This account of the union and communion of churches may seem strange unto some, who are enamoured of that image which is set up of them in the world, in canons, constitutions of rites, and outward order, in various subordinations and ceremonies, which are most re- mote from making any due representation of them.
The church, in its dependence on Christ its head, being by its institution disposed into its proper order for its own edification, or fitly joined together and compacted, this love working effectually in every office, officer, and member, according unto its disposal iu the body for the receiving and communicating supplies for edifica- tion, gives the whole both its union and communion, all the actings of it being regulated by divine rule and prescription.
Instead hereof, to erect a machine, the spring and centre of whose
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motions are unknown (any other, I mean, but external force), com- pacted by the iron joints and bands of human laws, edifying itself by the power of offices and officers foreign unto the Scriptui'e, acting with weapons that are not spiritual but carnal, and mighty through him whose work it is to cast the members of the church of Christ into prison, as unto an outward conformity, is to forsake the Scrip- ture and follow our own imagination.
The outward acts of communion among churches, proceeding from this love, and the obligation that is on them to promote their mutual edification, may be referred unto the two heads oi advice Siud assistance.
Churches have communion unto their mutual edification by advice in synods or councils; which must in this place be considered.
Synods are the meetings of divers churches hy their messengers or delegates, to consult and determine of such things as are of com- tnon concernment unto them all hy virtue of this communion which is exercised in them.
1. The necessity and warranty of such synods ariseth, — (1.) From the light of nature; for all societies which have the same original, the same rule, the same interest, the same ends, and which are in themselves mutually concerned in the good or evil of each other, are obliged by the power and conduct of reason to advise in common for their own good on all emergencies that stand in need thereof
Churches are such societies; they have all one and the same authoritative institution, one and the same rule of order and worship, tlie same ends, as we have declared, and their entire interest is one and the same. When, therefore, any thmg occurs amongst them that is attended with such difficulties as cannot be removed or taken away by any one of them severally, or in whose determination all of them are equally concerned, not to make use herein of common advice and counsel is to forsake that natural light which they are bound to attend unto in all duties of obedience unto God.
(2.) The union of all churches as before described, — in one Head, hy one Spirit, through one faith and worship, unto the same ends, — doth so comj)act them into one hody mystical as that none of them is or can be complete absolutely without a joint acting with other mem- bers of the same body unto the common good of the whole, as occa- sion doth require. And this joint acting with others in any church can be no otherwise but by common advice and counsel; which na- tural circumstances render impossible by any means but by their convention in synods by their messengers and delegates : for although there may be some use of letters missive, and was so eminently in the primitive churches, to ask the advice of one another in difficult cases (as the first instance we have of the communion of churches after the days of the apostles is, in the letter of the church of Corinth unto that of Rome, desiring their advice about the composing of a
196 TRUE NATURE OF A GOSPEL CHURCH.
difference among them, and the answer of the church of Rome there- unto), yet many cases may fall out among them which cannot be reconciled or determined but by present conference ; such as that was recorded, Acts xv. No church, therefore, is so independent as that it can always and in all cases observe the duties it owes unto the Lord Christ and the church catholic, by all those powers which it is able to act in itself distinctly, without conjunction with others. And the church that confines its duty unto the acts of its own assem- blies cuts itself off from the external communion of the church catholic; nor will it be safe for any man to commit the conduct of his soul to such a church. Wherefore, —
(3.) This acting in syiiods is an institution of Jesus Christ, not in an express command, but in the nature of the thing itself, fortified with apostolical example; for having erected such a church-state, and disposed all his churches into such order and mutual relation unto one another as that none of them can be complete or discharge their whole duty without mutual advice and counsel, he hath thereby ordained this way of their communion in synods, no other being possible unto that end. And thereby such conventions are inte- rested in the promise of his presence, — namely, that " where two or three are gathered together in his name, there he will be in the midst of them;" for these assemblies being the necessary effect of his own constitution, in the nature and use of his churches, are or may be in his name, and so enjoy his presence.