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A44503 The vvay tovvards the finding of a decision of the chiefe controversie now debated concerning church government Hales, John, 1584-1656. 1641 (1641) Wing H281; ESTC R17617 20,569 46

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Evangelists 4. Pastors and Teachers Ephes. 4. 11. elsewhere wee finde other names of Gifts and Offices as workers of Miracles Gifts of Healing Helpes Governours Diversities of tongues Interpreters of tongues 1 Cor. 12. 28 29 30. Item Deacons Exhorters Rulers Rom. 12. 7 8. and Bishops Presbyters and Deacons 1 Tim. 3. 1 8. and 5. 17 18 19. From whence I make these inferences 1. If these Officers appointed for the first building of Christs Church were by degrees set in a priority and superiority one above another then I may conceive that a priority and superiority of spirituall Officers is not repugnant to the government of Christs Church But these Officers were so set in relation of degrees one above another therefore I may conceive that such a gradation of spirituall Officers is not repugnant to the government of Christs Church 2. If there was no independent parity in the first Officers instituted in Christs Church then I have reason to conceive that an independent paritie is not answerable to Christs intention in instituting Officers in his Church But there was no independent parity in these first Officers instituted in the Church Therefore I have reason to conceive that an independent parity is not answerable to Christs intention Here two things may be objected or excepted against this Rule of Decision First that the Apostles who were Christs first Officers were equal one to another and independent one from another But to this I answer That I speake not of the Officers appointed before the constitution of the Church but of those that are named expresly to beare office in the Church already constituted Secondly if then it bee said that the inequality of these first Office-bearers doth proceed from the difference of extraordinary and ordinary Officers then requisit at the first constitution of the Church which is not now requisite after it is once constituted then I answer that here I neither intend nor have need to consider which Officers were extraordinary and which ordinary because I take notice of them onely at this time as they were Officers extant at first to build up the Church and my inference goeth no further as yet nor must I come to admit of that distinction in my thought till the matter it selfe carry me to it Fourthly I finde the severall charges and duties of these Officers to be these 1. Christ sending forth his Apostles appointeth them to be his witnesses unto the utmost parts of the earth of that which he hath done for our salvation Acts 1. 8. Also hee giveth them charge to teach all men to observe whatsoever hee had commanded them and to baptise those that received their doctrine Matth. 28. 19. 20. This they did and so gathered a Church together wherein at first the faithfull having all things common brought their goods to the Apostles feet making them distributers thereof unto such as had need But the Apostles found this charge imposed upon them to be too troublesome and not proper unto their spirituall calling therefore they betooke themselves unto their owne peculiar charge which was to attend unto prayer and the Ministery of the word Acts 6. 4. and gave advice that Deacons should be chosen whose peculiar charge at their first institution was to serve the tables Ibid. verse 2 3. yet it is evident that they also preached the word and bore witnesse of Christ Ib. verse 9. 10. and Cap. 8. verse 5. and baptised the beleevers Ib. Chap. 8. vers. 12. 38. Besides these Deacons we finde that the Church being constituted other Officers in it are named and said to bee different in charges As the charge of Prophets was to prophesie according to the Analogie of faith of Deacons to attend their Deaconship of Teachers to attend teaching of Exhorters to attend exhorting of Distributers to distribute of Rulers to rule with diligence Rom. 12. 6. 7. 8. of speakers with tongues to speake and of Interpreters to interpret 1 Cor. 14. 27. Besides these duties thus generally mentioned we finde more particular charges mentioned As first concerning the duties of Prophets how they ought to prophesie of speakers with tongues how they ought to speak unto edification in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33. Secondly concerning Rulers where we finde the charge given to Timothy and Titus either as Evangelists or as ordinary Bishops and Overseers of the Churches next unto the Apostles their charge was to set in order things which the Apostles left undone for the constituting of the Churches amongst which the ordaining of Elders and Deacons in every Church was a chiefe duty belonging to them 1 Tim. 1. 3. Tit. 1. 5. item To represse and inhibit false doctrines 1. Tim. 1. 3. Tit. 1. 10. 11. item To settle a course of prayers in the Church 1 Tim. 2. 1. item To appoint due maintenance for widowes and Elders 1 Tim. 5. 9. 17. 18. item To be Judges in matters of accusation against Elders ibid. verse 19. and to give imposition of hands to those that were approved and fit for the Ministery ibid verse 22. item To maintaine their authority not to suffer themselves to be despised therein 1 Tim. 4. 12. Tit. 2. 15. And lastly to commit the things which they had heard of the Apostles unto faithfull men able to teach others who should be successors in that place 2 Tim. 2. 2. As for other Rulers in the Pastorall charge their duty is specified to be a watching over the soules of their flock as those which must give an account Heb. 13. 17. and in doing this they are bound to call their sheep by name to lead them out and to goe before them Ioh. 10. 3. 4. item To defend them against the wolves though they hazard their life in so doing ib. verse 11. item To visit the sick pray for them Iam. 5. 14. item To keepe the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven to shut it and open it as occasion shall require Matth. 16. 19 and 18. 17 18. and 1 Cor. 5. 4. 5. And then the generall duty of all Officers is that as every one hath received the gift so he should minister the same to others as a good steward of the manifold graces of God 1 Pet. 4. 10. From all this I make these inferences 1. If all these charges and duties are different and yet should be administred jointly as by severall members of one body then it seems such a priority and superiority in some and subordination in others is to be observed as is in the members of a naturall body one in respect of another But all these charges are different and yet so to be administred as is mentioned 1 Cor. 12. 4 5. and till the end of the Chapter Therefore it seems such a priority and superiority in some and subordination in others is to be observed 2. If these charges in their naturall property as they stand in relation one to another be repugnant to an independent parity then
