The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 2 · Chapter 12
TO CHAP. XII.
HIs 12th Chapter is taken up in Examining and Anſwering a ſpeech of mine, That godly perſons are not ſo enthralled to Antichriſt, as to ſeparate from Chriſt: Elſe they could not be godly perſons.
His Anſwer is, That this cometh not neere the Queſtion, which is not concernign perſonall godlineſſe, or Grace in Chriſt, but the godlineſſe or Chriſtianitie of worſhip.
Whereupon he diſtinguiſheth of Chriſt, as conſidered two waies: 1. Perſonally, as God-man, &c. 2. As Head of his Church. In the former ſence (he acknowledgeth) they cannot be ſo enthralled to Antichriſt, as to be ſeparate from Chriſt: in the latter they may.
Reply. This diſtinction of Chriſt is inconveniently expreſſed, as was the like once before. For the membra dividentia, the parts of the diviſion are coincident. Chriſt as God-man is the Head of the viſible Church. But his meaning I apprehend, and accept. Chriſt God-man is Head both of the inviſible Church, and of the viſible; As he is Head of the inviſible Church, ſo he is received by faith: As he is head of the viſible, ſo he is received by profeſſion of the true faith, both of the grace of faith, and of the Doctrine of faith. The proper fruit whereof is holy worſhip, and profeſſed ſubjection to the Rule of the Goſpel.
Now for his application of his Diſtinction, in the generall I doe approve it, and doe willingly acknowledge, that a godly perſon may be (through ignorance, or negligence) ſo farre enthralled to Antichriſt, as to be ſeparate from Chriſt, taking Chriſt as Head of the viſible Church. For he may fall into ſuch fundamentall Antichriſtian corruption, in Doctrine, or Worſhip, or Government, as either may juſtly prevent his admiſſion into the Church, or being in the Church, and yet (through pang of Temptation) continuing obſtinate in his corruption after conviction, he may juſtly be excommunicate out of the Church. But leſt I may ſeeme to hover (and ſo to vaniſh) in Generalities, whileſt I onelyonly ſpeake of Antichriſtian corruptions in generall: I ſhall willingly Inſtance in ſome Particulars, which may give light to others of like nature. It is an Antichriſtian corruption in Doctrine, to accept any Propitiatory Sacrifices for our reconciliation, but the death of Chriſt only.
It is a like corruption, to look for Juſtification from ſinne in the ſight of God by our own works.
It is an Antichriſtian corruption in worſhip, to worſhip Angels, or Saints, or Images.
It is an Antichriſtian corruption in Government, to take the Pope to be the Head of the Church: and ſuch an Head as hath Power to make Laws to binde the Conſcience, to authorize Scripture to be Canonicall, to adde other Books to Scripture with like Authoritie, to be himſelfe the onelyonly Authenticall Interpreter of Scripture, and Judge of Controverſies.
Theſe and the like corruptions are ſuch as make Antichriſt a Sonne of Perdition, and them that are led by him to fall into like Perdition with him. Of one of theſe Points Paul ſaith, They that hold it, hold not the Head, Col. 2.18, 19. Of another of theſe Paul ſaith, They that hold it are aboliſhed from Chriſt, Gal. 5.4. The like wee may ſay of all the reſt. Yet in times of former darkneſſe, ſome of the faithfull members of Chriſt, might and were for a time entangled with a yoke of Bondage, in ſome, or moſt, or all of theſe Particulars: out of which the Lord at length reſcued them by variety of Temptations, and by ſome breaking forth of light in the mouths of ſome of his witneſſes in every age.
But whileſt any of them walked in theſe, or like corruptions, they might juſtly be debarred from admiſſion into Church-fellowſhip: or ſtanding faſt in them after conviction, they might juſtly be caſt forth out of Church-fellowſhip.
But there be other corruptions, and Antichriſtian corruptions too, which becauſe they doe not ſubvert the Foundation, neither of faith, nor of Church-order, I would not ſay that they ſeparate from Chriſt, no not as he is the Head of the viſible Church. For then if ſome whole Church were leavened with them, they might ſoone ceaſe to be a Church. But we ſee the contrary in Scripture, the High Places were tolerated in Judah, and yet Judah ceaſed not to be a Church: And by like proportion ſome more high and eminent Power may be given by ſome Churches to their Officers, (according to an Antichriſtian Patterne in ſome meaſure) and yet they not ceaſe to be a Church. David and all the Congregation of Iſrael might bring up the Arke of God in a Cart, (after the manner of the Philiſtims) and yet not diſanull their Church-eſtate: And by like proportion, ſo may a Church of Chriſt take up ſome orders, (as the carting of ſome part of their worſhip upon a Book) after the manner of Antichriſt, and yet not forthwith evacuate their Church-eſtate.
