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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	jesus_n	lord_n	17,123	5	3.7490	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96941	A modell of the government of the church under the gospel, by presbyters, proved out of the holy scriptures, to be that one, onely uniform government of the universall visible church, and of all nationall, provinciall, classicall and congregationall churches: which is according to the will and appointment of Jesus Christ. Which may serve to stay such as are doubting, with hope of full satisfaction, and clear demonstration of this truth, shortly to be made by the reverend Assembly of Divines. / Composed by a Presbyterian minister of the city of London, and approved by divers of his learned brethren, and at their request published.	Walker, George, 1581?-1651.	1646 (1646)	Wing W362; Thomason E342_3; ESTC R200927	24,926	36

for their works sake And 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine And Heb. 13. 7. Remember them who have the rule over you who have spoken to you the Word of God and vers. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account These and divers other Scriptures do clearly shew what that Government is which Christ hath appointed in his Church 8. The next part to be considered is to whom Christ Jesus first committed this Government and where he first setled it and in what Church from whence it is derived propagated and communicated to all other Churches which shall be in all ages And in this the Gospell is very clear For it tells us that he first and immediately committed it to his Apostles as they were to teach all Nations and to be the Pastours of the universall visible Church In their hands and in that Church he first setled it for the use of all the members thereof even all Nationall Provinciall Classicall and particular Churches gathered by the Gospell preached in every Nation Countrey State City and Circuit That the Lord Christ having all power in Heaven and earth given unto him did give Authority to the Apostles to preach the Gospell to all Nations to baptize them and to teach them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them I have before shewed out of the Gospell Math. 28. 19. 20. That he gave to them the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven and power to open and shut to binde and lose to remit and retaine sins it is manifest Math. 16. 19. Where he said to Peter when he answered in the name and as the mouth of all the rest Thou art Christ the Son of the living God I will give to thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou bindest one earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt lose on earth shall be losed in heaven and Math. 18. 18. where he gave the same power to them all againe and Iohn 20. 23. Whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted to them and whosesoever sins ye retaine they are retained And that they ordained Presbyters Bishops Pastours and Teachers in the name of Christ and by the Authority which he gave them it appeares Act. 14. 23. where it is written that Paul and Barnabas ordained Presbyters in every Church of the converted Gentiles and Act. 20. 28. where Paul admonisheth the Presbyters whom he had ordained in the Church of Ephesus to take heed to the flock over which the holy Ghost had made them Bishops that is overseers And they appointed the same order and forme of Government in all Nationall and Provinciall Churches and in every Classis and particular Congregation as in Iudea and Ierusalem so in Corinth Ephesus Asia Galatia Macedonia Creet and the rest as divers Scriptures besides those before named 1 Cor. 4. 17. and 2 Cor. 10. 8. and 13. 10. do abundantly testifie as Ephes. 4. 12. where Pastours and Teachers as well as Apostles are said to be given by Christ for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edifying of the body of Christ and 1 Thess. 5. 12. where he mentioneth some who laboured among them and were over them in the Lord and Act. 15. 6. where we read of a generall assemblie of Apostles and Presbyters gathered to consider a great matter and to decide a controversie and send out their decree to all Churches and 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2. c. where the office of a Bishop that is a Pastour or overseer is commended for a good worke and the qualification and ordination of such after triall and examination is described as also of Deacons and 1 Tim. 5. 17. where mention is made of ruling by Elders and by them who labour in the Word and Doctrine and vers. 22. of ordaining by laying on of hands and also Chap. 4. 14. And Tit. 1. 5. and 1 Pet. 5. 1. 2. and Iames 5. 14. where Elders of the Church and their worke and behaviour is prescribed In all these places we have Church Government set forth in Presbyteries and in the hands of Presbyters and Presbyteriall Bishops Pastours and Teachers lawfully called and upon due triall ordained by imposition of hands as being that Government appointed by Christ and observed in all Churches But of no other forme of Government do we read in any writings of the Apostles and Evangelists in the New Testament For as there is but one God and Father of all and one Lord Jesus Christ and one faith one Baptisme and one whole universall Church which is but one body moved and informed by one Spirit 1 Cor. 8. 