THE BEAUTY OF GODLY GOVERNMENT IN A CHURCH REFORM: OR A Platform of Government Consonant to the Word of Truth, and the purest reformed CHURCHES.  
Showing also, The great good that comes thereby, the great evils that it freeth us from.  
WITH The two main Objections answered, which are Objected by some of the Laity, and some of the Clergy.  
Whereunto is added.  
A short Parrallell between the Presbyterian and Prelatian Government.  
Published for such as are not well acquainted with it.  
Printed, Anno Dom. 1641.   

THE BEAUTY OF CHRIST'S Government in a Church reform.  

In a Parish  
HEre it must begin, according to the order in holy Writ; the first Churches being Parochial: special care must be had, that parishes have in them the ordinances of Christ.  
That there be an able Pastor, set over the people in every Congregation, for teaching and ruling them.  
That there be with him assistants in governing, called Elders, with us Churchwardens, which are in their room.  
These must be men of the best quality among them, men of understanding, lovers of Religion, and of a godly, honest, and peaceable conversation.  
They are to be chosen with the people's consent, and admitted solemnly with prayer, in the face of the whole Congregation, and an exhortation faithfully to discharge their duties, which they must promise to perform, God assisting them.  
The number to be more or fewer, as the parish is greater or lesser.  
The meeting of these to be weekly, if it may be, at a set time and place; for conveniency, in the Church, after divine service is ended in the afternoon, or in the weekday when there is a sermon.   

The end thereof.  
To look to all the parishioners concerning their religion and exercise thereof, publicly and privately, to see to their honest behaviour, and peaceable demeanour one towards another, at home and abroad.  
To receive complaints against any delinquents, and to proceed against them to admonition, to suspension from the holy Communion, according to the quality of the offence, and as the offender shall deserve without partiality. To excommunicate any is very rare, and not without the wise advice of the Presbytery.  
Lastly, the manner of proceeding, to be after the rule of God's word, and according to the godly Ecclesiastical Laws prescribed them to follow, agreeable to the Word.  
To this meeting come the Overseers of the poor, called Deacons: They are to be chosen as the Elders are, men of honesty, faithful and godly.  
Their office is to take care of the poor, faithfully to distribute the collections, and wisely, according to every one's necessity. To visit the sick, and to be able to examine them in the grounds of Religion, instructing the ignorant, and comforting them that want consolation; as elsewhere they do.   

Motives to embrace this Parochial government, which Episcopal government keeps us from.  

From the good which comes thereby. 

1. Hereby Religion and virtue with much care, put in practice: peace and unity also will be preferred.  
2 Hereby will religious persons, religious meetings, and pious exercises be had in esteem, and the virtuous regarded; who will be watchful one over another, being knit together in an holy communion, much with us wanting.  
3 Hereby will the vicious, the profane and scandalous be suppressed; sin will not be suffered to reign, nor be so rife as with us it is.  
4 Hereby, through weekly meeting to suppress vice, and to maintain virtue, the Pastors themselves, the Elders and Deacons shall become better acquainted with the ways of virtue, and grow more in hatred with vice: know also better the rule of ordering of Christ's people, wisely and religiously, whereby his glory may more shine among them, and they made happy instruments thereof.    
II. From the great evils which we are freed from: but Episcopacy keeps us under. 

1 Hereby shall all be freed from the heavy yoke, and authority of their Ecclesiastical Courts, and their corruptions, which God and men of all sorts cry out against.  
2 From the great expenses of money, in journeying sometimes many miles, in lying there at cost, and disbursing the charges imposed, and called for by the Court; besides often appearing, long delays, and loss of much time.  
3 From the wicked and enforcing oath ex officio; and from the many thousands of oaths which Churchwardens take; and from the oath of purgation enforced upon many to clear themselves of a suspected crime: in taking of which oaths, many forswear themselves, and procure the Lords curse against them, and the whole Land.      

To these Motives, add: 

1 That such a government in a Parochial Church of Christ, is approved by our neighbour Kingdom with good success, to the honour of Christ, and the people's reformation.  
2 That in the Apostles days were first founded parochial Churches, and in them the Elders and Deacons ordained, and all Christ's ordinances exercised in them; and therefore to be admitted of us.  
3 That the robbing of parochial Congregations of these holy ordinances, is the very ground of their spiritual misery; from which, if they seek not to be freed, they are most unhappy, and can never attain to that spiritual condition which is so heartily wished for, and desired, for their soul's safety.     

