should he be desirous of studying||as the Romish church, Greek this science, he may consult the church, English church, &c. systems of Cluviar, Calvisius, Ush- Congregational church is so er, Simson, Bedford, Marsham, called from their maintaining that Blair, and Playfair. each congregation of christians

CHURCH. 1. The Greek which meet in one place for reliword Exx denotes an assemblygious worship is a complete church, met about business, whether lawful and has sufficient power to act or unlawful, Acts xix, 32, 39.—and perform every thing relative 2. It is understood of the collective to religious government within body of christians, or all those itself, and is in no respect subject over the face of the earth who or accountable to any other church. profess to believe in Christ, and It does not appear, say they, that acknowledge him to be the Sa- the primitive churches were naviour of mankind: this is called tional; they were not even prothe visible church, Eph. iii, 21. 1st vincial; for, though there were Tim. iii, 15. Eph. iv, 11, 12.-3. many believers and professing By the word Church, also, we are christians in Judea, in Galilee, to understand the whole body of in Samaria, in Macedonia, in God's chosen people, in every Galatia, and other provinces, yet period of time: this is the invisi-we never read of a provincial ble church. Those on earth are church in any of those places. also called the militant, and those The particular societies of chrisin heaven the triumphant church, tians in these districts are menHeb. xii, 23. Acts xx, 28. Eph. i,tioned in the plural number, 2d 22. Matt. xvi, 28.-4. By a par- Cor. viii, 1. Gal. i, 2. Acts ix, ticular church we understand an 31. According to them, we find assembly of christians united to no mention made of diocesan gether, and meeting in one place churches in the New Testament. for the solemn worship of God. In the days of the apostles, biTo this agree the definition given shops were so far from presiding by the compilers of the thirty-nine over more churches than one, articles" A congregation of that sometimes a plurality of bifaithful men, in which the true shops presided over the same word of God is preached, and the church. See Phil. i, 1. Nor sacraments duly administered ac-do we find any mention made of cording to Christ's ordinances, in parochial churches. Some of the all those things that of necessity inhabitants of a parish may be are requisite to the same," Acts ix, Infidels, Mahometans, or Jews; 31. Gal. i, 2, 22. 1st Cor. xiv, 34. but gospel churches consist of such Acts xx, 17. Col. iv. 15.-5. The as make an open profession of word is now used also to denote their faith in Christ, and subany particular denomination of jection to the gospel, Rom. i, 7. christians distinguished by parti- 1st Cor. xiv, 33. It seems plain, cular doctrines, ceremonies, &c. ; then, that the primitive churches of

Christ were properly congrega-counterfeit saintship, 1st Sam. xvi, tional. The first church of Jeru-1, 7.-2. God himself admitted salem met together in one place many members of the Jewish at the same time, Acts i, 14, 15. church whose hearts were unsancThe church of Antioch did the tified, Deut. xxix, 3, 4, 13. John same, Acts xiv, 27. The church vi, 70.-3. John the Baptist and of Corinth the same, 1st Cor. xiv, the apostles required no more than 23. The same did the church at outward appearances of faith and Troas, Acts xx, 7. There was a repentance in order to baptism, church at Cenchrea, a port of Matt. iii, 5, 7. Acts ii, 38. Acts Corinth, distinct from the church viii, 13, 23.-4. Many that were in that city, Rom. xvi. He that admitted members in the churches was a member of one church was of Judea, Corinth, Philippi, Laonot a member of another. The dicea, Sardis, &c. were unregeneapostle Paul, writing to the Co-rated, Acts v, 1, 10. Acts viii, 13, lossian society, says,-" Epaphras, 23. 1st Cor. v, 11. Cor. i, 15. 1st who is one of you, saluteth you," Cor. Phil. iii, 18, 19. Rev. iii, 5, Col. iv, 12. 15, 17.-5. Christ compares the

Such a church is a body distin-gospel church to a floor on which guished from the civil societies corn and chaff are mingled togeof the world by the spiritual na-ther; to a net in which good and ture and design of its govern-bad are gathered, &c. See Matt. ment; for though Christ would xiii.

have order kept in his church, As to the real church, 1. The yet without any coercive force; true members of it are such as are a thing inconsistent with the very born again.-2. They come out nature of such a society, whose from the world, 1st Cor. vi, 17. end is instruction; and a practice-3. They openly profess love to suitable to it, which can never in Christ, James ii, 14, 26. Mark the nature of things be accom- viii, 34, &c.-4. They walk in all plished by penal laws or external the ordinances of the Lord blamecoercion, Is. xxxiii, 22. Matt. less. None but such are proper xxiii, 8, 10. John xviii, 36. Ps. ii, members of the true church; nor 6. 2d Cor. x, 4, 5. Zech. iv, 6. &c. should any be admitted to any 1. Church members are those particular church without some who compose or belong to the appearance of these, at least. church. As to the visible church, 2. Church fellowship is the comit may be observed that real saint-munion that the members enjoy ship is not the distinguishing one with another.

