compareth to a field,* where tares manifestly known and seen by all men, do grow intermingled with good corn; and so shall continue till the final consummation of the world. God hath had ever, and ever shall have, some Church visible upon earth. But for lack of diligent observing the difference, first betwixt the Church of God mystical and visible; then between the visible sound and corrupted, sometimes more, sometimes less, the oversights are neither few nor light that have been committed: This deceiveth them, and nothing else, who think that in the time of the first world, the family of Noah did contain all that were of the visible Church of God. From hence it grew, and from no other cause in the world, that the African Bishops in the Council of Carthage, knowing how the administration of Baptism belongeth only to the Church of Christ, and supposing that Heretics, which were apparently severed from the sound believing church, could not possibly be of the Church of Jesus Christ, thought it utterly against reason, that Baptism administered by men of corrupt belief, should be accounted as a Sacrament. Some of the Fathers were earnest, especially St. Cyprian, in this point: (but I hope you have not yet proceeded so far). This opinion was afterwards both condemned by a better advised Council, and also revoked by the chiefest of the Authors thereof themselves: And therefore as it is strange for any man to deny them of Rome to be of the church; so I cannot but wonder, that they will ask where our Church was, before the birth of Martin Luther; as if any were of opinion that Luther did erect a new Church of Christ. No, the Church of Christ, which was from the beginning, is, and continueth in substance the same unto the end; of which, all parts have not been always equally sincere and sound. In the days of Abia, it plainly appeareth that Judah was by many degrees more free from pollution than Israel: in St. Paul's time the integrity of Rome was famous; Corinth many ways reproved; they of Galatia much more out of square in John's time, Ephesus and Smyrna, in better state than Thyatira and Pergamos were; and yet all of them, no doubt, parts of the visible Church; so standeth the cause, betwixt Rome and us; so far as lawfully we may, we have held, and do hold fellowship with them; we acknowledge them to be of the family of Jesus Christ; and our hearty prayer unto God Almighty is, that being conjoined, so far forth with them, they may at length, if it be his will, so yield to frame and reform themselves, that no distraction remain in any thing, but that we all may 'with one heart and one mouth glorify God, the Father of our Lord and Saviour, whose Church we are.'§ As there are, which make the * Matt. xiii. 24. 2 Cor. xiii. 2. In Conc. Nicen. vide Hieron. in Di. cont. Lucifer. § [Rom. xv. 6, with Heb. iii, 6.] Church of Rome no Church at all, utterly; so we have them amongst us, who under pretence of imagined corruptions in our discipline, do give even as hard a judgment of the Church of England itself. But whatsoever either the one sort, or the other teach, we must acknowledge, even Heretics themselves, to be (though a maimed part) yet a part of the visible Church. For as to baptize is a proper action, belonging unto none but the Church of Christ, which is true in the Church of Rome (howsoever some Anabaptists account it but a mockery) so if an Infidel should pursue to death an Heretic, professing Christianity, only for Christian profession' sake, could the Church deny him the honour of martyrdom? Yet this honour all men know to be proper unto the Church; and therefore where the Fathers make opposition betwixt the visible Church, and heretical companies (as oftentimes they do) they are to be construed, as separating Heretics, not altogether from the company of believers, but from the fellowship of sound Believers: for where professed unbelief is, there can be no visible Church of Christ; there may be where sound belief wanteth. Infidels being clean without the Church deny directly, and utterly reject, the very principles of Christianity; which Heretics embrace, and err only in misconstruction."