A Model of the Primitive Congregational Way, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. That this Church-ſtate, with the Officers, Ordinances, and adminiſtrations thereunto appertaining, is of perpetuall uſe, to the comming again of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, the inſtituter of it, without either alteration, or ceſſation.
BEfore I enter on the evidencing and making clear of the truth of this Propoſition, I deſire to premiſe this one thing, to wit, that by this Church-ſtate, I do not here underſtand, any one particular and ſingle Congregation, reſiding in any one place or countrey, but the inſtituted ſtate of Chriſts viſible Church, in one place or other, conſiſting of few or many, whether in liberty or bondage, in purity or corruption, according to its ſeverall and various conditions to which it is ſubject, and in which, for the eſſentiall and integrall parts thereof, it is kept and preſerved by the Almighty power and preſence of Jeſus Chriſt; for doubtleſſe in reſpect of this or that particular Church, and ſingle congregation, it may ceaſe and be utterly loſt, but in reſpect of the eſſentials of that inſtituted Church-ſtate and order of Chriſt, revealed to us in his word, and delivered to us by the Apoſtles, and left by them upon record for us to follow and practice: ſo it is not loſt, but remains and continues to the Saints to his comming again. Now that this is the truth of God, I ſhall endeavour to make out, 1. from Scripture, 2. from Argument.
1. For the Scriptures that hold out this truth, they are of three ſorts.
1. Propheſies, as Eſay 9.6, 7. and 59.21. Pſal. 110.1. compared with 1 Cor. 15.25. Luk. 1.33.
2. Promiſes, Mat. 16.18. 1 Cor. 11.26. and Epheſ. 3.21. & 4 11, 12, 13.
3. Precepts, Mat. 28.20. 1 Tim. 6.13, 14. to which I might adde the judgements of many learned men, it there were need. All which do clearely ſhew the perpetuity and continuance of this Goſpell Church-ſtate in all ages to the comming of Chriſt.
2. For the Arguments that confirme the perpetuity of this Church-ſtate, and confute the contrary that is affirmed by many, viz. the ceſſation of it, they are ſuch as theſe.
1. If the government of Chriſts church, which the Father hath given him, and he hath accepted, ſhall never have an end, then it muſt of neceſſity follow, that this Church-ſtate cannot ceaſe, to which this government hath relation, unleſſe we can ſuppoſe, that Chriſt can be a King without a Kingdome, a Head without a Body, a Husband without a Spouſe, which once to imagine, is exceeding diſhonourable to him, and little leſſe then blaſphemy.Eſay 9.7. Luk. 1.33. But now the Scriptures are cleare, that the government of Chriſt in his Church ſhall never have an end, as we have ſhewed before: therefore, &c.
2. If this Church-ſtate, which Jeſus Chriſt hath inſtituted, for the eſſentialls of it, ſhould ceaſe, and not be continued in all ages, then it would follow, that there would be a time, when the gates of Hell ſhould prevaile againſt it, and his preſence with it,Mat. 16.1 to the end of the world, ſhould not continue,Mat. 28.2 and ſo all his promiſes to the contary ſhould be void and of none effect: But this cannot be, for he is faithfull that hath promiſed, and not one jot or tittle of his word ſhall periſh, or be made void: and therefore there muſt needs be a perpetuity, and continuance of this church-ſtate.
3. If the Temple of God, which is his viſible Church, as appeares from 1 Cor. 3.16, 17. Rev. 3.12. and 11.1, 2. doth remain where Antichriſt ſits, even as the Church of Pergamus did, where the ſeate of Sathan was, Rev. 2.13. then this Church-ſtate is not ceaſed, but remaines to this day. But this Temple of God is where Antichriſt himſelfe ſits, as appeares by the Apoſtle, 2 Theſ. 2.4. who oppoſeth, &c. So that he is as God, ſitteth in the Temple of God: where the greeke word for Temple, ſc. foreign, is one and the ſame with that of 1 Cor. 3.16, 17. foreign, i. e. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God? ſo v. 17. foreign, i. e. If any man defile the Temple of God, and that of 2 Cor. 6.16. foreign, i. e. For ye are the Temple of the living God: In all which places, with diverſe other, that word Temple is uſed for the viſible Church, becauſe the Apoſtle there ſpeakes to, and of the whole Church of Corinth conjunctim, Ye are the Temple of God, &c. So that by Temple here where Antichriſt ſits, is to be underſtood the Church of God.
Obj. You will ſay, by Temple is meant the conſciences of Gods people, in that place of the Theſſalonians.
