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hand_n	ghost_n	holy_a	see_v	5,027	5	3.8793	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96941	A modell of the government of the church under the gospel, by presbyters, proved out of the holy scriptures, to be that one, onely uniform government of the universall visible church, and of all nationall, provinciall, classicall and congregationall churches: which is according to the will and appointment of Jesus Christ. Which may serve to stay such as are doubting, with hope of full satisfaction, and clear demonstration of this truth, shortly to be made by the reverend Assembly of Divines. / Composed by a Presbyterian minister of the city of London, and approved by divers of his learned brethren, and at their request published.	Walker, George, 1581?-1651.	1646 (1646)	Wing W362; Thomason E342_3; ESTC R200927	24,926	36

in the Scriptures before named Math. 28. 19. 20. Mark 16. 15. John 20. 23. and in other places where the exercise of the power of the Keyes of the kingdome of heaven which was given to Peter as the mouth of the rest Math. 16. 19. is also given in common to them all as they were the Church representative and stood in the place of all Pastours and Teachers to the end of the world In so much as if any two or three of them were gathered together in his Name he promised to be in the midst of them Mat. 18. 17. 18. 20. and Joh. 20. 23. And as the Lord Christ gave this power to the Apostles so they exercised it sometimes in common all together in the generall Assembly of the Disciples Brethren and Elders as Act. 1. 15. in the election of an Apostle in the place of Iudas and Act. 6. 2. about the election and Ordination of the seven Deacons and Act. 15 6. about the deciding of a great controversie concerning Circumcision and other legall rites not to be imposed on the believing Gentiles And sometimes two or three of them as Peter and Iohn when they were sent to Samaria to confirme the Church there Act. 8 14. And Barnabas and others who were sent to confirme the first Church called Christian at Antioch Act. 11. 22. 23. And Paul and Barnabas and Silas in ordaining Elders in every Church by them converted to Christ Act. 14. 23. But yet they altogether and everie one or two by themselves exercised and commended to the Evangelists and Presbyters by them ordained the same uniforme government and the same way in Christ both for Doctrine and Discipline So the great Apostle of the Gentiles plainly testifieth 1 Cor. 4 17. writing thus for this cause have I sent to you Timotheus who is my beloved sonne and faithfull in the Lord who shall bring you into remembrance of my waies which be in Christ as I teach every where in every Church and 1 Cor. 7. 17. So ordain I in all Churches And he who had the care of all the Churches as he saith 2 Cor. 11. 28. keeps them to the same custome as is implied 2 Cor. 11. 16. where speaking of new fashions for which some are ready to contend he saith If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome nor the Churches of God 6. Now this ministeriall uniforme government setled by Christ and his Apostles in all Churches Nationall and Provinciall and Classicall in every Circuit as it was in the hands of the Pastours Presbyters and overseers so it was Aristocraticall But as the whole Church and multitude of believers had liberty in elections to nominate such as they found most fit to be overseers and officers and orderly to give their approbation of the Acts of the Elderships so it is in some part Democraticall As we see in the election of the seven Deacons Act. 6. The twelve Apostles appointed that seven men of honest report and full of the holy Ghost should be ordained The multitude chose them and set them before the Apostles who ordained them with prayer and imposition of hands So also Act. 15. The Apostles and Elders came together to consider of a matter and to decide a Controversie brought unto them from the Church of Antioch vers. 6. Peter and Iames debated the businesse and gave the sentence together with the Elders and all the brethren even the whole Church approved the sentence given by Iames and thereupon a decree was framed in the name of them all vers. 23. And in the ordaining of Presbyters in everie Church Act 14. 23. As the Apostles Paul and Barnabas with Silas prayed and layd on their hands so the people holding up their hands approved the election and ordination These examples and these practices of Church government in Synods and greater Presbyteries performed by men who had received instructions from Christs owne mouth and were inspired and moved there unto by the holy Ghost and the reason of them still standing in force they do shew that such Synods and acts of Church-Government are according to the will and appointment of Christ and are usefull and necessary to the end of the world And all Churches ought to conforme unto this speciall Government Ob. But some do object that the Apostles were men of extraordinary gifts and calling and had an infallible assistance of the holy Ghost which did lead them into all truth and could do in their Synods and Assemblies things which ordinarie Pastours and teachers cannot do they could say It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us and could take upon them the care and oversight of all Churches But now it is well if one or two of the wisest Ministers can teach or rule one particular Congregation It is too much for them to meddle with the common Government of many particular Churches And therefore the examples of the Apostolicall Churches do not binde the Churches of these times Ans. To this I answer First that it was necessary that the Apostles and Evangelists should be extraordinarily called inspired and assisted by the holy Ghost that he might lead them into all truth and call to their remembrance all things whatsoever Christ had taught them and commanded them to be observed in all Churches to the end of the world otherwise