The Gospel Ministers Maintenance Vindicated, Section 1
A Regular Miniſtry in the Church Aſſerted.
GOD in his Infinite Goodneſs having by his preſent Providences, not only given us re…ite from our former Sufferings, but …e truſt begun that great and glorious …ork of the Churches Deliverance … long the hope and expectation of … that truly love and fear the Lord; …e cannot but look upon our Selves …ncerned to endeavour to make a due …provement of that Mercy and Good…ſs that is attending us herein; and …ing into conſideration the Condi…n of the Church of Jeſus Chriſt, we …not but be concerned with, and afflicted for the late and preſent wants She lies under in reſpect to the Miniſtry, God having of late Years removed ſo many able and pious Men, and ſeems to be near the removing many more by. Age and Bodily Infirmities. This with other things put us upon the Conſideration how much the Honour of Chriſt, the reputation of his Glorious Goſpel in the World; as likewiſe, the Good and Well-being of the Church depends upon a regular and orderly Miniſtry, and the Continuation thereof: And for the Church to be under a ſupine neglect herein is very ſad.
Firſt, Either in not endeavouring after, and calling forth ſuch a regular and ſtated Miniſtry, according to Goſpel Inſtitution at all; or,
Secondly, to be ſo weak and inadverte… as to call forth ſuch as are not ſo duly furniſhed and qualified for it; or,
Thirdly, Suffering ſuch as are call'… forth to this great Work under compete… Abilities, to lye under unſupportable Burthens, muſt needs be greatly blameable before our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the great Biſhop and Shepherd of our Souls, as well as highly negligent of their own Edification and Well-being.
1. To proceed, it cannot be denied but Chriſt hath, and ought to have, a ſtated and regular Miniſtry in his Church, according to his own Inſtitution: Who himſelf, when he entred upon his Miniſtry, here on Earth, did call forth Apoſtles and Diſciples to bear that part of the Work with him, which he called them to, and fitted …hem for: See Mark, 3.13. to the …. Chriſt went up into a Mountain, …d called to him whom he would, and …hey came to him, and he ordained Twelve …at they ſhould be with Him, and that …e might ſend them forth to Preach; to …hom He gave the Name of Apoſtles. Mat. 10.2. Luke 6.13. Which he did …ith great Solemnity and Invocation … the Father (for he continued all Night in Prayer to God) and when it was Day he choſe the Twelve, and Named them Apoſtles. After which he appointed other Seventy, and ſent them forth by Two; and Two, before His Face, to every City and Place, &c. which were labourers with Him in the Harveſt, V. 2. And He commanded them to give themſelves up to the Work he had called them to, and not take Care what they ſhould Eat or Drink, For the Labourer (ſaith he) is worthy of his Hi… Ver. to 14. Here our Lord Jeſus Chriſt Himſelf did Inſtitute and Lay the Foundation of the Goſpel Miniſtry in His own Authority; and accordingly takes care for the continuance of it after His Death and Reſurrection, and actual Inveſtiture in our Nature of a… Power in Heaven and Earth, Mat… 28.18.19.20. And Jeſus came an… ſpake unto them, ſaying, All Power … given unto me in Heaven and in Earth▪ Go ye therefore Teach all Nations, &… And lo I am with you always, even … the End of the World. Amen. Alſo after His Bleſſed and Glorious Aſcention, and Sitting on the Throne of the Majeſty in the Heavens. Heb. 8.…. Angels, and Authorities, and Powers being made ſubject unto him. 1 Pet. 3. & 22. Did by His Apoſtles give Commandment and Direction for the continuance hereof to the end of the World, and his Second Coming without Sin unto Salvation. Heb. 9.28. As Acts 14.21,22,23. After they had by their Miniſtry been bleſt with the Converſion of many Souls, they took care to direct them into the Duty of Church Communion; and by their Suffrages, Ordained them Elders in every Church. So the Apoſtle gives this as the Reaſon, Why he left Titus in Creete; (he not having opportunity after Preaching the Goſpel to them) to put things into due Order. Tit. 1.5. That he ſhould ſet in Order the things that were wanting (or left undone by the Apoſtle) and Or …e Elders in every City: that is Church in eueryevery City, as before, Acts 14. who are called Elders, Biſhops, or Paſtors, and Teachers; Names ſignificative of the… Authority, Office and Work.
2. Chriſt being now in Heaven and an extraordinary Call being ceaſed the Scriptures being a perfect and ſtanding Rule to the Church through all Ages, he has committed this Care to her ſelf, according to the Power given to Her, who is the Pillar and Ground of Truth, to provide Miniſters for her own Edification, in Obedience to his Commands and Rules given in his word, as he ſhall ſee good to Bleſs her with Spiritual Gifts and Abilities, in order to the fitting them for this Work; the Father alſo has Covenanted to give his Spirit in the Gifts and Graces of it, and promiſed that the Words he has put into Chriſts Mouth, and the ſpirit that is upon him, ſhall never depart from him, nor his ſeeds ſeed, for ever: Likewiſe has according to the Circumſtances of time the Church hath been under, bleſt her, as with his Grace ſo with all needful Spiritual Gifts. Eph. 4.7.11. For the perfecting the ſaints for the Work of the Miniſtry,for the Edifying the Body of Chriſt. So that whilſt there is a Church Millitant, Saints on this ſide Perfection, any of the Members of Chriſt Myſtical Body on Earth, thoſe Spiritual Gifts needfull to their preſent State, ſhall be given, and be amongſt them, for the Support of the great Ordinance of the Miniſtry, and for the good of the Church.
