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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A53732 The true nature of a Gospel church and its government ... by the late pious and learned minister of the Gospel, John Owen ... Owen, John, 1616-1683. 1689 (1689) Wing O815; ESTC R13410 211,358 294

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And unless this Union be dissolved unless a Church be disunited from Christ it cannot be so from the Catholick Church nor any true Church of Christ in particular however it may be dealt withal by others in the World. FROM Christ as the Head and Spring of Union there proceedeth unto all particular Churches a bond of Vnion which is his Holy Spirit acting it self in them by Faith and Love in and by the ways and means and for the ends of his appointment THIS is the Kingly Royal Beautiful Vnion of the Church Christ as the only head of Influence and Rule bringing it into a Relation unto himself as his Body communicating of his Spirit unto it governing it by the Law of his Word enabling it unto all the Duties of Faith Love and Holiness FOR unto the compleating of this Vnion on the part of the Church these things are required 1. Faith in him or holding him as the Head in the sincere belief of all things concerning his Person Office and Doctrine in the Gospel with whatever belongs thereunto 2. Love unto him and all that is his 3. That especial Holiness whose foundation is Repentance and Effectual Vocation 4. The Observance of his Commands as unto all Duties of Divine Worship These things are essentially requisite unto this Union on the part of the Church The Reality and Power of them is the internal form of the Church and the profession of them is its external form 2. THERE concurreth hereunto an Vnion among themselves I mean all particular Churches throughout the World in whom the Church Catholick doth Act its Power and Duty And the Relation that is between these Churches is that which is termed Relatio aequiparentiae wherein neither of the Relata is the first foundation of it but they are equal It doth not arise from the Subordination of one unto another they being all equal as unto what concerns their Essence and Power And the bond hereof is that especial Love which Christ requireth among all his Disciples acting it self unto all the ends of the Edification of the whole Body TAKE in the whole and the Union of Churches consists in their Relation unto God as their Father and unto Christ as their only immediate Head of Influence and Rule with a participation of the same Spirit in the same Faith and Doctrine of Truth the same kind of Holiness the same Duties of Divine Worship especially the same Mysteries of Baptism and the Supper the observance of the same Rules or Commands of Christ in all Church-Order with mutual Love effectual unto all the ends of their Being and Constitution or the Edification of the Church Catholick THERE may be failures in them or some of them as unto sundry of these things there may be differences among them about them arising from the Infirmities Ignorance and Prejudices of them of whom they do consist the best knowing here but in part but whilst the substance of them is preserved the Union of all Churches and so of the Catholick Church is preserved THIS is that blessed oneness which the Lord Christ prayed for so earnestly for his Disciples that they might be one in the Father and the Son one among themselves and made perfect in one Joh. 17.20 21 22 23. without any respect unto that horrid Image of it which was set up in the latter days of the Church which all Men were compelled to bow down unto and Worship with the fire of Nebuchadnezzars Furnance Of any other Union there is not the least mention in the Scripture THIS Union of the Catholick Church in all particular Churches is always the same inviolable unchangeable comprehending all the Churches in the World at all times not confinable unto any State or Party not interruptible by any external form nor to be prevailed against by the Gates of Hell and all such Disputes about a Catholick Church and its Vnion as can be so much as questionable among them that profess to believe the Gospel are in direct opposition unto the Prayers and Promises of Jesus Christ. Whilst Evangelical Faith Holiness Obedience unto the Commands of Christ and Mutual Love abide in any on the Earth there is the Catholick Church and whilst they are professed that Catholick Church is visible other Catholick Church upon the Earth I believe none nor any that needs other things unto its Constitution THESE things being premised I proceed unto that which is our present Enquiry namely Wherein the Communion of particular Churches among themselves doth consist THE Communion of Churches is their joint actings in the same Gospel Duties towards God in Christ with their mutual actings towards each other with respect unto the end of their Institution and Being which is the Glory of Christ in the Edification of the whole Catholick Church AS unto the actings of the first sort the ground of them is Faith and therein is the first Act of the Communion of Churches And this Communion in Faith among all the Churches of Christ is two-fold 1. General in the belief of the same Doctrine of Truth which is according unto Godliness the same Articles of Faith and the publick profession thereof so that every one of them is the Ground and Pillar of the same Truth This the Primitive Church provided for in Creeds and Symbols or Confessions of Faith as is known But as never any one of them was expresly owned by all Churches so in process of time they came to be abused as expressing the sence of the present Church whether true or false Hence we have as many Arian Creeds yet extant as those that are Orthodox But unto the Communion of all particular Churches in the World there is nothing required but a belief of the Scripture to be the Word of God with a professed assent unto all Divine Revelations therein contained provided that no Error be avowed that is contrary to the principal or fundamental Doctrines of it For although any Society of Men should profess the Scripture to be the Word of God and avow an Assent unto the Revelations made therein yet by the conceptions of their Minds and misunderstanding of the sence of the Holy Spirit therein they may embrace and adhere unto such Errors as may cut them off from all Communion with the Catholick Church in Faith. Such are the denial of the holy Trinity the Incarnation of the Son of God His Divine Person or Office the Redemption of the Church by his Blood the necessity of Regeneration by his Spirit and the like And they may also add that of their own unto their professed Belief as shall exclude them from Communion with the Catholick Church Such are the Assertion of Traditions as equal with the written Word of another Head of the Church besides the Lord Christ of another Sacrifice besides what he once offered for all and the like But where any are preserved from such Heresies on the one hand and the other there is no more required unto Communion with