The Amendment of Life, Book 2 · Chapter 2
That it is not enough that we ſeperate our ſelues from Idolatrie, vnleſſe we alſo ioyne with the Church of Chriſt, by frequenting Sermons, communicating in the Sacraments, and comming to common prayer. Chap. 2.
AS repentance and Amendement of life conſiſteth in this, that we forſake ſinne and applie our ſelues to goodneſſe: So it is not enough that we keepe both bodies and ſoules from Idolatrie and ſuperſtition, vnleſſe that alſo ſeperating our bodies from Idolaters, we adioine our ſelues to the Church of Chriſt by hearing his word, receiuing the Sacraments, & calling vponupon God in the name of Ieſus Chriſt. The titles that the holy Ghoſt attributeth to this Church, do euidently declare vntounto vsus, of how great importance to the glory of God & ſaluatiō of mankind, this duty of ioyning with the true Church is. Firſt, it is in many places called the kingdom of God, yet not without great cauſe: For as this kingdome conſiſteth in euidēt & aſſured knowledge of the true God & of his Son Ieſus Chriſt, in faith, righteouſnes, peace, and comfort, of the holy Ghoſt, in ſanctification, to be briefe, in euerlaſting life & glory: So is it in the church wherin God manifeſts himſelf & reueales his truth & pleaſure. To the mēbers therof he giueth faith, righteouſnes, holines, peace & ioy, and finally life & glory euerlaſting. Contrariwiſe the kingdom of Sathan cōſiſteth in ignorance,Mat. 13. infidelity, corruptiō, vice, ſin & iniquity: in a bad conſcience, trouble of mind, diſpaire, death & damnation. The members therfore of Chriſts Church are the kingdome of God, retired from the power & dominion of Sathā, to the end that God may raigne in them by his ſpirit & the ſcepter of his word: as contrariwiſe al that are without the Church do belong to the kingdome of Sathā: as S. Paul alſo doth ſay of the excōmunicate, that they be deliuered to Sathā, who raigneth without the Church of Chriſt.1. Cor. 5.5. 1. Cor 6.9.10. Luk. 13.28. Act. 1.47. This likewiſe is confirmed, in that the ſame title of the kingdom of God, wherby the Church is ſignified, is alſo attributed to that bleſſed & glorious eſtate which the elect ſhal enioy after the reſurrection. Wherin we are taught that theris ſuch a cōiunction betweene the Church & that glorious kingdom of Ieſus Chriſt, that it is as it were the ſuburbes & gate thereinto: wherupon alſo al they that refuſe to ioyne with the Church can pretend no portion in this kingdom of heauē. For the path to felicitie importeth an aſcention frō the kingdome of God vponupon earth to the kingdome of God in heauē. And that doth S. Luke note, ſaying that God did dayly adioyne vntounto the Church thoſe that ſhould be ſaued, thereby ſignifying that ſuch as refuſe to adioyne themſelues therto, do miniſter no occaſion to imagine that they hauehave attained the way to ſaluation and life euerlaſting.
2 By another title are the premiſes confirmed in that the Church is called the houſe of God. For as the holy ſcripture ſpeaketh of two ſorts of children only, the one the children of God, the other of the deuill:1. Tim. 3.15. 1. Ioh. 3.10. ſo are ther but two houſes: the one wherin the childrē of God are gathered & norced together: the other wherin the childrē of the deuil are ſcattered abrod. So many therfore as are in the Church, are the children & domeſtical ſeruants of God, as S. Paul alſo calleth them:Ephe. 2.19. And contrariwiſe they that do refuſe to adioyne thēſelues therto, are forreners & ſtrangers, as the Apoſtle nameth thē. Chriſt himſelf,Ioh. 14.2. wher he ſaith that In the houſe of God my father ther be many māſions, attributing the ſame title of the houſe of God to the heauēly Citie, which is the congregation of the elect in heauen, repleniſhed with the glory of God, as he doth to the Church and aſſemblies of Saints, which do enioy the miniſtery, doth admoniſh vsus that the houſe of God vpō earth, is the ready way there by to climbe, & the gate that we are to enter at into this houſe of God. And cōſequētly that they that refuſe to enter into the houſe of God vpō earth, hauehave no acceſſe or entry into the houſe of God.1. Tim. 3.15.
3 This Church is alſo called a piller of the truth, in two conſiderations: firſt, becauſe that without the ſame ther is nothing but lying, & cōſequently the dominion of the deuill, the prince of darknes, and father of lies: Secondly, to aduertiſe vsus, that all they vntounto whō God hath reuealed his truth, are by this title aduowed to be pillers therof, by confeſsing, preaching & defending it before & againſt all men, yea euen by ſuffering for the ſame. Whereby it euidently appeareth, that ſuch as will not make profeſsion but refuſe to ioyne with the Church, do deſerue to be giuen ouer to the power of the father of lies, becauſe ſo far as in thē lieth, they ſuffer the truth to fall & be brought to nought.Gal. 4.26. But eſpecially we are to note this title Mother attributed to the Church, which ſheweth her to bee the mother that brought vsus foorth: the nouiſe that ſuckled vsus with her two pappes of the word and Sacraments: the tutrix that bringeth vp, guideth & gouerneth vsus, vntil that hauing put of this mortall fleſh, we become like vntounto the Angels. And ſith it is the wil of God, that al they to whō he vouchſafeth to be a father ſhold acknowledge the Church for their mother: thoſe that ſhal refuſe to adioyne themſelues therto are not Gods children. Which is more. S. Paul calleth this Church,Eph. 4. the aſſembly of Saints and body of Chriſt, teaching vsus that as the members therof are aduowed to be Saints & mēbers of Chriſt: ſo they that do refuſe to adioyne thē ſelues therunto, are holden, as being no Saints nor members of the body of Chriſt, to be the members of Sathan,Mat. 12.43. whom the Scripture termeth the vncleane ſpirit. Which conſideration ſhould miniſter as great terror & confuſion to theſe, as contentment & conſolation to the members of the body of Chriſt. When Ieſus Chriſt therfore & S. Iohn do cal vponupon vsus to Amend, they do admoniſh vsus that among al other things, renouncing Idolatry, we are eſpecially to adioine our ſelues to the church of Chriſt, to the end to become members of his body, whereby departing from the kingdome of Sathan we may hauehave entrie & acceſſe into the houſe of God, wher hauing the Chruch for our mother, wee ſhall bee aſſured to hauehave God for our father: & finally renouncing al falſehood we ſhal be made pillers and ſupporters of the truth, by confeſsing and maintaining the ſame all the daies of our liues, to the glorie of God and the ſaluation of our ſoules.