Five disputations of church-government and worship

And that the Lord Jesus Christ should settle one kind of Government de facto during Scripture time, and change it for ever after, is most improbable: 1. Because it intimateth levity, or mutability in a Law-giver, so suddenly to change his Laws and form of Government; either something that he is supposed not to have foreseen, or some imperfection is intimated as the cause. Or if they say, that it was the change of the state of the body Governed, viz. the Church: I answer, 2. There was no change of the state of the Church to necessitate a change of the kind of Officers and Government: for (as I shall show anon) there was need of more Elders then one in Scripture times▪ and the increase of the Church might require an increase of Officers for Number, but not for Kind. There was as much need of assisting Presbyters, as of Deacons. I may well conclude therefore, that he that will affirm a Change of the Government so suddenly, must be sure to prove it; and the rather, because this is the Bishops own great and most considerable Argument on the other side, when they plead that the Apostles themselves were Rulers of Presbyters, therefore Rulers over Presbyters (and many Churches) should continue as Gods Ordinance: many on the other side answer them, (though so do not I) that this Ordinance was temporary, during the Apostles times, who had no Successors in Government: to which the Prelates reply, that its not ••agi•ab•e that Christ should settle one sort of Church-Government for the first age, and another ever after, abolishing that first so soon: and tha• they who affirm this, must prove it. For my part, I am overcome by this Argument, to allow all that the Apostolical pattern can prove, laying aside that which depended on their extraordinary gifts and privileges; but then I see no reason but they should acknowledge the •o•ce of their own Medium: and conclude its not imaginable that, if God settled •ixed Bishops only over particular Congregations, without any such order as subject Presbyters, in the first age, he should change this, and set up subject Presbyters and many Churches under one man for ever after.

And that the Lord Jesus Christ should settle one kind of Government de facto during Scripture time, and change it for ever after, is most improbable: 1. Because it intimateth levity, or mutability in a Law-giver, so suddenly to change his Laws and form of Government; either something that he is supposed not to have foreseen, or some imperfection is intimated as the cause. Or if they say, that it was the change of the state of the body Governed, viz. the Church: I answer, 2. There was no change of the state of the Church to necessitate a change of the kind of Officers and Government: for (as I shall shew anon) there was need of more Elders then one in Scripture times and the increase of the Church might require an increase of Officers for Number, but not for Kind. There was as much need of assisting Presbyters, as of Deacons. I may well conclude therefore, that he that will affirm a Change of the Government so suddenly, must be sure to prove it; and the rather, because this is the Bishops own great and most considerable Argument on the other side, when they pead that the Apostles themselves were Rulers of Presbyters, therefore Rulers over Presbyters (and many Churches) should continue as Gods Ordinance: many on the other side answer them, (though so do not I) that this Ordinance was temporary, during the Apostles times, who had no Successors in Govenment: to whch the Prelates reply, that its not agiabe that Christ should settle one sort of Church-Governmet for the first age, and another ever after, abolishing that first so soon: and tha they who affirm this, must prove it. For my part, I am overcome by this Argument, to allow all that the Apostolical pattern can prove, laying aside that which depended on their extraordinary gifts and priviledges; but then I see no reason but they should acknowlede the oce of their own Medim: and conclude its not imginable that, if God setled ixed Bishops only over particular Congregations, without any such order as subject Prebyters, in the first age, he should change this, and set up subject Presbyters and many Churches under one man for ever after.