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act_n	christian_a	church_n	communion_n	4,472	5	10.2516	5	true

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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

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 LONDON Printed for Tho. Vnderhill and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Bible in Woodstreet 1646. To the Honourable City of London and all the Inhabitants thereof who sincerely seek and desire a true reformation of the Church according to the Word of God GIve me leave most famous and renowned City and ye the Right Honourable Lord Major the Right Worshipfull Aldermen and religious Common-Councell and Commoners to congratulate and rejoice with you for that honour which the Lord hath laid on you in these daies of great confusion You under God have been the guard of this present Parliament by which so great things have been done for the safety and defence of three Kingdoms Your free contributions of your wealth and substance have been the sinews of this warre undertaken for the defence of our Religion Laws and Liberties Few Counties in this Kingdom have been able to defend themselves much lesse to help others except those whom you have encouraged and set on work by your example and to whom you have been a bulwark against the enemies who by you have been terrified from invading them All the associated Counties have cause to blesse God for the vicinity and neighbour-hood of London And all the rest of the Kingdom may say If the Lord had not helped us by the Forces Arms and supplies of men and money from London we had been utterly destroied and laid waste But the chief glory bestowed on you by God is your courage for the truth and true Christian Religion your earnest study and constant endeavour for promoting an happy Reformation of the Church in Religion Dostrine Worship and Discipline according to the Word of God your zeal against Sectaries Schismaticks Hereticks and Blasphemers who labour cunningly to corrupt your servants to steal away the hearts of your wives and children to pull many fair feathers out of your wings and to draw Disciples after them and your standing steadfast in the old paths and walking in that good way Ier. 6. 16. which the Lord Christ by his Apostles hath praescribed to the Vniversall Church In which all the pure primitive Churches of old and all the best reformed Churches have walked from the daies of your Fathers untill this day God hath inabled you wonderfully by his grace to resist the subtle temptations of the world and the Devil I know when you were courted with offers of greatest honours and priviledges to withdraw you from your purpose and resolution of standing for the common weal of State and Church and of supporting and upholding of the props and pillars of this Land when it trembled and was ready to be dissolved I cannot forget that sad time full of fears and dangers when the chief command of your City being in the hand and power of Malignants who had also a strong faction by which they attempted to overthrow you it was the opinion and profession of some of the most faithfull Patriots and wise members of Parliament that unlesse God did put into your hearts a resolution to stand up for them they had small hope of saving either the Church and Kingdom from ruine or our Religion Laws Liberties and their own lives from destruction and in that juncture of time the Lord did put such a spirit of courage fortitude and holy zeal into you who were the main body of the City that you stood up and appeared openly for the worthy Patrons of your Religion Laws and Liberties whereby they were animated to proceed vigorously in their wonted course of justice to the terrour and astonishment of all the enemies and disturbers of our peace After this you have been strongly assaulted by spirituall wickednesses divers waies First by cunning seducers who usurping the name and outward shew of rare Saints have stollen away the hearts of many and with feigned sanctity and large promises of a pure platform and modell of Church-Discipline and perfect Reformation according to Christs own institution have drawn them into Schisme and separation from their own Congregations But you by your wisdom have quickly smelled out their fraud and vain boasting of great things which they can never perform and bring to passe Secondly you have been tried when Scriptures failed them and favoured not their modell with bold pretences of new lights which you have scorned as wise men are wont to scorn and not vouchsafe to look after those ignes fatuos wandring lights and night fires by which fools who follow them in the dark are lead into dangerous pits boggs ditches and downfalls Thirdly they have represented unto you Presbyterian Government as a Bugbear and cruell monster worse then Popery and Prelacy unto which if you submit you and your children are made slaves for ever to the lust of proud peevish tyrannicall Priests And allthough many credulous fools and unstable souls are hereby terrified and skared out of their wits and run wilde after