Objections answered.  
Some of the Laity please to say, that this is to make every Minister a pope in his parish.  
Answer. That a Pastor is to be obeyed of his people, will not be denied, for the word commands it, Heb. 13.7.17. But to Lord it over God's heritage he may not, 1 Pet. 5.3. Nor doth this make him a Pope in his Parish, for the Elders are joined with him in governmet, so as without them he can do nothing; he is also subject to the Presbytery, and must be kept within his limits, prescribed him.   


Some of the Clergy object, and say that these Elders do overtop their Ministers and make them their vassals.  
Answer. I. 

One of these objections must be false, if not both, for they oppose one another.  
2. Such Minister as thus object may be satisfied by the practice of the Elders, among whom this government is exercised. Do they ever hear any of the faithful Ministers make such a complaint against their Elders?  
3. These Elders are but Assistants to their pastor and only second them, not going before them in the session, the Pastor is moderator in the whole action beginning with prayer and so ends it; when he speaks to them, they show him very reverend respect. Yea the greatest Noblemen in the land, in Church-meetings, do not oversway the meanest and poorest Minister, for if he do he shall be called to an account before the general assembly, where if he appear in any ill cause, he will be made more ashamed, then before any judicature in the kingdom.  
4. Why should any be offended at those Elders, and so conceit amiss against them, when we bear the commanding power of lay Chancellors, lay Commissaries, with their Registers, who rule masterly over us, making us to be unconscionably slavish executioners of their often unjust commands.  
Lastly, consider that from hence just appeals may be made to the Presbytery.     

II. In every division or circuit suitable to our Deanery.  
That there be a classical meeting called elsewhere a Presbytery. This consists of all the Ministers of Parishes within the Deanery, or such a circuit thereof as may conveniently meet, to which are sent by consent out of every Parish one of their Elders. This meeting is to be once a fortnight. In this from among the Pastors must the gravest, the wisest, the best esteemed for life and godliness be chosen moderator, for the time of the sitting and meeting. He is to begin with prayer and end so after a Psalm and a Sermon; here Ministers are to show their gifts, and how they profit, and go on in the Ministry. And such as intent the Ministry are here to be tried, and if fit, to be ordained, if a place be void: these look into parochial Sessions, within their circuit, that Pastors, Elders, and people behave themselves as they ought: Here the power of jurisdiction is used, the doctrine and lives of Ministers are enquired into, and according as they find, they encourage the faithful dispensers against others, they proceed to admonition, suspension, and deprivation, as they shall see just cause so to do. All other sorts of persons of what quality soever, which shall be disobedient to their own Pastors and Elders, proceeding in their parochial meetings lawfully, are with great authority censured.  
By this we see how the parochial government is upheld, and yet kept within bounds, Christ's Doctrine and worship kept pure, good Ministers honoured, and the rest either reform, or cast out.   

III. In every County or shire.  
In this must be a Synod, called elsewhere Provincial.  
It consists of the whole Presbyteries within that Shire, or Province, with one Elder from every Parish, men of rank and quality, Gentlemen, Knights and Barons, for such in some places are Elders. The meeting to be every half year, as our Archdeacon's visitations be.  
Here being assembled, they begin with praying and preaching, the Sermon being made by the former Moderator; which ended, a new Moderator is then chosen, or the same again confirmed.  
These meet not to call for Synodals, or paschal rents, nor to gather procurations, nor to swear Churchwardens, to make presentments, for these assemblies sit not for to gather moneys; but this Synod meeteth to make enquiry by the records of every Presbytery into the governing of all the Presbyteries, and all the Churches under them, and to rectify what is amiss therein.  
To supply what is wanting, and to censure any for faults, crimes & offences committed.  
All matters with great diligence, and speed, are here so to be expedited, as the time may not be long, nor the staying to become chargeable and burdensome, but that the Pastors and Elders may return home in good time, before the Lords day.  
Can we be so happy as to enjoy such Synods, we shall be rid of the vain and very chargeable visitations of Archdeacon's, where Ministers and people wastefully lay out yearly some thousands of pounds throughout the whole land.   

