Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXIII. Of Chriſts church in generall.
SIth it appeareth, that the church of Chriſt, which is his bodie, doeth conſiſt of thoſe which are coupled vntounto him by the bond of the holie ghoſt as members to their head: and it is manifeſt that the goſpell and ſacraments, with which as with inſtruments, men are knitt vntounto Chriſt, are not adminiſtred but in the church: and that all which are indued with a true faith in Chriſt, with hope, louelove, repentance, and care to doe good works, do pertaine vntounto the church: Therefore we thinke it a thing worth the labour, to declare what our faith is concerning the church: the rather becauſe about this article chieflie there are ſo great controuerſies. And firſt of all of Chriſts church in generall: ſo with the whole church it ſelfe doe we make confeſſion of our faith, and purpoſe afterwards to ſpeake ſeuerally of the militant church, and the things thereunto pertaining.
I. The article of faith concerning the church, out of the Apoſtles creede,
We beleeue the holie catholick Church, the communion of Saintes.
II. What we meane by the name of the church & the deſcription thereof.
By the name of Chriſts church, we vnderſtād a certen number and companie well knowne to God both of Angells and men: not onelyonly choſen and predeſtinated, to hauehave a perpetual communion with Chriſt, and among themſelues, and to ſerue the true God, according to his will and commaundement, and to louelove among themſelues mutually with a perpetuall and ſincere louelove: but alſo of thoſe which in their time ſhalbe effectually and by the holie ſpirite called out of the number of others, and ioyned to their head Chriſt, and ſo truly made Saintes. Which number was begonne, from the firſt creation, and gathered and continued in a perpetuall line, & band of the holy ghoſt, and to be continued to the end of the world, yea to all eternitie: and partly alreadie triumphing in heauen with Chriſt: and partly yet on earth, warring with many enimies for Chriſt: preaching and hearing the worde of the goſpell; miniſtring and receiuing the ſacraments: and taking care that the commaundements of Chriſts may be kept, aſwel publickly as priuately.
III. The church is a companie conſiſting of many.
For the Scriptures teach vsus, that the church is a companie conſiſting of manie, as a bodie compact of many members: calling the ſame the bodie of Chriſt diſtinguiſhed into many mē bers: and alſo, a flock of ſheepe, Eph. 1.23 Ioh. 10.3 Heb. 11.10and the kingdome of God, and acitie conſiſting of many citizens, and ſuch other like names.
IV. The church conſiſteth onelyonly of the elect, alreadie incorporate into Chriſt.
Now that theſe many, of whome the church conſiſteth, are none but elect, already ingrafted into Chriſt, and indued with Chriſts holineſſe: the ſame ſcriptures do plentifully teach, both in other places, & chieflie to the Epheſians: where the Apoſtle, ſpeaking of the church and the members thereof, ſaieth, Eph. 1VVe are all choſen in Chriſt and hauehave redemption in him: and are ſealed vvith the holy ſpirite of promiſe: That Chriſt is giuen to bee the head of the church: and the church is his body. It is therefore ſuch a bodie, whereof all the members, are ioyned by the ſame ſpirite, both to the head Chriſt, & among themſelues: and are quickned or hauehave life from the head, and are indued with his holineſſe: ſo that this whole body is truely holy, and called the holie church.
V. The holy Angells are not excluded from the bodie of the church.
Neither from this bodie of Chriſt, which is the holie church, doe we exclude the Angells: both becauſe the Apoſtle ſpeaking plainely of the church, comprehendeth the Angells therin: and alſo becauſe they with vsus are likewiſe gathered into our bodie, Heb. 12.22 Eph. 1.10 Col. 2.10 Apo. 229vnderunder one and the ſame head Chriſt, and Chriſt is expreſly called of the Apoſtle the head of the Angells: yea and alſo becauſe they call themſelues our fellovve ſeruants: and hauehave the ſaine father with vsus, and ſerue the ſame God, and we all of vsus ſhall bee for euer together in the ſame citie the heauēly Ieruſalem: laſtly, they are alſo Saintes; and the church is the communion of all Saints.
