Ghost, which is agreeable to the word of God, or for doing what is there commanded?

A. Yes; if it be according to that word, for the matter, end, manner, time, and other circumstances. But Satan can transform himself into an angel of light, and mind us of some text or truth to misapply it, and put us on meditation, prayer, or other duty, at an unseasonable time, when it would do more hurt than good; or in an ill manner, or to ill ends. He can move men to be fervent reprovers, or preachers, or rulers, that were never called to it, but are urged by him, and the passion and pride of their own hearts: and good men, in some mistakes, know not what manner of spirit they are of.

CHAP XVIII.

"The Holy Catholic Church."

Q. How is this article joined to the former?

A. This article hath not always been in the Creed, in the same order and words as now.

But the belief of a holy church

was long before it was called "catholic;" and it is joined as part of our belief of the work of the Holy Ghost, and the redemption wrought by Christ. Christ, by his death, purchaseth, and the Holy Ghost gathereth, the "holy catholic church." It were defective to believe Christ's purchase, and the Holy Ghost's sanctification, and not know for whom, and on whom, it is done. To sanctify, is to sanctify some persons; and so to make them the holy society, or christian church.

Q. 2. What is a church?

A. The name is applied to many sorts of assemblies which we need not name to you; but here it signifieth the christian society.

Q. 3. Why is it called catholic?

A. Catholic is a Greek word, and signifieth universal. It is called catholic, because, 1. It is not, as the Jews' church, confined to one nation, but comprehendeth all true Christians in the world and, 2. Because it consisteth of persons that have everywhere in the world the same essentiating qualifications

y 2 Cor. xi. 14.

summed up, (Eph. iv. 3-6,) one body, one spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, though in various measures of grace. And so the concordant churches of Christ throughout the world, were called the catholic church, as distinct from the sects and heresies that broke from it.

Q. 4. How comes the Pope of Rome to call only his subjects catholics?

A. The greatest part of the church on earth, by far, was long in the Roman empire, and when emperors turned Christians, they gave the churches power for the honour of Christianity, to form the churches much like the civil state and so a general council of all the churches in that empire was their supreme church power. And three patriarchs first, and five after, were in their several provinces, over all the rest of the archbishops and bishops: and so the orthodox party at first were called the catholics, because they were the greater concordant part; but quickly the Arians became far greater, and carried it in councils, and then they called themselves the catholics. After that, the orthodox, under wiser emperors, got up again, and then they were the greater part called catholics. Then the Nestorians a little while, and the Eutychians after, and the Monothelites after them, got the major vote in councils, and called themselves the catholic church and so, since then, they that had the greatest countenance from princes, and the greatest number of bishops in councils, claimed the name of the catholic church: and the Pope, that was the first patriarch in the empire, first called himself the head of the catholic church in that empire; and when the empire was broke, extended his claim to the whole christian world, partly by the abuse of the word "catholic church," and partly by the abuse of the name "general councils;" falsely pretending to men that what was called catholic and general, as to the empire, had been so called as to all the world. And thus his church was called catholic.

Q. 5. Why is the catholic church called holy?

A. 1. To notify the work of our Saviour, who came to save us from our sins, and gather a peculiar people, a holy society, who are separated from the unbelieving, ungodly world.

2. To notify the work of the Holy Ghost, who is given to make such a holy people.

3. Yea, to notify the holiness of God the Father, who will be

sanctified in all that draw near him, and hateth the impure and unholy, and will have all his children holy as he is holy.

4. And to tell us the fitness of all God's children for his favour and salvation.

Q. 6. Wherein consisteth the holiness of the church?

A. 1. Christ their Head is perfectly holy. 2. The gospel and law of Christ, which is our objective faith and rule, are holy. 3. The founders of the church were eminently holy. 4. All sincere Christians are truly holy, and marked out as such for salvation. 5. The common ministers have a holy office. 6. The church worship, as God's ordinances, are holy works. 7. All that are baptised, and profess Christianity, are holy as to profession, and so far separated from the infidel world, though not sincerely to salvation.

Q. 7. What is it now that you call The Holy Catholic Church? A. It is the universality of Christians, headed by Jesus Christ. Or, it is a holy kingdom, consisting of Jesus Christ, the Head, and all sincere Christians, the sincere members, and all professed Christians, the professing members; first founded and gathered by the Holy Ghost, eminently working in the apostles and evangelists, recording the doctrine and laws of Christ for their government to the end, and guided by his ministers, and sanctifying Spirit, according to those laws and doctrine in various degrees of grace and gifts.

Q. 8. What is it that makes all churches to be one?

A. 1. Materially their concord in their same qualifications, which is called, (Eph. iv. 3,)" the unity of the Spirit." They are all that are sincere, sanctified by the same Spirit, and have the same essentials of faith, hope, baptismal covenant, and love and the hypocrites profess the same.

