I confess for the Church of the Jews I cannot find any thing to pitch upon certainly when they did cease to be a Church but only this;1 e••er when God did send them a bill of Divorce by some extraordinary men (as ever they had some amongst them, some Prophet) or that they did wholly leave off from being under the pedagogy that God put them under: For I find this that their Idolatry was not enough to cut them off from being a Church actually. It is true their Idolatry was that which did deserve it. They broke the marriage bond by their Idolatry, but God did not always take the advantage of that, he did not always send them a bill of Divorce when they did commit Idolatry. These ten Tribes had been Idolaters a long time before God had said to them they were not his wife. Therefore barely Idolatry did not cut off, no not the Jews. Neither do I think that all Idolatry (if it be through ignorance) cutteth of a Church now in the time of the Christians. The Lutherans certainly are guilty of Idolatry by consequence, and so other Churches may be through ignorance, and yet they not cease to be Churches. Therefore in the time of the Jews, I say I do not find any particular sin that did actually cut them off so long as they did keep under the pedagogy of the Law, unless God by some extraordinary messenger sent them a bill of Divorce, they yet remained the people of God, Isa. 15. 1. Where is your bill of Divorce, saith God? It is true you have deserved it, but where is it? I have not given you a bill of Divorce, therefore they were a Church. But for the time of the Gospel this I think may very safely be asserted, that so long as there is a Communion of Saints embodied, holding forth the profession of all fundamental truths, and joining in all Ordinances, so far as they are convinced, so long there is a Church.
I confesse for the Church of the Jews I cannot finde any thing to pitch upon certainly when they did cease to be a Church but onely this;1 e••er when God did send them a bill of Divorce by some extraordinary men (as ever they had some amongst them, some Prophet) or that they did wholly leave off from being under the pedagogie that God put them under: For I finde this that their Idolatry was not enough to cut them off from being a Church actually. It is true their Idolatry was that which did deserve it. They broke the marriage bond by their Idolatry, but God did not alwaies take the advantage of that, hee did not alwaies send them a bill of Divorce when they did commit Idolatry. These ten Tribes had beene Idolaters a long time before God had said to them they were not his wife. Therefore barely Idolatry did not cut off, no not the Jews. Neither do I think that all Idolatry (if it be through ignorance) cutteth of a Church now in the time of the Christians. The Lutherans certainly are guilty of Idolatry by consequence, and so other Churches may be through ignorance, and yet they not cease to bee Churches. Therefore in the time of the Jews, I say I do not finde any particular sin that did actually cut them off so long as they did keep under the pedagogie of the Law, unlesse God by some extraordinary messenger sent them a bill of Divorce, they yet remained the people of God, Isa. 15. 1. Where is your bill of Divorce, saith God? It is true you have deserved it, but where is it? I have not given you a bill of Divorce, therefore they were a Church. But for the time of the Gospel this I think may very safely be asserted, that so long as there is a Communion of Saints imbodied, holding forth the profession of all fundamental truths, and joyning in all Ordinances, so far as they are convinced, so long there is a Church.
- 1When a Church comes to be unchurched.
