Of Schism, Discourse · Chapter 4
CAP. IV.
Severall Acceptations in the Scripture of the name Church. Of the Church Catholick properly ſo called. Of the Church viſible. Perpetuity of particular Churches. A miſtake rectifyed. The nature of the Church Catholick evinced. Bellarmine his deſcription of the Church Catholick. Ʋnion of the Church Catholick wherein it conſiſts. Ʋnion by way of conſequence. Ʋnity of Faith. Of Love. The Communion of the Catholick Church in, and with itsſelfe. The breach of the Ʋnion of the Church Catholick, wherein it conſisteth. Not morally poſſible. Proteſtants not guilty of it. The Papall world out of intereſt in the Church Catholick. As partly profane. Miracles no evidence of Holineſſe. Partly ignorant. Selfe Juſtitiaries. Idolatrous. Worſhippers of the Beaſt.
TO begin with the firſt thing propoſed.§. 1. The Church of Chriſt living in this world (as to our preſent concernment) is taken in Scripture three wayes.
1. For the Myſticall body of Chriſt, his Elect, Redeemed, Juſtifyed and Sanctifyed ones throughout the world, commonly called the Church-Catholick-Militant.
2. For the Ʋniverſality of men throughout the world, called by the preaching of the word, viſibly profeſſing and yeilding obedience to the Goſpell; called by ſome the Church-Catholick viſible.
3. For a particular Church of ſome place, wherein the inſtituted worſhip of God in Chriſt is celebrated according to his minde.
From the Riſe & nature of the things themſelves, §. 2.doth this diſtinction of the ſignification of the word Church ariſe; for whereas the Church is a ſociety of men called out of the world, It is evident there is mention of a twofold call in Scripture, one effectuall, according to the purpoſe of God Rom. 8. 28. the other only externall. The Church muſt be diſtinguiſhed according to its anſwer, and obedience to theſe calls, which gives us the two firſt ſtates and conſiderations of it. And this is confeſſed by the ordinary gloſſe, ad Rom. 8. Vocatio exterior fit per Praedicatores, & eſt communis bonorum, & malorum, interior vero tantum eſt Electorum. And whereas there are Lawes and externall rules for joynt communion, given to them that are called, (which is confeſſed) the neceſſity of Churches in the laſt acceptation, wherein obedience can alone be yeilded to thoſe Laws, is thereby eſtabliſhed.
In the firſt ſence the Church hath as ſuch, §. 3.the properties of perpetuity, inviſibility, infallibility, as to all neceſſary meanes of Salvation attending of it; not as notes whereby it may be known, either in the whole, or any conſiderable part of it, but as certaine Adjuncts of its nature, and exiſtence. Neither are there any ſignes of leſſe or more certainty, whereby the whole may be diſcerned, or known as ſuch; though there are of the Individualls, whereof it doth conſiſt.
In the ſecond,§. 4. the Church hath perpetuity viſibility, & infallibility as qualifyed above, in a ſecondary ſence; namely, not as ſuch, not as viſible and confeſſing, but as comprizing the individualls whereof the Catholick Church doth conſiſt. For all that truely believe, profeſſe; though all that profeſſe, doe not truely believe.
Whether Chriſt hath had alwayes a Church in the laſt ſence, §. 5.and Acceptation of the word, in the world, is a moſt needleſſe enquiry: nor are we concerned in it, any farther then in other matters of fact, that are recorded in ſtory: though I am apt to believe, that although very many in all Ages kept up their ſtation in, & Relation to the Church in the two former acceptations, yet there was in ſome of them ſcarce any viſible Society of worſhippers, ſo far anſwering the inſtitution of Chriſt, as to render them fit to be owned and joyned withall, as a viſible particular Church of Chriſt: but yet, though the notions of men were generally corrupt, the practice of all profeſſours throughout the world, whereof ſo little is recorded, at leaſt of them that did beſt, is not raſhly to be determined of. Nor can our Judgement be cenſured in this, by them who think, that when Chriſt lay in the Grave, there was no Believer left, but his Mother, and that the Church was preſerved in that one perſon: So was Bernard minded Tractat. de paſſ. Dom. (ego ſum vitis) ſ…la per illud triste ſabbathum ſtetit in fide, & ſalvata fuit Eccleſia in ipſa ſola. Of the ſame minde is Marſilius in Sent. Quaeſt 20. Art. 3. as are alſo others of that ſort of men, ſee Bannes in 2. 2. Thom. Quaest. 1. Art. 10. I no way doubt of the perpetuall exiſtence of innumerable Believers in every age, and ſuch as made the profeſſion, that is abſolutely neceſſary to ſalvation one way or other: though I queſtion a regular aſſociation of men, for the celebration of inſtituted worſhip, according to the mind of Chriſt. The 7000 in Iſrael, in the dayes of Elijah, were members of the Church of God, and yet did not conſtitute a Church ſtate among the ten Tribes. But theſe things muſt be farther ſpoken to.
