The Divine Right of Church Government Part 9

Thus we see, that Jesus Christ our Mediator did not commit any proper formal ecclesiastical power for church government to the political magistrate, as such, as the Erastians conceive. Now, in the next place (to come more close) let us consider that Jesus Christ our Mediator hath not committed the spiritual power of church government to the body of the people, presbyterated, or unpresbyterated (to use their own terms) as the first subject thereof, according to the opinion of the Separatists or Independents. Take it in this proposition:

Jesus Christ our Mediator hath not committed the proper formal power or authority spiritual, for government of his Church,[35] unto the community of the faithful, whole church, or body of the people, as the proper immediate receptacle, or first subject thereof.

SECTION I.

Some things herein need a little explanation, before we come to the confirmation.

1. By _fraternity, community of the faithful, whole church or body of the people_, understand a particular company of people, meeting together in one a.s.sembly or single congregation, to partake of Christ's ordinances. This single congregation may be considered as presbyterated, i.e., furnished with an eldership; or as unpresbyterated, i.e., dest.i.tute of an eldership, having yet no elders or officers erected among them. Rigid Brownists or Separatists say, that the fraternity or community of the faithful unpresbyterated is the first receptacle of proper ecclesiastical power from Christ: unto whom some of independent judgment subscribe. Independents thus resolve: First, That the apostles of Christ are the first subject of apostolical power. Secondly, That a particular congregation of saints, professing the faith, taken indefinitely for any church, (one as well as another,) is the first subject of all church offices with all their spiritual gifts and power.

Thirdly, That when the church of a particular congregation walketh together in the truth and peace, the brethren of the church are the first subjects of church liberty; the elders thereof of church authority; and both of them together are the first subject of all church power.[36] Which a.s.sertions of Brownists and Independents (except the first) are denied by them of presbyterian judgment, as being obvious to divers material and just exceptions.[37]:

2. By _proper formal power or authority spiritual, for church government_, thus conceive. To omit what hath been already laid down about the natures and sorts of spiritual power and authority, (part 2, chap. III. and VI.,) which are to be remembered, here it may be further observed, that there is a proper public, official, authoritative power, though but stewardly and ministerial, which is derived from Jesus Christ to his church officers, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18; John xx. 21-23; Matt, xxviii. 18-20; of which power the apostle speaking, saith, "If I should somewhat boast of our power which the Lord hath given us to edification," 2 Cor. x. 8; so 2 Cor. xiii. 10. The people are indeed allowed certain liberties or privileges; as, _To try the spirits_, &c., 1 John iv. 1. To prove all doctrines by the word, 1 Thess. v. 21. To nominate and elect their own church officers, as their deacons, which they did, Acts vi. 3, 5, 6; but this is not a proper power of the keys.

But the proper, public, official, authoritative power, is quite denied to the body of the people, furnished with an eldership or dest.i.tute thereof.

3. By _proper immediate receptacle, or first subject of power_, understand, that subject, seat, or receptacle of power, which first and immediately received this power from Jesus Christ; and consequently was intrusted and authorized by him, to put forth and exercise that power in his Church for the government thereof. And here two things must be carefully remembered: 1. That we distinguish betwixt the object and subject of this power. The object for which, for whose good and benefit all this power is given, is primarily the general visible Church, Ephes.

iv. 7, 10-12; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Rom. xii. 5,6, &c. Secondarily, particular churches, as they are parts and members of the general. But the subject receiving to which the power is derived, is not the Church general or particular, but the officers or governors of the Church. 2. That we distinguish also betwixt the donation of the power, and the designation of particular persons to offices ecclesiastical. This designation of persons to the offices of key bearing or ruling may be done first and immediately by the Church, in nominating or electing her individual officers which is allowed to her; yet is no proper authoritative act of power. But the donation of the power itself is not from the Church as the fountain, but immediately from Christ himself, 2 Cor. xi. 8, and xiii. 10. Nor is it to the Church as the subject, but immediately to the individual church officers themselves, who consequently, in all the exercise of their power, act as the _ministers and stewards of Christ_, 1 Cor. iv. 1, putting forth their power immediately received from Christ, not as the subst.i.tutes or delegates of the Church putting forth her power, which from Christ she mediately conveys to them, as Independents do imagine, but by us is utterly denied.

SECTION II.

For confirmation of this proposition thus explained and stated; consider these few arguments:

_Argum_. I. The community of the faithful, or body of the people, have no authentic commission or grant of proper spiritual power for church government; and therefore they cannot possibly be the first subject or the proper immediate receptacle of such power from Christ. We may thus argue:

_Major_. Whomsoever Jesus Christ hath made the immediate receptacle or first subject of proper formal power for governing of his Church, to them this power is conveyed by some authentic grant or commission.

