The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

4. THEY are charged to attend unto the Work of Teaching, which none can be, but they whose Office it is to Teach, Rom. 12.7. It is therefore undeniable, that there is such an Office as that of a Teacher mentioned in the Scripture.

THE Second Opinion is, that although a Teacher be a Church-Officer, yet no distinct Office is intended in that denomination. It is, say they, only another Name for a Pastor, the Office being one and the same, the same Persons being both Pastors and Teachers, or called by these several Names, as they have other Titles also ascribed unto them.

SO it is fallen out, and so it is usual in things of this nature, that Men run into extremes; Truth pleaseth them not. In the First Deviation of the Church from its Primitive Institution, there were introduced, sundry Offices in the Church that were not of Divine Institution, borrowed partly of the Jews, and partly of the Gentiles, which issued in the Seven Orders of the Church of Rome. They did not utterly reject any that were of a Divine Original, but retained some kind of Figure, Shadow or Image of them. But they brought in others that were merely of their own invention. In the rejection of this Exorbitancy, some are apt to run into the other extreme. They will deny and reject some of them that have a Divine Warranty for their Original. Howbeit, they are not many, nor burdensome: Yea, they are all such, as without the continuation of them, the Edification of the Church cannot be carried on in a due manner. For unto the Beauty and Order of the Church in its Rule and Worship, it is required, not only that there be many Officers in each Church, but also that they be of sundry sorts; all Harmony in things Natural, Political and Ecclesiastical, arising from variety with proportion. And he that shall with Calmness, and without Prejudice, consider the whole Work that is to be done in Churches, with the end of their institution, will be able to understand the necessity of Pastors, Teachers, Ruling-Elders and Deacons, for those ends, and no other. And this I hope I shall demonstrate in the consideration of these respective Offices, with the Duties that belong unto them, as I have considered one of them