choose its own Servants Phebe is called a Servant of the Church Rom. 6.2 So were Widdows for they were not ordained So their Sexton and such as shall over-see the Buildings or any other Servants that may be for the conveniency of the Church This Church Priviledge of choosing Officers doth only belong to the Brethren of the Church the Brethren are said to choose the Deacons Act. 6.3 And Women have not Power in this matter 1 Cor. 14.33 Let your Women keep silence in the Churches 1 Tim. 2.12 Suffer not a Woman to teach nor to usurp Authority over the Man it is inconsistent with that State of subjection which God hath put them into if they might vote they might over-rule the Men and by the same Rule those Males that are not their own Masters as Children that are not at their own dispose and Servants have nothing to do to vote in the Church they that are not free are not to partake of this Liberty CHAP. V. Of the Officers of Congregational Churches and their Power THE Officers of Congregational Churches are either Elders or Deacons the Elders are either teaching Elders or Ruling Elders The work of the Teaching Elders lies principally in these five things they are to be the mouth of the People to God both in the publick Assembly and privately in case of sickness they are to Preach the Word of God they are to Administer the Seals of the Covenant they together with the Ruling Elders are to Govern the Church and they are to bless the People Such Learned Men as are suteably qualified but not in Office may upon occasion discharge some part of this work but there are some other parts of it that they may not meddle with those Acts which are Acts of Natural Worship may be performed by them as praying and Preaching but such Ministerial Acts as do depend wholly upon institution they may not perform as the Administration of Sacraments the dispencing of Censures and an Authoritative blessing these are performed only by Virtue of an Institution therefore are to be done only according to an Institution A teaching Elder by Virtue of his relation to a particular Church is bound to attend his work in that Church And by Virtue of that relation he has no Authority to perform Acts of Office to any other Church or to the Members of any other Church Assembling with his own Church Pastoral Power over a particular Church gives him no Power over any that are of that Church his relation to them gives him no Power over any other But every Man that is a Pastor of a particular Church stands in a more General relation as a Minister of Christ some that are not Pastors to particular Congregations are yet Ministers of Christ and every Man that is a Pastor to a particular Church is a Minister of Christ and by Virtue of that Relation he may do Acts of Office to the Members of other Churches occasionally assembling with 〈◊〉 own and towards other Churches being desired when he can conveniently be spared from his own and towards particular Persons that are Members of no Church The Levites were the Ministers of God before they had Relation to any particular Synagogue Paul hath Office Power over the Brethren as well as the Church of God Act. 26.17,18 The Church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antiock to officiate as a Minister Act. 11. And they that have Authority to Preach have also to Baptize Mat. 28.19,20 We find that Paul did not Baptize such as he brought over to the Christian faith but committed that work to some other inferiour Ministers that were in Company with him 1 Cor. 1.14 And this he did after the Example of Christ John 4.2 There is need that some have Office-Power now to Preach to the Heathens as well as there was in the Days of the Apostles and there may be several now that Baptism doth belong to as well as Cornelius the Eunuch and the Jallor and others therefore there are some appointed by God for that Service The Teaching Officer is appointed by Christ to Baptize and Administer the Lords Supper and therefore he is made the Judge by God what Persons those ordinances are to be Administred to and it is not the work either of the Brethren or Ruling Elders any ways to intermeddle in that Affair or Limit him we never read that the Apostles did advise with the Church whether they should Baptize such as offered themselves As the Administration of these ordinances is committed to them so the Judging concerning those who they are to be Administred unto as they are to Judge what subject to teach upon and as the Deacon is to Judge who is to be relieved So the Minister is to Judge who is to be Baptized and Admitted to the Lords Supper The Ruling Elders are to joyn with the Teaching Elders in Rule and Government these Officers are called Governments 1 Cor. 12. Such as Rule Rom. 12. Distinguished from such as Labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5. The Teaching Elders with the Ruling Elders make the Presbytery of the Church with whom the Government of the Church is entrusted The Power of Censuring offenders in the Church and absolving of Penitents doth belong alone to these the Brethren of the Church are not to intermeddle with it The Elders are to Rule over the Church and therefore not to be over-ruled by the Brethren it is the work of the Elders to rule well 1 Tim. 5.17 The Members of the Church are to be obedient to the Elders therefore not to controul them in their Government Heb. 12.17 The Elders of the Jewish Church had the Power of Government of the Church in their hands hence we read of the Rulers and Chief Rulers of the Synagogues Act. 18. Deut. 21.5 The Elders have the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to them Matth. 