Section IV. — ^This catholic Church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible.® And particular churches, which

are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinaroes administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.®

Section V. — The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error ;^" and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan." Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth, to worship God according to his will.^^

Section VI. — There is no other head of the Church but the •^^ord Jesus Christ :^' nor can the Pope of Rome in any sense be the head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the Church against Christ, and all that is called God.'*

8 Rom. xi. 3, 4; Rev. xii. 6, 14.— 9 Rev. ii., iii ; 1 Cor. v. 6, 7.— ^^ 1 Cor. xiii. 12; Rev. ii., iii: Matt. xiii. 24-30,47. — ^i Rev. xviii. 2; Rom. xi. 18-22.— 12 Matt. xvi. 18; Ps. Ixxii. 17; cii. 28: Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.— 13 Col. i. 18 ; Eph. i. 22.— i* Matt, xxiii. 8-10 ; 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4, 8, 9 ; Rer. xiii. 6.

All that is tauglit in these Sections necessarily follows from what we have above ascertained as to the nature of the visible Church :

1st. Since the catholic or universal visible Church consists of all the professors of the true religion in the world, and of all the particular ecclesiastical organizations which continue loyal to the Head, and maintain doctrines essentially sound, it must necessarily follow that the Church as a whole is in any age more or less visible, and any particular constituent church more or less pure in proportion — (a) to the purity of the doctrine they profess and the worship they maintain ; (6) tc their zeal and spiritual character and energy; and (c) to the purity of their membership maintained by discipline. In proportion as these are all advanced in perfection, and prevail generally throughout the whole

body, in the same degree will the entin? Church appear more visibly discriminated from the world and manifest in her entire outline. In the same measure also will every individual ecclesiastical organization be pure — that is, free from heterogeneous elements — and consecrated to the accomplishment of the ends for which it is designed.

2d. It follows, also, from the very nature of the visible Church and its condition in this world, that its purity is a matter of degree, varying at different times and in different sections. The teaching of Scripture as to the nature of the kingdom under the present dispensation (Matt, xiii.), the nature of man yet imperfectly sanctified, and the universal experience of the churches, lead us to the conclusion that the very purest churches are yet very imperfect, and will continue so to the end, and that some will become so corrupt as to lose their character as true churches of Christ altogether. This was the case witli the ancient Church under the reign of Ahab, when the children of Israel had apostatized from the service of the true God to such an extent that Elijah thought he was the only one left faithful. Even in that state of affairs the Lord declared, " Yet have I left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal.'' 1 Kings xix. 18. Even more entire deterioration has happened to the ancient churches founded by the apostles in the East and by their successors in Northern Africa. The churches which acknowledge the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome have abandoned the faith and obscured the glory of their Lord in one direction, while many professedly Protestant churches — as the English and American Socinians and the German Rationalists — have made an equal apostasy in another.

The Church of Rome maintains that the promise of Christ secures the infallible orthodoxy and purity of the visible organization, in subjection to apostolical ly-ordained bishops, to the end of the world. But the Church whose infallible orthodoxy and purity is guaranteed by the divine promise is no outward visible organization or succession of bishops or priests ; it is the particular Church of no nation or generation, but it is the true invisible body of the elect or of true believers of all nations and ages. That it is so is proved — (1.) From the fact that for eighteen hundred years the promise has been fulfilled in the sense we have defined, but has never been fulfilled in the sense the Romish Church demands. They have themselves led the defection from the faith and practice of the apostolic Church. And among Romanists and Protestants alike, visible ecclesiastical organizations are continually changing their character and relations to the truth. (2.) The Epistles are addressed to " the Church," and the salutations explain that phrase by the equivalents " the called," " the saints," etc. See the salutations of First and Second Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, First and Second Peter, and Jude. The same attributes are. ascribed to the members of the true Church in the body of the Epistles. 1 Cor. i. 30; iii. 16; vi. 11 ; Eph. ii. 3-8, 19-22 ; Col. i. 21 ; ii. 10 ; 1 Pet. ii. 9. (3.) The attributes ascribed to the true Church prove it to be spiritual, and, in the sense explained, invisible, and not an outward organized succession. Eph. v. 27 ; 1 Pet. ii. 5; Johnx. V ; Col. i. 18,24.