I cannot but by the way reminde a learned Perſon, §. 6.with whom I have formerly occaſionally had ſome debate in print, about Epiſcopacy, and the ſtate of the firſt Churches, of a miſtake of his, which he might have prevented with a little enquiry into the judgement of them, whom he undertook to confute at a venture. I having ſaid, that there was not any ordinary Church Officer inſtituted in the firſt times, relating to more Churches in his Office, or to any other Church then a ſingle particular Congregation; He replyes, that this is the very ſame, which his memory ſuggeſted to him out of the Saints Beliefe, printed 12 or 14 yeares ſince, where inſtead of that Article of the Apoſtolick Symbole, the holy Catholick Church, this very Hypotheſis was ſubſtituted. If he really believed that in profeſſing I owned no inſtituted Church with Officers of one denomination in Scripture, beyond a ſingle ſence v. 24. ſaith the Apoſtle, I fill up that Congregation, I renounced the Catholick Church, or was any way neceſſitated ſo to doe, I ſuppoſe he may by what hath now been expreſſed, be rectifyed in his Apprehenſion. If he was willing only to make uſe of the advantage, wherewith he ſuppoſed himſelfe accommodated by that expreſſion, to preſſe the perſwaſion owned in the minds of ignorant men, who could not but ſtartle at the noyſe of denying the Catholick Church, it may paſſe at the ſame rate, that moſt of the reports in ſuch diſcourſes are to be allowed at.§. 7. But to proceed.
In the firſt ſence the word is uſed Mat. 16. 28. upon this rock will I build my Church, and the gates of Hell ſhall not prevaile againſt it; this is the Church of the Elect, redeemed, juſtifyed, ſanctifyed ones, that are ſo built on Chriſt; and theſe only, and all theſe are intereſted in the promiſe made to the Church, as ſuch in any ſence, but is peculiarly made therein, to every one, that is truely & properly a part, & member of that Church. Who, and who only are intereſted in that promiſe Chriſt himſelfe declares Joh. 6. 40. Joh. 10 28, 29. Joh. 17. 20, 24. they that will apply this to the Church in any other ſence muſt know that it is incumbent on them to eſtabliſh the promiſe made to it unto every one that is a true member of the Church in that ſence which whatever be the ſence of the promiſe, I ſuppoſe they will find difficult worke of. Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27. Chriſt loved the Church, and gave himſelfe for it, that he might ſanctify and cleanſe it with the waſhing of water by the word, that he might preſent it to himſelfe a Glorious Church not having ſpot, or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing. He ſpeakes only of thoſe, whom Chriſt loved antecedently to his dying for them, whereof his love to them was the cauſe; who they are is manifeſt, Joh. 10. 15. Joh. 17. 17. And thoſe on whom by his death he accompliſhed the effects mentioned, of waſhing, cleanſing and ſanctifying bringing them into the Condition promiſed to the bride the Lambs wife, Rev. 19. 8. which is the new Jeruſalem, Rev. 21. 2. of elected & ſaved ones v. 27. Col. 1. 18. containes an expreſſion of the ſame light and evidence; Chriſt is the head of the body the Church; not only a governing head, to give it Rules and Lawes, but as it were a Naturall head unto the body, which is influenced by him with a new ſpirituall life, which Bellarmine profeſſeth againſt, as any requiſite condition to the members of the Catholick Church, which he pleadeth for: In that ſame which is behind of the afflictions of Chriſt in my fleſh, for his bodies ſake▪ which is the Church: which aſſertion is exactly paralell to that of 2 Tim. 2. 