The Temple Opened, Tract · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of a Particular Church.
I come in the next place to ſhew what the word Church importeth in all other Texts of the New Teſtament, were it is uſed, not yet mentioned, which is far the greater part.
And to make it evident, that no other Church is by them intended then ſuch an one which is deſcribed in the 19th Article of the Church of England, viz. A Church is a Congregation of Faithful Men, where the pure Word of God is Preached, and the Sacraments duly Administred, according to Gods holy Ordinances; which can have no other underſtanding, then that of a Particular Church. I need not deſcant upon it, it carryes ſo much plainneſs and correſpondency to the genuine ſence of a Church in all places of the Goſpel, where a particular Church is intended, that there is no room for exception.
The firſt Text is, Mat. 18.17. Tell the Church, which is the particular Congregation of faithful men, &c. Its nonſence to ſuppoſe that a National or Provincial Church is here meant; that upon every offence between brother and brother, an addreſs muſt be made to a Council, Synod, Archbiſhop or Biſhop; and where have we Counſels or Synods, or Paſtors called Churches in any place of the New Teſtament? If any man pre…end to object that our Saviour here …ntended the Church of the Jews; …nd that to tell the Church, was to tell the Sanhedrim: Let ſuch an one give one inſtance, that the Sanhedrim is called the Church in Old or New Teſtament; I am ſure not in the New: neither is it rational to ſuppoſe that our Saviour gave here Rules for the Oeconomy of the Jewiſh Church, which was ſo ſoon after to be diſſolved as to its whole conſtitution, our Saviour never intending the erection of a National Church more.
2. The next Texts are Acts 2.47.Of the Church of Jeruſalem: And the Lord added to the Church daily ſuch as ſhould be ſaved. This was without diſpute a particular Congregation, for there was as yet but that one, which was that CXX which Chriſt left together at his Aſcention. This was the Congregation of the Faithful which was added to; which is the ſame Church that was ſpoken of, Acts 5.11. Fear fell upon all the Church, or Congregation of the Faithful. The firſt multiplying of Churches, was occaſioned by Sauls Perſecution, after the ſtoning of Stephen; ſcattering a great part of this Congregation, now grown too big for one: Acts 8.1, 3. There was a great Perſecution againſt the Church which was at Jeruſalem; againſt this Church in particular, Sauls Perſecution was breathed, which he mentions afterward, 1 Cor. 15.9. Gal. 1.13. Phil. 3.6. after which he continues to breath out threatnings and ſlaughter, and aſſay's to purſue them to Damaſcus, and other places, Acts 9.1. near which place Chriſt ſtops his Career.
But notwitſtanding this ſcattering, which God turn'd to the advantage of the Goſpel, and encreaſe of Churches, by the Preaching of Philip and other ſcattered brethren, ſo that as chap. 8. and 11. ver. 19. and in ver. 21. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number were added to the Lord: So that in Judea, the Churches of Samaria, and Galilee, were gathered, Acts 9.31. It appears alſo the Body of that Jeruſalem-Church ſtill remained, & tydings coming to them of the marvellous ſucceſs of the Miniſtry of the ſcattered Diſciples, they ſent forth Barnabas, Acts 11.22: Then tydings of theſe things came to the ears of the Church which was in Jeruſalem, and they ſent forth Barnabas that he ſhould go as far as Antioch,The Church of Antioch &c. ver. 25. from thence he departed to Tarſus to ſeek Saul, ver. 26. And when he had found him he brought him to Antioch, and it came to paſs, that a whole year they Aſſembled themſelves with the Church, and taught much people, i. e. beſides the Churches, this is the Firſt Goſpel-Church of the Gentiles we read of. Now that this was a Congregation of the Faithful, converted firſt by the Miniſtry of the Scattered, it appears in that Barnabas firſt fell upon confirming work, v. 23. When he came and had ſeen the Grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpoſe …f heart they would cleave unto the Lord; and by his further labours the Church was encreaſed, v. 24. and much people were added unto the Lord; though I will not deny, this expreſſion may intend his first forming them into a Church, before the coming of Saul, after which we are aſſured it was a Formed Church ſeparated from the reſt of the people of Antioch, yea, from many that were frequent hearers of the Word, as appears verſe 26.
After this a ſecond Perſecution ariſeth againſt the Church of Jeruſalem, Act. 12.1. Now about that time Herod the King ſtretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church, and killed James, and impriſoned Peter; for whom Prayer was made without ceaſing of the Church unto God for him; verſe 5, 12. viz. Aſſembled in a private Meeting.
