The Remains of John Corbet, Section 12 – Section 19
§ 12. Of the Indefectibility of the Catholick Church.
CHRIST hath promiſed the perpetuity of the Church in general, in ſaying that he would build it on a Rock, and the gates of Hell ſhould not prevail againſt it; and I am with you always to the end of the world; but how far, and in what reſpect this perpetuity and indefectibility is promiſed, ought to be enquired into, leſt we expect or inſiſt upon more than the promiſe hath enſured.
That which Chriſt hath promiſed, cannot be leſs, than that there be always upon earth a number of true believers, or faithful Chriſtians, made viſible by their external profeſſion of Chriſtianity, ſucceſſively continued till the end of all things.
It is alſo aſcertained, that there ſhall be at leaſt the eſſentials of a Church-ſtate, or Church organical (as ſome expreſs it) conſiſting of a part governing, and a part governed, always continued ſomewhere upon earth. For Chriſts promiſe is to be with his Apoſtles in the executing of their Miniſtry, always, to the end of the world; and it muſt be underſtood of them not barely conſidered, as perſons; but as his commiſſioned Officers, including their ſucceſſors, not in the Apoſtolical and Temporary, but in the ordinary and perpetual Authority, which they had in common with Paſtors, Biſhops or Presbyters. And Eph. 4.11. ſhews, that the Miniſtry is to endure till the whole Myſtical body of Chriſt be compleated.
But the promiſe doth not import, that any particular Church, or any particular combination of Churches in one frame of Eccleſiaſtical Polity, how ample or illuſtrious ſoever, ſhall be perpetuated by an uninterrupted ſucceſſion of Paſtors, and ſecured from a total defection and rejection either from a Church ſtate, or from Chriſtianity it ſelf.
If any particular church, or any one larger part of the Catholick church, hath been preſerved from the Apoſtles days till now, when others have been extinct, it is by the good pleaſure of God, whoſe ways and counſels are wiſe and holy, yet unſearchable and paſt finding out.
Nor doth the promiſe import, that the true church ſhall be perpetually conſpicuous, tho it be perpetually viſible: for in ſome Ages it may be more obſcure, in others more apparent. It is granted by that party that much inſiſts upon the conſpicuouſneſs of their church, as a city on a hill, That in the time of Antichriſt the church ſhall ſcarcely be diſcerned. Now in ſuch a ſtate it may be ſaid to be, tho not abſolutely, yet comparatively inviſible, that is, being compared with what it is when more conſpicuouſly Viſible.
Nor doth it import that any particular church, or any moſt ample and illuſtrious part of the Catholick church, ſhall perpetually abide in the Apoſtolick purity of doctrine, worſhip, and government; but that it may depart from it, and fall into moſt enormous errors and practiſes in the ſaid points, and yet may not loſe the eſſentials of Chriſtian doctrine, and church-ſtate. The Scripture foretels of a great falling away, and a laſting defection in the Chriſtian church, and a long continued predominancy of an Antichriſtian ſtate therein.
Nay, for ought can be cogently inferred from the aforeſaid promiſe, the ſaid defection might have been ſo univerſal, as to leave no part of the Catholick church divided from the Apoſtatical or Antichriſtian ſtate and party, by a different external church-polity; but the ſound and ſincere part of the Church may truckle under it and be included in its external frame; and keep themſelves from being deſtroyed by it, ſome of them diſcerning and ſhunning the bainful doctrine and practiſe; and others that are infected with it, holding the truth predominantly in their hearts and lives, and ſo tho not ſpeculatively yet practically prevailing againſt the wicked errours.
If in all times there have been ſome ſocieties of Chriſtians that did not fall away in the great defection, nor incorporate with the antichriſtian ſtate; but were by themſelves in a ſevered church-ſtate; yet Chriſt hath not promiſed that there ſhall be notice thereof throughout all Chriſtendom in the times when the ſaid ſocieties were in being, nor that hiſtories ſhould be written thereof for the knowledg of after ages.
Howbeit we have ſufficient notice by credible hiſtory, that there have been many ample chriſtian churches throughout all ages that were not incorporated with the antichriſtian ſtate, and that did diſſent from their great enormities in Doctrine, Worſhip, and Government; alſo that many Worthies living in the midſt of that great apoſtacy, did during the whole time thereof ſucceſſively bear witneſs for the truth againſt it, and that for a great part of the time huge multitudes alſo living in the midſt of the ſaid apoſtacy, ſeparated from it, and were embodied into churches of another conſtitution more conformable to the Primitive Chriſtianity.
