A Church is of none but those which are called of God, (to Define it) It is a company of Beleevers, and regene­rate persons, which God gathereth together in Christ, by the Word in the holy Ghost, and the Ministers governing the same, with purenesse of Doctrine, with lawfull use of the Sacraments, and with Discipline; and it is called the body of Christ; these members have him for their Head, from whom by their joynts and synewes, they take their growing, and attaine unto life by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; for these members are so thorowly joyned, as they are called Flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, Ephes. 5.30.

It is true, in assemblies there be those that mingle among the Saints of God, nay, very many which be strangers from Christ, and these in shew onely, not indeed, doe belong unto the Church. Wherefore of them the Apostle Iohn saith, They went out from us, but were not of us. The Apostle Paul in the first Chapter of the Corinthians, the first Epistle, after he had saluted the Church of God, added by ex­position unto them which are sanctified by Iesus Christ, called to be Saints. That wee may understand in very deed that the wicked appertaine not to the Church, although they be alwayes conversant therein. And this wee may confesse to be a true Church, which are called the Communion of Saints. There be some of our times, nay, questionlesse ma­ny of Gods Children conclude, that the true Church is not to be knowne as they are mixed together; but we may deny it to be a firme conclusion. There be proper marks assigned, by which the same may be very well knowne, without the separate Assem­blies, for whereby the purenesse of doctrine flou­risheth, the Sacraments are purely ministred, and Discipline exercised, that is a Congregation where­by we may safely joyne our selves, although the honestie of every particular man, is not sufficiently knowne unto thee.

Neither is it of necessitie required, that the godly should be discerned of men, what manner of persons they be while they live here. Christ while he lived here, was not knowne among mor­tall men: and we, as the Apostle doth declare un­to the Colossians, Chapter 3. vers. 3.4. Wee have [Page 3]our life hidden with God, and when Christ which is our life shall appeare, then wee also shall be made ma­nifest with him in glorie.

We reade in the first Booke of Samuel. 16.7. It is God that looketh into the heart; therefore it is but an unadvised thought, that because the wicked doe frequent in place with the godly, that they should be the members of Christ. We may as well say, a dead man, is a man. I doe confesse indeed, by Christ, and by the Holy Ghost, he may be resto­red unto life, but in the meane time, while that is not done, wee will not grant him to be the mem­ber of Christ, unlesse we should judge by the forme and outward shew. Some may perhaps say, how Paul might truely call the Church of the Corinthi­ans, and Church of God; the which was so infected with so many vices. But it may be understood, that all they which were there, were not utterly corrup­ted, many good men remained.

Further, they were instructed with pure doctrine, and they retained the Sacraments holy and pure­ly; and the godly laboured much about the con­verting of them; for we know that Paul was ad­monished by them of Cloas, That he should prevent the evills that were then breaking forth, 1 Corinth. 1.11. Besides, Paul had a respect to the testimony of God, who had said unto him, that in the same Ci­tie he had much people. Moreover, by this you may understand, that the Church of God, doth not so fall away for every blemish, as that it should no more be called the Church of God.

And because now adayes, the Prelates of our [Page 4]times, have opposed the rules of Christ, which he hath laid downe by his Word, how his members should be governed. But this precious Word, the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ, these Prelates, I meane, these Primate Metropolitans, and the rest of that function, those that have made nothing of the blood of Christ, in persecuting his members, and trampling the Lord of life under foote. The Lord furnish his Saints, with an infinite power in their Spirits, that by the Spirit of the Lord, they may cry mightily, that he hearing them, this worke of Reformation, may be to the Saints happinesse, and Gods great glory. And the people of God by that light which may and hath beene discovered by the glorious Gospell, doe see how they have labou­red to seduce the Church, in fashioning Christ accor­ding to their Idolatrous Will-worship. But blessed be the Lord Christ; I say, blessed be Michael and his Angels, which have overcome the Dragon and his An­gels. And doth appeare to us as a glorious Christ, shewing himselfe, how willing he is to reforme us, if we by sinne doe not cause him to turne away his face, and carry away all the hopes wee have of our Reformation. I beseech the Lord, it may not be said of us, as it was of those people of the Iewes, Je­remiah 5.31. The Prophets prophesie falsely, and the Priests beare rule by their meanes, and my people love to have it so; love to have no reformation; But what will become of us in the end thereof?

