Isaac Ambrose on mother church

[Reformed Covenanter]

... It is the Church that brings forth children to God by the ministry of his word, and if we are children of this mother, we must feed on that milk which flows from her two breasts, the Old and New Testament; As new born babes (saith the Apostle) desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, 1 Pet. 2.2. In a word, out of the Church there is no salvation: who have not the Church their mother, cannot have God their Father, was the saying of old; and good reason, for out of the Church there is no means of Salvation, no word to teach, no sacraments to confirm, but all these, and all other means are in the womb of the Church: it is here, and here only, where the spirit of immortal seed begets grace in the heart, and so a man is born again. ...

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Isaac Ambrose on mother church

If you ask of whom born? I answer, as God is Father, so the Church is the Mother of every child of God: to this purpose saith the Apostle, Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of u…

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[MilitaryBrat2007]

Indeed, this is an interesting discussion...

I would argue that the Church comes with the Bible. The Bible is what defines the Church (not vice versa). We must come to understand the Bible, for Man yearns to know the truth.

There is a big difference between the Word and the Church. The Church is tasked with disseminating the Word, and it is the Word that has absolute authority.

Now, you need to come to an understanding of what your situation is and who came to save you in order to receive salvation. But how can you properly read and interpret scripture without being saved?

This is where the church comes in. The Church is the multitude of believers who do and can properly sow the Holy Bible of the Old and New Testaments to the world.

The Church does not give direct salvation, but it does help guide people to it. Without a proper understanding of the Bible (once again going back to my point), one cannot be saved.

 

[Ploutos]

The church is Christ's body. We are all part of the church and in it we have direct access to Christ, contra the Roman view that salvation is mediated to us through the church.

But it's likewise true that, outside of Christ's body, you cannot be part of Christ's body.