The Temple Opened, Tract · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Deſign of this Undertaking.
AS the true Church of Chriſt is the moſt glorious Fabrick that ever God created; in the faſhioning of …hich, his infinite Wiſdom, Power, Goodneſs and Truth did moſt trancendently appear, and wherein he …ath and will magnify all his glorious Attributes, and his Son Chri… Jeſus the Image of the Fathers Pe… ſon, above what he hath done in a… the Artifice of the Old Creation: S… there is no one thing in the wor… that Satan and his Inſtruments ha… levyed their Counſels, Power, an… Malice more at, ſince the firſt a… pearance of it in the World. B… ſeeing he could never prevail by a… the powers of Hell to deſtroy it, … hath managed and carryed on … deſign principally for the darknin… clouding, and obſcuring the Glo… of it; and finding the unbelievi… world began to have their Eyes … pened, and to behold the Glory … Chriſt and his glorious Body t… Church; He provides a Fob Chr… and Sham-Church, which he ſet … the world on wondering after. A… when by the light of the Goſp… breaking forth with greater brigh… neſs, that ſpiritual Egyptian darkne… which had over-ſpread the Europe… Hemiſphere, began to vaniſh, & that Church was diſcovered to be a Sy…agogue of Satan, and a Diabolical Sheat, by her Heatheniſh Idolatries, …piritual Whoredoms, and whoriſh …ttire; the grand Deceiver betook …imſelf to new meaſures, and con…rived ways and methods for con…ounding and darkning the minds of men, that upon the dawning of Goſpel light were ſtudiouſly intent …pon a Reformation. And among other Bombs of Helliſh Mixture that …e flung in and brake among them, …or the diſtracting and dividing …hem in this great Undertaking, this was not the leaſt, To confound …heir Language. Fain they would …or the moſt part have Extricated …hemſelves from the Antichriſtian Labyrinth; and found the way by the Clue of Gods word through that Chymerian Monkiſh darkneſs, in matters of Doctrine, and arrived at …o great a clearneſs and full Underſtanding of the moſt weighty and neceſſary Points for Life and Salvation, and were ſo abundantly ſatiſfied in what they believed, and profeſſed, in Oppoſition to all the Romiſh Lyes and Hypocriſies, that Triumphing in their cauſe, they loved not their Lives unto Death; and having weather'd this Cape of good hope even through a Sea of blood, and many a Hurricane of ſmart Perſecutions: They began anon to be becalmed, juſt as they ſhould have Entred the Haven of a full Reformation: For falling now under the the Countenance and Favour of Proteſtant Princes, they found not only that eaſe and reſt from Perſecution was very delightful; and that ſeeing they were ſafe, through the Faith and Patience of their Predeceſſors, as to the main points of Salvation, they thought it not adviſable to run any further adventure in matters, as they thought, of leſſer moment: Seeing the paſſage was alſo Hazardous in reſpect of worldly Pomp and Intereſt; finding that if they went ſo far as the humility, plaineſs and ſimplicity of the Goſpel in the worſhip of Chriſt, they muſt lay aſide all that gawdy dreſs of Church Dignities and Ceremonies which the Curtizan of Rome had bedaubed it with; and hence, becauſe the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil, they came to treat with her for the Mammon of Ʋnrighteouſneſs; and it was agreed that the Reformed Religion in all matters of worſhip, ſhould for the moſt part appear in the Romiſh dreſs & attire, & ſhould be accompanyed with the like Profit, Honours & Pleaſures, that ſo the honeſt woman might not be diſtinguiſhed from the whore by the Dreſs, and this expos'd in the ſtreet. And now I ſay, behold Satans great Subtilty; when he hath obtained thus much, that theſe two Ladies walk up and down in one faſhion, he calls them both by one Name; ſo that now men begin to queſtion their difference, and ſuſpect they are related to each other, as Aholah and Aholibah; and many finding the Reformed Church ſo like unto the Romiſh, they doubt whether there be any ſuch thing as a true Church of Chriſt on Earth; and ſeeing ſo many women play the whore, do queſtion whether there is any honeſt woman living: But many run to and fro, and knowledge increaſing, ſome tell us, and confidently affirm, they have found this Church or Chriſt; and that all this while it hath been in the Antichriſtian Wilderneſs: And others entring into it, ſay, Surely it is ſo; there is much of the Sweetneſs of Chriſts Love, and conſolations of the Spirit: But yet there are many things dark and obſcure, and ſo will be, until ſuch time as this Babyloniſh cheat be perfectly diſcovered to the minds of men, and that whole fabrick deſtroyed.
