Parallels Censures, Letter 1 · Section 4
The fourth Section.
Your ninth poſition followeth, viz:
9. That thoſe which are not of a true conſtituted Church, are no ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome: This you hold error, & I hold it truth which I wil manifeſt vntounto you moſt evidently,
The true Church in the Scripture is called the houſe of God, Heb. 3.6.
The Temple of God which the L. inhabiteth, & wherin he walketh. 2. Cor. 6.16.
The houſehold of fayth, Gal. 6.10. the body of Chriſt, Eph. 4.15.16.
The Kingdome of heaven of Chriſt & of God, Eph. 5.5. Mat. 3.2. Luk. 19.11.12. Act. 1.3. Further this true Church is but of one shape, forme, fashion, or conſtitution: Eph. 4.4 The body that is the Church is one, that is of one shape: For one in that place ſignfieth vnum ſpecie, not vnum numero, for ther are many Churches in nomber, but one true Church in the frame or conſtitution: Let this therfor be ſet downe for an invincible truth that the true viſible Church is the Kingdome of Chriſt, wher Chriſt the King only ruleth & raigneth in his owne lawes & officers & over his owne ſubjects: & al thoſe that wil not be ſubiects to this King in this his Kingdome he accunteth his enemies & wil have them ſlayne before his face Luk. 19.27. Hence then it followeth that thoſe that are not members of a true conſtituted Church, are not ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome: which you ſay is error, wherin you ſee you give the Holy Ghoſt the lie, imputing error vntounto the word of truth: But you wil ſay if men be not ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome, ther is no ſalvation for them▪ I deny that: wil you condemne al the Iewes, Turkes, Papiſts in the world? yet I ſay they are no ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome which is the true viſible Church: I pray you therfor be as good to vsus, as you are to your ſel…e in that cenſure: wherfor we muſt remember to diſtinguish betwixt the viſible Church which is Chriſts Kingdome, & the Catholique Church whi… is inviſible. The viſible▪ Church hath in it a viſible communion, viſible & ſenſible ordinances for men to walk in a viſible fayth expreſſed in the outward declarations thereof in confeſſion, & profeſſion of the truth, this viſible Church muſt we joyne to & live in, this is the sheepfold wherin Chriſt foldeth his sheep, into this sheepfold both sheep & shepheard muſt enter by the dore, & not clyme vp another way as theeves, & robbers doe: Of al thoſe that live & continue in this true viſible Church we are bound to beleeve holmes, fayth & election in particular. Eph 1.1.4. Now the Catholique Church which is inviſible is the comprehenſion of al the elct in al ages & places: whoſe perſons are vnknowne to vsus, & ſuch ſecreat things the L. hath reſerved to himſelf, & concealed from our knowledg, & therfor we are not to ſearch after them, but muſt walk in that way which he hath taught in his word wher ſo much of his wil as is fit for vsus to know is revealed: now I would have you manifeſt to me two things concerning this point: one is that the Catholique Church is Chriſts Kingdome, another is that al that are ont of the viſible Church are condemned: I for my part hold the contrary, viz: Firſt that the viſible Church truly conſtituted is the only Kingdome of Chriſt, which he at the day of judgment shal give vp into the handes of his Father, 1. Cor. 15.24. & that therfor they who are not members of Chriſts true viſible Church are no ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome: & Secondly, notwithſtanding that ther are many who are no members of the viſible Church, & therfor no ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome, who notwithſtanding aperteyne to the L: Election, & are within the compaſſe of the Catholique Church, out of which ther is no ſalvation, Now Mr. Bern. if you have any thing to object againſt this truth, let vsus have it I pray you that we may receave inſtruction & reformation from you: you aſſume great dexteritie in diving into mens arguments, I pray you dive into the bottome of this point & diſcover the error therof if you be able: if not, lay your hand vppon your mouth, & give glorie to God, & confeſſe your ignorance & errors.
Paralleles, Cenſures, Obſervations, aperteyning to the Fourth Section.
In this Section Mr, Bern. ſaith that it is error to hold: that thoſe that are not of a true conſtituted Church are no ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome.
In his book intituled the Seperatiſts Schiſme pag. 80. & 81. He affirmeth the ſame thing in theſe words: viz: That ſuch as are not of a particular conſtituted Church (to wit, ſuch a one as theirs is) are no ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome.
