It is all-important to any thing like a clear understanding of the matter in hand, that we should have right apprehensions of the meaning attached to the term church; for this word, as used in scripture, has several senses. It always refers, in its appropriated christian sense, to the kingdom of God, as composed of his professed subjects, who are under the government of his spiritual laws. But it has very different meanings, according to that particular aspect in which this spiritual kingdom is viewed. We may, for instance, consider this kingdom in its universal extent, as embracing all professing christians, in whatever country they are found; or as it is limited to some one particular country, or to some one particular denomination; or we may confine our view to some branch of this widely-extended kingdom, as found in a single city, or congregation. And as the present condition of the church is but a preparation for its future glorious and perfect consummation-when all who have, in any age or period of the world, become true members of the church on earth, shall be found enrolled as members of the church triumphant above-we may consider the term as applicable to this complete and glorious body.

While, therefore, the church is one-one house—one family— one kingdom-one body-one vine-it may be separately considered in any one of these different relations—just as this great republic is one, though made up of many constituent parts, in the several states, territories, cities and families, by the union of which it is formed-or as the human family is one homogeneous body, embracing all who are fellow-heirs to the same humanity, although infinitely diversified as to character, government, and customs.

Now, as it is at once manifest, that what would be proper, as spoken of the republic as a whole, might be very improper when applied to it in any one of its subordinate or separate parts-so is it equally plain, that what may be true of the church in one aspect of it, may be false when applied to it in some other aspect. Herein lies the secret of much of that obscurity and confusion, that perplexity and doubt, in which this whole subject has been involved, by the sophistical reasonings of Romish and prelatical writers. Nor is there any other thread by which we may be able to find our way out of their misty labyrinth, than a careful ascertainment of the true meanings of this important term; so that when it is found laid down in the premise to any argument, in one sense, and then introduced into the conclusion in another, we may be able to detect the wily stratagem, and discover the treacherous arts of those who, by their cunning craftiness, lie in wait to deceive.

The word church is used, we apprehend, in scripture, in five different meanings. It refers to any particular congregation or society of professing christians. It is applied to several congregations or churches, convened as one body under the same general superintendence. It means any assembly of the rulers of the church, when convened as an ecclesiastical judicatory. It is also applied to the whole body of God's redeemed people, who have been, or who shall be, gathered into one, under Christ, the head, and which is generally called the invisible church.5

Considered in this light, the church of Christ is perpetual and indefectible, so that the gates of hell shall never be able to prevail against it. As invisible, the unity of the church is perfect, both as it regards the unity of the faith, and the unity of the spirit. As invisible, the church of Christ embraces all who are true believers; and none but such as are true christians, and very members incorporate of Christ's mystical body. All who are born again by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, and none but they who are thus regenerated by the spirit of our God, are received as members into this church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven. Nor is there any thing necessary or essential to a membership in this glorious society, or to the inheritance of its everlasting rewards, but a true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a faith unites the soul to Him, as our federal and our vital head;-so as that the merit of his righteousness is imputed to us, and the efficacious presence of his Spirit vouchsafed, and his renewing and sanctifying influences graciously imparted. Neither are any outward means, sacraments, and ordinances, otherwise essential to the procurement of these great and inestimable blessings, than as they are made so by God's express appointment; than as they are accessible to the individual believing; or at all otherwise, than as means toward the end;-namely, this union of the soul to Christ. In this view of the church, it is as large as heaven and earth; wide as the compass of creation; boundless as the race of fallen men; illimitable, save by the mercy and the free promises of God, and enduring as eternity itself.

There is one other and very important sense, in which this word is employed in scripture. It means the whole body of

1) See the author's Ecclesiastical Catechism of the Presbyterian

Church, chap. i.

2) See Col. iv. p. 15, and Rom. xvi. 5.

3) See 1 Cor. i. 2, and xiv. 34;

Acts viii. 1, comp. with xxi. 20, and
Acts xv. 6, and xvi. 4.

4) Math. xviii. 15, 17; Heb. xiii. 7; 1 Cor. v.; Acts xiv. 27-xv. 2, 30, 32, and ch. xi. 26.

5) See Eph. v. 25, 27; Col. i. 18; Eph. i. 10, 22, 23.

those throughout the world, of EVERY DENOMINATION, with their children, who profess the christian religion. This is commonly called the visible church, because it includes all who make an outward and open profession of christianity, although many of them may not be truly christians, being unrenewed, unsanctified, and unholy, and, therefore, not members of the church invisible.1 As thus visible, the church includes hypocrites, while as invisible it includes only true believers. As visible, it requires from its members only an external and credible profession of the faith; while, as invisible, it supposes in every member of it a sincere and hearty reception of the truth, in the love of it. As invisible, the only condition necessary to the certain enjoyment of all its blessings, is a true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; as a visible organized body, the church must necessarily be governed by the laws of Christ; she must observe whatever statutes Christ has ordained; she must diligently use whatever means of grace He has chosen to appoint. Thus, as an army, is she enlisted under His banners, as the captain of salvation. Thus, as a family, is she under the wise guidance and discipline of Him, as her head. Thus, as a kingdom, is she in all things subject unto Him, who is the King of Zion, and whose throne is for ever and ever.

