before olders ordained and a company of faithfull people without officers may be in covenant with God and have him dwell amongst them and may have communion one with another and their children have right to baptisme And it must be considered that two or three gathered together have the same right with two or three hundred By two or three having this power of binding or loosing cannot be meant two or three ministers considered severally from the body which alone are not the church for any publick administration but the officers of the church but by two or three are meant the meanest communion or society of Saints whether with officers or without officers This then is that which he would clearly evince out of this text of scripture That spirituall power is essentially and primarily given to the society of the faithfull few or many though but two or three to the faithfull without their guides or officers who are added to the church and derive their authority from the church to whom it agreeth secondarily and by accident and so by the church understand any collection of the faithfull united in covenant great or small few or many with or without guides or officers The church is sometimes put for believers few or many But to the making up of a visible distinct society or congregation properly so called or body politicall furnished with the power of Christ for government and the exercise of all religious duties and ordinances of worship a competent number is requisite and necessary At first Adam and Eve were the church when there were none other persons in the world and might perform all the officers of a church at that time required of them But two or three are no sufficient number to make up that society which now we speak of There is a twofold church as the society of Christians is twofold publick or private The private society may be in one family though small The publick society is a convenient number of such as do in one uniform agreed course of outward joynt worship of God professe that righteousnesse which is by the faith of Jesus Christ The number of men worshipping God aright is a church be it few or many be it few or many but two or three cannot make up an intire society consisting of all its parts fitted to the execution of all substantiall offices perteining to the body or corporation A competent and fit number there must be to make up this body but no precise number is or can be determined it may be more or lesse according to the circumstances of time place and other occurrences Therefore for our direction in this case it is good to look at their pattern who first planted the churches of God according to the wisdome of God and by the direction of his Spirit And to begin with the Apostles because we speak of Christian churches first by comparing passages of holy scripture together we shall find that to ordain elders city by city and to ordain elders church by church are used as phrases adaequate and aequipollent not that the whole multitude of the one and locall bounds of the other should make but one congregation but because the Christians or believers within those bounds or limits were framed into one Christian society or church For Presbyters were not given but to Disciples and Christians now converted out of the multitude and locall limits wherewith cities were bounded Now though the Apostles framing the cities with their suburbs and territories into one church or society on the present occasion doth not exclude the constituting of any other society or congregation within the same locall bounds when the multitude of believers should be encreased yet it doth evidently confirm that the number of believers requisite to the making up of a perfect or complete church in all parts and offices must not be small The Apostles never comprehend the multitude of citizens unconverted to the profession of the faith under the name of the church neither can it be imagined that the whole multitude within those locall circuits united in civil society was linked by any spirituall bond or tie but the city had the reason of an ample continent the church of a thing conteined Neverthelesse the blessing of God considered which did extraordinarily accompany the labours of the Apostles according to the prophesies foregoing touching the calling of the Gentiles the number of believers we may well think within that circuit was very great But if we take a view of particular churches the matter will be more plain The Christian church at Jerusalem was one distinct society which did congregate upon occasion and held communion in the ordinances of worship But it grew and encreased first to three thousand then to five thousand afterward multitudes of men and women were added and then it came to millions It may be in this last number such believers are reckoned as had no fixed habitation in Jerusalem but came thither upon occasion and were there in transitu and not as fixed members of this church viz. such as came up by occasion of the Passeover or Pentecost or other like feast and were onely there for the present It may be the Apostles tolerated them though more then could fitly meet together ordinarily in one congregation because they foresaw such times to ensue wherein many of them should translate themselves and be dispersed hither and thither It may be also God let it grow more rank and abundant then ordinary churches because it was ecclesia surcularis many of whose branches were to be translated in their time But whatsoever might be the reason of this great number this is certain the multitude was great for after it was grown to five thousand and multitudes of men and women were added it encreased daily The number of disciples encreased greatly in Jerusalem and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith The Syriack Interpreter hath it of the Jews sc inhabiting Judea but the Greek Arabick Ethiopick Vulgar and Chrysostom approve the former And the number of Priests was not small as the scripture witnesseth And when all the Apostles or the greatest part of them remained at Jerusalem continuing in the ministery of the word and prayer and that they might do it the more earnestly and diligently left off the care of the poore to others how can we think that the whole church did not multiply and encrease It is most probable that the whole city of Samaria in a manner embraced the faith The people gave heed with one accord unto those things which Philip spake As the whole city from the least unto the greatest had given heed to Simon Magus before so to Philip now when he preached Christ It is said also that Samaria received the Gospel which argueth that it had universall enterteinment among them In
