A Gospel Church Described, Introduction
THE INTRODUCTION.
IF the Lord Jesus Christ was so Ravish'd with the Beauty and Holiness of the Church, while she yet remain'd under a …egal and more Unbeautiful Dispensation, as …ven passionately to long for, and desire her …ompany; As is expressed, Cant. 4.9, 10, 11. …2. and Cant. 5.14, &c. Which Love, at last, …rought him down into a state of Incarnati…, Humiliation and Death; that thereby he …ight Redeem his Church, and make all the …embers of it Kings and Priests to God, Rev. … v. 5, 6. And, by the Merits of his Sufferings, …esent this Church to God, a Glorious Church, …t having Spot or Wrinckle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and wit… blemish, Ephes. 25, 26, 27.
I say, if Christ thus Loveth the Church, … will certainly be a very pleasant and delig… ful Work, to enquire into the Nature… Properties of this Church; which has now… off her Vail, and is set in a clear Gospel-Li… being arriv'd at Mature Age, and more B… tifully Adorned with the Glorious Robes… Christ then ever.
And, this is the more needful, because (… we live in an Age of Light, yet) many… Scuffling in the Dark; As about other th… so especially about the Nature of a G… Church.
It is, indeed, sad to behold, what odd… treams Men run into; and, what yet o… Notion some take up concerning the Ch… for, while on the one hand there are a C… ration of Men, who are still crying, the C… the Church; we are Sons of the Church; … all the while, they either mean that Fr… of Wood and Stone, where the Church N… to Worship God; or, a few Unscriptural … monies, Devised by Men, and Imposed on … der Consciences: Whereas the Church of… is something more Excellent then either.
Whilst, on the other hand, some, who… tend to higher Attainments then othe… Religion, fancy to themselves such a C… on Earth, as is only to be found in He… and while they fly aloft on the Wings… …iery Zeal, born up with Affections without Knowledg, they really want the Feet of Solid …rinciples to guide them in God's Way; So …hat though they have Wind in their Sails, yet, …or want of Ballast in their Judg…ent … …re in danger to be Overset by every … Temptation.
Now I humbly conceive, that if we could possibly find out a Mean, to set Persons Right in their Notions concerning a Gospel-Church, it would prove an excellent Means to Compose our Differences; And that an Agreement in that Article of our Creed, I Believe the Holy Catholick Church, would do Wonders in Uniting us in Unity and Peace: If there were but an amicable Agreement here, I assure my self that what differences there might yet remain in other Points, it would not Kill Christian Love, or Spoil the Union or Peace of the Church.
And therefore this is the Design of this Weak Attempt now put into thy hands, by one, who is no Bigot in Religion, but bears a Universal Love and Tenderness for Christians of different Denominations; and if he miscarry in any thing, it is not out of any fondness to any one Party above another, nor for want of Pains to know the Truth, no, nor Love to it, but meer unavoidable Human Frailty.