i5'4) which- he doth though injurioufly, for all the reft : Nor is there any that fo fpeaketh. He tellsus that thewoad is ufed particularly to fignifie the Churchof aNa.: tion in the fingular number; but could name no fuch place as to any Church finteChrift, but only the JewifhChurch, Ails 7. 38. And he faith, it is ufedto fignifie, particularly and definitely the Church of a Nation in the plural number. And is not this a ftrange kind of Allegati- on ? TheScripture" fpeakethof [the -Churches in a Nation.] Therefore it ufeth the word for the Church of a Nation, in the plural number. Is One Church andmany all;onewith him: Would he have applauded that man that would have faid, that fuch anAuthor ufeth the word [College] (for the College of an Univerfity in the plural number,) becaufe he named the College in an Univerfity ? and this to prove that an Univerfity is one Col- lege ? Had it not beenbetter faid, The New Teftament never ufeth the word Church for all the Churches in one Nation (Vince Chrift) definitely, but ever calleth them plurally Churches : Therefore to call them all One (National) Church is not to imitate the Scripture. His first Inftance is, Rom. 6.4. All the Churchesof the Gentiles. A fad proofof a NationalChurch ! What Nation is it that the word [Gentiles] fignifieth? Nodoubt the Gentile Churches were in Gentile Nations; But that doth not prove that the Chriftians in any Nation are ever called in Scripture (fince the JewsNation) One Church but Churches. His next inftance is, I Car. 16. e. The Churches ofGalatia : And the reft are all fuch, v. Igo z Cor. 8..1. Gal. 1.2.22. The Churches of Afia, Macedonia, yudaa : But I hope he intended no more than to tell you that the Chriftians of feveral Nations, are never called a Church, but Chur- ches, as having any fort of Union than National. He gi veth many inftances when the word [Church] is tiled definitely to lignifie the Church of a City and Country adjoyning : But o prove it ufed to lignifie feveral Churches in City and Country adjoyning, but one only. TwoTextshe alledgeth toprove that theword [Church]isufed definitely toliignifie thefe Churches Congregate into a Synod or Confiftory : But I be- lieve his word of neither place. One is Mat. 18. 17. Tell the Church,&c. If I fay that [tat the Church] fignifieth [tell the Societycontaining Palters and Chr /tiara] though it is the Patton that you mutt immediately fpeak to and the offender mutt hear, I give as good proof of my expofition as he doth of his. if I fpeak to a man, and hear a man, though it be only his ears that bear me, and his tongue that fpeaketh tome, yet by the word [man] I meannot only ears and tongue. If the King fend a Command to a Corporation to expel a feditious member, though the Mayor or Aldermen only do it Authoritatively , and the People but executively, yet the word [Corporation] doth nottherefore lignifie theOfficers only. Theother. Text is, Aft. íy.22. But I will notbelieve him that [toe whale Church] fignifieth the Synod only : For though they only decreed it, I think thexelt con.
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