The late Assembly of Divines Confession of faith examined.: As it was presented by them unto the Parliament. Wherein many of their excesses and defects, of their confusions and disorders, of their errors and contradictions are presented, both to themselves and others.

CHAP. XXVI. Of the Communion of Saints.

ALl Saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head, by his spirit and by faith, have fellowship with him in his Graces, sufferings, death, re∣furrection and glory a, and being united to one another in love, they have communi∣on in each others gifts and graces b and are obliged to the per formance of such publike, and private duties, as do conduce to their mutual good both in the inward, and out∣ward man c.

II. Saints by profession are bound to maintain an holy fellowship, and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual ser∣vices, as tend to their mutual edification d; as al∣so in relieving each other in outward things, ac¦cording to their several abilities, and necessities, which communion as God offereth opportunity is to be extended to all those who in every place call up∣on the name of the Lord Iesus e,

III. This communion which the Saints have with Christ doth not make them in any wise par∣takers of the substance of his Godhead, or to be equal with-Christ in any respect, either of which to affirm is impious and blasphemous f; nor doth their communion one with another as Saints take away, or infringe the title, or property which each man hath in his goods and possessions g.

CHAP. XXVI. Of the communion of Saints examined.

IN your two first Sections here you speak positive∣ly, and in your last negatively of the communion of Saints, where we hold faire correspondence w••th you in many things, but not communion with you in all.

For first you distinguish not of the several ages, formes, or degrees of the Saints but joyning them altogether you rather bring in a confusion, then a true com∣munion of Saints.

And secondly you tumble duties and priviledges, possi∣bilities, and possessions together.

For first as we said before, there are 3 degrees of Saints.

First Saints in God the Father, such as are only called and sanctified by him, which was the common state of the Saints in the old Testament, Deut. 33.3. 1 Sam 2.9. See Psal. 31.33, and Psal. 34.9. O fear the Lord all ye his Saints, for there is no want to them that fear him.

Secondly, there are Saints in God the Son, who are called to know him, and believe on him for salvation from their spiritual enemies, & deliverance from the curse, Jude 1. To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ and called; which is the common Classis of the Saints in the new Testament, Rom. 1.6, 7. 1 Cor. 1.2. And thirdly, there are Saints in the holy Ghost, as the A∣postles were made in the day of Pentecost, when they were filled with the holy spirit of promise, Act. 2.1, 2, 3, &c.

Secondly, All those have neither the same degree of fellowship with God nor with each other, but have their respective communion either with the father a∣lone as the first, or with the Father and the Son as the second, or with the Holy Ghost, also, and so with the whole Trinity as the third.

John 14.25. Jesus answered and said unto him; If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him, See 1 John 1.3, 4, 5. And as the Saints have different de∣grees of communion with God according to their several ages, and growth, so they all have not alike fellowship with each other, in communicating spiri∣tual guifts; for the Saints in Christ Jesus can condi∣scend to those in God the Father, and those in God the Holy Ghost can stoop to both the other, to do them service, but the first cannot communicate much in spiritual things to the second, nor either the first, or second to the third, though all may in outward things be serviceable to each other upon earth. These things premised for order, and distinction sake,

We finde then in your first Section these three er∣rors. First, That you make none to be Saints, but those that are actually united unto Jesus Christ their head, hereby excluding out of that number, and com∣munion, all those who as yet are onely bgotten by God the Father as were Cornelius, Act. 10.1, 2, 3. and many other.

Secondly, You untruly affirm, that all those which are united to Christ by his spirit and saith, have actu∣al communion in his sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory; for none of them have fellowship in his resur∣rection, and glory, till they be dead with him, and that the holy Ghost be poured down from Heaven upon them, as he was upon the Apostles, Act. 2. See Ro. 6, 5. For if we have been planted in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection, 2 Tim. 2.11.12. neither have all that beleeved in Christ for the present,

proceeded so far as to suffer with him, and much more to pertake with him in his death, he is a good proficient in Christianitie, that knows what Christ h••th suffered in him, and for him, and is come to suffer with him, not onely out∣ward afflictions, but inward sorrows, in resisting temp∣tations without yeelding to them in their solicitations, wherein lies the main part of our fellowship of Christs sufferings; And as for our becomming wholly dead with Christ, you your selves hold it, a thing not ful∣ly attainable in this life, wherin you greatly wrong the grace and power of Christ, in his saving work and office, and are not onely injurious to others who give ear unto you, but fall short of that happy con∣quest, and salvation ensuing, which is held forth un∣to you in the Gospel almost everywhere, as hath been shewed before, See Luke 1.74.75. Rom. 6.5. and 14. Ephes. 5.25, 26, &c. Titus 2.11, 12, 13. Rev. 16.7, 11, 17.26, and Revel 7.14.15, &c.

