The Government of the Churches of Christ, Book 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The Constitution of a Congregational Church, Evidenced to be by the Wise Appointment of Christ, because it is so exactly accommodated to the various conditions of Saints.
LET us now see, whether of these two should in reason be the Institution of Christ, and which, a Classical or Congregational Church would suit most with the condition of the Saints under the New Testament. God hath still moulded his Institution, and varied it himself according to what was the future condition of his Church Whilst the Church was continued in Families, as under the Old Law, he sorted his Government and Ordinances accordingly. When they grew up to a Nation, he fitted a New Government on purpose for them. When in the Wilderness, a Tabernacle only; when fully setled under a Kingly power, a Temple. Now under the Gospel, the condition of Saints in Nations varying in several Ages, he hath framed his Ordinance of Church-State suitably.
If it be said that therefore when Churches should multiply to a Nation, then the Government is to be suited unto that Nation as such.
We reply, 1. When we see whole Nations truly turn Christian, an answer is to be given.
2. God saw it would fall out otherwise with his Saints in the New Testament, that they would still be Redeemed out of Nations, therefore still suited his Government to his own design.
3. If in his Providence he foresaw that Nations, being turned to him, should have an answerable Government as the Jews had, he would have given Rules answerable. As although the Church in the Wilderness was not given up to a Kingdom, and had not a set place for Worship; and was not come to be disposed of in several Cities, (as when they should inherit the Land of Canaan they should) yet God, foreseeing what he would bring them to, did not give Laws only that suited their Church State in the Wilderness for the present, but he told them, that when they should come into Canaan, he would choose a place to which they should bring their Offering, that this should be the Law of their King, and also appointed what their Government should be, when dispersed into several Cities and Towns. And so answerably if he had intended a National Form of Government, for his Saints under the New Testament, and all things suitable thereunto, (when as yet they were not grown up to National Churches) he would aforehand have prescribed Laws accordingly.
Now 1. This Institution of Congregational Churches, was such as would suit all times of the beginning of the Gospel, and of the continuance of the Gospel. The first Churches were such necessarily as was said afore, and when multiplied, did still continue so, and might govern themselves without Foreign Oppression.
2. It suits all places, Villages as well as Cities; and we must suppose Saints to be as well in Villages, as in Cities. And those Villages had Elders for Worship and Government, and the rights of a Church. And if God were to make one uniform Law, why should the Institution be conformed to Cities, as is pretended, and that made the pattern, and the Jurisdiction of all the rest, rather than that of Villages; for God is the God of the Valleys, as well as the Hills; and there must be the same uniform Rule of both. But now, though the Institution, to have the Saints with their Elders make one Classical Church, might be supposed to suit Cities well enough (for it was but having many Churches in them) yet the lesser Towns it would not suit thus to form them up, under the Government of a Presbytery of many Congregations, especially in those times when they were scattered.
3. This Institution of Congregational Churches, suits also with all conditions of the Church of Christ.
1. With the times of Persecution, as well as the times of Peace. I may say of this Congregational Government as of Faith; it is said of Faith, that it is a standing grace; it is the Materia prima, the first matter, out of which all riseth, and into which all resolveth. A Man liveth by it in Prosperity, and if he be in Desertion, all is resolved into it. And so it is of Congregations, it agrees with all Estates, with all times: And though you suppose other Governments, yet that always existeth, and all begin from thence; therefore these are called Ecclesiae primae, and the other Ecclesiae ortae.
2. It suiteth the condition of the Saints, being scattered all the World over. Whole Nations are not Saints fit for Churches, for the Saints are but a company redeemed out of Nations. As therefore among the Jews, when they were scattered, their Government was a Synagogue-Government, (therefore some think they began that of Synagogues, when they first went into Babylon, which we will not dispute) therefore, as Synagogue-Government, suited with the scattered, the disperst condition of the Jews; so this suits best with the scattered condition of the Saints under the Gospel.
