this constitute a Church of Christ or a Synagogue of Satan what are all his Admidistrations but an Usurpation As to the efficacy of the Act done it s not my Province to determine here I shall onely say as to the matter of Baptism I roundly affirm That I believe it no more effectual than if a Cobler Tinker or Midwife had done it with some competent Solemnity Hence it evidently may be concluded That the Administration of Sacraments constitutes not a Church of Christ much less makes a Parish a Church But in the foremention'd instances the whole proceeding of Ministers and People are a meer usurpation of Communion in Church Ordinances and is no better then Jeroboams worshipping Dan and Bethel and Conformity thereto no better then the Israelites Conformity thereto in obedience to their lawful civil Governours in that which is a declared Abomination to the Lord. Obj. You do hereby Vnchurch many an eminent Church where there hath been a Faithful Parish Minister and holy good people walking as his Parishioners in Communion with him Ans We unchurch no true Church of Cbrist by this means for i◠one thing to say a thing is Church and that it 's occasional of a Church I deny not but many Ministers Parish-Relation and Peoples cohabitation have been ocasions of many Reforming Churches which Christ hath accepted in their degrees of Reformation but we affirm they were not Churches of Christ as such i. e. as Members of a Parish but as a faithul people related by a Spiritual Bond of Union to Christ and one to another in Communion of the Word purely Preached and Sacraments duely Administred CHAP. V. Of the Catholick Visible Church THose that speak of a Catholick Visible Church speak some at one rate and some at another If they mean that the Catholick Church is Visible in the largest sence as such we deny it for it is not visible to us nor can be till all the Elect are called in and so must be onely at the General Assembly and Church of the First-born for at present the most eminent part of it is triumphant many true Believers that are militant not seen or known to us And so to say the Catholick Church is Visible is to set our words and sences at variance By Catholick Visible some will say they mean not the whole Universal Church but so much of it as is visible but this cannot for that reason have the denomination of Catholick Church because it s but a very small part of it and part cannot be called the whole besides if it be limited to the Visible Saints militant I say the universality of them are never visible either in any congregation or in communion of any Ordinance or under any Visible Pastoral Jurisdiction neither are the particular Members of the Church militant visible at the same time there being no such time when all true Believers are known by their visible Profession Some understand by the Catholick Visible Church an Organized Church with a visible Pastoral Head and furnished with Officers suiting a Catholick Ruling Power over all Churches and Saints on Earth and this is the meaning alwayes of the Papists when they speak of the Catholick Church calling themselves Catholicks as Members of it which Church they say Rome is wherein this universal Pastor and Jurisdiction is placed But it is by a cloud of Witnesses asserted that Christ never Ordained any universal visible Pastor nor ever promoted Peter above the rest of the Apostles neither did ever the greatest contender for the Popes Headship and Supremacy over all other Pastors and Churches ever make seeming fair proof of it for though he sent sorth his Apostles as extraordinary Officers with an extraordinary presence for working Miracles and healing in order to the first propagating the Gospel and Plantation of Churches yet they had but a co-ordinate power neither were they fixed as standing and lasting Officers in the Church neither was their Apostolick power conveyed to any Successors but dyed with them leaving only ordinary Officers in the Church Lastly can you read the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any where to import in the New Testament a Church of this nature viz. a Catholick Visible Organized Church Christ rather pofitively forbad it and reproved that spirit of Ambition that was one thing that our Saviour saw working in them labouring to be Dignitaries But he that will be chief among you let him be your Servant Mat. 20.17 23.11.10.24 25. Which Reprimand the Mother of Zebedee's children received when she enquired who should be greatest among her children There are six or seven sorts of Churches in the latter dayes that entitle themselves the Churches of Christ which the Gospel makes no mention of viz. Catholick Organized Visible such the Church of Rome Patriarchal National Provincial Diocesan Archdeconary Parochial These seem to be the seven women spoken of Isa 4.1 that shall take hold of one man The Lord Jesus Christ Saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own Apparel only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach They will have the name of Christ that they may not be Reproached as the Churches of Antichrist and yet will be at their own provision for Worship and Ordinances by humane inventions But for all this tho' these whorish women make a shift by a common vogue to carry the name of the True Gospel Churches throughout the world his True Spouse though small and contemptible as to outward appearance shall be glorious