THIS Epistle seems to have been writ­ten, by the Apostle Paul, with two distinct Views, both of them con­spiring to promote the Truth, and Vigour, of the Christian Religion, viz. to bring off the christianized Jews from their Fondness to [...] Law of Moses; that they might not mingle the Rites, and Ceremonies, of that ancient Paedagogy, which was now abolished, with the purer, and more spiritual, Services of the Gospel: and to purge the christianized Gentiles of their Attachment unto vain Philosophy, after the Traditions of Men, and Elements of the World, that the Doctrine, which is according to Godliness, might not be corrupted, and a [...]ulterated, with that, which, tho' it had a Shew of Wisdom and Humility, was truly but a cover to [Page 2] Ignorance and Pride, being an intruding into Things which they have not seen, while they were vainly puffed up in their fleshly Mind.

And that he might prevail with both these Sorts of Proselytes to live according to the Christian Scheme, believing the Doctrines, and Practising the Duties, of it, tho' somewhat different from the Law of Moses, and inexplicable by the Wisdom of Phi­losophy, he refers them to the Original of the Christian Institution, and lets them know, that neither that famous Lawgiver, whom the Jews had such a Ve­neration for, nor any of the Heads of the Sects of the Heathen Philosophers, whom the Gentiles esteem­ed their Masters, were the Authors of this divine System, but JESUS CHRIST, the incarnate Son of GOD, who greatly excelled them all, having in all Things the Pr [...]heminence.

And to convince both Jews and Gentiles, that neither Moses, nor Plato, nor any other Master of Reason, was comparable unto this JESUS, and therefore not to be equally reverenced & submitted to, the Apostle, in my Context, sets before them, some of the bright Characters of CHRIST, which fully point out his superiour Excellencies; as, His near Relation unto the living GOD, being His dear Son, and so best a [...]quainted with his Mind; and his Image, being most like him, and setting before the World the nearest Representation of the Deity; and as having the Supremacy over all Creatures, being their Maker, and Ruler, who best knew how to give Law unto them; and as having a special Relation unto a peculiar People, being the Head of the Church; upon all which Accounts he was ad­mirably qualified, beyond all that went before him, to instruct the World in the Mind, & Will, of GOD, and therefore deserved a more diligent Attention, and profound Submission, than any other Master.

The last of these Characters I have chosen for the chief Subject of my present Discourse; tho' I [Page] shall have Occasion to take a little Notice of the o­thers, as I pass along: He is the Head of the Body, the Church. The former Characters place Him at the Head of the Universe, as superiour unto all Creatures; (upon which we were agreably enter­tain'd, on an other Occasion yesterday,^†) This sets Him at the Head of a peculiar People, and speaks his special Right of Dominion over them, and most tender Regards for them.

I shall not attempt to enter into a particular Con­sideration of all that these Words would naturally afford, but only offer a few Thoughts upon two Things contained in them, namely,

• I. The Church.
• II. The Head of the Church. And then I shall,
• III. Draw such Inferences from them, as are sui­table unto the present Occasion.

1. I shall first offer some Considerations upon the Church. And under this Head, I shall endeavour to shew, according to the best Light I can get,

• 1. What is the Church;
• 2. Of what does the Church consist; and
• 3. What constitutes [...]t.

I. I shall endeavou [...] shew, what is the [...]; what is meant by the Church, bothName, & Thing.

A due Consideration of this will serve to prevent our Minds being imposed upon, by the equivocal Use of the Phrase, the Church, and enable us to discourse properly about it.

[Page 4]Here then, I would observe in the General, that the Church means,^† a particular Company, se­lected from among Mankind, belonging unto CHRIST, their special Head. Therefore it is here called his Body, that Body of which He is, in a pe­culiar manner, the Head; so that they belong un­to Him, as the Body belongeth unto the Head; and this Body is composed from among the Chil­dren of Men, whom the Apostle here distinguishes from all other Creatures whatever. But then it is to be remembred that this Church fallsunder vari­ous Considerations; as,

1. Either visible, or invisible. The invisible Church meaneth, all true Believers on Christ; all for whom Christ effectually dyed; all that ever were, and ever shall be, called out of a State of Sin and Misery, and brought into a State of Salvation by Jesus Christ. Thus the Church is caetus evocatus, from the Idea whereof some suppose the Word Ecclesia takes its Rise. It is the whole Company who are chosen to be the Heirs of Grace here, and of Glory hereafter. This is the Church, which GOD hath purchased with his own Blood: ^(a) Part where­of has already entred upon the Possession of the glorious Rewards above, while a Part is yet strug­gling for the Mastery, and running for the Crown; and a Part thereof yet remains to enter upon the Stage of Action, and fulfill their Warfare; and then the whole Company of the Redeemed shall appear in one Body, with Palms of Victory in their Hands, and radiant Crowns upon their Heads, with the Songs of the ransomed of the Lord in their Mouths, shouting their loud and endless Hosanna's, unto Him that hath redeemed them unto GOD, by [Page] His Blood, out of every Kindred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation. This is properly the catholic [...] Church, known unto GOD, but invisible unto us.

But then, there is the visible Church, which con­sisteth of the externally called, by the Grace of the Gospel, to a visible Profession of CHRIST, [...] their Head, and Lord: of which the Apostle spake, when he said, ^(a) I persecuted the Church of GOD. This Church, as visible, is to be considered

2. As more General, or Particular.

Thus the Church, in General, means all visible Christians, in all Parts of the World, and in any Age of it, that call upon the Name of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, both their Lord, and ours. The Church of CHRIST is, and can be, but one, be­ing his Spouse, and consisteth of visible Christians, all the World over; however loca [...]y distant, and variously denominated; these all make up but one Body, are called in one Hope, having one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, and one God and Father of all. ^(b) And may be called the visible Catholick Church.

But, because this whole Company of professed Christians, in all Parts of the World, cannot possi­bly meet together in one Assembly, to perform those Acts of Worship which CHRIST hath appointed, in his Word; therefore the great Founder of the Christian Church hath wisely provided for the sub­sisting of this whole Body in particular Assemblies, as the humane Nature does in it's Individuals; and hence the Church falls under a more limited Con­sideration, and intendeth such a Number of visible Christians, being a Part of the whole Body, as assem­ble together, in one Place,^(c) at one Time, to at­tend upon the various Duties of instituted Worship; which therefore, in the Days of the Gospel, is, and can be, no other than Congregational.

