know not how to restore the old to their Original rectitude as befel the Theocracy of God's own appointment 1 Sam. 8.5 and 7. But were the Argument good from the abuse of a thing against the use of it 't were easy to argue our selves into the grossest Absurdities in Nature Now if we would rightly understand what that Form of Government is that Christ hath chosen for his Churches under the Gospel we must consider what the Subject of the Government is or the matter which is to be inform'd by it 'T is not enough to say the Church which is vox ambigua but we must distinguish Nor is it necessary for me to take notice here of all the Distinctions the Word is capable of or that have been by some others imposed on it As 1. The Church Oecumenical to which the Pope so arrogantly and fasly lays a claim of Supremacy Or 2dly The Church National of which that Eminent Servant of Christ Mr. Baxter hath given so Rational and Scriptural an account and which that I know is not by any one as yet answered Or 3dly The Church Provincial which is the Constitution and Union of the particular Churches within the limits of the Province into one distinct Political Body or Sacred Polity under the general inspection and Authority of one Ecclesiastical Head either single or collective Or 4ly The Presbyterial Classical Collegiate Diocesan c. which I take as Synonimous and includes all the particular Congregations within the bounds of such a Division Or 5ly The Congregational made up of one Pastor with his people and necessary Officers These are the Distinctions given according to the Common Division that hath for Order sake been made of the Church But the only Distinction which I shall now a little animadvert upon is this The Rulers of the Church and the Ruled and shall speak to the Last first The Ruled And herein shall answer these three Questions 1. Who they are they must be ruled 2. By whom they must be ruled 3. By What Laws they must be ruled Q. 1. Who they are that must be ruled S. The Answer in general is what Paul gives loco cit Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Soul He that is not subject to the good Government of that Political Body civil or sacred whereunto he stands related as a Member and by which he ought to be comprehended is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lawless and Disobedient for whom the Bridle and the Rod of the Law is made and so both Rulers and Ruled are equally subject to the Laws though not the same Laws of Government but according to the different capacities orders and Relation wherein they are placed in the Oeconomy of the Church Though the Rulers and the Ruled cannot be the same sub codem respectu yet in divers respects they may and ought Those that are Rulers of some must be ruled by others So then the Ruled part of which I am first to speak is twofold the Clergy and the Laity or the Ministers and the People according to the duplicity of the Government to which as Church-Members they stand related which is either general and common or special and proper The Rulers and Officers of the Church as those of Armies and Common-wealths or Kingdoms are or ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men under Authority and the Laws of a Polity that is proper to them as such as well as the people whom they govern by the Laws that are fitted for them I say under Authority and that not only and immediately unto Christ but also unto men even such as Christ the Supream Legislator and Lord hath Commissioned to rule for and under him in his Church This seems to me to have been one great mistake and the ground of a thousand more That the Ministers of the Gospel have and hold their Authority in the Church only from Christ in capite so as to conclude an equality and co-ordination of Pastors 'T is true the general Patent and Grant of the Office is originally and immediately from Christ but the particular distribution of Commission is not so but from such hands as are entrusted and authorized by him to bestow it on others and unto whom they that receive it ought to be accountable for their well or male-administration of it All those that are duly qualify'd and call'd to the Ministry are equally Ministers of Christ i. e. one is not more a Minister than another nor meerly as such have they greater power one than another as all men in the World are equally men God's Creatures and partakers of Human Nature But from hence to deny a subordination of one to another in point of Government is to pluck up all Government in the World by the roots and turn the whole Creation into Anarchy and worse than its first Tohn vebohu which is one of the maddest Principles that ever was suggested to the Rational Nature by that grand Author of confusion Let it be considered that the Officers of the Church of Christ or the Clergy as for distinction they are commonly call'd are a particular distinct Company and Society of men as the People or Layity are another and so they ever were and were to be accounted by God's own appointment both under the Old and New-Testament And as it is in all regulated Armies and other secular Governments in the world the Officers are a separate Political Body and Community of themselves distinct from the rest and if so then they ought to have their proper Polity and Government as such a Government peculiar and distinct from that of the common people and which is call'd Hierarchy only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that it ever hath been and always must be so is not hard to prove 1. That it hath been ever so since Christ hath had a Church upon the Earth I say a Church organically constituted and politically govern'd Such was the Jews under that of the hands of Moses and Aaron That the Ministers under the Old Testament the Priests and Levites were a distinct Body yea and to avoid confusion a distinct Tribe purposely so chosen of God and that they had their distinct Polity and Government of God's own appointing and that with a great deal of caution and particularity even to very minute circumstances in all the Orders Degrees and Courses of their Consecration and Ministration I would think it needless for me to spend time to demonstrate Those that have any acquaintance with the Sacred History of that Church cannot be ignorant of this And this was both the beauty and the strength and security of that Church the Hedge that God made about his Vineyard And as they were a distinct Body as Clergy separate from all the other Tribes so they had their proper Government and Oeconomy the Priests of the House of Aaron the Rulers and the rest of the Levites the Ruled And that it was so under the Gospel too from the
