The Government of the Churches of Christ, Book 5 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
That Churches in the same Nation, are obliged to maintain a nearer communion, one with another, than what all Churches, though separated by Distinct Kingdoms, are bound to, by vertue of their Catholick Obligation.
AS there is the general Bond of which I have Discoursed, that knits all Churches together, which, like to that which the Apostle speaks of charity, is above all, and runs through all, and gives Strength to all other, so there are more special Relations and Bonds, which knit some Churches to a more near communion than others: Even as in a Congregational Church, although there is a common Bond and Tye, which knits all the Members together; yet there are special Bonds and Tyes besides, by which that Fellowship is improved more between some of the Members, than others; as the Relation of Man and Wife, Servant and Master, Friend and Friend, all which are occasions of more converse, and so of Edifying one another more.
And herein we give and acknowledge much to those National Relations of being under one common civil Government, if considered as a bond or Tye, which makes the communion more near, and occasioneth more obligation of Duty. As also there is a closer communion between Churches, that are more near, Neighbouring in the same City, and the same Vicinity; because they have a more special occasion of converse, and of knowing each other's Affairs. But yet still all those Bonds and Tyes, by which Churches are thus knit together, doth not give Neighbour-Churches, or a National Church, power of Jurisdiction. For it runs in a way of that Mystical communion of the Church Universal; only there is a ground and occasion of exercising that communion more nearly. Thus in the Churches of a Nation, many Advantages do arise (we acknowledge) unto Churches thereby, as that they have the benefit of the common Laws, to protect them under the Christian Magistrate, who is to be a Nursing Father, and a Nursing Mother to them; and so to unite them together, and make that Mystical communion more entire. But the power of the Magistrate cannot set up, or form them into any other Ecclesiastical Power and Government than Jesus Christ hath Instituted. What communion Christ would have to be amongst Churches, the Magistrate may exact of them, and keep them to it; but he cannot raise up a new kind of communion, their having one Language, their having one Government, makes a greater nearness of it. The Apostles Write therefore unto the Churches of Asia, as in one Nation, or in one Province. Thus Paul Writing to the Church of Corinth, Writes to the Saints of Achaia, and many Churches in Achaia, may be called Achaia, for so it is in the Apostles Stile; Achaia was ready a year agoe (saith he, 2 Cor. 9. 2.) meaning many Churches in Achaia. So we may say England, for the Churches of England, and the Name may be given from the Nation, but the Name with the word Church, is never put together, as being a National Church, cast into one Body, in respect of Ecclesiastical Government and Jurisdiction, as the Kingdom is for civil Government. The Apostle therefore, when he Writes to Churches of a Nation, calling them Churches and not Church, doth argue, that the common Relation between them, was by way of communion, each Reserving their Jurisdiction as several Churches, but not as cast under one Jurisdiction, as being one Church. Yea, perhaps the Name Church may be given unto a Nation in a Mystical Respect; that which is given to the whole, being given to any part or number of Saints. The Strangers that were scattered all over lesser Asia, 1 Pet. 1. 1. are called a Flock, 1 Pet. 5. 2. And so our Saviour Christ saith, he had Sheep that were not of that Fold, i. e. that were not of that Nation, but that were Gentiles, and yet they are both called one Church in the General; for he would make them (both Jew and Gentile) one Fold; but they are so called, in respect of their Mystical Relation, as under him their Shepherd, not in respect of Government. Peter calls the Jews that were Scattered, a Flock in the General, distinct from the Gentiles; because they could not perhaps understand the Tongues of the Gentiles; and therefore kept together, as Jews distinct.
So then we shall grant very far to National communion of Churches kept in a Mystical way. As,
1. *Yet we understand this in the same sense, as Revel. 5. 9. interprets it, of the Redeemed out of all Nations, so that all the people in Nations, will never grow up to be Members of Churches, especially, not till the call of the Jews.We grant, that God under the Gospel, hath made a covenant with, and a promise unto Nations (in respect of the Gospel) as well as unto Families. Paul when some in Achaia, had received the Gospel, calls them the first Fruits of Achaia, Rom. 16. 5. He calls them the first Fruits, as a sign that more would come of the same Nation; but he would not Baptize Men of the same Nation upon it, or upon a bare outward profession, as the Apostles did not therefore Baptize all the Nation of the Jews, because some received the Gospel as the first Fruits. Abraham's covenant indeed goes to Nations, as well as to Families; Esa. 52. 15. He shall sprinkle many Nations. And God removes the Light of the Gospel from Nations, as well as from particular Churches. The Gospel it self becomes a National Blessing; and we see that one Nation hath more light in one Age than another; as the Grecians and those in Asia once had, and now we Europeans, in the Northern parts have. That part of Brittain which is now called Wales, had it more than the rest of the Nation, when Austin the Monk came into this Island, those that opposed him, being only found there, whereas now the whole Kingdom hath had it since, and the Gospel becometh a National Blessing; and when the Practices and Priviledges of it are Established by the Law, it cometh to be a National Right. And when the civil Magistrate by Law doth countenance Religion, God doth bless the Nation, and bless the Magistrate for it, as he did the House of Obededom, for the Ark's resting there, 1 Sam. 6. 11, 12.