Anſ. 1. Grant it, yet that doth not make void the other, but rather confirmes it.
2. We never read in all the Scriptures, that the conſcience is ſo called, but the church of Chriſt is frequently ſo ſtyled, as wee have ſhewed before: and therefore, either its the Church of God, Antichriſt ſits in, or it is not; if not, then that Scripture is not true; but if true, as cannot be denyed, then there is a church-ſtate remaining under Antichriſt.
Obj. But how can this church-ſtate remaine, where there is ſuch a generall defection, as there is under Antichriſt? Rev. 13.
Anſ. We muſt diſtinguiſh between the corruption of things, and the things themſelves, between the eſſentials of a church-ſtate, and the accidentals: now it cannot be denyed, but in reſpect of the accidentalls of a church-ſtate, ſo all is loſt, under this defection of Antichriſt, that is, in reſpect of the right order and adminiſtration of Miniſtery, Ordinances, and government, but not the eſſentials of theſe; and ſo long as theſe remaine, the Church-ſtate is not loſt: for we cannot reaſon from the corruption of a thing, to the nullity and non-being of it: as for example, the children of Iſrael, and veſſels of Gods Houſe, that were carried captive into Babylon, and prophaned by their being there, yet ſo long as they were not deſtroyed, and broken in pieces, they were brought back again to Jeruſalem, and ſanctifyed from their pollution, and ſet againe in the Temple as before, and the Lord owned and accepted them notwithſtanding their being in Babylon: ſo here the Saints and ordinances, the Miniſtery, Seales and Cenſures of this inſtituted Church of Chriſt, though they have been under Antichriſt, yet ſo long as the eſſence of them remaines, they may be brought back from Rome, and reduced to their former purity, and firſt order of the Goſpell, not that they have a new being, but rather they are brought to their wonted welbeing, and primitive inſtitution.
Obj. But doth not this then make the Church of Rome a true Church, having the eſſentials of a true Church-ſtate in it?
Anſ. No not a jot, no more then a Theeves having the goods of an honeſt man in his houſe, which he hath ſtollen, makes him to be true, he is a thiefe ſtill. So here Rome is ſtill Rome, the mother of Harlots ſtil, notwithſtanding her poſſeſſing of the eſſentials of Chriſts holy things: we may ſee it clearely in Babylon of old, the type of Rome, when the Jewes were carried away captive with the holy veſſels of the Temple, twas not the being of theſe in Babylon that made her the church of God, but ſhe was Babylon ſtill, full of abominations, there was Bel and Merodach, her great Idols and Images ſtill worſhiped, Ier. 50.2. and as God once overthrew the Type, (as he overthrew Sodome, and Gomorah,) ſo that not ſo much as a ſon of man ſhould dwell there, ver. 40. So ſhall be it with the Antitype, Rome, the mother of fornications, the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foule ſpirit, Rev. 18.22, 23. and the good Lord, for his Son, and Syons ſake, haſten it.
4. If Church-ſtate, and Miniſtery, and Ordinances be all loſt under the defection of Antichriſt: then the Scriptures alſo are loſt, which are the churches treaſure, and as a Depoſitum, were once delivered to the church to keepe, Iud. 3. but we find that the Scriptures are not loſt, but by the power of Chriſt they have been preſerved, yea recovered out of Babylon, and freed from thoſe horrible corruptions, they were expoſed unto, while they were in the hands of Antichriſt, and why may not the Ordinances as well as the Scriptures, the church as well as her treaſure?
5. If this Church-ſtate, and Ordinances, ſhould not continue, but were all loſt and ceaſed, then it would follow, that there were no meanes left ordinarily for the converſion and ſalvation of poore loſt ſoules; but the contrary to this appeares, as wee find by experience, for 1. We have the word of life in the ſacred Scriptures to be our Cynoſura or rule and guide to direct us in the way to life. 2. We have the holy Ghoſt accompanying the Miniſtery and preaching of this word, in an effectuall manner, to the calling and converſion of multitudes, and bringing thoſe that are called out of their Antichriſtian-church-ſtate, to Sion, and to worſhip God according to his own revealed will. 3. We have Paſtors and teachers lawfully called, and ſet apart to the worke of the Miniſtery, and faithfull diſpenſing of this word of life, and other ordinances, that concern a true viſible Church-ſtate, according to the practiſe of the Primitive Churches, as we before ſhewed: now where there are the ſame word and ordinances, the ſame Officers for kind with thoſe in the Apoſtles dayes, to diſpenſe and adminiſter them, and the precious preſence of Chriſt in his Spirit, accompanying them, to make them effectuall, (though perhaps not in ſuch an ample & large meaſure as in thoſe Primitive times) there we may conclude the ordinary meanes for ſalvation are not loſt, but ſtill remaine and continue.
