The quote below is written by 17th
century London Baptist Hanserd Knollys on the subject of the church. It is interesting;
though I am not sure I entirely comprehend his meaning.
[And send it unto the Seven Churches, which are in Asia, &c.]
Those Seven Churches were planted by the Apostles in the Seven principal Cities in the Lesser Asia, here named, and hence each
particular Church denominated, as appears in the Second and Third Chapters of
this Book, in the exposition whereof, more will be spoken of this matter: All
that I shall say in general touching
these, (and other Churches of God
mentioned in the holy Scripture) in this place is,
First, That each Church contained and comprehended, the whole
number of them that believed in Jesus Christ, confessed the Faith of the
Gospel, and walked in the Order and Ordinances of the Lord in one City and
Suburbs thereof; and had the Denomination of that City, and was called the
Church of God in that City. Search these Scriptures, Act. 8. 1. and 11. 22. also, I Cor.
1. 2. and 14. 34. likewise, Phil. 1.
1, 5. and I Thess. 1. 1. Rev.
2. 1, 8, 12, 18. and Chap. 3. 1, 7, 14.
Secondly, Although the Church in any City, at the beginning and
first Planting of it, was but one
Congregation, and assembled themselves together in one place, Act. 2. 1. and 4. 31, and I Cor. 14. 23. yet when the number of the
Disciples was multiplied, Act. 4. 32.
and 6. 1, 2. and Multitudes both Men and Women were added to the Lord, and by
the Lord to the Church, Act. 2. 41,
47. and 4. 4. and 5. 14. then the Church was necessitated, for the Edification
of the Multitude, and great number of the Members thereof, to assemble
themselves together in particular Congregations, and became distinct Companies,
of whom we read Act. 4.19, 23. Peter and John had their own Company or Congregation, and so had Paul and Barnabas; and each Company or Congregation had their Elders and
Deacons, Phil. 1. 1. and the
denomination of the Church, I Cor.
16. 1. and are called Churches, I Cor.
16. 16. The Apostles Writing to the Saints in the Church of Corinth, said, Let your Women keep silence in the Churches, I Cor. 14. 34. and 2 Cor.
8. 24. Shew ye to them, and before the
Churches, the proof of your Love.
Thirdly, Church is an Homogenial
word,[i]
As Water in the Sea, in a River, in a
Well, and in a Spoon, is called Water;
so the Assembly or Congregation of Sanctified Believers in the general Assembly, is called the Church,
Heb. 12. 23. and the particular
Assemblies or Congregations in an City is called the Church, I Cor. 1. 1, 2. so in any Village or Town,
Rom. 16. 1. yea, in any House, Col. 4. 15.
An Exposition of the Whole Book of the
Revelation. Wherein the Visions and Prophecies of Christ are Opened and
Expounded, Hanserd Knollys, London: William Barthall, 1689, pp.
8-9
[i] By “homogenial word” I
believe Knollys simply means that the same word (church) is used whether
talking about all believers (the general assembly), all believers meeting in a
city, all believers meeting in a house, etc.
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