Plea for Pauls Presbytery in Scotland, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Q. 6. Whether Christ hath left the actuall government of his Church to the multitude of Beleevers?
PLato said well of Government by the hands of the people,Plato in Polit. That amongst lawfull governments it is worst, Arist. l. 4 Polit. c. 2amongst uniust governments the best▪ Vlut. in Aegid.Aristotle saith, of of its nature it is corrupt and faulty. Plutarch calleth it the Serpents taile leading the head.Xenoph. de repub. Xenophon speaketh not well of it.Athen in p…inc. Our Divines,Beza de gra…d. Minist. as Calvin, Beza, Chemnitius, Calvin in Mat. 1…,M…lancthon, M…lancthon.Luther. Luther.Junius, Junius.Pareus Pareus.make the government of the Church to partake of all the three governments. In respect of Christ the only supreame King it is an absolute Monarchy; but this is the invisible government for the most part in respect of the rulers as Pastors and Elders, it is an Aristocracie, the visible government being in the hands of the Elders, and in respect of some things that concerneth the whole members of the visible Church, it is a Democracie, or hath some popular government in it.
We are now to enquire, if the government of the visible Church be in the collective body of the Congregation, as indeed by consequent they teach with whom we now dispute, or in the Eldership; in Classes and Synods provinciall and nationall, as it is now in Scotland. We hold that the government popular, as it is properly taken, when the collective body judgeth and governeth to be expresly against the word of God, Eph. 4. 11. He gave some (not all) to be Apostles, &c. 1 Cor. 12. 28. And God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, &c. 1 Thess. 5. 12. Now we beseech you brethren, to know them that labour amongst you, and are over you in the Lord, Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your selves, &c. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour. Hence it is cleare as the noone-sunne, if there be some over the people of God, some that are Elders that rule well, some to whom the people should submit, and give obedience, then the whole people are not rulers, all have not the rod, nor a definitive voice in that highest censure of excommunication. All are not overseers, guides, governours, fathers, stewards, shepheards; but some are governed, subject, sons, the flocke ruled, and fed, then doth not the people governe.
2. The keyes were only given to the Elders,2. Arg. as is proved.
3. God set downe in his word rules,3. Arg. canons, and directions for all lawfull governours, how Timothy and Titus should behave themselves in Gods house, in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus; but no where doth God give directions how all beleevers should rule, command and governe, neither hath he promised that Spirit to all in that charge.
4. Guides are eyes,4. Arg. eares, fathers, gifted-teachers, Eph. 4. 11. But the whole body is not an eye, for then where were the hearing? 1 Cor. 12. 17. All are not fathers, nor all governours gifted therfore, 1 Cor. 12. 28, 29. actuall government is not in the hands of all the community of believers.
5. The faults of evill government is laid upon some,5. Arg. not upon all, 1 Tim. 3. 4, 5, 6. Mat. 24. 28. Tit. 1. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 3. Revel. 2. 14, 20. 3. Ep. John v. 10. And the praise of good government is given to some, not to all, 1 Thes. 5. 12. Heb. 12. 17. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Rev. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 4. 4, 5. 1 Pet. 5. 4, 5.
6. It is against the dignity of such as are Embassadours in Christs roome,6. Arg. 2 Cor. 5. 20. representing his person who are to be heard as himselfe, Mat. 10. 41, 42. His Angels, Revel. 2. 1. intrusted with his secrets, 2 Cor. 5. 18. His stewards and builders, 1 Cor. 4. 1, 2, 3. Cor. 3. 10. the friends of the Bridegroom, Joh. 3. 29. Therefore they must have some honour of government that is not given to all, and every one of the people.