criterion of the members of it. The end of church fellowship is, None, indeed, can without it ho- 1. The maintenance and exhibinestly offer themselves to church tion of a system of sound princifellowship; but they cannot be ples, 2d Tim. i, 13. 1st Tim. vi, refused admission for the mere 3, 4. 1st Cor. viii, 5, 6. Heb. ii, 1. want of it; for, 1. God alone can Eph. iv, 21.-2. The support of judge the heart. Deceivers can the ordinances of gospel worship

in their purity and simplicity, 3. Church Ordinances are, 1. Deut. xii, 31, 32. Rom. xv, 6.- Reading of the scriptures, Neh. ix, 3. The impartial exercise of 3. Acts xvii, 11. Neh. viii, 3, 4. church government and disci-Luke iv, 16.-2. Preaching and pline, Heb. xii, 15. Gal. vi, 1. expounding, 1st Tim. iii, 2. 2d 2d Tim. ii, 24, 26. Tit. iii, 10. Tim. ii, 24. Eph. iv, 8. Rom. x, 1st Cor. v. James iii, 17.-4. 15. Heb. v, 4.-3. Hearing, Is. The promotion of holiness in all lv, 1. James i, 21. 1st Pet. ii, manner of conversation, Phil. i,||2. 1st Tim. iv, 13.--4. Prayer, Ps. 27. Phil. ii, 15, 16. 2d Pet. iii, v, 1, 2. Ps. xcv, 6. Ps. cxxi, 1. Ps. 11. Phil. iv, 8. xxviii, 2. Acts xii, 12. Acts i, The more particular duties are, 14.-5. Singing of psalms, Ps. 1. Earnest study to keep peace xlvii, 1 to 6. Col. iii, 16. 1st Cor. and unity, Eph. iv, 3. Phil. ii, 2, xiv, 15. Eph. v, 19.--6. Thanks3. Phil. iii, 15, 16.-2. Bearing giving, Ps. 1, 14. Ps. c. James v, of one another's burthens, Gal. 13.--7. The Lord's supper, 1st vi, 1, 2.-3. Earnest endeavours Cor. xi, 23, &c. Acts xx, 7. to prevent each other's stumbling, Baptism is not properly a church 1st Cor. x, 2, 3. Heb. x, 24, 27. ordinance, since it ought to be adRom. xiv, 13.-4. Steadfast con-ministered before a person be adtinuance in the faith and worship mitted into the church. See BAPof the gospel, Acts ii, 42.-5. TISM. Praying for and sympathizing 4. Church officers are those apwith each other, 1st Sam. xii, 23. pointed by Christ for preaching Eph. vi, 18. the word, and the superintendence

The advantages are, 1. Pecu- of church affairs; such are biliar incitements to holiness, Eccl. shops and deacons, to which some iv, 11.-2. There are some pro-add, elders. See those artimises applicable to none but those cles. who attend the ordinances of God, 5. As to church order and disand hold communion with the cipline, it may be observed, that saints, Ps. xcii, 13. Is. xxv, 6. Ps. every christian society formed on cxxxii, 13, 16. Ps. xxxvi, 8. Jer. the congregational plan is strictly xxxi, 12.-3. Such are under the independent of all other religious watchful eye and care of their societies. No other church, howPastor, Heb. xiii, 7.-4. Subject ever numerous or respectable; no to the friendly reproof or kind ad-person or persons, however emivice of the saints, 1st Cor. xii, 25.nent for authority, abilities, or in-5. Their zeal and love are ani-fluence, have any right to assume mated by reciprocal conversation, arbitrary jurisdiction over such a Mal. iii, 16. Prov. xxvii, 17.-society. They have but one mas6. They may restore each other ter, who is Christ. See Matt. if they fall, Eccl. iv, 10. Gal. vi, 1. xviii, 15, 19. Even the officers -7. More easily promote the which Christ has appointed in his cause, and spread the gospel else-church have no power to give new where. laws to it; but only, in conjune

