Ch.38 of the ifee of Beleevers. 2g3 s` high - minded againfi the Jewes, but fear ; left God who (pared " not the natural branches,fhould not fpare them,but cut them off " alfo as hedid the natural branches , if they fhould grow proud, " and .prefumptuoufly.fecure. Now there is no quel;tion. but that / " a vifible Church which at this time profeflêth the truth, and " is a Member of the Catholique Church may fall away from the " outward and publick profeflïon of Faith, and ceafe to be a part " of the Catholique vifible Church , as the molt famous and "fometimes H.ourifhing Churches of Greece, and flfa, planted by " the Apoftles themfelves ; now over-runne with aho.meta- "nifine, Idolatry, and Herefie, prove by their lamentable A- " poftafie., deplorate, if notdefperate eftate. But `Bertius, and " the Appealer fhould have had their eyes upon the mark and "point in Queftion,which.is not of .the .doc`trine_ofFaith, but of " the habit of Faith ;not de fide qt am creeltm ,abut -de fide quâ credi- " mus , not of the publick prafefïìon of a Church, but of a parti- " cular affiance of every true Beleever in Chrift. A Member of " the vifible Church may be cut off, but no Member of the invi- ".fible, for Chrift cannot have daarenata ryaem6ra, any Members " who fhal.l not be laved, as the approver of the,Appealers book, 4` rightly gathereth out of Saint Aflínc in his reply to Fifher>. A Church or Kingdom generally may depart from the:Chriftian " Faith, or renounce the pure profefhon thereof in publick , and " yet no true Beleever either totally or finally lofe his Faith ; -" either fecretly in that State or Kingdome , or elfe -where pen- " ly he may retaineboth Faith it fell and the profeffion thereof. " So `peter Martyr Loc. Corn. pag, 49r. fj5eaking to.thofe words, Be not high -minded,. but fear. Neither, ( faith he) is there : here fpeech concerning particular men , but of the whole company " and body of Beleevers; defervedly therefore the Apoftle . doth "warne them, Be not high;winded, but fear, For as Abe Church " of the Jewes hath ceafed to be , and alfo Africa, gracia, and " Afa, have loft many Churches; fo it is to be feared, left the «fame may now happen to Churches which feem to fand , let them not therefore lift up themfelves. Bucer on the vords, "Thou ftandeft,brfaith, faith, He.fpeaks. of the generality of " Jewes and Gentiles, and upon there words ; ;Ben* high- minded, but fear, faith, He fpeaks to theGentiles in general, from ma- " ny of whom(as.isto be bewailed)the Kingdom of God is taken` O o z " away,
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