Part 32
And for any such covenant (which you blame so for length, that the apostles their dispatch was but an ace to this covenant of ours, and for tyranny as unchristian usurpation upon the consciences of men, and a tempting of God by laying such
@ burden upon his people. And for schism, you would accuse it as @ parTWO LETTERS CONCERNING tition-wall wholly to separate men in care, affection, dependence upon all other churches and saints of God throughout the world) it is no more with us than this, an assent and resolution professed (by them to be admitted by us), with promise to walk in all those ways pertaining to this fellowship, so far as they shall be revealed to them in the gospel.
Thus briefly, indefinitely, and implicitly, and in such like words, and no more or otherwise, do we apply ourselves to men's consciences, not obtruding the mention of any one particular upon them before or in admission, but wholly leaving before and after their spirits free to the entertainment of the light that shines, or shall shine, both to them and us out of the word, and unto the sweet guidance of the Holy Spirit of Christ to lead both them and us unto all truth, without either our haling or driving them.
Indeed, we that are to admit, do it upon a conviction and persuasion of the party's true grace, some way made forth visible to us.
And we think any Christian man may blush to name (now under the New Testament, when types and shadows are fled away, and the body of the truth is come) a body, and chureh, and : members of Christ our Head, and not meam saints, and by saints understand at least such as, by the rules of the word, given by God himself to judge others by, are visible saints.
And we find confession with the mouth of the work of faith in the heart, a means among other sanctified by God to make any one's grace evident and visible to others; and the judgment we make hereupon to admit owr members, is no other or more rigerous than what the word holds forth as meet for us to judge of others by, and but such as I know year conscience carries about with you, and which you can never lose, and which, as occasion is given, you do use to judge of the differences of men by; and we know that in us it is righteous judgment, being squarod by the rule given us, although it is not infallible jadgment, for men may deceive us in our applications of it.
Thus we do and have practised, and this is all for matter of covenant or confession in use with us, and that from the beginning.
And thus mueh in effect you grant, or seem to grant, whilst about confession in the beginning of the second argument you use these words, 'Many instances there are wherein enly (say you) upon a sober profession of their faith in Christ, and entertainment ofthe gospel, men have been received into churches,' speaking of Scripture instances in the apostles' times.
And in the beginning of the third argument you add these words, Believers, willing and agreeing to live together in the same body with you, afterwards instancing in your own, you do call church fellowship.
Well, let them be believers, willing and desirous upon knowledge of each other to be such upon s profession of their faith, and also what this fellowship is, and let them withal but agree, by moutual consent and assent expressed to each other (or how else do they agree to live together in fellowship and body ?), so to live in that relation, and all the duties, and you and I are agreed.
And now suppose unto this agreeing of yours we join covenanting and promise, yet still but with those indefinite expressions mentioned, assuredly whatever you and I mutually agree to do, if it be a matter of moment, we may as well and as lawfully promise and covenant to do.
And therein what do we more than tie a double knot where you tie a single one?
And yet, that you and I may still agree, if you or any believer comes to be admitted among us upon the terms aforesaid, and did scruple the word covenant and promise, we would take your single agreement without such double security.
And this knot and band, thus firmly by a covenant made to tie us among ourselves as to the duties of this relation, is yet so far from being a wall of partition (as you would fain charge both as and it) from all saints and churches else, whom we love, pray for, hold communion with, and honour as the spouse and churches of Christ, and A CHURCH COVENANT. yours also (only give us leave to have our churches not separated, divided, though in some things. differing from yours, which therefore we could not be permitted to enjoy in our own land); it is so far, I say, from being a wall of separation from all others, that wa count it not indissoluble among ourselves
(as that of marriage is), but only obliging us to live together in this fellowship and the duties of it as becometh saints, whilst we are cast to live toge- ' ther as men by our outward calling and conditions, which cohabitation, the first, though remotest ground of church fellowship, and almost of all fellowship else, wherein, if providence maketh any alteration requiring a just remove, they may lawfully seek, and we do willingly grant a dismission from us to any other church, notwithstanding this our covenant obliging us to this particular fellowship ; but whilst we live together, a covenant, and that made afore God, and an oath unto God, are both and alike ordinances which may warrentably be used in all affairs human and divine, wherein there passeth mutuus compactus, a mutual agreement between men, or any special relation made-up among men by agreement,
Thus, if you marry, you make 8 solemn. covenant of it to perform the duties of that relation ; if you enter into any new league, even of friendship, you may bind it by a covenant, as did Jonathan and David.
