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PART III. whereas the earth is but his footstool. But that the subjects of God should have any place as high as his throne, or higher than his footstool, it seemeth not suitable to the dignity of a king, nor can I find any evident text for it in Holy Scripture.

The world to come.

Redemption.

From this that hath been said of the kingdom of God, and of salvation, it is not hard to interpret what is meant by the WORLD TO COME. There are three worlds mentioned in Scripture, the old world, the present world, and the world to come. Of the first, St. Peter speaks, (2 Pet. ii. 5) If God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing the flood upon the world of the ungodly, &c. So the first world, was from Adam to the general flood. Of the present world, our Saviour speaks (John xviii. 36) My kingdom is not of this world. For he came only to teach men the way of salvation, and to renew the kingdom of his Father, by his doctrine. Of the world to come, St. Peter speaks (2 Pet. iii. 13) Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new heavens, and a new earth. This is that WORLD, wherein Christ coming down from heaven in the clouds, with great power, and glory, shall send his angels, and shall gather together his elect, from the four winds, and from the uttermost parts of the earth, and thenceforth reign over them, under his Father, everlastingly.

Salvation of a sinner, supposeth a precedent REDEMPTION; for he that is once guilty of sin, is obnoxious to the penalty of the same; and must pay, or some other for him, such ransom as he that is offended, and has him in his power, shall require. And seeing the person offended, is Almighty God,

is

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Redemption.

in whose power are all things; such ransom is to PART III. be paid before salvation can be acquired, as God hath been pleased to require. By this ransom, not intended a satisfaction for sin, equivalent to the offence; which no sinner for himself, nor righteous man can ever be able to make for another: the damage a man does to another, he may make amends for by restitution or recompense; but sin cannot be taken away by recompense; for that were to make the liberty to sin, a thing vendible. But sins may be pardoned to the repentant, either gratis, or upon such penalty as God is pleased to accept. That which God usually accepted in the Old Testament, was some sacrifice or oblation. To forgive sin is not an act of injustice, though the punishment have been threatened. Even amongst men, though the promise of good, bind the promiser; yet threats, that is to say, promises of evil, bind them not; much less shall they bind God, who is infinitely more merciful than men. Our Saviour Christ therefore to redeem us, did not in that sense satisfy for the sins of men, as that his death, of its own virtue, could make it unjust in God to punish sinners with eternal death; but did make that sacrifice and oblation of himself, at his first coming, which God was pleased to require for the salvation, at his second coming, of such as in the meantime should repent, and believe in him. And though this act of our redemption, be not always in Scripture called a sacrifice, and oblation, but sometimes a price; yet by price we are not to understand anything, by the value whereof, he could claim right to a pardon for us, from his offended Father; but that price which God the Father was pleased in mercy to demand.

PART III. 39.

Church the

CHAPTER XXXIX.

OF THE SIGNIFICATION IN SCRIPTURE OF

THE WORD CHURCH.

THE word Church, (Ecclesia) signifieth in the books of Holy Scripture divers things. Sometimes, though not often, it is taken for God's house, Lord's house. that is to say, for a temple, wherein Christians assembled to perform holy duties, publicly, as (1 Cor. xiv. 34) Let your women keep silence in the Churches: but this is metaphorically put for the congregation there assembled; and hath been since used for the edifice itself, to distinguish between the temples of Christians and idolaters. The Temple of Jerusalem was God's house, and the house of prayer; and so is any edifice dedicated by Christians to the worship of Christ, Christ's house : and therefore the Greek fathers call it Kupiakǹ, the Lord's house: and thence in our language it came to be called kyrke, and church.

Ecclesia, properly what.

Church, when not taken for a house, signifieth the same that ecclesia signified in the Grecian commonwealth, that is to say, a congregation, or an assembly of citizens, called forth to hear the magistrate speak unto them; and which in the commonwealth of Rome was called concio: as he that spake was called ecclesiastes, and concionator. And when they were called forth by lawful authority, (Acts xix. 39) it was Ecclesia legitima, a lawful Church, ἔννομος ἐκκλησία. But when they were excited by tumultuous and seditious clamour, then it was a confused Church, ἐκκλησία συγκεχυμένη.

It is taken also sometimes for the men that have right to be of the congregation, though not actually

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assembled, that is to say, for the whole multitude PART III. of Christian men, how far soever they be dispersed : as (Acts viii. 3) where it is said, that Saul made havoc of the Church: and in this sense is Christ said to be the head of the Church. And sometimes for a certain part of Christians, as (Col. iv. 15) Salute the Church that is in his house. Sometimes also for the elect only; as (Eph. v. 27) A glorious Church, without spot, or wrinkle, holy, and without blemish; which is meant of the Church triumphant, or Church to come. Sometimes, for a congregation assembled of professors of Christianity, whether their profession be true or counterfeit ; as it is understood, (Matth. xviii. 17) where it is said, Tell it to the Church; and if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be to thee as a Gentile, or publican.

the church is one person.

And in this last sense only it is that the Church In what sense can be taken for one person; that is to say, that it can be said to have power to will, to pronounce, to command, to be obeyed, to make laws, or to do any other action whatsoever. For without authority from a lawful congregation, whatsoever act be done in a concourse of people, it is the particular act of every one of those that were present, and gave their aid to the performance of it; and not the act of them all in gross, as of one body; much less the act of them that were absent, or that being present, were not willing it should be done. According to this sense, I define a CHURCH Church to be, a company of men professing Christian religion, united in the person of one sovereign, at whose command they ought to assemble, and without whose authority they ought not to assemble.

defined.

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PART III. And because in all commonwealths, that assembly which is without warrant from the civil sovereign, is unlawful; that Church also, which is assembled in any commonwealth that hath forbidden them to assemble, is an unlawful assembly.

A Christian commonwealth

all one.

It followeth also, that there is on earth, no such and a church universal Church, as all Christians are bound to obey; because there is no power on earth, to which all other commonwealths are subject. There are Christians, in the dominions of several princes and states; but every one of them is subject to that commonwealth, whereof he is himself a member; and consequently, cannot be subject to the commands of any other person. And therefore a Church, such a one as is capable to command, to judge, absolve, condemn, or do any other act, is the same thing with a civil commonwealth, consisting of Christian men; and is called a civil state, for that the subjects of it are men: and a Church, for that the subjects thereof are Christians. Temporal and spiritual government, are but two words brought into the world, to make men see double, and mistake their lawful sovereign. It is true, that the bodies of the faithful, after the resurrection, shall be not only spiritual, but eternal; but in this life they are gross, and corruptible. There is therefore no other government in this life, neither of state, nor religion, but temporal; nor teaching of any doctrine, lawful to any subject, which the vernor both of the state, and of the religion forbiddeth to be taught. And that governor must be one; or else there must needs follow faction and civil war in the commonwealth, between the Church and State; between spiritualists and temporal

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