The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. 3. That there is a Church of Elect or Predeſtinate perſons.
THe word of God is ſo expreſs upon this, that one can hardly doubt of it, attributing ſuch things unto the Church as are unſuitable to the Reprobate and Hypocrites that are in the viſible Church: As when it is called the body of Chriſt; for in the body of Chriſt, who is the life, there is no dead members, and none can belong to the body of Chriſt, if he be a limb of the Devil. And if ſometimes the viſible Church be called the body of Chriſt, it is in conſideration of the Elect and truly faithful which make part of that Church, whom only the Spirit of God regardeth, when he calls the Church the body of Chriſt.
1 Pet. 2.9. S. Peter calls the faithful, a choſen generation: And the Apoſtle to the Hebrews chap. 12. v. 23. calls them the general aſſembly and Church of the firſt-born which are written in heaven, which cannot be applied to the Reprobate. And whereas that Church is called in the Scripture the Spouſe of Chriſt, the prophane and wicked Chriſtians are not the Spouſe of Chriſt, nor part of it: For if by reaſon of the ſoundeſt part, the Church of Chriſt is called a chaſte immaculate Spouſe; by the ſame reaſon, in reſpect of the infected and diſloyal part, which commonly is the greateſt, ſhe might he called an Adultereſs, and an Harlot.
Luke 12.32. the Lord Jeſus calls his Church the ſmall flock to which the Father is pleaſed to give the Kingdom, which can be attributed to none but the Elect and truly faithful.
Heb. 3.6. The Apoſtle calls the Church the houſe of God; but he ſaith together, that we are his houſe, if we hold faſt the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end, declaring, that they alone are the houſe of God, that perſevere unto the end.
John 10. The Church of Chriſt is compared unto a ſheepfold, and the faithful are called ſheep. If in that Church a multitude of Wolves and Goats is put, exceeding the ſheep in number, it is no more a ſheepfold.
1 John 2.19. S. John ſpeaking of Hypocrites revolting from the Church, ſaith, They went out from us, but they were not of us; as if he ſaid, They went out from the viſible Church, by forſaking the outward profeſſion, but they were not of the Church of the Elect. And he ſaith in the ſame place, if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.
The ſame was acknowledged by the Ancients. Origen on Matth. 16. ſaith, that all ſouls that are not holy are not the Church, nor part of the Church which Chriſt buildeth upon the rock.
Baſil in the Chapter of the judgement of God, which is among his Aſcetica, ſpeaks thus,(a)foreign. To call them members of Chriſt, among whom diſſentions, and quarrels, and envy is found, it were a very raſh part. Jerome ſaith the ſame upon Epheſ. 5.
Auſtin in the third Book of the Chriſtian Doctrine, chap. 32.(b)Non enim revera Domini corpus eſt quod cum illo non erit in aeternum. That is not truly the body of Chriſt, which ſhall not be with him for ever. And in the Book of the Unity of the Church, chap. 4.(c)Quicunque de ipſo capite à Scripturis ſanctis diſſentium, etiamſi in omnibus locis inveniantur in quibus Eccleſia deſignata eſt, non ſunt in Eccleſia. All thoſe that diſſent from the Church about the head, though they be found in all places whereſoever the Church is ſhewed, are not in the Church. And in the twentieth Book of the City of God,(d)Nunquam à Diabolo Eccleſia ſeducitur praedeſtinata & electa ante mundi conſtitutionem. The Church predeſtinated and elected before the creation of the world, ſhall never be ſeduced by the Devil: nothing can be more expreſs. And in the ninth Chapter of the Unity of the Church, he maintains, that thoſe perſons are not of the Church that ſhall not poſſeſs the Kingdom of Heaven. And in the ſecond Book againſt Creſconius, in Chap. 21.(e)Malos non pertinere ad Eccleſiam Dei quamvis intus videantur, ex hoc manifeſtiſſimè apparet …am in corpore Chriſti non ſunt quod eſt Eccleſia, quoniam non poteſt Chriſtus habere membra damnata. They are not of the body of Chriſt, which is the Church, becauſe Chriſt cannot have damned members. Wherefore in Chap. 9. of his Manuale ad Laurentium, (a)Eccleſia tota hic accipienda eſt non ſolum ex parte qua peregrinatur in terris, verum etiam ex illa quae in coelis.he compoſeth the Church mentioned in the Symbole, of two parts, the one a Pilgrim on earth, the other being in heaven.
It cannot be ſaid, that Auſtin retracted himſelf in the ſecond Book of his Retractations. chap. 18. as Cardinal du Perron ſaith in chap. 9. For there he doth but expound his meaning, ſaying, That when in his Books of Baptiſm, he ſpake of a Church without either ſpot or wrinckle, that muſt not be ſo taken, as if the Church at this preſent were ſuch a one, but as being prepared to be ſuch when ſhe ſhall appear once glorious: Which is moſt true, and hinders not that Church without ſpot or wrinckle to be the Church of the Elect; but Auſtin referreth that perfection to the time of her glorification. But in how many places doth he compoſe the Church with the faithful that are on earth, and thoſe that are already received in Heaven? About that is the whole work of the City of God imployed; for within that City of God, which is the Church, he comprehends alſo the Saints in Paradiſe. And upon Pſalm 59.(b)De toto mundo electa eſt Eccleſia, & mortificata à terrena vita. The Church is elected from all the world, and mortified from the earthly life: He maketh then a Church of the Elect.
(c)Eccleſiam dupliciter poſſe dici, & eam quae non habet maculam & rugam, & eam quae in Chriſti nomine abſque plenis perfectiſque virtutibus congregatur.Jerome upon Gal. 1. ſaith, that the Church is of two ſorts; the one without ſpot and wrinckle, which is the Church of the glorified Saints; the other, which hath not yet attained the perfection.
Hence our Adverſaries are plunged, and know not how to come out: For when the Apoſtle Epheſ. 5. ſpeaks of the Church without either ſpot or wrinckle, which is the Spouſe of Chriſt, they will have that Church to be the Roman Church. But the Jeſuit Salmeron makes no difficulty to contradict it; for by that Church without either ſpot or wrinckle, he underſtands the Church of the glorified Saints(d)Salmeron. Tom. 13. Diſp. 1. ex Epiſt. Pauli, p. 173.; thereby acknowledging another Spouſe of Chriſt then the Roman Church, and a Church more pure, and more perfect.
The Catechiſm of the Council of Trent, in the Expoſition of the Article of the Symbole, I believe the Church, &c. ſaith, that(e)Eccleſiae duae potiſſimum ſunt partes, quarum altera triumphans, altera militans vocatur, &c. Jam in Eccleſia militante duo ſunt hominum genera, bonorum & improborum. the Church hath principally two parts, the one Triumphant, the other Militant, compoſed of good and bad: Making the wicked to be the ſame Church with the Saints of Paradiſe, and rather chuſing to joyn ſuch contrary things in a body, then to make them two ſeveral Churches, leſt it ſhould be acknowledged that Scripture ſpeaks of another Church then the Roman.