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A29279
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The gospel-pattern for the government of gospel-churches together with queries made on the assembly-propositions presented to the high court of Parliament / by the unworthiest of the gospel-ministers, John Brayne.
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Brayne, John.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing B4326; ESTC R36508
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9,013
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18
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THE GOSPEL-PATTERN For the Government of GOSPEL-CHURCHES Together with QUERIES Made on the ASSEMBLY-PROPOSITIONS Presented to the High Court of PARLIAMENT By the unworthiest of the Gospel-Ministers JOHN BRAYNE Rev. 10.10 I took the little book c. LONDON Printed for George Whittington at the Blew-Anchor in Cornhill near the Royall Exchange 1649. To His Excellencie the Lo FAIRFAX GENERAL of the English Forces raised for Defence of the PARLIAMENT THere is nothing more obvious to Your Excellency then that flattery and deceit are bred in the wombe of a deceiving and a deceived heart Which detains me from saying much lest the world and You should look on me as such Yet this I dare assert unto you for encouragement that You are the Angel mentioned Rev. 14.16 and none else is meant thereby but You. And that I deceive you not I give the world and you this signe That the Angel mentioned ver 17. shall in a few years it may be in a year or two arise in one of our next neighbour Dominions who like a Son of Thunder shall so terrifie the Popish world and bring such a desolation on those deceived Nations as hath not been since Man and Earth began to be Our misery I hope begins to draw to an end one Woe more and no more The beginning of Gods return in mercy to us will be a restoring the true Church-Estate amongst us which shall be for the healing of the bruised Nations Which as a Balm most precious for this purpose I make bold to present You with this small ensuing Form of Church-Government praying God to give you understanding and a right judgment to discern the truth hereof And that He preserve you to and blesse you for ever in himself and his magnificent mercies So prayes Your servant in the Gospel J. B. To the READER I Have added to the Forme of Government following these Queries that follow on the Assembly-Propositions which with the 3 Letters of Gospel-Advice sent them and printed serve to take asunder the whole Presbyterian Building And if thou measure its dimensions they are not of the Gospel-height depth length or breadth And by comparing of them one with another thou mayest the better judge of the ones soundnesse and the others unsoundnesse Which I shall pray God assist thee in desiring thee to passe by the faults in Printing And to expect the sitting of the Judgement and raising of those Dead Rev. 20.4 which immediately is to succeed as concerning the Church which as a door of hope is opened to the Saints for rest which I shall desire thou mayst partake of Resting Thine in the Lord John Brayne THE Gospel-Pattern for the Government of GOSPEL-CHURCHES ADAM and in him his whole posterity falling God in Christ ordained the rest auration of some few of his miserable off-spring For the accomplishing whereof God institutes a Ministery to preach repentance to men in their lost estate which as many as are ordained to eternall life believe Act. 13.48 and so come to be added to the Church Act 2.47 This Ministery is a preparatory Ministery Mat. 3.3 preached to the world Act. 26.18 which is not pertaining to Moses Ministery Mat. 11.13 nor is it of the Church or Kingdome-Ministery Mat. 11.11 It was to work on unbelievers only Luk 3.5 and was exercised among unbelievers in Synagogues Act. 18.4 19.8 9. and differed from Church-Teaching answering to our Catechising Act. 8.30 31 34. And in the matter taught as appears in the Epistle of James written to men of the world and the first Epistle of John written to the children of God with the other Epistle whose Scripture name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preacher 2 Tim. 1.11 Gal. 6 6. Catechist Rom. 