Ans. I answer, God speaks indeed in his church by his Spirit and by his word ; but his speaking by his word is the cause of his speaking in
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 19. 375
the church. For what is the church but begotten by the seed of the word ? How is the church a church but by the word ? Therefore, he speaks first by the Scriptures. There is a majesty and a spirit in the Scrip- tures. And then he speaks by the church, as cleaving to the Scriptures, in a secondary manner. He speaks by the church mediately, because that goes to the word which speaks immediately. The word ^^as written by men led immediately by the Spirit of God ; and the church relying on that, he speaks by them in the church, but primarily by his word. Having just occasion, I thought to touch this.
Undoubtedly, there are none that are not led with partiality, but in- comparably they see our faith is built on a better foundation than theirs. They have a rotten foundation. They talk of a church, and when all comes to all, the church their mother is nothing, but the pope their father. What is their church but the pope himself? For they run from the church essential to the church representative. They run to councils, and when we force them with councils that they may err, then the pope, he is the church virtually. So, I say, the church their mother is nothing but the pope their father ; and what manner of men they have been ; histories tell us well enough. We see on what ground they build.
Jesus Christ, that is, the gospel by him, is not ' yea and nay, but yea ; ' that is, it is certainly, and infallibly, and eternally true.
Quest. Hereupon we may answer that curious question that hath been, and now is, everywhere, how we may know that our church was before Luther's time or no,* as they idly say, how we may know that the faith that we profess is the ancient faith.
Ans. I answer hence. Take these grounds :
First. There is but one faith. Men have varied, but faith hath not varied, as St Austin saith well. For there is but one faith, as there is one God, one heaven, and one happiness. Thei'e was one faith from Adam. The times vary, but not the faith of the times ; the same fundamental truth hath been in all times. Sometimes it hath been more explicated and un- folded, as we have the canon enlarged now in the time of the New Testa- ment in many books. There is not a new faith, but a larger explication of the old faith. Divine truth is alway the same. It was one faith from the beginning of the world, from the first promise to Adam in paradise, till now. Abraham believed as we do now. So they were all saved by faith, Heb. xi.
Even as there is one catholic church, consisting of all the members, the triumphant being the greater part, from the beginning of the world to the end of the world, so there is one faith. Take that for a ground. Indeed, the church varies as a man varies when he is a child and when he is a man. He hath one manner of clothes when he is a child, and another when he is a man. So the church varies in clothes. It was clothed with ceremonies then, which were cast off in Christ ; but this is but a variation of garments. The church had one faith.
Second. Hereupon comes a second, there is one catJwUc church, that is built on that one faith, one essential church, one catholic company that be- lieve in Christ, from the beginning of the world to the end of the world, which we believe in the apostles' creed. Well, then, this being so, as it is undeniable that it is so, what church is built upon that one faith that was * yea ' in the apostles, and was ' yea ' before then, as the apostle saith here, ' Our preaching was yea,' certain and true, you may build on it, what * See uote d, vol. ii. p. 248 ; and see «ss. — G.
376 COMMENTARY ON
cluxrcb builds on that? Tliat chui-ch all tho while liatli been; for there is but one faith and one truth that runs along in all ages, which is the seed of the church. Therefore, there must be a church in all ages that is a branch cf tho catholic church. Why ? The church must be built upon that one faith ; therclore, all particular chui-ches before us, that were branches of the general church, were built upon that preaching of the apostle, which he saith was * yea.' There is but one faith, and therefore all churches that are true are built upon that one faith. If we can prove that the apostolical doctrine agrees with our times, that ours hath con- sanguinity with the apostles' doctrine, then our church was before we were, ever since the apostles. It hath been alwaj' yea, for there is but one truth.
The church is built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles ; and Christ saith, Mat. xvi. 18, when Peter said to Christ, ' Thou art the Son of God,' &c., saith he, ' Thou art Peter, and upon this rock,' that is, upon this confession of thine, ' will I build my church.' So the con- fession of faith is the rock of the church. Now there is alway one rock of the church that is alway yea. If our church be built upon that rock, then it is founded upon apostolical doctrine, upon the prophets and apostles. It was before we were. And if there were any chui'ch, then it was ours, which professeth that one faith.