[Page]Our Platform ^* observes, ‘the Matter of the Church, in respect of it's Quantity, ought not to be of greater Number than may ordinarily meet together conveniently in one Place; nor ordinarily fewer, than may conveniently carry on Church Work.’ And Mr.Cotton, in his Catec [...]ism, gives us this Definition of a Church, ‘A Congre­gation of Saints, joyned together in the Bonds of the Covenant, to worship the Lord, and edify one another, in all his holy Ordinances:’ Which is very little different from the Account, those Wor­thies, which compiled the 39 Articles of the Church of England, give us, of a Church, in the 19th Ar­ticle. ‘The visible Church of Christ (say they,) is a Congregation of faithful Men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacra­ments be duly ministred, according to Christ's Ordinance, in all things that are of Necessity un­to the same.’ And we must leave it to those who subscribe those Articles to inform us, how a Congrega­tion of faithful Men, in which the pure word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministred, meaneth the same Thing with Twenty, or an Hun­dred such Congregations, assembling at a great Distance from one an other.

A Congregation of Saints, or, faithful Men, wor­shiping the Lord in all his holy Ordinances, or, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sa­craments be duly ministred, truly, according to the View which the New-Testament gives us of this Matter, seems, to me, to be a very good Definition of a particular Church; and therefore that loose Mode of Speech, that a Church is a worshipping Society, is by no means to be approved of, because the [...]e may be innumerable worshiping Societies in which the Ordinances of Christ neither are, nor can be, duly ministred.

[Page]This particular Church, as a Congregation of Saints, worshiping the Lord in all his holy Ordinances, is all the Instituted Church that is to be found under the New Testament Dispensation: for we may observe that it is the constant Language of the Acts, and Epistles, of the Apostles, by whom the Gospel Church was compleated, that a Church means such, or such, a particular Assembly of Christians, worshiping God, under the Inspection, and Presidency, of their own Pastor, Bishop, Minister, or Elder, by all which Ti­tles he is denominated; as, the Church of Ephesus ^(a), the Church at Corinth^(b), &c. And when the A­postles speak of the Assemblies of Christians in a Pro­vince, or Kingdom, they speak, not in the singular, but, in the plural Number; as, the Churches of Ga­latia ^(c), the Churches of Macedonia ^(d). &c.

And after the most laborious Enquiry into the State of the Primitive Church, it appears to have been the constant Practice, the first three hundred Years after Christ, that the Churches consisted of particular Congregations, each having their own Pastor, to minister unto them in the holy Things of God ^*; and every such Assembly of professed Christians, with their own Pastor at their Head, wor­shiping God according to all his holy Ordinances, ‘had entire Power within it self, to manage the Affairs of the Kingdom of Christ, and the holy Discipline belonging to it, without any Dependance upon any superiour Power upon Earth:’ which, the venerable Dr. Increase Mather, in his Attestation to the Ratio Disciplinae Fratrum Nov Anglorum, says, was the Principle of our Fathers, who laid the Foun­dation of these Churches, in this Wilderness.

Surely, then, we may well eno' rest satisfied with this honourable Account of our Fathers, and firmly [Page] abide by their Principles, when we have the sacred Scripture so plainly directing of us, [...] the Practice of the Church of Christ, the first three Hundred Years, and the Definition of a Church, by the Foun­ders of the Church of England, so strongly abetting of us therein.

Thus I have considered what is a Church, which in the General, comprehends the whole Body of professing Christians, but more particularly consi­dered, means a particular Assembly of visible Christians, worshiping the Lord in all his holy Ordinances.

II. I shall now pass to consider, of what does this Church consist. And here, as to the invisible Church of Christ, this consisteth of the whole Company of true Believers, the really sanctified in Christ Jesus. But then, the visible Church, whether General, or Particular, consisteth of visible Saints. Our Plat­form styles them Saints by Calling ^*; and compre­hends under that Style, visible Professors, & their Infant­S [...]d ^†, who, indeed, from the Beginning of a vi­sible Church upon Earth, were a Part of it ^(a). These, in the sacred Scriptures, are termed the sanctified ^(b), the called to be Saints ^(c); and in the primitive Church, agreable to Scripture Language, were called, the Elect, faithful Men, Brethren, and the like ^‡.

These Constituents of a Church are to be consi­dered, according to their different Station, and Em­ployment, in a particular Church, where, there must of Necessity be, some to minister in all the Parts of divine Worship, and that by proper Authority de­rived from CHRIST therefor, and others that are ministred unto. So that there are the Officers of the Church, which are, not of humane, but of divine Appointment; namely, Elders, Pastors, Bishop, ^(d), [Page] who are also styled Stewards ^(a), Watchmen ^(b), Rulers ^(c), in the Church of God; by which Ap­pellations are pointed out their Honour, and their Labours: and, in subordination unto these, there are Deacons, to serve Tables ^{(d) ¶}.

But then, there are those who are to be ministred unto, or such as are under the Instruction, Watch, and Government, of them that are over them in the Lord, which includes the Body of the Faithful; who, tho' they have an undoubted Right to choose their own Officers ^(e), yet have no Part of the Power of Office belonging to them ^‡, whatever be their civil Character. And these fall under a two­fold Consideration, namely, of such as approach unto all special Ordinances, and are in the Fellow­ship of the Brotherhood, to whom belong all the more peculiar Priviledges of a particular Church; and of such who, either by their Infant Baptism, as yet unrenounced, or by their personal Covenanting, (or publick Profession,) in their adult State, (tho' thro' groundless Fears, or Scruples, or, it may be, too great Negligence, they do not approach the Holy Table,) are truly Members of the Church, and have some of the Priviledges thereof appertain­ing unto them.

