A Survey of the Sum of Church Discipline, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Wherein the Precedency of a Church, as it is Totum homogeneum, is handled.
WHen we look at the Church, as Totum essentiale, we attend two things in it
1. How constituted in the causes of it.
2. How qualified and adorned.
The first hath been dispatched in the fore-going Chapters, wherein we have endeavoured to prove, That visible Saints are the only true Matter, and Confederation the only true Form of a visible Church.
We are now to enquire after the second, viz. such qualifications, which are of speciall weight, and do in an especiall manner belong to the Church under this consideration.
Qualification then is either in regard of the
Order or precedency of it before
Officers, or
Presbyterial Church.
Excellency of it in
Power.
Priviledges.
Touching this Congregationall Church, if we look at the Order and Precedency of it, we have two Questions that offer themselves to our consideration.
1. Whether a company of beleevers, thus visibly consociating themselves, are truly called, and are in truth, and indeed, a Church, in the phrase of Scripture, before they have Officers?
The trumpet here gives an uncertain sound: and therefore we cannot tell well where to fasten, M. R. his expressions are so full of variety. Sometimes he seems to speak the same with us: sometimes to be of a differing minde. One while he laies the weight upon a ministeriall Church, as including officers therein. Another while he seems not only to deny the Church, thus considered, to be Totum organicum, but to deny the Church to be a Church, without Officers.
To avoid therefore all offensive mistakes, we shall in short set down, what we conceive to be the truth in this case: and so we shall occasion Mr R. more fully to explicate his minde.
When the Church is called Ministerial, that word may be attended in a double consideration.
1. Generally, as implying any delegated power, in the exercise of any Church-acts in way of subordination under Christ, and by power and appointment from him. Thus a number of believers or visible Saints now consociated, hath power of admission of new members, and election of Officers, according to the order of Christ, and in case the officer chosen shall prove hereticall and obstinately wicked, they have power to reject him, and make him no officer unto them.
All these are granted by M.R.
But these are acts of Church-discipline largely taken, and acts of power. For to give a key of power, and to take away a key of power, argues power in so doing, according to the institution of Christ.
How far the Church may upon just grounds, and for just cause proceed to excommunicate, we shall afterwards enquire.
2. Ministerial is taken more strictly, as it seems Mr R. would by his expressions make us conceive: then it implies an Office-power, or power of Officers, and so it cals for Ministers, i. e. Officers. And in this sense it should be without sense to affirm, That the Church should be Totum organicum, without organs: That the Church should consist of Ruling officers, and Ruled-people, when it is without all officers.
These things being premised, our apprehensions are thus laid down.
The Church of Visible Saints confederating together to walk in the fellowship of the Faith, as thus, it is Totum essentiale, It is before all Officers.
Argument 1.
God hath set Officers in the Church, 1 Cor. 12.28.
Therefore the Church is before the Officers.
As the setting of the candle in the candlestick, presupposeth the candlestick. The Church is the candlestick, Rev. 1.20. The Officers are the candles.
M. R. answers, God hath put and breathed in man a living soul: Therefore he is a living man, before the soul was breathed in him.
"Friend, The logick is naught.
Reply, A friendly warning is good: but the Logick may be good also, for any thing that is here said. For, It is said, God made man of the earth, i. e. The body of man of the earth; and he breathed into the nostrils of that body, or into that body so made by that mean, the breath of life. And I suppose, to affirm, the body was made before the soul was infused, that the body, which is the subject to receive the soul, must in nature be before th… soul, is very good Logick. And thus the comparison holds betwixt the Church, as totum essentiale, and the Officers. But to take man in a proper sense, as an effect consisting of body and soul, and to say in propriety of speech, God breathed life into an effect that had life, God put a form into an effect that had a form, no law of language will admit such an expression, much lesse the rules of reason bear it. For the form is put into the matter, and is there in nature before the effect exists. It neither is, nor can be said to be put into the effect.
Besides, Here is yet a further advantage to the cause in hand, in that the Church is not only the subject in which these Officers are, as totum essentiale: but by vertue of her choice, she is causall of the Officers call: and therefore in reason must be before them.
M. R. answers secondly, The Church is the Candlestick, not simply without candles and lamps: the Church ministeriall is the Candlestick, and the Ministers the candles: and by the candles setting in the Church, the Church becomes a ministerial governing Church.
Reply, It's crosse to all mens apprehensions and expressions, that the Candlestick should be no longer a Candlestick, then the candle is in it; why doe work-men sell them for Candlesticks, other men count them so, buy them for such, before they put any candles in them? Is not a subject truly affectum ad arguendum, affected to argue a separable adjunct, and so truly called a subject, though his adjunct be not there, and be actually disposed with him? What kinde of Logick this is, let the Reader, that hath any logical judgement in him, judge.
As if one should say, It is not a Corporation of Aldermen, or freemen before the Maior be chosen. It is true, it is not a compleat corporation of Maior and Freemen, unlesse there be both: but that hinders not, but they be a corporation of Free-men united amongst themselves, though there be no Maior. Nay, they must be a corporation, before they can chuse a Maior: and therefore they must in reason and nature be before him. A man cannot be a husband, before he have a wife, yet he may and must be a man wooing a woman, before he can make her a wife.
Argument 2.
If the Church be not a Church without Officers, then as often as the Officers die, the Church dieth also. Nay, when the Church shall have just occasion (as such its possible may be) to reject her Officers for heresies, or grosse villanies, When they reject them, do they therefore d…stroy the Church and themselves in so doing, when they labour to preserve themselves, nay use the means for their preservation?
Doth a Corporation, when it puts out a wicked Maior out of his place and priviledges, Doe they therefore destroy their own liberties, and nullifie their Corporation by that means, which is the especiall way and mean of their safety and comfort?
One would think that such Arguments were sufficient to cast a cause, carrying such sensible evidence with them, and yet M. R. strength can turn aside all.
He answers, When the shepherds are removed, the tents cannot be called, the shepherds tents: and persecution doth often deface the visible face of a ministeriall Church: and to remove the Candlestick is to remove the Ministery; as to take away eyes, and ears, and hands from the body, is to hurt the integrity of it.
2. All communion ministeriall, whereby we are a body visible, 1 Cor. 10.16. eating one bread, may well be loosed, when Pastors are removed.
Reply. When the shepherds are removed, the tents cannot be called, The tents where the shepherds are, yet they may be called, The tents fit to receive them, and in point of that fitnesse, they are the same they were before they were chosen, and remain the same.
Its true, to remove the Candlestick is to remove the Ministery: because the Ministery and Ministers have their dependance upon the Church. Destroy the man, the whole, you destroy the parts. But it holds not contrariwise. It is true, in a Ministeriall, i. e. an Organicum totum, when you take away any part, you lame the integrity of it; but you do not destroy the essence and nature of it, as totum essentiale. Socrates may loose a limb, an eye, an hand, and so he is not an entire man, consisting of such members, yet he hath totam naturam & definitionem hominis, in regard of his essentiall causes.
That which is added, is yet more beside the cause; For its granted on all hands, That where Officers are not, there is no communion in the Sacraments. Is there therefore no Church communion? Such consequences come not within the compasse of the cause.
We have done now with the first Query, and made it clear,
That this Church is before all Officers, and may be without them.
The second QUESTION now comes into consideration.
Whether there be any Presbyterian Churches in the New Testament of Christs appointment and institution, or only Congregational?