labour in the Word and Doctrine Much use hath been made of this Text to little purpose I shall not now mention any of all that I have seen and read of it but give you as God hath enabled me the true sense of this Scripture and let the unprejudiced Reader judge And that we may understand the mind of Christ in it we will consider 1. By whom and to whom this Direction was given It was by the Apostle Paul the great planter of the Churches of the Gentiles and who as an Apostle had Power and Authority to order and determine all the affairs that concern'd the Discipline and Government of the Churches of his own planting Both this and the other Epistle was written by him to Timothy whom he left as his Substitute or Surrogate with Apostolical Power under him in the Church of Ephesus to ordain Presbyters as there should be occasion and to dispose of the Dignities and Revenues of the Church to such as were most worthy of them and would best improve them to the Glory of Christ and the Churches benefit And for the same end it was that he left Titus in Crete as his Substitute or Overseer in that Island as appears Tit. 1.5 So that this advice was not sent to the people nor to the Inferior Presbyters who were to be ordered by it but to one in a higher Sphear of Authority and by whom they were to be ordered whether for distinction sake he be called Evangelist or Bishop or President or Moderator the difference is but verbal 2. What doth the Apostle mean by the double honour here There are two things that seem to bid fair for the Sense which will both come to one in the issue 1. The Honour of Maintenance and so we find the word sometimes used in Scripture as ver 3. of this Chap. Matt. 15.6 Acts 28 10. and the following words of the Apostle in this Scripture seem to look this way and then the Sense must be this Let those Officers of the Church that best discharge the Duties of their Office in ruling but especially in Preaching which is the more noble and necessary part of their Work have the greatest encouragement on this kind i e. Let not the Revenues of the Church which were then but small and uncertain be bestowed promiscuously much less partially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but so as may best subserve the Churches good Government and the grand Design of preaching the Gospel 2. The Honour of Authority and Obedience And this is the prime sense of the Word as it is used in the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother Exod. 20.12 is the same with Obey your Parents Eph. 6.1 And obey them that have the rule over you Heb. 13.17 and so is the word used Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this Honour unto himself i. e. this Office this Dignity this power and authority And this indeed is much more worthily and properly call'd Honour than a rich worldly Revenue or a fat Benefice or Bishoprick things unborn in those days which men too often abuse both to God's dishonour and their own Now if this be the Double Honour here intended as to me seems most probable at least that it is included as the most eminent part of it then the sense will be this Let those Presbyters or Ministers that appear on experience and tryal to have a Spirit of Government but especially with it an eminency of ability and diligence in preaching the Word be made Rulers and Superintendents over the inferior part of the Clergy let such be taken into the Collegium Presbyterorum regens the Regency of the Church So that it is not the distinction of Office but the qualification of the Officer that the Apostle gives this direction for 3. We must consider the persons on whom this double honour is to be conferr'd or who are thus to be dignified as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies and these are Elders describ'd 1. In genere by their Office 2. In specie by their Qualifications 1. By their general Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a word always us'd to denote the Ministers of the Word in the Gospel-Church as Act. 11.30 ch 14.23 ch 15.2 6 22 23. ch 16.4 ch 20.17 ch 21.18 Tit. 1.5 Jam. 5.14 1 Pet. 5.1 2 Ep. John 1. and Epist 3.1 2. By their special Qualification which is double 1. They much be such as Rule well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is another Title peculiarly given in the New Testament to the Ministers of the Word whose Office it is to Rule as well as to Preach 2. They must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as labour in the Word and Doctrine So that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not distinguish as I have said between two Offices but between the twofold Qualifications of one and the same Office There were in the Church of Ephesus which was a Collegiate or Presbyterial Church many Presbyters the Talent of whose Gifts lay diversly as we find it doth in all other Churches some were fitter for Government others for Preaching some excelled in one Gift others in another Now the Apostle advises Timothy how to make his choice of Persons for Government in the Presbytery whom to prefer to and entrust with a double honour or higher degree of Dignity and Power in this kind and sphere of Government and tells him they must be such as have behav'd themselves well in the Pastoral Government of their particular Flocks and Congregations and especially such of them as are most eminent and laborious in Preaching the Word whereby they purchase to themselves a good Degree as it is said of the Deacons 1 Tim 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place of higher Honour and Trust from a Deacon to a Presbyter from a Presbyter to a President Preferments ought to be dispensed according to every ones Qualifications and Merits Whence it appears that there are Degrees in the Ministerial Office And this is that the Apostle here gives this Direction about not at all countenancing a Non-Preaching Ruling Lay-Elder but discountenancing a Lordly Lazy Non-Preaching Bishop or Superintendent That the Preaching Elder or Minister of the Gospel is to Rule as well as to Preach the Word is so plainly asserted in Scripture that I think cannot by any be denied But if this Ruling Power were divided by Christ or his Apostles between Them and the People or any part of the People can any one give us a reason why neither Christ nor his Apostles should ever speak a word to direct us how the Division of this Ruling Power must be made What must be their part and what ours How they must be qualified as well as we and the Deacons for which they were careful to give the necessary Rules Yea and how they must be maintain'd too For to lay the burden of an Office on a Man and to make no provision for his Maintenance seems hard and not
