Works, Book 1 · Discourse 29
DISCOURSE XXIX.
ISAIAH 2. 2, 3, 4.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established [or, prepared] in the top of the Mountains, and exalted above the Hills; and all Nations shall flow unto it, &c.
HILLS or Mountains are States, Kingdoms or Societies of men; which consisting of degrees, rising unto a height one above another, are compared unto Mountains raised above the ordinary Plain and Level of the Earth.
The mountain of the Lord's House is that State and Society of men which is called the Church and People of God: Regnum Coelorum, the Kingdom of Heaven; that is, a Kingdom whose both King and King's Throne have their residence and place in the Heavens.
These words therefore are a Prophesie or prophetical Promise of the glorious exaltation, wonderful inlargement, and unheard-of prosperity of this Society of men, called the Church, above all other States or Societies of men whatsoever.
The glory and exaltation is expressed in the words, The Mountain of the Lord's House shall be one day exalted, Isai. 2. 2, 3, 4.yea mounted, not only above the lesser Hills, but the highest Mountains, though at this time it were depressed and trampled under foot by the proud enemies thereof.
The inlargement and ampleness thereof, in the words, All Nations shall flow unto it: that is, Though, at the time of this Prophecy, it were reduced to a small remnant; yet the time was to come, when it should not only consist of the one Nation of the Iews, as then it did, but of all Nations under the whole heaven.
The prosperity thereof begins to be described from these words in the 4th verse, They shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks, &c. that is, Although the greatest part of Iacob were already captive, and Iudah and Ierusalem in a continual fear and no less danger of the arms and invasion of the King of Babel; yet the time should one day come, that the People or Church of God should not only be the most exalted State upon the earth, and the most ample and universal Dominion that ever was in the world, but the most peaceable, quiet and flourishing State that ever was since man was first created.
This is the Prophecy. But now comes the Question, Whether this, as we have described it, be and hath already been fulfilled; or whether the time thereof be yet to come; or if already any ways fulfilled, whether it be not in part only performed, and the full accomplishment reserved for the time to come.
Our Adversaries would fain find here the constant and perpetual Visibility of the Church. And I must needs grant them that it is meant of a time when the Gentiles shall be called; for the words of the Text, viz. [All Nations] tell us so. But, without doubt, he that will have this place for his purpose, must shew us not only, …aked and single Visibility, but more than that, a glorious Visibility; yea, the most glorious among the sons of men. For a Visibility is one thing, and a glorious Visibility is another: for many things are visible which are not glorious to look upon; and oftentimes good and rich mettal may be within, when the outside glisters not. We must therefore, when we talk of the Churche's Visibility, distinguish between these two, and not confound them. The Church might be Visible, though it were but a Hill; much more if it be a Mountain: but here it is to be established on the tops of Mountains, and exalted above the Hills; so that no other State shall overtop or overlook it, much less trample it under feet. Now whether there were ever yet such a time, when this was compleatly fulfilled, though all be granted our Adversaries they can ask, yea and that the Romish Church be that Church here spoken of, I leave it to any mans indifferent judgment, who can compare the Description of the Prophet with the Stories of forepast and present Times.
But, suppose it were to be fulfilled and fully accomplished in the times which have already been; and I will not deny but in part it hath been so; yet how doth it follow from this Prophesie, that this glorious Visibility should be constant and continual, and never interrupted or eclipsed?
Is not the Prophesie true, and hath not God made his Promise good, if he hath at any time performed the thing here spoken of; though it neither were done all at once, and though this exaltation and glory did not alway continue? If one skilful in Divination or Astrology should meet with a private man for the present in great want, distress, contempt and misery; and should tell him, that it was his fortune to rise to the greatest honours, and to become the greatest man that was in the Kingdom: If this fell out so at any time of his life, according as it was foretold him, though perhaps it proved not long durable (as such exaltations use not to be,) had he any reason to say that the Astrologer had lied unto him in that he had foretold him? I think any man in reason will think him unjustly charged. Why then may not the like be said and thought of the Chruch, and (as I may so speak, with reverence) of the prediction of the Churche's fortune? But if the time of the full performance of this Prediction be yet to be expected, as perhaps it is, then it will serve our Adversaries to far less purpose: For were not Ioseph's dreams and visions true, that the Sun, Moon and twelve Stars should worship him, and all his brothers sheaves should bow to his sheas? was not this true (I say,) though his brothers first sold him, though he became afterward a slave, and long a prisoner in a strange Land, before he was so suddenly exalted to be the great Viceroy under Pharaoh King of Egypt? Or would you have an Example of a glory afterwards eclipsed and almost extinguished? Were not God's first Promises made to the Israelitish Nation, That he would make them a renowned Kingdom, fully performed in the days of Solomon, when there was no kingdom upon the earth like unto it for glory and magnificence; though this so great glory lasted not long, but began a little to be obscure in the end of Solomon's days, and afterwards was quite eclipsed and clouded, the Sun but now and then (as it were) shewing it self through a cloud? And what is the Church of the Gentiles, or what priviledge have they above the Church of the Iews, that the like should not befall it which we are sure besel them? and yet nevertheless God always made good his Promises unto them, and no word of his mouth failed.