2. There are National Duties, which the Churches in a Nation, as they are a Nation, owe unto God in a joynt way, as to keep Solemn Fasts and Days of Thanksgiving for National Blessings, or for threatned Judgments, as Nineveh did.
3. In case that the Churches of a Nation are corrupted, they may have Assemblies and Conferences, where mutually it may be seen, what light these Churches can hold forth; so to make a Reformation, and to become a new lump, they may have such Assemblies, to direct them to do it. In Babylon, the Jews had Elders to come one to another, Ezek. 14. 1. Eze. 20. 1. but they had not the power of a Synhedrim, which was Instituted by God, that was only proper to them, while they were in the Land; and the promise was to it, as being in the place that God should choose. They came to enquire, but not to judge; and the Prophet was with them, who yet had not the power of Jurisdiction as a Prophet. Or otherwise at other times, we acknowledge, that National Assemblies may be chosen out by Parliament for National Respects, to advise them.
4. And by vertue of oneness of Language, and of Affinity, Churches in one Natition are able (by vertue of this Bond, as a Band and Tye to knit together) to edifie one another more than other Churches; as by Writing Books in the same Language, speaking the same Tongue, &c. Yea, and as they are Churches in a Nation, as they walk more exactly, God will give such a Nation more light than he doth another Nation. These, and many more such Advantages as these are, in ways of communion, we do acknowledge belong to them as a Nation; and the same also, by reason of Neighbourhood to Neighbour-Churches.
But to cast all these Churches into such a National Government Ecclesiastical, and such Subordinations as Presbyterian Government casts them into (such as being a Nation, in respect of civil Government, they are cast into) and that they should be obliged in respect of a National Bond to an uniformity, or obliged for uniformities sake, to the same Pitch and Model, that one particular Church, should not practise further than another, or hold forth more light in matters of Doctrine than another; but that there must be one Standard for all, and that they should be obliged to this, by vertue of a National constitution, such an Uniformity as this, we think is prejudicial to the Churches; the Apostles Rule holding in this, that so far as we have attained, we should walk by the same Rule. So the Churches in a Nation, may meet to see how far they have attained, and to convince one another, and so Establish by common consent, a common Rule amongst them so far; but so as that if any be otherwise minded, they should wait in this, till God Reveal it in his time; for otherwise the purer Churches, which will still be the fewer, must be kept and conformed to the light of the impurer, which would some corrupt them. And the greater compass is taken, to make the uniformity, still it will be the worse; because the greater part is still more corrupt.
And therefore for meer uniformities sake, to make a general Rule, that should bind weak and strong alike, when that general Rule also, is made in favour of the weak only (as to prescribe forms of Prayer, because many, or the most of Ministers, cannot pray conceived Prayer, or to make one and the same form of Government for all Churches; because many or most Churches, have not Ministers, or a People fit to Govern, or to give Prudential Rules for Worship, which should bind all; because some Elders of Churches as now constituted, have not wisdom to direct themselves, and yet are suffered still to be Elders) thus to bind up both weak and strong, under the same Rule, and to Restrain the one, for the sake of the other, we think …s contrary to the Apostolical Rule. As Men in a personal walking, are to be left to a more or less purity, so Churches too, and there is no reason, that those that have a further light, should be Retarded by those that have not.
And that which we say of the Churches of a Nation, may in their several respects (so far as the Bond or Tye will hold) be said of the Churches in a City, or in any Neighbourhood: Yet so, as we conceive, that always Neighbourhood is not so near a Bond to induce Churches to Associate, as correspondency of Principles and Practices. As in Germany, where there are Churches that are Lutheran Churches, others that are of the Calvinist's, the Neighbourhood is not so near a Tye or Bond, as agreement in Principles to Associate themselves; tho' this principle is to be held Sacred, by vertue of the universal Catholick communion, that so far hold forth as Churches have any thing that is good in them, so far forth (whether in respect of Doctrine or Worship, or the like) there is to be a communion held with them (when in practice there cannot, yet, in judgment there ought to be) to acknowledge them the Churches of Christ, and the Ministers of Christ, and approve whatever is good in them; and if in one practice we cannot joyn, yet in others we may. This we do acknowledge, to be the universal Law of communion between Church and Church, throughout the World.
And we do acknowledge that it is possible, that a Congregational Government may be adequate with a Nation. For if it were a Nation of all visible Saints, according to the Rules of the Word (as the Nation of the Jews, when called perhaps shall be, Rom. 11. 28.) then the Nation and the Church, would be adequate. But a few in Nations, come to be Saints; and then the Government must be suited to them. And if you would make a Rule for a whole Nation, where there is but a few Saints, tho' the whole profess Christian Religion; then the Rulers, whereby Jesus Christ would have his Churches Governed, as by the Peoples choosing the Officers, and the Peoples having an interest in censures, would not universally be applicable, and such a Government would not suit to a whole Nation, in a Congregational way; but the fault is not in the Government, but it lies in the Persons. Castellus Bononiensis, would say that the Old Government of Churches would not be available, Nisi Ecclesiae quoque statum antiquum obtineat. The Rules whereby Jesus Christ would have his Church Governed, will not suit Churches, unless they have that State and constitution for Members, which in the Apostle's times they had, which, in the common profession of Christianity in a Nation and Parishes, as now more generally they are constituted in respect of Members, cannot be.