The Divine Right of Church Government Part 5

As the Scripture is the rule of church government, so Christ is the sole root and fountain whence it originally flows; therefore, it is said in the description, church government is a power or authority, derived from Jesus Christ our Mediator. Take it in this proposition, viz:

Jesus Christ our Mediator hath all authority and power in heaven and in earth, for the government of his Church, committed unto him from G.o.d the Father. This is clearly evident,

1. By plain testimonies of Scripture, declaring that the government of the Church is laid upon his shoulder, to which end the Father hath invested him with all authority and power. "The government shall be upon his shoulder," &c., Isa. ix. 6,7. "All power is given me in heaven and in earth: go, disciple ye all nations," &c., Matt, xxviii. 18, 19. "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord G.o.d shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end," Luke i. 32, 33. "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man," John v. 22, 27. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand," John iii. 35. "It is he that hath the key of David, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth," Rev. iii. 7. "G.o.d raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all princ.i.p.ality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is his body," Eph. i. 20-23,

2. By eminent princely t.i.tles, attributed unto Jesus Christ our Mediator, having such authority, power, rule, and government legibly engraven upon their foreheads, in reference to his Church.

"A Governor which shall feed" (or rule) "my people Israel," Matt. ii. 6.

"That great Shepherd of the sheep," Heb. xiii. 20. "That Shepherd and Bishop of our souls," 1 Pet. ii. ult. "One is your master, Christ,"

Matt, xxiii. 8, 10. "Christ as a son over his own house," Heb. iii. 6.

"The Head of the body the Church," Col. i. 18; Eph. v. 23. "Head over all things to the Church," Eph. i. 22. "To us but one Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. viii. 6. "Made of G.o.d both Lord and Christ," Acts ii.

36. "Lord of lords," Rev. xix. 16. "He is Lord of all," Acts x. 36.

"G.o.d's King set on his holy hill of Zion," Psal. ii. 6. "David their king," Jer. x.x.x. 9; Ezek. x.x.xiv. 23, and x.x.xvii. 24; Hos. iii. 5. "King of kings," Rev. xix. 16.

3. By those primitive, fundamental, imperial acts of power, and supreme authority in the government of the Church, which are peculiarly ascribed to Jesus Christ our Mediator, as appropriate to him alone, above all creatures, e.g.

1. The giving of laws to his Church. "The law of Christ," Gal. vi. 2.

"Gave commandments to the apostles," Acts i. 2. "There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy," James iv. 12. "The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver," (or statute-maker,) "the Lord is our king," Isa. x.x.xiii. 22.

2. The const.i.tuting of ordinances, whereby his Church shall be edified: as _preaching the word_, Matt. x. 7; 1 Cor. i. 17; Matt, xxviii. 18-20; Mark xvi. 15. _Administering of the sacraments. Baptism_, John i. 33, with Matt. iii. 13, &c., and xxviii. 18, 19. _The Lord's supper_, 1 Cor.

xi. 20, 23, &c.; Matt. xxvi. 26, &c.; Mark xiv. 22, &c.; Luke xxii. 19, 20. _Dispensing of censures_, Matt. xvi. 10, with xviii. 15-18, &c.

3. The ordaining and appointing of his own church officers, by whom his ordinances shall be dispensed and managed in his Church. "He gave gifts to men; and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers," Eph. iv. 7, 8, 11; compare 1 Cor. xii. 28; 1 Thess. v. 12; Acts xx. 28.

4. The dispensing of Christ's ordinances, not in the name of magistrates, ministers, churches, councils, &c., but in Christ's own name. The apostles did "speak and teach in the name of Jesus," Acts iv.

17, 18. "Whatsoever ye ask in my name," John xiv. 13, 14, and xvi. 23.

"Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son," Matt, xxviii. 18, 19. "They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," Acts xix. 5. "In the name--with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such a one to Satan," 1 Cor. v. 4. Yea, a.s.semblies of the Church are to be in Christ's name: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name," Matt, xviii. 20.

CHAPTER VI.

_Of the Special Kind, or Peculiar Nature of this Power and Authority._

Having viewed what is the rule of this authority, viz. the holy Scriptures, and what is the fountain of this authority, viz. Jesus Christ our Mediator; now consider the special kind or peculiar nature of this authority, which the description lays down in two several expressions, viz: 1. It is a spiritual power or authority. 2. It is a derived power, &c.

