The Divine Institution of Congregational Churches, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Of Communion of Churches.
That there is Communion between Churches: Some things incommunicable in Churches: Some communicable, and what: Wherein Communion of Churches conſists: In Caſes of Difficulties and Differences, what is to be done.
§. 1. VIſible Communion is of Members in particular in a Viſible Church, a Body Politick or Corporate, which we have ſpoken unto. It remains that ſomething be ſpoken of the Communion of thoſe Bodies, viz. Churches, between whom there is a Viſible Communion. And it is ſuch a common participation of viſible Priviledges of the Means of Grace in the inſtituted Ordinances of Chriſt, and a mutual Communication of benefits, as occaſion may ſerve, as is between co-ordinate Bodies Politick, without infringement of their particular and appropriate Priviledges limited to, and bounded within themſelves only.
§. 2. The Priviledges of a particular Church are to be conſidered in Communion of Churches, as incommunicable, and as communicable. They that are incommunicable are ſuch as one Church cannot hand over to, or communicate to another, without breaking the Charter, and overthrowing their own Conſtitution; and they are ſuch as theſe,
1. A Church chooſeth its own Elders and Deacons, but cannot chooſe either for another Church.
2. Such Miniſterial Officers being choſen, the relation ſtands firm between them in the Church which choſe them, and they are not Elders or Deacons to another Church; the Paſtor and Deacon to the Church at Coloſs are not Paſtor and Deacon to the Church of Epheſus.
3. The doing of any Act which is inſeparably diſtinguiſhing to that Office Relation in the execution thereof, cannot be communicated or carried from Church to Church. As for Example, the Adminiſtration of Seals, or uſe of the Keys are ſuch acts; therefore a Miniſter to one Church cannot diſpence them in another, becauſe they are performed by vertue of his Office, that is limited to one Church; nor can he transfer his relation, or the proper Adjuncts thereof.
4. There is alſo a peculiar Corporation-Relation and Priviledge that a Brother hath in the Church of which he is a Member, and can have neither in any other, where he is not an actual Member: as Memberſhip in ſtated Fellowſhip under the Watch and Government of the ſaid Church; this he hath no where elſe: Likewiſe, he can Vote and give his Suffrage in any Church acts, which he cannot do elſewhere. Wherefore one Church cannot have Communion with another in chooſing or ordaining Elders or Deacons, any further than to look on and be Eye-Witneſſes of what they do; nor in admitting or caſting out of Members.
5. There can be no Communion by way of mixing or conjoining powers (as there cannot be of tranſferring;) any more than the Corporation of Briſtol and Gloceſter can mix and conjoin their Juridical Power.
§. 3. But there are ſome things wherein Communion of Churches according to the Nature of them doth conſiſt; as in Natural Bodies there are things and actions wherein they can communicate to each other, ſo far as is conſiſtent with their Nature to commix or conjoin; but there are ſome things wherein its impoſſible they ſhould, as in Senſation, or in the uſe of the Senſes, we may hear, ſee, taſte, &c. with one another, but cannot transfer our Hearing, Taſting, Smelling or Seeing to one another. So in Bodies Politick, there are ſome things we can enjoy or participate of together, and can communicate to each other; but there are others that we cannot. So it is in the Communion of Churches.
1. We may benefit by each others Gifts and Graces, the exerciſe whereof are ſeparable from any particular Relation that any one hath to a Church. Such things belong to general Communion, as to Expound, Preach and Pray, &c. Theſe the Paſtor of one Congregation may exerciſe in another, without any conſideration of his Paſtoral Relation, only as one that is Gifted for ſuch Services to common advantage.
2. There is Communion in counſel and advice; and ſuch there was between the Church of Jeruſalem and that at Antioch aActs 15..
3. There is Communion between Churches in giving and in receiving bPhil. 4.15..
4. There is Communion in reſpect of Members, ſo as one may recommend or diſmiſs Members to another, but this cannot be in Officers; one Church cannot diſmiſs an Elder or Deacon, as ſuch, to another. Whatever Office a Man bears in a Church (it's ſo in all Civil Corporations) he cannot be diſmiſt with his Office, but only as to his Memberſhip. The Mayor of Gloceſter may be transferred to Briſtol, and taken in a common Member, but cannot be transferred as Mayor to the Mayoralty of Briſtol, no not for one Seſſions, Day or Hour.
5. They may communicate with each other as to fraternal Entertainments in ſpiritual Feaſts, ſo far as to give each other the right hand of Fellowſhip, as to the Members of true Churches of Chriſt; and hence the Members of one Church, as occaſion is, do partake in Ordinances with another, ſo far as Office-Relation is not concern'd. So the Member of one Congregation partakes in the Lord's Supper with another; or brings his Child to be there baptized where the Paſtor is adminiſtring in his proper Place and Relation. But the Paſtor cannot come and adminiſter either Seal in a Congregation to which he hath no Paſtoral Relation, nor can be owned in any Paſtoral act there. The Paſtor himſelf may receive in a Neighbouring Church, as a Brother of another Congregation, but not as a Paſtor; much leſs can he adminiſter there as a Paſtor. It's one thing to communicate as a private Member, and another thing to diſpenſe as a Miniſterial Officer. A Member of the Corporation of one City, yea the Mayor himſelf, may be received with much welcome as an approved Member of a Neighbouring Corporation at Feſtival Entertainments, but muſt not ſit on the Bench there to do any act of Office, out of his Place, and out of his Power, whether the Mayor or chief Magiſtrate be alive or dead. So whether the Paſtor of a Church be alive or dead, the Paſtor to another Church hath nothing to do there as a Paſtor.
§. 4. In Caſes of Difficulties and Differences ariſing in Churches, many Churches holding Communion together, may by their Elders and Meſſengers meet together to conſult and adviſe about the ſaid Matters, and report to the reſpective Churches. Howbeit theſe Aſſemblies, as ſuch, are not truſted with any coercive Power or Juriſdiction over the Churches, to impoſe their determinations on them or their Officers. Beſides theſe occaſional Aſſemblies and Councils, there are not inſtituted by Chriſt any ſtated Synods in a fixed Combination of Churches or Officers in leſſer or greater Aſſemblies; nor are there any Synods appointed by Chriſt by way of Subordination to one another.