2 Let them tell me where the Church was visible, when being assembled at Jerusalem,1 there arose a great persecution against it, insomuch as they were all dispersed and scattered as the Text showeth? Or let them tell me where or how the Church was visible, when Christ was smitten, and all the rest were scattered and hid, and concealed themselves:2 the face of the visible Church was then not in Christ & his Apostles, but in the Jews among the Scribes & Pharisees: and therefore it visibility be such a mark of the true Church, then these (who crucified Christ) were the true church, and not Jesus Christ & his Apostles. ⟨image 40⟩Which who dare affirm? yea, who will not deny yea, when the shepherd was smitten, and the sheep scattered, and yet a true Church, who can deny b•• that a true Church may be, though it be not apparently visible and seen to the world? What should I say more? Doth not S. John in his Revelation testify expressly,3 That the Church of Christ (signified there by a woman) fugit in solitudinem, fled into a desert or wilderness, where she had a place prepared for her of God, and where she could not for a certain season be found of her persecutors? Let them further show me how the Church was visibly in the time of Elijah the Prophet, when he complained that himself was left alone?4 O Lord (saith he) they have forsaken thy covenant, they have destroyed thine Altar, & slain thy Prophets with the sword: and I am left alone. Elijah did not think himself to be solus Propheta relictus (as Campion answered in the Tower) I say he spake not of himself only in that respect: but in this respect, that he took him to be the only true worshipper that was left in Israel, which is manifest by the answer which God gave him: namely, that beside him he had seven thousand true worshippers yet remaining, which had not bowed their knee to Baal. I demand of the Papists, when Elijah knew no other true worshippers of God but himself, how the church was visible, for whither he should go to find a true worshipper he knew not. Again it is written in 2. King. 16. 5that under the reign of Achas there was taken a pattern of the Altar of the Idolaters of Damascus, and that Uriah the high Priest removed the Altar of the Lord, whereby it appeareth, that the Priesthood was corrupted, the Altar removed, & consequently the sacrifices ceased, &c.
2 Let them tell mée where the Church was visible, when béeing assembled at Ierusalem,1 there arose a great persecution against it, insomuch as they were all dispersed and scattered as the Text sheweth? Or let them tell mee where or how the Church was visible, when Christ was smitten, and all the rest were scattered and hid, and concealed themselues:2 the face of the visible Church was then not in Christ & his Apostles, but in the Iewes among the Scribes & Pharisées: and therefore it visibility bee such a marke of the true Church, then these (who crucified Christ) were the true church, and not Iesus Christ & his Apostles. ⟨image 40⟩Which who dare affirme? yea, who will not denie yea, when the shepheard was smitten, and the shéep scattered, and yet a true Church, who can denie b•• that a true Church may bée, though it bée not apparantly visible and séene to the world? What should I say more? Doth not S. Iohn in his Reuelation testifie expressely,3 That the Church of Christ (signified there by a woman) fugit in solitudinem, fled into a desert or wildernes, where shee had a place prepared for her of God, and where she could not for a certaine season bée found of her persecutors? Let them further shew mée how the Church was visibly in the time of Elias the Prophet, when he complained that himselfe was left alone?4 O Lord (saith he) they haue forsaken thy couenant, they haue destroyed thine Altar, & slaine thy Prophets with the sword: and I am left alone. Elias did not thinke himselfe to be solus Propheta relictus (as Campion answered in the Tower) I say hee spake not of himselfe onely in that respect: but in this respect, that hée tooke him to bee the onely true worshipper that was left in Israell, which is manifest by the answere which God gaue him: namely, that beside him he had seuen thousand true worshippers yet remaining, which had not bowed their knée to Baall. I demand of the Papists, when Elias knew no other true worshippers of God but himself, how the church was visible, for whither hee should go to finde a true worshipper he knew not. Againe it is written in 2. King. 16. 5that vnder the raigne of Achas there was taken a patterne of the Altar of the Idolaters of Damasus, and that Ʋrias the high Priest remooued the Altar of the Lorde, whereby it appeareth, that the Priesthood was corrupted, the Altar remoued, & consequently the sacrifices ceased, &c.
- 1Acts. 8.1.
- 2Mar. 12.27
- 3Reu. 12.6, 7
- 41. King. 19.11. &c.
- 52. King, 16.
