Part 4 (1/2)

1. Church is originally derived from a Greek word,[23] which signifies to call forth. Hence church properly signifies a company or mult.i.tude, called forth; and so in this notation of the word, three things are implied: 1. The term from which they are called. 2. The term to which they are called. 3. The medium or mean by which they are brought from one term to another, viz. by calling. And these things thus generally laid down, do agree to every company that may properly be called a church. Now, this word translated church, never signifies one particular person, but many congregated, gathered, or called together; and it hath several acceptations or uses in the New Testament: 1. It is used in a common and civil sense, for any civil meeting, or concourse of people together: thus that tumultuous and riotous a.s.sembly is called a church, Acts xix. 32, 39, 40. 2. It is used in a special religious sense, for a sacred meeting or a.s.sembly of G.o.d's people together: and thus it signifies the Church of G.o.d, either, 1. Invisible, comprehending only the elect of G.o.d, as Heb. xii. 23, ”and Church of the first-born,” Eph.

v. 23, &c., ”Even as Christ is the head of the Church.” 2. Or, visible, comprehending the company of those that are called to the visible profession of the faith in Christ, and obedience unto Christ, according to the gospel, as Acts ii. 47, and v. 11, and viii. 3, and xii. 1, 5; 1 Cor. xii. 23, and often elsewhere. Now in this description, church is not understood of a civil a.s.sembly; for such a.s.semblies are governed by civil power. Nor of the invisible Church of Christ; for, as the Church is invisible, (to speak properly,) it is invisibly governed by Christ and his Spirit, Rom. viii. 14; Gal. ii. 20. But of the visible Church of Christ, for which Christ hath provided a visible polity, a visible government, by visible officers and ordinances, for the good both of the visible and invisible members thereof, which is that church government here spoken of.

2. Government is the translation of a Greek word, which properly signifies the government of a s.h.i.+p with chart, &c., by the pilot or mariner, and thence metaphorically is used to signify any government, political or ecclesiastical. But the word is only once used in all the New Testament, viz. 1 Cor. xii. 28: _Governments_, h.e. ruling elders in the church; the abstract being put for the concrete, governments for governors. But whatever be the terms or names whereby government is expressed, government generally considered seems still to signify a superiority of office, power, and authority, which one hath and exerciseth over another. This is the notion of government in general. So that church government, in general, notes that pre-eminence or superiority of office, power, and authority, which some have and exercise over others in spiritual matters, in church affairs. And here we are further to consider, that church government is either, 1.

Magisterial, lordly, and supreme; and so it is primitively and absolutely in G.o.d, Matt. xxviii. 18. Dispensatorily and mediatorily in Jesus Christ our Mediator only, whom G.o.d hath made both Lord and Christ, Acts ii. 36; Matt, xxiii. 8, 10; 1 Cor. viii. 6, and to whom G.o.d alone hath dispensed all authority and power, Matt, xxviii. 18, 19; John v.

22. Now church government, as settled on Christ only, is monarchical. 2.

Ministerial, stewardly, and subordinate; and this power Jesus Christ our Mediator hath committed to his church guides and officers in his Church, 2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10; and church government, as intrusted in the hands of church guides, is representative. This ministerial church government, committed by Christ to his officers, may be considered either, 1. As it was dispensed under the Old Testament, in a Mosaical, Levitical polity; in which sense we here speak not of church government; (that polity being dissolved and antiquated.) 2. Or, as it is to be dispensed now under the New Testament, in an evangelical Christian polity, by Christ's New Testament officers; and this is that church government which is here described, viz. not the supreme magisterial government of Christ, but the subordinate ministerial government of Christ's officers; and this not as it was under the Old Testament, but as it ought to be now under the New Testament.

CHAPTER III.

_Of the general Nature of Church Government, viz. Power or Authority._

Touching the general nature of this government, which it partic.i.p.ates in common with all other governments, it is power or authority. Here divers particulars are to be cleared and proved, viz:

1. What is meant by power or authority? The word chiefly used in the New Testament for power or authority is used not only to denote Christ's supreme power, as Luke iv. 36; Mark i. 17, with Luke vi. 19; but also his officers' derived power, as with 2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10. It is used to signify divers things: as, 1. Dignity, privilege, prerogative.

”To them he gave prerogative to be the sons of G.o.d,” John i. 12. 2.

Liberty, leave, license; as, 1 Cor. viii. 9, ”But so that your liberty become not an offence to the weak;” and 1 Cor. ix. 4, 5, ”Have not we liberty to eat and drink? Have not we liberty to lead about a sister, a wife?” 3. But most usually right and authority; as, Matt. xxi. 23, 24, 27, and xxviii. 18; so 2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10: in this last sense especially it is here to be taken in this description of church government.