3. The constitution also of Churches was certainly uniform in Cities, and in Villages, or wheresoever, or in what time soever, the Government of hem was uniform. When Christ bad them Teach every Nation, to do what he commanded them, he intended that the Rule should be uniform, whatever Government the Nations had, and therefore also the Apostle's Phrase and Stile is still, 1 Cor. 17. 17. So I ordain in all the Churches; and that which will suit all Churches, all States, all Times, is certainly rather the Pattern than any other. Christ did not make one Form for Cities, and another for Villages; one Form for times of Persecution and another Form for times of Peace; for what suited times of Persecution, would suit times of Peace also: And as the Laws of Men, consider what is best for the generality of Men, so the Institutions of Christ considered, what was best for his Church of the New Testament, throughout all Ages, and all conditions and places whatsoever.
4 It suits best for the condition of Churches in times, whether pure or corrupt, reformed, or to be reformed, when the Churches are generally overgrown with corruptions.
5. By reason of this, that the Institution of Christ doth thus fall upon Congregational Churches, to be those Churches which should be the compleat Seat of Worship and Government; there was a provision made (and in the event hath fallen it out prosperously) that the Truth and the Substance of his Ordinances, and of Church-State, (taking it as it is it self a Ministerial Ordinance) and of the Ministry, might and hath continued in all Ages. For there being a necessity (if there should be any Worship at all) to have Congregations for to continue, and uphold the publick Worship of God; and to that end, to have Ministers over them to perform the Worship, in this Fundamental Institution of his, all that profess the Christian Name throughout the World in all Ages have agreed; and by this means, Jesus Christ hath preserved the Truth of a Church and Ministry, and Substance of Worship in the midst of all those varieties of Government of several sorts of Patriarchs, Archbishops and Bishops, in that Hierachical way, as also of General Councils, and other Assemblies Subordinate to them; and so whatsoever false Superstructions have been made, or whatever Interruptions; yet still this Fundamental constitution of his hath remained, and could not have been secured to continue in all Ages, (fall out what would) in any other way.
But the great thing, upon which all depends, is to find out what essential thing it is, that Church Institution should fall upon. We say, that the end of Churches is a fixed and immediate Communion of Saints, in all Ordinances; and that the Formal and External part of the Institution, is but suited so as to attain this end; which is, that Saints should be knit together, to meet in one for Ordinances, having their Officers that have relation to them, by whom the Ordinances are externally dispensed. So as it is not an accidental thing, or meer external thing (as that they should meet in one place,) that the Institution falleth upon, but it is the most solid and substantial and essential thing, that can be supposed to be the ground of so great an Institution. We shall gradually make out the meaning of this assertion, by these following considerations; which will make the glory of Christ in this Institution, and the consentaneousness of it to Spiritual Reason, and the highest ends that may be supposed to be aimed at, to appear.
1. Communion of Saints is the adequate end of a Church as such, be it what kind of Church soever; and therefore in the Creed, the Church Catholick, and communion of Saints are joyned together, and do follow one another; for the one is the end of the other; and all particular Churches, are therefore also called the Churches of the Saints. And as the Church is framed and formed answerably, such is the communion; and such as the communion is to be, such is the Church to be rckoned, the one being suited to the other.
The Church Catholick, (as now it is called, in respect it is in all Nations) although it is one Body to Christ; yet the Saints therein cannot have, as Saints, a fixed standing set communion, but occasional; either occasional if outward, or secret and invisible if inward, such as the Church, in one Age, hath with the Church of another Age that went afore, such as the Church now in Heaven, and in Earth may have together: And in that respect, an Ordinance or an Institution, could not so well fall upon it. But meet it was, that besides this kind of communion, there should be on Earth a communion of Saints, suited to the State of the Church whilst on Earth, that should be most entire, and the nearest that can be, and most resembling Heaven, for the publick Worship and Glorifying of God in a common enjoyment of Ordinances.
