he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men As Ephes 4 11. he gave some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers In this place of Scripture he onely setteth forth the principall functions in the Church whereof the first paire as namely Apostles and Evangelists were of immediate calling and appropriated to the time ordained by Christ onely for the propagation and first progression of the Gospell the gifts of prophecie and working of miracles attending the confirmation of their doctrine As the necessitie of those times required and as Christ had promised Marke 16. 17 18. And these signes shall follow them that beleeve in my Name they shall cast out devils they shall speake with new tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly poyson it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sicke and they shall recover The second paire are Pastors and Teachers distinguished by their ordination for these were ordained internally by the outward dispensation of hearing the Word preached by the Apostles then externally chosen by the Church as Acts the sixth after consecrated by the Apostles by prayer and laying on of hands of the Apostles and Elders Acts 14. 23. This order of ministers is ordinarie and to continue in the Church unto the comming of our Lord to Judgement Both these paires are but one and the same function and office and have but one and the same Commission which was given by the immediate ordination of Christ to his Apostles For as God the Father sent his beloved Sonne to bee a light unto the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel in declaring unto them the glad tydings of salvation in his death unto the remission of sinnes So Christ sayd to his Disciples As my Father sent me so send I you John 20. 21 22. The power and authority committed unto them by this commission is the breath of life out of the mouth of Christ proceeding from the Father and the Sonne as it is said Man lives not by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Therefore he breathed on them and said Receive ye the holy Ghost For the word which Christ spake or breathed out of his mouth hee affirmed to be spirit and life saying John 6. The flesh profiteth nothing but the word that I speake is spirit and life The substance of this Commission is mandatory Matt. 28. 19. Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost The doctrinall part of their commission is teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and Marke 26. 15. hath it in these words Preach the Gospell to every creature Now the summe of the doctrine which Christ taught is set downe more plainly by St. Luke 24. 44. These are the words that I spake unto you whilst I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law and the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning mee And he who was spirit life and light opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures and said Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem And after this manner doe the Pastors and Ministers blesse teach and sanctifie the people Thus Christ by preaching and teaching unto them the word of God out of his mouth he opened their understandings in the Scriptures and thereby they received the holy Ghost for this is Christs manner of breathing upon them Iohn 20. when hee said receive yee the holy Ghost But in Luke he saith Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you Which is to say I will send a visible token of the Spirit upon you or the efficacie of the Spirit upon you Therefore he sayd Tarry yee in the Citie of Ierusalem untill you bee endued with power from on high Not but that they had received the holy Ghost before but not the manifestation and evident power thereof as afterwards it did fall upon them in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues Acts 2. The fruites and operative effects of ministration of the Spirit is set forth Iohn 2. 23. Whose soever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sinnes ye retaine they are retained For this is the power and efficacie of the ministeriall Word as hath beene formerly showne which floweth from the absolute power of Christ which was given unto him of the Father as he affirmed to his Disciples Matt. 28. 18. All power is given me in heaven and in Earth And this ministration of the Gospell is that key of David committed unto Christ by which he should open and no man shut and should shut and no man should open And in the 16. of Matthew 16 17. 18. ver. it is evident that this power of the keyes is onely the power of the Gospell of Christ or rather as Peter confessed the Lord Jesus to bee that Christ that Sonne of the living God which he received not by the intelligence of flesh and blood but by Revelation from God the Father this power changeth the whole corrupt nature of man and gives him another denomination or qualitie making him a strong and immoveable rock turning Peter to Petra Thus after this manner is the revelation and power of the Word given in generall to every one that receiveth the knowledge of Christ to beleeve that he is that Christ that Sonne of the living God God himselfe against this rocke the gates of hell the powers and principalities of darknesse and worldly Governours cannot prevaile But the particular and publicke ministration thereof is committed to the Pastors and teachers of the Church of God by whose ministration and publicke dispensation of the Word the hearts and consciences of men are opened and shut bound and loosed every day as Lydia and others in the Acts in which the Word becomes the savour of life unto some and the savour of death unto others And this ministeriall power is also given unto them for divine censure and publicke correction to roote out abominable and unsufferable vices in the Church and Congregations as shall be shewed in his proper place Of the nominations under the Law and under the Gospell Under the Law it is undeniable that the Ministers and Governours of the Church were called Priests Levites and Elders Also in the Christian Church leaving out the extraordinary functions of Apostles and Evangelists they are called Pastors Teachers Helpers and Governours As these rankes are expressed in the 1 Cor. 12. 28. Of helpers wee reade they were added to the Christian Church in the sixth of the Acts whose office seemes to be in the place of the Levites as they are called Deacons And
heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts and from hence it is evident that the Scripture is the very word of God which proceedeth out of God by inspiration by instrumentall publishing and writing the same and the written Word being the same proceeding word of God even God declared in writing The Scriptures therefore are the Fountaines of living water and the ground of truth for preaching teaching and instruction exhortation and correction And therefore the Scriptures are to be had in Divine estimation for they containe the divine Word it selfe and the Pastors and teachers thereof being thereunto called of God by a full measure of inspiration are to be esteemed the Messengers and Embassadours of God And this is alwayes to be understood that no man can attaine to the interpretation of the written Word by naturall ingenuitie or humane learning or art or industrie though all be needfull instruments and meanes of knowledge but onely by inspiration of the proceeding Word as ver. 21. 20. 21. so that first ye know this that no prophecie of the Scripturis of any private interpretation For as the prophecie came not in old time by the will of men but holy men of God spake â—â— they were moved by the holy Ghost so must holy then of God speake and interpret the Scriptures as they are moved by the holy Ghost And that we may know the interpretation to be of the holy Ghost being the proceeding Word and hee that indicted the same Word from the Father and the Sonne by inspiration cannot give any other sence or understanding to the written Word then is agreeable to the nature of the Word in the person of the Sonne and of the Father and the Word in the person of the Sonne is the revealed will of God the Father made manifest in the flesh Therefore we may discerne whether the interpretation be of the Spirit of God or no by this Iohn 4. 2. 3. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that confesseth not that Iesus is come in the flesh is not of God For the confession is not an out ward confession of the lips nor an historicall confession of the mind nor a voluntary supposition and opinion of carnall reason but it is the confession of the Spirit of God which declares and manifests to the heart that the Word that is come in the flesh is the very true God as Christ said to know thee and him whom thou hast sent Christ to be the very true God as Peter confessed thou art that Christ that Sonne of God and Christ told him that flesh and blood did not teach him this but his Father revealed it unto him This word of God not having beene after this order knowne and considered hath beene the cause and occasion of much mistake and errours in the Church of God but understanding the Word in the true nature and property of Gods order and manner of working leadeth us by the hand from one gradation to another and stoppeth the mouth of all men that speake against the Scriptures and the holy Spirit For considering the word of God in these gradations we shall evidently perceive and understand that the power and authoritie giuen and committed to the Church is no other thing but the proceeding word of God ministring the begotten Word from the Father manifested in the flesh which ministration is two fold internall by inspiration through hearing of the Word because man is an intellectuall Spirit and therefore a proper Tabernacle for the divine Word to dwell in Also externall ministration because man dwells in an elementary earthly and naturall tabernacle therefore the holy Ghost applyeth himselfe to mans infirmity and doth use in his externall ministration elementary earthy and naturall instruments by which as a meanes and ordinance the proceeding Word and the power thereof is daily communicated unto man both to ingraft him into the Word and to nourish him in the Word unto everlasting life For this manner of externall ministration is necessary for man so long as hee dwelleth in this body or earthly house The instruments which the holy Ghost doth use in the dispensation of the ministeriall Word are either proper as some members of the Church set apart for the worke of the ministery or lesse proper as the signes of the Sacraments I may call those the externall gifts which God gives to his Church for it is said that unto every one of us is given grace or the gifts of the Spirit according to the measure of the gift in Christ For wee may discerne the Church is a compact body knit to the head Christ and consisteth of many members yet in unity of the spirit they are one body and although there be but one Spirit yet are there diversities of gifts diversities of administrations diversities of operations yet all one and the same spirit and these diversities of gifts make diversities of functions So there are many functions in the Church but God worketh all in all But the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall but peculiar gifts without the which the Church cannot at any time be and therefore most proper of which it is said that Christ ascended on high and lead captivity captive and received gifts to give unto men as some to bee Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Here is to bee observed that the divine power by internall dispensation is given in common to all and every member of the Church so that all have common interest in the word of God and peculiar power thereby to admonish comfort and instruct one another and pray for one another and beare one anothers burdens especially they are all Kings Priests and Prophets in their Families For every Father ought to use the office of an Elder in his house Deut 6. 6 7. Deut. 4. 9. But for the externall dispensation of the Word the power and efficacy thereof is committed unto peculiar men wherof Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors teachers are in the first ranke and functions and the power and efficacy which is given them is onely the ministration of the Word they have not that absolute power which Christ hath to know who are his from the beginning and to have compassion on whom he would have compassion and to shew mercy on whom hee would show mercy For Christ had not this absolute power as he was the Son of man but as he was the person of God For as he was Man he came not to do his owne will but the will of his Father So likewise when he sent his Apostles and Disciples to teach all Nations he sent them as he was sent of his Father So send I you saith he which was not to doe their owne will nor to teach their owne doctrine but to do his will