tion with the other members of professed the christian faith here the society, to execute the com- about the year 150; and accordmands of Christ. They have no ing to Usher, there was in the dominion over any man's faith, year 182 a school of learning, nor any compulsive power over the to provide the British churches consciences of any. Every par- with proper teachers. Popery, ticular church has a right to however, was established in Engjudge of the fitness of those who land by Austin the monk; and offer themselves as members, Acts the errors of it we find every where ix, 26. If they are found to be prevalent, until Wickliffe was proper persons, they must then raised up by Divine Providence be admitted; and this should al-to refute them. The church of ways be followed with prayer, England remained in subjection to and with a solemn exhortation the pope until the time of Henry to the persons received. If any VIII. Henry, indeed, in early member walk disorderly, and con- life, and during the former part of tinue to do so, the church is em-his reign was a bigotted papist: powered to exclude him, 1st Cor. he burnt the famous Tyndal (who v, 7. 2d Thess. iii, 6. Rom. xvi, made one of the first and best 17, which should be done with translations of the New Testathe greatest tenderness; but if evi-ment); and wrote in defence of dent signs of repentance should the seven sacraments against Lube discovered, such must be re-ther, for which the pope gave him ceived again, Gal. vi, 1. This and the title of "The Defender of the other church business is generally Faith." But, falling out with the done on some day preceding the pope about his marriage, he took sabbath on which the ordinance is the government of ecclesiastical administered. affairs into his own hand; and,

See art. EXCOMMUNICATION; having reformed many abuses, enDr. Owen on the Nature of a Gos-titled himself supreme head of the pel Church and its government; church. See REFORMATION. Watts's Rational Foundation of a The doctrines of the church of Christian Church; Turner's Com-England, which are contained in pendium of Soc. Rel.; Fawcett's the thirty-nine articles, are cerConstitution and Order of a Gospel tainly Calvinistical, though this Church; Watts's Works, ser. 53, has been denied by some modern vol. i. writers, especially by Dr. Kipling, CHURCH OF ENGLAND, in a tract entitled "The Articles is the church established by law in of the Church of England proved this kingdom. not to be Calvinistic." These arWhen and by whom christianity ticles were founded, for the most was first introduced into Britain part, upon a body of articles comcannot perhaps be exactly ascer- piled and published in the reign of tained. Eusebius, indeed, positive- of Edward VI. They were first ly declares that it was by the apos-passed in the convocation, and tles and their disciples. It is al-confirmed by royal authority in so said that numbers of persons 1562. They were afterwards ra

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tified anew in the year 1571, and deans, archdeacons, rectors, viagain by Charles 1. The law re-cars, &c.; for an quires a subscription to these ar-which, see the respective articles. account of ticles of all persons who are admitted into holy orders. In the public form read, called a Liturgy. The church of England has a course of the last century disputes It was composed in 1547, and has arose among the clergy respecting undergone several alterations, the the propriety of subscribing to last of which was in 1661. Since any human formulary of religious that time, several attempts have sentiments. An application for been made to amend the liturgy, its removal was made to parlia-articles, and some other things ment, in 1772, by the petitioning relating to the internal governclergy; and received the most ment, but without effect. There public discussion in the house of are many excellencies in the liturcommons, but rejected in the gy; and, in the opinion of the house of lords. The government of the church no member of this church) "it most impartial Grotius (who was of England is episcopal. The comes so near the primitive patking is the supreme head. There tern, that none of the reformed are two archbishops, and twenty-churches can compare with it." four bishops. The benefices of See LITUrgy. the bishops were converted by William the Conqueror into tem-bitants of England are professedly The greatest part of the inhaporal baronies; so that every pre-members of this church; but, perlate has a seat and a vote in the haps, very few either of her mihouse of peers. Dr. Hoadley, nisters or members strictly adhere however in a sermon preached to the articles in their true sense. from this text-" My kingdom is Those who are called methodistic not of this world," insisted that or evangelical preachers in the the clergy had no pretensions to establishment are allowed to come temporal jurisdictions; which gave the nearest. rise to various publications, termed, by way of eminence, the Ban-men; Bishop Jewel's Apology for See Mr. Overton's True Churchgorian Controversy, because Hoad-the Church of England; Tucker's ley was then bishop of Bangor. ditto; Hooker's Ecclesiastical PoDr. Wake, archbishop of Canter-lity; Pearson on the Creed; Burnet bury, formed a project of peace on the thirty-nine Articles; Bishop and union between the English|| Prettyman's Elements of Theology; and Gallican churches, founded and Mrs. H. Moore's Hints on upon this condition, that each of forming the Character of a young the two communities should retain Princess, vol. ii, ch. 37. the greatest part of their respective subject of the first introduction of On the and peculiar doctrines; but this christianity into Britain, see the project came to nothing. In the 1st vol. of Henry's History of church of England there are Great Britain.