J

Luk. iv. 18.

† Joh. xx. 21, 22,

V. For the continuation of a fucceffive Ministry, and a Chriftian Submiffion to the Acts of their Function, unto the End of the World. As GOD the Father fent the Son, and the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, because He had anointed him to preach the Gospel*; fo the Son fent the Apoftles, faying, As my Father hath sent me, even Jo fend 1 you: And when He had faid this, He breathed on them, and faith unto them, receive the Holy Ghost t. And as the Son fent the Apoftles, fo did they fend others by virtue of the fame Spirit, and gave them Power still to continue the Minifterial Succeffion. Those who are thus feparated by Ordination to the Work of the Lord, are to feed the Flock of GOD, which is among them, taking the Overfight thereof: And thofe committed to their Care, are to remember and obey them which have the Rule over them, and fubmit themselves, for that they watch for ↑ Heb. xiii. 7.17. their Souls, as they who must give account t.

1 Pet. v. z.

A R

I

ARTICLE IX.

The holy Catholick Church, the Communion of Saints.

The holy Catholick Church,

Am fully perfuaded, and make a free Confeffion of this, as of a necessary and infallible Truth, that Chrift, by the preaching of the Apoftles, did gather unto Himfelf a Church (a), confifting of Thousands of believing Perfons, and numerous Congregations, to which He daily added fuch as fhould be faved, and will fucceffively and daily add to the fame, till the End of the World. So that by virtue of his all-fufficient Promise, I am affur'd that there was, hath been hitherto, now is, and hereafter fhall be, fo long as the Sun and Moon endure (b)

a

Church of Christ, one and the fame (c). This Church I believe in general Holy, in respect of the Author, End, and Administration of it (d); particularly in the Members, here I acknowledge it really, and hereafter perfectly holy (e). I look upon this Church not like that of the Jews, limited to one People, confio'd to L 2

one

& From

Kvri c. Kyrk,

and Church,

one Nation; but by the Appointment and Command of Christ, and by the Efficacy of his affifting Power, to be diffeminated thro' all Nations, to be extended to all Places, to be propagated to all Ages; to contain in it all Truths neceflary to be known, to exact absolute Obedience from all Men to the Commands of Christ, and to furnish us with all Graces, neceflary to make our Perfons acceptable, and our Actions well-pleafing in the Sight of GOD (f).

(4) Our English Word firft fignified the House of the Lord t, or of Christ, and thence was taken to Enos cards, fignify the People of GOD meeting in his Houfe. The Greek Name ftrictly denotes a calling forth, #Ed. but, in common ufe, a Congregation of Men, thus call'd, or affembl'd together. In a large fense it has been us'd by Chriftians to import the whole complex Body of Men and Angels worshipping the fame GOD: Or, however; the entire Company of the Faithful from the beginning of the World. But the former of these acceptations cannot be here admitted; because our Lord took not on Him the Nature of Angels: Nor the latter, because, tho' He was the Lamb flin from the Foundation of the World, and whofoever from the beginning pleafed GOD were faved by his Blood, yet there is a vaft difference between the feveral Difpenfations: The Synagogue was to fail, when the Church was built; and the Univerfality of this is oppos'd to the legal Singularity of that. The Notion therefore of the Church must be reftrain'd to Chriftians only; and the Nature of it be concluded from the New Teftament t. Our Lord

+Yet not from thofe Places, where it fignifies either an Affembly, accord

ing to Clafical Ule, as Acts xix, 32. 39.40. or a Congregation of Jews, as Ats viii. 38. Heb. ii. 12. or the Place of Worship, as fome think it doth in Acts xi. 26. 1 Cor. ix. 18. 22. tho' this latter may as well be interpreted of the People.

