Imatges de pàgina
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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-

nant.

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,

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

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

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

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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