5. and Ephes. 4. 4. 5. So every member of this one body in every Nation City and Countrey and every Congregation of Christians whether Jewes or Gentiles is informed moved and guided by that one spirit as the Apostle testifieth Rom. 12. 5. and 1 Cor. 12. 12. 13. as Pastours and Teachers so also governments are set in the Church by God and the spirit distributeth gifts to them as he himselfe will 1 Cor. 12. 11. and 28. And there is but one law to all which is the word of God which is called the law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. and the law of the spirit of life Rom. 8. 2. because the spirit speakes to none neither doth move or guide any Christian but by this word and law of Christ Iohn 16. 13. 14. as was before shewed What Church soever doth swerve or decline in any materiall or substantiall point of Doctrine or Discipline from that one law and rule of Christ which is the heavenly paterne shewed to us in the Scriptures as the Paterne of the Tabernacle was shewed to Moses in the mount Exod. 25. 40. That Church comes so much short of Apostolicall perfection and hath in it too much mixture of humane policy and infirmity Whatsoever new light proud vaine foolish and fanaticall persons may pretend all sound and stable Christians both ought and will looke to the law and to the testimony of Christ and if any speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8. 20. In respect of this our uniforme Government by one law the word of Christ and one spirit the soule and life of the whole visible Church it is a body uniforme homogeneall and similar And as in all naturall uniforme bodies every part hath the same name with the whole as every particular part of aire is called aire and every river fountaine and drop of water is water and is so called as well as the whole element Even so every Nationall Provinciall Classicall and particular congregation in every Nation City and circuit is a Church and is so called as the Church of Judea Act. 11. 22. 26. the Church

preaching of the same word and doctrine which they wrote and preached Thirdly Although the Pastours and Teachers which succeed the Apostles are unable to work miracles and to write infallible Scriptures and give unchangeable rules to all Churches as the Apostles did because they have not such extraordinary gifts and calling Yet in things which are in the power of ordinary Presbyters and Pastours as meeting many together in Synods and Presbyteriall Assemblies to decide and determine controversies according to the Scriptures it is a thing as easy and ordinary for them wherein to imitate them as for many Lords and Commons to meet in a Parliament to remove grievances in the Common-wealth And certainly so farre as God makes us able we are bound to follow their practice and examples Fourthly The more extraordinary gifts that the Apostles had the lesse need they had to meet in Synods and Assemblies either all or divers of them together Paul and Barnabas had an infallible spirit and did dispute against the errour at Antioch and condemned it by as infallible a sentence as the Apostles did at Jerusalem And yet for a paterne to all succeeding Churches and to make the judgement and determination of more authority in all Churches of beleeving Jews and Gentiles and to shew the unity of spirit and uniformity of doctrine and discipline among them all an appeal was made to a generall Synod of all the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem And therefore the necessary use and reason of such Synods and Classicall Presbyteries being still the same in all ages And ordinary Ministers of Christ having more need of common help and assistance because many eies see more then one and many heads consulting together will better search out the truth and true sense of Scripture in doubtfull matters and of great concernment The objection doth make more for the confirmation of the doctrine to wit that the practice and examples of the Apostles in the manner of governing the Church is of divine authority and ought to be esteemed the will and appointment of Christ 7. Now out of these points plainly proved by cleer texts of holy Scripture We may easily raise a perfect definition or description of that Government partly Ecclesiasticall which Christ as King of his Church hath set up therein namely this That it is the exercise of power and authority in matters spirituall which concern the salvation of souls given by Christ to the Pastours and Elders of his Church for the gathering building up and well ordering of it and for the perfecting of the Saints the members thereof For the confirmation of this definition in every part and member of it we have expresse words of holy Scripture First the Commission which Christ the supream Lord gave to his Apostles and to their successours in all ages to the end of the world was not only by preaching the Gospel to make men Disciples but also to open the kingdom of Heaven and by Baptisme to admit beleevers and Disciples into it and to teach them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them Matth. 