Galatians 4:26

Here Paul shewes what is figured by Sara, namely, the new Ierusalem, which is the Catholike Church, Heb. 12. 22, 23. Reuel. 21. 2. And it is here so tearmed, because Ierusalem was a type thereof in sixe respects. First, God chose Ierusalem aboue all other places to dwell in, Psal. 132. 13. And the Catholike Church is the companie of predestinate, chosen to be a particular people to God. Secondly, Ierusalem is a citie compact in it selfe, by reason of the bond of loue and order among the citizens, Psal. 122. 3. In like sort, the members of the Catholike Church are linked togither by the bond of one spirit. Thirdly, in Ierusalem was the sanctuarie, a place of Gods presence, and of his worship, where also the promise of the seed of the woman was preserued till the comming of the Messias: and now the Catholike Church is in the roome of the sanctuarie: in it must we seeke the presence of God and the word of life: therefore it is called the pillar and ground of truth, 1. Tim. 3. 15. Fourthly, in Ierusalem was the throne of Dauid, Psal. 122. 5. and in the Catholike Church is the throne or scepter of Christ, figured by the kingdome of Dauid, Reu. 3. 7. Fiftly, the commendation of a cittie (as Ierusalem) is the subiection & obedience of the citizens: now in the Catholike Church all beleeuers are citizens, Eph. 2. 19. and they yeild voluntarie obedience and subiection to Christ their king, Psal. 110. 2. Isai, 2. 5. Lastly, as in Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register: so the names of all the members of the Catholike Church, are inrolled in the booke of life, Reu. 20. 15. Hebr. 12. 23.

Againe the Catholike Church dwelling here belowe, is said to be aboue in heauen for two causes. First, in respect of her beginning, which is from the Election and grace of God, and from Christ the Mediatour, of whose flesh and bone we are that beleeue, Eph. 5. 30. The iustice whereby we are iustified is in Christ: our holinesse and life, flowes from the holinesse and life of Christ, as from a roote. Secondly, the Church is said to be aboue, because it dwels by faith in heauen with Christ: for the propertie of faith is to make vs present after a sort, when we are absent, Heb. 11. 2.

The vse. This beeing so, we are admonished to liue in this world as Pilgrimes and strangers, 1. Pet. 2. 11. and therefore we must not set our loue vpon any earthly thing, but our mindes must be vpon the countrie to which we are trauelling. And whatsoeuer is an hinderance to vs in our iourney, we must cast it from vs, that we may goe lightly: and if we haue any wrongs done vs either in goods or good name, we must the rather be content: because we are out of our countrie in a strange place: and hereupon we must take occasion to make haste to our iourneys end, that is, to our own citie, and last abode. Thus did the Patriarches, Heb. 11. 13, 15.

Secondly, we must carrie our selues as Burgesses of heauen, Phil. 3. 20. And this we shall do by minding, seeking, affecting of heauenly things, by speaking the language of Canaan, which is, to inuocate and praise the name of God. Lastly, by leading a spirituall life, that may beseeme the citizens of heauen. Many faile in this point, when they come to the Lords table, they professe themselues to be citizens of the citie of God, but in their common dealings in the world, they play the starke rebels against God, and his word, and liue according to the lusts of their blinde and vnrepentant hearts.

Thirdly, when Paul saith, that Ierusalem which is aboue is free &c. he shewes that the Catholike Church is one in number, & no more. Cant. 6. 8. My doue is aboue, and the onely daughter of her mother. Ioh. 10. 16. One sheepefold. There be many members, but one bodie, 1. Cor. 12. 12.

Fourthly, hence we gather, that the Catholike Church is invisible. For the companie of them that dwell in heauen by their faith, cannot be discerned by the eie. Iohn saw the heauenly Ierusalem descending from heauen, yet not with the bodily eye, but in spirit, Reuel. 21. 10. The things which make the Catholike Church to be the Church, namely, election, vocation, iustification, glorification, are inuisible. The papist therfore erreth, when he teacheth, that the Catholike Church is a visible companie vnder one Pastour, namely the Pope. And the places which they bring to prooue the visibilitie of the vniuersall Church, concerne either particular churches, or the churches which were in the daies of the Apostles, or againe, they speake of the inward glorie, and beautie of the Church.

Free] that is, redeemed from the bondage of death and sin: and so from the curse of the lawe. Of this freedome I will speak more afterward.

The mother of vs all] shee is called a mother, because the word of God is committed to the keeping of the Church, which word is seed, 1. Pet. 1. 23. and milke, 1. Cor. 3. 2. and strong meat, Heb. 5. 14. And the church as a mother, which by the ministery of the said word, brings forth children to God, & after they are borne & brought forth, shee feeds them with milke out of her owne breasts, which are the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament.

Here a great question is to be propounded, namely, where we shall find this our Mother? For it is the dutie of all children to haue recourse vnto their mother, and to liue vnder her wing. The aduocates of the Popish Church, Priests and Iesuits, say, we must be reconciled to the Church and See of Rome, if we would be of the Catholike church. To this purpose they vse many motiues, I will here propound seauen of them: because heretofore they haue bin scattered abroad among vs.

The first motiue. The Church of Rome hath meanes of sure and certen interpretation, tradition, councels, fathers: we haue nothing but the priuate interpretation of Luther, Melancthon, Caluin, &c. Answ. Scripture is both the glosse and the text; And the principall meanes of the interpretation of scripture, is scripture it selfe. And it is a means, when places of scripture are expounded by the Analogie of faith, by the words, scope, and circumstances of the place. And the interpretation which is sutable to all these, is sure, certen, and publike: for it is the interpretation of God. Contrariwise, the interpretation, which is not agreeable to these, though it be from Church, Fathers, and Councells, is vncerten, and it is priuate interpretation. Now this kind of interpretation we allow: and therefore it is false, that we haue onely priuate interpretations: and that all the interpretations of the Church of Rome are publike. Secondly, I answer, that we are able to iustifie our Interpretations of Scripture for the maine points of religion, by the consent of Fathers, and Councells, as well as they of the church of Rome.

