A Vindication of the Presbyteriall-Government and Ministry

by Ministers and Elders of the London Provinciall Assembly

3. From the immediate, and proper end of Church Government, which is not only matter of order and decency, but spiritual and supernatural, being appointed for the [15]Edification of the body of Christ in grace unto glory; and more particularly, for the gaining of an offending brother unto repentance, and for the saving of his soul in the day of the Lord Jesus. Now this is a certain rule, whatsoever hath a spiritual efficacy, must of necessity have a divine originall; humane institutions can but produce humane effects: And therefore, seeing Church Government is designed for divine and supernaturall ends, it must of necessity, plead its originall from God himself.

4. We argue from an enumeration of the substantials of Church-Government. The Word of God declares unto us, That there are Church-officers, and who they are, viz., [16]Pastors and Teachers, [17]Ruling-Elders, and [18]Deacons; And how they are to be [19]qualified for, and [20]externally called unto their respective Offices, together with all the Ministerial duties in those Offices, by them to be performed respectively; as [21]publike prayer, the Ministry of the Word, [22]by reading and [23]preaching, the [24]blessing of the people in the name of the Lord, [25]Administration of the Sacraments, [26]Censures and [27]distribution of Alms. The Scripture also tells us of a [28]Church, consisting of no more then can conveniently meet in one place to partake in all the Ordinances of publike Worship: and of [29]a Church consisting of divers congregations. The Scripture also speaks of [30]Synods, with Ecclesiasticall Authority, together with the [31]subordination of the lesser, to the greater, and appeals thereunto. Now all these are the substantials of Church Government, and are sufficiently set down in the Word, as may partly appear by the quotations in the Margent, and shall further appear by what we shall say afterwards. And more then these, and such as are necessarily included in these, are not (as we humbly conceive) substantials in the outward Government of the Church. The rest are circumstantialls, for which Christ hath given general rules sufficient to direct the Church in the ordering of them, and from which therefore she may not depart. These rules are set down, 1 Cor. 14.26, 40. Let all things be done unto edifying, decently and in order, 1 Cor. 10.31, 32. Do all to the glory of God, &c. Rom. 14.19. Let us therefore follow after the things that make for peace, &c.

The second thing, which with the like brevity and perspicuity, we shall endeavour to evidence unto you, is, That the Christian Magistrate, is not the Fountain and Origin of Church-Government. The former assertion, gave unto God, the things which were Gods; and this doth not at all take away from Cæsar, the things that are Cæsars: For we freely acknowledg, that Magistracy is an Ordinance of God, appointed for the great good of mankind; so that, whoever are enemies to Magistracy, are enemies to mankind, and [32]to the revealed Will of God. We desire to hold up the honour and greatness, the power and authority of lawful Magistracy, against Papists, Anabaptists, and all others, that despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. We say, that the Magistrate is, in a civil notion, the supream Governor in all causes Ecclesiastical; the [33]keeper of both tables; [34]the nursing father of the Church: [35]that it belongs to him, by his Political power, to reform the Church, when corrupted; to preserve it, when reformed; to suppresse blasphemy, idolatry, heresie, schisme, and prophanenesse, and whatsoever is contrary to godlinesse and sound doctrine; that the people under him, may lead a quiet life, in all godlinesse and honesty. [36]That he is sent of God for the punishment of evil doers (amongst which, are heretiques, as well as others, and therefore called evil workers; and heresies, evil deeds, Phil. 3.2. 2 ep. Joh. ver. 11.) and for the praise of them that do well. That he is the [37]Bishop of those things that are without the Church; as Constantine stiled himself. That to him belongs to punish Church-Officers, with civil punishments, when they abuse their power; and to give protection to the publique exercise of Church-Government, within his dominions.

