_Of the general Nature of Church Government, viz. Power or Authority._
Touching the general nature of this government, which it participates 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 God," 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 God: 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_, Tit. 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 God 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 God 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 God, and
to every person of the Trinity in common, as God. "His kingdom ruleth
over all," Psal. ciii. 19. "God 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 God 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. "God 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 God on earth, over
magistrates, princes, kings, yea, over the souls and consciences of
men, and the holy Scriptures of God themselves, &c., 2 Thess. ii. 4;
Rev. xviii. 10-13.
2. By earthly princes to themselves: as, King Henry VIII., who, casting
off the papal power and primacy, was vested with it himself within his
own dominions, over the Church, accounting himself the fountain of all
ecclesiastical power, (it being by statute law annexed to the crown,)
and assuming to himself that papal title of supreme head of the Church,
&c., which is sharply taxed by orthodox divines of foreign churches.
Thus, that most learned Rivet, taxing Bishop Gardiner for extolling the
king's primacy, saith, "For, he that did as yet nourish the doctrine of
the papacy, as after it appeared, did erect a new papacy in the person
of the king."--Andrew Rivet, _Expli. Decalog. Edit._ ii. page 203.
Judicious Calvin saith thus: "And to this day how many are there in the
papacy that heap upon kings whatsoever right and power they can
possibly, so that there may not be any dispute of religion; but should
this power be in one king, to decree according to his own pleasure
whatsoever he pleaseth, and that should remain fixed without
controversy? They that at first so much extolled Henry, king of England,
(certainly they were inconsiderate men,) gave unto him supreme power of
all things, and this grievously wounded me always; for they were
blasphemers, when they called him the supreme head of the Church under
Christ: certainly this was too much. But let this remain buried, because
they sinned by an inconsiderate zeal. But when that impostor, (he means
Bishop Gardiner, as Rivet notes,) which after was chancellor of this
Proserpina, which there at this day overcometh all the devils, he when
he was at Ratisbon did not contend with reasons, (I speak of this last
chancellor, who was Bishop of Winchester,) but as I now began to say, he
much regarded not scripture testimonies; but said, it was at the
pleasure of the king to abrogate the statutes, and institute new rites.
Touching fasting, there the king can enjoin and command the people, that
this or that day the people may eat flesh: yea, that it is lawful for
the king to forbid priests to marry; yea, that it is lawful for the king
to forbid to the people the use of the cup in the Lord's supper; that it
is lawful for the king to decree this or that in his kingdom. Why?
Because the king hath the supreme power. It is certain, if kings do
their duty, they are both patrons of religion, and nurse-fathers of the
Church, as Isaiah calls them, Isa. xlix. 23. This, therefore, is
principally required of kings, that they use the sword wherewith they
are furnished, for the maintaining of God's worship. But in the mean
time there are inconsiderate men, that make them too spiritual; and this
fault reigns up and down Germany; yea, spreads too much in
these countries. And now we perceive what fruits spring from this root,
viz: that princes, and all that are in place of government, think
themselves to be so spiritual, that there is no other ecclesiastical
government. And this sacrilege creeps among us, because they cannot
measure their office with certain and lawful bounds, but are of opinion
they cannot reign, unless they abolish all the authority of the Church,
and become the chief judges both in doctrine, and in the whole spiritual
government. At the beginning they pretend some zeal; but mere ambition
drives them, that so solicitously they snatch all things to themselves.
Therefore there ought to be a temper kept; for this disease hath always
reigned in princes, to desire to bend religion according to their own
pleasure and lust, and for their own profits in the mean time. For they
have respect to their profit, because for the most part they are not
acted by the Spirit of God, but their ambition carries them." Thus
Calvin in Amos vii. 13. Oh what exclamations would this holy man have
poured out, had he lived to see the passages of our days! _Quis talia
fando temperet a lachrymis!_[25]
II. Subordinate ministerial power, which is either,
1. Indirectly, improperly, and only objectively ecclesiastical or
spiritual, (so called, because it is exercised about spiritual or
ecclesiastical objects, though formally in its own nature it be properly
a mere civil or political power.) This is that power which is allowed to
the civil magistrate about religion; he is _an overseer of things
without the Church_, having an external care of religion as a
_nurse-father_, Isa. xlix. 23; as had Hezekiah, Josiah, Asa,
Jehoshaphat, &c.; so as, by the law, to restore religion decayed, reform
the Church corrupted, protect the Church reformed, &c.
2. Directly, properly, and formally ecclesiastical or spiritual, having
respect properly to matters within the Church. This power only belongs
to church officers, who are overseers of things within, 1 Cor. iv. 20,
21; 2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10; and this is either, 1. More special and
peculiar to the office of some church governors only, as the power of
preaching the gospel, dispensing the sacraments, &c., which is only
committed to the ministers of the gospel, and which they, as ministers,
may execute, in virtue of their office. This is called by some the key
of doctrine, or key of knowledge; by others, the power of order, or of
special office. See Matt, xxviii. 18-20; Rom. x. 15; 1 Tim. v. 17. 2.
More general and common to the office of all church governors, as the
power of censures, &c., wherein ruling elders act with ministers,
admonishing the unruly, excommunicating the incorrigible, remitting and
receiving again of the penitent into church communion. Compare Matt,
xviii. 17, 18; 1 Cor. v. 2, 4, 5, 7, 11-13; 2 Cor. ii. 6-12, with Rom.
xii. 8; 1 Cor. xii. 28; and 1 Tim. v. 17. This is called the key of
discipline, or power of jurisdiction.