Thus, to be admitted into any body or polity civil, men make not only a covenant, but do often add thereto an oath, and euch is called the covenant of God, as.that of marriage,.and the oath of God, as that between prince and people in a commonwealth.
Now, if this church . fellowship be a body, and that to be entered into by believers agreeing to live in the same body, as your words and the trath express, and such a body as superadds anything of a special relation mutual between each other of that church more than that more common communion and relation of and unto all saints in the church catholic (and if it did not so, there were no need of any such act of agreement to live in the same body, for they were members of the catholic church without it and before it), why, then, should not such a covenant, and the use and benefit of it, be allowed to this body, and special relation of church fellowship, to form up and knit fast the agroement of it, as is common to all bodies and societies and particular relations made up in the world? not any of which you oan well make up, or not 60 well, without a covenant, or at least an. agreement, and that passed by way of words mutually expressing consent, and must needs be confessed most suiting with and nearest to the very dictate of nature, whilst these societies shall be-made up of men tq whom, to that very end that they might be sociable, their speech was.given them.
And so this comes to be argued not barely from the faint illustration of a lifeless and lame similitude and resemblance, but from the true and real analogy and like interest and correspondence with the nature of the thing itself, which this. divine society, body, and relation of men doth in common hold and retain inthis common bond of all such societies for their making up, namely, an agreement expressed in words, and s solemn covenant, and this juxe naturali, even by a right which both God and the nature of the thing itself hath endued it withal.
First, Natare doth evince it, the laws and rules of which doth run along with and are alike common to things spiritual and human, so far as both are said to agree in one eommon nature together
; for as when God made speaking to men in a public assembly (as. that of preaching and prophesying) a sacred ordinance, instantly did all the laws of nature and right reason, that seem to regulate and covenantly concur to all orderly speeches and orations of men in public assemblies made, fall upon this ordinance also, as to speak aloud, not to speak in an unknown or strange tongue which the assemblies
-anderstand not, not to speak confusedly two or three at once, but one by TWO LETTERS CONCERNING one.
Even so when God made this feowship of saints, and this special relation of a few in a church fellowship and ordinance, instantly doth this of making up this relation by a joint agreement, and constantly expressed in words, present itselfas the natural and common way of knitting all sorts of men together in all other relations elee in the world.
Secondly, God hath ordained it ; for, if God kath thus lent in common (a8 we may 80 speak) a solemn covenant, as before himself made, unto all other relations and societies of any importance unto mankind, which, when in such civil affairs used, is to be esteemed sacred and an ordinance of God, a covenant with God (as was said) and an oath with God, hath he not with that same breath much more allotted and allowed the practice of such a covenant to have place in the obligation of this divine society and relation, which is itself an ordinance, and so of the two the more proper element for such a holy covenant ? eo as this is so far from being an img é yeypamras, anything above what is written (as you speak of it), that it rather comes within the compass of the apoatle's ygsiav [oux] ters yeapan, yea, indeed, which needed not at all to have been written; for (as he then speaks of love) ye are taught it of God in s law ofnature spiritaalised, who also hath fully, roundly taught us to acknowledge, if we be spiritual, yea, but reasonable, such dictates of nature and right reason in things wherein divine ordinances and human do alike partake incommon, to be no less than the commandsof God, for of such like rules (even the same we but now instanced in) doth the apostle there speak.
