holinesse which is p. 483in the manhood of Christ, and deriued from it, as the light of one candle from another.

The third point is, in what manner Christ is giuen vntounto vsus. Ans. God the father giueth Christ vntounto his Church not in any earthly or bodily manner, as when a king bestoweth a gift with his owne hand, and putteth it into the hand of his subiect: but the manner is altogether celestiall and spirituall: partly because it is brought to passe by the meere diuine operation of the holy Ghost: & partly because in respect of vsus, this gift is receiued by an instrument which is supernaturall, namely, faith, whereby we lay hold on, and applie vntounto our selues the Euangelicall promises. And this manner of giuing may be conceiued thus. A man that neuer stirred foote out of England holds and enioyes land in Turkie: but how comes it to be his? Thus: the Emperour was willing and content to bestow it; and the man for his part as willing to accept and receiue it: and by this meanes that which at the first was the Emperours, by mutuall consent becomes the mans. In the same manner God the Father hath made an Euangelicall couenant with his Church: in which of his merciemercy he hath made a graunt of his owne sonne vntounto vsus, with righteousnesse and life euerlasting in him: and we againe by his grace accept of this graunt and receiue the same by faith: & thus by mutuall consent according to the tenour of the couenant, any repentant sinner may truly say, though I now hauehave mine aboad vponupon earth, and Christ in respect of his manhood be locally in heauen; yet is he truly mine to hauehave and to enioy, his bodie is mine, his blood is mine. As for the giuing & receiuing of the bodie & blood of Christ in bodily manner (which the Papists maintaine in auouching the reall transubstantiation of bread and wine in the sacrament into the bodie and blood of Christ, and the Lutherans also in teaching that his bodie and blood is substantially either in, or with, or vnderunder the bread and wine) is an erroneous conceit flat opposite to sundrie points of the Cbristian faith. For Christ to this very houre retaineth still the essence and essentiall properties of a true bodie, and we beleeue that really and visibly he ascended into heauen, and there abides till his second comming to the last iudgement: who then hauing but common reason would imagine a communication of the bodie of Christ pent vp in the element of bread, and conueyed into our bodies by the mouth and stomacke.

The third point is, whether we are not lords of Christ, he being thus giuen vntounto vsus. Ans. No: for this donation is not single but mutuall. As Christ is giuen to vsus, so we againe are giuen to Christ, as he himselfe saith,Ioh. 17.2.John 17:2 Those whome thou hast giuen me, Father, I hauehave kept. And we are giuen vntounto him in that our bodies and soules are made his not onelyonly as he is God, but also as he is our redeemer: and our sinnes with the guilt thereof are made his by imputation, and the punishment thereof is wholly laid vponupon him. This is all the dowrie which the Church, beeing the spouse of Christ, hath brought vntounto him.

The fifth point is, how any man in particular may know that Christ is giuen vntounto him of the Father. Ans. When God giues Christ to man, he withall giues man grace and power to receiue Christ, and to apprehend him with all his benefits: and this we doe when we vtterly renounce our selues, this world and all things therein, bewaile our sinnes past, resting on the death of Christ p. 484for the pardon of them al, and as it were with both the armes of faith catching holde vponupon him in all estates, both in life and death. When the heart of any man is truely disposed and inclined to doe these and the like things, wee may truely say, that God hath giuen him grace to receiue Christ.

The second thing required to make vsus one with Christ is, the Mysticall vnion, which is a Coniunction wherby Christ & his Church are actually coupled into one whole Mystical bodie. Now that we may the better cōceiue the nature of it, sundrie questions are to be mooued. The first, what kinde of coniunction this is. Ans. In the scripture we meete with three kinde of coniunctions. The first is, coniunction in nature, when sundrie things are coupled by one and the same nature. As the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, being three distinct subsistances are all one, and therefore ioyned in one godhead or diuine nature. Nowe Christ and the beleeuer are not ioyned in nature: for thē they twaine should hauehave one bodie and soule. The second coniunction is in person, when things in nature different, so concurre togither, that they make but one person; as the bodie and soule make one man: and the godhead of the sonne with his manhood make but one Christ: in whome there is an vnion of distinct natures with vnity of person. Nowe Christ and a Christian are not ioyned in person: for Christ is one person, Peter a second, and Paul a third distinct from thē both: & so many men as there bee, so many seuerall persons. The third coniunction is in spirit; and this is the coniunction meant in this place: whereby Christ and his Church are ioyned togither: for the verie same spirit of God that dwelleth in the manhood of Christ and filleth it with all graces aboue measure, is deriued thence and dwelleth in all the true members of the Church, and filleth them with the like graces in measure, and therefore S. Iohn saith, Hereby wee knowe that we dwell in him and he in vsus, because he hath giuen vsus of his spirit. Hence it followes, that the bond of this coniunction is one and the same spirit descending from Christ the head to all his members, creating also in them the instrument of faith whereby they apprehend Christ and make him their owne.

The second is, what are the things vnited? Ans. Not the bodie of the beleeuer, to the bodie of Christ, or the soule to his soule, but the whole person of the man to the whole person of Christ: yet in this order; we are first of al & immediately ioyned to the manhood of Christ, & by the manhood to the godhead.

