3. Profession of the faith is thought to be true, either Subjectively. 2. Objectively. Or 3. Both Subjectively and Objectively. Profession subjectively is true when the professor doeth indeed profess and avow the truth, and doth not only seem to avow & profess the truth, and this is no note of a true Church, because it may be in hypocrites, who really go to Church, really hear the word and partake of the Sacraments, but not sincerely. Profession true objectively is when the professor doth profess that faith which is indeed sound and orthodox. And this is a mark of the true teaching or ministerial Church, and may be in a visible company of professors who for the time are not sincere believers. But a profession of the faith both objectively true and subjectively is, when the object is orthodox and sound truth, and ⟨p. 97⟩the professor sincerely and graciously, and with an honest heart believeth and professeth the truth, and this way profession of the truth is a true and essential note of a visible Church as it is a true Church and body of Christ, and so are our Divines to be expounded in this doctrine about the notes of the visible Church. But withal, the visible Church is to be considered in abstracto, under the notion of visibility, and as visible, and as performing all the external acts of professing, governing, hearing, preaching, praising, administrating the seals of the covenant, binding and loosing in the external and visible court of Christ, and under this reduplication as obvious to mens eyes, and therefore in this notion all external professors who are not manifestly and openly scandalous are to be reputed members of the true visible Church, and therefore this term, would be considered, a true visible Church. For the adjective (true) may either be referred to the subject (Church) and so signifieth the true mystical body of Christ visibly, and with all sincerely professing the sound faith. Or it may be referred to the other adjective (visible) and so it is no other but a company of professors visible to our senses, and so truly visible, whose members may be unsound and false professors: Then the question is, whither visible Saints 1. forsaking all known sins. 2. Doing all the known will of God. 3. Growing in grace, 1(as saith Smith, and the discov. of N. Light.)
3. Profession of the faith is thought to be true, either Subjectively. 2. Objectively. Or 3. Both Subjectively and Objectively. Profession subjectively is true when the professor doeth indeed professe and avow the truth, and doth not only seem to avow & professe the truth, and this is no note of a true Church, because it may be in hypocrites, who really goe to Church, really heare the word and partake of the Sacraments, but not sincerely. Profession true objectively is when the professor doth professe that faith which is indeed sound and orthodox. And this is a marke of the true teaching or ministeriall Church, and may be in a visible company of professors who for the time are not sincere beleevers. But a profession of the faith both objectively true and subjectively is, when the object is orthodox and sound truth, and ⟨p. 97⟩the professor sincerely and gratiously, and with an honest heart beleeveth and professeth the truth, and this way profession of the truth is a true and essentiall note of a visible Church as it is a true Church and body of Christ, and so are our Divines to be expounded in this doctrine about the notes of the visible Church. But withall, the visible Church is to be considered in abstracto, under the notion of visibility, and as visible, and as performing all the externall acts of professing, governing, hearing, preaching, praising, administrating the seales of the covenant, binding and loosing in the externall and visible court of Christ, and under this reduplication as obvious to mens eyes, and therefore in this notion all externall professors who are not manifestly and openly scandalous are to be reputed members of the true visible Church, and therefore this tearme, would be considered, a true visible Church. For the adjective (true) may either be referred to the subject (Church) and so signifieth the true misticall body of Christ visibly, and with all sincerely professing the sound faith. Or it may be referred to the other adjective (visible) and so it is no other but a company of professors visible to our senses, and so truely visible, whose members may be unsound and false professours: Then the question is, whither visible Saints 1. forsaking all knowne sinnes. 2. Doing all the knowne will of God. 3. Growing in grace, 1(as saith Smith, and the discov. of N. Light.)
- 1M. Smith. paral. cens. obser, pag. •2 Discov. of N. Light prin▪ an. 1641.
