Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
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B20783
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A sermon preached at the ordinatoin [sic] of an elder and deacons in a baptized congregation in London by N.C.
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Coxe, Nehemiah.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing C6718
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25,157
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47
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and Confidence The Power of the Apostles extended to all the Churches and was equal in them all when they were planted and therefore Paul saith The care 2 Cor. 11. 28. of all the Churches came upon him daily And as a Fruit of this Care in the discharge of his Office he gives forth this Commission to Titus and herein we must consider him as acting by virtue of that Authority which himself had received from Christ who is the first Subject and Head of all Ecclesiastical Power and Jurisdiction There is no such thing as Authority in or over the Church but what is derived from Christ who hath all Mat. 28. 19. Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him 2. The Person imployed viz. Titus had the Character and Office of an Evangelist The Evangelists were also extraordinary Ministers tho' inferior to the Apostles and did usually attend the motion and direction of the Apostles as assistant to them in preaching the Gospel and setling the Churches in due order when first planted And tho' Titus be not expresly called an Evangelist yet if we consider his Imployment and compare this Epistle to him with those written to Timothy who is particularly charged to do the Work of an Evangelist we shall have no reason 2 Tim. 4. 5. to doubt their being both in the same capacity And they acted not as Diocesan Bishops in their particular Charge but were sometimes imployed in one part of the World and sometimes in another as the Service of the Gospel required their attendance And since the ceasing of these extraordinary Officers and the compleating of the Canon of the New Testament all Church-Offices and Affairs are to be regulated and guided by the ordinary and standing Rule of the Scriptures And every particular Congregation hath not only right but is in duty bound to dispose her self in that Order and under that Rule and Government which Christ hath appointed in his Testament We shall now proceed to those things which our Text and the present Occasion calls for some further discourse of The first Instance that we have of setling Order in a Christian Church by the ordaining of ordinary Officers therein is that of the appointment of Deacons in the Church of Jerusalem Acts 6. And this also I take to be included in the general Commission here given to Titus That he should set in order the things that are wanting for it appears that the Primitive Churches had both Bishops or Elders and Deacons ordained in them when brought to that Settlement and Order which they were to continue in Phil. 1. 1. And the necessity of such an Office and Officers in the Church when the number of her Members is increased will quickly appear as it did in the Church at Jerusalem for When the number of the Disciples Act. 6. v. 1. was multiplyed there arose a murmuring of the Grecians or Hellenists against the Hebrews because their Widows were neglected in the daily Ministration * Judaei sie distinguebantur Judaei Palestini qui hîc Hebraei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui hîc Hellenistae sive Graecienses qui peculiarâ— utebantur dialecto quam Heilenisticam vocant Drus vid. etiam Grot. Lights in locum The Grecians here mentioned were not Gentiles or Greeks by Nation but such of the scattered Jews who having their Education among the Greeks and speaking their Language were called Hellenists in distinction from those born and bred up in Judea that spake the common Jewish Language which was then a kind of Chaldaeo-Syriack and is called the Hebrew Tongue Acts 22. 2. because of its then common use among the Hebrews or Seed of Abraham in Judaea and with respect to this Paul affirms of himself that he was an Hebrew of the Hebrews Phil. 3. 5. Now upon this murmuring of the Hellenists for the prevention of all disorder or neglect of this kind for the future The twelve called the V. 2 3 4. multitude of the Disciples unto them and told them That it was unreasonable for them to be taken off from the more weighty imploiment of preaching the Gospel to give their attendance upon an Affair of this nature and therefore that they might be at liberty to give themselves continually to Prayer and the Ministry of the Word and yet the necessities of the poor and orderly dispensing of the Churches Almes be provided for also They commanded them to look out from among themselves seven Men of honest Report full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom whom they might appoint over this Business which was accordingly done This is in V. 5 6. short the History of the first Ordination of Deacons and because in this case what was first in this kind was to be the Rule and Standard of what should afterwards be done we shall take a review of some Passages for our present Instruction And First A Deacon being an ordinary Officer in the Church appointed to minister therein for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Non ipsi eligunt sed multitudini electionem permittunt qui etiam commodum erant ex illorum curatione functione percepturi atque ipsi eligunt producunt manibus imposiâ—is ordinant creant atque declarant Theoph. in locum Relief of the Poor The Election of these Officers of right belongs to that Congregation where they are to serve in this Capacity And the Holy Apostles tho' vested with an extraordinary Power and peculiarly intrusted by Christ with the appointment of such an Office and Officers after they had informed the Church thereabout and given them a Rule to proceed by left them to their own voluntary and free choice Secondly The Number here appointed viz. Seven was suited to the present Necessity or Convenience of that numerous Congregation in which they were to minister and is not intended as a Rule that neither more nor fewer may be appointed in any Congregation after but that is to be determined by a due comparing of the End of the Office with the Circumstances of each particular Congregation who are to govern their Choice in point of Number as may best answer the end in a sufficient Provision for their present necessity and comfort of their Poor Thirdly The Rule of the Churches proceeding in her Election is laid before her in an account of those Qualifications which are requisite in Persons to be imployed in such a Trust They must be Men of honest Report Men whose Innocent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Holy Life is well attested Persons of known and approved Integrity full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom And these general Terms are comprehensive of the Particulars mentioned by our Apostle in that Rule which he hath given about the same Matter in 1 Tim. 3. 8 9. Likewise must the Deacons be grave not double-tongued not given to much Wine not greedy of filthy Lucre holding the Mystery of the Faith in a pure Conscience And