they could not have been the infallible penmen of the Scriptures which are the certain rule both of Doctrine and Discipline Neither could their example and practice have been an heavenly paterne of Divine Authority to all succeding ages But after the publishing of the Gospell by them to all the world and their writing of the holy Scriptures and leaving them recorded for a sure rule of teaching and ruling to all Christian Churches there is no more need of any such extraordinary calling and gifts in their Successours but ordinary Pastours and Teachers by the ordinary light and direction of the holy Ghost who hath made them Overseers over the Church may be as able to exercise Discipline and censures as to preach and propound sound and saving Doctrine in the Church out of the holy Scriptures of the Apostles which are as plain a rule and as certain a direction for ruling as they are for preaching And to confirm us in this assurance we have the promise of Christ that he will be with his Ministers in all ages to the end of the world as he was with his Apostles not only in teaching and Baptizing people but also making them observers of all things whatsoever he had commanded Matth. 28. 20. Secondly This objection is of no more force against the imitation of the Apostles in their practice and acts of Church Government in Synods and greater-Presbyteries then it is against preaching their doctrine contained in their writings For they were men of extraordinary calling and gifts in teaching as well as in ruling And if that be a good reason against ruling after their example It is so also against

Christs institution unto the office of expounding the word and ministring in all holy things in the Church the house of God of which they are stewards officers and Ministers Proved Sect. 3. and 5. 12. Church Discipline without sound Doctrine is a body without a soule The key of Doctrine is the soul life guid and direction of Discipline and those two keys of the Kingdome of Heaven are inseparably tyed together and committed by Christ to the same hands Discipline hath no power nor authority over the conscience but from the word rightly applyed They who are bound and loosed on earth according to the infallible word are also bound and loosed in heaven And Censures erring from the word are void in heaven Sect. 9. 13. Civill Magistrates other grave godly wise and discreet men are not excluded but may be chosen assisting Church Elders and together with preaching Presbyters may rule and Govern in those Elderships whereof they are Elders and have power and authority by the word of God to judge and determine in the Presbytery together with the Pastours and not otherwise who are scandalous offenders unworthy for the present to be admitted to the Lords table For the word expounded by Ministers thereunto lawfully called is the law and perfect rule of all acts of Church Government and Censures 14. Provision of Commissioners who are no Church Elders and who are authorised onely by the Civill Magistracy to judge who are scandalous offenders not fit to receive the holy Sacrament is in the judgement of the best Divines of the reformed Churches and appeares by Scriptures before alledged to be a meere invention of humane policie which hath no example or warrant in Gods word and a manifest usurpation and giving of that power to others which Christ hath appropriated to the Apostles and Presbyters of his Church and so is contrary to the will and appointment of Jesus Christ Godly ministers generally are of this judgement that their approving and yeelding to the practice thereof is a breach of the Nationall league and Covenant King Vzziah was plagued by God with an incurable leprosie for medling in the administration of holy ordinances and in so doing his heart was lifted up to his destruction and he transgressed against the Lord his God 2 Chron. 26. 16. In many men who highly applaud extoll and vehemently urge this new device and practice it favours too much of scorne contempt envy and a most uncharitable opinion conceived against the godly learned faithfull Ministers of Christ and watchfull Pastours of his Church and brands both them and all those who are to be set up hereafter in all places of the land if the godly reformation desired be really intended and sincerely prosecuted with insufficiency and want of grace to do the worke unto which God hath called them It seemes to call in question the faithfullnesse of Christ who hath promised to be with them allwayes even unto the end of the world Math. 28. 20. Many wise and godly people hold it a perverse imagination and a thing unreasonable to thinke that wise discreet and godly men being chosen Elders of the Church and joyned in Elderships with learned and faithfull Ministers who can expound the word and give them the true sense of the law of Christ shall or will not be more able to judge of scandalls and what persons are fit or unfit to be admitted to the Lords Supper then the same persons being commissioners by themselves As if Christ were not able ready and willing to give grace and assistance to them which are his chosen servants and ministers of his Church in things spirituall all as the supreme magistracy is to give to his new formed Creatures who are never owned by Christ in all the new Testament Surely no rationall man will so much as dreame That Ministers of Christ who are able to teach the supreme Magistrate his duty how to be just and to rule over men in the feare of God are not able to rule their owne flock over which the holy Ghost made them overseers or that Church Government in their hands to whom Christ hath committed it will prove more arbitrary irregular unlimited and tyrannicall then the Government both of Commonwealth and Church in the hands of Civill Magistrates seeing Ministers and Church Elders have a certaine and infallible rule the word of God to which alone they are limited and by which the spirit of God is promised to direct them in all Censures