Power or authority in general is by some[24] thus described: that whereby one may claim or challenge any thing to one's self, without the injury of any other. Power is exercised either about things, or actions, or persons. 1. About things, as when a man disposes of his own goods, which he may do without wrong to any. 2. About actions, as when a man acts that which offends no law. 3. About persons, as when a man commands his children or servants that are under his own power.--Proportionably, the power of the Church in government is exercised, 1. About things, as when it is to be determined by the word, what the Church may call her own of right; as, that all the officers are hers, Eph; iv. 7, 8, 10, 11; 1 Cor. xii. 28: that all the promises are hers, 2 Pet. i. 4; 1 Tim. iv.

8: that Jesus Christ, and with Christ all things, are hers, 1 Cor. iii.

21, 22. The keys of the kingdom of heaven are hers, Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18, &c.; John xx. 21, 23, &c.: these things the Church may challenge without wrong to any. 2. About actions. As when it is to be determined by the word, what the Church of divine right may do, or not do: as, the Church may not _bear with them that are evil_, Rev. ii. 2; _nor tolerate women to teach_, or false doctrine to be broached, Rev.

ii. 20, &c. The Church may _warn the unruly_, 1 Thess. v. 14: excommunicate the obstinate and incorrigible, Matt, xviii. 17, 18; 1 Cor. v. 4, 5, 13: receive again penitent persons to the communion of the faithful, 2 Cor. ii. 7, 8: make binding decrees in synods, even to the restraining of the outward exercise of due Christian liberty for a time, for prevention of scandal, Acts xv. 3. About persons. The Church also hath a power to be exercised, for calling them to their duty, and keeping them in their duty according to the word of G.o.d: as, to _rebuke them before all_, that sin before all, 1 Tim. v. 20: to prove deacons, Acts vi. 2, 3, &c.; 1 Tim. iii. 10: _to ordain elders_, t.i.t. i. 5; Acts xiv. 23: to use the _keys of the kingdom of heaven_, in the dispensing of all ordinances, Matt, xviii. 18-20, and John xx. 21, 23, with Matt, xxviii. 18-20: and, in a word, (as the cause shall require,) to judge of all them that are within the Church, 1 Cor. v. 12.

This is the power and authority wherein the nature of church government generally doth consist.

2. That all governments in Scripture are styled by the common names of power or authority: e.g. the absolute government of G.o.d over all things, is power, Acts i. 7: the supreme government of Jesus Christ, is power, Matt, xxviii. 18; Rev. xii. 10: the political government of the magistrate in commonwealths, is power, as John xix. 10; Rom. xiii. 1-3; Luke xxiii. 7: the military government of soldiers under superior commanders, is power, &c., Matt. viii. 9: the family government that the master of a family hath over his household, is power, 1 Tim. iii. 5, ”If any man know not how to rule his own house.” Yea, the very tyrannical rule that sin and Satan exercise over carnal men, is styled power, Acts xxvi. 18; Col. i. 13. Thus, generally, all sorts of government are commonly called power or authority.

3. That thus the Scripture also styles church government, viz. power or authority, as 2 Cor. x. 8, ”Of our authority” (or power) ”which the Lord hath given us for your edification.” Paul speaks it of this power of church government. And again, speaking of the same subject, he saith, ”Lest being present, I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.” 2 Cor. xiii. 10.

For further clearing hereof, consider the several sorts or kinds of ecclesiastical power, according to this type or scheme of ecclesiastical power and authority here subjoined.

Ecclesiastical power is either supreme and magisterial; or subordinate and ministerial.

I. Supreme magisterial power, consisting in a lordly dominion and sovereignty over the Church; and may come under a double consideration, viz:

1. As it is justly attributed to G.o.d alone. Thus the absolute sovereignty and supreme power (to speak properly) is only his over the Church, and all creatures in the whole universe: now this supreme divine power is either essential or mediatorial.

1. Essential, viz. that power which belongs to the essence of G.o.d, and to every person of the Trinity in common, as G.o.d. ”His kingdom ruleth over all,” Psal. ciii. 19. ”G.o.d ruleth in Jacob to the ends of the earth,” Psal. lix. 13. ”The kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the Governor among the nations,” Psal. xxii. 28.

2. Mediatorial, viz. that magisterial, lordly, and sovereign power or dominion, which G.o.d hath dispensed, delegated, or committed to Christ as Mediator, being both head of the Church, and over all things to the Church. This power is peculiar only to Jesus Christ our Mediator. ”All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth,” Matt. xxviii. 18.

”The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand,”

John iii. 35. ”The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son,” John v. 22. ”One is your Master, even Christ,”

Matt. xxiii. 8, 10. ”G.o.d hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the Church,” Eph. i. 20-23.--This power of Christ is the only proper fountain whence all ecclesiastical power flows to the Church.

II. As it is unjustly arrogated and usurped by man; whether, 1. By the pope to himself; who arrogates to himself to be Christ's vicar, the supreme visible head on earth of the visible catholic Church of Christ; who exalts himself above all that is called G.o.d on earth, over magistrates, princes, kings, yea, over the souls and consciences of men, and the holy Scriptures of G.o.d themselves, &c., 2 Thess. ii. 4; Rev. xviii. 10-13.