3d. It follows, nevertheless, from the relation which the visible Church sustains to the invisible Church, that since, according to divine promise, the latter can never entirely fail from the earth (Matt. xvi. 18), so likewise^ however the former may be obscured by heresies or lessened by defection, it can never be entirely wanting. Wherever the true Church is, it will be more or less visible ; not in proportion, however, to the size or pretension of the organization wdth which it may be associated, but in proportion to the purity of its faith and the spiritual activity and fruitfulness of its membership.

4th. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the only absolute and supreme Head of the Church is self-evident, is abundantly asserted in Scripture (Col. i. 18, and Eph. i. 20-23), and has never been denied by any Christians.

Many have, however, maintained that, as the visible Church on earth has a government and laws, and since these must be administered by a visible authority, so the Church must have an earthly visible head, acting upon authority delegated by Christ and as his representative. The Church of E-ome claims this for the pope. " So has Christ — the Head and Spouse — placed over his Church, which he governs by his most inward Spirit, a man to be the vicar and minister of his power; for as a visible church requires a visible head, our Saviour appointed Peter head and pastor of all the faithful."*

The Erastian State churches of Germany and Great

Britain have acknowledged their respective sovereigns

as supreme heads of the Church as well as of the State.

Henry VIII. was recognized as "supreme head of the

♦ Cat. Bom., Part i., ch. x., Q. 11.

Church of England;" and it was enacted "that the king, his heirs, etc., shall be taken, accepted and reputed the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England, called Angllcana Ecclesia; and shall have and enjoy, annexed and united to the imperial crown of this realm, as well the style and title thereof, as all honours, dignities, immunities, profits and commodities to the said dignity of supreme head of the said Church belonging and appertaining." * This supremacy of the reigning sovereign over the Church is even made an article of faith, being incorporated into the Thirty-seventh Article of the Church of England : " The queen's majesty has the chief power in this realm of England, and other her dominions ; unto whom the chief government of all estates of this realm, whether they be ecelesiastical or civil, in all causes, doth appertain."

In both these cases, and in all cases of like claims to ecclesiastical supremacy, it is a mere question of fact and evidence. If, as a matter of fact, Christ delegated his authority either to the pope or to national sovereigns, and made them, as his vicars, visible heads of his Church, then we ought to obey them, and our disobedience is treason to Christ. On the contrary, if they have no such authority, and are unable to prove their claims by unquestionable credentials, then their assumption of such power is a blasphemous intrusion upon divine prerogatives and treason to the human race. It is obvious that neither party c^n show any plausible foundation for their claims, and that upon the slightest interrogation they fall of their own weight.

In the absence of any duly-accredited visible head of * Tk^ 26 Henry VIII., cap. i.

the Church, we are forced back to direct dependence for law and its administration, as well as for redemption, upon the great invisible Head. He presides over and governs his Church (1) through his inspired word, which is, as we have seen, an infallible, complete and perspicuous rule of faith and practice. (2.) Through the apostolical institutions transmitted to us, as the ministry, the sacraments, the ordinances, etc. Eph. iv. 11. And (3) through his own spiritual presence, which extends to all his members, and endures to the end of the world. Matt, xviii. 20; xxviii. 20.

The word Antichrist occurs in the New Testament in

1 John ii. 18, 22 ; iv. 3 ; 2 John 7. The coming of the "man of sin," the "son of perdition," is predicted m

2 Thess. ii. 3, 4. Interpreters have differed as to whether these phrases were intended to designate a personal opponent of the Lord, or principles and systems antagonistic to him and his cause. The authors of our Confession can hardly have intended to declare that each individual pope of the long succession is the personal Antichrist, and they probably meant that the papal system is in spirit, form and effect wholly antichristian, and that it marked a defection from apostolical Christianity foreseen and foretold -in Scripture. All of which was true in their day, and is true in ours. We have need, however, to remember that as the forms of evil change, and the complications of the kingdom of Christ with that of Satan vary with the progress of e'/ents, "even now are there many Antichrists." 1 John ii. 18.