eternall Sonne of God by generation and to proceed from God by spiration in creation and to be communicated unto man since his fall by supernaturall inspiration and united unto man and man unto it by incarnation and ministred unto man by externall dispensation Thus the Word descends unto man by inspiration and dwels in man through the Spirit for the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is the Word for the Word and the spirit cannot be divided nor separated they are one For this cause God useth the externall ministration of his Word and Spirit that he may inspire and regenerate the mind of man After this manner are the ministers and messengers that are sent of God indued with the Word and Spirit of God Therefore let no man say that hee hath the Spirit if hee want the light of the Word neither can any man have the Word but by the Spirit and the Word and Spirit are both made manifest in this that they reveale the hid things of God even the mysterie of God in Christ 1 Cor. 2. 9. 10. which in Col. 2. 3. is called a full assurance of understanding in the knowledge of the mysterie of God in Christ for he which commanded light to shine out of darknesse shines into the hearts of the Messengers to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Of the calling of Ministers As the externall Ministration cannot be without the Word and the Spirit so the Church cannot bee without Ministers and messengers of God and as the ministration is publicke and externall so the visible Church and Congregations have power of divine right to call and appoint such as God hath internally qualified to the externall and publicke exercise thereof For as by internall inspiration they are indued with a more then ordinary measure of the Word and Spirit so they ought to be well knowne and conversant in the Congregation or facietie of that Church wherein they live that by a mutuall consent they may be approved and thought worthy to be called to the publick ministration and dispensation of the VVord This was the practise of the Apostles and primitive Church Acts 1. 21. 22. Wherefore of these men that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out with us beginning from the Baptisme of John unto the same day that he was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a witnesse with us of his resurrection and they appointed two Also Act. 6. 1. 2. When the nuber of the Disciples was multiplied then the twelve called the multitude of the Disciples together unto them and said unto them it is not meet that we should leave the ministration of the Word and serve tables wherefore brethren looke you out among you seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and of wisedome whom we may appoint ouer this businesse And it is to be observed that nothing was to bee done in the Church either by the Apostles or by those that in the ministration succeeded them without the consent of the whole Church which then at first were called Disciples Of the manner of their externall ordination Touching the manner of their Ordination that we find in the first of the Acts they prayed and said Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew which of these two thou hast chosen and then they gave forth lots and the lot fell upon Matthias And also afterwards in the sixt of the Acts the multitude of the Disciples or brethren those seven and set them before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands upon them In the first place of Scripture it is said the Disciples appointed two and left the choyce to God and therefore they give forth lots because it was an extraordinary calling to an Apostleship to succeed Judas But in the second place it is said they chose Srephin a man full of faith and the holy Ghost and Philip and Prochorus and others c. And it is remarkable that the Church received instruction from the Apostles as a rule to be observed in choosing Deacons and Elders as in the first of the Acts they were admonished by Peter to choose such as were conversant in the Church from their beginning By which I conceive they ought to bee of knowne conversation and men of good report and that they should be full of faith and the holy Ghost as Steven was or men endued with the holy Ghost and with wisedome These are the respects which ought to bee had in choosing Pastors Deacons and Governours in the Church For all gifts of learning and humane Sciences howsoever they be excellent and worthy much praise and honour yet without these Characters of grace they are nothing and not to be esteemed Of the orders and degrees of Pastors and their denominations both under the Law and the Gospell It is evident that the orders and degrees of Ministers and Governours of the Church of God under the Law were Priests Levites and Elders God also sending among them Prophets of extraordinary inspiration for revelation of the VVord to teach admonish and exhort the people The Priests office was figurative prefiguring Christ untill his comming offering sacrifices to figure the sacrifice of his body instructing the people in the promised seed unto the remission of their sinnes whose manifestation in the flesh should be the accomplishment of all figures and shadowes in the law which thereby were abrogated The Levites were given unto Aaron as an addition to his office as in Numb. 3. 6 7 8 9. to minister unto him to keepe his charge and the charge of the whole Congregation to doe the service and to keepe the instruments of the tabernacle of the Congregation The Elders though every Father of a Family bee called Elder and also the twelve tribes of Iacob yet those are properly Elders who are chosen and appointed to be Governours and Rulers both in Church and Common-wealth For the Governours in Pharaohs house were called Elders and the Rulers in the Church as first in the Tabernacle as Numb. 11. 25 26. and Temple were also called Elders And the Lord stirred up Prophets among them both of the Levites and Priests and others as occasion required never leaving his Church without a Prophet and Rulers till Shilo came And when that faithfull Prophet of God came into the world whose effectuall power and fulnesse of all divine perfection abolished all figures and darke resembling shadowes then in his owne person and humane presence hee spread abroad the glad tydings of his glorious Gospell causing the light of his truth to shine evident without vaile or vizard notwithstanding he neither altered nor abolished the order of ministration nor the manner of government but established the same by his owne example and the practise of his Apostles And therefore he said that Christ when he ascended on high
