We therefore believe, 1that the militant church is the company of men, chosen in Christ before the worlds creation: 2which being called by the preaching of the gospel, & by the holy ghost, in their time, from the world to Christ, and from the kingdom of the devil to the kingdom of God, and gathered together into one body, under one head Christ, and so made truly just and holy wheresoever they be, 3and whether few or many: do profess from their heart & soul the same faith in god, and in Christ, the same hope of the heavenly inheritance for the only merits of Christ, the obedience of the same commandments of Christ, and so the same brotherly love among ⟨p. 182⟩themselves, and charity to wards all men: do preach and hear the word of the gospel: 4do administer and receive the sacraments according to Christs institution: and have a great care, to live soberly, rightly and godly in this world: meanwhile while they remain in this flesh ever warfaring for Christ, and fighting against sin that dwelleth in the flesh, 5and against the world, either alluring them to sin or persecuting them for Christ, or lastly against the devil: 6and by patience looking for the coming of Christ, and eternal felicity: Among whom also many reprobates, & naughty hypocrites do live, 7and profess the same Christ: But as they themselves are nothing less then of the church, so their wickedness cannot take away the church, nor extinguish the name of the church. Neither do we doubt, 8but under the name of the church, the hypocrites also, which are in it, are contained: sith the Lord himself sayeth, it is like unto a floor wherein there is corn and chafe: to a field, wherein is wheat, and tares: to a nett, 9wherein are good fishes and bad, to the company of ten virgins, wherein some were wise, and some foolish: 10but yet that these are not of the church: the same Lord taught us, when he said, he would build such a church, against which the gates of hell should never prevail: 11and John confirmed it in his epistle, when he said, they went out from us, but they were not of us. This we believe to be a true description of the militant ⟨p. 183⟩church: for it hath manifest testimonies from the holy scriptures.
Wee therefore beleeue, 1that the militant church is the cōpanie of men, chosen in Christ before the worlds creation: 2which being called by the preaching of the gospell, & by the holie ghost, in their time, from the worlde to Christ, and from the kingdome of the deuill to the kingdome of God, and gathered together into one bodie, vnder one head Christ, and so made truely iust and holie wheresoeuer they bee, 3and whether few or manie: doe professe from their heart & soule the same faith in god, and in Christ, the same hope of the heauēly inheritance for the onely meritts of Christ, the obedience of the same commaundements of Christ, and so the same brotherly loue among ⟨p. 182⟩themselues, and charitie to wards all men: doe preach and heare the word of the gospell: 4doe administer and receiue the sacraments according to Christs institution: and haue a great care, to liue soberly, rightly and godlie in this world: meanewhile while they remaine in this flesh euer warrfairing for Christ, and fighting against sinne that dwelleth in the flesh, 5and against the world, either alluring them to sinne or persecuting thē for Christ, or lastly against the deuill: 6and by patience looking for the comming of Christ, and eternall felicitie: Among whome also many reprobates, & naughtie hypocrites doe liue, 7and professe the same Christ: But as they thēselues are nothing lesse then of the church, so their wickednes cannot take awaye the church, nor extinguish the name of the church. Neither do we doubt, 8but vnder the name of the church, the hypocrites also, which are in it, are contained: sith the Lord himselfe saieth, it is like vnto a flowre wherein there is corne and chafe: to a field, wherein is wheat, and tares: to a nett, 9wherein are good fishes and badd, to the companie of ten virgines, wherein some were wise, and some foolish:
- 1Eph. 1.4
- 2Mar. 28.19 Mar. 16.15 Rom. 10.14 Eph. 1.22 Mat. 18.20
- 3Joh. 10, 27 & 13.4Ioh. 10, 27 & 13.4
- 4Rom. 7
- 5Eph. 6.12
- 6Mat. 13
- 71. Joh. 2.191. Ioh. 2.19
- 8Mat. 13
- 9Mat. 25.1
- 10Mat. 16.18
- 111. Joh. 2.191. Ioh. 2.19
