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T. W. In defence of the continuance of his owne Church, he thus saith; The learned amongst vs confesse and prooue a∣gainst all that contradict it, that euer since Christs time with∣out interruption, there hath beene a company of men visibly
professing the same faith that we doe: Though the Church of Rome degenerating into the seate of Antichrist persecuted them, and so many times draue them out of the sight of the world, that to it they were not visible.
Answ. You pare and mangle D. Whites speechh, omitting two parts thereof, which being added, explicate his assertion, in such manner, that they depriue you of all occasion to cauill.
1. He saith, that euer since Christs comming, there haue beene a company of men, professing the same truth, which we doe, In the affirmatiue, that is, in matters of faith and godly life, necessarie to saluation.
Secondly, he addeth, the sincere professors of Or∣thodoxe truth, were not alwaies visible to the world, vn∣der the notion of true beleeuers: but though the world many times knew them, as men different from them in profession, yet being blinded with malice & vnbeliefe, they knew them not to be the Church of God.
And thus Doctor Whites assertion may be reduced to these two propositions: 1. There were alwaies found in the world a visible company of beleeuers, professing the same faith which the Protestants doe in all affirmatiue articles, ne∣cessarie to saluation. 2. There were alwaies in the world some Christians who resisted the chiefe points of Papistrie as they came in, and the same Christians were visible in such man∣ner, as Gods people vse to be in time of persecution.
Now what haue you to say against this?
T. W. Before I conuince this, I would demand where our Ministers head-peece was when he thus wrote: since these few lines doe inuolue an irreconciliable contradiction: a com∣pany of men visibly professing, yet to the world not visible, this is as much as inuisible visible, and white remaining
white, to be blacke; the moone to shine in her greatest eclipse. And if the Church were latent to the world, then it was seene onely by some out of the world.
Answ. Did you neuer heare of one that was visible to his friends and latent to his enemies? of one visible to the seeing, and inuisible to the blinde? And is it an apparent contradiction to say; our Sauiour after his resurrection, was visible to his Disciples, and other faithfull people by the space of fortie daies, Act. 1.3. and yet he was inuisi∣ble the same time to the Scribes and Pharisies? The true Church was alwaies visible to the friends and louers of truth, to such as had eies of faith and spirituall prudence, to discerne the sheepe of Christ from the members of Antichrist: but it was not at all times generally visible to Infidels and Tyrants. It was often vnknowne to the world, speaking of that part of the world; Qui ab amando mundum dicti sunt mundusi, who are called the world, be∣cause they peruersly loue the world, such as in whom the loue of the Father is not: It was visible to the world, speaking of that moity of the world; Qui carne versantur in mundo, sed corde inhabitant coelum: Which are bodily conuersant in the world, and in their hearts be the inha∣bitants of heauen.
T. W. Napper writeth, that Gods true Church was latent and inuisible 1260. yeares: and Sebastian Francke, that for 1400. yeares, the Church hath beene no where externall and visible; and Doctor Fulkek, that in the time of Boniface the third, which was an. 607. the Church was inuisible, and fled into the wildernes, &c. And sundry Protestants acknowledge the Churches not being vntill Luther, &c. From all which it is ineuitably concluded against this architect of lies, that the Protestants imaginarie Church consisting of ayrie supposals,
had no subsisting or being in the world for these last 1000. yeares, &c.
Answ. 1. You pitifully abuse Sebastian Francke, cal∣ling him a famous Protestant, who was an Anabaptist, & an vnlearned and malapert hot-spurl.
2. Speaking of some manner of Churches visibilitie, and respectiuely to the state thereof in the primitiue Church, & as it is now since the restoring of the Gospel, the Church may be said to haue bin inuisible since Pope Boniface the third.
3. Whereas you conclude, that the Protestants church had no being in the world for the last 1000. years; if you meane it had no being in respect of ye name of Protestant Church, or in regard of the personall teaching of Luther; or in regard of externall separation from the Romane so∣cietie, I will not contest: but then I retort, that your Church in regard of the late Trent faith, had no being at all in the world for 1500. yeare: But if you inferre that our Church had absolutely no being, in respect of the maine and primitiue articles of our faith, and such things as be essentiall in religion: I answer, it had the same sub∣sisting and being with the best members of your church, and at this present differs no otherwise from them, then a bodie which hath recouered health, from it selfe being sickem.
Sect. 45. pag. 335.
••ag. 335.
Aug. in Ioh. tr. 2. & tr. 76. Mundus, quo nomine si nisi∣cati sunt, à reg∣no eius alient.
Napper. com. Reu. prop. 37. Sebast. Franc. e∣pit de abrogand statut. eccles. D. Fulk answ. to a counterf. cath. This is fil••hed from Briarly, tr. 1. §. 9. p. 226. See the same pag. 129.
Ch••mnic loc. com. to. 3. p ••60 Sebastian. ••rank homo ••e••ulans & indoctus.
Reade before part 1. chap. 3. paragr. 2. obser¦uation of the Churches visib.