1. The power or authority of church government is a spiritual power.

Spiritual, not so perfectly and completely as Christ's supreme government is spiritual, who alone hath absolute and immediate power and authority over the very spirits and consciences of men; ruling them by the invisible influence of his Spirit and grace as he pleaseth, John iii. 8; Rom. viii. 14; Gal. ii. 20: but so purely, properly, and merely spiritual is this power, that it really, essentially, and specifically differs, and is contradistinct from that power which is properly civil, worldly, and political, in the hand of the political magistrate. Now, that this power of church government is in this sense properly, purely, merely spiritual: and that by divine right may be evidenced many ways according to Scripture; forasmuch as the rule, fountain, matter, form, subject, object, end, and the all of this power, is only spiritual.

1. Spiritual in the rule, revealing and regulating it, viz. not any principles of state policy, parliament rolls, any human statutes, laws, ordinances, edicts, decrees, traditions, or precepts of men whatsoever, according to which cities, provinces, kingdoms, empires, may be happily governed: but the holy Scriptures, that perfect divine canon, wherein the Lord Christ hath revealed sufficiently how his own house, his Church, shall be ruled, 1 Tim. iii. 14, 15; and all his ordinances, word, sacraments, censures, &c., shall therein be dispensed, 2 Tim. iii.

16, 17. (See chap. IV.) Now this Scripture is divinely breathed, or inspired of G.o.d--holy men writing not according to the fallible will of man, but the infallible acting of the Holy Ghost, 2 Tim. iii. 16, with 2 Pet. i. 20, 21.

2. Spiritual in the fountain or author of this power, whence it originally flows; it being derived, not from any magistrate, prince, or potentate in the world, not from any man on earth, or the will of man; but only from Jesus Christ our Mediator, himself being the sole or first receptacle of all power from the Father, Matt. xxviii. 18; John v. 22: and consequently, the very fountain of all power and authority to his Church, Matt. xxviii. 18-20, with John xx. 21, 23; Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18-20; 2 Cor. x. 8. See this formerly cleared, chap. III. and V.

3. Spiritual in the matter of it, and the several parts of this power: therefore called the _keys of the kingdom of heaven_, not the keys of the kingdoms of earth, Matt. xvi. 19, (as Christ professed his _kingdom was not of this world_, John xviii. 36; and when one requested of Christ, that by his authority he would speak to his brother to divide the inheritance with him, Christ disclaimed utterly all such worldly, earthly power, saying, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?"

Luke xii. 13, 14.) Consider these heavenly spiritual keys in the kinds of them, whether of doctrine or discipline; or in the acts of them, whether of binding or loosing, in all which they are spiritual: e.g. the doctrine which is preached is not human but divine, revealed in the Scriptures by the Spirit of G.o.d, and handling most sublime spiritual mysteries of religion, 2 Pet. i.; 2 Tim. iii. 16,17. The seals administered are not worldly seals, confirming and ratifying any carnal privileges, liberties, interests, authority, &c., but spiritual, _sealing the righteousness of faith_, Rom. iv. 11; the death and blood of Jesus Christ, with all the spiritual virtue and efficacy thereof unto his members, Rom. v. 6; Gal. iii.; 1 Cor. x. 16, 17, and xi. 23, 24, &c.

The censures dispensed are not pecuniary, corporal, or capital, by fines, confiscations, imprisonments, whippings, stocking, stigmatizing, or taking away of limb or life, (all such things this government meddles not withal, but leaves them to such as bear the civil sword,) but spiritual, that only concern the soul and conscience; as _admonishing_ of the unruly and disorderly, Matt, xviii. 18, 19; _casting out the incorrigible_ and obstinate from the spiritual fellowship of the saints, Matt. xviii. 18, 19; 2 Cor. v. ult.: _receiving again into spiritual communion_ of the faithful, such as are penitent, 2 Cor. ii. 6. Thus the binding and loosing, which are counted the chief acts of the keys, are spiritually by our Saviour interpreted to be the _remitting and retaining of sins_; compare Matt, xviii. 18, 19, with John xx. 21, 23.

