Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 4 · Chapter 2
Cap. 2. A compariſon of the falſe Church with the true.
WHere falſhoode and lying hath vſurped the dominion, there is no Churche,Ephe. 2.20. for the foundation of the Church is layd vponupon the doctrine of the Apoſtles and Prophetes,1. Tim. 3.15. Chriſte being him ſelfe the head corner ſtone, therfore if the doctrine of the Apoſtles and Prophetes by whome the faithfull are commaunded to repoſe their ſaluation in only Chriſt, be taken away, the Church muſt néedes fall downe.
2 Sith the caſe ſtandeth in ſuch ſtate vnderunder Papiſtry, there is no church here remaining, yet they buckle vpp themſelues and their Churche highly with commendations to vsus, and dare decrée that all thoſe are Schiſmatikes & Heretikes, which think the contrary: ſpeaking therefore of both, firſt their ſucceſſion wherwith they boaſt their Church, he proueth is of no waight.
3 Succeſſion is nothing auailable, vnleſſe it hauehave true imitation ioyned: firſt by examples and teſtimonies of Scripture:In vaine they crye, the Temple of the Lord. Ier. 7.4. For the Lorde doeth acknowledge no where any thing for his, but where his word is heard, and reuerētly obſerued. Eze. 10.4. Gal. 4.22. Gen. 2.1. Ioh. 18.37. Ioh. 10.14. Moreouer, by reaſon drawne frō a ſimilitude of Emperors: Laſt of all, he confirmeth it by Auguſtines authoritie, who ſaieth, the church is ſometime couered with multitude of offences as with a cloude; ſometymes calmeneſſe of time appeareth quiet and frée; ſometimes it is hidden & troubled with want of tribulations and temptations.
4 Whatſoeuer thē they do pretend, there is no Church where the worde of God appeareth not.
5 Moreouer as touching their reproch and falſe accuſation whereby they accuſe vsus of Schiſme, and Hereſie, he wipeth away the ſame cleane by an argument taken from a definition, as well out of Auguſtine as out of the Scripture, for they are Schiſmatikes & Heretikes, which making a diuiſion break in ſunder the communion of the church, which is holdē together with true bōds, that is, the agréement of true doctrine and brotherly charitie. Wherevppon Auguſtine putteth this difference betwéene Heretikes and Schiſmatikes, that Heretikes indéed do with falſe doctrines corrupt the purenes of Fayth, but the Schiſmakes ſometime where there is lyke Fayth, breake the bond of felowſhip, for this conioyning of charitie ſo hangeth vponupon the vnitie of Faith, that Faith ought to be the beginnyng, the end, & only rule, for ſo oft as the vnitie of the Church is commended vntounto vsus, this is required, yt while our minds agrée in Chriſt,Ephe. 4.5. Phil. 2.25. our wills alſo may bée ioyned together with mutuall wel willing in Chriſt.
6 The ſame he alſo confirmeth by Cyprians authoritie, & ſheweth that their execrations, wherewith they accurſſe vsus, hauehave no power or ſtrēgth: for Chriſt foretolde his Apoſtles that they ſhoulde be caſt out of ye Synagogs for his names ſake.Ioh. 16.2.
7 The better to deliuer al thoſe from crime which hauehave fell from the corruptnes of Papiſtry, to the puritie of the goſpell, he denieth that the Romiſh church is otherwiſe to be eſtéemed then the Iſraeletical Church, for they had the true Church among them when they continued in the lawes of the couenant, till they went out of kinde, to Idolatry and ſuperſtition, eſtraunging them ſelues from Iudayſme vnderunder Hieroboam.
8 But what it hath béene, hée after more at large declareth:…. Kin. 12. for Ieroboam firſt made Calues, the Iewes defiled them ſelues with wicked ſuperſtitious manners, ſo among the Iſraelites to King Achabs raigne, there was no amendement, and from thence they became worſe and worſe.
9 Thervpon he concludeth, that they did vniuſtly, while they would driue vsus to the communion of their Church: and there are two thinges which by this meanes they deſire to wreſte from vsus, firſt, that we ſhould communicate with their prayers, Sacramentes, & all their Ceremonies: Moreouer, that whatſoeuer honour, power, & iuriſdiction Chriſt hath giuen to his Church, the ſame we ſhould giuegive to their church. The firſt of theſe he handleth in this place, namely, that God comdemned all forged formes of worſhippings,…. Kin. 12.31. ſo yt there was not one Prophete or godly man that once worſhipped in Bethel.
10 Of the laſt,1. Tim. 3.15. where he proueth that if they were of the church, then ye church is not the piller of trueth, but the ſtay of lying: not the Tabernacle of the liuyng God, but the receptacle of Idols.
11. 12 Neither yet is the whole title of the Church to be denied them, where alſo is ſhewed as much as may be grā ted,Dan. 9.27. 2. Theſ. 2.4. that after a ſort the Church is with thē, although it want the lawful forme of a Church. For it is foretold that Antichriſt ſhould ſit in the temple of God: therefore they hauehave a Church, but ſuche as is prophaned with vngodlines, ful of ſacriledge and damnable doctrines, ſuch wherin Chriſt lieth half buried, the goſpell ouerwhelmed, godlines baniſhed, ye worſhip of God in a maner aboliſhed.