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"Church," denotes a congregation or society, "called out" from the world, and in consequence become the Lord's peculiar. The latter idea is conveyed by our word "Church," which properly signifies "belonging to the Lord," or "the Lord's house or family."

Limited in extent to the times of the Gospel, and to man's state of probation in this life :-for with the word in its application to times before the coming of Christ, or to the condition of the blessed spirits in heaven, our present discussion is not concerned:-but limited to the "Church of Christ militant here on earth," extending, nevertheless, over the whole of Christendom, and comprehending within it different particular Churches, this congregation or society of the Lord, this the Lord's house or family, is marked out in holy Scripture by several characteristicks. It is there represented as "the body of Christ," who is reciprocally "its head" as being "built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord" as "the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" as "sanctified and cleansed by

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Eph. iv. 12. 15.

Col. i. 18.

3 1 Tim. iii. 15.

2 Eph. ii. 20, 21.

Christ with the washing of water by the word ':" as being "one body," but having "many mem bers, all of whom are by one Spirit baptized into one body, and are all made to drink into one Spirit" and are all "one body," by being "all partakers of one bread 3." These things figuratively whilst literally it is said of those, who were first incorporated into the Church, as we read in the passage just preceding my text, that

they who gladly received his word," namely, the word of Peter, calling upon them to "repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, were baptized; and they continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers 1."

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In these passages of Holy Writ, we discern several marks of the Church of Christ. These are drawn together and exhibited in a single view by the affirmation, which is made in our 19th Article of Religion, that "The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same:" and which is illustrated by the position in the 23d Article, that "It is not lawful

1 Eph. v. 26.
31 Cor. x. 17.

2 1 Cor. xii. 12.
4 Acts ii. 41, 42.

for any man to take upon him the office of publick preaching or ministering the sacraments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called, and sent to execute the same. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent, which be chosen and called to this work by men, who have publick authority given unto them in the congregation, to call and send ministers into the Lord's vineyard."

To much the same effect with these combined Articles is the description in the second part of our Homily for Whitsunday: "The true Church is an universal congregation or fellowship of God's faithful and elect people, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the head corner-stone. And it hath always three notes or marks, whereby it is known pure and sound doctrine, the sacraments ministered according to Christ's holy institution, and the right use of ecclesiastical discipline. This description of the Church is agreeable both to the Scriptures of God, and also to the doctrine of the ancient fathers, so that none may justly find fault therewith."

I. And here the first thing to be observed, concerning the Church of Christ, is, that it is a "body of which Christ is the head:" our Article terms it "a congregation of faithful men;" not a con

gregation in the confined sense of a particular assembly, according to its most usual modern acceptation; but in the same extended sense, often borne by the Greek word " ecclesia," to which, from contemporaneous authorities, it appears to have exactly answered, or "word for word," as Dr. Nowell says: "an universal congregation or fellowship of God's faithful and elect people," as "the true Church" is defined to be, in the Homily: that is, in the language of Dr. Barrow, "The society of those, who at present, or in course of time, profess the faith and gospel of Christ, and undertake the evangelical covenant, in distinction to all other religions; particularly to that of the Jews, which is called the synagogue:" or, as the same great divine elsewhere describes it, "That body of Christians, which, diffused over the world, retains the faith taught, the discipline settled, the practices appointed, by our Lord and His Apostles '."

This universal congregation, fellowship, or society, however numerous be its members, forms only "one body," united under "one head, even Christ" however various be its parts, it constitutes only "one household," of which "Jesus Christ Himself is the chief corner-stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:" however large

1 Works, i. 760, 466. folio.

it be and comprehensive, (for which reason, indeed, at no late period after its institution, it acquired the epithet of "catholick," or "universal," as embracing all the nations of the world,) it, nevertheless, contains only one kingdom under "one Lord." All the members of this society “name the name of Christ'," as their Prince: and after His name they are themselves called Christians, as intimating their subjection to Him, after whose holy name they are thus called, for servants are known by their master's name 2. And all they who walk according to this rule, "holding fast the name 3," and acknowledging the dominion of Christ, however different they may be from each other in nation and language, yet in respect of their subjection to the "one Lord" of the Church, are truly members of that "one body," of which He is "the head."

II. But besides this Supreme Head, who is invisible, visible governors with delegated power are necessary in the Church. The notion of a society carries with it the notions of a government and governours for without government a society cannot exist, and without governours government cannot be administered. Accordingly our Lord ordained the Apostles to be under Him the first

2 Tim. ii. 19. 2 Isaiah lxv. 15. 3 Rev. ii. 13.

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