A Catechism, Chapter 30 – Chapter 31
CHAP. 30. Of the power or liberty of churches, and of church officers.
Q. WHat is the power or liberty of particular Churches?
A. It is not civill or worldly, for Christs kingdome is not of this world aIohn 18. 36.; neither is it independent and supreame, for that belongs only to Christ bMatth. 28. 18. Iam. 4. 12.; but their power is Spirituall and ministeriall.
Q. And wherein have they such power?
A. They have such power from Christ to exercise all the Ordinances of true Religion, and to assemble together for the exercise thereof; and in particular to choose Officers to themselves, and to practice Discipline or censures.
Q. Whether have Churches absolute power from Christ to assemble together for the exercise of true Religion, or onelyonly so far forth as the Princes of the earth shall give them leave?
A. Princes ought not to hinder these things, but to be nursing fathers to the Church cEzra 6. 8, 11, 12▪ Isai 49. 23.; and it is a great blessing of God when they are such dEzra 7. 27..
Q. But if Princes be not such, what ought the Church to do in such case?
A. They must not neglect to observe the commandements of God, for lack of the commandement of man eMat. 28. 20. Acts 1. 15. & 21. 42. & 5. 12. & 6. 1, 2., because Jesus Christ who giveth them commandement for these things, is the King of Kings, and the Prince of the Kings of the earth fRev. 17. 14. & 1. 5..
Q. To whom belongeth the power of choosing Officers to the Church?
A. The Church is to choose her own Officers, Acts 1. 23. & 6. 3, 5. & 14. 23.
Q. How may that be further cleared?
A. Either the Church must choose her own Officers, or else men may intrude themselves; or Officers must be called immediately of God, or be appointed by some other men: none of which may be affirmed.
Q. Why may not men intrude themselves?
A. No man must take this honour to himself to be an Officer in the Church, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron, Heb. 5. 4.
Q. And why may not a man be called of God immediately?
A. Such kind of callings are not to be expected in these daies, as being particular to Apostles and other extraordinary Officers, Gal. 1. 1.
Q. But why may no other men appoint Officers to the Church?
A. Other men that are not of the Church have no such authority given them as to appoint Offices to the Church.
Q. If men must not be Officers without a calling, and immediate callings be ceased, and other men may not appoint Church Officers, it remaineth then that the Church is to choose her own Officers: but unto what Functions must the Church choose Officers?
A. OnelyOnly to such Functions as are appointed by Christ in his word gMat. 21. 25.and are of ordinary and perpetuall use in the Church; for otherwise they cannot expect that God will be with them in the choise, or blesse the officers unto them.
Q. VVhat are the Officers appointed by Christ for ordinary and perpetuall use in the Church?
A. They are Bishops and Deacons hPhil. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 1, 8., which Bishops are also called Elders i1 Tim 5. 17. Acts 20. 17, 28. 1 Pet. 5. 1, 2, 3.more particularly, they are Pastors, Teachers kEph. 4. 11., ruling Elders l1 Tim. 5. 17., Deacons m1 Tim. 3. 8., and Widdows n1 Tim. 5. 3, 9..
Q. What are Pastors?
A. They are Elders of the Chuch, who are to quicken the hearts of the people unto all faith and obedience, and to reprove and comfort where there is need, by attending upon Exhortation oRom. 12. 8. 1 Cor. 12 8., with a word of wisdom.
Q. What are Teachers?
A. They are Elders of the Church who are to instruct the people in the good knowledge of the Lord, and to refute errour pTit. 1. 9.by attending upon teaching sound doctrine with a word of knowledge qRom. 12 7. 1 Cor. 12. 8..
Q. What are ruling Elders?
A. They are Elders of the Church, who though they doe not labour in the word and doctrine r1 Tim. 5. 17., yet they are to guide the Church in comelinesse and order, and peaceably attending upon ruling with diligence sMat. 26. 5. & 27. 1. Luke 22. 66. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Rom. 12. 8. 1 Tim. 5. 17..
