mon, there can be but one Body; and therefore if one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm, one God and Father of all, be common to the whole Chriftian Church, if there be no peculiar Priviledges, which belong to fome Chriftians and not to all, to one part of the Church, and not to another, then by the Inftitution of Chrift, there is but one Church, one Body, one Communion, one Household and Family For where there is nothing to Diftinguish and Separate, no Enclosures or Partitions of Divine Appointment, there can be, by Divine Inftitution, but one Body.

2. I add, that the Church is a Body or Society of Men feparated from the reft of the World, or called out of the World, as inax, from whence Ecclefia is derived, may fignifie, and is fo expounded by many Divines, upon which account the Chriftians are fo often called, the nanoì, and λxi, the Called and Chofen or Elect People of God, which fignifies, that the Church is diftinguifhed from the reft of the World by a peculiar and appropriate Faith, by peculiar Laws, by peculiar rites of Worfhip, and peculiar Promifes and Priviledges, which are not common to the whole World, but only to thofe, who are received into the Communion of the Church. But there is no controverfie about this matter, and therefore I need add no more about it.

3. The Church is a Body of Men united to God and to themselves by a Divine Covenant: The Church is united to God, for it is a Religious Society, instituted for the Worship of God; and they are united among themselves, and to each other, because it is but one Body, which requires a union of all its parts; as I have already fhewed, and fhall difcourfe more prefently. But the chief thing to be obferved here is this, that this union with God, and to each other,

which constitutes a Church, is made by a Divine Cove nant. Thus it was the Jewish Church, God entered into Covenant with Abraham,and chose him and his Posterity for his Church and Peculiar People,and gave him Circumcifion for a Sign and Seal of this Covenant. And under the Gospel God hath made a new Covenant with mankind, in and by his Son Jefus Chrift, who is the Mediator of a Better Covenant, founded upon better Promifes; and this Gofpel Covenant is the foundation of the Chriftian Church. For the Chriftian Church is nothing elfe, but fuch a Society of Men, as is in Covenant with God through Christ.

I fuppofe all men will grant, that God only can make or conftitute a Church. For fuch perfons, if there were any fo abfurd, are not worth difputing with, who dare affirm the Church to be a human Creature, or the invention of Men.

And I think it is as plain, that the only visible way God has of forming a Church (for I do not now speak of the invifible operations of the Divine Spirit) is by granting a Church-Covenant, which is the Divine Charter, whereon the Church is founded, and invefting fome perfons with Power and Authority, to receive others into this Covenant,according to the terms and conditions of the Covenant, and by fuch Covenant Rites and Forms of Admission, as he is pleafed to inftitute, which under the Gofpel is Baptifm, as under the Law it was Circumcifion.

To be taken into Covenant with God, and to be received into the Church, is the very fame thing. For the Church is a Society of Men, who are in Covenant with God. That can be no Church, which. is not in Covenant with God, he is no member of the Church, who is not at least visibly admitted into Gods Covenant, and whoever is in Covenant with God,,

is..

is made a member of the Church, by being admitted into Covenant.

Now before I proceed, I fhall briefly obferve fome few things, which are fo plain and evident, if these Principles be true, that I need only name them, and yet are of great ufe for the refolution of fome following cafes.

As 1. That a Covenant-ftate and Church-ftate the fame thing.

2. That every profeft Chriftian, who is received into Covenant, as fuch, is a Church member.

3. That nothing elfe is neceffary to make us members of the Chriftian Church but only Baptifm, which is the Sacrament of our admiffion into the Christian Covenant. For if Baptifm, which gives us right to all the Priviledges of the Covenant, does not make us Church members, then a Church-ftate is no part of the Covenant; then a man may be in Covenant with God through Chrift, and yet be no member of Chrift; or he may be a member of Christ and no member of his Body, which is the Church.

4. That no Church-ftate can depend upon human Contracts and Covenants, for then a Church would be a human Creature, and a human Constitution whereas a Church can be founded only upon a Divine Covenant. It is true, no man, who is at age, can be admitted to Baptifm till he profefs his Faith in Christ, and voluntarily undertake the Baptismal Vow; but the Independent Church-Covenant betwixt Pastor and People, is of a very different Nature from this unless any man will fay, that the voluntary contract and Covenant, which the Independents exact from their members,and wherein they place a Church-ftate, be part of the Baptifmal Vow. If it be not, then they found the Church upon a human Covenant, for

Chrift hath made but one Covenant with Mankind, which is contained in the Vow of Baptifm. If it be,then no Man is a Chriftian, but an Independent, and then they would do well to fhew, how the Baptifmal Vow, which is but one and the fame for all Mankind, determines one Man to be a fixt member of Dr. Owens Church, another of Mr.Griffiths, or any other Independent Paftors; and if they could get over this difficulty,there is another ftill,why they exact this ChurchCovenant of Baptized Chriftians, before they will admit them to their Communion, if Baptifm makes them members of their Church.

This I think makes it plain, that the Independent Church-Covenant is no part of the Baptifmal Vow, and then it is no part of the Chriftian Covenant; and if there be no true Church-ftate, but what depends on fuch human Contracts, then the Church owes its being to the will of Men, not to the Covenant of God.

5. I obferve farther, how abfurd it is to gather Churches out of Churches, which already confift of Baptized Chriftians. Christianity indeed feparates us from the rest of the World, but furely it does not separate Christians from each other. The Apostles only undertook to Convert Jews and Heathens to the Chriftian Faith, and to make them members of the Christian Church, which is a state of feparation from the World; but thefe Men Convert Christians from Common Christianity, and the Communion of the univerfal Church, to Independency. If the Church be founded on a divine Covenant, we know no Church but what all Chriftians are made members of by Baptifm, which is the univerfal Church, the one Body and Spouse of Christ. And to argue from the Apoftles gathering Churches from among Jews and Heathens,

Heathens, to prove the gathering Churches out of a Chriftian and National Church, muft either conclude, that a Church, and Church-state is a very indifferent and Arbitrary thing, and that Men may be very good Chriftians, and in a safe condition without it; or that Baptized Chriftians, who are not members of a particular Independent Church, are no better than Jews and Heathens, that is, that Baptifm it felf though a Divine Sacrament and Seal of the Covenant, is of no value, till it be confirmed and ratified by a human Independent Covenant.

6. I observe, that if the Christian Church be founded on a Divine Covenant, on that new Covenant, which God hath made with Mankind in Christ, then there is but one Church of which all Chriftians are members, as there is but one Covenant into which we are all admitted by Baptifm. For the Church and the Covenant must be of an equal extent. There can be but one Church founded upon one Covenant, and all who have an intereft in the fame Covenant, are members of the fame Church.

And therefore, tho the distance of place, and the neceffities and conveniences of Worship and Difcipline, may, and has divided the Church into feveral parts and members, and particular Churches, yet the Church cannot be divided into two or more distinct and separate Churches, for that deftroys the unity of the Church: and unless they could divide the Covenant also, two Churches, which are not members of each other, cannot partake in the fame Covenant but the guilty Divider forfeits his intereft in the Covenant without a new grant.

A Prince indeed may grant the fame Charter to fe veral distinct Cities and Corporations, but then tho the matter of the Charter be the fame, their right to