The Remains of John Corbet, Section 1 – Section 2
§ 1. Of the Church and Miniſtry, as related to each other.
WHETHER the Church, or the Miniſtry be firſt in nature, is to be conſidered; that for the more orderly, handling of both, we may know which of them to begin with. For that ſeems to require the precedency of handling, that hath the priority of nature; or the being whereof, is preſuppoſed to the being of the other. Now ſome have thus reſolved it: As the queſtion whether the Hen or the Egg be firſt, is reſolved by the Creation, That God made the Hen firſt; ſo is the Queſtion, Whether the Church or Miniſtry be firſt, by the conſideration of the firſt Inſtitution of Chriſt; And it appears that the Miniſtry was firſt Inſtituted, or at leaſt that it was firſt in exiſtence. In ſetting up the Chriſtian Church, Chriſt ſet up the Miniſtry firſt, to convert men, or make them Chriſtians. Moreover, the Miniſtry, as taken for the collective body of Miniſters, is a conſtitutive part of the Church, conſidered not entitativè, but organicè, (as ſome Phraſe the diſtinction); that is, not as a meer company of Believers gathered to Chriſt, but as a Political Society, or Spiritual Commonwealth in this World. And the Conſtitutive parts ſhould be diſtinctly treated of, before the Whole that is conſtituted of them.
On the other hand, the Church is the end of the Miniſtry, Eph. 4.11. and in deſign or intention, before it; and conſequently the Miniſtry hath a reſpect of ſubſerviency to the Church, and is Adapted to the ſtate thereof. Likewiſe the Miniſtry is in the Church, as the leſſer in the greater, as a part in the whole; as a thing reſiding, in the ſeat of its reſidence; as Stewardſhip in a Family. This indeed holds principally and perpetually of the Church Univerſal, 1 Cor. 12.28. Moreover, the Miniſters power and vertue is theirs, as they are the Churches, which indeed hath the propriety of them, and their Miniſterial gifts, as being all under God and Chriſt, finally for its behoof. Upon theſe conſiderations I ſhall diſcourſe firſt of the Church, and then of the Miniſtry.
§ 2. Of the Church, its Name and Nature.
THE word Eccleſia, is noted to ſignifie, 1. An Aſſembly called together by a Superior. 2. Any multitude gathered into one place. 3. According to the uſe of the holy Scripture, a certain multitude, that retain the Name, as well when they are a part, as when they are met together. An Aſſembly at large is called Eccleſia, but Appellativè; but they that are now ſo called by ſpecial appropriation of the word, are a Society ſtanding in a ſpecial Relation to God, as his devoted People; and that both when they are aſſembled, and when they are apart; and whether they be the Univerſal Society of Gods People, or the particular Societies that are the integral parts of the Univerſal.
The word Church is the Engliſh of Eccleſia, in its appropriated ſignification; and it is taken divers ways, but all agreeing in the aforeſaid Notion: 1. For the whole Company of Gods Elect, compriſing the uncalled, and the Militant, and the Triumphant, Eph. 5.25, 26. 2. For the whole Company of the faithful, both Militant and Triumphant, Col. 1.18. Heb. 12.23. 3. For all profeſſors of the Faith of Chriſt, or viſible Chriſtians, Acts 5.11. Acts 8.3. Acts 12.1. 4. For the Catholick Viſible Church as a political Society, 1 Cor. 12.28. 5. For the particular Churches, parts of the Catholick, as compriſing the Church Officers, and the people or Community of the faithful, as the Church at Corinth, 1 Cor. 1.2. The Churches of Galatia, Gal. 1.2. and in many other places. 6. For the members of the Church or Community of the faithful, as diſtinct from their ſpiritual Rulers, Acts 15.4, 22. 7. For the Governours of the Church, as diſtinct from the governed, Mat. 18.17, 18, 19. 8. For a Church-Aſſembly come together for Divine Worſhip, 1 Cor. 14.19, 34. 9. For the faithful in ſome one family, Rom. 16.5. Philem. 2. if it do not ſignifie a Church meeting in thoſe houſes. Theſe ſeveral acceptions of the word agree in the ſaid common Notion, of a number of People aſſociated in a peculiar and Spiritual Relation to God; yet the ſaid Notion is more noble and compleat in ſome of them, than in others.
Beſides all theſe, there is the vulgar uſe of the Word, for the Houſe ſet a part for the Church to meet in for Gods Publick Worſhip. And no doubt but the Word may be lawfully ſo uſed; it being a trope in ordinary uſe, to put the name of the perſons contained, upon the place containing; as alſo, the name of the place containing, upon the perſons contained: But that there is any ſuch uſe of the word in Holy Scripture, to me is not evident. As for the Text, 1 Cor. 11.22. Have ye not houſes to eat and drink in? or, deſpiſe ye the Church of God; it ſeems not to me, to be inferred from it: For the Church of God there ſaid to be deſpiſed, may be underſtood rather of Gods People aſſembled.