The third question is, what is the manner of this coniunction. Answ. Wee must not thinke that Christ and his Church are ioyned by imagination, as the minde of man and the thing whereof he thinkes: or by consent of heart as one friende is ioyned with another, and as the Iewes conuerted were all of one heart and soule: or by any abode in one place, or by touching, as sea and lande are both ioyned togither and make one globe:… 2.48. or by any composition or cō mixtion of substances, as when many ingredients are put togither, to make one medicine. But this coniunction is altogither spirituall as the former Giuing was; and incomprehensible to mans reason: and therefore wee must rather labour to feele it by experience in the heart, then to conceiue it in the braine. Yet neuerthelesse it shall not be amisse to consider a resemblance of it in this comparison. Suppose a man hauing the parts of his bodie disioyned p. 485farre asunder, his head lying in Italy, one arme in Germanie, the other in Spaine, and his leggs with vsus in England: suppose further all these parts or quarters hauehave all one soule, extending it selfe vntounto them all, and quickening each of them seuerally as though they were neerely ioyned togither: and though the parts be seuered many hundred miles asunder, yet the distance of place doth not hinder the coniunction, considering one and the same soule doth inlarge it selfe and giuegive life vntounto them all. In the same manner the head of the Mysticall bodie Christ our Sauiour is nowe in heauen, and some of his members in heauen with him, and some in earth: and of these, some in England, some in Germanie, some in Italy, some in Spaine, distant many thousand miles asunder: and the spirit of God is as it were the soule of this bodie which giueth spirituall life to all the members: distance of place doth not hinder this coniunction, because the holy Ghost which linketh all the partes togither is infinite.

The benefits which we receiue by this Mysticall vnion are manifold. For it is the ground of the conueiance of all grace. The first is, that by means hereof eueryevery Christian as he is a Christian or a man regenerate hath his beginning and being in Christ, howesoeuer as he is a man hee hath his beeing and subsisting in himselfe, as Paul saith,1. Cor. 1.30. Ephes. 5.30,1 Cor 1:30Eph 5:30 Ye are of God in Christ. And, We are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones. Howe will some say can this be? After this manner. The comparison is taken from our first parents. Eue was made of a rib taken out of Adams side, he beeing cast into a slumber: this beeing done, Adam awaked and said, This nowe is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Christ was nailed on the crosse and his most pretious blood was shed, and out of it arise and spring all true Christians; that is, out of the merit of Christs death & passion, whereby they become newe creatures. Secondly, eueryevery one that beleeueth in Christ by reason of this vnion hath an vnspeakable prerogatiue: for hereby he is first vnited to Christ, and by reason thereof is also ioyned to the whole trinitie, the father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost, and shall hauehave eternall fellowship with them. Thirdly, sundrie men specially Papists deride the doctrine of iustification by imputed righteousnes: thinking it as absurde, that a man should be iust by that righteousnesse which is inherent in the person of Christ; as if we should say, that one man may liue by the soule of another: or be learned by the learning of another. But here we may see that it hath sufficient foundation. For there is a most neere and strait vnion betweene Christ and all that beleeue in him: and in this vnion Christ with all his benefits according to the tenour of the couenant of grace, is made ours really: & therfore we may stande iust before God by his righteousnesse; it beeing indeede his, because it is in him as in a subiect; yet so, as it is also ours; because it is giuen vntounto vsus of God. Nowe there is no such vnion betweene man and man, and for that cause one man can not liue by the soule of another, or be learned by the learning of another. Fourthly frō this fountaine springes our sanctificatiō, wherby we die to sin and are renued in righteousnes and holines. Wormes & flies that hauehave lien dead al winter, if they be laid in the sunne in the spring time begin to reuiue, by vertue thereof: euen so, whē we are vnited to Christ, & are (as it were) laid in the beames of this blessed sonne of righteousnes, vertue is p. 488deriued thence, which warmeth our benummed hearts dead in sinne, and reuiueth vsus to newnes of life: whereby we begin to affect and like good things, and put in practise all the duties of religion. Fifthly, hence we hauehave the protection of Gods angels; for they alwaies waite and attend on Christ, and because we are made one with him, they attend vponupon vsus also. Lastly by reason of this vnion with Christ, eueryevery beleeuer commeth to hauehave interest & to recouer his title in the creatures of God, and to hauehave the holy and lawfull vse of them all. For we must consider, that although Adam created in the image of God, was made lord ouer all things in heauen and earth; yet when hee fel by eating the forbidden fruite; he, and in him all mankind lost the title and vse of them all. Nowe therefore that a man may recouer his interest, he must first of all be vnited and made one with Christ: and then by Christ, who is Lord and King ouer all, shall hee recouer that title in the creatures of God, which hee had by creation; and be made lord ouer them againe. But some will say, if this bee so, then a Christian man may hauehave and enioy all creatures at his pleasure; and therefore the goods of other men. Ans. The reason is not good, for in this life we hauehave no more but aaIus ad rem.right vntounto the creature, and bbIus in re.right in it, that is, actuall possession is reserued for the life to come. Therefore we must content our selues with our allowed portions giuen vntounto vsus by god, by his grace vsing them in holy manner, expecting by hope the full fruition of all things till after this life. Againe, if all title to the creatures be rocouered by Christ, it may bee demanded, whether infidels hauehave any interest to their goods or no? Ans. Infidels before men are right lords of all their landes and possessions which they hauehave obtained by lawefull meanes; and in the courts of men they are not to be depriued of them: but before God they are but vsurpers, because they holde them not in capite, that is, in Christ: neither hauehave they any holy and right vse of them, for to the vncleane, all things are vncleane. And they must first of all become members of Christ before they can hold and enioy… them aright, and vse them with good conscience.

