Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 50
PRINCIPLES VPPON THE ARTICLE, I BELEEVE THAT THERE IS A HOLY CATHOLICK CHVRCH. L.
1 OMitting in this place, the queſtiō whether there be a Church or no, as an vnneceſſarie point; we will rather ſee what the Church is.
2 The word CHVRCH taken from the common cuſtome of publick affaires, where the people beeing called by the voice of a cryer, did meet together, began euen from the verie time of the Apoſtles, (the name of Sinagogues being left vntounto the Iewiſh conuentions,) to be applied vntounto their meetings, who embracing the voice of the Goſpell, were wont to hauehave publick aſſemblies for the vſe of Religion.
3 Now the thing it ſelf ſignified by this word, is drawn farther: that is, to expreſſe the companie of thoſe, who being raiſed vp from the fall of mankinde by the mercifull voice of God, hauehave, and will vntounto the end of the worlde, conſent together in the profeſsion of his true worſhip.
4 Nowe, in aſmuch as all thoſe who hauehave giuen their names to bee of this meeting, hauehave not either doone the ſame vnfainedlie, or ſhewed that conſtancie that had bene meet; by reaſon that Sathan neuer ceaſeth to ſowe tares in the field of the Lord: Hence it came to paſſe that men hauehave beene alwaies enforced to take the Church ſometimes in a more generall, ſometimes in a more ſpeciall ſignification.
5 The Church therefore is generallie called, the congregation of all thoſe, who profeſſe true Religion, whether they do it vnfainedlie and perſeuere therein, or hypocriticallie and fall away from the ſame. In ſpeciall, it is taken for all thoſe onelie, whome God of his infinite merciemercy hauing elected before all worldes, doth effectuallie call, when he thinketh good, in ſuch ſort, as they being endued with true faith, and perſeuering vntounto the end, may be juſtlie accounted to be of Gods flock.
6 Hence ſprung that diſtinction of the viſible and inuiſible Church: of the viſible, which is ſo accounted by the notes of the outward profeſsion, without any differēce betweene the faithfull and the cloſe hypocrites: of the inuiſible, which is reſtrained vntounto thoſe onelie, who trulie and conſtantlie beleeue to the end, & therfore called inuiſible, becauſe true faith can aſſuredly be diſcerned by none, ſaue by the Lord, and them in whome it is.
7 This inuiſible Church is only one, as there is but one God the Father, one Chriſt the Mediatour and head of his myſticall bodie, one faith, one hope by the holy Ghoſt, and one aeternall life: and it is therefore called Catholicke; that is, vniuerſall, both becauſe it hath bene, is, and ſhall be alwaies the one and the ſame: and alſo, becauſe GOD hath alwaies gathered them into one bodye, out of all ſorts of men and people, as it ſeemeth good vntounto his merciemercy; whereas, before the comming of Chriſt, the Church was particularly called out of the nation of the Iewes onelie.
8 And although, God for many ages, had ſeperated the Gentiles (whome the Apoſtles therefore affirmeth to bee without God, & ſtrangers from the couenant of grace) frō the ſeed of ABRAHAM, yet was there almoſt no age, wherein he called not ſome of the Gentiles, vntill that the particion-wall being broken by the preaching of the Apoſtles, that promiſe made vntounto ABRAHAM was accompliſhed: namely, that all the nations ſhould be bleſſed in his ſeede: becauſe they were to become ABRAHAMS ſeed by Chriſt.
9 The particuler aſſemblies of this bodie, diſpearſed throughout the world, conſidered either generallie or ſpeciallie, as it is viſible or inuiſible, are as it were the members that make vp one myſticall body.
10 And this is that Catholicke Church, whereof mention is made in the beliefe; therfore called holie, becauſe it is by the holy Ghoſt ſeperated from the reſt of the worlde, and conſecrated vntounto God.
11 This ſame Church is rightly deuided into the Militant and Triumphant: By the Militant, is vnderſtood the company of the true beleeuing, yet remaining vppon the earth, and ſtriuing with Sathan and the remnants of their fleſhe: By the Triumphant, are meant thoſe, whoſe bleſſed Spirits are already gathered vntounto the Lord, euen vntil both the one and the other, at that glorious comming of Chriſt hauing receiued their glorious bodies, ſhall triumph with Chriſt their head for euermore.
12 That holines, wherby this Catholick Church, which is alſo inuiſible in that ſenſe that we hauehave ſpoken, is ſeuered from the world, if it be conſidered in reſpect of the puritie of the doctrine of the truth, is altogeather without ſpot or wrinckle: Or if it be conſidered, not as it is in it ſelfe, but according vntounto the beliefe that is yeelded vntounto this true and wholſome doctrine: we holde againe, that the force of that truth is ſo great, that it is alwaies declared and obeied in the Church vniuerſally conſidered. Wherefore the Apoſtle calleth the Church taken in this ſenſe, the piller and ground of truth.
