The Whole Body of Religion, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Concerning the Church of Christ in generall.
BEcauſe the Church of Chriſt, which is his body, is known to conſiſt of ſuch as by the bond of the holy Spirit are knit unto him, as members unto their head; And again, the word and the Sacraments are the means by which men are knit unto Chriſt, and theſe means no where to be had but in the Church; And further, whoſoever are endued with the gifts and graces of Hope, Charitie, Repentance, Studie and care to exerciſe good works, do belong unto the Church: Therefore we judge it worth the pains, to declare what is our belief concerning the Church, eſpecially ſeeing that there be very great controverſies about this article above all the reſt. And firſt we will ſpeak of the Church of Chriſt in generall: and ſo we make confeſſion of our faith with all the Church. Afterwards we will ſpeak in ſpeciall of the Church Militant, and what pertaineth thereunto.
DOCTRINE I. An Article of faith concerning the Church out of the Apoſtles Creed.
WE believe the holy Catholike Church, the communion of Saints.
DOCT. II. What we underſtand by the name of the Church, and the deſcription thereof.
BY the name of Chriſts Church we underſtand a certain number and companie known unto God, both of Angells, and Men which are not onelyonly predeſtinated and elected to have perpetuall communion with Chriſt, and mutually one with another, as alſo to worſhip the true God perpetually according to his will and commandment, and to love one another with ſincere and perpetuall love and charitie; but are alſo in time effectually called by the holy Spirit out of the number of others, and neerely united unto Chriſt, and ſo true Saints indeed: begun from the foundation of the world, and by a continuall ſucceſſion even unto theſe times gathered together and continued by the bond of the holy Spirit; and to be continued even unto the end of the world, yea to all eternitie: in part already triumphing with Chriſt in the heavens, and in part as yet militant on earth for Chriſt, with ſundry enemies, preaching and hearing the word of the Goſpell, adminiſtring and receiving the holy Sacraments, and in publike and private looking to the obſerving & keeping of Chriſts commandments.
DOCT. III. That the Church is a companie conſiſting of many.
THat the Church is a companie conſiſting of many, and as it were a body compounded of divers members, we are taught in holy Scripture; where it is calledaEph. 1.23. the body of Chriſt which is diſtinguiſhed by diuers members; as alſobIohn 10.3, &c. a flock of ſheep, and the Kingdome of God, andcHeb. 11.10. a Citie, which conſiſteth of divers Citizens; and by other ſuch like names.
DOCT▪ IV. That the Church conſiſts onelyonly of the elect which are already incorporated into Chriſt.
ANd that theſe many, whereof the Church conſiſteth, are none other but the elect, which are already ingrafted into Chriſt, and endued with ſanctitie from him, we are likewiſe taught abundantly out of the ſaid holy Scripture, both in other places, and eſpecially in the Epiſtle to the Epheſians, where the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the Church and the members thereof, ſaith that we areaEpheſ. 1.4. choſen in Chriſt,b7. to have redemption in him;c13. being ſealed with that holy Spirit of promiſe:d22. that Chriſt was given to be the head over all things to the Church, and e that the Church is his body. Such a body therefore it is, whoſe members are every one, by one and the ſame Spirit both knit unto Chriſt their head; and likewiſe one together with another: from their head they receive life, and from him they are endued with ſanctitie, ſo that the whole body of the Church is truely holy, and therefore is called the holy Church.
DOCT. V. That the holy Angells are not excluded from the body of the Church.
ANd yet from this body of Chriſt, which is the holy Church, we do23. not exclude the Angells; and that for theſe reaſons following.aHeb. 12.22. 1. Becauſe the Apoſtle ſpeaking expreſſely and plainly of the Church, includeth therein even the Angells alſo. 2.bEph. 1.10. Coloſſ. 2.10. Becauſe they together with us under one and the ſame head, which is Chriſt, are gathered together into one body; and Chriſt is manifeſtly by the Apoſtle called the head of the Angells. 3.cRev. 22.9. Becauſe they call themſelves our fellow ſervants, and have with us the ſame Father, and worſhip the ſame God; and we are all to be together for ever in the ſame CitiedHeb. 12.22. the heavenly Ieruſalem. 4. And laſtly, Becauſe they are holy. And the Church is the communion of all Saints.
DOCT. VI. That reprobates and hypocrites, although they be in the Church, yet they are not of the Church.
