The Divine Right of Church Government Part 3

1. By commending or discommending. G.o.d commended king Josiah for his zeal and impartiality in completing of the reformation of religion, 1 Kings xiii. 25. This is a rule for all princes and magistrates how they should reform. The angel of the church of Ephesus is commended, for not bearing of those that were evil, for trying and detecting the false apostles, and for hating the works of the Nicolaitans, Rev. ii. 2, 3, 6.

The angel of the church of Pergamus is praised, for holding fast Christ's name, and not denying his faith in places of danger, and days of deepest persecution, Rev. ii. 13: a rule for all pastors and churches, how in all such cases they should carry themselves. G.o.d's commendings are divine commandings. On the contrary, G.o.d dispraises Ephesus, for falling from her first love, Rev. ii. 4. Pergamus, for holding the doctrine of Balaam, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, Rev. ii. 14, 15. Thyatira, for tolerating the false prophetess Jezebel, to teach and seduce his servants, &c., Rev. ii. 20. Laodicea, because she was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, Rev. iii. 15. The church of Corinth, for coming together in public a.s.semblies, not for better but for worse, by reason of schisms, scandals, and other disorders about the Lord's supper, 1 Cor. xi. 17, &c. In these and all such divine discommendings of the churches for their corruptions, all succeeding churches are strongly forbidden the like corruptions: G.o.d's dispraises are divine prohibitions. Thus good church elders are commended in this notion, that they are _elders ruling well_, 1 Tim. v. 17; therefore, that elders in the church should rule, and rule well, is by this commendation of divine right.

2. By promising and threatening. What promise did G.o.d ever make to any act or performance, which was not a duty? or what threatening against any act which was not a sin? He promises to them that forsake all for Christ, a "hundred-fold now in this time, and in the world to come eternal life," Mark x. 29, 30; therefore it is our duty to forsake all for Christ. He promised to ratify in heaven his disciples' sentences of _building or loosing on earth_; and to _be with them_ whensoever _two or three of them were met together_ for that end, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii.

18-20, and John xx. 23. Therefore binding and loosing, remitting and retaining of sins, and meeting together for that end, belong to them by divine right. He promised to be with them that baptize, preach, remit, and retain sins in his name, &c., _always, to the end of the world_, John xx. 23; with Matt, xxviii. 18-20, which promise shows, that these works and employments belong to all succeeding ministers to the world's end, as well as to the apostles by divine right. On the contrary, the Lord threatens Ephesus for decay of first love, Rev. ii. 4, 5; Pergamus, for holding false doctrine, Rev. ii. 14, 15; Thyatira, for tolerating of Jezebel and her false teaching, &c., Rev. ii. 21, 21, 23; and Laodicea, for lukewarmness, Rev. iii. 15, 16. Therefore, all these were their sins, and we are bound, even by this divine threatening, to avoid the like by a divine warrant.

3. By remunerating or rewarding; whether he reward with blessings or with judgments. With blessings G.o.d rewarded the Hebrew midwives, because they preserved the male children of Israel, contrary to Pharaoh's b.l.o.o.d.y command; _G.o.d made them houses_, Exod. i. 17, 20, 21. He will have the elders that rule well _counted worthy of double honor_, &c.; i.e.

rewarded with a bountiful, plentiful maintenance, 1 Tim. v. 17.

Therefore, their ruling in the church is of divine right, for which G.o.d appoints such a good reward. Contrariwise, with judgments G.o.d rewarded king Saul, for offering a burnt-offering himself, 1 Sam. xiii. 12-14; Uzzah, for touching the ark, though it was ready to fall, 2 Sam. vi. 6, 7; and king Uzziah, for going into the temple to burn incense, 2 Chron.

xxvi. 16. None of these being priests, yet presuming to meddle with the priest's office. A rule for all persons, being not church officers, yea, though they be princes or supreme magistrates, that they are hereby warned by the divine law, not to usurp church authority or offices to themselves. G.o.d rewarded the Corinthians with the judgments of weakness, sickness, and death, for unworthy receiving of the Lord's supper, 1 Cor. xi. 30. So that this is a divine warning for all after churches against unworthy communicating.

CHAPTER VI.