13 But if the Church be reſpected, not vniuerſally, but particularlie; that is, according as it hath diuers aſſemblies here and there gathered togeather, then indeed it may often come to paſſe, that ſome particular Churches may err, yea, in ſome fundamētal points, either in part or in whole, yet ſo, as the elect do alwaies returne vntounto the way: neither can thoſe particular ſpottes, that cleaue vntounto it for a time, make the vniuerſal church to leeſe her naturall beautie.
14 We confeſſe (to ſpeake nothing here of the corruption of manners) that this may come to paſſe, much more, if wee ſeuerally conſider the members of particuler Churches; for ſuch is the weaknes of mans judgement, euen in the deare Saints of God, that you cannot find any, ſo indued with the perfect knowledge of the trueth, but hee doth ſtagger in ſome things; eſpecially, when the Lord being prouoked by the ſinnes of men, doth giuegive efficacie and force vntounto the ſpirit of error.
15 Although, that the Catholicke Church can neuer fall away from the truth, yet both the Prophets and Apoſtles, together with the holy ſtorie in generall, both before and after the comming of Chriſt, hauehave foretolde, and theſe very times wherein wee liue doe teſtifie, that it hath often come to paſſe, that the greateſt part of particuler churches and men, falling away, yea, and ſtriuing againſt the truth: the light of the Church ſeemed for a time, though not vtterlie, yet in a manner to be cleane extinguiſhed.
16 The true markes therefore of the viſible Church, can not bee the multitude, or perſonall ſuccesſion, but the doctrine truly taught out of the written word of God, and the lawfull adminiſtration (that is, ſuch as is agreeable vntounto Gods ordinance) of the Sacraments, to wit, of Baptiſme and of the Lords Supper.
17 Theſe two notes doe depend vponupon the lawful forme (that is, ſuch as is preſcribed in Gods worde) of the holie Miniſterie, conſtituted as it ought to be: But in aſmuch as the Church ſometimes is brought to that paſſe, that not onelyonly Wolues doe ſupplie the place of lawfull Paſtors; but alſo, the whole forme of the ordinarie Miniſterie, is turned into a plaine confuſion; & that ſomtimes, the externall Miniſterie, being for a time altogeather broken of, the church is extraordinarilie fed, as it were in the wildernes: therefore, is not this marke ſimplie and abſolutelie neceſſary, to point out the Church here vponupon earth.
18 Now whereſoeuer the Doctrine of the Apoſtles is taught, ther is no queſtion to be made, but that the church is there, though there bee fewe that giuegive eare vntounto the ſame with fruit.
19 That therefore is a true Church, be it vniuerſall, or particuler, which heareth the worde of God contained in the writinges of the Prophetes and the Apoſtles; in ſuche ſort, as it canne adde nothing therevnto, detract nothing from the ſame, nor chaunge anie thing therein, either in reſpect of the Doctrine it ſelfe, or in regard of thoſe things that appertain vntounto the foundation of the gouernment of the Church: & as for the hard places that are in the word, it interpreteth them, both by conference of the ſcriptures, and alſo according to analogie of faith.
20 Nowe as touching thoſe thinges which appertaine vntounto outward order; the Church in the feare of the Lord, may therein conſider, what is moſt meete vntounto time and place.
Wee doe condemne therefore, thoſe who dreame, that euerie man, whatſoeuer hee profeſſe, ſhall bee ſaued by his own Religion, ſeeing out of the Catholicke Church there is no ſaluation.
And thoſe who tie the Catholicke Church vntounto one certaine place.
Thoſe who bring vntounto the Church, the Academicall …ncertainty.
Thoſe who require a forme of perfection in the Militant Church.
Thoſe who holde the perſonall ſuccesſion abſolutelie, for an vndoubted note of the Church.
Thoſe who hauehave by little and little, transformed the Chriſtian Presbyteries or Elderſhip, that is, the gouernment ordained by Chriſt the onelyonly King and Monarch of his church, into the image of the beaſt, which was the olde Romaine Empire; and that firſt, by bringing in the dignity of Biſhops; next, by apointing degrees amongſt them; and laſt of all, by placing Antichriſt at Rome, vnderunder the title of the Miniſteriall head.
Thoſe who doe not meaſure the Church, according to the word of God, but the word according to the bare name of the Church.
Defended by DAVID PIOTAEVS of Geneua.