2. Under the Gospel, the communion of Saints is nearer and more intimate, than was under the Law, as the Church exceeded it, so the communion is to exceed it; and as their Ordinances are more Spiritual, so their communion. There is a greater distance of the Saints of the Church Catholick, in their Habitations under the Gospel, than of the Jews under the Law. The Jews were nearer as People dwelling in one Land; and so were capable of a nearer communion all together, than the Church Catholick now is capable of; yet because it was a Nation, therefore their communion was ordered in the way of a National polity, as a Government by Representation, and a Representative Worship, wherein the Females, were Represented in the Males; and yet not frequent and often neither, for it was but three times a year. The communion therefore of Saints then was carryed on in a Worldly way, (as the State of Men in Kingdoms, and Common-wealths, and in Civil things is) and therefore it was a Worldly external Frame, and the communion answerable. And that of the Synagogues, was but for the reading the Word and Prayer only, and not for all sorts of Ordinances of Worship. The Catholick Universal Church, cannot attain to so general a communion under the Gospel, as the National Church of the Jews did, by reason of the difference of Language, and distance of places, and dispersions into all Nations; and yet they were to attain to a nearer communion, and more intimate, and the entirest that the Saints on Earth are capable of; and so to have Churches framed, as to attain to this.
3. The greatest and intirest communion that Saints are capable of, must therefore be by parts on Earth, to have communion in publick Worship and Ordinances. It is therefore necessary, that the Saints should be cast into such Assemblies, wherein they might partake of one Spirit by one Bread, whereby they might partake of one and the same Bread individually; which is therefore called the communion of the Body of Christ, and whereby they are made one Bread, as in the 1 Cor. 10. 17. And therefore it is, that the Scripture doth express that communion by that word Meeting, or being together in Ordinances, Acts 2. 46. foreign, with one Mind or Spirit, importing that which is the Spirit and Life of publick Worship, which (above all other Actions done by a Multitude) is to have the nearest Union of Spirits, wherein the intire communion of Saints lieth, and whereby God is glorified. And for several Churches to meet in the same manner, or at the same time, for the same kind of Ordinances, herein doth not lie so much communion, as an uniformity between them. But this is the most internal lively communion, to joyn in the same Act, at the same Instant, altogether to God; and is the greatest imitation of Heaven, where one Spirit will run through all, and God will be all in all at once.
4. And to make yet the communion nearer, (for it is to be the nearest) it must be of persons fixed and constant in such a communion; for that is still a more entire nearness, that the same Persons should still in an ordinary way, meet to joyn in their Spirits in the same Ordinances, and so inwardly and joyntly thus to glorifie God, as well as externally. The continuance and the fixedness of the same persons, makes still the union the intirer. And therefore if, for to enjoy the intirest communion of Saints on Earth, it was necessary to part the Saints for publick Worship; then also it is needful to part them into fixed Bodies, which still also is the nearest resemblance to Heaven, which is the perfection of communion.
5. To make this communion yet more intire, it is necessary that as they should fixedly join in Ordinances of Worship, so in all other; and that the same persons should enjoy the same Ordinances, and one kind of Ordinances as well as another; that as they are Preached to by the same Elders, so they should join in the same Prayers, have the same breathings of the Spirit from those Prayers, partake of the same Bread, feed at the same Table; As in a Family, the intireness of it lies in this, that they have the same Father and Mother, the same Master and Mistress, partake of the same Bread every way, and of the same Family Duties and Family Comforts, and so now this communion, in a particular Church, both as to Worship and Government, is uniform. Yea and Acts of Government being Worship (which the Souls of Men are edified by, as well as they are by Sermons) are wholly Spiritual: It is not here as in Israel whose Government was more carnal; for it was the judging of civil causes (Civil and Ecclesiastical Government, being all one, mixed together, as the Church it self was) it was in such controversies and cases, as now men plead in Civil Bars about Estates; only God was pleased to give Laws himself for ordering of such things. But the Apostle in 1 Cor. 5. and 1 Cor. 6. severeth the judging of matters in the Church, as a Church by way of Excommunication, &c. from their judging of things about this Life. A Church as a Church medleth not now with them, for these affairs of it are wholly Spiritual.
