it. To which we answer, our Saviour
means not by church only one single particular congregation, but also
several, combined in their officers, as appears by these following
reasons.

1. A particular church in sundry cases cannot decide the difference, or
heal the distemper our Saviour prescribes against; as when a particular
church is divided into two parts, both in opposition one to the other;
or when one church is at variance with another; if Christ here limits
only to a particular church, how shall such distempers be remedied?

2. When Christ bids _tell the church_, he speaks in allusion to the
Jewish Church, which was represented not only by parts in the single
synagogue or congregation, but wholly in their sanhedrin, consisting of
select persons, appointed by God, for deciding controversies incident to
their particular congregations, and their members. So that we may thus
reason: the subordination here established by Christ is so far to be
extended in the Christian Church, as in the Church of the Jews, for
Christ alludeth to the Jewish practice; but in the Jewish Church there
was a subordination of fewer to more, not only within the same synagogue
or congregation, but within the whole nation, for all synagogues were
under the great council at Jerusalem. Now that Christ gives here the
same rule that was of old given to the Jews for church government, is
clear, 1. From the censure of the obstinate, who was to be reputed a
heathen and a publican; wherein is a manifest allusion to the present
estate of the Church of the Jews; and, 2. From the familiarity and
plainness of Christ's speech, _Tell the church_, which church could not
have been understood by the disciples had not Christ spoken of the
Jewish judicatory; besides which they knew none for such offences as
Christ spake of to them, there being no particular church which had
given its name to Christ: as also, 3. From his citing the words of that
text, Deut. xix. 15, where the witnesses and offenders were, by way of
further appeal, to stand before the Lord, before the priests for
judgment, ver. 17.

3. It is plain that our Saviour intended a liberty of going beyond a
particular congregation for determining cases of controversy, from the
reason of that subordination which Christ enjoins, of one to two or
three, and of them to the church. The reason of that gradual progress
there set down, was because in the increase of numbers and greatness of
assemblies, more wi