So that as a competent Number of visible Profes­sors of Christianity are requisite to the Constitution of a particular Church, thus the Officers are equally necessary to the compleating of that sacred Body, without whom, no Number of professing Christians can perform any Part of that Divine Worship which is peculiar unto a Church ^*. Tho', indeed, that [Page 10] Vinculum by which they are cemented together, as a religious Society designing the Worship of God in all his holy Ordinances, is not dissolved, by the seperation of their Officers from them, yet their Power of Action, as to any Part of that Worship which is peculiar to them as a Church, ceases; and they are but cat [...]chr [...]stically called a Church, while the Officer, so necessary, not only to the bene esse, but, to the very Being of a Church, is wanting.

So that, neither the Officers, nor the Brethren, considered by themselves, are the Church, nor the Acts of either of them, seperate, Church Acts: And this, I think, is but agreable to the Apostle's Discourse of Schism ^(a), where he says, The Eye cannot say unto the Hand, I have no need of you; nor again the Head unto the Feet, I have no need of you: and consequently, cannot the Hand say unto the Eye, or the Feet unto the Head, I have no need of you.

III. And now let us consider what it is that con­stitutes a Church. And because the Materials of a Church, considered in every Light, are rational Agents, that are capacitated and have a Right, to act for themselves, in all that relates to the Wor­ship of God, and the Salvation of their own Souls; therefore, I can conceive of no other constituting Principle, Bond of Union, and Cement, in the Church, but the free Consent of every particular Member of that sacred Body; which free Consent, manifested in the Truth and Sincerity of Faith in the Heart, renders a Person a Member of the real invisible Church, the true Body of Christ; and ex­pressed in an outward visible Profession of Christia­nity, renders him a Member of the Catholick visible Church, and agreeing with and to a particular [Page 11] Church, in their Faith and Worship, renders him a Member of that particular Church.

So that the Cement, which holds the constit [...]ent Parts of a particular Church in Union, cannot be the Sincerity of their Faith, which is unknown un­to Men; nor a professed Faith, which gives no Re­lation unto this more than unto that particular Church, tho' it is the Ground of Communion in all Churches; nor Cohabitation, because the nearest local Distance may be attended with the greatest mental one; much less does it lie in an Act of the civil Power combining of them together, because the Church subsists as truly under the most violent Persecution, as the greatest Patronage: but the Bond of Union, in a particular Church, can be no other than their mutual Consent, Agreement, Sti­pulation, or Covenant, (call it what you please,) to worship the Lord together, according to the Light they shall receive from the divine Oracles; which, I think, the Apostle sufficiently intimates, when, wri­ting to the Church of Ephesus, he says, ^(a) The whole Body fitly framed together, and compacted, by that which every Joynt supplyeth, according to the effectual working in every Part, maketh increase of the Body, to the edifying of it self in Love.

This Consent, Agreement, or Covenant, is either plainly expressed, or necessarily implyed in their mutual constant assembling themselves together for divine Worship.

And, from hence it appears, That no Person, whe­ther civil, or ecclesiastical, has any Right to impose either Officers, or Members, upon this, or that, par­ticular Church, or to divest them of any of them, without their own Consent; or has Right to con­troul them, in any of their Actions, proper to them as a Church; but they must be left to govern them­selves, [Page 12] and direct all their Actions, as a Church, according to the best of their understanding of the Mind of their Master, their safest Rule, and to whom they must finally be accountable: tho' yet other Churches may be assisting in handing Light un­to them, from the sacred Scriptures, when their own Way is dark, and perplexed.

Thus I have done with the first Thing I proposed to speak to, namely the Church, and have consider­ed it both in the General, and in Particular, as a Gospel Instituted Church, and viewed it in it's Na­ture, it's constituent Parts, and the Cement of it. I proceed therefore to offer something upon the Se­cond Thing; viz.

II. The Head of the Church. And here it may be enquired,

• 1. Who is it that is called the Head of the Church?
• 2. What Kind of an Head is He?
• 3. In what Respects is He the Head of the Church? And then,
• 4. I shall endeavour to evidence, That He is the Head of the Church.

I. The first Thing here is to enquire, who is it that is styled the Head of the Church? Whom does the Apostle mean by this Character?

And, I think, there is no Room to hesitate, whe­ther the Apostle mean Him, whom we Christians call JESUS CHRIST, or some other Person. For we find the sacred Writer, in the Entrance of this Epistle, giving Thanks unto God, on behalf of the Col [...]ssians, Since (says he,) we heard of your Faith in Christ Jesus ^(a): That is, since we understood of your becoming Proselytes to the Faith of Christ, [Page 13] or your embracing the Christian Religion: and at ver. 14th says he of Him, in whom we have Redemp­tion thro' his Blood: and again at ver. 20th. he speaks of the same Person, as making Peace thro' the Blood of his Cross. By which Characters 'tis plain that JESUS CHRIST is the Subject of his Discourse.

But then the Question will return, tho' in other Words, viz. Who is this JESUS CHRIST? And, I think, we may come at a sufficient Knowledge of who, and what, He is, by considering the several Characters, and Description, given of Him in my Context. And here I shall briefly touch upon the Characters of Him.

1. The Apostle styles Him, GOD's dear Son ^(a). For in these Words, the Antecedent to the Rela­tive He, in my Text, is found. Who, (that is the Father, before spoken of,) hath delivered us, (says the Apostle,) from the Powers of Darkness, and tran­slated us into the Kingdom of His, (that is the Father's) dear Son. His dear Son, (he goes on) in whom we have Redemption;—who is the Image of the invi­sible God, the first born of every Creature;—and HE is the Head of the Body, the Church.

This then, is one Character of Him who is the Head of the Church, That He is the Son of God, yea, His dear Son, or, the Son of his Love ^†, that is, His most beloved Son. Christ is here called the dear Son of God, as He is elsewhere styled his begotten ^(b), and his only begotten Son ^(c), to distinguish Him from all that, in any Sense whatever, are called the Sons of God. And since the divine Revelation speaks of Him, in such strong Terms, as the Son of God, I know not why we may not conceive of Him, as truly the Son ^‖ of God, as any Person is the Son [Page 14] of his Father, tho' we are not able to conceive any thing about the Manner of the divine Generation.

