bring them to moral fincerity, and an acknowledgment of the Chriftian faith.

3. I grant, that no other qualifications are neceffary in order to being members of that school of Chrift which is his visible church, than fuch as are requifite in order to their fubjecting themselves to Chrift as their Mafler and Teacher, and fubjecting themselves to the laws and orders of bis fchool: Neverthelefs I deny, that a common faith and moral fincerity are fufficient for this; because none do truly fubject themfelves to Chrift as their Mafter, but fuch as having their hearts purified by faith, are delivered. from the reigning power of fin: For we cannot fubject ourselves to obey two contrary mafters at the fame time. None do fubmit to Chrift as their Teacher, but those who truly receive him as their Prophet, to teach them by his word and Spirit; giving up themselves to his teachings, futing with Mary, as little children, at Jesus" feet to hear his word; and hearkening more to his dictates, than those of their blind and deceitful lufts, and relying on his wifdom more than their own. The Scripture knows nothing of an ecclefiaftical school con-fituted of enemies of the cross of Chrift, and appointed to bring fuch to be reconciled to him and fubmit to him as their Mafter. Neither have they who are not truly pious perfons, any true difpofition of heart to fubmit to the laws and orders of Chrift's school, the rules which his word prefcribes to all his fcholars; fuch as, to love their Mafter fupremely; to love one another as brethren ; and to love their book, i. e. their Bible, more than vain trifles and amusements, yea, above gold and filver; to be faithful to the intereft of the Mafter and of the fchool; to: depend on his teachings; to cry to him for knowledge; above. all their gettings, to get understanding, &c.

4. Whatever ways of conftituting the church may to us feem fit, proper, and reasonable, the question is, not what conftitution of Chrift's church feems convenient to human wisdom, but what conftitution is actually eftablished by CHRIST's infinite wisdom. Doubtlefs,,if men fhould fet their wits to work, and proceed according to

what feems good in their fight, they would greatly alter Chrift's conftitution of his church, to make it more convenient and beautiful, and would adorn it with a vast variety of ingenious inventions; as the church of Rome has done. The question is, whether this fchool of Chrift which they talk of, made up very much of thofe who pretend to no experiences or attainments but what confift with their being enemies of Chrift in their hearts, and who in reality love the vileft luft better than him, be that church of Chrift which in the New Teftament is denominated his city, his temple, his family, his body, &c. by which names the visible church of Chrift is there fre quently called.

I acknowledge, that means, of Chrift's appointment, are to be used with thofe who are Chrift's enemies, and do not profefs themselves any other, to change their hearts, and bring them to be Christ's friends and difciples. Such means are to be ufed with all forts of perfons, with Jews, Mahometans, Heathens, with nominal Chriftians that are heretical or vicious, the profane, the intemperate, the unclean, and all other enemies of Chrift; and these means to be used constantly, and laboriously. Scandalous perfons need to go to School, to learn to be Chriftians, as much as other men. And there are many perfons that are not morally fincere, who from felfish and finifter views do confent ordinarily to go to church, and fo be in the way of the use of means. And none ought to forbid them thus going to Chrift's School, that they may be taught by him, in the miniftry of the gospel. But yet it will not follow, that fuch a fchool is the church of CHRIST. Human laws can put perfons, even those who are very vicious, into the fchool of Chrift, in that fenfe; they can oblige them conftantly to be prefent at public teaching, and attend on the means of grace appointed by Chrift, and difpenfed in his name: But human laws cannot join men to the church of Chrift, and "make them members of his body.

OBJECTION II.

VISIBLE faintship in the Scripture-fenfe cannot be the fame with that which has been fuppofed and infifted on, viz. a being in the eye of a rational charity truly pious; because Ifrael of old were from time to time called God's people, when it is certain the greater part of them were far from having any fuch vifible holiness as this. Thus the ten tribes were called God's people, Hof. iv. 6. after they had revolted from the true worship of God, and had obftinately continued in their idolatrous worship at Bethel and Dan for about two hundred and fifty years, and were at that time, a little before their captivity efpecially, in the height of their wickedness. So the Jews are called God's people, in Ezek. xxxvi. 20. and other places, at the time of their captivity in Babylon; a time when moft of them were abandoned to all kinds of the moft horrid and open impieties, as the prophets frequently reprefent. Now it is certain, that the people at that time were not called God's people because of any vifibility of true piety to the eye of reafon or of a rational charity, because most of them were grofsly wicked, and declared their fin as Sodom. And in the fame manner wherein the Jews of old were God's people, are the members of the vifible Chriftian Gentile church God's people; for they are fpoken of as graffed into the fame olive tree, from whence the former were broken off by unbelief.