_Minor_. But the community of the faithful, or body of the people, have not this power conveyed unto them by any authentic grant or commission.

_Conclusion_. Therefore Jesus Christ our Mediator hath not made the community of the faithful, or body of the people, the immediate receptacle or first subject of proper formal power for governing of his Church.

The major proposition is evident in itself: For, 1. The power of church government in this or that subject is not natural, but positive; and cast upon man, not by natural, but by positive law, positive grant: men are not bred, but made the first subject of such power; therefore all such power claimed or exercised, without such positive grant, is merely without any due t.i.tle, imaginary, usurped, unwarrantable, in very fact null and void. 2. All power of church government is radically and fundamentally in Christ, Isa. ix. 6; Matt, xxviii. 18; John v. 22. And how shall any part of it be derived from Christ to man, but by some fit intervening mean betwixt Christ and man? And what mean of conveyance betwixt Christ and man can suffice, if it do not amount to an authentic grant or commission for such power? 3. This is evidently Christ's way to confer power by authentic commission immediately upon his church officers, the apostles and their successors, to the world's end. "Thou art Peter; and I give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," &c., Matt. xvi. 18, 19. "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth," &c., Matt, xviii. 19, 20. "As my Father sent me, so send I you; go, disciple ye all nations; whose sins ye remit, they are remitted--and lo, I am with you always to the end of the world," John xx. 21, 23; Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.

"Our power, which the Lord hath given us for edification," 2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10: so that we may conclude them that have such commission to be the first subject and immediate receptacle of power from Christ, as will after more fully appear. 4. If no such commission be needful to distinguish those that have such power from those that have none, why may not all without exception, young and old, wise and foolish, men and women, Christian and heathen, &c., equally lay claim to this power of church government? If not, what hinders? If so, how absurd!

The minor proposition, viz: But the community of the faithful, or body of the people, have not this power conveyed to them by any authentic grant or commission, is firm. For whence had they it? When was it given to them? What is the power committed to them? Or in what sense is such power committed to them?

1. Whence had they it? _From heaven or of men?_ If from men, then it is a human ordinance and invention; _a plant which the heavenly Father hath not planted_; and therefore _shall he plucked up_. Matt. xv. 13. If from heaven, then from Christ; for _all power is given to him_, Matt, xxviii.

18, &c.; Isa. ix. 6. If it be derived from Christ, then it is derived from him by some positive law of Christ as his grant or charter. A positive grant of such power to select persons, viz. church officers, the Scripture mentions, as was evidenced in the proof of the major proposition. But touching any such grant or commission to the community of the faithful, the Scripture is silent. And let those that are for the popular power produce, if they can, any clear scripture that expressly, or by infallible consequence, contains any such commission.

2. When was any such power committed by Christ to the mult.i.tude of the faithful, either in the first planting and beginning of the Church, or in the after establishment and growth of the Church under the apostles'

ministry? Not the first; for then the apostles themselves should have derived their power from the community of the faithful: now this is palpably inconsistent with the Scriptures, Which tell us that the apostles had both their apostleship itself, and their qualifications with gifts and graces for it, yea, and the very designation of all their particular persons unto that calling, all of them immediately from Christ himself. For the first, see Gal. i. 1: "Paul, an apostle, not of men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ," Matt, xxviii. 18-20. For the second, see John xx. 22, 23: "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them," &c. For the third, see Luke vi.

13, &c.: "And when it was day he called to him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon--" Matt. x.

5-7, &c.: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying."

And after his resurrection he enlarges their commission, Mark xvi. 15, 16: "Go ye into all the world;" and, "As my Father hath sent me, so send I you," John xx. 21. See also how the Lord cast the lot upon Matthias, Acts i. 24-26. Nor the second; for if such power be committed to the community of the faithful after the apostles had established the churches, then let those that so think show where Christ committed this power first to the apostles, and after to the community of the faithful, and by them or with them to their ordinary officers, for execution thereof. But no such thing hath any foundation in Scripture; for the ordinary Church guides, though they may have a designation to their office by the church, yet they have the donation, or derivation of their office and its authority only from Christ: their office is from Christ, Ephes. iv. 8, 11; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Acts xx. 28, 29. Their power from Christ, Matt. xvi. 19, and xxviii. 18, 19; John xx. 21, 23. "Our power which the Lord hath given us," 2 Cor. viii. 10. They are _Christ's ministers, stewards, amba.s.sadors_, 1 Cor. iv. 1; 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. They are to act and officiate _in his name_, Matt, xviii. 19; 1 Cor. v. 4, 5; and to Christ they _must give an account_. Heb. xiii. 17, 18; Luke xii.

