Ocular Dioceẞ or Nation may be cut off without involving the whole Church in that Apoftacy, or being any Proof, that the Promises made to her are Conditional.

§. 24.

The Church always Visible and Holy.

G.

F

Y. 8. When the Son of Man cometh, shall be se find Faith upon Earth? Where will then that Vifi- «, bility be, which Rome boasts of as an Effential Mark « of the true Church? pag. 30. «

L. Juft where it is at prefent, and where it has been in all Ages, viz. in the Catholick Church profefs'd in the Creed, which will continue Vifible to the End of the World."

* G. What, My Lord, do's not Chrift here pofitively declare, that when the Son of Man cometh, he shall m find Faith upon Earth?

L. No, Sr, he fays no fuch Thing. Nor could St Austin, who was a very clear-fighted Perfoa, ever discover this Meaning in the Words, you have quoted. For he anfwer'd that very Text of St Luke objected by the Donatifts against the Church's Infallibility: first, by Telling them, that thofe Words, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find Faith upon Earth? Were to be understood of that perfect Faith, which few attain to. L. de Unit. Eccl. C. 15. And St Jerom in his Dialogue against the Luciferians gives he very fame Anfwer to it. But St Austin adds a fecond in the Place quoted. His Words are these. Or elfe we understand them of that great Number of Wicked, and Scarcity of good Men, concerning which enough has already been faid. And therefore our Lord expreffes hinoSelf under a doubt (pray, Sr, mind what follows &

1

for he fays not, when the Son of Man cometh, he will not find Faith upon Earth, but but do do you think he will find Faith Earth? To which he adds, that our Saupon viour faid not this to exprefs any Doubt of his own, but because the many Scandals, which will arife towards the End of the World, will occafion human Weakneß to fpeak in that Manner.

Here then it is plain, that St Austin did not un derstand, as you do, our Saviours doubtful Interrogation to be equivalent to this pofuive Affirmation, viz. that at his fecond Coming he shall not find Faith upon Earth, So in his Epiftle to the Donatift Vincentius he tells him thofe Words of Chrift were spoken propter Abundantiam iniquitatis, to exprefs the Abundance of Iniquity. And his following Words are remarkable. It is a Truth (fays he) not to be question'd, that they, whofe Faith Chrift will find upon Earth, will grow with the Tares all the Field over. Epift. 93. olim. 48. ad Vincentium. Befides the Church of Chrift is compared to a City fet upon a Hill, And I prefume a City on a Hill is a vifible Thing.

» G. She is likewife compared to a Women perfe »cuted into a Wilderneß, Rev. 12. y. 16. pag. 31.

L. I anfwer first, it is more than either you or I can tell, whether the Church be meant by that Woman: or what is meant by her being perfecuted into a Wilderneß. All Explications upon it are but Gueffes: and Gueffes are but a weak Foundation to build an Argument upon.

I answer 2, that the Ifraelits were perfecuted into the Wilderness by Pharao, yet I never read they were therefore become Invisible. Nor do I think a` Church becomes invisible by being perfecuted.

» G. She is alfo compared to a Lodge in a Garas den of Cucumbers, and to a befieged City. Ifa. 1. v. 8.

pag. 31.

L. Ssj

L. Sr, if you will give yourself the Trouble to read the Text, you will find it is not the Chriftian Church, but the Defolation of Juda and Jerufalem which is fpoken of by Isaiah.

G. Lastly, at the Coming of Chrift she will be « fo little Visible, that Faith will hardly be found « upon Earth. This is not to be reconciled but of « different States of the Church, and at different « Times. pag. 31. «

L. What you now fay, Sr, is but a Repetition of your former Mistake, which St Austin has already anfwer'd for me. But in whatever State the Church is, or ever will be in the World, that is whether in Perfecution or Pace, she can never lofe her Vifibility, but will always have her Marks to diftinguish her from all Heretical and Schifmatical Communions. Nay she will not only be always Visible, but always Holy, as we profefs in the Creed. That is, free from Errors. And this is also taught by St Paul faying', that Chrift loved his Church, and gave himself for it that it should be Holy, and without Blemish. Ephef. s.

