The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 1 · Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
CHAP. 9. That the Church to which we muſt join, that we may be ſaved, is not alwayes eminent and expoſed to every ones ſight. Anſwer to the Cardinal.
THe Word of God affords us many examples of this. Was the Church of God expoſed to the ſight of Infidels, when the people of Iſrael was in Egypt, ſerving the Idols of the Egyptians? For God by his Prophet Ezekiel, Chap. 20. upbraids them, that when by his Prophets he exhorted them to forſake the Idols of Egypt, where they lived, none of them would obey or leave her abominations.
Was the Church Viſible to the Infidels in the time of the Kings, Ahas and Manaſſeh, when thoſe Idolatrous Kings ſhut up the Temple of God, and Idols were ſet up in all the Towns of Juda? and when the High Prieſt Ʋriah ſet up an Altar after the Pagan manner within the Temple, which was the only Temple in the world conſecrated unto the true God?
M. du Perron. Chap. 88. ſaith for anſwer, that Manaſſeh came to repentance: But what is that to our purpoſe? That King indeed repented towards the end of his dayes; but the fifty two years of his raign are a ſufficient time to make a long interruption in the viſibility of the Church. He ſaith alſo, that although there had not been any aſſembling in the Synagogues at that time, and although all publick exerciſe of Gods ſervice had been ſuſpended, yet the Maſſacres of the faithful did not ſuffer the true Religion to be unknown and inviſible.
This anſwer is a plain ſhift: For here the queſtion is not of the Viſibility of Religion, which may remain in ſome particulars, but of the Viſibility of the Church; which Viſibility ceaſeth when there is no more Aſſemblies.
Was the Church expoſed to the ſight of them that are without, in the time marked, 2 Chron. 15.3. For a long ſeaſon Iſrael hath been without the true God, and without a teaching Prieſt, and without Law. Where it cannot be ſaid, that by Iſrael the ten Tribes are underſtood: For it follows in the Text, But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Iſrael, and ſought him, he was found of them. This converſion never was in the ten Tribes ſince their revolt.
Was the Church Viſible in the time of Daniel, when the only Temple dedicated to the ordinary ſervice of God was deſtroyed, and the Jews captive in Babylon, bowed the knee before the Idol ſet up by Nebuchadnezzar, all but Daniel and his three friends! Dan. 3.6, 7.
And although in all thoſe times the Church had been viſible to the neighbouring Nations, yet ſhe was not viſible to the Chineſi, Americans, Sarmates, &c. And here our Adverſaries ought to determine how far, and to how many Nations the Church was viſible.
A very expreſs example to this purpoſe is the time that the Lord Jeſus lived on earth. There was then no other Viſible Church in the world but the Jewiſh Church, nor any ſucceſſion of Chairs, but that of the Prieſts and Scribes; yet they conſpire againſt Jeſus Chriſt, and make a Council, in which they decree, that whoſoever ſhould confeſs Jeſus to be the Chriſt, ſhould be caſt out of the Synagogue; That is, excommunicated, Joh. 9.22. which ſentence is the worſt of all doctrines. Where was at that time that true Church alwayes viſible and eminent in purity? For our Adverſaries hold, that then the Jewiſh Church had yet her full authority and purity, alleadging for that Mat. 23.2, 3. The Scribes and Phariſees ſit in Moſes Chair. All therefore that they bid you obſerve, that obſerve and do. To ſay with M. du Perron, that the Jewiſh Church was then near her period, and that her Leaſe was well-nigh expired, is confeſſing that at leaſt ſome years had paſt without a viſible Church.
Wherefore the Cardinal ſeeing that he could not deny, that the ſtate of the viſible Church under the Old Teſtament was often interrupted, ſaith, It follows not, if that hapned to the Jewiſh Church, that the ſame can happen to the Chriſtian Church, which hath great priviledges above the Jewiſh. In the ſame manner (ſaith he) as there is three periods of mans generation; The firſt, in which man liveth only with the life of Plants; the ſecond, in which he liveth with an Animal life; and the third in which he liveth with a Reaſonable life. And that it doth not follow, if under the two firſt ſtates the ſoul is corruptible, that under the third it muſt be ſo too. But he is miſtaken in his Philoſophy: For it is moſt falſe, that there is a time or period in which a man liveth only with a plants life; for in that time he is not yet a man. That is ſaid of the embryo, not of man, who never is a man till he have a reaſonable ſoul. But the Church is alwayes a Church, and is one and the ſame body from Adam unto the laſt day. If the Roman Church had promiſes of viſibility and perpetuity as expreſs as the Church of Iſrael, ſhe would brag of them with great oſtentation. God ſpeaks thus, 2 Chron. 33.4. In Jeruſalem ſhall my Name be for ever. And 1 King. 9.3. I have hallowed this houſe to put my Name there for ever. And Pſal. 132.14. Zion is my reſt for ever, here will I dwell, for I have deſired it. And yet God hath put away that people from his Covenant, becauſe theſe promiſes were to be underſtood conditionally, if that people would adhere unto God, and to his ſervice. But the Roman Church hath no promiſe in the Word of God to ground her perpetuity upon it: Nor hath the very Chriſtian Church in general any promiſe to be alwayes eminent and viſible to them that are without; but Scripture teacheth us the contrary.