41, 42. Now if the ordinary officers have (as well as the apostles their apostleship) their offices of pastor, teacher, &c., from Christ, and are therein the successors of the apostles to continue to the world's end, (Matt, xxviii. 18-20,) then they have their power and authority in their offices immediately from Christ, as the first receptacles thereof themselves, and not from the Church as the first receptacle of it herself. A successor hath jurisdiction from him from whom the predecessor had his; otherwise he doth not truly succeed him.

Consequently the Church or community of the faithful cannot possibly be the first receptacle of the power of church government from Christ.

3. What power is it that is committed to the body of the Church or mult.i.tude of the faithful? Either it must be the power of order, or the power of jurisdiction. But neither of these is allowed to the mult.i.tude of the faithful by the Scriptures, (but appointed and appropriated to select persons.) Not the power of order; for the whole mult.i.tude, and everyone therein, neither can nor ought to intermeddle with any branches of that power. 1. Not with preaching; all are not _apt to teach_, 1 Tim.

iii. 2, nor able to exhort and convince gainsayers, t.i.t. i. 9; all are not gifted and duly qualified. Some are expressly prohibited _speaking in the church_, 1 Cor. xiv. 34, 35, 1 Tim. ii. 12, Rev. ii. 20, and none are _to preach, unless they be sent_, Rom. x. 15, nor _to take such honor unto themselves unless they be called_, &c., Heb. v. 4, 5. Are all and every one of the mult.i.tude of the faithful able to teach, exhort, and convince? are they all sent to preach? are they all called of G.o.d?

&c. Nay, hath not Christ laid this task of authoritative preaching only upon his own officers? Matt, xxviii. 18, 19. 2. Not with administration of the sacraments; this and preaching are by one and the same commission given to officers only, Matt, xxviii. 18-20; 1 Cor. xi. 23. 3. Nor to ordain presbyters, or other officers. They may choose; but extraordinary officers, or the presbytery of ordinary officers, ordain. Acts vi. 3, 5, 6: "Look ye out men--whom we may appoint." Compare also Acts xiv. 23; 1 Tim. iv. 14, and v. 22; t.i.t. iii. 5. So that the people's bare election and approbation is no sufficient Scripture ordination of officers. Nor is there one often thousand among the people that is in all points able to try and judge of the sufficiency of preaching presbyters, for tongues, arts, and soundness of judgment in divinity. Nor is the power of jurisdiction in public admonition, excommunication, and absolution, &c., allowed to the mult.i.tude. For all and every one of the mult.i.tude of the faithful, 1. Never had any such power given to them from Christ; this key as well as the key of knowledge being given to the officers of the Church only, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18-20. _Tell the church_, there, must needs be meant of the ruling church only.[38] 2 Cor. viii.

10; John xx. 21-23. 2. Never acted or executed any such power, that we can find in Scripture. As for that which is primarily urged of the church of Corinth, that the whole church did excommunicate the _incestuous person_, 1 Cor. v. 4, &c., many things may be answered to evince the contrary. 1st, The whole mult.i.tude could not do it; for children could not judge, and women must not speak in the Church. 2d, It is not said, _Sufficient to such an one is the rebuke inflicted of all_; but _of many_, 2 Cor. ii. 6, viz. of the presbytery, which consisted of many officers. 3d, The church of Corinth, wherein this censure was inflicted, was not a congregational, but a presbyterial church, having divers particular congregations in it, (as is hereafter cleared in Chap.

XXIII.,) and therefore the whole mult.i.tude of the church of Corinth could not meet together in one place for this censure, but only the presbytery of that great church. Again, never did the whole mult.i.tude receive from Christ due gifts and qualifications for the exercise of church government and jurisdiction; nor any promise from Christ to be with them therein, as officers have, Matt, xxviii. 18-20. And the absurdities of such popular government are intolerable, as after will appear.

4. Finally, in what sense can it be imagined that any such power should be committed from Christ to the community of the faithful, the whole body of the Church? For this power is given them equally with the church-guides, or unequally. If equally, then,.1. The church-guides have power and authority, as primarily and immediately committed to them, as the Church herself hath; and then they need not derive or borrow any power from the body of the faithful, having a power equal to theirs. 2.

How vainly is that power equally given as to the officers, so to the whole mult.i.tude, when the whole mult.i.tude have no equal gifts and abilities to execute the same! If unequally, then this power is derived to the church-guides, either more or less than to the mult.i.tude of the faithful. If less, then how improperly were all those names of rule and government imposed upon officers, which nowhere are given by Scripture to the mult.i.tude! as _Pastors_, Eph. iv. 8, 11. _Elders_, 1 Tim. v. 17.