10. Therefore I endure all things for the Elects ſake, that they may obtaine Salvation; ſo that the Elect and the Church are the ſame perſons under ſeverall conſiderations; and therefore even a particular Church, on the account of its participation of the nature of the Catholick, is called Elect, 1 Pet. 5. 13. and ſo the Church Mat. 16. 18. is expounded by our Saviour himſelfe Mat. 22. 24. But to prove at large by a multiplication of Arguments and teſtimonies, that the Catholick Church, or Myſticall body of Chriſt conſiſts of the whole number of the Elect, as Redeemed, Juſtifyed, Sanctifyed, Called, Believing, and yeilding obedience to Chriſt throughout the world (I ſpeake of it as Militant in any one Age) and of them only, were as needleſsly actum agere, as a man can well deviſe. It is done already, and that to the purpoſe uncontroulably, ter que quater que . And the ſubſtance of the doctrine is delivered by Aquinas himſelfe p. 3. Q. 8. A. 3. In briefe, the ſumme of the inquiry upon this head, is concerning the matter of that Church, concerning which ſuch glorious things are ſpoken in Scripture; namely, that it is the Spouſe, the Wife, the Bride, the Siſter, the only one of Chriſt, his D…ve undefiled, his Temple, Elect, Redeemed, his Sione, his Body, his new Jeruſalem; concerning which inquiry, the Reader knowes where he may abundanly find ſatisfaction.
That the aſſerting the Catholick Church in this ſence is no new Apprehenſion,§. 8. is known to them, who have at all looked backward to what was paſt before us. Omnibus conſideratis (ſaith Auſtin) puto me non temere dicere, alios ita eſſe in domo dei, ut ipſ… etiam ſint eadem domus Dei, quae dicitur aedificari ſupra petram, quae unica columba appellatur, quae ſponſa pulchra ſine macula, & ruga, & hortus concluſus, fons ſignatus, patens aquae vivae, paradiſus cum fructu pomorum, alios autem ita conſtat eſſe in domo, ut non pertineant ad compagem domus— Sed ſicut eſſe palea dicitur in frumentis. de Bapt. lib. 1. cap. 51. who is herein followed by not a few of the Papiſts: hence ſaith Biel. accipitur etiam Eccleſia pro tota multitudine praedeſtinatorum. in Canon. Miſſ. Lec. 22. In what ſence this Church is inviſible, was before declared. Men elected, redeemed, juſtifyed, as ſuch are not viſible, for that which makes them ſo, is not: But this hinders not but that they may be ſo upon other Conſideration; ſometimes to more, ſometimes to fewer, yea they are ſo alwayes to ſome. Thoſe that are may be ſeen; and when we ſay they are viſible, we do not intend that they are actually ſeen by any that we know,§. 9. but that they may be ſo.
Bellarmine gives us a deſcription of this Catholick Church (as the name hath of late been uſed at the pleaſure of men, and wreſted to ſerve every deſigne that was needfull to be carryed on) to the intereſt which he was to contend for, but in it ſelf perfectly ridiculous. He tells us out of Austine that the Church is a living Body, wherein is a body and a ſoule, thence ſaith he the ſoule is the internall graces of the ſpirit, Faith, Hope, and Love: the body is the externall profeſſion of Faith; ſome are of the ſoul and body perfectly united to Christ by faith, and the profeſſion of it; ſome are of the ſoule that are not of the body, as the Catechumeni, which are not as yet admitted to be members of the viſible Church, but yet are true believers. Some ſaith he, are of the body, that are not of the ſoul, who having no true grace, yet out of hope or temporall feare, doe make profeſſion of the faith, and theſe are like the haire, nailes, and ill humours in an humane body. Now ſaith, Bellarmine our definition of a Church comprizeth only this laſt ſort, whilſt they are under the head the Pope; which is all one, as if he had defined a man to be a dead creature, compoſed of haire, nailes, and ill humours, under an hat: §. 10.but of the Church in this ſence ſo farre.
