Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

C55). I: INall lignifie my own meaning. i3y a Particular Church I mean an Afrociated or combined company of Chriflians,for Communion in Publick AT, aniFtircherance of eachocher in the way tohe.ven,unier the, Guidance of + belie kk:hurch Of- ficers, ( one E!der or more ; ) fuch as are ttndivided,or Churches ofthe firfl order conmonly called Ecclefis Prim c , as tocxi- ftence, and which contain not divers Political Churches in them: A family I mean not : for thins nota.Political Church,having no PattonAn accidental company ofChrriflians I mean not.For thofe are noAffociation,and.fo no Political Church : Nor do I mean aNational, or Diocefane or_Clafûcal Church, or any the like which are compofed of many part cular Churches of the firft order, conjunct. It is not of Neccfhity that they al way or molt ufually meet in one..Congregation : becaufe its pofible they may want acapacious convenient room and its poffible they may be under perfecution, fo that they may be forced to meet fecret- ly in final) companies ; or there may be Come aged weak people or children that cannot travail to the chief place of Meet- ing; and fo may "have thine Chappels ofcafe, or .fmaller meeting. But lUli it mull be a number neither fo big , norfo fmall as to beuncapable ofthe ends ofAfhi.ciation,.which enter the defini- tion ; how ever. weaknu fs age or other accidents may hinder fornemembers from that full ufefullnefs as to the mainend,whith ocher m,mbers have. So that they which, are fò many, or live at fuch a diflanceas to be uncap.íble ofthe.ends;arenot fach a Church,ttor are capable of fo being For the number will alter the fpecies. In a svord,ir cannor,Lthink,,be proved that in the Pri- micive times, there was any one. ñxed. Bithop thát Governed and = werfaw any more thenone fuch particular pol tic .I Church , : . aswa. ni,c compafed ofdivers lefU political Churches : nor that their. Churches which any fixed Bi )hop o er`aa were more then could holdCocntr.,inion in Woorlhip in one publick manyof cheat as `01.11d ordinarily, hear-at once. (r. ''.he Fa- milies cannot ufually cnmt at once ) they we e. <<or , :seer' then Come ofour Englfh P. rifhes are, no^ ulu<?liy the tench part fogreat. I_have -been informedby the judiciousinhábitancs that there are fourfcore thoufand in& taf Crippié gate Parilh irti Lo-- r101 . andabout fifty thoufand. in Stepney, and fourey thou+a.id rr SepuAhres., There cannot any Church inScripture be fonird'' that,:

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