trine, in rules of discipline, in orders of divine worship, it is in vain to look for any union or communion among them, in a compliance with any certain rule of uniformity, either in the profession of faith, or in the practice of worship and discipline. Nor would such an agreement among them, could it be attained, be of any great advantage unto the important ends of religion, unless a revival of the power of it in the souls of men, do accompany it. In the mean time, the glory of our Christian profession in righteousness, holiness, and a visible dedication of its professors unto God, is much lost in the world, innumerable souls perishing through the want of effectual means for their conversion and edification. To attempt public national reformation, whilst things ecclesiastic and civil are so involved as they are, the one being rivetted into the legal constitution of the other, is neither the duty, nor work of private men; nor will, as I suppose, wise men be over forward in attempting any such thing, unless they had better evidence of means to make it effectual, than any that do as yet appear. For the religion of a nation in every form will answer the ministry of it. What is the present duty in this state of things, of those private Christians or ministers, who cannot satisfy their consciences, as unto their duty towards God, without endeavouring a conformity unto the will of Christ, in the observance of all his institutions and commands, confining all their concerns in religion unto things spiritual and heavenly, is the inquiry before us.

AN

INQUIRY

INTO

THE ORIGINAL, NATURE, INSTITUTION, POWER, ORDER, AND COMMUNION

OF

EVANGELICAL CHURCHES.

CHAP. I.

Of the original of churches.

WHEN any thing which is pleaded to belong unto religion or the worship of God is proposed unto us, our first consideration of it ought to be in that inquiry which our Lord Jesus Christ made of the Pharisees concerning the baptism of John; Whence is it? from heaven or of men?' He distributes all things which come under that plea or pretence into two heads, as unto their original and efficient cause, namely, heaven and men. And these are not only different and distinct, but so contradictory one unto another, that as unto any thing wherein religion or the worship of God is concerned, they cannot concur as partial causes of the same effect. What is of men is not from heaven; and what is from heaven is not of men. And hence is his determination concerning both sorts of these things: 'Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up;' Matt. xv. 13.

Designing therefore to treat of churches, their original, nature, use, and end, my first inquiry must be, whether they are from heaven or men; that is, whether they are of a divine original, having a divine institution, or whether they are an ordinance or creation of men; for their pedigree must be derived from one of these singly: they never con

VOL. XX.

curred in the constitution of any part of divine worship, or any thing that belongs thereunto.

This would seem a case and inquiry of an exceeding easy determination; for the Scripture everywhere makes mention of the church or churches as the ordinances and institutions of God. But such things have fallen out in the world in latter ages, as may make men justly question whether we understand the mind of God aright or no in what is spoken of them: at least if they should allow that the churches so mentioned in the Scripture, were of divine appointment; yet it might be highly questionable, whether those which have since been in the world be not a mere product of the invention and power of men.

1. For many ages, such things alone were proposed unto the world, and imposed on it, for the only church, as were from hell rather than from heaven, at least from men, and those none of the best: for all men in these western parts of the world were obliged to believe and profess, on the penalties of eternal and temporal destruction, that the pope of Rome and those depending on him were the only church in the world. If this should be granted, as it was almost universally in some ages, and in this is earnestly contended for, there would be a thousand evidences to prove that the institution of churches is not from heaven, but from men. Whether the inventions of men in the mystery of iniquity be to be received again or no, men of secular wisdom and interest may do well to consider; but he must be blind and mad, and accursed in his mind and understanding, who can think of receiving it as from heaven as a divine institution. But I have treated of this subject in other discourses.

2. The name, pretence, and presumed power of the church or churches, have been made and used as the greatest engine for the promoting and satisfying the avarice, sensuality, ambition, and cruelty of men that ever was in the world. Never any thing was found out by men or Satan himself, so fitted, suited, and framed to fill and satisfy the lusts of multitudes of men, as this of the church hath been, and yet continues to be: for it is so ordered, is of that make, constitution, and use, that corrupt men need desire no more for the attainment of wealth, honour, grandeur, plea

sure, all the ends of their lusts spiritual or carnal, but a share in the government and power of the church; nor hath an interest therein been generally used unto any other ends. All the pride and ambition, all the flagitious lives in luxury, sensuality, uncleanness, incests, &c. of popes, cardinals, prelates, and their companions, with their hatred unto, and oppression of, good men, arose from the advantage of their being reputed the church. To this very day, the church here and there as it is esteemed, is the greatest means of keeping Christian religion in its power and purity out of the world: and a temptation to multitudes of men to prefer the church before religion, and to be obstinate in their oppositions unto it. These things being plain and evident unto wise men, who had no share in the conspiracy, nor the benefit of it, how could they think that this church-state was from heaven and not of men?

3. By the church (so esteemed) and in pursuit of its interests, by its authority and power, innumerable multitudes of Christians have been slain or murdered, and the earth soaked with their blood. Two emperors of Germany alone fought above eighty battles for and against the pretended power and authority of the church. It hath laid whole countries desolate with fire and sword, turning cities into ashes and villages into a wilderness, by the destruction of their inhabitants. It was the church which killed, murdered, and burnt innumerable holy persons, for no other reason in the world but because they would not submit their souls, consciences, and practices unto her commands, and be subject unto her in all things. Nor was there any other church conspicuously visible in all these parts of the world; nor was it esteemed lawful once to think that this was not the true church, or that there was or could be any other. For men to believe that this church-state was from heaven, is for them to believe that cruelty, bloodshed, murder, the destruction of mankind, especially of the best, the wisest, and the most holy among them, is the only way to heaven.

4. The secular worldly interest of multitudes lying in this presumptive church and the state of it, they preferred and exalted it above all that is called God, and made the greatest idol of it that ever was in the world. For it was the faith and profession of it, that its authority over the