ftinction of the feveral Parts or Branches Sermon of this universal Church, are fitly deno- III. minated after the Places where they are planted. As, the Churches of Afia, and the like: Different Churches they are not, but the fame Church in different Places, ac cording to the foregoing Images of St. Cyprian; the fame Sun, the fame River, in different Countries; the fame Tree, with divers Branches, &c. And fo much for the fcriptural Proof, which was to fhew, That Catholick, of univerfal Church, is no meer abstracted Notion, or Figment of the Brain, but hath Foundation and Authority in the Word of God. t

And fo, no lefs, 2dly, in the Nature of the Thing it felf, or in human Reason. For, if Churches be conceived as different, they muft have fome real Ground of Difference, or Unlikeness; and if this lieth in fome fundamental, effential Matters, or Points, one of them can never be a true Church: As, where there is an effential Diffimilitude between two Creatures, they can never be both of the fame Kind. One Man may differ from another in Form, Colour, Feature, or other accidental Matters, and fo perhaps may one Church from another, of which more hereafter; but if we carry the Difference fo far between two Men, VOL. I.

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that

Sermon that they agree not in the effential Parts, III. or Ingredients of the Kind, one of them

muft needs be fomewhat befides a Man: It

is as true of Churches, If one Church be a true Church, another effentially, fundamentally unlike it can be no Church at all.

Men who differ in nothing, or, at leaft, in nothing which makes a Church, muft needs efteem themselves of the fame Church or Communion; and their Affembling together at different Places or Countries, no more makes them of different Churches or Religions, than, at a great and general Entertainment, Mens eating, for Convenience fake, at feveral Tables, makes the Entertainment different, or themselves the Guests of different Feaft-makers: For Walls, and Places, and Distances, make nothing in regard to God, whofe Effence pervades every Where, and every Place, and qualifies him, with infinitely greater Eafe and Exactness, to furvey the various Collections of Chriftians diftributed throughout the whole World, than a Man is able to discern the Company he entertains in one Room, or at one Table.

There is certainly as much Reason to efteem Men of different Churches, from their Sitting in different Places or Seats, at the fame Church, as from their being feparated

Separated at the remoteft Points of the Sermon Globe: For a Church hath a peculiar Re- III. gard to God, and from one Pole to the Other makes nothing to him; whereas, a Yard's Distance is a great deal to Man: Therefore, the whole univerfal Church is but one Houfhold, one Family; as the Word of God declares it.

But feeing the Unity of the Church confifteth not in Place, in what doth it confift?

This is the third Thing; to endeavour to affign, in what the Unity of the Catholick Church confifteth; or, what maketh it One, or Catholick. Now, in general, it is to be obferved, That whatsoever is abfolutely neceffary to make a fingle Man a Chriftian, is equally neceffary to make a Chriftian Church: For, a Church is but a Number or Collection of Chriftians, or of Men holding and profeffing the Chriftian Faith; and any Number of unchriftian Men can never compofe a Chriftian Church, for the fame Reafon, that an unbelieving Man can never make a true Member of any particular chriftian Church; and fo particular Churches, not holding and profeffing the true Chriftian Faith, can be no Parts or Branches of the Church Catholick, or Univerfal. So, again farther, If there be F 2

any

Sermon any Difpofition of Mind, any Inftitutions, III. or Forms of Government, abfolutely necef

fary to the Being of a Church, every particular Church muft partake of them, or elfe it can never become a Part of the univerfal Church, or belong to it. This being premifed, and, think, carrying its own Evidence with it, it will be as clear,

1. That the Unity of the Catholick Church confifteth in an Unity of Doctrine, or Belief, at leaft, as to all Things necessary to Salvation. How foever, particular Churches or Men in them, may differ in other Points, yet they muft all agree in thefe, they muft all believe and profefs thefe, or elfe they can never compofe one univerfal Church. "No Man, or Church is at Liberty to innovate here, to add, or diminish, without taking upon him a greater Authority than ever the Apoftles, yea, than our Lord himfelf affumed: For he fpake not of himself, but what he heard, and was commanded of his Father. And his Apoftles were under the fame Confinement and Obligation, to hearken to no Reasoning, to no Wit, no Invention of their own, but keep to pure and exprefs Revelation in thofe neceffary, fundamental Points. So that the pure Chriftian Doctrine, the Belief of which is necellary to make any Man, or Number of Men,

זי

Men, Chriftian, is thus derived, according Sermon to the Account of the Gofpel: Our Lord III. received it from his Father, the Apoftles from him, and his Spirit, and the Church of God in all Ages from the Apoftles, and their Writings, in which, Who fees not Unchangeableness, Unalteration? And hence it is, that the Word of God teaches us, That the Church is built upon the Foundation of the Apofles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift being the chief Corner-ftone; and fixes an Anathema upon any Man, yea, even upon an Angel from Heaven, that fhould preach any other Gospel than what the Apoftles preached: The Gospel, What is That? Had the Apofles no determinate Meaning in this? Undoubtedly! and every Man may fee what they meant, who will read the New Teftament fairly, and impartially; But this is not our Bufinefs here. How fure muft thefe Men be, as to the Certainty and Un-" alterablenefs of their Doctrine, when they thus exprefs themselves? How certain of their own Authority, and Infallibility in thofe Points? And hence Timothy has it fo frequently, and folemnly in Charge, from his fpiritual Father, Hold fast the Form of STORA found Words, which thou haft heard of me: And again, The Things that thou haft beard of me, among many Witneffes, the fame commit thou to faithful Men, who shall be able to

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