The Guide Unto True Blessedness, Section 19 – Section 20
SECT. XIX. Of the Subiects, to whom the Couenant of Grace is reuealed, viz. the Church.
Q. TO come to the third thing propounded touching this Reuelation, to whom doth God reueale his Couenant of Grace?
A. aIoh 14.22 & 17.9 Mat. 11.25 1. Cor. 2 8 &c.Not to the world, but to his Church called out of the world.
Q. What meane you by the Church?
A. The whole number of Gods Elect, effectually called into bEphe. 5.32fellowſhip with Christ, by the meanes, and in the manner formerly mentioned; which wee profeſſe to beleeue vnderunder the title of the holy Catholike Church.
Q. Where is this holy Catholike Church?
A.
Part already in heauencHeb. 12.13. Reu. 7.14. &c. triumphant in their Maſters ioy,dReu. 6.7. waiting for the fulfilling of the number of their fellow members, and their owne conſummation in perfect bliſſe:
Part as yetaReu. 1.9. & 12.11. militant on earth in the ſeruice & warrefare of their Lord, expecting in due time to be alſob2. Tim. 4.7, 8 crowned with victory, and triumph in glory.
Q. Who are true members of the Church militant on earth?
A. Thoſe alone, who, ascEphe. 1.22, 23. Col. 1.18 liuing members of the myſticall bodie, are, by the ſpirit and faithdCol 3.3. Pſal. 83.3. ſccretly, and inſeparably conioined vntounto Chriſt their head; in which reſpect the true militant Church is both inuiſible, andeMat. 16.18 inuincible.
Q. But are none to be accounted members of this Church, but ſuch as are ſo inſeparably vnited vntounto Chriſt?
A. Truely, and properly f1. Joh. 2 19none other: howbeit, becauſe God vſeth outward meanes, with the inward, for the gathering of his Saints, and calleth, them as well togAct. 2 42. Cant. 1.7 outward profeſsion among themſelues, as to inward fellowſhip with his Sonne, whereby the Church becommeth viſible; hence it commeth, that ſo many ashAct. 8.13 partaking the outward meanes, doe ioyne with theſe in league of viſible profeſſion, are therefore, in humane iudgement, accounted members of the true church, anda1. Cor. 1.2. Saints by calling; vntill the Lord (who onelyonly knoweth who are his) doe make knowne the contrarie. As wee are taught in thebMat. 13, 24.47. &c. parables of the tares, the drawnet, &c.
Q. Hath Chriſt then his Church viſible vponupon earth?
A. Yea, throughout the world, in the particularcRom. 3.3 congregations of Chriſtians, called to the profeſſion of the true faith & obedience of the Goſpel. In whichdRom. 11.5 viſible aſſemblies, and not elſe-where, the true members of the Church inuiſible, on earth, are to bee found; and vntounto which therefore all that ſeeke ſaluation muſt gladlyeEſay 60.4. ioyne themſelues.
Q. Are we to acknowledge one viſible Church, or many?
A. fEphe. 4.4. &c. Cant. 6.8 Gal. 3.28.One alone, as there is but one Lord, one Spirit, one Faith, and one Baptiſme: notwithſtanding the parts of this one Church may bee diſtinguiſhed in reſpect
1. Of time, as the ChurchesaHeb. 13.8 before Chriſt, and ſince: Primitiue and preſent reformed: &c.
2. Of place, as the Churches of Iudea, Aſia, England, France, Germanie, &c. which all, beeingb1. Tim. 3.15 one, yet (as the ſea) receiue ſeuerall names from the countries where through they paſſe, and arecReu. 1.11 accounted as ſo many ſeuerall Churches.
Q. Muſt not then this one viſible Church hauehave one viſible head here on earth?
A. No: For it is viſible not in the whole, but in the parts, whereto the circumſtances of time, and place for opportunitie of viſible profeſſion, do agree: and therefore, as Catholike, or vniuerſall, the Church hath no head, butdEpheſ. 1.22.23. Chriſt alone, alwaieseMat 28.20 preſent by his word and ſpirit, to giuegivefGal. 2.20 life, ſenſe, and motion to eueryevery member.
