G. But they were first given to the Jewish Church, and belong even literally to her, and much more uncontestably than to the Church of Rome, to whom no Promise whatsoever was made: Nor has fhe any other Pretence to the Promifes made to the Church in General, than her fuppofed Supremacy over all other Chriftian Churches ; which is difputed with her, and Denyed by the other Churches. But there was none to Dispute it with the Jewish Church, for he was then the only visible Church of God upon Earth. And if the Promises made to her, can fail, in vain does the Church of Rome, or even the whole Gentile Church claim thefe Promises as indefeasible and unalterable to Her: For if the Promifes made to the whole Church of God upon Earth can fail at one time, they may likewise at another, aud there can be no Certainty.

L. Can the Promises of God then fail?

G. No, that is impoffible, but we may miftake his Promises and not understand them aright. And we may not perform the Conditions required.

L. But the Promifes made to the Church (that particularly which I have named of Isa. lix. 21.) are Pofitive and Unconditional.

G. But there is ftill a Condition implyed, that is, of our Obedience; which our Saviour has fully Exemplified in the Parable of the Hufbandmen who did not render the Fruits of the Vineyard. As Treafon forfeits an Eftate or Honours given by a Prince, though in ne

ver

ver fo pofitive Terms, and without any Condition expreffed, but that of Allegiance to the Prince is always implyed. And thus the Church may forfeit her Charter. God faid to Ell the High-Prieft of the Jewish Church, I faid indeed that thy House and the Houfe of thy Father fhould walk before me for ever; but now the Lord faith, Be it far from me; for them that Honour me I will Honour, and they that Defpife me hall be lightly esteemed, 1 Sain. ii. 30. And He faid, Num, xiv. 34, fe fhall know my breach of Promife, or as our Margin reads it, the altering of my Purpose, And He has told us plainly that we are thus to understand his Promifes as well as Threatnings, Jer. xviii. 7. &c. At what inflant I shall Speak concerning a Nation (or a Church) to pluck up, and to pull down, and to deftroy it, if that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their Evil, I will repent of the Evil I thought to do unto them. And at what inftant Ifball Speak concerning a Nation (or Church) to build and to plant it, if it do Evil in my fight, that it obey not my Voice, then will I repent of the Good wherewith I faid I would benefit them.

This was the Language of the Prophets to the Jewish Church. But the understood it not, and leant upon the Promifes made to her as Unconditional and Indefeasible, let her be as wicked as he would. And this hardned her against her Prophets, whom the perfecuted for this reafon as Enemies to the Church, as you find, Jer. xviii. 18. Come and let us devife C 2 Devices

Devices against Feremiah, for the Law shall not perish from the Prieft. Here the Jewish Church ftuck, and here the Church of Rome ofticks at this Day.

But the Gentile Church cannot fail like the fewish, for then there would be no Church

G. The Apostle of the Gentiles fays to the Gentile Church, Thou alfo fhalt be cut off, if thou continue not in the Goodness of God. And -that the Jews, if they abide not ftill in Unbelief, fhall be graffed in for God is able to graff them in again, Rom. xi. 22, 23. This fhews that all ithe Promifes made either to the Jewish or the Gentile Church are conditional, viz. If they scontinue in the Goodness of God. Otherwife, fays St. Paul to the Gentile Church, Thou alfo fhalt be cut off, and of all the Gentile Churches this was faid more particularly to the Church of Rome, for this is in the Epistle wrote to Her, and to Her it was faid, Thou also fhalt be cut off.

And of the Church in General, whether fewifb or Gentile, it is faid, Luke xviii. 8. When the Son of Man cometh, (hall be find Faith upon the Earth? Where will then that Vifibility be which Rome boafts of as an effential Mark of the true Church?

L. The Church is compared to a City fet upon a Hill, to a Candle giving Light to all that are in the Houfe. This is to fhew her Vifibility.

G. She

G. She is likewife compared to a Woman perfecuted into a Wilderness, Rev. xii. 6. tora Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers, to a befieged City. Ifa. i. 8. And lastly, that she will be fo little Visible, as that Faith fhall hardly be found upon the Earth. This is not to be Reconciled but of different States of the Church, and at different times.

L. Chrift fays, Eph. v. 27. that His Church is Glorious not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but that it fhould be Holy and without Blemish. And He calls her His Beloved.

G. So God called the Church of the Jews, Jer. xii. 7. The dearly Beloved of His Soul. Yet fays, He had forfaken her for her Wickedness, and hated her. And Ifaiah represents her as inoft filthy and corrupted, chap.i. 4, 5, 6.

The Church is called Holy and Beloved becaufe of God's Covenant with her to be His Holy and Beloved, which will be hereafter in thofe that are perfected; when the Tares and the Wheat shall be separated, but they must grow together till then, when Chrift fhall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do Iniquity. Mat. xiii. 41. Then, and not till then, will the Church be all Glorious, without Spot or Wrinkle, &c. As the Text fays, Eph. v. 25.Chrift loved the Church, and gave Himfelf for it, that He might fanctify and cleanfe it-that He might prefent it to Himself a Glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle, &c. But He has not yet fo prefented it. That time is not come. She is ftill in her cleanfing State, but not yet thorough

ly cleanfed. And the Scripture fpeaks of both thefe States of the Church, but when we diftinguifh not, and would apply to the moft corrupt State what is faid of the moft Glorious, We must needs fall into many Errors and Mistakes.

This is the Difficulty under which the Church of Rome now labours, She first making her felf the Catbolick Church: And then applying to her felf, in this her corrupt State, whatever is faid of the Church even in her Perfect, Glorious, and Triumphant State; creates her infinite Trouble, and endless Diftinctions, to reconcile thefe, which is as impoffible to be done as to make the State of the Church in Heaven and upon the Earth to be the fame: And while the Corruptions in the Church of Rome are confeffed and lamented by the moft Learned and moft Pious in her own Communion.

And the may as well maintain her Impeccability, as her Infallibility; for Sin is the greatest Error: And therefore I think nothing can be Infallible, but what is likewife Impeccable.

(10.) L. The Apoftles were Infallible, but not Impeccable.

G. As much the one as the other. St. Peter Erred, and Walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel. And many were carried away

ith his Diffimulation. Gal. ii. 13, 14. And St. Paul owned that in fome cafes he had no Commandment of the Lord,only gave his Judgment,as a private Perfon, and spoke by permission, and not

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