The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the…

Answ. A marriage betwixt Christ and his Church we grant and betwixt Christ and every particular soul believing in him, ⟨p. 117⟩in respect of the love. 2. mutual interest and claim one to another, Cant. 2. 16. and what holdeth betwixt Christ and a Church catholic, or particular, holdeth also betwixt Christ and every soul, and to extort a Church covenant betwixt Christ and a particular soul, who may be and often is a believer, & yet out of Church-state, from the borrowed phrase of marriage, is •oo violent blooding of comparisons; and therefore from marriage belonging to the catholic Church principally, how can a marriage visible be concluded? 2. the sonne• are the whole Church of the Gentiles; too large a P•rish incolaeterrae, saith Musculus, ^band excellently Calvin, ^cChrist so is the husband of his Church, that he marrieth upon his Church all people and Nations which are gathered to her, because while the Church wanteth children, she is as it were a widow; now this is nothing for a Church covenant. Thirdly, there is a relative obligation of mutual duties of love betwixt fellow members of a visible Church, and betwixt sons and the mother congregation; but this is first done in Baptism expressly; secondly, in our coming to be members of such a congregation, but the person is before a member of the visible Church.

Answ. A marriage betwixt Christ and his Church we grant and betwixt Christ and every particular soule beleeving in him, ⟨p. 117⟩in respect of the love. 2. mutuall interest and claime one to another, Cant. 2. 16. and what holdeth betwixt Christ and a Church catholick, or particular, holdeth also betwixt Christ and every soule, and to extort a Church covenant betwixt Christ and a particular soule, who may be and often is a beleever, & yet out of Church-state, from the borrowed phrase of marriage, is oo violent blooding of comparisons; and therefore from marriage belonging to the catholike Church principally, how can a marriage visible be concluded? 2. the sonne are the whole Church of the Gentiles; too large a Prish incolaeterrae, saith Musculus,