Q. Is the Church alwaies viſible in her parts?
A. Chriſt hath, andgRom. 11.1, 2, 3, 4. euer had, from the beginning, his Church viſible vponupon earth, that is, ſome companies of beleeuers making profeſsion of the ſame common faith; howbeit many times by perſecution forced toaReu. 12.14. hide themſelues from the eye of the world, & happily by the rage of the enemie, ſo ſcattered, that (as in theb1. Kin. 19, 10 daies of Elias) they can hardly be knowne, or hauehave entercourſe betweene themſelues.
Q. What are the infallible notes, wherby to diſcerne a true viſible Church, with which we may ſafely ioyne?
A. The ſame, and no other, which are the onelyonly outward meanes, ordained by God, for the calling and gathering of his Saints, and which giuegive being to a Church, prouing it to bee ac1. Tim. 3.15 pillar of truth, viz. thedMat. 28.19, 20. word preached, and Sacraments adminiſtred, according to the commandement of Chriſt our Sauiour; as for other notes, they are either
1. Accidentall, and in great part ſeparable, or
2. Vtterly impertinent, & forged, for the vpholding of the Romiſh ſynagogue.
Q. May not ſuch a Church erre, and bee corrupted, or fall, and become no Church?
A.
1. The Church conſidered in her true members, canaMat. 16.18. Phil. 1.6 1. Theſ. 5.24. neuer vtterly fall; howſoeuerbCant. 1.4 no congregation bee ſo pure, that it may be ſaid at any time to be free from all corruption, or ſo conſtant, but that, at times, it may be ſhaken, in the very foundation of truth: as may appeare by the churches ofc1. Cor. 15.12.33 Corinth, dGal. 3.1. &cGalatia &c.
2. Being conſidered with reſpect to the place, God doth not alwaies continue a ſucceſsion of true beleeuers within the ſame limits and borders; and hence we ſay, that diuers Churches are fallen, as thoſe of Aſia, &c. neither is any place ſo priuiledged, but that for ſinne theeReu. 2.5 Candleſticke may in time bee thence remoued.
Q. How may wee iudge of a Church corrupt, or ceaſing to be a Church?
A.
1. Where God, vtterlyaAct. 13.46 taking away the meanes of his word and worſhip, hath apparently giuen the*Eſay 50.1. bill of diuorce, there are wee not to acknowledge any Church at all: as at this day in Ieruſalem, once the holy Citie.
2. But where theſe meanes are yet continued, wee are to acknowledge abReu. 2.1…, 13 Church of Chriſt, howſoeuer more or leſſe corrupt, according to the greater, or leſſe abuſe of Gods word and worſhip.
Q. Since Churches may be ſo diuerſly corrupted, from which, and how farre are we to ſeparate?
A. From Churches mortally ſicke ofcTit 3.10, 11 hereſie, ordReu. 18.4 idolatry, as it were of a contagious plague or leproſie, wee are to ſeparate; Howbeit, whiles there is yet any life, rather from the ſcab, or ſore, then from the bodie: that is, from the preuailing faction, maintaining fundamentall errours, and forcing to idolatrous worſhip. Such is our ſeparation from the preſent Church of Rome, not from ſuch therein, who, either, meaning well in generall, areaReu. 2.24. ignorant of the depth of Satan, orb1 …n. 19.18 ſecretly diſſent from thoſe damnable corruptions; with whom, as a bodie yet retaining life, wee deſire tocPhil. 1.18 ioyne, ſo farre, as wee may with ſafety from the foreſaid contagion.