Ob. But it is objected, that thoſe that are called now in theſe dayes to adminiſter the holy things of Gods houſe, are not ſo qualified as theſe were in the Primitive times, they have not thoſe extraordinary gifts of working miracles as they had.
Anſ. 1. I would faine know, whether all thoſe that were in office in the churches of Chriſt, in thoſe times, had thoſe extraordinary gifts, as the Officers of the Church of Epheſus, 1 Cor. 12.29.30Philippi, Corinth, &c. doth not the Scripture ſhew the contrary?
2. I would faine know, whether the gifts of working Miracles be ſo eſſentiall to the Miniſtery, as that there can be no true Miniſtery where theſe are wanting. If ſo, then many in the Primitive times were not true Miniſters of Chriſt, as Iohn the Baptiſt, Apollos, and thoſe Paſtors and Teachers that were in the ſeverall Churches of the Saints, mentioned in the Scripture. For we cannot find in the leaſt of their working miracles, and yet they had a true Miniſterie. If not, why then do men refuſe the Miniſtery that hath no miracles?
3. I deſire to know, where it appeares, or how it can be made out, that the Primitive Saints, Miniſters or People, were given to ſucceeding ages, as patternes for extraordinary gifts of Miracles, that they were left as patternes of grace, and helps of faith, and love, and repentance, and obedience to the truth of Church-fellowſhip, is without controverſie, Eph. 4.12, 13. but not of the former. And the Apoſtle makes it cleere in Heb. 2.3, 4. that the chief end of gifts of Miracles, was to confirme the Goſpel of Chriſt, then ſent forth to be preached, which now needs not; for as M. Thomas Goodwin lately in one of his Lectures on the Epheſians, ſhewed, common education ſerves ſo farre now, as Miracles did of old, which were not to begin a ſaving, juſtifying faith, for that was the office of the Word, but to make men to attend the Word, which now education doth, and therefore there is no ſuch need of a Miniſtery with Miracles.
4. Doth not the Scripture abundantly ſhew us, that working of Miracles may be in a falſe Miniſtery, as Marke 13.22. 2 Theſ. 2.9, 10. Rev. 13.13, 14, Rev. 16.14. and 19.20. and in ſuch as Chriſt will not owne for his at the laſt day; as Matth. 7.22, 23.
5. Doth not ſuch an opinion as this, of requiring gifts of working Miracles in thoſe that are called and ſent to preach and adminiſter ordinances, bring a great diſparagement on the truth it ſelfe, for if it be not able to make it ſelfe evident without Miracles, is it not a great Argument of its weaknes and inſufficiency? whereas its farre otherwiſe with the truth, as Epheſ. 5.13.
6. Doth not this opinion directly croſſe and contradict that of our Saviour, Joh. 16.8. and derogate from the authority and power of the Spirit, for there he tels us, that its the office of the Spirit, to convince the world of ſinne, of righteouſnes and judgement: now to ſay that this worke cannot be done unleſſe there be Miracles wrought by men, that are the Spirits inſtruments, what is this, but to derogate from the Spirit, and to make the efficacy of the Miniſtery to depend more upon the externall working of Miracles, then upon the internall working of the Spirit: whereas the greateſt Miracles that ever were wrought by the Apoſtles or others, can never prevaile to gaine the hearts of wretched ſinners, to the embracing of the truth, nor convince them of ſin, righteouſneſſe, and judgement, if the Spirits preſence be wanting, and therefore many times wee find amongſt the Jewes, that notwithſtanding all the Miracles that Chriſt himſelfe, and his Apoſtles wrought before them, they continued obſtinate and hardned in their ſinnes; ſo that the efficacy of the meanes depends on the Spirit, and if ſo, then there is no ſuch neceſſity for working of Miracles to convince men of the truth: for be the externall meanes or inſtrument weake or ſtrong, it matters not, ſo the Spirit employ it: and commonly we find it to be true by experience, that the weaker the ſecondary cauſe or meanes is, the more glorious doth the power of the Spirit appeare, according to 1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28, 29.
