Welchman on Article XIX: Of the Church

Visible Church, &c.) Since it is Religion that makes a Church, and not the Church that makes Religion; - the Church is to be tried and discerned by Religion, and not Religion by the Church. And the Visible Church (for the Invisible one, which consists solely of the Elect, is not here treated of) is that which maintains the Religion of Christ, and professes its Belief in the Father, Son, anc Holy Ghost, by. baptizing its Members in their Names, ana celebrating the holy Supper, as Christ hath appointed. These Things are essential to a Church; and as long as these are preserved, a Church does not cease to be, tho’ in some other Things it may err. For every Error does not subvert the Foun- dation of a Church. But particular Churches may not only err, but also fall off entirely from Christ. For that Saying of Christ, Matth. xvi. 18. Upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it, is to be understood only of the Catholick or Universal Church. See Novelli Cat. p. 91. Hooker’s Eccl. Pol. Book III. Ch. 1. Chillingworth’s Rel. Prot. C. 3. Homily on Mhit- sunday, Part II. Prideaux’s Fasc. Cont. C. 4. Sect, I. Q. 6. Pearson on the Creed, Art, IX. Field of the Church, B. II. Ch. 2. A Congregation of faithful Men, &c.] See Ads ii. 42. They continued stedfasily in the Apostics Doctrine and Fellow-

hip, and in breaking of Bread and in Prayer, : ee

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Nortes on the XXXIX Articles See also Tertullian. The Apostles having obtained the

seripe. c. 20. 4e Power of the Holy Ghost which was promised them,

& in order to work Miracles, and to speak boldly, in all & Uterance, and having first borne their Testimony to the Faith of Jesus Christ throughout Judea, and planted Churches there, went afterwards into other Parts of the * World, and published the fame Doctrine of the same Faith to the Gentiles, and so proceeded to found Churches © in every City; from which afterwards other Churches & borrowed, and still continue to borrow the Principles of * their Faith, and the Rudiments of their Doctrine, that & so they might become Churches. And by this Means They also are reputed Apostolical, as being the Offspring & of the Apostolical Churches, Every Kind of which is © to be estimated according to its Original. And therefore, & so many and great Churches are nothing else but that Primitive One, from which all the Rest proceed. Thus they are all Primitive, and all Apostolical, whilst they all agree in one and the same Truth ; whilst there is amongst them a Communication of Peace, and an Ap- c pellation of Brotherhood, and a League of Hospitality ; which Rights are no otherwise to be preserved inviola- ble, than by an uniform Participation of the same holy Sacrament.” Note, that the Church of Rome kept the Faith uncorrupt for some Ages; and therefore that it is no Wonder, if we find it commended by the primitive Fathers for its Constan- cy in preserving that Faith: I bo* even then it was not entirely free from Error, since, as St. Ferom in his Com- ment on /a. viii. witnesses, it did not receive the Epistle to the Hebrews into the Canon of Scripture, But how much it afterwards erred from the Truth, will abundantly appear from the following Articles. As the Church of Hierusalem, Sc.] This Article takes notice of the Errors of the Churches of Ferusalem, Alex- andria, and Antioch, because they were the most famous ones, and were advanced to the Dignity of being Patri- archal Churches as well as that of Rome. As to which

last, Pope Elutherins fell into the Error of /Jontanus, Pope Liberius into that of Arius, Pope Zosimus into that of Pelagius, &c. and at length that very Church become a most loathlome Sink of various Errors.

See Abbot’s Answer to Bishop’s E pistle, SeR. 13. Hall’s Dissuasive from Popery. ;

of the Church of ENGLAND. Ft”