2. An other Character of Him is, That He is the Image of the invisible GOD ^(a). Thus He is a Son begotten in his Father's Likeness, and therefore His dear Son. Thus He partakes of a Likeness to the invisible God, in those Things that are Invisible; a Likeness resulting from the special Nature of the Father; (to speak in the Sentiments of Bishop Da­ [...], ^†) and so is the most perfect Image, partak­ing of the same Nature, and Excellencies, with the eternal Father, by a supernatural Generation, as an humane Son partakes of the Likeness of his Father, in the Sameness of Nature, with all the essential Excellencies thereof, by a natural one: so that He is, as the Apostle elsewhere styles Him, ^(b) the Brightness of the Father's Glory, and the express I­mage of his Person.

He is also the visible Image of the invisible God, in that, when He tabernacled among Men on Earth, He gave the most bright, and strong, Representa­tion of the moral Perfections of the Deity, in His own most holy Life; so that He could say to Phi­lip ^(c) He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father—.

3. A Third Character here given of Him is, That He is the First-born of every Creature ^(d): which may intend, either His prior Existence unto all Crea­tures: The first-born of every Creature does not neces­sarily infer His receiving His Being in the same Man­ner with all Creatures, ye [...], rather it points out un­to us the contrary, as one Begotten, while all Crea­tures are made; but it plainly asserts His Priority to them all, that He existed before all Creatures. And that which is before all Creatures is Eternal:

[Page 15]Or, it may mean His Dignity, that the Right of Rule, and Government over all Creatures, belongeth to Him; as the Primogeniture ^(a) carries in it the Right of Dominion. Thus we may understand these Words, if we retain the Phrase used in our Translation.

But I rather choose to understand the Original in a very different Sense, namely, The first Cause of every Creature. For the Greek Word, [...], here rendred first-born, with a very little Variation of the Accent to [...]. signifies ^* that from which a Thing originates, or the first Cause of a Thing. And it may be many Words, in all Languages, admit a like Alteration of Sense, by the Change of the Accent.

The Greek Language originally, and in the A­postles Days, was written without Accents: And how easy was it for those that first accented the sacred Text, or after Transcribers, to mistake in placing the Accent, which might lead our Translators into their Version. And it seems to me very evident, that there is a Mistake in placing the Accent, in our Greek Copies, upon the Word before us. For if we diligently attend to the Scope, and Design, of the Context, (which is the fairest way of under­standing any particular Word, that may seem doubt­ful, in any Writer,) We may easily see, that the Idea annexed unto this Word is that of an Author, an efficient Cause, or that from which a Thing ori­ginates, as it's first Cause; and thus the following Verse runs smooth and natural, which it scarcely does, according to our Translation. For the next Words are introduced as a Reason, and Evidence, of this Character of our Lord; He is the first Cause of every Creature: for by Him were all Things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible, and [Page 16] invisible, whether they be Thro [...]s, or D [...]minions, or Principalities, or Powers; all Things were created by Him, and for Him ^(a): which is equivalent to what the Apostle John says of Him ^(b), all Things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made, that was made. And again ^(c) says the A­postle, He is before all Things, and by Him all Things consist. So that here we have the Character of Christ as the great Maker and Ruler of the World which is both the natural Notion, and the Scrip [...] Accoun [...], of the One, Living, and True GOD.

From these Characters, we may rationally con­clude, that this JESUS CHRIST, this Head of the Church, is no other than a Divine Person, truly so called; for what can HE be less, who is the dear Son of GOD, the Image of the Invisible GOD, and the first Cause of every Creature, or the Maker, and Ruler, of the World.

But then, That He is MAN, and truly partakes of the Humane Nature, is evident from some other Characters here given of Him, as, in whom we have Redemption thro' his Blood ^(d); having made Pe [...]ce [...]hro' the Blood of his Cross ^(e); and in the Body of his Flesh thro' Death ^(f). So that He is truly a Divine Person in Union to the Humane Na­ture, in the Man JESUS, or, truly GOD, and truly MAN.

II. What Kind of an Head is this JESUS CHRIST unto the Church? And here, I would only ob­serve, that, as from a natural Head, so from CHRIST, the spiritual Head, is derived spiritual Life, Vigour, Motion, and all divine Influences, unto the whole Body, and unto every particular Member of the Church; all of which, as an invisible Church, are spiritually, and truly, as a Visible Church, exter­nally [Page 17] and faederally, united unto Him, and to one another, that there may be no Schism in the Body ^(a)

As a conjugal Head, He tenderly loves, carefully provides for, and watchfully defends his Church, which is His Spouse, who owes the highest Honour, Reverence, and Submission, unto Him, as it's Lord ^(b).

As a political Head, He is the Church's Law giver, King, and Judge, who only has the sovereign Power, of appointing what Laws His Subjects shall govern themselves by, as in moral Duties, so in instituted Worship; and this is the Confession which every Christian makes of Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel ^(c). Thus is He the Head of the Church, by way of Influence, Care and Government.

III. I am now to enquire, in what Respects CHRIST is the Head of the Church? And here let it suffice to hint,

That He is the Head of the Church, not with Respect unto the Divine Nature only; for then there would be no Agreement between the Head, and the Body: nor with Respect unto the Human [...] Nature only; for so should not the Head be able to influence, provide for, and govern the Body: but it is as GOD and MAN, united in one Person, that JESUS CHRIST is the Head of Church; by which Union He is admirably qualified to perform all the Offices of an Head unto His Body.

And hereunto He is appointed of the Father ^(d), who hath set Him as King in His holy Hill of Zion ^(e), which high Office He discharges, by instructing His Church, as it's Prophet ^(f); by establishing it's Peace, and bringing it nigh unto GOD, as it's Priest ^(g); and by ruling of it, as it's King ^(h).

[Page 18]As an Head, He has the Preheminence above, and Superiority over the Body; the Honour, and Dignity belongeth to Him, He is anointed above His Fellows ^(a); the Power and Authority is His, and the Church is Subject unto Him ^(b). Without Him, His Church can do nothing ^(c); but, thro' Him strength [...]ing of it, every Member can do all Things ^(d).