When we therefore talk of the Churche's Visibility and glory, we must distinguish of Times; and know that there are Times when the Church is indeed visible, but not glorious; secondly, Times when it is neither visible nor glorious; thirdly, Times when it is to be both visible and glorious.
In the Times immediately after Christ's passion, or (if you will) at his Passion, I think any man will grant, that it was then neither visible nor glorious. In the Times of the persecuting Emperors, when the Church had taken foot among the Gentiles, and the Nations began flow unto it, it was a society indeed visible, but not glorious: I am sure, it was not in the tops of the Mountains; but the Imperial Mountain of Rome not only overtopped it, but ever trampled it under their feet. For we must know here, that we speak all this time of the external glory, for that is the thing whereabout the quarrel is. In the Times of Constiantine and thereabouts, after three hundred years cruel persecution, the Sun seemed as it were to break forth of a cloud, and the Christian society became for a while both visible and glorious; but presently after, even as it was in the end of Solomon's reign, this glory of the Church was not only eclipsed, but even the visibility thereof, in a manner, covered and altogether darkned with that thick and universally-overspreading cloud of Arianism. And thus far our Adversaries will go with us: But we require they should grant us something more, namely, That this Arian cloud was no sooner blown over, but another great cloud of that fore-prophesied Apostasic of the Church began to arise; whereby the Churche's glory was not only eclipsed, but at length again the Visibility thereof wholly overshadowed with the thick darkness of Idolatrous Antichristianism; until that after a long day of darkness, and a black night, it pleased God, even of late, somewhat to dispel the cloud, whereby the Society of true Believers became again outwardly visible and conspicuous unto the world. And we hope, when the cloud shall be wholly consumed by the beams of the Sun of the Gospel, it shall become not only more visible than yet it is, but far more glorious than ever hitherto it hath been, when the fulness of the Gentiles (as S. Paul speaks) shall come in. But of this more hereafter.Ro…. 11. 2….]
In the mean time, that you may the better understand what is already discoursed concerning the Visibility of the Church, as likewise know what was the State of true Believers when this Visibility was overshadowed, take this which followeth; viz. That there hath been in all Ages since Christ, without interruption, a Company or Society of Christian men, agreeing or joyned together in the inward and invisible communion of the Faith, concerning such Divine Truths as we profess needful to Salvation. And, for so much of this Faith as was not acknowledged by the rest of erring men, called Christians, in that respect this Society was a distinct Society from them: yet nevertheless, for so much of this their true Faith as was still acknowledged by those erring ones we speak of, they were a part of the same Society with them: For the Apostasie of the Church was not total, and therefore in all the sound parts of their Faith our true-believing Society neither was nor is divided from them.
But if the Question be asked of a Visible Christian Society professing the same Essential Faith with us, Whether such a one hath always been; First, we must know that by Visible Society, in this question, is meant, A society of Christian Believers joyned together in one external Communion, of the same publick profession, use of Sacraments, and Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction or Government: For these make the outward Form, whereby this Society is discernible from other Societies of men; and a Society by this out-side severed and distinguished from other Societies, is a Society visible and conspicuous to other Societies of men.
The Question therefore is, Whether that Society of men, agreeing together in the Points of our Christian Belief, hath been in all Ages, in this kind and sort, joyned, and distinguished from other companies, not only of the world, but even of Christian men: or in shorter terms thus, Whether the Society of men of our Christian Belief hath in all Ages been, for the out-side, a distinct Corporation from all other Societies and States of men.
My Answer is, That for divers of the First Ages, as before was shewed, it was in that manner visibly distinguished; but after an Apostasie had overspread and deformed the beautiful Spouse of Christ,Of th…s see in Book III. Treatise of T…e Apostasie of the latter Times, ch. 10 then was the Society or Belief, as it were, covered and involved with the same external mantle with them, and as it were hidden in that dark cloud, and so not a distinct external Society from the rest. But though in the inward communion of the sincerer Faith it was diverse and distinguished, yet it still for the most part continued a member of the same external (I say, external) body with them; being begotten by the same Sacrament of Baptism, taught in some part, by the same Word and Pastors still continuing amongst them, and submitting to the same Iurisdiction and Regiment, so far forth as these or any of these had yet some soundness remaining in them: But for the rest, whether in Doctrine or Practice, that was not compatible with their sincerer Faith, either wisely avoiding all Communion with it; or if they could not, then patiently suffering for their Conscience sake under the hands of Tyrants termed Christians.