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers to the blind c. who is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preach ver 21. God having called his by the preparatory Ministery thus out of the world did for the effcting of his purpose ordain holy Ordinances in which they should enjoy communion with himself and a holy fellowship among themselves by which they may be kept holy to God here and be made fit for eternall life hereafter which Society the Scriptures call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Church in which as in another Ark God saves his Elect from being destroyed with the world 1 Pet. 3.20 21. This Church is A visible society of Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 Rom. 1.7 Phil. 1.1 consisting of Infants Youth and Fathers 1 John 2.13 Joh. 21.16 17. who are drawn out of the world by the call of the Gospel 2 Cor. 6.17 Mat. 13.47 48. Rev. 18.4 and are joyned by spirituall bonds and tyes one to another Col. 2.19 Act 17.4 Eph 4.16 before Baptisme by a Profession of Faith Act. 8.36 37 38 and Confession of sinnes Mat. 3.6 Act. 2.38 And then Sacramentally joyned to Christ by which they were said to be added to the Church Act. 2.41 Both of these are joyned together 2 Cor. 8.5 1 Iohn 1.3 And is conceived as a favour to those thus united God gave the benefit of Church-fellowship to their posterity also Act 2.39 1 Cor. 7.14 who are called in the Scripture Brethren 1 Cor. 16.20 Ephes 6.23 Phil. 4 21. Col. 4.15 The Government of this society God committed to his Son Jesus Christ who for supply of his absence did ordain severall Offices to be committed to faithfull men and to be imployed therein under Christ for the edification and government thereof untill he come Mat. 25.14 to the 19. verse These Officers in the Scripture are called either Teaching or Ruling Elders 1 Tim. 5.15 Teaching Elders are either such by whom the Scriptures came to be given to the Church which are Apostles and Prophets only whose Ministery as Moses and the Prophets under that administration Luke 16.29 is extraordinarily exercised in the Church 1 Cor. 5.4 Ephes 2.20 4.13 Or the ordinary Church-Ministery who are only to teach the Word for the Churches edification to the end which are Evangelists Pastors and Teachers 1 Cor. 12.28 where all besides Apostles and Prophets are called Teachers and are of one equall number which Teachers are nominally set down Ephes 4.11 to be Evangelists c. The Preacher without but especially the Teacher and Pastor within the Church are Co-workers or helpers of the Evangelist in the Ministry Phil. 4.3 2 Cor. 8.23 Rom. 16.21 Col. 4 10 11. whereby they are said to minister one to another the one preparing men for the others society 1 Pet. 4.10 which is done in the exercising of severall gifts given them by the Church to minister by Rom. 12.7 8 1 Pet. 4.10 2 Tim. 1.6 1 Cor. 12.4 They differ in the Ordinances they administer 1 Cor. 12.5 1 Cor. 1.17 1 Cor. 3.8 and in the doctrines they taught 1 Cor. 12.8 1 Cor. 14.6 Rom. 12.6 7 8. their Ministry differed in operation 1 Cor. 12.6 Eph. 4.12 Col. 2.7 which are illustrated 1 Cor. 14.7 8. in the Harp Pipe and Trumpet which are
differing instruments which are to give a distinction in sounds that it may be known what is piped or harped one of these was not to do that pertained to the others Ministry Acts 10.48 1 Cor. 1.17 These all as a Church-Ordinance are to be called for of the sick in time of sicknesse who are to pray for them James 5.14.15 as to governe and to teach them in health At the administration of the Lords Supper the whole Church under this threefold ministry are to meet in one place and partake thereof together 1 Cor. 11.20 singing Psalmes reading the word Col. 2.19 Luk. 4.16 1 Thess 5.27 collect for the poor 1 Cor. 16.1 2. As these assisted the Evangelists in the worke of Ministry so are they to assist him also in Governement So that Governement is the proper worke of the whole Church-Ministry and is not to be exercised but by them all it being joyntly committed of Christ to them to rule and the People commanded of God to obey them so only and nowhere otherwise Acts 20.28 1 Cor. 4.1 1 Tim. 5.17 1 Thess 5.12 That Ecclesiasticall Governement pertaines to these only appears Heb. 13.7 they are to obey those only that have spoken the word to them ver 17. because they watch for their souls and are to give accompt to God for them who have as much committed to them to doe as can be done hereby Eph. 4.12 14. Hence an act of Church-Government done by any other then these is not done according to the Gospell or if done by one without a meeting of all in a Confession is not to be judged Authoritative The Church may question the Rulers when they do in Ministry or Government go against the Rule Acts 11.3 4. Ecclesiasticall Government consists chiefly in these things In the orderly doing of things 1 Cor. 14.33 40. ordering the Saints lives 1 Thess 5.14 2 Thess 3.6 In the admitting of members Acts 2.41 Matth. 13.30 Acts 17.4 as members were fitted to passe them from society to society 2 Cor. 3.18 Evangelically predicted Psal 84.7 done by tryall of gifts 1. Cor. 14.31 Ordination of Ministers 1 Tim. 4.14 for preventing scandals Matth. 