The duties which are to be learned of the doctrine of this vnion are manifolde. And first of all we are taught to purge our hands and heartes of all our sinnes, and especially to auoid all those sinnes whereby mens bodies are defiled, as drunkennesse, vncleannes, fornication: for they driue away the spirit of God from his own house, and dissolue the bond of the coniunction between Christ & vsus. Secondly we must euerie one of vsus, which professe our selues to be members of Christ, labour to become conformable vntounto him in holinesse of life, and to become newe creatures: for this vnion requireth thus much. Let a man take the grifts of a crabtree, and set them into good stockes: yet will they not change their sap, but bring forth fruit according to their own nature, euen sowre crabs: but it must not be so with vsus: we are indeede wilde oliues, & the branches of wilde vines; yet seeing we are perswaded that wee are grafted into Christ and made one with him, we must lay aside our wilde and sowre nature, and take vponupon vsus the nature of the true vine, beare good fruite, hauehave good iuyce in vsus, and render sweete wine. Thirdly we are taught hence to bee plentifull in all good workes, considering wee are ioyned to him that is the fountaine of grace. And therefore Christ saith,…. 1….1. I am the true vine and my father p. 489is the husbād man: eueryevery braunch that beareth not fruite in me, he taketh away: & eueryevery one that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may beare more fruite. And the Prophet Esai compares the Church of God to a vineyard with a tower and a wine-presse in it.Esai. 5.7.Isa 5:7 And God himselfe comes often downe vntounto it,Can…. 6.10. to see the fruits of the valley, to see if the vine budde, and the Pomegranets flourish. And further we must bring forth fruite with patience. Luk. 8.15.Luke 8:15For the Lord of this vineyarde comes with crosses and afflictions, as with a pruning knife in his hand, to pare and to dresse vsus that we may be fit to bring forth fruite plentifull in duties of pietie to God, and in duties of louelove to all men, yea to our enemies.Ezec. 4….….Ezek 4 Christian men are trees of righteousnesse growing by the waters of the sanctuarie: but what trees? not like ours: for they are rooted vpward in heauen in Christ, and their graines and branches grow downward that they may beare fruit among men.

Hitherto we hauehave heard what the Church is, nowe to beleeue the Church is nothing els but to beleeue that there is a companie of the predestinate made one in Christ, and that withall we are in the number of them.

Before wee proceede any further, three rules must be obserued touching the Church in generall.Eph. 2 22. Colo…. 2.29.Eph 2:22 The first, that Christ alone is the head of the Catholike Church, and that he neither hath nor can hauehave any creature in heauen or earth to be his fellowe herein. For the Church is his bodie, and none but hee can performe the dutie of an head vntounto it: which dutie standes in two things: the first is, to gouerne the Church by such power and authoritie whereby he can and doeth prescribe lawes properly binding the consciences of all his members; the second is, by grace to quicken and to put spirituall life into thē, so as they shall be able to saie, that they liue not, but Christ in them. As for the Supremacie of the sea of Rome whereby the Pope will needes stand ministeriall head to the Catholike Church, it is a satanicall forgerie. For the headship (as I may tearme it) of Christ is of that nature or qualitie, that it can admitte no deputy. Whether we respect the commanding or the quickening power of Christ before named. Nay Christ needes no vicar or deputie; for he is al sufficient in himselfe and alwaies present with his Church, as he himselfe testifieth, saying, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the middest among them. And whereas all commissions cease in the presence of him that giues the commission: it is as much pride and arrogancie for the Pope to take vntounto himselfe the title of the head and vniuersall Bishop of the Church; as it is for a subiect to keepe himselfe in commission in the presence of his King.

The second rule is, that there is no saluation out of the Church, and that therefore eueryevery one which is to be saued must become a member & a citizen of the Catholike and Apostolike Church: and such as remaine for euer out of the same perish eternally. Therefore S. Iohn saith,1. Ioh. 2.10.1 John 2:10 They went out of vsus, they were not of v… for if they had beene of vsus, they would hauehave remained with vsus: but this commeth to passe that it might appeare, that they are not all of vsus. And againe, that such as be holy, are in the citie of God; but without, that is, forth of the Church are dogs, en…hanters, whoremongers, adulterers, &c. …ev. 22.1…And the Arke out of which all perished, figured the Church, out of which al are condemned. And for this p. 488cause Saint Luke saith,Ac…. 1.47. that the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued. And the reason hereof is plaine: for without Christ there is no saluation, but out of the militant church there is no Christ nor faith in Christ: and therefore no saluation. Againe, forth of the militant church there are no meanes of saluation, no preaching of the word, no inuocation of Gods name, no Sacraments, and therefore no saluation. For this cause eueryevery man must be admonished euermore to ioyne himselfe to some particular church beeing a sound member of the Catholike church.

The third rule is, that the church which here we beleeue is onelyonly one. As Christ himselfe speaketh,Cant. 6.8.Song 6:8 My doue is alone, and my vndefiled is the onelyonly daughter of her mother. And as there is onelyonly one God and one Redeemer, one faith, one baptisme, and one way of saluation by Christ onelyonly, so there is but one church alone.

The Catholike church hath two parts: the church Triumphant in heauen, and the church Militant on earth.

The Triumphant church may thus be described: It is a companie of the spirits of iust men, triumphing ouer the flesh, the deuill, and the world, praising God. Heb. 12.23.Heb 12:23First I say it is a companie of the spirits of men as the holy Ghost expressely tearmeth it, because the soules onelyonly of the godly departed, as of Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Dauid, &c. are as yet ascended into heauen, and not their bodies. Furthermore the properties of this companie are two. The first is, to make triumph ouer their spirituall enemies the flesh, the deuill, the world: for the righteous man so long as he liues in this world is in continuall combate without truce with al the enemies of his saluation: and by constant faith obtaining victorie in the ende of his life, he is translated in glorious and triumphant maner into the kingdome of glorie. This was signified to Iohn in a vision in which he saw an innumerable companie of all sorts of nations, kinreds, people, and tongues stand before the Lambe clothed in long white robes with palmes in their handes, Rev. 7.10.Rev 7:10in token that they had beene warriours, but now by Christ hauehave gotten the victorie and are made conquerours. Their second propertie is to praise and magnifie the name of God, as it followeth in the former place, saying Amen: praise and glorie, and wisdome, and thankes, honour, power, and might be vntounto our God for euermore. Hence it may be demanded whether Angels be of this Triumphant church or no? Ans. The blessed Angels be in heauen in the presence of God the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, but they are not of the mysticall bodie of Christ, because they are not vnderunder him as he is their redeemer, considering they can not be redeemed, which neuer fell: and it can not be prooued that they now stand by the vertue of Christs redemption: but they are vnderunder him as he is their Lord and King, and by the power of Christ as he is God, and their God, are they confirmed. And therfore as I take it, we can not say, that Angels are members of the mysticall bodie of Christ or of the triumphāt church; though indeed, they be of the cōpany of the blessed.

