A survey of the Survey of that summe of church-discipline penned by Mr. Thomas Hooker ... wherein the way of the churches of N. England is now re-examined ... / by Samuel Rutherfurd ...

CHAP. V.

Of the call of God to make a Church, 2. there may be a true visible Church, and members thereof, before there be any seals in that Church. Whether the preach∣ing of the word be an essentiall mark of the Church.

MAster Hooker pag 18.

M. Rutherfurd: such as internally hate to be reformed may be ordinary hearers and so members.

M. H. if ordinary hearing made a member, then excommuni∣cate persons should be members for they are ordinary hearers. Ans. If M. R. make every ordinary hearing to make a member of the Church ordinary and intire, he saith something. 2. This

twitcheth the question whether the preaching of the Gospel be an essentiall note and marke of the visible Church. Before I speak how far persons excommunicate are members or not members of the visible Church, hence 1. Any sort of pro∣fession, whether by an avowing of that Gospel to one ano∣ther, or suffering for it, even when the sheepheards are smitten and the flock scattered is a practicall and very speaking mark, that such a company is a true Church. 2. A pastorall publish∣ing of the word is a speciall mark and an great-half of a note of a Ministeriall, Politick, Church. Though the administrati∣on of the seals to those capable of them added thereunto make a more complete marke of a more complete Ministeriall Church. 3. The active call of God by the preached word may be transient and occasionall to mocking Athenians, Act. 17. and yet intended to save some, and to be a seed to some Church, v. 34. certain be leed, this is the seed of some Church, like some cornes of wheat scatteredly fallen in a field that may have an harvest, 4. This active call may be refused, and the refusers never be the Church, Luk. 14 16, 17. not visible members, they visibly refusing the call and coun∣sell of God and neglecting obstinately to be baptized, Luk. 7•• 30. 5. But we mean, beside this active call some passive pro∣fessing and receiving of, and yiel•…•…g to the offered Gospel. So as they came to the marriage-supper, whether they have, or want a wedding garment. Mat. 22. and receive the seed, whether they be thorny, rockie, or a way-side ground, or they be good soile, and may yield some externall obedience; in this consideration, Pagans and Turks are not passively the called of God, nor members of the visible Church, though they be hearers; but that they be ordinary fixed hearers, and yet in no sort externall professors, but remain without, and be Pagans, is not conceiveable, except they professedly heare for curiosity, or to mock, or to undermine the Gospel and Church, and so they are not to be admitted to be hearers or Church members, except by violence they thrust them∣selves in among hearers. 1. Abraham called with his house to leave idolatry obeyeth the calling, buildeth an altar to the Lord, Gen. 12. 1, 2, &c. 18. Professeth and teacheth as a Pro∣phet,

the doctrine of the covenant, and God appearing re∣vealeth the Gospel to him, Genes. 12. v. 2, 3 Genis. 15. 4, 5, 6, 7. and he believeth, and so he, and his house is a visible Church, when, not while many yeers after, and untill he was ninetie years and nine, the seal of circumcision was ordained, and gi∣ven to him and his house. Genes. 17. 1, 2, 3. and the Church is a true visible Church in the wildernesse, in which was the Angel, of the covenant who spake to Moses in mount Sina. Act. 7. 38. (which is a note and marke of a true visible Church. Revel. 1. 20. Rev. 2. 1.) which yet wanted circumcision and the passeover, for∣ty years in the wildernesse. Iosh. 5. 5, 6, 7. this proves that there is a true visible Church, where Christ is, and yet wanteth the ordinary seals, Baptisme and the Lords supper. 2. When the Apostles first planted Churches, we have no ground, that they preached to Ephesus, to Galathia, to Philippi, to Corinth, where God had much people (as the Lord before had told Paul) Act. 16. 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13. Act. 18. 7, 8, 9, 10. and that they framed them not into Churches, untill, to the satisfaction of the judge∣ment of charity of the Apostles, they were converts, and so to them all chosen to eternall life, and untill they did, first, be∣ing a number of visible converts, choose Paul and other plan∣ters of the Churches, for their Pastors, whereas they preached to them for their conversion, as no pastors at all; before that choosing, but as gifted men, for that hath not the least sha∣dow of truth in the word: so also they did first heare the Go∣spel as Disciples and visible Professors, before they could be baptized or received to the other seale, as is evident, by the Eunuches professed reading and asking the meaning of that which he read. Isai. 53. Act. 8. 29, 30, 31. and his professed seek∣ing to be baptized, and the Iaylors professed hearing, and asking what he should do to be saved. A••••. 16. 30, 31, 32. and by the hearing and pofessing of all his house, before they were bapti∣zed, and the Corinthians, hearing and believing. Act. 18. 8. And Lydia, and her houses hearing. Act. 16 14, 15. and the Gentiles reverent professed hearing the word. Act. 10. 33, 44, 45, 46. and the three thousand, Act. 52. hearing and saying, (which was a fair visible profession) men and brethren, what shall we do? before any of them were baptized. Act. 2. v. 37, 41, 42, 43.