O that the Lord would take away that great hin­drance of our Reformation in this Land, which is sinne, and daily discover unto us the truth of the [Page 5] Gospell, which is the greatest meanes of our salva­tion, that the Lord Christs bodily members may be­hold his glory more and more; which is not yet without spot or wrinkle, but in that day when the great Bishop of our soules, the Lord Christ, our Me­diator shall appeare, we beholding his glorious per­son, standing ready to reward every man according to his workes; and at that day his Church shall be a glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle, Ephes. 5.27. Then shall we behold Christ overcoming all his enemies.

But dissentions in this outward estate of the Chur­ches being here on earth were never rooted out yet, and many Christians wee have now adayes wan­dring from the Church of England, as if there were never dissention in the Church of God. Consider, the people of Israel, which was the Church of God, oftentimes would have killed Moses, Exod. 7.4. Numb. 14.10. 16. 1. divers other places I could expresse.

And in the New Testament of Christ, upon that Church of the Corinthians, 1.5. The which is very much commended by Paul, saying that they were instructers of Wisdome, and in the Word. Were they quiet among themselves? No; there were schismes among them; Some held of Paul, some of Apollo, some of Peter. But you may say, they disagreed not touching matters of waight: many were of that point, that they thought simple fornication was no sinne: so that it behoved Paul, to instruct them con­cerning the same, 1 Cor. 6.12.

Wherein then appeares the Churches glory? It [Page 6]is more inwardly glorious; her glory is more In­ternall, than Externall. As there is a twofold state of the Church, the outward I have discovered to you already, standing in visible Assemblies, in the pub­like Ministery of the Word and Sacraments, in ex­ternall Discipline, & Government. So now I pitch upon the Inward, the Invisible estate of the Church; this estate stands in the true knowledge of God in Christ; in comforts touching remission of sinnes, and life everlasting, in the gifts of grace, and of the Spirit, and of Gods protection. And in this respect, shee is right glorious, yea, a most glorious Church; for what glory is it to have a painted outside, and a most deformed inside. Take a Tombe gilded out­wardly, but within full of dead mens bones, Math. 23.27. It is the inward vertue which God requires; My sonne give me thy heart, Prov. 23.26. He desires truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden parts thou shalt make me to know wisdome, Psal. 51.1.6. It is this Inward glory which the Lord requireth, and doth respect; The inward ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit in the sight of God, is of great price, 1 Pet. 3.4. This inward beautie of the Church, what tongue of man can sufficiently expresse it, it is but a glimpse hereof. All that I can say, or expresse to you, we may note in these seven degrees.

First, The Churches inward glory, it hath the pos­sesson of Gods word, and the acknowledgment of the true God, Deut. 4.7.8. What Nation is so great, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is unto us; What Nation is so great and glorious, that hath statutes so righteous, as all these Lawes, Psal. 147.19, 20. He hath shewed his Word unto Jacob, his statutes, [Page 7]and his judgements unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any Nation.

Secondly, The confidence in prayer, and his assured love, in hearing her prayers, Rom. 5.15. Wee have received the spirit of Adoption, whereby wee cry Abba, Father; Whatsoever we aske, wee receive of him, Joh. 3.22.

Thirdly, Perpetuall Preservation in the midst of all affliction: Mat. 16.18. The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it. Isa. 43.2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and when thou walkest through the fire, the fire shall not hurt thee.

Fourthly, To it belongeth the Covenant of pro­mise; Rom. 9.4. It hath a more sure word of promise, 2 Pet. 1.19.

Fifthly, It is adorned with the gracious gifts of the Spirit; as, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentle­nesse, goodnesse, faith, meeknesse, temperance, Gal. 5.22. The world is not worthy of them, Heb. 11.38.