Q. VVhat are Deacons?
A. They are Officers of the Church, who are to retaine, preserve, and distribute tActs 4. 35. & 6. 2, 3. 2 Chron. 26. 20. & 2 Chron. 31. 14. Neh. 11. 16.the outward Treasures of the Church, for the reliefe of the poore, and other outward affaires of the Church, in simplicity and faithfulnesse uRom. 12. 8. Neh. 13. 13..
Q. VVhat are widows and their works?
A. They are godly and ancient women, left desolate and destitute of outward succour, who are to attend the sick, and such like offices as are more suitable to be performed by women then by men, 1 Tim. 5. 9, 10. Rom. 16. 1.
Q. What persons must the Church choose for these Offices?
A. Such members of the Church wEzek. 33. 2. Acts 6. 3., as by sufficient experience, time, and triall x1 Tim. 3. 10. & 5. 22,, are known to be fitted with gifts y1 Tim. 3. 2, &c. Titus 1. 5, 6, &c. 1 Kings 12. 31. & 13. 33.and graces from God for the places that the Church would put them in.
Q. How must Officers be put into their places?
A. All of them by solemn prayer unto God, and with imposition of hands upon Elders and Deacons, and in the ordaining of Elders with fasting also. Acts 6. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 14. & 5. 22. Heb. 6. 2. Acts 14. 26.
CHAP. 31. Of Church Discipline or Censures.
Q. WHat is Church Discipline?
A. A personall application of the will of God by censures, for the preventing and removing of scandals.
Q. What are the parts of it?
A. Binding and loosing aMat. 16. 19 & 18. 8., which may be also called retaining and remitting of sinnes bIohn 20. 23.; and the former is either Admonition c1 Thess. 5 14. 2 Thess. 3. 15.or Excommunication dMat. 18. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 5..
Q. What persons are subject to Church-censures?
A. All and onelyonly they that are member of the Church, Mat. 18. 15. 1 Cor. 5. 12. Psa. 149. 4.
Q. In what way, and by what steps and degrees must an offending brother be dealt withall?
A. If the matter be private, I must first reprove him privately; if this doe not win him, I must then take one or two more, Matth. 18. 15. 16.
Q. How if this also prevaile not?
A. Then the matter must be told unto the Church, and the Church must publiquely admonish him; and if he do not heare the Church, he is to be excommunicated, Mat. 18. 17.
Q. In what manner must admonition or reproof, whether private or publique, be administred?
A. Sometimes with meeknesse eGal. 6. 1., and sometimes with severity and sharpnesse f1 Cor 4. 21. 2 Cor. 13. 2. Gal. 3. 1., according to the condition of the person sinning, the sinne committed, and the manner of doing gIude 22. 23. Num. 12. 9, 10, 14..
Q. How else?
A. Alwaies with due solemnity, as an ordinance of God hMat. 18. 15, &c., in the Name of Christ, and so that the winning iLev. 19. 17. Gal. 6. 1. Mat. 18. 15, 16.of the party must be the thing that must be aymed at.
Q. VVhat is Excommunication?
A. A putting away, or cutting off from the communion and fellowship of the Church, 1 Cor. 5. 2, 13. Gal. 5. 12. Mat. 18. 17.
Q. For what sinnes must men be excommunicated?
A. For hainous and flagitious k offences being publiquely known, and for other offences persisted in with obstinacy after due admonition lMal. 18. 17.. 1 Cor. 5. 1, 4, 5.
Q. For what end should men be excommunicated?
A. For the healing of the offendor m1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 20., and for the preserving others from sinne nDeut. 17. 13. 1 Tim. 5. 20. 1 Cor. 5. 6, 7., and for the glory of the Name of God which is blasphemed because of the sinne of Church-memberso2 Sam. 12. 14. Rom. 2. 24.
Q. How should a man behave himselfe towards them that are excommunicated?
A. He must avoyd all Church-communion with them pMatth. 18. 17., and all voluntary civill fellowship q1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Thes. 3. 14., that may argue approbation or familiarity: But not such duties as men are bound unto in naturall or civill respects rr Iohn 18. 36..
Q. When must a man under censure be loosed and forgiven?
A. When he gives such signes of repentance as may satisfie rationall charity that the sinne is truly subdued and mortified, Luke 17. 3, 4. 1 Cor. 5. 5. 2 Cor. 2. 6, 7, 8.