Marvellous also is the Agreement between this glorious Head, and His despised Body ^(e), in the Sameness of Nature, each conspiring unto the same ultimate End, and every Member closely united unto Him, and to one another, being animated by one and the same Spirit.

These Things, which I have but named, you will find distinctly handled by the excellent Bishop Da­venant, in his Expositions of this Epistle. I pro­ceed therefore,

IV. To evidence that JESUS CHRIST is the Head of the Church; the only, and supream, Head thereof, whether we consider the Church as visible, or invisible, as general, or particular. And this will sufficiently appear from two Things.

1. From the Relation which Christ stands in unto His Church, by Virtue of His Office, as it's Media­tor, founded in the eternal Covenant of Redemp­tion between the Father and the Son, which ne­cessarily infers His universal, and supream, Head­ship. For, by Virtue of the Covenant of Redemp­tion, and to answer the great Ends thereof, the Go­vernment of the World is laid upon CHRIST's Shoul­ders ^(f) that He might over-rule all the Affairs thereof, so as, in the best Manner, to erect, estab­lish, enlarge, and promote the Benefit of His Church; [Page 19] and this Church, as His peculiar People, necessarily comes under His special Government, that He may seek them out, and bring them Home unto God, and Happiness; that He may lead them in the Path of Life, effectually defend them from the malicious Designs of their ghostly Adversaries, and finally conduct them as Sons to Glory; and thus a special Mediatorial Kingdom is formed, in which His Church becomes, in a peculiar Manner, subject un­to His Laws, and receives the Blessing from Him.

And in as much as this Mediatorial Kingdom re­quires the visible Manifestation thereof in the World, both for the Improvement of those Methods which Christ, in his Wisdom, fixes upon, to recover Sub­jects unto Himself from the Dominion of the Prince of Darkness, and for the conveying the many Be­nefits, and Priviledges, which he designs as the pre­sent delightful Entertainment of His Subjects, and necessary to the Christian Life, as also to strengthen the obedient Subject in the Hopes of the future Happiness, and train him up into a Meetness for it; therefore a visible Church is necessary, and that in particular Assemblies, or Congregations, in which the Laws, and Ordinances, of Christ may be ad­ministred, His Benefits ascertained and conveyed, and all Things managed in such a Way & Manner, as not to fru [...]trate, but to advance the glorious De­sign which He has in View, in his great Under­taking.

Thus the Church State, the visible Officers thereof, their Work and Duty, the several Members, their Qualifications, Behaviour, Pri­viledges, Encouragements, and Rewards, are all established by Him; all being founded in, and resulting from, the Mediatorial Office of CHRIST, and the great Work of Redemption by Him. Thus, God hath raised CHRIST from the Dead, and set Him at his own Right Hand, far above all Principalities, and Powers, and Might, and Dominion, and every [Page 20] Name that is named, not only in this World, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all Things under His Feet; and gave Him to be Head over all Things unto the Church, which is His Body, the Ful­ness of Him that filleth all in all ^(a)

And then,

2. We see the supream Headship in the Church confirmed unto CHRIST in the sacred Pages. For there we find that He was the supream Head, and Lord, of the Church, in the Days of the Old Testa­ment. He erected the visible Church of Israel, pre­scribed their Worship, and appointed their Ordi­nances, Rites, and Ceremonies: He was their ex­pected Messiah, the Object of their Faith, & Hope, the Author of their Religion, to whom all their Worship, and religious Services, peculiarly pointed; He visibly appeared to them, especially in the S [...]e­c [...]n [...], gave them their Laws, and was, in an ap­propriated Sense, their LORD; the Hope of A­braham, the Fear of Isaac, the God of Jacob: all of which is very apparent, to a careful Reader of the Old Testament; and this Stephen directs us to in his History, in the seventh Chapter of Acts.

Thus also we find Him the Head of the Gospel Church. He abolished the Ancient Jewish Church, the aronical Priesthood, the levitical Service, the whole Form, and Mode, of that Church, and all the Worship Peculiar to it ^(b); and set up in the Room thereof, a new Gospel Church, not confined unto one Place, and Temple, not subject unto any visi­ble High Priest, not incumbred with numberless R [...]tes, and carnal Ordinances, but, as he designed it, free from the Yoke of Bondage, extensive unto all Nations, and subsisting in any Place; so that wherever a few are gathered together, in his Name, [Page 21] and with his Ministers attending to minister in the holy Things of his House, There his Church is.

This Gospel Church is built upon CHRIST, and other Foundation can no Man lay ^(a) The whole Design and Model of it is from Him, as it's Head and Lord; the Word, and Spirit, by which it is formed, both in the external Frame of the Build­ing, and the inward finishing of the real Christian, are from his Gift, and Operation; and He only appointeth the Laws, and Ordinances, the Fashion of the House, and the Mode of Worshiping, with the Ceremonies thereof: leaving the necessary Cir­cumstances of Time, and Place, as Order and De­cency requires, to the Rules of humane Prudence.

This appears from his original Commission to His Apostles, and, in them, to all succeeding Ministers [...] where He limits them to his Laws and Orders, and allows them no Pretensions to set up for themselves, with any legislative Power, and Authority, in His Church, saying to them, ^(b) Go teach all Nations,—teaching them to observe all Things whatsoever I have commanded you. Therefore also, He forbids his Disciples to usurp any lordly Power over one a­nother, or to submit themselves to any humane Au­thority, in the Affairs of His Kingdom, and that from their Sense of His sole and supream Lordship in his Church; ^(c) Be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your Master, even CHRIST, and all ye are Bre­thren; and call no Man your Father upon Earth, for one is your Father; Who is in Heaven; neither be ye called Masters, for one is your Master, even CHRIST. Which does not mean to dissolve the natural, and civil Relations, among Men, and free us from the Duties thereof; for CHRIST came to establish these; but the Design of this Discourse was to [Page 22] shew them, and all the Disciples of our Lord after them, that they must not themselves assume a Power over other Men, nor give to any Men the Power over them, to rule and govern them by any Laws of their own devising, in Matters of Conscience, and that relate to the spiritual Kingdom of CHRIST; but remember that CHRIST, and He only, is their Head, their Master, their Lord, whose Laws are to be their only Rule, and to whom they must be finally accountable.