A SERMON PREACHED AT THE ORDINATOIN OF AN Elder and Deacons IN A Baptized Congregation In LONDON By N. C. Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. LONDON Printed for Tho. Fabian at the Bible in Saint Paul's Church-Yard a corner Shop next Cheap-side 1681. TITUS 1. 5. For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee THe general Design and Scope of these Words is obvious to the observation of every one that reads them The great Apostle of the Gentiles had with good success laboured in preaching the Gospel to the Cretians and being himself removed from them after he had as a wise Master-builder laid the Foundation of many Churches of Christians in Crete he left Titus among them to build thereupon And while he was resident there Paul sends this Epistle to him to remind him of that Service for Christ in his Churches that he had left upon his Hands whereby he doth not only quicken him to his Work but also furnishes him with full and clear Directions for the right management thereof In the Account that our Text gives of the Reason for which Paul left Titus in Grete the Service which he was there to be imployed in is set down 1. In more general and comprehensive terms That thou shouldest set in order the things which are wanting 2. In a more particular Account of one special Charge left upon him And ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee That which we have do in the first Place is briefly to open to you what needs explication in the words The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred set in order is no where else used in the New Testament nor in the Version of the Old by the Septuagint that I can find divers learned Interpreters do here render it by Corrigas that thou shouldest correct And Erasmus in his Notes frames a word more expressive of its Emphasis supercorrigas which imports to correct with accuracy and exactness as one that goes over a Work again that he may be sure to leave no blemish upon it or defect in it Some understand this part of Titus his Charge to respect the correction of the manners of the Cretians by reproof and sound Doctrine and with this sense the Arabick Version fully concurs Vt res vitiosas corrigas That thou shouldst correct the things that are faulty And it is evident in the sequel of the Epistle That this was one part of his Work But I conceive this is not so immediately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. d. Supercorrigo quod plus est quam Corrigo ea quae aliquâ ex parte correcta sunt ad limam summam lineam perduco Heins in loc intended by this term but rather The settlement and disposing of things relating to the Offices and Government in the House of God and the Order of their Communion in the Church who were Members of it in a full and exact agreement with the Rule of Christ's Appointment which the Apostle had not time to bring to perfection during his stay with them And this sense very well agrees with the use of a term of near affinity with this in our Text viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Heb. 9. 10. where the Days of the Gospel are called the Times of Reformation because in them the State of the Church is brought to its utmost perfection here on Earth and all that was wanting in the Law is fully supplied in the New Testament The Edification and Beauty of the Church is much concerned in her Order not such an Order as Superstition will dictate or litigious Nicety contend for but such as we have already described which sets her in a conformity with Christ's Will and particularly the filling up of the Offices which he hath appointed with Persons duly qualified for the administration of them and the regular acting both of Officers and Members in their respective places The particular Charge given to Titus is To ordain Elders in every City This is to be explained by conference with Act. 14. 23. where the practice of the Apostles themselves is recorded And having ordained them Elders in every Church c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same in these Texts The Converts in every City were not then so numerous but they might conveniently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et cum suftragiis creassent Erasm Vox orta ex more Graecorum qui porrectis manibus suffragia ferebant Bez. come together in one place for the Worship of God and so to ordain them Elders in every City was to do it in every Church And tho' these first Ordinations were by extraordinary Men yet the People were not excluded from the just right of chusing their own Ministers for they were appointed to their Charge with the concurrent Vote and Suffrage of the People Howbeit Titus was to preside in the management of this Affair for their Guidance and Direction both with respect to the Office it self and their choice of Persons duly qualified for it In the next place for the more full opening of the Text it will be necessary briefly to touch upon the Quality and Character of those Persons which we here find concerned in the setting of things in order in the Churches And 1. The Person that imployed Titus in this Service viz. Paul bears the Character and had the Office and Authority of an Apostle of Jesus Christ The Apostles had an immediate and extraordinary Call to their Office by God and our Lord Jesus Christ Hence our Apostle when he would represent to the Galatians the Dignity of his Office that he might recover them to a stability in that Doctrine which he had preached to them tells them Gal. 1. 1. that he was an Apostle not of Men neither by Man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father Ordinary Ministers as Pastors or Elders tho they were not of Men that is receive not their Authority from Men nor are of humane right and appointment yet are they by Men so as to be brought to their Office by the Call of the Church But it was not so with the Apostles of Christ they were neither of Men nor by Men but had their Call and Power immediately from Christ their Ministry being antecedent to the Church as that by which it was to be planted And as they had an extraordinary Call so were they also qualified with extraordinary Gifts and Abilities for the Work they were called to and had the infallible guidance of the Spirit in their Doctrine which was but necessary seeing the Churches were to be founded and built thereupon Ephes 2. 20. The Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament are the Foundation in respect of their Doctrine tho' Jesus Christ whom they preached is the only Foundation of the Church in respect of Trust