WE therefore upon good grounds do believe and profeſſe that reprobates and hypocrites, although they have their dwelling in the Church, and converſe with the Saints, yet they are not of the Church, nor any members thereof; foraſmuch as they are not truely united unto Chriſt the Head, nor endued with his Spirit, and therefore not truely holy: For the Apoſtle St. Iohn ſpeaking of certain hypocrites ſaith thus,a1 Ioh. 2.19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. They are not therefore of the Church, whoſoever do at length revolt from Chriſt, and not retain perpetuall communion with Chriſt and with all the Saints: howſoever they may for a time ſeeme great & worthy men in the Church, either bearing rule and authoritie in a Chriſtian Commonwealth, or being ſet over the whole Church. For they are the members of Satan and not of Chriſt, whoſoever have not the Spirit of Chriſt, but of Antichriſt.
DOCT. VII. That the Church of Chriſt alwayes was and is but one onelyonly.
ANd we confeſſe that the Church of Chriſt alwayes was and is one onelyonly: becauſe the body whereunto Chriſt was given by his Father to be the Head thereof, alwayes was and is buta…ph. 4.4. one; one onelyonly Spirit, whereby all the members of the body have their connexion together with the Head;b6. One onelyonly God, to worſhip whom and to glorifie him for ever, we are all elected and called;c5. one faith of all believers, one ſalvation, and one celeſtiall inheritance: in regard whereof Chriſt alwayes called his Church one, and his flock one. We do not therefore make the Church which was from the beginning of the world, and before the coming of Chriſt, to be another from that which now is, and ever ſhall be even to the end of the world; but we hold it to be one at all times and in all places and of all perſons truely joyned unto Chriſt. And therefore we ſay that the communion of all Saints is one; and we are perſwaded out of holy Scripture that whoſoever do make a finall revolt or departure therefrom, they do not belong unto this one body.
DOCT. VIII. That there is but one Head of the Church, to wit, Ieſus Chriſt.
FRom hence are we confirmed in the faith, that, ſeeing the Church of Chriſt, which is his body, is but one, therefore the Head thereof is and alwayes was but one. Now by the name of Head we underſtand him, who from the beginning of the world was by God given unto the Church to this end, that he ſhould be at length made partaker of the ſame nature with it, and redeem it, and cloſely unite it unto himſelf, and quicken it, and illuminate it with the ſplendour of his wiſdome, and inflame it with the ardent heat of divine love, and effectually move it unto all good deſires and good works, and perpetually guide, governe, and preſerve it. For beſides dayly experience in nature, we are caught it out of the holy Scripture, that theſe are the proper operations of the Head in reſpect of the body. But we acknowledge none that doth or can perform theſe for the Church beſides Ieſus Chriſt: not denying in the mean time, but there may be one head of all the hypocrites which are in the Church, and conſequently of a hypocriticall Church it ſelf; foraſmuch as the Prophets did foretell thus much, and the Apoſtles alſo have confirmed it. But we believe and confeſſe with the holy Apoſtles that theaEph. 1.22.4.15.5.23. Col 1.18. Head of the true Church is but one onelyonly, to wit, Ieſus Chriſt.
DOCT. IX. That this Church is truely holy.
FRom whence alſo it followes, that this Church is truely holy, and that for theſe reaſons. 1. Becauſe it hath a moſt holy and ſanctifying Head. 2. Becauſe no ſins are imputed to it. 3. Becauſe from the Head it drawes the Spirit of Sanctification. 4. Becauſe, whatſoever ſanctitie is in the Head, all the ſame is imputed to every particular member.
DOCT. X. That the Church is alſo truely Catholike.
WE confeſſe alſo, that it is truely Catholike, that is, Univerſall: Becauſe the Head thereof is Catholike and eternall; at all times from the foundations of the world even unto the end thereof, out of all ſorts of men, and nations, and places, gathering and knitting unto himſelf the members of the body, and governing', guiding, and preſerving them unto himſelf unto eternall happineſſe.
DOCT. XI. That this one onelyonly Church is partly Triumphant in the heavens, and partly Militant on the earth.
BUt yet we acknowledge, that this Church, although it be and for ever hath been but one onelyonly, yet it is ſo diſtinguiſhed, that one part thereof is Triumphant in heaven together with Chriſt who was raiſed from the dead, and now ſitteth at the right hand of the Father; and the other part on earth, fighting ſtill with fleſh and bloud, with the world, and with the devil. From whence is received amongſt all the godly that diſtinction of the Church into Triumphant and Militant.