7. That government which necessarily includeth a confusion,7. Arg. is not to be thought to come from the God of order, popular government is such, for in some Apostolike Congregations that were independent, there were six thousand and above,Smith. 69. M Best. Act. 4. 9. Two answers are given here, 1. Smith saith one may speake for all the Church or two. Answ. These two are then a representative Church, and doe speak in the name of the rest, which he denyeth. 2. M. Best saith, none should be a congregation, but so many as may orderly meet without confusion. Answ. Then the Apostles government was confused, els there was an Eldership that represented the rest, and the Church of believers was no independent Church.A manuscript for independencie of Churches. A third answer is, Let heads of Families, and fathers onelyonly speake. Answ. Yet you fall upon a selected and representative Church, which otherwaies you deny. 2. If sonnes and servants have a like interest in Christ, and a like power of the keyes, who dare for eschewing confusion take from them what Christ hath given them? We may not do evill or rob any that good may come of it. Ainsworth against Bernard. The Authours deny they maintain popular government;Ainsworth against Bernard. Therfore (say they) the state is popular, the government on Christs part is a Monarchy, Authours of Presbytery gover. examined. p. 23.and in the hands of Elders an Aristocracy. The people is freely to voice in Elections and judgment of the Churches, Docto. Parisi. de pol…ia eccles. pag. 10, 11.let the Elders publickly propone and order all things, let them reproove, convince, exhort, &c. So they say, they hold no Democracy or popular government. Ans. I acknowledge that the Doctors of Paris doe make distinction betwixt the state and government, who yet doe acknowledge a visible Monarchy in the Church,C…ncil. Co…stant. and so did the Fathers of the Councell of Constance: For the state of the Church is indeed popular in respect nothing that concerneth the state and body of the Church, & so concerneth thē, should be done without the privity or consent of the people of God, no excommunication untill the man and his scandalous sinnes be delated to them. 1 Cor. 5. Nothing should be concluded in a Synod, untill the people heare and know, yea they have all place to speake, object, reason and dispute in an orderly way, as may be collected from Act. 15. 12, 13. letters are sent in the Churches name, charity sent to the distressed Saints in their name, officers chosen by their consent, but all this maketh no popular government, if we speak properly, seeing the multitude doth not judge, define judicially, nor sentence, nor command and give out Canons and Constitutions. But these of whom we now speake doe constitute a popular government in the Church,Parker de polit. eccl l. 3. c. 4. which I proove, 1. Parker, the fore-said Authours, Best Church plea arg. 7. pag. 70. and pag. 88.Best, M. Jacob, Smith, and these that are for independency of Congregations ascribe to the whole multitude,English Puritanis▪ art. 2, 3, 4. and from 1 Cor. 5. 4, 5, 12. a judiciall exercise of the rod, Authors of Presb. gover examined, pag. 2, 13.and a judging of these that are within, Mat. 2. 18. The Church to be heard and obeyed that doth judicially excommunicate is not the Church of over-seers (say they) but the Church of all believers. Jacob. gover 70. Smith paralel. 65. 66, 67.3. Binding and loosing and the keyes of the Kingdome, and that is, both power and exercise is given to the Church builded on the rocke, against which the gates of Hell shall not prevaile, Mat. 16. 18, 19. so they teach also. 4. All the power and jurisdiction that Presbyteries and Synods have, saith Parker, is from the Church of believers. 5. The Congregation of believers hath power of jurisdiction over the officers, and rulers of the Church,Arist…t. polit. l. c. 1. Bodin. l. 6. c. 74. to make and unmake, ordaine, censure, depose and excommunicate their over-seers (say they) Now all who have written Politiks,Tholosan. histor. polit. l. 1. as Aristotle, Bodin, Tholosanus, Junius de politcia, q. 4.and our Divines disputing against the Popes Monarchy,Daveus polit. l. 4. c. 5. Junius, Daneus, Keckerman, Chamier, Keckerm system. Theo. l. 3▪ c 6.Musculus, Sadeel say, these are properly Judges, who cognosce and authoritatively try, sentence, decree and punish delinquents, Cha…ier. pa…strat. to 2. l. 9. c. 2. n. 4, P. Martyr. loc, com, pag. 783.and all this the whole faithfull doe by the power of the keyes, as is prooved, ergo, there is a democraticall or popular government brought into Christs house this way, and all necessity of overseers and officers taken close away.Musculus. Smith saith,Sadeel. it is Antichristian to place Rulers and Elders over the whole body of the Church. Smith paralel. pa. 54, &▪ p. …6.Yea, Arnisaeus de rep. l. 2. sec. 5. c. 5.he seeth not why all believers may not preach and administer the Sacraments: And if the Keyes be given to them,Spalato de rep. eccl…s. l. 1. proemio. and actuall government to over-see and rule their over-seers, I see not how this will not follow from the fore-said grounds. See what Arnisaeus and Spalato saith,Arnisa…us de rep. l. 2. sect c. 6. both acknowledge, that is popular government when