Governours in the Church as neither the Synagogue nor the Christian Church could bee well governed without called Elders in both Churches As Ambrose speaking in his Homilies upon the fifth of Timothie and the first verse saith to this effect Both the Synagogue and afterward the Church had Elders without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church though in his times they were almost lost as he saith in the same place which saith he by what negligence it is growne out of use I know not unlesse peradventure by their negligence or rather the pride of the teachers whilest they alone would be all and doe all It these governours were so decayed in his time how much more are they now worne out of memorie in these our dayes But who list to peruse the history of the primitive times may observe that so long as this government stood in equall dependancie with their Pastors there could no heresie ever get footing in the Church of God But after it was lost and neglected the Arrian heresie crept into the Church and filled the universall Church and all Kingdomes with ambition contention heresies and warre as in the Revelation The name of Elders is now become an uncouth and abhorred name though it hath beene alwayes used from the beginning both in Church and Common-wealth to signifie both politique and Ecclesiasticall Governours For if we consider the derivation of the word Priest it is no other but Elder as in the Greeke it is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which in Latine is Senex {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} being rendred Presbiter and in English Elder being the comparative of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And in this sence the Apostles called themselves Elders as John in his second Epistle 1. verse The denominations of Pastors Teachers Bishops and Elders in the Church were promiscuously used becaūse though they were distinguished by particular duties and administrations yet all was of one and the same spirit and power As Paul 2 Tin 1. 11. accounted himselfe a Preacher and teacher of the Gentiles aswell as an Apostle But there is no name that belongs to the functions of the Church of God that doth so much trouble the Church and the whole world as the name Episcopus Which though I find it but once or twice named in the New Testament as though the holy Ghost thought it not convenient often to use that name foreknowing and foreseeing how much mischiefe it would bring forth to the Christian Church yet I finde it a name much and frequontly used by the Antient Fathers and Historians insomuch as for the reverend and high esteeme it got among them it is advanced to signifie preheminence and a spirituall office and dignitie and honour above temporall Monarchs or rather at least in some of their owne conceits and expressions higher then a Monarch a Pope of universall supremacie above all that is called God Notwithstanding that the name derived from the Greeke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifieth no more but to survey to consider of the deportment of the flocke by God committed unto his charge as of which he is to render an account so that the etymologie of the word will not imply that lording power which they doe arrogate unto themselves But {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies busie-bodyes or medlers in other mens matters derived of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Latine alvis and the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is in the language of this age usually rendred Bishop seemes to me a very opposite word to decipher the lording Bishops of our times which like the Angels that left their primitive station omitting the proper worke of their ministeriall functions doe moue in an improper orbe of secular affaires and so may well be called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Busie-bodies or busie Bishops If any desire to know the office and dutie of a Bishop as the holy Scripture setteth it forth let them reade the third Chapter of Paul to Timothie and also the first of Peter the fifth Chapter the second and third verses where the office of a Bishop is described under the name of an Elder Of antient and primitive government of the Church of God The antient Apostolike and Primitive Government was under Pastors Deacons and Elders in every Congregation The manner of their government was twofold the first part whereof was particular to every man in his function The second part was joyntly and publickly together and none without another The Pastor Teacher or Bishop his particular function or office was as a President overseer and director not only as a Teacher but also as an Elder watching over the health of their soules and outward manners and conversation caring for the spirituall good and salvation of every one whose office is set forth in the first of Timothie the 3. chap. 2. 3. 4. 6. verses Hee must be a man blamelesse continent vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker nor greedy of filthy lucre no brawler not covetous one that ruleth well his owne house having his Children in subjection with all gravity hee must not be a novice lest through pride he fall into condemnation and he ought to be of good report among the adversaries that the word of God be not evill spoken of Also Peter exhorts Bishops under the name of Elders acknowledging himselfe also to be an Elder saying Feed the flocke of God which dependeth upon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as though yee were Lords over Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke And as Paul advised Timothy to preach the word of God Bee instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine And after the same manner and in the same sence Christ excited Peter that the more he loved him the more he should labour to feed his lambes his sheepe his flocke But Lordly preheminence Christ did not onely forbid saying The Lords of the Gentiles have power over them but it shall not be so among you but also saith Hee that would bee the greatest among you let him doe most service to the rest But that fearefull admonition of Christ me thinkes should shake the hearts of our Bishops with feare that use predominance over their fellowes and Church of God Mat 24. Who is a faithfull and wise servant whom God hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in due season Blessed is that servant whom the Lord shall find doing so he shall make him ruler over all his goods But if that evill servant shall say in his heart My Master doth deferre his comming and begin to smite his fellowes and to eat and