Among all the Miſts and Foggs that this Miſtreſs of Sorceries hath raiſed to loſe the true Spouſe of Chriſt in it, there's not many hath been greater then the confuſion of Languages, and eſpecially about the word Church and Schiſm, that all Enquirers ſpake of the Church, but no two meant the ſame thing; men generally agreed there was a Church, and a true one; (excluding Rome) but could not tell what a kind of thing it ſhould be; and great contentions have been and are to this day about it. Some ſay, Here is the Church; and others, that it is there; and every one cries up his Church, and calls others Schiſmaticks; and they that get power into their hands, deal with others as ſuch.
Now it would be worth our while to ſearch after many (who have found) for confirmation of thoſe that will be perſwaded of the Truth, and to examine every Church that pretends to that Name, by the Teſt of the Goſpel, that we may be fully reſolved what metal each is made of. I know all Chriſtians of what mould or ſize whatever, do pretend to lay no other Foundation then Jeſus Chriſt: and its well if it were true of all profeſſing themſelves Proteſtants; for that Foundadation is a Rock, and they are ſo far wiſe that lay Chriſt as ſuch in their writings and doctrine; but yet that will not bear an ill Superſtructure: as a good one will not long ſtand on a bad foundation, ſo a good foundation will not long bear up an ill Superſtructure, 1 Cor. 3.11, 12. Other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid, which is Jeſus Christ. Now if any man build upon this Foundation, Gold, Silver, Precious-ſtones, Wood, Hay, Stubble; Every mans work ſhall be manifeſt, for the day ſhall declare it, becauſe it ſhall be revealed by fire, and the fire ſhall try every mans work of what ſort it is, verſe 14. If any mans work abide which he hath …uilt thereupon, he ſhall receive a reward, verſe 15. If any mans work ſhall be burnt, he ſhall ſuffer loſs, but he himſelf ſhall be ſaved, [provided he lay a good foundation] yet ſo as by fire; I doubt not but many good mens and Miniſters Church-works will be burnt, and they will ſuffer loſs; it will be manifeſt one day to be the great blemiſh of the Reformation, that ſo many good men that have Preached Chriſt clearly as to his Sonſhip, Natures, Offices, Merits and Satiſfaction for Juſtification and Sanctif…cation, have from intereſt, prejudice or ignorance, extreamly fumbled in moſt of the concerns of his Goſpel-Church. I have much admired to hear ſome mens Pulpit-zeal againſt ſin in general, and for the advancement of holineſs, even to a juſtifying condition; and when we come to enquire of the particular caſes for the practice of it in Goſpel and revealed Religion, in duties toward God, they can tell you of nothing but moral natural Religion, and reduce all the Service of God under the Goſpel thereto; ſaying they have no other Rule to direct us there, but ſuch as this, Let every ſoul be ſubject to the Higher Powers, Rom. 13.1. So as for revealed Religion under the Goſpel, our judgments and practice muſt be wholly regulated by, and reſolved into the wills, laws and commands of men.
But to come to the matter we intend, ſeeing the word Church is cloathed with ſo great ambiguity, and ſo much duſt raiſed about it, to the perplexing of mens minds and Conſciences, we ſhall principally fix our Enquiries for the true ſence and notion of the word upon the tenure of the Goſpel, and the meaning of the Spirit of God there; knowing that it is That hath the greateſt power upon the Conſciences of men, when it comes with evidence and demonſtration, to convince us of Truth; and whereas fire and ſword, yea mens great words and looks, may terrify fleſh and blood: yea Pulpit Thunder-Claps, diſcharged on the behalf of Error and Nonſenſe, do keep many weak judgments and conſciences in bondage and thraldom, afrighting them from an impartial ſearch for truth, by hard names, equivocating words, paſſionate and zealous ways of expreſſion; yet a Conſcience truly enlightened by Divine Teſtimony is very little concern'd at ſuch things, any more than to pity ſuch paſſionate Soul-confounding blind guides, and much more their poor deluded enſlaved Followers.
I ſhall handle this word Church two ways, for our more diſtinct underſtanding its true Goſpel meaning.
1. Shew in what ſence it is not uſually taken.
2. In what ſence it is▪