Catholic communion defended against both extremes, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…Catholick communion defended against both extreams, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…

Christ it seems th•n is the Soul, and Christians the Body, though in Scripture he is represented as the Head of the Body, and the Divine Spirit as the Soul, which enlivens and animateth it: And if Christ be not the Head of the Body (which I think the Soul was never affirmed yet) the Church must be without a Head, or have another Head than Christ, which I suppose is the reason why he talks so much of a Constitutive Regent Head of the Church.]

Ans. It's easy to suppose, that the cause of these Words was a want of somewhat both in your Head and Heart, that should have been there. 1. Is this any Confutation of my Philosophy? Could not a Quaker have talked against it at as reasonable Rates as these? 2. Do you not think, that every understanding Reader doth know, that both the term [Head and Soul] here are Metaphors, as spoken of Christ? Both of them signify the form of the Society, because the Head is the seat of the Soul in its Rational Regent Acts; the King is called the Head of his Kingdom, that is, He is forma Regni (for the Politic forms of Society is their forms of Government.) And so as the Church is a Politic Society, Christ is the form of it: But it is nobler than all mere humane Policies, and his Headship is Essentiated by the three parts of his Office in One, as he is Prophet, Priest, and King; and as the principle of Knowledge, Love, and Practice; and his Church is together, Dominion, Kingdom, and a Society of Friendship, or Family. And the Head, which is the seat of the Soul, as operative by Intellection, Sense, and Motion, most aptly representeth all this in Christ.

Ans. It's easie to suppose, that the cause of these Words was a want of somewhat both in your Head and Heart, that should have been there. 1. Is this any Confutation of my Philosophy? Could not a Quaker have talkt against it at as reasonable Rates as these? 2. Do you not think, that every understanding Reader doth know, that both the term [Head and Soul] here are Metaphors, as spoken of Christ? Both of them signifie the form of the Society, because the Head is the seat of the Soul in its Rational Regent Acts; the King is called the Head of his Kingdom, that is, He is forma Regni (for the Politick forms of Society is their forms of Government.) And so as the Church is a Politick Society, Christ is the form of it: But it is nobler than all meer humane Policies, and his Headship is Essentiated by the three parts of his Office in One, as he is Prophet, Priest, and King; and as the principle of Knowledge, Love, and Practice; and his Church is together, Dominion, Kingdom, and a Society of Friendship, or Family. And the Head, which is the seat of the Soul, as operative by Intellection, Sense, and Motion, most aptly representeth all this in Christ.