and not to give that honour unto Jesus Christ or to give it unto any other is a breach of the first commandment It is true that inward and outward worship both when they are both of one nature or kind are required in the first precept as if I must pray unto God in the mediation of Jesus Christ or pray unto Jesus Christ mine onely Saviour I may kneel or prostrate my self or bow my body in the exercise of religion and these actions must be referred to the same commandment It is also true that the second commandment reacheth to the heart and requireth that we rightly conceive of allow approve and affect the ordinances of instituted worship appointed of God as well as exercise and maintein it but seeing the worship it self commanded is instituted it is also outward Besides there be some things of mere nstitution which pertein to the third and fourth commandments as the institution and observation of the seventh day from the creation in time of the Law and of the first day in the week in time of the Gospel M r Jacob himself saith The fourth commandment in the word Sabbath setteth down one particular even the ordinary seventh day of rest but understandeth all holy dayes instituted of God that they are likewise to be sanctified By his own confession then all instituted doctrines and ordinances are not referred to the second commandment The just and true generall matter of the second commandment is a free and voluntary institution or matter instituted onely or specially in the exercise of Gods worship wherein it hath no way any necessary use of it self This is the generall matter or full extent of the second commandment even in the mind and purpose of God himself the authour of it And it is likewise the just and full definition of Gods instituted worship in generall that is whether true or false This is obscure and doubtfull If the meaning be that all instituted or positive worship of God which carrieth the Lords stamp and approbation must be referred to this commandment and that all worship devised by men for nature use and end one with the worship instituted of God is a breach of the second commandment it will be granted freely and might have been delivered plainly But if the meaning be that all free and voluntary institutions whatsoever must be referred to the second commandment if of God as just and allowable if of men as sinfull it hath no ground of truth or probability For many free institutions cannot be referred to the second commandment and concerning the instituted worship of God God hath left many things undetermined wherein the church may take order and give direction without sinne unto what commandment soever in generall the things may be referred The Lord forbidding to bow down unto or serve an image doth therein forbid all approbation liking or reverence though never so small shewed towards any institutions and inventions of men set up in the room of or matched with the Lords own instituted worship But an invention for nature and use one with the true worship of God and an institution in the exercise of religion are not one and the same There ought to be very clear and plain proof in Gods word to warrant every visible church if the members thereof desire to have comfort to their own souls because this is even the first and weightiest matter in religion that can concern us viz. to be assured that we are in a true visible and ministeriall church of Christ For out of a true visible church ordinarily there is no salvation and by a true visible church and not otherwise ordinarily we come to learn the way of life Therefore above all things it is necessary that every Christian do rightly discern of the divers kinds of outward ordinances in this behalf chiefly of visible churches and withall to understand which kind or form thereof is the true visible church of Christ or kingdome of heaven upon earth which is the onely way and in it the onely truth ordinarily leading to eternall life hereafter For the true visible church of Christ is but onely one questionlesse in nature form and constitution There are expresse and pregnant texts of scripture which shew what is the true visible church of God whereunto Christians may and ought to joyn themselves in holy fellowship in the ordinances of worship As where the covenant of God is there is the people of God and the visible church For communication and receiving the tables of the covenant is a certain signe of a people in covenant For what is it to be the flock sheep or people of God but to be in covenant with God to be the church of God The word maketh disciples to Christ and the word given to a people is Gods covenanting with them and the peoples receiving this word and professing their faith unto God is their taking God to be their God Those assemblies which have Christ for their Head and the same also for their foundation are the true visible churches of Christ It is simply necessary that the assemblies be laid upon Christ the foundation by faith which being done the remaining of what is forbidden or the want of what is commanded cannot put the assembly from the title and right of a church For Christ is the foundation and head-corner-stone of the church The form is coming unto Christ and being builded upon him by faith the matter is the people united and knit unto Christ and so one unto another Now where the matter and form of a church is there is a church Every society or assembly professing the intâ—re and true faith of Christ and worshipping God with an holy worship joyning together in prayer and thanksgiving enjoying the right use of the sacraments and keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is the true church of Christ The Gospel may be preached to Infidels some supernaturall truths may be professed by hereticks the use of the sacraments may be in adulterate churches but the intire profession of all fundamentall articles of faith to be believed and main precepts and morall laws for practice to be acknowledged the dwelling of the truth amongst men and the right use of the sacraments which is ever joyned with true doctrine and to be esteemed by it is proper to them that be in covenant with God The laws and statutes which God gave to Israel was the honour and ornament of that nation a testimony that the Lord had separated them from all other people even the Gentiles themselves being judges This is your wisedome and your understanding in the sight of the people He gave his law unto Jacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel Thou gavest them right judgements and true laws ordinances and good commandments Who received the lively oracles to give unto us They have Moses and the Prophets Sound doctrine
