-32 Chapter 32. Of the Church Instituted.

1-32 Chapter 32. Of the Church Instituted.

1. The Church as it lives on Earth, though it is not wholly visible together, yet it is visible in its parts, both dividedly in its several members, and jointly in companies or Congregations.
2. The former visibility is by men’s personal profession, which does not make a Church simply visible, but visible in certain members, or visible members of the Church, although the Church in itself, or in its integral state, is not visible in the same place. Acts 19:1, Paul came to Ephesus where he found certain Disciples.
3. That visibility which is in distinct companies or congregations, not only makes a visible Church, but touching the outward form, it makes as many visible churches as there are distinct congregations. Revelation 1:4, The seven churches. 2 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Corinthians 8:19, The Churches of Macedonia, all the churches.
4. For those congregations are similarly parts of the catholic Church, and so they partake both of the name and nature of it.
5. Therefore, a particular Church in respect to that common nature which is found in all particular Churches, is a Species of the Church in general; but in respect to the catholic Church, which respects the whole, it is a member compounded of various individual members gathered together; and so in respect to those members, it is also a whole.
6. Such a congregation or particular Church is a society of believers joined together by a special band among themselves, for the constant exercise of the communion of Saints among themselves.
7. It is a society of believers, because that same thing in profession makes a Church visible, which by its inward and real nature makes a Church mystical: and that is Faith.
8. But true Faith has holiness joined with it, which faith effectually works, Acts 15:9.524 And so the profession of true faith cannot be disjoined from the profession of holiness; therefore the Church is promiscuously, and in the same sense, called a society of believers and of Saints.525 Ephesians 1:1, to the Saints which are at Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:2, compared with 2 Corinthians 1:1; Romans 1:7; Colossians 1:2.526
9. Hence visible and particular Churches also, by reason of this Faith which they profess, are rightly said to be in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1.527
10. It is also very probable that there is no particular Church in which the profession of the true Faith flourishes, that there is not also found in them some true believers.
11. But those who are only believers by profession, so long as they remain in that society, are members of that Church, just as they are also members of the catholic Church as touching the outward state — but not as touching the inward or essential state. 1 John 2:19, They went out from us, but they were not of us.
12. The children of those believers who are in the Church are also to be accounted as members of the Church. 1 Corinthians 7:14, Your children are holy. For they are partakers of the same covenant, and of the same profession with their parents.528
13. Yet infants are not such mature members of the Church that they can exercise acts of communion, or be admitted to partake of all its privileges, unless there first appears an increase of Faith. But they are not to be excluded from those privileges which pertain to the beginning of Faith and entrance into the Church.
14. Believers do not make a particular Church — even though they may meet and live together in the same place — unless they are joined together by a special bond among themselves; for otherwise some one Church would often be dissolved into many, and many would also be confounded into one.
15. This bond is a covenant, either express or implicit, whereby believers particularly bind themselves to perform all those duties, both toward God and toward one another, which pertain to the respect and edification of the church.529
16. This is why in the Old Testament we so often read of the renewing of their covenant, just as there is related any solemn reformation of the Church.530
17. Hence, none is rightly admitted to the Church except by confession of Faith, and the promise of obedience.531
18. This joining together by covenant only makes a Church so far as it respects the exercising of the communion of Saints; for the same believing men may join themselves by covenant to make a City or some civil society, as they immediately respect a common civil good; but they do not make a Church except as in their constitution they respect holy communion with God among themselves.
19. Hence, the same man may make a City or political society and not a Church; or make a Church and not a City; or make both a Church and a City.
20. This is why it is that those meetings which are formally Ecclesiastical, are said to be had in the Name of the Lord, Matthew 18:20; 1 Corinthians 5:4.532
21. Nor does some sudden joining together and exercise of Holy Communion suffice to make a Church, unless there is also that constancy (at least in intention) which brings the state of a body and its members into a certain spiritual polity.533
22. This Church is instituted by God and by Christ. Hebrews 3:3-4. He that builds the House, for every House is built by someone; and in this respect it differs from the mystical Church. Gathering this mystical Church together into one is not prescribed to men, but performed immediately by divine operation. But gathering together an instituted Church is so performed by God that his command, and man’s duty and labor, come between. Hebrews 10:25, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.
23. But it is ordained by God and Christ only, because men of themselves have neither the power to institute or frame a church unto Christ, nor by the revealed will of God do they have any such power committed to them. Their greatest honour is that they are servants in the House of God, Hebrews 3:5.534
24. Therefore, it is not in the power of man either to take away any of those things which Christ has granted to his Church, nor to add other things to them of a similar kind — although, by all lawful means, man may and ought to provide that those things which Christ has ordained, may be furthered and confirmed.
25. But Christ has so instituted the Church that it always depends upon himself as the head; so that if it is distinctly considered without Christ, it is not a complete body.535
26. Hence the Church itself may not properly make new Laws for herself, of new things to be ordained; but she should only care for this: that she well finds out the will of Christ, and observes his ordinances in order and decently, with the greatest fruit of edification.
27. But because the ordinances of Christ always have a blessing of God joined with them, various promises of God are thereby made to the Church, of the presence of Christ. Matthew 18:20; 1 Corinthians 5:4. Thus in a special manner, he is said to be conversant with and to walk in the Churches, Revelation 2:1; Isaiah 31:9.536 And promises are made of the presence of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah 59:21.537 So that a more ample and certain blessing of God may be expected in the instituted Church of God, than in any solitary life whatsoever.
28. Therefore those who have an opportunity to join themselves to the Church, and yet neglect it, more grievously sin not only against God in respect to his ordinance, but also against their own soul in respect to the blessing adjoined to it. And if they obstinately persist in their carelessness, whatever they may otherwise profess, they can scarcely be considered to be believers who are truly seeking the Kingdom of God.
29. The profession of the true FAITH is the most essential note of the Church.
30. This profession may, in some company, go before the solemn preaching of the Word, and the administration of the Sacraments.538