at all for if they are as a Common without any bounds or property as they must be if not fixed and tyed some where how many absurdities will unavoidably follow As first while they are in this moving and wandering condition they are not a House or Temple of God but scattered Stones and Timber and so cannot bear the name and honour of a Holy Temple and Church of God 2. They cannot whilest in such a condition be called owned or accounted a Holy Church and Temple of God either by God or Men. 3. Neither shall they have neither indeed can they expect or look for Church-blessings and priviledges or claim the Good of the promises made to Saints as a formed fixed Temple or House of God as that God should dwell walk with amongst them as he hath promised to do in his Churches and Temples 2 Cor. 6.16 Rev. 2.1 Eph. 2.22 Neither can they orderly participate of the Lords Supper for that Ordinance belongs to the fixed housholds of God not to scattered Saints occasionally meeting together as Saints only without any tye or obligation one to another and to their Ministers that should Minister it unto them these and other priviledges they cannot claim while they walk irregularly and disorderly 4. They make the ordinance Institution of particular Churches null and void and of no force and vertue at all and so Christ hath Instituted and appointed them in vain that they are of no use profit or concernment unto Saints For it will inevitably follow I think that in case their loose walkings without any fixed order or obligation on each other to live together as a distinct houshold or Family of God be the condition wherein they should live and walk that then they have found out a better way to live and walk in for the glory of God and their own profit than Jesus Christ hath done and so they do practically controul him and in effect say that they are wiser than Christ the Wisdom of God for they have found out a more pleasing and profitable way for themselves than Christ appointed and instituted for them so that Jesus Christ and the holy Ghost might have spared their pains in that matter so the Institution and the Love Wisdome care and Authority of Christ in that case are all thrown down to the ground 5. There can be no Discipline orderly or profitably exercised amongst Believers while in an unchurched state and condition For how can offended persons after the first Second Admonition tell the Church of an offending person his Sin and obstinacy and of their dealings with him to bring him to Repentance as commanded Matth. 18.15 16 17. if there be no fixed Church to which they do belong and how can the cause be heard and the offender dealt withall according to that charge by the Church when there is none What power have any Believers one over another but by their mutual consent and engagement one to another to give and take Reproofs and Admonitions to and of one another or how can they call Offenders to an account and require their attendance and subjection to their executing the Laws of Christ upon them unlesse they are a formed Body and by virtue of their joynt Relation not as Believers only but as united and engaged Believers to one another in that Society The Rulers of a Corporation may not exercise Authority or execute their Corporation Laws on such persons as have no Relation to them although they are the Kings subjects as well as those that are incorporated Neither may a thousand persons in a place exercise Jurisdiction over each other because they live and often converse together Neither have many Believers such power over each other while they walk as so many single individual persons without a Church-relation to one another as they might have in a Church-relation as the forementioned Text evinces Besides 6. The officers or Ministers of Christ will not be able to discharge their work and duty unto them while they walk loosely and disorderly For how can they watch and feed them as their own particular Flocks and charge unless there be a fixed Relation between them and they know where to find them which they cannot do unlesse their flocks be tyed to them and have mutually chosen each other as was said before the officers are to administer in the name of Christ unto them in an especial manner and they are to wait on and submit to their regular ministration Church-Officers must officiate in the Church and all must know and work within their own bounds and to their own charge So the Elders of the particular congregated Church at Ephesus were charged to feed and watch over that particular Church as their own peculiar flock and charge Acts 20.17 28. and so were the several Angels or Officers of these other Churches mentioned in the Revelations all which are called Churches which had matter and form And besides these evil consequences there are many other that I could name if it were needful and time would permit which would sufficiently evince the Truth pleaded for Now I shall proceed to shew how Believers should by the Holy Ghost form up themselves into a Church-state or Temple of God for his Glory and their own profit and Spiritual welfare or what the form of a Church is and wherein it lies Shew them the form of the House and the fashion of it and the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof and all the forms thereof and all the Laws thereof and all the Ordinances thereof Ezek. 43.11 First the persons intending to joyn themselves together to become a Church or Temple of God for his Name and Glory and the Spiritual good of their own Souls and for the orderly celebration of all the Lords appointments and worship in a Church they should be satisfied in each others fitnesse that they are such as Jesus Christ hath received Rom. 15.16 and Regenerated Joh. 3.3 wrought and made ready for it 2 Cor. 5.5 that they are united to Christ by Faith and sanctified to his use Members of Christ and heirs of the Kingdom I say they should be satisfied in a charitable Judgment that they are such that so they may take each other and have their hearts kint to one another in Spiritual real Love as such and so have confidence in and of each other that they will live together as such in their Church-state God would not have an Oxe and an Asse draw together in ore Yoke neither will he have visible Saints and Sinners joyn together and build him a Gospel-Church or holy Temple to dwell in What have the uncircumcized to do in the Lords Holy Temple with the circumcized If Gods house must be a holy Temple yea holynesse to God Isa 63.15 then it must consist of and be formed of holy persons for unclean and unholy persons cannot make a holy spiritual house for his glorious presence Therefore such as
