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profession of the faith of Christ, or were baptized in his name, may well be termed and believed holy. But the apostle hath also delivered another kind of holiness, which cannot belong unto the church taken in so great a latitude. For, saith he, "Christ loved the church, and himgave self for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish," Ephes. v. 25. Now though it may be conceived that Christ did love the whole church, as it did any way contain all such as ever called upon his name, and did give himself for all of them; yet we cannot imagine that the whole body of all men could ever be so holy, as to be without spot, wrinkle, blemish, or any such thing. It will be therefore necessary, within the great complex body of the universal church, to find that church to which this absolute holiness doth belong and to this purpose it will be fit to consider both the difference of the persons contained in the church, as it hath been hitherto described, while they continue in this life, and their different conditions after death; whereby we shall at last discover in what persons this holiness is inherent really, in what condition it is inherent perfectly, and consequently in what other sense it may be truly and properly affirmed that the church is holy.

:

Where first we must observe that the church, as it embraceth all the professors of the true faith of Christ, containeth in it not only such as do truly believe and are obedient to the word, but those also who are hypocrites and profane. Many profess the faith, who have no true belief; many have some kind of faith, who live with no correspondence to the gospel preached. Within therefore the notion of the church are comprehended good and bad, being both externally called, and both professing the same faith. For "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a field" in which "wheat and tares grow together unto the harvest ;" like unto "a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind;" like unto a floor in which is laid up wheat and chaff; like unto a marriage-feast, in which some have on the wedding-garment, and some not. This

is that ark of Noah, in which were preserved beasts clean and unclean. This is that great house in which "there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor." There are many called, of all whom the church consisteth, but there are few chosen of those who are called, and thereby within the church. I conclude therefore, as the ancient catholicks did against the Donatists, that within the church, in the public profession and external communion thereof, are contained persons truly good and sanctified, and hereafter saved; and together with them other persons void of all saving grace, and hereafter to be damned: and that church containing these of both kinds may well be called holy, as St. Matthew called Jerusalem the holy city, even at that time when our Saviour did but begin to preach, when we know there was in that city a general corruption in manners and worship.

Of these promiscuously contained in the church, such as are void of all saving grace while they live, and communicate with the rest of the church, and when they pass out of this life, die in their sins, and remain under the eternal wrath of God; as they were not in their persons holy while they lived, so are they no way of the church after their death, neither as members of it, nor as contained in it. Through their own demerit they fall short of the glory unto which they were called, and being by death separated from the external communion of the church, and having no true internal communion with the members and the head thereof, are totally and finally cut off from the church of Christ. On the contrary, such as are efficaciously called, justified, and sanctified, while they live are truly holy, and when they die are perfectly holy; nor are they by their death separated from the church, but remain united still by virtue of that internal union by which they were before conjoined both to the members and the head. As therefore the church is truly holy, not only by an holiness of institution, but also by a personal sanctity in reference to these saints while they live, so is it also perfectly holy, in relation to the same saints glorified in heaAnd at the end of the world, when all the wicked shall be turned into hell, and consequently all cut off Div. No. XV. 2 R

ven.

profession of the faith of Christ, or were baptized in his name, may well be termed and believed holy. But the apostle hath also delivered another kind of holiness, which cannot belong unto the church taken in so great a latitude. For, saith he, "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish," Ephes. v. 25. Now though it may be conceived that Christ did love the whole church, as it did any way contain all such as ever called upon his name, and did give himself for all of them; yet we cannot imagine that the whole body of all men could ever be so holy, as to be without spot, wrinkle, blemish, or any such thing. It will be therefore necessary, within the great complex body of the universal church, to find that church to which this absolute holiness doth belong and to this purpose it will be fit to consider both the difference of the persons contained in the church, as it hath been hitherto described, while they continue in this life, and their different conditions after death; whereby we shall at last discover in what persons this holiness is inherent really, in what condition it is inherent perfectly, and consequently in what other sense it may be truly and properly affirmed that the church is holy.

:

Where first we must observe that the church, as it embraceth all the professors of the true faith of Christ, containeth in it not only such as do truly believe and are abedient to the word, but those also who are hypocrites and profane. Many profess the faith, who have no true belief; many have some kind of faith, who live with no correspondence to the gospel preached. Within therefore the notion of the church are comprehended good and bad, being both externally called, and both professing the same faith. For "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a field" in which "wheat and tares grow together unto the harvest ;" like unto "a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind;" like unto a floor in which is laid up wheat and chaff; like unto a marriage-feast, in which some have on the wedding-garment, and some not. This

is that ark of Noah, in which were preserved beasts clean and unclean. This is that great house in which "there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor." There are many called, of all whom the church consisteth, but there are few chosen of those who are called, and thereby within the church. I conclude therefore, as the ancient catholicks did against the Donatists, that within the church, in the public profession and external communion thereof, are contained persons truly good and sanctified, and hereafter saved; and together with them other persons void of all saving grace, and hereafter to be damned: and that church containing these of both kinds may well be called holy, as St. Matthew called Jerusalem the holy city, even at that time when our Saviour did but begin to preach, when we know there was in that city a general corruption in manners and worship.

Of these promiscuously contained in the church, such as are void of all saving grace while they live, and communicate with the rest of the church, and when they pass out of this life, die in their sins, and remain under the eternal wrath of God; as they were not in their persons holy while they lived, so are they no way of the church after their death, neither as members of it, nor as contained in it. Through their own demerit they fall short of the glory unto which they were called, and being by death separated from the external communion of the church, and having no true internal communion with the members and the head thereof, are totally and finally cut off from the church of Christ. On the contrary, such as are efficaciously called, justified, and sanctified, while they live are truly holy, and when they die are perfectly holy; nor are they by their death separated from the church, but remain united still by virtue of that internal union by which they were before conjoined both to the members and the head. As therefore the church is truly holy, not only by an holiness of institution, but also by a personal sanctity in reference to these saints while they live, so is it also perfectly holy, in relation to the same saints glorified in heaven. And at the end of the world, when all the wicked shall be turned into hell, and consequently all cut off Div. No. XV.

2 R

profession of the faith of Christ, or were baptized in his name, may well be termed and believed holy. But the apostle hath also delivered another kind of holiness, which cannot belong unto the church taken in so great a latitude. For, saith he, "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish," Ephes. v. 25. Now though it may be conceived that Christ did love the whole church, as it did any way contain all such as ever called upon his name, and did give himself for all of them; yet we cannot imagine that the whole body of all men could ever be so holy, as to be without spot, wrinkle, blemish, or any such thing. It will be therefore necessary, within the great complex body of the universal church, to find that church to which this absolute holiness doth belong and to this purpose it will be fit to consider both the difference of the persons contained in the church, as it hath been hitherto described, while they continue in this life, and their different conditions after death; whereby we shall at last discover in what persons this holiness is inherent really, in what condition it is inherent perfectly, and consequently in what other sense it may be truly and properly affirmed that the church is holy.

:

Where first we must observe that the church, as it embraceth all the professors of the true faith of Christ, containeth in it not only such as do truly believe and are obedient to the word, but those also who are hypocrites and profane. Many profess the faith, who have no true belief; many have some kind of faith, who live with no correspondence to the gospel preached. Within therefore the notion of the church are comprehended good and bad, being both externally called, and both professing the same faith. For "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a field" in which "wheat and tares grow together unto the harvest ;" like unto "a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind;" like unto a floor in which is laid up wheat and chaff; like unto a marriage-feast, in which some have on the wedding-garment, and some not. This

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