Chap.3ó about the Chtsrcli. viz. the fafety and prefervation ofthewhole perfon : So Chrift and hismembers which are one perfon, are ordained to attained one,and the fame end, viz. eternall glory,and happinefs;and for the attaining of this end,both the headand themem- bers do daily co-operate. This is the careofthe headto bringhis membersto per- fect bleffcdnefs,. oh. i 7.1 a. where he is called the Saviour ofhis body, Eph. 5.23. and this alfo is the rcope ofall Ch ifis members;thattogether with their head,they may participateof thatbleffednefs. As Taal. Phil. 3.Iq.. Thirdiy,the head,and rne:t.bers have a continuity betwen themfeives,andall have their a& ,and information from the fame foul : So this myflical head , and all his members have a certain continuity between themfelves, and have their fpiritual information, and vivification from the fame principle : For benvëen Ch:$t and 1 his-Members there is a certain conjunction by means ofthe holy Cho(}, who rea- tile, more fully in Chrift our Head,flo.vs from thence into all the members,giving life to all, and uniting all, Ephef.4 16. Quell. what is that bodywhereof Cheift is the head ? Anfw; The Church,inLBrine Ecclefia abevocando, becaufe its a company, or multitudeofcalled ones , who are caved out of the world by the Mini(téry ofthe GoïpeJ, and oche r means appointed by God to drawmen our of the late of ig- notante, and mifery, and CO J: in; them to a (late ofglory In which fence we call ftich a company ofperfons aChurch , as profefs the doft-ine and Reh ionof Chili under lawful Patiors,: Suchwere thefevenChurches of Aga : Such that at ] ome, (orinth,&c. Thefe Congregations are calleda Church, and fuch as live in them; members ofthe Church, whoalfo ( in the jud(;ement of Charity ) are tobe reputedmember.; of the holy Catholick Church , both becaufeon Gods part they have offeredunto them fuchmeans, whereby men are brought to par-. take of eternall life,and becaufe that on their part in regard oftheexternal action, and profetlion,thefe meansare received, and ufed ro ,their falvation. lThisbody of ihe,Church whereof Chri(t is the Head, confifts not of unbelie- ying, andwicked members,but only of holy, and fan tified ones , whomGod hath pulled out of thepower ofdarkiefi, and hath tranflated them into the Ki g- I demof his dear Son. So that it is not fufficient tofalvation tobe a vifible member of any particular vifibleChurch, by the external profetlionofFaith except with- all a man be a mytlical member ofthe Catholick Church by true faith, and the fpirit dwelling in his heart. HenceCyprian faith, gleidfact; indomofldei,'perfi- dampats. Queft, what elfe maywe learnfrom hence ? Anfw. Fir(t, That Chriflians mutt not envy thofc which- are endowed with . more excellent gifts then themfelves, becaufe they are members ofthe famebo- dy : that therefore which is given to one, that weought to efleem as given to everyone : accordingto that of-t. Auftin,Tolle invtdtam , & Cream eft quod ha- bee, tolle invidiam, cr meum eft quod habes : Takeaway envy, and that which I have isthine, Take awayenvy, and that which thou haft ismine. Secondly, fceinz, Gods childrenare all members of the fame body , .therefore they should be ready to ferve'nnearrether in love , and to be' each with othersweale orwoe, as if it were their own, t Con 1 z.z6. Dr. Da2enant on Col. Queft. whether mar the Churchfaile ? Anfw. Neither the Catholick Church, nor any part ormember of it can falle, orperith. Joh.3.16. This Church Chrift hath undertaken for to defend to the end, Matth.16.18. and28.zo. She is the firf born, wholenames are written in Heaven, Heb.sa. zz,z3. Ìf it cannot be in one place,or Kingdom, it will in ano- ther ; The woman, whenperfecuted, had a place prepared in the wildernefs to fly into: Butaparticular Church may faile, anddie, and come to nothing, as we fee in the feven famous Churchesof Afia. This may alto be proved oùt 'Of many places OFScripture, Mat.z1.43. where Christ foretels that the Chùrch óf the Aa Jews, 319 IT lZ/ a4fll6'l ,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=