16.18 The meaning is that he should be an Elder and Ruler of the Church it is spoken of as a Personal reward of his profession Obj. Matth. 18.17 Tell it to the Church this implies the Power of the Brethren Answ 1. By the Church is meant the Ecclesiastical Authority in distinction from the Civil 2. It is not harsh by the Church to intend the Elders of the Church See Numb 24.25 3. By the Church must be meant the Elders of the Church for this was a Rule in the Day when it was spoken and there was now no Church in Being but the Jewish Church in which all the Power of Government was with the Elders Obj. 1 Cor. 5.1,4 The Church was ordered to cast out the Incestuous Person and 2 Cor. 12. His Punishment is said to be inflicted by many Answ 1. They may be only required to publish a sentence of Excommunication from Paul 2. It is common in Scripture to attribute that which is done by the Ruler to the Publick Society as when God requires that the People of Judah do Acts of Publick Justice he doth not
but likewise that this way is to be observed in Christian Nations seeing no other Provision is made for their Government many of the appointments that God made for the Jewish Church do continue in force still and this among the rest no other Provision being made yet it does not follow that our Assemblies must have any standing president as the Jewish Assemblies had their High Priest who was their president and was a Type of Christ neither does it follow that we are limitted to the same Number that they were Circumstances being a sufficient reason for a variation in such cases 3. The appointment of Christ that Teaching and Ruling Elders should Govern the Church shews the Power of Synods these are appointed by Christ to be the Rulers of the Church 1 Tim. 5.17 Heb. 13.17 There are no other appointed to be Rulers of the Church since the Age of the Apostles therefore the Government of the National Church must be in their hands none but they have any Interest in the Publick Government there is no Warrant from the Word of God to intrust the Government in the hands of any others and there is sufficient Warrant for them to take upon them the Government of the National Church and this by Virtue of their Office If there be a Publick Covenant every Church is bound in Conjunction with others to see the Covenant kept and their Rulers with whom their Power is intrusted are bound by Virtue of their Office to joyn with others to see their Covenant kept so that their Acting in a synod is not by Virtue of any New Office A Minister by Virtue of his Ministerial function hath Power in Conjunction with others to Govern the National or Provincial Church Obj. If Ministers have a Bond upon them to joyn with others in the Rule of the National or Provincial Church then they seem in their own Persons to be bound to attend that Service which if all should do in National Synods the Synods would be so large a Body that they could not Discourse together and it would be an intollerable prejudice to their Congregations being much deprived of their Labours Answ The Power of Intrusting delegates is Warranted by the Light and Law of Nature there being a necessity of it for the good Government of Societies and there is no necessity of a particular Institution in this case the necessity of humane affairs does require that Government be intrusted with such a Number that it may be managed to advantage to the Publick neither is there any hazard of being involved in guilt by such a method a select Number of the most Prudent and Holy of the Elders are as likely to Govern the Church according to the mind of God as the whole Body of the Elders of a Nation CHAP. X. Of the Power of Synods THE Power of Synods doth consist principally in these things 1. They are to teach the People they are to hold forth Light unto the Church that was a part of the work of the Sandedrim at Jerusalem to teach the People the will of God Matth. 