*.27.

G. So God call'd the Church of the Jews, the dear e beloved of his Soul. Jer. 12. V. 7. Yet fays he had « forfaken her for her Wickedness, and hated her. « And Ifaiah reprefents her as. moft filthy and corrup ted. 1..4.5.6. pag. 31. "

L. Really, Sr, one would be apt to conclude from your Difcourfe, that the Church of Chrift has no Advantage over the Synagogue. Did God ever promife the Jewish Synagogue, as Chrift has promised his Church, that he would be with her to the End of the World? And if God never made her any fuch Promife, but forefaw that she would apoftatize, is it a Wonder he forfook her for her Wickedness, and bated her, who before had been his Dear-beloved? Or

R

!

can you conclude from thence, that the fame will happen to the Church of Chrift, to which he has pro mifed his perpetual Affiftance? Pray, Sr, what means this Article of the Creed, I believe the Holy Catholick Church? I prefume it means that Chrift has a Church upon Earth, which is Catholick and Holy. If then Chrift's Church should ever cease to be Holy, that Article of the Creed would be falfe.

» G. My Lord, the Church is call'd Holy and be» loved because of God's Covenant with her to be Holy and beloved. Which will be hereafter in thofe, » that are perfected: when the Tares and the Wheat » shall be feparated: But they must grow together » till then, when Chrift shal gather out of his Kingdom » all Things that offend, and them, which do Iniquity. » Math. 13. V. 41. But he has not yet fo perfected it. » That Time is not come. She is ftill in her cleanfing State, but not yet throughly cleanfed. And the Scripture fpeaks of both thefe States of the » Church. But when we diftinguish not, and would apply to the moft corrupt State, what is faid of the » most Glorious, we must needs fall into many Er» rors and Mistakes. pag. 31. 32.

دو

L. That's certain. And therefore to prevent my Falling into any fuch Error or Miftake, I will dif tinguish between the two States of the Church. That is, the Church Militant and Triumphant, and attri bute to each, what properly belongs to it.

'Tis therefore an undoubted Truth that the Words of St Paul to the Ephefians cannot be understood abfolutely, and in their full Extent but of the Church Triumphant, according to St Austin's Doctrine. And the Reason is clear because no one entire Society bur that of the Bleffed above can pretend to a Holineß excluding all Spot or Wrinkle, or any fuch Thing.

But must we therefore conclude, that St Paul's

Words may not likewife be understood of the Church Militant in a more limited Sense? If so, we must make the Creed fpeak abfurdly in Calling her the Holy Catholick Church which is undoubtedly to be underflood of Chrift's Church upon Earth. First then she is call'd Holy, or without Spot or Wrinkle in her Faith; which admits of no Sorts of Errors against the reveal'd Word of God. 2. She is Holy in her Sacraments and Morals. 3. She is Holy, and without Spot or Wrinkle in all her Children, whilst they preferve their Baptifmal Grace entire and undefiled. And 4. she is Holy in the fame Senfe, as she is call'd the Communion of Saints. Which is not understood fo, as if all in her Communion were Saints, but becaufe Many are, and all may be Saints in her Communion, and there can be none out of it.

G. My Lord, the Difficulty, under which the « Church of Rome now labours is this. She firft makes « herfelf the Catholick Church----- "

L. That is to fay, Sr, Chrift has made her so, as I have already shew'd.

G. And then Applying to herfelf in this her « corrupt State, whatever is faid of the Church even « in her Perfect, Glorious, and Triumphant State, « creates her infinite Trouble, and endless Distinc- « tions to reconcile thefe; which is as impoffible to « be done, as to make the Church in Heaven and upon Earth to be the fame. pag. 32. "

L. St, the Creed speaks of the Church upon Earth, and tells us she is Holy. And I hope we do not err believing the Creed. But you blamed us just now for not Diftinguishing, and now again you tax us with endless Diftinctions. So whether we blow Hot or Cold, I find we must be in the Wrong. But I have interrupted you, fo pray go on.

G. My Lord, whilft the Corruptions of the Church