But, whereas a head is to be present with the body, or it cannot subsist, the inquiry is, Hoiv the Lord Christ is so present with his church^' And the Scripture hath left no pretence for any hesitation herein; for he is so by his Spirit and liis word, by which he com- municateth all the powers and virtues of a head unto it continually. His promises of this way and manner of his presence unto the church are multiplied ; and thereon doth the being, life, use, and continuance of the chui'ch depend. Where Christ is not present by liis S2:>irit and word, there is no church; and those who pretend so to be, ai-e the synagogues of Satan. And they are inseparable and conjunct in their operation, as he is the head of influence imto the church, a.s also a.s lie is a lioad of rule ; for, in the former sense, the Sj)irit worketh by the word, and in the latter, the word is made effectual by the Spirit.
THE CHAMBER OF IMAGERY. 567
But the sense and apprehension hereof was for a long time lost in the world, amongst them that called themselves " the church." A head they did acknowledge the church must always have, without which it cannot subsist ; and they confess that, in some sense, he was a head of influence unto it. They knew not how to have an image thereof; though by many other pernicious doctrines they overthrew the efficacy and benefit of it. But how he should be the only heail of rule unto the church they could not imderstand ; they saw not how he could act the Avisdom and authority of such a head, and without which tlie church must be headless. They said, he was absent and invisible, — they must have one that they could see, and have access unto; he is in heaven, and they know not how to make address to him, as occasion did require: all things would go to disorder, not- withstanding such a headship. The church is visible, and it must, they thought, have a visible head. It was meet, also, that this head should have some such grandeur and pomp in the world as became the head of so great and glorious a society as the church is. How to apply these things unto Christ and his presence with the church, by his word and Spirit, they knew not. Shall thej, then, forego the prin- ciple, that the church is to have such a head and sujDreme ruler? That must not be done, but be sacredly retained ; not only because to deny it, in general, is to renounce the gospel, but because they had found out a way to turn it unto their own advantage. They would therefore make an image of Christ, as this head of the church, to pos- sess the place and act all the powers of such a head ; for the church, they say, is visible, and must have a visible head : as though the catholic church, as such, were any other way visible but as the head of it is, — that is, by faith. That there must be a head and centre of union, wherein all the members of the church may agree and be united, notwithstanding all their distinct capacities and circumstances, and how this sho\ild be Christ himself, they know not ; that Avithout a supreme nder present in the church, to compose all differences, and determine all controversies, even those concerning himself, Avhich they vainly pretend unto, they expressly affirm there never w^as a society so foolishly ordered as that of the church. And hereon they conclude the insufficiency of Christ to be this sole head of the church ; another they must have for these ends. And this was their pope, — such an image as is one of the worst of idols that ever were in the world. Unto him they give all the titles of Christ, wliich relate unto the church; and ascribe all the powers of Christ in and over it, as unto its nile, to him also. But here they fell into a mistake; for, when they thought to give him the power of Christ, they gave him the jjower of the dragon to use against Christ, and those that are his. And when they thought to make an image of Christ, they made an
5G8 THE CHAMBER OF IMAGERY.
image of the first beast, set vip by the dragon, which had two horns like a lamb, but spake as a dragon; whose character and employ is at large desciibed, Rev. xiii. 11-17.
This is the sum of what I shall offer on this head: — those who called themselves " the church," had lost all spiritual light, enabling them to discern the beauty and glory of the nile of Christ over the church, as its head; and hereon their minds became destitute of all experience of the power and efficacy of his Spirit and woi'd, con- tinually to order the affairs thereof, in the ways, and through the use of means, by himself appointed ; they knew not how to acquiesce in these things, nor how the church could be maintained by them : wherefore, in this case, " they helped every one his neighbour, and every one said to his brother. Be of good comfort; so the cai-penter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer, him that smiteth the anvil." They set themselves, in their several capacities, to frame this idol, and set him up in the place and stead of Christ ; so fixing him in the temple of God, that he might show himself from thence to be as God. Neither will this idol be ever cast out of the church, until the generality of Christians become spi- ritually sensible of the authority of Christ exerting itself, in the rule of the church, by his Spirit and his word, unto all the ends of unity, order, peace, and edification. Until that be done, a pope, or some- thing like him, will be thought necessary unto these ends. But never v/as there a more hori'id, defonned image made of so beautiful and glorious a head : all the craft of Satan, all the wits of men, cannot invent any thing more unlike Christ, as the head of the church, than this Pope is. A worse figure and representation of him cannot pos- sibly be made.