Mr. Ainſworth anſwering Mr. Bernard, pag. 173. vſeth theſe wordes:
Neither is this poſition ſet downe in our wordes (to my knowledg:) if therefor Mr. Bern. were not a caviller, he would not have reckoned this among our errors
Although Mr. Bern. oppugneth this truth, & Mr. Ainfw. forſaketh the defence therof, yet I ſtil defend it as the vndoubted truth of God. Firſt, therfor I wil expound the true meaning thereof: then alſo anſwer Mr. Bern. cavils & cautions.
I ſay not therfor as, Mr. Bern. ignorantly & vaynly & captiouſly conce…veth, that whoſoever is not actually a joyned member of a true viſible Church not living in communion with that church, is no ſubject of Chriſts Kingdome, but I ſay thus: they that are not of a true conſtituted Church are no ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdom: now it is one thing to be in a true church as a member therof actual walking in preſence & cōmuniō therewith, another thing to be of a true church. which one may be eyther as yet actually vnjoyned or being a joyned member actually & yet abſent in regard of bodily preſence, that one vnioyned actually may yet be of a true viſible church, I declare by divers particulars▪ as firſt one that by violence is deteyned from a true conſtituted church yet may be of it in deſire, wil, affection & purpoſe though actually vnioyned, the Lord accepting the wil for the deed when it cannot be performed. Againe when as yet ther is no true viſible church eſtablished actually? a man may be of it, in that he would be joyned vntounto it, if it …ad any real exiſtence, So the Martyrs in Q. Maryes dayes may be ſaid to be of a true viſible church, both for that they would have actualy joyned to the true cōſtituted church if it had beē eſtablished, as alſo for that they in wil & purpoſe deſired ſo to do, although violently they were deteyned by impriſſonment: Further they that are of the true ſaith which is profeſſed in the true Church may be ſaid to be of that true church: which faith is not a thing inviſible, but viſible & ſenſible: as namely a man Seperated from all falſe churches, & profeſſing the true viſible faith of the church, holding it vnlawful in regard of ſome corruption which he ſeeth in the true church, to joyne therevnto may yet be ſaid to be of the true church. Laſtly, if ſome brethren though but two or three walk together in holy communion, they are a true Church: & although perhaps they have not ſolemnely entred covenant, yet ther communion in holy exerciſes is a declaration that they have contracted together, though weakely & corruptly yet truly So that theſe particulars being wel weighed may ſulficiently informe you of my meaning but Mr. Bern you have in your book quoted this point otherwiſe then I have propounded & expounded it in my lettre, & that in two particulars, viz: 1. in ſaying, a particular conſtituted Church: 2. in adding theſe wordes: Such a one as theirs is: For ther is aſmuch difference betwixt a true conſtituted Church, & a particular conſtituted Church, as ther is betwixt a man, & this man or that man: the one is ſpecies: theother individinum: & it is evident that a man may be of a true conſtituted Church, & yet not of a particular conſtiſtuted Church as may be perceaved by the 4. particulars before mentioned. Againe in adding theſe wordes, viz: ſuch a one as theirs is: after a ſcoffing vprayding & diſdainful manner he ſeeketh to draw into hatred & abhomination the true Church of Chriſt: but the tyme wil come when the Lord wil reward every man according to his workes.
In the ſecond place let vsus conſider of Mr. Bern. cavils & cautions which are 4. in nom ber. pag. 81.
Firſt, he ſaith the Scripture never ſetteth forth any of Gods people by this marke: ſay you ſo Mr. Bern? is not the Scripture plentiful in declaring vntounto vsus that the L. addeth dayly to the Church, ſuch as should be ſaved: Act. 2.47. that they that gladly receaved the word were baptized & added to the Church, & continued therin: Act. 2.14.42 doth not the Apoſtle teach that ther is one faith, one body, one baptiſme, one Lord, & but one? Eph. 4. And that they that are not of this faith, body, baptiſme, Lord are without the faith, without the body, that is the Church, without the true baptiſme, without this true Lord & King Ieſus Chriſt? & ſo are none of Gods people viſible, none of Chriſts Kingdome, none of Chriſts body, none of his faith, & baptiſme? Are not true faith, prayer baptiſme, the Lords Supper, the true church plaine & pregnant do monſtrative proper adjuncts of Gods viſible people? & how can you with any face of truth or a good conſciēce of your judgment & knowledg ſay, that to be of a true viſible church, is no note of Gods viſible people? out you ſay further that he ſynneth which doth not live in a true cō ſtituted Church ordinarily, when he can & hath meanes offered: nay we ſay further then ſo: that he ſynneth that doth not ſeek meanes to live in a true conſtituted Church, & not only he that vſeth not meanes offered ſo to doe: wherfor we ſay that which you ſay & more alſo: but I pray you, what meaneth your ordinarily living in a true conſtituted church: doe you hold that ther are two ſorts of mēbers & converſers in the true church ſome ordinary & ſome occaſional or extraordinary? & do