Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

.C A s E s 0 F CONSCIENCE ABOUT .• Matters Ecclefiall:icat Q!efl:. 1. HoiV to i<.Ho1v tvbic/, is the true C/mrc/, , among all pretenders , that a Chr~'lians Confcience may be· quiet in his <l(dation and Communion? H A V E wrirten fo much of this already in fouj: Books (viz. one ea\led, 'Ibe SiJfe Religion, another called AKl'y for Catbolick.J, another ea}. led The Vi(lbility of the Church, anoth(r called A tme Co~tholick._, and rhe Catld!c~Churcb dcfcribed,) that I (hall fay now but a liule, and yet cn<)Jgh to an impartial confidcratc Reader. The terms mufitfirfi be opened ; 1. By a Church is meant a Socitty of CIJrijli..tns M /itch. And it is fomctimcs taken N.Jrrowly, for the B~dy or Mmtbcrs as difiinct from the He:~d, as the word Kingdom is taken for the SubjeCts only as difiinCt from the King ; And Cometimes more fuUy and properly for the whole Political Society, as confiituted of its Head and Body or the P.1.rs Tmper:zm & p!t.rJ Subdit.1. :z. The 'A.•crd CJ,urch thus taken, fignitierh fomerimt: the V;iiverf.ll Chrtrcb called Catholick._; which 'onlilieth of Chriji tmd hi-1 Bvdy Politick,., or Myfiical; And fometimc fome Part only ofchc finiver~ f.il Church. And fo ir is r<:ken either for a fubordirtate Political P11rt, or for a Cammmzity, or a Part confidercd as Colfft~ci.zte, bur nor Poli:ic.Jl; or as many p.2rticHlar Political Churchu Agreeing and holding Concord and Com1nunion wirhouc any Comon Head, fave the Univcrfal Head. 3· S..och Policical Churches, are either of Divine Conftitution and Policy, or only of Humane. z. By Cbrijli"'"• I mean fuch as Profc[I the Effentials of the Chrifiian Rdigion. For we [peak of the Church as Vifible. 77' 3· By [ 1r:te J may be meant, either RMlity of Effence , oppofitc to that which is not realfy a . .Church iu this univocal acception; or elfe Sound and Orthodox, in the lmc:grals, as oppofitc to er· 1 Cor. n. J· ,·onrnJU and dttiled with much enormity. And now 1thut dectde that quefhon. .t Cor. u 12 • Pr p. r. 1.1Jc 'l'ru~ Carboliclz. Ch11rch confifi.crh of Cbrijf the Head, and all Chn}ii3nl as his B 11 dy, or ;P~~r: i21';~· _the Members. As the Kingdom confillcth ot the King and hi$ Subjec1s. 1 Cor.t2, 27. Pr p. 2. A'i all the lincerc I.Iearr..Covenanters make up the Church as regenerate and rnyfiical or Eph. 4· 4, ~. .: invifiblc; {o th,::.r all that areCbr~qemd, that is, B:~ptizcd, and profefs Confent' to alt the Etrentialsof Ma:th. 28 ' ~~~ the ·

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=