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A88586 The main points of church-government and discipline; plainly and modestly handled by way of question and answer. Very useful to such as either want money to buy, or leasure to read larger tracts. Love, Christopher, 1618-1651. 1649 (1649) Wing L3167; Thomason E1182_11; ESTC R208163 25,577 63

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ordination by the Prelates Answ No the Bishops were Presbyters and so more enabled by the Word to ordain then any non-Presbyters Prelacy though an humane Institution did no more annihilate their being Presbyters then Pharisaism did the Jewish Priest-hood and they did ordain as Presbyters for Bishops and Presbyters are but made one order by the very Papists which also judg that if a Deacon should be made a Bishop persaltum he hath no power to ordein Presbyters The Elders ordeined by the Apostles in every City did in their meetings chuse one of their fellow Elders if no Apostle nor Apostolick man did reside with them if they did they by their places were superior to any Presbyter and Moderators in any convention of Elders and so should be at this day if any Apostle were now alive and resident to be President of their company and Moderator of their actions now Presidency is natural and necessary for the regulating of matters Beza saith it is scriptural and that this President was the same which S. John called the Angel the continuance of presidency in one man was not then found to be either unlawful or inconvenient To this president the Fathers afterward appropriated the name of Bishop and such as these being grave men and of great repute and Pastors of the chief Cities and having the spirit of Government which every godly Minister hath not partly through their own usurpation partly through the sloth and pusillanimity of the Presbyters partly by Law and Canon were invested with too much power yet did not they no nor our English Bishops ordain Presbyters without the assistance of other Presbyters and therefore their ordination comes neerer to the Scripture-way of ordination by the Presbytery then any ordination by one or many non-Presbyters can do one two or three deputed Members being nothing like a Presbytery or a company of Presbyters and is by this present Parliament and Synod as formerly also by the reformed Churches and godly non-conformists notwithstanding their opposition to prelacy judged valid and not to be changed for any popular ordination when the Church was in the wilderness when Antichrist most raigned and raged God did preserve some fundamental doctrines and the essence of Baptism and the essence of a true Ministry dispensing it and they that is her Pastors did feed her there u Rev. 12. 6. 14. Quest 12. Who have power to preach the Word in the Church Answ Pastors and Teachers that have also authority to baptize w Mat. 28 20. God having joyned them together no man ought to put them asunder x Mat. 19. 16. 2. Preaching is a principal part of the Ministerial Office y 1 Per. 5. 2 1 Tim. 3. 2 2 Tim. 4 2 requiring more sufficiency then any other part z 2 Cor. 2. 16 hence the ability of expectants is best tryed by preaching and of as much dignity and trust as the dispensing of the Sacraments * Iohn 4. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 17 which yet is confessed may not be administred by private men 3. God hath by a special office distinguished Ministers from other men and separated them to be Pastors and Teachers a Eph 4. 11 and therefore this order is not to be violated nor should men enter in at the window but by the door b Ioh. 10. 1 2 4. God hath severely punisht usurpers of the Ministerial function c Num. 16 9. 10 1 Sam. 13. 9 12 13 14 yea when there seemed to be great necessity of it d 1 San. 13 8 2 Sam. 6 6 7 8 9. 5. None ought to preach except they be sent and called thereunto e Rem 10. 15. Ier. 23. 21. Heb. 5. 4 5. but giftedness doth not include in it sufficient mission or vocation For as women may be gifted which yet are forbidden to preach f 1 Cor 14 34. 1 Tim. 1. 11. 12. so no man may exercise Regal or Magistratical power or do the office of a Constable Lawyer Attorney a Reader in one of the Inns of Court a Justice of Peace a Judg a Speaker in Parliament a Captain Major Colonel or General only upon this ground because he is conceived to be gifted for it 6. It is said God hath made his people Kings and Priests g Rev. 1. 