* And therefore it is strange that you dare affirm; the Turk to hold any part of the Christian faith, or to be in that respect comparable to the Church of Rome : for "that which separateth utterly, that which cutteth off clean from the visible Church of Christ, is," as Master Hooker saith, " plain Apostasy; direct denial, utter rejection of the whole Christian Faith, as far as the same is professedly different, from Infidelity. Heretics, as touching those points of doctrine wherein they fail; Schismatics, as touching the quarrels for which, or the duties wherein they divide themselves from their brethren; loose, licentious, and wicked persons, as touching their several offences or crimes, have all forsaken the true Church of God; the Church which is sound and sincere in the doctrine that they corrupt: the Church that keepeth the bond of unity which they violate; the Church that walketh in the laws of righteousness which they transgress; this very true Church of Christ, they have left, howbeit not altogether left, nor forsaken simply the Church, upon the main foundations whereof, they continue built, notwithstanding these breaches, whereby they are rent at the top asunder." But peradventure you will say, Why then do we refuse to communicate with the Church of Rome, more than Zachary, Elizabeth, Anna, and others, did with the High Priests; corruptions being in both, and both remaining parts of the Church of God? I answer, That in the time of our Saviour Christ, the synagogue of the Jews * [Vol. I. p. 194-203.] + [P. 202.] Vol. II. p. 304. although it was not in regard of the High Priests and chief Doctors, in all respects, the true visible Church; yet in some sort, it was; because the remainders of religion were left, and the worship instituted of God himself was not wholly taken away: so with the Papists we would not be afraid to communicate, in our Liturgy, if it were not in respect of their superstitious order and some prayers which are idolatrous, for which we have some reasons as yet, to doubt that they have no warrant. We must all of us be joined to the true Church, else we cannot be saved; that is to the catholic, not the visible: for, doubtless, a man may be saved that liveth not in any particular Church; or, that is excommunicated from all yet we say, thus much, That we must join ourselves to some particular Church, if we will be saved; with this twofold caution, If such a Church be known unto us; or, if it be possible to join unto it. Wherein, because every particular may err yet none absolutely exclude from salvation, all men have reason to join with that that is most sound. This then were the fittest point to be discussed with moderation and learning, That seeing all Churches have some unsound parts in them, which Church is to be reputed at this day the soundest of all the rest? Doubtless the Church of Rome was once a light to all the Churches of the world; but through the corruptions of some, those diseases have somewhat infected the Church which now, to the sorrow of Christendom, like a canker, or leprosy, have enlarged themselves. As there is a contention when Adam fell; so, histories vary, when this defection began. Some make five or six hundred years to be the continuance of her sound estate; some, three hundred; some, to err even from the Apostles' time.† Doubtless in the Apostles' time, there were heretics in the Church; the Nicolaitans, Simon Magus, Cerinthus, and others. Eusebius reporteth out of Egesippus, That although as long as the Apostles lived, the Church did remain a pure virgin; yet after those times, immediately, errors crept into the Church.‡ Clemens Alexandrinus, to confirm that there was corruption of doctrine presently after the Apostles' time, allegeth the proverb, "There are few sons like their fathers." Socrates saith of the Church of Rome and Alexandria (the most famous Churches in the Apostles' time), That about the year 430, the Roman and Alexandrian Bishops, leaving their sacred function, were degenerate to a secular rule or dominion. Yet we say not, that all before Gregory were sound, nor all after, corrupt: yet their errors grew on by little and little, even from those men whose reverend names gave warrant to what they held; they thinking nothing less than by those means, to have corrupted the Church. But she may, when it pleaseth God, * Rom. i. 8. Calvin. Melanct. Lib. iii. cap. 32. recover her former soundness again: if we had but so much care of them, as they seem to have of us; or that all sides, peaceably, with indifferency, would admit the true use of a General Council. But let their errors be as they are; we leave them to be reproved by those whom that business doth concern, and to be judged by the Searcher of all hearts: yet for all that, we affirm them to be parts of the Church of Christ; and, that those that live and die in that Church, may notwithstanding be saved. Of those who are of a contrary opinion in a good meaning, I say with Lactantius, "With how good a meaning these poor souls do evil!"