elsewhere. Now in this description, church is
not understood of a civil assembly; for such assemblies are governed by
civil power. Nor of the invisible Church of Christ; for, as the Church
is invisible, (to speak properly,) it is invisibly governed by Christ
and his Spirit, