Propos. 5.There is no visible society of a Church who hath actual and immediate right unto, and communion in the visible government of Christ, and the dispensation of his instituted Worship and ordinances, but such a Society as the Lord Jesus hath in the Gospel instituted and ordained for that end. We say actual and immediate right unto the same; for though a believer, quâ believer, have an immediate right, and actual enjoyment of such benefits of Christ as necessarily and immediately flow from his internal union with Christ, as justification, adoption, &c. and such right to Christian communion with all the Saints in their prayers, gifts, &c. as flow from his spiritual relation unto them; yea, and also he hath a true right to all benefits purchased by Christ in a due order and manner: yet we say instituted privileges and ordinances do not immediately flow from spiritual union and relation to Christ and his members, but are dispensed by Christ to his people mediately, and in such an order as he hath in wisdom ⟨p. 77⟩ordained: and this the nature of visible government and ordinances of Christ necessarily requires. And hence it is, that although the Church in its nature and essence, and in respect of its spiritual union and relation to Christ and one another, profession of the same faith, &c. have been always one and the same in all ages, yet both the visible government and ordinances of Worship, and also the instituted form and order of Church-societies hath been various according to the wisdom and will of Christ, whereby it appears, that the order, government, forms of visible Church-societies, to which actual enjoyment of visible ordinances do belong, cannot justly be deduced from the common nature of the Church Catholic, or any respects of reason or logical notions under which it may fall: but only this depends upon the will and pleasure of Christ, who hath in all ages instituted the forms and orders of such Societies to whom the actual enjoyment of instituted ordinances was given: And hence the argument for a national form of a Church to be in the New Testament as well as in the Old, drawn from the common nature, essence, profession of faith, &c. of the Church in all ages, falls flat to the ground, for by the same reason it must then be in families only now, as it was about Abraham's time.
Propos. 5.There is no visible society of a Church who hath actuall and immediate right unto, and communion in the visible government of Christ, and the dispensation of his instituted Worship and ordinances, but such a Society as the Lord Jesus hath in the Gopel instituted and ordained for that end. We say actuall and immediate right unto the same; for though a beleever, quâ beleever, have an immediate right, and actuall enjoyment of such benefits of Christ as necessarily and immediately flow from his internall union with Christ, as justification, adoption, &c. and such right to Christian communion with all the Saints in their prayers, gifts, &c. as flow from his spirituall relation unto them; yea, and also he hath a true right to all benefits purchased by Christ in a due order and manner: yet we say instituted priviledges and ordinances doe not immediately flow from spirituall union and relation to Christ and his members, but are dispensed by Christ to his people mediately, and in such an order as he hath in wisdome ⟨p. 77⟩ordained: and this the nature of visible government and ordinances of Christ necessarily requires. And hence it is, that although the Church in its nature and essence, and in respect of its spirituall union and relation to Christ and one another, profession of the same faith, &c. have been always one and the same in all ages, yet both the visible government and ordinances of Worship, and also the instituted form and order of Church-societies hath been various according to the wisdome and will of Christ, whereby it appears, that the order, government, forms of visible Church-societies, to which actuall enjoyment of visible ordinances doe belong, cannot justly be deduced from the common nature of the Church Catholick, or any respects of reason or logicall notions under which it may fall: but onely this depends upon the will and pleasure of Christ, who hath in all ages instituted the forms and orders of such Societies to whom the actual enjoyment of instituted ordinances was given: And hence the argument for a nationall form of a Church to be in the New Testament as wel as in the Old, drawn from the common nature, essence, prosession of faith, &c. of the Church in all ages, falls flat to the ground, for by the same reason it must then be in families onely now, as it was about Abrahams time.