The church Militant may be thus described: It is the companie of the elect or faithfull, liuing vnderunder the crosse, desiring to be remooued and to be with Christ. I say not that the Militant church is the whole bodie of the elect, but onelyonly that part thereof which liueth vponupon earth: and the infallible marke thereof is that p. 489faith in Christ which is taught and deliuered in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles: and this faith againe may be discerned by two markes. The first is, that the members of this companie liue vnderunder the crosse, and profit by it in all spirituall grace. And therefore it is said,Act. 14.22.Acts 14:22 that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of heauen. And our Sauiour Christ saith,Luk. 9.23.Luke 9:23 If any man will come after me, let him denie himselfe, and take vp his crosse eueryevery day and follow me. The second marke is a desire to depart hence and to be with Christ, as Paul saith,2. Cor ….8. We louelove rather to be remooued out of this bodie and to be with Christ. And againe,Phil 1.23.Phil 1:23 I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ, which is best of all. Where yet we must remember, that the members of Christ doe not desire death simply and absolutely, but in two respects: I. that they might leaue off to sinne, and by sinning leaue to displease God. II. That they might come to enioy happines in heauen, and to be with Christ.

Touching the generall estate of the Militant church, two questions are to be considered. The first, how farre forth God is present with it, assisting it by his grace. Ans. God giues his spirit vntounto it in such a measure, that although the gates of hell can not preuaile against it, yet neuerthelesse it remaines still subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners. For that which is true in eueryevery member of the church is also true in the whole: but eueryevery member of the Militant church is subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners: because men in this life are but in part enlightened and sanctified; and therefore still remaine subiect to blindnesse of minde and ignorance, and to the rebellion of their wills and affections: whereby it comes to passe that they may easily faile either in iudgement or in practise. Againe, that which may befall one or two particular churches may likewise befall all the particular churches vponupon earth, all beeing in one and the same condition, but this may befall one or two particular churches to faile either in doctrine or manners.Rev 1.4.Rev 1:4 The church of Ephesus failed in leauing her first louelove, whereupon Christ threatneth to remooue from her the candlesticke.Gal. 1.6.Gal 1:6 And the church of Galatia was remooued to an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ: now why may not the same things befall twentie yea an hundred churches which befell these twaine. Lastly experience sheweth this to be true, in that generall Councels hauehave erred. The Councell of Nice beeing to reforme sundrie behauiours among the Bishops and Elders, would with common consent hauehave forbidden marriage vntounto them, thinking it profitable to be so; vnlesse Paphnutius had better informed them out of the Scriptures. In the third Councell at Carthage certaine bookes Apocrypha, as the booke of Syrach, Tobie, and the Macchabees are numbred in the Canon, and yet were excluded by the Councell of Laodicea.August. de bap. l. 2 c. 3. And the saying of a Diuine is receiued, that former Councels are to be reformed and amended by the latter. But Papists maintaining that the Church can not erre, alleadge the promise of Christ:Ioh. 15.13.John 15:13 Howbeit when he is come which is the spirit of truth, he will lead you into all truth. Ans. The promise is directed to the Apostles, who with their Apostolicall authoritie had this priuiledge granted them, that in the teaching and penning of the gospel they should not erre: and therefore in the councell at Ierusalem they conclude thus, It seemes good vntounto vsus and to the holy Ghost. And if p. 490the promise be further extended to all the Church, it must be vnderstood with a limitation:Ioh. 3.34. Act. 20.20,27.John 3:34Acts 20:20Acts 20:27 that God will giuegive his spirit vntounto the me…bers thereof to lead them into all truth, so farre forth as shall be needfull for their saluation.

The second question is, wherein stands the dignitie and excellencie of the Church. Ans. It stands in subiection and obedience vntounto the will and word of his spouse and head, Christ Iesus. And hence it followes, that the Church is not to chalenge vntounto her selfe authoritie ouer the Scriptures, but onelyonly a ministerie or ministeriall seruice whereby shee is appointed of God to preserue and keepe, to publish and preach them, and to giuegive testimonie of them. And for this cause,…. Tim. 3.11. it is called the pillar and ground of truth. The church of Rome not content with this, saith further that the authoritie of the Church in respect of vsus is aboue the authoritie of the Scripture, because (say they) we can not know Scripture to be Scripture but by the testimonie of the Church. But indeede they speake an vntruth. For the testimonie of men that are subiect to errour can not be greater and of more force with vsus, then the testimonie of God who can not erre. Againe, the Church hath her beginning from the word: (for there can not be a Church without faith, & there is no faith without the word, & there is no word out of the Scriptures) and therefore the Church in respect of vsus, depends on the Scripture, and not the Scripture on the Church. And as the lawyer which hath no further power but to expound the law, is vnderunder the law: so the Church which hath authoritie onelyonly to publish and expound the Scriptures, can not authorize them vntounto vsus, but must submit her selfe vntounto them. And whereas it is alleadged that faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10.Rom 10and this hearing is in respect of the voice of the Church, and that therefore faith comes by the voice of the Church: the answer is, that the place must be vnderstood not of that generall faith whereby we are resolued that Scripture is Scripture, but of iustifying faith, whereby we attaine vntounto saluation. And faith comes by hearing the voice of the Church; not, as it is the Churches voice, but as it is a ministerie or meanes to publish the word of God, which is both the cause and obiect of our beleeuing. Now on the contrarie we must hold, that as the carpenter knowes his rule to be straight, not by any other rule applied vntounto it, but by it selfe: for casting his eye vponupon it, he presently discernes whether it be straight or no: so we know and are resolued that Scripture is Scripture, euen by the Scripture it selfe, though the Church say nothing, so be it we hauehave the spirit of discerning when we read, heare, and consider the Scripture. And yet the testimonie of the Church is not to be despised, for though it breede not a a perswasion in vsus of the certenty of the Scripture, yet is it a very good inducement thereto.

