Church Concord, Chapter 11
Chap. XI. Difference IX.
THE Ninth seeming Difference is, about our Parishes in England, whether they are true Churches of Christ, or not. But here is little or no difference that is stood to whatever any particular persons may think, it is not a difference between the parties. For, 1. It is not desired of them to grant that a Parish as a Parish (that is, the people, yea the Christians inhabiting such a space of ground) is a Church. It's possible they may be of many Churches, or of none (but the Universal.) 2. Nor is it desired that they take every Member of the Parish, no nor every Hearer, for a Member of the Church. Men of several Churches, or of no Church may live in the Parish, and hear together. 3. Nor are they desired to take any Parish for a true Political Church that hath not a true Pastor, with a competent number of professed Christians joined together for personal Communion in Gods Worship.
But that our ordinary Parishes in England that have true Ministers are true Churches is so familiarly granted by the Congregational party, that to recite their words seems needless: And therefore they utterly disclaim separating from us as no true Churches. 1. That our want of a Church Covenant nullifieth not these Churches, I told you before they grant, because our consent is our Covenant: And our ordinary practice tolerably signifieth that consent. Saith Mr, Norton, p. 21. [Siuna externa fidei professione, veritatis & sanctitatis praxi, eodem baptismate uniantur, & eundem publicum cultum uno in loco frequentent, iisdem inspectoribus Ecclesiae subsint, &c.] See the place, where he acknowledgeth this a Church without an Explicit Covenant.
2. And that the impiety of our Parishes, or other incapacity of the Members is not such as to nullifie our Churches they confess. Because a good Church may have some bad Members: And where the greater number are bad, the Pastor and the better (smaller) part may denominate the Church, and it may be true, though polluted. What Doctrinal and Practical Corruptions were in the Churches of Corinth, Galatia, and divers of the Asian Churches, Rev. 2. and 3. is so plain, and hath been so often mentioned that it's needless to recite the Texts. Saith Mr. Norton, 28, 29. Immo tantum abest, ut ob defectum foederis expliciti (salva vel ungulae religione in rebus Iesu Christi) ullas Congregationes ex Ecclesiarum albo expungamus; ut Caetus multò graviora passos, essentialibus Dei gratia adhuc in tuto positis tanquam non Ecclesias judicare, salvâ conscientiâ nullos posse, sanctè testemur. Distinguendum inter Ecclesiam puram, impuram, impurissimam, & nullam▪—Fundamentalia sive Essentialia sunt materia & forma Ecclesiae particularis. Materia sunt homines profitentes Doctrinam salutaris fidei: Forma est mutuus consensus politicus ad incedendum in illa fide, vel verbis, vel factis, modo aliquo visibiliter significatus: Adeo ut non sufficit subitanea aliqua conjunctio, & sanctae communionis exercitium, ad Ecclesiam constituendam, nisi constantia illa accedat, saltem quoad intentionem, quae statum adfert Corporis & Membrorum in spirituali quadam politia: Qualem consensum nos foedus vocare jam toties diximus.]
As this proveth our Parishes true Churches, so that greater corruptions than the Vices of some, even Fundamental Errors in the Church it self, doth not presently destroy the Church is his Opinion, and Parker's cited by him: Ibid. saith he, [Neque tamen Ecclesiam errores fundamentales statim destruunt, donec eis addatur contumacia in foro exteriori. Ecclesia in fundamento aberrans tamdiu manet Ecclesia quamdiu non est pertinax.]
Certainly here is as large a judgment of Charity as we can reasonably expect, and so large as without some distinction, will be liable to controversie.
We easily confess that most of our Churches need much Reformation, and that all in our Parishes are not Church Members: But yet I may well suppose that we are Agreed that those of them that have true Pastors are true Churches, and that this is the case of our Parishes ordinarily, or very many at least (yea some such Dissenters think that they may be true Churches without Pastors) so that here between the parties there is no disagreement, whatever particular persons hold. Many are more afraid lest a great many Parishes should be Made no true Churches (in a Political sense) by setting over them such as are no true Ministers, than be proved none before they are made None. But I see no danger of this, while we have liberty of Election and Ordination.