6 1 Pet. 2. 5. but not that 〈◊〉 hath made them Prophets for though God did sometimes give an immediate and extraordinary commission to do some Magistratical acts h Num. 25 7 8. Acts 5. 5. and the time was when Gods Holy Spirit being extraordinarily poured out on all flesh their sons and daughters did prophesie viz. some so extraordinarily anointed did so i Joel 2 28 with Acts 2 17. as they did also see visions and dream dreams and then it was also mens duty to desire any spiritual gifts as speaking with tongues but especially prophesie k 1 Cor. 14 1 2. but now it is unlawful to desire the one gift or the other God not inabling gifted men now to understand the original languages as then he did 7. Teaching in the Church doth imply authority over them that are taught l 1 Tim 1. 11 12. but private men though gifted have not authority therefore they are not to teach or usurp authority 8. God hath not given them any power to receive maintenance which is due to those that labor in the Word and Doctrine m 1 Tim. 5 17 18 1 Cor. 9. 3 4 5 6 9 11 Quest 13. What maintenance mean you If you mean Tythes or any other setled maintenance neither private men nor Ministers ought to receive such maintenance Answ Tythes had many enemies sundry exceptions made against the payment of them nor was it counted any robbery to detain them n Mal. 3. 8 2 Chro. 31 4 5 c. when both God himself and the Magistrates did expresly require the due payment of them and when there were few or no Sectaries at least not in arms and authority which endeavored the ruin of the Ministry especially when there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes then the Levites were glad to wander abroad for maintenance o Iude 17 7 8 9. 10 11. 19. 1 Yet 2. the Levites though a small Tribe p Ainsw●rth in Num. 3. 39 if a Tribe there being twelve besides scarce the 60. part of the house of Jacob had in Judea a small Country 48. Cities with their Suburbs 2000. cubites from the wall on every side q Iosh 21. 41. Num 35. 2. Lev. 25. 32 33 34 and their first fruits r Num 18. 15 16 17 18. Deut. 18 4. and a great part of the manifold sacrifices s Lev. 2 3. 7. 5 7 8 33. 34 and free-will offerings of all the males of the children of Israel which were to appear thrice yearly before the Lord with some offering t Exod. 34 23. 23. 15 16 17.
THE Main Points OF Church-Government AND DISCIPLINE Plainly and modestly handled by way of Question and Answer Very useful to such as either want Money to buy or Leasure to read larger Tracts LONDON Printed by J. M. for LUKE FAVVNE and are to be sold at his shop at the Parrot ni pauls Church-yard 1649. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Christian Reader ALthough the worth of the Author and solidity of the matter of this book might sufficiently commend it self unto thy perusal yet I shall add this to its Commendation that 't is plain but profitable short but sound so that I may say of it as Tully did of Brutus his Laconical Epistle Quam multa quam paucis how much in a little Here is a great deal of matter in a few words he studyed brevity yet solidity in this small piece by the reading whereof not only the weak may be instructed but the strong also establisht in the truth which is the hearty desire of him who subscribes himself Thine in the Lord CHRISTOPHER LOVE A plain PLATFORM OF Presbyterial Government Catechistically and Methodically propounded QUEST I. WHat Government of the Church is most agreeable to the Word of GOD Answ The Government of the Church by Presbyters or Elders for they have the rule a Heb. 13. 7 17. 1 Tim. 5. 17. the keys which in the very notion of them do carry power and authority properly so called b Isa 22 22 Rev. 1. 18 3 7. are committed to them c Mat. 16. 19 and power to remit and retain sins d John 20 28 they feed and govern the flock e 1 Pet. 5. 2 Act. 20 17 28 and are over the people in the Lord f 1 Thes 5 12 they are Guides Leaders Bishops Governors Pastors which Titles in Scripture are used to expresse the power of Civill Magistrates g Josh 13. 21. Numb 31. 14. Mat. 27. 2. Jud. 8 14. Acts 23 14. Hence the Angels the Elders of the Churches are commended for good Discipline and reprehended for bad h Rev. 2. 