_Of the special difference of Church Government from other Governments.
And first of the Special Rule of Church Government, viz. the Holy
Scriptures._
Touching the special difference, whereby church government is in this
description distinguished from all other governments whatsoever, it
consists of many branches, which will require more large explication and
confirmation; and shall be handled, not according to that order, as they
are first named in the description, but according to the order of
nature, as they most conduce to the clearing of one another, every
branch being distinctly laid down, as followeth:
The rule or standard of church government is only the holy Scriptures.
Thus in the description, church government is styled a power or
authority revealed in the holy Scriptures. For clearing hereof, take
this proposition, viz:
Jesus Christ our Mediator hath laid down in his word a perfect and
sufficient rule for the government of his visible Church under the New
Testament, which all the members of his Church ought to observe and
submit unto until the end of the world. For clearing this, weigh these
considerations:
1. The government of the visible Church under the New Testament is as
needful as ever it was under the Old Testament. What necessity of
government could be pleaded then, which may not as strongly be pleaded
now? Is not the visible Church of Christ a mixed body of sound and
unsound members, of fruitful and barren branches, of tares and wheat, of
good and bad, of sincere believers and hypocrites, of sheep and goats,
&c., now as well as it was then? Is there not as great cause to separate
and distinguish by church power, between the precious and the vile, the
clean and the unclean, (who are apt to defile, infect, and leaven one
another,) now as well as then? Ought there not to be as great care over
the holy ordinances of God, to preserve and guard them from contempt and
pollution, by a hedge and fence of government, now as well as then? Is
it not as necessary that by government sin be suppressed, piety
promoted, and the Church edified, now as well as then? But under the Old
Testament the Church visible had a perfect rule of church government,
(as is granted on all sides:) and hath Jesus Christ left his Church now
under the New Testament in a worse condition?
2. The Lord Jesus Christ (upon whose shoulder God hath laid the
government, Isa. ix. 6, and unto whom _all power both in heaven and in
earth is given_ by the Father to that end, Matt. xxviii. 18) _is most
faithful in all his house_, the Church, fully to discharge all the trust
committed to him, and completely to supply his Church with all
necessaries both to her being, and well-being ecclesiastical. Moses was
faithful in the Old Testament; for, as God gave him a pattern of church
government in the ceremonial law, so he did all things according to the
pattern; and shall the Lord Jesus be less faithful as _a son over his
own house,_ than was Moses as a servant over another's house? "Consider
the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was
faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all
his house--and Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a
servant--but Christ as a son over his own house, whose house are we,"
Heb. iii. 1, 2, 5, 6. Yea, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and
to-day, and forever," Heb. xiii. 8, giving a pattern of church
government to Moses, and the church officers of the Old Testament, (the
Church being then as a child in nonage and minority, Gal, iv. 1, &c.,)
can we imagine he hath not as carefully left a pattern of church
government to his apostles, and the church officers of the New
Testament, the Church being now as a man come to full age and maturity?
3. The holy Scriptures are now completely and unalterably perfect,
containing such exact rules for the churches of God in all states and
ages, both under the Old and New Testament, that not only the people of
God, of all sorts and degrees, but also the men of God, and officers of
the Church, of all sorts and ages, may thereby be made perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works. "The law of the Lord is
perfect," Psal. xix. 7. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished to every good work," 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. And in his
first epistle to Timothy, (which is the Church's directory for divine
worship, discipline, and government,) he saith, "These things write I
unto thee--that thou mightest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself
in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God," (this is
spoken in reference to matters of church government peculiarly,) 1 Tim.
iii. 14, 15. And the apostle, having respect to the former matters in
his epistle, saith to Timothy, and to all Timothies after him, "I give
thee charge in the sight of God--that thou keep this commandment without
spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,"
(therefore, this charge is intended for all ministers after Timothy to
the world's end,) 1 Tim. vi. 13, 14, compared with 1 Tim. v. 21, observe
_these things_. And the perfection of the whole scripture canon is
sealed up with that testimony in the close of the last book, "If any man
shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are
written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of
the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book
of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written
in this book," Rev. xxii. 18, 19. Now, if the Scriptures be thus
accurately perfect and complete, they must needs contain a sufficient
pattern, and rules of church government now under the New Testament;
which rules are scattered here and there in several books of the word,
(as flowers grow scattered in the field, as silver is mingled in the
mine, or as gold is mixed with the sand,) that so God may exercise his
Church, in sifting and searching them out.
4. All the substantials of church government under the New Testament are
laid down in the word in particular rules, whether they be touching
officers, ordinances, censures, assemblies, and the compass of their
power, as after will appear; and all the circumstantials are laid down
in the word, under general rules of order, decency, and edification, 1
Cor, xiv. 40, and ver. 5,12, 26.
Consequently, there is a perfect and sufficient rule for church
government laid down in the Scriptures, which is obligatory upon all.