of the Church. lam ommumaosol.........0.1 0...... Merit and Purchafe. NowChrifs Interceflion (hall !aft till his returning to judge, the world,and therefore fill he mull have a Church, for whom to intercede. Lanly, Chrifls owne Prornife, to be with the preaching of his Gofpell; that is, togive it aflifance and fueceffe, for the gathering together andperfe6ing of the Saints unto the Endof the world, cfliatth.28.2o. Here then may bee anfwered two great Queflions Firth, whether the Church may deficere, faile upon the earth or no ? To which I anfwere, Thatthe Church may bee taken either mil/it-4, fpiritual1 y, and univerfay. And in that fenfe it can never faile, but there mull bee upon the earth a true ChurchofChrifl, not onely certi- Aldine eventui, by the certainetyof the event, which is on all fides agreed; but certitudine comfit too, by acer- taintie growing out of thole irrefifible caufes upon which the beingof the mytlicall bodyof Chrif on the earth dependeth. Or it may be contideredparticular) in thefeverall parts and places of the world where the Gofpell is planted ; and hierarchicallyandpoliticaRy,de- notinga companyofmen, profeiTing the faith ofChrill, and reduc'd into a quiet, peaceable, compofed and con- fpicuo0govemement ; andfo wee affitine that there is no Church in the world fo fafe, but that it may deficere, faile,and be extinguifhed out of its place.The Church of the jewes did, and after them any may. Elfe the Apo- files argument even to theRoman Church it felfe (which was then a famous Church throughout the world,andof that paffage in the Apofile,Barenim makes a long boat)) were very weake when a majori admipsus hee thus ar- gueth,Benot higLininded butfears,firifGad (parednot the*aura&branchee,take &allot?, he alio fpare not thee. Thus we fade the ten tribes, in their apofacie, till they became. Lo-ammi, to be no more a people; and their brethren after fall in their condition, Wrath, faith the Apofile, z4 come to the tteratoort upon them. And hee telleth 281 VERSE 2. Roma.g. Baron,,An.58 §, 47,48)49)50. Roma I. 21,22. I TheC3,16.
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