IV. _Of a Divine Right by Divine Acts._

IV. By divine acts. Whatsoever matters of religion were erected in, or conferred upon the Church of G.o.d, by G.o.d, or any person of the blessed Trinity, and are left recorded in the Scripture, they are of divine right, by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ. Shall divine approbation, yea, shall the saints' binding example hold forth to us a divine right, and shall not the divine actions of G.o.d, Christ, and the Spirit, do it much more? Take some instances: the Lord's-day sabbath, under the New Testament, was it not inst.i.tuted (the seventh day being changed to the first day of the week) by the acts of Christ, having now perfected the spiritual creation of the new world? viz: by his resurrection and apparitions to his disciples on that day, and miraculous blessing and sanctifying of that day, by pouring forth the gifts of the Holy Ghost, Acts ii., all which were seconded with the apostolical practice in the primitive churches, Acts xx. 7, &c.; 1 Cor.

xvi. 1, 2. And do not the churches of Christ generally conclude upon these grounds, that the Lord's-day sabbath is of divine warrant? Thus circ.u.mcision is abrogated of divine right, by Christ's act, inst.i.tuting baptism instead thereof, Col. ii. 11, 12. The pa.s.sover is abolished of divine right, by Christ himself, our true pa.s.sover, _being sacrificed for us_, 1 Cor. v. 7; and the Lord's supper being inst.i.tuted a memorial of Christ's death instead of it, Matt, xxvi., Mark xiv., Luke xxii. And the whole ceremonial law is antiquated and made void by Christ's death, accomplishing all those dark types; therefore Christ, immediately before his yielding up the ghost, cried, _It is finished_, John xix. 30. See Col. ii. 14; Eph. ii. 14, 15; _abolishing the law of commandments in ordinances_, Heb. viii. 13, and x. 4, 5, &c. Thus by Christ's act of giving the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter and the apostles, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18, 19, the keys belong to the officers of the church by divine right. By G.o.d's act of _setting in the Church some, first apostles_, &c., 1 Cor. xii. 28, all those officers belong to the general visible Church by divine right. By Christ's act of bounty upon his triumphant ascension into heaven, _in giving gifts to men_, Eph.

iv. 7, 11, 12; all those church officers being Christ's gifts, are of divine right. Finally, by the Holy Ghost's act, in setting elders, overseers over the flock, Acts xx. 28, elders are such overseers by divine right.

CHAPTER VII.

V. _Of a Divine Right by Divine Precepts._

V. Finally, and primarily, by divine precepts, whatsoever in matters of religion is commanded or forbidden by G.o.d in his word, that is accordingly a duty or sin, by divine right: as, the duties of the whole moral law, the ten words, commanded of G.o.d, Exod. xx.; Deut. v.

Believing in Christ, commanded of G.o.d, 1 John iii. 23. The plentiful and honorable maintenance of ministers, commanded of G.o.d, 1 Tim. v. 17, 18; 1 Cor. ix. 9-11, 13, 14; Gal. vi. 6. The people's esteeming, loving, and obeying their pastors and teachers, commanded of G.o.d, 1 Thess. v. 12; Heb. xiii. 7, 17. Ministers' diligence and faithfulness, in feeding and watching over their flocks, commanded of G.o.d, Acts xx. 28; 2 Tim. iv.

1-3; 1 Pet. iv. 1-3; with innumerable commands and precepts of all sorts: now all things so commanded are evidently of divine right, and without gainsaying, granted on all hands, even by Erastians themselves.

But the question will be, how far we shall extend this head of _divine commands_. For clearness' sake, thus distinguish, thus resolve:

G.o.d's commands are either immediate or mediate.

1. Immediate divine commands: as those which G.o.d propounds and urges; as the ten commandments, Exod. xx., Deut. v., and all other injunctions of his in his word positively laid down. Of such commands, the apostle saith, "I command, yet not I, but the Lord," 1 Cor. vii. 10.

Now these immediate commands of G.o.d, in regard of their manner of publishing and propounding, are either explicit or implicit.

1. Explicit: which are expressly and in plain terms laid down, as the letter of the commandments of the decalogue, Exod. xx. The commands of Christ, "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep," John xxi.; "Go, disciple ye all nations," &c., Matt, xxviii. 19; "Do this in remembrance of me," Matt, xxvi; 1 Cor. xi. 23, 24, &c. Now whatsoever is expressly commanded of G.o.d in plain, evident terms, that is of divine right, without all color of controversy. Only take this caution, the divine right of things enjoined by G.o.d's express command, is to be interpreted according to the nature of the thing commanded, and the end or scope of the Lord in commanding: e.g. 1. Some things G.o.d commands morally, to be of perpetual use; as to honor father and mother, &c.; these are of divine right forever. 2. Some things he commands but positively, to be of use for a certain season; as the ceremonial administrations till Christ should come, for the Jewish church, and the judicial observances for their Jewish polity; and all these positive laws were of divine right till Christ abrogated them. 3. Some things he commands only by way of trial, not with intention that the things commanded should be done, but that his people's fear, love, and obedience may be proved, tried, &c. Thus G.o.d commanded Abraham to offer up his son Isaac for a burnt-offering, Gen. xxii.: such things are of divine right only in such cases of special infallible command. 4. Some things he commands extraordinarily in certain select and special cases: as, _Israel to borrow jewels of the Egyptians to rob them_, without intention ever to restore them, Exod.

xi. 2, &c. The disciples to _go preach_--yet to _provide neither gold nor silver_, &c. Matt. x. 7-10. The elders of the church (while miracles were of use in the church) _to anoint the sick with oil in the name of the Lord_, for their recovery, James v. 14. These and like extraordinary commands were only of force by divine right, in these extraordinary select cases, when they were propounded.