23.2,3 That was the special work of the Levites Deut. 33.10 That Assembly mentioned Act. 15. Met together to give Light to the People of God It is very meet that Synods do Publish confessions of faith not only to bear Testimony to the World and other Christian Kingdoms of their acknowledging the Truth but especially to be a Light unto the Churches to guide them in the way of Life this hath generally been practised by the Synods of the reformed Churches They should particularly Vindicate the Truth and bear their Testimony against those Errors that are Springing up Act. 15.24 It is meet also in case of Corruptions in manners that they do declare what the mind of God is and Vindicate the Rule that if it be possible they may root out such Licentious principles as are prevailing amongst the People and advise them to repent of such degeneracies as bring down the Judgments of God Yet no Man is bound to receive the Doctrines or practise the Rules held forth by a Synod because they are taught by them A Synod is not infallible and therefore no Rule or Doctrine is to be taken up on trust from them Men do owe that respect to a Synod as 't is an Ordinance of God solemnly to weigh the Doctrines held forth thereby but they are not to receive them by an implicite faith we are bound to prove all things and if a Man do practise against the Light of his own Conscience because a Synod hath otherwise determined he greatly sins Rom. 14.23 The Synod may direct him in a wrong way and no Man can be bound to any thing that God has forbidden Deut. 13.3 2. They are to bind and loose to inflict Ecclesiastical censures or to take them off the supream Ecclesiastical Authority must have Power of Judgment that so there may no publick guilt lye upon the Church if they have not Power of Judgment Particular Persons may be oppressed by the rigour of Presbyteries and many irregularities committed by the Church whereby the Country doth become guilty and there would be no sufficient way to deliver the Land from guilt Synods have Power to Admonish to Excommunicate and deliver from those censures and every Man must stand to the Judgment of the National Synod Deut. 17.12 They are to Judge in case of Complaint when any Person Judges himself wronged by the Judgment of a particular Church and complains to a Synod they are to hear the case and upon the hearing of it not to advise the Church either to confim the sentence or to take it off but if there be occasion they are to take off the sentence and restore the Man unto his priviledge They are to judge in case of other Complaints if any Man hath a Complaint against another and cannot obtain a hearing in the Church that he belongs unto or if the Elders of a particular Church be Complained of for any Male-Administration or if a Church with the Elders be complained of for Heresie or other scandalous Corruption the Synod is to hear and Judge the case and they may not only censure particular Persons but whole Churches also in case of need 3. Synods have Power to oversee the calling of Persons to the Ministry and to appoint those who shall examine them if the Synod have the Government of the Church in their hands tho they should not abridge Congregations of their Liberty yet they should see that Churches Act regularly and that none should be set in the Ministry but such as are duely qualified therefore it belongs them to appoint meet Persons to examine such as are called to the Ministry and to testify their approbation by the laying on of hands Tit. 1.5 The appointing of Ceremonies of Worship is properly the work of Jesus Christ the making of orders concerning the external concernments of the Church is properly the work of the Civil Magistrate but the appointment of such as shall oversee the calling of Persons to the Ministry doth properly belong to the Ecclesiastical Authority FINIS
some things in those Psalms are not so suteable to our present Case so it is in what we read yet those Psalms are very suteable for us to meditate upon and contain in them much Instruction and Incouragement and because they were indicted by the Spirit of God are more proper to affect our hearts and excite the workings of Grace then such as are of a private Composure A third part of Worship is the Preaching and Teaching of the Word the Preaching of the Word is to be attended to the End of the World Matth. 28.19.20 It is the Duty of Ministers to Preach the Word 2 Tim. 4.2 A Minister is called a Preacher Rom. 12.14 This is a special means to advance the Conversion of Sinners and Edification of Saints Altho it be the special Office and Duty of Teaching Elders and ordained Ministers of the Gospel yet Preaching being a Moral Duty it is lawful for those who are not ordained Ministers to Preach the Gospel Yea in some cases it is Lawful for such Men who are not devoted to the Ministry provided they have suteable abilities The reading of large Portions of Scripture upon the Sabbath Day which was constantly Practised by the Jewish Church is not so particularly now required by God there was great need of it in those Ages when the World had not the benefit of Preaching but there is no institution requiring any such service of us any further then the Rule of Edification calls for it Ministers are not bound to observe any particular method in their Preaching they may Preach either by expounding some Portion of Scripture or by raising a Doctrine from a particular Text and applying of it or by explaining of a Catechism or in any other profitable way Ministers have Power to Catechise their hearers not only that they may