So that we have no need to look to any Power upon Earth, whether civil, or ecclesiastical, to give Law unto the Church, to appoint the Bounds, to mark out the Form, to constitute the Officers, to direct the Worship, or number the Ceremonies thereof; seeing CHRIST, and He only, is the supream Head of the Church. He is the Head of the Body, the Church.

Thus I have offered a few Considerations upon the two Points I proposed to speak to, namely, the Church, and the Head of the Church. And I shall now proceed,

III. In the last Place, to draw such Inferences from what has been said, as are suitable unto the present Occasion. And,

1 I think we may from hence very plainly and naturally infer, That to assume unto our selves, or subject our selves to, any governing Authority, in the Church, not established by CHRIST, is so far to throw off the Government of CHRIST, as Head of the Christian Church. For since CHRIST is the supream Head of the Church, whether we consider it more generally, or in particular, and has the sole Right to give Law to it, to appoint the Officers, Services, and Regimen thereof, it can be no less than an invading of his Right, and a throw­ing off his Government, for any to assume unto themselves the Power to impose Laws, without a [Page 23] Subjection whereunto their Brethren shall be de­barred the Priviledges of the Christian Church; and it is no less than a practical disowning of the Headship of CHRIST, for any to submit to such lordly Impositions.

This indeed is the Antichrist, which began early to work in the Christian Church, and was com­pleated in the Man of Sin, who struck at all the Offices of CHRIST, by setting up of Oral Tradi­tion, in Opposition to the sacred Scriptures, by in­troducing innumerable Mediators as Competitors with CHRIST, and by constituting a visible Head, with Power to enact Laws for the Government of the Church; under the Tyranny whereof the Christian World laboured for many Ages, until a glorious Reformation, under the Character of Pro­testantism, nobly recovered, the Rights of the Pro­phetic, and Priestly, Office of CHRIST, from the Usurpations of Rome, and strove hard to rescue His Kingly Office, out of the Hands of His Enemies, that CHRIST might be LORD ALONE in His Church.

But, tho' the Sweets of a lordly Power rendred it difficult for many to part with that Authority they had in the Church, and so prevented that ge­neral Reformation which was desired, yet, there were many, among whom we may well reckon our venerable Fathers, who carried on that glorious Work so much further, as to assert the Kingly Office of CHRIST in his Church, and, (what is the Conse­quence thereof,) that every particular Church, with their own Pastors, and Officers, has full Power in themselves, according to the Laws of CHRIST, for all Church Acts, for their Preservation, Purity, Re­formation, Peace and Unity, and are not in Sub­jection unto any earthly Power; but yet owe that Love, Fellowship, and Communion to, and with, [Page 24] one another, which is necessary to the Welfare of the Church of CHRIST in general ^*

And now, my Fathers and Brethren, suffer me to say, That it highly concerns Us to be true to the Rights of CHRIST, and the Christian Church, un­der Him, their and our Head, according to the no­ble Principles of our pious Predecessors, collected from the sacred Scriptures, and the Archives of the primitive Church, and handed down unto us their Posterity, as their valuable Legacy.

Not that I would have our Platfo [...]m set up for Scripture, or the Sentiments of it imposed upon any Man. For, tho' I cannot sufficiently admire the Learning, Wisdom, and Temper, manifested in that Composure, which, the further we search into the primitive Church, will be found the more agreable to it's Constitution, and which was calculated to comprehend in it, all that acknowledged the Rights of particular Churches, and of CHRIST their Head, tho' they differed in their Opinions, and Practices, in lesser Matters; yet, it is abhorrent to me, as it was unto our Fathers, to set it up as a Rule, from which, neither They, nor We, may ever in the least vary. No; they only recommended it to the Churches, and left all to judge for themselves: and this I look upon as the true Glory of our renowned Fathers, and the Liberty wherein CHRIST hath made us free; Us, even all his Churches, if we knew but how to use our Liberty.

Hence, as a particular Pastor's taking upon him­self the sole Government of his Church, without the Consent of the Brethren, would be a lording it over God's Heritage; so for other Pastors, and Churches, to assume an Authority over any particular Pastor, [Page 25] and his Flock, would be a far greater Usurpation ^‡ being evidently a lording it, where they had no­thing to do, but to advise, when consulted. And however Pretensions of Zeal for the Glory of God, and Service of his Churches, may stimulate any un­to such a Practice, it will ever be found, in the Conclusion, a Zeal without Knowledge, like their's, who thought they did GOD good Service, while they persecuted and slew their Brethren ^(a). [...] was this pretended Zeal, in some ambitious Clergy­men, who loved to appear at the Head of every Thing, and be thought greater and wiser than their Brethren, with their exciting the well-meaning a­mong the civil Powers to back their Zeal with coer­sive Methods, that laid the Foundation of the Romish Hierarchy, and Apostacy, under the Tyranny of which so great a Part of the Church is groaning, and bleeding, unto this very Day.

As it is the Right of the great Head of the Church alone to give Law to it, so it is the Right of every particular Christian to judge for himself, according to the best of his understanding the sacred Scrip­tures, what are the Articles of Faith, and what is that Worship, which CHRIST requires him to be­lieve, and practise; that is to say, in what Way CHRIST will be acceptably served by him. And in like manner, it is the just Right of every particu­lar Church ^* to judge for themselves, what Mode, and Form of Worship, and Discipline, appears to them most agreable to the Mind and Will of [Page] CHRIST: and as it is an Invasion of the Autho­rity of CHRIST, the Head, for any to take upon them to give Law unto His Church, so is it a tyrannical Usurpation upon the Liberties of the Christian Church for any to attempt forcibly to re­duce other Churches to their Scantling. For there is, (says that great Master of Reason and Thought, the present Bishop of Winchester, ^*) ‘that Supre­macy vested in every Christian, in his own behalf, that he has a Right to judge for himself, in Affairs of Conscience, and Eternal Salvation; a Right not to be prejudiced by the Claim of Power and Authority, in any Men upon Earth:’ and consequently (say I,) a Right in every parti­cular Church to practise, in all their Administrati­ons, according to the best Light they can receive from the holy Scriptures; tho' others may be in­strumental in handing the Light to them.