ver 2. In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel ver 3. And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion in that great Apostacy and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem See what follows from ver 4. to the end This I take to be the true meaning of that place for 1. Women in the Prophetick phrase are Churches as frequent instances may be given 2. The number may be definite for an indefinite 3. The Prophecy is manifestly of the latter dayes and the Churches state therein which none will deny CHAP. VI. Of the most usual acceptation of the word Church in the New Testament WE have shewed that in one place the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for any common Assembly lawful or unlawful Acts 19.32 39. and likewise that it 's once taken for a National Church Acts 7.38 But in all other places it 's either taken for the Universal Church of Christ or for particular Congregations and for no other sorts of Churches The Universal Church of Christ is one Organized Body Christ being the Head and all the Saints Triumphant and Militant the Members united together either by a real Bond visible or invisible or both This Church of Christ either is mentioned in
18.1 ch 22.12 16 18. 2 Chr. 6.3 Ezra 2.64 And the whole Congregation together 42360 these more or less made up one Assembly these were Preached to by Ezra and whatever the number of the Nation was they were to meet all together in one place And so we have the word applyed to the Church in the New Testament that it alwayes signifies a Congregation that doth ordinarily meet together for their edification if it be meant of a Particular Church but if an Universal such a Church as shortly shall Assemble and always sit together in a lasting sinless and uninterrupted communion So that a true Church of Christ under whatever Notion you take it must be and is a Congregation of Saints visible invisible or both that do meet together in one place for the Worship of God in Christ and communion in one body 4. We infer that we have part of the differencing form in that Description viz. where the pure word is Preached and Sacraments duely Adminstred c. for it distinguisheth the true Church distinguisheth the true visible Churches from false and erroneous it distinguisheth a particular Church from the Catholick for there is no Church but a particular Congregation capable of having the word preached to it and Sacraments duely administred in one Congregation but a particular Church when the Catholick Church assembles there will be neither 5. We find not the least word in Old or New Testament of a Representative Congregation or Church-Representative the Congregation of the Jews was to be by a Personal Appearance of all the Males the Females were exempted upon Gods special Dispensation by reason of their unfitness for Travel as from circumcision by reason of incapacity But we find that every visible Church of Christ still appeared before the Lord personally for actual communion in Church Ordinances in that way and method that God appointed in his Respective Dispensations and we are fully assured there is no Representative Church of Christs institution either Councels or Synods or Presbyteries We read not of any Presbytery i. e. Association of Elders called the Church but the Church is always spoken of distinctly from them If there had been any Reason to have called any Eldership the Church there had been Reason to have called that so in the Apostolick Church which had so many famous Apostles Prophets and Evangelists in in it but they are named distinctly in that great Councel held at Jerusalem Act. 15.22 It pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church 6. The Universal Church doth comprehend all the particular Congregations in all Ages and places being simular and co-ordinate parts of it of the visible Saints where by the Institution of Christ the Head all the Ordinances are placed and by his influence there is a supply of Graces and gifts for the Edification of his Body as likewise all Officers and Offices as appears Eph. 4.11 12. of which there were Extraordinary and Ordinary 7. The extraordinary Officers were instituted for an extraordinary Occasion viz. the first Plantation of the Gospel-churches They were Apostles Prophets Evangelists the call of these the works and Qualifications was extraordinary These continued no longer than the first Age of the Church 8. The Ordinary remaining Officers are no more than Presbyters which some make a little distinction of Pastors Teachers Ruling Elders but there is no need of multiplication of Titles and Offices where the work doth so much correspond and is of the same nature and Deacons the first sort to give themselves principally to Prayer and the Ministry of the Word and Government the latter to mind the matters of more external concern called Tables as the necessities of the Poor the providing Elements for Sacraments conveniencies for Church-assemblies and whatever is necessary upon such Occasions These Officers are no where found with a capacity to exert their Power as such but in particular Congregations tho' they be members of the Catholick Church they are not Catholick Officers Christ is now the only Catholick Officer being the Head of the whole Body 9. All the Officers of the Gospel-church were placed in the one Catholick Church primarily and immediately relating to Christ Mystical secondarily and mediately to the several visible militating parts thereof in particular Congregations and their Office-work was either for the planting and gathering in to them or for the edification of those gathered The Extraordinary had an extraordinary call furnished with an extraordinary measure of the Spirit as with an extraordinary Commission the Ordinary had not these but sufficient both of the Spirit and commission for answering Christs glorious ends and designs in building his Church in future Ages and gathering more 10. It appears that the true actual members of the visible Church are visible Saints and Believers none that were adult were ever counted so in the Gospel-sence but under-the Notion of the Profession of Faith and Practice of Holiness True Faith makes a man a true Member of the mystical Body of Christ but cannot instate a man in foro Ecclesiae in the rights of visible communion till it manifests it self with credibility unto those to whom the Preservation of these Rights and Priviledges are committed the actual Officers and Members of a visible Church The Rule that Christ hath given for knowing and judging of others is by their Fruits and if the Church be mistaken for want of Infallibility which the Apostles themselves came short in Simon Magus and Judas being not known to them but by the Discovery of overt Acts God chargeth them not culpably with it that being a Prerogative that Christ reserves to himself and none ever Pretended to it but the false Prophet the great Spiritual Usurper and it appears that our Saviour reserved this Diadem to himself in the Embrio of the Gospel-church by his Behaviour towards Judas admitting him to visible communion meerly upon an outward Profession though he knew his Heart leaving his Practice as an Example to his Ministers and Churches carrying himself as a visible Pastor and dealt with men in the case of receiving to or rejecting from communion according to the visibility of their Profession therefore leaving it as a standing Rule to his Church for future proceeding in this kind not that he esteemed Hypocrites any part of his mystical Body but yet the present Profession giving them by his own Rules a right to all External Priviledges and a Reputation nothing inferiour to others he speaks of them in some Phrases which to minds not throughly informed in the Truth create much difficulty as John 17.11 Holy Father keep through thy name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are i. e. all those that thou hast given me to be of my mystical Body that they may be united in Participation of the Divine Nature as we are one vers 12. While I was with them in the World as a visible Pastor among them I kept them in thy Name of those thou
capacities for the Honour and Interest of Christ more then a Heathen Magistrate yet his being a Christian adds not unto his Authority as Magistrate neither doth Christianity de jure extend his Legislative Power further then it was before And therefore if the Magistrate as such hath a Legislative Power in matters of Religion then all have and Heathen as well as Christian and that power which the Magistrate hath Jure divino we are bound Jure divino to obey Ergo required to be of that Religion the Magistrate by Law imposeth of one kind or another This is an undeniable consequence CHAP. IV. Of Parochial Churches THere is no such things as a Parochial Church deducible from Rules of the Gospel neither can it be shewed that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament doth any where import such a meaning from any Application of it there made by the Spirit of God What Pleas able and learned men have made for such Churches you must give us leave to reject unless they carry Scripture light and demonstration along with them without which our minds and consciences cannot be bound to Faith and Submission A Parochial Church we take in the most common and candid Acceptation without binding our selves to the Term Parochial or Parish that being but of latter times That all Persons cohabiting within such Bounds Limitations or Divisions of Ground becoming a Parish Township Village or going under any other Denomination by the Customs or Laws of the Land where they are I say such Divisions and Limitations of ground doth not set out the bounds of a Gospel-Church but that it may extend further then such Land-marks or be of lesser Extent according to the Number or Situation of the Professing Believers in those parts for conveniency of their assembling together and Communion for mutual Edification neither is it necessary that all co-inhabitants within such limits should be Members of one and the same Congregation yea that all should be reputed fit matter for any seeing nothing is more evident and every where experiencd than that there is the greatest mixture of all sorts of men in such limits and neighbourhoods common and natural Justice allowing every one that habitation that he can claim a civil right and title to let him be good or bad it s not Religion that makes men members of this or that Parish or Irreligion that excludes them Now if co-habitation in such a Precinct makes a man a member of the Church of Christ there if there be any it is either because it makes him necessarily so or gives him a due claim if the first he must be one whether he be willing or no and so long as he dwells in those limits they can enforce him to