An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

That a Church is a company called of God by the preaching of the Word to the ¹profession of faith in Christ, and an observation of all that solemn worship and Ordinances which Christ hath appointed, with a life in external conformity thereunto.

1. 1What we are properly to understand by a Church in Scripture.

This is a Church. When you read of a Church at Jerusalem, a Church at Corinth, the seven Churches of Asia, you are to understand such a company. And ⟨p. 52⟩this Doctrine about a Church is much to be insisted on. People are generally carnal, ignorant and profane. And although they would think it an high reproach to have the name of a Church denied them, or to be cast out of the Church, as so many Heathens, yet they do not attend to the nature of a Church, nor to the properties of those who are to be members thereof. It is true, there are vast and infinite Disputes about a Church, and every sect or party, is ready to monopolize and appropriate that name to them, That they are only the Church. But these great Disputes about it, argue we should be more careful to distinguish, lest we take Babylon for Jerusalem, lest we take that for Gods Temple, which is indeed a den of thieves. Doth not the Popish party glory in the name of a Church? Do they not make it necessary to salvation to come into communion with it? and yet it is the place, that Gods people are called to come out of, lest they partake both of her sins and punishments.

This is a Church. When you read of a Church at Jerusalem, a Church at Corinth, the seven Churches of Asia, you are to understand such a company. And ⟨p. 52⟩this Doctrine about a Church is much to be insisted on. People are generally carnal, ignorant and prophane. And although they would think it an high reproach to have the name of a Church denied them, or to be cast out of the Church, as so many Heathens, yet they do not attend to the nature of a Church, nor to the properties of those who are to be members thereof. It is true, there are vast and infinite Disputes about a Church, and every sect or party, is ready to monopolize and appropriate that name to them, That they are only the Church. But these great Disputes about it, argue we should be more carefull to distinguish, lest we take Babylon for Jerusalem, lest we take that for Gods Temple, which is indeed a den of thieves. Doth not the Popish party glory in the name of a Church? Do they not make it necessary to salvation to come into communion with it? and yet it is the place, that Gods people are called to come out of, lest they partake both of her sins and punishments.