The Communion of Saints, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Of the cōmunion that the Saincts in al Churches have in things spiritual.
NOW as the faithful are thus cō pact, like living and precious stones, in one holy Temple, and mēbers of one bodie; so havethey fellowship togither in all Christian offices spiritual and humane, & ech with other do willingly cō municate the manifold graces of God. Their spiritual communion may be considered in three things: First in al duties from themselves towards God; as be prayses, thāksgivings, prayers supplications &c. which they powr out one with & for an other. Secondly in all graces given them of God, as are the words of his covenant, the cōforts and seales of the same, opened and applied for the helping forward and assurance of their salvation. Thirdly in al duties among themselves, one towards an other, as counsels, deliberations, exhortations, consolations, admonitions, rebukes, censures, and such like: al which for the honour of God and their mutual good, they carefully togither doe keep & execute.
2. Their cōmunion in the Worship of God, is when at time and place appointed, they al come togither, †Psal. 1…2. 21 ….to serve, confesse, and prayse the Lord, and cal vponupon his name. For which as Israel of old had their assemblies, wher the ‖1 Chron. 16. 7. 8. & …ministers of God publickly and solemnly vttered his prayses, discoursing of al his wonderful works, and giving vntounto him the glory of his name; made also *vers. 35.their requests vntounto God for their wants, vntounto al which, al the people ‡ver. 36.sayd Amen, and praysed the Lord: so also in the Apostles dayes, Gods people had still their ‖Act. 16. 1…. 16.places of prayer, for which holy exercise, the Christians ‖Act. 1…. 1….assembled, & in which they continued *Act. 1. 14▪with one accord, both men & women. Where the ‡Act. 6. 4.ministers of Christ, gav themselves vntounto this busines, that minding the publick state of the church, they might for & with the same, make requests & giv thāks, in ye eares & vnderstāding of ye people wch thervnto †1 Cor. 14. 1… 16.answered Amen. These now ar not ye praiers or praises-of him alone yt speaketh, but of ye whol assēblie, wch attēd wth their ears, assēt with their harts, & seal wt their lips, that part of publick administratiō; cōfirming it also by signes ‖Nehem. …. 6. Act. 20. 36. & 21. 5. Rev 4. 9. 10. 11.and gestures, beseeming such an action. In these, (whither ordinarie, or extraordinarie with *1 Sam. 7. 5. 6. Ezr. 8. 21 Ioel. 1. 14. Act 13. 2. 3.fasting and humiliatiō of sowl, vpō special occasiōs,) ther is a ‡Act. 2. 42. Rev. 5. 8. 9. Psal. 98. 5. 6.cōmuniō & harmonie among the Saincts, that with one mind †Rev. 15. 6.& one mouth doe praise God, and their prayer†2 Chron. 30. …5. 27. cometh vp vntounto heaven to his holy habitatiō And as the publick assemblies of the whol church; so the more private meetings in families, or of other friends for special causes, is both comfortable to themselves, and acceptable to the Lord: for he had promised that wher ther is a ‖Mat. 18. 19.sy… phonie or agreemēt, but of two o… his togither in earth, to desire anything, it shal be given them; so much he respecteth the fellowship & vn… nimitie of his people, and the… *vers. 20.gathering togither in his name▪
3. But when through distance of place, or other just occasion, they cannot or doe not come togither▪ as also in their private prayers, which they powr out before the Lord, eyther some few togither, o… ech one apart; the faithful hav yet spiritual communion and benefit by praying one for an other; while they *2 Tim. 1. 3.remember and ”1 Thes. 1. 2.make mention of their brethren vntounto God, rejoycing †Phil. 1. 3. 4.and giving thanks for his blessings vponupon thē, ‖Rom. 1. 9. 10desiring things that may benefit & comfort them, praying for deliverance from *Philē. 22.bāds or other afflictions, for strength & ‡Col. 4. 12.stabilitie in the truth, for ”1 Iohn. 5. 16.remission of syns, or for other graces as the necessities of the Saincts do require, for al whō we are *Eph. 6. 18. 19.exhorted to pray, with al manner prayer and supplication in the spirit, and for ‖Act. 12. 5.special persons, to make more earnest suit, to *Rom. 15. 30. foreign.strive or wrastle togither with them, by prayers to God for them. This fellowship is comfortable, to all that know the vse of prayer; & how much it prevaileth with God if it be fervēt. Wherfore the Apostles did not only performe this dutie for others in their absence, but themselves so *Heb. 13. 18. 19. 2 Cor. 1. 10. 11. Philem 22.earnestly desired it at the hands of al, and trusted for help by it. Also the Saincts that were before thē knew well, and nourished this communion, whiles they †Dan. 2. 17. 18.requested their brethren to pray vntounto God for thē especially the 1. Sa…. 7. 8. & 1…. 19.prophets, whose petitions were exceeding beneficial, not onelyonly to the *Exod. 32. 11 24. Deut. 9. …0. Am▪ 7. 2. 3. 6.church & mem▪bers therof, whom they sometime saved from death by this means; but also for ‡Gon. 20. 17strangers; so effectual with the Lord is the prayer of the Saincts, and the odour therof, as sweet †Psal. 141. … Rev. 5. 8.incense before him: and a token it was of his heavie indignation, when he ‖Ior. 7. 16. & …4. 11.for bad his prophets to pray for the people.