Divine Services had their Synagogues in every Citie and Towne and Christ did by his owne practise and presence observe the same upon the Sabbath day as it is Luke the 4. 16. 17. as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read and there was delivered to him the book of Isaiah and Acts 13. 14. 15. Paul and Barnabas went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day The forme of service used in the Synagogues First they began their Service with a generall verball confession which they gathered out of the Prophets Levit. 26. 20. Numb. 5. 6. 7. Nehem. 9. 23. The forme of this confession is set forth in the Jewes Talmond We have sinned O Lord we have done wickedly we have dealt deceitfully in thy fight we thy people and all the house of Israel we repent our selves thereof and are ashamed for the same and therefore O Lord we beseech thee forgive us our sinnes our iniquities and our transgressions as it is written in the book of Moses thy servant Then followed the reading of the Law and the Prophets and then after followed the expounding and exhortation then the Service ended with a generall thanks for all things and as Paul saith for all persons 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. And thus their Service was concluded with blessings upon the people from the mouth of the Minister The same Service and Method observed by the Apostles Christ left no other forme of Service in Gods worship but onely such as was used in the Church of the Jewes naked and simple prayer praise and thanks reading preaching and exhortation with the ministration of the Sacraments commanding his Disciples to goe teach all Nations baptising them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Spirit The Apostles observed their Masters commandement in every circumstance proper for the ministration of those Divine mysteries To all that Christ ordained they neither added nor diminished any thing Springing from superstition of time and place and circumstances for they knew that Ordination was not tyed to a day an houre or any solemne time or season but was instituted for the benefit of the soule of man therefore they thought fit to minister the Lords Supper every Lords day Neither did they use any other order or gesture but after the same manner sitting as Christ did institute it fearing the curse of God to adde or diminish And held that manner of order most worthy and fit to be observed in Divine mysteries which their Lord had formerly observed knowing the power efficacie to be of his spirit and not to consist in Rites and Ceremonies or circumstances of time and place After the ascension of the Lord he Apostles and the whole Church consisting of 120 persons assembled at Ierusalem in an upper Chamber and abode together with the 11 Apostles and continued with one accord in prayer and supplication And then and there Peter taught and preached and in the publique assembly and with their whole consent they chose Matthias to supply Iudas his place Acts 1. 13 14 15. also 2. 42. and they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer In which words is set forth the whole form of their Service and worship used in the Apostolique times which consisted in preaching the true Doctrine of Christ their unity of faith and love ministration of the Sacraments and Prayer The Testimony of the Fathers On the day saith he which is called Sonday that is the Lords day there is an assembling and comming together of all manner of people dwelling either in the Fields or in the Cities into one place and there are read the Acts or Records of the Apostles and the Writings of the Prophets so long as the time would suffer then when the Reader hath left off reading that is to say he which was President or Chiefe in the assembly the Bishop or Pastor delivered an admonition or exhortat on by way of discourse tending to the stirring of them up to follow and practise those good things Afterwards wee rise all at once and send our prayers unto God And prayer being ended the bread and wine is brought and he that directeth the action delivereth with all the power and might he hath prayers and thanksgiving the people assenting say Amen Then followeth the distribution to every one present and the communicating of the things which were blessed by thanksgiving and they send of the same to those that were absent by the Deacons In the end they which are of ability and are moved therewithall give every one according as it pleaseth him and that which remaineth abideth with him that is president with which he makes provision for the fatherlesse widowes sicke persons captives and needy strangers The same Author in another place of the same Apologie After saith he that we have washed that is baptized him that hath received the fajth and joyned himselfe with us wee bring him into the Assembly and Congregation of the brethren where they are come together to make their common prayers both for themselves and for him and for all manner of persons whatsoever When prayers are thus ended wee salute one another with an holy kisse and then there is brought to the Pastor the Bread and the Cup and hee giveth praise and glory to the Father of all things in the name of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and maketh a great thankes-giving for that hee hath vouchsafed to make them worthy of these things which being ended the people joyne and put their blessing thereto saying Amen Afterward the Pastor blessing them those whom wee call Deacons gives to every one who are present and they carry to those that are absent And this food is called the Sacrament of thankes-giving which is not lawfull for any one to receive which hath not before received the truth of our Doctrine of Faith and hath not beene washed with Baptisme of regeneration for remission of sinnes Also Tertullian in his Apologie about few yeares after Now saith he I will declare unto you the practises of the Christian function to the end that when I have refuted the evill I may shew you the good We come together into one Congregation to have recourse unto God by prayer forcing him as it were by joyning together of all our prayers and this violent enforcement is very well pleasing to God Wee pray for Emperours for their Officers and Potentates and for the estate present for the quieting of matters wee come together for communicating of the holy Scriptures as the present times doe presseus or to prevent somewhat to come or to make acknowledgement of the present And thus wee feed our faith with holy speeches we relieve and succour our hope we make strong our confidence and therewithall likewise fortifie our Discipline and manner of government by the urgent and uncessant rehearsall and renowing of the memorie of good precepts In our