_Overseers_, Acts xx. 28. _Guides_, Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 22. In this last verse they are contradistinguished from the saints; church-guides, and saints guided, make up a visible organical church. _Rulers in the Lord_, 1 Thes. v. 12; Rom. xii. 8: and _well-ruling Elders_, 1 Tim. v. 17.

_Governments_, 1 Cor. xii. 28. _Stewards_, 1 Cor. iv. 1,2; Luke xii. 42, &c. And all these t.i.tles have power and rule engraven in their very foreheads; and they of right belonged rather to the mult.i.tude than to the officers, if the officers derive their power from the mult.i.tude of the people. If more, then church-guides, having more power than the Church, need not derive any from the Church, being themselves better furnished.

Thus, what way soever we look, it cannot be evinced, that the mult.i.tude and body of the people, with or without eldership, are the first subject of power, or have any authoritative public official power at all, from any grant, mandate, or commission of Christ. From all which we may strongly conclude,

Therefore Jesus Christ our Mediator hath not made the community of the faithful, or body of the people, the immediate receptacle, or first subject of proper formal power for governing of his church.

_Argum_. II. As the mult.i.tude of the faithful have no authentic grant or commission of such power of the keys in the Church; so they have no divine warrant for the actual execution of the power of the said keys therein: and therefore cannot be the first receptacle of the power of the keys from Christ. For thus we may reason:

_Major_. Whosoever are the first subject, or immediate receptacle of the power of the keys from Christ, they have divine warrant actually to exercise and put in execution the said power. _Minor_. But the mult.i.tude or community of the faithful have no divine warrant actually to exercise and put in execution the power of the keys.

_Conclusion_. Therefore the community of the faithful are not the first subject, or immediate receptacle of the power of the keys from Jesus Christ.

The major proposition must necessarily be yielded. For, 1. The power of the keys contains both authority and exercise; power being given to that end that it may be exercised for the benefit of the Church. It is called the _power given us for edification_, 2 Cor. viii. 10. Where there is no exercise of power there can be no edification by power. 2. Both the authority and complete exercise of all that authority, were at once and together communicated from Christ to the receptacle of power. "I give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth," &c., Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18. "As my Father sent me, so send I you--whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted," John xx. 21, 23. Here is both power and the exercise thereof joined together in the same commission. Yea, so individual and inseparable are power and exercise, that under exercise, power and authority is derived: as, "Go, disciple ye all nations, baptizing them," &c., Matt. xxviii. 18, 19. 3.

How vain, idle, impertinent, and ridiculous is it to fancy and dream of such a power as shall never be drawn into act by them that have it!

The minor proposition, viz. But the mult.i.tude or communion of the faithful have no divine warrant, actually to exercise and put in execution the power of the keys, is clear also:

1. By reason: for, the actual execution of this power belongs to them by divine warrant, either when they have church officers, or when they want church officers. Not while they have officers; for, that were to slight Christ's officers: that were to take officers' work out of their hands by them that are no officers, and when there were no urgent necessity; contrary whereunto, see the proofs, Chap. XI. Section 2, that were to prejudice the church, in depriving her of the greater gifts, and undoubtedly authorized labors of her officers, &c. Not when they want officers in a const.i.tuted church: as in case where there are three or four elders, the pastor dies, two of the ruling elders fall sick, or the like; in such cases the community cannot by divine warrant supply the defects of these officers themselves, by exercising their power, or executing their offices. For where doth Scripture allow such power to the community in such cases? What one church without its eldership can be instanced in the New Testament, that in such cases once presumed to exercise such power, which might be precedent or example for it to other churches? How needless are church officers, if the mult.i.tude of the faithful may, as members of the church, take up their office, and actually discharge it in all the parts of it?

2. By induction of particulars, it is evident, that the community cannot execute the power of the keys by any divine warrant. 1. _They may not preach_: for, "how shall they preach, except they be sent?" Rom. x. 15; but the community cannot he sent, many of them being incapable of the office, either by reason of their _s.e.x_, 1 Cor. xiv. 34, 35; 1 Tim. ii.

