for in like manner doth Chrift love his Church, as a Man ought to love his Wife, and in like manner are Chriftians Members of Chrift's one myftical Body, of his Fieth, and of his Bones; and on this Account alio, the Church is but one Temple, one Spiritual Building, one Houfe of God, for all the Rooms in a Building, or in an House are but parts of that Building or House, and to are all Churches, and all Chriftians Members of the one Catholick Church, and as the Temp'e was by God's Appointment but one, and as the Jewish Church was but one Church, fo is the Chriftian Church, but one Spiritual Temple, and but one Church, being no diftinct Church from that of the Jews, but grafted into

Rom. 11. 17, 18.

its Stock and Root, fo that it is *Joh.16.16. become one Sheepfold under one Shepherd *; for both believing Jews and believing Gentiles are united by Chrift into one Church, being built upon the Foundation of the Apoftles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief Cornerftone t, that unites both Sides of the Building or Spiritual Houfe, and holds them together, and as in a Body, all the Members have all things common, to is it the Nature of a Society to be a Community, and fo is the Church of God, which the Apoftle exprefly faith, is one Body, no parti cular Churches, no particular Chriftians having their peculiar Privileges; but being all built upon the fame Foundation, and all worshipping the fame God, and the fame Savi

*Ephef. 4. 4, 5, 6.

our,

our, profeffing the fame Faith, inheriting the fame Promifes, and injoying all the fame Spiritual Church-privileges; as the Apostle there expreffeth it, one Body, and therefore one Spirit, one Hope of our Calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm, one God, and Father of all, in all which there are no Enclosures, no Partitions, no Peculiarities, nothing of Divine Appointment to diftinguish or feparate, but all Churches, and all Chriftians, are Members of the one Body, and have all Spiritual Privileges in common, as Members of the one Body. Now feeing Baptifm is the Sacrament of Admiffion into the Church, and into the Unity and Fellowship of the one Body, giving a Right to all the Privileges of the one Body, it is therefore of the whole Catholick Church, that it makes Men Members, and not of any particular Church whatsoever, as particular; for as all the Men in England, even in the remoteft Parts thereof, are the Queen's Subjects, and are all Members of the fame Kingdom, although they do their refpective Duties as Subjects, and as Members of the fame Kingdom in the places where they live, fo are all baptized Perfons Members of the whole Church, although they can only do their refpective Duties as Church-members in the Fellowship and Communion of that particular Church where they are prefent. Now after the ftating of Church-membership follows naturally that of Church-communion, which brings on the next Question,

Queft. VIII. With what Church is it a Christians, or a baptized Perfon's Duty to held Communion Is it with the whole Catholick Church, or with fome particular Church only?

Anf. The word (Communion) would indeed incline a Man to believe it is with fome particular Church only; for in common Speech, it fignifies a perfonal Prefence in religious Offces, as when Men in fome particular Congregation pray together, hear God's Word together, and receive the Lord's Supper together, and they cannot otherwise hold communion at all, (which I fhall hereafter fhew to be the Duty of all Chriftians,) But yer, however Men are truly faid in ordinary fpeaking to be in communion with one another, when they perfonally join together in these external Acts of publick Worhip, and fo to live in that particular Church's Communion, wherein they join in those religi ous Offices: Yet more properly speaking,Churchcommunion is in Time and Nature antecedent to thefe, they being only Exercifes of that Com→ munion; for in ftrict Speech, to be in communion with a Church is to be a Member thereof, and it is of the Catholick Church that we are made Members in Baptifm,and it is our Churchmembership that gives us a Right (being bap tized) to Church-privileges, and that lays a common Obligation upon us to all the Duties and Offices of a Church-relation; for it is in

this Body, the Church, as it is in any civil Bo dy or Corporation. No Man can lay claim to any Privilege of, or is capable of performing any Office in a Corporation, who is not a Free man, and no more hath any Man right to the Privileges or Exercises of Church-communion, that is not in a State of Communion with it, or that holds nor to his Church-membership, it is just so in the natural Body. Nothing can do the part of a Member of the natural Body, that is not vitally united to it: The Eye cannot fee, nor the Ear hear, nor the Feet walk, if they be fe. parate from, or not vitally united to the Body. Nor doth that Union confift in these natural Actions, but these natural Actions are the Confequents of their Union to the Body: Now what natural Union is in the natural Body, that is communion in Bodies politick, whether civil or religious. Men must be Members of them, before they can perform Offices in them, or claim Privileges proper to them. So that, Church-membership, and confequently Churchcommunion is antecedent to the Exercises of either of them, and therefore thofe religious Acts and Exercises are no Acts of Communion that are performed by fuch as are no Church-mem. bers, nor will own themselves to be fo, but are profeffed Members of feparare Societies, and only come to Church affemblies to ferve a Turn.

Now feeing our Right to Acts and Exercises of Church-communion, in all religious Offices, comes only from our being Church-members, and feeing it is of the Catholiek Church that

we

we are made Members by being baptized, from hence it follows, that all Church-communion primarily, and principally relates to the Catholick Church, and not to that particular Church, where neceffity by reafon of distance of place and conveniency of Habitation requires the Exercife thereof; for Example :

When we pray together in our Churches in the Name of Chrift, We muft confider Chrift as the Great High Prieft, and the Saviour of the whole Body, who mediates for his whole Church, and all its Members as well as for our felves who pray together, and praying with one another, we pray for one another, not only them that are prefent with us, but also for all our Fellow members, and by this means (which is a very great Comfort) Chriftians in one Church have the benefit of the Prayers of Chriftians in all other Churches throughout the whole World, who all pray to the fame heavenly Father, through the Merits and Mediation of the fame common Saviour, for the same common Bleffings for the whole Chriftian Church, whereby our Prayers become a right good Exercise of Catholick Unity, and Church communion and Fellowship.

Now it is hereby very plain, that these Exercifes of Church-communion primarily relate to the Church Catholick. And hereof we may make this good ufe (by the way) that it is no difhonour, therefore to our Prayers, that they are called Common-Prayers, for they are much more valuable for being fo, and especially that they are fo compofed, as to be truly Catholick, fo

that