An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

2. The Church of God hath an External and outward Form, which consists in the external profession of faith, and observance of Christs Ordinances. Now a man may be of the Church in respect of this outward standing, though he be not truly godly. Therefore Dr Ames said well, That it was a false thing, which Bellarmine objected to us, about the constitution of a Church; as if we required internal graces, to the making of a man a member of the Church, in respect of the visible state of it. We read in the New Testament, that upon the outward profession of their faith, they were baptized, and received into the Church, though it's plain all of them had not true internal grace. So then, when the Question is put, Whether may a man that is not truly godly, be of the Church or no? You must distinguish between the inward form of the Church, which is union with Christ the Head, and so he is not, no more than a wooden leg is a member of the body, that is not animated by the soul, and the External visible state of it, and so he is of the Church, till by his obstinacy in wickedness, he be cast out as unworthy. We must not therefore give those Notes of the Church as visible, which belong to it only as invisible, viz. Election, Vocation, and Justification, &c.

Sixthly, The Papist to avoid this extreme, he giveth such Marks of a ⟨p. 61⟩Church, as savour rather of worldly ambition and pride. Yea the true Church of God many times is known by the contrary Marks; they give amplitude and universality, as also temporal felicity. Now this is rather a Description of some worldly Monarchy than Gods Church. For, as for the Churches amplitude, though absolutely in it self, it may be sometimes numerous, yet at other times it hath been brought into a narrow compass. Elijah thought none was left, and God speaks of but seven thousand that did not how the knee to Baal, which was a very inconsiderable number to the Idolaters. Therefore respectively to the wicked of the world, even when they are most ample, they are but a little flock. And as for any glorious felicity, though the Church of God hath sometimes had her respite and halcyon days, yet for the most part a crown of thorns hath been on her head; and therefore she is justly called, the Militant Church, while in this world, because of her spiritual conflict with all sorts of enemies. So that the Church of Christ may sometimes say, as Christ once did, The Foxes have their holes, and the Birds of the air their nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Thus the Foxes of the world, the crafty subtle men have great abundance many times, when the Church hath hid her self in the wilderness. And Fowls of the air, men of proud and lofty minds, have their nests; when the Church like Noah's Dove, hath not where to set her foot.