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A81924 A model of church-government: or, The grounds of the spirituall frame and government of the house of God. Shewing, what the holy Scriptures have therein delivered; what the best Reformed Churches do practise; what the tender consciences may rest in. For the better satisfaction of such as scruple at the work of reformation, declared and appointed by severall ordinances of Parliament. / By John Dury, one of the Assembly of Divines; who hath travelled heretofore in the work of peace among the churches. Dury, John, 1596-1680. 1647 (1647) Wing D2873; Thomason E383_26; ESTC R21589 67,352 88

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first in Antioch Ephes 3. 15. Of whom the family in heaven and earth is named to call b upon him b 1 Cor. 1. 2. All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ by calling him c their Lord c 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man can say that Jesus Christ is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 2. By a Church is meant a congregation of such men called and gathered together by the Word Mat. 13. 37. till 44. to be d separate from the world d 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from them and be ye separate saith the Lord and I will receive you Revel 18. 4. Come out of her viz. of Babylon my people and in the use of all Christs ordinances to be an habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes 2. 19 20 2● 22. 3. The duty of Christians as visible professors of Christianity doth stand in a threefold Relation The first is to the Church as it is the Body of Christ The second is to the Eldership of that Church The third is to the Members thereof Of the first viz. Duties relating to the Body of Christ 4. All Christians that glory in the name of Christ ought to appeare e for him amongst men e Matth. 10. 32 33. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him will I confesse also before my Father which is in heaven but whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven And they ought so to appeare as he hath appointed and not as they think good or as men appoint Mat. 15. 9. In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men 5. Those that will appeare for Christ ought to apply themselves to some particular Congregation professing Saintship as Members thereof Mat. 12. 30. He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad Mat. 11. 28 29. Come unto me take my yoke upon you Gal. 6. 10. Them who are of the houshold of faith 1 Joh. 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us c. Isa 8. 16. Binde up the Testimony and seale the Law among my disciples 1 Cor. 1 2. Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified called to be Saints 1 Cor. 12. 27. Ye are members in particular 6. It is foretold that there should be many Congregations in the Church of the Gospel and yet all upon the same Mount Sion and under the same defence and by Gods appointment to be as one Body Isa 4. 5. Vpon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies there shall be a cloud and smoak by day and the burning of a flaming fire by night Joh. 10. 16. Other sheep not of this fold them I must bring there shall be one fold and one shepherd 7. Now to understand the Relation which believing Professours have unto the Church three things are to be considered First how every Believer doth stand as to a particular Congregation Secondly how one Congregation doth stand as to another in respect both of the Members and of the Rulers thereof And thirdly how Believers should apply themselves unto particular Congregations and be received therein by their Elderships 8. All Believers are baptized by one Spirit into one Body Of the first head how believers stand in a particular congregation 1 Cor. 12 13. and in that one Body they are called to the enjoyment of the Peace of God Coloss 3. 15. and therein by God set in their severall places 1 Cor. 12. 18. and made members one of another Rom. 12. 4 5. and joyned and compacted together by joynts under their head Christ Jesus Ephes 4. 16. whose Body is every congregation of believers 1 Cor. 12. 27. Now ye viz. Corinthians are the Body of Christ Rom. 12. 5. So we viz. Romans are one Body in Christ And the Church universall Ephes 1. 22 23. the head over all things to the Church which is his Body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all 9. From hence it is evident that every believer is not only bound to make open profession of his faith as is f required Rom. 10. 9 10. f If thou confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation but that in so doing he is bound to appeare in the communion of g Saints standing in one body fast together with others striving for the Faith of the Gospel Phil. 1 27. g Ph. 2. 1 2 4. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit be ye like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others And by this conjunction of Believers when an Eldership is rightly set over them particular Congregations are constituted As Act. 14. 22 23. The Apostles having converted the Gentiles to the faith ordained them Elders in every Church with prayer and fasting 10. As single Believers are bound to associate themselves one to Of the second head how congregations doe stand one to another another so ought every congregation of Believers to associate it self to its neighbour-congregation by the very same rules bands by which particular Christians are bound to joyn themselves one to another For if all Believers in the world are baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and if all are called to the Peace of God in that one Body Col. 3. 15. and are bound to endeavour the Vnity of the Spirit one towards another in the Bond of that Peace because there is but one Body of Christ in all the world Ephes 4. 1 2 3 4. which is homogeneall that is of the same kinde in all the members thereof And if this whole Body is to be fitly joyned and compacted together by that which every joint supplieth Ephes 4. 16. Then ought none of all the congregations of Believers to stand separate one from another but are bound to unite themselves by their joynts that is their Officers so neer as possibly they can in all Spirituall relations for their mutuall edification in love Ephes 4. 16. 11. So then every true Believer that hath made open profession In respect of their Members of his faith by being a member of any one Congregation hath a right of membership unto all the congregations of the world because all are but one in Christ Gal. 3. 28. and all have one and the same accesse unto the Father and are fellow-citizens and of the same houshold of Faith Ephes 2. 19. 12. It is then contrary to the mind of Christ that those who make profession of the same faith and worship in the same way should stand