As it has a direct Tendency to the Papacy for Church-Men to take upon them [...], so (says the foremention'd Author, ^‡) ‘The civil Ma­gistrate has nothing to do, to enter with his Di­rections and Restraints, of Temporal Laws, which are executed by Temporal Power, into these Mat­ters. A People have still an unalienable Right to make the best of their Bibles.’

And therefore, when the civil Powers shall take upon them, to form Churches, to ascertain who shall, and who shall not, belong to this or that particular Church, and who shall enjoy the full Priviledges, which, as Members of that Society, they have a natural, and religious, Right to, and who not; and when Church-Men, under whatever Denomination, shall pretend to exert an Authority over other Chur­ches, and anathematise those that will not tamely submit themselves to their Determinations; I say, [Page] if ever such Principles, and Practices, should obtain among us, I must have leave to lament over our Churches, with an Heu Prisca Fides! and to write upon them Icabod, the Glory of New-England is departed. For whatever Cry any may make of the Platform, and Congregational Principles, it is very cer­tain, that, by such Means, the very Essence of Con­gregational Churches will be utterly overthrown.

Having observed these Things, suffer me now to address my self unto the Candidates for the Ministry, who are to supply our Places, when we are fallen asleep,—That you, the Sons of the Prophets, our Hope and our Joy, would be careful to walk by the same Rule; and while you take Heed unto your selves, to have your own Hearts strongly im­pressed with the firm Belief of the Christian Reli­gion, and your Lives under the Influence thereof, you would also be studious of the Truths of the Day, that you may see more and more of the Excellency of CHRIST's Kingdom, and may stedfastly resolve to be true to Him, and the Interest of His Churches, neither subjecting your selves unto human Imposi­tions, nor attempting to lord it over others.

And that I may be assisting to you, in your fu­ture Serviceableness, allow me to mention a few brief Rules, which I think are worthy of your Ob­servation.

1. Remember, That the great GOD, in reveal­ing His Mind unto the World, designed to be un­derstood. As He has been pleased to condescend to accommodate Himself unto our Capacity, in speak­ing of heavenly Things in humane Language, so He wisely makes use of that Language as it is com­monly understood among Men, and does not mean to fix any Ideas, or Conceptions, unto Words, but what are well known, in the common Use of them. This Rule, in your studying of the Scriptures, and comparing one Part with an other, will secure you from making the sacred Writings an uncertain Sound, [Page] and lead you into the true Doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

2. Study the sacred Scriptures with a steady View to the Sovereignty, and the Grace, of God. These seem to be the two Master Characters, by which GOD would have Himself to be known among the Children of Men; His Sovereignty more especially displayed, in the infant State of His Church, under the Old Testament Dispensation, tho' not without clear Discoveries of His Grace; His Grace more il­lustriously shining forth, in the adult-state of the Church, under the Old Testament, yet not without challenging the Rights of His Sovereignty. That is to say, That he is LORD alone, and his Will, which is the Will of an all-perfect Being, is a suffi­cient Reason for what he requires of us, or appoint­eth for us; and that all that he does for us, and has promised to us, are Acts of free Grace and Favour. This will sufficiently establish you in the Quinquarticular Controversy, without Fear of your giving to Man what is due to GOD alone, or of reproaching the Divine Being as capricious, and hu­moursome, and tyrannical.

3. Ever subject Philosophy to Divinity. Philo­sophy is but the Result of human Understanding, and Reasoning; Divinity, I mean what turns upon Re­velation, flows directly from the Divine Mind: and therefore, tho' Philosophy be a fine Accomplish­ment, and a great Improvement of our rational Powers, yet look upon it, as it is, (and Honour eno' for it,) but as an Hand-maid unto Divinity: and never suffer the Hand-maid to usurp Authority over the Mistress, our safer Guide. This will keep you from corrupting the Truths of the Gospel with vain Philosophy, after the Traditions of Men, or repudiating Divinity, and denying the Truth be­cause it is inexplicable by the Rules of Philosophy.

4. Do not endeavour to be wise above what is written. Probably, the affectation of this Wisdom [Page] has given Rise to most of the Errors, that have sprang up in the Christian Church. Remember, therefore, what God has not seen cause to reveal, in Divinity, He never intended we should under­stand; and all our Attempts to search the inscruta­ble [...] will but so much the more bewilder us. We can never be sure that we are right in our Con­ceptions of what is unrevealed, after our most dili­gent Enquiry; but we may be sure that we are so far Wrong, as we pretend unto any Certainly about Things that are inexplicable by us. Be content, therefore, with what is revealed; this belongs to us; but secret Things belong upon the Lord our GOD. This will subdue the Itch of Novelty, which will but prove the Church's Scab.

5. Be sure to preach CHRIST. I do not mean to be often repeating His Name, tho' yet we are not ashamed of it; but, preach the Doctrines of CHRIST, of his Person, Natures, Offices, and Be­nefits, as well as the moral Duties which he re­quires: and endeavour to shew, how all Grace and Favour, all Virtue and Strength, flows from Him, the Head of all Influences, unto His several Mem­bers; and that the Glory of all, as to Merit, and Efficacy, in the great Work of Redemption, is to be returned unto Him. Suffer not the true Beauty, Excellency, and Spirit of Christianity, to give Way to the saint Glitter, and feeble Harrangues of Pa­gan Writers, which it may be has been too much the Error of some late celebrated Preachers; but study to know, and preach, nothing so much as JESUS CHRIST, and Him crucifyed.

6. Remember, you will have to do with the Souls of Men. And therefore, as they are worth all your Care, and demand your most tender Com­passion, and closest Application, so they are not to be forced by any external Methods of Coertion; but the only Compulsion, that will have any good Effect upon them, is that of bringing Light to the [Page] Mind, and Warmth to the Heart; that by the Force of Scripture and Reason, suitably applied, they may be strongly moved to their Duty, and Interest. This will preserve you from a lordly usurping Spi­rit, and make you to look upon your selves, not, as having Dominion over the Faith, but, as Helpers of the Joy, of your Brethren.

