labour in the Word and Doctrine Much use hath been made of this Text to little purpose I shall not now mention any of all that I have seen and read of it but give you as God hath enabled me the true sense of this Scripture and let the unprejudiced Reader judge And that we may understand the mind of Christ in it we will consider 1. By whom and to whom this Direction was given It was by the Apostle Paul the great planter of the Churches of the Gentiles and who as an Apostle had Power and Authority to order and determine all the affairs that concern'd the Discipline and Government of the Churches of his own planting Both this and the other Epistle was written by him to Timothy whom he left as his Substitute or Surrogate with Apostolical Power under him in the Church of Ephesus to ordain Presbyters as there should be occasion and to dispose of the Dignities and Revenues of the Church to such as were most worthy of them and would best improve them to the Glory of Christ and the Churches benefit And for the same end it was that he left Titus in Crete as his Substitute or Overseer in that Island as appears Tit. 1.5 So that this advice was not sent to the people nor to the Inferior Presbyters who were to be ordered by it but to one in a higher Sphear of Authority and by whom they were to be ordered whether for distinction sake he be called Evangelist or Bishop or President or Moderator the difference is but verbal 2. What doth the Apostle mean by the double honour here There are two things that seem to bid fair for the Sense which will both come to one in the issue 1. The Honour of Maintenance and so we find the word sometimes used in Scripture as ver 3. of this Chap. Matt. 15.6 Acts 28 10. and the following words of the Apostle in this Scripture seem to look this way and then the Sense must be this Let those Officers of the Church that best discharge the Duties of their Office in ruling but especially in Preaching which is the more noble and necessary part of their Work have the greatest encouragement on this kind i e. Let not the Revenues of the Church which were then but small and uncertain be bestowed promiscuously much less partially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but so as may best subserve the Churches good Government and the grand Design of preaching the Gospel 2. The Honour of Authority and Obedience And this is the prime sense of the Word as it is used in the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother Exod. 20.12 is the same with Obey your Parents Eph. 6.1 And obey them that have the rule over you Heb. 13.17 and so is the word used Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this Honour unto himself i. e. this Office this Dignity this power and authority And this indeed is much more worthily and properly call'd Honour than a rich worldly Revenue or a fat Benefice or Bishoprick things unborn in those days which men too often abuse both to God's dishonour and their own Now if this be the Double Honour here intended as to me seems most probable at least that it is included as the most eminent part of it then the sense will be this Let those Presbyters or Ministers that appear on experience and tryal to have a Spirit of Government but especially with it an eminency of ability and diligence in preaching the Word be made Rulers and Superintendents over the inferior part of the Clergy let such be taken into the Collegium Presbyterorum regens the Regency of the Church So that it is not the distinction of Office but the qualification of the Officer that the Apostle gives this direction for 3. We must consider the persons on whom this double honour is to be conferr'd or who are thus to be dignified as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies and these are Elders describ'd 1. In genere by their Office 2. In specie by their Qualifications 1. By their general Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a word always us'd to denote the Ministers of the Word in the Gospel-Church as Act. 11.30 ch 14.23 ch 15.2 6 22 23. ch 16.4 ch 20.17 ch 21.18 Tit. 1.5 Jam. 5.14 1 Pet. 5.1 2 Ep. John 1. and Epist 3.1 2. By their special Qualification which is double 1. They much be such as Rule well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is another Title peculiarly given in the New Testament to the Ministers of the Word whose Office it is to Rule as well as to Preach 2. They must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as labour in the Word and Doctrine So that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not distinguish as I have said between two Offices but between the twofold Qualifications of one and the same Office There were in the Church of Ephesus which was a Collegiate or Presbyterial Church many Presbyters the Talent of whose Gifts lay diversly as we find it doth in all other Churches some were fitter for Government others for Preaching some excelled in one Gift others in another Now the Apostle advises Timothy how to make his choice of Persons for Government in the Presbytery whom to prefer to and entrust with a double honour or higher degree of Dignity and Power in this kind and sphere of Government and tells him they must be such as have behav'd themselves well in the Pastoral Government of their particular Flocks and