N00497:113
Blessed unions. An union with the son of God by faith. And, an union…
Blessed unions. An union with the son of God by faith. And, an union in the church of God by love, importunately pressed; in a discourse which makes divers offers, for those unions; together with a copy of those articles, where-upon a most happy union, has been lately made between those two eminent parties in England, which have now changed the names of Presbyterians, and Congregationals, for that of United Brethren. / By Cotton Mather ; [Six lines from Mead]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1692
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
WE Acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ to have One Catholic Church, or Kingdom, comprehending all that are United to Him, whether in Heaven or Earth. And do conceive the whole multitude of Visible Believers, and their Infant-Seed (commonly called the Catholic Visible Church) to belong to Christ's Spiritual Kingdom in this World. But for the notion of a Catholic Visible Church here, as it signifies its having been collected into any formed Society, under a Visible human Head on Earth, whether one Person ⟨p. 2⟩singly, or many collectively, We with the rest of Protestants, Unanimously disclaim it.
WE Acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ to have One Catholick Church, or Kingdom, comprehending all that are United to Him, whether in Heaven or Earth. And do conceive the whole multitude of Visible Believers, and their Infant-Seed (commonly called the Catholick Visible Church) to belong to Christ's Spiritual Kingdom in this World. But for the notion of a Catholick Visible Church here, as it signifies its having been collected into any formed Society, under a Visible human Head on Earth, whether one Person ⟨p. 2⟩singly, or many collectively, We with the rest of Protestants, Unanimously disclaim it.
2. We agree, That particular Societies of Visible Saints, who under Christ their Head, are statedly joined together for ordinary Communion with one another, in all the Ordinances of Christ, are particular Churches, and are to be owned by each other, as Instituted Churches of Christ, tho differing in apprehensions and practice in some lesser things.