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Show Mtg: OF A CHRISTIAN €511,033; COMMON-WEALTH; Chrifiians; called a Common-wealth, becaufe it confifteth of men united in one perfon, their Soveraign; and a Cborob, becaufe it confifieth in Chrifiian men, united in one Chrifiian Soveraign. But if the Church be not one perfon, then it hath no authority at all, it can neither command , nor doe anyaétion at all; CHAP. XXXIV. nor is capable of‘ having any powertor right to any thing; nor has 0f the Signifioation ofS pr R I "r, A 141' G E L, any Will, Reafon, nor Voice; for all theie qualities are perfo- and INSPIRATIONintheBoeluof Holy Scripture. nall. Now if the whole number of Chrifiians be not contained in one Common-wealth, they are not one perfon; nor is there 4"". v an Univerfall Church that hath any anthority over them; and 4""1 :19: 2. 14,"? 3-19,," , «enslave-Qwa-M‘, «null: I Being the foundation of all true Ratiocinati'on, is the confiant 30d} and 3,"; Church : or if it bee one Commm-wealth, then all Chriftian S Signification of words ; which in the Doctrine following, de« 51‘: have taken Monarchs, and States are private perfons, and fubjecft to bee judged, depofed, and puniflied by an Llniverfall Soveraigne pendeth not (as in naturall fcience)on the Will ofthe Writer,nor m the Smy( as in common converfation )on vulgar ufe , but on the fenfe they ""5carry in the Scripture; It is neceflary, before I proceed any further, of all Chriltendome. an - therefore the Scriptures are not made Laws, by the Univerfall So that the queftion or the Authority of the Scriptures, is reduced to this, What/oer Clzrz‘flmn King, and the 5012041377: Aflémblter m C/m‘flhm Commoiz-weoltbr, he Al"- to determine, out of the Bible, the meaning of fuch words , as by folute in their own Territories, immediately rmder God; or fill. their ambiguity , may render what I am to inferre upon them , obfcure, or difputable. I will begin with the words BODY, and jefito one Vicar of C/Jrifl, con/Zimtcd of the Vflivcrflt/l Chart/r, to be: judged, condemned, depofid, and PM to dt'altb' ,1: lm Sp IR 1 r,which in the language ofthe Schools are termed, Subflamey, Corpomzl/, and Imorporm/l. flmll 217ml: expedient, or mecflary for the common good. The Word Body, in the molt generall acceptation , fignifieth that which filleth, or occupyeth fome certain room,or imagined placegand dcpendtth not on the imagination,but is a reall part ofthat we call the Which queftion cannot bee refolved, Without a more parth cular confideration of the Kingdome of God-7 from whence alfo, wee are to judge of the Authority of Interpreting the Scripture. For, whofoever hath a lawlull power over any Writing, to make it Law, hath the power alto to JPPI‘QVCD or difapprove the interpretation or the lame. I'nm'c; {Jul-or the I '2r‘z-verjc,being the Aggregate ofall Bodies,there is no reali part :hereofthat is not alfo Body-,nor any thing properly 8. Body,that is not alfo part of(that Aggregate ofall Bodies )the Vm'wrfe. 'l‘hc fame trill», becaufe Bodies are fubject to change,that is to fay ,to variety of :ipparcziceto the fenfe ofliving creatures , is called Stoo- flow, that is to m, Sshj 562‘, to various accidents-,as fometimes to be More ti,11i;iictniit{to l'tand Still-7 and to feem to our fenfes fometimes llotd‘onictinie» Colddomerimes ofone Colour,Smel,Talt,or Sound, linutimcs ofanother.And this diverfity of Seeming,(produced by the diveriity ofthe operatit‘) ofbodies,on the organs ofour fenfe)we attri- bite to alterations ofthe Bodies that operate,& call them Accident: of till it}. Bodies.And according to this acceptation ofthe wordfiobflome and Sod7,1ignifie the fame thing; and therefore Stab/fame imorporeall :ZI'c words, \\'l1iCl1\\'l1Cntl‘iey are joined together, deftroy one another, as if a man fliould fay,an Imorpormll Bod . .‘ But in the fenfe ofcémon people,not all the liniverfe is called Body.J but only fuch parts thereofas they can difcem by the fenfe of Feeling, to refift their force, or by the fenfe oftheir Eyes , to hinder them from a farther profpec‘t. Therefore in the common language of memflzre, and izerz'ol/foéflomes, ufe notto be taken for Bodzer, but (as often as men are fenfiblc of their effects) are called Wind, or 3764117, or ( becaufe the fame are called in the Latine Spiritm ) Spi- "'5a as when they call that acriall fubfiancc , which in the body of any 1lyingcreature, gives it life and motion, Viral] and Animal] fp: r;I.-‘. buttorthofe Idols ofthe brain, which reprefent Bodies to us; "i hart they are nor, as in a Looking-glam, in a Dream , or to a d 3 Difiempered |