you think that to be of a true chuch, & to live in a true church are one thing? we ſay that members of true churches are al ordinary & of one kind & conſideration: & further we ſay, that it is one thing to be of a true church or a member of a true church another thing to live in the true church: & a man may be a member of a true church potentialy & actualy, as I have already declared in the 4. former particulars. but al this is nothing to that which I affirme, for I ſay thus: that he which is not of a true viſible Church, is no ſubject of Chr. Kingdom, that is he is not vnderunder the viſible dominion & Lordship of Chr. in his church which is his Kingdom: I do not ſay that he is inviſiblie none of the L. people: for a man may be one of the L. people in election & grace inviſiblie, & yet not in the true viſible church which is Chr. viſible Kingdom: againe take an inſtance to exemplifie the mater: al we that are of the ſeperated churches in theſe contryes are of the common wealth of England, & therfor ſubiects of the King of England our Soveraigne Lord on earth, though we are not actually vnderunder the execution of his lawes, courts, officers, by reaſon of banishment, & that we may ſubmit to Chr. ordinance, &c. So a true ſeperated Chriſtian is a ſubject of Chr. viſible politie & Kingdom, which is his church, eyther actually or potentially, although by banishment that is by vndeſerved communication, by impriſſonmēt, by other occaſions he be actualy abſented & ſeperated from the preſence therof. wherfor Mr. Bern. I doe in this ſection indite you before the L. & the world, as one that of purpoſe & ſo maliciouſty perverteth my meaning & ſlaundereth this excellent truth of God: doth not your conſciēce tel you may you not read it in the copy of my lettre that I diſtingnish betwixt Gods people, which are of two ſortes, viſible ſubjects of Ch. viſible church which is his Kingd. & inviſible ones known only to the L. certaynly & particularly? further this doctryn of myne you ſay is contrary to 4, places of Scripture, pa. 81. the firſt place is Gal. 3.7.9. the Apoſtles wordes are theſe. They which are of ſaith are the children of Abrahā. vſus. 7. & they which be of faith are bleſſed with faithful Abraham which ſcripture proveth my doctryne or rather the L. truth. I ſay that faith heer is opoſed to the works of the law, & that faith ſignifieth a viſible faith. For the Apoſtle Iames ſaith, Iam. 3.21-24. Speaking of the ſame matter, viz: of Abrahams faith that it was made perfect by works: for if Abrahams faith had not been manifeſted by his workes, it had been inviſible, & it would not have been diſcerned by mā: & therfor in the ſame place vſus. 14. the Ap. ſpeaketh directly of a viſible faith this place of the Ap. therfor confirmeth my aſſertiō plainly, that they that are not of a true conſtituted Church, are no ſubjects of Chr. Kingd. bicauſe they do not by their workes shew their faith … but if they have faith they have it with God, & not with man, who can judg only by the fruites.
The ſecond place is, 1. Ioh. 3.14 where the Apoſtle ſpeaketh thus: VVee know we are trāſlated from death to life, bicauſe we love the brethren? VVho are the brethren, are not they that cal God Father? who can cal God Father but they that have Chriſt for their Lord & Mr. for their Elder brother? To whome is Chriſt Lord & Mr. but to them that are ſubjects of his Kingdome? So that this place alſo maketh moſt evidently for the confirmation of this truth of God which I defend. But you Mr. Bern. dreame of am viſible faith, of an inviſible Kingdome, of an inviſible brotherhood or conſanguinity: whereas Chriſt ſaith directely, that they which doe the wil of God, are his brethren & of his Fraternity, Marc. 3.35. & what have we to do with things inviſible, hidden, & ſecreat, Deut. 29.29. I avouch that you cannot prove to me by any rule of Gods word certaynly, that thoſe that are not members of a true conſtituted Church, are ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome inviſible as you I am ſure intend it: Further, what is the love of the brethren wherof the Apoſtle ſpeaketh? is it not a viſible love teſtified in the performance of the viſible …utyes of love: Chriſt faith Ioh. 14.25. if ye love me keep my commaundements: obedience is the true touchſtone of the love of God, & 1. Ioh. 3.17. whoſoever hath this worlds good, & ſeeth his brother need, & chutteth vp his compaſſion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? So the viſible dutyes of brotherly love are the true touchſtone of brotherly love: but the principal viſible dutyes of brotherly love are the dutyes of admonition, conſolation, ſupportation, patience. 1. Theſ. 5.14. Exhortation, edification, vsus. 11. among thē admonition is moſt excellent. Mat. 18.15-17. compared with Levit. 19.17. they therfor that altogether omit theſe viſible dutyes of admonition in the degrees thereof injoyned by Chriſt & the Apoſtles, how can they be ſaid to love the brethren? but al they that live out of a true conſtituted Church wholy omit the viſible dutyes of love to the brethren, ſeing they neyther know, nor have brethrē vppō whome they may exerciſe theſe dutyes: Therfor this place of the Apoſtle is pregnant & invincibly ſtrong againſt you.