So that for a conclusion, if all the Wits of World should have studied a way to contrive what kind of Church to Erect for the intirest communion of Saints, to attain to that end which is the end of a Church Instituted, they could have pitched upon no other but this; neither could there have been such a way found out of all other as this is. If that the Church Universal, the communion of it had been only occasional, the Saints meeting only by vertue of being Members of the Catholick Church promiscuously and indefinitely, sometimes in one company, sometimes in another, though by this promiscuous and indefinite way, there had been a more extensive communion of Saints indeed, (that is, each Saint might have come to have joined in publick Worship with more numbers of Saints, at several times, with more variety) yet it had not been so intensive, so near and high a communion, as for the same Saints under the same Officers fixedly to meet. And besides, they could not have had an Excommunication out of this communion, unless first knit into fixed bodies, neither could they have chosen Officers, unless such whose Office should cease with the Act, and performance, which indeed is not an Office; for that is a separation of a Man to a continued performance of a Duty. Nor would it have brought that blessing, that a constant dedication of Men to an Office for perpetuity would do, which could not be done in that occasional fluid way.
If that such Congregations and Officers, though bounded within such a compass of a City or so, should have remained unfixed, tho' associated together within such a circuite or compass; yet this would not have made this intireness of Communion of Saints; as by this way of fixed Congregations there is. And also, in this case, the Institution of a Church would have been pitched upon some one part, or particular kind of Communion, and upon something less principal in it, and not upon the adequate and full foundation of it.
For First, In this unfixt way of People and Officers, though bounded in a compass, this number of Saints should have heard this Minister to day, and with other Saints have heard another to Morrow, none meeting one day together, that do another day, in which also all might run to one Officer still where he Preached and leave the other, which would not breed an orderly communion, but rather a confusion. But to have the same Officers to be fixed, and the same persons to enjoy the dispensation of the same Officers, as in a Family, Children and Servants are under the same Governours, this is a nearer and intirer communion.
Secondly, In this classical way, there would indeed be a constant and a fixed communion in Government, of the Elders (namely of such a circuit) who, when matter of Government was to be exercised, should all meet; but they would not permit (in such a way) or let in the Elders of the same Province, to meddle, as often as they would come, no not though occasionally they were present there, or came thither to that end. But now to have the same Elders and People fixed for all acts of Government, and yet to have them unfixed in respect of performing of Worship (when that is the main end both the of communion, and for which Elders are appointed) and not to have the same fixed companies of People that communicate in this company with those Elders, as in this unfixed way they have not, this would put too great an inequality, between communion in Government and communion in Worship, and make the unequality on the part of Worship rather, because Government is fixed of the same Persons, People and Elders, and yet Worship, wherein is the nearest communion, is left unfixed. And surely, if communion, and intireness of publick communion, be the end of a Church, the frame, and mould of the Church should rather be cast, and shap'd to that which is the intirest communion, than unto that which is more loose. Now in Worship (as to the Acts, and Duties of it perform'd) there is a capacity of an entirer communion, than in Government, because the Duties thereof are more constant.
If, Thirdly, The People be fixed for Worship in several Bodies, but the Elders Fluid in a circulatory Preaching, (as it is pleaded) and so they are made one Church, because the same Elders that teach, do also Govern them too and so they have a near communion in Worship too, because they are at times taught by the same Elders: If this (I say) be made a ground of moulding these several Congregations into one Church, yet it is defective. For it makes the Peoples communion, in enjoying the same Elders at times successively, to be the foundation of Church Institution (yea, and in this case of, the first Church proprie dicta, or properly so called) rather than the communion of Saints, and of the same persons of the Saints, meeting fixedly for Worship. But it is hard to conceive, how the oneness of a Church should be setled, rather on such a temporary communion in Elders, than on a constant communion in Ordinances, whenas the same Elders are enjoy'd by these persons but at times; (which is an interrupted communion also) yea and there are no times neither, wherein as to Acts of Worship they enjoy the same Elders all together. Now that such a relation of Elders, and communion in them, in such a broken way, should carry away the great priviledge of a thing (becoming the ground of the Institution of it) from constant communion, both of the same Saints and Elders, and be preferred thereto in this respect, seems strange. And if it be said, that yet the Saints themselves in this way meet, and have all communion in those Acts of Government, though not in Worship. Yet First; However it cannot be thought, that an occasional communion (as acts of Government comparatively are) should carry away the formation, the shaping and the institution of the first Church. Secondly; The Women (who though they have not the interest of Jurisdiction, yet of communion, and of deprivation, and of Virtual Assistance by their Prayers, &c. they have) are excluded; Unless such Churches be so framed that they also be present.
