Section VII: The Corruption of Discipline and Fellowship
which they will allow unto their church discipline; and these things hang well together, for nothing but outward force by law and penalties is fit to attain this end. So was there an image composed and erected of the holy discipline of Christ, and its blessed ends, consisting of these two parts, outward force and feigned subjection.
For hardly can an instance be given in the world of any man who ever bowed down to this image, or submitted unto any ecclesiastical censure, out of a conscientious respect unto it. Force and fear rule all.
This is that discipline in whose execution the blood of an innumerable company of holy martyrs hath been shed,—that wherein all the vital spirits of the Papacy do act themselves, and whereby it doth subsist; and although it be the image of jealousy, or the image of the first beast, set up by the dragon, yet it cannot be denied, but that it is very wisely accommodated unto the present state of the generality of them that are called Christians amongst them. For being both blind and carnal, and having thereby lost all sense and experience of the spiritual power of the rule of Christ in their consciences, they are become a herd not fit to be governed or ruled any other way. Under the bondage of it, therefore, they must abide, till the vail of blindness be taken away, and they are turned unto God by his word and Spirit; for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there," and there alone, "is liberty."
Section VII: The Corruption of Discipline and Fellowship Sect. VII. Unto the foregoing particular instances, with respect unto the church, I shall yet add one more general; which is indeed comprehensive of them all, or the root from whence they spring,—a root bearing gall and wormwood: and this is concerning the catholic church.
What belongs unto this catholic church, what is comprised in its communion, the apostle declares, Heb. 12:22–24. It is the recapitulation of all things in heaven and earth in Christ Jesus, Eph.
1:10;—his body, his spouse or bride, the Lamb's wife, the glorious temple wherein God doth dwell by his Spirit;—a holy mystical society, purchased and purified by the blood of Christ, and united unto him by his Spirit, or the inhabitation of the same Spirit in him and those whereof it doth consist. Hence they with him, as the body with its head, are mystically called Christ, 1 Cor. 12:12. And there are two parts of it, the one whereof is already perfected in heaven, as unto their spirits; and the other yet continued in the way of faith and obedience in this world. Both these constitute "one family in heaven and earth," Eph. 3:15;—in conjunction with the holy angels, one mystical body, one catholic church. And although there is a great difference, in their present state and condition, between these two branches of the same family, yet are they both equally purchased by Christ, and united unto him as their head, having both of them effectually the same principle of the life of God in them. Of a third part of this church, neither in heaven nor in earth, in a temporary state, participant somewhat of heaven, and somewhat of hell, called purgatory, the Scripture knoweth nothing at all; neither is it consistent with the analogy of faith, or the promises of God unto them that do believe, as we shall see immediately. This church, even as unto that part of it which is in this world, as it is adorned with all the graces of the Holy Spirit, is the most beautiful and glorious effect,
—next unto the forming and production of its Head, in the incarnation of the Son of God—which divine wisdom, power, and grace will extend themselves unto here below. But these things—the glory of this state—is visible only unto the eye of faith; yea, it is perfectly seen and known only to Christ himself. We see it obscurely in the light of faith and revelation, and are sensible of it according
unto our participating of the graces and privileges wherein it doth consist.
But that spiritual light which is necessary to the discerning of this glory was lost among those of whom we treat. They could see no reality nor beauty in these things, nor any thing that should be of advantage unto them. For upon their principle, of the utter uncertainty of men's spiritual estate and condition in this world, it is evident that they could have no satisfactory persuasion of any concernment in it. But they had possessed themselves of the notion of a catholic church; which, with mysterious artifices, they have turned unto their own incredible secular advantage. This is that whereof they boast, appropriating it unto themselves, and making it a pretence of destroying others, what lies in them, both temporally and eternally. Unto this end they have formed the most deformed and detestable image of it that ever the world beheld; for the catholic church which they own, and which they boast that they are, instead of that of Christ, is a company or society of men, unto whom, in order unto the constitution of that whole society, there is no one real
Christian grace required, nor spiritual union unto Christ, the head, but only an outside profession of these things, as they expressly contend;—a society united unto the Pope of Rome, as its head, by a subjection unto him and his rule, according to the laws and canons whereby he will guide them. This is the formal reason and cause constituting that catholic church which they are, which is compacted in itself by horrid bonds and ligaments, for the ends of ambition, worldly domination, and avarice;—a catholic church openly wicked in the generality of its rulers, and them that are ruled; and in its state cruel, oppressive, and dyed with the blood of saints, and martyrs innumerable. This, I say, is that image of the holy catholic church, the spouse of Christ, which they have set up. And it hath been as the image of Moloch, that hath devoured and consumed the children of
the church; whose cries, when their cruel stepmother pitied them not, and when their pretended ghostly fathers cast them into the flames, came up unto the ears of the Lord of hosts; and their blood still cries for vengeance on this idolatrous generation. Yet is this pretence of the catholic church pressed, in the minds of many, with so many sophistical artifices, through the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, proposed with the allurements of so many secular advantages, and imposed ofttimes on Christians with so much force and cruelty, that nothing can secure us from the admission of it, unto the utter overthrow of religion, but the means before insisted on. A spiritual light is necessary hereunto, to discern the internal spiritual beauty and glory of the true catholic church of Christ. Where this is in its power, all the paintings and dresses of their deformed image will fall off from it, and its abominable filth will be made to appear. And this will be accompanied with an effectual experience of the glory and excellency of that grace in the souls of those that believe, derived from Christ, the sole head of this church, whereby they are changed "from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord." The power, life, and sweetness hereof, will give satisfaction unto their souls, to the contempt of the pretended order, or dependence on the pope as a head. By these means the true catholic church,—which is the body of Christ, the fulness of him that filleth all in all,—growing up unto him in all things who is the head, despiseth this image, and Dagon will fall to the ground when this Ark is brought in; yea, though it be in his own temple.
III. In the farther opening of this Chamber of Imagery, we shall yet, if it be possible, see greater abominations; at least, that which doth next ensue is scarce inferior unto any of them that went before.