The Divine Right of Church Government Part 6

1. Christ hath commanded that the word shall be preached. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark xvi. 15.

"Go ye, therefore, and disciple ye all nations; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you," Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matt. x. 7.

See also Mark iii. 14. "I charge thee," &c. "Preach the word," 2 Tim.

iv. 1, 2. "Necessity is laid upon me, yea, wo is unto me if I preach not the gospel," 1 Cor. ix. 16, 17. "Christ sent me--to preach the gospel,"

1 Cor. i. 17; with which compare also Acts xx. 28, and 1 Pet. v. 1-4.

2. Christ hath appointed who shall preach the word. "How shall they preach except they be sent?" Rom. x. 15. The qualifications of preaching elders see in 1 Tim. iii. 2-8, and t.i.t. i. 5-9.

3. Christ hath appointed how the word shall be preached. "Be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine," 2 Tim. iv. 2. "That he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince gainsayers," t.i.t. i. 9. "He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully: what is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord?" Jer. xxiii. 28.

4. Christ hath made many encouraging promises to the preaching of his word, which he would not have done, were it not his own ordinance.

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo I am with you every day to the end of the world," Matt, xxviii.

20. "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven," Matt.

xvi. 19, and xviii. 18. "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained," John xx.

23. Both these are partly meant of doctrinal binding and loosing, remitting and retaining. "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city," Acts xviii. 9, 10.

3. The catechetical propounding or expounding of the word, viz. a plain, familiar laying down of the first principles of the oracles of G.o.d, is an ordinance of Christ also. For, 1. This was the apostolical way of teaching the churches at the first plantation thereof. "When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of G.o.d, and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat," Heb. v. 12. "Therefore, leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards G.o.d," &c., Heb. vi. 1,2. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat, for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able," 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2. 2. And this is the sense of pastor and people which the Holy Ghost useth, setting forth the reciprocal relation and office between them, with his own approbation. "Let him that is catechized in the word, communicate to him that catechizeth him, in all good things,"

Gal. vi. 6.

4. The administration of the sacraments is of divine inst.i.tution.

1. Of baptism. "He that sent me to baptize with water," John i. 33. "Go ye therefore, disciple ye all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," Matt, xxviii. 18-20.

2. Of the Lord's supper, which Christ ordained _the same night in which he was betrayed_: which inst.i.tution is at large described, 1 Cor. xi.

20, 23, &c.; Matt. xxvi. 26-31; Mark xiv. 22-27; Luke xxii. 19, 20.

2. Ordinances appertaining to the key of jurisdiction or of discipline, viz:

1. The ordination of presbyters with imposition of the hands of the presbytery, after praying and fasting, is a divine ordinance. "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery," 1 Tim. iv. 14. t.i.tus was left in Crete for this end, "To set in order things that were wanting, and ordain presbyters" (or elders) "in every city, as Paul had appointed him," t.i.t. i. 5. Timothy is charged, "Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins; keep thyself pure," 1 Tim. v.

22. Paul and Barnabas came to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, and "when they had ordained them presbyters in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord," &c., Acts xiv. 21, 23.

2. Authoritative discerning, and judging of doctrine according to the word of G.o.d, is a divine ordinance. As that council at Jerusalem, authoritatively (viz. by ministerial authority) judged of both the false doctrine and manners of false teachers, branding them for "troublers of the Church, subverters of souls," &c. "Forasmuch as we have heard that certain, coming forth from u, have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, ye ought to be circ.u.mcised, and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment," Acts xv. 24; "it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to impose upon you no greater burden than these necessary things," v. 28; and this was done upon debates from scripture grounds, "and to this the words of the prophets agree," Acts xv. 15: and afterwards their results and determinations are called "decrees ordained by the apostles and elders," Acts xvi. 4.

3. Admonition and public rebuke of sinners is a divine ordinance of Christ. "If thy brother trespa.s.s against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more--and if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church," Matt, xviii. 15-17. "Whose soever sins ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven," John xx. 23. One way and degree of binding is by authoritative, convincing reproof. "Admonish the unruly,"

1 Thess. v. 14. "An heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject," t.i.t. iii. 1. "Them that sin, convincingly reprove before all, that the rest also may fear," 1 Tim. v. 20. "Rebuke them sharply," (or convince them cuttingly,) t.i.t. iii. 13. "Sufficient to such an one is that rebuke, which was from many," 2 Cor. ii. 6.

4. Rejecting, and purging out, or putting away from the communion of the Church, wicked and incorrigible persons, is an ordinance of Christ. "And if he will not hear them, tell the Church; but if he will not hear the Church, let him be unto thee even as a heathen and a publican." "Verily, I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth, they shall be bound in heaven," Matt, xviii. 17, 18, compared with Matt. xvi. 19, and John xx. 21, 23. "An heretic, after once or twice admonition, reject,"

t.i.t. iii. 10; i.e. excommunicate, till he repent--_Pisc. in loc._ By the lawful judgment of the Church, to deliver the impenitent to Satan.--_Beza in loc._ "Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme," 1 Tim. i. 20.

