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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	3,670	5	9.2967	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93887	Zerubbabel to Sanballat and Tobiah: or, The first part of the duply to M.S. alias Two brethren. By Adam Steuart. Whereunto is added, the judgement of the reformed churches of France, Switzerland, Geneva, &c. concerning independants, who condemne them with an unanimous consent. Published by David Steuart. March 17. 1644. Imprimatur Ja: Cranford.; Duply to M.S. alias Two brethren. Part 1	Steuart, Adam.; Steuart, David, fl. 1644.	1645 (1645)	Wing S5494; Thomason E274_14; ESTC R209896	100,836	110

comprehends a certaine number of persons of one or divers places Here it is to be observed 1. That the Church may be denominated universall or particular either absolutely or respectively in relation to another bigger or lesse so Absolutely the universall Church comprehends in its selfe all the Churches of all times of all places of all forts of Persons Angels and men of all Estates or conditions and Covenants As that in the Covenant of integrity naturall or supernaturall as of Angels and men before their Fall and that in the state of sin under the Covenant of Grace and in the state of Glory And according to this consideration the Church of the Angels is one particular Church That of Mankind another The Triumphant and Militant two others and in a word all the parts thereof may be called particular Churches Respectively the Church of Mankind is an universall Church in respect of its parts as of that before and after the Fall the Triumphant and Militant so the Church after the Fall is universall in respect of that of the Old and New Testament which be its parts and the Christian in respect of its parts in Heaven and on Earth of the Primitive and that of subsequent times that which is in all the world in respect of its parts in divers Kingdomes Provinces c. But that which is most to the purpose in this our Discourse is the Catholick Christian Church here upon earth 6. Againe the Militant Church whether she be considered according to her universality and totality or particularity in her severall parts and Assemblies in respect of her internall and externall forme is either visible or invisible The invisible Church is that which cannot be seene but only is beleeved by Faith The visible is that which we see or behold where it is to be observed 1. That the word visible is not to be taken here strictly for the object of the sight alone or the word see or behold for the act thereof but in a more full signification for that which any waies is perceptible by the eye or any externall or internall Sense or by naturall Reason such as are the confession and profession of Christian vertues the exercise of their externall Acts whereof some be apprehended by the sight and Eye as the acts of Charity some by the hearing and Eare as the confession of Faith some by feeling as the assistance and attendance upon the Sicke some by the internall Senses some by Act of Reason only and the reason of this is because the word visible must signifie all that which is denyed by invisible now invisible signifies a negation of all that can be apprehended by any Sense or Act of Reason Ergo the word visible must signifie that which can be apprehended by any Sense or Act of Reason so that it belong to the Externall Form of the Church which represents the internall Forme thereof 2. Besides that it is here to be observed that the visible Church of it self is evermore visible and conspicuous but by Accident becomes sometimes invisible latent obscure and unseene and that 1. either because of the persecution Shee suffers by her enemies when Shee hides her selfe in the Wildernesse or 2. by reason of her slitting from one place to another as when Shee went from Hierusalem to Pella or 3. because of the weaknesse of the sight of the Seer as in Eli 1 King 9. verse 4. for want of sight as to those to whom as the Gospel so the Church professing the Gospell is hid and invisible 2 Cor. 2 3 4. 3. Finally It is not to be omitted that this is not a Division of the Churchinto two Species or two integrant parts or any waies into parts really but Accidentally distinguished For a Church altogether one in the same time and place and according to the same parts may be howsoever according to divers considerations and Formes which be the grounds of divers considerations it may be Visible and Invisible as the Church of Geneva which is visible in respect of her externall forme viz. Confession of the true Christian Faith the profession thereof and other christian vertues Item in respect of her Discipline c. And the same Church in respect of her internall Forme viz. Faith Hope Charity the Spirit of Christ c which be spirituall qualities altogether invisible in the sense before declared is altogether invisible 7. The Militant Church both in her totality and partiality may be divided into two integrant parts viz. into the Over-seers that preach teach rule c. and the Flock which is over-seene And they be the two principall parts concurring to its integrity without the which it cannot be a totall or whole visible Church and therefore a Church without Oversseers is not a whole visible Church I say a whole or totall Church for without Pastors it may be a totum essentiale i.e. essentially a Church for Pastors are not absolutely necessary for the essence but for the integrity of a Church Item I say without