The second tearme to be opened is what is meant by visible The Church is distinguished into visible and invisible which yet are not two distinct Churches or species of Churches but it is a distribution of the Subject by the Adjunct viz. à duplici modo communionis externo interno Such as have spirituall communion with Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inwardly are said to be invisible members which are only known to God and not men having this seale the Lord knoweth who are his Such as have externall communion in outward ordinance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are called visible members because their communion is visible and apparent Now only the invisible company have communion for life and are elect many of those that have externall communion and are visible members shall perish And yet by reason of their profession are said 2 Thes 1.1 to be in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ as Ames also confesseth Such was the Church of Corinth and Ephesus c wherein all were not in communion for life And of such Christ speaketh Joh. 15.2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he takes away These are said to be redeemed 2 Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that bought them And sanctified Heb. 10.29 And hath accounted the bloud of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing And in Pauls exordiums of his Epistles To the Church of God to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 Now we are to know that this distinction of visible and invisible is a very lame one and the lamenesse thereof deceiveth many for whereas all distinctions or distributions should have their parts distinct and different and the more opposite the members thereof be the better the distribution is these two branches of this distinction interfere one with another and the one comprehends the other the visible comprehend the invisible here in this world I meane the persons though not the notions For though indeed every visible member is not invisible yet every invisible member is also visible They that have inward communion with Christ for life are not taught and nourished only by an inward unction or inspiration but are faine to have externall communion also in the outward ordinances of God De Ecclesia vivorum modò agitur cui Symbolum Apostolicum praescriptum est non de coelesti Ramus in Symb. So that this distinction is like the old distinction of gratia gratis data gratia gratum faciens whereas omnis gratia gratum faciens est etiam gratia gratis data If invisible had been taken for Saints in Heaven and visible for Saints on earth it had been a compleat distinction Or if visible had been taken for a Church conspicuous flourishing with liberty of ordinances and invisible for a Church latent as under persecutions and generall heresies then it had been compleat but the tearmes are not used in either of those sences and therefore the distinction halteth So that in what is to be said we must take heed that by visible we meane not only such as are hypocrites and reprobates but those that are also truly godly not only such as make externall profession of faith whereby they are differenced from heathens What a Church visible is but such as have inward sincerity also whereby they are differenced from hypocrites The Church visible is a company of people called by God from Idols to the true Religion and professing subjection to that call which is true of the godly as well as the hypocrites 3d Tearme The third tearme to be opened is universall We are to know that the Church of God admits of severall distinctions from severall accidents As in reference to the time wherein the Church hath or doth exist it is distributed into the Church under the old Testament and the Church under the New And this is distributed againe into the primitive and successive So in regard of the places where the Church doth exist or persons of whom it consisteth it receiveth the distinction of universall and particular Now in this question universall is meant principally in regard of Persons Places and not in regard of time The Church Catholick existing on earth at the same time is compared with particular Churches existing at the same time also Universality is applied to places and persons in the Church at the same time What the universall visible Church is The Vniversall visible Church is the whole company of visible beleevers throughout the whole world Severall men give severall descriptions thereof I shall set down some of them Ecclesia Dei vivi est columna firmamentum veritatis toto orbe terrarum diffusa propter Evangelium quod praedicatur sicut dicit Apostolus in omni creatura quae sub coelo est Aug. Sancta Ecclesia nos sumus sed non sic dico nos quasi ecce qui hic sumus qui me modò auditis sed quotquot sunt Christiani fideles in universo terrarum orbe quoniam à solis Ortu usque ad occasum laudatur nomen Domini Sic se habet Ecclesia Catholica mater noster Aug. Serm. 99. Ecclesia est congregatio sanctorum in quâ Evangelium rectè docetur rectè administrantur Sacramenta Aug. conf Saepè Ecclesiae nomine universam hominum multitudinem in orbe diffusam designamus quae unuâ—se Deum Christum colere profitetur Calv. Instit l. 4. c. 1. Sect. 7. Est Congregatio omnium per orbem universum qui consentiunâ— in fide Evangelica Bulling Est coetus hominum Christum suum negem sacerdotem prophetam profitentium Keckerman In novo Testamento vocamus Ecclesiam pro omnibus qui Christo nomen dederunt Zuinglius Vniversa multitudo Christianorum quae se fidelem censet simul â—nus fidelis populus una Ecclesia dicitur Idem Ecclesia significat totam illam omnium multitudinem quae generatim exvocatione professsione externa aestimatur Trelc Ecclesia est visibilis coetus amplectentium Evangelium Christi rectè utentium Sacramentis Gerard. Statuimus Ecclesiam quandam universalem externam per totum orbem dispersans nobis in sacris literis describi quae visibili quadam politia unicum Ecclesiasticum Organicum corpus constituit sub quo omnes Ecclesia particulares Classicales Provinciales Nationales tanquam partes totius continentur Apollon 29. pag. Vbicunque quandocunque fuerint homines Apostolicâ fide informati Christianam Electorum rempublicam constituunt etiamsi dispersi in omnes Orbis partes Sic Antoninus Philosophus Civem Romanum dixit esse quicunque Romanis legibus viveret Ita quicunque Christianis legibus moribusque vivit ubicunque sit nihil interest civis est Christianus ad publicum de regendâ civitate Dei consilium adhibendus ut Ecclesiae Catholicae disciplina Catholica sit P. Ramus de Eccl. Cathol Sometimes saith Bifield Church signifieth a company of men in one City or
