The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

THEIR due measure and bounds, as was said before, are given them by concernment and convenience; wherein respect also may be had unto the Ability of some Churches to promote Edification above others. Such Churches as are in the same instances concerned in the causes of them before declared, and may be helpful unto the ends mentioned, are to convene in such Synods. And this concernment may be either from some of those causes in themselves, or from that Duty which they owe unto other Churches which are immediately concerned. So it was in the Assistance given by the Church at Jerusalem, in that case which was peculiar to the Church of Antioch.

WITH this interest or concernment, there must be a concurrence of natural, moral and political Conveniences. Some Churches are planted at such distances from others, that it is naturally impossible that they should ever meet together to advise by their Messengers, and some at such as that they cannot assemble but with such difficulties and hazards as exempt them from the Duty of it. And whereas they are placed under different Civil Governments, and those oft-times engaged in mutual enmities, and always jealous of the actings of their own Subjects in conjunction with them that are not so, they cannot so ⟨p. 257⟩convene and preserve the outward peace of the Churches. Hence the largest of the Councils of old that are called Ecumenical, never pretended farther than the single Roman Empire; when there were innumerable Churches planted under the Civil Jurisdiction of other Sovereigns.

WITH this interest or concernment, there must be a concurrence of natural, moral and political Conveniences. Some Churches are planted at such distances from others, that it is naturally impossible that they should ever meet together to advise by their Messengers, and some at such as that they cannot assemble but with such difficulties and hazzards as exempt them from the Duty of it. And whereas they are placed under different Civil Governments, and those oft-times engaged in mutual enmities, and always jealous of the actings of their own Subjects in conjunction with them that are not so, they cannot so