The third place is 1. Cor. 1.1. Now what wordes Mr. Bern, intendeth in this place I can not conjecture except they be theſe: viz. in the ſecond verſe: with al thoſe that cal vponupon the name of the L. Ieſus Chriſt in every place: whence it may ſeem he would gather that ther were ſome ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome, & not of a conſtituted Church. I do verely think that ſeing theſe perſons that were abſent frō the Church of Corinthus, did call Ieſus Chriſt Lord they did therfor acknowledg him for their Lord & King, & therefor did apertayne to his Kingdome which is his viſible Church: happily they might be ſome brethren which did not dwel in Corinth, but in ſome villages about Corinth: & that this is ſo the place afordeth evidently: For he wrote both to the Church that was in Corinth, & to the brethrē that were in other places which were no doubt of the church of Corinth, El… how did that Epiſtle in the contents of it concerne them, For ſeing the Apoſtle writeth this Epiſtle to them they had to doe with the matters wherof he taxeth the church, for he taxeth them al indifferently, ſeing he writeth indifferently vntounto them al Herevppon it followeth that eyther theſe perſons that were in other places were mē bers of the Church of Corinth: or els if they were no members off that church, the Apoſtle in vayne doth direct his Epiſtle to them taxing them off the corruptions off that Church: Except it be ſaid that the Apoſtle doth hereby intereſt other churches to deale with the Church of Corinth, for their corruptiōs, & then Mr. Bern. gayneth nothing by it neither, ſeing therby he confeſſeth that theſe other brethren were members of other true conſtituted churches.
The third place therfor is nothing to the purpoſe.
The laſt place is 2. Theſ. 3.15. & count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
To paſſe by what ſome think of this place, I ſay vntounto you Mr. Bern: that it hath not ſo much as a shew for your purpoſe: The Apoſtle ſpeaketh in this verſe negatively & affirmatively. For he teacheth that they ought not to recken of an excommunicate, as they account of an enemy, but they are to admonish an excommunicate as they doe admonish a brother: Therby teaching vsus that an excōmunicate is in a midle condition neyther an enemy nor a brother, but one that is vnderunder the cenſure of the church, as a meanes ordeyned by God for his reformation how wil this place prove that an excommunicate is a member of Chriſts inviſible Kingdome? or if it should prove that ſome excommunicate are members of Chriſts inviſible Kingdome, how can you prove that this or that excommunicate is ſo? do you know the Lords Elect certaynly, & particularly, that are out of the church? Or what doth this aſſertion of yours, & this place of Scripture againſt my aſſertion? who ſay, that ſuch as are not of a true conſtituted church, are no ſubjects of Chriſts Kingdome: viz: Of the Kingdome which he shal give vp into the hands of his Father in the day of his final judgment,
In the third place Mr. Bern. asketh what may be ſaid of wicklife, Hus, Luther, Bucer, Melanchthō, the Martyrs, Gods people in England, of Lot, Iob, the people in captivity in Mordecay his tyme: wherto I anſwer as I have already done: That Iob was a member of a true conſtituted church, & ſo a ſubject of Chriſts Kingdome, So was Lot, ſo were the people of the Iewes in captivity, though violently deteyned from the Holy land, Cittie & Temple: & therfor Mr. Bern. in theſe three demaundes gaineth nothing except the eſtimation of ignorance & folly be gaine: to that of the Martyrs, Hus, Luther, & Gods people in England, I ſay two things: eyther that in affection & deſire they aperteyned to the true viſible church being ſeperated from the falſe church: or that they were of the inviſible church, & of the inviſible Kingdome which is vnknowne to man, & the members therof vnknowne: diſprove you this if you can.
In the laſt place you demaund, whither Chriſts Kingdom be not Spiritual & inviſible alſo? Ioh. 18.33. & 10.16.