1. Implicit, or implied: which are either comprehensively contained in or under the express terms and letter of the command; or, consequentially, are deducible from the express command.

Comprehensively, many things are contained in a command, that are not expressed in the very letter of the command. Thus sound interpreters of the decalogue generally confess, that all precepts thereof include the whole parts under the general term, and G.o.d wills many things by them more than the bare words signify: e.g. in negative commands, forbidding sin, we are to understand the positive precepts prescribing the contrary duties; and so, on the contrary, under affirmative commands, we are to understand the negative thereof: thus Christ expounds the sixth commandment, Matt. v. 21-27, and ver. 43, to the end of the chapter. So when any evil is forbidden, not only the outward gross acts, but all inward acts and degrees thereof, with all causes and occasions, all fruits and effects thereof, are forbidden likewise: as, under killing, provoking terms, rash anger, Matt. v. 21, 22; under adultery, wanton looks, l.u.s.tful thoughts, &c., Matt. v. 27-30. Now all things comprehended in a command (though not expressed) are of divine right.

Consequentially, many things are clearly deducible from express commands in Scripture, by clear, unforced, infallible, and undeniable consequence. Now what things are commanded by necessary consequence, they are of divine right, as well as things in express terms prescribed: e.g. in the case of baptism, have the ordinary ministers of the New Testament any punctual express command to baptize? yet, by consequence, it is evident infallibly, the apostles are commanded to baptize, and the promise is made to them by Christ, that he _will be with them always to the end of the world_, Matt, xxviii. 18-20, which cannot be interpreted of the apostles' persons only; for they were not to live till the world's end, but are dead and gone long ago; but of the apostles and their successors, the ministers of the gospel to the world's end; now to whom the promise of Christ's presence is here to be applied, to them the precept of baptizing and teaching is intended by clear consequence and deduction. So, infants of Christian parents under the New Testament are commanded to be baptized by consequence; for that the infants of G.o.d's people under the Old Testament were commanded to be circ.u.mcised, Gen.

xvii.; for, the privileges of believers under the New Testament are as large as the privileges of believers under the Old Testament: and the children of believers under the New Testament are federally holy, and within the covenant of G.o.d, as well as the children of believers under the Old Testament, Gen. xvii., compared with Rom. xi. 16; 1 Cor. vii.

14: and what objections can be made from infants' incapacity now, against their baptism, might as well then have been made against their being circ.u.mcised: and why children should once be admitted to the initiating sacrament, and not still be admitted to the like initiating sacrament, (the Lord of the covenant and sacrament nowhere forbidding them,) there can be no just ground. And baptism succeeds in the room of circ.u.mcision, Col. ii. 11, 12. _Thus in case of the Lord's supper_, apostles were commanded to dispense it, and men commanded to receive it.

"Do ye this in remembrance of me," Matt, xxvi., 1 Cor. xi. 24, 25; yet by consequence, the ministers of the gospel succeeding the apostles, being stewards of the mysteries of G.o.d, have the same charge laid upon them; and women as well as men are enjoined to keep that sacrament, whole families communicating in the pa.s.sover, the forerunner of the Lord's supper, Exod. xiv., and male and female being _all one in Christ_, Gal. iii. 28. _Thus in case of the maintenance of ministers under the New Testament_: the apostle proves it by consequence to be commanded, G.o.d hath ordained, &c., from G.o.d's command of not _muzzling the ox that treads out the corn_, and of maintaining the priests under the Old Testament, 1 Cor. ix. 14, &c.; l Tim. v. 17, 18. And thus, in case of church polity, the Hebrews are commanded to obey and be subordinate to their rulers in the Lord, Heb. xiii. 17; consequently, other churches are commanded not only to have rulers, but to obey and submit to their rule and government. Timothy is commanded to lay hands _suddenly on none_, &c., in ordaining of preaching elders, 1 Tim. v. 21, 22; consequently, such as succeed Timothy in ordaining of preaching elders are enjoined therein to do nothing suddenly, hastily, &c., but upon mature deliberation. The apostle commands, that men must _first be proved, and found blameless, before they execute the deacon's office_, 1 Tim. iii. 10; by consequence, it is much more necessarily commanded, that ruling elders should first be proved, and be found blameless, before they exercise rule; and that ministers be examined, and found blameless, before they be ordained to or execute the ministerial function, for these offices are of greater and higher concernment than the deacon's office.