Over-seers 1. All Over-seers for it may be that a Church may subsist without Pastors alone or Doctoss alone or Rulers or Elders alone or Deacons alone but not without all 8. The Militant visible Church whether it be conceived in its universality and totality or in its particularity in severall Congregations is either Reall or Representative The Reall Militant Church is any visible Church here upon Earth composed of all its reall Professors of the Gospel The Representative Church is an Assembly of certaine Persons or Church-Officers in an Ecclesiasticall Iudicatory chosen out of the whole Body of the Reall Church to represent it as it is such be the Sessions or Consistories the Synods Provinciall and Nationall As for the Reall visible Church some thinke that it is very probable that it is never altogether without Iustifying Faith but it is probable that where there be very small Congregations of seven or eight persons they may be all without Faith and especially where the Church is corrupt or where the Members are all vicious and dissolute Their conjecture will hold more probable in great Congregations in Provinciall and Nationall Churches But in a Representative Church composed of very few Church-Officers it is very probable that sometimes they may all be without Faith howsoever they represent a Church of Reall Beleevers for to represent Reall Beleevers it is not absolutely necessary that they that are to represent them be Beleevers or have the same essentiall and internall Forme with those whom they represent but that they have the externall confession and profession of their Faith whereby they represent them nor represent they their Faith but their profession of faith So the Image of Caesar represents really Caesar without any humane nature such as is in Caesar and so may men without Faith represent them that have Faith By the word Church we must understand the Militant Christian particular and reall Church consisting of one Congregation These

the Church By their naturall estate or condition I understand either their estate of integrity as that of the good Angels who continued in their Originall purity and of the wicked who afterwards apostatized and of Adam Eve before their fall or of corruption such as is that of all mankind after our first sin By the word called here must be understood the act of vacation by Gods word either internall speaking unto Angels or mens Consciences by the light of nature or supernaturall Inspirations 1 Cor. 1.9 1 Pet. 5.10 1 Thes 2.12 and 4.7 or externall such as is the vocall and written word of God or any other externall signe presented to our outward Senses by him as 1 Jo. 1.3 2 Thes 2.4 Heb. 1.1 And therefore the Elect before they be borne and called are not properly or actually but meerly potentially and vertually members of the Church 1. For how can he be a member of the Church who is not yet in Rerum natura 2. By the same reason the Church should have been actually before the Creation of the world and before she was created from all eternity for God elected his Church from all eternity 3. Men of age should be actually members of Christs Church without Faith for they have not actually Faith by Election but by their efficacious Vocation 4. And howsoever the Decree of Predestination or Election be requisite and be the first cause of the Church and of all the members thereof and it being put all the second Causes must needs be yet makes it not them to be when it is its self but in their own time and in due season when it is put in execution by some externall act of Gods Almighties power which can not be eternal as his Decree but temporal 5. Because Gods Church is an House a Family and a City which can not be built of stones that are not or composed of Domesticks and Citizens that are not in this world 6. A man cannot be the Brother of Christ and member of his church before he be regenerate or born againe how much lesse before he be generated or born unlesse ye will say that he may have his second birth or generation before he have the first Out of this naturall estate c. here is expressed Terminus a quo et ad quem from whence and whereunto the Church or the members thereof are called Terminus a quo or from whence is from the estate of Nature pure and incorrupt not incorruptible as was that of the Angels and of man before his Fall or of corrupt nature such as hath been that of mankinde since their Fal. Terminus ad quem or whereunto they are called or which can intend is Grace in this life and supernaturall Glory in that to come By supernaturall Glory must be understood supernaturall Beatitude or felicity which is the last aym their summum bonum or greatest good and perfection whereunto they tend or which they can intend And this in respect of entire and pure or immaculate Nature is absolutely called Beatitude or Felicity but in regard of corrupt Nature Salvation for it is not a man without sin as Christ or Angels that never sinned but Adam his posterity that are said to be saved from their sins and misery whereunto by sin they are subject Means are called convenient when they are fit to effect that which by them is intended such in respect of Angels was the Law of Nature printed in their Understanding answerable to their spirituall Nature some Supernatural Precepts also for they were bound to beleeve the Trinitie answerable in Adam before his Fall was the Law and such respect to the spirituall and corporall nature whereof he was compounded as the Morall Law and some supernaturall Precepts to beleeve the Trinity c. proportionate to the end and aym viz. supernaturall glory whereunto he should tend and which he should intend And in regard of all mankind since our Fall is the Covenant of Grace and the means to fulfill it as Faith Hope and Charity The Church in this vast and large signification contains 1. in it self the company of Angels 1. because the Scripture sayes so Heb. 12.22 23. 