§ 13. The frame of the particular Churches mentioned in Scripture.
AS we find in Scripture one Catholick church related as one Kingdom, Family, Flock, Spouſe and Body, to Chriſt as its only King, Maſter, Shepherd, Husband and Head; ſo we find particular churches, as ſo many political ſocieties diſtinct from each other, yet all compacted together as parts of that one ample Society the Catholick church; as the church at Antioch, Acts 13.1. the church at Jeruſalem, Acts 11.22. Acts 15.4. the church at Ceſarea, Acts 18.22. the church at Cenchrea, Rom. 10.1. the church at Corinth, 1 Cor. 1.2 the churches of Galatia, Gal. 1.2. the church of the Theſſalonians, 1 Theſ. 1.1. the church at Babylon, 1 Pet. 5 13. and the ſeven churches in Aſia, Apoc. 1. & 2. viz. of Epheſus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatyra, Sardis, Thiladelphia, and Laodicea.
We likewiſe find that the Chriſtians of a city, o… leſſer precinct, made one church; as the church at Corinth, the church at Cenchrea, &c. but the Chriſtians of a Region or a larger circuit, made many churches, as the churches of Aſia, the churches of Galatiae.
We find alſo, that each of theſe particular churches did conſiſt of a part governing, and a part governed, and conſequently were political Societies. Every church had their proper Elder or Elders, Acts. 4.23. which Elders were the ſame with Biſhops, Acts 20.28. Tit. 1.5, 7. 1 Pet. 5.1, 2. and they were conſtitutive parts of thoſe churches, conſidered as Political Societies.
We find alſo that theſe Elders or Biſhops did perſonally ſuperintend or overſee all the Flock, or every member of the church over which they did preſide, Acts 20 28, 29. 1 Theſ. 5.12. Heb. 13.17. This appears further by their particular work expreſly mentioned in Scripture to be perſonally performed towards all, viz. to be the ordinary Teachers of all, Heb. 13 7. 1 Theſ. 5.12, 13. to admoniſh all that were unruly, and to rebuke them openly, 1 Tim. 5.20. Tit. 1.10. to viſit and pray with the ſick, and all the ſick were to ſend for them to that end, James 5.14. and no grant from Chriſt to diſcharge the ſame by Subſtitutes or Delegates can be found.
§ 14. The Form of a particular Church conſidered.
FROM the premiſes it is evident, That all particular churches mentioned in the New Teſtament, were ſo conſtituted, as that all the members thereof were capable of perſonal communion in worſhipping God, if not always at once together, yet by turns at leaſt, and of living under the preſent perſonal ſuperintendency of their proper Elder or Elders, Biſhop or Biſhops.
Whether to be embodied or aſſociated for perſonal communion in worſhip, and for perſonal ſuperintendency of the Paſtors over all the members, be the true formal or eſſential conſtitution of particular churches by divine right, I leave to conſideration. But this is evident, that all thoſe churches that the Scripture takes notice of, were ſo conſtituted, and that either by the immediate agency of the Apoſtles themſelves, Acts 14.23 or of others by their appointment. Tit. 1.5. Yet I do not hereby mean that every Congregation or Aſſembly for worſhip or acts of government, was a whole political church. For ſome ſuch congregations might be only parts of a church meeting according to convenience; but ſtill the ſaid perſonal communion was in the whole church ſimul or per vices, and there was a perſonal ſuperintendency of the Biſhop or Paſtor over the whole in all the acts of his Paſtoral office.
As for ſuch a particular church as conſiſts of many (it may be ſeveral hundred) ſtated congregations, having each of them their proper Presbyter or Presbyters, and is governed by one ſole Biſhop, the aforeſaid Presbyters being ſaid to be no Biſhops, and whoſe members are not capable of perſonal communion among themſelves either ſimul or per vices, nor of the perſonal ſuperintendency of their Biſhop in the neceſſary acts of his Paſtoral Office; if there be any Scripture-precedent or divine Rule for the ſame, I am ready to take notice of it.
§ 15. The due place of conſtituting a particular Church.
ORdinarily the place of a particular church was a City, and from the City the church ordinarily took its denomination. Nevertheleſs, nothing is found in Scripture to make a City the only proper Manſion of a church, ſo that no Village could be a fit Receptacle of it; yea, the Scripture mentions a church which was not a City-church, viz that at Cenchrea, which was not a City, but the Haven of Corinth.
