Nam visibile est quod videri potest licet nunquam videtur Visible is that which may be seen though it be never actually seen Videri potest or may be seen is referred to the capability of the object to be seen not to the particular act of every agent at all times But take visible in his sense Quod uâ—o intuitu videri potest as a Kingdom representative in a Parliament Is a Parliament only visible â—o such as do actually see it and invisible to all others Is it not visible because not visum Men know it may be seen though they see it not though they exercise their knowledge only about it and not their senses yet that makes it not a genus or secunda notio It is visible though not actually seen Cameron de Ecclesiae conspicuitate pag. 245. saith the Church is visible as the world is we cannot see the whole world together but secundum partes successivè non uno obtutu attamen nulla est pars terra habitabilis quae non possit cerni Now only the invisible company have internal spiritual communion and are elect many of those that have external 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 Iesus Christ as Ames also confesseth Ames med lib. 1. cap. 32. art 9. Such was the Church of Corinth and Ephesus c. wherein all were not in communion for life And of such Christ speaketh Ioh 15. â— Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he takes away And vers 6. If a man abides not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned 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 to his Epistles To the Church of God to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 These are called the sonnes of God Gen. 6.2 And Deut. 14.1 It is spoken of Israel in general ye are the children of the Lord your God And Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus Now it is not to be conceived that all the members of the Churches in Galatia were true beleevers They are called the children of the Kingdom Mat. 8.12 i. e. reputed so but yet many of them were cast out into utter darknesse And Act. 3.25 Ye are the children of the Covenant which God made with our fathers Their advantage by being of the visible body was great every manner of way Rom. 3.1 2. To them pertained the adoption Rom. 9.4 and the glory and the Covenant and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Which adoption is not internal adoption proper only to true beleevers for it is a priviledge belonging to the body of that people but it is the honour of being separated and reputed the children of God and so to live under the external Covenant and service of God and promises though they had not grace to improve them They are called Ro. 11.17 branches of the true olive partaking of the root and fatnesse of the Olive which were broken off and others ingraffed in their room which cannot be meant of the invisible company of elect but the visible Church God did not blot some out of his book of election and put others in or break off any true beleevers and graff others in but only out of their visible Church standing and partaking in outward Ordinances Object But is not this absurd that Christ should have wicked men who are limbs of Satan to be of his mystical body Carnal wicked men to be members of such a gracious glorious head Answ If by mystical body be meant the company of elect faithful ones that are knit to Christ by the Spirit on his part and by faith on their part and receive spiritual sap and vertue and grace from Christ internally it were altogether absurd to suppose any limb of Satan were so but mystical body is taken in opposition to a natural and civil body Now draw a word as suppose head from its natural and proper signification to a civil use and head will signifie a King who is called a civil head and then draw it to a theological use and it is called a mystical use of that word and so Christ is called a spiritual or mystical head and the Church a mystical body And in this sense mystical and organical are competible for both visible and invisible members may be said to be of the mystical body of Christ though in a different respect in regard of their communion the one visibly only the other not only vâ—sibly but also invisibly And in this sense M. Cotton in his Catechism cals a particular Church a mystical body of Christ wherein all are not of the invisible company And as the body admits of such a distinction so doth the head also for Christ affordeth spiritual communion to some inwardly as well as outwardly by Ordinances even saving graces and comforts by the Spirit of grace to others only outwardly by Ordinances and by common works of his Spirit In the same sense that a visible Church may be called a mystical body of Christ Christ may also be called a mystical head thereof As Christ terms himself a Master so he hath evil slothful unfaithful servants and stewards as a King he hath rebels that will not have him to rule over them even in his Church Mat. 25.26 Luk. 19.14 as a shepherd he hath goats as well as sheep Mat. 25.32 as a housholder he hath vessels of dishonour as well as honour 2 Tim. 2.20 Mat. 25.2 as a bridegroom he hath foolish virgins as well as wise invited to the wedding as a husbandman he hath tares among his wheat Matth. 13.25 as a fisherman he hath rubbish in his net as well as good fish Mat. 13.47 as a vine he hath unfruitful branches as well as fruitful Joh 15.6 Christ saith my people are foolish they have not known me sottish children that have no understanding that are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge Ier 4.22 yea stubborn and rebellious people In the N.T. there were some in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 11. that had not the knowledge of God denying the resurrection guilty of drunkennesse at the Lords table guilty of fornication and uncleannesse and lasciviousnesse and had not repented And Tit. 1.16 Paul speaks of some in the Church that professed they knew God but in works denied him being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate And 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godlinesse and denying the power thereof And Phil. 3.18 19. Enemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God
loins And by the same reason when a part of a National Church shall joyn in particular consociation and community in a City or Province or Classis they may receive denomination from thence the one containing a greater part of the Church Catholike the other a lesse For the Church Catholike being a similar body retains the name Church in what parts parcels or quantities soever it be divided into for convenient community until it be brought in minimum quod sic as the Philosophers say i. e. into the least parts that can enjoy publike communion in Ordinances which is a particular Congregation The division of the Church Catholike into particular Congregations seemeth to me to be no further of divine institution then as it fitly serveth for order and edification by cohabitation for enjoyment of Gods Ordinances together publikely as the Jewish Church was divided by Synagogues for their constant enjoyment of word praier and discipline which they could not constantly enjoy as a National Church by their National worship thrice in the year and the same reason will by proportion carry it for Classical Provincial and National divisions for community of a greater part of the Church Gersom Bucerus in dissert de Gub. Eccles p. 11. hath this description of a particular Church Nos particularem Ecclesiam intelligimus quem libet credentium caetum in unam vocationem divinam Evangelij praedicatione sacrarumque Institutionum observatione adunatum ac uni presbyterio subjunctum sacros verò conventus uno aut pluribus locis agitantem Nam paraeciarum in quibus convenitur numerus accidentaria res est nihil ad Ecclesia particularis essentiam pertinens Now this seemeth to me to be a description of a Presbyterial or Classical Church and so not to divide the Church Catholike into any lesse parts for the enjoyment of all the usual publike Ordinances then a Presbyterial Classical Church and so though it be a description of a particular Church indeed yet not of the least particular Church M. Cotton a reverend Minister in N. E. in his Catechism tels us that a visible Church is a mystical body whereof Christ is the head the Members Saints called out of the world and united together into one Congregation by an holy Covenant to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in all his holy Ordinances But with due respect to so grave and worthy a man much of this description seems to me to belong to an invisible Church and not to a visible First because the matter thereof is the mystical body of Christ consisting only of Saints called not only from Idols but out of the world and therefore truly godly but much of the world is in the visible Church Secondly Every Congregation though it be in some sense of the mystical body of Christ yet is not the or a mysticall body of Christ for Christ hath but one mystical body it behooveth therefore a particular Church to be defined with reference to the rest of the body and not to the head only it being but a part of the body It would seem strange to define the little toe to be a body made up of flesh bloud and bone of such a figure enformed by the head without declaring the reference of it to the rest of the body Or a Corporation in England to be a body politick whereof the King is the head or Soveraign without mentioning its reference to the rest of the Kingdom whereof it is but a part and so the King the head or governour thereof but secondarily it being a part of that Kingdom whereof he was Soveraign It is true the Apostle saith the head of every man is Christ. 1 Cor. 11.3 i. e. they are of the body of Christ So it may be said of every Congregation Christ is the head thereof and that it is of his body or kingdom visible Ecclesiastical but then we must adde that which the Apostle doth of the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 12.27 Now ye are the body of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. members of a part rendred in the old English Translation Members for the part in the new Members in particular On which words saith Beza in his large notes upon the place Nam omnes Ecclesiae per orbem dispersae diversa sunt unius corporis membra And the English Annotations upon the Bible paraphrase it thus That is members of this Church of Corinth which is but a part of the Catholike Christian Church for all the faithfull wheresoever they are make the whole body you Corinthians are not the whole body but members only neither all the members but a part only of them Paraeus renders it partiatim Peter Martyr Vosestis pars membrorum Thirdly I dare not make a particular explicite holy covenant to be the form of a particular Church as this definition seemeth to do because I finde no mention of any such Covenant besides the general imposed on Churches nor example or warrant for it in all the Scriptures and therefore cannot account it an Ordinance of God but a prudential humane device to keep the members together which in some places and cases may haply be of good use so it be not urged as an Ordinance of God and so it be not used to inthral any and abridge them of liberty of removal into other places and Congregations for their convenience or urged as the form of a Church I deny not but mutual consent of persons within such a vicinity to joyn together constantly in the Ordinances of God under the inspection of such and such officers is requisite to a particular Congregation But it is the general preceding Covenant sealed by baptism and not this that makes them of the body of Christ they must be conceived to be of the visible body of Christ before they can be fit members to constitute a particular Congregation neither is it this particular Covenant that giveth right to the Ordinances of God but the general and therefore they must be judged to have right thereto before they be admitted as members of the Congregation Only this mutual joyning together and choice of such and such a Pastor or Teacher or ruling Elders giveth such Officers a call to take immediate inspection over them and administer the Ordinances of God belonging to their offices unto them to which they had right before their particular consociation which is but an accidentary thing and may many waies be dissolved and yet they not lose their right to Gods Ordinances by that dissolution Such a consent joyning and call of or submitting to a Presbytery giveth to those Elders right of exercising of their offices over or towards them rather then over others and to them to expect or require the Ordinances of God from those particular Officers rather then from others Fourthly For the enjoyment of all the Ordinances of God in one Congregation it seemeth to me very incovenient for some of the Ordinances and altogether impossible for others
a quovis impio nec pio videri potest saith Whitaker And if the word Church be taken in that sense it is most certainly true it must needs be invisible But there is also an external communion as hath been shewed before which the visible members have both with Christ and one with another which is visible and makes the enjoyers thereof visible one to another and to all others also viz. their praying one with another and for another and their hearing the Word and receiving the Lords-Supper together as occasion is offered and their receiving all those as visible members of the visible mystical Kingdom and body of Christ that are admitted in any part of the Church by baptism and the avoiding of such as are any where excommunicated and the receiving again into communion those that are any where absolved So that there is an external visible Kingdom of Christ as well as an internal and invisible and the elect are of the visible Kingdom as well as of the invisible they are as Ezechiels wheels a wheel in the midst of a wheel It is true which reverend M. Hooker puts me in minde of that these 4. Questions between the Pontificians and our Divines are distinct Vtrum Ecclesia sit visibilis Vtrum Ecclesia visibilis potest deficere An sit semper frequenâ— gloriosa Vtrum Ecclesia opus habet visibili monarchâ summo Judice But they are rather marshalled so by our Divines in their answers then distinguished by themselves for they often confound visible conspicuous glorious manifest specious splendid magnifical and flourishing together yet the Church is visible when latent under persecutions and is deprived of the other properties for all the members even then are not invisible members of Christ Cameron granteth that these properties may betide the visible Church but not alwaies and so say some of the Papists also and that when they do betide the Church they rather shew Quid sit Ecclesia quam quae sit that it cannot be discerned which is the true Church by these accidents of perpetual clarity Cameron de Conspic Eccl. The Pontificians notion of the Church Catholike is very absurd for they hold the name Church-Catholike to belong to one Church viz. the Church of Rome and that being the Church-Catholike and comprizing the universality of the Church in it self all that will be members of the Church-Catholike must submit unto them and be members of that Of which Tylen in Synâ—â—g saith well Orbem urbi includunt And the necessity which they make that this one visible Church should be under one visible universal head on earth viz. the Pope as Christs vicar general is as absurd and therefore they are worthily confuted by our Divines But to deny an external Kingdome or Church of Christ upon earth or to deny the visibility or perceptibility of it or the unity of it or the univesality of it under the Gospel is as I conceive as absurd on the other side To the particulars I shall speak more fully in following Chapters I finde reverend M. Hooker in his Survey of Church-Discipline par 1. pag. 3. acknowledging Christ a political head by his especial guidance in means and dispensations of his Ordinances as well as a mystical by spiritual influence and the Church a political body as well as a mystical The political body or Church-visible saith he results out of that relation which is betwixt the professors of the faith when by voluntary consent they yeeld outward subjection to that government of Christ which in his word he hath prescribed and as an external head exerciseth by his Word Spirit and Discipline by his Ordinances and Officers over them who have yeelded themselves subjects to his headship and supream authority And pag. 25. The visible Church is truly stiled and judged by Scripture light to be the visible body of Christ over whom he is a head by political government and guidance which he lends thereunto 1 Cor. 12.12 And that it is a visible politick body appears quite through the whole Chapter but especially ver 27 28. Because in that Church God set Orders and Officers Some Apostles Teachers Helpers Governments The like to this Eph. 4.12.13 Again p. 16. The Church is the visible Kingdom in which Christ reigns by the scepter of his word and Ordinances and execution of Discipline The testimony cited out of Ames by me was this Congregationes ille particulares sunt quasi partes simulares Ecclesiae Catholica atque adeò nomen naturam ejus participanâ— And further he saith Illi qui proâ—essione â—â—ntum sunt fideles dum remaâ—ene in illa societâ—â—â— sunt membra illius Ecclesia sicut etiam Ecclesia Catholice quo ad statum exterâ—â—m Ames medul l. 1. c. 22. Sect. 11. And in his Bellarminus euerâ—atus he saith Nos fotemur Ecclesiam militantem visibilem esse quo ad formam accidentalem exteruam insuit partibus singulatim conjunctim c. Here I am taxed by M. Ellis vind p 53. for citing this authour for me who is known to be against me But I answer I dealt candidly with D. Ames acknowledging him to be against a Church-Catholike visible in some sense and yet not against it in some other sense 〈◊〉 expresse words declare Neither doth he reject iâ— terminis an universal visible Church in my sense as M. Ellis affirme but my position stands good for ought that I finde in D. Aâ—â—â— though I 〈◊〉 consent to his judgement in all things But let M. Ellis observe that Ames doth not hold the Church which is mystically one to be a genus or one generically sed quasi species specialissima vel Individuum quia nullas habet species propriè dictas Dicitur igitur Catâ—olica non ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 genus aut generale aliquid significat sed ut denotat aliquid significat sed ut denotut aliquid integraliter universale ut quum dicimus Orbis universus quia complectitur fideles omnium gentium omnium locorum omnium temporum Med. l. 1. c. 31. n. 18 19. Again cap. 32. n. 5. he saith Ecclesia particularis respectu communis illius naturae qua in omnibus particularibus Ecclesijâ— reperitur est species Ecclesiae in genere sed respectu Ecclesia Catholicae quae habet rationem integri est membrum ex aggregatione variorum membrorum singularium compositum atque respectu ipsorum est etiam integrum Which is as much as in this part of the question I contended for viz. that the Church-Catholike in regard of the external and accidental form is an integral and not a genus But M. Ellis makes the Church-Catholike one only in regard of the internal essential form and not in regard of any external form wherein he expresly crosseth Ames And therefore I retort it upon him again that he citeth a man for him which is expresly against him The external form is that which is visible and if the
