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scripture_n	according_a	faith_n	word_n	4,513	5	4.0717	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42358	A treatise of ruling elders and deacons In which, these things which belong to the understanding of their office and duty, are clearly and shortly set down. By a Minister of the Church of Scotland.	Guthrie, James, 1612?-1661.	1690 (1690)	Wing G2265A; ESTC R215845	24,270	96

of the Knowledge Gifts Experience Prudence and Gravity wherewith they ought to be indued The Officers in the House of God who in the Scriptures are called by the name of Elders are of severall soits Preaching Elders or Ministers Teaching Elders or Doctors and Ruling or Governing Elders all these three are often times in the N. T. comprized under the general name of Elder Act. 15 6 22. 20. 17. 1. Pet. 5 It is the Ruling Elder whom we have now to do with who is so called not because the power of ruling and governing the Church belongs to him alone for it also belongs to the Preaching ●nd Teaching Elders or to the Ministers and Doctors But because to rule and govern is the principal and chief part of his Charge and Imployment it is the highest Act of his Office It is not competent for him to Preach that belongs to the Pastor or Minister nor to teach that belongs to the Doctor but his Office is comprized within the compasse of Ruling and Governing the Church and therefore he is called the Governing or Ruling Elder The Apostle in the Epistle to the Rom ch 1● 8. calleth him him that ruleth and 1 Cor. 12. 28 he calls them Governments putting the abstract for the concret Governments for Governours Thus then we have the proper or right name of these Church Officers which serves to correct a twofold mistake The 1. is of these who either out of ignorance or disdain do call them Lay-Elders as if they were a part of the People only and not to be reckoned amongst the Officers of the Lords House whom the Popish Church in their pride and others following them calls the Clergy that is the Lords Inheritance in opposition to the Laity or People whom they look upon as base and much inferior to the other in worth and Excellency whereas all the Lords People are his portion and the lot of his in heritance Deut. 32. 9. 1. Pet. 5. 3. The second mistake is of these who do call these only Ruling-Elders who sit in Presbyteries Synods and General Assemblies allowing to others the name of Elders but not of Ruling-Elders But every Elder in the Lords House is a Ruling-Elder because the power and exercise of rule and Government belongs to every Elder though some of them upon speciall occasions be called to a more eminent Exercise of it than others CHAP. II. Of the Institution of Ruling-Elders THE Institution of the Office of Ruling Elder is divine it is not an ordinance of man but of God The Lord Jesus upon whose shoulder the Government is and who is faithfull in all his House hath in his Eternal Wisdom thought fit to appoint such an Officer in his House for the right and orderly Governing thereof It is true that by the sloth or rather by the pride of Teachers whilest they alone would seem to be somewhat and by the policy of Satan and inadvertance of the Church these Officers were for many Ages together out of use in the Christian Church But certain it is that both the Jewish Synagogue and after the Christian Church had Seniores or Elders without whose counsel nothing was done in the Church That the Jewish Church had such appears from 2 Chro. 19. 8. Jer. 29. 1. Mat. 16 21 22 23 26 57 59. Act. 4. 5. And that the Christian Church also had them in the primitive purest times thereof appears from the testimony of ancient Writers as may be found by these who will take pains to search into these things But we have a more sure word for the Divine Institution of Elders in the Christian Church then any testimony of man to wit the Testimony of God in the Scriptures of the New Testament The first place of Scripture is Rom. 12. 6 7 8. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given us whether prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith or Ministery let us wait on our Ministring or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation he that gives let him do it wih simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercy with cheerfulnesse In which Text the Apostle doth first comprehend all the severall kindes of ordinary standing Officers in the Church of God under two general Heads to wit Prophecie whereby is meaned the ordinary facultie of right understanding and expounding the Scriptures and Ministery under which is comprehended all other Church-Officers and Imployments To each of these the Apostle addeth their generall duties to wit that he who prophesieth should do it according to the proportion of faith h. e. according to the measure of the measure of knowledge of the word of faith that he hath received of God And he that ministers let him wait on his ministring h. e. let him not do it negligently or slothfully but faithfully and diligently Then he sub-divides these two Generalls into the speciall Offices contained under them He divides him that prophesieth into him that teacheth and him that exhorteth or into the Doctor to whom the word of teaching or Instruction belongs and the Pastor to whom the Word of Exhortation is competent Under him that ministereth he comprehends first him that giveth by whom is meant the Deacon who is appointed for the supply of the poor Secondly him that ruleth by whom can be meant no other then the Ruling Elder seeing an ordinary ruling Officer in the Church who is different from the Pastor and Teacher is here spoken of by the Apostle The second place of Scripture that proves the Office of Ruling Elders is 1 Cor. 12. 28. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers afterward miracles then gifts of healing helps governments kinds of tongues Some of the Bibles of the late English Translation read helps in governments but cross to the Text in the first Language that bears helps governments as two distinct things and therefore in other Editions of that Translation this is helped In this Text the Apostle reckons several Officers of the Church some extraordinary which were to continue but for a season such as Apostles Prophets Powers or Miracles gifts of healing kinds of tongues Some Ordinary which were to continue in the Church to the end of the World and these are Teachers or the ordinary Church Officers who are exercised in the Word Helps h. e. the Deacons who are appointed for the help and relief of the poor and governments h. e. the Governing and Ruling Elders for it is clear from the words that the Apostle by Governments doth mean a Church-Officer whom God hath set in his Church for Ruling and Governing thereof now this cannot be any other of the Church-Officers for these he hath named besides and therefore it remains that it is the Ruling Elder The third place of Scripture is 1Tim 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour specially they that

