Five disputations of church-government and worship

The Church that was the object of the Government of a fixed Bishop in Scripture times, was, [A competent Number of persons in Covenant with Christ (or of Christians) co-habiting, ¹by the appointment of Christ and their mutual expressed consent, united (or associated) under Christs Ministerial Teachers and Guides for the right worshipping of God in public and the Edification of the Body in Knowledge and Holiness, and the maintaining of obedience to Christ among them▪ for the strength, beauty and safety of the whole and each part, and thereby the Pleasing and Glorifying God the Redeemer, and Creator,] I• would be too long, rather then difficult to stand to prove all the parts of this Definition, of the first particular Political Church. That part which most concerneth our present purpose, is the Ends, which in Relations must enter the Definition: which in one word is, The Communion of Saints personally, as Associated Churches consisting of many particular Churches, are for the Communion of Saints by officers and Delegates. And therefore this communion of Saints is put in our Creed, next to the Catholic Church, as the end of the combination. I shall have occasion to prove this by particular Texts of Scripture anon. A Diocesan Church is not capable of these Ends. What personal communion can they have that know not nor see not one another? that live not together, nor worship God together? There is no more personal communion of Saints among most of the people of this Diocese, then is between us and the inhabitants of France or Germany: For we know not so much as the names or faces of each other, nor ever come together to ⟨p. 68⟩any holy uses. So that to turn a Congregation into a Diocesan Church, is to change the very subject of Government.

The Church that was the object of the Government of a fixed Bishop in Scripture times, was, [A competent Number of persons in Covenant with Christ (or of Christians) co-habiting, ¹by the app•intment of Christ and their mutual expressed consent, united (or associated) under Christs Ministerial Teachers and Guides for the right worshipping of God in publick and the Edification of the Body in Knowledge and Holiness, and the maintaining of obedience to Christ among them for the strength, beauty and safety of the whole and each part, and thereby the Pleasing and Glorifying God the Redeemer, and Creator,] I would be too long, rather then difficult to stand to prove all the parts of this Definition, of the first particular Political Church. That part which most concerneth our present purpose, is the Ends, which in Relations must enter the Definition: which in one word is, The Communion of Saints personally, as Associated Churches consisting of many particular Churches, are for the Communion of Saints by officers and Delegates. And therefore this communion of Saints is put in our Creed, next to the Catholick Church, as the end of the combination. I shall have occasion to prove this by particular Texts of Scripture anon. A Diocesan Church is not capable of these Ends. What personal communion can they have that know not nor see not one aonther? that live not together, nor worship God together? There is no more personal communion of Saints among most of the people of this Diocess, then is between us and the inhabitants of France or Germany: For we know not so much as the names or faces of each other, nor ever come together to