4. Concerning the word of God and our fellowship in the same, we hav Chapt. ….before seē how God bestowed it specially vponupon his own people, as a testimonie of his grace towards them, though also in a general favour he communicateth it with Mark. 1…. 15the whol world. Now the saincts whose peculiar right & Deut. 33. 4.inheritāce it is, must be careful to vse it as a cō mune blessing, every one in himself, and al of them with and for one an other both privatly and publickly. Privatly to read & speak of ye same, vntounto their families & neighbours, cōtinually-rehersing or *Deut. 6. 7 …whe…ting ye words of God, vpō & vntounto their children, talking of them when they are in the howse, and as they walk by the way, when they lie down, and when they rise vp; that so mē may learn & know the scriptures from their childhood, ‡… Tim. 3. …5& by them be made wise vntounto salvation, through the faith wch is in Christ Iesus. And that al Christians, may by this means be able, to exhort †1 Thess. 5. …& edify one an other, in the knowledge & faith of God; may hav their speech ‖Colos. 4. ….gracious alwayes, & powdred with sal…; may discern truth frō error, whiles by serching the scripture, as did the men of Berea, †Act. 17. 11.they see whither the things taught them be so. And this was foretold to be a special part of Gods covenāt with his people, that ‖Isa. 59. 21.his words which he hath put in their mouth, shal no… depart out of their mouth, nor on of the mouth of their seed, nor out of the mouth of their seeds seed, frō henceforth even for ever.
5. But in the Assemblies of the Saincts, the light of this grace shineth more clearly; for in thē hav the scriptures beē read and preached of old *Act. 15. 21.every sabbath day; there all men hav not onelyonly libertie, but ar exhorted to desire that they may ‡1 Cor. 14. 1. 39.prophesie; that is, †vers. 3. 4.speak vntounto the church, to edifying, to exhortation, and to comfort: which is therfore to be coveted ‖vers. 1. 5.rather then other spiritual gifts, because it tēdeth both to the building vp of the brethren, and conversion of the vnbeleevers, †1 Cor. 14. 23 24. 25.and glorie of God therby. Al therfore that hav received this gift, may in ‖ver. 40.seemlines and order vse and manifest it, for the profit of the whol & every member; being careful that it be done according to *Rom. 12. 6.the proportion of faith, & when any speak, that it be ‡1 Pet. 4. 10. 11.as the words of God. And although a woman, in regard of her sex, may †1 Cor. 14. 34 35.not speak or teach in the church: yet with other wemen, and in her private familie, she ‖Prov. 31. 26openeth her mouth in wisdome, & the doctrine of grace is in her tongue. So Marie *Exod. 15. 20the prophetesse, was guid to the women of Israel, in their songs of thāksgiving: so ‡Act. 18. 25. 26.Priscilla at home, helped to expound the way of God more perfectly to learned Apollos; and was (togither with ”Phil. 4. 3.other women) acknowledged of the Apostle Paul, to be one of his †Rom. 16. 3.fellowhelpers in Christ Iesus. And the Lord both in those dayes, and before, had furnished sundry holy women with the gift of ‖Luk. 2. 36. Act. 21. 9. Ex 15. 20. Iud. 4. 4. 2 King 22 14.prophesie, as he promised also by Ioel. 2. 28. 29.his servant Ioel: to teach, that his graces are given vntounto all as he seeth good to bestow them; though there is a difference between the extraordinary gift of prophesie, givē but vntounto few, & the ordinarie prophesie or exposisiō of scripture, wch is cōmune wth many.
