Answer to Book by Romish Priests, Doctrine 8
VII. That the Church hath been hidden, and inviſible.
HE ſtill goes on, in his ambiguous way of ſtating our Doctrine. There are no Papiſts but confeſs that the moſt excellent parts, even of the viſible Church in this world, are inviſible or hidden. For none but God, who ſearches the heart, can know certainly, who are truly good men, and not hypocrites. And there are no Proteſtants who maintain, that they who profeſs the Chriſtian Religion (who are the Church) have ever been hidden and inviſible. But this they ſay, that this Church hath not been always viſible, free from corruption; and that it hath not been at all times alike viſible; but ſometimes more, ſometimes leſs conſpicuous. Now theſe men by the Viſibility of the Church, mean ſuch an illuſtrious ſtate, as by its glory, ſplendor and pomp all men may be led to it. This is it, and no more, which Proteſtants deny. And Mr. Chillingworth hath long ago told them, that the moſt rigid Proteſtants do not deny the Viſibility of the Church abſolutely, but only this degree of it. For the Church hath not always had open viſible Aſſemblies; and ſo might be ſaid to have been hidden and inviſible, when they met under ground and in obſcure places.
There is nothing in the Texts of Scripture which he quotes, contrary to this, much leſs expreſly contrary.
V. Mat. 14, 15.The firſt of them, V. Mat. 14, 15. is manifeſtly a precept to the Apoſtles, ſetting forth the duty incumbent upon them by their Office, that they might gather a Church to Chriſt. So the before-named Menochius interprets thoſe words, Ye are the light of the world, who ought to illuminate the world by your Doctrine and Example. You ought not to be hid; no more than a City can be, which is ſeated on a hill: Men do not light a candle (much leſs God) to put it under a Buſhel. Our Saviour, ſaith he, exhorts his Diſciples by this ſimilitude, that they ſhould diligently ſhine, both in their words, and in their example; and not be ſparing of their pains, or of themſelves, by withdrawing themſelves from the work, but communicate their light liberally to their neighbours. But after the world was thus illuminated by their Doctrine (which they could not always neither Preach in publick, but ſome times only in private houſes) Chriſtians were forced to meet together, in ſome places and times, very ſecretly; not being able always to hold ſuch publick viſible Aſſemblies, that all men beheld them, and what they did.
The ſecond we had before to prove the Church cannot err; XVIII. Matth. 17.and now it is ſerved up again to prove it was never hid; and this not expreſly, but by a conſequence, and that a very ſenſleſs one. For whoever ſaid or thought, that no body can ſee a Church, when it is not viſible to every body? It's members no doubt ſee it, even when it is inviſible to others. Any man may be ſeen by his Friends, when he lies hid from his Enemies. And a Church is viſible in that place where it is planted, and by them that belong to it, though ſtrangers perhaps take no notice of it, eſpecially thoſe that are at a diſtance from it.
In the third place, we have mention of the Goſpel, but not a word of the Church; 2 Cor. IV. 3, 4.which he puts in (ſuch is his honeſty) contrary to the expreſs words of ours, and of all Bibles. Nor doth the Apoſtle deny the Goſpel to be hid, but expreſly ſuppoſes it (2 Cor. IV. 3.) that it is hid from thoſe whoſe minds are blinded by the god of this world; who ſhut their eyes againſt the cleareſt light, even the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. One would think this man beſides himſelf, when he bids us behold the cenſure of St. Paul upon thoſe who affirm the Goſpel can be hid; when his words are a plain ſuppoſition, that it was hid to ſome people; Not indeed becauſe they could not (for it was viſible enough in it ſelf) but becauſe they would not ſee it. And I wiſh there be not too many of this ſort in that Church for which this Writer ſtickles.
The laſt place is an illuſtrious Prophecy of the ſetting up the Kingdom of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.II. Iſa. 2. Which was very viſible in its beginning, when the Holy Ghoſt came down upon the Apoſtles, and by them the Law, that is, the Chriſtian Doctrine, went out of Sion, and the word of the Lord, that is the Goſpel, from Jeruſalem. But did not always continue ſo, when grievous Perſecutions aroſe for the Goſpel's ſake, and drove the viſible Profeſſors of the Religion into obſcure places. And I hope he will allow thoſe Scriptures to be as true as theſe, which ſay there ſhall be an Apoſtacy from the Faith, and that the Church ſhall fly into the Wilderneſs, 2 Theſſ. II. 3. XII. Revel. 6. which is not conſiſtent with ſuch a viſibility of the Church as this man dreams of.
As for the Prophecies which mention a Kingdom of Chriſt, particularly VII. Dan. 14.VII. Dan. 14. they point at a ſtate of his Church, which is not yet come; and when it doth come, will be with a vengeance to the Roman Church. Whoſe preſent ſtate will be utterly overturned, to make way for the ſetting up of Chriſt's Univerſal and Everlaſting Kingdom. Which is to be erected when the Myſtery of God is finiſhed, X. Revel. 7. & XI. 15. and that cannot be, till Babylon, that is Rome, be thrown down, XVIII. Revel. 2. & XIX. 1, 2, 6. And we are ſo far from thinking this Kingdom will be inviſible, that we believe it will be the moſt illuſtrious appearance that ever was, of Chriſtian Truth, Righteouſneſs, Charity and Peace among men.
He bids us, as his manner is, ſee more in other places. But if they had more in them than theſe, we ſhould have had them at length. And his Fathers alſo; ſome light touches of which he gives us, juſt as he found them in a cluſter altogether, word for word, in a Book called, The Rule of Faith, and the Marks of the Church; which was anſwered above LXXX. years ago, by Dr. J. White, who obſerves,*VVay to the True Church. Sect. 23. that when Origen (whom upon other occaſions they call an Heretick) ſaith, The Church is full of VVitneſſes from the Eaſt to the VVeſt; he ſpeaks not of the outward ſtate or appearance thereof, but of the truth profeſſed therein. Which though clear to the World, when he ſaid ſo; yet doth not prove it ſhall be always ſo; for a Cloud of Apoſtacy might and did afterward obſcure it.
St. Chryſoſtome doth not mean that the Church cannot be at all darkned; but not ſo, as to be extinguiſhed, no more than the Sun can be put out. For he could not be ſo ſenſleſs, as not to know, that it had been for a time eclipſed.
When St. Auſtin ſaith, They are blind, who ſee not ſo great a mountain. He ſpeaks againſt the Donatiſts, who confined the Church to themſelves, as the Papiſts now do. And he juſtly calls them blind, who could not ſee the Church all Africk over, it being at that time as plain as a Mountain, or a lighted Candle, as our Church now is at this day. But his words do not imply, that the Church ſhall always be ſo manifeſt, and never hid; Mountains themſelves being ſometimes hidden in a miſt. For he ſaith in other places, The Church ſhall ſometimes be obſcured, and the Cloud of Offences may ſhadow it, Epiſt. 48. It ſhall not appear by reaſon of the unmeaſurable Rage of Ʋngodly Perſecutors, Epiſt. 80. It is like the Moon, and may be hid, in XIX. Pſalm. Yea, ſo obſcured, that the Members of it may not know one another; as he ſpeaks in his ſixth Book of Baptiſm, againſt the Donatiſts, C. 4.
What St. Cyprian ſaith, is not contrary to this.