also yet it followes not that there is any such inherent right in every town or family all over the world and that therefore particular towns and familyes in England are debarred of an inherent priviledge belonging to them because necessity may put such an independency on some in an extraordinary case As by Shipwrack or being cast into some Iland not inhabited It is fit that a visible Church Catholike here on earth should Object 3 have a visible head over them that so the body and head may be of the same nature This is the maine argument of the Pontificians for the supremacy of the Pope Answ and that wich made our Divines deny them a Church Catholike visible But to the argument I answer that the Church hath a head of the same nature consisting of body and soule who sometimes lived in this kingdome of grace in the dayes of his flesh and did visibly partake in externall ordinances though indeed now he be ascended into his kingdome of glory yet ceaseth not to be a man as we are though glorifyed and ceaseth not to rule and govern his Church here below for it is an everlasting kingdome Isa 9.7 As when King Iames was translated from Scotland to England and lived here he did not cease to be King of Scotland so neither doth Christ cease to be the head of his Church though he be translated to his other kingdome of glory and as for a vicar or deputy here below it is not needfull We confesse the government of the Church in regard of the head is absolutely monarchicall but in regard of the officers it is Aristocraticall Object 4 Yea but the Church-Catholike cannot be visible because it wanteth a proper existence of its own and existeth only in the existence of particular Churches on the members thereof this objection is somewhat like a former onely there the existence was said to be in the Species here in the members Answ So we may say of every aggregative body A heape of stones existeth only in the existence of particular stones the whole element of water existeth only in particular dropps By this objection you may deny particular visible Churches because they exist not but in particular families and particular families exist not but in particular members but as I said before if the parts do exist the existence of the whole resulteth thereof An army existeth not but in the severall brigades and regiments and they are billeted in distant places and yet having one Generall the same lawes martial the same cause the same enemies though they should never be drawn up together into one body yet are one army So is the Church Catholike one though it never meet bodily because the union is not corporeall but an unity of profession of chief governour of lawes Spirit way and hope Yea the existence of it will the more appeare because it hath priviledges belonging thereunto which particulars have not or but in part and at second hand as shall be shewed in the second question Object 5 But that which you call the Church Catholike visible may by persecutions warres heresies be brought into a very little roome and haply to one congregation or a few persons Answ It is possible yet all the essence Priviledges of the Church Catholike visible are contracted and reserved therein and from them conveyed and derived to those whom they shall convert and so shal dilate it self again And while the Church is but one cōgregation that hath the notion of the Church Catholike more properly then of a particular Church Yea though it be but in one family as it was in the Arke in the dayes of Noah Second Question I come now to handle the predicate of my Question which I may well call a second question and that is Which of these two Churches is Prima and which Orta Before I answer I desire you to remember that the comparison is not between the Invisible and the visible Church but between Churches of the same kinde viz. The Catholike visible and the particular visible Churches And then I answer I conceive the Church Catholike is Prima and the particular Churches are Ortae For First all the names that are in Scripture given unto the Argument 1 Church visible agree primarily to the Church Catholike secondarily to particular Congregations As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are first considered as called out from Idols and devoted to be the Lords people before we can be considered of this or that Congregation And for priority of time we know they were given to the people of the Jewes before ever any Congregationall Churches had existence Acts 7.38 The Church in the wildernesse And the Jewes are frequently called the Lords people So the Church is called the House of the Living God 1 Tim. 3.15 And the ground and pillar of truth The Citie of God Isai 1.21 Gods vineyard John 15.1 wherein branches in Christ bearing no fruit are cut off * John 10.16 Christs Sheepfold a Matth. 3.12 Barn-floore b Matth. 13.37 38. Drag not Wheat-field Kingdome of Heaven a great house wherein were vessels even of dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 These names cannot be limited to or impropriated by any particular Congregation but are first true of the whole Church and of every particular Church as a part thereof I must here remember you againe of that saying of Dr Ames in his Medulla Congregationes particulares sunt quasi partes similares Ecclesiae Catholicae atque adeo nomen naturam ejus participant Where he grants the Church Catholike to have the first right to the name and nature of a Church and the particulars only by participation Secondly that is the primary Church to which the Promises Argument 2 and Priviledges of the Church doe primarily belong but the Promises and Priviledges of the Church doe primarily belong to the Church Catholike Therefore c. The minor I prove because the first Evangelicall Promise that ever was made in the world was to Adam and Eve representing all mankinde and therefore consequently the whole Church of God This was before there was any division or distinction made of Churches into Jew and Gentile Nationall or Congregationall Againe the maine commission for gathering the Evangelicall Church was generall Goe teach all nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost And this was before any divisions or subdivisions were appointed and they were secondarily brought in for order and better edification and being parts of the whole receive particular distinction from the places where they lived and other particularities They all retaine the generall forme and essentiall difference from heathens and among themselves as parts of a similar body are distinguished but by accidentall differences And that Promise that the gates of hell shall never prevaile against the Church is primarily given to the Church Catholike visible here on earth for that in Heaven is not assailed by the