Chap 13.1. We have an Account of Certain Prophets in the Church of Antioch, a ſort of extraordinary Officers in the Primitive Churches, mentioned next after Apoſtles, Eph. 4.11. Theſe were charged by the Holy Ghoſt to ſet apart Barnabas and Saul to the work whereunto he had called them, which being ſent forth, they went their Progreſs to Seleucia, Cyprus, Salamis, Paphos, Perga in Pamphilia, and from thence to Antioch in Piſidia, chap. 13. verſe 14. there Paul preached in the Synagogue with great acceptation of the Proſelyte Gentiles, who aſſembled to hear the next Sabbath from all parts of the City; but the Jews contradicting and blaſpheming, they declare the rejection of the Jews, and there turn to the Gentiles, ver. 46, 47. Being Perſecuted from this Antioch they came to Iconium, to the great joy of the Diſciples, verſe 51, 52. Here they Preached with ſucceſs, chap. 14.1. but were oppoſed by the Unbelieving Jews, and Perſecuted to Lystra & Derbe, verſe 20. Cityes of Lycaonia: At Lyſtra cured the Cripple, and like to be worſhipped for Gods; but the Jews from Antioch and Iconium change the Scene, ver. 19. and Paul was ſtoned; but recovered, departed to Derbe, and after Preaching there, returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch of Piſidia, Churches of Lyſtra, Iconium, Antioch of Piſidia.confirming the Diſciples, verſe 22, 23. ordaining Elders in every Church. Theſe Churches of Lyſtra, Iconium, and Antioch, were gathered at the Apoſtles firſt coming, and at their return to confirm them, they ordained Elders in them. Theſe were not National Churches; Antioch was of the Region of Piſidia; nor was the whole limit of any of theſe places of the Church, but a few of each that were wrought upon by, and ſubmitted to their Miniſtry. From Piſidia, they came to the Province of Pamphilia, ver. 24. where they Preached at Perga, went to Attalia, and thence ſailed to the firſt Antioch, where theſe two Apoſtles, ſo called ver. 14. were Ordained, and from whence they were ſent to this Apoſtolick work of gathering Churches, and ſetling Elders in them; here they give the Church of Antioch an account of what God had done by them, in opening a door of faith unto the Gentiles, verſe 27. and abode there a long time. During, their abode there, diſturbance was raiſed by ſome men that came from Judea, and taught the neceſſity of circumciſion, chap. 15.1, 2, 3. whereupon the Apoſtles and certain others were ſent to the Apoſtles and Elders at Jeruſalem about this queſtion, and were brought on their way by the Church, verſe 3. I ſuppoſe none can conjecture that here was any Church beſides a Congregation of Faithful; no Houſe-church, that could bring the Apoſtles on their way; no National or Provincial Church; it's not to be ſuppoſed, that all the Province or City of Antioch accompanied them, but only thoſe few that were gathered into a Church; and they not taken all in one Pariſh or Precinct of the City, but here and there, as it pleaſed God by his Grace to work. When they came, verſe 4. to Jeruſalem, they were received by the Church, Apostles and Elders, where the queſtion was determined, verſe 22. and return made (with the reſolves of the Apoſtles and Church of Jeruſalem) to Antioch, and ſtaying ſome time there, confirmed the Diſciples. But ſome days after Paul and Barnabas agreeing to depart to reviſit the Cities where they Preached, they diſagreed about taking John Mark, and ſo parted; Paul then took Silas, and went through Syria and Cilicia, Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus; places where they had been, verſe 36, 37. confirming the Churches, v. 41. I ſhall proceed no further in theſe two Apoſtles travells; this being enough to ſhew what ſort of Churches were firſt planted by them; and to ſhew where any mention is made of Church, and that's but in two places more in the Acts, Acts 18.22. After he had Landed at Ceſarea,Church of Caeſarea. and went up and ſaluted the Church, he went down to Antioch, and chap. 20.17. from MiletusMiletus. he ſent to Epheſus and called the Elders of the Church, and charged them, v. 28. Take heed therefore to your ſelves, and to all the Fl…ck, over which the Holy Ghoſt hath made you Overſeers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchaſed with his Blood.
Now what were theſe but ſuch Congregations that accompanyed the Apoſtles, that was ſaluted by them; that they confirmed, and were purchaſed by Chriſts blood; is it ſence to think they were Houſes, or whole Nations, or Provinces, or Cities? no they were thoſe faithful ones,Building of living ſtones. who being gathered into particular Congregations by the Miniſtry firſt of the Prophets, (i. e. the ſcattered Brethren from Jeruſalem) were ſetled and confirmed by the Apoſtles, who Ordained Officers reſpectively among them.
I proceed in the next place to the Churches to whom the ſeveral Epiſtles were wrote.
