The Temple Opened, Title page – Errata
Eccleſia Enucleata: The Temple Opened: Or, A Clear DEMONSTRATION Of the True Goſpel-Church IN ITS Nature and Conſtitution, According to the DOCTRINE and PRACTICE OF Christ and his Apoſtles. By I. C.
In that day ſeven Women ſhall take hold of one man, ſaying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own Apparel; only let us be called by thy Name, to take away our Reproach: Iſa. 4.1.
London, Printed by George Larkin at the lower End of Broadſtreet, next to London-Wall. 1684.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
Candid Reader,
TRue Religion, and the Church of Christ, are Twins; they were conceived and born together, and have grown up together in the World; and I may ſay of them, as of all the Sons of God in particular, That they are born, not of Blood, nor of the will of the Fleſh, nor of the will of Man, but of God: John 1.13. They are only from God, and for God, and his revealed mind and will. In his Word is the great preſcribing Rule of both, and the only Touch-ſtone for an unerring Tryal of the Truth of either. All Pretentions of humane Wiſdom, Law, and Authority, must here vail their Bonnet; for if theſe could juſtly claim a binding Power in matters of this Nature, I know no Reaſon why the Great Turk hath not as ſtrong Arguments for his Religion in all his Dominions, as Chriſtians have any where for theirs; We find (whatever Prerogative Secular Powers lay claim to) that they are fully aſſured that Religion never takes place upon mens minds by their Authority only, they muſt pretend to at leaſt a Divine, as we ſee. The Turk muſt have his falſe Prophet Mahomet, and his Mufti; and the Ten-horned ſecular Beaſt must have his two-horned Eccleſiaſtical Brute. So the Heathen Kingdoms and Pagan, have always had their Diabolick Prieſts, to influence the Minds, and ſham the Conſciences of Men, by the awe of ſome Divinity, or ſuppoſed Divine Authority, into a Reverend eſteem of that Religion they deſigned to eſtabliſh, ſuitable to their own carnal deſigns and advantages.
Since the knowledge of the True God, and the breaking forth of the light of the Goſpel in the Kingdoms of the darkneſs of this world, the Devills Mask hath b…en much removed, he is found to be what he is: His wiles and deceits, whereby he hath ſo long impoſed upon the minds of men, are very much diſcovered, in ſo much that it may be ſaid of him in theſe latter days, that he is fallen as lightning from heaven, ſince the Reforming Angels mentioned Rev. 14. have been employed in the Wilderneſs, the three Goſpel flying Angels to bring in that glorious light, and the two Sicle Angels that cut down the Harveſt and Vintage, the Thick…ts and ſhading poyſonſome Antichriſtian Trees have been in a great meaſure in many places cut down; yea Reformation hath been carried on to ſuch degrees, that the Angels have been ſeen, having the ſeven laſt Plagues, and thoſe that have got the Victory ovcr the Beaſt, over his Image, and over his Mark, and over the number of his name, ſtanding on the Sea of Glaſs, having the Harps of God, and ſinging the Song of Moſes the Servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb, &c. Yea, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Teſtimony hath been open: and I doubt not but the ſeven Vial-Angels are coming out of the Temple, though Smoak fill it at preſent, from the glory of God, and his power. In anſwer to the old enquiry, Where was your Church (according to Article 19. of the Church of England) before Luther? We ſay, It hath been for above 1200 years in the Wilderneſs; it was before that, ever ſince the Apoſtles tim…s, under the Draconick Tyranny and Perſecution, till it fell under the Beaſt and Falſe Prophet, in the midſt of Spiritual Egypt, Sodom and Babylon, out of which it hath been bringing under the conduct of the Angel that was with the Church in the Wilderneſs; by ſeveral removes, steps and degrees of Reformation, ſometimes too wofully luſting and turning back again. But God will be a Refiners Fire to all the Sons of Levi, he will throughly purge away all the Churches droſs, and take away all her Tin; he will waſh away the Filth of the Daughters of Zion, and purge the Blood of Jeruſalem from the midſt thereof, by the Spirit of Judgment, and Spirit of Burning; by his trying Providences, and bright ſhining ſearching Light of the Goſpel. In order to the laſt, I have preſumed to caſt in ſome fire from the Altar, have run to and fro a little, …hat knowledge may encreaſe, and …hat many may be purified and made …hite. Reader, what thou ſeeſt of …arkneſs and ignorance of the Mind …nd Will of Chriſt concerning a Sub…ct of ſo great concern, overlook it of, but lend thy Light alſo, as thou …aſt received from the Lord Jeſus …hriſt; and remember partiality is to …e laid aſide, and who ever decrea…eth, Chriſt muſt encreaſe. If thou …ſt no other Argument to reſiſt the …ght offerd, then that the Croſs attends …ruth, deny thy ſelf, and take up …e Croſs and Truth, and follow …riſt; this Life & World is but for a …tle while; take heed of b…ggling …th Conſcience, and ſophiſticating … Word of God, by ſhifting Gloſſes, to make it ſerve thy own corrupt deſigns and ends; the Word of God … pure and conſonant to it ſelf: Chriſt is, and will make it manifeſt and confeſt at laſt, notwithſtanding all oppoſition, that he is the only Lawgiver his Church; he ſeeks ſuch Wo… ſhippers as ſhall ſerve him i… Spirit and in Truth: he hates a… abhors all Whoriſh Babyloniſh Dr… ſes of his Worſhip and Ordinance Let Chriſt be found and embrace… his Church ſought out in the place … che Wilderneſs where it hath honouriſhed: Get true Union to Cbr… the Head, becoming a Member of … Myſtical Body, and maintain t… Goſpel-communion of Saints, … none can harm you.
