The Cry of a Stone, Section 3
The Church or Churches of England cannot be iuſtified.
ANd if this be the right patterne of the viſible Church of Chriſt, SECT. 3.according to the Goſpel, then let us turne our eyes upon our ſelves, and ſee what reſemblance there is amongſt us of theſe Apoſtolique orders, and upon notice taken of our defects, let us ſee if they may not be amended.
And firſt, whereas the materialls of the Church of the Goſpel are none other then a company of converted people gathered out of Nations, Acts 10. 35. Ioh. 17. 9. Mat. 28. 19, 20. Acts 18. 11. 1 Cor. 4. 15. & 11. 2. 17.and from the world, our nation, and our world is all one with the Church, and hee that is of one, is, or muſt be of the other; the Apoſtles firſt preached and converted men, and afterward united them into a Church; but we firſt unite the whole nation into the Church, and feed them all with the pledges and ſeales of Gods love, and then goe about to convert them, afterward by preaching judgement to Our Churches defective in their matter.them; but this is rather to ſcatter then to gather with Chriſt, and is more like the Papiſts pompe, then the Apoſtles plainneſſe; and although God did once chooſe a whole nation, which firſt were in the loynes Gen. …5. 5.and family of Abraham, yet that nation being broken off from God, no nation can now ſucceed them, nor can challenge that right Deut. 4. 37. & 7. 6, 7.to be Gods people, otherwiſe then they are found converted, and believe and obey the Goſpel, which that a whole nation conſiſting of many millions of people, ſhould doe in one day ſhould be ſtrange and miraculous, and the way to heaven muſt ceaſe to be ſtrait, if ſo many can walke in it at conce.
And if any ſhall think otherwiſe, let them ſhew when the generall body of this Land (which are counted the Church of England) was better then now they are, yea, and now after ſixtie yeeres preaching the Goſpell, whether the greater part be not yet apparantly in their ſins, and unconverted, and doe not indeed apparantly oppoſe and fight againſt ſuch as are ſincere and faithfull, contemning and deſpiſing all admonition and counſell, and ſerve not the Lord, but ſerve Satan Eph. 1. 12.and their owne luſts; and therefore the generall multitude of this nation cannot in any ſenſe be ſaid to be Gods people, or the true and proper matter of the viſible Church.
And if we ſhall deſcend at once to the pariſh aſſemblies, which are the branches of this nationall Church, and looke upon them indefinitely, wee ſhall finde them of the ſame ſtampe with the nation, though no doubt ſome of them which have long enjoyed powerfull The pariſh multitudes unconverted.preaching, are much more reformed then others; but taking them one with another, they are for the moſt part of the people ignorant, prophane and ſcandalous, being common ſwearers, liers, drunkards, quarrellers, wantons, Atheiſts, and even as their owne Prophets have truely complained of them: and as hee that travelleth amongſt them Tit. 1. 12.about his affaires ſhall finde them, and whileſt the moſt of them are ſuch, who can juſtifie their eſtate, but he ſhall make himſelfe abominable to God; and every time hee goeth about to juſtifie them, as Prov. 17. 15.Gods people, and Church, his owne heart ſhall give him the lye neither availeth it to ſay, they are baptized and profeſſe the true Religion; for if they have all the Baptiſmes and Ordinances that ever were or are, and profeſſed never ſo much truth in words, yet whileſt they 2 Pet 1. 19. 20. 21, 22.are wicked in their deeds and lives, they are but ſo much the more the children of hell for their knowledge and profeſſion, and the heathens and Turks are in farre better caſe then they. Secondly, indeed they profeſſe no Religion at all, nor may in any ſenſe be called Profeſſors; when doe they profeſſe or ſpeake of any Religion or mention the name of God▪ unleſſe it be in their ſwearing or vain talking: their profeſſion is the ſervice of the Divell, who is their father, and under Iohn 8. 44.whoſe tutorſhip they are notable Schollers. Thirdly, if any thing make them Profeſſors, it is their comming to Church now and then, to lend an eare to ſome inſtruction, and ſuch profeſſors might a company of Turkes be, if they were in England, and would either for feare of Law, cuſtome or faſhion, come ſometimes to the aſſembly, though ſtill they returned to their old vomit, and never left off their old ſinnes 2 Pet. 1. 9.and vices; ſo that whatſoever can be alledged for them, untill they repent and turne from their wicked courſes, all ſuch pleas were as good be never a whit as never the better.
4. Neither can the goodneſſe of ſome few that are in the pariſh help to ſalve the matter, no more then Lots being in Sodome could juſtifie the Sodomites: for thoſe godly are amongſt them but as a condemned or deſpiſed people, which ſcarce dare ſhew themſelves in their pious arts, but are overtopped and held under by the vaine multitudes in all places. Indeed, temporall puniſhments may be with-held, for the righteous ſakes, as in Sodome, but that the ſpirituall State of the carnall Gen. 18. 38.multitude ſhould be good becauſe of the preſence of ſome few good men is no more like then that Ioram and his complices were juſtified, 2 King. 3. 13, 14.by the preſence of Eliſha and Iehoſaphat.
Neither will the badneſſe of the Iewes S…ate in Chriſts time and before under the Law, juſtifie this confuſed Church of the Goſpell. For, firſt as it is a bad plea to juſtifie one evill by another: ſecondly ſo we muſt ſtill remember that God now chooſeth no more whole Nations but ſelecteth his Saints out of all nations: thirdly▪ the covenants Gen. 17. 7, 8.of the Iewes were abſolutely temporall and ſpirituall, and the promiſes to be believed for this life properly▪ but our covenants that God maketh with us, are onelyonly ſpiritually abſolute, and the promiſes for this life, are onelyonly conditionall: Fourthly, Gods face, and the ſeat of Rom. 8. 28. Iohn 4. 21. 23. Mat. 18. 20.that Church was to be ſought in the Tabernacle or Temple: but now there is no place priviledged or exempted, but where two or three are gathered in Chriſts Name, hee is in the middeſt of them.
To conclude, as the Kingdome of Satan is every where in this world, and as the Lord by outward manifeſtation differenceth his choſen ones from the world, and them within from them without: ſo Acts 15. 9. 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13.muſt wee every where put difference betwixt the righteous and the wicked, and beware of ſaying to the wicked, thou art righteous, or giving Mat. 7. 6.holy things to dogs, or partaking with them, or joyning to them in their devouring pearles, or afford them our fellowſhip, when they uſurpe Act. 8. 21.upon ſuch ordinances as are peculiar to Gods Elect and Faithfull.