Congregations and especially such of them as are most eminent and laborious in Preaching the Word whereby they purchase to themselves a good Degree as it is said of the Deacons 1 Tim 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place of higher Honour and Trust from a Deacon to a Presbyter from a Presbyter to a President Preferments ought to be dispensed according to every ones Qualifications and Merits Whence it appears that there are Degrees in the Ministerial Office And this is that the Apostle here gives this Direction about not at all countenancing a Non-Preaching Ruling Lay-Elder but discountenancing a Lordly Lazy Non-Preaching Bishop or Superintendent That the Preaching Elder or Minister of the Gospel is to Rule as well as to Preach the Word is so plainly asserted in Scripture that I think cannot by any be denied But if this Ruling Power were divided by Christ or his Apostles between Them and the People or any part of the People can any one give us a reason why neither Christ nor his Apostles should ever speak a word to direct us how the Division of this Ruling Power must be made What must be their part and what ours How they must be qualified as well as we and the Deacons for which they were careful to give the necessary Rules Yea and how they must be maintain'd too For to lay the burden of an Office on a Man and to make no provision for his Maintenance seems hard and not
the Teaching and Ruling Authority together and committed it in conjunction to the same hands But what God hath joined together let no man put asunder Quest 3. By what Laws must they be ruled Sol. Not by Laws of mens devising which they are wont to accommodate to the service of their own Inclinations and Ends but by the written Laws of his own prescription The Oeconomy is Spiritual and Divine and so must the Laws be by which it is administred Other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 The Foundation of Government and Discipline as well as of Doctrine and Worship is laid by Jesus Christ and whoever lays any other Foundation in either of these entrenches on Christ's Prerogative and shall do it to his own peril Tho' in the necessary Circumstantials of all these humane Prudence and Authority hath a determining power for the Order Peace and Edification of the Church but not to its destruction or disturbance I say the necessary Circumstantials but unnecessarily to multiply Circumstantials under the Notion of Indifferents and on pretence of Decency or Authority is a very unacceptable and offensive piece of Superstition and to impose them as the indispensible terms of Communion on such as are not satisfied about them is not the least Instance of Church-Tyranny Church Officers are but Christ's Deputies and not Lords of Gods Heritage and therefore must rule by Christ's Laws For he is our Judge our Law-giver and our King Isa 33.22 Our Power is but to execute 't is he that must make and give the Laws And what these Laws are and where to be found I need not say the Holy Scriptures are his Statute-Book If they speak not according to this Rule it is because there is no light in them 2. The Rulers If there be some to be ruled there must be others to Rule Relata se simul ponunt tollunt qui novit unum Relatorum novit alterum Yet here it will be enquired who are those that are to Rule I shall not take notice of the Regal Power or how far it being Christian it extends both over Pastors and People not only as Civil Subjects but as Christian Churches and not only in the things of men but in the things of God but shall refer my Reader for this to Mr. Baxter of National Churches and to others that have written of it it being forreign to my present Text. But as Pastors and People are two distinct Political Bodies so there must be two distinct Forms of Government proper to each of them I shall speak 1. Of the People These are to be rul'd and not to rule in the House of God I know this is an hard saying and that there are many that can badly bear it nor would I thus displease them could I help it and yet be faithful Those that are for a Democracy seem to be guided by the same Spirit as they were Numb 16.3 Who gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation is holy every one of them Wherefore then lift ye up your selves above the Congregation of the LORD That the Tribe of Reuben should be guilty of such a thing was not so strange but great pity it was that any of the Tribe of Levi should conspire with them There is no Minister of Jesus Christ that can consent to such an Usurpation and be innocent and true to the Trust committed to him Let those that are for the Peoples ruling in the Church of Christ shew us when and where the Keys of Government or any one of them was put into any of their hands Where did our LORD make them partners with us in the Government of his Church Or what part of the Governing Office and Work was it that he assigned to them Herein I am sorry that I must dissent not only from Men of an inferiour Note and more Heterodox Principles but from the Learned Calvin too and almost all that follow him For I could never yet find in Scripture any such Officer as a non-preaching ruling Elder appointed of Christ or of his Apostles in the Church The one and only Officer that Christ himself made was the Minister