The militant Church hath many parts. For as the Ocean sea which is but one, is deuided into parts according to the regions and countries against which it lieth, as into the English, Spanish, Italian sea, &c. so the Church dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth, is deuided into other particular churches according as the countries are seuerall in which it is seated, as into the Church of England and Ireland, the Church of France, the Church of Germanie, &c.

Again…, particula… Churches are in a twofold estate: sometime lie hid in p. 491persecution, wanting the publike preaching of the word, and the administration of the Sacraments: and sometimes againe they are visible, carrying before the eyes of the world an open profession of the name of Christ: as the moone is sometime eclipsed and sometime shineth in the full. In the first estate was the Church of Israel in the daies of Eliah, when he wished to die:1. King 19. 14,…8.1 Kgs 19:141 Kgs 19:8 because the people had forsaken the couenant of the Lord, broken downe his altars, slaine his Prophets with the sword, and he was left alone and they sought to take his life also. Behold a lamentable estate, when so worthie a Prophet could not finde an other beside himselfe that feared God: yet marke what the Lord saith vntounto him, I hauehave left seuen thousand in Israel, euen all the knees that hauehave not bowed vntounto Baal, and eueryevery mouth that hath not kissed him. Againe it is said,2. Chr. 15.…2 Chr 15 That Israel had beene a long season without the true God, without priest to teach, and without the law. Neither must this trouble any that God should so farre forth forsake his Church: for when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile, he then gathereth his Elect by extraordinarie meanes; as when the children of Israel wandered in the wildernes wanting both circumcision and the Passeouer, he made a supplie by Manna and by the pillar of a cloud. Hence we hauehave direction to answer the Papists, who demand of vsus where our Church was three-score yeares agoe before the daies of Luther: we say, that then for the space of many hundred yeares, an vniuersall Apostasie ouerspread the whole face of the earth; and that our Church then was not visible to the world, but lay hid vnderunder the chaffe of Poperie. And the truth of this, the Records of all ages manifest.

The second estate of the Church is, when it flourisheth and is visible, not that the faith and secret election of men can be seene (for no man can discerne these things but by outward signes) but because it is apparant in respect of the outward assemblies gathered to the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments, for the praise and glorie of God and their mutuall edification. And the visible Church may be thus described: It is a mixt companie of men professing the faith, assembled together by the preaching of the word. First of all I call it a mixt companie,Math. …3.25, 47.Matt 3:25Matt 3:47 because in it there be true beleeuers and hypocrites, Elect and Reprobate, good and badde. The Church is the Lords field, in which the enemie soweth his tares: it is the corne flore, in which lieth wheate and chaffe: it is a band of men, in which beside those that be of valour and courage, there be white liuered souldiours. And it is called a Church of the better part, namely the Elect whereof it consisteth, though they be in nū ber fewe. As for the vngodly, though they be in the Church, yet they are no more parts of it indeede, then the superfluous humours in the vaines, are parts of the bodie. But to proceede; how are the members of the visible Church qualified and discerned? the answer followeth in the definition, professing the faith. Whereby I meane the profession of that religion which hath bin taught from the beginning, and is now recorded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles. And this profession is a signe and marke whereby a man is declared and made manifest to be a member of the Church.

Againe, because the profession of the faith is otherwhiles true and syncere, and otherwhiles onelyonly in shewe: therefore there be also two sorts of members p. 492of the visible church, members before God and members before men. A member of the church before God is he, that beside the outward profession of the faith, hath inwardly a pure heart, good conscience, and faith vnfained, whereby he is indeede a true member of the church. Members before men, whome we may call reputed members, are such as hauehave nothing else but the outward profession, wanting the good conscience and the faith vnfained. The reason why they are to be esteemed members of vsus, is; because we are bound by the rule of charitie to thinke of men as they appeare vntounto vsus; leauing secret iudgements vntounto God.

I added in the last place, that the Church is gathered by the word preached, to shew that the cause whereby it is begunne and continued, is the word: which, for that cause is called the immortall seede whereby we are borne anew,1. Pet. 1.23. Heb 5.13. …. Co…. 3.2.1 Pet 1:23Heb 5:13 and milke, whereby we are fedde and cherished to life euerlasting. And hence it followeth necessarily, that the preaching of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, ioyned with any measure of faith and obedience, is an vnfallible marke of a true church. Indeede it is true, there be three things required to the good estate of a church, the preaching of the Gospell, the administration of the Sacraments, and due execution of Discipline according to the word: yet if the two latter be wanting, so be it there be preaching of the word with obedience in the people, there is for substance a true church of God. For it is the banner of Christ displaied, vnderunder which all that warre against the flesh, the deuill, the world, must range themselues. As the Lord saith by the Prophet Esai,Esa. 49.22.Isa 49:22 I will lift vp my hand to the Gentiles, and set vp my standard vntounto the people, and they shall bring their sonnes in their armes, and their daughters shall be carried vponupon their shoulders. Hence it followeth, that men which want the preaching of the Gospell, must either procure the same vntounto themselues; or if that can not be, because they liue in the middest of idolatrous nations, as in Spaine and Italie, it is requisite that they should ioyne themselues to those places where with libertie of conscience they may enioy this happie blessing. Men are not to hauehave their hearts glued to the honours and riches of this world; but they should be of Dauids minde, and rather desire to be dorekeepers in the house of God, then to dwell in the tents of vngodlines. In the Canticles, the spouse of Christ saith,Can…. 1.6. Shew me, O thou whome my soule loueth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noone: for why should I be as shee that turneth aside to the flocks of thy companions. To whome he answereth thus:ve…s. 7. If thou know not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee forth by the steppes of the flocke, and feede thy kids by the tents of the shepheards: that is, in those places where the doctrine of righteousnes and life euerlasting by the Messias, is published. When the Shunamites child was dead, shee told her husband that shee would go to the man of God, to whome he answered thus;…. King. 4.23. Why wilt thou goe to him to day, it is neither new moone nor sabbath day: whereby it is signified that when teaching was skarse in Israel, the people did resort to the Prophets for instruction and consolation. And Dauid saith,… that the people wheresoeuer there aboad was, went from strength to strength till they appeared before God in Sion. And oftentimes, they beeing Proselytes, there aboade must needes be out of the precincts of Iewrie.

