A treatise of the nature of a minister in all its offices to which is annexed an answer to Doctor Forbes concerning the necessity of bishops to ordain, which is an answer to a question, proposed in these late unhappy times, to the author, What is a minister?

SECT. VI. Scripture Phrases abused by him.

HE offers at Scripture to prove this, page 51. Every parti∣cular Church (saith he) is a City, Heb. 12. 22. an house, 1 Tim. 3. 15. The body of Christ, Ephes. 4. 13, 16. 1 Cor. 12. 12, 27, 28. Here is Cyphered Scripture, All these places (saith he there) are spoken of particular visible Churches. When I view∣ed the places I was amazed, to read the holy Scripture so injured, and that mighty Article of our Creed, I believe the holy Catholick Church, to be made such a Nothing, as by his Application of these Texts it is. Let us Consider the particulars; the first place is Heb. 12. 22. But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the ••i∣ty of the living God, (this is the phrase he must pitch upon to prove it a City, but mark what follows,) The heavenly Jeru∣salem, and an innumerable company of Angels; then vers. 23. to the General Assembly and Church of the first-born, which are writ∣ten in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of just men made perfect. I cannot imagine with what colour of

reason this can be applyed to a particular Church; for although it may be affirmed, That such men who are religiously united to such Churches are come to this glorious Society, yet that that peculiar Church should be this City, this mount Sion, this heavenly Jerusalem, cannot be admitted; for first it is called Ci∣ty, not Cities: now if one Church be this City, another cannot be it; it is the heavenly Jerusalem, an Innumerable Company of Angels, the General Assembly, the Church of the first-born, which can be spoken of none but the universal Catholike Church, of no particular in the world. That it is this, and such a Company; let us look then upon his second place, where he saith his parti∣cular Church is called an house, 1 Tim. 3. 15, That thou mayst know how to behave thy self in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God. Hence he collects, or no where, that a Parti∣cular Church is a Corporation, because an house; A poor Con∣sequence, but see, is this spoken of a Particular Church? Mark the words following, the pillar and ground of all Truth: Can this be spoke of any particuliar, of a little handfull of men in New England, or in one Corner there? I am sure the Church of Rome hath much more semblance for Rome, than they can have for any of their Congregations, which have been and are most unstable themselves, much lesse supports for Christs Truth. His 3d. place to prove this, that particular Churches are Corporati∣ons, is because they are termed the body of Christ, for this he pro∣duceth Eph. 4. 13, 16. The 13th verse hath not that phrase bo∣dy; but only saith in general, that Christians must grow up in the unity of ••aith to the perfect Stature of Christ; but in the 16th verse there is the name body, from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted, by that which every joynt supplyes, accor∣ding to the Effectual working, &c. To understand this, read the preceding verse, where Christ is called the head, and then think with your self, whether this little Congregation can be his body spoke of, or the whole Church? or whether Christ be the head to so many bodies? or whether all Christians are not Members of the same body? His last place is, 1 Cor. 12. 12. for as the body is one and hath many Members, &c. I am weary of transcribing; Consider, the body is one; therefore not every Church a di∣stinct body, but there is one body, the Catholick Church. Then he urgeth, ver. 27, 28. of the same Chapter, verse 27. Now ye

are the body of Christ, and Members in particular: Can a man choose but wonder, to think that any man should offer to apply this to a particular Church, to say it is the body of Christ? The 28th verse reckons up the diverse Officers which God gave to govern these Churches, which can be affirmed of none but the universal, I am sure not of their particulars, they have no Apo∣stles neither literally nor successively Bishops, no way. This doth weary me; but now you see all that is brought to prove this mighty Conclusion out of Scripture. In brief, to illustrate this Truth a little farther: Conceive, that the universal Church of Christ is like a City, of which he is the King, or Supream. All men in baptism submit themselves to his Government. He in∣stitutes Officers over the whole, as I have before expressed, these cannot actually be present every where, and therefore by consent appoint these and these in their particular Wards or Pre∣cincts; and as any man when he comes to plant in this or that City, implicitely submits to the Government, as of the City, so of that particular part of the City where he lives: so is it with Christians where they go any where in the Christian world, ha∣ving in general by Baptism submitted themselves to Christ and his Discipline, take it in all places wheresoever it is. So likewise the Church is an house, Christ the Master, in which every person, in what room soever he rests, can receive no∣thing but from his Officers. The Church universal is a body, he the head, from which flow all those Spirits and Graces by which the body is enlivened. Now, as nothing can induce me to believe, that each house in this City should be the City, each Chamber in the house should be the house, each member should be the body: so a man cannot be perswaded that these parti∣cular Congregations which are parts of the whole, should be that whole which is called by these Names.