It remaineth then, that we enquire what is the Ʋnion which the Church in this ſenſe hath, from the wiſdome of its head Jeſus Chriſt. That it is one, that hath an union with its head, and in it ſelfe, is not queſtioned. It is one ſheepfold, one Body, one ſpouſe of Chriſt, his only one as unto him, and that it might have oneneſſe in it ſelfe, with all the fruits of it, our Saviour praies, Joh. 17. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. the whole of it is deſcribed Eph. 4. 15, 16. may grow up into him in all things, which is the head even Chriſt, from whom the whole body fitly joyned together, and compacted, by that which every joynt ſupplieth, according to the effectuall working in the meaſure of every part, maketh increaſe of the body, to the edifying it ſelfe in love. And of the ſame importance is that of the ſame Apoſtle, Col: 2. 19. not holding the head, from which all the body by joynts and bands having nouriſhment miniſtred, and knit together, increaſeth with the increaſe of God.
Now in the union of the Church in§. 11. every ſenſe, there is conſiderable, both the formalis ratio of it, whence it is, what it is, and the way, and meanes, whereby it exerts it ſelfe, and is uſefull and active in communion▪ The firſt, in the Church, as now ſtated, conſiſts in its joynt holding the head, and growing up into him by vertue of the communication of ſupplies unto it therefrom, for that end & purpoſe. That which is the formall Reaſon, and cauſe of the Union of the members with the Head, is the formall Reaſon and Cauſe of the Union of the members with themſelves. The Originall Ʋ nion of the members is in and with the Head; and by the ſame have they union with themſelves as one body. Now the inhabitation of the ſame Spirit in him and them, is that which makes Chriſt Perſonall, and his Church, to be one Chriſt myſticall, 1 Cor. 12. 12. Peter tells us, that we are by the promiſes made partakers of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. we are foreign, we have communion with it; that foreign is no more but foreign, I cannot eaſily conſent. Now it is in the perſon of the Spirit whereof we are by the promiſe made partakers: he is the Spirit of promiſe Eph. 1. 13. promiſed by God to Chriſt, Act. 2. 33. foreign, and by him to us Joh. 14. 16. being of old the great promiſe of the Covenant Iſ. 59. 21. Ezek. 11. 17. cap. 26. 36. Now in the participation of the Divine nature conſiſts the Ʋnion of the Saints with Chriſt. Ioh. 6. 5. our Saviour tells us, that it ariſes from eating his fleſh and drinking his Blood: he that eateth my fleſh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. This he expounds v. 63. it is the ſpirit that quickneth, the fleſh profiteth not. By the quickning Spirit, inhabitation in Chriſt, and Chriſt in it, is intended. And the ſame he manifeſts in his prayer that his Church may be one in the Father, and the Sonne, as the Father is in him, and he in the Father Ioh. 17. 21. for the Spirit being the Love of the Father, and of the Son, is vinculum Trinitatis: and ſo here of our Union in ſome reſemblance.
The unity of members in the body naturall with one head is often choſen to ſet forth the union of the Church 1 Cor. 12. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 3. Eph 5. 23. Col. 1. 19. now every man can tell,§. 12. that, union of the head and members, whereby they become all one body, that and not another, is oneneſſe of ſoule; whereby the whole is animated, which makes the body, be it leſſe or greater, to be one body. That which anſwers hereunto, in the myſticall body of Chriſt, is the animation of the whole by his ſpirit, as the Apoſtle fully 1 Cor. 15. 45. The union between husband and wife is alſo choſen by the Holy Ghoſt to illuſtrate the union between Chriſt and his Church. For this cauſe ſhall a man forſake his Father and his Mother and cleave to his Wife, and they two ſhall be one fleſh; this is a great myſtery, but I ſpeake concerning Chriſt and his Church, Eph. 5. 31, 32. The union between man and wife we have Gen. 2. 24. they be no more twaine but one fleſh; of Chriſt and his Church that they are one ſpirit. For he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 17. See alſo another ſimilitude of the ſame importance Ioh. 15. 5. Rom. 11. 16, 17. This I ſay is the fountain radicall union of the Church Catholick in its ſelfe, with its head and formall reaſon of it.
Hence flowes a double conſequentiall Ʋnion that it hath alſo.§. 13. 1. Of Faith. All men, united to Chriſt by the inhabitation of the ſame Spirit in him and them, are by it from, and according to the word, taught of God, Iſ. 54. 13. Ioh. 6. 45. ſo taught every one of them, as to come to Chriſt v. 46. that is by bilieving, by faith. They are ſo taught of God, as that they ſhall certainly have that meaſure of knowledge and faith, which is needfull to bring them to Chriſt, and to God by him. And this they have by the unction or Spirit, which they have received 1 Ioh. 2. 21, 27. accompaning the Word by vertue of Gods Covenant with them, Iſ. 59. 29. And hereby are all the members of the Church Catholick, however divided in their viſible profeſſion, by any differences among themſelves, or differenced by the ſeverall meaſures of gifts and graces they have received, brought to the perfection aymed at, to the unity of the Faith, & to the acknowledgement of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſſe of Chriſt, Eph. 4. 13.
Nor was this hidden from ſome of the Papiſts themſelves. §. 14.Eccleſia ſancta corpus eſt Chriſti una ſpiritu vivificata, unita fide una, & ſanctificata. ſaith Hugo de Victore, de ſacram lib. 2. as he had ſaid before in the former Cap. ſicut ſcriptum eſt qui non habet Spiritum Christi, hic non eſt ejus: qui non habet Spiritum Chriſti, non eſt membrum Chriſti: in corpore uno Spiritus unus, nihil in corpore mortuum, nihil extra corpus vivum. See to the ſame purpoſe Enchirid. Concil Colon in Symbol.
With peculiar reference to the members themſelves,§. 15. there is another neceſſary conſequence of the union mentioned; and that is the mutuall love of all thoſe united in the head as before towards one another, and of every one towards the whole, as ſo united in the head Chriſt Jeſus; There is an increaſe made of the body to the edifying it ſelfe in love Eph. 4. 16. And ſo it becomes the bond of perfectneſſe to this body of Chriſt. I cannot ſay, that the members or parts of this Church have their union in themſelves by Love; becauſe they have that with, and in Chriſt, whereby they are one in themſelves Ioh. 17. 21, 23. they are one in God even in Chriſt, where their life is hid Col. 3. 3. but it is the next and immediate principle of that communion, which they ſeverally have one with another, and the whole body, in and with it ſelfe. I ſay then that the communion which the Catholick Church, the myſticall body of Chriſt, hath, with and in it ſelfe, ſpringing from the union, which it hath in and with Chriſt, and in it ſelfe, thereby, conſiſts in love, exerting it ſelfe in inexpreſſible variety, according to the preſent ſtate of the whole, its relation to Chriſt, to Saints and Angells, with the conditions and occaſions of the members of it reſpectively, 1 Cor. 12. 26, 27.
What hath been ſpoken concerning the union and communion of this Church,§. 16. will not I ſuppoſe, meet with any contradiction. Granting that there is ſuch a Church, as that we ſpeake of, Coetus praedeſtinatorum credentium, the Papiſts themſelves will grant that Chriſt alone is its head, and that its union ariſeth from its ſubjection to him, and dependance on him. Their modeſty makes them contented with conſtituting the Pope in the roome of Chriſt, as he is as it were a politicall head for government; they have not as yet directly put in their claime to his office as a mysticall Head, influencing the body with Life and Motion: though by their figment of the Sacraments communicating grace, ex opere operato, and inveſting the originall power of diſpencing them in the Pope only, they have contended faire for it. But if any one can informe me of any other union, or communion of the Church, deſcribed as above, then theſe laid downe, I ſhall willingly attend unto his inſtructions: In the mean time, to carry on the preſent diſcourſe unto that which is aimed at, it is manifeſt, that the breach of this union muſt conſiſt in theſe two things.
1. Firſt,§. 16. the caſting out, expelling, and looſeing that ſpirit, which abiding in us, gives us this union.
2. The loſſe of that love, which thence flowes into the body of Chriſt, and believers, as parts and members thereof.
This being the ſtate of the Church under the firſt conſideration of it,§. 17. certainly it would be an extravagancy ſcarcely to be parallel'd, for any one to affirme a breach of this union as ſuch, to be Schiſme under that notion of it, which we are enquiring after. But becauſe there is very little ſecurity to be enjoyed in an expectation of the ſobriety of men in things wherein they are, or ſuppoſe they may be concerned, that they may know before hand, what is farther incumbent on them, if in reference to us, they would prevaile themſelves of any ſuch notion, I here informe them that our perſwaſion is, that this union was never utterly broken by any man taken into it, or ever ſhall be to the end of the World; and I ſuppoſe they eſteeme it vaine to diſpute about the Ad…uncts, §. 18.of that which is denyed to be.
