the Christian Church Matth. 18.17 4. We are referred in some cases to those institutions God sends us to the Law for light directs us to do as was appointed in the Old Testament So about Womens not speaking in the Church 1 Cor. 14.34 So about the maintenance of Ministers Gal. 6.6 1 Cor. 9.13,14 3. New Testament institutions there were some institutions appointed by Christ under the Gospel these are few principally what Officers shall be in the Church The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper and the first day Sabbath 1. We must distinguish between Temporal and Perpetual institutions Some institutions were only for a time as the Office of the Apostles So the anointing of the sick with Oyl Jam. 5.14 There are others that are to continue to the end of the World So is Baptism Matth. 20. The Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.26 These Ordinances will not be removed as Jewish Ceremonies Heb. 13.28 2. Distinguish between approved practises and institutions there were many practises and institutions there were many practises in the primitive times that were approved yet not binding to us The Church at Jerusalem had seven Deacons Acts 6.5 They did Baptize in private Houses Act. 10.33 Christ sent out his Disciples two and two Luk. 10.1 This doth not shew that these things were institutions that is meet to be done in one case that is not meet to be done in another One or two Examples shew the Lawfulness of a practise but do not make it a binding Rule CHAP. II. The Nature of Instituted Churches Explained THE Word Church is used Equivocally there are three senses especially wherein it is used in the Scripture First It is taken for those that are Spiritually United unto Christ the mistical Body of Christ Eph. 5.27 That he might present it to himself a Glorious Church Secondly For that part of the World that doth profess the true faith for them that are visible Christians 1 Cor. 15.9 I persecuted the Church of God Thirdly It is taken for an Instituted Church this Church is invested by Christ with Spiritual Power and is thus defined A Church is a Society of Saints joyned togâ—ther according to the appointment of Christ for the constant carrying on of his publick Worship A Church is a Society a single Person is not a Church a Church is a Collection or Congregative Body consisting of many Members 1 Cor. 12.27 Ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particulars hence it is compared to a flock and other Câ—…ective Bodies It is a Society of Saints The Members of a Church are Saints by calling 1 Cor. 11.12 To the Church of God which is at Corinth to them which are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 In all the Churches of the Saints the Church of the Jews was a Society of Saints Psal 79.12,11 Psal 1. None are to be Members of Instituted Churches but those that are Members of the Catholick Church Particular Churches are but parts and branches of the Catholick Church they are the Churches of God the Body of Christ the Temple of God therefore must be Holy Therefore Societies of Papists are abusively called Churches A Church doth joyn together for the Publick carrying on of the Worship of God A Family joyning together for the private carrying on of the Worship of God is not a Church we read of a Church in the House of Aquila Rom. 16.5 And in the House of Nymphas Col. 4.15 Because there the publick Worship of God was attended The Church doth joyn for the carrying on of publick Worship as the Preaching of the word the Administration of Sacraments and dispensing of Censures in a publick way A Church doth joyn together for the constant carrying on of the publick Worship of God for a Church is a Body Corporate which may continue from Generation to Generation it is not any occasional Meeting together that gives being to a Church A Church is a standing Society not depending on any occasional Meeting Therefore a Congregation that meet together on a Lecture Day from several Towns to hear the Word Preached are not a Church neither have any Ecclesiastical Power Yea a synod that meet now and then occasionally though it may be called a representative Church is not a Church properly the Members thereof are chosen for a perticular occasion A Church doth joyn together according to Christs appointment Christ has given a Rule according to which they ought to joyn together and if Men joyn in Worshiping with a Church irregularly that does not make them to be Members of that Church If a man that lives in one Town where there is a Church doth joyn constantly in worshiping with another Church that doth not make him a Member of that Church Quest VVho are visible Saints Answ This Question hath been matter of great debate and an occasion of great contention in the Church we may not count those only to be Saints who after the strictest Examination give considerable evidence that they are Saints We have no such Rule the practice of the Apostles in admitting Members into the Christian Church doth not Countenance any such Opinion neither are we to make Baptized Persons and Visible Saints to be the same for Persons must be Visible Saints before they are Baptized and some that are Baptized may cease to be Visible Saints neither are they only Visible Saints that make a profession of the true Religion joyned with an Holy Conversation Some Men may behave themselves so as to deserve a sentence of Excommunication and yet be Visible Saints Visible Saintship and real Saintship may consist with a great deal of iniquity in the Conversation for a time Visible Saints are such as make a serious profession of the true Religion together with those that do descend from them till rejected of God 1. Such as do make a serious profession of the true Religion are Visible Saints we find the Apostles did really accept of such not waiting to see what their Conversation would be Act. 16,14,15 So did John Luk. 7.29,30 Such are to be accepted without delay 2. Their Infant Seed are likewise Visible Saints God gives that Testimony for them 1 Cor. 7.14 3. Such also as descend from them from Generation to Generation untill they are rejected by God are Visible Saints for they that are Visible Saints don't cease to be so till God hath cast them off So it was with the Posterity of Abraham if they should carry it wickedly or if they should fall into Heresy yet they are Visible Saints till God hath rejected them and there are two ways whereby God may shew his rejection of them One is when they do depart from the Churches of God to Heathen or Antichristian Societies the other is when the People that they belong unto and they with them are unchurched by God CHAP. III. Of the Nature of a Congregational Church AS a Civil Society doth consist of one Town or more Towns so an instituted Church