4. Spiritual in the form and manner, as well as in the matter. For this power is to be exercised, not in a natural manner, or in any carnal name, of earthly magistrate, court, parliament, prince, or potentate whatsoever, as all secular civil power is; no, nor in the name of saints, ministers, or the churches: but in a spiritual manner, in the name of the Lord Jesus, from whom alone all his officers receive their commissions. The word is to be _preached in his name_, Acts xvii. 18: seals dispensed in his name, Matt. xxviii. 19; Acts xix. 5: censures inflicted in his name, 1 Cor. v. 4, &c. (See chap. V.)

5. Spiritual in the subject intrusted with this power; which is not any civil, political, or secular magistrate, (as after will more fully appear, in chap. IX.) but spiritual officers, which Christ himself hath inst.i.tuted and bestowed upon his Church, _apostles_, &c., _pastors, teachers, elders_, Eph. iv. 7, 8, 10, 11. To these only he hath given the _keys of the kingdom of heaven_, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18,19, and xxviii. 18, 19; John xx. 21-23; 2 Cor. x. 8, _authority which the Lord hath given us_. These he hath made _governments in his Church_, 1 Cor. xii. 28. To these he will have _obedience and subjection_ performed, Heb. xiii. 17, and _double honor_ allowed, 1 Tim. v. 17.

6. Spiritual in respect of the object about which this power is to be put forth and exercised, viz. not about things, actions, or persons civil, as such; but spiritual and ecclesiastical, as such. Thus injurious actions, not as trespa.s.ses against any statute or law political; but as scandalous to our brethren, or the Church of G.o.d, Matt, xviii. 18, 19; are considered and punished by this power. Thus the incestuous person was cast out, because a wicked person in himself, and likely to leaven others by his bad example, 1 Cor. v. 6. Thus the persons whom the Church may judge are not the men of the world without the Church, but those that are in some sense spiritual, and within the Church, 1 Cor. v. 12.

7. Spiritual also is this power in the scope and end of it. This the Scripture frequently inculcates: e.g. a brother is to be admonished privately, publicly, &c., not for the gaining of our private interests, advantages, &c., but for _the gaining of our brother_, that his soul and conscience may be gained to G.o.d and to his duty, and he be reformed, Matt, xviii. 15. The incestuous person is to be "delivered to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus," 1 Cor. v. 5; yea, the whole authority given to church guides from the Lord was given to this end, _for the edification, not the destruction_ of the Church, 2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10; all which, and such like, are spiritual ends. Thus the power of church government here described is wholly and entirely a spiritual power, whether we respect the rule, root, matter, form, subject, object, or end thereof.

So that in this respect it is really and specifically distinct from all civil power, and in no respect encroacheth upon, or can be prejudicial unto the magistrate's authority, which is properly and only political.

2. The power or authority of church government is a derived power. For clearing this, observe, there is a magisterial primitive supreme power, which is peculiar to Jesus Christ our Mediator, (as hath been proved, chap. III. and V:) and there is a ministerial, derivative, subordinate power, which the Scripture declares to be in church guides, Matt. xvi.

19, and xviii. 18; John xx. 21, 23; Matt, xxviii. 19, 20; 2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10, and often elsewhere this is abundantly testified. But whence is this power originally derived to them? Here we are carefully to consider and distinguish three things, touching this power or authority from one another, viz: 1st. The donation of the authority itself, and of the offices whereunto this power doth properly belong.

2d. The designation of particular persons to such offices as are vested with such power. 3d. The public protection, countenancing, authorizing, defending, and maintaining of such officers in the public exercise of such power within such and such realms or dominions. This being premised, we may clearly thus resolve, according to scripture warrant, viz. the designation or setting apart of particular individual persons to those offices in the Church that have power and authority engraven upon them, is from the church nominating, electing, and ordaining of such persons thereunto, see Acts iii. 1-3; 1 Tim. iv. 14, and v. 22; t.i.t. i. 5; Acts iv. 22. The public protection, defence, maintenance, &c., of such officers in the public exercise of the power and authority of their office in such or such dominions, is from the civil magistrate, as the _nursing-father_ of the Church, Isa. xlix. 23; for it is by his authority and sanction that such public places shall be set apart for the public ministry, that such maintenance and reward shall be legally performed for such a ministry, that all such persons of such and such congregations shall be (in case they neglect their duty to such a ministry) punished with such political penalties, &c. But the donation of the office and spiritual authority annexed thereunto, is only derived from Jesus Christ our Mediator. He alone gives all church officers, and therefore none may devise or superadd any new officers, Eph. iv. 7, 8, 10, 11; 1 Cor. xii. 28. And he alone commits all authority and power spiritual to those officers, for dispensing of word, sacraments, censures, and all ordinances, Matt. xvi. 19, and xxviii. 18-20; John xx.

