TAOTRA Section Four

Title - Preface - Sec. 1 - Sec. 2 - Sec. 3 - Sec. 4 - Sec. 5 - Sec. 6 - Sec. 7 - Sec. 8 - Conclusion

SECTION Fourth.

Of the Order and Government which we plead for.

It will be needful then before I proceed to describe the Order & Government of the Church, to consider what is or may be properly understood by the Church, for some, as I touched {Page 32} before, seem to be offended, or at least afraid of the very Word, because The Power of the Church, the Order of the Church, the Judgment of the Church and such like Pretences, have been the great Weapons wherewith Antichrist and the Apostate Christians have been these many Generations persecuting the Woman, and warring against the Man-child; and indeed great Disputes have been among the Learned Rabbies in the Apostacy concerning this Church what it is, or what may be so accounted, which I find not my Place at present to dive much in, but shall only give the true Sense of it, according to Truth, and the Scriptures plain Testimony XR4973. 

The Word Church in it self, and as used in the Scriptures, is not other but a Gathering, Company, or Assembly of certain People, called or gathered together XR6368; for so the Greek word ———— signifies, which is that the Translators render Church, which is derived from the Verb ——-, i.e. ——-, I call out of, from the Root ——————, I call. Now though the English Word Church which Word be only taken in such a Sense, as People are gathered together upon a Religious Account, yet the Greek Word that is so rendered, is taken in general for every Gathering or Meeting together of People, and therefore where it is said, The Town-Clark of the Ephesians dismissed the Tumult that was gathered there together, that same Greek Word ——- is used Acts 19.41. ————- he dismissed the Assembly or the Church.
A Church then in the Scripture Phrase, is no other then a Meeting or adhering of certain People, which (if it be taken in a religious Sense, as most commonly it is) are gathered together in the Belief of the same Principles, Doctrines, and Points of Faith, whereby as a Body they become distinguished from others, and have a certain Relation among themselves, and a conjunct Interest to the maintaining and propagating these Principles they judge to be right, and therefore have a certain Care, and Oversight over one another, to prevent and remove all Ocasions that may tend to break their conjunct Interest, hinder the Propagation of it, or bring infamy, {Page 33} contempt, or Contumely upon it, or give such as on the other Hand are or may be banded together to undo them. XR1497
Now the Way to distinguish that Church, Gathering, or Assembly of People, whereof Christ truly is the Head, from such as falsly pretend thereto, is by considering the Principles, & Ground upon which they are gathered together, the Nature of that Hierarchy & Order they have among themselves, the Way and Method they take to uphold it, and the Bottom upon which it standeth: which will greatly contribute to clear all Mistakes. XR6294

Forasmuch as Sanctification and Holiness is the great and chief End among true Christians, which moves them to gather together, therefore the Apostle Paul defines the Church in his Salutation to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 1.2. Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be Saints, so the Church is such as are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints.
The Power and Authority, Order and Government we speak of, is such as a Church, Meeting, Gathering, or Assembly claims towards those that have or do declare themselves Members XR4601, who own, believe and profess the same Doctrines and Principles of Faith with us, and go under the same Distinction and Denomination, whose Escapes, Faults, and Errors may by our Adversaries justly be imputed to us, if not seasonable and christianly, reproved, reclaimed, or condemned; for we are not so foolish, as to concern our selves with those who are not of us, far less, who stand in Opposition to us, so as to reprove, instruct, or reclaim them, as Fellow Members, Brethren, yet with a Respect to remove the general Reproach from the Christian Name, with a tender Regard to the good of their immortal Souls, for the Zeal we owe to Gods Glory, and for the Exaltation and Propagation of his Everlasting Truth and Gospel in the Earth, we have not been wanting with the Hazard of our Lives to seek the scattered one, holding forth the Living And Sure Foundation, and inviting and persuading all to obey the Gospel of Christ, and to take Notice of his Reproofs, as he makes himself manifest in and by his light in their {Page 34} Hearts; so our Care and travail is and hath been towards those that are without, that we may bring them into the Fellowship of the Saints in Light; and towards those that are brought in, that they may not be led out again, or drawn aside, either to the left Hand or the right, by the Workings and Temptations of the Enemy.

These Things being thus cleared and opened, we do positively affirm, that we being a People gathered together by the Power of God (which most if not all of those that arising among our selves, do oppose is herein, have acknowledged) into the Belief of certain Principles and Doctrines, and also certain Practices and Performances by which we are come to be separated and distinguished from others, so as to meet apart, and also to suffer deeply for our Joint - Testimony, there are and must of Necessity Be, as in the gathering of us, so in the preserving of us while gathered, Diversities of Gifts and Operations for the edifying of the whole Body. Hence saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 5.17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double Honour, especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine, & this we suppose neither to be Popish nor Antichristian, let our Opposers say it as oft as they can, without reckoning the Apostles such.