6. Above al other, the Officers given of Christ, for the work of the ministerie, the ‡Act. 20. 28.Overseers of the churches, are to studie and ”1 Tim. 5. 17.labour in the word and doctrine, to †1 Pet. 5. 1. 2.feed the flocks that depend vponupon them, to ‖1 Sam. 1…. 23shew them the good and right way, to ‡Ephos. 4. 11. 12.build vp the bodie of Christ, to 2 Tim. 2. 15.divide the word aright, to speak it †Ier 23. 28.faithfully, to keep ‖Act. 20. 27.nothing back, eyther through negligence fear or flatterie, but to shew them the whol counsel of God, & teach thē †Levit. 10. 11al the statutes which the Lord hath commanded, not ‖Ier. 26. 2.keeping back a word. These *Heb. 13. 17.watch for their peoples sowles, as they that shal giv accounts; and necessity is layd vpō them, therfore woe ‡Ezek. 34. ….vntounto thē, if they preach not the Gospel. 1 Cor. 9. 16.These must hav care both of strong and weak, †Ioh. …1. 15. 16. 1 Cor. 3. 1. 2 Heb. 5. 1…. 13. 14.of sheep and lambs; to feed with strong meat or with milk, as their flock hath need, & is ‖Mark. 4. 33.capable. Vpō these the charge lieth, to *Exod. 27. 2… 21.dresse the lamps of Gods law, from evening to morning, that they may alway burne in the Tabernacle of the congregation; to giv to the how shold, their ‡Luk. 12. 4….portion of meat in season; and to communicate this heavenly Manna with al the Israel of God, that ther may be an equalitie, as it is written, †Exod. 16. …8he that gathered much had nothing over, & he that gathered litle had no lack.
7. And togither with the words of Gods eternal covenant, †Mas. 28. 19 1 Cor. 11. 23. 24.these also dispense the s…als of the same; by which the communion of the Saincts is more illustrated & confirmed. For by baptisme which is Eph. 4. 5.one, we al are made *Gal 3. 27. 28.one in Christ Iesus. And as our fathers were … ‡1 Cor. 10. 2.baptised vntounto Moses, in the clowd & in ye sea; so now vnderunder Christ▪ by one Spirit, we al are baptised into †1 Cor. 12. 13.one body, whither we be Iewes or Greeks, bond or free. Neyther can any man forbid water Act. 10. 47. & 8. 36. 37. 12.from those which hav received the holy Ghost and faith; it is the *Mat. 28. 19. Mark. 16. 16.cōmune symbol and pledge of our salvatiō, & (like ‡Col. 2. 11. 12circumcision,) the ”Rom. 4. 11.seal of our righteousnes by fayth, even the seal of Gods covenant to vsus & †Gen. 17 10. 12. 13. 14 Gal 3. 14. Act. 2. 38. 39.to our seed. The Supper also of our Lord, is to be distributed to all the Saincts that can *1 Cor. 11. 28 29.examine themselves, & discern his body therein by faith; and is an other seal, as of our vnion with Christ, whose flesh we eat, and drink his blood; so of our vniting togither in his faith. For we (sayth *1 Cor. 10. 17.the Apostle) that are many, are one bread & one bodie, because we al are partakers of one bread. Therefore must ”1 Cor. 11. 20we come togither for this cōmunion, and tary †vers. 33.one for another, that as brethren we may eat and drink and rejoyce togither before the Lord; which he that refuseth, or neglecteth; is worthy to be Num. 9. 13.rooted out from amongst his people.