28. 19 20. But to shut out unbeleevers as being under damnation and in the kingdom of Satan Mark 16. 16. And that by this Commission not only power and authority was given them to propound the word by way of doctrine but also to use the rod of discipline and to correct and censure all such as were offenders untractable and puffed up the Apostle Paul sheweth 1 Cor. 4. 20 21. Where he saith that when he cometh to Corinth he will know not the speech of them that are puffed up but the power For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power even to use the rod of correction and sharp censure as the next words shew viz. What will you Shall I come to you with a rod or in love and in the spirit of meeknes And what this rod is the next chapter immediatly declares in which he gives them a charge In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to excommunicate in their solemne Assembly the incestuous person And 2 Cor. 10. 8. and Chap. 13. 10. He doth plainly affirm that to him and his fellow-Ministers the Lord hath given power and authority even to use sharpnesse Secondly That this power is not carnall nor exercised about worldly matters but is spirituall and mighty through God exercised in pulling down the strong holds of sin and Satan casting down imaginations and every high thing which exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ The Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. Thirdly This power and authority is given to be exercised for edification not for destruction as the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. even for the perfecting of the Saints and for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes. 4. 12. Fourthly The exercise of this power and authority is uniform and the waies of it the same in all Churches No supreme Magistrate hath power to alter it it is not to be usurped nor contended for by any to whom God hath not given abilities nor called thereunto It belongs to the Pastours and Teachers who have a calling to expound publikely the Word and law of Christ and to their assisting Elders who are fit to judge accordingly For such the Apostles appointed to be their successours and not civill Magistrates which were not known in the Church till many years after the days of the Apostles And to the Apostles and their successours the Lord Christ gave this power to rule his Church and it continued in their hands in all the Apostolicall Churches The same waies which the great Apostle of the Gentiles observed himself he taught in every Church every where 1 Cor. 4 17. and so he ordained in all Churches 1 Cor. 7. 17. And when any swerved from the institution of Christ in the use of the ordinances and contended for forms and fashions differing from the common rule and custom The Apostle reproved and blamed them as appears 1 Cor. 11. 16 17. The Pastours Elders and Teachers who labour in the Word and Doctrine and watch for the souls of the people and by the holy Ghost are made overseers over the flock are the Governours and rule over them in the Lord and they ought to submit themselves to be ruled and guided by them as being the stewards of Gods house his Church and dispensers of the mysteries of Christ as these places following do shew Act. 20. 28. Take heed to your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God And 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God And 1 Thes. 5. 12. We beseech you brethren to know them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you And to esteem them very highly in love

and to diliver him unto Satan 1 Cor. 5 5 13. And he himself delivered unto Satan Hymenaeus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 20. And these acts of discipline are not punishments of revenge not execution of justice in a rigid sense but Medicinall corrections of mercy and fatherly chastisements laid on the person censured not in hatred to hurt him nor in rigour to satisfie the law But in love hope desire and godly zeal for a three-fold end and use First For the mortification humiliation and repentance of the obstinate sinner that he may be made sensible of his danger and ashamed of his sin and heartily sorrowfull for it and full of contrition this is intimated by the Apostle where he saith that delivering unto Satan is for the destruction of the flesh that is fleshly corruption by mortification that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 20. he saith that he delivered unto Satan Hymeneus and Alexander that they might learn not to blaspheme and 2 Thes. 3. 14. Secondly For the preserving of the body and the rest of the members from infection for obstinate scandalous sinners will infect others this the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 5. 6 7. Saying Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump purge out therefore the old leaven Thirdly For vindicating the Church and Christian Religion from reproach and scandall and all shew and appearance of countenancing and cherishing vile sin and wickednes which will raise an ill report commonly that Christian Religion is worse then Gentilisme and tolerats sins the names of which are loathed among civill heathen This the Apostle implies 1 Cor. 5. 