But yet this perſwaſion being not common to us, with them with whom we have to doe in this matter, I ſhall not farther make uſe of it, as to our preſent defence. That any other union of the Catholick Church, as ſuch, can poſſibly be fancyed or imagined by any▪ (as to the ſubſtance of what hath been pleaded) leaving him a plea for the ordinary ſo…ndnes of his Intellectualls, is denyed.
Let us ſee now then what is our concernment in this diſcourſe;§. 19. unleſſe men can prove that we have not the ſpirit of God, that we do not ſavingly believe in Jeſus Chriſt, that we doe not ſincerely love all the Saints, his whole body, and every member of it, they cannot diſprove our intereſt in the Catholick Church. It is true indeed, men that have ſo great a confidence of their own Abilities, and ſuch a contempt of the World, as to undertake to diſpute them out of concluſions from their naturall ſences, about their proper Objects, in what they ſee, feele, and handle, and will not be ſatisfied, that they have not proved there is no motion, whilſt a man walks for a conviction under their eye; may probably venture to diſprove us, in our ſpirituall ſenſe and experience alſo, and to give us Arguments, to perſwade us that we have not that communion with Chriſt, which we know we have every day. Although I have a very meane perſwaſion of my own Abilities, yet I muſt needs ſay, I cannot think that any man in the world can convince me, that I doe not love Jeſus Chriſt in ſincerity, becauſe I doe not love the Pope, as he is ſo. Spirituall Experience is a ſecurity againſt a more cunning Sophiſter, then any Jeſu…te in the world, with whom the Saint… of God have to deale all their lives, Eph. 6. 12. And doubtleſſe through the rich grace of our God, helpe will ariſe to us, that we ſhall never make a Covenant with theſe men for peace, upon conditions for worſe then thoſe that Nahaſh would have exacted on the men of Jabeſh Gilead…, which were but the loſſe of one eye with an abiding reproach: they requiring of us, the deprivation of whatſoever we have to ſee by, whether as men, or Chriſtians, and that with a reproach, never to be blotted out.
But as we daily put our Conſciences upon triall as to this thing 1 Cor. 13. 5. and are put unto it by Sathan; §. 20.ſo are we readie at all times to give an account to our Adverſaries of the hope that us in us. Let them ſift us to the utmoſt, it will be to our advantage. Only let them not bring frivolous objections, and ſuch as they know are of no weight with us; ſpeaking (as is their conſtant manner) about the Pope and their Church, things utterly forraigne to what we are preſently about, miſerably begging the thing in Queſtion. Let them weigh (if they are able) the true nature of Ʋnion with Chriſt, of faith in him, of Love to the Saints; conſider them in their proper Cauſes Adjuncts and Effects with a ſprituall eye, laying aſide their prejudices and intolerable impoſitions; if we are found wanting as to the truth and ſincerity of theſe things, if we cannot give ſome account of our tranſlation from death to life, of our implantation into Chriſt, and our participation of the Spirit, we muſt beare our own burthen: if otherwiſe, we ſtand faſt on the moſt noble and beſt account of Church Ʋnion what ever; and whileſt this ſhield is ſafe, we are leſſe …mxious about the iſſue of the enſuing conteſt. Whatever may be the apprehenſions of other men, I am not in this thing ſollicitous (I ſpeake not of my ſelfe, but aſſuming for the preſent the perſon of one concerning whom theſe things may be ſpoken,) whileſt the efficacy of the Goſpell accompliſheth in my heart all thoſe divine, and mighty effects; which are aſcribed unto it as peculiarly, it workes towards them that believe; whileſt I know this one thing, that whereas I was blind, now I ſee, whereas I was a ſervant of ſinne, I am now free to righteouſneſſe & at liberty from bondage unto death, & inſtead of the fruits of the fleſh, I find all the fruits of the Spirit brought forth in me to the praiſe of Gods glorious grace; whileſt I have an experience of that powerfull work of converſion, and being borne againe, which I am able to mannage againſt all the accuſations of Satan, having peace with God upon juſtification by faith, with the love of God ſhed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghoſt inveſting me in the priviledges of Adoption, I ſhall not certainly be moved with the diſputes of men, that would perſwade me, I doe not belong to the Catholick Church, becauſe I doe not follow this, or that, or any part of men in the world.
