into God's Covenant with God in Baptifm, will not ferve the turn to admit Men as Members into an Independent Church, for Men must enter alfo into a particular Covenant with a particular Pa- ftor or Minifter, which is but an Humane, not a Divine Covenant, and makes the Church an Hu- man Creature or Conftitution, and which in effect makes Baptifm of no effect to make Men Chrifti- ans, and which makes baptized Perfons no Chri- ftians, unless they enter into that particular Co- venant and become Independants. Now this is unfcriptural, and open Separation is the confequent of it, for by this means they gather Churches out of Churches, wherein the Presbyterians have of late imitated them, though not by fuch a Cove-
Queft. 4. What is meant by the Catholick Church, and what by a particular Church?
Anf. The Church is Catholick or Univerfal, as confifting of Believers of all Nations, Jews and Gentiles, and it is One Body, whereof all particu- lar Churches are but Parts and Members.
Quelt. 5. How is this Catholick Church of Chrift vifible, and how is it invifible?
Anf. This Catholick Church is partly visible, confifting of them that outwardly profefs Chrift and Faith and obedience to his Gofpel, and partly invifible, confifting of them that are fincere in that Profeffion, known to God alone. All the glo- rious things fpoken of the Church in Scripture be- long primarily and principally to the Church invi- fible, and to the visible Church by Analogy and Participation.
Queft. 6. How may a True, Sound and Orthodox vifible particular Church unto which a Christian fafely may and in duty is bound to jorn himself, as being a found Member of the Catholick Church of Christ (which is the One Body) be known from a falfe Church from which he ought to feparate?
Anf. Two of Bellarmine's Notes of a true Church are firft briefly confuted, viz. the Name of Catholick, which is first most ridiculously appro- priatet by the Romanifts to themselves (whereas the Cathclick Church is but One all the World over) and then argued from, for that Church being the only true Church alike ridiculously, and the Uni- on of all Churches to that of Rome, and to the Pope as of Members to their Head, whereas that Church is at best but a Sifter-Church, and not the Mother of all other Churches, and no Primitive or Apoftolical Church was ever taught a neceffity of Union to, or dependance upon Rome or the Bi- Shop of Rome.
But the right Notes or Marks of a true and
orthodox Church are contained in the 19th Article
of our Church's Doctrine, viz. the Word of God
truly taught, and the Holy Sacraments rightly ad-
miniftred, in all things effentially requifite to the
fame, and where these are, there is a true and
orthodox Church, and there is no true Church
without them. The Church of England is fuch a
true Church, to which all Christians living in it
may fafely, and in daty ought to joyn themselves.
The Adverfaries of this Church (opposite to each
other, yet agreeing and uniting to oppofe it) are by
thefe Notes falfe Churches: As for the Church
established in England, it is the fame with that
of the Bleed Martyrs, and it is like to other Re- formed Churches; fo that whosoever feparates from it, must upon the fame Grounds feparate from them both.
Queft. 7. Of what Church is a Man made a Member in his Baptifm? Is it of the Church Ca tholick, or is it only of that particular Church wherein he lives?
Anf. Men are in Baptifm made Members of the Catholick or Univerfal Church, which is but One Body all the World over, and is founded upon One Covenant, and not of any particular Church reftrictively.
Queft. 8. With what Church is it a Christian's Duty as a Church-member to hold Communion? Is it with the whole Catholick Church, or with Some particular Church only?
Anf. Whereas Independency in its very confti tution makes Church-membership of, and Church- communion with their particular Churches only. It is certain on the contrary, that Church-commu- nion and the Exercises of Church-communion re- late primarily, as Church-membership doth to the Church Catholick, although of neceffity performed in fome particular Church, for Christians are Members of the Catholick Church, and Church- membership is in nature and time antecedent unto Church-communion and the Acts and Exercifes thereof, and no Man hath right to Church-com- munion or to its Exercises but a church-member : So that Acts of Communion are no Acts of Commu· mion when they are performed by one that is not. and doth not own himself to be a Church member, but only communicates with a Church for his inte- reft or to ferve a turn.
Our common Prayers far excel Extempore Prayers in the Conventicles for the Catholick Spirit and charity in them. Objections against mixt Communions are vain, seeing Christians communi- cate with the whole Catholick Church, and all Church members, whether good or bad, whether abfent or prefent; fo that if the company of wicked Men defile the Defilement will be unavoidable. To confine Communion to a particular Church as Independents do, is Schifm.
Queft. 9. Are not all Chriftians in duty bound to communicate, and to maintain Communion in Special with that particular Church wherein they live, and have their constant abode, fuppofing it a true and orthodox Part of the Catholick Church?
Anf. Holding Communion with the Catholick I church doth not leave Men at large, but from chriftians Obligation to hold Communion with the/ Catholick Church, arifeth an Obligation to commu nicate with that particular church where they live, being a found and orthodox Part of the Catho lick church; for we can no other way hold Com- munion with the Catholick Church but must become Schifmaticks.
The true Notion of Schifm is a Separation from the Catholick Church, which is made by any ones Separating from that found and orthodox Part of the Catholick Church in which he lives.
Quest. 10. Who are they that have a juft claim to joyn in the Religious Exercifes of Church-com- munion, as their Right and Privilege.
Anf. All baptized Perfons have a rightful claim to Church-communion and the Religious Exercifes thereof as Church-members till they renounce it, or till they forfeit it by a fcandalous Life.
The Church being but one in all places, be that bath right to Church communion and to Church- privileges in one particular Church, hath the fame Right in all other particular orthodox Churches, and he that is justly excommunicate out of one, is fo out of all, fo that no orthodox Church may receive into Communion them that are excommuni- cated ont of another.
Queft. 11. Is it not the unquestioned Duty of all Church members, whofe privilege it is to chal lenge that Right and Title to Church-communion, to exercife all publick Acts of Church Communion in the particular Church wherein they live?
Ant. As it is the Privilege, fo is it the Duty of
all Church-members to communicate with that par
ticular Church they live in, in Religious Exercifes,
for they must do the part of Church-members, that
is, of Chriftians, the excommunicated Perfon's
Duty only excepted, and what that is, but not
communicating with the Church in Holy Offices
and Exercifes.
1. Men do what lies in them to make Chrift's
Church that it shall not be visible.
2. They do not do what all Members of any ci-
vil Society are bound to do in that Society of which
they are Members.
3. If Chriftians were not obliged to an external,
actual church communion, Chrift might have in-
stituted Church Offices and Church Officers in vain.
4. In vain did he then give Authority to those
Officers to bind and loose, that is, to admit into,
and cast out of the Church's Communion.
5. Without it God's Publick Worship cannot be
fecured. They that neglect to joyn in God's Ordi-
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