The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. 2. Of the word Church, and of the ſeveral ſignifications thereof.
BEfore we ſpeak of the nature of the Church, it will be neceſſary to remove the ambiguity of the word, and to ſhew how many ways that word is taken in Scripture: For our adverſaries hide themſelves within theſe thorns, and play with the ambiguity of that word as they liſt, intangling and confounding that which Scripture diſtinguiſheth.
I leave the more remote ſignifications; as when in Scripture a knot of wicked men is called Eccleſia, a Church, that is, an Aſſembly: As Acts 19.32. where a crowd of Pagans crying, Great is Diana of the Epheſians, is called Eccleſia, a Church: And Pſal. 26.5. where there is according to the vulgar verſion, I hate the Church of the wicked: Alſo that improper ordinary term, whereby Temples are called Churches: Likewiſe that cuſtom of calling the Church the Clergy onelyonly, as if the people were no part of the Church. In that ſenſe they ſpeak of the liberties of the Church, that is, of the priviledges of the Clergy; and in that ſenſe they ſay, the Church goes before the Nobility and the Commons. Alſo that extravagant manner of ſpeaking, when by the Church the Pope alone is underſtood; as doth Pope Innocent the III.Cap. Novit. Extra. de Judiciis. who attributes to himſelf the determining of a difference between Philip Auguſt King of France, and King John of England; becauſe it is written, Tell the Church. And Cardinal Bellarmine in his ſecond Book of the Councils,Salmeron. Tom. 13. tertia parte in Epi. Pauli diſp 2. p. 172. Congregatio canum vel avium Eccleſia aliquo modo dici poteſt. chap. 19. The Pope muſt tell it unto the Church, that is, unto himſelf. Alſo that prophane ſaying of the Jeſuit Salmeron, that a kennel of Dogs may be called a Church.
I will then confine my ſelf to thoſe ſignifications of the word Church, which ſerve to our Controverſies.
1. In the holy Scripture the word Church is taken ſometimes for the Univerſal viſible Aſſembly of all that profeſs to be Chriſtians, and to believe in Jeſus Chriſt. It is that Church which S. Paul calleth The pillar and ground (or rather ſtay) of truth, 1 Tim. 3.15, becauſe her duty is to defend and ſtay the truth againſt errour, as being made and appointed for that. Of that ſame Church the ſame Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2 Tim. 2.20. ſaying, that in a great houſe there are not only veſſels of gold, and of ſilver, but alſo of wood, and of earth. It is that floor in which the good grain is mingled with ſtraw, Matth. 3.12. for that Church is made up of good and bad, and the pieces and particular ſocieties of which that Univerſal Church is compoſed, are not equal in purity.
2. Sometimes alſo that word Church is attributed to particular Aſſemblies, which are parts of the Univerſal viſible Church, and of which the Univerſal Church is compoſed. Such were in the Apoſtles time the Churches of Corinth, of Rome, of Philippi, and the ſeven Churches to whom the Spirit of God ſpeaks in the ſecond and third Chapters of the Revelation. Each of theſe particular Churches is alſo for her part, a pillar and ſtay of truth; for every particular Church is bound to defend the truth.
3. Sometimes alſo by the word Church, the Paſtors only and Leaders of the Church are underſtood; as when the Lord Jeſus biddeth, that in a quarrel between two brothers, the offended party tell it unto the Church; for Jeſus Chriſt in the following verſe gives unto that Church the power of binding and looſing,Matth. 18. which cannot be proper to any but the Paſtors of the Church.
4. Sometimes alſo by the Church, the people only is underſtood; as when the Apoſtle commands the Paſtors to feed the Church, Acts 20.8. and the ſame Apoſtle, 1 Tim. 3.4, 5. commands the Biſhop to be one that ruleth well his own houſe, having his children in ſubjection with all gravity: For (ſaith he) if a man know not how to rule his own houſe, how ſhall he take care of the Church of God?
5. But beſides theſe four ſignifications of the word Church, the holy Scripture takes that word in a higher and holier ſignification, meaning by the Church very often, the whole Aſſembly of the true Faithful and Elect whom God hath predeſtinated unto ſalvation: This is that Church which S. Paul, Epheſ. 1.23. calleth the body of Jeſus Chriſt; it is that which is called the Spouſe of Chriſt, and, the Jeruſalem of God; it is that which the Apoſtle Peter, 1 Pet. 2.9. calleth the choſen Generation; and becauſe Scripture ſaith, that the Elect are written in the Book of Life, and that their names are written in heaven,Luke 10. the Apoſtle to the Hebrews, chap. 12. ver. 23. calls it the Aſſembly, and the Church of the firſt-born which are written in heaven.