be so and then the Church must be supposed to have a compulsive Power not only internal by moral Perswasions but a Spiritual as to the exercise of Censures towards them that are without which is Nonsence and ridiculous yea an external compulsive power on mens Persons and Actions to be exerted by themselves or some by and under them in order to make men Church-members and this is so great a contradiction not only to the Tenure of the Gospel yea wholly without any President under the old or new Testament-constitutions and to the most common Understanding of the Nature of Religion that to assert it is most grosly absurd to any understanding Christian Ear and therefore not worth insisting upon Or it gives him a right and claim but co-habitation gives not a man a right and claim Ergo For then he may come and challenge his right and they cannot hinder him pleading that he hath what is necessary to Church-membership viz. Cohabitation Hence no Church would have Power to maintain any Purity of Ordinances and defend them from corrupt communicants according to the Rules of the Gospel and therefore there would be no need of Officers and Discipline to this end Besides Excommunication must be the Removal of men out of the Parish and nothing else for it is the cutting a man off from the bond of communion Now if the Parish limits be the bond of Fellowship then Excommunication must be the cutting a man off from it but Christ never intended that Church Discipline should cut off any one from civil Rights and Properties and banish men Yea there is nothing makes the Ordinances of Christ so cheap and contemptible as such Church work as this when there is no other Qualification required to adult Church-membership then cohabitation in the Precinct where such pretended Church is and this is so necessary an enforcing reason that the Inhabitant cannot avoid it without the hazard of the greatest Penalties from Church and State neither can the Church refuse him making a Profession of christianity at large though he be otherwise the greatest known Debauchee in all manner of Wickedness nor when he is admitted to communion be rid of him according to the true Nature of this Rule but by removing him out of the Parish And therefore I suppose this is the Reason of the Proceeding of such that assert Parish-churches that after Excommunication upon non-return Offenders are committed to a Goal a Severity that Christ and his Apostles never thought of but in a Spirit of Prophecy when they foresaw the cruelty and tyranny that would be exercised under the Antichristian Kingdom Forcible and impos'd communion is nauseous to all generous minded men in natural or civil Societies no man will be forced to be of a Family by way of Affinity nor of a Society by incorporation Nay there 's no such Society Oeconomy or Body corporate but look upon it much beneath them to prostitute their Rights and Priviledges to every Paultry Townsman or Inhabitant much less will impose them upon unwilling Persons though accounted never so worthy Lastly by this Bond of Church fellowship viz. Cohabitation a man is totally deprived of the use of his own Reason Judgment and Conscience in Spirituals whereas all Laws leaves us to the use of them in temporal and civil affairs for if a man is immediately of such a Church as soon as he hath rented a house or took Lodgings in such a Parish the whilst he inhabits there he cannot upon any terms but of culpable Separation joyn himself to another Church where he may be more edifyed tho' but a stones cast from him And if he was of the other Parish before where he enjoyed God under an able Godly Minister and in the communion of a faithful people and doth upon family-necessity or conveniency of trade or dwelling remove but into the next street over the Parish-bounds where it may be in the next is an ignorant scandalous persecuting and rayling Minister and haply a people not unlike him which is no new thing the Prophets tells us Like Priests like People he is necessitated to be a Professed Member of this Synagogue of Satan and cann't remain a Church-member of the former by
reason of his remove And that this is so de facto see Can. 28. entituled Strangers not to be admitted to the Communion Church-wardens c. shall observe Whether any Strangers come often and commonly from other Parishes to their Church and shall shew their Ministers of them least perhaps they be admitted to the Lords Tahle amongst others which they shall forbid and remit such home to their own Parish-Churches and Ministers there to receive the Communion with their rest of their Neighbours Just as one Neighbour doth with the others Dogs when they run into each other houses a munching Home you Cur you c Here 's no admission of Members of another Parish therefore our conclusion holds good That by this bond of Communion Christians are cut off from the free Election of their Minister and Society in holy things whereas he is not enthralled so in worldly matters he can go out of the Parish to choose his Physician Chirurgion Wife Nurse Apprentice Taylor Trade and deal for any Commodities where he will excepting Spiritual and in those he must take no better will he nill he then his own Parish-shop affords Is not this so far from a Gospel constitution of a Church that it 's a miserable wretched and damnable device of the Devil to destroy the very nature of Gospel-Churches and ruine poor Souls to