Some say that rule is included in the pastoral office, so as that the pastor only is here intended. But, (1.) Rule is not his principal work, which he is to attend unto in a peculiar manner with diligence above other parts of his duty. (2.) The care of the poor of the flock belongs also to the pastoral office, yet is there another office appointed to attend unto it in a peculiar manner; Acts vi. (3.) He that ruleth,' is in this place expressly distinguished from him that exhorteth,' and 'him that teacheth.' Some say, that he that ruleth, is he that ruleth his family. But this is disproved by the analysis of the chapter before declared. And this duty, which is common unto all that have families, and confined unto their families, is ill placed among those public duties, which are designed unto the edification of the whole church. It is objected, that he that ruleth, is here placed after him that giveth, that is the deacon; I say then it cannot be the pastor that is intended; if we may prescribe methods of expressing himself unto the apostle. But he useth his liberty, and doth not oblige himself unto any order in the annumeration of the offices of the church; see 1 Cor. xii. 8-10. 28. And some other exceptions are insisted on of the same nature and importance, which indeed deserve not our consideration.

10. There is the same evidence given unto the truth argued for, in another testimony of the same apostle, 1 Cor. xii. 28. God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.' I shall not insist on this testimony and its vindication in particular, seeing many things would be required thereunto, which have been treated of already. Some things may be briefly observed concerning it. That there is here an annumeration of officers and offices in the church, both extraordinary for that season, and ordinary for continuance, is beyond exception. Unto them is added, the present exercise of some extraordinary gifts, as miracles, healing, tongues. That by helps, the deacons of the church are intended, most do agree, because their original institution was as helpers in the affairs of the church. Governments, are governors or rulers, the abstract for the concrete; that is, such as are distinct from teachers; such hath God placed in the church, and such there ought to be. But it is said

that gifts, not offices, are intended; the gift of government, or gift for government. If so, then these gifts are either ordinary or extraordinary; if ordinary, how come they to be reckoned among miracles, healing, and tongues? if extraordinary, what extraordinary gifts for government were then given distinct from those of the apostles; and what instance is any where given of them in the Scripture? Again, if God hath given gifts for government to abide in the church, distinct from those given unto teachers, and unto other persons than the teachers, then is there a distinct office of rule or government in the church, which is all we plead for.

11. The original order of these things is plain in the Scripture. The apostles had all church-power and churchoffice in themselves, with authority to exercise all acts of them everywhere on all occasions. But considering the nature of the church, with that of the rule appointed by the Lord Christ in it or over it; they did not, they would not, ordinarily exercise their power by themselves or in their own persons alone. And therefore, when the first church consisted of a small number, the apostles acted all things in it, by the consent of the whole multitude, or the fraternity, as we have proved from Acts i. And when the number of believers increased, so as that the apostles themselves could not in their own persons attend unto all the duties that were to be performed towards the church by virtue of office, they added by the direction of the Holy Ghost, the office of the deacons, for the especial discharge of the duty which the church oweth unto its poor members. Whereas therefore it is evident, that the apostles could no more personally attend unto the rule of the church, with all that belongs thereunto, without an entrenchment on that labour in the word and prayer, which was incumbent on them, than they could attend unto the relief of the poor; they appointed elders, to help and assist in that part of office-work, as the deacons did in the other.

These elders are first mentioned, Acts xi. 30. where they are spoken of as those which are well known, and had now been of some time in the church. Afterward they are still mentioned in conjunction with the apostles, and distinction from the church itself, Acts xv. 2. 4. 6. 22. xvi. 4. xxi. 18. Now the apostles themselves were teaching elders, that is,

such as had the work of teaching and rule committed to them; 1 Pet. v. 1. 2 John i. And these elders are constantly distinguished from them; which makes it evident, that they were not teaching elders. And therefore in all the mention that is made of them, the work of teaching or preaching is nowhere ascribed unto them; which at Jerusalem the apostles reserved to themselves; Acts vi. 2, 3. but they are everywhere introduced as joining with the apostles in the rule of the church, and that in distinction from the church itself or the brethren of it. Yea, it is altogether improbable, that whilst the apostles were at Jerusalem, giving themselves wholly unto the word and prayer, that they should appoint in the same church many more teaching elders; though it is plain that the elders intended were many.