And thirdly, you here make no distinction betwixt interest, and actual communion, where you say,

That the Saints have communion in each others graces,

which is true of the first, not of the last, where the place which you cited out of Epbes. 2.5.6. speaks of the Apostles high attainments, rather then of the pre∣sent state of the Ephesians, and other common belee∣vers.

In your second Section you seem tacitely, first to imply that there are two sorts of Saints, the one by profession onely, such as the members of your Church Catholick were in your former Chapter, and some that are really such, but we are sure that the Lord ad∣mits of no Saints for his Church or people, but such as are truely sanctified, and continuing such he re∣jects them not.

Secondly, You truly say that Saints are bound to maintain an holy communion in the worship of God, but this must be understood with diverse limitations to fence it from error.

For first it must not be Saints living remotely from each other.

Secondly, It holds not concerning an outward wor∣ship, unless the Church set up one that is pious, and pro∣fitable or lawful, at the least, for Christ himself hath instituted no such worship, as we said before.

Thirdly, Yet must all the Saints wheresoever they live, joyn in one true spiritual worship of the living God, in his living righteousness.

Lastly, We grant notwithstanding that such as conve∣niontly can come together, ought as frequently as their occasions and safety will bear, to meet together, for the edification, and comfort of each other, and espe∣cially if the Christian Magistrates, and spiritual Gover∣nours, command such meetings: But the residue of this Section about the relief, of the Saints is sound and good.

In your third and negative Section, you truly and upon good grounds disavow two things.

First, That the Saints are coequal with Christ, for no creature in his highest perfection can be equal to Christ, the one being finite, the other infinite in his divine essence.

And Secondly that the Communion of Saints upon Earth doth not abolish, no nor infringe the title, or propriety which each man hath in his goods and posses∣sions, which is clearly imported in those Scriptures of Exod. 20.15. Ephes. 4.28. and Acts 5.4. which you point us unto, as also in many other places of the Old and New Testament: But whether that estate which the Saints attain at length, when with the Apostle they are raised up together with Christ, and made sit to∣gether with him in the Heavenly places, or things, Ephes. 2.5, 6. be a bare quality or accident, or whether it be a spiritual life, power and substance, we will not dispute; sure we are the Apostle calls it the divine na∣ture, 2 Pet. 1.4. and our Saviour, or Wisdom calls it substance in one notion or other, Prov. 18.21. And I will

cause them to inherit, substance whatsoever that estate is, the Platonists called him that had attained it, not onely 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a deified man, and not onely some of the modern, but even of the ancient writers of the Church use the word codeifying in a good sense, of such as are made pertakers of the Divine nature, according to the capacity of creatures.

Notes

• a

  1 Joh: 1.2 Eph: 3.1, 16, 17, 18. Joh: 1.16. Eph: 2.5, 6. Phil. 3.10. Ro: 6.5, 6. 2 Tim: 2.12
• b

  Eph: 4.15, 16. 1 Cor. 12. y. 1 Cor: 3.21, 22, 23 Col: 2.19.
• c

  Thess: 5.11, 14. Ro: 1.11, 1••, 14. 1 Joh: 3.16, 17, 18. Gal: 6.10.
• d

  Heb: 10.24, 25. Act. 2.42, 46. Isa: 2.3. 1 Cor: 11.20
• e

  Act: 2.44. 45. 1 Joh: 3.17. 2 Cor: 8.9. c. Act: 11.29, 30.
• f

  Col: 1.18, 19. 1 Cor: 8.6. Isa: 42.8 1 Tim: 6.15, 16. Psa: 45.7. with 8.9.
• g

  Exo: 20.15. Eph: 4: 28. Act: 5.4.