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dropping fo much as one word? He foreknew what defolations would be brought upon the churches after his plan, by the inventions of men in this matter; and therefore he has cut off from them all pretences unto any authority from his words for their own inventions.

It is

The whole nation of the Jews was one church, as was before faid, under the Old Testament; and it is very remarkable, that, after the difperfion, all the difciples of Christ in Judea are not called a church by themselves, or one church, but churches, Acts ix. 31. Gal. i. 22. 1 Theff. ii, 14. true, this careful obfervation of the words of God in this matter is much defpifed by fome; and they can fee no weight in fuch obfervations upon the words of God, because they are plainly against them. But to fhew what pains fome very great and good men have been at, to find countenance from fcripture words, unto such a state of the church as they have been prejudiced in favour of, see how they go to work, to make all thofe churches in Judea one church, in the fcripturestyle. They tell us, "Those whom Paul perfecuted were one church," Gal. i. 1 3. Acts viii. 3. And fo were the disciples whom he is faid to perfecute in those texts. He perfecu ted, and wafted, and made havock of the church of Jerufalem, Acts viii. 1. 3. "But," say they," he perfecuted more than "the church in Jerufalem." And how is that made out? "He obtained letters from the chief priests to go to Damafcus, "that if he found any of that way, he might bring them "bound to Jerufalem; and had authority from them to bind "all that called upon Christ's name there," Acts ix. 2. 13. 14. After he had scattered the church at Jerufalem abroad, and they had fled far from thence, he pursues them, and perfe cutes them; not now called the church, nor the fame church he made havock of, and wafted, Acts viii. but the difciples, and all that called on Chrift's name. But now, when he goes to Damafcus, he is beyond Judea: And how does this make all the difciples in Judea a church by themselves, or one church? They tell us further, "We read of churches throughout Ju❝dea," Gal. i. 22. Acts ix. 31. Yes, after the difperfion, and during the perfecution, there were churches erected through out Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria. But how are the churches of Judea one church by themselves; or how are the churches in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, one church? "The "church," say they," that Paul perfecuted, was one church." Yes, Saul perfecuted the church at Jerufalem: the Holy Ghoft fays fo; and that he had letters, and a commiffion, to

perfecute

perfecute all that called on that name at Damafcus; and he breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the difciples of the Lord where-ever they were. But does the Holy Ghost fay, that all the difciples of Chrift, within the compafs of ground, as far as Saul may be fuppofed to perfecute, were one church by themselves? They fay, "The churches of "Judea, to whom Paul was unknown by face, faid, He per"fecuted us in times paft; he perfecuted us the churches: " for they will have the churches speaking of themselves in a church-capacity, and all joining as churches; for it would fpoil all to fay, that the difciples of Chrift that fled out of the church at Jerufalem, for fear of Saul, and were now members of the churches in Judea that were raised in time of that perfecution, and to which Saul was not known by face, faid, "He that perfecuted us in times paft, preacheth the "faith that once he destroyed." And next they fay, "Paul "perfecuted one church, and fo all these churches were one "church." It is faid Paul perfecuted the church at Jerufalem but is it faid, that all other churches and difciples that might be perfecuted by him, were that one church that he wafted in Jerufalem ?

:

The Holy Ghost, in giving account of Saul's perfecution, and of the church in Jerufalem, and of the scattered disciples, and of the churches raised on occasion of the wafting of the church in Jerufalem, keeps very close by his ufual way of speaking on this head. But they, by confounding times, by confequences very wide, and abstract notions, would make the word of God to say the very thing, that, to the utmost, it every where avoids.

Our reformers, taking their notions of the church only from the word of God, acknowledge no other church of Chrift befides the univerfal, but congregations: as is to be feen in the Scots confeffion of faith, art. 18. where we have these words: "Wherefoever, then, thefe former notes * are feen, and of any time continue, (be the number never "so few, about two or three), there, without all doubt, is the "true church of Chrift, who, according to his promife, is "in the midst of them: not that univerfal, of which we "have before spoken, but particular, such as were in Co.

* Thofe notes are, 1. The true preaching of the word of God. 2. The right adminiftration of the facraments of Chrift Jefus. 3. Ecclefiaftical discipline uprightly miniftered, as God's word prescribes.

VOL. I.

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"rinthus,

"rinthus, Galatia, Ephefus, and other places, wherein the "miniftry was planted by Paul, and were of himself named "the churches of God: And fuch churches we, the inha"bitants of the realm of Scotland, profeffors of Chrift Jefus, "have in our towns and places reformed." And this is a part of that confeffion of faith which was fworn to in the national covenant. And what is faid of the nature of the apoftolic churches on this head by Mr Baxter and Mr Lauder against diocefan Epifcopacy, and by King in his Inquiry into the conftitution, &c. of the primitive church, may also be confidered by them that have shown a great refpect to those writers in oppofition to prelacy.

2. But there is a fecond thing to be noticed in this part of the propofition, before we pafs it. The church or congregation of which the propofition speaks, is diftinguished from other affemblies and congregations, (which fometimes get the name church, as was noticed), and that by being called a congregation of Jefus Chrift.

