Di{put. of Church-GIV, Diff·l• May man make new Cbwcb Forms and Officers! the humane additions to be nu:u. treare~ o~ If it do, then here is another pan of rhe form of Government p.rovcd robe ~f D1vme lnfimmon•. I fay n~r, aw11hcr Clmrcb, ( for I tind r.o~hillg ·cal– led a Church 1n tht N ew 1 tfiamenr, hut the Vmvtr{al Church and the: p(lrti•ufar ) : Bur aumhn ~7arr of tht Government of both Churcbu, Vnivcrfol and particular: Brcaufc fuch General Officer, are fo in the Vniverfal, as to have a_ General OvCt'fght of the partic11lur: As an Army is Headed only by the Gemral himfdf, and a Rcgm1ent by the Ccdoml, and a Troop by the Capcain ; Bur the Gcr 1 cral Offi– cers of the Army ( the Litutcnanrs General, the MaJors General, &c. ) are under the Lord Gene-ral in and over the Army, and have a General overlight of the particular bodies (Regiments and Troops.) Now if this be the In!lituted form of ChriHs Church Govcrnmtntl that he himft!f Rule abfoluttly as General, and that he.have fame General Officer~ under him~ not a1~y one having a charge of the rcbolt, but in the ."hnle untixedly, or as they voluntarrly parr theu Provmces-,) :rnd that eadt pnticular Church have ItS own proptr I>afior (one or more ) , then who can fJy, that N.~o form of Cburcb Government is of Divine Appoinrritent or Command? ObjeCt. But the qrufti m i1 only, Jf/hether any foie f orm be ofGods commandi"g l And wbttber anofbtr ma:y not h.zvt as mucb [aid for it as tbU f Anftf). Either )'OU mean [Anotbtr inftead (lftbi1, as a Competitor,] or [Another part conjuJtll with tiJt[e partJ. J , · I· If the tid\ be your fcnfe, then you have two works •O do: I• To prove that thcfebefore men– tioned were Mutable lnllicutions, or that they were fetlcd but disjundivdy with fome othrr, aud char the choice was left indifferent to men. 2. To prove the Infiitution of your other form (which yoll fuppofe left with this to mens free choice ). But I have already provc::d, that both the General and particular Chmch form are fctled for t!On– tinuance as unchangeable Ordinances of G9d. I fuppofe you doubt not of the conftnuance ofChrijil . Supremacy, and fo of the Vniverfol form: And if you will prove that Church Alfunblics with their Pajtort may ctafe, and fome other wa·y fupply the room, y'ou mufi be finnge and (ingular under– takers. The other two parts of the Government (by General Officers, and by CoJtfociulioH of Chur– chrs ) are more difputed ; But it is the CircumftanceJ of the lafi only !:hat is conrroverted and nor the thing; And for the other I lhall now add nothing to what 1have faid el(cwhcre. 2· But jf you only mean that Another part of theform may bt jure divino as wdl as this) that will but prove fiill that fome form is jure divino. • But 3• If you mean, that God having infiituted the forms now proved, hath left man at liberty to add more of his own, I Chall now come to examine that Cafe alfo. ~efl:. 57. Whet/,er any Forms of Churc/,es, and Church Gowrnment, or a1ry mw (hurch Officers, may la1vjully be invented and made by man! Att[w. TO remove ambiguities, I- Ey the word [ FormJ] may be meant either that Relative form of Jitcb a,egregate bodies, r:vbicb ~~ their effcnce, and drnominateth them effentiaUy ; or only fome Accidental mode! which denominattth them but ~tccidentafly. 2. By Churches is meant either holy focieties rel~ted by the foundatim of a Divi11e Injtitution; or elfe focietiel related by accident, or &y humane contrafl only. 3· By [ Cburcb Government J is meant, either that Government formaUy Ecclefigflical, which conjli– tutetb a Church, ofChrifts making ; or clfc fome Government about the Matters of the Church which is formally either MagiJtrarical or humane, (by contract), &c. ' 4· So by Church Officers arc meant, either fuch as are accounted effintittl w a Church in the pur~ Chriflian fenfc: ; or Integral at leall ( as Deacons) : Or clfe fuch as are accounted bur Accidem 11 l to ir, and EJJent-iJl only to the hum.:Jne form. And fo I anfwer, I· As there arc forne tbings circa facra, or Accitlents of Gods {pecial Church 1-Yorjhip, which are left to humane prudence to determine of, fo the fame humane prudence may determine who jhaOdo them. As e. g. Who fl1all rcp.1ir the Buildings of the Church; the Windows, the Bells, the Pulpirs, the Tablts, &c. who Chall keep the Clock; who Chall keep the Cups, Cloaths, and other Utenfils; Who 01all be the Portrr, the keeper of the Books) &c. Who !hall call the people to Church·, or- ring the Bells, or give them notice ot Church atfemblies: who fhall make bread for the SJcramcnt, or provide Wine, or bri.1g Water for baptifm : who fhall make the Guves, and bury the Dead, or at– tend Mlrriages, or Baptiz,ngs, &c. Who !hall fet the Tune of the Pfalm, or ufe thC Church-Mufick (if thtrc be.any ) : who fl1all fummon any of the people on any jull occailon to come .to thfir p,._ Hors; or who Oull fUmmon the Pafiors to any Synod, or lawful Affembly, and give them notice of the time and place : When they arc tG> meet, who fhall be called tirfl:, and who ficond ? Who flull fie highelt, :md who lowcfl. ? Who fball take the Vores, or moderate or guide tht.: Difpu 1 ati– ons of the Alfembly? Who fl1all be the Scribe, and record what is done? Who 01all fend abroad their Agreements; and who 01all be the Church-mdfcnger w carry them. The Agents of fuch Cir– cumtlantials may be chofcn by the Magillrate; or by the Chuzches o Hors, as is moll convenient. Thongb
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