But yet, notwithstanding all this, we affirm, That though the Magistrate be a nursing father of the Church, yet he is not the begetting father; That the Magistrate, as a Magistrate, is no Church-Officer, neither are the keyes of the Kingdom of heaven committed unto him. Neither did Christ ever say to the Kings of the Earth; whose sins you remit, shall be remitted; and whose sins you retain, shall be retained; and whatsoever you shall binde on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Neither is the offended brother directed to tell the civil Magistrate, but to tell the Church. Neither doth it belong to him to preach the Word, or to administer the Sacraments. Neither is he, as a Magistrate, seated by Christ in his Church, but is to be subject to the Church in all spiritual things, as a member thereof. Neither is it in his power to appoint what Government he please in the Church; no more then what Religion he please. And this we prove:

1. Because Jesus Christ (as hath been already shewed) hath appointed a particular Church-Government in his Word, to be observed by all Kingdoms and States immutably, and unalterably, for the substantials of it.

2. Because the Church of Christ had a Government within it self for 300 years before it had a Christian Magistrate. The Scripture tells us, that the Church, in the Apostles dayes, had power to meet for ordering Church-affairs, for excommunicating scandalous offenders, and obstinate heretiques. And this power was not derived to them, from the Magistrate, being then Heathen; nor were they Traytors and Rebels against the State, in challenging this power. And when the Magistrate, afterwards, became Christian, the Church did not lose that power which it had before, when he was heathen. For the truth is, when a heathen Magistrate becomes a Christian, he doth not acquire more Authority over the Church of Christ, then he had before, no more then a heathen husband converted, doth over his wife, which he married, when unconverted. A Magistrate, by becoming Christian, is better inabled to do service to Christ, and his right is sanctified to him; but his Authority is no greater then it was before.

3. Because the power of the Magistrate, in reference to the power of the Church, is not privative of the Churches power, but cumulative and additional. For if it were otherwise, then the condition of the Church should be worse under a Constantine, then under a Nero; under a Christian Magistrate, then under a Heathen; which is contrary to all those Scriptures, which tell us [38]what glorious advantages the Church should have, by the Magistrates becoming Christian; and that the Magistrate shall bring honour and glory to the new Jerusalem, and not take away that power that properly belongs to the new Jerusalem.

4. Because that this assertion, denyeth an intrinsecall power to the Church, to preserve it self in unity, to purge out spiritual defilements, and to take care for its own preservation against Church-destroying enemies, and iniquities; which makes the happinesse of the Church wholly to depend upon the civil Magistrate; and is contrary, not only to the nature of the Church[39], but of all other societies, which have a power within themselves, of self-preservation; and is contrary to the experience of former ages, which tell us, That the Church of Christ did flourish more in truth and holinesse, (though not in wealth and honours,) whilest it was under Heathen persecuting Emperours, then afterwards. From the Apostles, even unto the dregs of our time, the Church of Christ, both in its infancy and fuller growth, increased by persecutions, and was crowned by Martyrdoms: But after it had Christian Princes, indeed it was greater in power and riches, but lesse in piety, saith Jerome[40].

5. Because that this opinion, That the Magistrate is the Fountain of all Church-power, derives upon the Christian Magistrate most of that power, which the Pope did formerly most unjustly and tyrannically usurp over the Churches of Jesus Christ; and thereby makes the Christian Magistrate to become a Political Pope, and sets up a civil Antichrist instead of a spiritual, for one great part of Antichristianisme consisteth in the Popes making himself to be the Original of all spiritual jurisdiction.

And thus we have given you a short account of the first opinion; and we do beseech you, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you would weigh what we have said, in the ballance of the Sanctuary; & that you would look upon Church-Government, as an Ordinance of God, flowing unto you in the bloud of Christ, and as part of his Kingly Office; That you would allow of no Church-officers, or Offices, that have not a divine stamp upon them, accounting them guilty of a spiritual Præmunire, that will undertake an office in the Church, if there cannot be shewed a Scripture-warrant for it; and that you would submit unto it for conscience sake.