he came not into the world to deprive Kings and Princes of their subordinate power and prerogative therefore he told them plainly that his kingdome was not of this world and he told his Apostles that among them there should bee no such government or dominion in his Church as the Princes have on earth among men but the chiefest among them should be he that tooke the most paines to serve the rest with food of life The Church is called a kingdome because as in earthly kingdomes Kings and Princes have power by their politique lawes over the bodies goods and lives of men for their wealefull being on earth to the glory of God so in this kingdome Christ onely and absolutely from the Father through the Spirit hath power by the divine Word and law of God over the soules of men for their eternall happinesse and salvation of his elect and to the just judgement and condemnation of the reprobate to shew forth the abundant riches of his grace in that and in this to shew forth his wrath and power suffering with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction and in both the exceeding excellencie of his glory doth appeare and is effected Also it is called the kingdome of God because God the Father is the immediate fountaine from whence it floweth the person of the Sonne the head to which the whole body and every member really and in a mysticall manner is united and incorporated into him their head because God the Spirit is the immediate minister and dispensator of all divine gifts and spirituall blessings in heavenly things For this cause the Church in Scriptures is sometimes compared to a house or building compact together and built of living stones Christ being the corner stone or foundation and thus it is a spirituall house of Saints It is resembled to a naturall body composed of a head Christ and many members knit unto it and one unto another and sometimes it is described by the similitude of a throne set in heaven and he that sits thereon is assimilated to be one in Deitie but three in distinct subsistences like to three pretious Jewels The first appearing like a Jasper of a pleasant never fading flourishing greene the mother of all pearles The second a Sardine which is of a reddish flesh colour The third is in aspect as a Rain-bow that is of the Emerald colour as the eye can behold nothing more sweet or delightsome These colours represent the nature of the Trinitie of the God-head and round about the Throne were twenty foure Seats and upon the seats twenty foure Elders sitting cloathed in white rayment and on their heads crownes of gold This name of Elders is here given to all the members and congregation of Christ in his kingdome and their white rayment is to expresse the righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed and freely put upon them and making them Kings Priests and Prophets to God the Father Their Crownes are to declare their Royall dignitie which they have by Christ for it is to be noted that whatsoever Christ is in himselfe either personally naturally or officially all his members are partakers of the same in some measure according to the gift of Christ by union communion inspiration and through externall and instrumentall ministration of his Word This is the Church of God now those things which are individually belonging to the Church at first the protecting power of God which is alwayes ready to defend and revenge the cause of his Saints for God takes their cause into his owne hand saying Vengeance is mine and I will repay it And God hath said touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme For this cause in this signe of the Church there is said to proceed out of the Throne lightnings and thunders and voyces because God doth punish the wicked horribly for the Churches sake none can escape his hands that oppresse his Saints for the Lord will roare out of Sion and will put forth his voyce out of Jerusalem A second sort of gifts are inward graces of Sanctification expressed in this vision by seven Lampes of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God which is the internall sanctification of Gods Spirit filling every soule with gifts like oyle of grace and fire of zeale to burne with praises before the Throne Like to the lampes in the Temple Exod. 27 20. by seven signifying by a definite number manifold gifts indefinite Next are outward gifts which are allegorically called a sea of glasse before the Throne like Crystall which expresseth the spirituall pure and unspotted worship of God and the ministration of his Word as transparent to the eye of the inlightned mind as Crystall glasse is to the eye of the body through which the Saints may see the glory and majesty of God in the face of Christ Jesus As this worship is pure without any spot of mans invention and consists as in the first tract is said of prayer praise and thankes arising and alwayes nourished by the doctrine of the word of God which the sea doth signifie because it is an Ocean of living waters pure like Crystall This Sea therefore declares the whole worship of God And in respect that the Saints inlightned by the holy Ghost are called burning Lampes it is to them like a sea of oyle to enrich and encrease their lights Another outward gift is described to be foure Beasts And in the middest of the Throne and round about the Throne were foure beasts the first like a Lyon the second a Calfe the third a face like a man the fourth like a flying Eagle and their bodyes are full of eyes before and behind These are the ministers and servants of God who attend the ministration of the Word and Doctrine and are placed betwixt the Throne and the Elders as embassadours and messengers of God to his people their place is in a neerer station to the Throne then the Elders They are compared to beasts to expresse their qualities which is required for the conditions of the times and seasons as the strength and courage of a Lyon the patience of an Oxe the prudence and wisedome of a man the Eagle-like contempt of earthly things and sharper sight in spirituall and heavenly things The number is foure to double the number of the tribe of Levi under the law to answer the number of Elders which is double to the twelve Patriarkes Their bodyes are full of eyes behind and before which describes that sharpnesse of riches and understanding in divine things wherewith they are inducd by the gift of the Spirit to discerne things past things present and things to come These beasts each one of them hath sixe wings placed round about them and full of eyes within the wings these wings are not for that use that the wings are to the beasts in Eâ—â—â—â—â—…el two to hide the face and two to flye and two to hide their feet