I shall add for a close of all, that there is no sort of churches in being but are of this persuasion, that there ought to be rulers in the church, that are not in sacred orders, as some call them; or have no interest in the pastoral or ministerial office, as unto the dispensation of the word, and administration of the sacraments. For as the government of the Roman church is in the hands of such persons in a great measure, so in the church of England, much of the rule of it is managed by chancellors, officials, commissaries, and the like officers, who are absolutely lay-men, and not at all in their holy orders. Some would place the rule of the church in the civil magistrate, who is the only ruling elder, as they suppose. But the generality of all Protestant churches throughout the world, both Lutherans and reformed, do both in their judgment and practice assert the necessity of the ruling elders which we plead for; and their office lies at the foundation of all their order and discipline, which they cannot forego without extreme confusion; yea, without the ruin of their churches. And although some among us, considering particular churches only as small societies, may think there is no need of any such office or officers for rule in them; yet when such churches consist of some thousands, without any opportunity of distributing themselves into several congregations, as at Charenton in France, it is a weak imagination, that the rule of Christ can be observed in them by two or three ministers alone. Hence, in the primitive times we have instances of ten, twenty, yea, forty elders in a particular

church, wherein they had respect unto the institution under the Old Testament, whereby each ten families were to have a peculiar ruler. However, it is certain that there is such a reformation in all sorts of churches, that there ought to be some attending unto rule, that are not called to labour in the word and doctrine.

CHAP. VIII.

The nature of church-polity or rule, with the duty of elders. HAVING declared who are the rulers of the church, something must be added concerning the rule itself, which is to be exercised therein. Hereof I have treated before in general: that which I now design, is, what in particular respects them who are called unto rule only; whereunto some considerations must be premised.

1. There is power, authority, and rule granted unto and residing in some persons of the church, and not in the body of the fraternity or community of the people. How far the government of the church may be denominated democratical from the necessary consent of the people unto the principal acts of it in its exercise, I shall not determine. But whereas this consent, and the liberty of it, is absolutely necessary according to the law of obedience unto Christ, which is prescribed unto the church, requiring that all they do in compliance therewith be voluntary; as unto the manner of its exercise, being in dutiful compliance with the guidance of the rule, it changeth not the state of the government. And therefore, where any thing is acted and disposed in the church, by suffrage, or the plurality of voices, the vote of the fraternity is not determining and authoritative, but only declarative of consent and obedience. It is so, in all acts of rule where the church is, organical, or in complete order.

2. That there is such an authority and rule instituted by Christ in his church, is not liable unto dispute. Where there are bishops, pastors, elders, guides, rulers, stewards, instituted, given, granted, called, ordained; and some to be

ruled, sheep, lambs, brethren, obliged by command to obey them, follow them, submit unto them in the Lord, regard them as over them: there is rule and authority in some persons, and that committed unto them by Jesus Christ. But all these things are frequently repeated in the Scripture. And when in the practical part or exercise of rule, due respect is not had unto their authority, there is nothing but confusion and disorder. When the people judge that the power of the keys is committed unto them as such only, and in them doth the right of their use and exercise reside; that their elders have no interest in the disposing of church affairs, or in acts of church-power, but only their own suffrages, or what they can obtain by reasoning; and think there is no duty incumbent on them to acquiesce in their authority in any thing (an evil apt to grow in churches), it overthrows all that beautiful order, which Jesus Christ hath ordained. And if any shall make advantage of this complaint, that where the people have their due liberty granted unto them, they are apt to assume that power unto themselves which belongs not unto them; an evil attended with troublesome impertinencies and disorder, tending unto anarchy; let them remember, on the other hand, how upon the confinement of power and authority unto the guides, bishops or rulers of the church, they have changed the nature of church-power, and enlarged their usurpation, until the whole rule of the church issued in absolute tyranny. Wherefore, no fear of consequents that may ensue and arise from the darkness, ignorance, weakness, lusts, corruptions, or secular interests of men, ought to entice us unto the least alteration of the rule by any prudential provisions of our

own.

3. This authority in the rulers of the church is neither autocratical or sovereign, nor nomothetical or legislative, nor despotical or absolute; but organical and ministerial only. The endless controversies which have sprung out of the mystery of iriquity, about an autocratical and monarchical government in the church, about power to make laws to bind the consciences of men, yea, to kill and destroy them, with the whole manner of the execution of this power, we are not concerned in. A pretence of A pretence of any such power in the church is destructive of the kingly office of Christ, contrary