A Treatise of the Church, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. A confutation of H. BARROW his deſcription of a true viſible Church.
WEE hauehave ſpoken in the former Chapter, of the firſt vſe wee make of the aforeſaid Doctrine of the viſible Church: And there we hauehave ſeene how fitly it ſeemeth to iuſtifie the Church of England, and to proue her to be a true Church: now by it wee will alſo conuince the Browniſts falſe doctrine of the viſible Church. And that ſhall be the ſecond and l…ſt vſe of the Doctrine aforeſaid.
For the better vnderſtanding of the Browniſts doctrine concerning the true viſible Church: let vsus heare how it is deſcribed by them. It is (ſaith BARROW) a company and fellowſhip of faithfull and holy people, gathered in the name of Chriſt Ieſus, A true deſcription of the viſible Church, pag. 1.their only King, Prieſt & Prophet, worſhipping him aright, being peaceably & quietly gouerned by his officers & lawes, keeping the vnity of faith in the bond of peace, and louelove vnfained. General…y cōcerning this deſcription, I affirme, thataApology 44. Counterp. 115. Princ. & Infer. 8. & 10. as al the reſt of the deſcriptions or definitions of the viſible Church which they do giuegive, ſo this likewiſe, is rather a deſcription of the inuiſible Church militant, then of the viſible. That which is h…ere ſet downe, is true onelyonly of the Elect, and cannot properly and truely bee ſpoken of any Reprobate, whereof a true viſible Church may in part conſiſt as well of the Elect: for as the Elect only are faithfull and holy indeed, and effectually called: ſo Chriſt Ieſus is their onelyonlybThough Chriſt Ieſus be in diuers reſpects King of the viſible Church, yet he is not King, Prieſt, & Prophet of the viſible, but only of the inuiſible Church, hee cannot be ſaid to be Prieſt of the viſible Church, but with relation had to them that be of the inuiſible Church. King, Prieſt, and Prophet: they alone doe worſhippe him aright, are gouerned by his lawes, keepe the vnity of faith, in the bond of peace and louelove vnfained. But let vsus brifely conſider of the ſeuerall parts of this deſcription: That your meaning is, the viſible Church conſiſteth only of faithfull & holy perſons, it is hereafter made manifeſt, and appeareth alſo by the laſt page of H. Barrow his book intituled, A true deſcription of the viſible Church: where hee ſaith, that into the viſible Church there entereth no vncleane thing or perſon, but all ſuch are without: how true this Doctrine is, wee ſhall anon heare, as alſo of the gathering heere ſpoken of. And that the viſible Church, and conſequently all the members thereof, hauehave not Chriſt Ieſus to be their King, Prieſt, and Prophet; in the end of this booke it is made manifeſt. Omitting therefore theſe things, wee will come to that which in the deſcription followeth.
In it you adde, that the viſible Church conſiſteth of a Company that worſhip Chriſt aright, and to proue this, you ſend vsus to three places of Scripture, the two firſt, viz. Exod. 20.7.8. Leuit. 10.5. ſpeake neuer a word for you. The laſt and onelyonly teſtimony you hauehave, is Ioh. 4.23. where Ieſus ſaith, That the true worſhippers ſhall worſhip the Father in Spirit and truth, and that the Father requireth ſuch to worſhip him. And hereof our Lord rendereth a reaſon, in the words next following, ſaying: God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in Spirit and truth: which in effect is this: that God being of a ſpirituall nature, requireth a ſpirituall ſeruice agreeable to his nature. Of a company of ſuch kind of worſhippers (ſay you) doth the viſible Church conſiſt. But how can this poſſibly be true? ſeeing Chriſt Ieſus ſpeaking to ſome of the viſible Church,Matth. 15.7. ſaith thus, O Hypocrites, Eſaias prophecied well of you; ſaying: this people draweth neere vntounto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is farre from mee: but in vaine doe they worſhip me. Theſe were no true worſhippers, worſhipping God in Spirit and truth, but only outwardly and Hypocritically, whereupon Ieſus calleth them Hypocrites, and yet were theſe worſhippers members of the viſible Church. And whereas of the viſible Church the greateſt part are Hypocrites, or hypocriticall worſh…ppers, by this deſcription and doctrine of yours, there can be no Hipocrites in it: for you teach that the viſible Church is a company that worſhip God in Spirit and truth; but no Hypocrites worſhippe God in Spirit and truth: therefore (by your doctrine) no Hypocrites are of, or in the viſible Church. That no hypocrites doe worſhip God in ſpirit and truth, (which reſteth only to be proued) it is hereby manifeſt. Firſt, becauſe they doe not worſhip God with a true and ſincere affection of the heart. Secondly, Becauſe this worſhipping of God in ſpirit and truth, is that worſhip which God requireth to be performed to him by men, accepteth of, and is well pleaſed with: but the worſhip of hypocrites God forbiddeth, reiecteth and abhorreth: Hypocrites therefore doe not worſhip God in ſpirit and truth. Thirdly, As many as thus worſhip God in this world,Heb. 11.6. Pſal. 19.11. he will honor in the world to come; and for their poore ſeruice done to him on earth, he will aboundantly reward them in heauen, now woe be to Hypocrites, ſaith Chriſt. And againe, giuegive him his portion with Hypocrites. This is the hypocrites reward.
Where you ſay, that the viſible Church is a company peaceably and quietly gouerned by Chriſt's officers and lawes, conſidering the greateſt part of the viſible Church are reprobates, and ſo rebels againſt Chriſt, taking part with Satan againſt him: how can this be truely ſaid of the viſible Church, and conſequently of all the members thereof? Cain, Iſmael, Eſau, Saul, Abſolom, the Scribes and Phariſies, were all of the viſible Church. Theſe and thouſands more ſuch in the Church, hauehave beene ſo farre from being quietly gouerned by Chriſts lawes, that with them in the ſecond Pſalme they hauehave ſaid:Verſe 3. Let vsus breake their bonds, and caſt their cords from vsus. The viſible Church therefore is not a company of ſuch loyall and obedient ſubiects to Chriſt, as theſe men affirme. How peaceably and quietly was Saul gouerned by the lawes of God and Church officers then, when he cauſed the Prieſts of the Lord to be ſlaine, and eagerly perſecuted Dauid, thirſting after his bloud, and that all his life time. The ſame may be ſaid of Cain, killing Abel, of Iſmael mocking, or (as the Apoſtle ſaith) perſecuting Iſaak: of Abſalom when he killed his brother, rebelled againſt his father, lay with his Concubines, and vſurped the Kingdome: of the Scribes and Phariſies traducing, blaſpheming, mocking, and putting to death the Lord Ieſus: and laſtly, of all the domeſticall enemies of the Church, who hauehave reuiled, ſlandered, impriſoned, baniſhed, and murthered the Saints. All theſe were of the viſible Church, and yet were none of theſe peaceably gouerned by Chriſts officers and lawes, but were rebels againſt Chriſt, tranſgreſſors of his lawes, and deſpiſers of his officers. You ſpeake therefore moſt vntruely, when you ſay that the viſible Church is a company & fellowſhip peaceably & quietly gouerned by Chriſt his officers & laws.
