Part 11 (1/2)

acknowledge the divine right of the ruling elder. For satisfaction of doubting unprejudiced minds, (to omit divers considerations that might be produced,) the divine right of the ruling elder may be evinced by these ensuing arguments.

_Argum_. I. The first argument for the divine right of the ruling elder in the Church of Christ, shall be drawn from Rom. xii. 6-8: ”Having, then, gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, _let us wait_ on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, _let him do it_ with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence,” &c. Let the scope and context of this chapter be a little viewed, and it will make way for the more clear arguing from this place. Briefly thus: The apostle having finished the princ.i.p.al part of his epistle, which was problematical, wherein he disputed--1. About justification, chap, i.-vi.; 2. Sanctification, chap. vi. 7, 8; and, 3. Predestination, chap.

ix. 10, 11, he comes to the next branch, which is more practical, about good works, chap. xii.-xvi. This twelfth chapter is wholly in the way of exhortation, and he herein exhorts to divers duties. 1. More generally that we should even consecrate ourselves wholly to the service of G.o.d, ver. 1; that we should not conform to the world, ver. 2. More specially he descends to particular duties, which are of two sorts, viz: 1. Such as concern ecclesiastical officers as officers, ver. 3-9; 2. Such as concern all Christians in common as Christians, both towards one another and towards their very enemies, verse 9, to the end of the chapter.

Touching ecclesiastical officers, the apostle's evident scope is to urge them not to be proud of their spiritual gifts, (which in those days abounded,) but to think soberly, self-denyingly of themselves, and to use all their gifts well. This he presseth upon them, 1. From the nature of the Church, which is as a natural organical body, wherein are many members, having their several offices for the good of the whole body; so the members of Christ's body being many, have their several gifts and offices for the good of the whole, that the superior should not despise the inferior, nor the inferior envy their superior, ver. 3-5. 2. From the distribution or enumeration of the several kinds of ordinary standing officers in this organical body, the Church, who are severally exhorted duly to discharge those duties that are specially required of them in their several functions, ver. 6-8. These officers are reduced first to two general heads, viz: Prophecy (understand not the extraordinary gift of foretelling future things, &c., but the ordinary, in the right understanding and interpreting of Scripture) and ministry; and the general duties thereof are annexed, ver. 6, 7. Then these generals are subdivided into the special offices contained under them, the special duty of every officer being severally pressed upon them.

Under prophecy are contained, 1. _He that teacheth_, i.e., the doctor or teacher; 2. _He that exhorteth_, i.e., the pastor, ver. 7, 8. Under ministry are comprised, 1. _He that giveth_, i.e., the deacon; 2. _He that ruleth_, i.e., the ruling elder. The current of our best interpreters to this effect resolve this context. So that here we have a very excellent and perfect enumeration of all the ordinary standing officers in the Church of Christ distinctly laid down. This premised, the argument for the divine right of the ruling elder may be thus propounded:

_Major_. Whatsoever members of Christ's organical body have an ordinary office of ruling therein given them of G.o.d, distinct from all other ordinary standing officers in the church, together with directions from G.o.d how they are to rule; they are the ruling elders we seek, and that by divine right.

_Minor_. But _he that ruleth_, mentioned in Rom. xii. 8, is a member of Christ's organical body, having an ordinary office of ruling therein given him of G.o.d, distinct from all other standing officers in the church, together with direction how he is to rule.

_Conclusion_. Therefore he that ruleth, mentioned in Rom. xii. 8, is the ruling elder we seek, and that by divine right.

The major proposition is clear. For in the particulars of it, well compared together, are observable both a plain delineation or description of the ruling elder's office; and also a firm foundation for the divine right of that office. The ruling elder's office is described and delineated by these several clauses, which set out so many requisites for the making up of a ruling elder, viz: 1. He must be a member of Christ's organical body. Such as are without, pagans, heathens, infidels, &c., out of the Church, they are not fit objects for church government, to have it exercised by the Church upon them; the Church only judges them that are within, (1 Cor. v. 12, 13,) much less can they be fit subjects of church government to exercise it themselves within the Church. How shall they be officers in the Church that are not so much as members of the Church? Besides, such as are only members of the invisible body of Christ, as the glorified saints in heaven, they cannot be officers in the Church; for not the Church invisible, but only the Church or body of Christ visible is organical. So that every church officer must first be a Church member, a member of the visible organical body: consequently a ruling elder must be such a member. 2. He must have an office of ruling in this body of Christ. Members.h.i.+p is not enough, unless that power of rule be superadded thereto; for the whole office of the ruling elder is contained in the matter of rule; take away rule, you destroy the very office. Now, rule belongs not to every member: ”Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints,” Heb. xiii.