The second motiue. We haue no diuine and infallible authoritie to rest on in matter of religion: but they of the church of Rome haue. Ans. In the Canonicall scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles, there is diuine and infallible authoritie: for they are now in the new Testament, in stead of the liuely voice of God. And this authoritie we in our Church acknowledge. Secondly, I answer, that the church hath no diuine and infallible authoritie distinct from the authoritie of scriptures (as the Papists teach) but onely a Ministerie, which is to speake in the name of God, according to the written word.

The third motiue. We haue no limitations of opinion, and affection, but they of the church of Rome haue. I answer first: we suffer our selues to be limited for opinion, by the Analogie of faith, and by the written word, and so doth not the Papist, which addes tradition to the scripture. And for affection we suffer our selues to be limited by the doctrine of repentance, and new obedience. Secondly, I answer, that the church of Rome vseth false meanes of Limitation. For it teacheth, that for opinion, we must captiuate our senses to the determination of the church, by beleeuing as the church beleeueth, though it be not knowne, what the church beleeueth. And it limits affection, by auricular confession, and by canonicall satisfactions, meere inuentions of men.

The fourth motiue. The Romane religion drawes the multitude. Ans. It drawes them indeede, because it is a naturall religion: but it doth not turne them from darknes to light, from death to life. Secōdly, I answer, that Antichrist in his comming shall draw the multitude. 2. Thess. 2. 9.

The fift motiue. There were neuer but two alterations of religion. One, in the daies of Elias; the other, in the daies of Iohn the Baptist. Ans. I will shew a third. Paul saith, that before the ende, there shall be a departure, 2. Thess. 2. and this departure is generall in all nations, Reuel. 13. 16. and after a thousand yeares there shall be the first resurrection, Reuel. 20. 5. and this resurrection is the reuiuing and the restoring of the Gospel, after long ignorance and superstition.

The sixt motiue. The church of Rome hath a Iudge to ende controuersies: we haue none. Ans. Christ is our Iudge: and the scripture is the voice of this iudge, determining all things pertaining to saluation, fully, and plainly, to the contentation of any conscience.

The seauenth motiue. The Romane religion is sutable to ancient Tradition. Ans. It is contrarie. For it abolisheth the second commandement touching Images, and the tenth, touching lust. And it ouerturneth sundrie Articles of faith. For it abolisheth one of the natures of Christ by the reall presence, and his three offices, by ioyning partners, and associates with him.

To these seauen, I adde three other. The eight motiue then is this. Our Ministers (they say) tooke vnto themselues new callings: and consequently that we are but schismatikes. Ans. The offices of the first restorers of the Gospel were ordinarie: and their vocation to the said offices was ordinary: for they were all either Priests, or Schoole doctors. It may be saide, that they departed from their callings. I answer, they departed onely from the common abuse of their callings, which they restored to their right vse.

The ninth motiue. The church of Rome hath true baptisme, and therefore it is a true church. Ans. Baptisme in the Papacie, pertaines not to it, but to another hidden church in the middest of the Papacie: as the light in the lanthorne, pertaines not to it, but to the passenger. Secondly, though the church of Rome hold the outward baptisme, yet doth it ouerturne the inward, which stands in the iustification of a sinner by imputation of the obedience of Christ. Thirdly, baptisme seuered from the preaching of the Gospel, is no marke of a church. Circumcision was vsed in Samaria, and yet they were no people of God. Hos. 1. 9.

The tenth motiue. The church of Rome hath antiquitie and succession from the Apostles. Ans. They are no markes of the church, vnlesse they be ioyned with propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine. The kingdome of darknes, hath also antiquitie, succession, vniuersalitie, and vnitie.

Now then we are to hold the church of Rome as a stepmother, nay as a professed harlot: shee is no mother of ours. For the Lord saith, Come out of her my people, Reuel. 18. Let vs therefore come to the true answer.

The catholike Church, our Mother, is to be sought for, and to be found in the true visible churches, the certen markes whereof are three. The preaching of the word of God, out of the writings of the Prophets and Apostles, with obedience. Ioh. 10. 28. Eph. 2. 20. True inuocation of God the father, in the onely name of Christ by the assistance of the spirit. Act. 9. 14. 1. Cor. 1. 2. the right vse of the sacraments, baptisme, and the Lords supper. Math 28. 18. And by these shall we finde the true Church of God in England, Ireland, Scotland, Germanie, France, &c.

Againe, in that the Church is called our Mother, the Papist gathereth that her commandements must be obaied, Prov. 1. 8. and therefore in their Catechismes, beside the commandements of God, they propound the commandements of the Church. But I answer, that the precepts of the father and the mother must be one: and then the mother must be obaied.

The Church is called the mother of vs all, that is, of all true beleeuers. Hence it follows, that wicked men are not members of the catholike Church (as Popish doctors erroniously teach) for then the church shall be a mother not onely to the children of God, but also to the children of the deuill.

Lastly, in that the church is our Mother, we are taught that we must despise our first birth, and seeke to be borne againe vnto God, and sucke the brest of our mother, feeding on the milke of the word. Psal. 45. 11. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Thus to be borne a member of the new Ierusalem, is a great priuiledge. Psal. 87. 5. Reuel. 3. 12.