7. Laſtly, what greater miracles can there be wrought by men to evince the truth of their calling, then by caſting out of the Devill from men and womens ſoules and conſciences, and the opening of the eyes of their underſtanding, Act. 26.1 John. 5.…the raiſing of them from the death of ſin, the healing and ſanctifying of their corrupt natures, &c. by the power of the Spirit. All which are far greater Miracles, then corporall diſpoſſeſſion, healing of mens bodies, opening of their bodily eyes, &c. and the power of Chriſt appeares far greater in working of theſe Miracles, then in all other miracles whatſoever: and of theſe kind of miracles, I conceive that Scripture is to be underſtood, Joh. 14 12. where Chriſt promiſeth, that his Diſciples after he was aſcended to the Father, ſhould by the power of the Spirit doe greater works then thoſe himſelfe wrought, which I ſuppoſe he underſtands of thoſe ſpirituall works of wonder that I have formerly mentioned in the raiſing poore ſoules out of the grave of ſinne, opening the eyes of their blind and dark underſtandings, &c.
The truth of the Propoſition being thus cleared, I now come to ſome inferences.
1. In the firſt place, it will cleerly follow, that thoſe men are mightily miſtaken and out of the way, that ſtick not to affirme, that the Church-ſtate and order of Government thereunto correſpondent, which Jeſus Chriſt hath inſtituted, is mutable, and ought to be ſuited according to the Lawes and Government of particular States and Kingdomes, as if the Churches of Chriſt in the Primitive times had a mixt government and adminiſtration of the Ordinances, according to the lawes and cuſtomes of the countryes: As for example, the Church of Chriſt in Aſia had one way of government, the Churches in Galatia another way of order and government, and the Churches in Judea another. Whereas the Scripture affirmes the cleane contrary, ſcil. that Jeſus Chriſt hath left but one order of Church ſtate and politie for all his Churches to obſerve and make uſe of, which as I have ſhewed in the eſſentials of it, is unchangeable, and to be obſerved and kept to the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt, the author and inſtituter of it, 1 Tim. 6.13, 14. and therefore what the Apoſtle ordained in one Church, he did in all, as 1 Cor. 7.17. And this is the judgement of learned Whitaker againſt Duraeus, and Cartwright againſt Whitgift, who handles this point very largely in his ſecond Reply, his words are theſe: Thus (ſaith he to Whitgift) where the Chriſtian Magiſtrate is given of God, to keep the order which God hath ſet in his Church: you bring him in as a breaker and changer of the order, which God hath appointed by his holy Apoſtles: But the godly Chriſtian Magiſtrates may underſtand, that as neither our Saviour Chriſt, nor any wiſe and well inſtructed Miniſtery under him, will meddle with any order or forme of Common wealth lawfully inſtituted of them, for the better government of their people, but leave them as they find them: So they ought to leave whole and untouched, that order that Jeſus Chriſt hath placed in his Church. And as the Author ſaith truly in another place, that Chriſt came not to overthrow civill governments; even ſo, he ſaith, it is as true, that God ſendeth not Kings to overthrow Church Government, planted by Chriſt and his Apoſtles. Yea ſo much more abſurd is this latter then the firſt, by how much they ought to have more firmity, which were ſet downe by the Lord himſelf, then which were by men. For what ſonne of Adam ſhall preſume to alter that order, which the Lord himſelfe from heaven hath ſet? &c. And therefore certainly Ieſus Chriſt will give ſuch men but little thanks another day, for their endeavour to make his Inſtitutions as a noſe of waxe, to be altered and changed to whatſoever forme and faſhion men ſhall pleaſe in every Civill State and Kingdome on earth.
2. But I ſhall paſſe from ſuch Formaliſts and Time-ſervers, to another ſort of men, who although they allow not of an alteration of Chriſts Inſtitutions and Ordinances, yet plainly hold a ceſſation of them for the preſent, and therefore forſake the Aſſemblies of the Saints, to which they were joyned, and ſay there are no Churches, no Ordinances, no Miniſtery now, to diſpenſe them, but all loſt under Antichriſt.
Now that ſuch men may ſee the evill of their opinion and practice herein, and ſo (if it be the good pleaſure of Chriſt) they may come to repent, and doe their firſt works, and returne to the Shepherds Tents, where Jeſus Chriſt feedeth and cauſeth his flock to reſt at noone, Cant. 1.7, 8. I ſhall ſet theſe few conſiderations before them, from the evils that follow this practice.