24, where rulers and saints are made contradistinct to one another. In the body natural all the members are not eyes, hands, &c., governing the body, some are rather governed; so in the body of Christ, 1 Cor. xii. 3.

This his office of ruling must be an ordinary office; apostles had some power that was extraordinary, as their apostles.h.i.+p was extraordinary; but when we seek for this ruling elder, we seek for a fixed, standing, ordinary officer ruling in the church. 4. All that is not enough, that he be a member of the church, that he have an office of rule in the church, and that office also be ordinary; but besides all these it is necessary that he be also distinct from all other standing officers in the church, viz. from pastors, teachers, deacons; else all the former will not make up a peculiar kind of officer, if in all points he fully agree with any of the said three. But if there can be found such an officer in whom all these four requisites do meet, viz: That, 1. Is a member of Christ's organical body; 2. Hath an office of rule therein; 3, That office is ordinary; and, 4. That ordinary office is distinct from all other ordinary standing offices in the church; this must unavoidably be that very ruling elder which we inquire after. By this it is evident, that in this proposition here is a plain and clear delineation of the ruling elder's office. Now, in the next place, touching the foundation for the divine right of this office; it also is notably expressed in the same proposition, while it presupposeth, 1. That G.o.d is the giver of this office; 2. That G.o.d is the guider of this office. For whatsoever office or officer G.o.d gives for his Church, and having given it, guides and directs to the right discharge thereof, that must needs be of divine right beyond all contradiction. Thus this proposition is firm and cogent. Now let us a.s.sume:

_Minor_. But _he that ruleth_, mentioned in Rom. xii. 8, is a member of Christ's organical body, having an ordinary office of ruling therein, given him of G.o.d, distinct from all other ordinary standing officers in the church, together with direction from G.o.d how he is to rule.

This a.s.sumption or minor proposition (whereon the main stress of the argument doth lie) may be thus evidenced by parts, from this context:

_He that ruleth_ is a member of Christ's organical body. For, 1. The Church of Christ is here compared to a body, _We being many are one body in Christ_, ver. 5. 2. This body is declared to be organical, i.e.

consisting of several members, that have their several offices in the body, some of teaching, some of exhorting, and some of ruling, &c. ”For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another,” &c., ver. 4-6, &c. 3. Among the rest of the members of this body, _he that ruleth_ is reckoned up for one, ver. 5-8; this is palpably evident.

_He that ruleth_ hath an office of ruling in this body of Christ. For, 1. This word (translated) _he that ruleth_, in the proper signification and use of it, both in the Scriptures and in other Greek authors, doth signify one that ruleth authoritatively over another, (as hereafter is manifested in the 3d argument, -- 2.) 2. Our best interpreters and commentators do render and expound the word generally to this effect: e.g. He that is over[46]--one set over[47]--he that stands in the head or front[48]--as a captain or commander in the army, to which this phrase seems to allude--_he that ruleth_. 3. This word, wherever it is used in a genuine proper sense, in all the New Testament, notes rule, or government. It is used metaphorically for taking care (as one set over any business) of good works, only in two places, t.i.t. iii. 8, and iii.

14. Properly for government which superiors have over inferiors; and that either domestical, in private families, so it is used in 1 Tim.

iii. 4, 5, 12, or ecclesiastical, in the church, which is the public family of G.o.d; in this sense it is used, 1 Thes. v. 12, 1 Tim. v. 17, and here, Rom. xii. 8, and these are all the places where this word is found used in all the New Testament.

3. _He that ruleth_ here, hath an ordinary, not an extraordinary office of rule in the church. For he is ranked and reckoned up in the list of Christ's ordinary standing officers, that are constantly to continue in the church, viz. pastors, teachers, deacons. Commonly this place is interpreted to speak of the ordinary church officers, and none other; consequently he that ruleth is such a one.