Cities being places of the confluence of people, had ordinarily the Goſpel firſt preached, and firſt received in them, and conſequently firſt afforded the materials of a church. And they were the fitteſt places for the erection of a church in order to the making of more converts to be added to them, beſides other conveniences. And therefore right Reaſon, without a particular Divine command, would direct thoſe Maſter-builders the Apoſtles to erect churches in cities.
Howbeit the City-churches were not confined to the reſpective cities, but commonly took in all the Chriſtians of the adjacent Villages. And in the Apoſtles times the Chriſtians both of a city and its adjacent Villages, did ordinarily but make up one competent congregation, or in its numbers it did not exceed one of our pariſhes. Tho ſome very few churches quickly grew numerous, yet moſt rationally it may be conceived, that they did not exceed many, nor equal ſome of our very populous Pariſhes.
Here it muſt be conſidered, that foreign or a city, was any Town corporate, and that every ſuch that had Chriſtians in any competent number, had a ſtated church in it. And the Rule was not then, as now, that the church and its biſhop did make that a city which otherwiſe would not be; but that every city or town corporate, or place of confluence of people, where there were chriſtians, ſhould have its church with its proper biſhop.
§ 16. Each particular Church is a diſtinct Political Society.
AS Cities in a Kingdom, ſo are particular churches in the church univerſal. This ſimilitude holds in the main, but not in all reſpects. As a whole Kingdom hath its fundamental Conſtitution by which it ſubſiſts, and its Magna Charta for priviledges belonging to the whole; ſo the church univerſal hath its fundamental conſtitution and charter by which it ſubſiſts in its proper ſtate. And as every city is a diſtinct body-politick under the King, and hath from him its charter by which it ſubſiſts; ſo every particular church as a diſtinct political Society under Chriſt, hath its charter from him, by which it ſubſiſts in its proper ſtate.
The erecting of particular churches as ſeveral political ſocieties by the Apoſtles, who were Chriſts authorized Agents for erecting his ſpecial Kingdom the church, and guided therein by his infallible ſpirit, and by others at their direction, and according to the ſame Rule, is a ſufficient Charter for the conſtitution of ſuch churches wherever there are fit materials. Beſides, the law of nature requires the parcelling the church univerſal into ſuch diſtinct Societies under their proper Paſtors, that church-communion and Paſtoral ſuperintendency might not be tranſient and uncertain, but permanent and certain.
The ſeveral cities in the ſame Kingdom may have their ſpecial Laws and Priviledges divers from each other, according to the diverſity of their charters granted by the King. But particular churches have not municipal laws and priviledges divers from each other, but the ſame in common to them all, becauſe they have all the ſame charter in ſpecie. Here note, that they may be rightly called diſtinct Political Societies, that have each of them their own charter, tho it be not divers, but the ſame in kind among them all.
He that is a citizen or a Magiſtrate of one city, is not a citizen, Magiſtrate, or Officer in all cities of the ſame Kingdom. But a member or a Paſtor of one particular church, hath an habitual or fundamental Right of being a member or Paſtor in any particular church throughout the world, which is not actually to be made uſe of but in a due order, as hath been above noted.
Particular churches, tho they conſiſt of diſſimilar parts, are all of them ſimilar parts of the Church Catholick, partaking of its name and nature, whereas cities are diſſimilar parts of a Kingdom.
From theſe premiſes it follows, that the qualifications requiſite to make men members or miniſters of the univerſal church, do ſufficiently qualifie them to be members or miniſters of any particular church wherewith they are naturally capable of Communion.
§ 17. Of the local bounds of Churches.
ALL the Chriſtians in the world are one holy ſociety; and if it were poſſible they ſhould have local preſential communion one with another; but that being impoſſible by reaſon of the large extent of the ſociety, they are neceſſarily parcelled into ſeveral congregations; for the capacity of ſuch communion is the end of erecting particular churches; in all reaſon they ſhould conſiſt of perſons, who by their cohabitation in a vicinity are made capable of it, and there may not be a greater local diſtance of the perſons from each other than can ſtand with it.
Moreover all Chriſtians of the ſame local precinct, not more populous nor of larger extent than to allow perſonal communion, are moſt conveniently brought into one and the ſame ſtated church, that there might be the greateſt union among them, and that the occaſion of ſtraggling and running into ſevered parties might be avoided. And ſo we find in Scripture that all the Chriſtians within ſuch a local precinct commonly made but one church.
Tho it be highly convenient that particular churches be ſo bounded, as to take in all the chriſtians of the ſame precinct as aforeſaid, and therefore neceſſary, when ſome ſpecial reaſon doth not compel to vary; yet it is not abſolut…ly neceſſary in reaſon, nor do we find any divine inſtitution to make it invariable, tho the Apoſtles and their coadjutors were led to this way by the natural convenience of it.