Nor yet is this covenant the renewing that solemn generalé covenant of grace entered into at conversion, where the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper are the seals which you mention as band suficient
; but this covenant is but a particular covenant, and so a branch of that general one, and bat to oblige unto the duties more properly and specially pertaining unto this fellowship, though all this im the virtue of the general covenant; and therefore although (as you say truly) the common band of our mutual interest in the same God, in the same baptism, é&o., do bind us to all those duties, yet that hinders not a special particular covenant to be made upon some special duties upon various occasions, even as particular leases and compacts use to be made out of some general charter; for example, baptism, and all those common interests in the same Lord, &., do oblige man and wife, master and servant, friend and friend, and also societies, unto all the duties belonging unto these several relations as they are laid down in the word, and yot particular and solemn covenants do and may pass between men for the performance of all these, or (to take your own instance which in your third argument you have used) for the confirming those duties and services of love to be performed towards yourself by those your brethren
~ in Christ, upon whom the providence ofGod, together with your own voluntary election, either here or hereafter, shall east you into chureh fellowship with. To maintain ministers for their labour and work of the ministry is (to go on to use your own words) one duty and service of love to which they stand bound by the common band of their mutual interest in the same God, in the same baptism, in the same hope, to exhibit, tender, and perform unto you, and which you may expect from the power of grace which worketh effectually in them, and subjecteth them to all the same bonds and obligations, and yet I believe you did, at least you might, expressly have covenanted with them that they should perform it; and yet what is this bat a daty and a branch of church fellowship you have « statute for in the New
And doth not the like reason hold for all other duties of that whole fellowship?
And of this sort were those covenants which, besides the obligation of the general covenant in the law in Horeb, and in cireumA CHURCH COVENANT. cision, were made of old by the people of God, the Jews, namely, special covenants upon special occasions made to engage them more expressly unto some special duties unto God or one another, whereof two instances you cite, but withal do shut the doors of those sanctuaries upon us, if we should thither fly for refuge, by alleging the forfeitare of our privilege therein, 'ourselves having (as you speak) polluted them by destroying all sympathy and agreement between a national church and that which we call instituted or partiealar.'
But wo affirm with all orthodox divines, that all the moral equity of these covenants do still hold under the New Testament as much as ever, a8 all things that were moral under the covenant also do, as a seventh-daySabbath, infant baptism, &o.
And the ministers' maintenance is argued : from that of not muzzling the ox's mouth ; and we bave destroyed only that sympathy with what was but typical then, which part of this sancfuary God himself both polluted and abandoned, whilst we deny those wonted arguments drawn from the mould and pattern of the national church then, and from the universal mixture of all Israel therein, to prove the like now in any whole national church in the world.
And we affirm the ~ dedication of all that people to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests, and so generallytobe members of that church, to be done but in a type and shadow, as most things else were, although a real holiness was commanded then as now, and required by Godof all then as now; as were their temples also types of that royal nation, and trae priesthood, and living stones, of saints in truth, and visibly such in reality, as Peter expoundeth it, of whom alone a particular church, the only instituted church we can find mentioned in the New Testament succeeding that national, is to consist, as the only trath and reality of that type.
And as God made persons and actions unclean in the type, that morally were not unclean, so on the contrary, in the like type all the nation holy, who yet morally were noither such, nor by the saints in those times were judged such ; but the moral part of this sanctuary, which is still to continue, yourself shall defile and destroy, if you either affirm the ground of making those special covenants, not to have been moral, or being moral, not to hold for pastors for a chureh or society, or society of men together, to enter into the like now.
But I resolved not to write a scripture, which yet confirms all this, but do now only leave you unto your own reason, spiritualised, to answer you out of what hath been said, in all that is materially objected by you, yea, even to that same reason that tells you that twice two is four, as yourself speaks of, there appearing 60 clearly error in the greatest part of our whole way.
And now you know both our judgments and practice, although the difference between you and us in this . particular can prove but small, to have answered all the material things in the query, so far as they relate unto this covenant, would be but an easy and no long work ; yet, for their sakes, to whom you have made this challenge against our whole ehurch fellowship so public, and endeavonred to make as odious as public, who yet are ignorant of it, I shall, God willing, put myself to farther pains, yet to shew more largely the foundation of our church work, and so of this practice ; and in doing this, I shall take the larger compass, and require the more time, because I see you will not allow me so muchas a stick or a stone unto this. building, yea, I am to fight for the very ground
T am to build upon ; for notwithstanding what I have took hold of in your discovery as granted by you, yet I cannot assure myselfof any one printiple from you about church-fellowship, but that there is a catholic church, and a commazion of saints in the creed, which we all acknowledge; for otherwise, when we speak of a particular instituted church, you seem to make it a matterof our making, and not as of God's institution.
