I Reply, Though Protestants deny not the Church militant to be visible in
the outward Government and Preaching of the Pastors, yet they deny that it
is always so conspicuous as that it may be known to every Christian, as an As∣sembly
of the People of Rome, or Common-wealth of Venice, to which all may
resort for direction. Nor by this Argument do they prove that the Church
militant is not visible, but that the Church in the Creeds Apostolical and
Nicene, which is one Catholick and Apostolick, as such, is not visible, but in∣visible,
being the Object of Faith, not of Sight: nevertheless the Answer
takes not away the force of the Objection, if it had been alleged against the vi∣sibility
of the Church militant. For the Church is believed, not as teaching,
but as being, it is the existence of the Church, not the Doctrine of it that is
believed, as even the Trent Catechism expounds it: now that being Catholick,
that is according to the Catechism, consisting of all believers from Adam till
now in all Nations, cannot be the object of sense, but of faith; and therefore
the Catholick Church in the Creeds is the invisible of true Believers, not the
meer visible now militant.
H. T. adds, Object. The Woman (the Church) fled into the Wilderness,
Apoc. 12▪ 6. Answ. But is followed and persecuted by the Dragon, v. 17. there∣fore
visible.
I reply, this Answer is ridiculous. For whereas Protestants hence prove,
that at some times the Church is hid from men, this Authour saith, It was not
hid from the Dragon, that is, the Devil, which is not in question. So that it
appears he had nothing to answer this Inference, from the Womans flying into
the Wilderness, and being hid, that sometimes the Church is so hidden as it were
in a Wilderness, that though it be, yet it is not so visible or conspicuous as that
men can discern it so as to repair to it, howbeit the Devil knows where they
lurk.
Yet once more H. T. Object. The Church of the Predestinate is invisible.
Answ. There is no such thing as a Church of the Predestinate. Christ's Church
is the congregation of all true believers, as well Reprobate as predestinate.
There is in his Floor both Wheat and Chaff, St. Matth. c. 3. and in his Field both
Corn and Tares, which shall grow together till the Harvest (the Day of Judge∣ment)
St. Matth. c. 13. The Predestinate are as visible as the Reprobate▪ It is
true indeed, their Predestination is invisible, and so is also these mens Repro∣bation.
I reply, To salve their main Tenet of the Popes being Head of the Church
of Christ, who is often so wicked as that, if the Church of Christ be determin∣ed
to be of elect persons onely, many Popes cannot be termed Members, much
less Heads of the Church, is this audacious Assertion invented, that there is
no such thing as a Church of the Predestinate, contrary to express Scripture,
which mentions the Church of the first-born written in Heaven, Heb. 12. 23.
and the Church elected together with Peter, or those he wrote to, 1 Pet. 5. 13.
and saith such things of the Church in many places, to wit, Ephes. 5. 23, 24,
25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Ephes. 1. 22, 23, &c. as cannot agree to Reprobates,
who cannot be said to be Christ's body, his fulness, to be loved, sanctified, whom
he nourisheth, intends to present without spot, as he saith there of Christ's
Church. He that desires more proof may reade Dr. John Rainold his fourth
Conclusion, where he proves it fully, both from Scripture and Fathers, that the