The apostle's scope in 1 Cor. v. is to press the church of Corinth to excommunicate the incestuous person. "Ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed may be taken from the midst of you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have already as present judged him that thus wrought this thing. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus," 1 Cor. v. 2-5. "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven,"

ver. 7. "I wrote to you in an epistle, not to be mingled together with fornicators," ver. 9, 11; and explaining what he meant by not being _mingled together_, saith, "If any named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or drunkard, or rapacious, with such an one not to eat together," ver. 11. "Therefore take away from among yourselves that wicked person," ver. 13.

5. Seasonable remitting, receiving, comforting, and authoritative confirming again in the communion of the Church those that are penitent.

"What things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,"

Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18. "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them," John xx. 23. This loosing and remitting is not only doctrinal and declarative in the preaching of the word, but also juridical and authoritative in the administration of censures. This is called, for distinction's sake, absolution. After the church of Corinth had excommunicated the incestuous person, and he thereupon had given sufficient testimony of his repentance, the apostle directs them to receive him into church communion again, saying, "Sufficient to such an one is that rebuke inflicted of many; so that contrariwise you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest such an one should be swallowed up of abundant sorrow. Wherefore I beseech authoritatively to confirm love unto him: for to this purpose also I have written unto you, that I may know the proof of you, if ye be obedient in all things," 2 Cor. ii. 6-9.

CHAPTER VIII.

_Of the End and Scope of this Government of the Church._

The end or scope intended by Christ in inst.i.tuting, and to be aimed at by Christ's officers in executing of church government in dispensing the word, sacrament, censures, and all ordinances of Christ, is (as the description expresseth) _the edifying of the Church of Christ_. This end is very comprehensive. For the fuller evidencing whereof these two things are to be proved:1st, That Jesus Christ our Mediator hath under the New Testament one general visible Church on earth. 2d. That the edification of this Church of Christ is that eminent scope and end why Christ gave the power of church government and other ordinances unto the Church.

I. For the first, that Jesus Christ our Mediator hath under the New Testament a general visible Church on earth, made up of all particular churches, may be cleared by considering well these particulars.

1st. That it is evident by the Scriptures that Jesus Christ hath on earth many particular visible churches: (whether churches congregational, presbyterial, provincial, or national, needs not here be determined.) "Unto the churches of Galatia," Gal. i. 2. "The churches of Judea," Gal. i. 22. "Through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches," Acts xv. 41. "To the seven churches in Asia," Rev. i. 4, 20.

"The church of Ephesus," Rev. ii. 1. "The church in Smyrna," ver. 8.

"The church in Pergamus," ver. 12. "The church in Thyatira," ver. 18.

"The church in Sardis," Rev. iii. 1. "The church in Philadelphia," ver.

7. And "the church in Laodicea," ver. 14. "The church that is in their house," Rom. xvi. 5; and Philem. 2. "Let your women keep silence in the church," 1 Cor. xiv. 34. "All the churches of the Gentiles," Rom. xvi.

4. "So ordain I in all churches," 1 Cor. vii. 17. "As in all churches of the saints," 1 Cor. xiv. 33. "The care of all the churches," 2 Cor.

xi. 28. The New Testament hath many such like expressions.

2d. That how many particular visible churches soever Christ hath on earth, yet Scripture counts them all to be but one general visible Church of Christ. This is manifest,

1. By divers Scriptures, using the word church in such a full lat.i.tude and extensive completeness, as properly to signify, not any one single congregation, or particular church, but one general visible Church: as, "Upon this rock I will build my Church," Matt. xvi. 18. "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Greeks, nor to the Church of G.o.d," 1 Cor. x. 32. "G.o.d hath set some in the Church, first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers," &c., 1 Cor. xii. 28. "I persecuted the Church of G.o.d," 1 Cor. xv. 9; Gal. i. 13. "The Church of the living G.o.d, the pillar and ground of the truth," 1 Tim. iii. 15.

"Might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of G.o.d," Eph. iii. 10.

"In the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee," Heb. ii. 12.

In which, and such like places, we must needs understand, that one general visible Church of Christ.

2. By such pa.s.sages of scripture as evidently compare all visible professors and members of Christ throughout the world to one organical body, having eyes, ears, hands, feet, &c., viz., several organs, instruments, officers, &c., in it, for the benefit of the whole body; as, "He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," Eph. iv.

11, 12. "There is one body," Eph. iv. 4. "As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another," &c., Rom. xii.

4-9. "As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body; so also is Christ," (i.e., Christ considered mystically, not personally,) "for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free," &c., 1 Cor. xii. 12, to the end of the chapter, which context plainly demonstrates all Christ's visible members in the world, Jews or Gentiles, &c., to be members of one and the same organical body of Christ, which organical body of Christ is the general visible Church of Christ; for the invisible church is not organical.

