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PART III.

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Church the

CHAPTER XXXIX.

OF THE SIGNIFICATION IN SCRIPTURE OF

THE WORD CHURCH.

THE word Church, (Ecclesia) signifieth in the books of Holy Scripture divers things. Sometimes, though not often, it is taken for God's house, Lord's house. that is to say, for a temple, wherein Christians assembled to perform holy duties, publicly, as (1 Cor. xiv. 34) Let your women keep silence in the Churches: but this is metaphorically put for the congregation there assembled; and hath been since used for the edifice itself, to distinguish between the temples of Christians and idolaters. The Temple of Jerusalem was God's house, and the house of prayer; and so is any edifice dedicated by Christians to the worship of Christ, Christ's house : and therefore the Greek fathers call it Kuptakǹ, the Lord's house: and thence in our language it came to be called kyrke, and church.

Ecclesia, properly what.

Church, when not taken for a house, signifieth the same that ecclesia signified in the Grecian commonwealth, that is to say, a congregation, or an assembly of citizens, called forth to hear the magistrate speak unto them; and which in the commonwealth of Rome was called concio: as he that spake was called ecclesiastes, and concionator. And when they were called forth by lawful authority, (Acts xix. 39) it was Ecclesia legitima, a lawful Church, ἔννομος ἐκκλησία. But when they were excited by tumultuous and seditious clamour, then it was a confused Church, ἐκκλησία συγκεχυμένη.

It is taken also sometimes for the men that have right to be of the congregation, though not actually

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assembled, that is to say, for the whole multitude PART III. of Christian men, how far soever they be dispersed : as (Acts viii. 3) where it is said, that Saul made havoc of the Church: and in this sense is Christ said to be the head of the Church. And sometimes for a certain part of Christians, as (Col. iv. 15) Salute the Church that is in his house. Sometimes also for the elect only; as (Eph. v. 27) A glorious Church, without spot, or wrinkle, holy, and without blemish; which is meant of the Church triumphant, or Church to come. Sometimes, for a congregation assembled of professors of Christianity, whether their profession be true or counterfeit ; as it is understood, (Matth. xviii. 17) where it is said, Tell it to the Church; and if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be to thee as a Gentile, or publican.

the church is one person.

And in this last sense only it is that the Church In what sense can be taken for one person; that is to say, that it can be said to have power to will, to pronounce, to command, to be obeyed, to make laws, or to do any other action whatsoever. For without authority from a lawful congregation, whatsoever act be done in a concourse of people, it is the particular act of every one of those that were present, and gave their aid to the performance of it; and not the act of them all in gross, as of one body; much less the act of them that were absent, or that being present, were not willing it should be done. According to this sense, I define a CHURCH Church to be, a company of men professing Christian religion, united in the person of one sovereign, at whose command they ought to assemble, and without whose authority they ought not to assemble.

defined.

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PART III. And because in all commonwealths, that assembly, which is without warrant from the civil sovereign, is unlawful; that Church also, which is assembled in any commonwealth that hath forbidden them to assemble, is an unlawful assembly.

A Christian commonwealth

all one.

It followeth also, that there is on earth, no such and a church universal Church, as all Christians are bound to obey; because there is no power on earth, to which all other commonwealths are subject. There are Christians, in the dominions of several princes and states; but every one of them is subject to that commonwealth, whereof he is himself a member; and consequently, cannot be subject to the commands of any other person. And therefore a Church, such a one as is capable to command, to judge, absolve, condemn, or do any other act, is the same thing with a civil commonwealth, consisting of Christian men; and is called a civil state, for that the subjects of it are men: and a Church, for that the subjects thereof are Christians. Temporal and spiritual government, are but two words brought into the world, to make men see double, and mistake their lawful sovereign. It is true, that the bodies of the faithful, after the resurrection, shall be not only spiritual, but eternal; but in this life they are gross, and corruptible. There is therefore no other government in this life, neither of state, nor religion, but temporal; nor teaching of any doctrine, lawful to any subject, which the governor both of the state, and of the religion forbiddeth to be taught. And that governor must be one; or else there must needs follow faction and civil war in the commonwealth, between the Church and State; between spiritualists and temporal

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ists; between the sword of justice, and the shield PART III. of faith: and, which is more, in every Christian man's own breast, between the Christian, and the тап. The doctors of the Church, are called pastors; so also are civil sovereigns. But if pastors be not subordinate one to another, so as that there may be one chief pastor, men will be taught contrary doctrines; whereof both may be, and one must be false. Who that one chief pastor is, according to the law of nature, hath been already shown; namely, that it is the civil sovereign: and to whom the Scripture hath assigned that office, we shall see in the chapters following.

CHAPTER XL.

OF THE RIGHTS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, IN
ABRAHAM, MOSES, THE HIGH-PRIESTS, AND

THE KINGS OF JUDAH.

reign right

THE father of the faithful, and first in the kingdom The soveof God by covenant, was Abraham. For with him of Abraham. was the covenant first made; wherein he obliged himself, and his seed after him, to acknowledge and obey the commands of God; not only such, as he could take notice of, (as moral laws,) by the light of nature; but also such, as God should in special manner deliver to him by dreams and visions. For as to the moral law, they were already obliged, and needed not have been contracted withal, by promise of the land of Canaan. Nor was there any contract, that could add to, or strengthen the obligation, by which both they, and all men else were bound naturally to obey God Almighty and therefore the covenant which Abraham made with God,

PART III. was to take for the commandment of God, that which in the name of God was commanded him in

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a dream, or vision; and to deliver it to his family, and cause them to observe the same.

In this contract of God with Abraham, we may observe three points of important consequence in the government of God's people. First, that at the making of this covenant, God spake only to Abraham; and therefore contracted not with any of his family, or seed, otherwise than as their wills, which make the essence of all covenants, were before the contract involved in the will of Abraham; who was therefore supposed to have had a lawful power, to make them perform all that he covenanted for them. According whereunto (Gen. xviii. 18, 19) God saith, All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him; for I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. From whence may be concluded this first point, that they to whom God hath not spoken immediately, are to receive the positive commandments of God, from their sovereign; as the family and seed of Abraham had Abraham did from Abraham their father, and Lord, of ordering the and civil sovereign. And consequently in every religion of his commonwealth, they who have no supernatural re

the sole power

own people.

velation to the contrary, ought to obey the laws of their own sovereign, in the external acts and profession of religion. As for the inward thought, and belief of men, which human governors can take no notice of, (for God only knoweth the heart), they are not voluntary, nor the effect of the laws, but of the unrevealed will and of the power God; and consequently fall not under obligation.

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