TWO LETTERS CONCERNING A CHURCH OUVENANT. if I should go about to beg any one of these principles, oven the lowest about a particular church, I know not what, nor indeed how large I may be denied.
You have enacted a supreme law, as you call it, against all such beggars in this dissertation ; and if the foundation should be denied, what can we do till we have established them?
Iam resolved, therefore, and must be at the more pains, and expense of time, who yet am able to take but little pains in much time, to satisfy and make good, as I go along, all those principles which you slight as loose and faint suppositions.
And therein I have but one request to make to you, and by you to'make to others, to whom you have made your letter and objections 80 common: let not this, my taking a longer day, add one hair to the stature of your confidence, which is full high and tall enough already in any man's view, even in the very first words of your arguments, neither unto your own, or any of their opinions of the strength of these their arguments.
But above all, I beseech you not to draw so hard a consequence from the suspension of a more full answar,as to expectme sooner with you than an answer; for I assure you, did not the merit of the cause itself, and the condition of it, not being understood by most, require it, that men may come to a right understanding of us, I should not have needed any more time for the clearing of any scruple or doubt, whioh all this your discourse had any way begotten in my own reason or conscience, than simply when I was a reading it first over.
And in. this my answer, I shall not go about to contend with you, either in rhetoric, or subtilty of answering, but in solidity and faithfulness, through the grace of Christ.
To say I shall so answer thus or thus goon, I make acconnt is but the credit of the answer, which I have learned not to strive with you about, but to give you, as you see, all the fair advantages; buat to: answer you with words of trath and soberness, that may, through Christ, convince you and others, shall be my only aim ; and then I know, althongh I should be long in doing of it, yet delays and charges will therein be paid with interest and advantage unto the cauge and truth, which I expect more than what I am else in this world.
Neither yet will I andertake to answer you as you expect, letter for letter, tittle for tittle, word for word, in some things in your letter.
I know such retortions are affixable to any persun or eause, and never decided controversies; much less will I begin to vie moral imputations with you; no,
* though you should begin, and we fear not what you can beside; but my endeavours shall be to return you matter for matter, and in that business alone, through Christ that strengthens me, to give you measure for measure, pressed down and running over; and withal, which shall be unto me the . supreme law of this dissertation, to give a new consideration to every grain that addeth weight in anything you say, yea, and recall and retract also whatever I shall find that we are out in.
And this kind of inconstancy, however you should blemish me for, yet I count one of the greatest perfections of us imperfect men, imperfect in knowledge here below.
And all this I shall do with the greatest candour and simplicity, and which shall alao be sacred to me along this dispute, so to handle matters as tobe sure to part good friends.
And, in the meantime, let this be laid upin your bosom, to sweeten these waters of strife between us, viz., an assurance from me, that you still hold in my heart as high and full esteem of so great worth, learning, and piety, as ever you did; and how much you did, yourself knows, and many others ; and withal, that I retain as candid a jndgment of the-trath of your church state and calling in the ministry, for the essentials of it, as isin any of.your best hearers.
Account but of me as the servant of Christ, the unworthiest, and one of your most faithful, loving friends, Tao. Goopwix.
TWO LETTERS O¥ THE AUTHOR TO THE REVEREND ME ROBERT ASTY OF NORWICH, CONCERNING THE EQUAL AUTHORITY AND POWER OF PASTOR AND TEACHER IN A CHURCH.
| Ravenenv Sm,—I see you are pressed in your spirit (and it may be from the Lord) to seek my judgment in the case of your accepting or not accepting your call at Norwich to the ministry.
Iperoeive you have given up yourself to serve Christ in the way of preaching, with good and sineere intention ; and you do only doubt, by reason of the sense of your own inability, whether you should accept-of a fixed place of office to be added to that of preaching without it.
To this case thus stated, I give, according to my present poor judgment, two answers: the first is, that the great sense of your own inability, though, as considered in itself, it may deter you, yet that you have this deep sense beforehand, ought to be a great encouragement to you, that God hath given you such a spirit.
As in the case of profession of religion, the fears of falling away, and not being able to do anything as we ought (and twenty such discouragements), ought not nor do they finally keep any that are sincere from their profession of religion; but (as saith one) the power and assistance of Christ they are to live upon for enablingthem.
Parallel to this, whether you should bea Christian or no, is whether you should be a minister orno.
Sensibleness of our insufficiency is a character of such a frame of spirit as above all fits a man for the ministry ; ' for who is sufficient for these things,' as of ourselves? and wherein you are weak, you shall find yourself strong through the power of Christ that rests upon yon ; for sufficiency is of God, and we are not able to think a good thought of ourselves. And with these apprehensions did Paul both enter into the ministry, and was carried on in it; and as for your apprehensions of your gifts for the ministry, and fitness for that work, you are to take the judgment of a church that have been used to menof gifts and great gifts, now in choosing of you, and that as by the Holy Ghost; for it is the Holy Ghost who makes overseers over the church.
Therefore the church's choice, and the promise that in what God calls a man to he will not leave him nor forsake him, may be sufficient satisfaction to you.
And then besides there is a special blessing will accompany a man in an office, through the grace of God, more than doth in his ordinary preaching without office.
I use to say the loadstone doth draw, TWO LETTERS CONCERNING but especially if it be set in steel, 1 Cor. xii. 28, 1 Tim. iii. 15.
Sir, I should advise this concerning him that is to be joined with you in office, endeavour to observe by all ways you can his temper of spirit, not as to religion (I suppose sincerity and abilityto be in him), but as to his carriage, his natural temper.
There are oftentimes very great burdens uponmen's spirits that are yoked together, and breaches from unsuitableness of spirit do often fall out into sad events in churches.—The man is utterly a stranger to me.
—yYou know the sad events between Paul andBarnabas ; there was a selfishness in Barnabas to have Mark go with them.
He was his sister's son, and though Barnabas was a good man, an apostle, yet he stuck unto his selfish end so much, he was so pertinacious in it, that it caused a breach to part, and they never met again that we read of; and Paul was in the right.
I heard since you wrote to me, as if there were some discouragements that you have besides them that you wrote, which I must leave wholly to yourself.
Bat if you be yoked with your own consent, you are irrevocable; but yet you are free as to your own consent, and you have as great a freedom on your part to accept or not, as the church had of choosing on their part.
For your other query, of the equality or inequality of power in the office of a pastor and a teacher, and of their administrations, wherein they differ.
For the firat, I know no difference of superiority, and the apostle eondemned it in Diotrephes, 8 John ver. 9, of one above the other, they are prophesying elders both: Eph. iv. 11, 'Some pastors and teachers ;' they are yoked together alike, whereas the former are single, ' some apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists.'
These being extraordinary ministers, theymay admit subordination, as an evangelist was under and lower than the office of an apostle; but these two are yoked together in one,
' some pastors and teachers.'
They that labour in the word and doctrine are to have double honour alike; there is not a third honour to be given to oneabove the other.
The 65th and 66th chapters of Isaiah are promises of all the last and best times of the gospel, which ver. 22 shews sufficiently, and their worship is spoken in ver. 28, their officers in the 21st, whereof there were two sorts in general, priests and Levites.
The Levites were those that helped about sacrifices, and were under the priests, but the priests were equal ; and who are the priests but those whose lips preserve knowledge ? For the substance of their office they were co-ordinate officers, not subordinate, as the Levites to the priests.
Answerably in Rom. xii., where the officers of a church are set out at the 6th verse, and so on to the 9th, he says, 'Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given us,' for ministerial gifts are always suited, and then he divides them first into two generals: 1, prophecy; 2, ministry. Hespeaks of ordinary officers. Those that have to prophesy have to do with matters of faith: 'Let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith given us; or ministry, ' Let us wait on our ministry.'
