The Temple Measured, Part 2
Concerning the matter of the Church, and alſo of the quantity of the Church.
MEmbers of the Church ought to be viſibly holy,Pro. 1. or viſibly Saints, in ſome appearance. A viſible ſegregation from the world, and a viſible aggregation to Chriſt, is neceſſary to Churchunion and communion.Levit. 6. Num. 19.9. 1 Cor. 11.28. Ezek. 44. 2 Chro. 30. Whitgifts aſſertion (that all that are the Kings ſubjects are members of Chriſts Church) is not warrantable. The Temple is holy, the Keys, the Tables of the Law, the Seals, the Cenſures, the Officers, all holy; Chriſt is holy. The Apoſties, &c. required profeſſion of faith, Acts 2. Matth. 3. The Seals preſuppoſe faith and repeneance: If thou believest (ſaith Philip to the Eunuch) thou mayeſt be haptized, Acts 8. Phoſe that received the Apoſtles words foreign (that is, to whom the doctrine of faith and repentance was grateful) they were baptized, Acts 2. The ſtones of the Temple were to be hewn ſtones; the timber was to be ſquared and poliſhed; the Tabernacle was curiouſly wrought; the Candleſtick was of beaten gold; the twelve Tribes were repreſented upon the High prieſts breſt plate, by twelve precious ſtones; and the viſible members are correſpondent to the myſtical, in ſome appearance. The members of Churches were all Saints by calling, 1 Cor. 1.2. Eph. 1, &c. Yet the Church (as may be afterward demonſtrated) muſt admit by a general rule, ſuch as may comprehend and take in all Saints. All Iſraelites muſt have a lot and portion in the congregation of the Lord. A diſpriviledging of Chriſtians, is a diſinheriting of them. Churches muſt be open and forward to reſcue all that flee from the avenger of blood: the way muſt be made eaſie to the cities of refuge: Churches are repreſented by the cities of refuge,Num. 35. Joſh. 20. Heb. 6.8. where ſinners that flee before the avenger, may have free recourſe to take ſanctuary. Our facility in admitting viſible members, muſt give teſtimony to the Lords diſpenſation of grace in the embracing of inviſible members. The gates of Jeruſalem do ſtand open, Rev. 21.25. The rule of admiſſion is a rule of Prudence, for the keeping out of ſuch as are apparantly profane in toto, and ſuch as are ſcandalous in tanto: and alſo it is a rule of charity, for the entertaining of all that have the leaſt meaſure of ſaving grace.Leid. Prof. de diſcip. Eccleſ. The Leiden Prof. do acknowledge rigorens aliquem in nonnullis canonibus veterum Synodorum, qui manſuetudinis Chriſti & Apoſtolorum ejus, modum non nihil excedar. Calvin alſo, ſo great a witneſſe of truth, joyneth iſſue with the forenamed, and ſpeaketh more indefinitely againſt the ancient ſeverity of the Churches, Inſtit. lib. 4. cap. 29. See Beza, another great ſtar in the Church, Epiſt. 73. p. 302. De quolibet bene praſumendum, donec conſtet contrarium. This rule muſt moderate in cenſures abſolutely, though not ſo in admiſſions. The rule of admiſſion is a ſutable profeſſion of faith and repentance, with ſubjection to the Ordinances.
A particular Church muſt conſiſt of no more then may ordinarily or conſtantly meet together for the edification of the whole aſſembly.Pro. 2. 1 Cor. 5. & 14. 1. The Apoſtles directed the Churches to meet together in one place, Acts 2 & 5 & 6. An Apoſtolical Direction is ſufficient for an Inſtitution. 2. Edification and conſtant communion (the natural grounds of multiplying Churches) do neceſſitate ſuch a limitation of Churches. A Dioceſan-Church is too big and too monſtrous to be one Church for ordinary execution. 3. The Apoſtles inſtituted Churches foreign, in every Citie: and foreign doth not exclude villages, as it appeareth by Matth. 10.10. Cenchrea was but anſwerable to a village, and yet it is ſaid to have a Church, Rom. 16. One Province contained many Churches, 1 Cor. 16.1, 19. Gal. 1.2 & 21. Rev. 1.2. The Churches of Galatia were Churches of one Province, not one Provincial Church. 4. There was no ordinary Officers inſtituted by Chriſt for any other then congregational Churches. The Elders of every congregation have the ſame power both intenſive and extenſive: there are no Archbiſhops or Archdeacons inſtituted by the Lord. 5. All congregations have the ſame Titles, the ſame Power, the ſame Ordinances compleatly. Nature giveth the ſame name to ſimilar parts; every drop of water is water; it hath the ſame name and the ſame nature. Paris in parem non eſt poceſtus. The lamb of the Paſſeover was to be eaten onelyonly by ſo many together, as might enjoy a feſtival communion together at one Table, Exod. 2. Ancient Canons did prohibite the ordaining of a Presbyter to more then one Title; but as the Church did degenerate, there came in Nonreſidence, Pluralities, Commendaes univerſal and perpetual,Commendaes for term of life. or for term of life; a diſtinction of Benefices compatible an incompatible, and Canons; all theſe were added to Dioceſan Epiſcopacie and Prelacie.
The Church in reſpect of its integrality,Pro. 3. may conſiſt but of two or three. Noah and his wife and children were a Church. Abrahem and Sarah were fundamentally the whole Church of the Jews. Adam and Eve were actually the whole Church upon earth. The Churches indeed in the Apoſtles time ſeem to be ſomewhat grown before they erected Presbyters: yet they were Churches when they were not ſo numerous; and there was the leſſe need of ordinary Presbyters, becauſe there were extraordintry. Two or three cannot be a compleat Church organically. Thoſe two or three in Matth. 18. do refer to the Presbytery, as may be proved hereafter. The family or domeſtick duplicate page duplicate page Churches preceding the Levitical Prieſthood, do correſpond to the congregational Churches, conſtituted by the coming of Jeſus Chriſt: and the ſtate of the Church then in point of unity and univerſality, doth confirm the unity and univerſality of the Church at preſent. The Maſters of families with their fathers, were Prieſts in their childrens family, as well as in their own houſes. Melchizedek by vertue of a natural precedency in age (as may be ſuppoſed) was a Prieſt to Abrahams family as well as in his own. Adam (if ſin had not degraded him) had been naturally a Prieſt for ever unto the whole world. If Officers and Diſcipline ſtrictly taken are not neceſſary to the being of a Church, then a number of Seven, or ſuch a number as may afford Officers and exerciſe Diſcipline according to the rule Matth. 18, is not neceſſary. And ſuppoſe ſuch qualifications in members (as are neceſſary to Officers) unneceſſary in members to the being of a Church, it will follow that ſuch a number (as is neceſſary to the conſtituting of Officers) is unneceſſary to the being of a Church.