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The Divine Right of Church Government: Wherein it is proved that the Presbyterian government, by preaching and ruling elders, in sessional, Presbyterial and synodical assemblies, may lay the only lawful claim to a divine right, according to the Holy Scriptures — John Shaqi

Religion

The Divine Right of Church Government: Wherein it is proved that the Presbyterian government, by preaching and ruling elders, in sessional, Presbyterial and synodical assemblies, may lay the only lawful claim to a divine right, according to the Holy Scriptures

Presbyterian Church -- Government

IV. By divine acts. Whatsoever matters of religion were erected in, or
conferred upon the Church of God, by God, or any person of the blessed
Trinity, and are left recorded in the Scripture, they are of divine
right, by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ. Shall divine
approbation, yea, shall the saints' binding example hold forth to us a
divine right, and shall not the divine actions of God, Christ, and the
Spirit, do it much more? Take some instances: the Lord's-day sabbath,
under the New Testament, was it not instituted (the seventh day being
changed to the first day of the week) by the acts of Christ, having now
perfected the spiritual creation of the new world? viz: by his
resurrection and apparitions to his disciples on that day, and
miraculous blessing and sanctifying of that day, by pouring forth the
gifts of the Holy Ghost, Acts ii., all which were seconded with the
apostolical practice in the primitive churches, Acts xx. 7, &c.; 1 Cor.
xvi. 1, 2. And do not the churches of Christ generally conclude upon
these grounds, that the Lord's-day sabbath is of divine warrant? Thus
circumcision is abrogated of divine right, by Christ's act, instituting
baptism instead thereof, Col. ii. 11, 12. The passover is abolished of
divine right, by Christ himself, our true passover, _being sacrificed
for us_, 1 Cor. v. 7; and the Lord's supper being instituted a memorial
of Christ's death instead of it, Matt, xxvi., Mark xiv., Luke xxii. And
the whole ceremonial law is antiquated and made void by Christ's death,
accomplishing all those dark types; therefore Christ, immediately before
his yielding up the ghost, cried, _It is finished_, John xix. 30. See
Col. ii. 14; Eph. ii. 14, 15; _abolishing the law of commandments in
ordinances_, Heb. viii. 13, and x. 4, 5, &c. Thus by Christ's act of
giving the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter and the apostles,
Matt. xvi. 19, and xviii. 18, 19, the keys belong to the officers of the
church by divine right. By God's act of _setting in the Church some,
first apostles_, &c., 1 Cor. xii. 28, all those officers belong to the
general visible Church by divine right. By Christ's act of bounty upon
his triumphant ascension into heaven, _in giving gifts to men_, Eph.
iv. 7, 11, 12; all those church officers being Christ's gifts, are of
divine right. Finally, by the Holy Ghost's act, in setting elders,
overseers over the flock, Acts xx. 28, elders are such overseers by
divine right.




CHAPTER VII.

V. _Of a Divine Right by Divine Precepts._

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The Divine Right of Church Government: Wherein it is proved that the Presbyterian government, by preaching and ruling elders, in sessional, Presbyterial and synodical assemblies, may lay the only lawful claim to a divine right, according to the Holy Scriptures

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