Of theſe Elect ſome are already glorified, ſome are in this world mingled among the wicked, ſome are not yet called and converted unto the faith: Many of them alſo are not born yet, and are only inrolled in Gods counſel to fight when their time comes, and to get the victory. So there is a difference between the Church of the Elect, and the Church Triumphant; for the Triumphant Church is but part of the Church of the Elect.
Out of that Church there is no ſalvation: It is that Church which we ſay to be inviſible; not only becauſe the glorified Saints are out of our ſight, and becauſe thoſe that belong to Gods Election, and are not yet born, cannot be ſeen; but alſo, becauſe thoſe Elect that live on earth, though they be viſible men, yet are not viſible in their quality of Elect; for Election is not diſcerned with the eye, only it is charitably preſumed by the profeſſion of faith, and by good works; nevertheleſs, the Church of the Elect ſhall be viſible in the day of Judgement.
Of that Church principally the Symbole ſpeaks in this Article, I believe the holy Catholick Church; for thoſe things are believed which are not ſeen, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 11. Faith is the evidence of things not ſeen; and, 2 Cor. 5.7. We walk by faith, not by ſight: Wherefore immediately after theſe words, I believe the holy Catholick Church, in that Church the communion of Saints is placed, to exclude the prophane and hypocrites: And again, to that ſame Church the Remiſſion of ſins is attributed, and life everlaſting, which are graces belonging only to the Elect and truly faithful.
Beſides theſe four ſignifications of the word Church, the ancient Doctors uſe to underſtand by the Church (which very often they call Catholick) the whole Society of the Chriſtian Churches which are Orthodox, ſound in the faith, and united together in Communion, oppoſing that Church to the Heretical and Schiſmatical Societies. In that ſenſe our adverſaries take the word Church, and call it the true Church, and the Catholick Roman Church. Cardinal du Perron defines it thus in Chap. 8. pag. 30. That it is the Society of thoſe whom God hath called to ſalvation by the profeſſion of the true faith, ſincere adminiſtration of the Sacraments, and adherence unto the lawful Paſtors. The Jeſuit Salmeron in Tom. 13. page 172. giveth this definition of the Church, The Church is the Aſſembly of thoſe that are called by faith, and by the participation of the Sacraments, and thereby unto grace and felicity: Which acception of the Church we will not reject, but uſe it often in this Book, to accommodate our ſelves unto the language of our adverſaries, for we delight not to diſpute about words: Yet it hath that incommodity, that it recedeth from the ſoil of the holy Scripture, and takes the word Church otherwiſe then it is taken in the word of God.
From all that was ſaid it is evident, that there being many ſorts of Churches differing in nature, it is impoſſible to define them all with the ſame definition, and that Cardinal du Perron doth unjuſtly charge us in Chap. 8. and 69. page 34, 35. of his firſt Book, that ſometimes we reſtrain the Church to the predeſtinate only, ſometimes we extend it to the whole multitude of thoſe that profeſs Chriſtianity, making it ſometimes viſible, ſometimes inviſible, like the ring of Gyges: Indeed that man ſhould ſhew himſelf ſhort of wit and learning, that would give to the ſame Church divers and diſagreeing definitions; but ſince there are divers ſorts of Churches, and of different nature, it is impoſſible to define them with one definition. We do not ſay, that the ſame Church is ſometimes viſible, and ſometimes inviſible; only we ſay, that the Church of the Elect is not diſcerned with the eye, neither is, or ever ſhall be viſible before the day of Judgement, but that the true and orthodox Church is always viſible to them that belong to it: To them that are without, as Turks, Jews and Pagans, we grant that it is inviſible, as we ſhall ſee hereafter: For although they ſee a Society of men, they do not ſee that ſuch a Society of men is the true Church.
So much of the word Church, and the divers ſignifications of the ſame. Of which word Monſieur du Perron ſaith in his firſt Chapter, page 2. that Jeſus Chriſt is the firſt that hath effected and conſecrated the word Church to ſignifie a Society of Religion; affirming, that before Jeſus Chriſt the word Church ſignified onelyonly a civil Aſſembly, that is, a Parliament, or the meeting of the States of a Nation; but that Jeſus Chriſt hath firſt taken it in a Religious ſenſe: A great overſight to begin his Book withal, to think that Jeſus Chriſt ever made uſe of the word Eccleſia, [which the Engliſh call Church,] for Eccleſia is a Greek word: Now Jeſus Chriſt ſpake among the Jews in the Jewiſh Tongue only. The Hebrew word foreign Kahal, which ſignifies Aſſembly, is often taken in a Religious ſenſe, as 2 Chron. 1.3. Levit. 8.3, 4, 5. 1 Kings 8.14. and in many other places.