hooker_book3.txt

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I. What the Church is, and in what respect Laws of Polity are thereunto
necessarily required.

[1.] Albeit the substance of those controversies whereinto we have begun to wade 
be rather of outward things appertaining to the Church of Christ, than of any
thing wherein the nature and being of the Church of Christ, than of any thing
wherein the nature and being of the Church consisteth, yet because the subject
or matter which this position concerneth is, A Form of Church Government or
Church Polity, it therefore behoveth us so far forth to consider the nature of
the Church, as is requisite for men's more clear and manifest understanding in
what respect Laws of Polity or Government are necessary thereunto.

[2.] That Church of Christ, which we properly term his body mystical, can be but
one; neither can that one be sensibly discerned by any man, inasmuch as the
parts thereof are some in heaven already with Christ, and the rest that are on
earth (albeit their natural persons be visible) we do not discern under this
property, whereby they are truly and infallibly of that body. Only our minds by
interllectual conceit are able to apprehend, that such 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 sense.
Whatsoever we read in Scripture concerning the endless love and saving mercy
which God sheweth towards his Church, the only proper subject thereof is this
Church. Concerning this flock it is that our Lord and Saviour hath promised, "I
give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any
pluck them out of my hands." They who are of this society have such marks and
notes of distinction from all others, as are not object unto our sense; only
unto God, who seeth their hearts and understandeth all their secret cogitations,
unto him they are clear and manifest. All men knew Nathanael to be an Israelite.
But our Saviour piercing deeper giveth further testimony of him than men could
have done with such certainty as he did, "Behold indeed an Israelite in whom is
no guile." If we profess, as Peter did, that we love the Lord, and profess it in
the hearing of men, charity if prone to believe all things, and therefore
charitable men are likely to think we do so, as long as they see no proof to the
contrary. But that our love is sound and sincere, that it cometh from "a pure
heart and a good conscience and a faith unfeigned," who can pronounce, saving
only the Searcher of all men's hearts, who alone intuitively know in this kind
who are His?

[3.] And as those everlasting promises of love, mercy, and blessedness belong to
the mystical Church; even so on the other side when we read of any duty which
the Church of God is bound unto, the Church whom this doth concern is a sensibly
known company. And this visible Church in like sort is but one, continued from
the first beginning of the world to the last end. Which company being divided
into two moieties, the one before, the other since the coming of Christ; that
part, which since the coming of Christ hath embraced and partly shall hereafter
embrace the Christian Religion, we term as by a more proper name the Church of
Christ. And therefore the Apostle affirmeth plainly of all men Christian, that
be they Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, they are all incorporated into one
company, they all make but one body. The unity of which visible body and Church
of Christ consisteth in that uniformity which all serveral persons thereunto
belonging have, by reason of that one Lord whose servants they all profess
themselves, that one Faith which they all acknowledge, that one Baptism
wherewith they are all initiated. 

[4.] The visible Church of Jesus Christ is therefore one, in outward profession
of those things, which supernaturally appertain to the very essence of
Christianity, and are necessarily required in every particular Christian man.
"Let all the house of Israel know for certainty," saith Peter, "that God hath
made him both Lord and Christ, even this Jesus whom you have crucified."
Christians therefore they are not, which call not him their Master and Lord. And
from hence it came that first at Antioch, and afterwards throughout the whole
world, all that are of the Church visible were called Christians even amongst
the heathen. Which name unto them was precious and glorious, but in the
estimation of the rest of the world even Christ Jesus himself was execrable; for
whose sake all men were so likewise which did acknowledge him to be their Lord.
This himself did forsee, and therefore armed his Church, to the end they might
sustain it without discomfort. "All these things they will do unto you for my
name's sake; yea, the time shall come, that whosoever killeth you will think
that he doth God good service." "These things I tell you, that when the hours
shall come, ye may then call to mind how I told you beforehand about them."

