Concerning the Church of Jesus Christ Upon Earth, Section 2 – Section 3
Section. II. Containing an anſwer to the ſecond Queſtion, What is the Church of Jeſus Chriſt?
The word which in Engliſh is rendred a Church, is in the Originall foreign, which word is uſed in the Goſpel to ſignifie a Church of Jeſus Chriſt: And this word foreign, or Church doth ſignifie A company Called out; from foreign, which ſignifies to call out from among others.
And again this word foreign, which we Tranſlate a Church is ſometimes uſed to ſignifie any aſſembly called together upon any occaſion; Act. 19.33.For the Aſſembly was confuſed; the word then tranſlated aſſembly is in the Original foreign, ſo the ſame word is rendred an aſſembly, Act. 19.39, 41.
But this word Eccleſia, or Church, we in our ſpeech do uſe, to ſignifie a ſacred aſſembly or meeting, or combination of Gods people.
Our Engliſh word Church ſignifies an aſſembly of Gods people, or thoſe that deſire to fear the Lord; For it is very probable that our word Church, com's from the German word Kirch, which is derived from the Greek word foreign, which ſignifies the flock or people of God.
We uſe the word Church alſo by a Metonymie, for the place, or houſe where the Church or the people of God meet, 1 Cor. 11.18Calling that a Church.
But to ſpeak properly, the Church of Jeſus Chriſt is his people built of living and not of dead and ſenſleſs ſtones; 1 Pet. 2.5.and this Church of Jeſus Chriſt is a company of people *Joh. 15.19. Rev. 18 4.call'd out of the world, ſerving Jeſus Chriſt as their Lord and King, *1 Theſ. 4 7. Rom. 6.17. Act. 2.42.Living under, and ſubmitting unto all his holy ordinances.
A true viſible Church of Jeſus Chriſt is not a profane, wicked aſſembly, an aſſembly of Notorious Drunkards, Whoremongers Swearers, and the like; But an holy aſſembly, called out from among theſe; *1 Cor. 6.11Such were ſome of you, but ye are waſhed, but ye are Sanctified.
Not an aſſembly of ſuch as only ſerve their own bellies, luſts, paſſions ſin, ſatan, the times, but an aſſembly of ſuch as turn from theſe Idols to ſerve the living and true God.
Not an aſſembly refractory, and diſobedient to Goſpel-Ordinances mockers & ſcoffers of holy things and duties, But ſuch as do ſubmit themſelves to the Laws, commands ordinances of Jeſus Chriſt as their duty, and but *Rom. 12.1.Reaſonable ſervice.
Section. III. Containing an anſwer to the third queſtion? How do a people become a true viſible church of Jeſus Chriſt at firſt?
A People become a true viſible Church of Jeſus Chriſt by entering into an holy covenant with the Lord, to take him for their God and King, to be ruled and directed by his word, and to ſubmit unto all his holy ordinances.
Thus we finde in the Scripture when God did conſtitute Abraham's Family a church, I mean receive them into a church-eſtate, it was by entering them into ſuch a *Gen. 17.covenant as before, of which circumciſion was a ſeale.
That which they covenanted with God was, *Gen. 17.1To walk before him and be perfect; and God covenanted with them to *verſe 7.be their God, and the God of their feed, and ſo they came into a church-eſtate. This was the way of the Apoſtles in their conſtitution of Churches; Thoſe people whom the Apoſtles did receive into a church-eſtate, it was by engaging them to ſerve the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and to ſubmit to his holy ordinances.
This is plain if we read the 2. of the Acts v. 41. There were three thouſand received into a church-eſtate, which before neither were a church, nor of the church of Jeſus Chriſt; And how came theſe to be a church? why v. 41. v. 41.they gladly received the word preached to them; according to that word v. 38. v. 38:they did evidence their repentance for Sin paſt, (which includes an engagement to ſerve God for the future) and upon this they were baptized, and became a church, v. 41.
So when the Apoſtles received particular perſons into the Church which before were not of it, theſe did covenant for to take the Lord for their God, to own, and ſerve him, & ſo they became added unto the church. Acts 19. many became added unto the Church, But we read that they were ſuch as believed, ſuch as confeſſed their ſins, ſuch as ſhewed their deeds, ſuch as burned their profane books, — Thus they covenanting to ſerve the Lord were received into the church.
Thus it is clear that a company of people do become a church by entering into an holy Covenant with the Lord their God to own him, and ſerve him:
Therefore the church is called the *Cant 4.8, 9 10.Spouſe of Jeſus Chriſt, by which name the church could not properly be called, had ſhe not entred into an holy conjugall covenant with Jeſus Chriſt to be loyall and faithfull to him, for this is eſſential to the relation of a Spouſe or wife that ſhe enter covenant with her husband to be loyall and faithfull to him.
And as the church is rightly called the Spouſe of Jeſus Chriſt by vertue of this her covenant, ſo is the Lord alſo called the husband of his church or Spouſe, for he doth covenant with her, Levit 26.12 Gen. 11, 1.that he will be her God, her ſheild, her exceeding great reward, that he will never faile her nor forſake her, —.
The ſum of the anſwer then to this third Queſtion is this,
That a company of people become a church or under the relation of the wife and Spouſe of Jeſus Chriſt, by entering into an holy covenant with him to take him for their Lord and God, and to ſubmit unto all his holy Ordinances without ſuch a covenant their could be no ſuch relation betwixt Jeſus Chriſt and the Church as there is, for all relations of that nature are founded upon Covenant.