I take to have been infallible in the way of publicke government doe shew forth that a Priority and superiority of one overseer above another is allowed of then me thinkes the first question will be decided and must be answered yea but then the second question will come into consideration namely that Priority and Superiority is which being according to Christs aime is answerable unto the meanes of mutuall edification is settled by expresse rules was practised by the Apostles themselves and hath been continued by all their followers from the most incorrupt primitive times untill this present age which if I can by cleer word of Scripture and testimony of Authors worthy of credit in all ages finde out then I thinke I ought to set my minde at rest and cast off further doubtings If this rule of proceeding towards a decision of the matter be thus without further restriction and exception admitted then my next care must be to follow it closely and take heed lest it be unsappled to things indifferent either in nature or proportion from those wherein Christ and his Apostles with their true followers in times most incorrupt were conversant Now then to make onely at this time a breefe tryall of this way for hereafter if need be matters may be inlarged I will summarily observe that which is cleer Scripture concerning the forenamed heads First I finde that the end wherefore Christ would have all his beleevers compacted and gathered into one body is that the world should beleeve and know these two things That the Father hath sent his Sonne to us and that the Father loveth the beleevers as he loveth his Sonne This is cleer in Ioh. 17. 21 22 23. Another end of this union is that the beleevers may bee able to build up themselves in grace This is cleer in Ephes. 4. 16. Another end is that they may preserve themselves from the dangers of adversaries and the causes of overthrow Phil. 1. 27 28. Gal. 5. 13 14 15. And a further end is the holding up of the credit of Gods Kingdome in the world aswell by life as by doctrine Phil. 2. 1 2 3. and sequent but chiefly verse 14 15 16. From whence I suppose these assertions may safely be gathered as rules of future Decision 1. If the knowledge and faith of Christ if the Fathers love to all beleevers be made manifest unto the word if the building up of all beleevers amongst themselves if their preservation from adversaries and if the credit of Gods Kingdome both in life doctrine be upheld in the Church of God more directly justly and safely by a Priority and Superiority of overseers one above another then by an independency of spirituall persons and charges one from another then it is to be conceived that a Priority and Superiority of overseers in Christs Church is more answerable to his aime in compacting it into one body then an independency But it may bee conceived that these ends may be attained more directly justly and safely by the one then by the other Therefore it may be conceived that the one is more answerable to his aime then the other 2. If there be any Priority and Superiority of spirituall charges and persons or any parity and independency of charges amongst persons which is not subordinate but repugnant unto those ends then it is to bee conceived that such both Priority and superiority as also parity and independency is altogether unlawfull But perhaps there is some both Priority and Superiority as also independency and parity not subordinate but repugnant to these ends therefore it is to be conceived that perhaps some both parity and independency as also Priority and Superiority is unlawfull I take these assertions though doubtfully proposed in respect of particulars to be neverthelesse out of all doubt in their generality and therefore I lay them as grounds of future directions towards a Decision of the point Secondly concerning the building up of the Church I finde in Scripture that to build up the Church of Christ is to use meanes to perfect the Saints till they all come unto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ that they may not alwaies bee carried to and fro as Infants with divers windes of doctrine but dealing truly in love may grow up in him that is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part maketh encrease of the body to the edifying of it self in love Eph 4. 12 13 14 15 16. These are words of exceeding deepe and great sense and yet me thinkes exceeding cleere if they be resolved into single propositions which now I will not stand to doe because I must be breefe Therefore I will againe take up these rules 1. If it may be conceived that a Priority and Superiority of some spirituall overseers over others be a more direct and proper meanes then a parity and independency of the same is to bring all the Saints of God unto the unity of Faith and Knowledge and therein to a perfect manly stature and the measure of the fulnesse of Christ then I am bound to thinke that a priority and superiority is more answerable to Christs intention in building up his Church then is a paritie and independencie but the Antecedent is perhaps true therefore the Consequent perhaps also 2. If I finde that the independent paritie of Ministers doth keepe the Saints of God alwayes in infancy suffering them to bee carried to and fro with divers windes of Doctrine and maketh an open way to the sleight and cunning craftinesse of men whereby they lye in wait to deceive then I am bound to thinke that an independent parity of Ministers is not answerable to Christs intention in building up his Church But I finde that the independent parity of Ministers doth perhaps this Ergo I must conclude that it is not perhaps answerable to Christs intention in building up his Church 3. If the independent parity of Overseers may seeme to me repugnant to that fit joining and compacting of all beleevers into one body whereby as members one of another they should supply by their common joynts each one towards another that which according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part should make the increase of the body to build it selfe up in love and if a priority and superiority of Overseers may seeme not at all repugnant but most consonant to this kinde of worke then I may conceive that the independent parity is not at all and that the superiour priority is altogether answerable unto Christs intention in building up his Church but the former may seem so to me and therefore also the latter Thirdly concerning the Officers wee finde in Scripture these by name 1. Apostles 2. Prophets 3.