of the Houshold of God, are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief Corner Stone: In whom all the Building fitly framed together, groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord. (k) This Stone was laid in (k) Ifa. 28. 16. Zion for a Foundation. There it was that our Saviour firft began to Preach, there he laid down his Life for us, there he gave Command,() That repentance and remiffion of Sins fhould be preach- (1) Luke 24• 47ed in his name among all Nations, beginning at Jerufalem. There was the first Church built, and whofoever have been or ever shall be converted to the true Chriftian Faith, are and fhall be added to that Church, and laid upon the fame Foundation, which is the unity of Origi

nation.

IV. The Church is therefore one, tho' the Members thereof are many, because they all agree in one Faith. For as there is but (m) (m) Eph. 4-5. one Lord, fo there is alfo but one Faith: And all those who have or fhall receive, embrace, and profefs that (n) Faith once delivered to the Saints, (n) Jud. 3. muft neceffarily be accounted one with relation to that Profeffion.

V. The Catholick Church is one, because all the Members of it, how foever diftinguished by Time or Place have all the fame Signs and Badges of the People of God, acknowledging and receiving the fame Sacraments. They are all initiated or admitted Members of this Church by the Sacrament of Baptifm: And they all teftifie their Communion with one another, and their Union to Chrift, the only Supreme Head of the Church by receiving of his Body and Blood under the Elements of Bread and Wine. When the Apostles were sent to found and build the Church, they received this Commiffion

preme Head of that Society, whether the Supreme Power thereof be lodged in one or in many. Now I have already fhewed (and fure none that believes there is a Church can dif pute it) that Chrift is the one only Supreme Head of the Church, and it is therefore manifest that all who bear any Office, or have any Authority therein must have it either immediately or mediately from him, that is, they must have it either by his exprefs Nomination as the Apostles themselves, or according to his Ordinance and Appointment as the Apoftles Succeffors, for those who derive their Authority from Chrift by a fucceffive Ordination according to his Inftitution, are no less his Ministers, Stewards or Deputies, than those that were exprefly and particularly nominated and fent by himself. We all know, that when a Charter is granted to form a Corporation or Body-Politick, that the firft Magistrates of that Corporation are particularly nominated or appointed by the Prince or Sovereign, who Encorporates them and grants the Charter, And then the Charter it felf fettles the Method by which the fucceeding Magistrates shall be appointed; yet the fucceeding Magiftrates who are appointed to govern the Corporation, are no lefs the Minifters, Stewards or Deputies of the Sovereign Prince than the first Magiftrates were, whom the Prince himself nominated and appointed to that Office, because they all derive their Power and Authority from the Original Charter, by which the firft Magistrates were nominated and appointed to be Governors of that Body. Now I conceive it to be very plain and evident from what I kave faid already, that our Saviour Jefus

Chrift, the Sovereign Prince of the Universe, and Lord of the whole Creation, whofe Supreme Authority is indifputable, has founded a Spiritual City, an Heavenly Kingdom collected out of all the Nations of the whole World, of which he alone is the Supreme Sovereign Lord: It remains therefore that I fhew that he did alfo fet and appoint over this Spiritual City, this Heavenly Kingdom, feveral Officers, Magiftrates or Governors to rule this Society, and to govern this Church under him according to the Laws which he had prefcribed to it; And that by the Charter, Grant or Commiffion, by which he constituted this Political Body, he gave to thofe Officers whom he himself exprefly chofe and nominated, fufficient Power and Authority to constitute and appoint their own Succeffors to the end of the World: And confequently, that thofe Succeffors do derive their Authority from him, tho' by a mediate Derivation, as well as thofe whom he firft Commiffioned for that purpose.

.

(b) Heb. 13.7, 17.

The New Teftament, which contains the Charter or Commiffion by which the Church of Chrift is Founded and Established, does fo plainly (a) affert a Government in the Church, (a) Eph. 4. 11. & and apparently distinguish the Members of 1 Cor. 12. 28. & Chrift's Mystical Body in (b) Governors and Go- Rom. 12. 4. verned, that one would think this matter could not admit of a Difpute between those who acknowlege the Divine Authority of the Scriptures. But because there are fome amongst those who profefs Chriftianity,and pretend to be guided by thofe Sacred Books (as the Independents, and feveral Sects of Anabaptifts, Quakers, &c. propagated from them) who if they do allow any Church-Government at all, yet make it fo perfectly Democratical that we know not how to

distinguish

diftinguish the Governors from the Governed amongst them, their Church Officers acting only as the Servants of the Church, or particular Congregation, (which in their Senfe are reciprocal Terms) and not as the immediate Minifters of Chrift conftituted by him, so that thefe which are appointed as Governors, are but Subjects to those they pretend to Govern, and by confequence no Governors at all; there being others alfo (as the Eraftians) who place all Ecclefiaftical Power and Authority in the Civil Magistrate; therefore defigning to treat of the Original and continued Government of Christ's Church, and to prove that the Church of England as it is by Law established, is governed according to the Rules of the Gofpel, and the Practice of the Primitive Church in the beft and pureft Ages, that I may obviate all Objections, I judge it neceffary for me in the First Place to fhew that there was a Government fettled in the Church, at the beginning of its Establishment by Christ and his Apostles, and that this was diftinct from the Government of the Civil Magiftrate, independent on him, and not alterable at his Pleafure: Then I fhall confider what is the Authority of the Civil Magistrate in Ecclefiaftical Affairs, He being acknowledged by the Church of England to be the Supreme Governor of all Perfons, and in all Causes: And in the next Place I purpose to fhew, who are thofe Perfons to whom Chrift has in a more fpecial Manner committed the Government of the Church, and that in the Church of England there is no effential Variation from the Inftitution of Christ and his Apoftles, nor any Alteration in the Ecclefiaftical Government, other than what has been thought in fome mea

fure

fure neceflary according to the different State of the Primitive Church and ours, that is, between a Church oppofed and perfecuted, and a Church fupported and protected by the Civil Powers.

Now that there must be a Government in the Church, is demonftrable, because it is imEpoffible it fhould fubfift without it: For the Church xxindia as the very Name of it imports, fignifies a Congregation or Society of People, and the Christian Church being Catus fidelium, comprehends that faithful Society which believes in Jefus Chrift, and that any Society fhould fubfift without Government, cannot be imagined; Where all are to command and none to obey, the Society ceases and becomes a confused Rout: It is not therefore to be fuppofed that the eternal Word who is Wifdom it felf, fhould act fo foolishly, as to pretend to institute a Society without Government; to affert this, would be to make God not the Author of Peace (* as the Apostle has 1 Cor. 14. 33. declared him to be) but of Confufion, and that in

all the Churches of the Saints, where St. Paul + 1 Cor. 14. 4. afsures us 'tis his Will that all things be done decently and in Order. But what Decency, what Order can there be without Government? If therefore the Church have no Government in it felf, how can it be any other than a riotous Affembly? But to fet this Matter beyond all Difpute, the Scriptures themselves do pofitively affert that there is a Government in the Church, and one Supreme Governor, even Jefus Chrift, whom all that profefs his Name acknowledge to be the Lord. He died for all,* 2 Cor. 5. 19. that they which live fhould not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them and

rofe