But to make it a little clearer. The church of God, take it in general for good and bad in it, and for the means of salvation that they had in some measure, it may be called a kind of visible chui'ch, though very cor- ruptly ; and so considered, our church, those that possessed our rehgion, was the best of that church in the declinmg times of it. As in a lump of gold that is not yet refined to bullion there is gold, and a gi-eat deal of earth: take it in the whole, we say it is gold ; but when it is refined to bul- lion, we say it is gold severed. Now our church in the midst of popery was as gold in the midst of earth unrefined ; that is, there werel many Komish Churches, and ours was in the midst of them, the temple in the midst of the court ; that is, the true church in the visible church. There were a great company that held the tenets of the gospel, especially at the hours of death, that denied popery. But then there were some that were refined as bullion after, as the Waldenses,^ that were a severed company of people, besides other holy men and women that grew up by hearing somewhat of Christ in their sermons, and somewhat in the sacrament. They left out that that was bad, and took that that was good. Besides the lump of gold, there was some refined gold, when popery was in its perfection ; and those they termed Waldenses, and the like. There was alway a company that held the
* That is, ' patchwork,' = additions. — G. t Misprinted ' was.' — G.
X Cont.ult Stanley Faber's 'Waldenses and Albigenses' — able and trustworthy. — G.
VOL. TI. Q
242 A BREATHING AFTER GOD.
truth against them. I am sorry to mention these things, in a point tend- ing more to edification. Our churches therefore are refined churches, that is, gold singled out of the dross of popery. They are a corrupt, and our church a refined, a visible congregation.
Now to cut ofi" these objections, to come nearer to ourselves, to make good our particular congregations, and to shew that of necessity we ought to frequent them, and to take heed of all objections that the devil and the flesh may make to bring us out of love with our particular congi'egations, know therefore these three or four rules in a word.
First, that there hath been a church from the hefi'mning af the world, where God hath been vorshipped. Christ is a King, and he must have a kingdom. To believe a catholic church is an article of our faith, and there cannot be an act without an object. I have faith, I believe a \'isible church, therefore there must be a church. So that there hath been a church from the be- ginning of the world. It is an article of our faith. *
Secondly, the mark whereby this church is known is especially the truth of God. That is the seed of the church, the truth of God discovered by his word and ordinance. To which is annexed the sacraments and ecclesi- astical government ; but the former most necessar}'. And these three were typified in the ark ; for there was the law signifying the word, and the pot of manna signifying the sacrament, and the rod to shew the discipline. Those three were, as it were, types of the three marks of the church. But especially the word. For that is the seed of the new birth. "Wheresoever the word hath been published, and there hath been an order of teachers, and people submitting themselves, there is a church, though perhaps there might be some weakness in other regards. A man is a man though he want the ornaments of a man ; and a city without walls is a city. Put case there might be some weakness in some things, yet as long as the vitals of the church remain it is a church.
The third thing that I observe, to clear this point, to hasten to things of more edification, is this, abuse takes not airay the use. A neglectful use or abuse takes not away the true use of things. Put case the Scripture be abused many ways, that the sacraments have many additions, that these things are not so pure ; yet it takes not away the just use ; for then we take away the cause of things. Then the conclusion of ail is this, that of necessity, notwithstanding somewhat may be found fault vdth in all visible churches, some errors there may be ; yet we ought to cleave to a visible church, because it hath been alway, and we ought to know it by these marks. If the word of God be taught there, then of necessity we must cleave to it. ' God added to the church such as should be saved,' Acts ii. 47, to the visible church. Those that are saved must be saved in submis- sion to the visible church. But these things I hst notf to be large in. This may give satisfaction.
Use 1. If this be so, that we ought to submit to the ordinance of God in the visible church, to come into the ark as it were (the visible church is called the ark), or else we must be drowned and -parish., what shall ice think then of those that are cast out of the church by excommunication (but that is for their good) ? But their case is very ill, because they are cut off from the house and beauty of God. Their case is miserable. But it is worse with those that depart out of themselves, as apostates, &c. Some are cast out, some are apostates and go out. They fall away from the church of God to the Romish strumpet,