the people ruleth themselves. Neither is it enough to say the Elders rule, because they propone and order all things, and reproove, convince and exhort; for no man will have the Apostle James, whom many of our Divines think President and Moderator of the Councell of Hierusalem, Act. 15. The Ruler and one that is over the Councell in the Lord, and such an one as the Councell must obey and submit unto, for his place of Moderation: For the Duke of Venetia, because he moderateth their Senate,Duke of Venice. and proponeth and ordereth suffrages, is not thought by Bodine, Tolosanus, Arnisaeus, Keckerman, or any Politician to be the King and Prince of the Venetians, and Lord Judge over the Senate. The Lacedemonian government was popular,Ephori. howbeit the people did order their matters by their Ephori, Moderator of our assemblies in Scotland.that were a sort of Rulers to the people. The Moderatour of our Assembly is not Judge, or over the Assembly in the Lord: Nay, he hath not a suff…age and decisme voice in our Assembly, because he is Moderator, but because he is a chosen Commissioner and member of the Assembly.Feild. So Field saith well,Turrecremat. Concil▪ Pa…isitus. If the Pope be only a President in the Councell, he is not a Prince. Turr…cremata distinguisheth betwixt a President of Honour, and a President of Authority. The Canon of the Councell of Paris maketh the Pope above this or this Church or Bishop, but when he is in a generall Councell, he is there as a President of Honour only, Heb. 13▪ 17.not as a Prince, but as the first member by order of the Councell and subject to the Councell.1 Thes. 5. 12. Now the Scripture giveth to the over-seers an authority,1 Tim 5. 17. a presidency of authority,Act. 20▪ 28. We must obey them, and submit to them, and heare them as we would heare Christ. 2. Seeing this is ordinary to our Brethren to reason thus. All the faithfull are the Spouse and Body of Christ, Kings and Priests unto God, and have a like title and interest in him, therfore the Keyes are immediately communicated to them without the mediation of Rulers interveening: Hence I inferre, if all have alike right to the keys for their alike title by Faith, and right of free redemption in Christ, ergo, all are alike Rulers over all in the Lord: then because believers as believers have a title and interest in Christ as their redeemer, and office-bearers; because office bearers have no title in Christ as Redeemer (for no office giveth a man a claime to Christ, as a redeemer, but only some generall title to him as Lord of the house) Hence it shall follow that the believers are Over-seers and Rulers and Pastors, and that they should order and moderate all publick actions: So I see no authority or preheminency given to the Church-guides, but that which is due, and more due to the believers then to them. As for reprooving, convincing, exhorting, these are common to all the faithfull, as our Brethren say, and so due to them by virtue of the keys, and more due then to office-bearers, who do but borrow the keyes at the second hand (as they teach) and receive them not immediately from Christ. Now we all know that Anabaptists take away all Magistracy under the New Testament, all dominion conquered by warre, all relation of captain and souldier, master and servant, upon this ground, that we are all Christs free-men, all Christians equally redeemed in Christ; And if the sonne make you free then are you free indeed. And the New Testament maketh us all Christs ransomed ones, and so there should be no servant.Calvin. Instit. lib. 4. c▪ 10. Sect. 10, 11, 12. And we are called in Christ to liberty, be not servants of men. See what our Divines,Pareu… in Ca…ches. Miscell. in Ephoris. Christian. Relig. Bucan. loc. 49. q 10 n. 2. Calvin, Pareus, Bucan, Tilenus, Professours of Leyden answer Anabaptists, Libertines, Socinians, Arminians thus abusing Gods Word.
And certainly if the keyes and government of the Church be given to all believers,Tilen Syntag. 1. par. disp. 45. in 5 precept. because they are all made Kings, Profess. Leiden. in Synopt. purior.Priests and Prophets, and we are made free and redeemed in Christ, Theolog. disput 50. thes. 16, 17, 18.and all things are made ours, Therfore I may well inferre upon the same grounds, the keys of civill power to be Kings temporall and freemen civilly are made ours, if all things be ours, and so no Magistrate, no Captain, no souldier (peace and liberty are ours) no master or servant. I am far from thinking that our worthy Brethren do allow of this conclusion,Ignatius Epist ad Phil…d …. but the principles are too sibb and near of blood.Basil. de Spir. s…nct▪ c. 16. What Fathers say for the Church government by Elders, and not by the people may be seen in Ignatius, Ambros. in 1 Cor. 11.who will have us to have recourse to the Apostles,Chrys…st. homil. in Ma…. 18. as to the Colledge of Presbyters. And Basilius saith,Cyprian. epist. 72. Tertul. Apolog. c. 35. The governours of the Church are set down 1 Cor. 12. 28. And Ambrose on that place saith, the Church policy is set downe,O…igen. 1 Cor. 12. So Chrysostome, August.Cyprian, Tertullian, so Origen, Ireneus, August. Theophylact, Hyerom.Theodoret, Hyerom, which for time I cannot cite at length.Theophylac. in Ioan, 20, 21. Theodoret.