THE DOCTRINE OF Instituted Churches Explained and Proved FROM THE WORD OF GOD By Solomon Stoddard A. M. Minister of the Gospâ—… Northampton New-England LONDON Printed for Ralph Smith at the Bible under the Piazâ—… Exchange in Cornhil 1700. THE DOCTRINE OF Instituted CHURCHES Explained and Proved from the WORD of GOD. CHAP. I. The Word of God gives us sufficient Light to direct us about Instituted Churches and all Administrations therein THE Nature of an Instituted Church and the Ordinances to be attended therein have been matter of great Inquiry in these latter Ages And those Inquiries have been Accompanied with great Animosities Discords and Persecutions Those forms and methods that have been admired by some have been decryed by others and Multitudes of People are left at a loss whether there be any certain Rule to Guide us or any certainty to be attained in these things Two things especially have hindred those that have been studious in these points from giving satisfaction to others One of them is that some of them have been exceeding tenacious of the Traditions and Ancient usages of the Church not considering how dismal a Corruption and Degeneracy did in a little time prevail whereby it comes to pass that those things are obtruded upon us as Rules which were the Blemishes and Errors of the Ancient Church They have a Veneration for antiquity and adopt the sayings of Ancient Fathers for Canonical The other is that some have attempted to compile a compleat Platform out of the Books of the NewTestament alone looking on all Old Testament Rules relating to Church Affairs as out of Date but if we would have a right understanding of the mind of God in these things must not be our dependance upon traditions neither must we confine our selves to one part of Scripture but search into the whole Word of God impartially It is certain that God does fully direct us in the Scripture concerning the Affairs of his House as the Word of God doth perfectly direct us how we should behave our selves in the Family and in the Common-wealth so in the Church There is no need of any Addition to the Scriptures There needs an Interpretation of the Word but nothing at all to be added to it God doth not give us some broken pieces of a Platform but hath revealed his whole will in that matter We are not left under a necessity of missing the Rule or guessing at it God hath described to us the whole Body of Church Affairs For the Scripture is a perfect Rule of Life Psal 19.7 2 Tim. 3.17,18 Men shall be blamed for nothing at the Day of Judgment but what the Scripture does Condemn Rev. 20.12 VVhat God hath not revealed to us is no Rule to us And God hath no where else revealed the Rule but in the Scripture As we have no extraordinary Prophets to reveal the mind of God So there are no unwritten traditions to make known the mind of God in this matter There be three sorts of Rules in Scripture to guide us in Church Affairs 1. General Moral Rules These Rules give us light in many Church Affairs So that Rule of Loving God and our Neighbour Mat. 22.37,38,39 So that Rule of not partaking in other Mens Sins 1 Tim. 5.22 So that Rule of Peace and Edification Rom. 14.19,20 So that Rule of doing things decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.20 So that Rule Phil. 4.8 So that Rule of Humility 1 Pet. 5.3 These Rules and such like shew us our Duty in many Cases For 1. There be many things necessary which there is no Institution about God was more particular with the Jews because the Church then was in its Infancy than he is with us So we have no institution how many Elders to have in a Church how often to Pray or Sing on the Sabbath How often to partake of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.26 So there is no particular institution for Moderators in Churches in case of a vacancy of Elders About Preaching without ordination About the Limits and Bounds of particular Churches There be abundance of other particulars about Fasts matters of Discipline the Age of Persons to be admitted to the Lords Supper which are to be determined by Moral Rules 2. Many things that are commanded in Church Affairs are the proper consequences of Moral Rules And so don't need an institution There be many things occasionally commanded Which do not properly belong to Divine institutions that are not Branches of the second Commandment but proper deduction from Moral Rules So that about Reconciliation to an offended Brother Matth. 5.23,24 For Christ did not now make new Jewish institutions So that about private dealing with an offending Brother Matth. 18.15,16 So those Rules 1 Tim. 5.17,19 1 Cor. 11.28 And many others are plain Moral Duties 3. Moral Rules must be attended in Church Affairs as well as in other things Rules for doing things that are for Peace Edification and for the good of our Neighbours bind in Ecclesiastical cases as well as in Civil and Domestical Therefore they are Generally Propounded Phil. 4.8 Yea there is more weight to be laid on them then on institutions Mar. 12.33 We must never Act contrary to Moral Rules Churches are bound to Moral Rules as well as other Societies We have n2o liberty in the Administration of the things of Gods House to break Moral Rules 2. Old Testament institutions A great part of Old Testament institutions are abolished All typical Laws are out of Date But some institutions that were in force then are in force now Thus Church Societies the Preaching of the Word Fasts Thanksgivings are to be attended still Consider 1. They and we are under the same Gospel there was the same way of Salvation then as now they were under a Covenant of Grace and Saved by Christ as well as we Heb. 4.2 Hence there be several things common to them and us Hence the People of God under the Old and New Testament must be such as have a visible Union to Christ they and we must have signs representing Christ 1 Cor. 10.3,4 2. The Nature of a Church is the same under both Testaments A Church is not one kind of thing in the Old Testament and another in the New But it has the same essence and definition The matter of the Church and the form is the same The Church then stood in the same relation to God was appointed for Communion with God and enjoyed his presence as now 3. There were several Ordinances in the Jewish Church that had no particular reference to the times before Christ or to any particular condition of that People And such Ordinances seem to be of force still as their having an holy Convocation Lev. 23.13 So much of the work of the Priests they were to teach the People Deut. 33.10 They were to bless the People Num. 6.23 So it was their manner in solemn Prayer and Blessing to lay on hands So Excomunication which is to continue in