3. And as its the Churches Duty to Seek theſe Spiritual Abilities, and improve them when they are given to theſe great and Holy Ends; ſo ſhe muſt walk regularly herein, in obedience to the Rules given by Chriſt in this Caſe; who hath laid down the qualifications both Negative and Poſitive, of all ſuch as ought to be called to this great work and Truſt of Miniſtring by Office, 1 Tim. 3.1. to 9. Tit. 1.6.9. we have no warrant to put any into the Miniſtry otherwiſe, ſave ſuch as are here diſcribed, and competently fitted for it. For as it was a ſin of Old in the Church to put any intothe Miniſtry, but thoſe whom God appointed by the Rules given to them▪ ſo it can be no leſs Evil for the Church now, to call any forth into Office, but ſuch who are qualified as God's Word directs; and now, as Chriſt hath made this grant of Power to the Church of chooſing her own Officers for her Edification; ſo he hath left Rules for her, who, and how to choſe, as we ſaid before: So likewiſe he has laid down thoſe ſpecial Duties of the Officers in the Church, who are to take the overſight, Feed, Govern, Go in and out before them. Acts 20.17,18. 1. Pet. 5. and 2.
4. When the Church has had a Tryal of the meetneſs and Abilities of any Perſon, or Perſons, for this work and ſervice, they are by Election and Choice ſolemnly to ſet him, or them a part, by Prayer, and Laying on of Hands. Acts 14.21,22,23. Acts 6. By which a new relation ariſeth of an Elder, and a Church, a Paſtor, and a Flock: This muſt be therefore by the mutual voluntary acts of each other, by which the Duties of each relation becomes binding upon them, according to the Laws of Chriſt: It is the Paſtors Duty now to Watch, Feed, and Govern the Flock, and to give himſelf up to it; It is the Churches Duty to ſubmit themſelves to Him in the Lord; to Love, Reverence, and Adminiſter freely to him. 1 Pet. 5.1,2,3,4,5. Heb. 13.7.17. How greatly then muſt thoſe Churches be to blame, that unconcernedly live in the neglect of ſo great a Duty, upon which the Edification of the Church, and her Well-being ſo much depends, as well as Goſpel Order: For although the Eſſence and Being of a Church depends upon its Inſtitution in reſpect both of Matter and Form: (A competent number of Believers may by mutual agreement lay the Foundation of the Being of a Goſpel Church,) but they cannot be a Church Organical without Officers, which the Lord hath placed there for the orderly Exerciſ… of his Authority committed to her; To neglect this, is to deſpiſe the Wiſdom of Chriſt, who beſt knows wha… is for the good of His Church, and for Her Edification in this State. 2, To ſlight His Goodneſs in ſo uſeful and beneficial an Inſtitution. 3, Its a contempt put upon his Authority, as King of Saints, who has in his Soveraign Right, in and over the Church, Ordained it ſo to be, for the Churches Good and Well-being.
Secondly, As there ſhould not be a neglect of this Duty, ſo there ſhould be great care taken that we anſwer the Will of God herein, wherein His Name and Honour is ſo much concerned, in Reſpect of his Love to, and Care of his Church; therefore the greaeſt diligence ſhould be taken that the Rules He has given be duly obſerved, and Applications made of the Qualifications laid down, in reſpect of all ſuch that are called unto Office: The outward Call is an Act of the Church, theacceptation of the Perſon ſo called, is an Obediential Act of him to the Will of God; but neither of theſe can be regular, where there is not at previous indication of the Mind of God, in beſtowing thoſe Spiritual Gifts and Qualifications, as may render him competently fit to the Diſcharge of his Office and Work.
Now in a Churches undue proceeding herein, they diſcover their own weakneſs, if not Ignorance, in reſpect of the Rule it ſelf, and injure the Perſon ſo called, in laying the weight of ſo great a Work upon him, who is not furniſhed with Spiritual Abilities to diſcharge it, & thereby expoſe the Honour of Chriſt, and Reputation of His Goſpel in the World, which ſhould be dear unto us.
And we have reaſon to reckon that ſome Churches not walking ſo regular herein, has been one cauſe of the want of that Reputation, which otherwiſe they might have gained amongſt the Saints, and in the World, obſerve what Moſes ſaid to Iſrael, Deut. 4.6. Keeptherefore, and do them, for this is your Wiſdom and your Underſtanding in the ſight of the Nations, which ſhall hear of all theſe Statutes; and ſay, Surely this great Nation is a wiſe and understanding People. Who otherwiſe were the leaſt of all Nations. We ought with far greater reaſon to take heed we deviate not from the Laws of the Son of God, who deſerves greater Honour than Moſes, which he hath given to His Church, under the Goſpel Diſpenſation; If in the choice of Deacons, Acts 6.3. They were to look out from amongst themſelves Men of honest Report, full of the Holy Ghost and Wiſdom, to be ſet apart to that Work: How much more in the choice of Paſtors or Elders whoſe Work requires greater ſpiritual Abillities to a right diſcharge thereof?
For Churches therefore to be ſo unconcern'd, whether they have Officers or not, according to Goſpel Rule, or ſo overly in the Choice of thoſe they ca… into ſuch high ſtations amongſt them whether they are competently qualified or not, are greatly blameable.
Thirdly, In the next place we conclude, It is very diſhonourable to God, and a reproach to our Sacred Religion for the Churches when they have called forth ſuch Paſtors and Miniſters, who are competently qualified according to the Rule of the Goſpel, to let them lye under thoſe unſupportable burdens, of worldly Snares and Incumbrances, without providing a due maintenance for them, according to the Ordaination of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt in the New Testament.