Chap.z: the Epi~!e to the. qatatzans. of1Vtlfull ignorance,and ofmalice.Thefe per– (onsarenQttobe bornewith, nor to be re– fpeCled·: andinrefpec!tofthem, Paul would not circumcJfe Ttttll,., · La!lly, mthat711Hrwasnot compelled to becircumcifed, itmay be.demanded,whether Recufanrs may be compelled ro the exercifes ofreligion r I anfwcr;yea:for exercifes of reli– •ion are oot things indltferent,as CircumctG– ~nwas.lo/i.u madeacouenamwith the Lord, andhec•rsfed d hirfubie/Jr tofiandroit,t.Chr. 34·3z. The kingatthe ruarriagefeafl: ofhis fonnc fairb of rheguefl:s, Compel/themro inttr in, Luk. I4·'3· ltisobicded,thatmenmay nor becompelled to beleeue.I anfwer:itis the commandemencofGod, prosnethefPiritt, 1. Ioh.4.1. Andthlscommandement pertaine• to all perfons. Therefore though men may not becompelled to beleeue:yetmay they be compellodtocome ro the congregation, to heare our fermons, acid therein the reafons and grounds of our dodrine, that rhey may rrie what i.rhe rrurh, andcleauevnto tt. For thts is their duty. 4· ForAIIthefal{e 6rerhren,th.t·crept in: who camein priui~r to f}i~out our librrtie which .we haueirJ Chri~ lifus 1 that tht) might bri11gvJsnto bondage. . 5· To whom'"'' gaue notplaceb; (ubieCiion for an houre, rh., the trHtb ofth• Gof}ei/ might continuewithJOU. Paul had faid before, that 'lltMs was not compel(!:d to be circumcifed: now headdes, For an the fal(e brethren, that is, though the falfe brethren did whatthey could to the con· trarie. HerethenPau/fetsdowne, whowcre rhc caufe that TitNs was not circuaocifed, namely, cerrainc perfons at Icrufalem, and them hefers forth by two properties,thryare fatfe brethren, and rh:r crept into the Church. Touching the firll, byitwelearne,rhatthe Church of God •·pon eartb,euenwhen it is at the bell,hath wicked men, and hypocrites in A NowPaflours, thatteach Chrillaright, are [aidroenrerinb; this doore: they which teach anyother way of faluarion, arefaidroc/imein ••otberway:and th~y which teach Chri(l,ioy– niugfomcotherthingwith him in ,the caufe Q([aluarion,are fald ro.Creepe in,becaufein ap– pearance,they mainraine Cbrifl:; and yet, be– caufe they addefomethingtoC~rifl:,they nei– ther enter, nor cominut: in the rrue Church, wi.th any good warrant from God. In this, . they are like rhe ferpcnt. Liuing creatures were all placed·in Ed~n : and Man.w;s placed in thegardenofEden called Paradife, andfo were notbealh. H01v then comesthe ferpent i~/why,in all likclthood it crept in.And fo do falfe brethren into the Church. Hence I gaB ther thar fa(fe brethren, are not tr.ue,and liue– lymembers of the vil!ble Church: though they be memberi m•appearancei For if they 1vere in theirright place, they thould not be faid tocreepe in. The true members of the Church creepenor into the myOitall bodie, bur arebuilt and fct vpon rhe foundation by God.It may be allcadged,that they arebapri– fed,& thereby mademembcrs oftheChurch. I aofwer: that faith makes vs members of Chrifl:,and confequcnrly ofthe true Church: and baprifme doth b'ut fealeour infition into Chrift, and ferues asameanes of admillion into the outward focietie of the congregati– on:and the outward wafhing cloth not make anymanamemberofChrill. Againe, itfolC lowesheoce, that falfe brethren are notmem– bers ofthe Catholike Church.For thevifible Church is partofthe Catholike:and therfore rheywhich are notreall members of the true viGble Church ,•arenot membersof rhe Catholikc. ' it.InAd•msfamily,there is (ain: in the Arke, there is·Cham:inChrillsfamily, or fchoole, there is !ud.u. In the Church of Ierufalem, planted and gouerned by the chiefe Apo- D llles,there be falfe brethren. The true fiteepe be often without,and wolues within. There– fore we may not fo much as dreame of a per· fedion ofthe Church ofGod vpon earth; fo longao wicked men be mixed ~>ith true be– lecuers, Againe, in that falfe brethren creepe into the congregation, henceitappeares, that no man can fet downe theprecife time, when er– rours had their beginning, For the authors thereofenterin fecretly,notobferued ofmen. Th~~nHiout man (ow11 Pis tllr(s 'n'hen men 6e a~ fleep•, Math. lJ. Irfufficeth therefore,ifwe can thew them to be errours by the word, though we cannot deGgne the [et time when they began. The timewhen aJltippe Gnkerh, Againe,thefe aduerfaries ofPau/,are called falfe brethr<n, becaufe they ioyned Circumci– lion with Chrifl,as a necelTarie caufeofiulltfi– cation,and faluation. Hence it followes, that theChurchofRome, is Af•l(eChurch: be– caufe it ioynes wotkes wtth Chrill, in thecafe ofouriu(hfication, and that as meritorious cau(es. I Their fecond propcrrieis, that thqcrept in. toth( Chm·ch, which I.conceiueon this man– ner.The Church ofGod i' as afheepe-fold,ot houfe, lob. 10. 1. Chrifl is •the onelydocre. we often obferue: but the time when it 6r!l drew warer,we doenot.Let the Papills thinke vponthis. Paul hauing thus declared who we~ the caufesthat Tit11s was notcircurncifcdigocs on, and fhcwes,how they were c•ufes. The effe~, andfumme of his declaration, isthis: They vrged the obferuation of the Ceremoniall law,a• nccelfarie: and hereupon we refufed to circumci[e Tirur. Firfl: therefore, Paul[ets downe how they vrged circumcifion,and that by three degrces,Fttfl:,rhqcomeinpriHiiJ. Se– condly, theyJPie out thtirli6my. Thirdly,tht] labour to bnttgthem into hondage. Againe, Paul fetsdowne the manner of their refufall, in thrcethings,WegatunotplttctforanboHre. We - gaue not place br (uhieE/ion. vVe gaue no place,
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