of his Word the Evangelical Pastor whose work was to feed and to rule the Flock To which the Apostles afterward added the Office of the Deacons as Servants to them and Helps in the meaner part of their work as may be seen Act. 6. begin and as Moses did for the ease of his Government by the advice of Jethro Exod. 18.18 c. Which tho' it be Apostolical yet cannot be said to be Primarily but only Secundarily Jure Divino The Scriptures that are alledged in favour of this Ruling Lay Elder do not as I think prove any such conclusions which I shall now examine and leave all to the consideration of such as can without prejudice weigh what I am now bold to offer One Text we have Rom. 12.6 7 8. To which I have this exception If the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that ruleth be here mention'd as a distinct Officer in the Church then why not all the rest of which we have these seven in this one Scripture viz. he that prophesieth he that ministreth he that teacheth he that exhorteth he that giveth he that ruleth and he that sheweth mercy But if we go to work in this way how will Offices be multiplied in the Church beyond all that was ever intended or imagined And then 1 Cor. 12.28 29 30. where we have no less than nine mention'd among which we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they would have to signifie the Ruling Lay-Elder and so we would believe too could they prove that all the rest here mentioned were so many Offices in the Church They insist very confidently on these words of sanction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath set and appointed but why this word which hath undeniably an equal relation to all should make or prove one to be an Office and not another I confess is a depth that I am not able to fathom Here as I think the great mistake lies that Gifts and Offices are confounded The Apostle 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. very plainly distinguishes between Gifts Administ ations and Operations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where by Gifts are meant the Abilities bestowed upon the Offices or Administrations in order to the operations or effects of them to the edifying of the Church Now in the fore-mention'd Scriptures we find a diversity of Gifts and Operations but Gifts and Offices are not the same But there is one Scripture more which hath been already quoted on the Doctrinal part of this Discourse which seems to speak more fully to their purpose and to make a distinction between Preaching and Ruling Elders viz. 1 Tim. 5.17 Let the Elders that Rule well be accounted worthy of double honour especially they who
know not how to restore the old to their Original rectitude as befel the Theocracy of God's own appointment 1 Sam. 8.5 and 7. But were the Argument good from the abuse of a thing against the use of it 't were easy to argue our selves into the grossest Absurdities in Nature Now if we would rightly understand what that Form of Government is that Christ hath chosen for his Churches under the Gospel we must consider what the Subject of the Government is or the matter which is to be inform'd by it 'T is not enough to say the Church which is vox ambigua but we must distinguish Nor is it necessary for me to take notice here of all the Distinctions the Word is capable of or that have been by some others imposed on it As 1. The Church Oecumenical to which the Pope so arrogantly and fasly lays a claim of Supremacy Or 2dly The Church National of which that Eminent Servant of Christ Mr. Baxter hath given so Rational and Scriptural an account and which that I know is not by any one as yet answered Or 3dly The Church Provincial which is the Constitution and Union of the particular Churches within the limits of the Province into one distinct Political Body or Sacred Polity under the general inspection and Authority of one Ecclesiastical Head either single or collective Or 4ly The Presbyterial Classical Collegiate Diocesan c. which I take as Synonimous and includes all the particular Congregations within the bounds of such a Division Or 5ly The Congregational made up of one Pastor with his people and necessary Officers These are the Distinctions given according to the Common Division that hath for Order sake been made of the Church But the only Distinction which I shall now a little animadvert upon is this The Rulers of the Church and the Ruled and shall speak to the Last first The Ruled And herein shall answer these three Questions 1. Who they are they must be ruled 2. By whom they must be ruled 3. By What Laws they must be ruled Q. 1. Who they are that must be ruled S. The Answer in general is what Paul gives loco cit Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Soul He that is not subject to the good Government of that Political Body civil or sacred whereunto he stands related as a Member and by which he ought to be comprehended is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lawless and Disobedient for whom the Bridle and the Rod of the Law is made and so both Rulers and Ruled are equally subject to the Laws though not the same Laws of Government but according to the different capacities orders and Relation wherein they are placed in the Oeconomy of the Church Though the Rulers and the Ruled cannot