This Opinion,1 which denies that particular Believers are immediately united to Christ, being, as I take it, but novel, hath not yet found its Centre; but rolls about from the Catholic Church, which is made up all of Saints, to visible particular Churches, which are made up of Believers and Unbelievers: First, the Author spake of our Union to the Body of Christ, now of it to the Church Visible. Before I made it appear, that particular Believers were immediately united to Christ in respect of the Church Catholic; and it is as evident, that they are so united to him in respect of the Church Visible: On the one hand, all that are in the Church Visible are not really united to Christ, the hypocritical Professors do but seem to be so. It is observed by the Learned Whitaker, that Eccesiae particulars visibilibus nexibus colligantur, ⟨p. 181⟩Ecclesia verò Catholica invisibilibus: A Visible Church as such is connected by visible Bands; and more the Connection cannot be, because Believers and Hypocrites (of both which the Church is made up) cannot otherwise be knit together; and how is it possible, that the Union of Believers to Christ, which is made by invisible Ligatures, should consist in their Union to the Visible Church, which, as such, is only knit together by visible Bands? On the other hand, those, which are not of the Church Visible, may yet be really united to Christ: Thus the Catechumeni were but in vestibulo, and not actually in the Visible Church, and yet, if Believers, were united to Christ. The same may be said of unbaptized Believers: The Emperor Valentinian died before Baptism, but in real Union to Christ; hence St. Ambrose saith, that he had in se imaginem Christi, and that his Soul was in refrigerio. Believers, if unjustly excommunicate, are no longer in the Visible Church, and yet they are in Union to Christ: The Apostles, as Christ foretold them, were to be [Greek or Hebrew], cast out of the Synagogues but never to be parted from Christ. Believing Merchants may be at a vast distance from ⟨p. 182⟩the Visible Church, and yet in near spiritual Conjunction with Christ: And what if a Visible Church turn Apostate from the Gospel? True Believers will come out of her, and, I hope, without any loss of their Union to Christ.
This Opinion,1 which denies that particular Believers are immediately united to Christ, being, as I take it, but novel, hath not yet found its Center; but rowls about from the Catholick Church, which is made up all of Saints, to visible particular Churches, which are made up of Believers and Unbelievers: First, the Author spake of our Union to the Body of Christ, now of it to the Church Visible. Before I made it appear, that particular Believers were immediately united to Christ in respect of the Church Catholick; and it is as evident, that they are so united to him in respect of the Church Visible: On the one hand, all that are in the Church Visible are not really united to Christ, the hypocritical Professors do but seem to be so. It is observed by the Learned Whitaker, that Eccesiae particulares visibilibus nexibus colligantur, ⟨p. 181⟩Ecclesia verò Catholica invisibilibus: A Visible Church as such is connected by visible Bands; and more the Connection cannot be, because Believers and Hypoctites (of both which the Church is made up) cannot otherwise be knit together; and how is it possible, that the Union of Believers to Christ, which is made by invisible Ligatures, should consist in their Union to the Visible Church, which, as such, is only knit together by visible Bands? On the other hand, those, which are not of the Church Visible, may yet be really united to Christ: Thus the Catechumeni were but in vestibulo, and not actually in the Visible Church, and yet, if Believers, were united to Christ. The same may be said of unbaptized Believers: The Emperor Valentinian died before Baptism, but in real Union to Christ; hence St. Ambrose saith, that he had in se imaginem Christi, and that his Soul was in refrigerio. Believers, if unjustly excommunicate, are no longer in the Visible Church, and yet they are in Union to Christ: The Apostles, as Christ foretold them, were to be 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, cast out of the Synagogues but never to be parted from Christ. Believing Merchants may be at a vast distance from ⟨p. 182⟩the Visible Church, and yet in near spiritual Conjunction with Christ: And what if a Visible Church turn Apostate from the Gospel? True Believers will come out of her, and, I hope, without any loss of their Union to Christ.
- 1Answer.
