The Divine Institution of Congregational Churches, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of the Ordinary Miniſters of a Church.
Christ hath appointed a ſufficient Miniſtry for the Churches, according to their inward and outward concerns: What an Elder is: What ſorts: The Paſtoral Charge what it contains: How diſcharged by one or more: A Teacher what: A Ruling Elder what: A Deacon what: A Church is fully Organiz'd with a Paſtor and Deacon.
§. 1. CHRIST being Exalted to God's Right Hand, and ſitting there an Apoſtle and High Prieſt of good things to come aHeb. 9.11., hath made proviſion for the calling in of the Elect bActs 13.48., and his redeemed ones cRev. 5.9., building and furniſhing his ſpiritual Temples and Habitations for God by the Spirit dEpheſ. 2.20, 21., not only by and under the Apoſtles Miniſtry, but alſo by a ſufficiency of Miniſtry and Ordinances in an ordinary and ſtanding way and manner of Diſpenſation to the end of the World eMatt. 28.19, 20, 21.
§. 2. According to the great Concerns of a viſible Church in this World, Chriſt hath wiſely conſulted the well-being of it aEph. 3.10, in inſtituting and appointing the Miniſters thereof bEpheſ. 4.10, 11.. As to the higher internal concerns, he hath ordained Elders cActs 14.23. Phil. 1.1.; and as to the more external, (no Church being able to ſubſiſt and keep up Ordinances according to the inſtituted Nature of them, without a due care of thoſe concerns) he hath ordained and appointed Deacons dActs 6.2, 3. Phil. 1.1..
§. 3. An Elder is an ordinary Miniſter to the Church, choſen and ordained by it to a Charge with Rule and Government a1 Tim. 5.17. Act. 4.23., being a Perſon of Age or Gravity, judged to be duly qualified for it b1 Tim. 3.1, 2, &c.. An Elder, Presbyter or Biſhop, we may find to be taken in Scripture for one and the ſame thing cActs 20, 17, 28., in relation to a Church of Chriſt, and are moſtly taken indifferently for any Ruling and Teaching Miniſter; as may be ſhewed by Claſſick Authors in Civil reſpects, and by Scripture Language. An Elder is an ordinary ſtanding Miniſter in a Church. The Apoſtles were Elders d1 Pet. 5.1., and executed Elders places, both in Teaching and Ruling where-ever they came, but all Elders were not Apoſtles, nor could they exert Apoſtolick Power, Elders being Men of ordinary uſe in a Church of Chriſt, and muſt continue eActs 14.23.. An Elder primarily ſignifies an old Man fib. 2.17., but applied to an Office of Elderſhip in Church or State, he is fitly called a Presbyter or Alderman in our Language; i. e. Elderman. Such there were in the Church and State of the Jews gExo. 12.21., and are in the Churches under the Goſpel hAct 14.23.. A Biſhop is an Overſeer of a Charge, and may be without Rule: Among the Grecians an Attick Magiſtrate, Clark of the Market, or Commiſſary of an Army was called a Biſhop; but the Scripture uſeth it for a Miniſterial Charge, Teaching and Ruling, one or both, Ruling at leaſt.
§. 4. The Elders of a Church, are Paſtor, or Adjuvant in the Paſtoral Charge under Chriſt. The Paſtor is an Elder of a viſible and particular Church, Choſen and Ordained to the Office of Feeding the Flock by the Word, Sacraments and Government a1 Pet. 5.2, 3. Eph. 4.11. Act. 20.38. The Office, Charge and buſineſs of a Paſtor is as a Shepherd to his Flock, to Feed, Guide and Fold: So Chriſt is the great Paſtor bJohn 10 11, 16., and the firſt to the Goſpel-Church cMat. 26.26, 31.. And as he is the Chief Paſtor d1 Pet. 5.4, ſo is he the great Preſident and Example to all the Paſtors of particular Churches in all things wherein he is to be followed in the Exerciſe of their Paſtoral relation eJohn 13.15.; as alſo the Guidance of his Spirit, and Direction of his Word fMat. 28.20., with all his holy Inſtitutions, are to be diligently obſerved, for to him it is that they muſt give account gHeb. 13.17.of this their great Stewardſhip h1 Cor. 4.1, 2..
§. 5. The Miniſterial Charge as to Adminiſtration of things of the moſt ſpiritual Nature in a Viſible Church, is contained in the Paſtoral Relation, and where God gives ability to perform it fully to the edification of the Church, One may perform it duly a2 Cor. 12.19. Eph. 4.12.. But in caſe of bodily infirmity, or greatneſs of the Congregation, if he is not able through the firſt to bear the whole Work of Teaching and Exhorting, or for the other reaſon, he is not able to go through the governing Work, Chriſt hath provided Helps and Aſſiſtance for him; a Teacher in his Teaching work, and a ruling Elder to aid and aſſiſt in Ruling b1 Tim. 5.17..
§. 6. He that is called and ordained of Chriſt by the Church to concur with the Paſtor in the Teaching Work, to the furthering the Churches Edification, is called a Teacher, and waits on that Service, helping alſo in Ruling with the Paſtor aRom. 12.7. 1 Cor. 12.28. 1 Tim. 3.1, 2. Eph. 4.11, 12. Tit. 1.9. 1 Pet. 4.10, 11..
§. 7. He that is Called and Ordained of Chriſt by the Church to concur with the Paſtor in diligently rulling, is required to wait on that Work eſpecially, for the Edification of the Church, and is called a Ruling-Elder, and is Ordained in the ſame manner with a Teaching-Elder a1 Tim. 3.1. Rom. 12.8. 1 Tim. 5.17.
§. 8. He that miniſters to the external concern of the Church, ſerving Tables for the ſupport of the Worſhip of God, and relief of the Poor, is a Deacon aActs 6.2. & 4.35. compar'd with ch. 6. Neh. 13.13: there may be one or more, as the concerns of the Church are, and there may be Women-helps, (in ſome Caſes neceſſary) called Deaconeſſes bRom. 16.1. & 12.8. 1 Tim. 5.9, 10.. The Deacon's Charge is the true and faithful diſpoſal of the Churches Stock and Contributions, and to the Church they are accountable c1 Cor. 4.2 1 Tim. 3.8, 9, 10. 1 Pet. 4.10.
§. 9. A Church which hath a Paſtor and Deacon is fully Organized, the Church requiring no more to Edification: The Paſtoral Office containing in it all the Teaching and Ruling Charge, and the Deacons all that concern the Care of the Church as to Externals.