A chronological discourse touching, 1 The Church. 2 Christ. 3 Anti-Christ. 4 Gog & Magog. &c. The substaunce whereof, was collected about some 10. or 11. yeares since (as may be gathered by an epistle prefixed before a tractate, called, The visible Christian) but now digested into better order; and first published, by the author himselfe, H. Cl.

CHAP. v. (Book 5)

Touching the Churches Visibilitie in the earth. (Book 5)

OVR Sauiour saying, that vpon that Rocke which

Peter then preached (and that was* 1.1 Christ him∣selfe) hee would builde his Church; against which, Hel-gates should not preuaile, cannot be vnderstood, that hee speakes of this or that particular Church, but of the Catholique body, whereto himselfe is the * 1.2 Head.

For the Church of Rome, it was chased away from that seat, many yeares togeather, by the Gothes and Van∣dales; witnesse the Stories which cannot be gainesayd. And no maruaile, for from that place, not onely procee∣ded the power, whereby Christ was crucified; but also, whereby the great persecutions flowed, for the extirpa∣tion of Christianitie. Vpon which foresight, no doubt S. Iohn hath left that Citie vnder the deepest curse, in his Booke of Reuelation.

For the 7. Churches of Asia-minor, which S. Iohn saw to be as Starres in Christes right hand (a priuiledge ne∣uer giuen to Rome) they quickly vanished. Which (a∣mong other reasons) doubtles was, for keeping vs, from tying faith to any particular place or person. And if God spared not his owne peculiar people the Iewes, but rooted them out for their sinnes sake, what reason is there, that he should spare any wilde branches, inserted in the place of that naturall Oliue?

That promise therefore in Math. 16. must (euen by eui∣dence of Consequent) be vnderstood of the Catholique Church, which howsoeuer it might be beat downe in some part, yet should continue in some other. Euen as the Moone, whereto she is compared, might to some part of the Earth be eclipsed, when to some other part, she shyned brightly. This I note against the Romanist, which would not only tye the Church to some one place; but also conclude that the Church hath beene to this part of the world alwayes visibly glorious.

Besides, I conclude the Euer-visibilitie of the Church, (though in such defectiue manner) for conuincing of some, who haue not knowne how to answere the Roma∣nist, otherwise then by denying all visibilitie, through some misunderstanding of some Scriptures, in 2. Thess. 2. as also in the Reuelation. Whereas indeed, a great depar∣ture was to be made from the Fayth; but yet meane time, it should not cease to be Gods Temple, though the Ad∣uersarie vsurped a chiefe place in it:* 1.3 for (as S. Iohn fore∣saw) some Trees should keepe greene in the Lordes court, hauing the sauing Seale of Gods Grace printed vpon them. And were it not so, how should sauing Grace be conueyed vnto vs, without new Apostles, fur∣nished extraordinarily from heauen? And how should we come by Gods Booke (contayning his written will) if the Lord reserued not a Remnant,* 1.4 the Church being onely the Piller and Ground of that trueth?

The veritie of all which, was typed out in the Aunci∣ent Church before Christ came in the flesh. Before the Flood, for 1656. yeares, the Church remayned in some few Families. After the Flood, in a few Families, till the guift of the Law at Mount Horeb or Sinaj. Then the Church began to be more visible, and of more glorious constitution; first, in the Wildernesse; then after, in Ca∣naan, till the time of Salomons sonne Rehoboam: Then ten Trybes schisme from the two; leauing the two in some orderly state; but betaking themselues to grieuous Ido∣latrie: Yet during the times of such Idolatrie, God did not leaue them, but stirred vp many excellent Prophets among them; as Elias, Elisha, Ionah, Amos, and others, to∣geather with excellent Schooles of Prophets, as at Be∣thel and Iericho; till such time, as Assur caried them a∣way captiue. In meane time, the case stood farre better with the Church in Iudah, till the Lord for their sinnes

sake, suffred Nebuchadnezar of Babel, to carry them cap∣tiue to Babel. There they continued 70. yeares, without exercise of Sacrifice. At the 70. yeares end, they are per∣mitted by the next Monarchist to repaire home for building the sacramentall Citie and Temple.* 1.5 But some seauen seauens of yeares (euen 49 yeares, as Gabriel fore∣told Daniel) it was, ere that worke could be finished. From that time, they continued vnder the gouernment, first of the Medes & Persians (represented by Nebuchad∣netsars siluery Breast and Armes.) Then vnder the Bra∣sen Monarchy of the Greekes. Afterwardes vnder the Duarchie of Egipt and Syria; the first, South from Iudeà; the second, North; as Daniel plainely foretold them. And so they reach to Christ, that Stone cut from the Mountaine, who dashed that Image of Nebuchaanetsars to powder. When Christ came, we finde the Church (as for some 600. yeares it had been) quite out of order, and very few of them, that could brooke the Lord of life, or his sauing Gospell. Principall Starres for this Storie, S. Luke layeth downe, when as he giues vs the most glori∣ous persons in succession of pedigree, from the first Ad••m to the second; that is, vnto Christ Iesus, who is bl••ssed for euer.

From which holy typicall Storie, I conclude; first, an Euer visibilitie of the Church. Secondly, but such a visi∣bilitie, as inow was more, inow lesse: inow glorious, inow the glory eclipsed: inow in constitution, inow shaken asunder. Nor can it be thought strange, that the Daughter (I meane the Christian Church, brought foorth of mother Zion, should be subiect to such muta∣bilitie and change, when as she hath not been inferiour to her Mother for sinne; and therefore as capable of iudgement. To flesh and blood, it is indeed somewhat harsh, that Christes Diademe in the earth should be at

any time deiected (as may appeare by Ethan in Psal.* 1.6 89.) but such deiection is the Churches lot, before the second comming of Christ, as it was before his first comming. And that it should so fall out, himselfe foretels in Math. 24. the mysterie whereof begun to worke, in the Apo∣postles times, as the Apostle tels the Thessalonians. This poynt I conclude with that of Bullinger:* 1.7 Omnibus tem∣poribus retinet sibi Dominus ecclesiam, etiam in medio corruptis∣simi mundi et in medio haeresum, schismatum at{que} corruptionum. Tempora illa, (speaking of mother Zion) ••ypum praetulere, vltimis nostris temporibus, in quibus ho die viuimus.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Cor. 10. 4. Math. 7. 24.
• * 1.2

  Coloss. 1. 18.
• * 1.3

  Reuel. 7.
• * 1.4

  1. Tim. 4.
• * 1.5

  Three Mo∣narchies (as Chaldea, Per∣sia, & Grecia) and a Duar∣chj, a parted gouernment.
• * 1.6

  The Monke Folengi••s vp∣on that Psal. vers. 40. Chri∣stianorum tempora, for∣san{que} presen∣tia, aptarì pos∣sunt.
• * 1.7

  Bulling. in Epi••ome temp. part. 2. in Annotat.