Then he comes to subdivide these into these particulars: first, ' he that teacheth,to attend on teaching,'as upon an office; 'he that exhorteth, on exhortation.'
Those are the particulars belonging to prophecy; and as pastor is set before teacher in the Ephesians, here teacher is set before pastor; so that, comparing one with another, I make them equal with those offices that belong to the ministry.
The other generals are three, as it follows, and are lower and under: 'he that giveth,' and ' he that raleth,' and 'that sheweth mercy.'
You may see this opened at large by Mr Cotton in The Way of the Churches of Now England.
This for the equality; only I say this, as to the highest of their work, which is the word and prayer, they are both equal.
For the difference in their administrations, this is one principle with me, that the distinction of officers arises from the distinction ofgifts God doth give unto men fitted for office, and I found it upon 1 Cor. xii. 46, 'There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit; and there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations,' successes of God's working upon men's hearts, that is, from God the Father.
All three persons are interested jn the ministry as well as in our salvation.
The gifts are what the Holy Ghost gives, and endows man habitually withal, and they are divers.
Tho administrations are offices appointed by the Lord Christ the great Shepherd, and there are differences of administrations suited for the difference of exercise of gifts.
And, thirdly, the success is from God the Father, who is the God of all grace and the . founder of all, as the 6th verse has it.
Now the diversity of gifts for teacher and for pastor are as apparent, and that before called to office, which is suited to these diversities of gifts, habitually given by the Holy Ghost, as Jesus Christ appointed offices ; and happy is the man that is a minister that is ealled to that kind of office which his gifts suits, for then they will run in a more natural channel.
The diversity of gifts by theHoly Ghost doth appear.
Some more comparatively have a powerful way of exhorting, persuading, working upon the affections, and abound in uses; others have a gift of handling things in « doctrinal way, to open and feteh out the true meaning and sense of Scripture, which often needs an acuteness to find out, and to give reasons for the proof of a thing, an ability toanswer objections and untie knots, have a good judgment in controversies, yet both may have ability either way, but with s disproportion one more than the other. Answerably in that Rom. xii. of the prophesying officers, one is an exhorter, to bend himself to exhortation; and exhortation is put for comfort, and for like reason for reproof, and for what is directly practical.
And the teacher he has ability to establish men's hearts in truth, and they are to bend themselves accordingly : 'he that exhorteth, on exhortation ; he that teacheth, on teaching.' 1 Cor. xii. 8, ' To oneis given wisdom, to another knowledgo, by : the same Spirit ;' these are meant plainly of ordinary gifts.
That which follows in the 9th verseis healing, and those that are extraordinary.
Thus also that place in Timothy is understood by some of preaching officers that are;worthy of double honour, tbat labour in the word, that is, of exhortation, and that labour in doctrine ; and some have stretched the difference to be eet out by that scheme of a church in Rev. iv. of the four beasts ; the fourth was like an eagle, that has an eagle's eye into truths, é&o.
Thus, Sir, I have given you my thonghts that I have at present (for my notes about church government at present are nat with me, being I am removing). With my love remembered to you, and prayers to guide you, I rest, your very affectionate friend and brother in Christ,
Lonpow, March the 25th 1675, THE SECOND LETTER.
Reverenp Srz,—I received your important letter about two months since, which was time enough to have anawered it if opportunity had served; but truly I have been weak and sickish ever since, and my eyes fail me that I cannot write myself, so much as to set down my own thoughts and private studies; and, besides, I did suppose that you had the strength of what I could say in that letter I wrote you by Mr Berman, which yourself says in your last satisfied you so much, that I thought I needed to write no more, | |
TWO LETTERS OONCRRNING | or if I did, I should but fall inte the same thoughts again.
But you having now revived it in your letters to the elders in general, and therein required my cognisance, I strain myself to write again.
This controversy about the authority and power of pastor and teacher . was first started among the Brownist churches in Holland, by Francis
'Johnson, one of the rigid separation, who out of the Old Testament went about to prove the government by pastors and teachers under the New to be conformed to the analogy of the Old, and so to make a pastor in a congregational church to be as a high priest; but, as I remember, it took not with his brethren.