11, 12: or by reason of their _age_; as children, and all or most of them by reason of their deficiency in gifts and in scripture qualifications, t.i.t. i. and 1 Tim. iii. For not one member of a thousand is so completely furnished, as to be "apt to teach, able to convince gainsayers, and to divide the word of truth aright." Besides, they may not send themselves, were they capable, for, _no man takes this honor to himself_--Yea, _Jesus Christ himself did not glorify himself to be made an high-priest_--Heb. v. 4, 5. Now only officers are sent to preach, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 19, 20; Mark xvi. 15. 2. They may not administer the seals, the sacraments, baptize, &c. under the New Testament; for who gave the people any such authority? hath not Christ conjoined preaching and dispensing of the sacraments in the same commission, that the same persons only that do the one, may do the other? Matt. xxviii. 18, 19. 3. They may not ordain officers in the church, and authoritatively send them abroad: for, ordinarily the community have not sufficient qualifications and abilities for proving and examining of men's gifts for the ministry. The community are nowhere commanded or allowed so to do in the whole New Testament, but other persons distinct from them, 1 Tim. v. 22; 2 Tim. ii. 2; t.i.t. i. 5, &c.

Nor did the community ever exercise or a.s.sume to themselves any such power of ordination or mission, but only officers both in the first sending of men to preach, as 1 Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i. 6: and to be deacons, Acts vi. 6, and also in after missions, as Acts xiii. 1-3. 4.

The community, without officers, may not exercise any act of jurisdiction authoritatively and properly; may not admonish, excommunicate, or absolve. For we have no precept that they should do it; we have no example in all the New Testament that they ever did do it; we have both precept and example, that select officers both did and ought to do it. "Whatsoever ye bind on earth" (saith Christ to his officers) "shall be bound in heaven," &c. Matt. xviii. 18, and xvi. 19.

"Whose soever sins ye remit," &c., John xx. 21, 23. "An heretic, after once or twice admonition, reject," t.i.t. i. 10. "I have decreed--to deliver such an one to Satan," 1 Cor. v. 4. "The rebuke inflicted by many," not all, 2 Cor. ii. "Whom I have delivered to Satan," 1 Tim. i.

_ult_. And the Scriptures nowhere set the community over themselves to be their own church-guides and governors; but appoint over them in the Lord rulers and officers distinct from the community. Compare these places, 1 Thes. v. 12; Acts xx. 28, 29; Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 22. "Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints." From the premises we conclude,

Therefore the community of the faithful are not the first subject, or immediate receptacle of the power of the keys from Jesus Christ.

_Argum_. III. Jesus Christ hath not given nor promised to the community of the faithful a spirit of ministry, nor those gifts which are necessary for the government of the church: therefore the community was never intended to be the first subject of church government.

_Major_. Whomsoever Christ makes the first subject of the power of church government, to them he promises and gives a spirit of ministry, and gifts necessary for that government. For, 1. As there is diversity of ecclesiastical administrations (which is the foundation of diversity of officers) and diversity of miraculous operations, and both for the profit of the Church; so there is conveyed from the Spirit of Christ diversity of gifts, free endowments, enabling and qualifying for the actual discharge of those administrations and operations. See 1 Cor.

xii. 4-7, &c. 2. What instance can be given throughout the whole New Testament of any persons, whom Christ made the receptacle of church government, but withal he gifted them, and made his promises to them, to qualify them for such government? As the apostles and their successors: "As my Father sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained," John xx. 21-23. And, "Go ye therefore, and disciple ye all nations, &c.--And lo, I am with you alway," (or every day,) "even to the end of the world," Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. 3.

Christ being the _wisdom of the Father_, Col. ii. 3, John i. 18, and _faithful as was Moses in all his house_; yea, _more faithful_--_Moses as a servant_ over another's, he _as a son over his own house_, Heb.

iii. 2, 5, 6--it cannot stand with his most exact wisdom and fidelity, to commit the grand affairs of church government to such as are not duly gifted, and sufficiently qualified by himself for the due discharge thereof.

_Minor_. But Christ neither promises, nor gives a spirit of ministry, nor necessary gifts for church government to the community of the faithful. For, 1. The Scriptures teach, that gifts for ministry and government are promised and bestowed not on all, but upon some particular persons only in the visible body of Christ. "To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge,"

&c., not to all, 1 Cor. xii. 8, 9, &c. "If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of G.o.d?" 1 Tim. iii.

5. The hypothesis insinuates that all men have not gifts and skill rightly to rule their own houses, much less to govern the church. 2.

Experience tells us, that the mult.i.tude of the people are generally dest.i.tute of such knowledge, wisdom, prudence, learning, and other necessary qualifications for the right carrying on of church government.

_Conclusion_. Therefore Christ makes not the community of the faithful the first subject of the power of church government.

_Argum_. IV. The community of the faithful are nowhere in the word called or acknowledged to be church governors: therefore they are not the first subject of church government.