p. 493Thus we see what the visible Church is: now further concerning it, three questions are to be skanned. The first is, how we may discerne whether particular men and particular Churches holding errours, be found members of the Catholicke church or no. For the answering of this, we must make a double distinction, one of errours, the other of persons that erre. Of errours, some are destroiers of the faith,2. Tim. 2.…2 Tim 2 some onelyonly weakners of it. A destroier is that, which ouerturneth any fundamentall point of religion; which is of that nature, that if it be denied, religion it selfe is ouerturned; as the deniall of the death of Christ, and the immortalitie of the soule, iustification by workes, and such like: and the summe of these fundamentall points is comprised in the Creede of the Apostles and the Decalogue. A weakning errour is that, the holding whereof doth not ouerturue any point in the foundation of saluation; as the errour of freewill, and sundrie such like. This distinction is made by the holy Ghost, who saith expressely that the doctrines of repentance, and faith, and baptismes, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection, and the last iudgement,Gal. 5.….3. Heb. 6.1. 1. Cor. 3.10,Gal 5Heb 6:11 Cor 3:10 are the foundation, namely of religion: and againe, that Christ is the foundation, and that other doctrines consonant to the word, are as gold and siluer laid thereupon. Secondly, persons erring, are of two sorts: some erre of w…aknes, beeing carried away by others; or of simple ignorance, not yet beeing conuicted and informed concerning the truth. Some againe erre of obstinacie, or affected ignorance, which hauing bin admonished and conuicted, still perseuere in their forged opinions. This beeing saide, w…e nowe come to the point. If any man or Church, shall hold an errour of the lighter kinde, he still remaines a member of the Church of God, and so must be reputed of vsus. As when a Lutherane shall hold, that images are still to be retained in the church; that there is an Vniuersall Election of all men, &c. for these and such like opinions may be maintained, the foundation of saluation vnrased. This which I say is slatly auouched by Paul. If any man (saith he) build on this foundation gold, siluer, pretious stones;1. Cor. 3.35.1 Cor 3:35 timber, hay, or stubble, his worke shall be made manifest by the fire, &c. and if any mans worke burne, he shall loose, but yet he shall be safe himselfe. And therefore the hay and stubble of mens errours that are beside the foundation, on which they are laid, doe not debarre them from beeing Christians or members of the church. A man breaks downe the windows of his house; the house stands: he breakes downe the roofe or the walls; the house yet stands, though deformed: he pulls vp the foundation; the house it selfe falls and ceaseth to be an house. Now religion which we professe is like an house or building: and some points thereof are like windowes, doores, walls, roofes, and some are the very foundation: and the former may be battered, the foundation standing. Againe, if the errour be directly or by necessary consequent, euen in common sense ag…inst the foundation, consideration must be had whether the Church or partie erreth of weaknes or malice: if of weaknes, the party is to be esteemed as a mēber of the Catholike church. And thus Paul writes vntounto the church of Galatia, as to a church of God, though by false teachers it had bin turned away to another Gospell, and embraced the fundamentall errour of iustification by works. But when any man or church shal hold fund…mental errours in obstinacie or affected ignorance, we are not p. 494then bound to repute them any longer as churches or Christians, but as such to whome condemnation belongs, as Paul sheweth by the example of Iannes and Iambres.2. Tim. 3.8.2 Tim 3:8 And as Iannes and Iambres, saith he, withstood Moses, so doe these also resist the truth, men of corrupt mindes, reprobate concerning the faith. Yet withall, this caueat must euer be remembred, that we rather condemne the errour then the person that erreth, because Gods merciemercy is like a bottomles sea, whereby he worketh what he will and when he will in the hearts of miserable sinners.

The second question is, where at this day we may finde such visible Churches as are indeede so …nd members of the Catholike church. And for the resoluing of it, we are t… goe through all countries and religions in the world. And first to begin with Turkes and Iewes, we are not in any wise to acknowledge their Assemblies for churches, because they worship not God in Christ who is the head of the church.

