_Of the Proper Author or Fountain, whence Church Government and the authority thereof is derived by Divine Right, viz. Jesus Christ our Mediator._ As the Scripture is the rule of church government, so Christ is the sole root and fountain whence it originally flows; therefore, it is said in the description, church government is a power or authority, derived from Jesus Christ our Mediator. Take it in this proposition, viz: Jesus Christ our Mediator hath all authority and power in heaven and in earth, for the government of his Church, committed unto him from God the Father. This is clearly evident, 1. By plain testimonies of Scripture, declaring that the government of the Church is laid upon his shoulder, to which end the Father hath invested him with all authority and power. "The government shall be upon his shoulder," &c., Isa. ix. 6,7. "All power is given me in heaven and in earth: go, disciple ye all nations," &c., Matt, xxviii. 18, 19. "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end," Luke i. 32, 33. "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man," John v. 22, 27. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand," John iii. 35. "It is he that hath the key of David, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth," Rev. iii. 7. "God raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is his body," Eph. i. 20-23, 2. By eminent princely titles, attributed unto Jesus Christ our Mediator, having such authority, power, rule, and government legibly engraven upon their foreheads, in reference to his Church. "A Governor which shall feed" (or rule) "my people Israel," Matt. ii. 6. "That great Shepherd of the sheep," Heb. xiii. 20. "That Shepherd and Bishop of our souls," 1 Pet. ii. ult. "One is your master, Christ," Matt, xxiii. 8, 10. "Christ as a son over his own house," Heb. iii. 6. "The Head of the body the Church," Col. i. 18; Eph. v. 23. "Head over all things to the Church," Eph. i. 22. "To us but one Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. viii. 6. "Made of God both Lord and Christ," Acts ii. 36. "Lord of lords," Rev. xix. 16. "He is Lord of all," Acts x. 36. "God's King set on his holy hill of Zion," Psal. ii. 6. "David their king," Jer. xxx. 9; Ezek. xxxiv. 23, and xxxvii. 24; Hos. iii. 5. "King of kings," Rev. xix. 16.