Finally, in requiring louelove vnfained in all the members of the viſible Church, ſeeing this louelove is an effect of faith vnfained, as Paul ſheweth, 1. Tim. 1.5. Doe you not therein alſo require of them that be of this ſociety, that faith which worketh by louelove,1. Pet. 1.9. euen the true and iuſtifying faith, the end whereof is the ſaluation of mans ſoule? Whereupon followeth that the viſible Church is a company of faithfull indeed, and conſequently of ſuch as ſhall be ſaued. This that I inſerre, how falſe ſoeuer, you feare not to teach, ſaying, They keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace. This louelove vnfained they onelyonly hauehave which louelove the brethren, not in word and tongue, but in deed and truth, as appeareth alſo by their quoting of Ioh. 13.34. But this louelove whoſoeuer hauehave, are tranſlated from death to life, and thereof may aſſure themſelues: The whole company therefore of the viſible Church hauing this louelove as you teach, are (by this doctrine) ſure of life and ſaluation. Doe you not bluſh to tell vsus (in effect) that that louelove is to be found in eueryevery member of the viſible Church, which, the holy Ghoſt doth giuegive vsus for an infallible marke of the child of God, and heire of ſaluation? Another place of Scripture that in the margent is quoted, for the proofe hereof is 1. Cor. 13.4. Can that louelove (trow you) the Apoſtle there ſpeaketh of, fal into the reprobate, and be found in any but Gods elect, cōſidering the heauēly effects it hath, in whomſoeuer it is? Among other things of this louelove it is ſaid, that it thinketh not euill it reioyceth not in iniquity, but reioceth in the truth, and that it doth neuer fall away. In which reſpect it doth excell faith and hope, as is ſaid in the laſt verſe, now abideth faith, hope, and louelove, but the chiefeſt of theſe is louelove, What meane you to require this louelove, which is proper to the elect, in all the members of the viſible Church, of the which the moſt are reprobates? Cain ſlew his brother, Iſmael perſecuted Iſaak: of Eſau it is ſaid, That he hated Iacob, Cen. 27.41.becauſe of the bleſsing, wherewith his father had bleſſed him, and therefore purpoſed to ſlay him. How deadly Saul did hate Dauid, and hunt after his life, as one would hunt a Partridge, the holy ſtory maketh mention. And as for the Scribes and Phariſies, their extreame hatred againſt Chriſt, and all that confeſſed him, is manifeſt in the hiſtory of the Goſpell; their crucifying of Chriſt, and perſecuting of his members, did ſhew the hatred that was in their hearts.
Hereunto we may adde, the perſecut…rs and murtherers of the Saints that hauehave beene in the Church, almoſt in all ages, many whereof were of the viſible Church: yet were they ſo farre from louing the brethren, that they did hate them with a cruell hatred. We ſee then men hauehave bin of the viſible Church, and therefore may be at this day, who hauehave not this vnfained louelove of the brethren: nay, are as far from it, as hatred from louelove, and darkneſſe from light. How then doe you truly deſcribe the viſible Church, that it is a company of men, who louelove one another vnfainedly.
Thus in effect you teach, that the viſible Church conſiſteth of a company and fellowſhip of people, who as they are at peace with God, and among themſelues, ſo hauehave they vnf…ined louelove one to another. Wheras the moſt of the viſible Church being reprobates, wicked and vngodly men, as they hauehave no peace with God, according to that of the Prophet,Iſa. 48.22. there is no peace, ſaith the Lord, to the wicked; ſo neither are they, nor can be at peace with men, I meane, the reſt of the Church, which are the elect: Except you will hauehave peace betweene the Serpent and the woman, and both their ſeeds. The Scriptures tell vsus, there is and will be no peace nor louelove, Gen. 3.15.but perpetuall enmitie and warre betwixt theſe. You tell vsus in effect, nay, that theſe meeting together in the Church, they are peaceable and kind, louing vnfainedly one another: you ſhould adde, as Ioab did Abner and Amaſa, 2. Sam. 3.27. and 20.10.whom vnderunder the pretence of brotherly louelove, he killed with the ſword. As Ioab kiſſed Amaſa, and Iudas Chriſt: ſo vſually doe ſome members of the Church kiſſe ſome others.Prou. 29.27. Salomon ſaith, That the righteous are an abomination to the wicked, and the wicked to the righteous: but in the viſible Church there are righteous and wicked men: therefore in the viſible Church there are ſome that abhorre, and hauehave others in abomination. You ſay, nay, they are all tyed together by the bond of peace and louelove. Ieſus ſaith of himſelfe, That he came not to ſend peace into the earth, Matth. 10.34. Luk. 12.49.51.but rather debate and a ſword; nay, fire, and what is his deſire, but that it be kindled. Is not this ſword and fire, the ſeperation alſo and enmity that our Lord further ſpeaketh of, which commeth through the preaching of the Goſpell, to be found in the Church, and betweene the members thereof? But only betwixt them that are in the Church, and thoſe that are without? If any be thus fondly conceited, let him looke backe to the premiſſes, and his error will be corrected.