1. That this opinion & practice of theirs,Five evill effects that attend thoſe th… hold ceſſatio… of a viſible Church-ſtat… directly croſſeth the very letter of the Scriptures, is that of Eph. 3.21. formerly mentioned, where the holy Ghoſt ſaith, that glory is to be given to God by Jeſus Chriſt, in the Church, foreign, that is, throughout all generations, or ages. Now how could this Scripture be true, if there be an or generation in which this Church ſtate doth ceaſe and is utterly loſt? So that of 1 Cor. 11.26. where the holy Ghoſt alſo ſhewes, that the Lords death, that is, the effect and fruit of his death, in the adminiſtration of the Supper, is to be obſerved and made uſe of by the Saints in Church-fellowſhip, for their benefit and comfort, to his comming againe. Now how can this be, if the Church, and Miniſtery, and Ordinances are all loſt and ceaſed? And that of Mat. 18.20. and 28. laſt verſe, in which places Chriſt promiſeth to be with his Churches and people in the adminiſtration of his Ordinances, to the end of the world, as wee have formerly ſhewed.
2. It diſcovers men, notwithſtanding the high thoughts they have of themſelves, to be of a low and ſenſuall frame of ſpirit; that Thomas-like will not beleeve, nor give credit to the teſtimony of the Word, unleſſe they ſee, and have viſible and ſenſible ſignes and wonders wrought before them, and ſo to ſpeak truly, deſtroy the excellency and livelyneſſe of faith, which our Saviour placeth in this, that it acts and works moſt properly and genuinely, when it hath no externall and viſible ſigne to look on, as Ioh. 20.29, 30. and the Apoſtle, Heb. 11.1. The Scribes and Phariſees, Hypocrites, and thoſe hard-hearted Jewes indeed, in our Saviours time, ſtood much upon ſignes and wonders, that ſo they might beleeve; but our Saviour returnes them this anſwer, that an evill and adulterous generation ſeeketh after a ſigne, but there ſhall none be given them, that is, to profit them, &c. Mat. 12.38, 39. And we may much feare, that all thoſe ſigns and wonders that God hath of late wrought in England to recover us out of our old wayes, and to bring us to his own inſtituted wayes of worſhip, ſhall not profit ſuch kind of ſpirits, who walk more after the fleſh, then ſpirit, in the very things of God.
3. It makes men to place the power and authority of adminiſtring the things of Gods houſe, in that which is fallible and deceiving, as gifts of working Miracles are and may be in a falſe Miniſtery, as we have ſhewed before: and if it were poſſible, our Saviour ſaith, the elect themſelves would be deceived by the workers of them, as in Mat. 24.24. for there ſhall ariſe falſe chriſts and falſe prophets, and ſhall ſhew great ſignes and wonders, in ſo much that (if it were poſſible) they ſhall deceive the very Elect.
4. Such as are carryed on in this way, are unavoidably brought to deny themſelves Beleevers; for if there be no converſion now for want of ſuch a Miniſtery as they talk of, then they exclude themſelves from the number of the faithfull, and proclaime to the world that they are ſtrangers to the Promiſe and Common-wealth of Iſrael, being without God, and Chriſt, and hope in the world, and this (at length) ſome ſtick not to affirme, not onelyonly denying worſhip, but Beleevers and Scripture alſo.
5. Laſtly, It not onelyonly leaves upon them the guilt of curſed ingratitude and unkindneſſe to Jeſus Chriſt, for what he hath beſtowed upon the Saints, and vouchſafed to them; and they (at leaſt wiſe ſome of them) have enjoyed, in the uſe of church-fellowſhip and ordinances, for I appeale to them and other of the Saints, whether the higheſt and ſweeteſt enjoyments from Chriſt have not been by the Spirit in theſe. Now this relinquiſhing of this fellowſhip I ſay doth not onelyonly render them odiouſly ingratefull to God, but expoſeth them alſo to moſt dangerous and dreadfull temptations, and at laſt to Apoſtaſie, and that unpardonable ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, as appeares from Heb. 10.23. to the end: where he makes for ſaking Church-communion, ver. 25. to be the Prodr…mus and fore-runner of that unpardonable ſin, ver. 26, 27, 28, 29. and a drawing back to perdition, ver. 39. and how juſt is it with the Lord, to leave us, when we wilfully put our ſelves out of his protection! Wherefore let ſuch be intreated, in the bowels of Chriſt, to take heed, how they tempt the Lord in this kind. I ſay thoſe that are wilfull in their way, and refuſe counſell. I ſhall leave with ſuch men thoſe few Scriptures of 2 Chron. 15.2. Heb. 3.12. and Rev. 2.4, 5. to be conſidered, which I conceive doe in a ſpeciall manner look to the walking and continuing of the Saints with God, and Jeſus Chriſt, in his Ordinances, and hold forth the danger of relinquiſhing and forſaking them.