Sixthly, It is secure and voyde of feare, We will not feare though the earth be moved, and though the moun­taines be carried into the midst of the Sea, Psal. 46.2. They have the peace of conscience, which passeth all understanding, Phil. 4.7.

Seventhly, It hath inheritance of life everlasting, and the promise of endlesse glory; They are heires according to the hope of eternall glory, of a better life, 2 Cor. 4.17.

This is the Churches Inward glory; Let us strive to make as great shew as we will of perfection in this world, if wee are not members of this glorious Church, we are lost, and must abide in a gall of bit­ternesse [Page 8]for ever; but those that are of this glorious Church, shall obtaine this purenesse. Now because of the Inward glory, notwithstanding the outward blemish and defects, it is esteemed glorious; as the Prophet saith, Psal. 45.13. Shee is all glorious with­in: and so in Canticles fourth Chapter, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Behold, thou art fayre, my Love, and so forward, you may reade sweet expressions of uniting Love, that passeth betweene the Lord Christ, and his E­spoused Bride, the Church; As in the seventh verse, he concludes, Thou art fayre, my Love, and there is no spot in thee. No spot, how can that be, seeing the Church it selfe acknowledgeth its own blacknesse, Cant. 1.8. and her own drowsinesse, Cant. 5.2.

But shee is all glorious;

First, in regard of Christs imputation, he gave himselfe for her, that he might sanctifie her and clense her with the washing of water by the Word, that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such de­fect, but that it should be holy, and without blemish, Ephes. 5.26.27.

Secondly, In respect of Gods acceptation, Seeing thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honoured, and I have loved thee, Isa. 43.4.

Thirdly, In regard of the future glorification of it, it shall be full of glory, Revel. 21.23.

Now we see this point of the Churches glory discovered; and we see the Church what it is, and so by consequence, a particular Church is a glorious Church, if it hath Inward soundnesse, although it be not wholly freed from outward blemishes. There­fore [Page 9]this doth condemne some spirits of the times, that doe raile too much, not looking upon GODS great Worke, which doe not labour with their prayers, to cry to the Lord, to finish his own Work. Would they would discerne between the substance and the circumstance, between doctrine and man­ners, between the outward hue, and the inward beautie, but it cannot be, because of many evills, therefore no true Church. If that blacknesse of the tyranny of these Prelates, as we hope they shall not marre the Churches foundation, nay, if they doe it, it shall be a glorious Church in Gods estimation. You see as before the Church of Corinth was a true Church, notwithstanding her manifold disorders. The Church of Ephesus was a true Church not­withstanding her declining, Rev. 2.4. The Church of Pergamus was a true Church, notwithstanding shee was sealed even In Sathans circuit, and pestred with the devillish sect of Balaamites and Nicholai­tans, Revel. 2.13, 14, 15. So was Thyatira, not­withstanding her Jezabelising, Revel. 2.20. So was Sardis, notwithstanding her lukewarmenesse, pover­tie, and nakednesse, Revel. 3.16, 17. Hath not the brightest day his Cloud, the finest Laune his brack, the purest gold his drosse. Is there or was there e­ver any Church in the world, that might not be tainted with some imperfection. Deny as well they may, there is no Sunne in the Firmament, because it is sometimes over-clouded, (and no soule within that body, which outwardly is deformed.) And let this be our comfort, although wee are farre from perfection in this life. Sanctification in any thing [Page 10]else, all sinning, Iames 3.7. Having the flesh lusting a­gainst the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, Gal. 5.17. Though here we cannot wholly be freed from spot and blot, yet so long as we delight in the Lawes of God, concerning the Inward man, Rom. 7.22. and strive forward towards the marke of the price of the high calling of God in Christ, Phil. 3.14. Wee have a gracious Father, who will spare us as a man spa­reth his own sonne that serveth him, Mala. 3.17. We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just, who is the reconciliation for our sinnes, 1 Joh. 2.12. In him we are presented to God without spot or wrinkle, Ephes. 5.27. and for his sake in Gods sight we are all glorious. Which I beseech the LORD, that all the Saints of God, whether Paul, or A­pollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life or death, or things present, or things to come, all may be ours, and we Christs, as Christ is Gods.