1 Pet. 1.12 2. because they are our Fellow-servants and our Brethren Apoc. 19.10 and 22.9 they belong to one society with us 3. because the Angels are our Con-disciples in studying the Gospel with us 1 Pet. 1.12 4. Because they are Subjects with us of one Celestiall Republike and Citizens of one Celestiall City 5. Because we aspire to the same Beatitude and Felicity with them viz. to the vision of Gods face and ardent Charity 6. Because in respect of our spirituall part and the Faculties thereof our Intellect and Will we are capable of the same union with God 7. Because Christ is head of the Angels as well as of Men Col. 2.19 Eph. 4.15.8 Because he is their Creator Conservator Mediator God gathered in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are in Earth and every thing in them Eph. 1.10.9 Because the Angels adore Christ Hebr. 1.6.10 Because all things yea the Angels are subject to Christ Hebr. 1.7 2. It contains men in Heaven and in Earth for the Church in Earth and in Heaven differ onely as a man travelling and one arrived to his Port or home All these that are or shall be saved those that are already born and to be born regenerate or to be regenerate howsoever they that are not yet born or regenerate be not actually members of the Church till they be born and regenerated This Church in regard of its materiall parts integrity and quantity may be distinguished 1. into the Catholike or universall and particular Church The Catholike Church is that which before we defined composed of all the Elect Angels and Men. 2. Again it is to be observed in passing of this Word Catholike Church that it is not a term of Scripture nor was any man called a Catholike in the Apostles time if we beleeve Pacianus epist 1. Ad Sempronianum neither in their time was the Christian Faith spread Catholikely or Universally through all the World and hence many Protestants infer that the Creed I mean that of the Apostles was not framed by them Neverthelesse we have some terms in Scripture equivalent unto it as that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 12.23 that signifies a generall Assembly Item the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem ver 22. the Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven c. The Church then is called Vniversall 1. in respect of her Intrinsecall and Essentiall form viz. internall vertues viz. Faith Hope Charity and the Spirit of Christ which be all and the same in all the members thereof for howsoever the Church in respect of some Gifts otherwayes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Schoolmen gratia gratis data is distributed by Christ unto some of her members not so much for

their own as for other mens use and salvation to be a corpus heterogeneum dissimilare an Organicall Body composed of divers parts of different names and natures one from another and from the whole Body having different functions and operations as of prophecy government of Miracles c. as a man of his head legs and arms whereof the one is not of like nature or like name with an other or with the man for the leg is not the head nor a man as the Apostle declares neverthelesse in regard of her spirituall and saving gifts as Faith Hope Charity c. wherein consists her intrinsecall form conferred upon the Elect for their own use otherwayes called by Schoolmen gratia gratum faciens Grace that makes us acceptable to God it is totum homogeneum or similare a similary Body Composed of the like parts whereof every one hath the same name and nature one with another and with the whole Body for all the members of Christ have the like Faith inclining to the like Acts of Beleef the same Mysteries and a like Charity inclining to the like Acts of love to all men and especially to the Houshold of Faith So every particular Church is a Church one as another and as the universall Church I speak here of the redeemed Church for the Church of Angels and of men before their Fall be not parts homogeneall with the redeemed Church because of their dissimulary Covenant and intrinsecall formes and vertues Item the Church may be denominated universall in regard of her extrinsecall and accidentall forme consisting 1. in the externall profession of her intrinsecall Christian vertues by confession of her Faith Hope and exercise of Charity and holinesse of life 2. In her participation of the holy Sacraments according to Gods Word 3. In her extrinsecall sound Discipline and Government which should be in every Church Againe the Church may be universall in respect of some Circumstances viz. of time place persons and Ages 1. of time because the Christian Church from her first institution by Christ till the end of the world shall never decay 2. of place not positively as if it were in all places but negatively because it is not excluded from any place as that of the old Testament limited within the confines of the Holy Land but spread through all the world Psal 19.5 Mat. 26.13 Col. 1.6.3 of Persons of all Ages Sects and Conditions for no man is excluded from the Gospell neither Iew