* To conclude, lest you should think Master Hooker to be " arrogant and presumptuous to make himself (as you say) the only Rabbi ;"+ know that he hath said nothing which that honourable Frenchman of worthy memory‡ hath not said before, with great wisdom, moderation, and learning. But if you cannot be resolved without a miracle, as you scoffingly seem to desire, we can but in our prayers recommend your weakness to the God of all power, and the fountain of all light. ARTICLE XII. OF PREACHING. How hard it is for those, who are in love with themselves, to carry a well tempered indifferency betwixt that which they out of ignorance perform, and others out of judgment avoid; this Article alone, may serve as evidence sufficient to persuade all. For, even in the matter of greatest use unto God's Church (the dispensation of the Word of Life), a vehement dislike of those things which they cannot attain, hath wrought too violent an opposition, for the overthrow of that course which learning and truth have held not to be the weakest means to support the same. Hence cometh it to pass, that whilst all grant the Word to be powerful and effectual, some, think this is only true, of the Word preached; which otherwise hath small virtue, except it be in sermons, and those sermons only to have this power, which are of their own making. Causing the Holy Ghost, whose strength is perfected in weakness,§ to be necessarily tied to a defect of all outward ornaments; as though that Almighty power upon whomever excellency depends, even in the weakest means, were of less authority, or less power, when the means which he useth were more excellent : thus depriving the Church of variety of gifts, who, out of obedience and humility, hath learned how to profit by all. But, as to tie the power of converting sinners to that which is eloquently strong in human wisdom were a thing not safe, and injurious to the Church; so, to be too earnest against all outward ornaments, through an Inst. lib. v. cap. 19. "O quam honesta voluntate miseri errant." [Vol. I. p. 202.] VOL. II. In his Treatise of the Church, chap. 2. L L § 2 Cor. xii. 9. affectation of pure simplicity, is an error no less dangerous than the former was. For seeing those that teach are not all either capable or furnished with the same gifts; and that, continually, there is no less variety in those that hear; it is the wisdom and discretion of the Church, for a better attainment of a more perfect estate, to learn with thankfulness and reverence how to profit by all. For as it is impossible that any one form of Teaching should please or persuade all men (a prerogative which was not granted to the first and best sermons), whose excellency was that they converted "many," but not all ;* so the rest who yet are not but must be converted, are to expect (though not with curiosity to affect) a variety for the manner even of that which in substance and end is but merely one. For the mystical body, as it is full of variety and diversity in his [its] parts, yet, in itself, but one; so the working is manifold and different, though the beginning and the end, God's power, and his glory, be in truth, to and for all men, but one. For sometimes the Word, by being read, proposeth and preacheth itself to the hearer; sometimes they deliver it whom, privately, zeal and piety moveth to be instructors of others by conference: sometimes of them it is taught, whom the Church hath called to the public either reading thereof, or interpreting; and by them, after a most divers manner, but all tending to one end, for which God hath made his visible Church to be that "congregation of faithful people, wherein the pure Word of God is preached :"+ so that in this respect we refuse not, to make the Preaching of the Word (taking the word Preaching for all manner of teaching) to be an essential note of the Church. For doubtless, in that parable of the sower, by you alleged,§ we mislike not much the interpretation of that Reverend Bishop which you bring forth, as opposite to Master Hooker; saying, "God is the husbandman, the Preachers of the Word are the seed sowers, the seed is the Word of God, the ground is the hearts of men ;" and yet St. Austin differeth a little from this exposition, where he saith, The sower is God, and I, because he soweth, what am I but the seedman's basket?¶ Which even the meanest Christian no doubt is, though never called to the office of Preaching, if he can, by private conference, exhort and instruct out of holy Scripture: which as it is an act of less honour and profit, than the Preaching of those that are worthily called to that office; so even in their sermons that are called, there is no man but must acknowledge, a manifold, and apparent difference. For "seeing speech" (as Master Hooker saith; which you mislike) "is the very image whereby the mind and soul of the speaker conveyeth itself into the bosom of him that heareth; we cannot choose but see great reason wherefore the * Acts iv. 4. † [Art. XIX.] 8 [Vol. II. p. 74.] ¶ "Cophinus Seminantis." |