Wesley Corpus

But here another question occurs: 'What is the Church of England' It is not 'all the people of England.' Papists and Dissenters are no part thereof. It is not all the people of England except Papists and Dissenters. Then we should have a glorious Church indeed! No; according to our Twentieth Article, a particular Church is 'a congregation of faithful people' (coetus credentium, the words in our Latin edition), 'among whom the word of God is preached and the sacraments duly administered.' Here is a true logical definition, containing both the essence and the properties of a Church. What, then, according to this definition, is the Church of England Does it mean 'all the believers in England (except the Papists and Dissenters) who have the word of God and the sacraments duly administered among them' I fear this does not come up to your idea of 'the Church of England.' Well, what more do you include in that phrase 'Why, all the believers that adhere to the doctrine and discipline established by the Convocation under Queen Elizabeth.' Nay, that discipline is wellnigh vanished away, and the doctrine both you and I adhere to. I do not mean I will never ordain any while I am in England, but not to use the power they receive while in England. [This sentence is quoted in the manuscript Life of Benson, ii. 1388.]