As the aforeſaid members of the viſible Church, Iſmael, Eſau, Saul, the Scribes and Phariſies, had not this louelove vnfained, ſo neither had they, the other eſſentiall properties which you require in all them who be of a true viſible Church. They were not faithfull and holy indeed, nor yet holy in the face and outward appearance, which you require at leaſt; nor otherwiſe faithfull and holy, then the moſt open wicked of our Land: They had not Chriſt to be their King, Matth. 1.21.Prieſt, and Prophet. They were rebels, and none of Chriſts ſubiects or people, all which he will ſaue. The Diuell was their father and king, and they his children and vaſſals, doing the luſts of him their father, in ſtead of the wil of God. As he was a murtherer from the beginning, ſo were they all murtherers in their times. The like may bee ſaid touching Chriſt his not being their Prieſt, nor Prophet. Worſhippers of God they were indeed, but hypocriticall, not true and ſincere worſhippers: of many of them Ieſus ſaid, Yee worſhip God in vaine; Matth. 15.9.not one of them worſhipped God aright, in ſpirit and truth: neyther did they liue after the lawes of God and Chriſt; but after the lawes and cuſtomes, and faſhion of this world, whereof they were. When men ſpake to them of peace, they were bent to warre; and in ſtead of louelove vnfained, they did beare a perfect hatred to the Saints. Theſe men then were not ſuch as be heere deſcribed; yea, none of them had any one of theſe properties, which you neceſſarily require in eueryevery member of the viſible Church, much leſſe all of them: And therefore by this deſcription, none of them were of the viſible Church: and yet by the Scripture it is plaine, that they were all of the viſible Church. Thus we ſee your deſcription accordeth not with the holy Scriptures, neither hath warrant from thence, but by them is eaſily conuinced: notwithſtanding you alledge for confirmation thereof ſixe and thirty teſtimonies of holy Scripture. But a thouſand more ſo peruerted, will not make good your deſcription, nor any other of your errors. And becauſe I know you will hardly leaue this hold, and for that if this be battered downe, and made euen with the ground, you muſt needs betake your ſelues ſome other way: I will therefore againe aſſault you by the force of another Argument.
If the viſible Church be a company of faithfull and holy people, that worſhip Chriſt aright, are peaceably and quietly gouerned by his officers and lawes, keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace and louelove vnfained: Then none hauehave been at any time of the viſible Church, but ſuch as hauehave beene faithfull and holy, did worſhip Chriſt aright, &c: as followeth in your deſcription:
But ſome hauehave beene of the viſible Church, who were not ſuch as be heere deſcribed, as Cain, Iſmael, Eſau, Saul, Doeg, Ioab, Abſalom, the Scribes and Phariſies, with infinite others:
Therefore the viſible Church is not a company of faithfull people, worſhipping Chriſt aright, &c.
The Conſequence of the Propoſition, I doe illuſtrate and confirme by the like. If the viſible Church be a company of people profeſſing the true Religion, then none hauehave beene of the viſible Church, but ſuch as hauehave profeſſed the true Religion. If the inuiſible Church be the company of the elect then none hauehave beene or are of the inuiſible Church, but ſuch as were and are elect, and their names written in the booke of life. The aſſumption your ſelues will grant. Againe, I reaſon with you on this manner:
If this be a true deſcription, then no reprobates euer hauehave bin, are, or ſhall be of the viſible Church, but only the elect: for none hauehave beene, are, or can bee ſuch as are heere deſcribed, but the elect:
But many reprobates hauehave beene, are, and ſhall be of the viſible Church:
Therefore this deſcription of the viſible Church is falſe.
The Propoſition muſt needs be true, except Chriſt Ieſus be the King, Prieſt, and Prophet of Reprobates, and that Reprobates worſhip Chriſt aright, in Spirit and truth; be gouerned by his lawes, as their only King; keepe the vnitie of faith in the bond of peace, and doe vnfainedly louelove the brethren.