Ten things 1. In looking after the Conversations of such as propound themselves to joyn with the Church that the Church admit not any scandalous persons amongst them That if they are such they may be debarr'd and kept out if otherwise together with other qualifications they may be received in This I judge to be one part of their work For certainly it is one part and end of Church-power to keep the Church clear from scandal and offence And they may and ought to do it Authoritatively and not as private Members may do it only 2. In the absence or upon the desire of the Pastor they may admit or take Members into the Church or rather take them into Church-Membership by giving them the right hand of fellowship and shewing them their duty and priviledge in a Church-State And herein they represent the Church and act Authoritatively therein for them This is another part of their Office VVork and Power And it requires good abilities to do it well and to purpose 3. They may when need requires command speech and silence in Church-meetings for the preventing of Disorders and disorderly Members in their words and carriages and they may authoritatively and publickly admonish and reprove such in the face of the Church which private Brethren may not do 4. They may in some cases with the consent of their Pastor or Teacher if at home call and assemble the Church together for the preventing of some apparant evil or promoting of some good thing or work in the Church Or in case the Pastor shall knowingly neglect to do his duty in the case or cases aforesaid doubtless the Ruling-Elders may and ought to do it and the Church ought to obey their call For they do it by the Authority they have from Christ for the good and benefit of the Church But this may not be done by any Member that is not an Elder but in the want of an Elder And when they are assembled together they may authoritatively propound the causes and ends for which they called them there and require their assistance 5. Their work is to inspect and carefully diligently wisely and faithfully to look after the walkings and conversations of all the Members of the Church This is the chief part of their work They are not only to take cognizance of what is brought to them by others Reports but to enquire after them They are bound by virtue of their Place and Office to see if the Members keep close to Church-meetings and reverently attend them and if they do not to Reprove Admonish Exhort them to Teach and Instruct them That they may know their duty be convinced of their sinful neglects repent of and amend them and that by their good Counsels and Exhortations they may be provoked and encouraged to and in their work Ruling-Elders should in this matter as also in comforting the afflicted and speaking words in season to him that is weary be able and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to Teach 1 Tim. 3.2 as well as the Pastors The one more privately and particularly and the other more publickly For as the Deacons work is to look after the wants and corporal concernments of the Church and provide for the poor and the Teachers to mind and look after the concernments of their Souls and make provisions for them according to their needs So Ruling-Elders have their work namely to look after the manners of all the Members of the Church To encourage and strengthen the hands of the Tractable and Obedient and to reprove convince and perswade the Disobedient that they may do what they ought 6. And therefore they should often visit them and see how they do and how they walk what they want and wherein they need their assistance and helping hand and when they know it to hold it out unto them freely and readily Certainly Elders should be intimately acquainted with their Congregations and with their walkings also For if any miscarry through their default or neglect the guilt will lie at their Doors and the Lord Jesus will require it at their hands Oh! that Elders would serioufly consider it and lay this matter near their hearts and suffer it to penetrate and pierce their Consciences and that they would consider in good earnest wherefore they are set in the Church and for what ends they have Rule and Discipline put into their hands That under deep Convictions they may be induced to discharge their work and perform their Trusts mind their Duty and prosecute the ends of their appointment that God may be well pleased with and bless them own and delight to use them for his glory in the Church and that they receiving benefit by their wisdom diligence and faithfulness may rejoyce in and bless God for them 7. They must take up Controversies and endeavour to end strifes and debates in the Church when such evils happen which are found too frequent through the Pride and prejudice of our hearts and the Temptations of the Devil who is a great Adversary to the Peace Beauty Order and Prosperity of Churches Ruling-Elders must not suffer any quarrels or contentions either in publick or private either between a few or many but presently interpose their VVisdom and Authority to decide and reconcile the causes and persons and set all in joynt again For such evils if let alone will prove like Cancers in the body and encrease to more ungodliness as the Apostle speaks Therefore the Elders should enquire into them and search out such as did the wrong began the strife and such as they find are adicted to take up prejudices against and foment debates with their Brethren and correct the offenders and releive the wronged and oppressed as they see cause There must be no Hammer no knocking heard in the Temple of God And wee to them who give occasion for strife and debate and to such as do improve occasions in such a manner also so likewise to negligent and careless Elders who do or may know these evils and yet let them alone or seek to heal them in a slight manner as if they had nothing to do with them or were not indeed much concerned in them But surely this is one of your great works as you have the power of Rule and Government in your hands for the good of the Church And you may authoritatively take up Controversies and require the Members of the Church to hearken to you And you may do Christ and the Church great service in this matter Therefore mind it in good earnest 8. Their work is to assist and encourage the Teaching-Elders and to promote and set forward the Gospel in their hands They must stand by and stand up for their Teachers and not suffer them to be wronged obstructed or discouraged by any so far as they can prevent it by their power and wisdom Do any back-bite them Rprove them Do any slight or contemn their Ministry Reprove them shew them the