But if any where a greater inconvenience comes, or a greater benefit be loſt by ſuch a partition of Churches, than the convenience of it can countervail, there the partition muſt be made as it may be, that is, as the ſtate of things will admit.
It is ſuppoſed by ſome learned men, that in the Apoſtles time there were ſeveral Churches at Rome under their ſeveral biſhops or paſtors, as one of the circumciſion, another of the uncircumciſion within the ſame local precincts. And if there were not ſo de facto, I think few will deny but that the ſtate of chriſtians then and there might have been ſuch as to have made ſuch a partition of churches among them lawful and expedient.
§ 18. Of the power of a particular Church.
THE power of a Church is but the power of the ruling part thereof; and therefore the power of particular churches is according to the power of their particular biſhops or paſtors, the nature whereof ſhall be opened, when I come to ſpeak of the nature of the paſtoral office.
It appears by what hath been already ſhewed of the frame of particular churches mentioned in Scripture, that they all had the government within themſelves. Every ſtated church had its proper paſtor or paſtors, having authority of teaching and ruling it in Chriſts name.
If a diſtinction of churches into ſuch as have Paſtoral government within them, and ſuch as have it not, be aſſerted, it muſt be proved by the aſſertors from divine teſtimony: And if it be granted that every organical church hath in it its authoritative Teacher or Guide under Chriſt, and in his name, it muſt be granted (as far as I can ſee) that it hath in it its Ruler alſo; for ruling is but by teaching and guiding.
The ſmalleſt Church hath the ſame power in its narrow Sphere that the greateſt Church or any aſſociation of Churches have in their larger Spheres, that is, it hath the ſame power intenſively, tho not extenſively: Indeed, the authoritative acts of larger churches and aſſociations in regard of their amplitude may be juſtly eſteemed in degrees more Solemn, Auguſt and Venerable.
§ 19. The ſubordination of Churches of the ſame kind, conſidered.
TOuching this point of the ſubordination of Churches, there be three parts of the enquiry. 1. Whether there be a ſubordination of one or more particular Churches to another particular Church whoſe conſtitution and frame is the ſame in ſpecie with theirs? 2. Whether there be a ſubordination of particular Churches to ſome other Church ſpecifically different from them in the frame thereof, and being in a ſtate of greater ſublimity and amplitude? 3. Whether there be a ſubordination of particular Churches taken diſtributively, to an aſſociation or collective body of the ſame Churches, or an aſſembly thereof; and of that collective body to a larger aſſociation of more ſuch collective bodies conjunct with it, or to an aſſembly thereof, and ſo forward till we come to the largeſt that can be reached unto?
1. Whether there be a ſubordination of one or more particular Churches to another particular Church, whoſe conſtitution and frame is the ſame in ſpecie with theirs, and whoſe officers are of the ſame holy order, ſuch as the ſeven Churches of Aſia were in relation one to another, and as congregational Churches are to each other, and as Dioceſan Churches are to each other, if de jure there be ſuch Churches? Now as touching ſubordination in this kind, what hath been or may be by humane right upon prudential conſiderations either ſtatedly or pro tempore, is not here examined; but what is by divine right inferring an obligation upon one Church to be ſubject to another of the ſame ſpecifick frame with it ſelf.
Sometimes a Church hath been called a mother-Church in relation to other churches, either becauſe they have iſſued from it, as ſwarms from a hive, or becauſe they have received the Chriſtian faith from it, or becauſe they have been erected by ſome ſent forth from it, &c. Now that theſe latter Churches do owe a reverential regard and obſervance to the firſt, which is called the Mother-Church, is not to be doubted; and ſuch regard or obſervance every ſmall or obſcure Church owes to thoſe that are more Ample, Illuſtrious or Renowned.
But that the ſaid Mother. Church can by divine right or warrant claim a governing power over thoſe Churches that have iſſued from it; or that the more Ample and Illuſtrious Churches can claim the like over the ſmaller and obſcurer, I do not find any proof; but I judg the contrary, becauſe, notwithſtanding the aforeſaid diverſity or diſparity of condition, they all reſt upon the ſame Baſi…, Chriſts Charter, by which they are conſtituted, which is the ſame to all, and alike immediately given to all. So that in this reſpect they all ſtand upon the ſame level, and are equal. Now one equal hath not governing power over another in that wherein they are both equal.