Fourthly; If we take that other Presbyterial way that is practised, wherein they are fixed for communion in Worship, both Elders and People, but not for Government; yet, even here that fore-mentioned intireness of Government is parted, and the communion of Saints in that one respect divided. And being divided, the ground and foundation of all and either, being (as was said) the communion of Saints, is thereby weakened many ways. For 1. Still this communion is partial, and by that means each stands but upon one single Basis, whereas both joyn'd it might stand on two. For now in this case, the communion in Worship (the blessing of which should strengthen that of Censures, which is a casting out of the communion) is the ground of the meetings of each Congregation: But communion in Government in common, is the foundation of another Church over all Congregations. 2. A communion of Elders, rather than of the Saints, is the foundation of this supposed institution of a Church; and the communion of Saints therein is but representative, and at second hand, themselves being absent. It is a communion for them, but not a communion of them. Yea, they have no communion, not of presence in the Sentence and in the Execution, but are only Congregations of those Elders, that did make a Church concerned therein. But on the contrary, a communion of Saints, even in Government, is the ground and end of erecting of a Church, and therefore it is called one Church in relation principally unto them.
Now then to wind up all; If there may be such a communion of Saints under the Gospel, so adequate and intire, and Churches so formed, as that the same Saints should join in the same Worship, with a joynt, constant, inward, individual communion therein, and these Saints may have, and do enjoy (as our Brethren grant) fixt Elders, by whose Ministry and Dispensation, they partake with them in the same Worship which makes their communion, yet comparatively more intire, (for in the Presbyterial way, there communion is principally by Elders, and therefore in this also, a due consideration is to be had, as adding a farther intireness) and these Elders being a Presbytery, yea and enough to make a Presbytery for all Acts of Government (as we shall after shew a company of Elders in Congregations to be) at all which Acts of Government, which are for the edification of the Saints, they can be present, and have a personal communion, as well as in those of Worship; if also the communion of Saints be the end of Erection of particular Churches, and is the measure fitted; for finis dat Mensuram Mediis, the end gives Measure to the Means, and if this end may be adequately and intirely attained this way, why should partial ends be preferred to total and compleat, all ends meeting in one? Yea if communion of Saints in Worship be the chief communion, yea and the communion of Saints be the principal fundamental cause of all Church Institution, Why should not it draw to it self communion in Government also, when there is a sufficiency for the performing the Acts thereof? Why should the communion of Elders be taken off from the communion of the Saints? Why should a Presbytery be erected, that is taken off from a Church and Assembly of Saints; When yet there is a sufficient Presbytery over a Church of Saints, that meet for all acts both of Worship and Government, and when yet these greater Presbyteries would challenge their power from this lesser Presbytery of Churches, rather than from the name Church, and yet take it off from these Churches, they pretend to be a Presbytery unto? Yea, why should any affirm, that, although a particular Congregation had a sufficiency of Elders, yet it is God's Ordinance that they should associate, for whereas the avoiding of Division is pretended, it makes a worse division, dividing Worship from Government, and Elders from the particular Churches of Saints, and so parting from them, that wherein they ought to have the intirest communion. So, as all things considered, the institution of a particular Church, falls most haply, uniformly, and adequately upon a Congregation intirely and alone, and upon no other manner of Assemblies at all.