This union of the catholic church in all particular churches is always the same, inviolable, unchangeable, comprehending all the churches in the world at all times, not confinable unto any state or party, not interruptible by any external form, nor to be prevailed against by the gates of hell; and all such disputes about a catholic church and its union as can be so much as questionable among them that profess to believe the gospel are in direct opposition unto the prayers and promises of Jesus Christ. Whilst evangelical faith, holiness, obedience unto the commands of Christ, and mutual love, abide in any on the earth, there is the catholic church ; and whilst they are professed, that catholic church is visible. Other catholic church upon the earth I believe none, nor any that needs other things unto its constitution.
These things being premised, I proceed unto that which is our present inquiry, — namely, wherein the communion of particular churches among themselves doth consist.
The communion of churches is their joint actings in the same gospel duties toivards God in Christ, ivith their mutual actings to- wards each other with respect unto the end of their institution and being, ivhich is the glory of Christ in the edification of the whole catholic church.
As unto the actings of the first sort, the ground of them is faith, and therein is the first act of the communion of churches. And this communion in faith among all the churches of Christ is fivefold : —
1. General, in the belief of the same doctrine of truth, which is ac- cording unto godliness, the same articles of faith, and the public pro- fession thereof; so that every one of them is the pillar and ground of the same truth. This the primitive church provided for in creeds and symbols, or confessions of faith, as is known. But as never any one of them was expressly owned by all churches, so in process of time they came to be abused, as expressing the sense of the present church, whether true or false. Hence we have as many Arian creeds yet extant as those that are orthodox. But unto the com- munion of all particular churches in the world, there is nothing re- quired but a belief of the Scripture to be the word of God, with a professed assent unto all divine revelations therein contained, pro- vided that no error be avowed that is contrary to the principal or fundamental doctrines of it. For although any society of men should
192 TRUE NATURE OF A GOSPEL CHURCH.
profess the Scripture to be the word of God, and avow an assent unto the revelations made therein, yet, by the conceptions of their minds, and misunderstanding of the sense of the Holy Spirit there- in, they may embrace and adhere unto such errors as may cut them off from all communion with the catholic church in faith : such are the denial of the holy Trinity, the incarnation of the Son of God, his divine person or office, the redemption of the church by his blood, the necessity of regeneration by his Spirit, and the like. And they may also add that of their own unto their professed belief as shall exclude them from communion with the catholic church: such are the assertions of traditions as equal with the written Avord, of another head of the church besides the Lord Christ, of another sacrifice be- sides what he once offered for all, and the like. But where any are preserved from such heresies on the one hand and the other, there is no more required unto communion with the whole church, as unto faith in general, but only the belief before described.
2. This communion in faith respects the church itself as its ma- te^Hal object; for it is required hereunto that we believe that the Lord Christ hath had in all ages, and especially hath in that where- in we live, a church on the earth, confined unto no places nor parties of men, no empires nor dominions, nor capable of any confinement; as also, that this church is redeemed, called, sanctified by him ; that it is his kingdom, his interest, his concernment in the world; that thereunto, and [unto] all the members of it, all the promises of God do belong and are confined ; that this church he will save, preserve, and deliver, from all opposition, so as that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,"' and after death will raise it up and glorify it at the last day. This is the faith of the catholic church concerning itself; which is an ancient, fundamental article of our religion. And if any one deny that there is such a church called out of the world, sepa- rated from it, unto which alone, and all the members of it, all the promises of God do appertain, in contradistinction unto all others, or confine it unto a party unto whom these things are not appro- priate, he cuts himself off from the communion of the church of Christ.
In the faith hereof all the true churches of Christ throughout the world have a comforting, refreshing communion ; which is the spring of many duties in them continually.
3. This communion of churches in faith consists much in the prin- cipal fruit of it, namely, prayer. So is it stated, Eph. ii. 18, "For through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father." And that therein the communion of the catholic church doth consist the apostle declares in the following verses, 19-22, " Now there- fore," etc.; for prayers in all churches having one object, which is God even the Father, God as the Father; proceeding in all from one and