which proveth, that both active preaching of the Gospel, and a professed receiving thereof go before men be inchurched. And yet if these may be, to wit, hearing and professed receiv∣ing, here is an essentiall mark by which persons, before they receive the seals, are made members visible and disciples, and societies visible, and Churches essentially differenced, 1. From all the false Churches visible on earth, who have not the sound of the word preached, and professedly heard, and visibly recei∣ved, and 2. from all civil societies, 3. from all Pagan, and Hea∣then societies on earth. Ergo they were a distinct Christian soci∣ety, differenced essentially, and if they should all dye before they had been baptized, or had received the seals, they had been true visible Church-members; and if killed for the truth, they had dyed visible professing Martyrs, and the called Church of Christ.

3. The visible Church is a thing, whose being is in succession and dayly growing, and is a society dayly more stated (as it were) in a Church-way, according as the active calling on the Lords part, and his peoples yielding thereunto in a dayly pro∣fession go on, as Isai 65. 2. the Lord all the day long calleth, and (to speak so) inchurcheth dayly people by the preached word. Math. 23. 37. How often would I have gathered you? Jer. 7. 25. he sendeth his Prophets, early in the morning, and late at night to call. Hence if that which is the essentiall mark of the Church visible, to wit, the preaching of the Gospel, be the onely instrument, and the draw-net of pulling out and calling of men into fellowship with Christ, by the word preached: And if the seal do onely confirm converts, as discipline keepeth the visible kingdome clean from visible scandals, then are these who professedly in that society partake and receive that essen∣tiall mark, and yield externally thereunto, members of the visi∣ble Church, and a society made up of such a true visible Church, though they receive not yet all the ordinances, and are as the ou∣ter court, which is a part of the temple. But the active calling of God by the preached word, and the peoples professed yielding thereunto, and their ordinary professed hearing, is such a mark, both by the word of God, and all our Protestant Divines, Cal∣vin, Beza. B••l. P. Martyr, Bucanus, Tilenus, Piscator, Muscu∣lus,

Gualter, Iunius, Pareus, Zanchius, Professors of Leideu, Wil∣let, Iewel, Reynald, Trelcatius, Sadeel, Polanus, &c. Fathers, Councels old and late, and our brethren cannot build their new Churches, but by loosing the foundation-stones layed by these worthy builders, and the Scripture maketh feeding of the flockes & setting up the sheepheards tents. Cant. 1. 7, 8. Ier. 3. 15. Feeding of the flock, and the feed flock. Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 6. 1. The golden candlestick in the preached word, and these in the house to whom it giveth light, the onely mark of a true visible Church, so is it prophecyed it shall be under the new Testament. Isai. 2. 3. Many people and nations shall go, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lords house: how shall the visible mountain be known? and he will teach us his wayes, and we will walk in his pathes, for out of Sion (the visible Church) shall go forth the Law, and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem, so Isai. 62. 6. The visible city is known. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Ierusalem, which shall never hold their peace, (but preach and pray) day nor night, Psal. 147. 19. He sheweth his word unto Iacob, his statutes and his judgements to Israel. And that pro∣veth them to be a Church differenced from other societies, v. 20. He hath not dealt so with any nation. I grant statutes and judgements include seals, sacrifices as all the priviledges. Rom. 6. 4, 5. to whom pertained the adoption and the glory, and the cove∣nants and the giving of the Law. Yet by the word soundly preached is faith begotten, Rom. 10. 14, 15 And the flock fed, and the disciples made. Matthew 28. 19, 20 It is taught, that sacra∣ments do but confirm faith, now a Ministeriall begetting of children is (to speak so) more essentiall to the visible Church, then to confirm them. 2. that doctrine is not to be holden, which teacheth us no way of certain knowing by faith what is the true visible Church to which we may adjoyne our selves, and what not, but teacheth us a conjecturall way onely of finding the true visible Church, as Socinians, and Arminians, who tell us the notes of the true Church are not necessary to be known. 2. There is no certain way of knowing the true visible Church, now our way that maketh the profession of the sound doctrine of the Gospel a note of the true Church, holdeth out a way of knowing by certainty, by faith which is the true