But you will ſay, this you will allow to them alſo with whom you have to doe,§. 21. that they may be members of the Catholick Church; I leave other men to ſtand or fall to their own Maſter: only as to the Papall multitude on the account of ſeverall inconſiſtencies between them, and the members of this Church, I ſhall place ſome ſwords in the way, which will reduce their number to an inviſible ſcantling; I might content my ſelfe by affirming at once, that upon what hath been ſpoken, I muſt exclude from the Catholick Church all, and every one, whom Bellarmine intends to include in it as ſuch; namely thoſe, who belong to the Church as hairs and ill humours to the body of a man. But I adde in particular.
1. All wicked and prophane perſons, of whom the Scripture ſpeakes expreſsly that they ſhall not enter into the Kingdome of God, §. 22.are indiſputably cut off: Whatever they pretend in ſhew at any time in the outward duties of Devotion, they have neither faith in Chriſt, nor love to the Saints: and ſo have part and fellowſhip neither in the union nor communion of the Catholick Church.
How great a proportion of that Synogogue, §. 23.whereof we are ſpeaking, will be taken off by this ſword; of their Popes, Princes, Prelates, Clergie, Votaries, and people, and that not by a rule of private ſurmiſes, but upon the viſible iſſue of their being ſervants to ſin, …aters of God, and good men, is obvious to all. Perſons of really ſo much as reformed lives amongſt them are like the berries after the ſhaking of an Olive tree 1 Cor 6. 7, 8, 9, 10. Rev. 22. 15.
I find ſome perſons of late appropriating holineſſe and Regeneration to the Romane partie,§. 24. on this account, that among them only miracles are wrought;Ille Coetus Chriſtianorum qui ſolus in orbe clare… regeneratis eſt eccleſia; ſolus Coetus Chriſtianorum papae ſubditorum Claret regeneratis; ergo. prob. apud illas ſolos ſunt qui miracula faciunt. ergo. Val Mag. which is ſay they the only proofe of true Holineſſe. But theſe men erre as their Predeceſſors, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. Amongſt all the evidences that are given in Scripture of Regeneration; I ſuppoſe they will ſcarcely find this to be one; and they who have no other aſſurance that they are themſelves borne of God, but that ſome of their Church worke miracles, had need maintaine alſo that no man can be aſſured thereof in this life. They will find that a broken reed if they leane upon it.Deut. 13. 1, 2. Will it evince all the members of their Church to be Regenerate, Mat. 7. 22, 23.or only ſome?Exod. 3. 7. if they ſay all; I aske then what becomes of Bellarmin's Church, which is made up of them, who are not Regenerate, If ſome only I deſire to know on what account the miracles of one man may be an evidence to ſome in his ſociety that they are Regenerate and not to others? Or whether the foundation of that diſtinction muſt not lye in themſelves; but the truth is, the miracles now pretended are an evidence of a contrary condition to what theſe men are willing to own 2 Theſſ 2. 11, 12.
2. All Ignorant perſons,§. 25. into whoſe hearts God hath not ſhined to give them the knowledg of his Glory in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, are to be added to the former account. There is a meaſure of knowledg of abſolute & indiſpenſable neceſſity to Salvation, whereof how ſhort the moſt of them are, is evident. Among the open Abominations of the Papall combination, for which they ought to be an abhorrencie to mankind, their profeſſed deſigne of keeping the people in ignorance is not the leaſt, Hoſ. 4. 6. That it was devotion to themſelves, and not to God, which they aymed to advance thereby, is by experience ſufficiently evinced: But that, whoſe Reverence is to be preſerved by its being hid, is in it ſelfe contemptible. What other thoughts wiſe men could have of Chriſtian Religion in their mannagement of it, I know not. Woe to you Romiſh Clergie, for you have taken away the key of knowledge, yee enter'd not in your ſelves, and them that were entering in you hindred. The people hath periſhed under your hands for want of knowledge, Zech: 11. 15, 16, 17. The ſigment of an implicite faith, as mannaged by theſe men, to charme the ſpirits and Conſciences of poor periſhing creatures with ſecuritie in this life, will be found as pernitious to them in the iſſue, as their Purgatorie, invented on the ſame account,§. 26. will be uſeleſſe.