gates of hell but onely that on earth And though it be applicable to the invisible onely yet to those as visible for so they are assailed by persecutions and heresies Againe He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved This doth primarily belong to the Church Catholike and that a visible Church because capable of Baptisme and though it be applicable to every member of any particular Congregation yet not as being a member thereof but of the Church Catholike to which that Promise was made yea look over all the Promises in the New Testament and you shall finde them made in generall without the least respect or reference to the particular Congregations wherein the Beleevers lived In any similar body as water the accidents doe not primarily pertaine to this or that particular drop and secondarily to the whole but first to the whole and secondarily to this or that drop So the Priviledges of the Church doe not primarily belong to this or that particular Church and secondarily to the generall but first to the generall and secondarily to this particular being a part of it The maine Priviledges of the Church visible are first Federall Holinesse to the children secondly right to the Ordinances quoad nos saltem now neither of both these betide any man primarily as a member of a particular Congregation but as a member of the Church Catholike For Federall or Covenant Holinesse whereby the children are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betideth no mans children because the parents are of this or that particular Congregation but because of the Church Catholike and this appeares by divers demonstrations I will give you but one That which should have been though the particular relation had never been and which continueth when the particular relation ceaseth that is not a proper Priviledge of that relation but such is federall Holinesse in regard of relation to any particular Church Suppose those baptized by John Baptist or by Christs Disciples before there was any particular distinction should have any children or the Eunuch if he were an Eunuch by office only and not in body baptized by Philip and went immediately home into his own country should not their children be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suppose a Church dissolved by warre the Minister and people slaine and some women left with childe should be carryed away captive should not those children be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the particular relation is extinct Doe not those women remaine members of the Church Are they to be counted without in the Apostles sence Secondly for Ordinances either of Worship or Discipline they are both Priviledges of the Church Catholike primarily For Worship a man or a childe hath right to Baptisme as a member of the Church Catholike and not of the particular Congregation for they had right before Congregations were distinguished as in John Baptists and Christs time and the Eunuchs case and have right after that relation ceaseth as children born in captivity as in the former instances such children being holy are capable of Baptisme Infantes baptizandi sunt non ut sancti sint sed quia sancti sunt Whitak And therefore no question but any Minister might baptize those children if he could come by them And for hearing the Word of God let a Christian dwell where he will and have opportunity to heare the Word where he can he hath right to it and doth heare it not as a heathen that is without but as his rightfull portion And even in Congregationall Churches the brethren in one Congregation communicate at the Lords Table in other Congregations as occasion is offered And no question but any Christian may joyne in prayer and say Our Father c. with any Christians in the furthest parts of the world And for the Ordinances of Discipline every one as a member of the Church Catholike is bound to submit thereunto and every officer of the Church Catholike visible hath right to power in the Ordinances of Discipline in actu primo every where as shall be shewed more afterward And certainly the Church Catholike even in their representative ministeriall body have more extensive authoritative power then particular Classes or Congregations though haply not more intensive Neither can it be imagined that all the other Priviledges should belong first to the Church Catholike and so descend to particulars and this of Discipline should belong first to the particular congregation and so ascend to the Catholike that some should go in a geneticall method as it were and others in an analyticall Suppose an Apostle should have preached in a citie and converted at first but two or three or converted a company of women as it was Pauls lot to preach to a company of women Acts 16.13 So that they could not be brought in to an organicall congregation could it be conceived that they though baptized were still without and were not their children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if any of them should miscarry in their judgements or practises had Paul nothing to doe to censure them because they were not in a Church way as some terme it or in a particular Congregation though they were in the Church Catholike visible If they were lyable to censure or capable thereof not being in a particular congregation but the Church Catholike only then Discipline belongs to the Church Catholike and that primarily The Keyes of Discipline were first given to the Church Catholike because first given to the Apostles who were generall Pastours and therefore the Keyes are Catholike Also censures past in one Congregation reach the whole Church Catholike visible as shall be shewed more afterward That which belongeth to all and every part of a similar body as parts of that body that primarily belongeth to the whole but so doth Discipline Therefore c. Argument 3 Thirdly Christs Offices are first intended for and executed on the Church Catholike here below He is King Priest and Prophet primarily in respect of the whole and but secondarily in respect of a particular congregation or member Gods aime in Redemption was to redeeme the whole firstly and secondarily particulars God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. And so is the application of that redemption by Christ As a Priest he reconcileth cleanseth and intercedeth for all of the elect and proffers it to the whole Church Catholike visible As a Prophet he teacheth all As a King he ruleth all primarily and particulars secondarily As an earthly King is indeed King of Thomas and John c. but not primarily but secondarily as they are members of his kingdome And the naturall head is indeed head to the little finger and little toe but not primarily but as they are parts of the whole body whereof it is head so is Christ a mysticall King and head first of the whole and secondarily of the particular parts contained in and under the whole Yea Christ may be King Priest and Prophet to