nor Greeke neither Servant nor Freeman neither Male nor Female Gal. 3.28 2. And it may be distinguished according to her materiall or integrant parts into the Church of Angels and of men But the Scripture has very little of that of the Angels so as we may let it passe 3. That of men may be distinguished according to the state and condition thereof into that which is Militant here on earth fighting against Sathan and Triumphant and victorious in Heaven reigning eternally with God 4. The Militant according to the state thereof and Covenant is distinguished into that which was before the Fall that after the Fall The Church before the Fall was composed of Adam and Eve alone and governed by the Law of Nature and some supernaturall Precepts and called to supernaturall felicity I say composed of Adam and Eve alone viz. actually for howsoever before the creation of Eve God or Christ was his head yet could he not be his Head as of a Church 1. For a Church is a company not of the Head and one member but of the Head and many members Rom. 12.5 Eph. 1.22 23.2 Because before the Creation of the Woman there was no symbolicall Law nor Sacraments of the Covenant ordained by God as the Tree of Life 3. Because the Church is a Family a City a Kingdome which cannot consist of one member Col. 1.13 Rom. 14.17 1 Tim. 3.15 Apo. 21.2 Matth. 13.11 Item a body composed of sundry members 1 Cor. 12. a flocke 1 Pet. 5.2 which is not composed of one sheep yea after the Creation of Eve it was not a perfect or compleat Church but in fieri tending to perfection by the propagation of mankind and perfected in its fieri when it was breeding for to a perfect Church is requisite a Ruler or Rulers and some to be ruled and not one alone 2. Because the Church is a Society like to that of a Kingdom or a City which can not consist of two persons only 3. Because howsoever three may compound a Colledge yet can they not make up an Ecclesiasticall or politicall Society 4. Because in a Church there must be power of Excommunication which cannot subsist in two for if the one should Excommunicate the other the Church should perish which is repugnant to the nature of Excommunication which is not given to the destruction but to the conservation of the Church 1 Cor. 5. 5. Because it was imperfect in its ayme in respect of man for it brought no man to felicity or glory 6. Because to every Reall Church correspond some Representative Church which is a sign of the Reall and not altogether the same but there could be no representative Church before the Fall correspondent to it different from it selfe because these were but two persons not differing from themselves notwithstanding it might have been represented by an Ambassadour but not by a Church The Militant Church after the fall is that which is redeemed by Christ called in him to the forgivenesse of their sins and eternall Glory 5. This in regard of time and state is either before Christ as that of the Old Testament wherein Christ was obscurely revealed or of the New since his comming wherein he is more cleerly revealed which for this cause is called the Christian Church partly because it is since Christ partly because Christ is more visibly revealed unto her partly because he in Person revealed himselfe and his Gospel for the Law was given by Moses but Grace was given by Iesus Christ Iohn 1. The particular Church is only a part of the Universall or totall Church And as the universall is universall 1. In regard of Time which comprehends all the Churches of all times 2. Of place which comprehends the Churches of all places or through all the world 3. Or of Persons which comprehends all forts of persons so the particular is either 1. in regard of time which only comprehends in its selfe the Churches of a certaine time as that of the Old Testament which was before the comming of Christ in the flesh and that of the New which is since his comming So we call the Church Primitive that which was before our times immediatly after Christ his comming and some time after 2. Or in regard of places as when we say that a Church is Nationall which is in one Kingdome or Republick Provinciall that is in one Province and Parochiall which is confined within the limits of one Parish 3. Or in regard of Persons which

is to be created Pastor be of a vicious and scandalous life The second belongs not to every one of the People but only to Church-Officers who are presumed capable to judge of Doctrine and of his ability for the Ministery Now whether this belongs to Pastors alone or to the Ruling Elders also I will not dispute only they say that they only can examine his Doctrine that have the capacity to judge of it To these two may be referred the voycing of his probitie and capacity for his Doctrine which belongs to the Pastors and Elders or to the Representative Church for howsoever the People may assist at the Action to accuse the person that is to be received of ill life or false doctrine or of ignorance yet for the Reasons above proposed they are not to be accepted in voycing either of his life or Doctrine but that belonging to the Pastors alone 1 Tim. 3.15 and chap. 5. v. 11 22. The third viz. the right of Ordination or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemes only to belong to the Pastors neither doe our Brethren deny it and it may be proved from 1. Tim. 3.14 Tit. 1.5 As for the Admission or Acceptation of a Minister into a particular Church it belongs to the people or to the whole Congregation for as a