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A59819 A discourse concerning the nature, unity, and communion of the Catholick Church wherein most of the controversies relating to the church are briefly and plainly stated / by William Sherlock. Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707. 1688 (1688) Wing S3291; ESTC R25626 35,974 70

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it as evident that there never can be more than one Church in the World for those Nominal Churches which have not the same Lord the same Faith the same Baptism are no Churches and all that have are but one Which makes it a ridiculous Triumph of the Church of Rome as if we Protestants did not believe one Catholick Church or could not tell where to find it when we profess to believe but One Church and that all true Churches are Members of this One Church For it is plain from this account that though all the Churches in the World were united in one Ecclesiastical Body yet this external visible Union is not the thing which makes them the one Body of Christ They are one Body by being all united to one mystical Head the Lord Jesus Christ not by an external and visible Union to each other this external Union is a Duty which all Christians and Christian Churches are bound to observe as far as possibly they can but all true Christians and Christian Churches are the One Body of Christ whether they be thus visibly united or not But for the better understanding this matter we must consider I. The true Notion of the Catholick Church on Earth II. What the Nature and Unity of a particular Church is and how every particular Church is a part of that Universal Catholick Church which is the Body of Christ. III. What that Unity and Communion is which all distinct particular Churches ought to maintain with each other and whence this Obligation results I. The true Notion of the Catholick Church on Earth Now it is evident from what I have already discoursed that the true Notion of a Church is the caetus Fidelium or the company of the Faithful of those who profess the true Faith of Christ and are united to him by Baptism There can be no other Notion of the Universal Church in Heaven and Earth but the whole company and family of the Faithful who are united to Christ by covenant and are his mystical Body in the sense above explained And if the Universal Church in Heaven and Earth be the whole company of the Faithful the Catholick Church on Earth must be the whole number of the Faithful on Earth for we must still retain the same Notion of a Church where the whole consists of universal parts for there every part has the same nature with the whole I know indeed of late the Clergy have in a great measure monopolized the Name of the Church whereas in propriety of Speech they do not belong to the definition of a Church They are Members of the Church as they are themselves of the number of the Faithful and they are the Governours of the Church as they have received Authority from Christ the Supream Lord and Bishop of the Church but they are no more the Church than the King is his Kingdom or the Shepherd his Flock and therefore St. Paul expresly distinguishes the Church from the Apostles and Ministers of it 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then Gifts of Healing Helps Governments diversities of Tongues These are placed in the Church for the instruction edification and good government of it and therefore are of a distinct consideration from the Church in which they are placed Thus 4 Eph. 11 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ that is the Church of Christ which is therefore distinguished from the Pastors and Teachers of it Thus in directing his Epistles to several Churches he gives us the definition of a Church 1 Cor. 1. 2. Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours that is the whole company of the Faithful 1 Ephes. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the Faithful in Christ Jesus Which is the true definition of a Church 1 Col. 2. To the Saints and faithful Brethren in Christ which are at Coloss. And 1 Phil. 1. he expresly distinguishes the Saints or Church as that signifies the company of the Faithful from the Bishops and Deacons To all the Saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons The Learned Launoy has produced various Texts of Scripture for this definition of the Church that it is the company of the Faithful and has proved by the Testimony of the Fathers in all Ages even down to the Council of Trent it self that this was the received Notion of the Church till it was altered by Canisius and Bellarmine Canisius puts Christ's Vicar into the definition that the Church is the visible collection of all baptized Believers under one Head Christ in Heaven and his Vicar on Earth which makes the Church a Monarchy Bellarmine defines the Church to be a company of men united together by the profession of the same Christian Faith and the Communion of the same Sacraments under the government of lawful Pastors but chiefly of the Bishop of Rome as the one Vicar of Christ on Erath which makes the Church a kind of mixed and tempered Monarchy the government of Bishops and the Pope as Supream Vicar whereas before these men neither Pastors nor Bishops much less the Pope of Rome were ever put into the general definition of a Church for as for St. Cyprian's definition I shall account for it hereafter And indeed it stands to reason that they should not for Pastors and Bishops are set over the Church are Overseers of the Flock to instruct and govern it and therefore must be distinguished from the Church which they govern The Church is the mystical Body of Christ which is in subjection to Christ the Head but the Bishops and Pastors of the Church considered as such represent the Head and not the Body for they receive their Power and Authority from Christ and act in his place and stead as he tells them after his Resurrection As my Father hath sent me so send I you 20 John 21. And He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me 10 Matth. 40. and 13. John 20. And therefore as Christ the Head is distinguish'd from his Body so are those also who act under the Head and represent and exercise his Authority in the Church as private Believers they are the Members of the Church as Church-Governours they are the Vicars of Christ. Now from hence I shall observe some few things the use of which we shall afterwards better understand As 1. That Bishops and Pastors are not the Church but the Governours of the Church and therefore the Promises