Matth. 22.14.The Aſſumption will not be denied, and it is manifeſt by that ſhort ſpeech of Ieſus, Many are called, but few choſen.
This deſcription being heretofore found fault with by ſome, and Maſter Ainſworth iuſtifying the ſame, it ſhall not be amiſſe to heare what hee ſaith in anſwere to them, and in defence thereof:C…unterpoyſ. 208. They cauill at our deſcription of a Church, when we ſay, that it is a company of faithfull people that truely worſhip Chriſt, and readily obey him: this ſay theſe Miniſters is vtterly vntrue, if it be vnderſtood of the viſible Church. This is ſtrange: What would they hauehave vsus deſcribe the Church to be? A company of Infidels; or a company of faithfull and of infidels together: when Paul teacheth that there is no communion betweene ſuch, 2. Cor. 6.14, 15. or ſhould wee ſay a people that falſely worſhippe Chriſt? Indeed if ſo we held, we might well returne to their Church of England for there is falſe worſhip more then enough. The Apoſtle writing to the viſible Church of Epheſas, calleth them Saints, and the faithfull in Chriſt Ieſus. Will they ſay that this alſo was vtterly vntrue? Their owne articles of Religion in England *A…no. 1562. A…t. 19.ſay thus: The viſible Church of Chriſt, is a Congregation of faithfull people, &c. And is this alſo vntrue?
I anſwere you, hauing reſpect to your owne words: A viſible Church, is a cōpany profeſſing true faith, or a company profeſſing the true worſhip of God: ſome whereof hauehave faith in Chriſt, I meane, true and iuſtifying faith; and worſh…p God indeed, euen in ſpirit and truth; the reſt (being the greateſt part) are hypocriticall worſhippers, void of true faith, hauing only eyther the temporall, or hiſtoricall faith, or no faith at all, but very Atheiſts. Yet profeſſe they the true worſhip of God, and faith in Chriſt Ieſus; and in this reſpect may be called faithfull in Chriſt Ieſus, and Saints: becauſe whatſoeuer they be, their profeſſion is holy, and he holy, in whom they would ſeeme to belieue and whom they ſeeme to worſhip truly. And in this ſence, our Church ſaith, A viſible Church is a Congregation of faithfull people, that is, of ſuch as profeſſe faith in Chriſt Ieſus. Of this ſort of Infidels and counterfeit Profeſſors, were Cain, and for a time Iſmael, Eſau, alſo Saul, Abſalom, Iudas, Simon Magus with infinite more. Vnderſtanding Infidels thus, as they may well be called Infidels or vnbeleeuers, who hauehave not true faith. Then, I ſay, the Church is a company of ſaithfull, and of Infidels.2. Cor. 6.14. But if by Infidels you meane the ſame the Scripture vſually vnderſtandeth by this word; ſuch as worſhip a falſe god, and doe not ſo much as profeſſe the worſhip of the only true God, or faith in him, then it is true that a viſible Church is not a company of faithfull and Infidels together. And the hauing communion with ſuch Infidels as theſe in their falſe worſhip, is that which the Apoſtle condemneth. He doth not forbid to partake in diuine worſhip with ſuch Infidels, as formerly I hauehave ſpokē of, wicked & vngodly men, void of true faith, as eueryevery where very fondly you tel vsus: nor yet to communicate with theſe Infidels he ſpeaketh of in true diuine worſhip; but this he condemneth and argueth againſt. That the children of God may not hauehave communion with Infidels and Heathens in their falſe and Idolatrous worſhip, as ſome of the Saints at Corinth (as it might ſeeme) did, repairing to the Idols Temples, and ioyning therewith their neighbours that were Idolaters, in their idolatrous worſhip. This they thought they might lawfully doe, ſo long as in their hearts and inward affections they condemned it, and kept them pure, as may be gathered from 2. Cor. 7.1. And this is it that Paul reproueth, and nothing leſſe then that which you doe from hence vſually collect and vrge againſt vsus.