1. saying It is commonly reported that there is fornication among you such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles And certainly the Jews who were according to their law so strict in keeping from the Passeover all such as had any uncleannes on them might justly reproach Christians if they should admit scandalous sinners spiritually leprous and unclean to the Lords Supper and into holy communion with them and not cast them out There is besides those censures before named another most dreadfull censure mentioned in Scripture and called by the name of Anathema Maranatha that is the cursed untill the Lord cometh 1 Cor. 16. 22. This is a curse which the Church denounceth against desperate back-sliders and Apostates who after illumination profession of love to Christ and a taste of the good Word of God and of the power of the world do come do sin against the holy Ghost and fall away into hatred and despight against the truth of which the spirit hath convinced their consciences into malignant persecution of all true godlines and into an impossibility of being renewed by repentance Heb 6. 4. This censure to speak no more of it is a sentence and judgement of the Church declaring and pronouncing that such persons are reprobates and desperate enemies of God finally accursed past hope of recovery given up to the judgement of the last day when the Lord shall come to render vengeance in flaming fire to all them that hate him and that they are to be shunned and abhorred as fire brands of hell Of this curse we have divers examples in Scripture as that which God laid upon Cain Gen. 4. That which Enoch denounced against the old world of which Jude in his Epistle makes mention vers. 14. That of David against Doeg and other enemies and against the traitour Judas Psal. 109. and that wherewith the Lord cursed the reprobate Jews when he forbad the Prophet Jeremy to pray for them Jer. 7. 16. 11. 14. 14. 11. For there is a sin unto death namely the sin of Apostasy and rebellion against the light not to be prayed for as S. Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 5. 16. Besides these acts of Government before named we read of three others The first is Ordination of Ministers which properly belongs to the preaching Presbyters who are to examine them try their gifts and inquire into their lives first and after proof made of their abilities and godly conversation to ordain them with praier and imposition of hands of this we read Act. 13. 2 3. 1 Tim. 3. 2 3 4 c. 1 Tim. 4. 14. 5. 22. Tit. 1. 5. The second is Choosing and appointing of Church Officers this is the common act of the whole Eldership together with the people as appears Act. 6. 3 5. Act. 14. 23. The third is Setting of things in good order and appointing that all things be done decently and in order in the Church this Paul injoined the Elders of Corinth to do 1 Cor. 14 40. and he promised to assist them therein 1 Cor. 11. 34. and laid this charge on Titus Tit. 1. 5. From this discourse framed out of the infallible Word of God and expresse testimonies of holy Scriptures divers Corollaries and necessary conclusions do issue which remove the doubts and answer the questions which doubting scrupulous persons shall propound concerning Church-Government whether it be in whole or part Jure divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ 1. Conclus That there is one uniform Government in the whole universall Church and in every part thereof Jure divino and by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ which ought to be observed in all National Provinciall Classicall and Congregationall Churches as they are parts and members of the Church universall which is the mysticall body of Christ Proved Section 3. and 5. and 6. and 8. 2. As there is but one law to all Christians even the Word of God which is the perfect rule of Government in all Orthodox and well constituted Churches So ought the Government to be one and the same in them all among themselves and in every particular Congregation Proved Sect. 8. 3. The supream Magistracy in every Nation Countrey and State being Christians is in duty bound to be as a nursing father to the Church of Christ to set up and maintain Preachers who may by preaching the Gospel gather their people and subjects into Congregations and set up Elders in every one according to the Word of God And parochiall or particular Congregations so gathered and Elderships set up in them by the dictate and direction of Christ are Iure divino The appointment of the Civill Magistrate is onely a civill sanction it doth not make them to be Iure divino Proved Sect. 3. and 4. 4. Though all Nationall Churches rightly constituted and formed according to the Scriptures are of equall authority not any one superiour to another and likewise all Provinciall Classicall and Parochiall Churches alike well formed are equall No Provinciall superiour to another Provinciall Nor any Classicall Eldership to another Classicall Yet the deciding of a controversy in point of Doctrine or any sentence or censure issuing out and published from a greater Assembly or Eldership as from a Nationall