This book I have either lost, or it was burnt in the fire of Lendon, else I would send it you.
The arguments in my present thoughts, to prove that the pastor and | teachers are equal in power (which is the particular point of which you in- | quire), are such as these.
\ 1. The first is taken from what the apostle says, 1 Cor. iv. 1, ' Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.'
1. He speaks it of the preaching elders of the New Testament, the ordinary ministers of the word.
2. He speaks what esteem they are to have according to their order and rank from all men, and then much more from the church over which they are placed,
8. He speaks universally of all such as are the ministers to such churches:
'Let a man so account of us,' &e.
Now their office in common to them all is to be stewards of Christ ,and of the mysteries of God, whereby the sacraments are especially intended, as well as the dispensation of the word and prayer. For the sacraments are, in @ figurative signification, the person of Christ himself, and in « special manner mysteries ; and the ancients did usually and generally term them mysteries; and accordingly that place, Eph. v. 82, 'This is a great . mystery,' is interpreted by them a great sacrament; and thereupon the papists, who are the great pretenders to antiquity, have made marriage » sacrament to this day; but that scripture is genuinely meant of Christ and his church, as appears by the words spoken after.
2. When our Saviour Christ did institute the new ministry of the gospel in the room of the old, he first chose twelve apostles, who were the extraordinary ministers of the New Testament; and besides those, he sent out seven disciples to preach the gospel, and sent them two by two, one having like authority and equality with the other.
And these are, as Bishop Andrews doth interpret it rightly, the standing ordinary ministers of congregations.
8. When Christ at Igst, afore his ascension, gave authority to go preach the gospel, and teach all nations, with the same breath he gives them authority to administer the sacraments, Go and baptize as well as preach the word.
The commission was for the sacraments and werd together, and for one sacrament as well as another, so as the administration of these are of like extent, as occasion is; and correspondently to this, the apostle Paul,
Eph. iv. 10, 11, confirms it:
' When he ascended up on high,' says he, 'and gave gifts unto men, he gave some, apostles ; and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists.'
These are extraordinary ministers in those times of differing degrees and order each particular of them, and therefore each particular is distinguished by the word some.
And then he specifies the ordinary standing ministers that were to continue in all ages to the end of the world; ' pastors and teachers,' about whom the present question is.
Now observe the difference he puts.
'Indeed, the word some is set before pastors and teachers, to distinguish them from the extraordinary he.had spoken of afore, and to shew they were of another rank than the former.
But observe again | ( OHURCH GOVERNMENT. that he puts no such difference between the pastors and teachers; he doth not say, some pastors, and some teachers.*
He doth not place the word some afore each, as he had done afore, but says only pastors and teachers, to shew they are of equal commission and rank.
4. I might here add that grand record, Rom. xii., which the apostle Paul left behind him, on purpose as it were to check the pride of the church of Rome (which the Holy Ghost foresaw would be the mistress of misrule), and to prevent that disorder of officers in the church rising unto that grandeur, to which the Roman clergy have ascended, of thrones and dominions, &c., and to depress and suppress all such attempts in those officers.
The Holy Ghost left a scheme of those several officers and works of them, first dividing their fanctions into two heads, ver. 6, 7, prophecy and ministry, and then subdividing them into particulars, that 'he who teacheth should wait on teaching,' ver. 7.
There is one preaching elder, your teacher; and 'he that exhorteth on exhortation,' there is your pastor; and these two particulars come under that first head of prophecy ; and they that do so are the two preaching elders, as appears by the following words,
'Let us -prophesy according to the proportion of faith.'
So as matters of faith are the subject matter and work of their two offices; and then follows ' the three other particular officers which are to be reduced under the other general head of ministry, or dsaxovsia, which aro the inferior officers.
'He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity,' which we call the deacon; 'he that raleth, with diligence,' the ruling elder is meant; 'he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness,' which intends looking to the sick and infirm, which is a nauseating work.
