caufe their Children to fin as oft as they cause them BOOK II. to do any thing before they come to years of capacity and be ripe for knowledge in the Scripture. Admit this, and it fhall not be with Masters as it was with him in the Gofpel; but Servants being com- Luke vii. 8. manded to go, fhall stand still till they have their errand warranted unto them by Scripture. Which as it standeth with Chriftian duty in fome cafes, fo in common affairs to require it were moft unfit. Two opinions therefore there are concerning fufficiency of holy Scripture, each extremely oppofite unto the other, and both repugnant unto truth. The Schools of Rome teach Scripture to be unfufficient, as if, except Traditions were added, it did not contain all revealed and fupernatural Truth which abfolutely is neceffary for the Children of Men in this life to know that they may in the next be faved. Others juftly condemning this opinion, grow likewife unto a dangerous extremity, as if Scripture did not only contain all things in that kind neceffary, but all things fimply, and in fuch fort, that to do any thing according to any other Law, were not only unneffary, but even opposite unto Salvation, unlawful and finful. Whatfoever is fpoken of God, or things appertaining to God, otherwise than as the truth is, though it seem an honour, it is an injury. And as incredible praises given unto Men, do often abate and impair the credit of their deferved commendation; fo we must likewife take great heed, left in attributing unto Scripture more than it can have, the incredibility of that, do cause even those things which indeed it hath most abundantly, to be less reverently efteemed. I therefore leave it to themselves to confider, Whether they have in this first point overfhot themselves or not; which, God doth know, is quickly done, even when our meaning is most fincere, as I am verily perfuaded theirs in this cafe was.

End of the Second Book.

Concerning their fecond Affertion, that in Scripture there must be of neceffity contained a Form of Church Polity, the Laws whereof may in no wise be altered.

The Matter contained in this Third Book.

1. What the Church is, and in what respect Laws of BOOK III. Polity are thereunto neceffarily required.

2. Whether it be necessary that fome particular Form of Church Polity be fet down in Scripture, fith the things that belong particularly to any fuch Form are not of neceffity to Salvation.

3. That matters of Church Polity are different from matters of Faith and Salvation, and that they them

BOOK III. felves so teach, which are our Reprovers for fo teaching.

4. That hereby we take not from Scripture any thing, which thereunto with the foundness of truth may be given.

5. Their meaning who first urged against the Polity of the Church of England, that nothing ought to be eftablifhed in the Church more than is commanded by the Word of God.

6. How great injury Men by fo thinking should offer unto all the Churches of God.

7. A fhift notwithstanding to maintain it, by interpreting commanded, as though it were meant that greater things only ought to be found fet down in Scripture particularly, and leffer framed by the general Rules of Scripture.

8. Another Device to defend the fame, by expounding commanded, as if it did fignify grounded on Scripture, and were oppofed to things found out by the light of natural Reafon only.

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9. How Laws for the Polity of the Church may be made by the advice of Men, and bow thofe being not repugnant to the Word of God are approved in bis fight.

10. That neither God's being the Author of Laws, nor yet his committing of them to Scripture, is any reason fufficient to prove that they admit no addition or change.

11. Whether Chrift must needs intend Laws unchangeable altogether, or have forbidden any where to make any other Law than himself did deliver.

What the

LBEIT the fubftance of those controverfies

Church in A whereinto we have begun to wade, be rather

is,

of Polity are

respect Laws of outward things appertaining to the Church of thereunto Chrift, than of any thing wherein the nature and neceffarily being of the Church confifteth: yet because the

required.

fubject

fubject or matter which this Pofition concerneth, is, BOOK III. a Form of Church Government, or Church Polity; it therefore behoveth us fo far forth to confider the nature of the Church, as is requifite for Men's more clear and plain understanding in what refpect Laws of Polity or Government are neceffary thereunto. That Church of Chrift, which we properly term his Body myftical, can be but one; neither can that one be fenfibly difcerned by any Man, inasmuch as the parts thereof are fome in Heaven already with Chrift, and the reft that are on Earth (albeit their natural Perfons be vifible) we do not difcern under this property whereby they are truly and infallibly of that Body. Only our Minds by intellectual conceit are able to apprehend that fuch a real Body there is, a Body collective, because it containeth an huge multitude; a Body mystical, because the mystery of their conjunction is removed altogether from fenfe. Whatsoever we read in Scripture concerning the endless Love and the faving Mercy which God fheweth towards his Church, the only proper fubject thereof is this Church. Concerning this Flock it is that our Lord and Saviour hath promifed, I give unto John x. 28. them eternal Life, and they fhall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hands. They who are of this Society have fuch marks and notes of diftinction from all others, as are not objects unto our fenfe; only unto God who feeth their hearts and understandeth all their fecret cogitations, unto him they are clear and manifeft. All Men knew Natha- and i. 47. nael to be an Ifraelite. But our Saviour piercing deeper giveth further teftimony of him than Men could have done with fuch certainty as he did, Behold indeed an Ifraelite, in whom there is no guile. and xxi. 15. If we profefs as Peter did, that we love the Lord, and profefs it in the hearing of Men; Charity is prone to believe all things, and therefore charitable Men are likely to think we do so, as long as they fee no proof to the contrary. But that our Love is

found