VOL. XVI. 2
18 TRUE NATURE OF A GOSPEL CHURCH,
God himself from any share in the privileges of his covenant, Ps. 1. 16, 17.
Divines of all sorts do dispute, from the Scripture and the testimo- nies of the ancients, that hj^ocrites and persons unregenerate may be true members of visible churches; and it is a matter very easy to be proved, nor do I know any by whom it is denied: but the only question is, that whereas, undoubtedly, p^^ofession is necessary unto all church-communion, whether, if men do profess themselves hypo- crites in state and unregenerate in mind, that profession do suffi- ciently qualify them for church-communion; and whereas there is a double profession, one by words, the other by works, as the apostle declares. Tit. i. 1 6, whether the latter be not as interpretative of the mind and state of men as the former. Other contest we have with none in this matter.
Bellarmine, De Eccles. lib. iii. cap. ii., gives an account out of Augustine, and that truly, from Brevis, Collat. Col. S, of the state of' the church. " It doth," saith he, " consist of a soul and body. The soul is the internal graces of the Spirit ; the body is the profes- sion of them, with the sacraments. All true believers making pro- fession belong to the soul and body of the church. Some (as believ- ing catechumens) belong to the soul, but not tp the body; others are of the body, but not of the soul, — namely, such as have no internal grace or true faith, — and they are like the hair, or the nails, or evil humours in the body." And thereunto adds, that his definition of the church compriseth this last sort only ; which is all one as if we should define a man to be a thing constituted and made up of hair, nails, and ill humours: and let others take heed that they have no such churches.
There is nothing more certain in matter of fact than that evange- lical churches, at their first constitution, were made up and did con- sist of such members as we have described, and no others; nor is there one word in the whole Scripture intimating any concession or permission of Christ to receive into his church those who are not so qualified. Others have nothing to plead for themselves but posses- sion ; which, being " malee fidei," ill obtained and ill continued, will afford them no real advantage when the time of trial shall come. Wherefore it is certain that such they ought to be. No man, as I suppose, is come unto that profligate sense of spiritual things as to deny that the members of the church ought to be visibly holy : for if so, they may affirm that all the promises and privileges made and granted to the church do belong unto them who visibly live and die in their sins; which is to overthrow the gospel. And if they ought so to be, and were so at first, when they are not so openly and visi- bly, there is a declension from the original constitution of churches, and a sinful deviation iu them from the rule of Christ.
THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF THE CHURCH. 19
This original constitution of churches, with respect unto their members, was, for the substance of it, as we observed, preferred in the primitive times, whilst persecution from without was continued and discipline preserved within. I have in part declared before what great care and circumspection the church then used in the ad- mission of any into their fellowship and order, and what trial they were to undergo before they were received; and it is known also with what severe discipline they watched over the faith, walking, conver- sation, and manners of all their members. Indeed, such was their care and diligence herein that there is scarce left, in some churches at present, the least resemblance or appearance of what was their state and manner of rule. Wherefore some think it meet to ascend no higher in the imitation of the primitive churches than the times of the Christian emperors, when all things began to rush into the fatal apostasy, which I shall here speak a little farther unto; for, —
Upon the Roman emperors' embracing Christian religion, whereby not only outward peace and tranquillity was secured unto the church, but the profession of Christian religion was countenanced, encou- raged, honoured, and rewarded, the rule, care, and diligence of the churches, about the admission of members, were in a great measure relinquished and forsaken. The rulers of the church began to think that the glory of it consisted in its numbers, finding both their own power, veneration, and revenue increased thereby. In a short time, the inhabitants of whole cities and provinces, upon a bare, outward profession, were admitted into churches. And then began the out- ward court, — that is, all that which belongs unto the outward wor- ship and order of the church, — to be trampled on by the Gentiles, not kejDt any more to the measure of Scripture rule, which thence- forth was applied only to the temple of God and them that wor- shipped therein : for this corruption of the church, as to the matter of it, was the occasion and means of introducing all that corruption in doctrine, worship, order, and rule, which ensued, and ended in the great apostasy ; for whatever belonged unto any of these things, espe- cially those that consist in practice, were accommodated unto the state of the members of the churches. And such they were as stood in need of superstitious rites to be mixed with their Avorship, as not understanding the power and glory of that which is spiritual; such as no interest in church-order could be committed unto, seeing they were not qualified to bear any share in it; such as stood in need of a rule over them with grandeur and power, like unto that among the Gentiles. Wherefore, the accommodation of all church concerns unto the state and condition of such corrupt members as churches were filled with, and at length made up of, proved the ruin of the church in all its order and beauty.