national provincial classical or congregational Church rest in that intensive power that remains within its own limits or also if they stand so as that they cannot combine with neighbours or have recourse unto them Extraordinary cases cannot be regulated by ordinary rules And this I conceive is the reason why the Scripture hath not determined more particularly the Synodical Assemblies but only giveth general rules that may be drawn to particulars because all Churches and seasons are not capable of national or provincial Synods in regard of many things that may be incident In some cases also all civil power must rest in one Congregation as if it were in a wildernesse where there were no neighbour Towns or cities to which it might be joyned Yet it followeth not that it must be so in England or any other kingdom where there are Counties Shires Cities great Towns or a Parliament Yea I know not but a particular family may yea must be independent in such an extraordinary case both in Ecclesiastical and civil matters also yet it follows not that there is such an inherent right in every town or family all over the world and that therefore particular Towns and families 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 Here M. Ellis chargeth me to say that the power of a general Councel or of a Church-Catholike visible is but extensive and only extensive and not intensive and the power of the particular Churches is intensive But Sir do as you would be done by It is not fair dealing to note them as my words which were none of mine nor my sense For first I never conceived a general Councel to be the whole Church-Catholike visible but only an oecumenical ministerial or representative body of Officers or Organs of the Church much lesse the prime Church to which the Ordinances and priviledges of the Church were first given of which I spake as appears in my second part Secondly I never said the power of a general Councel was only extensive for as the particular Officers have intensive power over their particular Congregations so hath a general Councel intensive power also but their power is larger in extension actually then the particular Officers is being Officers sent from a larger part of the Church-Catholike and intrusted by more and acting for more then one Congregation or one Eldership This distinction M. Parker de polit Eccl. lib. 3. p. 121. setteth down in these words Distinguo de potestate clavium quae intensiva aut extensiva est Intensivâ potestate caret nulla Ecclesia prima viz. particularis ne minima quidem extensivâ verò eâ—â— caret quam habet Synodus cum potestas ad plures Ecclesias extenditur And so it neither overthroweth my first nor second tenet as he inferreth Sect. 6. Obj. If there be a Church-Catholike visible here on earth it is fit it should have a visible head over them that so the body and head may be of the same nature Answ This was indeed used as a main argument by the Ponficians for the supremacy of the Pope The avoiding whereof made our Divines so shy of granting a Church-Catholike visible but it was not necessary that they should deny upon this ground as M. Hooker conceives Surv. p. 251. I say it is not necessary to grant a visible head to the Church-Catholike visible no more then to a particular visible Congregation which our brethren hold to be a body of Christ And though they call it a mystical and spiritual body yet that doth not imply it to be invisible The Sacraments are called mysteries and mystical and the Ordinances are called spiritual and yet are visible though the grace signified or conveyed by them to the Elect is invisible They are spiritual in respect of the authour God and the divine subject about which they are in opposition to natural and civil and so our Ecclesiastical Courts were called spiritual though indeed as they managed them they made them carnal and sinful The members of the particular Congregations are visible members and their union and confederation is visible and they are a visible body mixed of true beleevers and hypocrites as Gerard Whitakers Cameron and even M. Bartlet in his model confesseth And their communion is visible and yet there is no visible head on earth required for them and why then should there be for the Church-Catholike Such a head therefore whether visible or invisible present or absent as will serve a particular mystical body of Christ as M. Cotton cals a particular visible Congregation will serve the Church-Catholike visible I answer further that the Church-Catholike visible hath a head of the same nature consisting of body and soul who sometimes lived in this visible kingdom of grace in the daies of his flesh and did visibly partake in external Ordinances though indeed now he be ascended into his kingdom of glory yet ceaseth not to be a man and so visible in his humanity as we are though glorified and glorious yet not lesse visible in himself for that but rather more and ceaseth not to rule and govern his Church here below for it is an everlasting Kingdom Esay 9.7 As when King James 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 and ascended to his other kingdom the kingdom of glory And as for a Vicar or Deputy here below it is not needful We confesse the government of the Church in regard of the head is absolutely Monarchical but in regard of the Officers it is Aristocratical This second answer is excepted against both by M. Ellis vind p. 56. and M. Hooker Sur. p. 258. It is insufficient saith M. Ellis for Christ is head invisible and thence our Divines affirm his body the Church to be mystical also and invisible taken properly I answer That Christ is not only head of the invisible company which headship and body allude to the natural head and body which is indeed the Church in the most proper and prime sense but he is head also of the visible company or Ecclesiastical body in allusion to a civil head or governour Christ not only affordeth invisible communion to his invisible members but externally by Ordinances to both invisible and visible members of the Church yet to both visibly For Christ by his Ambassadours and in his written word speaks externally to their senses and they speak externally to him in praier and singing And as he was once visibly on earth in our nature a visible head of his Church so also if the millenary opinion be true which some of this way hold he shall come again and shall sit and reign a thousand years visibly But whether that opinion be true or no
any one will serve the turn to batter it down it matters not it seems what become of the rest He parallels this place with Eph. 4.4 5. And saith that one body or Church here and there spoken of is meant in the same sense that One faith One Baptism is viz. one in kinde and as there are many single faiths hopes baptisms though one in kinde so there is one body in kinde but many singular bodies vind p. 34. But M. Ellis might have seen that if he had run his parallel a little further he had run over shoes and boots too For there it is said that there is One Spirit one Lord Jesus one God and Father not in kinde but in number and why may not the Church in which there is one individual doctrine of faith and body of laws and into which there is one manner of inrowlment by baptism and in which only there is hope of salvation be one numerically also especially considering that as the head the Lord Jesus Christ is one in number so his body the Church can be but one in number also For Christ hath not more bodies in the same respect then one But even his granting of a mystical onenesse in Essence drives him to grant willingly that this doth imply an union visible also as much as may stand with the institution of Christ and the edification of the Church p. 34. And I think the Presbyterians desire no more Also he saith the Church is one as the worship and government is one viz. for nature and kinde in the substantials of it or that general platform of it Mat. 18. c. but as the Church is not one visible policy or corporation in number so neither in outward government of it vind 35. Answ The Presbyterians do acknowledge many distinct particular corporations of particular Churches exercising government actually and constantly by their own Officers But as this onenesse in kinde of worship and government giveth every private Christian whose constant actual exercise of publike worship is in one Congregation an habitual right to worship God and communicate in any though never so far remote Congregation if occasion serve and makes him liable to reproofs and suspension there if there be known cause why shall not the Officers also whose constant actual exercise is but in one Congregation have the like priviledge to exercise their office in any remote Congregation upon an occasion or call to it But there were two Objections vind p. 35. which played so hard upon him that they beat him from that battery and therefore he betakes himself to another mounted much higher I grant saith he the Apostle speaks of the Church whether visible or invisible universal or particular but not of it in these respects but mystically and totally as comprehending those in heaven also and this sense I will stick unto pag. 35. Now in this body or this Church as Eph. 36. or in this family in heaven and earth as vers 15 He hath set some Apostles some Pastors Though they have exercise of their functions only in that part which is on earth and in that part of it on earth which is visibles yet they are placed in the whole pag. 36. But here M. Ellis grants more then was desired I fear this opinion will prove but a novel opinion and he will have but few fellows to stand by him in managing this piece of battery For as it expresly crosseth D. Ames before-cited who saith the Church-Catholike is one in regard of its external and accidental state and not internal and essential so it crosseth himself who holdeth that the Officers of a particular Church are Officers only in their severall Churches vind p. 8. therefore not set in the Church Triumphant Certainly there they are where they were set but they are in the Church visible militant only the Church Triumphant hath no Officers This opinion will make all the Ministers notable Non-residents who never come at the place where they were set all their life time It were a happy turn for the Ministers if they were all placed in the Church Triumphant as well as militant I am sure many of them will never come there The Saints in heaven have no hand in the election of Officers here below which by his arguing they ought to have as well as the Church-Catholike in the election of every particular Officer vind p. 40. The Church in heaven have neither word Sacraments nor discipline which are counted the notes of the Church where the Ministery is placed The Ministers preach not to them pray not with them have no external communion with them watch not over them neither admonish nor censure them not perform any part of their ministerial office to them Nay the Officers are not so much as placed in the invisible Church on earth for as invisible it hath no Officers but as visible only It is true they are set for the good of the invisible Church and for the perfecting of the Triumphant but they are set only in the visible and they are altogether visible and many of them only visible and yet are true Ministers Are the gifts of tongues and of healing and Deacons set in the whole Church Triumphant as well as Militant Are all that are baptized into one body baptized into the Triumphant as well as militant I think you will not say so But how are we flown from a particular visible congregational Church to the Triumphant on a sudden from one extream to another Remember that of the Poet Ne si dimissior ibis Vnda graves pennas si celsior ignis adurat Inter utrumque vola Medio tutissimus ibis It is clear the Apostle speaks of that body wherein is suffering and rejoycing one with another But Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not It is contrary to reâ—â—on it self that the Officers reckoned up in 1 Cor. 12.28 and Eph. 4.11 should be set in the Church essentially taken for discipline is not essential to the Church but for the â—inâ—esse or well being of it Considering also that by those Officers the Church becometh political It were a paradox to say that a King Judges Justices and Sherifs and Laws c. are given to a Kingdom essentially and not as it is a poâ—â—â—iâ— for they are the very formalis ratio and sinews of the politie thereof without which it might indeed have an essence but no politie Our brethren for Congregational Churches hold that there may be a Church entitive or essential before they choose any Officer else they were in no capacity to choose them how then can Officers aggree to them essentially But it is contrary to sense to say they are set in the Church Triumphant But fearing that he cannot keep this battery he retreats to a third and that is a double one In the general he saith should I grant which I do not that the Apostle is to be understood of the Church on earth yet
this method rightly understood though they were not my words but only collected out of them I conceive that a man of any Nation converted to be a visible beleever is a member of the Church-Catholike entitive being within the general external Covenant and hereby hath right to all Church-priviledges that belong to the whole Church and that his particular membership which he comes to next doth not afford him his right but opportunity only But when M. Hooker comes to shew how this crosseth Gods method he only sheweth that it crosseth the method that God used in the national Church of the Jews which being in populo Israelitico must needs differ from the method in populo Catholico A person being a visible beleever must join himself to the Jewish Church before he can partake of their priviledges because the priviledges by Gods Covenant were so given but now the Covenant is Catholike it is sufficient to be in the general Covenant to make a man have right to the priviledges of the Covenant opporunity indeed cometh by joyning himself with some particular Congregations where the Ordinances are administred or some particular priviledges but not the general For my part therefore I conceive and conclude that the Church-Catholike visible is Totumintegrale and the particular Churches are partes similares or members thereof and parcels thereof As the Jewish Synagogues were of the Jewish Church though with some more priviledge for both Sacaaments And therefore Jam. 2.2 the Apostle calleth a Christian Assembly a Synagogue in the Greek If there come into your Synagogue a man with a gold ring And Heb. 10.23 The Apostle cals their assembling in Christian Congregations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a coming together into a Synagogue So Tylenus in Syntag. de Eccl. dis 1 Thes 3. Quamvis Ecclesiae nomen usitatius sit pro Christiano caetu quà m Synagogae tamen ne hanc quidâ—m appellationem respuit Scriptura Cum enim utriusque Testamenti Ecclesia una eademque sit secundum essentiam uno eodemque nomine utrumque populum indigitare nihil vetat Neither am I averse from the opinion of such who make the several Synagogues of the Jews several depending Churches for they had there the word read and preached and praier and there they kept daies of humiliation and there they had their Officers of the Synagogue and the dispensation of discipline even of excommunication Joh. 9.22 Only the censures were with liberty of appeals in case of male administration And they are called by the Psalmist the houses of God Psal 83.12 And the Apostles separated not from them any where until they persecuted them Totum essentiale sive genericum doth not comprise the form of the species in it self but giveth the matter or common nature to the species but the Church-Catholike is made up of the matter and form of the particular Churches conjoined as a whole house of the particular rooms in it and the particular Churches have in them and consist of part of the matter and part of the form of the whole quâ—ad statum exteruum And these parts are limited and distinguished from others by prudential limits for convenience of meeting and maintenance and transacting of businesse and every Christian is or ought to be a member of the Church in whose limits he dwels being already in the general Covenant by baptism I do not hold as M. Hooker conceives from my words that meer cohabitation divolveth a Church-membership upon a man for then a Heathen Turk or Jew should be a Church member if cohabiting with a Church but I expressed the condition of being baptized and so in the general Covenant and then he ought to associate with the Church where God layeth out his habitation and they ought not to refuse him except there be sufficient cause of censure For of any Christians dwelling in any city or Town where there was a Church and he not to be a member of that Church or to be a member of another Church in another Town or City and reside in his own but per accidens as some distinguish hath neither example nor warrant in the Scripture And must imply either that he holdeth them not to be a Church and so not of the Kingdom of Christ or else such a corrupt part that he dares not joyn himself with them And as a man that comes to dwell in a Town ought not to refuse to be a member of that town but shall be ruled by the Officers thereof in civil affairs and if he like not he may yea must remove from them if he will not submit himself and if he continue with them he will be liable to punishment or restraint by those civil Officers if there be just cause so I conceive If any professed subject of Christs Kingdom shall sit down and cohabit with a Church within the civil limits allotted for such a Congregation he not only ought to associate with them but the Officers of that Church ought to take the inspection of him and if he be dangerously hererical or prophane and thereby dangerous and offensive they ought to take care of his cure and the preservation of the rest of their members by censuring of him whether he will or no in regard of his habitual general membership and their habitual indefinite office And though civil prudential limits wherein a Congregation dwels give no formality to the Church being heterogeneal yet as the limits of the particular seas and their names are from the shoars and lands they are bounded by though heterogeneal so may particular Churches well be bounded and denominated by their civil limits We finde frequently in Scripture the Church which was at Jerusalem Antioch Corinth Ephesus and Cenchrea And so it is in New-Englaad the several Churches are limited and named by the precincts and names of the civil divisions of Towns The Christians of Boston associated together make the Church of Boston if there be any not associated yet it is their duty to joyn and they ought to be received except as I said before CHAP. V. That the Church-Catholike is visible I now proceed to prove the Church-Catholike to be visible Sect. 1. which is the thing so much denied by many Divines There is indeed an invisible Church of Christ and that Catholike but if you take Catholike for Orthodoxal and also for universal and that in the largest sense of all comprehending all places and all times both past present and to come some militant some triumphant for whose sakes principally Christ died and the Ordinances were given and the visible Church was instituted Which invisible company are only known to God and are given by the Father to Christ to redeem and save And these persons though they be visible in their generations and enjoy visible communion in the visible Church whereof they are ordinarily visible members yet besides that they have invisible grace and invisible communion with Christ their head by faith on their parts and the
Oecumenical be one visible Church it is necessary that they should all meet together at some times Answ It is not at all necessary neither to the unity nor yet to the visibility of the Church It is sufficient that the persons be visible in their several places and that they be combined together under the same head by visible laws and profession under the same visible seal and enrowlment walk visibly in the same godly conversation before men pray one for another as fellow-members rejoyce in the wel-fare and mourn for the ill-fare one of another and contribute assistance one to another as occasion is offered As therefore it is not needful to the unity or visibility of a kingdom or Empire that they should meet together sometimes so is it not needful for the whole Church indeed there may be some conveniency in both ad benè vel optimum esse sed non ad esse simpliciter This M. Ellis excepteth against vin p. 55. First he asketh whether ever there were such a kingdom in the world that the members did not meet sometimes if it be not a meer visible monarchy as under Popery If there be any liberty left to the Subjects c. Answ Let him shew that ever the four Monarchies did meet together respectively either in their persons or deputies or delegates from every Province yet that hindered not their unity nor visibility And his answer implyeth that the Ecclesiastical Monarchy under Popery did never meet He makes it but a sign of liberty to meet not a sign of visibility And for the point of liberty inherent in the subjects as their proper right distinct from what is derived and given by Christ as their head there was never any Monarchy so meerly depending on the will of the Monarch as the Church-visible on Christ for the Church deriveth all its power from Christ and hath all its laws given and imposed only by Christ without any vote of the Churches in the making of them It is probable that the kingdoms under the four Monarchies had some enjoyment of their municipal laws only might have some imperial general laws superadded but it is not so in this for the whole Church as a Church hath no laws but of Christs arbitrary donation Christians are not subdued by Christ as Englishmen were by William the Conquerour viz. on condition that he would suffer them to enjoy their former rights and the Laws of Edward the Confessor but absolutely to receive Laws from him And yet this can neither be thought tyranny in Christ nor yet slavery in us for Christs Laws are more beneficial to us then any of our own making and his service is perfect freedom And yet we reade of general Councels of the Church by their delegates which were as it were a ministerial Church-Catholike which in former times of the Church under Christian Emperours were frequent and there is no intrinsecal let in the Church that they do not meet so still but only extrinsecal and extraneous by reason of the divisions among the civil Governours but even in our daies a great part of that great body hath met as in the Synod of Dort c. by Commissioners D. Whitakers and Apollonius acknowledge the meeting Act. 1. to be a general Councel The members were the Apostles who were Pastours of the Church-Catholike and brethren out of Galilee and Jerusalem The work was to elect an Apostle who was to be a Pastor of the universal Church and they that undertake and dispatch such a businesse which concerns the extraordinary teaching and government of the whole Church should represent the whole Church-Catholike M. Ellis vin p. 25. utterly denyeth that ever there was any general Councel which might be said to be the Church-Catholike viz. ministerially But I took general in the usual sense of it and not precisely considered He knows the four Councels are known by the name of The four general Councels And so himself cals them vind p. 15. l. 37. I took the term general in the sense that we cal the four Monarchies the Monarchies of the whole world and yet we know there were many countries that were never under them And as Luke Act. 2.5 saith there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men out of every nation under heaven and yet there were many Nations where Jews never dwelt some of which were discovered lately But let him look into Euseb de vita Constantini lib. 3. and Socrates Scholast lib. 1. cap. 8. and he shall finde from how many Countries the first Councel of Nice was gathered There were gathered saith he together into one the chief Ministers of God inhabiting all the Churches throughout all Europe Africk and Asia That sacred Synod framed as it were by the handy-work of God received also both Syrians and Cilicians and such as came from Phoenicia Aegypt Arabia Palaestina Thebais Lybia and Mesopotamia There was also in this Synod the Bishop of Persis of Pontus Galaâ—ia Pamphilia Cappadocia Asia and Phrygia Moreover the Thracians Macedonians Achaians Epirotes Also of the Spaniards there was an eminent man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop of the imperial city 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Rome by reason of his old age absented himself yet there were present of his Presbyters which supplyed his room Divers things M. Ellis excepteth against that Councel as some extraordinarinesse in the summoning of the members of it without election and delegation of the particular Churches And that Constantine was the visible head of it and that he called for Bishops chiefly if not only which will not be pertinent here to answer Something there might be extraordinary in the summons for the civil and Ecclesiastical State not concurring together until Constantine haply there could not be a regular election In extraordinary times and cases our brethren will grant something may be done extraordinarily as there is in the calling of this present Assembly as is acknowledged by M. Gillespy There were also others besides Bishops and Ministers Neither did Constantine either sit as President of it nor presume to be head but confesseth himself to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by his civil sanction he did confirm their decrees and send them abroad Neither is there any ground that in that or any other Councel the members acted only each for his own particular Church that sent him as M. Ellis suggesterh but the whole for the whole as far as their delegation was I acknowledge there is power given to every particular Church to rule it self and exercise the discipline of the Church for the being and well-being of it ordinarily Yet so as it is a part of the whole Church into which also the censures there passed have influence And on some great occasions there may be cause to ferch help further as Cranmer appealed to a general Councel But if that extensive power cannot be had as now it is very difficult then must the particular
