An enquiry into the original, nature, institution, power, order and communion of evangelical churches.…

1. These Churches, as they are Churches, are meet and able to attain the Ends of Churches. To say they are Churches, and yet have not in themselves Power to attain the ends of Churches, is to speak contradictions, or to grant and deny the same thing in the same breath. For a Church is nothing but such a Society as hath Power, Ability and Fitness to attain those ends for which Christ hath ordained Churches: That which hath so, is a Church; and that which hath not so, is none. Men may if they please deny them to be Churches, but then I know not where they will find any that are so. For instance, suppose men should deny all the Parochial Churches in England to be such Churches as are entrusted with Church-Power and Administrations, what Church in the first Instance could they require our Communion withal? Will they say, it is with the National, or Diocesan Churches? neither of these do, or can, as such, administer Sacred Ordinances. A man cannot Preach nor hear the Word, but in a particular Assembly. The Lord's Supper cannot be Administered but in a particular Congregation; nor any presential local Communion of Believers among themselves, like that described by the Apostle, 1 Cor. chap. 12. and chap. 14. be otherwise attained. No Communion is firstly and immediately required, or can be required with Diocesan Churches as such. Wherefore it is Parochial particular Churches that ⟨p. 139⟩we are required to hold Communion with. We say therefore these Parochial Churches are either really and truly so endued with Church-Power and Liberty, or they are not. If they are, or are acknowledged so to be, we have herein obtained what we plead for; if they are not, then are we required to join in Church Communion with those Societies that are not Churches; and if we refrain so doing, we are charged with Schism; which is to turn Religion into Ridicule. For,

1. These Churches, as they are Churches, are meet and able to attain the Ends of Churches. To say they are Churches, and yet have not in themselves Power to attain the ends of Churches, is to speak contradictions, or to grant and deny the same thing in the same breath. For a Church is nothing but such a Society as hath Power, Ability and Fitness to attain those ends for which Christ hath ordained Churches: That which hath so, is a Church; and that which hath not so, is none. Men may if they please deny them to be Churches, but then I know not where they will finde any that are so. For instance, suppose men should deny all the Parochial Churches in England to be such Churches as are intrusted with Church-Power and Administrations, what Church in the first Instance could they require our Communion withal? Will they say, it is with the National, or Diocesan Churches? neither of these do, or can, as such, administer Sacred Ordinances. A man cannot Preach nor hear the Word, but in a particular Assembly. The Lord's Supper cannot be Administred but in a particular Congregation; nor any presential local Communion of Believers among themselves, like that described by the Apostle,