But this let me further adde, that a godly perſon may have ſome kinde of communion, ſo farre as hearing the word from a Miniſter well gifted by Chriſt, to whoſe calling ſome corruption may cleave, both in his Church-eſtate, and in his Ordination: And yet nevertheleſſe, no Antichriſtian Pollution at all may cleave or redound to the hearer by his hearing of him. And this being the Principall Exception wch the Examiner taketh againſt ſome of the members of our churches, & againſt all the churches for their ſakes, we ſhall further (God willing) cleare when the Examiner putteth it upon us in the ſequele. Meane while, we profeſſe as we doe beleeve, that ſuch an action is not any Church-cōmunion with Antichriſt, nor doth ſo enthrall the People of God unto Antichriſt, as to ſeparate them from Chriſt, no not as he is Head of the viſible Church.
The Anſwer which (upon occaſio of this Point) the Examiner giveth to the Papiſts Queſtion, (Where was your Church before Luther?) though it ſeeme to him well and good: yet it gratifieth the Papiſts, and ſtraitneth the holy Counſell of God in Scripture. The Queſtion, ſaith he, is thus well anſwered, to wit, That ſince the Apoſtaſie of Antichriſt, Truth, and the holy Citie, (according to the Prophecy, Rev. 11. & 13.) have been troden under-foot, and the whole Earth hath wandered after the Beaſt; yet God hath ſtirred up witneſſes to Prophecy in ſackcloth againſt the Beaſt, during his 42 moneths Reigne. Nevertheleſſe, theſe witneſſes have in their times more or leſſe ſubmitted to Antichriſt, and his Church, Worſhip, Miniſtery, &c. And ſo conſequently have been ignorant of the true Church, that is, Chriſt taken for the Church in the true Profeſſion of that holy way of worſhip, which he himſelfe at firſt appointed. This Anſwer giveth away the cauſe to the Papiſts. They demand, Where was your Church before Luther? This Anſwer giveth it for granted, that ſince the Apoſtaſie there was no particular church extant in the world. This fully ſatisfieth their deſire, and expectation: for if there were no Church of Chriſt in the world, for ſo many Centuries of yeares till Luther, then they readily conclude, That their Church of Rome was (before Luther) the onelyonly Church in the world. For they urge it, (and I know not how we can fairely deny it) that the Church of Chriſt, even that Church to which the keys of the kingdome are committed, (which is the viſible Church) is that againſt which the Gates of Hell ſhall not be able to prevaile, and ſo not all the Power of Antichriſt. If then the viſible Church of Chriſt ſhall never ceaſe, and yet during all that time of the Apoſtaſie of Antichriſt, no Church was extant in the world, but the Church of Rome, then during all that time (which is not yet expired) the Church of Rome is, and hath been the onelyonly Church of Chriſt theſe many ages. Beſides, as this Anſwerer gratifieth the Papiſt, and maketh the promiſe of Chriſt (Mat. 16.18, 19,) of none effect: ſo it ſtraitneth the Counſell of God in the very Texts of Scripture alledged by himſelf. For in that Text (Rev. 11.) where the outward Court is given to the Gentiles, (that is, Eccleſiaſticall Courts, given to Antichriſt & his Clergy) v. 2. There alſo a rod or reed is given by the Angel unto John, to meaſure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worſhip therein, v. 1. Which evidently holdeth forth that even then there was ſomewhere extant the Temple, that is, the viſible Church of Chriſt, which had communion with Chriſt as Head of the Church, there called The Altar, and the Temple, was furniſhed with true worſhippers, and all meaſured according to the Patterne of Apoſtolicall Rule. What if Eccleſiaſticall Stories be deficient in telling us the times and places of their Church-Aſſemblies? Is therefore the Word of God deficient, or the Church deficient, becauſe humane Stories are deficient? Great hath been the induſtry and vigilancy of Satan and Antichriſt, to blot out (as much as in them lay) all Monuments and Records of ſuch holy Aſſemblies: but yet ſometimes their own Inquiſitors confeſſe, that the Churches of the Waldenſes, or men of that way, have been extant a tempore Apoſtolorum.
Furthermore, evident it is, that when the Dragon perſecuted the woman, (that is, the Church) the Church fled into the Wildernes, and was there nouriſhed for a time, and times, and halfe a time, (Rev. 12.14.) which is all the time, wherein the Beaſt reigned, Rev. 13.5. And wherein the Gentiles, having obtained Rule in the Court, trod downe the holy Citie under-foote, Rev. 11.2.
Moreover, evident alſo it is, that all the Angels (or Miniſters) of Gods wrath that poured out their Vialls upon the Antichriſtian State, did all of them iſſue forth out of the Temple, and out of the Temple as then opened, Rev. 15.5, 6▪ Which argueth that the Temple or Church was not onelyonly then viſible, but openly viſible: not viſible onelyonly to the ſecret Aſſembly of the true worſhippers, but openly conſpicuous to them that had not ſeene it before. Now how all thoſe ſeven Angels ſhould come out of the Temple, and it openly viſible, and all of them poure out their Vialls upon the Antichriſtian State by ſeven Degrees, to the utter deſolation of it: and yet no Church extant, either before Luther, or ſince Luther, till the utter extirpation of Antichriſt, paſſeth all my comprehenſion.