ANSW. The argument proves too much, and therefore nothing at all. If thofe whom I oppose in this controverfy, bring this objection, they will in effect as much oppose themselves in it, as me. The objection, if it has any force, equally militates against their and my notion of visible faintfhip. For thofe Jews, which it is alledged were called God's people, and yet were so no

toriously, openly, and obftinately wicked, had neither any vifibility of true piety, nor yet of that moral fincerity in the profeffion and duties of the true religion, which the opponents themselves fuppofe to be requifite in order to a proper vifible holiness, and a due admiffion to the privileges and ordinances of the church of God. None will pretend, that these obftinate idolaters and impious wretches had thofe qualifications which are now requifite in order to an admission to the Chriftian facraments. And therefore to what purpose can they bring this objection? which, if it proves any thing, overthrows my fcheme and their own both together, and both in an equally effectual manner ; and not only fo, but will thoroughly deftroy the schemes of all Proteftants through the world, concerning the qualifications of the fubjects of Chriftian ordinances. And therefore the fupport of what I have laid down against those whom I oppofe in this controverfy, requires no further anfwer to this objection. Nevertheless, for the greater fatisfaction, I would here obferve further:

That fuch appellations as God's people, God's Ifrael, and fome other like phrafes, are ufed and applied in Scripture with confiderable diverfity of intention. Thus, we have a plain diftinction between the house of Ifrael, and the houfe of Ifracl, in Ezek. xx. 38, 39, 40. By the houfe of Ifrael in the 39th verfe is meant literally the nation or family of Ifrael: But by the house of Ifrael in the 40th verfe feems to be intended the Spiritual houfe, the body of God's vifible faints, that fhould attend the ordinances of his public worship in gofpel-times. So likewife there is a diftinction made between the houfe of Ifrael, and God's difciples who should profess and visibly adhere to his law and teflimony, in Ifa. viii. 14-17. And though the whole nation of the Jews are often called God's people in thofe degenerate times wherein the prophets were fent to reprove them, yet at the fame time they are charged as falfly calling themfelves of the holy city. Ifa. xlviii. 2. And God often tells them, they are rather to be reckoned among aliens, L

and to be looked upon as children of the Ethiopians, or pofterity of the ancient Canaanites, on account of their. grofsly wicked and fcandalous behaviour. See Amos IX. 7, 8. c. Ezek. xvi. 2, 3. &c. ver. 45, 46. &c. Ifa. i. 10.

It is evident that God fometimes, according to the methods of his marvellous mercy and long-fuffering towards mankind, has a merciful refpect to a degenerate church, that is become exceeding corrupt in regard that it is constituted of members who have not thofe qualifications which ought to be infifted on: God continues itill to have refpect to them so far as not utterly to forfake them, or wholly to deny his confirmation of and bleffing on their adminiftrations. And not being utterly renounced of God, their administrations are to be looked upon as in fome respect valid, and the fociety as in fome fort a people or church of God: Which was the cafe with the church of Rome, at least till the Reformation and Council of Trent; for till then we must own their baptifms and ordinations to be valid.-The church that the pope fits in, is called, The Temple of God. 2 Theff. ii. 4.

And with regard to the people of Ifrael, it is very manifeft, that fomething diverfe is oftentimes intended by that nation's being God's people, from their being vifible faints, or vifibly holy, or having thofe qualifications which are requifite in order to a due admiffion to the ecclefiaftical privileges of fuch. That nation, that family of Ifrael according to the flesh, and with regard to that external and carnal qualification, were in fome fense adopted by God to be his peculiar people, and his covenant people. This is not only evident by what has been already obferved, but also indisputably manifeft from Rom. ix. 3, 4, 5. "I have great heavinefs and continual forrow of heart; for I could wish that myself were accurfed from Chrift for my brethren, my kinfmen, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, who are Ifraelites, to whom pertaineth the ADOPTION, and the glory, and the COVENANTS, and the giving

66