and metaphors whereby the Church-Catholike is called and set out in Scripture which are taken from things which are not only each of them an Integral but each of them one Organical body and in eâ formali ratione lyeth the analogy between them and the Church It is compared unto a natural body which is an organical integral having many members and Organs which though they lie indeed in the several members yet are Organs of the whole and the several members members of the whole and doe their several actions and perform their several offices for the good of the whole and sympathize together 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ This is not meant of the Church of Corinth only but of the Catholike Church because it is the whole body to which Christ is the head and Christs person as the head of the whole and this whole body is called Christ i. e. mystically the whole receiving denomination from the better part the head And so M. Bartlet takes it in his Model pag. 35. for the whole Church And so all Expositors that I have met with except some few of late who to avoid the dint of this argument would have it meant of the Church of Corinth as a particular Church But it will sound very harsh to make Christ and the Church of Corinth to be called Christ when they are but the head and a part of Christs body It is the body whereof Paul was a member v. 13. We are all baptized where Paul puts in himself and all beleevers Object But this is meant of the invisible company of beleevers Answ It is true but it is spoken of them as visible because it is brought in there to shew the diversities of gifts offices operations and administrations in the visible Church there is an eye and an ear c. mentioned and the Officers of the Church named now there are no Officers of the invisible Church as invisible nor different administrations as they are members of the invisible body they are all similar and have the same standing and operations of their general calling as Christians not as Apostles Prophets Evangelists c. And many that have these common gifts of the holy Ghost which are by the Spirit of Christ and the Offices there mentioned were not invisible members of Christ yet were not only members but Officers in this body there spoken of It is also the visible body there meant because the 2. external seals viz. Baptism and the Lords Supper are specified in v. 1◠as means and signs of this union in one body and they are visibly administred There is an invisible body of Christ and a visible the invisible is in organical the visible organical the invisible while they are in the visible Church are visible members thereof and so put on the relation of Officer and private member It is true some things are spoken of the whole in reference to the better part the invisible number and as they 〈◊〉 professed themselves to be of the invisible body so the Apostle speaks of them and to them as if they were as they ought to be and at least made a shew as if they were But that the place is meant of an organical body as one is out of question and that the analogy between the Church and such a body lay in the unity and organicalnesse is as clear The like is spoken Rom. 12.4 5. For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another It is the Church-Catholike not Roman particular Church Paul puts in himself yet had never been at Rome then It is organical for the Officers are there enumerated It is one for there is a sympathy of members spoken of To this purpose is that of Salmas Retinebitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicativa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter omnia membra Dominici corporis i. e. Ecclesiae quae nisi una sit non potest esse vera Appar p. 281. Also it is set out by a political body Sometimes it is called a kingdom and the kingdom of heaven as I shewed before out of many places of Scripture Now a Kingdom is one Organical body for so many men living together within the same limits make not a Kingdom but as it is combined by the same Laws under one Governour or Government In the Heptarchy this one Kingdom since under one King and body of laws were seven Kingdoms Now if the Church-Catholike bears such an analogy to one Kingdom as to be called a Kingdom it is from this that it is one organized Integral It is also called a city and sometimes Jerusalem and as it is reformed it is called new Jerusalem and the members both of Jews and Gentiles are called fellow-citizens Eph. 2.19 Now a City is one Organical body under one common government otherwise so many houses or streets and inhabitants being together would not make them a City Sometimes the buildings and inhabitants which if under one government would make one city and Corporation being great and near and haply contiguous yet wanting a charter to make them a Corporation are none yea by difference of Charter Government and chief Governours are two Cities as London and Westminster The Church-Catholike therefore being one city is one organical body Also it is set out sometimes by one martial or military body and is called an Army terrible with banners Cant. 6. 10. which by some is interpreted Church-censures M. Cotton indeed expounds it of the Church of the Jews when they shall be called home by conversion to the Christian faith to be sure it is the Church-militant Now an Army is one organical body under one General and the same Laws martial though quartered in divers places therefore so is the Church-Catholike It is also set out by an Oeconomical body a family or houshold Eph. 2.19 Now a family is one Organical body wherein are Governours or a Governour and governed an husband father or master and therefore so is the Church-Catholike else the analogy should not hold All these metaphors and many more whereby the Church-Catholike is set out shew it one visible organical body Secondly That the Church-Catholike visible is one society virtually and habitually appears because by Baptism where-ever administred the baptized visible beleever is admitted a member not of the particular Church among whom he was baptized nor to bear any special relation to the Minister baptizing him that he must take a special inspection over him as one of his particular flock and charge but into the whole general body of Christs kingdom visible For as I shewed before there was Baptism administred as the seal of the general covenant before particular Congregations were set up See more of this Qu. 2. S. 2.
Middleburgh and Strasburgh and other places yet because it maketh most for edification and order to have them fixed I shall think they were until the contrary shall be proved but however they ruled in common in the exercise of discipline which is the Ordinance which our brethren are most unwilling to grant should be exercised out of the particular Congregation Sect. 5. Seventhly That Church to which every Christian first bears relation and which relation continueth last and cannot be broken by him without sin is the first Church but such is the Church-Catholike visible Therefore c. The major is undenyable The minor appears because none can be admitted into a particular Congregation except he be judged first of the Church-Catholike and that not meerly Entitive but under the seal of the Covenant administred by some Officer and so stands bound to submit himself to all Christs Ordinances and Officers by one of which he receives his admission So again though he change his habitation never so often bear relation to never so many particular Congregations one after another yet in all those the general relation holdeth stil he is still a baptized visible member of the Church-Catholike and therefore to be received whereever he cometh into any particular Congregation Yea in the interim after his breaking off from one Congregation and placing in another he retains the general relation and baptism and is not an heathen or infidel he is not one without in the Apostles phrase Yea suppose a man should be a Traveller Merchant or Factor and setled in no particular Congregation yet being a Christian he is a member of the Church-Catholike yea and if he breach any errours or live inordinately he shall be accountable to the Church where he for the present resides or such crimes are committed and be liable to their censure as being a member of the Church-Catholike And this appears because the Church of Ephesus is commended Rev. 2.2 for trying strangers that came among them under the notion of Apostles and found them lyars and so would not receive them And our brethren undertake to inflict the sentence of Non-communion for so they call it a sentence of Non-communion denounced Apollog Nar. pag. 18. and 19. against strangers yea whole Churches but how it will stand with some other principles of theirs I know nor if it be a sentence denounced it is a censure and so an act of discipline exercised against those out of their particular confederation which in my apprehension is but changing an old warranted censure of the Church into a new and doubtful one but both seem to agree in the general nature of a sentence or censure Surely hereticks and false teachers are not to be left to the Magistrate only but to be referred to Ecclesiastical trial for those things come not under the cognizance of the civil Magistrate properly or he may be an heathen and will not regard an heretick nor can judge of him Act. 18.15 And if every kingdom will try murther treason or any foul crime committed in the same though by a stranger or alien because the crimes are against their laws and sovereign though their Laws pertain not to the countrey where the forreigner was born and dwelleth then much more shall every Church try those members of the Church-Catholike residing among them for their crimes or false doctrines seeing they have all the same sovereign head the same Laws and are all one habitual body Again It is no sinne for a man to remove from one Congregation to another as oft as occasion or conveniency require but for a man to remove out of the Church-Catholike either Entitive by disclaiming the doctrine and faith of Christ or organical by refusing to joyn to any Christian society or to be under and submit unto any Church-discipline is a great sinne and apostacy No man is accounted a schismatick for removing from one Congregation to another but he that shall separate himself from all Church-communion and shall rend himself from the Church-Catholike he is a schismatick he is an Apostate And therefore the several sects though they pretend because of wants or blemishes to rend from the Church of England or Scotland c. yet not from the Church-Catholike by no means because they know that were a sin Eightly That Church from which the particular Churches spring and to which they are as an additament and encrease that is the prime Church but that is the Church-Catholike Therefore c. The major is clear of it self The minor appears because they are the instrument to convert the rest and bring them into the same kingdom of Christ with themselves Act. 2.47 God added to the Church daily such as should be saved That little handful to which the Catholike charter was first given leavened the whole world and brought them in as an addition to themselves They were to be witnesses in Jerusalem and then in Iudaea and to the ends of the earth Act. 1.8 For the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa 2.3 The Lord shall send the red of his strength out of Zion Psal 110.2 It was with the Church then as was said of the river of Eden Gen. 2.10 A river went out of Eden to water the garden and from thence it was parted into four heads So the water of life flowed from Zion into the four quarters of the world As there is no creek but hath its rise from and continuity with the Main and receives influence from it so there is no particular Church but hath his first rise and ministerial influence from the Church-Catholike and received the Gospel and priviledges of it from thence ministerially God cals no Evangelical Churches by inspiration only but by the ministry of those that are members of the Church-Catholike or some part of it God would not have Cornelius instructed by an Angel though he could have done it but by Peter a Minister of the Church-Evangelical and likewise the Eunuch by Philip. So that the Church-Catholike is as the Sea and particular Churches as so many creeks or arms receiving a tincture and season of her waters The Church-Catholike is as the tree Christ as the root the particular Churches as branches as Cyprian makes the comparison Shee is the mother and they as daughters born of her and receiving from her ministerially both nature and priviledges Gal. 4.26 Paul indeed was called extraordinarily from heaven by Christ himself the head of the Church and not by an Angel that he might be or some conceive a type of the second call of the Jews who as some hold shall be so called as he was by the appearing of the sign of the Son of man and therefore that Church is said to come down from God out of heaven Rev. 21.2 10. And the ground of this type they take from 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all
is their belly whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things See what manner of persons Iude speaks of in 12 13 and 16. verses Spots in their feasts of charity feeding themselves without fear clouds without water carried about with windes trees whose fruit withereth without fruit twice dead plucked up by the roots raging waves of the sea foming out their own shame wandering stars to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts c. Yet these were Gods people by dedication and consecration and God owneth them so And is it not as absurd for Christ to have such branches as such members But though the Metaphor taken from the natural head and members seem to imply such a strict union and communion as to set forth only the elect yet we know that many of them are not called and so in their natural condition as vile as any and even the best on earth are but sinful men yet as it is borrowed from a civil head and political body it is no absurdity at all For God himself is head and Governour of all the world and thereby of devils as well as angels beasts as well as men wicked men as well as good for he is the soveraign ruler over all And Christ Eph. 1.22 is said to be head over all things to the Church his body There is therefore a visible Ecclesiastical body which may also in some sense be called mystical and there is also an invisible spiritual body of the elect only which is most properly called mystical There are two sievs or garbles which God useth the first is to fift the world into a visible Ecclesiastical body over which Christ is a mystical political governing head and ruler and this sieve is managed by the hands of the Ministers the second is to sift the visible Ecclesiastical body into a spiritual invisible body and that is in Gods hand only 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 distributions should have their parts distinct and different and the more opposite the members be the better the distribution is these two branches of this distinction interfier one with another and the one comprehends the other the visible comprehend the invisible here in this world I mean the persons though not the notions For though indeed every visible member is not invisible yet every invisible member in the Church is also visible Ad Catholicam Ecclesiam visibilem in terris se recipere debent quot quot invisibilis illius cives esse cupiunt Polani Syntag. l. 7. c. 9. Invisibilis Ecclesia latet in Ecclesia visibili ut pars in toto frutramque consideres ut coetum vocatorum externa vocatione quae communis est invisibili visibili Ecclesiae Ibid. They that have inward communion with Christ for life are not taught and nourished only by an inward unction or inspiration but are fain to have external communion also in the outward Ordinances of God De Ecclesia vivorum modò agitur cui Symbolum Apostolicum praescriptum est non decoelesti Ram. in Symb. So that this distinction is like the old distinction of Gratia gratis data gratia gratum facient 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 general heresies then it had been compleat but the terms are not used in either of those senses and therefore the distinction halteth So that in what is to be said we must take heed that by visible we mean not only such as are hypocrites and reprobates but those that are also truly godly not only such as make external profession of faith whereby they are differenced from heathens but such as have inward sincerity also whereby they are differenced from hypocrites The Church visible I said is a company of people called or separated by God from Idols to the true religion What a Church visible is and yeelding professed subjection to that call which is true of the godly as well as of the hypocrites This description is excepted against by some because it is said to be a separation from Idols whereas many Athiests and Jews c. which worship no Idols may be converted and therefore say they it had better have been said called out of the world But I answer that that expression would have admitted of as much exception for there is much of the world in the Church I pray not for the world saith Christ Ioh. 17.9 which was meant of the reprobate Jews which yet were in the visible Church If I had made a description of the invisible Church it had been right to have said called out of the world but speaking of the visible Church Idols are the most proper contradistinct term to the living God and Idolatry that which onely causeth a divorce between God and a visible Church and obstinate prophanenesse which is opposite to the professed subjection mentioned in the description And though some converted should have been Jews or Athiests c. that never were Idolaters yet my description takes them in for I mean a separation or call both privatively and negatively priatively if they have been Idolaters negatively though they never were i. e. there must be a disclaiming of Idols negatively though there never were a positive worshipping of them As if a neuter who never struck in of any side shall side with one opposite there must be a disclaiming of the other opposite An Objection much to this purpose reverend M. Norton hath In Respons ad totum Quaestionum Syllogem p. 115. whereby he would inferre That a Synod is not a Church his words are these Nâ—sâ—â— catus cujus membrorum vocatio non habet â—mundum terminum immediatum a â—pâ—o Christum terminum immediatum ad quem habet sanctè vocatos pro proximâ materiâ At omnis Synodus est talis 〈◊〉 cujus membrorum vocatio non habet terminum iâ—â—e â—â—â—tum a quo c. Materia Synodi sunt pij docti viri membrae Ecclesiae But with due respect unto him I conceive he little considered how much this argument strikes at all the Churches in New-England which are made up of members not immediatly called out of the world but of members of our Churches in Old England and by Gods Ministers here converted and sealed with the seal of the Covenant A second exception against it is Because a Church may be a Church though they fall to some Idolatry as the ten Tribes were owned by God as his people though Idolaters I answer there were 7000. in Israel in the worst times that lived