Q. Are wee to continue fellowſhip with all other Churches, not ſo deadly and dangerouſly corrupt?
A. From Churches holding the foundation, in ſubſtance of faith and worſhip, though otherwiſe not free from blemiſh, wee ared1. K…n. 15.14 & 2….43 not to ſeparate, farther then in diſlike and refuſall of that wherein they doe apparently ſeparate from Chriſt, in reſpect either of maners, doctrine, or forme of publique worſhip.
Q. To conclude touching the Church, what diſtinction is there of the particular members?
A.
1. Generally, they are all theeEpheſ. 3 15 familie of Chriſt, andfIoh. 10.2, 3, 4. ſheepe of his flocke, hearing his voice, and following him.
2. More ſpecially out of theſe Chriſt, the chiefe Prince and Shepheard, hath inſtituted, as guides vntounto reſt,
1.a1. Cor. 12 28 Miniſters, called Paſtors, bJoh. 21.15. 1. Pet. 5.2to feede his flocke, with the wholeſome foode of the word and Sacraments.
2. Princes and Magiſtrates, to ſee to the wayes of his houſhold, that all, bothc2. Chro. 35.3. &c. & 34. ver. 32, 33 Miniſters and people, doe their office and dutie, euen in things concerning God.
SECT. XX. Of our Communion with Chriſt in regard of his Prieſtly office, viz. our Juſtification.
Q. THus much of the benefit, flowing vntounto vsus from the Propheticall Office of Chriſt, what fruit hauehave we of his Priestly function?
A. OuraRom. 3.25 2. Cor. 5.19 Reconciliation with GOD, through him, made vntounto vsus of Godb1. Cor. 1.30 righteouſneſſe, whereby alone we are perfectlycRo. 8.33, 34 iuſtified (i.) acquitted & accounted iuſt in the ſight of God.
Q. How doth Chriſt become righteouſneſſe vntounto vsus, for iuſtification in the ſight of God?
A. OnelyOnly by Gods free and graciousdRo. 5.18, 19 imputation of the righteouſnes of Chriſt vntounto vsus,ePhil. 3.9 in which, as in the garment of our elder Brother, wee are accepted, and obtaine the bleſsing from him, our heauenly Father.
Q. What righteouſneſſe of Chriſt is it, that God imputeth to vsus?
A. Not the eſſentiall righteouſneſſe of his diuine nature, but onelyonly that perfectfHeb. 7.26. integritie of the humane nature, which in him was without all guile; and that abſolute obedience, whereby, in that nature of ours, hee
1.gMat. 3.15 Fulfilled in act eueryevery branch of the law of God.
2.aEſay 53.5 1. Pet. 2.24. 1. Joh. 2.2 Satisfied by his ſufferings, for the ſinnes of the whole world of his Elect.
Q. How can Chriſts righteouſneſſe be accounted ours?
A. Becauſe it is in CHRIST, not as in a perſon, ſeuered from vsus, but as in the head of our common nature, the ſecond Adam; bRom. 5.19.from whom therefore it is communicated vntounto all, that, beeing vnited as members vntounto him, doe laycRom. 10.4 claime thereto, and apply it vntounto themſelues,
Q. How is this claime and application made?
A. On our part bydRom. 5.1 faith alone, and that, not conſidered as a vertue inherent in vsus, working by louelove, but onelyonly as aneRom. 10 10 inſtrument, or hand of the ſoule ſtretched forth to lay hold on Chriſt,fIer. 23.6 The Lord our righteouſneſſe.
Q. But how are wee made Prieſts vntounto God, by our Communion with Chriſt?
A. OurgEph. 1.6. perſons receiued into fauour, wee are admitted, as aa1. Pet. 2.5 ſpirituall Prieſthood, to offer vp the ſacrifices of our obedience and thanksgiuing; which howſoeuerbEſa 64.6. imperfect in themſelues, and deſeruing rathercPſal. 143.2. Tit. 3.5. puniſhment then reward, are yet, as our perſons, made acceptable vntounto GOD, and hauehavedMat. 10.41, 42. promiſe of reward, by the onelyonly merite and interceſsion of the ſame our high Prieſt.