places and worship God together conscienciously and dutifully this lightens gladens and comforts their hearts strengthens their hands and puts as it were a new life into them It oyles the Wheels and helps to make them run on easily sweetly and comfortably If it be the duty of Ministers to wait on their Office to Preach the word in season and out of season to attend to the Ministry of the word and to feed their flocks and watch over them as indeed it is Then undoubtedly it is the indispensible duty of such to attend and wait on their Ministry For the work is relative And the same Authority that binds the one binds also the other The one must Preach and Administer and the other must freely dutifully and constantly wait on their Administrations And let me tell you and assure you that by your deserting your Ministers in whole or in part you despise them and their Ministry you expose your selves to inevitable Reproach for it is a scandalous sin and your Ministers and their Ministry to great derision and contempt and this will cost you dear one day Obj. But we cannot profit by them their Ministrations are dead to us Answ It may be so but whose fault is that theirs or yours will you lay the blame on them when indeed it is your own is that justice or horrible injustice Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. You did once value and esteem them and found life and refreshing in their Ministry else why did you joyn with them call and chuse them for your Ministers They did not force themselves on you you were at your free choice to refuse them and sit down under others Ministry Besides while you pretend that the cause of your deserting such as you have chosen and once found good by others of the same Congregation find their Ministry very profitable to them still and continue to wait on it and bless God for it and abhor all thoughts of deserting it If so then it is evident that God is with your Ministers and blesses their Ministry and then what follows but that the fault is in you not in your Ministry For why should not you profit by it as well as others but that the obstruction is at home And it would better become you and argue a better spirit in you to search out the plagues of your own hearts and lay the blame where it is than where it is not If you find no good by their Ministry is it not because you 1 have left God in secret God and you are become strangers at home If it be so as most likely it is then wonder not if the Ordinances of God profit you not For what can you expect to find in Divine Ordinances when God is departed from you because you are departed from God There is a woe pronounced to such Hosea 9.12 2. Do you not live in some known sin without Repentance It is more than probable you do and if so then be sure you will find no good in any of Gods Ordinances untill that Idol be removed by Repentance out of your hearts and hands Ezek. 14.2 3 7. Joshua 7. says God to such I will answer you according to your Idols who presume to come before me with Idols in your hearts as every known sin is 3. Have you not conceived a displeasure and taken up prejudice against your Ministers persons or their Ministry If so no marvel if you profit not by them But then I say that 's your fault not theirs you have laid a stumbling block in your own way and obstruct your profitting by the works of your own hands So some of the Corinthians were prejudiced against Paul and they could by no means profit by his Ministry and therefore away they go to Apollo Why what 's the matter why he had not such excellent speech and language as Apolle had 1 Cor. 2.1 and his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10.10 Alas Paul is an inconsiderable fellow We did love affect and wait on his Ministry and time was we received profit by it But now the case is altered Paul is no man for us no but Apollo a man of more Eloquence shall be our man now a Rush for Paul Well to Apollo they go and leave poor Paul to Preach to their seats or shift for himself But it is not long that Apollo shall please them and be their man no but to Cephas they go and where then God knows But was this their vertue and a proof of their spiritual growth and attainments no but on the contrary the Holy Ghost tells them once and again that they did wickedly by their shiftings from one Teacher to another and proved themselves but poor low carnal professors 1 Cor. 3.1 2 3. This is ordinarily if not alwayes one cause of mens leaving their own Ministers And you that are guilty of it now will find this evil humour at the bottom of your shifting and withdrawing from your Teachers would you suffer your Consciences to speak out and search them to the bottom but that you are not willing to see your own spots in a clear Glass 4. Do you not profit by the Ministry of your own Ministers why is it not your Pride do you not conceit that you are wiser than they and so they are unmeet and unworthy to teach you and you are too high and good to learn or be taught of them half an eye may see that this is also in the bottom of your desertions you are not poor and hungry hearers nor little in your own eyes but are too full of conceits of your own abilities and base conceits of your Teachers and therefore you are not profitted by their Ministry This also was the Corinthians Disease which made them slight Paul's Ministry as unprofitable and unworthy of them 1 Cor. 4.2 11. 5. And as in these causes at home you will or may find why you do not profit by the Ministry of your own Teachers so likewise because the world and the deceitful pleasures and profits thereof do lye deep in your hearts and swallow up yea drown your minds and affections In a word you want love to Christ his word Ordinances and Ministers and therefore you do not profit you do not pray heartily and fervently for them that God would make them able Ministers of the New Testament and bless their Ministry to your Souls profit and therefore they profit you not Again you trouble distract and grieve their hearts contrary to the will of God and therefore they cannot profit you And by these and many other sinful wayes you grieve the holy Spirit so as that he will not concur with nor bless and prosper their sincere endeavours to do you good But then I say still the fault is in you not in them they would but cannot mend these things in you but so may you if