diligence in every place of the Congregation they might be ready to suppresse by divine instruction exhortation and admonition out of the word of God Murmurings grudgings contentions strife cursings railings and all sorts of inordinate walkings This was the private and particular duty of these sorts of Elders by the power of the Word to kill the Cockatrice in the egge and to pull up the weeds of sinne by the roots For this cause they are described in the fourth of the Revelation to be the wings of the foure beasts placed round about their bodyes full of eyes within for they are knit unto the Ministers in a peculiar and inseparable neerenesse and their discerning operation is not to extend beyond the bounds of the Professors of the Church for as Paul saith what have wee to doe with those that are without These sorts of Elders are so necessarily annexed to the publicke ministration of the Word as that the Church cannot be without them but that by the want thereof she doth expose her selfe to all kind of dangers externall and internall like a bird without wings Therefore Christ tooke not away this kind of Elders but rather established them in their function and office both in private and publicke as in the 18. of Matth. 15. 16. 17. If thy brother trespasse got and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone if hee heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother If he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be â—â—â—firmed And if he will not vouchsafe to heare them then tell the Church Which is to make the offence and the offender knowne to the Congregation the Elders acquainting the Pastor the Pastor acquainting the Congregation they all joyne in publicke censure and discipline Paul hath some rules which pertaine to private admonition for it ought to be done in all gravitie prudence and in much love Galat. 6. 1. If a man bee fallen by occasion into any sinne yee which are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe lest thou also bee tempted Beare one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ The Elders ought to excell in brotherly love and wisedome and to use their exhortations with much temperance as Paul hath set before them in another place 1 Tim. 5. 1. Rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a fathers and the younger men as brethren The elder women as mothers and the younger as sisters with all purenesse And there is another particular dutie which pertaines to these Elders as also to the Pastors and Ministers which is to visit the sicke and those that are burthened or troubled in conscience as Iames saith If any be sicke let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and anoynt him with oyle in the name of the Lord For oyle is an embleme of the holy Ghost which by comfortable exhortations out of the word of God with prayer is like oyle unto the bones or as wine that glads the heart Such refreshment are the Elders to the sicke for the prayer of faith shall save the sicke and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sinne it shall be forgiven him And for this cause there is a mutuall confession among Christians when any thing doth vehemently oppresse the conscience therefore saith James confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that yee may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent Of Discipline and censure Now I come to the second part of government which consisteth also in these three functions The first sort is called promiscuously Pastors Teachers Bishops for they have received the gift of one and the same spirit according to the measure of Christ as Ephes. 4. For the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ untill wee all meet together in the unitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect Man and unto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ The second sort is Deacons The third is called by a generall name in common to them and the Pastors Teachers and Bishops which is the name of Elders for that in their publicke execution of Discipline they are joyntly united so that though the Pastor have the leading voyce and precedencie yet he is not to execute nor pronounce sentence in the Churh â—â—thout the Elders nor yet to ordaine either Deacons Elders or Pastors without their counsell and the generall consent of the Church so that the Pastors Teachers and Bishops are not to beare the burthen alone it would bee too heavy for them as it was for Moyses if they bore the like conscience to God as Moyses did and if it were too heavy a burden for one man in those dayes when the Church was but one Nation and but one Congregation and had but one Tabernacle How must it not now needs be a farre greater weight when the Church is many Nations farre and wide dispersed and many distinct Congregations But notwithstanding the Elders be joyned in one power with the Pastors and Bishops so that nothing ought to bee done without them the Pastors have this preheminence that the worke both of Discipline censure and ordination of Elders Pastors and Deacons is attributed unto them as most proper to their function For this cause Paul tells Titus in his Epistle cap. 1. that he left him in Crete that hee should continue to redresse things that remained and ordaine Elders in every Citie as saith he I appointed thee And Acts the 1423. And when they ordained them Elders by election in every Church and prayed and fasted they commended them to the Lord in whom they beleeved For neither divine censure nor ordination could be done without them neither would the Apostles nor Pastors of the primitive times for the space of two hundred and fifty yeares either censure or ordaine any Elders Pastors or Deacons without the Election and counsell of the Church and Elders But a little after these times when pride began to creepe into the hearts of the Pastors Teachers and Bishops and that the zeale and care of the Elders grew cold and negligent as Cyprian Bishop of Carthage lib. 4. speaking of the cause of the then present persecutions among other things saith What plagues what stripes doe we not deserve when no not the Confessours and Elders doe keepe Discipline And from this degree of luke-warmnesse it came to be omitted and after the Nicene Councell quite extinct and wiped out of memory So that no marvell if our age call it the new-brought-in discipline and government of Pastors Elders and People In this discourse of Discipline I must have relation to that which is gone before for that which is part of government in the