Secondly, Forasmuch as all are not called in the same Station, some rich, some poor, some Servants, some Masters, some married, some unmarried, some Widdows, and some Orphans, and so forth, it is not only convenient, but absolutely needful that there be certain Meetings, at certain Places and Times, as may best sute the Conveniences of such who may be most particularly concerned in them, where both those that are to take Care may assemble, and those who may need this Care may come and make known their Necessities, and receive help, whether by counsel, or Supply, according to their respective Needs XR3238. This doth not at all contradict the Principle of being led inwardly and immediately by the Spirit, else how came the Apostle in that Day of the Powerful pouring forth of the Spirit of God to set apart Men for this Purpose? sure this was not to lead them from their inward Guide, yea, of the contrary it {Page 35} is expressly said, Look ye out among you Seven men of honest Report, full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom, whom we may appoint over this Business. Sure they were not to undertake a Business being full of the Holy Ghost, which might import a contradiction to their being led by it: So we see it is both fit, and suitable to the Apostles Doctrine to have Meetings about Business. Now if any should be so whimsical or conceited, as to scruple their being at set Places and Times, though these be nothin relative to the Essential parts, but only Circumstances relating to the the Conveniency of our Persons, which we must have Regard to so long as we are cloathed with Flesh and Blood; and such Notionists as are against this Godly Care, work for more in their vain Imaginations, then they reduce to Practice, being like unto such who the Apostle James testified, who content themselves, with saying to the Naked, be clothed; and to the hungry, be fed, while they offer not in the least to minister to them those Things which are needful for clothing and Feeding of them, yet shall we not scruple to make it appear, that it is not without very good Ground that we both appoint Places and Times, and First, as to the Place, I say as before, it is with our Bodies we must meet, as well as with our Spirit, and so of Necessity we must convey our Bodies unto one Place 2113, that we may speak and act in those Things we meet for, and that must be in some certain Place, where all must know where to find it, having herein a regard to the Conveniences and Occasion of such as meet, Were it fit that those of the Church of Corinth should go do their Business at Antioch, or the Church of Jerusalem at Rome? Nay, surely, God hath not given us our Reasons to no Purpose, but that we should use for his Glory, and the good of our Brethren, yet alwayes in Subjection to his Power and Spirit, and therefore we have respect to these things in the appointing of our Meetings, and do it not without Regard to the Lord, but in a Sense of his Fear. And so the like as to Times, which is no contradicting of the inward Leading fo the Spirit, else how came the Apostle to appoint a Times to the Corinthains in their Contributions, desiring them 1 Cor. 16.2. To lay by them in store upon the first Day of the {Page 36} Week, yea, saith he, not that he gave the same Order to the Church of * Galatia. I know not how any in Reason can quarrel Set-Times for outward business, it being done in a Subjection to Gods Will, as all Things ought to be or else, how can such as so do but quarrel the Apostle for this Imposition (at that Rate) upon the Churches of Corinth and Galatia? We appoint no set Times for the Performance of the Worship of God, so as to appoint men to preach and pray at such and such Set-times, though we appoint times to meet together in the Name of the Lord, that we may feel his Presence, and he may move in and through whom he pleaseth without limitation, which practice of meeting together, we are greatly encouraged to by the Promise of Christ, and our own blessed Experience, and also we are severely prohibited to lay it aside by the holy Apostle, and also on the other Hand by the sad Experience of such as by Negligence or Prejudice, forsake the Assemblies of God’s People, upon many of which is already fulfilled, and upon others daily fulfilling the Judgments threatened upon such Transgressors, XR4418 read Heb. 10. From ver. 23. To the End, where that Duty is so seriously exhorted to, and the Contempt of it reckoned a willful Sin, almost, if not altogether unpardonable, yea, a Treading under the Foot the Son of God, and a Doing Despite to the Spirit of Grace, which is fulfilled in our Day, and proves the lamentable Fruits of such as have so backsliden among us; and therefore having so much good and real Ground for what we do herein, together with the Approbation and Encouragment of Christ and his Apostles, both by Command and Practice, we can, as that which both the Alpha and Omega, the Foundation and Cap-stone, faithfully affirm in good Conscience, That God hath led us by his Spirit, both to appoint Places and Times, where we may see the Faces of another, and to take Care one for another, provoking one another to love and good Works; and our Faith and Confidence herein cannot be staggered by a mere Denial in our Opposers, which no man of Conscience and Reason will say it ought, seeing the Thing itself hath such a solid and real Cause and foundation, so good and suitable a Patern and Example {Page 37} and that it is constantly confirmed to us, both by the Testimony of God’s Spirit in our Hearts, and by the good Fruits and Effects which we daily reap thereby, as a Seal and Confirmation that God is well pleased therewith, and approveth us in it XR4526.
Having thus far proceeded to shew that there ought to be Order and Government* among the People of God, and that that which we plead for is, that there may be certain Meetings set apart for that End XR1661, it is next to be considered in what Cases and how far it may extend.