The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

8. WE have therefore in this Context the beautiful Order of things in and of the Church. All the Duties of it, with respect unto its Edification, derived from distinct differing Spiritual Gifts, exercised in and by distinct Officers, unto their peculiar ends. The distinction that is in the nature of those Gifts, their use and end being provided for in distinct Subjects. The mind of no One Man, at least ordinarily, is meet to be the seat and subject of all those differing Gifts in any eminent degree; the Person of no Man being sufficient, meet, or able to exercise them in a way of Office towards the whole Church; especially those who labour in the Word and Doctrine, being obliged to give themselves wholly thereunto, and those that Rule to attend thereto with diligence; so many distinct Works, Duties and Operations, with the Qualifications required in their discharge, being inconsistent in the same Subject; all things are here distributed into their proper Order and Tendency, unto the Edification of the Church. Every distinct Gift required to be exercised in a peculiar manner, unto the public Edification of the Church, is distributed unto peculiar Officers, unto whom an especial Work is assigned to be discharged by virtue of the Gifts received, unto the Edification of the whole Body. No Man alive is able to fix on any thing which is necessary unto the Edification of the Church, that is not contained in these Distributions, under some of the Heads of them. Nor can any Man find out any thing in these Assignations of distinct Duties unto distinct Offices, that is superfluous, redundant, or not directly necessary unto the Edification of the whole, with all the Parts and Members of it; nor do I know any wise and sober Man who knows any thing how the Duties enjoined are to be performed, with what Care, Diligence, Circumspection, Prayer and Wisdom, suited unto the nature, ends and objects of them, can ever imagine that they can all of them belong unto one and the same Office, or be discharged by one and the same Person.

8. WE have therefore in this Context the beautiful Order of things in and of the Church. All the Duties of it, with respect unto its Edification, derived from distinct differing Spiritual Gifts, exercised in and by distinct Officers, unto their peculiar ends. The distinction that is in the nature of those Gifts, their use and end being provided for in distinct Subjects. The mind of no One Man, at least ordinarily, is meet to be the seat and subject of all those differing Gifts in any eminent degree; the Person of no Man being sufficient, meet, or able to exercise them in a way of Office towards the whole Church; especially those who labour in the Word and Doctrine, being obliged to give themselves wholly thereunto, and those that Rule to attend thereto with diligence; so many distinct Works, Duties and Operations, with the Qualifications required in their discharge, being inconsistent in the same Subject; all things are here distributed into their proper Order and Tendency, unto the Edification of the Church. Every distinct Gift required to be exercised in a peculiar manner, unto the publick Edification of the Church, is distributed unto peculiar Officers, unto whom an especial Work is assigned to be discharged by virtue of the Gifts received, unto the Edification of the whole Body. No Man alive is able to fix on any thing which is necessary unto the Edification of the Church, that is not contained in these Distributions, under some of the Heads of them. Nor can any Man find out any thing in these Assignations of distinct Duties unto distinct Offices, that is superfluous, redundant, or not directly necessary unto the Edification of the whole, with all the Parts and Members of it; nor do I know any wise and sober Man who knows any thing how the Duties enjoined are to be performed, with what Care, Diligence, Circumspection, Prayer and Wisdom, suited unto the nature, ends and objects of them, can ever imagine that they can all of them belong unto one and the same Office, or be discharged by one and the same Person.