Now as all the elements of this visible organization have been instituted for the church, by Christ; as it is his prescribed means to a true membership in the church invisible and eternal; as membership in this church is made necessary to all to whom it is possible; it is of evident and great importance to learn what these elements are, and wherein consists the essential constituents of a true church. Wilfully to set at naught the ordinances of Heaven, were a just provocation of Heaven's righteous indignation; while ignorant neglect of important means of grace, may lead to the impoverishment of the soul, and the loss of great spiritual mercies.

To the most careless observer, there are evidently great varieties of outward order and administration, in the various bodies claiming to be constituent portions of this visible church of Christ, which is also catholic, or universal. All, however, claim for their peculiar arrangements the sanction of scripture: while some maintain, that their order and polity is so scriptural and divine as to be the only one allowable. They, therefore, hold that conformity to their order is absolutely necessary to any inheritance in Israel; and that any deviation from it thereby

1) See Acts ii. 39, 47; 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13, 28; 1 Cor. xv. 9; Acts viii.

3; 1 Corinthians, vii. 14, and x. 32; Acts xiv. 15.

cuts off the non-conforming body from all the privileges and blessings of this heaven-appointed church. And as this visible church is the ordinary and appointed way to that which is invisible and heavenly; such churches are, therefore, as is believed, cut off from any ordinary or known way of salvation. Such are the views entertained by its abettors of the system of prelacy, as exhibited in the Romish and the Anglican churches.

It is, therefore, the object of our present inquiry, to discover, according to the scriptures, what is, and what is not, essential to the constitution of a true visible church, whether that church be regarded as a single congregation, or as a body embracing many such societies.

That there is such a catholic and visible church; and that its perpetuity is based upon the immutability of its foundation, and the indestructibility of its own materials, we require not, in this place, further to prove, since there is, on this point, a consenting harmony among all the churches of the reformation. Their doctrine of Christ, on this subject, has nowhere been better expressed, than in our own confession of faith: "Unto this catholic visible church, Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world; and doth by his own presence and spirit, according to his promise, make them effectual thereunto."

"This catholic church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less, visible. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them."

"The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a church on earth to worship God according to his will."

We proceed, therefore, to the main question before us. what does that succession or constitution, by which the church of Christ is preserved and perpetuated, essentially consist? Does it terminate on the officers themselves, as is taught in the prelatic doctrine of apostolical succession, or is it to be determined by doctrines, so that where the true doctrines of Christ are found to be professed, by those who truly live in accordance with them, there we may safely pronounce this succession to exist?

Now we profess to believe, as Zanchius expressed it in the days of the reformation, that, "as it is necessary that there shall aiways be a church upon earth, because Christ hath promised

that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; so also it is every way as necessary that a lawful ministry be preserved; for the one cannot be separated from the other, neither the church from the ministry, nor the ministry from the church. And hence it appears, that even in the church of Rome, though the worship of God be most corrupt, yet God hath preserved so much of the substance of religion, as was necessary to salvation; so that, as the church is not wholly extinct therein, so neither was the ministry."

Thus, also, our Puritan and nonconformist fathers declared themselves: "We say, that our ministry is derived to us from Jesus Christ. We are his ministers and his ambassadors. It is he that gave pastors and teachers to the church, as well as apostles and evangelists. We say, that ordination of ministers by ministers, is no Romish institution, but instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ himself long before antichrist was. That our ministry is descended to us from Christ, THROUGH the apostate church of Rome, but not FROMм the apostate church of Rome.❜ But the ministry, which is an institution of Christ passing to us through Rome, is not made null and void; no more than the scriptures, sacraments, or any other gospel ordinance, which we now enjoy, and which do also descend to us from the apostles, through the Romish and other corrupt churches." This claim to the true ministry, and, therefore, to the true succession of the ministry, not in exclusion of others, but in a state of greater purity and gospel simplicity than is found in many prelatic communions, we shall attempt to make good. At present, however, we only affirm and assert the fact, that on our principles, the succession of the church is not endangered by the undeniable corruption of the Romish hierarchy; since there never was a period when the Lord had not preserved to himself, within the apostate prelacy, a number, both among the presbyters and the laity, sufficient to act as the salt and the leaven of his church.

But on the system of prelacy, as we have shown, there is not a shred of well-grounded confidence, or even hope, that there is any true church now existing upon the earth; or a single validly constituted minister in the whole world; and consequently, no certainty that any individual can, according to God's ordinary plan, be possibly saved. For, if this succession of the church is bound up in the assured certainty of an unbroken line of prelatic

1) Zanch. in Four Præcep. pp. 7, 19. This, however, is a very different thing from A PERSONAL PRELATICAL SUCCESSION, every link of which is asserted to be genuine and valid.

2) No-nor through the succes

sion of its pretended apostles, who were, many of them, apostates.

3) The Div. Right of the Gospel Min. pt. ii. p. 33, by the Provincial Assembly in Lond. in 1654. See all chap. iii.