and Church Government But civill Magistrates have no such speciall promise of assistance from Christ and they rule by the uncertain lawes of men and have an arbitrary power to make lawes which are sometimes found contrary to the word of God and therefore unjust and tyrannicall over the Consciences of Christians till they be repealed and declared to be void And there can be no just suspition or feare of tyranny in the Government of the Church left in the hands of Church Elders where Christ hath placed it seeing the supreme Magistracy as keeper of both tables in all Christian Kingdomes and states hath as much Civill power to curb and punish them for male-administration of Church Government abuse of their power and manifest corruption of Christs ordinances and to depose and cast them out of their office when they are scandallous and incorrigible as they have to reprove him by Gods word for any notorious scandallous sinnes to admonish him of his duty to threaten him from God and to lay his judgements close to him when he goeth on in his sins of injustice profanenes licentiousnes and the like And now I will conclude all with some breif answers to the grievous accusations and loud clamours raised against the Ministery in generall as if the staine and guilt of all those errours and scandallous vices of pride covetousnes ambition and ignorance envy and cruelty which were found heretofore in the corrupt Popish and Prelaticall Clergy did still cleave to all Presbyters and Pastours of Christs Church and were hereditary to them We meet with this accusation and calumnie now adayes allmost in every company and at every rich mans table and in every libellous Printed pamphlet set forth weekly by Newes Mongers That Presbyterians are as proud as Prelates and if Ministes get into their hands Church Discipline they will tyrannize and Lord is over their flocks and the same spirit of pride envy covetousnes errour and cruelty will worke in them which ruled in the Prelates and in popish Bishops formerly To these I answer first That if we search all histories of the Church in all ages we shall never finde in any Church or Kingdom so many godly learned faithfull and sincere Ministers holding so fast their integrity of life and purity of doctrine under so great corruption of Government both in Church and State and after so great tyranny raging in both together with so many temptations hatred and persecution of godly and zealous Preachers and so open countenancing of prophanenes errour and heresie as we have had of late years and have at this day whom neither persecution losse of goods and estates nor bonds nor imprisonment no nor hopes and offers of preferment honour or riches could move from their stedfastnes And yet all this cannot stop the mouths of the sons of Belial whose hearts are hardened and their tongues set on fire of hell to revile the Ministers of Jesus Christ whose blamelesse lives convince them of malicious slander lying and impudency Secondly It is manifest to all equall and judicious men that the supreme Magistracy hath been the cheif cause of such an ungodly and scandallous Ministery pestring this Kingdome of late yeares For who like Jeroboam did preferre the basest of the people to be Priests of the high places namely Court flatterrers ambitious bribers importunate beggers Simoniacks and slaves to great mens lusts but the suprem Magistracy licentious Nobility profane gentry and covetous patrons of benefices Who but the supreme Magistracy hindred the lawfull ordination of Ministers by Presbyteries after strict examination and tryall had of their learning and gifts and upon testimony and experience of their honest life and conversation and gave the sole power thereof into the hands of those who commonly hated true godlines and either carelessely or corruptly and of purpose admitted vile unworthy persons into the holy calling of the Ministry who were either unlearned and not gifted or if learned and men of parts were vicious men of corrupt minde prone and strong to do mischeif Thirdly the supreme Magistracy by robbing the greatest part of parish Churches and selling away all impropriat Benefices to the Nobility and Gentrie and they covetously retaining them in their possession have made the Churches and Ministery base contemptible and beggerly And Lastly it seemes to reflect upon the supreme Magistracy in these dayes That there is such a scarcity of profitable pr●●●chers and that many Congregations are wholly unprovided and others are out of necessity forced to content themselves with soule-starving shepherds and many young men of learning and of hopefull gifts finding no lawfull way of entering into the Ministery and terrified with the intolerable taxes and other great grievances and discouragments under which many Ministers of great worth do lye groaning are moved to withdraw their mindes from the study of Divinity and betake themselves to other callings This certainly is not the fault of the learned Presbyters of this time who earnestly desire and have petitioned for liberty by the civill sanction to joyne together in Classicall Presbyteries and to ordaine Ministers according to the advice of the Reverend Assembly and the rules by them gathered out of Gods holy word It remaines therefore that they and all the godly in the land do cry mightily unto God in dayly prayer that he would pour out his spirit upon the high Court of Parliament and incline the heart of the supreme Magistracy to yeeld to the petitions and importunity of the City of the Assembly and of the Ministers of the Countrey and to be intreated in so necessary pious profitable and religious a request so easily granted to satisfie the longing desires and hungring and thirsting soules of all godly people that they and we may rejoyce together in the Lord and may blesse his holy name for the abundance of peace extended to us like a river and the Lord Christ may be our King and his Name one in all the three Kingdomes FINIS