2 6 14 20 Rev. 3. Quest 2. What kind of Government have Presbyters or Elders over the Church Answ Not Kingly Lordly or Magisterial power which onely belongs to Christ i 1 Pet. 5 3. 1 Cor. 8. 6. 12. 5 Psal 2 6 Col. 1. 18. Eph. 2 22. but Stewardly and Ministeriall k 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 5 20. Mat. 9. 38. Quest 3. From whom receive they their Stewardly and Ministeriall Power Answ From Jesus Christ l Mat. 16. 19. 28 18 19 20. Ioh. 20. 21 23. 2 Cor. 8. 10 they are his Stewards m 1 Cor 4 i. his Ministers and Embassadors n 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. having their Office from him o Eph 4. 8. 11. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Act. 20. 28 29. and they are to act in his name p Mat. 18. 19 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. and must give account to him q Heb. 13 17 18. Luc. 12. 41 42. Quest 4. But do they not receive their Governing Power and Authority from the Church or Body of the People Answ No though they be for the good and benefit of the General Visible Church and of particular Churches r Eph. 4. 7 10 11 12 2 Cor. 12. 14 and ought to make themselves servants thereunto as Jesus Christ and his Apostles which did not receive their authority from thence did s Math 20 26 27 28 2 Cor. 4. 5 Col. 1. 7. and though they be elected by the people yet they do not receive their Authoritie from them For 1. the power of Church-Government is not conveighed to the body of the people by any authentick grant or Commission from Jesus Christ as it is to the Officers 2. The people are not called Governors Guides Leaders as the Officers are but on the contrary are called the flock t Acts 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 2 the Saints u Hebr. 13 24. Phi 1. 1 as distinct from their Bishops Pastors Rulers to whom they are commanded to be subject and obedient w 1 Thess 5. 12 1 Tim. 5 17. Heb 13. 7 17. 3. The people have not received from Christ due gifts and qualifications for the exercise of Government and jurisdiction x 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 17 28 29 as Officers have y Ephel 4. 11 12 1 Tim 4. 14 4. It cannot be shewed that God in the Old or New Testament did erect any Church without Officers seeing Adam was a Priest to his wife a Gen. 4. 3 Ainsworth and family as Noah also was and the first born were Priests b Exod. 19 22 at the founding of the Jewish Church and Christ his Apostles were Officers in Commission at the founding of the Christian Churches 5. It is more absurd and irrational that all the males should govern in a Church then in a City or Common-wealth that the Elders should be subject to the people then that Magistrates should be subject to their subjects seeing the power of Church-government is derived not from the Law of Nature which placeth the Originall of Civill Government in the people but the Canon of Scripture which saith no such thing concerning Church-Government Nor 6. doth it warrant that the people should exercise power and authority in Preaching Ordaining Administration of Sacraments or censures therefore they have it not for such power is vain and impertinent as may not be drawn into act by them that have it and therefore Pastors Preaching Baptizing Ordaining c. do not put forth the peoples power but the power and authority of Jesus Christ c 2 Cor. 13 10. Math. 28. 19 20 Quest 5. You spake of a General Visible Church doth the Scripture hold out such a Church Answ Yes for 1. The Apostles which were General Officers to which a generall Church is the adequate correlative and had the care of all the Churches d 2 Cor. 11 28 are said to set put or placed in the Church e 1 Cor. 12 28 as speaking but of one Paul was a Minister of this Church f Col. 1. 25 2. That one body that one fold into which all both Jews and Gentiles are Baptized and brought g 1 Cor. 12 12 13. Eph 2. 16. 36 Joh. 10 16 mast needs be the universall visible Church 3. That house or Temple in which Antichrist did sit h 2 Thess 2. 4 that woman travelling i Rev. 12. 1 2. c. the Bride and Spouse of Christ k Rev. 21. 2 a child and in non-age under the Law and at full age under the Gospell l Gal. 4. 1 2 that assembly of 24 Elders and 4 Beasts m Rev. 4. that one Sion having many Assemblies in it n Isa 4. 5 that one City one new Jerusalem o Rev. 20. 9. 21. 2 that one Feast p Mat. 22. 2 field q Mit. 13. 24. floor r Mat. 3.