first

To

;

firft fpeaking of the Church, mentions it as what then was not, but should afterwards be; faying to the great Apoftle, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church. But after our Lord's Afcenfion, and his fending the Holy Spirit, after the Affembly of the Hundred and twenty Difciples was increafed by the addition of Three thorfand Souls, then we read that the Lord added to the Church daily fuch as fhould be faved; and that Church was built up- † Acts ii. 47. on St. Peter, the multitude of Believers having been chiefly converted by his preaching. So that the Church was then, a certain Number of Perfons, of whom fome were Apoftles, fome the former Difciples, others, fuch as repented and believed, were baptiz'd, and continued hearing the Word, receiving the Sacrament, joining in the Publick Service; and embracing one another with the firmeft Charity The new Converts. continued ftedfaftly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship, and in breaking of Bread, and in Prayer * and the multitude of Acts ii. 42. them that believed were of one Heart, and one Soul ‡‡ acts iv. 32. But because the Church hitherto mention'd was one by way of Origination, and afterwards divided into many; whereas the Church which we believe is one, by way of Complexion; it will be neceffary to confider how, at firft, thofe feveral Churches were conftituted, that we may understand how, in this one Church, they are all united. It is therefore to be obferv'd, that as we find in the Singular, the believing and baptiz'd Part of a private Family ftyled a Church, as the Church in the Houfe of Prifcilla and Aquila †, of Nymphas *, and of Phile-t mon ; and in the Plural we read of the Churches t, Philem. 2. the Churches of GOD, the Churches of the Gen-t A&ts xvi. v. tiles t, the Churches of the Saints ; the Churches 1 Cor. xvi. 34. of Judea, of Samaria and Galilee t, of Syria and 2 Cor.viii 19. Cilicia tt, of Galatia **, of Afia #, of Macedo- + Rom. xvi. Afia, 4. nia fo the Believers in great and populous Ci-1 Cor. xiv. 34 ties, tho' compofing many Churches or Congrega + Gal. i. 22. to Acts ix. 31. tions in the former Senfe, are yet spoken of in the ** 1 Cor. xvi. 1. fingular number, and under the Notion of one # Rev. i. 11. Church; as the Church at Jerufalemt, at Antioch, at +Acts viii. 1. Cefarea Acts viii. 22.

3

*

Rom. xvi. s.

Coloff. iv. 15.

‡ 1 Cor. xi. 16.

† 2 Cor. viii. 1.

† Acta xiii. 15.

Acts xx. 17. 2 Theff. i. I.

+ Coloff. iv. 16.

Rev. iii. 14. .. Rev. ii. 8.

Rev. ii. 12. + Rev. ii. 18. + Rev. iii. I. + Rev. iii. 7.

Cæfarea †, at Ephesus*, the Church of the Theffalonians t, of Laodicea tt, of Smyrna **, of Pergamus ‡‡, of Thyatira *t, of Sardis, of Philadelphia t*; and when St. Paul enjoins the Corinthians, let your Women keep Silence in the Churches *, the Dedication of the Epiftle, is, to the Church of GOD which is at Corinth. The number of Churches, therefore, in this fenfe, followed the number of the Angels, or Rulers, 1 Cor. xiv. 34. as is evident in the Revelation; the feveral Congrega tions in every great City and the adjacent Parts being united under the Care and Infpection of one Bishop. And in the fame manner the Churches of all Cities, and all Nations in the World, may be reduc'd to a fingle Denomination, with regard to the one Supreme Governour of them all, Chrift, the Bishop of our Souls. So that often under the Name of the Church are comprehended all Chriftians belonging to any of the Churches, difpers'd thro' the diftant and divided Parts of the World.

(b) The Perpetuity of the Church is a proper Object of Faith, as grounded only on the Promise of Him that built it. The Church is not of fuch a nature, as would neceffarily, once begun, preferve it felf for ever. Many thousands of Perfons have finally apoftatiz'd; many particular Churches have been wholly loft, many Candlesticks removed. And every particular Church being equally defectible, the Church Universal muft, in it felf, be subject to the fame Defectibility. Yet in our Lord's firft Speech concerning it to St. Peter, He declar'd that He would build it on a Rock, and that the Gates of Hell + Mat. xvi. 18. fhould not prevail against it t. And when He speaks to all the Apoftles in the fame manner, Go teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, He likewife concludes with the fame Promise, Lo, I am with you alMat. xxviii. 19. ways, even to the end of the World *. If where two or three are gathered together in the Name of Chrift, + Mat xviii. 20. there is He in the midst of them, much less will

# 23.

He defert his Spouse, or be feparated from bis Body the Univerfal Church. This is, indeed, the City of

the