We read not the word Church in any part of the Epiſtles to the Romans, but in the 16th chapter, and there referring to other Churches,The Church of the Romans. as verſe 1. he ſpeaks of Phebe a Deaconeſs of the Church at Cenchrea, and verſe 4: mentions all the Churches of the Gentiles, verſe 5. ſalutes the Church in Aquila's houſe, verſ. 16. The Churches of Christ ſalute you. Though we have reaſon enough to believe that there was at this time a conſtituted Church at Rome, becauſe firſt he writes to them as beloved of God, and called to be Saints, chap. 1. verſe 7. Secondly, becauſe he gives Rules to them for walking towards each other as thoſe in Fellowſhip, chap. 14. Thirdly, Phebe is recommended to them from the Church at Cenchrea, which would not have been, had they not been a Church.
In the Epiſtle to the Corinthians, we have more mention made of the word Church then in any Epiſtle,The Church of Corinth. importing a Particular Congregation; and we may begin with that deſcription the Apoſtle gives of it, 1 Cor. 1.2. Ʋnto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are ſanctified in Chriſt Jeſus, called to be Saints, &c. he writes not to all the Inhabitants of Corinth, but to the Church, which he tells you what they are, ſanctified in Chriſt Jeſus, called to be Saints; which words are exegetical of Church; ſo he directs his ſecond Epiſtle, 2 Cor. 1.1. Ʋnto the Church of God which is at Corinth, with all the Saints which are in all Achaia: Corinth was a City of the Province of Achaia, and he writes primarily to the Church at Corinth, and likewiſe to all the Saints which were in that Province, whether they were actually in Church Fellowſhip or no. I ſhall briefly mention all the other Texts where Church is taken plainly for ſuch a Particular Congregation as is deſcribed in the firſt Epiſtle, chap. 1.
1 Cor. 4.17. I have ſent unto you Timotheus, — who ſhall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Chriſt, as I teach every where in every Church; i. e. every particular Congregation.
1 Cor. 6.4. If then you have judgment of things appertaining to this life, ſet them to judge who are least eſteemed in the Church; i. e. in the Church of the Corinths, of them its primarily intended, and as a rule for other particular Churches, where no ſuch thing as Chriſtian civil Magiſtrates was in thoſe times. 1 Cor. 7.17. As the Lord hath called every one, ſo let him walk and ſo ordain I in all the Churches, i. e. as a Rule for every particular member of each Church.
1 Cor. 11.16. If any man ſ…emeth to be contentious, we have no ſuch Cuſtom, nor the Churches of God.
Verſe 18. When you come together in the Church, [i. e. the Aſſembly, not meant of the meeting place, as before noted; the ſame ſence as in verſe 22.]
Chap. 14.4. He that Propheſieth Edifieth the Church, i. e. the Congregation that heareth him.
And verſe 5. his reaſon of prefering Prophecying is given, viz. That the Church may receive Edifying; therefore ſaith, verſe 12. Seek that ye may excel, that the Church may receive Edifying; and verſe 19. In the Church I had rather ſpeak five words with my Ʋnderſtanding that I might teach others. Verſe 23. If the whole Church be come together in one place.
Verſe 28. If there be no Interpreter, let him keep ſilence in the Church, &c.
Verſe 33. God is not the Author of Confuſion, but of Peace; as in all the Churches of the Saints. Verſe 34. Let your Women keep ſilence in the Churches. Verſe 35. For it is a ſhame for Women to ſpeak in the Church.
Chap. 16.1. Concerning the Collection for the Saints, as I have given Order to the Churches [ſuch as are in the Province] of Galatia, even ſo do ye. Where ſhould Collections be made, but in particular Congregations? Verſe 19. The Churches of Aſia, [i. e. of that Region] ſalute you; Aquila and Preſcilla ſalute you, and the Church in their Houſe; it may be that frequently aſſembled there, or that was for the moſt part belonging to their Family; there might be enough for a competent Congregation in ſuch times as thoſe: that Church is mentioned more times.
2 Cor. 8.1. We do you to wit of the Grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia; the word is always uſed in the plural Number, when its applyed to Nations, Provinces [Macedonia was a Province] Regions, as of Galatia, Macedonia, Aſia, Judea.
Verſe 18, 19. We have ſent with him the Brother whoſe praiſe is in the Goſpel throughout all the Churches, verſe 19. And not that only, but who were alſo choſen of the Churches to travel with us; the word is, foreign and might be rendred ordained, as well as in other places.
Verſe 23. They are Meſſengers of the Churches. Verſe 24. Wherefore ſhew to them and before the Churches the proof of your Love. Chap. 11.8. I robbed other Churches to ſerve you.
2 Cor. 11.28. That which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches, viz. as to his Apoſtolical Office.
2 Cor. 12, 13. What is it wherein you are inferiour to other Churches. It ſeems there's no ſuperiority of one particlar Church above another, but are all co-ordinate.