grievous persecutions the churches of God could not assemble in any great numbers in publick places but have been compelled to meet in dens and caves and woods one and the same society in divers places yet so as the society was not broken though their meeting together in one place was interrupted To meet together therefore in one place is not so essentiall to the church but it may continue one in laws ordinances government and communion though in respect of multitude distance of places and many other occurrences they be constrained to assemble and hold their meeting severally And that it was thus in the churches planted by the apostles it is most probable May we not well think that the Christian church at Jerusalem for whom Christ had prayed particularly to which some attribute the first miraculous conversion by Peters preaching and amongst whom being now ascended into glory he did more abundantly display his power and more conspicuously swallow up the scandal of his Crosse which had the labour of all or many of the apostles for a time in it whose care and industry we may guesse at by their ordination of Deacons that they might not be distracted whereunto much people did resort dayly who though explicitely they did not believe in Christ yet had they in them the faith of the Messias and so were nearer to the kingdome of God then the common heathen which was to send out light to all other churches and be a common nursery to the world May we not well think that this church did quickly rise to such bignesse that they could not well assemble in one congregation as we call them And the same may be said of other churches before mentioned For at that time the regions were white even unto the harvest the time was come when that heavenly kingdome was to be planted amongst all nations and at the beginning God did reveal his arm more extraordinarily and things which have their set period of growing do in their beginnings come on the fastest And seeing the apostles were extraordinarlly furnished for the work and had a great and wide doore set open unto them of God seeing they were diligent and industrious in their work and God was pleased mightily to accompany their endeavours is it not more then conjecturall that within short time the number of believers in those great and populous cities with their suburbs and circumjacent villages did exceed the capacity of one congregation The officers also which the Apostles ordained for the use of those churches were in number more then one ordinary congregation could bear or were necessary for the service thereof unlesse it were exceeding great and could not long continue together with edification but of necessity must assemble in severall places It was not the apostles practice to ordain pastours in those places where as yet no sheep were to be seen or very few and it had been inconvenient to tie the faithfull to one congregation when by reason of multitude they could not meet in one place to their edification What then remaineth but that they might assemble in divers places and yet hold communion in laws ordinances government and officers When presbyters were first assigned to their particular cures it is not certain Eusebius reporteth that many churches were gathered in Alexandria by Mark But what he alledgeth out of Philo as if it was to be understood of Christians is misapplied by him The first as it is commonly received that divided churches into parishes and assigned presbyters distinctly to take care of them was Euaristus Bishop of Rome But Platina reporteth this upon the credit of Damasus and that supposititious for the authour of the book carrying the title of Damasus was Anastasius Bibliothecarius an Abbot of Rome who lived about the yeare DCCCLVIII And what probability is there that under the reigne of Trajan who moved the third persecution from Nero against the church and that most violent there should be place to divide parishes and place singular presbyters over their peculiar charges Some think with more probability that Dionysius who was bishop of Rome in the yeare of Christ 267. did ordain parishes and commit them so ordained to Presbyters For in his dayes the church had peace Galienus by publick edict granting liberty But if it be yielded that there were some parochiall divisions about those times they were not many and within the city and were but as chapells of ease the church holding and continuing the same communion And whensoever Presbyters were assigned to their speciall cures we may conceive the multitude of believers though within the cities onely necessarily required their assembling in divers places before For though the number of Christians was sometimes greatly wasted with hot and fierie persecutions as Platina in vita Xisti 1. who followed Alexander the successour of Euaristus about the yeare of Christ 120. writeth by reason of the frequent slaughters there were few found at Rome which durst professe the name of Christ And Onuphrius Annot. in vit Hig. saith Although all Popes in those times suffered not martyrdome yet they endured many things for the confession of Christ of the raging common people and wicked magistrates who reteined perpetuall hatred against Christians neverthelesse at other times the number of Christians did greatly increase as the Ecclestasticall story noteth a most remarkable growth of the faith in the time of Fabian before Cornelius Neither must we think that an Emperour as Philippus favouring the faith did not bring on multitudes to the like profession Cornelius reporteth that in the church of Rome there were seaven Deacons seaven Subdeacons two and forty Acolyths two and fifty Lectours Porters Exorcists six and forty Presbyters a thousand and five hundred widows poore and sick And from hence he doth amplifie Novatus his pertinacy that none of the numerous clergy nor yet of the people very great and innumerable could turn him or recall him This was one visible ministeriall church wherein all the members had union and communion together for the mutuall edifying and restoring one of another but it was too great and abundant ordinarily to assemble in one place So that the church might remain one when the multitude was too great to meet in one place ordinarily and when particular Presbyters were assigned to particular cures For that was not a division of the society into societies distinct but an assignement of some particular officer to the oversight of one part or branch of the society for the more fit and commodious government of the whole as it was conceived and they so attended that branch of the society or church that their care and oversight reached to the whole And out of doubt this form or kind of a visible and ministeriall church is much nearer to the patterns and precedents set by the apostles in the first plantation of Christian churches then that two three or few believers