That in the meantime, besides His absolute rule in the world, Christ has here in earth a¹ spiritual kingdom and canonical regiment in His church over His servants, which church He has² purchased and redeemed to Himself, as a peculiar inheritance (notwithstanding³ many hypocrites do for the time lurk amongst them) calling⁴ and winning them by the power of His Word unto the faith, separating⁵ them from amongst unbelievers, from idolatry, false worship, superstition, vanity, dissolute life, and works of darkness, etc.; making them a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a people set at liberty to show forth the virtues of Him that has called them out of darkness into his marvelous light, gathering⁶ and uniting them together as members of one body in His faith, love and holy order, unto all general and mutual duties, instructing⁷ and governing them by such officers and laws as He has prescribed in His Word; by which officers and laws He governs His church, and by⁸ none other.

1. Zechariah 4:7; John 18:36; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 3:6; 10:21 ↩︎
2. Acts 20:28; Titus 2:14 ↩︎
3. Matthew 13:47; 22:12; Luke 13:25 ↩︎
4. Mark 16:15–16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Colossians 1:21; Titus 3:3–5 ↩︎
5. Ezra 6:21; Isaiah 51:11; Acts 2:40; 17:3–4; 19:9; 2 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Peter 2:4–5, 9, 25 ↩︎
6. Psalm 110:3; Isaiah 60:4, 8; Acts 2:41; Ephesians 4:16; Colossians 2:5–6 ↩︎
7. Isaiah 62:6; Jeremiah 3:15; Ezekiel 34; Zechariah 11:8; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 12:28–29 ↩︎
8. Jeremiah 7:30–31; 23:21; Matthew 7:15; 24:23–24; 2 Timothy 4:3–4; Revelation 2:2; 12:32; 22:18–19 ↩︎