Husband is not to be urged upon a woman against her will but it being not Concubitus consensus qui facit matrimonium no more is a Pastor upon a particular Church and howsoever he may goe to the Pulpit and preach among them yet unlesse they consent he is not their Minister Now to apply this to the present Passage I say that the examen of life and Doctrine in this Election of Matthias belonged to the Apostles and other Church Officers whereunto might be admitted such of the People as had the capacity so did the Deliberative and the Decisive voycing as likewise the power of Ordination belonged to the Church-Officers alone And yet the People were there 1. to propound if they knew any impediment against his Vocation 2. to know that he was chosen 3. to admit him as a Minister of the Universall Militant Church upon Earth and in this they might voyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by giving their consent in stretching out their hands Neither can they or any man living draw any more from this Text But note here that the Vocation of a Minister Essentially and Formally consists in the Decisive voycing and in his Ordination The examen of his life and Doctrine are only Antecedents and the Admission of the people only Consequents of the Vocation and so Accidentally it belongs to the People but Essentially to Church-Officers only But what if the Congregation will not admit the Minister that is ordained A. I answer 1. That the Representative Church should not ordaine a Minister till they be assured of some Flock or Congregation that will admit him for their Minister 2. That if after they have promised to admit him they admit him not they doe wrong to the Church He is their true Pastor and they are to be commanded to admit him even as a woman that hath lawfully consented to marriage by her contracting of her selfe to such a man 3. If they will not obey neverthelesse he is a Minister yea their Minister and hath power to teach though he cannot exercise it for want of a Flock But it concernes the Church to provide him of some Flock 7. Others answer that the People may have a hand in the Election of their Church-Officers in Ecclesia constituenda such as this was but not in constituta The Passage which our Brethren bring out of Acts 6.2 3. and 5 6. prove not That every one of the people had power of Iurisdiction and of the voycing in the Election of the seven Deacons to the exclusion of children yong men men of weak Iudgement notorious Sinners and women for the Text hath no such thing in it 2. It may be doubted whether the multitude of the Disciples v. 2 3. signifie the promiscuous multitude or the multitude of the seventy Disciples chosen by Christ 3. But suppose it signifie generally Christs Disciples and not precisely those seventy yet it is not said that they created or ordained the Elders 4. The contrary may be concluded from the v. 4 5. Then the Twelve called the multitude of the Disciples unto them and said Looke yee among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisedome whom we may appoint over this Businesse where yee see that the Apostles appointed their Deacons and not the People only the People sought out those seven men as knowing better what kind of men were among them then the Apostles And they presented them to the Apostles to be examined in their lives and Doctrine before the Church-Officers and to be ordained by them So that the Apostles 1. ordained the Office 2. commanded the People to seeke out honest Men. 3. examined them 4. and appointed or ordained them The people only had the power to inquire of their lives and to admit or approve them by their consent and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 5. After that They were ordained by the Church-Officers that were present in the whole Action and had seen all things passed without partiality as I have above declared 5. If the People had had any voyce here which cannot be collected out of this Text yet it should only follow that they had this power in Ecclesiâ constituendâ but not in constitutâ i. e. in the first Institution of Churches or Church-Officers but not in a Church already established and furnished with all her ordinary Church-Officers say others The Place Acts 14. verse 22. whereon they insist so much hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when they had ordained them Elders in every Church Here they conceive that the word signifies to create Ministers by Suffrages of the People who had voyce in the creating of Elders A. To this some answer and that very probably that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath three divers significations 1. that it signifies the same that the latin word suffragari or porrectis manibus suffiagia ferre to give their approbation by lifting up or stretching out their Hands 2. to choose in any fashion whatsomever Acts 10. verse 41.3 for the imposition of Hands commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so it is taken in some of the Fathers Writings so they say that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here may be taken either in the second or third signification and that it cannot be proved from the Text that it is taken in the first But they take that for granted which they are not able to prove 2. Put the case it signifie here to ordaine by the Consent of the Peopte yet followes it not that this Consent of the People was a Voyce because it was not asked of every man a part neither hath the Text that nor can it be