probable because of the conceived smalnesse of the place yet it is not certain for it was a port Town 8. miles from Corinth as Hâ—lyoke tels us and Gualter in Rom. 16. saith it was Oppidum Corinthiorum navium statione celeberrimum ideò frequens valdè populosum The clearest evidence is from 1 Cor. 14.14 for a particular Congregational Church Let your women keep silence in the CHURCHES which word Churches seems to import several Congregations meeting in several places to enjoy publike Ordinances by the Corinthians your women and these Congregations are called Churches and yet were all one combined Church of Corinth often spoken of in the singular number But this dispute belongs noâ— to this question yet the present difference of opinions and practices have caused me a little to dilate upon this subject beyond the explication of the term And I understand by particular Churches any or all the forementioned Churches whether National Provincial Presbyterial Classical or Congregational and this last principally for those that have first moved this question mean principally if not solely the Congregational Church because as I suppose they hold no other particular Churches but such The fourth term to be opened is What is meant by Prima Sect. 4. vel Secundaria Orta This distinction or at least in these terms is not ancient for M. Parker in his Politeia Eccles was the first that sprung it as far as I know Primum in Logick is defined to be Quod est suae Originis Ortum quod oritur a primo Secundarium is properly that which is next after the first in order for it is an ordinal I do not mean strictly next immediatly but in the largest sense for that which hath not the first right or first consideration but a Posterior In the Question Primum or first is meant that which hath the priority in consideration Whether in our apprehension of Churches we are to begin at the Church-Catholike and descend to particular Churches or begin at the particular and ascend to the Church Chatholike which notion is first in distinct knowledge whether Ecclesia Vniversalis aut Particularis Whether the nature priviledges and Ordinances belong first to the Church Catholike and secondarily to the particular Churches I do not mean as M. Ellis supposeth that the power of Ordinances go by way of discention or derivation of power from the Church-Catholike indispensation of Ordinances but in consideration for I acknowledge power to be given immediatly to every particular Church therein yet under regulation of a greater part of Church-Officers in case of male-administration The properties and power of water is primarily given to the whole element of water but is immediatly yet secondarily in the particular parcels thereof But the Catholike Church is the primary in a threefold respect First as the Orthodox Catholike Church is a means or instrument by the Ordinances Ministery and members thereof in the several parts and places thereof to convert adde and bring in more new members thereunto and in continually conquering out of Satans and Antichrists Kingdom and leavening the world with the doctrine of Christ Secondly as the Church-Catholike affords matters and members to make up or constitute the particular Congregations which consist only of the members of the Catholike Church gathered up from any place of the world into particular vicinities Thirdly in regard the Ordinances and priviledges of the Church are primarily intended and given by Christ by one Charter unto the whole Church and to particular Churches secondarily as parts thereof And so they partake of the benefits and priviledges of the Church not because they are members of the particular Churches though there they have the immediate opportunity but of the Church-Catholike As a Corporation already constituted by Charter receiveth in free men continually and giveth freedome to new members which come any way to have right thereto and those members have right to the priviledges of the City not because they are of such a street or ward or company but because they are tree of the City So that though I have retained the terms of M. Parkers distinction prima and Orta sive secundaria yet my question differs much from his For he compares the particular Churches who delegate and send members or commissioners to constitute a Classis or Synod with such a ministerial Church a Church of Officers so constituted for some especial ends pro tempore which some call a representative Church and I confesse with him that such a Church may well put on the notion of Ecclesia Orta and the particular Churches out of which these members are delegated may in some sense in reference unto them put on the notion of Ecclesiae prima Yet I do not conceive that those particular Churches give either the office or the power in actu primo whereby those delegated Commissioners do act when they are met but by such delegation they do evocate and call forth the exercise of that power which Christ hath annexed to their office habitually in actum secundum to act pro hic nunc for the good of all those Churches so sending which acts of theirs binde the delegating Churches to submission in the Lord. But in my Question the whole Church Catholike visible is compared with the particular Churches and they are considered as parts thereof CHAP. II. Proofs by Scripture that there is a Church-Catholike visible NOw I have opened the terms of my Question I finde two Questions in stead of one and whether of them is the most difficult I cannot tell Whereas the subject of every Question useth to be taken for granted and the predicate only to be proved I finde the subject of my Question exceedingly questioned and opposed Chap. 2. and that by some of our own Divines and therefore though my first aim in undertaking the Question was to clear the Predicate yet I must crave leave to confirm the subject or else whatsoever I shall say of the Predicate will be as a house built on the sand or a Castle in the air for if there be no universal visible Church then it is not capable of being either Prima or secundaria In handling both these Questions I shall follow my wonted method I preferre one Divine Testimony before ten arguments and one good argument before ten humane testimonies Sect. 1. First then Whether there be a Church-Catholike visible I know that our Divines in answer to the Pontificians do deny the Church-Catholike to be visible as Zanchy Gerard Whitakers Chamier and Ames against Bellarmine and Sadeel against Turrianus and against the Monks Confession of faith and D. Willet in his Synops For they restraining the signification of the word Church to the better part of the Church the Elect only and considering them in respect of their internal communion with Christ their head and not their external communion one with another by Ordinances did deny the Church-Catholike to be visible Nec
quae per totum mundum extruenda erat quemadmodum Angelus apud Zachariam funiculum ejus ab Oriente usque in Occidentem extendit Again Eph. 3.10 To the intent that unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisedom of God This Church was not a particular Congregatian neither was it the Church of the elect neither doth Beza so expound it as is alledged for he speaks hereupon of the government of it sub variatâ Oeconomiâ neither was the Church of the Gentiles only which yet is more then one Congregation neither can the circumstances carry it so beyond control as is alledged because of the mysteries here spoken of that were kept secret since the beginning of the world and the multifarious wisedom which was now made known by the Churches but were before made known to the Church of the Jews as M. Hooker conceives p. 271. For the mysteries revealed in the New Testament were never known to the Jews before Eye never saw them nor ear heard them nor entred it into the heart of man to conceive of them But he that is least in the kingdom of the Gospel knows more then Iohn the Baptist But it was the Church-Catholike under the Gospel whereof Paul was made a Minister as it is vers 7. It is that body of Christ the Church whereof Paul was made a Minister as himself saith more fully Col. 1.24 25. which must needs be the external visible organical Catholike Church of Christ consisting of Jew and Gentile Again it is said in 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in the Church Sect. 4. first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers The Church here spoken of is not the Church Triumphant for that hath no officers but Christ the head there shall be no Pastors and Teachers quà such yet such are in this Church vers 8. neither shall there be any gifts of healing tongues miracles Deacons or ruling Elders Neither is it the Church as invisible consisting of the elect only for the invisible Church quâ invisible hath no Officers neither For though intentionally they are indeed given for the good of the Elect yet they are set in the visible Church For both the ordinary and extraordinary Officers were visible messengers and some of them but visible beleevers only for Iudas had obtained part in the Apostleship and ministry and was sent to preach and work miracles and many Prophets were not of the invisible number for many shall say Lord Lord we have prophecied in thy name c. and yet shall not be saved But to be sure they were sent to afford the Saints visible communion in Ordinances Again This is not meant of the Church entitive which is a similar and as I may say an homogeneal body every member as a member being equal and of the same capacity but it is meant of the Church Organical an heterogeneal dissimilar body because here are set down the Officers I mean dissimilar and heterogeneal in regard of the integral parts viz. the several Congregations because they all have or ought to have the same kinde of Officers and members as so many flocks of sheep under several shepherds Therefore the several particular Churches are called by some an Epitome of the great body now the Epitome hath no other parts then the great body hath Neither is here meant a particular Church but all collectively that were within the bounds of the Apostles commission which was the Church in the whole world Go teach all nations c. and all the Churches which have teachers over them which all Churches in the world have or ought to have and yet all these are called but one Church one body vers 20. And this whole is one Organical body v. 12. As we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. M. Hooker hath two Expositions of or answers to this place First that the Church here meant is totum universale existing and determinined in its actings by the particulars Answ That cannot be for genus quâ genus can have no officers seeing it is a second notion abstracted only in the minde therefore the Church quâ totum universale is no existing politie if it hath Officers it must be considered as an integrum existens And as for totum genenericum existens it is nothing else as I conceive but integrum similare For genus existeth not as genus but only under distinct specifical forms and is abstracted from the species or individuals by the understanding Now that which hath no existence of its own can have no existing Officers Omne conporeum existens vel est integrum vel membrum Neither will it help the cause at all to say that Apostles Prophets Evangelists were extraordinary temporary officers First here are ordinary Officers inserted also given to the same Church as Teachers ruling-Elders Deacons Secondly a genus admits of no variations in regard of time or place or any other accidents nothing extraordinary can betide a genus but an integrum or existing being Genus ut est aeternae veritatis sic est aeternae identitatis Genus is abstractum quid non concretum but the Church-Catholike is concretum quid constatum aggregatum ex membris non ex speciebus as shall be shewed more fully afterwards His second Exposition is that the Apostle points at one particular but includeth all particulars by a parity and proportion of reason Answ This cannot be for this Church here meant is the political body of Christ as M. Hooker himself expounds it as I shewed before Now all the members of a particular Church as suppose Corinth are but members of a part of that body as I shewed before Secondly God did not set all these in every particular Church Had every particular Congregation Apostles Prophets miracles gifts of healing diversities of tongues yea take the constant Officer the teacher and ordinarily one Congregation hath not teachers but only one teacher therefore this parity of reason cannot hold except all these Officers were in the plural number in every Congregation And if the Apostles Prophets Evangelists were Officers of every particular Congregation quâ particular then all those incongruities which our brethren bring against Presbyterial government of choice ordination maintenance honour from the particular Congregations to them and their constant teaching watching over and ruling of them fall directly upon these Officers I suppose many Congregations never had all these kindes of Officers among them If it be meant distributively some to one some to another then it should have been said Churches not Church This place being a main fort that stood in M. Ellis's way he laies his main battety against it and gives many answers thereunto which yet are not subordinate or subservient one to another nor yet consistent one with another but if
he speaks as well of in particular Church as of the general And to avoid the dirt of this Fort or Aâ—bâ—â—â—â—â— is he taâ—â— it viz. 1 Cor. 12.28 He brings in two significations of the word Apostle which worth alone saith he is the ground of the Objection And saith if we take the word for such Officers as were sent out with commission from any Church upon special occasion which is the literal signification of the word and is so taken 1 Cor. 8.23 of Barnabas and Phil. 2.25 of Epapbroditum so the Argument hence were voided Answ But there is not the least probability that the Apostle in setting down the Officers of the Church both extraordinary and ordinary should set down occasional messengers first before Prophets and Teachers And in Ephes 4.11 keeping the same Order should preferre them before Prophets Evangelists Pastours and Teachers And leave out in both places the highest office in the Church viz. Apostleship especially considering that the Apostle there doth not set down the Officers â—aptim promiscously but addeth an ordinal numeral with them first Apostles secundarily Prophets But again If it be taken properly in that he applieth his speech particularly though not exclusively to the Corinthians ye are the body of Christ to wit ye are a particular body and members in particular and so Chap. 3.21 22. All are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephar or life or death all are yours and ye Corinthians Christs Where all are the whole Churches and each Churches in particular as their occasions require each in their order He might also have said and each particular member So that the sense is saith he he hath given or set in the Church i. e. in this Church of Corinth and so in that of Ephesus c. Some Apostles c. as their need shall require yet not therefore making them one external society among themselves As some general Officers make not England and Scotland one Kingdom Answ M Ellis goes upon a mistake in all his book The Presbyterians say not that the Church-Catholike visible is one external constant actual society but habitual or in actu primo or constantly and actually in actu secundo sive exercite the regiment is exercised in the particular Churches or vicinities yet hath the whole Church or some great parts of it some common interests that may require to be handled in Synods and Councels by their combined or delegated Officers occasionally and those Officers therein act not as private men but as Officers and may exert their indefinite habitual power annexed to their office for the good of the whole or of so great a part of the Church-Catholike as did delegate them And as for the parallelling Apostles and Prophets in this case with life and death it is not equal for God did not set life and death as Officers in the Church but they are general accidents to the whole world over-ruled by God for the good of his people All things work together for the good of them that love him But in that he grants the word Church to extend to Corinthians and Ephesians c. he must grant it to comprehend all the Churches as well as them and that they all are one Church habitually having then some general Officers over them viz. Apostles Prophets Evangelists and Teachers and the same Apostle the same Prophet and the same Teacher if need required in any of them But fearing he could not keep that battery he retreats to a fourth and saith that though by Church were meant the Church-Catholike visible yet it follows not that because it was so then and in respect of the Apostles that therefore it was to be so to the end of the world and in it self pag. 37. Answ it is true it was not Christs minde that the extraordinary office of Apostleship should continue there were to be no more such men of extraordinary gifts and divine immediate mission of an infallible spirit that had actual regiment over the Churches of the whole world without any delegation from others but by immediate commission from Christ But how comes that which was an integrum in the Apostles daies to be now sublimated into it genus and lose the integrality and so prove a second notion existing only in intellectu nostro Did it cease to be one body as soon as the Apostles were all dead seeing the same doctrine worship laws discipline enrowlment by baptism confirmation and communion in the Lords Supper continued still and the liberty of all the members of the whole Church to communicate in these in any place of the world where they become though but occasionally continue still And by the same reason the habitual power in actu primo which the Officers have to dispense the Ordinances of God may be drawn forth in any part of the Church in actum secundum upon an occasion and call according to their measure which the Apostles had habitually and actually every where both in actu primo secundo extraordinarily Yea but saith he the Churches were not one in themselves but one in the Apostles and that by accident as England and Scotland were one in the King because he governed both Israel and Judah in David the whole world one in Nebuchadnezzar But they are not therefore one considered in themselves Vind. p. 37. Answ I grant the Church was but accidentally and temporarily one in regard of the Apostles but integrally one in it self It was not one because that they were set over it but it was one in it self integrally because Christ is set over it and therefore they by commission from Christ were set over it extraordinarily for the present good and necessity thereof An Empire being made one under one Emperour hath imperial laws and constitutions which being divided under divers governours it loseth again and ceaseth to be an Empire but the Church hath the same laws under the same head that it had then and ever shall have The world was one Empire under Darius by imperial laws not because the three Presidents were set over it neither did it cease to be so by their death or ceasing So c. But fifthly saith he though we grant that while the Apostles were living there was one body of Officers over the whole Church and so in respect of them the Church might be said to be one governed body yet it was never one governing body for whilest the Apostles lived the universal governing power was committed to the Apostles only and not with them to any other Officers or Churches no not to all the Churches together but they with their Officers were all in subjection to them Answ I acknowledge the Church-Catholike was never one governing body although M. Ellis is pleased to set down that expression in capital letters in the frontispiece of his book and upon the top of every page and in divers other places as the opinion of the Presbyterians But where doth he finde any such expression in
