Hear the Church, Title page – To the reader
Hear the Church: OR, AN APPEAL TO THE Mother of us All. BEING AN EPISTLE TO All the Baptized Believers in England; exhorting them to Stedfaſtneſs in the Truth, according to the SCRIPTURES. TOGETHER With ſome farther Conſiderations of ſeven Queries, ſent to the Baptized Believers in Lincolnſhire, concerning the Judge of Controverſies in Matters of Religion. In Three PARTS. By THOMAS GRANTHAM.
And they ſhall turn away their Ears from the Truth, and ſhall be turned into Fables,
2 Tim. 4. 4.
But I will ſhew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth, and there is none that holdeth with me in theſe things but Michael your Prince,
Dan. 10. 21.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1687.
TO THE READER.
THere is nothing, which Men ſincerely Religious, do more heartily deſire, than that all Men were ſo too; and becauſe they are fully ſatisfied that they are in that very Way which moſt truly leads to Life, they therefore ſtrive that all may know it and walk in it.
And truly this is my Caſe, my Hearts Deſire and Prayer to God for all Men is, that they may be ſaved. And as I believe it hath pleaſed God to ſhew me the Path of Life, I cannot but do my beſt to ſhew it to others; for as ſome by their Labours, have been helpful to me, ſo I hope mine may be helpful to others.
When I call the Primitive Chriſtian Church at Jeruſalem, the Mother of us All, I allude to that Place, Gal. 4. 26. Interpreters, (ſo far as I have obſerved) take Jeruſalem there, for the Goſpel Catholick Church; now this Church had its Beginning, and this Beginning was at Jeruſalem; and becauſe in the Progreſs of Chriſtianity in the World, for near one thouſand ſeven hundred years, there has abundance of Errors crept in, and much truth in the antient Simplicity of it rejected, I think it highly rational, that (all prejudice being laid apart) Men ſhould ſeek with the greateſt diligence, for their greateſt Security, into the State of Chriſts Goſpel-Church, as by himſelf eſtabliſhed; for whatſoever has not been planted by our Heavenly Father, is nigh to its being rooted up.
God Almighty direct us all, is the hearty Prayer of thy Friend,
Thomas Grantham.
Let the Reader further take notice, that theſe Papers were originally written upon ſeveral occaſions; otherwiſe ſome things repeated, would have been otherwiſe. Let thy diſcretion bear with this.
Hear the Church.
The Firſt PART.
Containing, by way of Preface, a particular conſideration of the State of the first Christian Church at Jeruſalem, and the Reaſonableneſs of appealing to Her, as The Mother of us All.
IT is evident to all ſuch as have converſed with the Hiſtories of the Ages, which have been ſince the coming of our Lord, to make known and eſtabliſh all things in the Kingdom of Grace, in the firſt Church at Jeruſalem; that there hath been great ſtriving among the Chriſtian Churches for ſome Honour and Prerogative above the reſt. Sometimes the Church at Alexandria, ſometimes the Church at Conſtantinople, and eſpecially the Church at Rome, preſſing very hard for Precedence of Honour, and Preheminence of Power; few minding the poor afflicted Church at Jeruſalem, the true Mother of all true Chriſtian Churches; when yet the Holy Ghoſt hath left a high Commendation upon thoſe who do follow Her, both in the effectual Reception of the Goſpel, not as the Word of ſuch or ſuch a man, (though preached by Apoſtles) but as it is in truth the Word of God, 1 Theſſ. 2. 13, 14. and alſo (not in perſecuting, but) in ſuffering like things of their Countrey-men, as they did of the Jews. And we deſire, and hope that there may be yet, all due conſideration had by all Chriſtians in theſe days, of the Heavenly Frame and Holy Walking of that MOTHER-CHURCH.
Unto whom was committed, in the firſt place, the Principles of the Oracles of God; unto whom our deareſt Lord was a perſonal Miniſter, and did actually Diſpenſe to, and Communicate with them, in the Divine Myſteries or Ordinances of the Chriſtian Religion; upon whom was poured the moſt excellent Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit of Promiſe. It was this Church, from whom (according to the Prophets) the Law of Chriſt ſhould firſt go forth, Iſa. 2. 3. Mich. 4. 1, 2. Here was the Houſe of the Lord eſtabliſhed in the top of the Mountains, and exalted above the Hills, that all Nations might flow unto it: an Honour not given to other Churches, 1 Cor. 14. 36. What, came the Word of God out from you? No, this was the Glory of another, For out of Zion ſhall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jeruſalem. Which by ſpecial Order from Chriſt was fulfilled, when he gave Commandment to his Apoſtles, that Repentance and Remiſſion of Sins ſhould be preached in his Name, in all Nations, beginning at Jeruſalem, Luk. 24. 47. And here it was that the Spirit gave utterance unto the Apoſtles, to preach in all Languages, that then ſome of all Nations (who were at that very time at Jeruſalem) might hear from thence the joyful Sound of the Goſpel, and conſequently, keep the ſame Holy Doctrine in all Ages and Nations, as it was there delivered, and confirmed by divers Signs and Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, Math. 28. 19, 20. Heb. 2. 4. Act. 2.
Foraſmuch then, as all Churches, in all Ages and Nations, are indiſpenſibly bound to follow this Church, in the Obſervation of all things whatſoever Chriſt commanded them; we hold our ſelves concern'd, at this time, to declare our unfeigned Aſſent unto the Truth of the Goſpel, as it was here delivered; and our humble Reſolution to keep the Ordinances of Chriſt, as they were here practiſed (not doubting but the ſame was received in all Churches at the firſt) being confident of this very thing, that a ſafer way cannot be found for the ſecurity of our Souls, from the manifold Errors, which ſince the Plantation of this Church, have been obtruded upon the Conſciences of Men, in moſt parts of the Chriſtian Nations.