This is a congregation of Chrift's difciples, that have been fo far taught by his word and Spirit, as to be able to confess the faith which is in him. No man can call "Jefus the Lord, "without his Spirit," 1 Cor. xii. 3. The Apostle there speaks of the common operations and gifts of the Spirit of Christ. Compare y 13. with chap. xiii. We cannot difcern betwixt the common and fpecial operations of the Spirit in others, or betwixt a temporary believer, who may fall away, and them that believe to the faving of the foul. "But as he that hath "not the Spirit of Chrift, is (undoubtedly) none of his,” Rom. viii. 9.; fo he that no way appears, by his profeffion of the faith, to have the Spirit, no way appears to be one of Chrift's; and fo is no fit member of a congregation of Jesus

Christ.

Now, the faith that is confeffed by the difciples of Chrift, refpects the three glorious, equal, and distinct persons of the one only Godhead, in whofe name we are baptized; and it respects them as they appear to us in the gofpel-revelation of redemption and falvation in Jefus Chrift: Matth. xxviii. 19. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in "the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghoft."

The faith of Chriftians is the faith of Chrift, the Son of God, Matth. xvi. 16. 17. 18. Acts viii. 36. 37. ; and more efpecially under the New Teftament, it is "faith in his "blood," Rom. iii. 25. and in him, as "delivered for our "offences,

"offences, and raised again for our juftification," Rom. iv. 23. 24. 25. Rom. x. 6. 8. 9. 10. "But the righteousness "which is of faith, faith The word is nigh thee, even "in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is the word of faith "which we preach, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth "the Lord Jefus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God "hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be faved: For "with the heart man believeth unto righteoufnefs, and with "the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation."

From this it may appear, that there is more in this confeffion of the faith than a bare affenting unto, or fubfcribing any form of words expreffing the doctrine of faith: for though it may be very useful for a church, or many churches, to publish their faith to the world, and make it known in every age, fo as to point out the word of God, and their sense of it, in oppofition to the herefies and errors prevailing in the day wherein they live; yet it will require another fort of a confeffion, than a bare affent unto any fuch form of words, (efpecially if it be under any worldly constraint), to make a man accounted of as a difciple of Chrift, and so a fit member of a church of his. He muft confefs with the mouth, fo as it may appear fome way that it comes from his heart. And however weak and indistinct his confeffion of the faith be, yet it must appear unto others, who fhould account him a difciple, to be hearty: "For with the heart man believeth "unto righteousness, and with the mouth confeffion is made." Thus we find, when the eunuch asks Philip, "What doth "hinder me to be baptized?" he answers, " If thou believest "with all thine heart, thou mayft;" and when he fatisfied him of this, by his confeffion, in confequence of Philip's preaching, he baptized him, Acts viii. 35-38. To the fame purpose we may confider, Acts v. 12. 13. 14. which more nearly touches the cafe of membership in a particular church or congregation of Jefus Chrift: "They were all "with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the reft durft no man join himself unto them: but the people magnified "them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, "multitudes both of men and women." Might not the people that magnified them, have been admitted among them, and charitably thought of? No; they durft not join themselves to them for they could not yet find in their hearts to confefs the faith, whatever ftrivings of the spirit they had been under; and there was fuch an awe of God upon them, by means of what befel Ananias and Saphira, that they durft not

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feign

feign a confeffion, and join themselves. This was the great advantage of that church, a glorious fruit of that awakening providence in the church. But was not the fuccefs of the gofpel marred by this ftrict feparation of the disciples from others? No; the fuccefs of the gospel was the greater, and the church increased the more in number: "For multitudes "both of men and women were added to the Lord." And what were they? How are they distinguished from the people that magnified them, and durst not join themselves unto them? They were believers, accounted fo to be in the judgment of charity, upon the confeffion they made of the faith of Christ. And there was great care among the difciples in Jerufalem to keep off fuch as they believed not to be difciples from their communion; as we fee in that inftance, Acts ix. 26. 27. 28. "When Saul affayed to join himself to the difciples, they "were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a dif "ciple" and fo received him not, till the apoftles "received "fatisfaction from Barnabas about him." And when this church was firft erected, after the coming of the Holy Ghost, it was made up of them that had been pricked in their hearts, and gladly received the word, Acts ii. 37.-40. 41. They made a feemingly hearty confeffion of the faith, were added unto the hundred and twenty, became with them one church, and fo feparated themselves from that untoward generation, according to Peter's exhortation.

There is an unity of the faith of Chrift's difciples, Eph. iv. 3.5.13. And as the falvation of Chrift is the common pri vilege of all that believe in all nation's, Jude 3. Rev. v.9. "And the righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift is unto all, and upon "all them that believe, without difference," Rom. iii. 21. 22.; fo there is but one faith; and the confeffion of this faith, as it is one, in all them that are Chrift's throughout the world, qualifies a man for being a member of a church of Jefus Chrift. By this means a fit member of any one church may be a member of any true church of Chrift throughout the world. And this was the catholicifm that took place in the beginning of Chriftianity. But a church of which a man cannot be a member by a hearty confeffion of this one faith, without a confeffion of the faith of doctrines about which the difciples of Chrift, by reafon of different meafures of light, have differed, and with refpect to which they are commanded to forbear one another in love, keeping the unity of the Spirit, is off from the chatholic foot. ing upon which church communion went from the beginning.

Let

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