Reafon II. and primi. -In Elections. Jefus Chrift intended there fhould be Order and Government in his Church; which is the Thing at. prefent in Hand to be proved: Which if it be fo really true, as it cannot be denied, then I hope, it will alfo neceffarily follow, that fuch, who really and truly are the Church of Chrift, have Right to exercise this Order and Government. Secondly, That the Apostles and primitive Chriftians did practife Order and Government, we need Church Or but to read the History of the Acts, of which I shall der practif. ed by the mention a few pregnant and undeniable Teftimonies, Apoftles as we may obferve in the very firft Chapter of the tive Chrif Acts, from Verse 13, to the End, where at the very rians. firft Meeting the Apoftles and Brethren held toge ther, after the Afcenfion of Chrift, they began orderly to appoint one to fulfil the Place of Judas; it may be thought, this was a needlefs Ceremony; yet we fee, how the Lord countenanced it. I hope, none will fay, that the Apoftles appointing of thefe two Men, or of him, upon whom the Lot did not fall, contradicted their inward Freedom, or imposed upon it; but both agreed very well together; the one in the Will and Movings of God in appointing, and the other in the fame in fubmitting to their Appointment. Moreover, after they had received the Holy Ghoft, you may read, As vi. fo foon as there was an Opportunity, how they wifely gave Order concern--In Dif. ing the Diftribution of the Poor, and appointed tributions fome Men for that Purpose. So here was Order Poor. and Government, according to the prefent Neceffity of the Cafe: And the Lord God was well pleafed for the 1 with it, and the Word of God encreased, and the Number of the Difciples multiplied in Jerufalem greatly. Might they not have faid then, as fome fay now, We will give our Charity to whom we fee Caufe; and we will take no Notice of your Appointments and Orders? Whether would God have approved of fuch, yea, or nay? Thirdly, ferences Occurring. Thirdly, When that the Business of Circumcifion fell in, whether it was fit or not to circumcise the Gentiles? We fee, the Apoftles faw not meet, to fuffer every one to follow their own Minds and W. M. in Wills: They did not judge, as one confufedly fup- hisQueris. pofeth, That this Difference in an outward Exercise would commend the Unity of the true Faith. Nay, they took another Method. It is faid exprefly, Acts xv. 6, 7. And the Apostles and Elders came together to confider of this Matter; and after there had been much difputing about it, no doubt then, there were in Difhere Diversities of Opinions and Judgments, the Apostles and Elders told their Judgments, and came alfo to a pofitive Conclufion. Sure, fome behoved to fubmit, elfe they should never have agreed. So thofe that were the Elders, gave a pofitive Judgment; and they were bold to fay, That it pleafed not only them, but the Holy Ghost. By all which it doth undeniably appear, that the Apoftles, and primitive Saints, practifed a holy Order and Government among themselves: And I hope none will be fo bold as to fay, they did thefe Things without the Leadings of the Spirit of God, and his Power and Authority concurring, and going along with them. ་ trine con Order in the Church. I Cor. 4. And that thefe Things were not only fingular Practices, but that they held it doctrinally; that is The Apoto fay, it was Doctrine, which they preached, that fles Doethere ought to be Order and Government in the ceraing Church, is manifeft from these following Teftimonies. 1 Cor. iv. 15, 16, 17. Verse 15. For though you bave Ten Thousand Inftructors in Chrift, yet have 15, 16, 17. ye not many Fathers: For in Chrift Jefus I have begotten you through the Gospel. Verse 16. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye Followers of me. Verse 17. For this Caufe bave I fent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved Son, and faithful in the Lord; who fhall bring you into Remembrance of my Ways, which be in Chrift, as I teach every where in every Church. Here the Apoftle Paul is very abfolute: First, in that he de D 2 fires ment. fires them to be Followers of him. Secondly, in that he fends a Teacher, yea, a Minister, and emi nent Bishop, or Overfeer of the Church, for to put them in Mind of his Ways, which be in Chrift, as he taught in every Church. No doubt there were Apoftates, and diffenting Spirits in the Church of Corinth, that gave Paul Occafion thus to write, as he teftifies in the Beginning of the Chapter, how he was judged by fome of them; he fhews, how they were grown high, Verfe 8. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as Kings without us, &c. Diffenting Might not thefe Diffenters of the Church of Corinth Reafonings have reasoned thus against Paul? Did not this Paul againft Church teach us, at first, to mind the Measure of Grace in Govern ourselves, and follow that? For no doubt, that was Paul's Doctrine, but now he begins to Lord it over us, and tells us, we must be Followers of him. Might not they have judged the beloved Timothy to be far out of his Place? Might they not have faid, It feems it is not God that moved thee, and fent thee here by his Spirit, but lordly Paul that feeks Dominion over our Faith: It feems thou comeft not here to preach Chrift, and wifh us to be Followers of him, and of his Grace in our Hearts, but to mind us to follow Paul's Ways, and take Notice, how he teaches in every Church: We are not concerned with him, nor with his Meffenger, nor with none of your Orders; and fo forth. Doth not this run very plaufible? I queftion not, but there was fuch a Reasoning among the apoftate Corinthians; let fuch as are of the fame Kind among us, examine seriously, and measure their Spirits truly hereby. Yea, he goes yet further in the following Chapter, Verfes 3, 4. Verse 3. 1 Cor 5. As abfent in Body, but prefent in Spirit, have judged al313 ready, as though I were prefent, concerning him that hath The Power fo done this Deed. Verfe 4. In the Name of our Lord Judgment Jefus Chrift, when ye are gathered together, and my in the Spirit with the Power of our Lord Jefus Chrift, &c. Would not one think this to have been a prefumpu of giving Church. ous ous Word? And yet who dare offer to condemn it? Fathers. Next, the great Argument the Apostle ufes to perfwade them hereunto, upon which he mainly infifts, because he had begotten them into the Truth; Ye bave not many Fathers; for in Chrift Jefus I bave As of begotten you through the Gospel: Wherefore, I beseech you, be So he makes that as Followers of me. ye the Caufe; which the fame Apostle alfo in his Ex poftulation with the Galatians, putting them in Mind, how he preached the Gospel to them at first, and Chap. iv. Ver. 15. Where is then the Blessedness ye fpake of? For I bear you Record, if poffible, ye would have plucked out your own Eyes, and given them unto me. We fee then that the Lord hath, and doth give fuch, whom he hath furnished, and fent forth to gather a People unto himself, Care and Overfight over that People; yea, and a certain Au- Overseers. thority in the Power over them to bring them back to their Duty, when they ftray at any Time; and to appoint, yea, and command fuch Things, as are needful for Peace, and Order, and Unity's Sake: And that there lies an Obligation upon fuch as are so ga--To be obeyed. thered, to reverence, honour, yea, and obey fuch as are fet over them in the Lord. For faith the fame Apostle, 2 Cor. ii. 9. For to this End alfo did I write, that I might know the Proof of you, whether you be obedient in all Things: And Chap. vii. Ver. 13. 15. Yea, and exceedingly the more joy'd we for the Joy of Titus, becaufe bis Spirit was refresh'd by you all. Ver. 15. -And Betrayings of the Inemy. 15. And bis inward Affection is more abundant toward you, whilst be remembreth the Obedience of you all, bow with Fear and Trembling ye received him. Now this will not at all infer, as if they had been implicitly led of Old: Or that fuch, as having the fame Authority to exercife it now, fought Dominion over their Brethren's Faith, or to force them to do any Thing beyond, far less contrary to, what the Lord leads us to by his Spirit: But we know, as they did of Old, that the Enemy lies near to betray under fuch Pretences. And feeing, in cafe of Difference, the Lord hath, and doth, and will reveal his Will to his People, and hath and doth raife up Members of his Body, to whom he gives a Difcerning, and Power and Authority to inftruct, reprove, yea, and command in fome Cafes; thofe that are faithful and low in their Minds, keeping their own Places, and minding the Lord, and the Intereft and Good of his Truth in the GeThe Mur- neral over all, fhut out the Murmurer; and the murer hut Spirit of God leads them to have Unity, and concur with their Brethren. But fuch as are heady and high-minded, are inwardly vexed, that any fhould lead or rule, but themselves: And fo it is the high Thing in themselves, that makes them quarrel with others for taking fo much upon them; pretending a Liberty, not finking down in the Seed to be willing to be of no Reputation for its Sake. Such, rather than give up their own Wills, will study to make Rents and Divifions, not fparing the Flock; but The Ho proftrating the Reputation and Honour of the Truth even to the World, minister to them an Occafion of Atrated by Scorn and Laughter, to the hardening them in their Divisions. Wickednefs and Atheism. out. nour of Truth pro Befides these Scriptures mentioned, I fhall fet down a few of many more, that might be inftanced to the fame Purpose. Epef. v. 21. Submitting yourselves one to another in the Fear of God.. Phil. |