The Divine Right of Church Government | Page 4

Will mere prudence, without a divine right, be a sufficient basis to erect
the whole frame of church government upon, as some conceive?
Prudentials, according to general rules of Scripture, may be of use in
circumstantials, but will bare prudentials in substantials also satisfy
either our God, our covenant, our consciences, or our end in this great
work of reformation? What conscientious person durst have a hand in
acting as a ruling elder, did he not apprehend the word of God holds
forth a divine right for the ruling elder? Who durst have a hand in the
censures of admonishing the unruly, excommunicating the scandalous
and obstinate, and of restoring the penitent, were there not a divine
right hereof revealed in the Scripture, &c. Now, therefore, that ruling
elders, and the rest of the people, may begin this happy work
conscientiously, judiciously, cheerfully, in some measure perceiving
the divine right of the whole government, wherein they engage
themselves, cleared by Scripture, we hope, by God's blessing, that this
small tract will afford some seasonable assistance, which will be unto
us a very acceptable recompense.
Thus far of the nature of this treatise, and the grounds of our publishing
thereof. In the next place, a few doubts or scruples touching church
government here asserted, being succinctly resolved, we shall preface
no further.
Doubt 1. Many scruple, and much question the divine right of the
whole frame of church government; as, 1. Whether there be any
particular church government of divine right? 2. What that government
is? 3. What church officers or members of elderships are of divine right?
4. Whether parochial or congregational elderships be of divine right? 5.
Whether classical presbyteries be of divine right? 6. Whether provincial,
national, and ecumenical assemblies be of divine right? 7. Whether
appeals from congregational to classical, provincial, national, and
ecumenical assemblies, and their power to determine upon such appeals,
be of divine right? 8. Whether the power of censures in the

congregational eldership, or any other assembly, be of divine right? 9.
Whether there be any particular rules in the Scripture directing persons
or assemblies in the exercise of their power? 10. Whether the civil
magistrates, or their committees' and commissioners' execution of
church censures be contrary to that way of government which Christ
hath appointed in his Church?
Resol. To all or most of these doubts some competent satisfaction may
be had from this treatise ensuing, if seriously considered. For, 1. That
there is a church government of divine right, now under the New
Testament, declared in Scripture, is proved,
Part I. 2. What that
government is in particular, is evidenced both by the description of
church government, and the confirmation of the parts thereof by
Scripture, Part. II. chap. 1, and so to the end of the book: whereby it is
cleared that the presbyterial government is that particular government
which is of divine right, according to the word of God. 3. What
ordinary church officers, (members of the several elderships,) are of
divine right, is proved,
Part II, chap. 11, sect. 1, viz. pastors and
teachers, with ruling elders. 4. That parochial or congregational
elderships, consisting of preaching and ruling elders, are of divine right,
is manifested,
Part II. chap. 12. 5. That classical
presbyteries,
or assemblies, and their power in church government, are of divine
right, is demonstrated,
Part II. chap. 13. 6. That synodical

assemblies,
or councils in general, (consequently provincial, national, or
ecumenical councils in particular,) and their power in church
government, are of divine right, is cleared,
Part II. chap. 14. 7. That
appeals from congregational elderships, to classical and synodical
assemblies, from lesser to greater assemblies associated, and power in
those assemblies to determine authoritatively in such, appeals, are of
divine right, is proved,
Part II. chap. 15. 8. That the power of
church
censures is in Christ's own church officers only as the first subject and
proper receptacle there of divine right, is cleared,
Part II. chap.
11, sect. 2, which officers of Christ have and execute the said power
respectively, in all the ruling assemblies, congregational, classical, or
synodical. See section 3, and chap. 12, 13, 14, 15. 9. That the
Scriptures hold forth, touching church government, not only general,
but also many particular rules, sufficiently directing both persons and
assemblies how they should duly put in execution their power of
church, government. This is made good,
Part II. chap. 4; and those that desire
to know which are these rules in particular, may consult those learned[2]
centuriators of Magdeburg, who have collected and methodically
digested, in the very words of the Scripture, a system of canons or rules,

touching church government, as in the preface to those rules they do
profess, saying, touching things pertaining to the government of the
Church, the apostles delivered certain