be the same sub codem respectu yet in divers respects they may and ought Those that are Rulers of some must be ruled by others So then the Ruled part of which I am first to speak is twofold the Clergy and the Laity or the Ministers and the People according to the duplicity of the Government to which as Church-Members they stand related which is either general and common or special and proper The Rulers and Officers of the Church as those of Armies and Common-wealths or Kingdoms are or ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men under Authority and the Laws of a Polity that is proper to them as such as well as the people whom they govern by the Laws that are fitted for them I say under Authority and that not only and immediately unto Christ but also unto men even such as Christ the Supream Legislator and Lord hath Commissioned to rule for and under him in his Church This seems to me to have been one great mistake and the ground of a thousand more That the Ministers of the Gospel have and hold their Authority in the Church only from Christ in capite so as to conclude an equality and co-ordination of Pastors 'T is true the general Patent and Grant of the Office is originally and immediately from Christ but the particular distribution of Commission is not so but from such hands as are entrusted and authorized by him to bestow it on others and unto whom they that receive it ought to be accountable for their well or male-administration of it All those that are duly qualify'd and call'd to the Ministry are equally Ministers of Christ i. e. one is not more a Minister than another nor meerly as such have they greater power one than another as all men in the World are equally men God's Creatures and partakers of Human Nature But from hence to deny a subordination of one to another in point of Government is to pluck up all Government in the World by the roots and turn the whole Creation into Anarchy and worse than its first Tohn vebohu which is one of the maddest Principles that ever was suggested to the Rational Nature by that grand Author of confusion Let it be considered that the Officers of the Church of Christ or the Clergy as for distinction they are commonly call'd are a particular distinct Company and Society of men as the People or Layity are another and so they ever were and were to be accounted by God's own appointment both under the Old and New-Testament And as it is in all regulated Armies and other secular Governments in the world the Officers are a separate Political Body and Community of themselves distinct from the rest and if so then they ought to have their proper Polity and Government as such a Government peculiar and distinct from that of the common people and which is call'd Hierarchy only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that it ever hath been and always must be so is not hard to prove 1. That it hath been ever so since Christ hath had a Church upon the Earth I say a Church organically constituted and politically govern'd Such was the Jews under that of the hands of Moses and Aaron That the Ministers under the Old Testament the Priests and Levites were a distinct Body yea and to avoid confusion a distinct Tribe purposely so chosen of God and that they had their distinct Polity and Government of God's own appointing and that with a great deal of caution and particularity even to very minute circumstances in all the Orders Degrees and Courses of their Consecration and Ministration I would think it needless for me to spend time to demonstrate Those that have any acquaintance with the Sacred History of that Church cannot be ignorant of this And this was both the beauty and the strength and security of that Church the Hedge that God made about his Vineyard And as they were a distinct Body as Clergy separate from all the other Tribes so they had their proper Government and Oeconomy the Priests of the House of Aaron the Rulers and the rest of the Levites the Ruled And that it was so under the Gospel too from the
very honourable to him whose Servant he pretends to be especially considering that they could not but know and foresee how tender all Men naturally are in the matters of Honour and Maintenance and of what mischievous consequence the leaving such a Question as this in the dark and undetermined would be That it would involve the Church in endless strifes and quarrels and confusions But will the Lay-Elder lay his Claim to a Maintenance from that word in the Text viz. double Honour taking it for the Honour of Maintenance Let him then read on the next verse there For the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn And the labourer is worthy of his reward The first of these Scriptures you have Deut. 25.4 which the Apostle makes use of 1 Cor. 9.9 And you may see how he there applies it only to the Ministers of the Gospel Those that sow unto the People spiritual things v. 11. That minister about holy things and wait at the Altar v. 13. The other Scripture you have Matth. 