The word is thrice uſed in the Epiſtle to the Gallatians, Chap. 2.1, 2. Paul an Apoſtle — and all the Brethren which are with me, unto the Churches of Galatia [a Province] Verſe 13. You have heard of my Converſation, how that beyond meaſure I perſecuted the Church of God, and wasted it; i. e. the Church of Jeruſalem, which was only extant when he began his Perſecution; and for ought I know, while it laſted, for that was a principal occaſional cauſe of ſcattering the Jeruſalem Church, in order to Propagation; but he tells them of more Churches in the Province of Judea, after his Converſion. Verſe 21, 22. Afterwards I came into the Regions of Syria and Cilicia, and was unknown by face unto the Churches of Judea, which were in Christ.
The Apoſtle directs the Epiſtle to the Eph…ſians thus, To the Saints which are at Epheſus, and to the faithful in Chriſt Jeſus; which terms have a ſynonymous acceptation moſt times with a Church, and we have ground enough to believe there was an Eſtabliſhed Church there when Paul wrote, he writing of ſuch high myſteries concerning Chriſt and his Church; but we are fully aſſured of it afterward, when John wrote, Rev. 2.1. where he directs his Epiſtle to the Epheſian Church, as if to the Dutch, or French Church in England, or the Epheſian Congregation at Epheſus; but in all places where Church is mentioned in this Epiſtle, he treats only of the Catholick Church, as hath been ſhewed, being his deſign moſtly to ſhew the Beauty, Glory and Myſtery of Chriſt Myſtical, &c.
He directs his Epiſtle to Philippi Church of Philippi.in the ſame manner, and mentions the word Church but twice; the firſt is where he ſpeaks of his Zeal in Perſecuting the Church, i. e. of Jeruſalem, Philip. 3.6. and 4.15. where he ſaith, No Church communicated with me as to giving and receiving, but ye only: So that the Saints at Philippi were the Church.
The Epiſtle to Coloſs, is directed to the Saints and faithful Brethren in Chriſt who are at Coloſs,Church of Coloſs. chap. i, 2. i. e. the Congregation of the faithful there where this Epiſtle was to be firſt read, and then in the Church of Laodicea, chap. 4.16. He mentions alſo the Church in the Houſe of Nymphas; every where elſe the word relates to the Catholick Church in this Epiſtle, as hath been ſhewed.
The Apoſtle directs his ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians, verſe 1. To the Church of the Theſſalonians, Church of Theſſalonica.and ſuch a Church as took their pattern from the Churches of God in Judea, 1 Theſſ. 2.14. and therefore he ſaith 2 Theſſ. 1.4. We our ſelves glory in the Churches of God for their Patience and Faith in all our Perſecutions.
The Epiſtle to Timothy ſpeaks of particular Churches, 1 Tim. 3.5. If a man know not how to rule his own Houſe, how ſhall he take care of the Church of God, i. e. ſuch a one as falls under a Paſtoral care in a mans capacity of Government, as a Family doth; and 1 Tim. 5.16. Let not the Church be charged; that is, the particular Congregation, where Church charges ariſe, as the Context ſhews.
In the Epiſtle to Philemon he ſpeaks of the Church in his Houſe, i. e. that did uſually aſſemble there, as indeed all the Church-Aſſemblies were in thoſe times in private Houſes, and this is the third Church in a private Family that is expreſly mentioned by Paul; there was Aquila's, Nymphas's and Philemon's.
The Epiſtle to the Hebrews hath the word Church but twice, the firſt is, chap. 2.12. I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren in the midſt of the Church, I will ſing Praiſe unto thee; a place taken out of the Pſalms, where in the next and Primary Signification, the Pſalmiſt, ſo far as he means himſelf, its to be underſtood of a particular Congregation, where God is praiſed; and ſo far as its Prophetically applyed to Chriſt, its meant of the Catholick Church; in the fore-going verſe, ſaying, He that ſanctifieth and who they are ſanctified, are all one: for which ſake he is not aſhamed to call them brethren, ſaying, &c.
And chap. 12.23. He ſpeaks expreſly of the Catholick without diſpute.
The Apoſtle James ſpeaks of the Elders of a particular Church expreſly, James 5.14.
So John's third Epiſtle, verſe 6, 9, 10.
John in the Revelations makes mention of the Word in the ſingular and plural number, no leſs then nineteen or twenty times; and always to be underſtood of particular Churches. I will only name the Texts that the Reader may inſpect at his Leiſure. Revel. 1.4, 11, 20. Chap. 2.1, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 23, 29. Chap. 3.1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 22. Chap. 22.16.
I find the word Church uſed in the New Teſtament, about 85 times in this ſence, viz. of a particular Congregation, and cannot by any candid Reader be ſuppoſed to have any other meaning, nor with the leaſt ſhew of reaſon, be underſtood of any Meeting-houſe, National, Provincial, Dioceſan, or Parochial conſtitution, but only of a Congregation of Saints by mutual conſent ordinarily aſſembling together, for Attendance on Chriſt in all his Ordinances.