their writings It may more truly be affirmed to be the opinion of some of our brethren of the Congregational way who put government into the body of the Congregation whether M. Ellis be of that opinion or no I cannot say and so they are a particular governing body and if all the Churches in the world were of that way as certainly they desire and these Churches might in any sense be called one Church as is confest by all that they may then they must needs be one governing body But as they are now they not only govern their own body but passe the censure of Non-communion against all persons nay whole Churches if they judge there be cause But the Presbyterians hold that governments belong to the Organs i. e. the Officers of the Church not to the body It is for good of the body but belongs not to the body to exercise The Church-Catholike is the subject in quo exercetur or cui datur non ad utendum sed ad fruendum Neither are the Officers of the Church-Catholike one constant collective governing body actually but habitually for constantly and actually they are distributed into several Congregations for the exercise of government there But if the necessity of the whole when it could be or of any great part of the body call the Officers of many particular Churches together which may be by themselves or their Commissioners then can they exercise their office collectively conjunctim yet only according to the word of God And this M. Ellis granteth in effect p. 7.8 only he saith their power being met is only consultatory and suasory not obligatory it is the acting of officers but not as Officers but I suppose he cannot think that consultatory and suasory power is sufficient to cure the Church of the malady of obstinate hereticks whose mouths saith the Apostle must be stopped And though the universal constant actual power of government was given to the Apostles only yet we see they did joyn with the particular Elders in the government of their Churches when they were among them and did also joyn them with themselves in making decrees to binde the Churches Act. 15.6 and Act. 16.4 But fearing lest he had granted something too much in his former answer he plucks away part of it in his sixt and saith that the Apostles were not one joint Ministery For besides that each had intire power some had one part committed to them and some another Thomas sortitus est Parthiam Andreas Scythiam Johannes Asiam c. Answ The Apostles did first act in Jerusalem as one joint combined ministery and did afterward disperse themselves into several parts of the world according to their commission yet retained their power of uniting and acting together jointly without any delegation or commission from any Churches and this power of their 's no ordinary Ministers lay claim to And though the planting and watering of Churches required this dispersion and several lots voluntarily yet were they fixed in no Congregation as Elders are Seventhly He denyeth the consequence of a Church-Catholike visible from that place and that he proves by a parallel supposing such like words had been said of the whole world for civil government his words are these If it follow not when we say God hath set in the world some Emperors some Kings some Princes some inferiour Officers and Magistrates therefore the world is but one governing Kingdom and all particular Kingdoms do but govern in the right of the Kingdom of the world in common the Officers whereof are the Kings of the several Kingdoms c. Neither doth it follow that because the Scripture saith God hath set some in the Church Apostles c. therefore the Church throughout the world is but one Congregation to whose Officers first as the general Officers of the whole Church not by way of distribution but as a notionally at least collected body of Officers the power of government is committed c. Answ He hath not paralleled the question rightly but it should run thus Suppose there were one Emperour over all the Kingdoms of the earth and he should set down one form of government and enrowlment for freedom in the whole world for such as will be his subjects and should first set 12 Presidents over the whole world to abide so for their life time as extaordinary Officers and for ordinary standing Officers should set in the several Provinces or Kingdoms several Officers that should rule under him or them in their several places and yet appoint that as every free member of the whole though his fixed habitation be in one place yet is free of the whole habitually and upon occasion can make use of it to trade freely in any place so the several governours though ordinarily fixedly and actually they constantly govern their own Provinces yet upon occasion of difference danger or for the good of the whole or any great part of the same they shall have power to convene either all if it may be or some of them by way of delegation to act for the good of the whole or so many Provinces as the matter concerns and their delegation is for Whether would not this prove the world one intire Empire and body politick habitually And so is the case of the Church-Catholike But take earthly monarchies as they have been on earth and we finde that the several kingdoms of the Empires did enjoy their several liberties with respect had to the whole that nothing should be prejudicial to the Empire that the Emperour should have no damage Dan. 6.2 And yet in reference to the Emperour and some certain common laws they were one monarchy Because the Emperour could send messengers and Officers of any countrey and commands to them all and all were to take care in their places for the whole though haply there was no general convention of all Officers and to keep as much as lay in them neighbour Kingdoms from rebelling even where they had no ordinary jurisdiction and to subdue them to the Emperour if they did rebel and yet not retain ordinary power over them Now these things agree to this spiritual monarchy the Church yea and much more For they are all one in the head one in all the laws and in one form of government and ought all to do what they do in reference to the whole as to admit every where into the whole by baptism to eject out of the whole by excommunication to keep any neighbour Church from defection and to reduce them if fallen off though they have no ordinary jurisdiction over them Christ can send a Minister out of any Kingdom into any not only occasionally pro tempore as a messenger but settle him there as an Officer and call back or remove him any whither else And therefore the Church-Catholike is one Kingdom in general and yet particular rights and liberties of particular Churches be preserved so far as may stand with the good of the
external donative regiment of Christ over his visible Church-Catholike dispensed by Ordinances and Officers here below which shall then cease And though the Ordinances as he alledgeth are distinct from the Kingdom in sense and signification Yet they strongly argue a Kingdom constituted and governed by them as the Kings laws argue a King and Kingdom As from helps and governments 1 Cor. 12.28 we gather the consequence of helpers and governours as officers in the Church so from the external laws of this Kingdom we necessarily conclude there is such a Kingdom commensurable to the extent of these laws and that external Organical and Catholike which is spoken of Isa 9.6 And the 25. ver makes it plain for he must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet which reigning relates to professed Subjects as well as professed enemies and these Subjects comprehended in a Kingdom Again Heb. 12.28 Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear This Kingdom cannot be meant of the internal Kingdom of grace in the heart for that was also exercised by Christ in his peoples hearts under the old Testament but it is meant of the external unalterable perpetual Ordinances of worship and government which differed from those under the Law else the Apostles antithesis of the Church under the Law and the Church under the Gospel had not been good which are the things he compares in that place Externals under the Law are opposed to externals under the Gospel It cannot be meant of the Kingdom of glory for they had not yet received that And it is plain he speaks of a Kingdom wherein we may now serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Now these Ordinances of worship and discipline being Catholike or universal and relating to a Kingdom and therefore set down under the name of a kingdom by a Metonymy of the subject for the adjunct the Kingdom for the Ordinances of the Kingdom do strongly argue the being of the Kingdom Can we conceive that the holy Ghost would chuse to use such a metonymy of the subject where there is no such subject It is true as is alledged the unalterablenesse lyeth in the adjunct Ordinances i. e. in regard of God who will not alter them and that the subject or kingdom may be moved and shaken by persecutions or heresies and so may the Ordinances also and have been we know but that kinde of alteration moving or shaking is not meant in the text neither was intended by me I have the rather mentioned this text because I finde one of our brethren for Congregational Churches viz. M. William Sedgwick giving this Exposition of it in a Sermon of his in print which was preached before divers members of the House of Commons Sect. 6. Again 1 Cor. 5.12 The Apostle saith what have I to doe to judge those that are without The preposition or adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I desire to know what it doth relate unto Is it not meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the Church And can we think that that Church was the Church of Corinth only Had Paul nothing to do to judge any that were out of the Church of Corinth when he was an Apostle all over the Christian world This could not be meant of the invisible company only what had Paul nothing to do to censure any but invisible members Why did he then excommunicate Hymenaeus Philetus Phigellus Hermogenes and Alexander And saith I would they were cut off that trouble you Also it must be meant of an Organical body because here are censures mentioned as belonging to all within And therefore it must be meant of the Church-Catholike visible Organical What have I to do to judge those that are not brought into the Church They are not under my power or cognizance but belong only to the civil Magistrate And we usually speak of the Countreys that are within the Pale of the Church and those that are without And we have an axiome Extra Ecclesiam non est salus which cannot be meant of any particular Congregation in the world but is true of the Church-Catholike visible typified by the Ark of Noah without which ordinarily and visibly there is no hope of salvation Extra ejus gremium non est speranda peccatorum remissio Calv. Inst l. 4 c. 1. S. 4. Again Eph. 4.4 5. The Apostle proveth the Church to be but one by divers Arguments First saith he There is one body of Christ which is therefore called Eph. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of Jews and Gentiles i. e. the same body And this an Organical body because Paul addeth ver 7. whereof I was made a Minister Secondly there is but one spirit in that whole body which is as one soul in one body Thirdly there is but one hope of their calling Fourthly There is but one Lord or King over the whole Church Fifthly There is but one faith i. e. One religion doctrine worship the same Commands and Statutes for all Sixthly There is but one Baptism to admit into this Church Now if the whole world were under one King and governed by one Law and all one body and all capable of the same priviledges and all made Denizons by the same way of enrowlment it would make but one Empire yet so it is with all the Christians and Churches in the world they have the same King Law Word Sacraments of admission and nutrition which they visibly subject themselves unto and receive therefore they are all one visibly Church Upon this text ver 12. Beza in his large Annotations hath this note Being the Church is to be considered either as a Communalty of a sacred Common-wealth or as a spiritual Temple or as a mystical body the ministery of the word ought likewise to be referred to these three heads c. All which 3. considerations shew the unity and integrality of the whole And that this is meant of the visible Church and not invisible or Triumphant as M. Ellis conceiveth appeareth because it is the Church to whom Officers are given ver 11. to be edified ver 12 13. compacted together by joints ver 16. of whom mutual duties both religious and civil are required for such are set down in that Chapter and the following And so M. Hooker understands it Surv. p. 3 where he cites this text for the political body or Church visible of Christ ruled by the donative delegated power of Christ and that visibly by his Ordinances and officers It is therefore the militant visible Church which holdeth forth the truth Phil. 2.16 contending for it Jude 3. Into which the thief may possibly enter Joh. 10. Act. 20.29 30. Again Christ saith Mat. 16.18 On this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Was this a particular Congregation No surely but the Church Catholike for any particular Church may
but so hath the Oecumenical Church therefore it is an integral A Genus is not capable of Officers But the Church-Catholike had once by M. Ellis's own confession actual universal Officers and was then one governed body and still the Officers are indefinitely and habitually Officers to the whole as shall be proved in Chap. 7. And the visibility of the head in Chap. 5. Sect 6. 7. That which hath actions and operations of its own that is an integral for a Genus is not capable thereof but the Church-Catholike or Oecumenical hath or may have actions operations and effects of its own Therefore c. The minor upon which all the weight of this argument lyeth is proved thus The Church-Catholike visible may by their delegates meet in a general Councel about the affairs that concern the whole and though their power therein were but only consultative and suasive as M. Ellis grants yet it is an act of the whole as the acts of a Kingdom represented in Parliament are said to be national acts but I conceive they may do more even make decrees as well as the Synod Act. 15. They may confute and suppresse general heresies and disorders Yea and the whole Church-Catholike may yield consent submission and obedience thereunto as their acts finding them agreeable to the word of God Sect. 4. There may be a general humiliation of the whole Church-Catholike visible or a general thanksgiving as occasion may be offered There may be a general contestation with the same hereticks and renouncing of their errours a general suffering under and conflict with and conquest over the same adversaries as suppose Antichrist and Triumphing over them See Rev. 19. the 7. first verses All Gods servants both small and great are called to it I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Allelujah This was not the act of a particular Congregation but of the Church Catholike and yet all these are vers 8. bound up in an unity and they are called the Lambs wife and unto her was granted c. The Church-Catholike visible also conquereth and subdueth spiritually the rest of the world and bringeth them into external subjection to Christ and leaveneth them with the doctrine of Christ and uniteth them to themselves in this spiritual society so that they become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one body And though this be done by particular members and Churches yet that hinders it not from being the act of the whole as when an army of souldiers of one Kingdom conquer neighbour Kingdoms and adde them to their own as the Romans did all the world it is accounted the action of the whole nation or a national act so is this case though the conquest differ in kinde And this may serve for an answer to M. Hookers query Surv. c. 16. p. 256. 259. Whether the Church-Catholike can be considered as distinct from the particular Churches not by separation of the whole from the parts but in apprehension by presenting some distinct Officer act or operation which do not pertain to the particular Churches For as there is a head and King of the whole as visible and one systeme of laws and habitual indefinite Officers of the whole so you see there are acts and operations of the whole both by their delegates and by themselves which though they be performed by particular persons belonging haply to particular Churches as the souldiers making up an army belong to several Towns yet do not perform them as particular members of the particular Churches but of the whole neither do they convert into the particular Churches but into the whole as such souldiers fight not as members of such a Town but of such a Kingdom and conquer not to enlarge their several Towns but the Kingdom in general And for constant actual Officers and distinct services such as the national Church of the Jews had because they could meet together three times every year and oftner upon occasion they cannot be expected in the Oecumenical body it being too large for such constant meetings If the Church-Catholike can bring forth sons then it can perform operations But it can bring forth sons This M. Ellis himself confesseth by consequence for in the close of his Epistle Dedicatory before his vindiciae Catholicae he subscribes himself a sonne of the Church What other Church can he mean but the Catholike If he meaneth the particular Church whereof he is Pastour he is not a son but a father and governour of that and then he should more properly have said Sonne of a Church not Sonne of the Church for there be more Churches then this unlesse he meant the by way of eminency He cannot mean of the Church of England for he denies all National Churches therefore it must be of the Church-Catholike and yet he denies that there is any such thing visible and that which he doth acknowledge he makes a Genus which is a second notion without existence and then as himself confesseth Non existentis nulla sunt operationes The species or Individuals cannot be sonnes of the Genus And therefore he should more safely have subscribed himself a member or Minister of the Church and yet that must have proved the Church-Catholike or of a Church and then he might have meant his own 8. It will appear by the several appellations which are given to the Church-Catholike in Scripture For in Scripture it is called a Body yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one and the same body which hath one head or governour which hath constant influence into that body even into those that are only visible members in common works and into the invisible members in saving works and governs both by external laws Now a Genus though it hath subordinate species yet is no body nor hath any head or governour nor any influence given unto it neither is it governed by any external laws for then it must exist Yea the Church-Catholike visible is called a body fitly joyned together and compacted Sect. 3. by that which every joint supplyeth Eph. 4.16 which appears to be the external political Kingdom of Christ as M. Hooker cals it and applyeth this Chapter because here are the Officers reckoned up yea the extraordinary general Officers Vbi omnes partes existunt simul compactae ibi totum integrale existit Sed omnes partes Ecclesiae Catholicae visibilis existunt simul compactae Ergo totum integrale totius Ecclesiae Catholicae visibilis existit This M. Hooker saith is true of a Totum genericum existens but not that all particular Congregations do exist aggregated together as members of the Catholike p. 268. But how a Genus can be a body and the particular species fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth I cannot understand The relation between a Genus and species cannot be compared to joynts compacting and joyning a body together