severall dangerous sects and know not where to rest Yet you are no such strangers to the Gospel nor so little acquainted with the Scriptures of the New Testament as to be moved with such skarecrowes but rather by such rabid railing against Government of the Church by Classicall Presbyteries you have been moved and stirred up after serious consideration and consultation had with your godly Pastours and Teachers diligent searching of the Scriptures and good assurance of understanding of divine truth gained to your selves to be more earnest and importunate in promoting that Presbyterian Government besides which there is no mention of any other in all the writing of the Apostles nor any other acknowledged or received in any well reformed Churches in all the Christian world The Apostolicall Church at Jerusalem consisting of many thousands and ten thousands of beleevers and so many particular Congregations was altogether governed by the Apostles and Presbyters Assemblies Synods and Presbyteries as appears Act. 11. 30. and 15. 6. and 21. 18. The Christian Church of the Gentiles gathered unto Christ in severall Nations Countries and Cities by Paul and Barnabas had every one their Presbyters ordained to have rule over them in the Lord Acts 14. 23. The Church of Ephesus that great City of Asia had also divers Presbyters whom the Holy Ghost had made overseers to watch in common over it Acts 20. 17 28. And of them S. Paul speaks 1 Tim. 5. 17. saying

of Antioch Act. 13. 1. the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 1. 2. and of Thessalonica 1 Thess. 1. 1. and the Churches of Galatia Gal. 1. 2. yea and the particular Congregation in the house of Aquila and Priscilla Rom. 16 15. and 1 Cor. 16. 19. and in the house of Nymphas Coloss. 4. 15. and of Philemon vers. 2. are every one called the Church as well as the universall body is called the Church Math. 16. 18. Ephes. 1. 22. Coloss. 1. 24. and 1 Tim. 3. 15. 9. The principall parts of this Government of Christ which allwayes ought to go together and are inseparable in every well ordered and constituted Church are two First Doctrine which the Apostle calls {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Secondly Discipline which he calls {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Tim. 3. 16. which our Saviour in allusion to other Scriptures calls the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven Math. 16. 19. For as keyes do open and shut the doore of an house so do both Doctrine and Discipline open and shut the Kingdome of heaven Christ his true Church They open it to believers and to humble and paenitent persons and shut it against unbelievers and scandalous obstinat sinners who continue in their impenitency after conviction And for this cause our Saviour calls Doctrine and Teaching by expounding that word and law aright the key of knowledge Math. 23. 13. and Discipline he calls the key of David Revel. 3. 7. alluding to the words of the prophet Isa. 22. 22. where the Lord saith that he will lay the key of the house of David upon the shoulder of Eliakim so he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open that is I will commit the Government into his hands as the words before shew to rule the house of Juda as a Father The preachers of the word by convincing Doctrine do wound the wicked and are said to root out to pull and throw down and to destroy Jer. 1. 10. Yea and to torment the world to smite the earth with plagues and to shut heaven Revel. 11. 6 10. And by the converting word of the Gospel and the ministery of reconciliation to heal the broken in heart to open the prisons and to set captives at liberty Isa. 61. 1. And to build and to plant Jer. 1. 10. And to open the right way into the sheepfold Joh. 10. 16. The key of discipline also doth by censures which are according to the infallible Word of God shut out ignorant and scandalous persons from Communion with the children of the Kingdom purgeth out the old leaven and so bindeth the obstinate that they are bound in heaven Matth. 18. 18 1 Cor. 5. 7 13. But by declaring in the name and word of Christ absolution and remission of sins to persons penitent it opens the door of the Kingdom and receives into Christs sheepfold such as are brought back from going astray and loseth such as are bound 2 Cor. 2. 10. The exercise of the power of these two keys consists in divers publike acts done with authority by commission from Christ First the main act of doctrine is preaching the Word as the mouth of God to the people and applying it fitly to all sorts of persons instructing the ignorant discovering to them the corruption of their nature by which they are Children of wrath Eph. 2. 1 2 3. and so humbling them in their own eyes driving them out of themselves drawing them to Christ by the promises of the Gospel wooing them and as Ambassadours for Christ praying them in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20. and espousing them to Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2. And on the other side reproving rebuking and admonishing with authority as messengers of God all sinners and transgressours 2 Tim. 4. 