But I go on to another Inference:

II. Hence we see that it must needs be our Duty to do all that we can for the Honour of CHRIST, and the Interest of His Church in the World. Think now, who is this glorious Head of the Church, and what His beautiful Church is, the many Priviledges we enjoy, and the divine Conso­lations we are refreshed withal, in it; and surely upon the View hereof, we cannot suppose it too much for us, to lay our selves out in suitable Servi­ces therefor. This should quicken us to honour our glorious Head, by strenuously espousing His Cause, appearing on the Side of Vertue, against all its Op­posers; by endeavouring to exemplify the Life of CHRIST, in the Holiness and Meekness of our own, and by manifesting a sincere Love and hearty Zeal to our holy Religion.

This should fill us with a great Concern for the Welfare, and Flourishing, of the particular Chur­ches, to which we severally stand related, and that both as Ministers, and Christians. As Ministers, in our painful Labours in the Work of the Gospel, our affectionate Addresses to the Consciences of Men, our assiduous Watchfulness over them, our meek instructing of them, our compassionate counselling of them, our impartial ministring unto them, and our servant Prayers to GOD for them: as Christi­ans, in our hearty Subjection unto the Gospel of CHRIST, and Submission, and Honour, to those that watch for our Souls, our encouraging one an [Page 31] other to Love [...] and to good Works, our studious Endeavours to preserve the Peace, and Purity, of the Church, and our ready supporting of it in the Enjoyment of all the holy Ordinances of CHRIST.

This should quicken us unto all proper Servicea­bleness to the Church of CHRIST in General, by our asserting and defending the general Cause of Christianity, by holding the Unity of the Faith, and maintaining the Bond of Charity, in our brotherly Affection for all the sincere Worshippers of the Fa­ther, and of CHRIST; that however we may differ from them, in some of the Externals, and Modalitys, of Religion, yet there may be no Alie­nation in our Hearts from them, but we may be of one Heart and of one Mind with them, as that, if possible, there may be no Schism in the Body of CHRIST.

And, to come to the more special Work now be­fore us, This should make us willing, and ready, to expend of our worldly Substance for the sending, and supporting, of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, and the Ordinances, and Priviledges of his Church, in the unevangeliz [...]d Parts of our Land; that the visible Kingdom of our Lord JESUS CHRIST may more extensively flourish among us.

Can we think of the Glories of our exalted Head, and our Obligations to Him? or, meditate on the Beauty of S [...]on, and the Advantages of our stand­ing there; without feeling the constraining Force thereof upon our Hearts, opening of them unto a liberal Contribution, that they, who are ready to perish for lack of Vision, may have the Light of the glorious Gospel shining upon them, to guide their Feet into the Way of Truth and Peace?

[Page 32]Can we think what a miserable Condition this World would have been in, and our selves in par­ticular, if the Son of GOD had not set up His Church in the Earth, and among us, and taken it under His special Government; and not see the obligations we lye under to pay our Acknowlege­ments unto our great Melchis [...]d [...]c,who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly Matters?

Ye [...], have we ever tasted the Sweetness of the Word, and Ordinances, and felt the powers of the World to come, in the Renovation of our Minds, the Sanctifying of our Affections, and bringing of us under a Consecration unto GOD? Have we ever experienced the Communion of the Saints, and known what it is to pass from Death to Life, and receive the Pledges of the dying Love of a dear Redeemer, and to be filled with all Joy in believ­ing, and possess the good Hope thro' Grace, that we shall finally be associated with the general Assem­bly of the Church of the first-born; and all of this as the blessed Fruit and Effect of the Church-State among us, by which we enjoy the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenant, and the giving of the Law, the Service of GOD, and the Promises? and shall we not have our Hearts enlarged with Grati­tude, and Thankfulness, unto our glorious Head, and a tender Compassion to those poor Souls, who, without our Assistance, will be likely to pine, and languish, and dye, in the Want of the true Brea [...].

Life, and spare a little of our temporal Interest, to enrich them with spiritual Blessings, that they may, at length, become Fellow-Heirs with us, and of the same Body, and partakers of the Promise in CHRIST, by the Gospel, and we may rejoyce toge­ther with them?

Come, my Brethren, tho' it be a Day of small Things, with the mo [...] of us, yet let us not think [Page 33] much to take upon us this Fellowship of [...] the Saints; but, us the loud Call, from the dar [...] Parts of our Land, demands of us, so let us, out of our deep poverty, abound in the Riches of [...] that the Things which are honest, before GOD, and Men, may be provided, and if possible, no [...] Soul may perish, for Want of the Offers of the Gos­pel, and the Ministration of the Ordinances of CHRIST.

We rejoyce to the several devout Christians, and some of supe [...]io [...]r Fig [...] among us, affording us their Comp [...], and ready, heartily to join with us, [...] their Abu [...]dance to throw more liberall [...] into this common Stock, [...] the Supply of the poor Servants of GOD, who are endeavouring to build up the Church of the LORD JESUS, in the more doleful Corners of our Land.

[...]d let us all take the Encouragement, that, while, with sincere Hearts, and open Hands, we do Good, and communicate, GOD is well pleased with our Sacri [...]ces ^(a): ye [...], remember, that all we do, of this Nature, we do it for CHRIST, and His Church, and He will certainly take a grateful No­tice of it, and plentifully reward it; for so has He said, ^(b) He that receiveth you, receiveth [...], and be that receiveth M [...], receiveth Him that sent M [...]. He that receiveth a prophet, in the Name of a pro­phet, shall receive a Prophet's Reward; and [...]e that receiveth a righteous Man, in the Name of a righteous Man, shall receive a righteous Man's Reward: And whosoever shall give to drink, unto one of these little Ones, a Cup of cold Water only, in the Name of a Disciple, verily, I say unto you, be shall in no wise loss his Reward.

[Page 14] Now, [...] JESUS CHRIST, who is the faithful Witness, and the first-begotten of the Dead, and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth; unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our Sins, in His own Blood, and hath made us kings and priests [...] GOD, and His Father; to Him be Glory, and Dominion, for ever and ever. Amen!