8. As the Saincts have al a right & interest in the covenant of God, & seales of the same, wherein they have and hold cōmunion togither: so have and doe they also, in al other Christian spiritual duties, publick or private. For all the actions of the Church, being but a practise and performance of Gods Law; as the members have their portion in the general, so have they also in the particulars: ech one according to his place, caling, and measure of grace, given him from Christ the head. In the primitive church established by Moses, when publick actions were to be performed, the whol congregation was assembled▪ as about the ”Exod. …5. 1. 4 &c.making of the Tabernacle, and all the furniture for the service of God; at the ordination and authorizing of the *Lev. 8. 3. 4. &c.Priests and ‡Num. 8. 9. 10. 20.Levites; at the first ”Deut. 5. 2. 3. 22.making and †Exod. 24. 3. 4. &c.solemnizing of the covenant, at the ‖Deut. 29. 1… 11. 12.renewing of the same; and at the *Deut. 1. 1. &c.repetitiō of al the Lawes & ordinances of the Lord. VntoUnto al & every of the Israelites, was cōm…nded the care and observation of all Gods statutes; that neyther all nor any of them, ‡Deut. 29. 18man nor woman, nor familie, nor tribe, should forsake the Lord, nor suffer among thē any root to bring forth gall and wormwood; but playnly ”Lev. 19. 17.rebuke their neighbour when he synned in private, or testifie against him ‡Lev. 5. 1.in publick if they could, and there were need; to ”Deu. 13. 8. Lev. 20. 2. 4.bewray & execute judgment vponupon open & notorious malefactors; even the leprous and vnclean, though the trial of them apperteyned to the †Lev. ….Priests, yet al the Num. 5. …. …children of Israel were to look that such were removed out of the host; yea the care of the Priests purity in their administration, apperteyned *Lev. 21. …. …. 24.to all the people. And long after, both in *2 Chro. … ▪ … 21. 23.counsels, and in the redressing of publick evils & trespasses, all Israel indifferently, had their hand and presence; as the scripture sheweth. Ezra. 10. 1. 9. 12. &c.
9. The churches in the Apostles dayes had also the like right & libertie▪ for the multitudes of beleevers. wer both beholders & acto… in the cōmune affayres; as at the †Act. 1. 15—23. & 6. 2. 3. 5. & 14 23.choise & ordinatiō of church-officers; at the Act. 15. 2. 4. 6. 7. 12 22. 23. & 21. 22 1. Cor. 6. 2. &c.deciding of questiōs & controversies; at the *Mat 18. 17 1 Cor. 5. 4. 5. 13.excommunication or casting out of impeniten… synners; at the ‡2 Cor. 8. 19. 1 Cor. 16. 3.choise & appointment of men, to cary the grace or benevolence of the Saincts, … their needy brethren; at the receving and reading of the Apostles †Rom. 1. 7.Letters; and generally, in the publick These. 5. 27 … Act. 2. 41. 42. &c.communion and fellowship of the Apostles, & one of another. They were also willed to exhort, … admonish *1 Thes. 5. 14 2 Thes. 3. 14. 15.ech other; even the ‡Colos. 4. 17.Officers of the churches; to †Rom. 16. 17 1 Heb. 12. 15.ma… diligently, and avoyd, the causer… of division and offences; & to loo… that † no root of bitternes sprung … and troubled thē, least therby many should be defiled.
10. These & the like privileges in the faith and practise of the Gospel ar permitted to al Saincts in al churches; which they must vse in al Rom, 12. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 14. 33. 40.sobrietie, order, and peace: not presuming above their calling, place, or mesure of vnderstanding; nor abusing their libertie to the trouble or annoyance of their brethren. And therfore *1 Tim. 5. 17.Elders or ‡1 Cor. 12. 28 Act. 20. 17. 28.Governours ar set to rule the people, and togither with the other Officers to weild the churches affaires. By which means confusion is avoided, & order observed in the Assemblies; as was in the primitive churches, wher the Overseers and publick Ministers, †Act. 1. 15. & 15. 6. 7. 13.propounded, discussed, & caried matters in seemlines and peace. These guides ar to Heb. 13. 7. 17.be heard, reverenced, and submitted vntounto in the Lord; they attend to the publick service of the church, and are as the hand, mouth, & eyes of the same; by such God of old *Exod. 1…. … 7. 8.signified his wil to the people; & page missing