[5.] But our naming of Jesus Christ our Lord is not enough to prove us
Christians, unless we also embrace that faith, which Christ hath published unto
the world. To shew that the angel of Pergamus continued in Christianity, behold
how the Spirit of Christ speaketh, "Thou keepest my name, and thou hast not
denied my faith." Concerning which faith, "the rule thereof," saith Tertullian,
"is one alone, immovable, and no way possible to be better framed anew." What
rule that is he sheweth be rehearsing those few articles of Christian belief.
And before Tertullian, Ireney; "The Church though scattered through the whole
world unto the utmost borders of the earth, hath from the Apostles and their
disciples received belief." The parts of which belief he also reciteth, in
substance the very same with Tertullian, and thereupon inferreth, "This faith
the Church being spread far and wide preserveth as if one house did contain
them: these things it equally embraceth, as though it had even one soul, one
heart, and no more: it publisheth, teacheth and delivereth these things with
uniform consent, as if God had given it but one only tongue wherewith to speak.
He which amongst the guides of the Church is best able to speak uttereth no more
than this, and less than this the most simple doth not utter," when they make
profession of their faith. 

[6.] Now although we know the Christian faith and allow of it, yet in this
respect we are but entering; entered we are not into the visible Church before
our admittance by the door of Baptism. Wherefore immediately upon the
acknowledgment of Christian faith, the Eunuch (we see) was baptized by Philip,
Paul by Ananias, by Peter an huge multitude containing three thousand souls,
which being once baptized were reckoned in the number of souls added to the
visible Church.

[7.] As for those virtues that belong unto moral righteousness and honesty of
life, we do not mention them, because they are not proper unto Christian men, as
they are Christians, but do concern them as they are men. True it is, the want
of these virtues excludeth from salvation. So doth much more the absence of
inward belief of heart; so doth despair and lack of hope; so emptiness of
Christian love and charity. But we speak now of the visible Church, whose
children are signed with this mark, "One Lord, one Faith, one baptism." In
whomsoever these things are, the Church doth acknowledge them for her children;
them only she holdeth for aliens and strangers, in whom these things are not
found. For want of these it is that Saracens, Jews, and infidels are excluded
out of the bounds of the Church. Others we may not deny to be of the visible
Church, as long as these things are not wanting in them. For apparently it is,
that all men are of necessity either Christians or not Christians. If by
external profession they be Christians, then are they of the visible Church of
Christ: and Christians by external professions they are all, whose mark of
recognizance hath in it those things which we have mentioned, yea although they 
be impious idolaters, wicked heretics, persons excommunicable, yea, and cast out
for notorious improbity. Such withal we deny not to be the imps and limps of
Satan, even as long as they continue such. 

[8.]





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II. Whether it be necessary that some particular Form of Church Polity be set
down in Scripture, sith the things that belong particularly to any such Form are
not of necessity to Salvation.

[1.] But we must note, that he which affirmeth speech to be necessary amongst
all men throughout the world, doth not thereby import that all men must
necessarily speak one kind of language. Even so the necessity of polity and
regiment in all Churches may be held without holding any one certain form to be
necessary in them all.





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IX. How Laws for the Polity of the Church may be made by the advice of men, and
how those Laws being not repugnant to the Word of God are approved in his sight.

[1.] Laws for the Church are not made as they should be, unless the makers follow
such direction as they ought to be guided by: wherein that the Scripture
standeth not the Church of God in any stead, or serveth nothing at all to
direct, but may be let pass as needless to be consulted with, we judge it
profane, impious, and irreligious to think. For although it were in vain to make
laws which the Scripture hath already made, because what we are already there
commanded to do, on our parts there resteth nothing but only that it be
executed; yet becuase both in that which we are commanded, it concerneth the
duty of the Church by law to provide, that the looseness and slackness of men
may not cause the commandments of God to be unexecuted; and a number of things
there are which the Scripture hath not provided by any law, but left them unto
the careful discretion of the Church; we are to search how the Church in these
cases may be well directed to make that provision by laws which is most
convenient and fit. And what is so in these cases, partly Scripture and partly
reason must teach to discern. Scripture comprehending examples and laws, laws
some natural and some positive: examples there neither are for all cases which
require laws to be made, and when there are, they can but direct as precedents
only. Natural laws direct in such sort, that in all things we must for ever do
according unto them; Positive so, that against them in no case we may do any
thing, as long as the will of God is that they should remain in force. Howebeit
when Scripture doth yield us precedents, how far forth they are to be followed;
when it giveth natural laws, what particular order is thereunto most agreeable;
when positive, which way to make laws unrepugnant unto them; yea though all
these should want, yet what kind of ordinances would be most for that good of
the Church which is aimed at, all this must be by reason found out. And
therefore, "to refuse the conduct of the light of nature," saith St. Augustine,
"is not folly alone but accompanied with impiety."

