The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

ACCORDING unto this Principle, the Union of the Catholic Church consists in that Order, whereby particular Churches are distributed into Deaneries, Arch-Deaconries, Exempt Peculiars, under Officials; Dioceses, Provinces, under Metropolitans, and so by or without Patriarchs to avoid the Rock of the Papacy, issuing in a General-Council, as I suppose. But,

ACCORDING unto this Principle, the Vnion of the Catholick Church consists in that Order, whereby particular Churches are distributed into Deanaries, Arch-Deaconries, Exempt Peculiars, under Officials; Diocesses, Provinces, under Metropolitans, and so by or without Patriarchs to avoid the Rock of the Papacy, issuing in a General-Council, as I suppose. But,

1. TO confine the Union and Communion of the Catholic Church hereunto, is at present absolutely destructive both of the Church and its Communion. For all particular Churches, when they are by a coalescency extended unto those, which are Provincial or National, have both Politically and Ecclesiastically such bounds fixed unto them, as they cannot pass to carry on Communion unto, and with the Church as Catholic, by any Acts and Duties belonging unto their Order: And hereby the Union and Communion of the Church is utterly lost. For the Union of the Catholic Church, as such, doth always equally exist, and the Communion of it is always equally in exercise, and can consist in nothing but what doth so exist and is so exercised. Where-ever is the Catholic Church, there is the Communion of Saints. But nothing of this can be obtained by virtue of this Order.

1. TO confine the Vnion and Communion of the Catholick Church hereunto, is at present absolutely destructive both of the Church and its Communion. For all particular Churches, when they are by a coalescency extended unto those, which are Provincial or National, have both Politically and Ecclesiastically such bounds fixed unto them, as they cannot pass to carry on Communion unto, and with the Church as Catholick, by any Acts and Duties belonging unto their Order: And hereby the Union and Communion of the Church is utterly lost. For the Union of the Catholick Church, as such, doth always equally exist, and the Communion of it is always equally in exercise, and can consist in nothing but what doth so exist and is so exercised. Where-ever is the Catholick Church, there is the Communion of Saints. But nothing of this can be obtained by virtue of this Order.