know their fitness to participate at the Lords Table but also in order to their growth in knowledge tho it may be presumed that many Persons are inquisitive and studious yet there are many others who are not to be confided in and the Minister hath Power by Virtue of his Pastoral charge to see that they Learn reason dictates this to be a most suteable method as in the Learning of Arts and Languages so in the Learning of the way of salvation the most proper and profitable ways of teaching are to be used by Ministers A fourth part of Worship is Baptism this is an ordinance appointed by Christ himself to be a perpetual Ordinance in the Christian Church It was published by John before by Virtue of an Institution but afterwards declared by Christ to be a standing ordinance in the Church It is very likely that the form afterwards used by John and his Disciples was that they did Baptize in the Name of the Lord Jesus Act. 19.5 But seeing Christ did expresly command his Apostles before his assention to Baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost we have no reason to think that the first Teachers of the Gospel did use any other form and when we read that the Samaritans were Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Act. 8.18 And that Peter ordered that Cornelius and his Company should be Baptized in the Name of the Lord Act. 10.48 No more seems to be intended by it then their being Baptized according to the institution of the Lord Jesus The Persons that are sent to Administer Baptism are the same that are sent to Preach the Word Matth. 28.19,20 Tho the Apostles did sometimes decline it yet we have reason to conclude that they committed it to Inferiour Ministers After the Example of Christ who did not commit it to the People but to his Disciples John 4.2 Therefore such Preachers as are not ordained Ministers are not to Baptize Baptism may be Administred either in the Publick Assembly or in private there is no appointment that necessitates the publick performance of it there is nothing in the Nature of the ordinance that doth necessitate it and we find that the Apostles and Apostolical Men did it as there was occasion both publickly and privately Act. 8.38 and 9.18 and 16.33 There is no necessity that Persons be Members of any particular Congregation before they be Baptized Persons before they be Members of any particular Congregation may have that qualification that gives them a right to Baptism viz. Visible Saintship many that were Baptized in the first times did not belong to any particular Congregation of Christians and tho many of them did belong to particular Jewish Congregations or Synagogues yet some did not Act. 16.33 Such adult Persons as make such a profession of the Christian Faith as is Morally sincere are to be Baptized as doth appear by the Example of John Christ himself Phillip and others who were directed by the Spirit of God and none were refused that did seriously tender themselves to be Baptized Such Infants as are descended from the Covenant People of God by either Parent are to be Baptized 1 Cor. 7.14 Such Infants as do descend from Parents that are under Church consures for immoralities are not to be denied Baptism because Excommunication doth not cut Men off from the Covenant of God such Infants as are the Children of Heathens belonging to the Families of the People of God are Incorporated into the Covenant and are to be Baptized when the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your Children unclean he speaks of them as they come into the World yet it follows not but when they are taken into the Families of Christians they do become Holy such were to be Circumcised under the Law A fifth part of Worship is the Lords Supper which was instituted by Christ a little before his Death to be a standing Ordinance in the Christian Church all such Professoâ—…â—f the Christian Faith as are of blameless Conversation and have knowledge to exaâ—… themselves and discern the Lords Body are to be admitted to the Lords Supper Three things are requisite in order to admission to the Lords Supper First Visible Saintship and that is found in such Persons all professors walking blamelesly are Visible Saints the Members of the Jewish Church are often called Saints in the Scripture who did give no further evidence of their Saintship a Profession of the faith joyned with a good Conversation is a sufficient ground for Charity these are marks that we are directed in the Scripture to Judge of Mens Saintship by The Apostle did accept of such Persons for Visible Saints Men that have these Characters are not visibly wicked therefore they are Visible Saints these properties are the proper Fruits of Saintship and therefore constitute Men Visible Saints such a profession as being sincere makes a Man a real Saint being Morally sincere makes a Man a Visible Saint That whereby Godly Men do make their Saintship Visible does make Men Visible Saints viz. A profession of the truth and a good Conversation A second requisite is that they be not scandalous a