Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

67 ) It is a plain change of the Species of Government, when one Congregation is turned into Many, and when a new order of Officers , viz. fubje& Presbyters without power ofOrdination or Jurifdi&ion,is introduced ,and the Bifhops made Governours ofPallors, that before were but Governours of the People , this is plainly a new Species. Elfe I fay again, let them not blame ':us for being againft the right Species. 3. The third Rea'on is this : They that affirma change ( not Reafon 3. of the Governours, but alto) ofthe very natureor kind ofa par- ticular Governed or Political Church, fromwhat it was in Scri- pture times, do affirm a thingfo improbable ,as is not without very clear proofto be credited. But fachare they thataffirm that Con- gregational Bifhops were turned to Diocefan: therefore, &c. The Church that was the obje& of the Government of a fixed Bithop in Scripture times was, [ A competent Number ofper- particular fops in Covenant with Chrifl ( or of Chrifiians) cohabiting, by Church, the appointment ofChrifl and their mutualexprefed confent,united what. ( or afociated ) under Chrifis Miniferial Teachers. andGuidesfor the right worfhipping of God inpublic, and the Edificationof the Body in Knowledge andHolinefs, and the maintaining ofobedience toChriff among them,for thefirength,beauty andfafetyofthe whole andeach part, and thereby the PleaPing andGlorifying God the Re- deemer, and Creator, ] It would be too long rather thendiffi- cult to hand to prove all the parts ofthis Definition, of the firíf particular Political Church. That part which moil concerneth our prefent purpofe , is the Ends, which in Relations mutt enter the Definition : which inone word is, The CommunionofSaints perfonally as Affociated Churches confiningofmany particular Churches are for the Communion ofSaints by officers and De- legates. And therefore this communion ofSaints is put in our Creed, next to the CatholickChurch , as theendof the combi- nation. I than have occafion toprove this by particularTexts of Scripture anon. A Diocefan Church is not capable of thefe Ends. What perfonal communion can they have that know not nor fee not one aonther ? that live not together. nor worfhip God together ;? There is no more perfonal communion ofSaints amongmoll ofthe peopleofthis Diocef,then is between us and the inhabitansofF'rance or Germany: For we know not fo much as thenames or faces of each other, norever come together to K2, any

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