Testament in a more or less extended sense: Our Saviour said to Peter, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (e)." Here the Church means the whole body or society of faithful Christians throughout the world; and in this sense it is promised that the Church of Christ shall be perpetual, that is, that there shall be always those who will "continue stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (ƒ)." The word church was, from the first preaching of the Apostles, used to signify believers in the Gospel generally; thus in the beginning of the Acts it is said, that "the Lord added to the church daily (g)." And St. Paul, in the same chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians, calls Christ "the head of the church," says that "the church is subject to Christ;" and that "Christ loved the church (h);" in which passages the Apostle means Christians in general, who, however dispersed, form one church, having, "one hope of their calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism (i)." But in a more limited sense St. Paul, (e) Matt. c. 16. v. 18. (ƒ) Acts, c. 2. v. 42. (g) Acts, c. 2. v. 47. (h) Eph, c. 5. v. 23, 24 and 25. (i) Eph. c. 4. v. 4 and 5. in in addressing the Corinthian Christians calls them "the church of God which is at Corinth (k)." St. John writes, "To the seven churches which are in Asia ();" and St. Luke says, "that St. Paul went through Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches (m)." In these passages the word Church is applied to the Christians of particular cities. And even the believers of a single family are by St. Paul called the Church, in the cases of Priscilla and Aquila, Nymphas and Philemon: "Greet Priscilla and Aquila; likewise greet the church that is in their house (n);" "Salute Nymphas, and the church which is in his house (o)."-" Paul unto Philemon, and to the church in thy house (p)."-And thus Tertullian says, "Ubi tres, ecclesia est, licet laici (q)." And upon another occasion, "In uno et altero est ecclesia." The latter part of this article relates to the pretended claim of Infallibility in the church of Rome; and the compilers of our articles have very wisely taken the first opportunity, which the plan of their arrangement allowed, to deny this (k) 1 Cor. c. 1. v. 2. (1) Rev. c. 1. v.4. this claim, since, if it were admitted, all the other doctrines of Popery would be at once established; an infallible church could not maintain an untrue doctrine. AS THE CHURCH OF HIERUSALEM, ALEXANDRIA, AND ANTIOCH, HAVE ERRED, SO ALSO THE CHURCH OF ROME HATH ERRED, NOT ONLY IN THEIR LIVING AND MANNER OF CEREMONIES, BUT ALSO IN MATTERS OF FAITH. The Churches of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, are here mentioned, because they were the most distinguished of the churches founded. by the Apostles; and that those churches, in process of time, fell into considerable errors, is universally agreed. That the church of Rome has erred in their manner of living, is sufficiently evident from history. Bishop Burnet says, that "for above 800 years the papacy, as it is represented by their own writers, is perhaps the worst succession of men that is to be found in history;" and that the church of Rome has erred in its ceremonies, and in matters of faith, will fully appear from the following articles. The church of Rome existed many centuries before any mention was made of Infallibility, although it had, as every one knows, frequent disputes with other churches from a very early period. period. This doctrine was afterwards asserted and received; and its long and general prevalence is perhaps the strongest instance, which can be produced from the annals of the world, of the presumption and artifice of one set of men, and of the blindness and credulity of another. But since Infallibility has been an established tenet of the church of Rome, there has been a difference of opinion among Papists, whether it be vested in the Popes themselves, when they pronounce their decrees ex cathedrâ, or in General Councils. This very doubt is an argument against the thing itself, since wherever so important and distinguished a privilege as Infallibility resided, it could not but be manifest and apparent; and we may conclude, that if it had pleased God to place such a power in any part of his church, he would have distinctly pointed out the persons in whom it was to be found. General councils will be considered hereafter. In the meantime we may observe, that many popes, in their bulls and other public instruments, have themselves laid claim to their own personal infallibility in the most arrogant and blasphemous manner. This monstrous doctrine is now so universally reprobated, as being repugnant to the nature of man, as unfounded in Scripture, as inconsistent with |