Church; as we know which is the true doctrine. But Sociniant say two or three fundamentals are all, and they give us a Church so wide as taketh in all Churches, Papists, Socinians, Li∣bertines, &c. and Anabaptists, and those that are for tolerati∣on of all religions, yea, and for all errors not fundamentals (since they know not well, what be fundamentals, what not) shall give but conjectures, for the knowledge of the sound Church. And M H. referres all to the judgement of charity, which is a meere doubting uncertain way of finding the true Church.

As to the argument, if preaching of the word were a true mark of the Church, then were excommunicate persons members of the Church, for they heare the word. I answer, 1. such as are excom∣municate for apostacy from the truth▪ 2. such as are stricken with the great excommunication, Anothema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16. 22. are not to be ordinary hearers of the word, and so the ar∣gument holdeth not of them, for they are simply rotten mem∣bers.

But for such as are excommunicated, because of some par∣ticular scandal, as incest, or a particular heresie, and yet pro∣fesse the truth, as to all other points, they are members cut off, and yet not cut off, in so far as they retain a profession, yea and to the knowledge of the Church, are visible converts, though in one particular scandal, they lye without and give, not such evidences of repentance, as the Church can pardon them, as may be proven from the 2 Cor. 2. 6, 7, 8, 9. they are ordinary hearers of the word, as such as must be reclaimed by the preached word, as sick children, under the medicinall cure of excommunication, and the preached word that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord, 1 Cor. 5. but they are not ordi∣nary hearers as visible professors, nor are they members com∣plete of the Church in the inner court; admitted to the seals, 2. 2 Th••ss 3. 14, 15. They are cut off members, yet not coun∣ted as enemies, but to be admonish••d as breth••en. Ergo though they be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as heathens and Publicans, Matth. 18. Yet are they not simply to be counted Pagans, nor occasionall hearers, as Pa∣gans, but brethren: and though Mr. Robinson, and some say the place 2 Thess. 3. is not meant of excommunicated per∣sons,

beside that it is against the text, against the current of sound interpreters, yet it proveth our point, that even such as walk disorderly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, verse 11. and obey not the doctrine of the Gospel, and with whom we should not keep company, v. 14. and so ought to be excommunicate, by M. Hookers do∣ctrine, yet remain brethren, and are to be counted so by mem∣bers of the Church, and are to heare the word of admonition, and so are visible professors, and so not utterly cast out of the visible Church, and M. H doth no more refute our Prote∣stants, then the Scripture who calleth such as are fed, and the hearers of the Lords testimonies, the Israel of God, and the sheep of his pasture, his flock, inheritance, his vineyard his garath of red vine, his spouse, and what is this but the Church visible, Psal. 147. 19, 20. Hosh. 8 11. What? because the excommunicated who thus hear ordinarily are not members of the Church, be∣cause they are not whole & intire members, it is no more conse∣quently spoken, then if he would say a wounded souldier, be∣cause he is wounded, and under cure, is not a member of the army and sworn to the colours, because he cannot march and fight as other souldiers. M. H. c. 2. part. 1. pag. 18. 19. and pag. 33. 34. Suppose a minister should preach many yeares to a company of Infidells in one place, and a Lecturer to many people of diverse con∣gregations in the same auditory, shall it follow that I••fidels are members of the visible Church and that these make a visible Church? though there be here setled preaching, yet it is not an essentiall and differencing property of the visible Church, but a commune adjunct or separable accident, as the sensitive faculty is not a proper mark of a man, though it be in man, for so might one and the same man be a member of four such visible Churches, if they meet ordinarly, at several houres, to their severall lectures.