labour in the word and doctrine Which Text doth hold forth and distinguish two sorts of Elders in the Church to whom the Lord Jesus hath committed the power of Ruling One sort who do also labour in the Word and Doctrine to wit Pastors and Teachers Another sort who do only Rule and doing it well are accounted worthy of double honour and these are the Ruling Elders of whom we speak From this that the Office of the Ruling Elder is of Divine Institution we gather these conclusions First that it is not a thing arbitrary and indifferent for such to wait upon their charge yea or not as they please or as their attendance may contribute for their own or their friends particular which is the custom of too too many Elders but that they are bound in conscience diligently to attend and follow the duties thereof whether they be such as they ought to the several Members of the Congregation or the keeping of Session or Presbytery and other Assemblies of the Church when they are called and desired thereto Secondly that Elders ought to do their Office not formally and hypocritically for the fashion only but sincerely and honestly as in the sight of God by whom they are called unto this holy Calling and to whom they must render an accompt of their discharge of this great trust Thirdly they ought not to domineer over their fellow Brethren and Elders but carry themselves humbly and serviceably as these who are appointed of the Lord Jesus for ministring unto and edifying of his Body the Church Fourthly that they ought to carry themselves with that authority holiness gravity and prudence that becomes these who are called of God to bear Rule in his House Fifthly that Elders once lawfully called to the Office and having gifts from God meet to exexcise the same unless they be removed therefrom because of miscarriages are still Elders thogh happily in Congregations where many qualified men may be found some may be permitted for a time to surcease from the exercise of the charge and others be put in their room as was among the Levites under the Law in serving in the Temple by courses Sixthly that people ought to obey such as these who have the rule over them and to submit themselves because they wait for their souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief Heb. 13. 17. Yea they would know them as these who are over them in the Lord and do admonish them and esteem them very highly in love for their works sake 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. CHAP. III. Of the Vocation or Calling of Ruling Elders AS no man is to intrude in any imployment without a lawful Calling so much less ought any man to intrude himself without a Calling into any sacred Function in the House of God Heb. 5. 4. Therefore before any take upon him to exercise the Office of Ruling Elder he ought to be lawfully called thereunto This Calling is inward or outward the inward Calling is the Testimony of a good Conscience concerning some measure of ability and gifts for the Charge and a sincere and honest inclination and purpose to imploy these gifts for the honour of God the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the good of souls The outward Calling is to be after the same manner with that of other Church-officers and it stands in their Election and in the tryal of their carriage gifts and admission to the Charge The Election is to be made by the Congregation wherein they are to bear charge Acts 6. 3. 5 and 14. 23. That it may be gone about in the more orderly way it is fit that a nomination be made by the Minister and Eldership of the Congregation of the persons fittest and best qualified for the imployment and that the names of the persons nominated by them be publickly intimated to the Congregation and they desired in case of their not being satisfied as having exception or knowing others better qualified to represent the same to the Minister and Eldership If there be no Eldership in the Congregation a nomination may be made either by the Presbytery or by the most judicious and godly Members of the Congregation particularly Masters of Families together with the Minister or one or more Ministers of the Presbytery in case of the Congregations want of a Minister The trial is to be by the Minister and Eldership of the Congregation or in case of the want of these by the Presbytery And they are to be tryed both in regard of their conversation that it be blameless and holy and also in regard of their knowledge and experience in the things of God and of the Affairs of his House and of their ability and prudence for Government It is true that the trial of Elders in their knowledge and gifts required for their Charge hath not been much in use in this Church It being taken for granted that conscience would be made of making choise of such as had knowledge and were able and fit or that if any ignorant or not able and sitted were nominat that some of the Congregation upon the intimation of their names would except against them but by this means it hath come to pass that many ignorant and unqualified men have been admitted Elders in many Congregations to the great detriment of Religion and no small reproach of our Church The Apostle 1 Tim. 3. 10. speaking of Deacons which is the lowest rank of the Officers of the Church requires that these also first be proved then let them use the Office of a Deacon being found blameless And the same reasons and grounds that plead for the tryal of a Minister pleads also for the tryal of Elders in a way suitable to the qualifications required in them Their Admission is to be by the Minister of the Congregation or one appointed by the Presbytery in the presence of the whole Congregation with the Preaching of the Word concerning their duty and with Prayer and Humiliation concerning the spirit of their Calling to be poured out upon them and that the pleasure of the Lord may prosper in their hands At which time they are solemnly to engage themselves before the Lord to be faithful and diligent and watchful over the flock committed to their charge and in all the duties of that holy and honourable imployment and the People are also to engage themselves to obey them and to submit themselves to them in the Lord and to honour them and highly to esteem them in love for their works sake CHAP. IV. Of the Duties of a Ruling Elder THe Duties of a Ruling Elder be of two sorts some that are personal and relate to his conversation as a Christian others that are Official and relate to his Ruling as an Office-bearer in the House of God His personal qualifications or the duties of his conversation are the same with these which the