For understanding this, take this Simile: When good Gold is mixed with a greater quantity of counterfeit metal, so that of both becomes one mass or lump; though each metal still retains and keeps his nature diverse from the other, yet can they not outwardly be discerned asunder by the eye; (for because they are incorporated into one external body, the outside, or visible dimensions which are seen are one and the same:) But when the Refiner comes and severs them, then will each metall appear in his own out-side and his own proper colours, whereby they are easily discerned a sunder one from the other. Such must the State of the Church needs be, when an Apostasie shall rise out of the bowels thereof; and such do we affirm was the State of the Church of Christ in that great prevailing Apostasie, from which we are separated, viz. The purer metal of the Christian body was not outwardly discernible from the base and counterfeit, while one out-side covered them both; but when the time of refining came, them was our Church, not first founded in the true Faith, (God forbid;) but a part of the Christian body newly refined from such corruptions as Time had gathered: as Gold refined begins not then first to be Gold, though it began then first to be refined; so our Church began not a hundred years ago to be a Church, though then it first began to be a Reformed Church.
And is this any thing more than that which besel the Iewish Church in her frequent Apostasie?1 King. 19. 1…. Was the seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal, a visibly-distinguished Society from the rest of the body of Israel? were they such as were outwardly known unto others who were not of their Communion? nay were they known one to another? yea to Elias himself? I think no man will easily affirm it: Yet were they a distinct Society joyned in the Communion of the same true Worship, and in that respect separate from the rest of that Idolatrous body: yet nevertheless, as far as there was any thing which was found yet remaining for the external Regiment and Ceremonies, it is most certain that they could not but be to the eyes of the world of one external body with the rest, as receiving the same Circumcision, and living under the same Priests and Ceremonies, so far forth as any soundness in either of them remainded.
Nay do not our Adversaries themselves in their good mood grant us as much as we have said, though it be because they cannot will nor chuse (as is the Proverb?) For it is a thing chiefly to be considered and remembred in this Quarrel between them and us about the Visibility of the Church, it is (I say) to be considered, That when all granted and pleaded on both parts is well examined, the point of difference between them and us is only this, They hold the glorious Visibility of the true Church to be in present; and the overshadowing of the light, and eclipsing of the glory thereof under Antichrist, to be yet to come; at which time of his being in the world they grant and affirm more of the eclipsing and overshadowing of the true Church than we do for our hearts. He that reads their conceits of Antichrist shall easily find this to be true: For they hold that then the publick exercise of Christian Religion, saying of Mass, and all shall utterly cease, until Antichrist's days be out: this is their Tenet. We on the contrary hold this clouding of the Church's visibility to have been already, and the greatest glory (in probability,) or at least some part thereof, to be yet to come. So that we both agree, That in the great Apostasie the Churche's visibility and glory should cease; but we say that this Apostatical time hath been already; they say it is yet to come: we say that that time was to last many ages; they say that when it comes, it shall be but three single years and a half.
Why then are they not ashamed to choke us with this Argument of the Churche's Visibility and glory, as though the Church could never be without it, when yet themselves confess that there is a time to come, when the case will be such, that the same Argument may be alledged against the true Church, though it were theirs, as is now alledged against ours? This is too great partiality.
Seeing therefore the whole Controversie lies in this, Whether the Churches great Apostasie be already past, or in being, or yet to come; It is a great deal the quicker course for them and us to examine the condition and quality of both Religion by the Scriptures, and not to distract our selves with every point of differences; (for every Error is not a part of this Apostasie:) But let us examine our Religion in that point alone, wherein the Scripture it self places and limits the quality of this Apostasie, namely, that it should be Spiritual Fornication or Idolatry; for Babylon is not called the Lier of Babylon, the …yrant of Babylon, the Heretick of Babylon, the …urtherer of Babylon, but the Whore of Babylon. It is very like indeed, that as Whores have commonly many other foul qualities, so may the Spiritual Whore have also: Yet as every ill quality of a Whore is not a part of her Whoredom; no more is every Error of the Spiritual Whore, how gross soever, a part of Spiritual Fornication. Let us therefore examine her by the Mark which God sets upon her, and by that Abomination for which only in a manner (if we observe the Scripture) God did use to punish, and wrathfully compla…n of his old people Israel, though (no doubt) they had many other corruptions besides; but had they been faithful in that one, God could have winked at many other. As we know a Husband. if his Wife be faithful and true to him in that point which so nearly toucheth his jealousie, he will the easier bear with other shrewish conditions.
