A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…

Lastly, to speak more particularly, we conceive that the place in the utmost latitude of it is meant of the mystical body, that one body into which all are baptized, vers. 13. And that the fundamental mistake of our Brethren is this, that because the Church here mentioned hath Organs and political Officers in it, that therefore it must needs make one political Church, where some Organs are to rule in common, and every part is to be subject to the whole. For although the mystical Church hath Organs and political Officers in it; yet it follows not therefore that it is one political body. For the invisible Church conjoined with the visible, hath political Officers set in it, and given to it as invisible, as well as visible, in respect of Gods general designation and particular application of them to this whole Church; yet it follows not that they are one political body by actual combination thereunto; actual combination, we say, for although Christs institution must warrant and prescribe all forms of political bodies, yet it will not be found that ever there was any political Society without actual combination, whether civill or sacred, whether national or more particular. The mystical Church may be said to be organical in respect of the Officers amongst them in the several parts thereof; every part being a part of the whole spiritually, though not politically. But it doth not thence follow that the whole is one political ⟨p. 99⟩body, but mystical. Political Officers may, and must suppose some part of the Church to be visible, but not that the whole should be Political. For the Apostles (by extraordinary Commission for their time were officers of visible believers, fit matter for a combination, as well as of particular combinations: yet it follows not that visible believers existing out of combinations were a political Society that would never meet to combine; but they were only a visible number of Saints.

Lastly, to speak more particularly, we conceive that the place in the utmost latitude of it is meant of the mysticall body, that one body into which all are baptized, vers. 13. And that the fundamentall mistake of our Brethren is this, that because the Church here mentioned hath Organs and politicall Officers in it, that therefore it must needs make one politicall Church, where some Organs are to rule in common, and every part is to be subject to the whole. For although the mysticall Church hath Organs and politicall Officers in it; yet it follows not therefore that it is one politicall body. For the invisible Church conjoyned with the visible, hath politicall Officers set in it, and given to it as invisible, as well as visible, in respect of Gods generall designation and particular application of them to this whole Church; yet it follows not that they are one politicall body by actuall combination thereunto; actuall combination, we say, for although Christs institution must warrant and prescribe all forms of politicall bodies, yet it will not be found that ever there was any politicall Society without actuall combination, whether civill or sacred, whether nationall or more particular. The mysticall Church may be said to be organicall in respect of the Officers amongst them in the severall parts thereof; every part being a part of the whole spiritually, though not politically. But it doth not thence follow that the whole is one politicall