In the beginning of the preaching of the Apoſtles, when ſhe was incloſed in Jeruſalem, ſhe was not viſible to the Sarmates, Spaniards and Moors.
Shall the Chriſtian Church be viſible in the time mentioned, Revel. 13.3. where it is ſaid, That all the world ſhall wonder after the Beaſt? Or in the time marked by the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Luk. 18. Do you think that when the Son of man cometh he ſhall find faith in the Earth? The Roman Church that inveſteth herſelf with the Title of Univerſal; was ſhe viſible to the Americans before the Navigations of the Spaniards and Portugheſe? And when it is ſaid, Revel. 12. that wings were given to the woman (which is the Church) that ſhe might flie into the Wilderneſs, where ſhe might be hid for a time; was that Church then eminent and viſible unto the Infidels? Do not our Adverſaries ſay, that the Antichriſt ſhall aboliſh the continual Sacrifice, that is, (as they underſtand it) the Maſs? At that time then the Roman Church ſhall be no more: For they hold that a Church cannot be without a Sacrifice; at leaſt at that time ſhe ſhall have no viſible and no eminent ſtate.
And ſince God commandeth his Church, Revel. 18. to come out of Babylon, may we not thence gather that the Church ſhall be for a time hid in Babylon?
And who doubts, but that the Church may come to be ſo diſperſed for a ſeaſon by perſecutions, that ſhe may even be unſeen to ſome of the faithful, until God gather them again?
CHAP. 10. Places of the Fathers upon that Subject.
THe Antients are full of paſſages to that purpoſe. Auſtin, who ſometimes to favour his cauſe againſt the Donatiſts, will have the true Church alwayes eminent in multitude and ſplendor, in ſome other places is ſpeaking otherwiſe. In the 80. Epiſtle to Hoſychius ſpeaking of the laſt times,(a)Eccleſia non apparebit, impiis perſecutoribus ultra modum. ſaevientibus. The Church (ſaith he) ſhall not then appear, the impious perſecutors exerciſing their violence beyond meaſure. And in the 45. Epiſtle to Vincentius, (b)Ipſa eſt quae aliquando obſcuratur & tanquam obnubilatur multitudine ſcandalorum.The Church ſometimes is obſcured, and is as it were covered with clouds by the multitude of ſcandals. He adds indeed, That at that time Eccleſia in firmiſſimis ſuis eminet; the Church is eminent in thoſe that are moſt firm in the faith. But the faith of particular perſons ſheweth indeed the Religion, but ſhews not the Church, when no Congregations are ſeen. In the ſame place ſpeaking of the time of Conſtantius, he ſaith, that at that time the Catholicks were of ſmall number, compared to the Hereticks. And in the 119. Epiſtle, Chap. 6.(c)Eccleſia adhuc in illa mortalitate carnis conſtituta, propter ipſam mutabi…itatem, Lunae nomine in Scripturis ſignificatur. The Church being yet in that mortal condition of the fleſh, is by reaſon of that mutability ſignified by the Moon in the Scriptures. And ſoon after,(d)Obſcura videtur Eccleſia in tempo… peregrinationis ſuae. The Church looks obſcure in the time of her Peregrination.
Ambroſe in the 4. of the Hexameron, Chap. 2.(e)Videtur ſicut Luna deficere, ſed non defici…; Obumbrari poteſt, deficere non poteſt. The Church ſeemeth to fail like the Moon, but ſhe faileth not; She can be obſcured, but ſhe cannot fail.
Tertullian in his Exhortation to Chaſtity, Chap. 7.(f)Sed & ubi tres, Eccleſia eſt, licet Laici; unuſquiſque enim de ſua fide vivit. Where three are, though they be Laymen, there the Church is; for every one liveth by his faith.
Hilary in his Book againſt Auxentius, (g)Vos parietum amor cepit; malè Eccleſiam Dei in tectis aedificiiſque veneramini. Male ſub hoc nomen pacis ingeritis. Montes mihi & lacus & & carceres & voragines ſunt tutiores.You are taken with the love of walls; You reverence the Church of God amiſs, in the roofs and buildings: you propound the name of peace amiſs under that colour; Mountains, and Lakes, and Priſons, and Boggs are unto me more ſafe. And that none ſay, that he ſpeaks there of the only Church of Milan, he ſaith in the ſame place, that in the Eaſt it is a rare thing to find a Catholick Biſhop or people.