340. DISMISSION DOXOLOGY. 1 PEACE be to this congregation, Peace to every soul therein; Peace, the earnest of salvation, Peace, the fruit of pardon'd sin. 2 Prince of Peace, be present near us, 3 May the grace of Christ our Saviour, Thus may we abide in union With each other and the Lord, END OF BOOK IV. ON THE CHURCH. THE word Church originally signifies the house or household of God; and hence, in common language, it has come to be applied to the building in which the people of God meet for divine worship. The household or family of God, although one in reality, is usually distinguished in a two-fold manner, as the Church visible and invisible. In the different ages of the world there has been-first, the Patriarchal; next after that, the Jewish; and since the resurrection of Christ, there has been and is now the Christian Church. These, however, are only a continuation of God's household under different forms: multitudes of each of these are now dead, and multitudes more of the last may yet be born-so that the whole body taken together is invisible; those who are gone to glory being called the Church triumphant, while those now on earth bear the name of the Church militant, (or in a state of warfare). This last constitutes the visible Church, the society now existing on earth before our eyes. This visible Church has also been sometimes divided into the outward and inward Church; the one containing all baptized professors-the other true Christians only: but that this distinction is not correct, will appear thus :-A society (which the Church will probably be allowed to be) is necessarily an outward visible tangible thing; for a number of independent persons cannot constitute a society-evidently they must be collected together, and distinguished by certain outward marks and rules to which they are subject: every person must, therefore, be in it or out of it, and known to be so. The notion, then, of a society which is not yet gathered, separated and distinguished, but is in this sense invisible, is manifestly absurd. Doubtless, in the future kingdom of Christ, none but true Christians will have place, because the Lord himself will then have separated the chaff from the wheat; but then, this holy assembly is the Church which is to be, not which is a distinct visible society, to be formed hereafter; for a society not associated, can exist only by anticipation. The Church is called, in our nineteenth Article, a congregation of faithful men," or believers; i. e. a society or body of men called out and distinguished from a heathen world, as was the Jewish Church or congregation of old. From the use of the word "congregation," an error has been committed of supposing an assembled congregation was intended, and that each separate flock, met together for divine worship, is an independent Church of itself (the word, it is true, may be so applied in the New Testament, but it can be only figuratively, taking a part for the whole). The spouse of Christ can be but one; not, therefore, an assembled congregation, for that is impossible, but still a congregation, i. e. a "calling out" and separation from the rest of the world. Of this Church, Christ is the head and supreme governor, his Apostles were its first founders: none but they with his authority, and their successors, could found Churches. There can be none, then, but what they founded; no independent self-constituted Church, formed by private individuals from reading the New Testament, any more than from reading the statute-book of England would make a man justice of the peace without the king's authority. The Apostles went into various countries, and planted Churches every where; and these are described as different Churches, merely because they were separated by the division of the countries; but being all originally under the Apostles' care and government, and holding the same faith and ordinances, they were in fact but one society, and when it was needed, sent relief to each others' wants. After the conversion of the Roman Emperor, who then governed nearly all the known world, these countries being now under one head, general councils were called, and the bishops of each particular Church met together in one body for the determination of all weighty affairs. The first general council held at Nice, A.D. 325, established the Nicene Creed as the standard rule of faith for the whole Church, and it was also decreed, that although the smaller and provincial Churches were now in communion with, and had begun to pay a sort of respect to, the Patriarchal or principal Church, as of Rome, for instance, where were the head-quarters of the empire; yet it should be lawful, if necessary, for them to withdraw from this communion and respect, and to reform each one itself, according to the primitive pattern. This, however, is plainly a very different thing from any one part taking upon itself to establish new doctrines or rules, at variance with the general uncorrupt body-an act by which it would be cutting itself off from the rest, and setting up as independent. It was of course intended that any one, who was baptized a member of the Christian Church in one country, (say England), should be looked upon as a member of the general body, and be received as a Christian all over the world: for if he were refused admittance by any part of the Church, and required to conform to new rules, it would be a proof of that part having separated from the rest, and begun to act independently, and therefore no longer Catholic, but Sectarian. In like manner, a Christian from another country coming into England, would of course be received by us, and would naturally communicate with us as the Church of the country, or in fact, only another part of the same Church he had left. Thus it is at home: he who is baptized in one parish, may, upon changing his abode, be confirmed in another, and communicate in a third, all being but one and the same Church, the ministers of the different parishes being united under one head, the Bishop, from whom they derive their authority, and to whom they are subject: (the rite of confirmation being reserved to the highest order, prevents each parish from becoming distinct, and causes a community of feeling; the councils of the bishops, and the presence of three or more at the consecration of a new one, connects the several dioceses.) No Englishman going to America, would refuse to join the Church there, or think of building one for himself, in opposition to the Church of the place, unless he meant to disown it, which would be absurd; so no American coming here would think of communicating in any other way than with us, otherwise Christ has two Churches at once, or if but one, then whichever be the right, the other must be wrong. Why do we complain of Dissenters, but because they despise and reject our society and communion, and cut themselves off from the great body of Christ's people. When this is done conscientiously, must be borne with; but still it is much to be lamented and where is the Christian charity of that man, who pretends to love his brother, and yet is quite unconcerned that a wall prevents all religious intercourse between them; yet this is called " agreeing to differ."-" We love you as brethren; but do you enter heaven on that side, and we on this, and let us never think of having any communications with each other." Since the breaking up of the Roman Empire, and in consequence of the four Patriarchal (so called) or leading Churches having erred from the true faith, (see Art. 19), it has become necessary for the Churches of the respective countries to ac separately, and regulate their own affairs. Genera councils are now impossible and unlawful, as the subjects of one country cannot consult with thos of another, without the consent and concurrence of the respective rulers, who may possibly be a variance. To exalt the Church above the royal au |