* Rom, yiii. 9.

II. For our acknowledgment of the Eminency of his Perfon, and our Defire of the Excellency of his Graces, and the abundance of his Gifts. If any Man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his *. It ought to be our conftant Petition, what the Apoftle wifheth to the Corinthians, that the Communion of the Holy Ghost may be †2 Cor. xiii. 14. with us all +: Nor should we think any thing worth our Care and Defire, in comparison with the Supply of the Spirit of Jefus Chrift *.

1 Pet. i. 2.

2 Cor. vii. 1.

III. For our Encouragement in complying with the gracious Office and Act of the Holy Spirit, our Sanctification. If GOD bath from the beginning chofen us to 2 Theff. ii. 13. Salvation, through the Sanctification of the Spirit +; if we are elected according to the foreknowledge of GOD, through the Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience *; how should we endeavour to cleanse our felves from all Filthiness of Flefb and Spirit, perfecting Holiness in the Fear of GOD+? The Temple of GOD is holy, which Temple we are, if the Spirit of GOD dwelleth in us *. The Inhabitation of GOD is a Confecration, and that Place must be a Temple, where his Honour dwelleth. If then we know that our Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoft, within us, which we have of GOD, and that we are not our own, but are bought with a Price, we must also know, that we ought therefore to glorify GOD, in our Body, and in our Spirit, which are GOD's †.

#1 Cor. iii. 17.

41 Cor. vi. 19,

ons.

IV. For the strengthning our Weakness, the fupporting our Infirmities, the filling us with Comfort, and Peace, and Joy, under our Discouragements and AfflictiThe Kingdom of GOD is not Meat and Drink, but Righteousness and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost *. The first Difciples were filled with Foy and with the Holy Ghost +: And those which afterwards became Followers of them and of the Lord, received the Word in much Affliction, but with Joy of the Holy Ghost *. This is the River of living Water, flowing out of his Belly that believeth †. This is the Oil of Gladness, wherewith the Son of GOD was 4nointed above his Fellows *: but with the fame Oil are his Fellows also anointed; for we have an Unction from the Holy One, and the anointing which we receive of him abideth in ust.

V. For

V. For the continuation of a fucceffive Ministry, and a Christian Submiffion to the Acts of their Function, unto the End of the World. As GOD the Father fent the Son, and the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, because He had anointed him to preach the Gospel *; fo the Son * Lukę iv. 18. fent the Apostles, faying, As my Father bath fent me, even fo fend I you: And when He had faid this, He breathed on them, and faith unto them, Receive the Holy Ghoft t. And tJoh. xx.21,22. as the Son sent the Apostles, fo did they fend others by virtue of the fame Spirit, and gave them Power still to continue the Minifterial Succeffion. Those who are thus feparated by Ordination to the Work of the Lord, are to feed the Flock of GOD, which is among them, taking the Overfight thereof *: And thofe committed to their *1 Pet. v. 2 Care, are to remember and obey them which have the Rule over them, and fubmit themfelves, for that they watch for their Souls, as they who must give account †.

+ Heb.xiii. 7, 17.

ARTICLE IX.

The holy Catholick Church, the Communion of Saints.

I

The holy Catholick Church,

Am fully perfuaded, and make a free Confeffion of this, as of a neceffary and infallible Truth, that Christ, by the preaching of the Apoftles, did gather unto Himself a Church (a), confifting of Thoufands of believing Perfons, and numerous Congregations, to which He daily added fuch as fhould be faved, and will fuccef fively and daily add to the fame, till the End of the World. So that by virtue of his all-fufficient Promise, I am affur'd that there was, hath been hitherto, now is, and hereafter fhall be, fo long as the Sun and Moon endure (6), Church of Christ, one and the fame (c). This Church I believe in general Holy, in respect of the Author, End, and Administration of it (d); particularly in the Members, here I acknowledge it really, and hereafter perfectly holy (e). I look upon this Church not like that of the Jews, limited to one People, confin'd to one Nation: but by the Appointment and Command of Christ,

a

and

and by the Efficacy of his affifting Power, to be diffeminated thro' all Nations, to be extended to all Places, to be propagated to all Ages; to contain in it all Truths neceffary to be known, to exact abfolute Obedience from all Men to the Commands of Christ, and to furnifh us with all Graces, neceffary to make our Perfons acceptable, and our Actions well-pleafing in the Sight of GOD (f).

Kyriac. kyrk, and Church.

'Exxandi.

