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Now Chriftians are partly good and partly evil. Both the good and the evil are outwardly Members of the Church, whether Catholic or particular; and the whole Number of them is therefore commonly called the visible Church. Whereas those only who are good, are inwardly united to Chrift; and because none can judge who they are, by reafon of the Hypocrify of Profeffors, therefore the whole number of them are commonly called the invifible Church.

Now the vifible Church of Chrift, or any parti cular Branch of it, is either a true or a false Church. I confefs, every Church, as 'tis a Church, muft needs be a true Church in one Senfe, according to the known Maxims of the Schools, omne ens vere eft id quod eft, & omne ens eft verum; that is, a Church, as a Church, muft have the effential Properties of a Church; because those effential Properties conftitute its Nature, and without them it cannot be a Church. But this is only a Metaphyfical Verity. Whereas there is alfo a Moral Verity belonging to a Church, that is, its Agreement to the Rule which is fet it; its having, not only what is effential to, but also what is perfective of, its own Nature; its having what is neceffary, not only to its effe, but alfo to its bene effe. Thus, as every Subject, tho' a bad one, is a Subject notwithstanding, and confequently a true Subject by Metaphyfical Verity; whereas he only who difcharges the Duty of a good Subject, is a true Subject by Moral Verity; Even fo the Catholic Church, or a particular one, is a true Church by Metaphyfical Verity, tho' never fo grofly corrupted; whereas by Moral Verity 'tis then only true, when it keeps to the Rule which Chrift has fet it, and really is what it is required to be.

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And accordingly, tho' there can be no Degrees of Metaphyfical Verity, yet there are Degrees of Moral Verity; and a Church is more or less true, according to its greater or lefs Conformity to Chrift's Rule. So that that Church which is lefs falfe or corrupt, is a more true Church, than that which is more corrupt or falfe. 'Tis therefore no Inconfiftency or Contradiction for a Man to fay, of the very fame Church, at the very fame time, this is a true Church, meaning by a Metaphyfical Verity; and this is a falfe or corrupt Church, meaning by a Moral Verity.

Let us now inquire into the meaning of this Propolition, The Visible Church of Chrift is a Congregation of faithful Men, in the which the pure Word of God is preach'd, and the Sacraments be duly miniftred according to Chrift's Ordinance, in all thofe things that of Necefity are requifite to the fame.

'Tis plain, that this Propofition neither is, nor was intended to be, the Definition of a true Visible Church, whether Catholic or Particular, with refpect to its Metaphyfical Verity. For Corruptions in Doctrin and Sacraments are certainly confiftent with the Metaphyfical Verity of a Church, whether Catholic or Particular. For the whole Number of Chriftians, or a particular Quantity of them, ftill continues a Chriftian Society, or part of fuch a Society, tho' they he never fo much deprav'd, provided the bare Effentials of the Nature of a Chriftian Society do remain; that is, fo long as they continue in that outward Union with God and each other, which is made by Baptifin: even as a Man continues a Man, whilft Body and Soul continue united, tho' both Body and Soul be never fo much polluted by Difeafes and Sin. And that this is our Church's Notion, is moft evident from her fo fre

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quently calling the Church of Rome, particularly in this very Article, by the Name of a Church; which fhews,that in her Opinion the Church of Rome has the Metaphyfical Verity of a Church, tho' fhe is fo grofly corrupted, as our Church upon every Occation declares, in Doctrin and Worship. And confequently, not only a Particular Church may retain its Metaphyfical Verity together with its Corruptions; but the Catholic Church it felf may do the fame, if every Branch of it were grofly corrupted. For that which does not deftroy the Metaphysical Verity of a Particular Church, does not deftroy the Metaphyfical Verity of the Catholic Church.

Wherefore our Church does in this Propofition fpeak of that Visible Church (whether Catholic or Particular, it amounts at laft to the very fame) which is true by a Moral Verity. She fhews, what the Vifible Church ought to be,and what a true Visible Church is. She faies, 'tis a Congregation of faithful Men, that is, of fuch as profefs a Belief in Christ, in the which the pure Word of God is preach'd, and the Sacraments be duly miniftred according to Chrift's Ordinance, in all thofe things that of Neceffity are requifite to the fame.