The two places of Scripture quoted by you do not prove that Chriſt hath an inviſible Kingdome, & ſo inviſible ſubjects knowne to vsus, For Ioh. 18. Chriſt ſaith my Kingdom is not of this world, that is to ſay: it is not begunne, continued, & perfected by worldly meanes: So Chriſt expoundeth himſelf, afterward ſaying: my Kingdom is not from hēce: my ſubjects would fight for mee vſus. 36. meaning that his Kingdom is neyther erected nor ſupported by worldly meanes as by ſword, ſpeare or shield: in reſpect whereof the Apoſtle ſaith Rom. 14.17. The Kingdome of God is not meate nor drinck, & 2. Cor. 10.3.4. Though we live in the flesh, yet we do not warre after the flesh for the weapens of our warfare are not carnal The ſecond place is Ioh. 10. VVher Chriſt ſaith not as you dreame very ignorantly & childishly, that he hath an inviſible Kingdome, but that he hath sheep of two ſorts, ſome of the viſible Church of the Old Teſtament, which is one fold, ſome of the viſible Church of the New Teſtament, which is another ſold o… the Iewes & Gentils: both which ſorts of people shal in Chriſt Ieſus, the partition wal being taken away, be joyned, & made one that ſo ther may be one sheepfold & one shepheard, but what is al this Mr. Bern. to diſprove the truth of my poſition? Again to anſwer your demaund, I ſay that Chr. Kingdome is Spiritual & inviſible aſwel as outward & viſible: For when we ſay that Chriſts Kingdome is viſible & ſenſible, we do not deny that it is alſo inviſible & Spiritual: neyther are theſe two contraryes to be opoſed, as excluding one another: For as a man is not only the body which is viſible & ſenſible, but cheefly & principally the ſoule which is inviſible: & as the true Sacraments are not only the outward Elements, but the inward grace alſo, & that moſt eſpecialy: So the viſible Church which conſiſteth of men, is not only the outward communion, but eſpecially & cheefly the inward & Spiritual fellowship which the Saynts have with Chriſt, & one with another: The Apoſtle therfor ſaith both that ther is one body & one Spirit: Eph. 4. & that al that are baptized are baptized into one body, & al that communicate are cauſed to drinck into one Spirit, 1. Cor. 12.13. And as the Saynts are members of Chriſts body, of his flesh, & of his bones, Eph. 5.30. So they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spiritt: 1. Cor. 6.17. we grant you therfor Mr. Bern. that Chriſts Kingdome is Spiritual & viſible, but we deny that Chriſts Kingdome is only inviſible, or only viſible: he that doth plead to me that he is a member of Chriſts viſible Kingdome, & yet cannot shew vntounto me his fayth by his workes, I ſay vntounto him as Iames ſaith: VVhat avayleth it him? o thou vaine man? shal thy ſayth ſave the? thy ſayth is dead: & he that shal plead with the Lord in the day of his judgment, that he hath propheſyed in Chriſts name, & by his name caſt out Devils, & wrought many great workes, given his body to be burned in the fire, given al his goodes to the poore, hath ſpoken with the tongs of men & aungels, wanting true inward love & faith the Lord wil ſay vntounto him depart thou worker of iniquity, I know the not: al this outward shew was hypocriſy: & thou art but as ſounding braſſe, & a tinckling Cymbal. Therfor as the Apoſtle ſaith: glorifie God with your body and Spirit, for they are Gods: 1. Cor. 6.20. he that is only an inviſible member of Chriſts kingdome, is but half a ſubject of Chriſts Kingdome at the vtmoſt, though it be the better half: & he that is only a viſible member of Chriſts Church, he is vntounto vsus truly & fully a ſubject of Chriſts Kingdome, though vntounto the Lord he is but half, & ſo the worſe half, & ſo as good as nothing: Let the Lord judg in ſecret what he pleaſeth in mercy, but wee muſt judg in viſible that which we ſee viſiblie, & therfor to conclude this Parallele: I ſay he that pleadeth himſelf to be a true ſubject of Chriſts Kingdome by his inviſible fayth, yet ſtanding in confuſion with the world in the falſe Church, worship, miniſtery & Government, let him be what he may be vntounto the Lord, to me he is eyther an Antichriſtian or Fameliſt: & he that wanting true faith only in ſecreat knowne to the Lord, is yet a mē ber of a true Church, though I muſt needes ſay vntounto him thou art holy, faithful, & Elect, yet the Lord wil cal him an Hypocrite, & a worker of iniquity in the day when he will bring vntounto light every ſecreat thing whither good or evil: Therfor my poſition ſtandeth firme notwithſtanding al your cavils, that he that is not of a true conſtituted Church is no ſubject of Chriſts Kingdome.