10.10 The work-man is worthy of his meat Which are Christ's own words to the Twelve when he sent them forth to Preach the Gospel Here 's never a word of the Ruling Elder in all this nor any provision made for him And this one thing is enough to clear the sense of the precedent verse that there is no such thing as the Ruling Non Preaching Elder intended in it but the double Honour is for those that tread out the Corn and labour in the LORD's Harvest in Word and Doctrine And these are the only Persons spoken of in that 1 Tim. 5.17 So then The Rulers of the People are their Pastors who are to Rule every one over his own particular Flock or Congregation in the things of God and of their Souls who for the ease of their Government and the advantage of their Ministerial work have warrant from Scripture to ordain and appoint Deacons under them and other necessary servile Officers who derive their power immediately from their Pastor are accountable to him and may and ought to be despos'd by him in case of Male-administration as every Captain in an Army Every Mayor in a Corporation every Master in a Family have the proper power over their own Companies Burroughs and Families and all the inferiour Officers in them to dispose and govern them for their good according to the known and common Laws of that Superiour Government under which they live and unto which they themselves are accountable 2. The Rulers of the Pastors or Officers of the Church I am very apprehensive that this is a tender Point wherein I even tremble to think that I must be either sinfully silent or declare my dissent from so many of my dear Brethren whom I know to be otherwise Orthodox Learned Pious and with whom I dare not compare my self But I have said and O that daisy and doleful Experience did not proclaim it to the World to the grief of some and the shame of others that there is no Company or Society of Men in the World that have more need of the strictest Government than the Men of our Function without which we are of all Mankind in this respect the most miserable and the poor Church of Christ in the forelornest case of any of God's Creatures upon Earth But certainly he that hath so provided for the Government of the Kingdoms of the World hath not left his own mystical Kingdom wherein so much of his special interest lies without such a Government as is every way adequate to all the parts and concerns of it He that hath taken such care to inclose and fence out the wild Commons of the World hath not design'd to leave his own Garden uninclos'd Nor his Vineyard without a Hedge about it and a Wine-press and a Tower in it How weak and insatisfactory is this to say that we are all the Ministers of Jesus Christ and Brethren to one another that we have our Commission as Ministers of the Gospel from him tho' not immediately from him which indeed if it were so would alter the case who is the Supream Legislator That we have our Bibles in our hands and therein the unalterable Rules of our administration both in Doctrine Worship and Discipline the Laws by which we are to Govern both our selves and the Churches that we have the promise of the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and an Unction from the Holy One and know all things that our Office and Work is Sacred and Divine of God and not of Men alas will all this make us Infallible or Absolute and Independent exempt from all Laws and Bonds of an Ecclesiastical Polity were we made the Ministers of Christ to rule and not to be rul'd O that men would consider the dismal consequents of such an Hypothesis which I delight not now to aggravate But if there must be a Government among Pastors consider'd as a distinct Body from the People then it will be said there cannot be an equality the Notion of Co-ordination of Pastors and Churches is subverted this being inconsistent with Government But let wise Men consider what that is that must needs lye at the bottom of this Levelling Principle And yet Government doth not destroy the Equality and Co-ordination of Pastors or Churches as such or per se but only secundum quid or in respect of Order e. g. All the Captains in an Army as Captains are equal so are all the Collonels and all the other Officers that are of one and the same Order but between a Captain and a Collonel there is an inequality And as it is in a well Regimented Army so it is in the Church of Christ which is as an Army with Banners Cant 6.10 And 't is supposed too that this subordination of Pastors and Churches will conclude a necessity of a Supream Papal Head and Governour This I take to be the great stumbling-block the plain sense whereof is but this That if every Minister be not allowed to be a Pope over his own Congregation then there must be one Pope over all the Congregations and Pastors in the Christian World Both which extreams are equally wide from the Truth and perhaps equally pernicious to the Church But to defend the Truth from both the Horns of this Dilemma we will examine what is the true Scripture notions of a Church We find in Scripture that the Churches which the Apostles planted are reckoned by the great Towns or Cities which they chose to begin to gather their Churches in as appears both by the names that are given them and by comparing Act. 14.23 with Tit. 1.5 where the ordinary Elders in every Church is the same with Ordaining Elders in every City Neither do we find any Organical Church of the Apostles founding any where mention'd in the New Testament but it bears the name of the Town or City in which it was besides those Domestick Churches of