Discipline Which Christ Hath Prescribed for the Government of His Church, Chapter 1
CHAP. 1.
The diffinition of Discipline, contayneth this proposition holden by vsus.
THe worde of God describ…th perfectly vntounto vsus, that forme of gouerning the Church which is Iawfull, and the officers that are to execute the same; from the which no Christian Church ought to swarue. Admonition in the praeface: Ecclesiasticall Discip. fol. 5. T. C. first booke, page 26. Counterpoyson page 8. Discourse of gouernement, page 1. &c.
The Assertion of the BB. and their adherents.
THe worde of God describeth not any exacte forme of Discipline, neyther are the offices and officers, namely, and particularly expressed in the Scriptures, but in some points left to the discretion and libertie of the Churche. VVhitgift in praeface, and page. 14. aunswere to the Abstract page 33.
The proofe of the former is the disproofe of the latter, which is thus declared.
1. These thinges write I vntounto thee,1. Tim. 3. 14. 15. &c. out of whiche place I reason thus. That end which Paule respected in writing vntounto Timothie, doth the holy ghost direct al ministers vntounto for euer; for it must be kept. 1. Tim. 6. 14. But he wrote to directe him in the establishing and building of the Church. Therefore that word must direct ministers for euer: and consequently they neither may add to, nor take from it, but gouerne it onelyonly by the rules that be there prescribed.
2 EueryEvery house ought to be ruled by the orders of the skilfull, wise, and careful householder onelyonly: But the Church is the house of God, and God is such a householder: Therefore the Church ought to be ruled by the orders of God onelyonly, which are no where to be had, but in his worde.
3 That which teacheth eueryevery good way, teacheth also how the Church must be gouerned: But the word of God teacheth eueryevery good way:Prouerb. 2. 9. pro. 2. 9. therefore it teacheth how the Church must be gouerned.
4 We cannot glorifie God, but by obedience to his word; in all that we doe, we must glorifie God. 1. Cor. 10. 31. Therefore in all that we doe,1 Cor. 10. 31. there must be obedience to the word; and consequently in gouerning his Church.
5 If meat and drinke be not sanctified vntounto vsus,1. Tim. 4. 5. but by the word & prayer, then much lesse is any thing holy which is done in the gouernement of the Church besides the word: But the former is true by the testimonie of the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. 5: therfore the latter must be true also.
6 All lawfull things are of fayth. Rom. 14 23.Rom. 14. 23. All lawfull things that are of fayth, hauehave a warrant from the word, for the word is the foundation of fayth; therefore all things lawfull, hauehave their warrant from the word: and consequently eueryevery lawfull action in the gouernement of the Church.
7 Eyther hath God left a prescript forme of gouernement for the Church, vnderunder the newe testament: or he is lesse careful for it now, then he was vnderunder the lawe; for his care is in guyding it: But he is as careful now for his church as he was then: Therefore hath hee left a prescript forme to gouerne it.
8 He that was as faythfull as Moses,Heb. 3. 2. left as clear instruction, both for the buylding of faith, and gouernment of the Churche, as Moses did: But Christ was as faythfull in Gods house. Heb. 3. 2: therefore he lefte as cleare instruction for them both as Moses; but Moses gaue direction euen for eueryevery particular, as appeareth in the buylding of the Tabernacle, and order of the priesthood. Therefore hath Christe also giuen particuler direction for the gouernment of the Church.
9 If the word of God hauehave described sufficient ministers and ministeries, for the buylding of the Church, and keeping it in good order, then is our assertion true: But it hath set downe sufficient for doctrine,Rom 12. 5. 6. 7. 1. Cor. 1…. 28. Ephes. 4. 11. &c. See Countery. page 11. exhortation, ouerseeing, distributing, and ordering of eueryevery particular Churche or generall Synode: Therefore is our assertion true.
10 That gouernement which the Apostles taught and planted, is expressed in the word of God: But the Apostles taught and planted, pastours and teachers for instruction, elders for ouersight, and deacons to distribute, and that vniformely in eueryevery Churche, as appeareth by their writinges and practises: Therefore a certaine forme of gouernement is expressed in the worde.