VI. The reprobate hypocrites, though they are in the church, yet they are not of the church.
So wee rightly beleeue and confeſſe, that the reprobate hypocrites, though they dwell in the church, and liue among the Saints: yet they are not of the church, nor members of the church, when they are not truely ioyned to the head Chriſt, nor indued with his ſpirite, and conſequently not truely Saints. As the Apoſtle Iohn ſaieth, 1. Ioh. 2.19of certaine hypocrites, they are gone out from vsus (as filth from the bodie) but they were not of vsus. For if they had beene of vsus, they had continued with vsus. They therefore are not of the church, which at laſt doe fall from Chriſt, and keepe not that perpetuall communion with Chriſt and with all his Saints: howſoeuer great and rare men they ſeeme in the church for a time, yea and hold the gouernment ouer the chriſtian common wealth, and rule ouer the whole church. For they are members of Sathan not of Chriſt: whoſoeuer hauehave the ſpirite not of Chriſt, but of Antichriſt.
VII. That there euer vvas and is one onelyonly church of Chriſt.
And wee confeſſe, that there euer was and is one onelyonly church of Chriſt: Eph. 4.4.5.6becauſe there euer was & is one onelyonly bodie, to which Chriſt was giuen of the father to bee the head: one onelyonly ſpirite, by which all the members are knitt vntounto the bodie: onelyonly one God, to the ſeruing of whome and glorifying for euer, we are all choſen and called: one onelyonly faith of al the faithfull beleeuers: one ſaluation: & laſtly one heauenly inheritance of all. To which purpoſe, alſo Chriſt euer called the church one, & one flock: wherfore we make that church which hath beene ſince the firſt creation, and before the cōming of Chriſt, no other, but the ſame, that it is nowe: and ſhalbee to the ende of the worlde: but wee call it one of all times, of all places, and all perſons ioyned with Chriſt, & conſequently one cōmunion of al the Saints: from which, they that make an vtter ſeuering and departure, we are perſuaded by the holie ſcriptures that they belong not to this bodie.
VIII. Of the chriſtian church there is one onelyonly head Ieſus Chriſt.
Hereuppon we are ſtrengthened in this beleefe, that ſith there is one onelyonly church of Chriſt, which is his bodie: there euer was and is yet therefore one onelyonly head of it: by this name head we meane him, which was giuen of God, euen from the worlds beginning to that ende, that he might be made of the ſame nature with it: that he might redeeme it: that he might ioyne it to himſelfe: that he might quicken it: that he might deck it with the glory of his wiſedome: that he might kindle it with the fire of heauenlie louelove: that hee might effectuallie moue it to all good affections and good workes: that he might euermore gouerne it & keepe it. For that this is the proper duetie of the head towards the whole bodie: beſides dailie experience in nature, we learne alſo out of the holy ſcripturs. But who could perform, hath, and wil performe this to the church? we acknowledge none other, beſids Chriſt Ieſus: meane while not denying, but there may bee one head of all hypocrites which are in the church, and ſo of the hypocriticall church: ſith the Prophets foretold it ſhould be ſo and the Apoſtles confirmed the ſame. Eph. 1.22. & 4.15 & 5.23 Col. 1.18But that there is one onelyonly heade, Ieſus Chriſt, of the holie church: we beleeue and confeſſe with the holie Apoſtles.
IX. This church is truely holie.
Whereupon it followeth, this church therfore to be truely holie: becauſe it hath a head that is moſt holie, & maketh it holie: becauſe no ſinnes are imputed vntounto it: becauſe from him it draweth the ſpirite of ſanctification: and becauſe whatſoeuer holineſſe is in the head, that is wholy imputed to euerie member.
X. It is alſo truely catholicke.
We alſo confeſſe it to be truely catholicke, that is, vniuerſall: becauſe the head thereof is alſo catholicke and euerlaſting: at all times, euen from the foundation of the world to the ende thereof ioyning vntounto himſelfe members out of all places, from all kindes of men, and all nations, and gouerning and preſeruing them to himſelfe for eternall bleſſedneſſe.
XI. This one church, is partly in heauen triumphant, and partly on earth militant.
But wee acknowledge, that this church, though it is, and euer was one: yet it is ſo diſtinct, that one part is triumphant in heauen with Chriſt, alreadie raiſed from death, and ſitting at the right hand of the father: another part on earth, fighting ſtill with fleſh & blood with the world and the deuill. Whereuppon ariſeth that vſuall diſtinction among all the godlie writers of the church, of the triumphant and militant church.