Five disputations of church-government and worship

Sect. 3. And therefore it is the decision of this one Question, that Ministers, People and Magistrates themselves, must all contribute their powers and endeavours too in their several places. All that they have to do is but to see that the Churches have fit men, even such as are qualified as God requireth. The People must choose fit men: or consent to them when chosen for them: The Pastors must try them, and Approve them, and only them that are fit: The Magistrate must encourage, assist and defend fit men, and forbid such as are intolerably unfit, and not permit them to abuse the name and Ordinances of Christ, and wrong his Church.

Sect. 4. This treble guard at the door of the Church doth much tend to its security, and preservation from the great evils that intruders may introduce. And each party of the three hath a special interest which should make them careful of the business. 1. The people have great reason to have a hand in it, and to be careful: For it is their Souls for which their Overseers watch, and their Salvation that is concerned in it. And he that will not trust his Son with any Tutor without due choice, nor his state with every Lawyer, nor his body with every Physician, no nor his land, or cattle with every servant, but will choose the ⟨p. 254⟩best, hath reason to know upon whose care he trusteth his soul. For though it may be some excuse, it will be no justification of them that lie in sin and misery, to say, Our Teachers did mislead us. For if the blind lead the blind, it is both that fall into the ditch: And as Cyprian saith (with the rest of his Colleagues,) Epist. 68. (alias Li. 1. Ep. 4.) [Propter quod plena diligentia, exploration sincere oportet eos ad Sacerdotium delegi, quos a Deo constet audiri. Nec sibi plebs blandiatur, quasi immunis esse a contagio delicti possit cum Sacerdote peccatore communicans, & ad injustum atque illicitum praepositi sui Episcopatum consensum suum commodans, &c.—] Besides the work of the Ministry is Teaching and Persuasive, and the success is only on the Willing: and seeing we can do nothing on them for their good against their wills, or without their own Consent, it is needful therefore that some way or other their Consent should be procured, unless we would frustrate all our labour, and miss our end. And also, a Church is a Society Voluntarily conjoined for holy Worship and Living: and therefore it is contrary to the nature of it, that they should have Pastors, or be members and not Consent.