2. Mediate divine commands, which are mediately from G.o.d, but immediately from men; and these come under a double consideration, being either,

1. Such commands whose general principles are immediately the Lord's, yet accommodations and determinations of particulars are from men, by apparent deductions from those grounds. Of such the apostle saith, "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord," 1 Cor. vii. 12; not that Paul delivered any commands merely of his own head, (for he had "obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful," ver. 25, and did _think that he had the Spirit of the Lord_, ver. 40,) but grounded his commands upon the word of G.o.d, whereof the apostle was the interpreter. The case is concerning divorce when it fell out that believer and unbeliever were married together: the Lord had given general rules about divorce, but no particular rule about this case, (it being not incident to the Jews;) the apostle, therefore, accommodates the general rule to the particular case; he, not the Lord, determined the particular. This sound interpreters conceive to be the apostle's meaning: Thus the apostle, treating of order in public a.s.semblies, saith, "The prophet and the spiritual man must acknowledge the things which I write, to be the commandments of the Lord," 1 Cor. xiv. 37. Understand it mediately, as being agreeable to the Lord's principles revealed: for otherwise how should the prophet know what the Lord immediately revealed to the apostle? or why should we think it probable that what Paul here speaks of order and decency in church a.s.semblies, was immediately and expressly delivered him by speech or revelation from the Lord, seeing these particulars have such easy and apparent deduction from general principles, and revelations are not unnecessarily multiplied? Yet these particular deductions and determinations are here styled the commandments of the Lord.

2. Such commands, which are accidental and occasional, whose grounds and general principles are also the Lord's; yet determination or deduction of particulars can hardly be made, but in such emergent cases and occasions accidentally falling out, as necessitate thereunto. As in that case, Acts xv., when the synod commands abstinence _from blood, and things strangled_, and that necessarily, (though the Levitical law was now abrogated,) because the common use thereof by accident grew very scandalous: therefore, by the law of charity, the use of Christian liberty is to be suspended, when otherwise the scandal of my brother is endangered; yet from any ground of equity to have provided such a particular rule as this, without such a case occurring, would scarce have been possible. Now the synod saith of this determination, "It seemed good unto the Holy Ghost, and unto us," Acts xv. And another synod, walking by the like light and rule of the Scripture as they did, may say of themselves as the apostles said.

PART II.

OF THE NATURE OF THAT CHURCH GOVERNMENT WHICH IS OF DIVINE RIGHT, ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE.

CHAPTER I.

_The Description of Church Government._

The nature of that church government which is of divine right according to Scripture, comes next to be considered; (having so fully seen what the nature of a divine right is, and how many several ways matters in religion may be said to be of divine right.) For the fuller and clearer unfolding whereof, let us first see how church government may be described; and then how that description may be explained and justified by the word of G.o.d, in the branches of it.

Church government may be thus described:

Church government is a power[13] or authority spiritual,[14] revealed in the holy Scriptures,[15] derived from Jesus Christ[16] our Mediator,[17]

only to his own officers, and by them exercised in dispensing of the word,[18] seals,[19] censures,[20] and all other ordinances of Christ,[21] for the edifying of the Church of Christ.[22]

This description of church government may be thus explained and proved.

Three things are princ.i.p.ally considerable herein, viz: 1. The thing defined, or described, viz. church government. 2. The general nature of this government which it hath in common with all other governments, viz.

power or authority.

3. The special difference whereby it is distinguished from all other governments whatsoever. Herein six things are observable. 1. The special rule, wherein it is revealed, and whereby it is to be measured, viz. the holy Scriptures. 2. The proper author, or fountain, whence this power is derived, viz. from Jesus Christ our Mediator, peculiarly. 3. The special kind of this power or authority, viz. it is a spiritual power, it is a derived power. 4. The several parts or acts wherein this power sets forth itself, viz. in dispensing the word, seals, censures, and all other ordinances of Christ. 5. The special end or scope of this power, viz. the edifying of the Church of Christ. 6. The proper and distinct subject or receptacle wherein Christ hath placed and intrusted all this power, viz. only his own officers. All these things are comprehended in this description, and unto these several heads the whole nature of church government may be reduced. So that, these being explained and confirmed by the Scriptures, it will easily and fully be discovered, what that church government is which is of divine right, and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ, our Mediator.

CHAPTER II.

_Of the Subject Described, viz. Church Government, the terms being briefly opened._

Touching the thing defined or described, it is church government. Here two terms are to be a little explained: 1. What is meant by church? 2.

What is meant by government?