II. That the edification of the Church of Christ is that eminent scope and end, why Christ gave church government and all other ordinances of the New Testament to his Church. This is frequently testified in scripture. 1. The apostle, speaking of this power generally, saith, "Our authority which the Lord hath given to us for edification, and not for the destruction of you," 2 Cor. x. 8. The like pa.s.sage he hath again, saying, "according to the authority," or power, "which the Lord hath given to me for edification, and not for destruction," 2 Cor. xiii. 10; in both which places he speaks of the authority of church government in a general comprehensive way, declaring the grand and general immediate end thereof to be, affirmatively, edification of the church; negatively, not the subversion or destruction thereof. 2. In like manner, when particular acts of government, and particular ordinances are mentioned, the edification of the Church, at least in her members, is propounded as the great end of all: e.g. 1. Admonition is for edification, that an erring _brother may be gained_, Matt. xviii. 15, 16, that wavering minds may be sound in the faith. "Rebuke them cuttingly, that they may be sound in the faith," t.i.t. i. 13, that beholders and bystanders may fear to fall into like sins. "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear," 1 Tim. v. 20. 2.

Excommunication is for edification; particularly of the delinquent member himself; thus the incestuous person was "delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus," 1 Cor. v. 4, 5. "Hymeneus and Alexander were delivered to Satan, that they might learn not to blaspheme," 1 Tim. i.

20: more generally of the Church; thus the incestuous person was to be put away from among them lest the whole lump of the church should be leavened by him, 1 Cor. v. 3. Absolution also is for edification, lest the penitent party "should be swallowed up of too much sorrow," 2 Cor.

ii. 7. 4. All the officers of his Church are for edification of the Church, (Eph. iv. 7, 8, 11, 12, 16,) together with all the gifts and endowments in these officers, whether of prayer, prophecy, tongues, &c., all must be managed to edification. This is the scope of the whole chapter. 1 Cor. xii. 7, &c., and 1 Cor. xiv. 3-5, 9, 12, &c., 26; read the whole chapter. That pa.s.sage of Paul is remarkable, "I thank my G.o.d, I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue," verses 18, 19. Thus church government, and all sorts of ordinances, with the particular acts thereof, are to be levelled at this mark of edification.

Edification is an elegant metaphor from material buildings (perhaps of the material and typical temple) to the spiritual; for explanation's sake briefly thus take the accommodation: The _architects_, or builders, are the _ministers_, 1 Cor. iii. 10. The _foundation_ and _corner-stone_ that bears up, binds together, and gives strength to the building, is Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. iii. 11; 1 Pet. ii. 4, 6. The _stones_ or _materials_ are the _faithful_ or _saints_, 2 Cor. i. 1. The _building_, or house itself, is the _Church_, that spiritual house, and _temple of the living G.o.d_, Eph. ii. 21, and iv. 12; 1 Cor. iii. 9, 16, 17. The edification of this house is gradually to be perfected more and more till the coming of Christ, by laying the foundation of Christianity, in bringing men still unto Christ, and carrying on the superstruction in perfecting them in Christ in all spiritual growth, till at last the top-stone be laid on, the Church completed, and translated _to the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens_.

CHAPTER IX.

_Of the proper receptacle and distinct subject of all this power and authority of Church Government, which Christ hath peculiarly intrusted with the execution thereof according to the Scriptures. And_ 1.

_Negatively, That the political magistrate is not the proper subject of this power._

Thus we have taken a brief survey of church government, both in the rule, root, kind, branches, and end thereof, all which are comprised in the former description, and being less controverted, have been more briefly handled. Now, the last thing in the description which comes under our consideration, is the proper receptacle of all this power from Christ, or the peculiar subject intrusted by Christ with this power and the execution thereof, viz. only Christ's own officers. For church government is a spiritual power or authority, derived from Jesus Christ our Mediator, only to his own officers, and by them exercised in dispensing of the word, &c. Now about this subject of the power will be the great knot of the controversy, forasmuch as there are many different claims thereof made, and urged with vehement importunity: (to omit the Romish claim for the pope, and the prelatical claim for the bishop,) the politic Erastian pretends that the only proper subject of all church government is the political or civil magistrate; the gross Brownists or rigid Separatists, that it is the body of the people, or community of the faithful in an equal even level; they that are more refined, (who style themselves for distinction's sake[26] Independents,) that it is the single congregation, or the company of the faithful with their presbytery, or church officers; the Presbyterians hold that the proper subject wherein Christ hath seated and intrusted all church power, and the exercise thereof, is only his own church officers, (as is in the description expressed.) Here, therefore, the way will be deeper, and the travelling slower; the opposition is much, and therefore the disquisition of this matter will unavoidably be the more.

For perspicuity herein, seeing it is said that this power is derived from Christ only to his own officers; and by this word (only) all other subjects are excluded; the subject of church power may be considered, 1. Negatively, what it is not. 2. Affirmatively, what it is.

Negatively, the proper subject unto whom Christ hath committed the power of church government, and the exercise thereof, is not, 1. The political magistrate, as the Erastians imagine. 2. Nor the body of the people, either with their presbytery or without it, as the Separatists and Independents pretend. Let these negatives first be evinced, and then the affirmative will be more clearly evidenced.

Touching the first of these--that the political magistrate is not the proper subject unto whom Jesus Christ our Mediator hath committed the power of church government, and the exercise of that power; it will be cleared by declaring these two things distinctly and severally, viz: 1.

What power about ecclesiasticals is granted to the civil magistrate. 2.

What power therein is denied unto him, and why.