some things in those Psalms are not so suteable to our present Case so it is in what we read yet those Psalms are very suteable for us to meditate upon and contain in them much Instruction and Incouragement and because they were indicted by the Spirit of God are more proper to affect our hearts and excite the workings of Grace then such as are of a private Composure A third part of Worship is the Preaching and Teaching of the Word the Preaching of the Word is to be attended to the End of the World Matth. 28.19.20 It is the Duty of Ministers to Preach the Word 2 Tim. 4.2 A Minister is called a Preacher Rom. 12.14 This is a special means to advance the Conversion of Sinners and Edification of Saints Altho it be the special Office and Duty of Teaching Elders and ordained Ministers of the Gospel yet Preaching being a Moral Duty it is lawful for those who are not ordained Ministers to Preach the Gospel Yea in some cases it is Lawful for such Men who are not devoted to the Ministry provided they have suteable abilities The reading of large Portions of Scripture upon the Sabbath Day which was constantly Practised by the Jewish Church is not so particularly now required by God there was great need of it in those Ages when the World had not the benefit of Preaching but there is no institution requiring any such service of us any further then the Rule of Edification calls for it Ministers are not bound to observe any particular method in their Preaching they may Preach either by expounding some Portion of Scripture or by raising a Doctrine from a particular Text and applying of it or by explaining of a Catechism or in any other profitable way Ministers have Power to Catechise their hearers not only that they may know their fitness to participate at the Lords Table but also in order to their growth in knowledge tho it may be presumed that many Persons are inquisitive and studious yet there are many others who are not to be confided in and the Minister hath Power by Virtue of his Pastoral charge to see that they Learn reason dictates this to be a most suteable method as in the Learning of Arts and Languages so in the Learning of the way of salvation the most proper and profitable ways of teaching are to be used by Ministers A fourth part of Worship is Baptism this is an ordinance appointed by Christ himself to be a perpetual Ordinance in the Christian Church It was published by John before by Virtue of an Institution but afterwards declared by Christ to be a standing ordinance in the Church It is very likely that the form afterwards used by John and his Disciples was that they did Baptize in the Name of the Lord Jesus Act. 19.5 But seeing Christ did expresly command his Apostles before his assention to Baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost we have no reason to think that the first Teachers of the Gospel did use any other form and when we read that the Samaritans were Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Act. 8.18 And that Peter ordered that Cornelius and his Company should be Baptized in the Name of the Lord Act. 10.48 No more seems to be intended by it then their being Baptized according to the institution of the Lord Jesus The Persons that are sent to Administer Baptism are the same that are sent to Preach the Word Matth. 28.19,20 Tho the Apostles did sometimes decline it yet we have reason to conclude that they committed it to Inferiour Ministers After the Example of Christ who did not commit it to the People but to his Disciples John 4.2 Therefore such Preachers as are not ordained Ministers are not to Baptize Baptism may be Administred either in the Publick Assembly or in private there is no appointment that necessitates the publick performance of it there is nothing in the Nature of the ordinance that doth necessitate it and we find that the Apostles and Apostolical Men did it as there was occasion both publickly and privately Act. 8.38 and 9.18 and 16.33 There is no necessity that Persons be Members of any particular Congregation before they be Baptized Persons before they be Members of any particular Congregation may have that qualification that gives them a right to Baptism viz. Visible Saintship many that were Baptized in the first times did not belong to any particular Congregation of Christians and tho many of them did belong to particular Jewish Congregations or Synagogues yet some did not Act. 16.33 Such adult Persons as make such a profession of the Christian Faith as is Morally sincere are to be Baptized as doth appear by the Example of John Christ himself Phillip and others who were directed by the Spirit of God and none were refused that did seriously tender themselves to be Baptized Such Infants as are descended from the Covenant People of God by either Parent are to be Baptized 1 Cor. 7.14 Such Infants as do descend from Parents that are under Church consures for immoralities are not to be denied Baptism because Excommunication doth not cut Men off from the Covenant of God such Infants as are the Children of Heathens belonging to the Families of the People of God are Incorporated into the Covenant and are to be Baptized when the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your Children unclean he speaks of them as they come into the World yet it follows not but when they are taken into the Families of Christians they do become Holy such were to be Circumcised under the Law A fifth part of Worship is the Lords Supper which was instituted by Christ a little before his Death to be a standing Ordinance in the Christian Church all such Professoâ—…â—f the Christian Faith as are of blameless Conversation and have knowledge to exaâ—… themselves and discern the Lords Body are to be admitted to the Lords Supper Three things are requisite in order to admission to the Lords Supper First Visible Saintship and that is found in such Persons all professors walking blamelesly are Visible Saints the Members of the Jewish Church are often called Saints in the Scripture who did give no further evidence of their Saintship a Profession of the faith joyned with a good Conversation is a sufficient ground for Charity these are marks that we are directed in the Scripture to Judge of Mens Saintship by The Apostle did accept of such Persons for Visible Saints Men that have these Characters are not visibly wicked therefore they are Visible Saints these properties are the proper Fruits of Saintship and therefore constitute Men Visible Saints such a profession as being sincere makes a Man a real Saint being Morally sincere makes a Man a Visible Saint That whereby Godly Men do make their Saintship Visible does make Men Visible Saints viz. A profession of the truth and a good Conversation A second requisite is that they be not scandalous a