same care one of another 7. The end and use of the Pastoral office is the same with the end and use of the Apostolical Prophetical and Evangelical office Which is to perfect the Saints to do the work of the ministery and to build up the body of Christ Ephes 4. 12. 8. The effect of this office when it is rightly performed will be 1. The unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man Ephes 4. 13. 2. Preservation from a seducers a Ephes 4. 14. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive 3. The growth b of the Body in all things in Christ b Ephes 4. 15. But speaking the truth in love in all things may grow up unto him which is the head even Christ 4. The jointing c and compacting of the Body together under Christ that the Members may act within themselves for the building up of each other in love c Ephes 4. 16. The whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body to the edifying of it self in love 9. To gain these ends and effects three things are requisite in the Pastor First that his entry upon the office be lawfull Secondly that the duties proper to it be discharged Thirdly that the spirituall manner of performing those duties be observed 1. Of the Entry upon the office 10. The lawfull entry upon the Pastorall charge is onely to come in by the door and he that doth enter into the sheepfold any other way is a thief and a robber Joh. 10. 1 2. 11. The door by which the shepherd must come is Christ Joh. 10. 9. I am the door by me if any man enter he shall be saved 12. Now Christ by the annointing of the Spirit doth dwell in the d hearts of the faithfull d 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath annointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of his spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 3. 17. Now the Lord is the Spirit Ephes 3. 16 17. Grant you to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith If then a Minister doth offer himself by the Spirit with that Pastoral affection which proceedeth from Christ unto the flock He who is both the e Door and the f Porter doth open himself in the heart of the Flock to receive him and he enters in lawfully e Joh. 10. 9. I am the door c. compared with verse 3. To him viz. that entreth by the door the Porter openeth And with Revel 3. 7. He that hath the key of David that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth 13. If any man hath not this Pastorall affection and spirit which Christ had towards the flock but commeth in some other way that is by some humane practises and contrivances of his own Christ doth call him a thief and a robber Joh. 10. 1. and saith that he doth come to steal to kill and to destroy ibid. v. 10. The heart then of the Flock must be opened to him that commeth unto them else he cannot pretend to be the Pastor of their soules 14. This door of the heart being first opened by the inward working of Christs spirit the outward call also must follow upon by a free choise and orderly reception of him that is chosen in a publike way in the face of the Congregation with the countenance of Authority as Aaron was called received Hebr. 5. 4. No man taketh this honour to himself but he that is called of God as Aaron was II. Of the Duties belonging to the office 15. The duties belonging to the Pastorall charge contain all the cares and endeavours whereby the Flock is to be fed conducted preserved and defended 16. The cares belonging to the feeding of the flock are these First to seek and find out pasture for them Joh. 10. 9. By me if any man enter in he shall find pasture Which is done by giving attendance to reading 1 Tim. 4. 13. by meditating and applying himself to profit in knowledge 1 Tim. 4. 15. Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appeare to all And to this effect he must keep the form of Doctrine received from the Apostles and the Truth of grace received from the Holy Ghost both which are recommended to Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Hold fast the forme of sonnd words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus Keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us that good thing which was committed unto thee Secondly to give to the Flock that pasture which he findeth to be their proper portion Luke 12. 42. Give them their portion of meat which is done by dividing the Word to them 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Thirdly to give this portion in due season Luke 12. 42. Give them in due season their portion of meat Fourthly to give it according to every mans capacitie Mark 4 33. He spake the word unto them as they were able to heare it Then he must give to babes milk 1 Cor. 3. 2. and to those that are of full age strong meat Heb. 5. 12 13 14. He must feed all with judgement Ezech. 34. 16. He must not feed the weak with doubtfull disputations Rom. 14. 1. Nor entertain with any profane and vain bablings and oppositions of a Science falsly so called 1 Tim. 6. 20. 2 Tim. 2. 16. Or questions and strife of words 1 Tim. 6. 4. and contentions of Genealogies Tit. 3. 9. 17. The food to be given to the flock is the word of God Mat. 4. 4. Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God This word of God is none other but the faithfull word which the Apostles taught Tit. 1. 9. Holding fast the faithfull word as he hath been taught And all the word is taught to the end that it may beget Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. 18. The cares belonging to the conduct of the Flock are these First the good Shepherd ought to call his sheep by name Joh. 10 3. Secondly he ought to lead them out and in Joh. 10. 3 9. Thirdly to go before them Joh. 10. 4. to be an example of the believers in word in conversation in charity c. 1 Tim. 4. 12. Fourthly To visit the flock and seek out the young ones Zach. 1. 16. and judge between cattell and cattell Ezek. 34.