Veneer on Article XIX: Of the Church

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M t)Z Cijartlj of Hierufalem, Alexandria^

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The Exposition.

‘tis Religion that makes s Church, and not the Church that makes Religion, the Church is to be tried by Religion, and not Religion by the Church. The Visible Church therefore (for the Invisible Church, which confifts of the Ele5t only, is not here treated of) is such an one as is described As ii. 42. Such an one as continues ftedfaftly in the Apofiles Dorine and FellowJInp and in hreaking of Bread and in Frayers : Org in other Words ‘tis fucb an one

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Thirty^ Wine Articles. 4 3 5^

s profeffeth the Christian Religion, and be- Art. XIX. lieves in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, yC. and baptizes its Members in their Names, and celebrates the Lord’s Supper as Christ hath ap- pointed. These Things are EfTential to a Church 5 and as long as they are observed, the Church continues, even though it err in fbme other Things. Neither doth every Error de- ftroy a Church, fo as to pull up its Founda- tions ; but particular Churches may not only err, but fall off from Christ intirely. For that Say- ing of Christ, Mat. xvi. 18. Uon this Rock will I btiild my Churchy and the Gates of Hell JJj all not prevail agaifift it is to be understood of the Catholick or Universal Church only.

’ The Apostles, faith Tertiillian having ” obtained the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which ’ was promised them, that is, the Power of *’ working Miracles, and the Gift of Utterance, *’ and having first borne their Testimony to the ’ Faith of Jesus Christ through Judea, and ’ having planted Churches, went afterwards ’ into other Parts of the World, and preached ” the fame Dodrine of the fame Faith to other ’ Nations, and fo proceeded to found Churches ’ in every City , from which other Churches, ” in order to their being Churches, have bor- rowed, and continue daily to borrow their Faith and Dodrine, and by this means they are reputed Apoftolick Churches, as they are the Oif-spring of Apoftolick Churches. Every Thing must be estimated according to its Original: And therefore, fo many and great Churches, are nothing elfe but that One which was at first founded by the ” Apostles 3 and fo all are the First Churches, E e 2 ” and

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Akt.^^tx. ” and all Apoftolical, as long as they agree ’ ” in Unity. ” |

This Article takes Notice of the Errors of the. Churches of Jerusalem Alexandria, and Antiochj because they were very famous Churches, and were raised to the Patriarchal Height as well as the Church oKome ; that is, the Supreme Bishops of thefc Churches, had Archbifhops and Bishops under them. As to the Church of Ro;;;, ‘tis true, indeed that fhe kept the Faith uncorrupt for fome Ages and therefore, ‘tis no Wonder that we find her com- mended by the most early Fathers, for defend- ing and keeping the Faith, though even then fhe was not intirely free from Error , for St. Jero7n upon Isaiah viii. tells us, that fhe did not receive the Epiftle to the Hebrews for Canonical Scripture. And since these Days of the Church of Rome’s Purity, Pope Ekutherius fell into the Error of Mont anus Pope Liberius into that oi Arius Pope Zofimiis into that of Felagius &c. And that the Church itself, I mean the Church oi Kome is become nothing elie but a very loathfome Sink of Errors, will appear from the following Articles f.

■^ Be Pr^fiript. c. 20. See NoTveJli Catech. pag. 91. Hooker’s Eccl. Pol. Book III. c. i. Chilling-pporth’s Rel. Prot. c. 3. Homily on Whhfumky, Part 11. Trideanx Fafc, Controv. c. 4. §. i. q. 6. Fear/on on the Creed, Art. IX. Field of the Church, Book II. c. 2. Mr. Lowth’s Sermon on uicfs ii. 24.

-}- Sec Abbot’s Answer to Bi/J;ofs Epiftle, §. 13. Hall’s Dilluaiivc from Popery.

Ae-tide

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