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had. And as the Church of the Jews has been cut off, for her Difobedience to the Law of God: So (as before-mentioned) has it been faid to the Church of Rome particularly, Thou alfo fhalt be cut off, that is, upon the fame condition, if thou continue not in the goodness of God, Rom. xi. 22. And we cannot imagine there fhould be a Church of Rome vifibly as now, with a Pope at the Head of it, and a Number of Bifbops, Cardinals, &c. under him, holding the true Chriftian Faith, when that Time comes which our Saviour has foretold, Luke xviii. 8. When the Son of Man cometh, fhall be find Faith an the Earth? For then it would be found, and very visibly at Rome.

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But that State of the Church is better Reprefented by the 7000 who had not bowed to Baal, but of whom Elijah knew none, but thought he was left alone, Rom. xi. 3, 4. This was a State of Segregation, there were particular Perfons who kept the Faith, but Invifible to the World, or to one another; without any publick Worship, or fo much as private Meetings, for Elijah would furely have known of these, and been the Principal among them: Far lefs could, they have had an Organized Church, with Paftors and Ruler's over them, without being known to Elis jab, and to many more, even to their Per fecutors who found out the moft private Receffes of the Primitive Chriftians, and their Meetings, though in the moft fecret man

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ner, for Divine Worfhip; and their Bishops too, whom they feized and hauled to Prifons and to Martyrdom, for they could not lye hid, and the Faith was then vifible, though under Perfecution. Therefore it must be a much more Univerfal Depravity and Corruption of the Church of which our Saviour fpoke, when Faith fhould not be found, at leaft vifibly, upon the Earth. It will be more like the State of the Church before the Flood, reprefented by the Ark, wherein few, that is eight Souls were faved, 1 Pet. 2. 20. And as the Corruption of the old World was great, we may fuppofe the Corruption to be greater before the fecond coming of Chrift, as the Deftruction by Fire is more terrible than that by Water. However fuch an Universal Corruption is here foretold, as will in no ways confift with the leaft fort of that Visibility which the Church of Rome requires as a Mark of the true Church, and to continue with her for ever..:

But on the other hand, if there shall be a vifible Church in thofe Days, then that Church, at leaft the Generality, which is the Vifibility of it, will fall from the Faith, elfe it would be visibly to be found upon the Earth; and then Men will be mifled by the Church, and by thofe Marks of Vifibility, &c. which the Church of Rome gives her; in like manner as they were milled by the Church before, when the commanded them to reject their Meffiah. He came firft unto His own, the Church

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Church of the Jews, the only vifible Church. then upon the Earth, but fhe received Him not, John i. 11. for fhe was Corrupt and Blinded, under the Malk of Pharifaical Sanctity, and strict observance of the Law, even to the Tything of Mint, Annife, and Cummin; fhe was Zealous in the outward Obfervances, but neg lected the weightier Matters of the Law, Judg ment, Mercy, and Faith, Matth. xxiii. 23. And fo it may be at the fecond coming of Chrift, as it was at the firft; for there is no more Promife of Infallibility to the one State of the Church, than to the other.

L. But it was Prophefied in the Old Tefta→ ment, that the Jew's fhould reject their Meffi ab at His firft Coming.

G. And in the New Teftament, that at His fecond coming He fhould not find Faith upon the Earth.

But the Jews did not fo understand these Prophefies against themselves. They said that the Church was the only Interpreter of Scripture, and they must take the Law from the Mouth of their Priefts: And the Church did interpret thefeScriptures otherwife thanChrift did. L. But Chrift being come, He was then the Church.

G. He was not the Church, for He came to Redeem the Church. He did not come to Redeem Himself. He was the Head, the Church, the Body, but the Head is not the Body.

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Befides it is perfectly Begging the Question of the Jews,to fuppofe that Chrift was the Mef

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fiab, for that they deny, and bid us prove it. That is the whole Queftion betwixt them and us.

L. His Heavenly Doctrine, His Miracles,and the Prophefies of Him, prove Him to be the Meffiab

G. The Jews answer all this by the Authority of the Church, which faid, Have any of the Rulers, or of the Pharifees believed on him? But this People who knoweth not the Law,are curfed. John vii. 48, 49. And to rivet this Curfe, they Excommunicated thofe who did confefs Christ, chap. ix. 22, 34. xvi. 2. And they faid, That Chrift wrought his Miracles by Beelzebub, Matth. ix. 34. xii. 24. And who was to be Judge in this Cafe, the People or the Church? Upon the Foot of the Authority of the Church, it was impoffible at that time for any to be a Chriftian. Therefore of all Men, Chriftians have the leaft reafon to infift upon this.

(14.) L. Then I find you refolve all upon private fudgment;

G. It is all we have for the belief of a God, or of Christ, and, by your own Confeffion, for the Choice of a Church. And then we may well truft to it in fmaller Matters. In fhort, we must trust to it in every thing without Exception: For it is as impoffible to believe any thing without our Understanding, as to fee without our Eyes.

L. But you believe fome Myfteries which you pretend not to understand or explain, as

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the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the Incarna tion, &c.

G. My Reafon tells me, That there must be many things in the Nature of God which I cannot understand or explain, becaufe He is Infinite and Incomprehenfible. And these I take purely upon the Revelation that is given of them in the Holy Scriptures, for my own Reafon could never have found them out, nor can perfectly understand them. They are dark to me, like a Country I never faw, I cannot have a right Idea of it till I come thither, As I cannot of Heaven, or of the State of feparate Souls. Yet I cannot help framing fome Conception to my felf, of what I know never en tred into the Heart of Man to Conceive, that is, aright, and according to these things are. Therefore I take not upon me to explain them, for that would be to involve my felf, and I know that I muft greatly Err. And yet it would be as much against Reason to deny thefe things, as to deny there was any Country in the World, or Star in the Firmament, which I had not feen. And much more unreasonable, it would be, to think there was nothing in the Nature of the Infinite Being which I did not comprehend: Or because that cannot be expreffed to us, but in words adapted to our Understanding, therefore to measure his Nature by ours; and because Peter, James, and John are three Men, therefore to think that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost muft be three Gods. But when I fay three Perfons, with relation to

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