To the intent then that we may avoid Error, and cleave to Truth, we ſhall conſider particularly (though very briefly) the Frame of this Heavenly Building, in reſpect of her Foundation, her Form of Government, and the Way of her Worſhip, in order to her Perfection. And Firſt,
We find her Foundation-Principles to conſiſt in ſix particulars, called, the beginning of the Word of Chriſt, which Articles are therefore called the Foundation, becauſe of the Relation they have to Chriſt, who is a Foundation to his Church, as held forth in his own Doctrine, and other Foundations than Chriſt ſo held forth, can no man lay.
Of ſuch importance are theſe Sacred Principles, that we find the Ancient Chriſtians uſed to call them the Chriſtian Catechiſm. Chryſoſtoms, Teſtimony is this; That all theſe are fundamental Articles; that is, that we ought to repent from dead Works, to be baptized into the Faith of Chriſt, and be made worthy of the Gift of the Spirit, who is given by impoſition of Hands; and we are to be taught the Myſteries of the Reſurrection and Eternal Judgment. This Catechiſm, ſaith he, is perfect. And indeed in the whole New Teſtament, we meet not with ſuch an excellent Epitome of the Chriſtian Doctrine as in this place, which was written to this Mother-Church.
'Tis true, we have ſome mention of a Form of Doctrine delivered to the believing Romans: And Timothy is commanded to hold faſt the Form of ſound Words, which he had heard of St. Paul; Chriſt is ſaid to be the Apoſtle and High Prieſt of our Profeſſion, the Author and Finiſher of our Faith, we are willed to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints. But none of theſe places do ſhew us, as the Text under conſideration, what this Form of Doctrine, this Form of ſound Words, this Profeſſion, and this Faith was, in reſpect of the Compoſition, and Foundamentality of them; nor can there any thing be aſſigned, that is ſo properly the Analogy or Rule of Faith, as theſe Principles of Catechiſm.
Happy had it been, if all Chriſtian Churches had held faſt this Catechiſm, though no more had ever been compoſed; Unity in the Truth would have been better maintained by this one, than by ſo many as are now extant. And ſure this being of Divine Compoſure and Authority, the Principles of the Oracles of God, the Beginning of the Word of Chriſt, muſt needs outweigh all others, being but of Human Compoſition. To begin with the firſt Principle of this Church, let us conſider.
1. Repentance from Dead Works.
We are firſt to conſider why Repentance is put in the firſt place, even before Faith; ſure it is becauſe no unrepenting Sinner can have the Faith of Juſtification; therefore this Principle of the Chriſtian Faith muſt follow Repentance. There is indeed a Faith (which we may call the Faith of Mankind) to believe there is a God, that will both puniſh Sinners, and reward the Righteous, and this Faith muſt needs precede Repentance, Heb. 11. 6.
This Repentance, as it was a Principle of this Mother-Church, comprehends three things, a true Sence of Sin, in the exceeding ſinfulneſs of it; in which reſpect it is ſaid, They were pricked at the heart, and cried out, or ſaid, Men and Brethren, what ſhall we do? Act. 2. 37. which is accompanied with Godly Sorrow, and with Amendment of Life, without which, Repentance is rather to be repented of, than to be eſteemed any part of the Foundation of Chriſtian Religion; Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your Sins may be blotted out. Act. 3. 19. Without which Repentance, there is no Remiſſion. Luk. 13. 5. Except ye repent, ye ſhall all periſh, ſaith our Saviour. How bleſſed had it been, if this Doctrine had been preached, and Men brought to the Obedience of it, before they had been admitted to Memberſhip in the Church of Chriſt? The not keeping to this Rule, has filled all National Churches with unregenerate, unconverted Perſons, to the Scandal of the Chriſtian Religion.
2. Of Faith towards God in this Mother-Church.
The Excellency of the Faith of this Mother-Church, appeared in theſe things: That they gladly received the Word of the Goſpel of their Salvation. Act. 2. 40. To the illumination of their Souls, and the expelling the darkneſs of Errour and Unbelief; by this Faith they had their Hearts ſprinkled from an evil Conſcience, and their Confidence in God had a great Recompence of Reward, in the Love and Expectation of which, they willingly endured a great Fight of Afflictions, whilſt they were made a Gazing-ſtock, both by Reproaches, and ſuffering the ſpoiling of their Goods with joyfulneſs; and were willingly Companions with, and charitably compaſſionate towards, thoſe that were in Bonds for Righteouſneſs ſake, working the Work of God, miniſtring to the Saints, labouring in Love: all which are Arguments of true and lively Faith. Heb. 6. 10, 11. Heb. 10. 32, 33, 34, 35.
He that reads and conſiders this Excellent Epiſtle, written to this Mother-Church, wherein we may be ſure no new Doctrine is delivered but the ſame corroborated which they had received, ſhall find that the true Knowledge and Belief of Chriſt was amongſt them, in reſpect of his Divinity, Chap. 1. in reſpect of his Humanity. Chap. 2. in reſpect of Prieſtly Office and Sacrifice, with all other Offices to which he was appointed of God, in the reſidue of the Epiſtle, of which we cannot now ſpeak particularly.