all intents and purposes I know what will be still pleaded for a Parish Church without respect some will it may be say to the bond of Cohabitation and that is this That where-ever the Word and Sacraments are Administred that is a true Church To which I answer these things 1. There is no politick Society but hath a bond of Union and if that be proved null void and of no effect as we have done the whole Society or Corporation falls to the ground 2. That which is Sawce for a Goose is for a Gander also if the Preaching the Word and Administring the Sacraments make a Church without any more why do the Assertors of Parish-Churches deny Separate Congregations where the Word and Sacraments are Administred to be such 3. There may be a Church in a Parish where the VVord is Preached and Sacraments Administred but it follows not thence the Parish is the Church It 's possible there may be a Church of Christ in Algiers but then it follows not that the City of Algiers is a Church 4. The 19th Can. of the Church of England saith There should be a Congregation of faithful men and a due Administration and the Word of God Purely Preached Implying that where the Majority at least which carries the denomination of the whole in all body politicks are not visibly faithful men but otherwise there 's not a Church of Christ likewise where the word of God is corruptly Preached and the Sacraments unduely administred 5. A Ministers Preaching by a meer Parish-relation makes him no more a Pastor then cohabitation makes the Parishioners Members for a Ministers Parish-relation is only a humane institution and indeed a matter of Civil Right which may be well improved in Reformed Christian Nations in order to Spiritual Advantage for the interest of Christ and his true constituted Churches by the countenance of good Magistrates but that it is a Church-relation setled on Gospel-grounds it would be absurdly insolent to pretend That the establishment of a Ruling Preaching Officer in the Church of Christ should be 1. by the Presentation of a Forreigner or a Tyrannical Gentleman or Landlord in the Parish it may be the most profest Enemy to Christ and his Church and if of the first sort by one that knows not the temper and disposition of the people nor the Abilities Parts and Honesty of him he Presents never regarding so much those qualifications whereby he might edify the people but only some carnal ends and advantages or particular regard to the Person of the Parish-Rector to prefer him or provide a competency for his Subsistance This man being presented is instituted and inducted takes to the profits for his life unless he forfeit them by some Puritan or Phanatick faults performs Parish-duties as the Law of some people requires this is his Parish-relation but not in the least grounded upon the Gospel 6. A Minister may Preach a great while in any place to any sort of people before there is a Church as for Conversion or for tryal of his Gifts and Parts but none can be so absurd as to affirm that that constant Preaching renders the Parish a Church for we know by woful experience that the word may be powerfully Preached in Parishes for a great while and great part most or it may be all be scarcely civilized but remain in Professed Atheism or manifest Prophaneness it may be open Persecuting Enmity to Godliness And if any say it must be constant Preaching that must denominate the Parish a Church I would know how long And what time is required If it be said till some are brought home to Christ and by a visible Profession to submit to his Gospel-Rules and Government then the limits of the Church is no further then the effects of the Gospel and it comprehends not those Inhabitants that still remain Professed Rebels against Christ So that if the Preaching the Gospel in a Parish renders it a Church of Christ as such one Sermon will do it as well as a hundred I say if all the Parishioners as such are to be the Church-members without exception upon the Gospel Preached 7. A Minister is often sent by Christian Magistrates for Conversion of People shall they presently be a Church whether they receive or own his Doctrine or no And it may be none of them or at least most of the Parishioners capable of judging of him or his Doctrine or a Minister sometimes is imposed by a Patron or Bishops c. upon a capable people shall they presently fall into a Church-Relation whether they approve him and choose him or no Such things carry the greatest absurdities with them 8. As Preaching may be in a Parish and no Constituted Church of Christ there so there may be the Administration of Sacraments and no Church of Christ there and if there be in the Parish it makes not the Parish a Church Suppose a pretended Minister imposed on a people that evidently enough declares himself by his life and Doctrine never to have been sent of Christ and challengeth the Parish by vertue of Humane Laws to be his Church as they call it which in general own no other Church-Relation but by Cohabitation this man goes on to Preach the Sentiments of his own Brain abuse Scripture Reproach Godliness rail at Persecute and devour the Sheep of Christ if there be any joyn in with the wicked ignorant lewd and debaucht part of the Parish and do all he can to infect the rest with the Scab or Rot This man Baptizeth and Administers the Lords Supper to his Infected Flock calls the soundest Schismaticks and Separatists Doth