But then it must be observed, that our Church does not in this Article pretend to give an accurate Definition of a Church, even according to its Moral Verity. Tho' fhe faies, that Purity of Doctrin, and a due Ministration of Sacraments, are in that vifible Church which is a morally true one: yet fhe does not fay, that a morally true vifible Church needs only a Purity of Doctrin and a due Miniftration of Sacraments; and that if fhe has thefe, fhe wants nothing more to make her come up to that. Rule of Chrift, by the Degree of her Conformity to which she is more or lefs a true vifible Church.

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Directions for Studying · Art. XIX. For. (whether other Particulars may be added, or, no) 'tis certain, that due Disciplin, as well as Purity of Doctrin, and a due Miniftration of the Sacraments, is required by Chrift's Rule. And this our Church her felf teaches in the Second Part of the Homily for Whitfunday, faying, The true Church is an univerfal Congregation or Fellowship of God's faithful and elect People, built upon the Foundation of the Apostles, and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the head CornerStone. And it hath always three Notes or Marks whereby. it is known. Pure and found Doctrin, the Sacraments miniftred according to Chrift's holy Inftitution, and the right Ufe of Ecclefiaftical Difciplin. This Defcription of the Church is agreeable both to the Scriptures of God, and alfo to the Doctrin of the ancient Fathers, fo that none may justly find fault therewith. That Church therefore, which joins due Difciplin to Purity of Doctrin and due Miniftration of the Sacraments, is for that Reafon a more true Church, than that which has Purity of Doctrin, and a due Miniftration of the Sacraments, but wants due Difciplin.

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This Article therefore does not enumerate all things, that a morally true vifible Church has or ought to have; but afferts, that a morally true vifible Church has or ought to have thofe Particulars: even as he that faiés, a Man is a Creature that has a rational Soul, does not enumerate all the Parts of a Man; for he ought to have a Body too. However, as that Perfon, who faies, a Man is a Creature that has a rational Soul, fpeaks truly, tho' he does not speak all that he might even fo when the Article faies, the morally true vifible Church is a Congregation of faithful Men, in which the. pure Word of God is preach'd, and the Sacraments be duly miniftred according to Chrift's Ordinance, in all thofe things that of Neceffity are requifite to

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the fame; it expreffes true Doctrin, tho' it does not exprefs all that it might have exprefs'd, concerning the Properties or Marks of a morally true vifible Church.

In short therefore, the Cafe ftood thus. The Papifts were conftantly objecting to the Proteftant's, that they were no part of the visible Church; because they had forfaken the Communion of the Bifhop of Rome. To obviate this Pretenfe, our Article afferts, that the visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful Men, in which the pure Word of God is preach'd, and the Sacraments be duly miniftred according to Chrift's Ordinance, in all thofe things that of Neceffity are requifite to the fame. And hereby, 1. It vindicates our own Claim to the Title of a vifible Particular Church, or a part of the visible Catholic Church; Bécause we have Purity of Doctrin and a due Miniftration of the Sacraments, which are, tho' not all, yet the principal Marks of a morally true vifible Church, 2. It retorts the Charge upon the Papifts, who want those two Marks, and who tho' they are a vifible Church, and confequently a true visible Church by a Metaphyfical Verity; yet are not fuch a morally true vifible Church, as they ought to be. This is moft certainly the meaning of the Propofition; tho' I muft own, it might have been more happily worded.

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The Senfe of the Propofition being clear'd, the Truth of it is felf evident, and readily acknowledged by Papifts as well as Proteftants. Whether the Papifts had or wanted fuch a Purity of Doctrin and due Miniftration of the Sacraments, as the Article fpeaks of, is another Question. The Compilers of the Article juftly thought they had them not: but did not specify Particulars here, referving them

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