and Names of things that are become of ill Fame thro' the Idolatry Heresie Superstition Tyranny and Immorality of a degenerate Age yet the things that are signified by them are in themselves good and necessary and perhaps the very same that others plead for under other Names and Titles And could they be but once again duly purg'd of these defilements would be as glorious and useful as of old they were in the Apostles and Primitive times And if ever it be the good Will of God that the Church of England be once again Reform'd in the Government and Discipline of it according to Scripture it must not be by plucking up and destroying that which is good but by purging that which is foul and removing that which is burdensom and superfluous I am sorry to see how cunningly some men's Logick can argue from this Subordination of Congregational Pastors to Presbyterial or Diocesan Presidents or Super-intendents a necessity of one Universal Papal Head and not by the same Rules of their Logick argue it as consequentially necessary from the Sub-ordination of Officers in an Army or Common-wealth that there must be one Universal Humane Head and Monarch over all the Armies or all the Nations in the World I confess this Chapter hath drawn out more words than I at first thought it should have done Nor have I altogether pleas'd my self in the Method of it For any accidental mistakes in the Manner of expressing my intended sense I beg the pardon of my more critical Reader But if any thing on calm and impartial examination appear in the Matter of it Heterodox to the Truth reveal'd and taught us in the Holy Scriptures I shall readily acknowledge my errour and not take it as a shame to be made wiser The sum of what I have herein aim'd at I shall now wind up in these eight Positions Posit I. that our LORD Jesus Christ hath not left his Church in the World without a proper Government of his own appointment for it Pos II. That this Government is to be managed for and under him and by his Laws and Authority by those into whose hands he hath delivered the Keys Pos III. That Ruling Elders distinct from all Preaching Elders and Deacons are no Divine Ordinance in the Church of God now under the New Testament Pos IV. That every Pastor lawfully ordain'd and call'd to the Charge of a particular Congregation hath a Divine Right of executing the whole Office of a Pastor in and over that Congregation Pos V. That every Pastor of a Congregation as such is under the governing power of that Classical Presbytery whereof he is or ought to be a Member Pos VI. That the Classical or Diocesan Presbytery ought to be but a select number and not the whole Body of that Classis or Diocess Pos VII That the Form and Power of Ruling Presbyteries ought to be fixt and constant and not occasional only and intermittent Pos VIII That every Classical Presbytery ought to have a single Head or President and which ought to be continued in that Office quam diu bene se gesserit CAP. VI. A few words of Counsel and Incouragement to the Lambs the younger sort I Am now come to the last part of my present Task to speak a little to the Flock over which our LORD hath set us and 1. Will begin as he himself hath taught me with the Lambs And O that I could now pour out my Soul into their bosoms and offer something that may awaken and engage their chast affections to an early and serious minding of Christ and of their own Souls I am not speaking to those who thro' want of years are uncapable but to such as are able to apprehend the words and counsels of God from the Pulpit or the Press My dear Lambs you see what care our LORD Jesus Christ hath taken of you 1. He calls you His what an Honour what a Happiness is this If you be his he will be yours yours to all gracious ends and purposes yours to love you yours to provide for you yours to protect you yours to bless to guide to instruct to own to sanctifie to save you He will be a Friend a Father a Husband an All and better than all to you Let who will forsake you your God is unchangeable he will never forsake you yea when all others forsake then will he be every way best to you you shall never want a Friend while you have a Friend in Heaven But remember you cannot be so His nor He Yours without your voluntary hearty unreserved self-dedication to him He will not be yours without your deliberate choice and free and full consent If he be yours it must be by Covenant and by a Covenant of Salt you must be his Covenant-Servants and that for ever He that putteth his hand to Gods Plough must not look back Yea you must be so his as to be no more your own If Christ be yours he must be your LORD to rule and command you his Will must be your Will and his Word your Rule and his Work your delight O that this may help now to oblige and incourage you to offer your first your best your Bodies your Souls your all to the LORD 2. He calls upon his Lambs The Lambs are the Hope of the Flock and the Joy of the Shepherd None so welcome to him as those that seek him betimes that devote the first fruits of their youth and strength and affections to him It was John the youngest Disciple that was the beloved one I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals Jer. 2.2 Sirs this is the day of your Visitation behold now is the accepted time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tempus complacentiae gratuitae receptionis Behold now is the Day of Salvation This is your season the day of Gods special Grace which is true not only of the day of the Gospel in general but especially of the day of youth this is the day of your greatest advantage on very many accounts Now is your time to lay the Foundations of your future Eternal happiness If you lose this Season you are for ought you know lost for ever If you now be before hand with the Tempter you will the more easily have him under your feet as long as you live I have written unto you young men says the Apostle because ye are strong and have overcome the wicked one 1 John 2.13 14. if you do not now overcome him you will be worse able to do it hereafter As the Enemy grows stronger you will find your selves grow weaker yea the more calls of God you reject in your youth the nearer you are to that Curse Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy O do not presume on the leisure of Old Age how many thousands are there that once refused to give God their youth that are now