Church being described in Scripture but as a little flock, and that as our Saviour fays there are but few which find the narrow way which leads to Life, and enter in at the ftrait gate; and because the qualification of thofe of the invisible Church who fhall be faved, as defcribed in Scripture, feems to agree but to a few of those who profefs the Chriftian Religion; and because the Church is but One; bereupon they come to be perfuaded that none are really and truly of the Church but fuch whofe qualifica tion agrees with their defcription to whom Salvation is indeed promifed. But as for others they efteem them no more to be true. and real Members of the Church,

than wooden Legs and glass Eyes are Members of the Body of a

Man.

But then there are Scriptures which must be confidered likewife which have foretold of the coming of many whole Nations into the Church both Kings and their People, and of the numerous increase of it, when a little one fhall become a thousand, and a fmall one a ftrong Nation: when the ftone cut out of the mountain without hands fhall fill the wole Earth, when for number they fhall fay the place is too ftrait for me: give place to me that I may dwell, and the like; for there are many fuch Predictions in Scripture, Now unless they will fay that

whole

one

whole Nations and those vaft mimbers forementioned, are all of the Church as invisible (which is more then they will or can fay) they must of neceffity admit of a distinction of a two-fold state of and the fame Catholick Church, the one external and vifible, the other internal and invifible. And if this diftinction be admitted, then thefe Predictions concerning the vast extent of the Church, will be fairly reconcileable to thofe other Scriptures which speak of it in a more contracted, and limited sense; without which they feem irreconcileable. For what fome Scriptures Speak touching the pancity or fewneß of Church-members, and what others fay touching a far greater number,

of

of which the Church doth and will confift, are both true in different refpects; the one in respect of the Internal and Invisible state of the Church; the other in respect of that which is external and vifible. And this distinction is fairly justified by what our blessed Saviour bath faid more than once, to wit, that many are called, but few are chofen.

ind if any should fancie that this twofold ftate of Church-members implies two Churches, the one vifible, the other invisible; there is no ground for it, since thofe who are of the Church as invisible, are the fame Perfons which are in external and visible Union and Communion with those who are of the Church only as vi

fible, and fo make one Church

with them.

But we cannot fay

they make one Church with thefe, and another by themselves, for then there would be two Churches indeed, and yet of the fame perfons for a confiderable part. Confidering then this twofold State of the Church, it will not be difficult at all to conceive how and why a participation in the external priviledges of the Church, does belong to all that are externally and visibly of it, when yet a participation in the internal and invisible priviledges of it, belongs only to those who are of the Church in refpect of its invisible as well as vifible state. As there are different qualifications of perfons of the fame Church, fo there are different