4. _He that ruleth_ here, is an officer distinct from all other ordinary officers in the Church of Christ. For in this place we have a full enumeration of all Christ's ordinary officers, and he that ruleth is a distinct officer among them all. 1. Distinct in name, he only is called _he that ruleth_, the rest have every one of them their several distinct name, ver. 7, 8. 2. Distinct in his work here appropriated to him; the doctor teacheth; the pastor exhorteth; the deacon giveth; this elder _ruleth_, as the very name signifieth, ver. 8. Compare 1 Tim. v. 17, 1 Cor. xii. 28. As the elder ruleth, so he is distinct from the deacon that hath no rule in the church; and as he only rules, so he is distinct from both pastor and teacher, that both teach, exhort, and rule; they both have power of order and jurisdiction, the ruling elder hath only power of jurisdiction. 3. Finally, he is distinct among and from them all in the particular direction here given these officers about the right discharge of their functions. The teacher must be exercised _in teaching_; the pastor _in exhortation_; the deacon must _give with singleness_; and the elder, he must _rule with diligence, studiousness_, &c. Now what other solid reason can be imagined, why _he that ruleth_ should here have a distinct name, distinct work and employment, and distinct direction how to manage this work, than this, that the Holy Ghost might set him out unto us as an ordinary officer in the church, distinct from all the other standing officers here enumerated?

5. G.o.d himself is the author and giver of this office of him that ruleth, as well as of all the other offices here mentioned. For, 1. All gifts and endowments in the church in general, and in every member in particular; they are from G.o.d, it is he that gives and divides them as he will, _as G.o.d hath dealt to every one the measure of faith_, Rom.

xii. 3. 2. All the special offices, and gifts for these offices in special, are also from the same G.o.d, _we having therefore gifts according to the grace given unto us, differing; whether prophecy_, &c., Rom, xii. 6, 7, &c. Here it is plain that he distinguished betwixt grace and gifts. By grace here we are to understand that holy office or charge in the church, which is given to any man by the grace and favor of G.o.d.

And in this sense the apostle in this very chapter, ver. 3, useth the word _grace: For I say through the grace given to me_, i.e. through the authority of my apostles.h.i.+p, which by grace I have received, &c. By gifts, we are to understand those endowments wherewith G.o.d hath freely furnished his officers in the church for their several offices. Now both these gifts and this grace, both the endowments and the office, are originally from G.o.d, his grace is the fountain of them; and both the grace of each office, and the gifts for such office, relate to all these ordinary offices here enumerated, as is evident by the current and connection of the whole context, see ver. 6-8; consequently the grace, i.e. the office of ruling, which is of divine grace, and the gifts for that office, arise from the same fountain, G.o.d himself.

6. Finally, G.o.d himself is the guider and director of him that ruleth, here prescribing to him how he is to rule, viz. _with diligence, with studiousness_, &c., ver. 8. Now we may receive this as a maxim, That of divine right may be done, for which G.o.d gives his divine rule how it is to be done: and that office must needs be of divine right, which G.o.d himself so far approves as to direct in his word how it shall be discharged.

Now, to sum up all, he that ruleth here, 1. Is a member of Christ's organical body. 2. Hath an office of ruling in this body. 3. This his office is not extraordinary but ordinary, standing, and perpetual. 4. He is an officer distinct from all other ordinary officers in the Church.

5. G.o.d himself is the giver and author of this office. 6. And G.o.d himself is the guider and director of this office: and then see if we may not clearly conclude,

_Conclusion_. Therefore, he that ruleth, mentioned in Rom. xii. 8, is the ruling elder we seek, and that by divine right.

The adversaries of ruling elders muster up divers exceptions against the alleging of Rom. xii. 8, for proof of the divine right of their office, the weakness of which is to be discovered ere we pa.s.s to another argument. _Except_. 1. This is an arguing from a general to a special affirmatively. It doth not follow, because the apostle here in general mentioneth him that ruleth, therefore in special it must be the ruling elder.[49]

_Ans_. This exception is the same with first exception against the second argument hereafter laid down. There see. For the same answer appositely and satisfactorily is applicable to both.

_Except_. 2. But the apostle here speaks of them that rule, but we have nowhere received that such elders have rule over the church--and he speaks of all that rule in the church, who therefore would wrest this place only to elders? One cannot rightly attribute that word translated _he that ruleth_ to elders only, which is common unto more. If these elders he here meant, neither pastors nor teachers ought to rule, for this word agrees no otherwise to him that ruleth, than the word of exhorting to him that exhorteth.[50]

_Ans_. 1. That such elders rule in the church is evident, both by Rom.

xii. 8, where this word implies rule as hath been showed, and he that ruleth is reckoned up amongst ordinary church officers, as hath been said, therefore he rules in the church: these the apostle also calls ruling elders, 1 Tim. v. 17, viz. officers in the church, and distinct from them that labor in the word and doctrine; as in the third argument will appear: yea, they are governments set of G.o.d in the church, distinct from other officers, 1 Cor. xii. 28, as in the second argument shall be evidenced: there see; therefore these elders have rule.