3. Adde to theſe all Hypocriticall ſelfe-juſticiaries who ſeek for a Righteouſneſſe as it were by the workes of the Law, which they never attained to Rom. 9. 31, 32. though they take paines about it Chap. 10. 15. Eph. 2. 8, 9, 10, 11. by this ſword will fall the fattest cattell of their Herd. How the hand of the Lord on this account ſweeps away their Devo…ionists, and therein takes down the pride of their glory, the day will diſcover; yet beſides theſe, there are two other things that will cut them down as the graſſe falls before the ſith of the Mower.
1. The firſt of theſe is Idolatry: §. 27.be not deceived, no Idolaters ſhall inherit the Kingdome of God, 1 Cor. 6. 9. Without are Idolaters, Rev. 22. 15. this added to their lives hath made Chriſtian Religion, where known only as by them profeſſed, to be an abomination to Jewes and Gentiles. Some will one day beſides himſelfe anſwer for Averroes determining of the caſe as to his ſoule. Quoniam Chriſtiani adorant quod comedunt, anima mea ſit cum Philoſophis. Whether they are Idolaters or no, whether they yeild the worſhip due to the Creator to the Creature, hath been ſiſted to the utmoſt, and the charge of its evill, which the jealous God doth of all things moſt abhore, ſo faſtened on them beyond all poſſibility of eſcape, that one of the wiſeſt of them hath at length fixed on that moſt deſperate and profligate refuge, that ſome kind of Idolatry is lawfull, becauſe Peter mentions abominable Idolatries, 1 Pet. 4. 5. who is therein ſo farre from diſtinguiſhing of ſeverall ſorts & kinds of it to any ſuch purpoſe as that he aggravates all ſort, & kinds of it with the Epithet of Nefarious, or abominable.
A man may ſay,§. 28. what is there almoſt that they have not committed lewdneſſe in this kind withall; on every hill, and under every green tree is the filth of their abomination found; Saints & Angells in Heaven; Images of ſome that never were, of others, that had been better they never had been; bread and wine, Croſſe and nailes, Altars, wood, and iron, and the Pope on earth are by them adored. The truth is, if we have any aſſurance left us of any thing in the world, that we either ſee or heare, feel or taſt and ſo conſequently that we are alive, and not other men, the poor Indians who worſhip a piece of red cloth, are not more groſſe Idolaters then they are.
2. All that worſhip the Best ſet up by the Dragon, §. 29.all that receive his marke in their hands, or forehead, are ſaid not to have their names written in the booke of life of the Lambe Rev. 13 8. which what aſpect it bears towards the viſible Roman Church time will manifeſt.
All theſe ſorts of perſons we except againſt,§. 30. as thoſe, that have no intereſt in the union of the Catholick-Church. All prophane, ignorant, ſelfe-juſticiaries, all Idolaters, worſhippers, or adorers of the Papall power, if any remaine among them, not one way or other viſibly ſeparated from them, who fall not under ſome one or more of theſe Exceptions; as we grant they may be members, of the Catholick-Church, ſo we deny, that they are of that which is called the Roman. And I muſt needs informe others by the way, that whileſt the courſe of their converſation, ignorance of the myſtery of the Goſpell, hatred of Good men, contempt of the ſpirit of God, his gifts and graces, do teſtify to the Conſciences of them, that feare the Lord, that they belong not to the Church Catholick, it renders their rebuking of others, for ſeparating from any inſtituted Church Nationall, (as is pretended) or more reſtrained, very weake, and contemptible. All diſcourſes about meats, have a worme at the root, whileſt there is a beame lies in the Eye. Doe men ſuppoſe that a man who hath taſted how gratious the Lord is, and hath by grace obtained communion with the Father and his Sonne Jeſus Chriſt, walking at peace with God, and in a ſenſe of his love all his daies, filled with the Holy Ghoſt, and by him with joy unſpeakable and glorious in believing, is not ſtrengthened againſt the rebukes, and diſputes of men, whom he ſees and knows by their fruits, to be deſtitute of the ſpirit of God, unintereſted in the fellowſhip of the Goſpell, and communion thereof.