21-23; 2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10: and therefore it is not safe for any creature to intrude upon this prerogative royal of Christ to give any power to any officer of the Church. None can give what he has not.

CHAPTER VII.

_Of the several Parts or Acts of this power of Church Government, wherein it puts forth itself in the Church._

Thus far of the special kind or peculiar nature of this authority; now to the several parts or acts of this power which the description comprehends in these expressions, (in dispensing the word, seals, censures, and all other ordinances of Christ.) The evangelical ordinances which Christ has set up in his church are many; and all of them by divine right that Christ sets up. Take both the enumeration of ordinances and the divine right thereof severally, as followeth.

Jesus Christ our Mediator hath inst.i.tuted and appointed these ensuing administrations to be standing and perpetual ordinances in his church: which ordinances for method sake may be reduced into two heads, according to the distribution of the keys formerly laid down, (chap.

III.,) viz., ordinances appertaining, 1st, To the key of order or of doctrine; 2d, To the key of jurisdiction or of discipline.

1. Ordinances appertaining to the key of order or doctrine, viz:

1. Public prayer and thanksgiving are divine ordinances: for 1st, Paul writing his first epistle to Timothy, "that he might know how to behave himself in the house of G.o.d," 1 Tim. iii. 14, 15, among other directions in that epistle, gives this for one, "I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men," 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2, "for this is good and acceptable in the sight of G.o.d our Saviour," verse 3. 2. The apostle, regulating public prayers in the congregation, directing that they should be performed with the understanding, takes it for granted that public prayer was an ordinance of Christ. "If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and will pray with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned, say amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? for thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified." 1 Cor. xiv. 14-17. 3. Further, the apostles did account public prayer to be of more concern than serving of tables, and providing for the necessities of the poor, yea, to be a princ.i.p.al part of their ministerial office, and therefore resolve to addict and "give themselves to the ministry of the word and to prayer," Acts vi. 4; and this was the church's practice in the purest times, Acts i. 13, 14, whose pious action is for our imitation. 4. And Jesus Christ hath made gracious promises to public prayer, viz., of his presence with those who a.s.semble in his name; and of audience of their prayers, Matt, xviii. 19, 20. Would Christ so crown public prayer were it not his own ordinance?

2. Singing of psalms is a divine ordinance, being,

1. Prescribed; "be filled with the spirit: speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs," Eph. v. 18, 19. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs," Col. iii. 16.

2. Regulated; the right performance thereof being laid down, "I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also," 1 Cor. xiv. 15, 16. "Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord," Col.

iii. 16. "Singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord," Eph. v.

19.

3. The public ministry of the word of G.o.d in the congregation is a divine ordinance. "We will give ourselves," said the apostles, "to the ministry of the word and prayer," Acts vi. 4. The ministry of the word is a sacred ordinance, whether read, preached, or catechetically propounded.

1. The public reading of the word is a divine ordinance, (though exposition of what is read do not always immediately follow.) For, 1.

G.o.d commanded the reading of the word publicly, and never since repealed that command, Deut. x.x.xi. 11-13; Jer. x.x.xvi. 6; Col. iii. 16. 2. Public reading of the scriptures hath been the practice of G.o.d's church, both before Christ, Exod. xxiv. 7; Neh. viii. 18, and ix. 3, and xiii. 1; and after Christ, Acts xiii. 15, 27, and xv. 21; 2 Cor. iii. 14. 3. Public reading of the scriptures is as necessary and profitable now as ever it was. See Deut. x.x.xi. 11-13.

2. The public preaching of the word is an eminent ordinance of Christ.

This is evident many ways, viz: