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…

The second extreme we are to take heed of, is, That because of the corruptions that are in a Church, we are not so far transported with misguided zeal, as to take no notice of the truth of a Church. Some are apt so to attend to a true Church, that they never matter the corruptions of it. Others again, they do so eye the corruptions, that they never regard the truth of it: but it is good to avoid both these extremes; Whence cometh that impatience in us to bear any evil in a Church? Whence is it that we uncharitably rend from it? Is it not because we do not consider it may be a true Church, and salvation is there to be had, yea conversion and regeneration, though there be many things to be reformed? There is no Church so pure, but that there are some imperfections in it; no Church so reformed, but in some things it needeth a reformation. Thou mayest go from Church to Church, and be like Noah's Dove, not know where to set thy feet: if thou look for absolute perfection in any Church whether thou goest. As there is no constitution of the body, which hath an exact temperament ad pondus, but some humour or other doth predominate; so there is no Church that is of such a perfect frame, but it hath its several grievances, and though it may be freed from those evils they separated from, yet they may be assaulted with others that are as destructive of a Church in a contrary way, though freed from tyranny, yet not from divisions, and daily subdivisions amongst themselves. So that in these things we are diligently to make the Scripture our Rule.

The second extream we are to take heed of, is, That because of the corruptions that are in a Church, we are not so farre transported with misguided zeal, as to take no notice of the truth of a Church. Some are apt so to attend to a true Church, that they never matter the corruptions of it. Others again, they do so eye the corruptions, that they never regard the truth of it: but it is good to avoid both these extreams; Whence cometh that impatiency in us to bear any evil in a Church? Whence is it that we uncharitably rend from it? Is it not because we do not consider it may be a true Church, and salvation is there to be had, yea conversion and regeneration, though there be many things to be reformed? There is no Church so pure, but that there are some imperfections in it; no Church so reformed, but in some things it needeth a reformation. Thou mayest go from Church to Church, and be like Noah's Dove, not know where to set thy feet: if thou look for absolute perfection in any Church whether thou goest. As there is no constitution of the body, which hath an exact temperament ad pondus, but some humour or other doth predominate; so there is no Church that is of such a perfect frame, but it hath its several grievances, and though it may be freed from those evils they separated from, yet they may be assaulted with others that are as destructive of a Church in a contrary way, though freed from tyranny, yet not from divisions, and daily subdivisions amongst themselves. So that in these things we are diligently to make the Scripture our Rule.