(a) Our English Word firft fignified the House of the Lordt, or of Chrift, and thence was taken to fignify the From People of GOD meeting in his House. The Greek δικος κυριακός Name* ftrictly denotes a calling forth, but, in common ufe, a Congregation of Men, thus call'd, or affembled together. In a large fenfe it has been us'd by Chriftians to import the whole complex Body of Men and Angels worshipping the fame GOD: Or, however, the entire Company of the Faithful from the beginning of the World. But the former of these acceptations cannot be here admitted; because our Lord took not on Him the Nature of Angels: Nor the latter, because, tho' He was the Lamb flain from the Foundation of the World, and whofoever from the beginning pleafed GOD were faved by his Blood, yet there is a vast difference between the feveral Difpenfations: The Synagogue was to fail, when the Church was built; and the Univerfality of this is oppos'd to the legal Singularity of that. The Notion therefore of the Church must be reftrain'd to Chriftians only; and the Nature of it be concluded from the New Testament +. Our Lord first speaking of the Church, mentions it as what then was not, but fhould afterwards be; faying to the great Apostle, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church. But after our Lord's Afcenfion, and his fending the Holy Spirit,

+ Yet not from thofe Places, where

it fignifies either an Affembly, accord ing to Claffical Ufe, as Acts xix 32,39, 49. or a Congregation of Jews, as Acts viii. 38. Heb. ii. 12. or the Place of xi. 26. Cor ix. 18. 22. tho' this latWorlhip, as fome think it doth in Ads

ter may as well be interpreted of the People.

after the Affem

bly

Acts ii. 47.

Acts ii. 42.

Acts iv. 32.

bly of the Hundred and twenty Disciples was increased by the addition of Three thoufand Souls, then we read that the Lord added to the Church daily fuch as fhould be faved†; and that Church was built upon St. Peter, the multitude of Believers having been chiefly converted by his Preaching. So that the Church was then, a certain Number of Perfons, of whom fome were Apoftles, fome the former Difciples, others, fuch as repented and believed, were baptiz'd, and continued hearing the Word, receiving the Sacrament, joining in the Publick Service; and embracing one another with the firmeft Charity: The new Converts continued ftedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship, and in breaking of Bread, and in Prayer *; and the multitude of them that believed were of one Heart, and one Soul t. But because the Church hitherto mention'd was one by way of Origination, and afterwards divided into many; whereas the Church which we believe is one, by way of Complexion; it will be necessary to confider how, at firft, thofe feveral Churches were conftituted, that we may understand how, in this one Church, they are all united. It is therefore to be obferv'd, that as we find in the Singular, the believing and baptiz'd Part of a private Family ftyled a Church, as the Church in the House of Prifcilla and Aquila (a), of Nymphas (b), and of Philemon (c); and in the Plural we read of the Churches (d), the Churches of GOD (e), the Churches of the Gentiles (f), the Churches of the Saints (g); the Churches of Judea (b), of Samaria and Galilee (i), of Syria and Cilicia, of Galatia (k), of Afia (1), of Macedonia (m); fo the Believers in great and populous Cities, tho' compofing many Churches or Congregations in the former Senfe, are yet spoken of in the fingular number, and under the Notion of one Church; as the Church at Jerufalem (n), at Antioch (o), at Cæfarea (p), at Ephefus (q), the Church of the Theffalonians (r), of Laodicea (s), of Smyrna (t), of Pergamus (u), of Thyatira (x), of Sardis (y), of Philadelphia (z); and when St. Paul enjoins the Corinthians, let your Women keep Silence in the Churches (aa), the Dedication of the Epiftle, is, to the Church of GOD which is at Corinth. The number of Churches, therefore, in this Senfe, followed the number of the Angels, or Rulers, as is evident in the Reveça 1 Cor. xív.34. lation; the feveral Congregations in every great City and

a Rom. xvi. 5. Coloff. iv. 15. < Philem. 2

d Acts xvi. 5. I Cor. xvi. 34.

Cor.viii. 19.

1 Cor. xi. 16. f Rom. xvi. 4. 1 Cor. xiv. 34.

Gal. i. 22. ¿A&ts ix. 31.

k1 Cor. XVI. I. Z Rev.i. 11.

1 2 Cor. viii. 1.

Acts viii. 1. Acts xvi. 22.

Acts xiii. 40.

Acts xx. 17. 2 Theff. i. 1.

Coloff. iv. 16.

Rev. in. 14. Rev. ii. 8.

Rev. ii. 12.

Rev. ii. 18. Rev, iii. 1.

2. Rev.iii. 7.

the