iv In one whole nation.  
This is the general assembly of the nation, or national meeting.  
It consists of Pastors and Elders from every Presbytery, to which have come sometime the King's Majesty, or a Commissioner for him; as also likewise the religious and learned Nobles of the land.  
This meeting is elsewhere once a year, but with us it may fitly be every Parliament time, now appointed to be every third year.  
The first day of this assembly is a day of solemn humiliation to prepare them to so great and holy a work, at the end whereof a Minister is chosen by the voices of all to be Precedent and Moderator in that assembly: who prayeth at every sitting down, and when they rise up for a blessing of God upon them.  
The power of this is very great; it upholdeth the authority of the other assemblies, maketh laws Ecclesiastical agreeing to holy Scripture, for the wel-ordering of all the Churches in spiritual matters, but never intermeddleth in matters civil belonging to the Magistrates, either in judging, or inflicting pecuniary, or corporal punishment.    

It's now among us a great question, Whether is better, the Presbyterian government in Scotland, or the Prelatian government in England, for the Churches spiritual welfare?  
To judge aright herein, these considerations are propounded to the wisdom of the wise and religious, who would lay a side all partiality in this cause of God: 

1 Whether of them hath the best proof, either for the whole, or for the part, from holy Scripture: and so God's approbation?  
2 Which is agreeing most to all the reformed Churches, with which we agree in Doctrine, and separation from the Church of Rome?  
3 Whether of these is most like the government of the Church of Rome, under the Pope, that Antichrist; and aptest to let in, and fittest to keep out the Ceremonies, the superstition, and the idolatry of that whore of Rome?  
4 Whether of them doth tend more to godliness then greatness?  
5 Whether of them is the most profitable to advance the powerful practice of religion and virtue, and the suppression of vice, that God may receive glory?    
For the better evidencing hereof, let them be compared in these few things together.   

The Presbyterian. The Prelatian. I. This hath for the teaching Elders, very certain testimony from Scripture, Tit. 1.5. and strong probability for ruling Elders, 1 Tim. 5.17 Rom. 12.8. 1 Cor. 12.28. And therefore being allowed of God, is fittest to advance the power of godliness. This hath no probability, much less any certainty of Scripture for Archbishops, Diocesan Bishops, Deanors, Archdeacon's; for their lay Chancellors, lay Commissaries: and therefore being altogether of man, is not so fit, as we find by experience, to advance the power of godliness.  II. This sets up in every parish a Session, for the religious ordering thereof. This depriveth wholly parochial assemblies of such an help, for their spiritual good, subjecting them slavishly to their most corrupt courts. III. The order of this is framed so, as the parts thereof is subordinate one to another; as the Session to the Presbytery; this, to the Provincial Synod, and this to the Nationall, to further godliness. This is so framed as an over-topping power of some, may sway over all as they list, without any such subordination, to uphold only their greatness; as their practice proclaim before the world. iv This alloweth nothing in and about God's public worship, but what is warrantable by Scripture. This bringeth in, and approveth of many devises of men, corrupting God's worship, without warrant of Scripture. V This ordaineth no Ministers for money, nor any but such as be apt to teach; nor doth it permit any, which are not such, and do perform their Ministry faithfully. This ordaineth for money, and many unapt to teach, yea, and permits thousands of dumb Ministers, which cannot teach, and lazy Ministers which will not preach, but either seldom or never. VI This alloweth no pluralists, nor any Nonresidents, nor foul and scandalous Ministers. This alloweth many hundreds of Pluralists and non-resident, and not a few of evil life; unsufferable in Christ's Church. VII. This upholdeth preaching, countenanceth diligent preachers, and encourageth them. This taketh not much care for preaching, never calleth any to account for negligent preaching: but some Prelates suppress it, and are vexatious to many faithful Ministers. VIII. This suffers, without jealousy, the people to meet together, to talk and confer about what they have heard, and to read good books, to sing Psalms, and to pray together. This is so jealous, as people are restrained from such meetings, being held Conventicles for which they are called to their courts and censured. IX. This carefully prevents errors, and heresies, Papists, and papistry, and whatsoever may be troublesome to the Church. This looketh to nothing but conformity to humane inventions, suffering false doctrines to be broached, Arminianism, Socinianism, Popery, & popishly affected to increase, so they conform men to their ceremonies.  
If all these considerations (to which more may beadded) be seriously pondered, it may easily be judged whether government is the more pleasing to God, and more profitable to his people for spiritual life and salvation.   
FINIS.