but most properly relateth to the union of an integrum Also it is called a Kingdom as I shewed before The Kingdom of his dear sonne Col. 1.13 The Gospel is called the Gospel of the Kingdom Mat. 4.23 And the word of the Kingdom Mat. 13.19 And such as are only visible members are called the children of the Kingdom Mat. 8.12 And this Kingdom hath a King and Laws and Officers in it now a Kingdom or society is no Genus but an Integral It is also called a Tabernacle Revel 21.3 which was a thing coupled together with tenons sockets loops and taches and so an integral no Genus nor could signifie any It is called also an house or building 1 Tim. 3.15 The Church which is the house of God 1 Cor. 3.9 Ye are Gods building Eph. 2.21 In whom all the building fitly framed together c. which is the Catholike Church visible consisting of Jews and Gentiles built on the visible foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ being the chief corner-stone And a houshold Gal. 6.10 Also it is called a Temple in the fore-cited Eph. 2.21 1 Cor. 3.17 2 Cor. 6.16 Now the Temple was an Integral Also it is called a city and the members thereof Jews and Gentiles are called fellow-citizens Eph. 2.29 Also an army terrible with banners Cant. 6.10 Also it is called a sheepfold a wheat-field a barn-floor a dragge-net a loaf of bread made up of divers grains 1 Cor. 10.17 Now all these and many more appellations have no analogy to a Genus but to an Integrum Therefore the Church-Catholike visible is an Integrum 9. It appears to be an Integral from the words which the Scripture useth to expresse the Church and union of the members of the Church-Catholike together As Act. 2.41 There were added about 3000. souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were put unto them as an encrease now a Genus is not capable of addition by numbers but an Integral only Also Eph. 4.12 The Officers general as well as particular are given to the whole external political body of Christ to use M. Hookers own words for the perfecting of the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad coagmentationem sanctorum It signifyeth properly to make a thing perfect by filling of it up omnibus numeru absolutum reddere or as some render it to set in joint again All the significations agree only to an Integral And for the edifying of the body of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the building up of the body relating to the whole Church This is proper only to an Integral A word also much like this and more significant for the purpose in hand we have Eph. 2.22 In whom also ye are builded together for an habitation of God c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth a knitting together in a building Also vers 21. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple Here are three words note Integrality First the whole building 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. fitly framed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. groweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Eph. 4.16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh encrease of the body unto the edfying of it self in love Here are divers words which properly notifie an Integral 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole body 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly joyned congruente proportione constructum vel connexum 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compactum compacted 4. by that which every joynt suupplyeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per omnem commissuram suppeditationis vel juncturum subministrationis 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in mensura uninscujusque membri 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 augmentum corporis facit 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in aedificationem sui The like we finde Col. 2.19 From whom all the body by joints and hands having nourishment ministred and knit together encreaseth with the encrease of God The words are most of them the same with the former in the Original There is 1. a whole body 2. joints 3. bands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and nourishment ministred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. knit together 5. encreaseth with encrease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And though much spoken in these places seem to be applicable to the invisible company yet to them as visible receiving edification from their Officers and having visible communion one with another and the Apostle speaks indefinitely of the Church under their Officers without making any difference of kindes of believers Also Act. 17.34 certain men clave unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were glued unto him i e. Paul And in the Old Testament Isa 14 1. The strangers shall be joyned with them Israel and they shall cleave unto the house of Jacob. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 copulabit se 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adhaerebunt All which and many more words in Scripture about the Church shew it to be an integral 10. If the invisible Church be one body of Christ as in the primary sense they are then by the same reason the visible also as visible are one body for the only difference between them as to this purpose is in regard of the manner of communion the one invisibly and inwardly the other visibly in outward Ordinances The invisible are called Christs body in allusion to a natural body more properly the visible in allusion to a political body The invisible Church are only in reference to Christ their head and fellow-invisible members but have no Officers under Christ quà invisible the visible are one in reference to Christ their professed King and his written laws and fellow-visible members and indefinite Officers under Christ The invisible body might with better reason be called a Genus because their unity is only in the head and in one kinde of nature and in spiritual relation to invisible brethren and therefore if they be called one body then much more the visible Church whole union is in King laws the same qualifications and external relation to visible brethren under indefinite Officers M. Hooker takes much pains in Surv. c. 15. to prove that the Church-Catholike visible cannot be an Integral To which I shall answer under the several heads as they come in the Thesis His main Argument is because that an Integrum resulting out of the members is Symbolum effecti and so is in consideration after the members whereof it is constituted and out of which it doth result and so that crosseth the second part or predicate of the Question This I shall refer to the second part of the Question Secondly That it will then require one visible head over it This I shall refer to that Objection in Chap. 5. Sect. 6. Sect. 4. Thirdly That which he objects against the visibility of the Church-Catholike I shall refer to the next Chapter Cha. 5. An Objection may be raised here
which I much doubt yet he shall come again visibly as the Sonne of man at the end of the world and take account of the managing of these Ordinances and of the carriage both of Officers and private Christians and the elect shall be gathered together into heaven and enioy him visibly to all eternity and he shall visibly condemn the reprobates and every eye shall see him So that this is but an interval wherein Christ though he be now visible in himself yet appears not to us visibly ordinarily though he did to Paul and Steven even after his ascension Yet now he affords visible communion to his people by his Ordinances and they do visible service unto him though he resideth not with them If the absence of the King make the kingdom invisible then Ireland is an invisible kingdom M Hooker affirms this opinion to be not only untrue but very dangerous to hold that Christ as meer man consisting of body and soul is a visible head of his Church And thereupon citeth Whitakers words that Christ did not reside in the Church as a visible Monarch nor came into the world to set up a visible Monarchy Answ I do not conceive that Christ as meer man consisting of body and soul is the head of the Church either invisible or political but as God-man yet that person was visible though but in one of his natures and in but half of that neither viz. his body The visibility of one nature makes visibility to be predicated of the whole person else no man is visible for his soul is invisible It is the meanest half of him that is visible and so no earthly King should be visible Christ is called God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father Joh 1.14 We were eye-witnesses of his majesty 1 Pet. 1.16 That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life 1 Joh. 1.1 I hope these speeches are neither untrue nor dangerous And for his donative power and authority Christ saith of himself Joh. 5.27 that the Father hath given authority to execute judgement because he is the son of man The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sinnes and that was a kingly action And the Apostle saith Act. 17.31 God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained It is true indeed all the vertue and power come from the deity to gather and perfect the Saints forgive sinnes raise the dead judge the world and by his deity only he is present with us now yet as man also he is head of his Church and not as God only for had he been only God he could not have been a sutable head or second Adam but that he became by becoming man and taking our nature upon him The seed of the woman must break the Serpents head The governing power and wisedom of a King is in his invisible soul yet he is a visible King It is true also that Christ came not in the daies of his flesh as a visible temporal Monarch in Davids civil throne yet Christ confesseth then unto Pilate that he was a king though his kingdom was not of this world i. e. civil to oppose Caesars yet it is in this world and external in this world also God over-ruled Pilate to set a true title over Christ on the Crosse Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews As a King he had all power in heaven and earth given hem Mat. 28.10 19 and immediatly thereupon as a King he issues out his Commission to his Apostles Go ye therefore and teach all Nations c. It is not because Christ died for all as a Priest that this commission is so general but because all power in heaven and earth was given to him therefore as a King he summons in all even the very rebels to yield obedience to his lawful authority but only such as yield obedience and come in are saved by him He set Officers and offices and gave commandment to his Apostles Act. 1.2 And appointed the form of Ecclesiastical proceedings in discipline in case of scandal Mat. 18. And this is no other doctrine then our reverend Assembly hath set out both in their larger and shorter Catechism That Christ our redeemer executeth the offices of a Prophet a Priest and a King both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation Neither can I see any reason why Christ should be denied to execute his kingly office while he was here below any more then his Priestly or Prophetical If he was then a King and had all power given him he did not suspend the execution of it while he was on earth Joh. 5.17 neither doth Beza in conf fid ob 5. art 5. cited by M. Hooker deny Christ to be head as man though he acknowledge him to be head as God also And though he saith that he communicates that degree of dignity to none else He by those words excludeth the Pope c. but not Christs own humane nature by which it is indeed that we come to our union with God All that can truly be alledged in this case is that Christ is not now visibly seen as King with our bodily eyes nor can we come to him bodily nor receive any verbal commands from his mouth as we may from an earthly King But how few subjects have that priviledge in regard of their earthly Soveraigns The legal commands are counted the Kings commands and not his verbal only nor chiefly Yet we finde that Christ after his ascention did in Rev. 2. and 3. Chapt. write a letter by John unto the 7. Churches of Asia and reproves or commends and exhorts them particularly and in the inditing of it appears as a man to John and useth arguments therein from things betiding him as man as that he was dead and is alive again and washed us from our sins in his own bloud c. Object Though there be a Church-Catholike yet it is not visible because it is the object of our faith it being an Article of our faith I beleeve the holy Church-Catholike Now faith is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Things seen are the object of sense and knowledge not of faith For what a man seeth how can he be said to believe faith and sense are opposed each to other by the Apostle Answ If indeed we take the Catholike Church in the largest sense for the elect past present and to come as some do the Church-Catholike is invisible Also the grace of such as are invisible members is invisible but that is not the Church we are speaking of The Church we have in hand is the whole company of visible believers in the world considered as visible Secondly
not considered as their particular Officers yet Officers in general And such persons as receive the doctrine of Christ which denominates them to be beleevers are bound to receive his commands also to submit themselves to his Ministers for their edification And though they have no particular Officers yet as they look upon the Church as a society of men and fellow-members to whom they joyn themselves in the general though not as yet in any particular membership so they look upon the Ministers as Christs Ministers to whom they are to be subject in the Lord to receive their doctrine exhortations and reproofs and from whom also if they prove scandalous heretical infectious or apostates they must expect disciplinary censures though they be no particular members under a particular Minister There is a question whether the Church or the Ministers be first because the Ministers are the instrumental cause of the conversion of the Church and the Church of the choice of the Ministers which is something like that Philosophical question Whether the hen or the egge were first for as the egge comes of a hen so the hen comes of an egge And as that is resolved by the consideration of the creation and then God made the hen first so is this question by consideration of the first institution and setting up of the Evangelical Catholike Church and then we finde that Christ set up the Officers first to convert men to be beleevers and they being converted to the faith of Christ are bound to submit themselves to Christs Ministers in the Lord. And because they will stand in need of constant inspection teaching and ruling which they cannot enjoy from Ministers in general as so considered because they are dispersed into several places for habitation and take particular parts of Christs Church to watch over therefore they are to desire and endeavour to have some of Christs Ministers to take the particular inspection of them But we know that at first they receive Baptism not from their own particular Minister or not as so considered for being newly converted into the Church and not baptized they cannot as I conceive be members of a particular Congregation until after baptism but they receive it as from one of Christs Ministers in general and are by him admitted into the visible body the Church and after this have liberty to choose under the inspection of what Ministers they will put themselves See more of this Qu. 2. S. 2. 4. Now before the proof of this assertion it will be needful to explain a little what I mean by one Organical body I doe not mean that there is one universal visible actual society consisting of all such as are accounted or to be esteemed Christians subjected actually to one or many universal general actual Pastors or guides from whom subordinates must derive their office and power and with whom they must communicate in some general sacred things which may make them one Church as the Jews were And which general sacred services or duties can be performed by that universal head or heads and that Church only Such an universal Christian Church Christ never ordained no not in the daies of the Apostles to whom the extraordinary care of all the Churches was committed Nor that all the whole Church should be subjected to one supream Tribunal of Officers constantly erected and continued among them Nor yet to communicate with Christ himself though in some sense he may be said to be a visible head in some worship to be performed by all joyntly assembled at some especial solemnity as the Jews at the Passeover But an habitual Politico-Ecclesiastical society body flock in one sheepfold of the militant Church in uniform subjection to the same Lord the same Laws in the same faith and under the same visible seal of Baptism performing the same worship and service in kinde and though the members be dispersed far and wide yea divided into several particular places and secondary combinations of vicinities for actual constant enjoyment of Ordinances as particular Corporations in a Kingdom which is an accidental not essential relation to them as subjects of the Kingdom yet still those Ordinances admissions ejections have influence into the whole body as it is a polity and the members indefinitely may of right communicate one with another in any place or any company of Christians though every person so meeting but occasionally may be of a several particular Church and the Minister dispensing a particular Pastor to none of them all yea though none of them all be fixed members of any particular Congregation nor the Minister dispensing fixed to no particular Congregation neither by vertue of their general membership in the visible body and kingdom of Christ and of the habitual indefinitenesse of the Ministers office and the common donation of the Ordinances by Christ to his whole visible Kingdom and to all the subjects and members thereof which have a common freedom therein And in this sense the word Church is taken in Scripture His bodies sake which is the Church whereof I Paul am made a Minister The house of God which is the Church Now because there is no such civil society or kingdom that will in every thing parallel this but there use to be some general offices and officers and some inferiour subordinate receiving power and authority by descention derivation or subordination and the inferiour Officers of lesse extent of place and power then the superiour As the Lord chief Justice of England is above inferiour Justices and his warrant can reach all persons in all the Counties of the Kingdom and there be constant Courts of Kings bench and Common Pleas for judicature for all the Subjects of the whole Kingdom though haply it was not so in the four Monarchies this make men stumble at the name and notion of a Church-Catholike visible But as in other things Christs Kingdom is neither of this world not like unto worldly polities so neither in this But every Minister of the Church in his particular place serveth the Church-Catholike visible in admitting members to general freedom in it and ejecting out from general communion prayeth publikely for the whole body and manageth his particular charge in reference to and so as may stand with the good of the whole body whereof his Congregation is but a member And the Ordinances therein administred are the Ordinances given to the whole not as to a genus which is but a notion and can have no Ordinances but as to a spiritual kinde of an habitual organical body and polity as to a sort of men so and so qualified bound up in an union and unity of the same head laws seals worship and communion Now the same arguments which prove the Church-Catholike an Integral will serve to prove it one organical body also Sect. 4. and therefore I shall take some of them into consideration again under this head and in this notion 1. It will appear by the names
the subjects of Christs Ecclesiastical Kingdom â—unne parallel further with the subjects of a civil Kingdom they all being Christians Why may not the combination also run parallel and the denomination be parallel for transaction of common Ecclesiastical affairs as well as civil if prudence so dictate it and the Churches in a hundred if they lie convenient combine â—to a Classis as well as into a hundred for civil transaction And the Classes into a Province as well as hundreds into a County or Shire and the Provinces into a national Church as well as the Counties into a civil Kingdom and seeing Christs Ecclesiastical Kingdom reacheth over many Kingdoms why may they not make one habitual Church-Catholike as well as many Kingdoms under the same laws and head make one Empire The actuality indeed may cease where the constant or frequent community of acting ceaseth whether at the Congregation or Classis where all the Officers are combined in frequent common acting or at the National Church where the civil community ceaseth and so the frequent occasion of common acting by delegates cease I determine not but the habituality ceaseth not in the whole Church-Catholike visible I shall first speak of the combination of particular Congregations into a Presbyterial Church Sect. 2. commonly called for distinction sake a Classis That there may be a college or body of Elders that can act conjunction as well as divisim appears from 1 Tim. 4.14 where the Presbytery are said to lay their hands on Timothy There is the name and thing and their acting conjunctim in Ordination which was not the Presbytery of a single Church or at least not so considered in their Ordination of an Evangelist an itinerant universal actual officer under the Apostles Our brethren also in New-England joyn the Elders of divers Congregations together in ordaining Elders for a new-erected Congregation and not only the erecting of new Congregations will require it necessarily but the supplying of other Congregations vacant by death for there are but few Congregations so well stored with preaching Presbyters as can ordain new ones if one or two of them die Also we finde an Eldership acting together Act. 15.6 The Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this matter Also Act. 11.30 and Act. 21.18 Christ gave the keys to the Apostles together Mat. 28.19 Go ye and teach and baptize c. who though they received their extraordinary calling of Apostleship for themselves only yet they received the ministerial office for all succeeding Ministers and we finde no other especial donation of the keys and this appears by the following words Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world which must needs be meant of the succeeding Ministers for the Apostles were not to last to the end of the world neither their persons nor their office Therefore as the Apostles could from that donation exercise the keys conjunctim divisim in their extraordinary function so may the Presbyters exercise theirs also and some keys cannot be used but conjunctim as in Ordination and dispensing censures and if Elders of several Congregations can act together as Elders in ordination even in New-England and in censures much more thâ—â— in a greater body And if our brethren in New-England dared admit private men to lay on their hands in ordination of their Ministers doubtlesse they would appoint some of their own private members to do it that so according to their tenet they might enjoy all Gods Ordinances independently in their particular Congregations and not admit of a forreign Officer to come and act as an Officer among them That divers Congregations may combine and make one Presbyterial Church appears by divers instances in the New Testament The Congregations in Jerusalem are called one Church Act. 8.1 Act. 11.22 Act. 15.4 The Congregations in Antioch are called one Church Act. 1â— 1 and Act. 11.26 The Congregations in Ephesus are called one Church Act. 20.17 Rev. 2.1 And the Congregations in Corinth mentioned in the plural number 1 Cor. 14.34 are called one Church 1 Cor. 1.2 and 2 Cor. 1.1 Now that there were several Congregations in each of these cities appears because there were in each of them so great a multitude of beleevers as that they could not meet together to partake of all Gods Ordinances especially if we consider that they had no publike eminent buildings for meeting-houses but met privately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.46 in an upper room Act. 1.13 and in the house of Mary Act. 12.12 in the school of Tyrannus Act. 19.9 in the house of Aquila and Priscilla 1 Cor. 16.19 in Pauls hiâ—ed house at Rome Act. 28.30 in the house of Nymphas Colos 4.15 c. therefore called the Church in their houses And this manner of meeting continued in the times of persecution in that age and some succeeding Also it appears by the multitude of Church-Officers Elders Prophets and Teachers that were in each of them which could not busie themselves in one Congregation and sure they were not idle in those daies Also by the variety of languages especially at Jerusalem Act. 2.5 8. c. See these and other arguments of this nature more fully explained and more particularly proved and applied in Jus Div. part 2. chap. 13. And if these Churches were such as in all rational probability they were then that position That there are no other Ecclesiastical societies instituted by Christ but particular Congregational-Churches will not hold good and the Basis of the Congregational way will fail and the partition wall that seemeth thereby to be between them and the Presbyterians must fall down And this unity of these Churches was not a spiritual unity in regard of saving grace for all the members had not that nor in regard of judgement belief heart and way for that was common to all the Christianâ— in the world but a political union by an especial Ecclesiastical obligation together though we finde no mention of any explicit Covenant as the constituent form of the particular Churches nor only in regard of the administration of Word Sacraments and Praier for these were dispersed in their several Congregations and could not be jointly together in regard of their multitudes Neither were they one in reference to the Apostles general power and office only they being universal Pastors for so the universal Church over the whole world was one but in regard of the common Presbytery whereby they were governed constantly and the Apostles themselves being in these several Churches did act as co-Presbyters with their Elders and so they call themselves Elders 1 Pet. 5. â— and Joh. 2. And though indeed it cannot be peremptorily affirmed that these Presbyterial Churches had their several Elders fixed to their several Congregations yet that as I conceive varies not the question at all And yet it is very probable that the Elders in those cities did divide those cities between them for particular teaching and inspection of