As for the Assemblies of Papists which hauehave bin a great part of the world, if thereby we vnderstand companies of men holding the Pope for their head, and beleeuing the doctrine established in the councill of Trent; in name they are called churches, but indeede they are no true or sound members of the Catholike church. For both in their doctrine and in the worship of God, they rase the v…ry foundation of religion, which will appeare by these three points. First of all they holde iustification by workes of grace: auouching that they are not onelyonly iustified before God by the merit of Christ, but also by their owne doings. Which opinion flatly ouerturneth iustification by Christ. For as Paul saith to the Galatians, If ye be circumcised Christ profiteth you nothing, that is, if ye looke to be iustified by the workes of the ceremoniall law, ye are fallen from Christ: ioyne circumcision and Christ together in the matter of iustification, and ye doe quite ouerthrow iustification by Christ. Now if this be true, which is the word of God that can not lie, then we say to the Papists; If ye will needes be iustified by workes of grace, ye are fallen from grace. The second point is, that they maintaine daily reall sacrifice of the bodie of Christ in the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and dead. And this is also a fundamentall heresie. For Christs sacrifice on the crosse must either be a perfect sacrifice or no sacrifice: and if it be often iterated and repeated by the Masse-priest, it is not perfect but imperfect. The third point is, that they worship the Images of the Trinitie and of Saints departed, and their Breaden-god, which is as vyle an abomination as euer was among the Gentiles: all beeing directly against the true meaning of the second commaundement, and defacing the worship of God in the very substance thereof. Thus then it appeares that the old church of Rome is changed, and is now at this day, of a spouse of Christ become an harlot: and therefore no more a church of Christ indeede, then the carkasse of a dead man that weareth a liuing mans garment is a liuing man, though he looke neuer so like him. And whereas they plead for themselues that they hauehave succession from the Apostles, the answer is, that succession of person is nothing without succession of doctrine, which they want: and we see that Heretikes hauehave succeeded lawfull Ministers. Secondly, whereas it is alledged that in the Popish assemblies the sacrament of Baptisme is rightly for p. 495substance administred; and that also it is a note of a Church, three things may be answered. First, that baptisme seuered from the preaching of the gospel, is no more a signe of a Church, then the seale seuered from the indenture is of force; & that is nothing. Circumcision was vsed in Colchis, yet no church, and among the Samaritanes… and yet no people.Herodo…, Hos. 1.9.Hos 1:9 Secondly, Baptisme in the assemblies of the Church of Rome, is as the purse of the true man in the hand of the thiefe: and indeede it doth no more argue them to bee Churches, then the true mans purse argues the thiefe to be a true man. For baptisme though it be in their assemblies, yet doth it not appertaine vntounto them, but vntounto another hidden Church of God, which he hath in all ages gathered forth of the middest of them. Thirdly, though they hauehave the outward baptisme, yet they by necessarie consequent of doctrine, ouerturne the inward baptisme that stands in iustification and sanctification. Moreouer, whereas it is alleadged, that they maintaine the bookes of the olde and new testament penned by the Prophets and Apostles; the answer is, that they doe it with adding to the Canon, and by corrupting the natiue sense of the Scriptures in the very foundation: and therfore they are but as a lanthorne that shewes light to others & none to it selfe. Fourthly, it is further said that they holde the Creede of the Apostles, and make the same confession of faith that wee doe. I answer that in shewe of wordes they doe so indeede: but by necessarie consequents in the rest of their doctrine they ouerturne one of the natures and all the offices of Christ, and therewithall most of the articles of the Creede. And herein they deale as a father, that in outward shewe tenders the bodie of his childe, and will not abide the least blemish vopn it: and yet by secret conueiances inwardly annoyes the heart, the braine, or the liuer, and so in trueth destroies the same. Fifthly it is alleadged, that Antichrist must sitte in the temple of God, that is, the Church: therefore say some that desire an vnion betweene vsus and the Papists, popish assemblies are true churches: but the argument is not good. For it is one thing to be in the Church, and another thing to be of it. And Antichrist is said to sit in the Church, not as a member thereof, but as an vsurper, or as the pyrate in the shippe of the marchant: and hence it can not be prooued, that the assemblies of Papists are Churches, but that in them and with them there is mingled an other hidden Church in the middest whereof Antichrist the Pope ruleth, though himselfe hath no part therein. Lastly, whereas some, beeing no Papists, thinke their churches to be like a bodie diseased and full of sores and woundes from the head to the foote, and the throat also cut, yet so as life is still remaining; wee may better thinke, (their foule errours considered and their worship of God, which is nothing els but a mixture of Iudaisme and Paganisme) that it is a rotten and dead corpes voide of spirituall life. And therefore we hauehave seuered our selues from the Church of Rome vponupon iust cause: neither are we schismaticks in so doing, but they rather; because the ground and the proper cause of the schisme is in them.

As for the ass…mbli…s of Anabaptists, Libertines, Antinomies, Tritheits, Arrians, Samosate…ns, they are no churches of God, but conspiracies of mō strous heretickes iud…lly condemned in the primitiue Church, and againe by the malice of Satan …ued and reuiued in this age. The same we are to thinke and say of the Famili… of louelove.

p. 496As for the Churches of Germanie commonly called the Churches of the Lutheranes, they are to be reputed of vsus as the true churches of God. Though their Angustane Confession hauehave not satisfied the expectation of other Reformed Churches: yet hauehave they all the same enemies in matter of religion, & doe alike confesse the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost: and of the office of the Mediatour, of faith and good workes, of the Word, the Church and the Magistrate, are all of one iudgement. They differ indeede from vsus in the question of the sacrament, but it is no sufficient cause to induce vsus to holde them as no Church: for that there is a true or reall receiuing of the bodie and blood of Christ in the Lords supper, we al agree; and we ioyntly confesse that Christ is there present so farre forth that he doth truely feede vsus with his verie bodie and bloode to eternall life: and all the controuersie lies in the manner of receiuing; we contenting our selues with that spirituall receiuing which is by the hand of faith, they adding thereto the corporall, whereby they imagine thē selues to receiue Christ with the hand and mouth of the bodie. And though to maintaine this their opinion, they be constrained to turne the ascension of Christ into a disparition, whereby his bodie beeing visible becomes inuisible, yet in the maine points we agree: that Christ ascended into heauen: that he entred into his kingdome in our name and for vsus: that we are gouerned and preserued by his power and might: and that whatsoeuer good thing we hauehave or doe, proceedes wholly from the grace of his spirit. Indeede the opinion of the Vbiquitie of the bodie of Christ reuiueth the condemned heresies of Eutiches and Nestorius, and it ouerturneth by necessarie consequent most of the articles of faith: but that was priuate to some men, as Brentius and others, and was not receiued of whole churches: and whereas the men were godly & learned, and we are vncerten with what affection, and how long they held this errour, we rest our selues in condemning it, leauing the persons to God. Againe Popish Transustantiation, and Lutherian Consubstantiation, are both against the trueth of the manhood of Christ; yet with great difference. Transubstantiation is slatte against an article of faith: for if Christs body be made of bread, and his blood of wine (which must needes bee if there be a conuersion of the one into the other) then was not he conceiued and borne of the virgine Marie: for it cannot both be made of bakers breade and of the substance of the virgin. Againe it abolisheth the outward signe in the Lords supper, as also the analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified, and so ouerturnes the sacrament: but Consubstantiation doth not so, neither doeth it ouerturne the substance of any article of Religion, but onelyonly a maine point of Philosophie; which is, that A bodie doth occupie onelyonly one place at once.

