The Government of the Churches of Christ, Book 6 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The Reasons why Christ hath Instituted a Congregational Church.
I will now give Reasons, why Christ did Institute such a particular Ordinance, as a particular Congregation of Members joyned, to grow up to be a Body, a Temple apart unto Christ, and why he hath thus endowed them with the priviledges, Name and Nature of the whole.
1. That there should be joynt and publick profession of the Name of God; and that God should be Worshipped of his Creatures, as Assembled together, is exceeding necessary, and indeed natural. Though the manner of Divine Worship is Instituted, yet that God should be Worshipped by many (when many are extant, that may Worship him) is as natural, as that he is to be Worshipped. Therefore all Nations have ever had publick Assembly's, in which to Worship their God's. And therefore in Genesis, no sooner did that common Work of Mankind spread into Branches; but it is upon the Genealogy presently Recorded, and put unto it, as the consequence of it, Gen. 4. 26. Then began Men to call upon the Name of the Lord, that is publickly and together; for privately, they had done it afore: Or if it be meant of Idolatrous Worship (as some interpret it) that the Men began prophanely to call on the Name of the Lord; yet publick it was. And however that they thus fall upon it, argues the voice of Nature as it is, Mich. 4. 5. and is argued from it. The People of God argue from it, to provoke one another to publick Worship, of which he there speaks, (ver. 1, 2.) How in latter Days, that is, under the Gospel, there should be flowing to the Mountain of the Lord, and all People should flow to it. And many Nations shall say, come, let us go up and Assemble, &c He speaks in the Language of the Old Testament, to express the Worship of the New. You know the Temple stood upon a Mountain, to which the Church of the Jews Resorted for publick Worship, so as to go up to the Mountain of the Lord, is to Assemble together to Worship. And how do they provoke one another to this? By the Law of Nature Written in all Men's Hearts, ver. 5. For all People will walk in the Name of his God; that is, make a joynt and publick profession of him, and together call upon him: For to that he there exhorts, v. 5. It is a Natural instinct in the New Creature, therefore they breath after it.
2. As to have Assemblies wherein to Worship God, is natural; so now under the Gospel, particular Assemblies are necessary. When indeed the Church was contracted in Judea, so as all the Nation might at once meet; for greater Solemnity, God ordained three Solemn meetings every year; and therefore they were a National Church. But now when the Gospel was Preached all the World over, and Saints were to be gathered from over all the World; it was necessary that Church Assemblies should be Instituted, and set up every where. Thus Paul gives Directions for publick Ordinances, that as now they might pray for all Men, which the Jews might not do, so that God now would have all Saved, 1 Tim. 2. 4, 6. And therefore he was the Apostle of the Gentiles, 8. 7. I will therefore (it is an inference therefrom) that Men pray every where, he speaks of publick Assemblies, and the ordering them, as in the whole Epistle. Therefore Judea it self, which was before a Church National, and they were to come to the Temple to Worship, now had many Churches in it, Gal. 1. 2. And therefore the Prophets speaking of the latter days, and Prophecying of the Church Assemblies, then call them not an Assembly only (as that of the Jews was called the great Congregation) but Assemblies. So Isa. 4. 5. He says, He will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion, Assemblies, &c. not Assembly: Which yet should be all on Mount Sion, and have the same priviledge and promise, that Mount Sion had. So we have it expressed in Malach. 1. 11. Incense shall be offered up every where; and so the Temple was to be every where.
For 3. It cannot be imagined, that Christ should not be as good to his Church, in respect of Dispensations of Grace under the Gospel, as under the Old Testament. Therefore all the Priviledges that the Jews met together in the Temple had, and all the Ordinances wherein they joyntly partook, and the like helps, and more full of Grace in stead of those other, were to Succeed in the New Testament: For his Name, he says, should be as great among the Heathens, as ever among the Jews. Therefore Christ sets up a Temple, and gives power to his Church in all places to set up Temples and Habitations to himself; and endows all those private Churches, with all the priviledges and endowments that the Assembly of the Jews had. And hence now, every such Assembly is called the Lord's Mountain, and his Temple; and hence, all the Encomiums mentioned of the Jews Church, are now given to two or three poor Assembled. As he said of the Temple, I will put my Name there, (Deut. 12. 11. 1 Kings 8. 29.) so now Christ's word is, (Matth. 18. 19, 20.) I say to you, That where two or three are gathered together, I will be in the midst of them. Which words as Cameron Notes, are not Assertory only; but Institutive. Yea, I say further, look what Priviledges and what Ordinances all Saints on Earth, if Assembled together, should partake of, the same as fully and entirely hath Christ appointed, two or three Assembling in his Name to partake in, till they all meet together in Heaven.
4. It was for Christ's Honour, that it should be thus; that such Spiritual Regiments and Common-wealths, and Bodies of Saints, should be erected to shew that Christ is King. For Christ is a King, and must Rule amongst the midst of his Enemies, Psal. 110. Rev. 15. 3. He Reigns over Wicked Men by his Providence; but as he is peculiarly King of Saints, Rev. 15. 3. so in and over his Saints peculiarly, and that not in their Hearts only; but outwardly and visibly in an ordered instituted Kingdom and Body. He is King not only in having Saints, but in having Saints ordered and embodied together in Holy Societies, Col. 2. 2. I rejoyce to behold your Order. He is a King over the Bodies of his Saints, as well as their Souls, 1 Cor. 6. 20. for he Redeemed both. And therefore as his work is to guide their Souls inwardly by his Spirit; so their outward Man by his Officers and Ordinances appointed. An Instituted Church is called his Kingdom, Mat. 21. 43. For he says, That Kingdom shall be taken away, he means Ordinances, and the Candlestick of the Church. And it is reason, that his Kingly Office should be extended as large as his Prophetical and Priestly. His Prophetical reacheth to outward things, to Baptism, and the Lords Supper, &c. His Priestly Office was performed externally a-fore the World; and so he was to the Jews in outward things, Jesus Christ the same to day that yesterday, Heb. 13. 8. The Kingdom then answerably, is visible in an external Administration. Christ was to have an House under the New Testament, as under the Old, Heb. 10. 21. We have an High Priest over the House of God, and thereupon he urgeth Assembling together, ver. 25. which makes Christ an House: Now if we are not to forsake the Assemblies, it is then our Duty to begin to form them, and it is remarkable that he says Assembling, not Assemblies only.
5. By the Institution of these particular Churches, Christ sets up a Kingdom, and judgeth a-fore-hand. He judgeth them within, by casting them out if Offenders, which shews, that he will not bear with Scandals: And he Judgeth also those without, in denying to admit them, and so separates between the Pretious and the Vile, and makes a day of Judgment aforehand. Therefore we find it made by the Prophets, the Fruit of these Assemblies that Christ Judgeth amongst the Nations, Isa. 2. 3. 4. Michah 5. 2. 3. And another Fruit is that they are Blessed, as means to convert Souls, Acts 9. 31.
6. Saints have as much need now of Assembling thus, as then. Adam had need of Fellowship in Innocency, and much more do we need it in a State of Corruption. Therefore the Apostle exhorts upon that ground to these Assemblies, Heb. 10. 25.