434 CONFESSION OP FAITH.

That the Lord Jesus Christ is the alone head of the Church must be maintained, not only in opposition to Papists, who affirm that the Pope of Rome* as the successor of Peter and

268 CONFESSION OF FAITH. [^CHAP. XXV.

the vicegerent of Christ, is the head of the universal Church; but also in opposition to Erastians, who make the supreme magistrate the head of the Church within his own dominions.

A universal headship or dominion belongs to Christ. As God, he has a natural and essential right to rule and dispose of all creatures at his pleasure, and for the manifestation of his own glory. As INIediator, he has a universal headship by donation from the Father. It is said (Eph. i. 22), the Father "gave him to be the head over all things to the Church;" where, it is to be observed, the apostle is not treating of Christ's headship over the Church, but of his imiversal headship as Mediator. He is constituted head "over all things;" but this power is delegated to him that he may over-rule all things for the good of Ihe Church; and therefore he is said to be head " over all things to the Church," or for her benefit. But Christ has a peculiar headship over the Church, which is his body. This is expressly asserted (Col. i. 18): "He is the head of Oie body, the Church." Here he is compared to the head of the natural body; and in Eph. v. 23, he is declared to be the head of the Church, as the husband is the head of the wife.

To the visible Church Christ is a head of government and direction. He is the " Ruler in Israel," and " the government shall be upon his shoulder." — Isa. ix. 6. " Yet have I set my King," says Jehovah, " upon my holy hill of Zion." Ps. ii. 6. To him it belongs to enact laws for his Church — to institute the ordinances of worship, and the form of government to be observed by her — to appoint her officebearers, and to prescribe the manner of their admission into office. To the Church invisible Christ is not only a head of government and direction, but also of vital influence. Hence he is called " the head, from which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." — Col. ii, 19. Christ is the sole and exclusive head of the Church, whether considered as visible or as invisible. His authority alone is to be acknowledged by the Church, as her supreme Lawgiver. Her language must ever be : " The Holy One of Israel is our king." Let men distinguish as they will, but as a body with moi-e heads than one would be a monster in nature, so the Scripture clearly shows that the body of Christ, whicli is the Church, is no such monster. As there is " one body," so there is only " one Lord." Christ has not delegated his authority either to popes or princes ; and though he is now in~heaveu as to his bodily presence, yet he needs no depute to act for him in the Church below. Before he ascended up

on high, he gave this precious promise to his disciples: " Lo, I am witli you alway, even unto the end of the world:" and "where two or three are gathered together in his name, there he is in the midst of them." — Matt, xxviii. 20, xviii. 20.

Daring encroachments have been often made upon this royal prerogative of Christ, both by ecclesiastical and civil powers. Long has the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition biasphemously arrogated universal headship and lordly dominion; and when the Eeformation took place in England, the headship over the Church was only transferred from the Roman Pontiif to the British Sovereign. Henry VIII. was recognised as " supreme head of the Church of England ;" and it was enacted, " that the king, his heirs, &c., shall be taken, accepted, and reputed, the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England, called Anglicana Ecclesia; and shall have and enjoy, aimexed and united to the imperial crown of this realm, as well the title and style thereof as all honours, dignities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity of supreme head of the said Church belonging and appertaining."* It was also enacted, that his majesty hath full authority to exercise " ecclesiastical jurisdiction ;" and "that the archbishops and bishops, have no manner of jurisdiction ecclesiastical, but by, under, and from the royal majesty." t In the commencement of Queen Elizabeth's reign, the metaphorical term head was changed into siq^reme governor; but both terms signify the same thing. No part of tlie power or authority which had been possessed by her royal predecessors was relinquished ; for, at the sametime, it was enacted, that " all jurisdictions — spiritual and ecclesiastical — should for ever be united and annexed to the imperial crown." This sacrilegious usurpation of spiritual authority, and impious invasion of Christ's sovereignty, is sanctioned by the Church of England, in her 37th Article. It runs thus: " The queen's majesty hath the chief power in this realm of England, and other her dominions; under whom the chief government of all estates of this realm, irhether they be ecclesiastical or ciml, FN ALL CAUSES doth appertain." Some Churchmen, indeed, seem to be ashamed of recognising the sovereign as head or supreme governor of the Church, and have attempted to palliate or explain away the real import of the title. But the attempt is vain; of the spiritual jurisdiction which the title involves, and of the Erastian bondage under which the Church of England is held, numerous proofs can be easily adduced. "Who knows not, for example, that the appointnient of all her bishops belongs to the sovereign — that her clergy cannot

