A Complete collection of farewell sermons preached by Mr. Calamy, Dr. Manton, Mr. Caryl…A Compleat collection of farewel sermons preached by Mr. Calamy, Dr. Manton, Mr. Caryl…

There's a three-fold rule men would set up to deceive poor souls: The Name of a Church: Ancient Customs: The Generality of those where they live.

1. The specious Name of a Church, to make that a Rule to Doctrine and to Worship. It was the plea of the Popish Party in the Marian days; What! will you not believe the Church? hath not the Church power to make Institutions and Canons about this, and that, and the other? will you not believe the Church? will will you go out from the true Church? Thus do men that go about to deceive; nothing like it, as to the catching and deluding many poor souls, by making the Church their Rule. It was the way of the Popish Party of old, and if Antichrist ever hath power again over the Church of Christ, in that measure and degree it has had, you must expect it again; therefore let me caution you against it. Can we enquire who this Church was? It was only the decree of the proud Church, Antichrist of old, and the Antichristian Clergy, who, (as you may read in their Stories) would lord it over the faith of Gods heritage. I must tell you, the Name, and Custom, and way of the Churches of Christ, is a reverend holy thing, even of that that is a true Church: 'Tis a weighty Argument, when the Apostle saith, We have no such Custom, nor the Churches of Christ: And therefore I do fully close with him that said, No sober man will go against reason: No Christian against the Scripture: and no peaceable minded man against the Church: But then the Church must shine by a Scripture-Light: If that be a Rule, it must be ruled by the Scripture; the ⟨image 140⟩Churches power is not Authoritative, as to give Laws against the Laws of Christ; it's only ministerial, we do believe the Scripture for it self, and not because of the Church: we receive the Scripture by the Church: Hence therefore when we set up the name of a Church, let us see whether that Church walk in the way of Christ, whether she be his Spouse or no, whether she doth act according to his Institutions, whether they bring his light, yea or no; then submit: for it is not what a Church practises, but what they are warranted to practise: not what they hold for a truth, but what they are warranted to hold as the Word of Truth: The Word was written after the Church, but as it is the Word of God, it's before it. This therefore will break the snare, if you be set upon by the specious name of the Church; look that the Church hath warrant from Scripture-Institution, and then submit to Church-Institution.