him debarred from the holy Communion of the Supper of the Lord and continue him upon the stoole of repentance with much exhortation patience and long forbearing till they convince him or otherwise separate him from the Congregation for a time if after hee continue in his foulenesse of sinne then hee is againe called to the Congregation and admonished which if then it take no effect her is excommunicated by laying on of the hands of all the Elders after that hee is accounted as an enemie or as Paul saith Anathema to the Church and wholly and finally given over to Satan according to the words of our Saviour the 18. Matth. 18. Whomsoever yee bind on earth shall bee bound in heaven and whom yee shall loose on earth shall bee loosed in heaven Judge I pray you if all the politicke wits in the world could ever have devised such a pure and subtile discipline as should spie into the inward secrets of the thoughts and intentions of the heart and should purge the conscience and should cut off the consuming cankers and rotten members from the body of the Church What Romish Apothecary could ever have composed such a soule-saving medicine Observe how the holy Spirit hath commanded this discipline to bee alwayes practized in the Church When Achans covetousnesse troubled the Congregation by moving Gods wrath against them a diligent search was commanded to bee made and being found out Achan and his house were cut off Josh. 7. And also if there bee a scorner or contentious person saith Solomon cast out the scorner and so strife will goe out and so contention shall cease Also Rom. 16. 17. 18. Now saith Paul I beseech you brethren marke them diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them And more plainly in the 2 Thess. 36. 10. Wee command you brethren in the Name of Christ that yee withdraw your selves from every brother that walkes inordinately and not after the instructions which yee received of us And in the foureteenth verse he saith If any man obey not your saying note him by a letter and have no company with him that hee may bee ashamed yet account him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother But if he come to the last degree Excommunion then saith our Lord Christ let him be anathema But if you would see the Apostles practice in this discipline See 1 Cor. 5. chap. 4 and 5. verses Paul having certaine intelligence that there was odious fornication among them hee writ thus unto them When yee are gathered together and my spirit in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that such a one I say by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ bee delivered unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may bee saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And out of this text make a profitable observation that Paul will not have Excommunication though but in the second degree executed in any private manner but by the publicke assembly gathered together neither doth hee allow it to be done in any name but in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Neither doth hee attribute the power either to himselfe or the Church but onely to the Lord Jesus Now and lastly I must conclude with the last part of Discipline that is Synodicall assemblies which are of three degrees The first is particular to every Congregation which consists of the Pastors the Deacons and the Elders of that Church whose customes is the best reformed Churches to meet once a weeke or as need requires to take an account of all things that concerne the duties of the Elders and the Church-revenues the Pastor being their chiefe guide Those things about which they chiefly busie themselves are first to catalogue the Professors of their Congregation their Catechuminists distinguished from those that are thought fit to be admitted to the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ their Baptized their penitents their Excommunicates their number of Elders and Deacons Pastors and Teachers one or two as the place requires In this their assembly they consider the spirituall estate and condition of the flocke examine the revenues of the Church and the necessities of the poore and what things soever they find meet to edification The Pastor exhorting the Elders to diligence care and zeale in the worke of the Lord the Deacons to honesty compasson and a good conscience The second order of Synodes is in the reformed Churches called the assemblies of the Presbyteries held monethly or quarterly under which they comprehend the Pastors and Church Elders for every Pastor brings with him two or three Elders after the quantity of the Congregation and this Synode is a company of Pastors and Elders of a shire or wapontake In these Assemblies they examine the spirituall condition of every parish take view of their order diligence doctrine and manners as well the doctrine and manners of the Pastors and Elders as of the younger people And there they proceed to such further order and censure as by the holy Scriptures they are taught And in these Synodes all errours in opinion heresies and Schismes that are found noysome to the Congregation are reproved and the parties exhorted and admonished In these their Synodes they alwayes from time to time choose one President to guide the affaires and thus they avoyd that preheminence which Episcopacie greedily hunts after The third degree is the superlative assembly of Presbyteries which is either Nationall or Provinciall which in some Churches are held yearely or otherwise as occasions fit over which the prince and Soveraigne is the Principall Elder and the Presbyters and Elders appoint one Pastor for the time President of the assembly who moderates and guides the affaires The matters handled in this Synode are a generall review of both the former Synods and specially to take care of the preservation of the puritie of Doctrine and suppressing of Heretickes and errours and all misdemeanours and Schismes in the Church And whatsoever is done in any of these Synods is certified from one to another and through the Nationall Church of all their most materiall censures which may concerne them in generall wherby the Church is preserved in a sweet and pleasant decorum unitie puritie and peace The unerrable patterne of these Synods is taken from the practise of the Apostles Acts 15. shewing by what rules of temperance and wisedome they ought to judge and give sentence taking the Scripture for their rule the holy Ghost for their guide not laying any burden on the Church by Lawes Decrees or Canons as I have before spoken And this Divine rule and patterne was kept and observed throughout all the Primitive times till the great Councell of Nice as by the Chronography of Socrates scholast. may be observed yet the earthly glory of Babel hath so long dazeled the eyes of most men that they call the truth novelty But if men were of a