2. Tit. 1. 13. Threatning and denouncing judgements hell and damnation against all that are hard hearted and impenitent as the Apostles did Act. 8. 23. and 13. 10. Rom. 2. 1 2 5. 1 Cor. 6 9. Heb. 20. 26 29. Iam. 5. 1. 2 Pet. 2. 13. Iude vers. 4. 11 14 15. These acts of doctrine private Christians may perform mutually among themselves and according to the measure of grace which God hath destributed to every one they are in brotherly duty and in Christian zeal and charity bound to perform them privately But publike Ministers only called of God and sent to preach can do them with power and authority as Gods mouth and Christs Ambassadours and their word is to be received as the Word of God 1 Thes. 2. 13. and as a message from heaven with fear reverence and trembling Isa. 66. 5. The acts of discipline which are to be performed by Gods Ministers also not as preachers in the pulpit before all the Congregation but as Presbyters in the Consistory are divers First receiving accusations before witnesses 1 Tim. 5. 19. Secondly publike admonition and personall reproof and rebuke of such as are convicted of offence and scandall by two or three witnesses 1 Tim. 5. 20. Tit. 3. 10. Thirdly after admonition condemned and scorned and the authority of the Eldership despised and sleighted these scorners are to be refused and rejected Tit. 3. 10. which cannot be if they be admitted to the holy Communion The Apostle injoins every faithfull Minister to withdraw himself from perverse persons of corrupt mindes 1 Tim. 6. 5. And he commands the brethren in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that they withdraw themselves from every brother that walketh disorderly 2 Thes. 3. 6. Certainly he is blinde and hath the eye of his reason put out who doth not in these forenamed places see and understand that all scandalous perverse and stubborn persons are by the Commandement of Christ which is Jus divinum to be refused and not admitted into holy Communion which is Excommunicatio minor that is lesser excommunication The fourth act of discipline is the censure of the greater Excommunication which is the utmost censure of a Church member even casting him out of Church communion for his obstinacy in his scandalous sins and refusing to hear and obey the Church After this sentence given against any person he is in our Saviours phrase to be esteemed as an heathen man who is no member of the Church for the present but shut out of Gods Kingdom and in the Apostles phrase he is delivered to Satan and taken captive by the Devil and held in his snare 2 Tim. 2. 26. This censure is according to the will and by the appointment of Jesus Christ Matth. 18. 17. Where he saith of him who will not hear nor obey the Church Let him be to thee as an heathen and as a Publican The Apostle in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ commanded the Elders of the Church of Corinth by this censure and with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to proceed against the incestuous person to put him away from among them

Provinciall or Classicall is generally of more authority and more to be respected in all Churches then the same sentence and determination proceeding from the Eldership of a lesser or particular Congregation as we see Act. 15. Where the decree of the Apostles and Elders in a Nationall or rather Oecumenicall Synod at Ierusalem was of more authority in all Christian Churches then if it had proceeded from the Eldership of Antioch in which were Paul and Barnabas the two great Apostles of the Gentiles who were able to decree infallibly the same things and appealed to Ierusalem not to learn but to make their doctrine of more authority as appears Gal. 2. 2. 6. Proved Sect. 5. 6. 5. All Elderships consisting of preaching Presbyters and other Elders who do rule well and all the members of such Elderships are Jure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 5. 17. and the acts of Government done by assisting Elders together with preaching Presbyters who by their office and calling have authority and ability to expound the word and law the infallible rule of Government are certainly according to the will and appointment of Christ and being conformed to the rule are ratified in heaven Math. 18. 18. 6. All superiour Elderships and greater Assemblies whether Nationall Provinciall or Classicall consisting of preaching Presbyters successours of the Apostles and Evangelists and of other assisting Church Elders who are chosen members of the universall Church unto the common Pastours whereof the Apostles Christ immediatly committed the Government of the whole Church and by them to the Presbyters who do succeed them in severall Nations Provinces Cities and circuits are by the superiour Assemblies and Synods held by the Apostles and Elders gathered together at Jerusalem about matter of greater concernment Act. 6. 2. and 15. 6. and 21. 18. warranted and declared to be Jure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ Proved Sect. 8. 