2. Formally their common union with, and relation to, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that is, to Jesus Christ their Head, bringing them home to God the Father by the Spirit.

Q. 9. Is there no one ministerial head of all the church on earth?

A. No: neither one man, nor one council, or collection of men. For, 1. None are naturally capable of being one supreme pastor, teacher, priest, and ruler over all the nations of the earth, nor can so much as know them, or have human converse with

Eph. i. 22, 23, and v. 23, 24; Col. i. 18, 19, 24; Matt. xvi. 18; 1 Cor. xii. 28-30; Acts ii. 47.

a John xvii. 21, 23; 1 Cor. xii. 5, 27-29; Eph. iv, 5-7; Matt. xxviii, 19.

them. And a council gathered equally out of all the world, as one such supreme, is a more gross fiction of impossibles than that of a Pope.

2. And Christ, that never so qualified any, never gave any such power. But all pastors are like the judges, justices, and mayors that rule subordinately under one king, in their several precincts, and not like an universal viceroy, lieutenant, or aristocracy, or parliament.

Q. 10. But is not monarchy the best form of government, and should not the church have the best?

A. 1. Yes; and therefore Christ is its monarch, who is capable of it.

2. But a human, universal monarchy of all the world is not best. Nor was ever an Alexander, a Cæsar, or any man, so mad, as soberly to pretend to it. Who is the man that you would have to be king at the antipodes, and over all the kings on earth?

3. Yea, the case of the church is liker that of schools and colleges, that rule volunteers in order to teaching them. And did ever papist think that all the schools on earth of grammarians, philosophers, physicians, &c., should have one human, supreme schoolmaster, or a council or college of such to rule them?

Q. 11. But Christ is not a visible Head, and the church is visible?

A. We deny not the visibility of the church, but we must not feign it to be more visible than it is. 1. It consisteth of visible subjects. 2. Their profession is visible, and their worship. 3. They have visible pastors in all the particular churches, as every school hath its schoolmaster. 4. Christ was visible in the flesh on earth. 5. He was after seen of Stephen and Paul. 6. He is now visible in heaven, as the king in his court, 7. And he will come in glorious visibility shortly, to judge the world. 8. And his laws are visible by which he ruleth us and will judge us. If all this visibility will not satisfy men, Christ will not approve of usurpation for more visibility.

Q. 12. Of what use is this article to us?

A. 1. To tell us that Christ died not in vain, but will certainly have a holy church which he will save.

с

1 Cor. xi. 3; Eph. v. 23; Col. ii. 10, 18, and ii. 19; Acts xiv. 23 ; Tit, ¡. 5 ; Eph. ii. 20; Acts viii. 36; ix., and xxii. 14; Rev. i. 7; Matt. xxv. 40.'

C

Eph. v. 27; Acts ii. 47, and xx. 28; 1 Cor. x. 32; Eph. iii. 10; Col. i. 18, 24; Eph. iii. 21; Heb. ii. 12; 1 Thess. v. 12, 13; Eph. iv. 16; 1 Tim. iii. 15.

2. To show us, in the blessed effect, that the sanctification of the Spirit is not a fancy, but a holy church is renewed and saved by it.

3. To tell us that God forsaketh not the earth, though he permit ignorance, infidelity, and wickedness to abound, and malice to persecute the truth: still God hath a holy church which he will preserve and save. And though this or that church may apostatise, and cease, there shall be still a catholic church on earth.

4. To mind us of the wonderful providence of God, which so continueth and preserveth a holy people, hated by open enemies, and wicked hypocrites, by Satan and all his instruments on earth.

5. To teach us to love the unity of Christians, and carefully maintain it, and not to tear the church by the engines of proud men's needless snares, nor to be rashly censorious of any, or excommunicate them unjustly, nor to separate from any, further than they separate from Christ, but to rejoice in our common union in christian faith and love, and not let wrongs, or infirmities of Christians, or carnal interests, or pride or passion, nor different opinions about things not necessary to our unity, destroy our love or peace, or break this holy bond.

CHAP. XIX.

"The Communion of Saints."

Q. 1. How is this article joined to the former?

A. As it belongs to our belief in the Holy Ghost, it tells us the effect of his sanctification: and as it belongs to our belief of the holy catholic church, it tells us the end of church relation, that saints may live in holy communion.

Q. 2. What is it to be a saint?

A. To be separated from a common and unclean conversation unto God, and to be absolutely devoted to him, to love, serve and trust him, and hope for his salvation.

Q. 3. Are all saints that are members of the catholic church? A. Yes, by profession, if not in sincerity: all that are sincere and living members of the church, are really devoted to God by heart-consent; and the rest are devoted by baptism, and out