♦ The 26th, Henry VIII., cap. 1. t The 37th, Henry VIII., cap. 17.

270 CONFESSION OF FAITH. |CHAP. XXV

meet in convocation without the permission of her majesty ; and that the convocation has actually been suspended, or virtually abolished, for upwards of a century ? That a Church so completely fettered is utterly powerless for the suppression of heresy and for the exercise of discipline recent events have too clearly demonstrated.

The Church of Scotland, at the era of the Reformation, nobly asserted, and practically vindicated, the sole headship of Christ. This was especially the grand and leading principle of the Second Reformation; and it was in the way of contending for the royal prerogatives of Christ, as her alone king and head, and resisting the Erastian encroachments of aspiring princes upon her spiritual liberties, that many of her sons suffered bonds and exile, and shed their blood in fields and on scaffolds. Though the sole headship of Christ is explicitly asserted in our Confession of Faith, yet it is deeply to be regretted that this vital principle was not more effectually guarded in the Revolution Settlement. The Act 1592, upon which the Church was erected at this time, contained no acknowledgment of the headship of Christ; and it was not formally asserted by any act of the General Assembly. Though a regal supremacy was neither directly claimed by the Crown nor conceded by the Church, yet it was not long till it was virtually exercised. The meetings of the General Assembly were repeatedly dissolved and prorogued by the sovei-eign;* and, in 1703, when the Assembly had prepared the draft of an act for the purpose of asserting the supremacy of Christ, the intrinsic power of the Church, and the diviiie right of the Presbyterian government, it was abruptly dissolved by her majesty's commissioner, without any recorded protest. " But ecclesiastical independence was still more invaded, and spiritual interests more effectually subjected to secular dominion, by the restoration of the power of lay-patrons, after it had been repeatedly abolished. The power of patronage, when it is of any real effect in the settlement of the vacant churches, flows from the same spring with the ecclesiastical supremacy, and can neither be vindicated nor condemned, but on the same principles with it ; and is indeed, when exercised by the Crown, a branch of it."+ Without referring particularly to those recent struggles of the Church to vindicate her spiritual independence, which have issued in the disruption of the Scottish Establishment, there is nothing, it may be remarked, more clearly evinced by these events, than the determined resolution of the State to retain and exercise an Erastian

- * In 1G91-95. t Bruce's Dissertation on the Supremacy of Civil Powers, &c., p. 105.

I

SECT 1,2.] OF COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 271

power over the Church. But the Christian people of Scotland have given the most unequivocal proofs of their continued and firm attachment to the sole supremacy of Christ as ** king in 2ion " — a truth in defence of which their ancestors " loved not their lives unto the death." They cannot contend or suffer in a nobler cause. Those who assume a headship over the Church of Christ, are guilty of an impious usurpation of his prerogatives ; and his faithful subjects are bound to display their loyalty to him, by asserting his sole right to reign and rule in his own Church, and by giving no countenance to a claim so degrading to the Church, and so dishonouring to her alone king and head.