And if any object that this office of shewing mercy runs in the language of the masculine gender, I answer, (1.) Whether it be a man or woman who undertakes the work, it is all one.
(2.) The apostle had begun the enumeration of these officers in the masj culine gender.
(8.) It is to be considered, that in all the other particular offices he men- | tions, the officers thereof are males, and therefore at the last he continues
| the same gender, noting out a person, to keep to the analogy of the language with which he had begun.
This chapter I fhns opened in the assembly, but you may see it more largely in Mr Cotton's Treatise of the Way of the Churches in New England.
5. Consider what the apostle says, 1 Tim. v. 17, ' Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.'
The apostle's scope is to set the differing valuation that churches were to put upon their officers for their works' sake, and he puts a special note upon the preaching elders that labour in the word and doctrine.
The difference he puts is only between them and the ruling elders; but he yokes them, viz., the pastor and teacher together, as co-ordinate and of like rank, for their works' sake ; yea (and as I have thought), with a distinction
{ of their offices, intimated in those phrases, 'that labour,' namely, in the '
' word' of exhortation, which is the pastor's office (it is the apostle's phrase elsewhere), and ' in doctrine,' which the teacher is to apply himself to.
6. The several gifts God gives (which are suited to ofices, and officers to them) do warrant this distinction.
Thus, in 1 Cor. xii., he discourses of the several gifts and offices of those that are the eminent members of the body ; and by helps in government, ver. 28, I understand the ruling elder assisting their teachers.
In the fore part of the chapter, ver. 4-6, he shews how God | * See Ainsworth's Discourse on the Ministry, in 4to.
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. has given gifts (that is, infused habits), and they are suited to offices, and both blessed by God.
Now, among those gifts fitting men for those administrations and operations, 'to one is given a word of wisdom,' which is more proper to a pastor; 'to another a word of knowledge,' that is for the teacher, which is a gift more speculative.
And you may find in experience, that some men's gifts are more for exhortation, and to set home uses ; others to invent reasons for proofs and explanations of truths.
And look into your anditors, and you will find some to affect a ministry that moves and persuades their affections, and stirs their wills
; and you will find others that affect depths of knowledge, and each profiteth by either, for that is the rule, 1 Cor. xii. 7.
The ministration of the Spirit in all these administrations is given to every . man to profit withal; and thus harmoniously doth one thing answer, and is suited to another, and by these God shews his care and wisdom, by several gifts and offices suited to men's needs and spirits, and shews his love in making provision for the defects and wants that are in his poor saints.
The teacher has the care of their understandings, to cure the errors and defects therein; and the pastor has their wills and affections principally committed to his charge, to work upon and move them
; and which of thesé you will prefer most in man, the will or understanding to be the more principal faculty, you may by the same measure give dignity to these officers for their work sake, 7. God further shews he has a care of men's lives and conversations, in setting up the ruling elder to watch over their conversations, for that is his charge.
God shews his care over their bodies and estates, in appointing the office of a deacon to look to their wants; and he takes care of their bodily infirmities, by appointing them that are to shew mercy.
And thus God has taken care for all about his people, both for his own honour, and their good who are his children.
He hath sufficiently provided for their education in this world, till they come to heaven.
As persons that are great kings and princes have several offices for every business, though very small, and they have them to shew their greatness, so Christ will have the like too in his charch.
Let these things be sufficient to answer this my scope and design, and to prove that these two offices of pastor and teacher, and their gifts and labours, are co-ordinate in respect of preference of one to the other, or dependence of the one upon the other, much more are they freed from any subjection of one unto the other.
80 that to advance one above the other is an apparent violation of the sacred order which God has instituted and fixed, and is an injurious usurpation out of ignorance and pride, such as was in Diotrephes, whom the apostle John so condemns.
The breaking of churches will be hazarded if this principle prevail; and let any man take heed how he defile the temple of God, much more destroy it, for him God will destroy.
I am, yours, &., Txo. Goopwim.
I intended by my letter to take away all precedency whatsoever, and my reasons do manifestly tend to it, and therefore I make it my conclusion; and those words in respect of preference, are all one as if I had said in respect of precedency.