Answ. We mean by settled preaching preaching as oppo∣sed to transient and occasionall preaching, as when Paul in passing on a journey preacheth to mocking Athenians we grant that will not conclude that the sc•…•… who occasionally so heare, are members of the visible Church, not think our divines preaching so to be an essentiall mark of the visible Church, but by settled preaching, which we make such a mark, we mean 1. the active calling of God, by Gods warrant and command

to preach to such, for Ministers may not at randome set up a light among Infidels upon their own private choice and spirit, but if God so dispose that they have a faculty of speaking in their own tongue to Pagans, 2. if providence open a door for a call, that there be any passive call or accepting of him for these di∣verse yeares upon the part of these Infidels, and 3. if the Lord gift the man and stir up his spirit to preach diverse yeares to these Infidels in one place. I shall say there the Lord hath said to that man, go and bid these Infidels and fooles come to the wedding, as Mat. 12. 9. and come to wisdomes table, as Prov. 9. 4. and there is a visible Church there: if these heathen heare and mock, and lyingl•…•…are, and still professe and practise the worshipping of their dumb Idols, we shall say preachers have no warrant one year, let alone many years so to preach, and the man preach∣eth to them without warrant from God, and where there is no professed yielding in some measure, the supposition is without the state of our question. 2. the contret of a lecturer that preacheth the word to diverse professors from sundry Churches, if 1. he have no warrant to administer the seals, or to exercise discipline over them; he seemeth to me some Ca∣tholick Doctor I read not of in scripture, not unlike the Popish and Prelaticall Deacon, who may preach and baptize (as a midwife to them in case of necessity may baptize) but not to administer the other seal. 2. if he be a lawfully called Pastor, I shall say, the meeting is a true visible Church of visible mem∣bers met from sundry Churches, and is not a fixed, but a tran∣sient Church, and it is no more absur••d to say these are members of four visible Churches, to wit, transient members, then to say they are members of the whole Catholick visible Church, and baptized. Whether Iewes or Gentiles, all, by one spirit, unto one body, 1 Cor. 12. 13. being all one body, having one spirit, one faith, one Lord, one baptisme. Ephes. 4. 4, 5. though they belong to di∣verse particular Churches: and this argument beggeth what is in question, that all sound professors are not members of the Catholick visible Church.

3 This way settled preaching is no commune adjunct or sepa∣rable accident of a visible Church, but an essentiall note thereof.

Notes

• How ehe preaching of the Gospel is a note of the vi∣sible Church, and how not.
• There may be a Church and Church-mem∣bers before there be any Seals.
• An hearing and Church∣profession may be in persons and societies before they be baptized.
• The visible Church is a society dayly more and more in∣churched.
• Our brethren and the Soci••i∣•••••• give us a very uncertain way of know∣ing the Church. Remonst in apo∣log. c. 22 doctri∣nae praedicatio est anterius quid Ecclesiâ quid absurdius? Erge id quod aliquan∣do prius est ec∣clesiâ, eâdem posterius erit: no∣ta enim notate suo posterior est. Idci•…•…ò qui•• p aedicati•• est aliquande in∣strume•…•…um ec∣clesiae collig•…•…, non po•…•…sse cert•• atque in∣fell thi••••s nota e•…•… oll•…•…. vide fol 241. 2••2.
• Socinianus Vos∣helius de vera religione lib. 6. c. 16. primò igi∣tur ad salutem consequendam simpliciter ne∣cessarium esse non videtur, ubi Christ•• Ecclesia sit perquirere. Minimè conse∣quens est ut quia Christus ecclesiam adire & audire jubet, ••deirco ubi exi∣stat ea, inquiren∣dum nobis omni∣no sitz loquitur iis qui jam ec∣clesiam agnove∣runt. Ait ibidem ad salutem aeter∣nam nihil aliud requiri quam si∣dem, pe•• sidem in Deo per Chri∣stum collatam, cu∣jus spiritus at{que} animaest obedi∣entia. How excom∣municated per∣sons are mem∣bers of the Church, how not.
• The place 2 Thess. 3. 14. mistaken by M. R. and our brethren.
• How preaching many years to infidels is a note of the Church, how not.
• What sort of preaching of the word is a note of the vi∣sible Church.
• What is to be thought of a lecturer that preacheth con∣stantly to ma∣ny of diverse congregations. See for these lecturers in pre∣laticall times M. Can his il∣grounded chal∣lenge of lectu∣rers Necess. of Separat. pag. 49. 50. and learned M. Buls answer to M. Can c. 5. Sect. 1. pag. 84, 85, 86.