458 CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH. [SeR. V.
* That they may be all one, as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us ;' ver. 23, ' I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.' So that as ' there is one God, and one mediator between God and man,' and one church united to Christ as his body, to this church we must every one of us be united if we mean to be saved, and in the church with Christ, and by Christ with God ; therefore out of this mystical body there is no salvation.
2. How is Christ a head to this body ? This must be explained by answering two questions : —
[1.] What are the parts of his headship ?
[2.] According to what nature doth this office belong to him — divine or human ?
[1.] The parts and branches of this headship. He is our head with respect to government and sovereignty ; and in regard of causality and influence ; he governeth, he quickeneth.
(1.) It implies his authority to govern, as is manifest by Eph. v. 22, 23, ' Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as unto the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head ot" the church.' So that to be the church's head implies superiority or right to govern.
(2.) For the other notion, in regard of influence, that is evident in scripture also : Col. ii. 19, ' Not holding the head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increases with the increase of God.' The head is the root
• from whence the vital faculty is diflfused to all the members. We use to say Homo est arhor inversa, a tree turned upside down ; if this be so, the head is the root of this tree. So doth life flow from Christ to the church ; the Spirit is from him either to begin the union or to continue the influence. But let us speak of these branches apart.
(1st.) His authority and power to govern. His excellency gives him fitness, but his office right to rule and govern the church. When he sent abroad his officers and ambassadors to proselyte the world in his name, he pleadeth his right: Mat. xxviii. 18, ' All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth.' Now the acts which belong to Christ as a governor may be reduced to these heads: —
First, To make laws that shall universally bind all his people.
Secondly, To institute ordinances for worship.
Thirdly, To appoint officers.
Fourthly, To maintain them in the exercise of these things.
First, The first power that belongeth to a governing head is legis- lation or making laws. Now Christ's headship and empire being novum jus impe7-ii, a new right which he hath as mediator for the recovery of lapsed mankind, his law is accordingly. It is lex remedians, a law of grace, which is given us in the gospel of our salvation. The sum of his own proper remedial laws are faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and repentance towards God, Acts xx, 21. Without repentance our case is not compassionable, without faith we do not own our Redeemer, by whom we have so great a benefit : yet because this new right of empire is accumulative, not privative, beneficial to us, indeed, but not destructive of our duty to God ; therefore the whole law of God, as purely moral, hath still a binding force upon the conscience, as it is
Col. 1. 18.] christ the head of the church. 459
explained in the word of God. Now to these laws of Christ none can add, none diminish, and therefore Christ will take an account of our fidelity at the last day, 2 Thes. i. 8.
Secondly, He hath instituted ordinances for the continual exercise and regulation of our worship and the government of his people, that they may be kept in the due acknowledgment and obedience to him, such as the preaching of the word, sacraments, and the exercise of some government. Now all the rules and statutes which Christ hath made for the ordering of his people must be kept pure until his com-, ing. His institutions do best preserve his honour in the world. Great charges are left : 1 Tim. v. 21, ' I charge thee before God and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his elect angels, that thou observe these things ;' where he speaketh of ecclesiastical censures and disciplines ; he con- jureth him by all that is sacred and holy, that it be rightly used : 1 Tim. vi. 14, ' Keep this commandment without spot and unrebuk- able unto the appearing of Jesus Christ.' The doctrines are so deter- mined by Christ that they cannot be changed, the worship not cor- rupted, the discipline not abused, to serve partial humours and private or worldly interests.
Thirdly, God hath appointed officers, who have all their ministries and services under Christ and for Christ: Eph. iv. 11, ' He gave some apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.' Mark there, he doth not describe all the officers, for the deacon is not mentioned, but only such as labour in the word and sacraments ; and observe, he mentioneth ordinary and extraordinary — apostles to write scripture, prophets to attest it, pastors and teachers to explain and apply it. And mark, Christ gave some ; it is his prerogative, as head of the church, to appoint the several sorts of offices and officers. He gave them at first, and will raise up some still, according as the exigence of the times requireth it. The end why, ' to perfect the saints' — that is, to help them on to their final perfection — ' and for the work of the ministry.' All offices under Christ are a ministry, not a power ; and imply service, not lordship or domination over the flock of Christ. Lastly, the great end is to prepare and fit men more and more to become true members of Christ's mystical body.