A Vindication of the Presbyteriall-Government and Ministry

by Ministers and Elders of the London Provinciall Assembly

Three things we shall desire to adde, as a conclusion of this discourse.

1. That there are prints of the Ruling-Elder remaining amongst us even at this day; for as the Overseers of every Parish, have a resemblance of the Deacon; so the Church-warden hath some foot-steps of our Ruling-Elder; though we must needs confess, that this Office hath been much abused; and we could desire it might be laid aside, and the true Scripture-Ruling-Elder set up in his place.

2. That the Prelatical Divines, [75]which are such great adversaries to the Ruling-Elder, do yet notwithstanding, hold and prove, that men of abilities which are not Ministers, are to be admitted into Generall Councels; because that in the Synod of Jerusalem, not only the Apostles, but Elders and Brethren did sit and vote, because this was practised in the Old Testament; and because that this was practised in the Councels held afterwards in the Church of Christ, as appears out of Eusebius, Sozomen and Theodoret, and by the subscriptions of those Councels done by men, not Ministers, as well as others.

Hence we might argue;

If other men, besides Ministers, are by Gods word, even in the judgment of the Prelaticall Divines, to be admitted into the greatest Assemblies, and Councels of the Church, much more are they by the same right to be admitted into particular Congregations, to sit and vote with the Minister in the Government of the Church.

3. Adde thirdly, that even in the Bishops days, for these many hundred years, there have been Ruling-Elders in the Church; for the Chancellours, Commissaries, Officials, and such others, were all of them Governours of the Church, and had the power of suspension and excommunication; and yet were few of them, if any, Ministers of the Word: And it seems to us, to be a great curse of God, that lyeth upon mens spirits, that could willingly submit to Chancellours & Commissaries, who did nothing else but pick their purses, and tyrannize over their bodies and estates, and yet will not submit unto the Ruling-Elder now established, who seeks no other interest, but the interest of Christ, and medleth not with mens bodies or estates, and desireth nothing but to be helpfull to the Ministers of Christ, to keep their Congregations in unity, piety, and verity. This is all we shall say, in answer to the first Objection.

The second grand Objection against the Presbyteriall-Government, is, that it requires all, of all sorts, to come to the Minister and Elders to be examined, before they can be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, which is (as some ignorantly say) to bring in auricular confession again into the Church, to bring the people of God into a spirituall slavery and bondage unto the Eldership, and which is an usurpation more then prelaticall, and a tyrannicall domineering over mens consciences, and hath no footing in the Word; for the Scripture saith, Let a man examine himself, and so let him eate, &c. It is not said, Let him first be examined by the Ministers and Elders: the Scripture addes, He that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not to the Eldership. And why then must a man submit himself unto the examination of the Eldership? and how come the Eldership to be guilty of another mans unworthy receiving? It is further added by some, that for their parts, they will willingly come before the Minister, and submit to his examination, but they will rather for ever be without the Sacrament, then submit to come before the Lay-Elder, for whom, they see no warrant in the Word of God: Others say, that they will freely yield that the younger sort, that never have received the Sacrament, should present themselves to the Eldership to be catechized, and instructed, and fitted for the Sacrament; but they will never yield, that old men and women, that heretofore have divers times received, should now in their old age be required to come, to be examined not only by their Minister, but by the Elders also, who oftentimes are very unfit for that Office: Others adde, that though some Ministers rigidly keep all from the Sacrament, that will not come before the Elderships; yet there are others, that are Presbyterians, and have Elders chosen, that act without them, and will receive us to the Sacrament without comming before them. These, and such like Objections, are brought against this way of Examination, that is so happily begun amongst us. Now that we might satisfie these Objections, and make good our practice out of the Word of God, we shall briefly do these four things.

1. We will declare what our practice is in this particular.

2. We will prove, that he that will come to the Sacrament, ought first to submit to examination.

3. That the power to examine, belongs not to the Minister alone, nor to the Minister with the whole Church, but to the Minister and Elders.