it self as being a member of the whole and yet it is not notably vain to say The gift of them by God and his intention in giving them was to the whole though they never meet nor can meet together in this world So is the case of the Ministers also the Ministry is primarily given to the whole body of them and if they could meet together they might exercise the keys together conjunctim a representation or an epitome whereof is in a general councel but because they cannot meet but in parcels where they are seated and have a particular call to give especial attendance therefore they exercise them divisim yet as parts of the whole body of Organs of the Church and there they serve the whole Church and their dispensations have influence into the whole The third danger viz. the trouble and charge of appeals and the tryal of causes by them that can have no personal knowledge of the cause or persons to be tried but by information hath been answered before c. 7. s 9. Sect. 7. His third prejudice is that this opinion is Papal and Anti-Protestant And to prove this he bringeth in Bellarmines description of the Church-Catholike viz. That it is one visible Church or Congregation of men bound together by the profession of the same faith and participation of the same Sacraments under the government of lawful Pastors and especially of that only Vicar of Christ on earth the Pontiffe or Bishop of Rome This latter clause indeed is papal properly and therefore justly rejected by the Protestants But the former part if it be understood of one habitual body or Congregation is not to be accounted Papal because set down by a Papist for then all the Articles of the Creed which they hold as well as we though not on the same ground should be accounted Papal also Where they differ from the Scripture therein they erre and therein only we dissent from them Neither is it Anti-protestant unlesse as he hath stated it Calvins judgement whom he citeth here again I have shewed before and it is opposite to M. Ellis in point of the power of the ministerial office beyond one Congregation which is the very hinge of the question and in the power and use of Synods Chamier indeed makes the Church to be one general or universal yet he makes it to be aggregated of many particular Churches which strongly argues an integrality for no Genus is made by aggregation and he saith it is compounded of infinite particular Churches but no genus is made by composition Omne aggregatum compositum est integrale He makes it also to consist of many parts yea to have partes extra partes which is the Logicians definition of an integral But how all the Kingdoms in the world as he saith to make a parallel with the universal Church may be called one Kingdom in the general except by logical abstraction I understand not Certainly it cannot be by aggregation and composition and by apposition of them as parts of that general Kingdome he speaks of which yet he yieldeth in the Church-Catholike They have not all the same systeme of written Laws authorized by the same authority neither have they indefinite habitual Officers as the Church hath And for Bishop Iewel in his answer to Harding he disputes against the headship of the Pope but denyeth not Christ to be head of the visible Church And though indeed he rightly cals it a new fancy to prove the Pope to be head of the Church from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if there were therefore but one King to rule over the whole world yet he denieth not that Christ rules over the whole Church but cals the Church One Kingdom One body One sheepfold And he citeth for the unity of the Church many sentences out of Cyprian viz. Vna est Ecclesia a Christo per totum mundum in plura membra divisa Item Episcopatus unus Episcoporum concords numerositate diffusus Cyp. l. 4. Ep. 2. Also Ecclesia una est connexa cohaerentium sibi invicem Sacerdotum glutine copulaeta Ep. 9. Quandoâ—oramus non pro uno oramus sed pro toâ—o populo quia totus populus unum sumus Cyp. in Orat. Dominic Again Hanc unitatem firmiter tenere vendicare debemus maximè Episcopi qui in Ecclesia praesidemus ut Episcopatum quoque ipsum unum indivisum probemus Cyp. l. 3. Ep. 13. Et si pastores multi sumus unum tamen gregem pascimus c. Copiosum est Corpus Sacerdotum concordiae mutua glutine atque unitatis vinculo copulatum ut si quis ex collegio nostro haeresim facere gregem Christi lacerare ac vastare tentaverit subveniant caeteri Ibid. So that Jewel was far from restraining the Ministers office or power to one Congregation or from denying the authority of Synods and Councels And for M. Rutherford in his Due right of Presbytery I marvel M. Ellis should cite him who is professedly point black against him and hath handled both parts of my question and concludes them affirmatively Due Right of Presbyteries p. 55. c. and 418. Now whose fault is it to cite authors for him that are known to be against him Sect. 8. I come now to view his greater Artillery as he cals it and his first argument is because saith he the Scriptures Christ and his Apostles are silent and speak nothing of one Catholike visible Church yea I may adde and all men else as he hath stated it But for Scripture-proofs I referre the Reader to what I said formerly and now have added Chap. 2. But my proofs from Scripture he was pleased to runne over in vind pag. 42. in 7. lines without any answer to the particulars His second argument is from the institution of Christ because saith he the keys of government were given first and fully entirely and immediatly to the particular Congregation and this he proves from the Church of the Jews to which all Church-power was given first and fully but this was saith he a particular Church not the universal unlesse by accident because there was no other Church-state in the world at that time And though he grants it to be a Type of the Church of the New Testament yet not as Catholike but as Congregational as it self was or else as mystical Vind. pag. 21. Answ It cannot be denied but there were some things peculiar to the Church of the Jews as typical Ordinances and a typical high Priest and that it was bounded within certain limits and they were bound to meet in their males three times yearly which pertain not to the Evangelical Church But in that one Church there were particular Assemblies for ordinary worship and extraordinary also and for acts of government and they had particular Officers and Ecclesiastical rulers over them and there were appeaâ—s reserved to the great Councel at Jerusalem and so it could not be a type of a
Congregational Church for there can be no appeals to that it being the lowest Church that can be The particular Synagogues were rather Types of the Congregational Churches for they are called by the same name Jam. 1.2 And the Ministers under the Gospel are called by the same names that the indefinite Officers of the Jewish Church were viz. Priests and Levites Isa 66.21 which place is spoken of the time under the Gospel And if it be granted that the Ministers of the Gospel be given to the whole Church as the Priests and Levites were indefinitely to the whole Church of the Jews notwithstanding any particular relation to the particular Synagogues and places they resided in and taught or judged in it is as much as I contend for And if by mystical he meaneth the elect only or entitively only it could not be a type of the Church-Catholike so for the Jewish Church was visible and organical His second proof is from Mat. 18. Tell the Church which saith he was a particular Congregation which was endued with entire power even to excommunication Whatsoever ye shall binde c. Answ This was not the Institution neither was there any donation of the keys but a supposal of the keys in the particular Churches which is a thing confessed by all and this power was also in the Jewish Synagogues But this is not spoken exclusively that this power is no where else If the rulers of the Synagogue had power to excommunicate to which it is like Christ alluded in that speech then much more the Sanedrim or highest Court and so I conceive it is in the Church of the New Testament If the least combination of Elders have this power given them for matters that concern that Congregation only then much more a greater company and combination for matters that concern a greater part of the Church under their combination and for matters of greater moment then can be transacted by the smaller company But the donation of the keys was to the Apostles together and they were general Officers and stood in relation to no particular Church and therefore the keys come to the particular Congregation or Ministry there as to parts of the whole company of Organs yet immediatly and not by commission from any Catholike Court. His third proof is because the first execution of the greatest act of entire power was exercised in a particular Church without consulting with the universal Church though the Apostles were then surviving 1 Cor. 5. Answ For ought that I know the Church of Corinth was a Classical Church and not a meer Congregational one for there were Churches in it 1 Cor. 14.34 Besides the probability that Cenchrea was a member thereof But Sir who requires the consulting with the Church-Catholike in admitting or ejecting members Or did the particular Synagogues consult with the Sanedrim or the whole Church of the Jews when they excommunicated any man Surely they had work enough to do then His fourth proof or argument is Because entire power was committed to particular men viz. the Apostles severally and to all jointly and therefore not to one visible governing Church Vind. p. 23. Answ By this argument it appears the power is given not to the Congregation but to the Ministers whose representatives the Apostles were in receiving the keys severally and jointly which is as much as the Presbyterians require viz. that the Ministers have power to exercise their ordinary power jointly together upon a call as well as severally in their particular Congregations as the Apostles did their extraordinary Their receiving the keys together signifyed their representation of the Ministers not multiplyed only as M. Ellis would evade it but conjoyned His fifth argument is from the reproofs given by Christ to the 7. several Churches in the Revelation and not to the combination of them though near one another Answ For ought appears they might be all Presbyterial Churches and not Congregational only The Church of Ephesus was one and that was of more Congregations then one as hath been shewed before But how doth this prove these Churches were nor or might not actually have been in combination if civil authority would have permited Were not the Elders of the several Churches worthy of blame for not doing their duty in their several Churches Or will combinations of Congregations now in Classes or Provinces free their Ministers from blame in neglecting their duâ—â—es in their particular Congregations A Classis or Synod is not to be blamed for the faults in a particular Congregation which ought to be censured in the particular and not there neither indeed can be except they had been brought before them The several Churches there had their several faults and therefore though the Epistle is written to the seven yet it was needful the reproofs should be applied to rhem severally And yet some think that the whole Epistle was writeen and sent to all the 7. Churches from Rev. 1.4 11. His second sort of Arguments are from the matter and members of the Church Sect. 9. and he makes it necessary that the whole Church should be gathered together into one place as the Jewish Church was and Corporations in their hals and Kingdoms in their Parliaments And this he saith I deny against all experience and reason Vind. p. 24. Answ This hath been answered before among the Objections I adde further that though usually it is so that there are some general meetings in worldly polities that are several actual governments yet it is not alwaies so as hath been shewed and where it is so it is a fruit and effect and token of liberty but ariseth not meerly from unity because there have been polities that had them not for this Kingdom was one a good while before there were any Parliaments and after they were granted they were but occasional and so there may be occasional meetings in general Councels only the vastnes of the Church and diversity of civil governments and governours render them very difficult in our daies But he saith that such an oneness as is in regard of kinde and nature in all the Churches and in relation to the same head and in order to and dependance upon one rule or Law the word of God is no actual or real onenesse but in imagination and conceit Ans It is not actual indeed but habitual as hath been said many times over yet it is real as well as the four monarchies were real monarchies and not in imagination only and conciet He might as well make the head of the Church and the Laws of the Church and the Covenant of grace and the seals of the Covenant to be but imaginary and in conceit as the Church-Catholike for they are the bonds of the unity and real visible bonds make not an imaginary integral but a real And where I pray is this onenesse denyed by the brethren as you alledge Vin. p. 24. The enlargement and confirmation of this argument A non existentiâ
heart only and that but dimly and not apprehended by all in all the parts thereof alike through ignorance rudenesse barbarism or evil customes Secondly There are no Officers of the whole world as it is a society directed by the internal Law of nature but so there are of the visible Church and Therefore the visible Church is more then a society it is Christs external political Kingdom Thirdly There are several chief governours over the several Kingdoms of the world which are Gods vicegerents and Gods annointed ones in their Kingdoms and written municipal laws belonging to every Kingdom distinct from other Kingdoms and priviledges proper to the several Kingdoms wherein the subjects of other Kingdoms partake not But Christ hath set no such several supream annointed ones over the several Churches nor permitted the several Churches to make any different laws from his nor from those laws which are common to the whole Church And the priviledges of the Church are common to all the members of the several Churches and they have freedom to communicate together in the holy Ordinances whereever they dwell Fourthly The Law of nature is given by God as an invisible Creator the Laws of the Church are given by Christ a God man as a Mediator As he is God he hath an essential right to be governour of angels and men and all other creatures but as Mediatour he hath a donative Kingdom of grace and is a political head of an external visible Kingdom which is but one Fifthly All mankinde are not entred into one body by one external instituted sign badge enrowlment and initial seal not are entred into one explicit actual Covenant nor make an explicit actual profession of subjection to the same God or to the same systeme of written Laws And therefore that parallel which these two reverend Ministers M. Allen and M. Shepard whom I love and reverence much in the Lord endeavour to draw between mankinde and the Oecumenical Church in their Defence unto the nine questions or positions p. 79. will not suit and agree in all things 6. Yet as all men are one society though they want Officers as such yet are they bound to combine even from that internal union to preserve themselves and maintain the Law of nature Suppose there were some circumcelliones or some conjurers that sought to destroy mankinde in general not because they are of this or that Kingdom upon some particular quarrel but because they are men or that endeavoured to poison and infect the air or let in the sea to drown the earth or take away the light of the Sun if such things were possible or any kinde of wilde beast should multiply that would destroy all mankinde then all mankinde setting aside their particular immunities combinations Laws yea and quarrels ought and would unite themselves as men to preserve mankinde and oppose such common enemies of mankinde Forreign Nations will combine to vindicate Jus Gentium if it be violated All Nations combine against Pirates notwithstanding particular distinctions and oppositions yea so far as mens positive laws are general as the civil Law reacheth far over many Kingdoms if there be any oppositions or obstructions that hinder the exercise thereof for common good all that submit themselves thereunto would notwithstanding their particular distinctions joyn together to remove the same Much more then ought there to be an union and combination between the several parts of the Church which hath the same head and King over the whole of our own nature who hath given us one systeme of written laws and but one charter for the whole and made Officers for the good of the whole enduing them with an habitual power of office to administer all his Ordinances in any part of the Church upon a call And if they could meet together they might actually teach and rule the whole Church as one Congregation as M Ellis granteth and because they cannot so meet yet by the same reason if a great part of them meet together the Elders set over them may teach and rule them joyntly together as well as severally asunder For the greater number of Churches being considered as combined and consociated parts of the whole bear the same relation in a proportion to the lesse that the greater number in the same Congregation do to the lesse and therefore if the major part in the Congregational Eldership shall overrule the lesse by their votes so by proportion shall the greater number of any greater Presbytery whether Classical Provincial or National c. being in actual consociation and combination overrule the lesse if they dissent But because there are so many superstitions errours and heresies in the Asian African European and American Churches as M. A. and M. S. in their defence p 92. do take notice of which book I confesse it was mine unhappinesse not to hear of until this tractate of mine was transcribed for the presse and who have dealt exceeding candidly upon this question and seem to yield the fairest concessions toward the universality unity integrality and priority of the whole Church in some respects of reason pag. 77. though not so much as is contended for yet I say for these things sake I should be very tender in defining as the case now standeth what Churches or how farre the visible Churches may with convenience or safety enter into actual combination Quest 2. lest the truths of God or the liberties of the more sound and pure Churches should be prejudiced thereby The 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 or first and which Secundaria or secondary Sect. 1. BEfore I answer I desire it may be remembred that the comparison is not between the invisible and the visible Church but between the visible Catholike Church and the particular visible Churches And then I answer I conceive the Church-Catholike visible is priâ—â—a and the particular Churches are secundariae and in that sense orâ—ae as being ministerially converted and admitted by it But for our better understanding of this priority I shall first set down what kinde of priority this is and what not I doe not mean a priority of time as if the Church-Catholike should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 antiquius quid and yet the Evangelical Church was first set up in time before there were any divisions into particular Churches but now it is divided the members that are born in the several Congregations enter into the general and particular Churches simul tempore though not ratione naturei As a freeman in London takes up his freedom of the City 〈◊〉 of such a â—all or company at once But those that are born in it and converted to it finde the Church-Catholike already constituted before them even in time Also I do not mean in regard of constitution of the whole political Kingdom of Christ by