7. The Appeals from Congregationall Elderships to Classicall and from Classicall to Provinciall and Nationall are by the Appeal of the Church Presbyters and the two great Apostles Paul and Barnabas at Antioch to the high Synod at Ierusalem warranted and demonstrated to be Iure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ and their powers also 8. Occumenicall or universall Assemblies consisting of Pastours and Elders chosen out of all true Orthodox Christian Churches and sent as delegates from every Nationall Church are warranted by that Synod at Ierusalem Act. 15. In which the Apostles there residing together with the two great Pastours of all the Churches of the Gentiles Paul and Barnabas and the Elders in Ierusalem and delegates from Antiochia Syria and Cilicia were assembled to decide a Controversie which concerned the universall Church of Christ And cannot with any good reason be denyed to be Iure Divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 9. Though notorious scandalous offences for which persons thereof guilty are to be kept from the Sacrament of the Lords supper untill they professe repentance and promise amendment are easie to be discerned and noted by the generall multitude who may privatly judge them to be such Yet the Lord Christ in his word gives power and authority to none by vertue of their office and calling to judge and declare by publike sentence what scandalous offences are worthy of such a censure and to keepe persons guilty of them from the holy Communion But onely Elderships Congregationall Classicall or others meerely Ecclesiasticall in which there are preaching Presbyters who are able and have a publike calling from Christ to expound the word of God which is the law and rule by which scandalous sinnes must be judged and censures given and executed For on their persons and consciences the scandall and guilt will lye heavy if they profane the holy Sacrament by giving it wittingly to such as will eat and drinke unworthily and be guilty of the body and blood of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 17. Proved sect. 3. and 5. 10. There are certain particular rules as the Scriptures cited in this foregoing discourse and divers others do shew some openly expressed in the word of God others by necessary consequence from thence diducted which sufficiently direct all Elderships and all persons who are Elders in them in the exercise of the power Ecclesiasticall before mentioned and in performing all necessary acts of Church Government as receiving accusations publike admonition reproofe rebuke refusing to communicate with or to admit to the holy Communion sinners convicted of scandalous sins and persisting therein without repentance Excommunication and casting out of the Church them who refuse to be ashamed and reclaimed by the former meanes used and continue in contumacie disobedience scorne and contempt of the Churches iudgement and proceeding with them in the Name and by the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ Proved Sect. 9. 11. Although the Scriptures give great power to Christian Kings and Supreme Magistrates over the Church of God in their dominions and the civill Government thereof is in their hands And all Christians and Ecclesiasticall persons of all orders and degrees are bound in Civill matters to be subject to them and to obey and honour them Rom. 13. 1. Tit. 3. 1. and Pet. 2. 13. And as nursing fathers to the Church Isai. 49. 23. they have the power which David Solomon Asa Iehoshaphat Hezekiah and Iosiah exercised in purging and reforming the Church in commanding Ministers of the word and Church officers to execute their offices faithfully in punishing with Civill censures and deposing such as are scandalous and incorrigible in providing maintenance and setting up able Ministers to teach and instruct their subjects and allotting Gods portion to maintain his worship and service in his Church in granting liberty to all to professe true Christian religion and to make lawes for the punishing and restraining of wicked profane persons from disturbing their people in the holy service of God Yet seeing the exercise of Government meerly Ecclesiasticall and the administration of holy ordinances is by Christ committed to the Apostles and their successours Pastours Teachers and Church officers with promise to be with them to the end of the world And the office and authority of expounding the word which is the law and rule of Ecclesiasticall Government is left in their hands without mention of Civill magistracie which neither then was Christian nor for many ages after and yet the Church was well Governed encreased mightily and flourished in all piety religion and godlinesse Therefore the supreme Magistracie is not allowed nor warranted by Scripture but excluded from intruding into the administration of holy Church ordinances and must leave the power of judging and determining of all things which concerne the publike worship and service of God to the infallible word of Christ the holy Scriptures and to those who are by God set apart and furnished with gifts and abilities and ordained according to