Furthermore, the Churches of Helvetia, and Savoie, and the free citties of Fraunce, and the lowe Countries, and Scotland, are to bee reuerenced as the true Churches of God, as their confession make manifest. And no lesse must we thinke of our owne Churches in England and Ireland. For wee holde, beleeue, and maintaine, and preach the true faith, that is, the ancient doctrine of saluation by Christ, taught and published by the Prophets and Apostles, as the booke of the articles of faith agreed vponupon in open Parliament doe fully shewe: and withall now we are, and hauehave beene readie to testifie this our faith, p. 497by venturing our liues euen in the cause of religion against forraigne power, and especially the Spaniard: and hereupon all the Churches in Europe giuegive vntounto vsus the hand of fellowship. And whereas sundrie among vsus that separate and indeede excommunicate themselues, giuegive out that there is no Church in England, no Ministers, no Sacraments: their peremptorie asseuerations wanting sufficient ground, are but as paper-shot. They alleadge that our assemblies are full of grieuous blottes and enormities. Ans. The defects and corruptions of Churches must be distinguished: and they bee either in doctrine, or manners. Againe corruptions in doctrine must further be distinguished: some of them are errours indeede, but beside the foundation; and some errours directly against the foundation: and these ouerturne all religion, whereas the former doe not. Nowe it can not be shewed that in our Churches is taught any one errour that raseth the foundation, and consequently annihillateth the truth of Gods Church. Indeed there is controuersie among vsus touching the point of Ecclesiastical regiment: but marke in what manner. We all ioyntly agree in the substance of the regiment, confessing freely that there must bee preaching of the word, administration of the Sacraments according to the institution, and the vse of the Power of the Keyes in admonitions, suspensions, excommunications: the difference betweene vsus is onelyonly touching the persons, and the manner of putting this gouernment in exequution: and therfore men on both parts, though both hold not the trueth in this point; yet because both holde Christ the foundation, they still remaine brethren and true members of Christ. As for corruptions in manners, they make not a Church to be no church,Mat. 23.2.Matt 23:2 but a badde church. When as the wicked Scribes and Pharises sitting in Moses chaire, taught the things which he had written, the people are commanded to heare them, and to doe the things which they say, not doing the things which they doe. And whereas it is said, that wee hold Christ in worde, and denie him indeede; that is answered thus: deniall of Christ is double, either in iudgement, or in fact: deniall in iudgement ioyned with obstinacie, makes a Christian to be no christian; deniall in fact, the iudgement still remaining sound, makes not a man to be no christian, but a badde christian. When the Iewes had crucified the Lord of life,Rom. 9.4. Act. 2.39.Rom 9:4Acts 2:39 they still remained a Church, if any vponupon earth: and notwithstanding this their fact, the Apostles acknowledged that the couenāt & the promises stil belonged vntounto thē: & they neuer made any separation from their Synagogues, till such time as they had bin sufficiently cōuicted by the Apostolicall ministery that Iesus Christ was the true Messias.

Thus wee see where at this day wee may finde the true Church of God. Nowe I come to the third question; and that is, at what time a man may with good conscience make separation from a Church. Ans. So long as a Church makes no separation from Christ, we must make no separation from it: and when it separates from Christ, we may also separate from it: and therefore in two cases there is warrant of separation. The one is, when the worship of God is corrupt in substance. And for this we hauehave a commandement, Be not, saith Paul,2. Cor 6.14.2 Cor 6:14 vnequally yoked with infidels: for what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnesse, or what communion hath light with darknesse, or what concord hath Christ with Belial? or vvhat part hath the beleeuer vvith the infidel? or vvhat p. 498agreement hath the temple of God with idols? wherefore come out from among them and separate …our selues, saith the Lord. And we hauehave a practise of this in the old testament.2. Chro. 11.14.2 Chr 11:14 When Ieroboam had set vp idols in Israel, then the priests and Leuites came to Iudah and Ierusalem to serue the Lord. The second is, when the doctrine of religion is corrupt in substance: as Paul saith,…. Tim. 6.3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the wholesome words of our Lord Iesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse, he is puffed vp: from such separate your selues. A practise of this we hauehave in the Apostle Paul, who beeing in Ephesus in a Synagogue of the Iewes, spake boldly for the space of three moneths, disputing and exhorting to the things which concerne the kingdome of God:A…. 19 9. … 18.28. but when certaine men were hardened and disobeyed, speaking euill of the way God, he departed from them, and separated the disciples of Ephesus: and the like hee did at Rome also. As for the corruptions that be in the manners of men that be of the Church, they are no sufficient warrant of separation, vnlesse it be from priuate companie,1. Cor. 5.11.1 Cor 5:11 as we are admonished by the Apostle Paul; and by the examples of Dauid and Lot. By this which hath beene said,Psal 17.4. 2. Pet. 2.6.Ps 17:42 Pet 2:6 it appeares that the practise of such as make separation from vsus, is very badde and schismaticall, considering our Churches faile not either in the substance of doctrine, or in the substance of the true worship of God.