Corporations and yet this hinders not the power of Parliaments or Officers called thereto to dispense justice to divers Counties yea to the whole Kingdom and to relieve such as are wronged in their particular associations Suppose an Apostle should have preached in a city and converted but a few haply most or all of them women as it was Pauls lot to preach to a company of women Act. 16.13 so that they could not be brought into an Organical 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 practices had Paul nothing to doe to censure them because they were not congregated and combined by a particular Covenant in a Church-way as some term it but remain unfixed members of the Church-Catholike If they be liable to censure then doth discipline belong to the Church-Catholike primarily Nay let that be supposed for illustration sake which Paul Gal. 1.8 supposeth of himself that he or any of the Apostles should have apostatized and either preached another Messias or lived scandalously or proved a persecutour had Christ left the Church no key to binde him because he was a general Officer and a fixed member of no particular Congregation might not the rest of the Apostles excommunicate him then that censure would be Catholike without respect to any particular Congregation The Ordinances of Discipline were first given to the Church-Catholike because the keys were first given to the Apostles who were general Pastours and therefore the keys are Catholike Also the censures past in one Congregation reach the whole Church-Catholike visible and are binding to the whole and their absolution reacheth as far and â—ets the person into an habitual right to communicate any where again as hath been shewed before That which belongeth to every part of a similar body that primarily belongs to the whole but Discipline belongeth to every part of the Church-Catholike which is a similar body and therefore it primarily belongs to the whole If the keys be not Catholike then this inconvenience will follow that a visible beleever obtaining baptism before he be a fixed member may either through pretence of scrupulosity or perigrination factorship or frequent removing or refusal to joyn with any particular Congregation though never so heretical or scandalous shall thereby escape all censures because the keys are only particular and no body can inflict any censure upon him and yet being a visible member under the seal of the covenant shall converse with other Christians and haply upon his habitual right hear the Word or haply be admitted to the Lords table Which is as if a Subject of England because he will be a fixed inhabitant in no Town but wandring up and down drinking thieving and whoring thereby should escape all civil censures It is common to all polities that every County Corporation or division that have power to administer justice according to the â—ane of the policy shall apprehend malefactors within their 〈◊〉 whereever the malefactor hath his constant dwelling and either punish them themselves or turn them over to such aâ— are called to administer justice to the whole and otherwise outrages cannot be avoided or punished which are committed by men in places remote from their dwellings The like power must be allowed in Christs Ecclesiastical policy that the visible members of Christs Church may either be censured by the particular Church in whose limits they offend or be sent to the Church to which they belong which the offended Church hath no power by civil compulsion to do or that Church i◠〈◊〉 the off haply in another Countrey or haply they belong to none or else there must be a combined Eldership that may censure such persons Though civil limits be appointed for cohabitation of the members of particular Congregations and for maintenance of their Ministers and providing for the poor and 〈◊〉 essential to the Church but the members are to be accounted as members of that Congregation every where and the 〈…〉 in travel with any of their Congregation ought to watch over them and admonish them as their Elders and they to obey there whereever they become which sheweth that external limits bound not the Ministerial power as it doth the civil power of a Maâ—or or Constable yet there must be some kinde of proportion holden with civil polities for the censuring of wandring Christians else may hereticks and scandalous Christians come from forreign parts and do much hurt and yet avoid all censures Sect. 3. Thirdly Christs Offices are first intended for and executed on the Church-Catholike here below He is a King Priest and 〈◊〉 primarily in respect of the whole and but secondarily in respect of a particular Congregation or member Gods aim in redemnation was to redeem the whole primarily and secondarily the particulars God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. i. e. not the Jew only but the Gentile also And so in the application of that redemption as Christ is a Priest be reconcileth and intercedeth for all the elect as a Prophet he teacheth all as a King he ruleth all primarily and particulars secondarily So is it also in Christs external Kingdom as well as his internal As an earthly King is indeed King of Thomas and John c. but not primarily but secondarily as they are members of his Kingdom And the natural head is indeed head to the little finger and toe but not primarily but as they are parts of the whole body whereof it is head so Christ is a mystical head of the whole Church primarily and secondarily of the particular parts contained in and under the whole Fourthly The signs that difference the true Church from a false do not primarily belong to a particular Congregation but to the Church-Catholike visible viz. Profession of the true faith administration of Gods true Ordinances for therein the whole Church agree and is thereby distinguished from those that are without not from those that are within These are no notes to know this or that particular Church by from another for they are common to the universal Church they distinguish them not among themselves but from the general common opposite the heathen or the grosse heretick A man being led into a vault where were the skuls of many dead men and understanding that Alexanders skull was there desired his guide to shew him that his guide told him it was that skull with the hollow eye-holes and grisly nose and futures crossing the brampan and when the man replyed that they had all so yea saith his guide there is no difference between Kings and other mens skuls when they are dead So if any man should ask which is the Church of Ipswich Deâ—ham c. it were a folly to say it is the Church where the word of God is preached and Sacraments administred and that professe Jesus to be crucified
the Congregation That by Baptism we are admitted into the Church I think is without doubt for if persons baptized be not members of the visible Church then the seal of the Covenant is administred to those that are and remain oâ—â— of the Church and so were no initial seal which were absurd to say M. Ball in his Catechism hath this passage Baptism is a Sacrament of our ingrafting into Christ communion with him and entrance into the Church for which he citeth Mat 28.19 Act. 8.38 And afterwards explains himself It doth saith he solemnly signifie and seal their ingrafting into Christ and confirm that they are acknowledged members of the Church and entred into it And that we are thereby admitted members not of a particular Congregation but the Church-Catholike appears because we are baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 And this appears further because he that is baptized in one Congregation is baptized all over the world and is not to be re-baptized but is taken as a member of the Church whereever he becomes See before Chap. 6. Now that baptizing is an act of office appears Joh. 1.33 He that sent me to baptize And Go teach all Nations and baptize them c. Mat. 28. was the substance of the Apostles Commission And though Paul 1 Cor. 1.17 saith Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel yet that is meant not principally for he was sent also to baptize else he might not have done it which we reade he did And that by an act of this office we are baptized into the Church-Catholike appears because John Baptist baptized all Jerusalem Judea and all the region round about Iordan And the Disciples of Christ made and baptized more Disciples then Iohn and that without any relation to any particular Congregations which had it been necessary or had baptism been ordained in reference to particular Congregations they could have combined them into So Peter caused Cornelius and his friends to be baptized Act. 10.48 but no mention is made of any Congregation into which they were baptized And Philip baptized the Eunuch but not into any particular Congregation Into what Congregation did Ananias baptize Paul Act. 9.18 Or how can it appear that Ananias was an Evangelist or any extraordinary Officer he is called a Disciple at Damascus it is probable he was one of the Elders there but that Paul was ever a fixed member of any particular Congregation it appears not That which is answered to this is that they which administred Baptism so indefinitely were extraordinary general Officers which are now ceased But this salves it not for if the immediate right to Baptism c. comes to the receiver by being a member of a particular instituted Congregation as M. Norton and M. A. and M. S. in Def. Ch. 4. pag. 73. tels us then John Baptist Christs Disciples Philip and Ananias though he had been an Evangelist administred it to such as had no actual and immediate right to receive it Indeed the answer implyeth a more large actual extensive power in the administrers either to have constituted new Churches or to administer in any constituted Churches but it gives not them power to administer any Ordinance of God to such as had no right thereto nor power to the receivers to receive it without actual right in an undue order It gives them not jus in re who had in themselves only jus ad rem as their distinction is And the proof brought p. 76. out of Act. 5.14 is as I conceive mistaken Their words are these Beleevers were added first they were beleevers standing in that spiritual relation to Christ and his whole body and then added to the Church by visible combination But it is not said they were added to the Church but added to the Lord and it were incongruous to gather thence that they were first beleevers and after that were added to the Lord by a second act seeing their adding to the Lord was by beleeving and that which added them to the Lord the head and King added them to the body and Kingdom And whereas they say that Justification and Adoption c. flow immediatly from internal union with Christ but instituted Ordinances and Priviledges mediatly and in such an order as Christ hath in wisedom ordained and the nature of visible government and Ordinances of Christ necessarily require pag. 76. If they mean by it being members of particular Congregations then would I know whether hearing the word publikely preached or read or joyning in publike singing or in keeping a day of publike thanksgiving or fasting or making rows or taking oaths which are instituted Ordinances may not be permitted to any but such as are members of particular Congregations The Apostles carried about one with them whom they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Minister Act. 13.5 who was no Apostle and he baptized for them into the Church-Catholike and when a sufficient number were converted and baptized then followed the particular relation of a particular Congregation by ordaining Officers to take the particular care over them So Tychicus Col. 4.7 is called a beloved brother and faithful Minister and fellow-servant in the Lord. And Eph. 6.21 he hath the same stile given him Certainly he could not be a peculiar Minister to both those distant Churches and haply he was so to neither of them if we may give any credit to Dorotheus who saith he was Bishop of Chalcedon in Bithynia Apollos baptized at Corinth 1 Cor. 3.4 and yet was no Apostle but a Minister and steward of the mysteries of God as well as they 1 Cor. 4.1 Hence is that distinction of Iunius in his Animadversions on Bellarm. c. 7. nor 7. Alia est electio sive vocatio communis quâ vir bonus pius doctus aptus absolutè eligitur ad ministerium verbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alia particularis sive singularis quâ ad ministerium singulariter huic vel illi Ecclesiae praeficiendus eligitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Scripture alwaies calling the beleevers in one city one Church even Ierusalem though there were many thousands yea myriads i. e. many ten thousands of beleeving Jews therein as Iames tels Paul Act. 21.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were all probably of Ierusalem as appears first because they were not such as could bear any witnesse against Paul but by hearsay they are informed of thee But the Jews disperst amongst the Gentiles having seen and heard Paul could have testified of their own knowledge and would not be blinded with Pauls present conformity And secondly because they only or Ierusalem could receive satisfaction by Pauls conformity to the Law at Ierusalem at that time and not the others Also the holy Ghost calling the Elders of those cities the Elders of the Church in communi it leaveth it uncertain to me whether the several Elders were fixed over the particular Congregations or taught and ruled in communi as the Ministers do now in
or Integral 9. That the keys of Discipline are Catholike as well as of Doctrine 10. That the Church-Catholike is one similar body if considered as Entitive the members are similar parts of it if as organical the particular Churches are similar parts of it 11. The Promises Priviledges and Ordinances of worship and discipline belong primarily to the Church-Catholike 12. That the Church-Catholike is constituted by one Covenant Charter and Systeme of Divine Laws 13. That the Priviledges and Ordinances of the Church arise not from the Nature of it but from the covenant donation and institution of Christ 14. That the Church-Catholike is the prime Church 15. That the Church-Catholike visible is of greater dignity then the particular Churches 16. That the Church-Catholike visible is more august and of more large authority then the particular though the authority differs not in kinde 17. That the Church-Catholike is of greater perfection then the particular Churches 18. That the Church-Catholike visible is ministerially an instrument to convey the Nature Priviledges and Ordinances of the Church to such as are added thereunto 19. That the whole Church-Catholike is the primary and adequate object suo genere of Christs Offices and the particular Churches but as parts thereof Joh. 3.16 20. That the Notes and Signs of the true Church belong first to the Church-Catholike visible and therefore are distinctive to that only 21. That the Church-Catholike visible hath an existence accidents and operations of its own as it is Catholike 22. That the Church-Catholike visible hath an head or governour over it and but one head even Jesus Christ who is very Man as well as God 23. That though Christ be the only supream head and ruler of his Church yet hath it immediate rulers over it under Christ 24. That the unity of the Church-Catholike requireth not a meeting of the whole body together at any time Concerning particular Churches 1. That the particular Churches are made up of the members of the Church-Catholike Entitive 2. That the particular Churches organized and all visible beleevers make up the Church-Catholike Organical by aggregation and the particulars are inferiour thereunto 3. That the particular divisions of the Church-Catholike visible for convenient enjoyment of publike Ordinances have the name Church and the Priviledges and Ordinances as far as they are capable of them secondarily in consideration 4. That the particular Churches being similar parts of the whole Church having no essential specifical differences are to be distinguished by accidental differences and circumstances as their limits of place c. though they be heterogeneal to them 5. Many Congregations may be in the same community of discipline and be ruled by their Elders in communi by coordination and so be called one Church National Provincial or Presbyterial 6. If the particular Churches claim power of dispensing all the Ordinances of Christ by vertue of the general Charter Covenant and donation they being parts of the Church then much more may the whole Church-Catholike for which they were primarily intended and made 7. The greater the parts of the Church-Catholike be and the more united by combitation and coordination the stronger they be and the smaller the divisions be the weaker 8. The division of the Church Catholike into small parcels to stand alone by themselves without coordination is dangerous 9. Yet necessity in regard of distance of place c. may cause a particular Church to be Independent and stand alone in regard of actual external consociation or combination 10. The necessity of an explicit Covenant as the essential form whereby the particular Church is constituted implyeth a denial of all other Churches to be true that are not so constituted because they must want the essential form 11. The ordinary and constant operations of the Officers of the Church in dispensation of Christs Ordinances are in the particular Churches primarily 12. Any particular Congregation may fail apostatize or be dissolved and cease but should the Church-Catholike be reduced into so narrow limits and the being thereof be reserved therein and it sustain the notion of the Church-Catholike God would not suffer it in such a case to fail or cease for then the whole must cease also Concerning the publike Officers of the Church 1. Every Minister is an Officer of the Church-Catholike visible and that relation is primary to him yet the particular relation he stands in to a particular Congregation giveth him a more immediate especial call and charge to administer the Ordinances of God constantly to them 2. Any single Minister by vertue of his office hath power ministerially to admit a member into the Church-Catholike visible if he be fit 3. Although the election of a Minister to a particular Congregation be an act of liberty in the people yet his mission is from Christ primarily and ministerially by the Presbytery 4. He doth not administer the Ordinances of God in the name of the Congregation as their servant but as the servant of Christ As a Mayor in a Corporation though chosen by the people yet executeth his office in the Kings name 5. If he administreth any Ordinances out of his own Congregation he doth it not as a gifted brother but by vertue of his office 2 Cor. 5.20 And the like may be said of their dispensation of Ordinances to members of other Congregations that come to their Congregations 6. Although the particular flock over which a Minister was set be dissolved yet he ceaseth not to be a Minister because the Church to which he bare first relation is not dissolved which is the Catholike 7. The Elders of several particular Congregations as they may exercise the keys of their office divisim in their several Congregations so they may exercise them conjunctim in combinations if they be called thereunto Concerning private members 1. Particular converts are first converted into the Church-Catholike Entitive and secondarily conjoyned into particular consociations for the more oppurtune enjoyment of Ordinances actually and constantly 2. Every member of a particular Congregation is a member of the Church-Catholike Entitive and that relation doth primarily belong unto him 3. External profession of the true faith and subjection to Gods Ordinances is enough to make a man capable of being a member of the Church-Catholike visible and so also of a particular Congregation quoad externam formam 4. By Baptism members are visibly and ministerially admitted into the Church-Catholike visible 5. By excommunication rightly administred an offender is cast out of the Church-Catholike visible as much as out of a particular Congregation 6. Federal holinesse belongs to none primarily because born of members of a particular Congregation but of the Church-Catholike 7. They that are only in the Church-Catholike visible are not without in the Apostles sense 8. Children of beleeving parents have right to Baptism though their parents were not members of any particular Congregation and are debarred from their due if denyed it 9. Every visible beleever is