[2.] The greatest amongst the School-divines, studying how to set down by exact
definition the nature of an human law, (of which nature all the Church's
constitutions are,) found not which way better to do it than in these words:"Out
of the precepts of the law of nature, as out of certain common and
undemonstrable principles, man's reason doth necessarily proceed unto certain
more particular determinations; which particular determinations being found out
according unto the reason of man, they have the name of human laws, so that such
other conditions be therein kept as the making of law doth require," that is, if
they whose authority is thereunto required do establish and publish them as
laws. And the truth is, that all our controversy in this cause concerning the
orders of the Church is, what particulars the Church may appoint. That which
doth find them out is the force of man's reason. That which doth guide and
direct his reason is first the general law of nature; which law of nature and
the moral law of Scripture are in the substance of law all one. But because
there are also in Scripture a number of laws particular and positive, which
being in force may not by any law of man be violated; we are in making law to
have thereunto an especial eye. As for example, it might perhaps seem reasonable
unto the Church of God, following the general laws concerning the nature of
marriage, to ordain in particular that cousin-germans shall not marry. Which law
notwithstanding ought not to be received in the Church, if there should be in
Scripture a law particular to the contrary, forbidding utterly the bonds of
marriage to be so far forth abridged. The same Thomas therefore whose definition
of human laws we mentioned before, doth add thereunto this caution concerning
the rule and canon whereby to make them: human laws are measures in respect of
men whose actions they must direct; howbeit such measures they are, as have
their higher rules to be measured by, which rules are two, the law of God, and
the law of nature. So that laws human must be made according to the general laws
of nature, and without any contradiction unto any positive law in Scripture.
Otherwise they are ill made. 

[3.] Unto laws thus made and received by a whole church, they which live within
the bosom of that church must not think it a matter indifferent either to yield
or not to yield obedience. Is it a small offence to despise the Church of God?
"My son keep thy father's commandments," saith Salomon, "and forget not thy
mother's instruction: bind them both always about thine heart." It doth not
stand with the duty which we owe to our heavenly Father, that to the ordinances
of our mother the Church we should shew outselves disobedient. Let us not say we
keep the commandments of the one, when we break the laws of the other: for
unless we observe both, we obey neither. And what doth let but that we may
observe both, when they are not the one to the other in any sort repugnant? For
of such laws only we speak, as being made in form and manner already declared,
can have in them no contradiction unto the laws of Almighty God. Yea that which
is more, the laws thus made God doth in such sort authorize, that to despise
them is to despise in them Him. It is a loose and licentious opinion which the
Anabaptists have embraced, holding that a Christian man's liberty is lost, and
the soul which Christ hath redeemed unto himself injuriously drawn into
servitude under the yoke of human power, if any law be now imposed besides the
Gospel of Jesus Christ: in obedience whereunto the Spirit of God and not the
constraint of man is to lead us, according to that of the blessed Apostle, "Such
as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God," and not such as live
in thraldom unto men. Their judgment is therefore that the Church of Christ
should admit no law-makers but the Evangelists. The author of that which causeth
another thing to be, is author of that thing also which thereby is caused. The
light of natural understanding, wit, and reason, is from God; he it is which
thereby doth illuminate every man entering into the world. If there proceed from
us any thing afterwards corrupt or naught, the mother thereof is our own
darkness, neither doth it proceed from any cause whereof God is the author. He
is the author of all that we think or do by virtue of that light, which himself
hath given. And therefore the laws which the very heathens did gather to direct
their actions by, so far forth as they proceed from the light of nature, God
himself doth acknowledge to have proceeded even from himself, and that he was
the writer of them in the table of their hearts. How much more then he the
author of those laws, which have been made by his saints, endued further with
the heavenly grace of his Spirit, and directed as much as may be with such
instructions as his sacred word doth yield! Surely if we have unto those laws
that dutiful regard which their dignity doth require, it will not greatly need
that we should be exhorted to live in obedience unto them. If they have God
himself for their author, contempt which is offered unto them cannot choose but
redound unto him. The safest and unto God the most acceptable way of framing our
lives therefore is, with all humility, lowliness, and singleness of heart, to
study, which way our willing obedience both unto God and man may be yielded even
to the utmost of that which is due.