The noiſe that ſome men make …e World of Schiſm and Separation, … nothing but ſome of Antichriſts …uſt, that he throws into the eyes of …oſe that he cannot quite blind; for …ere was never any Schiſm in the Myſtical Body of Chriſt, his Veſture …as never divided, and there was ne…r any true conſtituted Goſpel-Church …t by Separation; and as for Schiſm, it concerns Viſible Churches, there none ſpoken of in the New Teſta…ent, but ſuch as was found in a …rticular Congregational Church, and …ey but ſuperficial Diviſions that …re ſoon healed. He that walks in …e bond of peaceable communion with … particular Goſpel-Church of Chriſt, …ll never be hurt by all the Nick-…mes of Schiſmatick or Dividing-…eparatiſt, that any of the Worſhippers of the Beaſt or his Image, or o… any carrying the mark or number o… his name, can caſt upon him. It's a… eaſy thing for men of corrupt minds t… call what they pleaſe by the name o… Church, and then to ſtigmatize th… Servants of Chriſt in not holding communion with it, by all reproachf… names of the Devils invention: It … the greateſt intereſt of every true Fo… lower of Chriſt, to count the cost of h… Profeſſion, and reſolve that he muſt … through good report and evil, an… muſt take a ſhare in the Sufferings … Chriſt, who is now crowned wi… Glory and Honour, as all his Fait… ful Members ſhall be, for he hath ſa… that where he is, they ſhall b… alſo: and doubtleſs there is a rewa… for the Righteous, there is a Go… that Judgeth in the Earth. And …is is the Faith and Patience … the Saints, and of him who ſhall …eem it honour enough to be found …e of the leaſt, and am,
Thy Servant for Chriſts ſake I. C.
The Contents of the Chapters contained in this Treatiſe.
CHap. 1. The Deſign of this Ʋndertaking. Page …
Chap. 2. Shewing that a place of Meaning is no where taken in the New Testament for a Church of Chriſt Page 1…
Chap. 3. Of a National Provincial Church. Page 2…
Chap. 4. Of Parochial-Churches. p. 4…
Chap. 5. Of the Catholick Viſible Church. Page 6…
Chap. 6. Of the moſt uſual acceptation of the word Church in the New Teſtament. Page 6…
Chap. 7. Of a Particular-Church. P. 7…
Chap. 8. Of the Inferences neceſſary from the foregoing Chapter. P. 99.
Chap. 9. Of the Bond of Ʋnion in the Church. Page 115.
Chap. 10. of Church-Communion. Page 136.
Chap. 11. The Concluſion. Page 155.
ERRATA
The Reader is deſired (before he read the Book) to Correct the following Errata's
PAge 24. line 21. after Ceremonies, add at. line 22. after Antitype, add were.
Page 31. l. 2. read deſtined to.
Page 37. l. 25. for jugeled, read juggled.
Page 39. l. 11. for foreign read foreign
Page 41. l. 3. after that, add though.
Page 50. l. 15. for munching read mouching.
Page 72. l. 21. after only, read of.
Page 78. l. 23. after Churches, add of Judea.
Page 91. l. 14. for foreign, read foreign.
Page 96. l. 24. for who they, read they who.
Page 100. l. 4. blot out and.
Page 106. l. 4. blot out in.
Page 120. l. 14. after one Body, add ſo alſo is Chriſt
Page 125. l. 23. for foreign, read foreign.
Page 126. l. 12. for foreign, read foreign.
Page 141. l. 3. for parterition, read preterition.
Page 142. after Chriſt, add into.