11 EueryEvery lawfull office & action in the building of the Churche,Matth. 21. 25. 26 is from heauen. Matth. 21. 25. 26. EueryEvery thing that is (in the ordinarie building) from heuen, is reueled in the word: Therfore euerye lawfull office and action is reuealed in the worde.
12 If God continued (in regarde of the substance) the Church administration, as wel as the things to be administred, then is the forme of Discipline described in the word. But the former is true, as appeareth by the particulars; for priests, pastours; for teaching Leuites, or doctors of the law, Teachers; for rulers of the Synagogue, Elders; for Leuiticall lookers to the treasurie, Deacons; for the Saned…rim, the Eldershipp: therefore the forme of gouernment is prescribed in the word.
13 EueryEvery wise king that is careful for his subiects, setteth downe Lawes for the gouernment of the same, and will hauehave them tyed to no other: But Christ is such a king vntounto his church: Therefore hath he prescribed Lawes vntounto his Church, which none therein can alter or disobey; and consequently, the certaine forme of gouernment of the Church is described in the worde.
14 That which the ministers must teach the people to obserue, is set downe in the worde of god, for they may teach nothing but that which is there,Matth. 28 20: Matth. 28. 20: But they are to teache, them to obserue, and be obedient vntounto, the particular forme of the Churche gouernement: Therfore the particular forme is set downe in the word.
15 EueryEvery gouernment consisteth in the gouernours, matter wherabout they are to be imployed, and maner of doing it: But in the word are described all these particulars, as it is shewed in the 9. reason: Therfore the word prescribeth a prescript forme of gouernment.
16 The Christian religion shall finde,Cyprian in sermone de baptismo Christi. that out of this Scripture, rules of all doctrine hauehave sprong, and that from hence doeth spring, and hyther doth returne, whatsoeuer, the Ecclesiasticall Discipline doth containe.
17 We may not giuegive our selues the libertie to bring in anye thing that other men bring of their will;Cyprian de prescrip…duer…us ha…t… we hauehave the Apostles for authours, whiche themselues brought nothing of their owne will, but the Discipline which they receiued of Christe, they deliuered saythfully to the people.
18 It is adulterous,Cyprian lib 1. Epist. 8. it is sacriledgious, whatsoeuer is ordayned by humane furie, that the diuine disposition should be violated.
Therefore if Timothie was written vntounto,The Conclusion that he might be directed by the worde, in disposing of the Churches; if the Lawes of God onelyonly being the housholder, must be followed in the Churche, his House; if the word of God teache vsus in euerye good way, whereof the gouernement of the Church is one; if God must be glorified in the ruling of his Church, which cannot be, but by obedience to his word; if nothing be lawfull, but that which i… of fayth, warranted by the word; if God hauehave shewed himselfe as carefull for his Church vnderunder the Gospell, as vnderunder the law; if Christ was as faythfull to giuegive direction as Moses; if in the worde be described sufficient ministers & ministeries, to buylde vp the Churche; if that gouernement, which the Apostles taught and practized, be in the worde; if eueryevery lawfull office and action in an ordinarie building, be from heauen, and reuealed thence by the worde; if God continued the same forme (in respect of the substance) in the time of the Gospel, that was vnderunder the law; if eueryevery wise carefull king, doe set downe lawes for the direction of his subiectes; if the Apostles hauehave taught vsus to obey that which Christ commanded; if both the gouernours, matter of gouernment, & maner of doing it, be set downe in the worde; if all that pertayneth to Ecclesiasticall Discipline, spring from the scriptures; if wee may bring nothing into the Discipline of the Church, but that which the Apostles hauehave deliuered vsus; lastly, if that be adulterous & sacriligious, that is not according to the worde: th…n it must needes followe, that God doth describe perfectly vntounto vsus out of his worde, that forme of gouernment which is lawfull, and the officers that are to execute the same: from the which it is not lawful for any Christian Church to swarue. And contrariwise, that is a most vntrue assertion to saye, that the officers and offices are not particularly expressed, but left to the discretion of the Church. The reasons that they alleadge against this, are in effect none, & their obiections to these reasons, not worthy to be mentioned.