13.41 Rom. 14.13 among the members 1 Cor. 12.25 and 8.9 and offending the world Col. 4.5 1 Cor. 10.32 to cast out the profane and hereticall Matth. 13.41 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 1 Tim. 1.20 Titus 3.10 to restore the humbled 2 Cor. 2.8 suspension from society 2 Thess 3.14 for a time who are to be accompted as brethren but those are excommunicated as Heathens Ruling Elders had their severall charges committed to them for the right ordering of temporall things in the Church under Christ Deacons had their Election of the People and Ordination by the Imposition of hands of the Presbytery Acts 6.36 who are to be in all compleat constituted Churches seven for number ver 3. who were to distribute in each society the Saints contributions to their poore brethren according to the nature of their severall necessities compare ver 1. and 3. two of which were for each Church-society and one to have respect to those of the Preachers meeting without the Church The helping Governour spoken of 1 Cor. 12.28 Rom. 12.8 his Ordination is of the Church without Imposition of hands by the Presbytery 1 Cor. 6.4 that that qualifieth him is his wisedome v. 5 that for which he is ordained to be a Judge v. 4. the things he is to judge of are things of this life small matters of wrong between brother and brother and then whence this officer is to be and that is set downe to be from among themselves a member of the same Church ver 5. whose authority is confirmed by Conclusions drawne from the greater to the lesse ver 2.3 who are to be honoured in the Church and obeyed 1 Tim. 5.17 Object This Church-Magistracie serves to destroy the authority of the Civil Magistrate Resp The Church-Magistrate is to be subject to the Civil Magistrate as to the higher Power Rom. 13.1 is not to rule by the command of the sword at all but by the Word only and so cannot prejudice that Authority and was set up to prevent going to Law 1 Cor. 6 7. not before Heathens only but any other and is far lesse then what is granted ordinary Incorporations when no Society deserves more ample freedoms under Magistracie then the Church for whose sake God blesseth a people It was a priviledge that the Church enjoyed under the Heathen Emperours untill made waste in the desolations of the Church Nor can the office be made void by any change of States it being ordained by Divine institution and so to be a part of the Churches perpetual Government so that the Church cannot be rightly governed whiles this Governour is not set up to govern by according to the mind of Christ in 1 Cor. 6. And were Churches to be collected in this Kingdom as they shall and ought to be there is the same reason for them now that ever there was and that Church-government that destroyeth this Church-governour is not of God nor of the Gospel Nor can there be produced out of all the Gospel any Institution or discovery of the Helping governours office but in this place and it cannot be that a Governour belonging to the government of the Gospel should not have authority from the Gospel to rule by and Instructions how to do it and how this authority should be conferred on him which is of none nor no where but of this officer in this place who hath his authority of God and not of man and therefore may not be suppressed The way God had to set up this government was by the Apostles called and sent of God to preach the Word by which they made Disciples and gathered the believing Iewes into a Society according to the way aforesaid which Church was called the Mother-church where the Presbyterie of that Church did ordain holy and fit men for the Ministry and did send them forth to gather other Churches in Iudaea and in the places thereabout 1 Cor 14.36 The Apostle Paul and Barnabas with their other helpers as in all the Epistles did first set up the gospel-Churches in the chief cities of the Nations who sent out thence to other cities of the same country in like manner and to such other places as in those times would admit of the Gospel-government which did thus continue untill Antichrist that abomination of desolation had destroyed the visible frame of the churches government in all the world Now God having ordained a resurrection of Churches to be under the Ministry of the seventh Angel who receives his trumpet from God Rev. 8.2 by which he comes to restore rightly the true Ministry into the Church by whom a true Gospel-Church shall be erected who shall be mother of many daughter Churches which shall be called therefore the New Ierusalem spoken of Rev. 3.12 21.2 by whose Ministry is foretold to be the fall of the Cities of the