Now if the Church of Rome be not an Idolatress or a Spiritual Whore, prostituting her self to other gods, to stocks and stones, and many ways breaking her Faith to her one Lord and Mediator Christ Iesus, by committing fornication with (I know not how many) other Mediators; there never was a Whore in the world.
And certainly, if the Church of Rome may herein be justified, the Church of Israel had but hard measure to be condemned, who could as truly plead that she never forsook the true God altogether, only she would worship him in Calves and such Images as other her neighbour-Nations used to do; and that though she was for variety, yet she reserved the chief place for her Iehovah, and in all other respects could as well as the present Roman Church excuse her practice in that kind. And yet we know how she is branded by the Prophets for a Whore; See this more fully discoursed of in the Treatise of The Apostasie of the latter Times, Book III chap. 9.and not a simple fornicating Whore, but an Adulteress, and is threatened to be proceeded with and judged as those that break wedlock and shed bloud are judged, to have bloud given her in fury and jealousie. And such an Example of God's fury and jealousie hath he made them to all the world, as no other people (how great soever their Idolatries) have ever equall'd or come near their sufferings.
And thus far we have in a manner yielded to our Adversaries for a time, That the time of fulfilling this Prophecy hath already been; for we would deny them no favour willingly which we could lawfully yield them. Nevertheless I verily believe that this Prophecy hath never yet received his full accomplishment, nor is to do, Vntil (as S. Paul saith, Rom. 11. 25.) the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved.
For we shall find in the Prophecies of the Scriptures, that there are two Sorts and Times of the Calling of the Gentiles: The first is that which should be with the rejection and casting off of the Iews, and (as S. Paul saith) to provoke them to jealousie: Rom. 11. 11.such a Calling as should be in a manner occasional, that God might not want a Church the time the Iews were to be cast…out; for this is that which S. Paul means, Rom. 11. 15. That the casting away of the Iews is the calling of the Gentiles or reconciling of the world: whence we may see, that the Apostles were not to preach Christ to the Gentiles, until being first offered to the Iews,*Acts 13. 46. & chap 18. 6. & chap. 28. 28. they refused him. And this is that Calling of the Gentiles which hitherto hath been for many Ages.
But there is a second and more glorious Calling of the Gentiles to be found in the Prophecies of Scripture; not a Calling, as this is, wherein the Iews are excluded; but a Calling wherein the Iews shall have a share of the greatest glory, and are to have a preeminence above other Nations, when all Nations shall flow unto them, and walk in their light: For the calling of the remainder of the world which is not yet under Christ, is reserved for the solemnizing of the Iews restitution. This is that Calling and that Time which he calls the Fulness of the Gentiles; Rom. 11. 25.I would not brethren (saith he) have you ignorant of this mystery; that blindness in part is hapned to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved. This is that Time whereof he speaks,Verse 12. that if the present fall of the Iews be the riches of the world, and their decay the riches of the Gentiles, how much more shall their fulness be the fulness of the Gentiles? This is that glorious Time which the Prophecy of this Text principally, if not altogether, intended: For if the fulness of the glory and inlargement of the Church be here described, then it must needs be that the time hereof hath never yet been, because as yet the Fulness of the Gentiles, whereof S. Paul speaks, is not come in. While the Romans and Iron part of Nebuchadnezzar's Image was yet standing, a Stone was hewn out of the mountain without hands: Dan. 2. 34. See in Book IV. Epistle 8. The Purport of the …ou… Kingdoms in Dam….This is the First state of the Kingdom of Christ, and Calling of the World; which hath been hitherto. But at length this Stone… when the time of the Image's brittle feet came, smote the Image upon those feet, so that the wind blew the whole Image away, and there was no more place found for any part thereof: which was no sooner done, but the*Dan. 2. 35. Stone which smote the Image, swelled into a great Mountain, and filled the whole earth: This is the Time of the Fulness of Christ's Kingdom, the Fulness of the Gentiles: This is the Time when the Mountain of the Lord's House should be established upon the tops of the Mountains; namely, when the small Stone of Christ's Kingdom, which is now in being, shall smite the brittle feet of the last Remainder of the Roman State now subsisting in the Popedom, in whom the divided Toes of too many Kingdoms are in a sort (though but brittlely) united together, and so that great seven-hilled City still Ladies it over the Nations of the Earth.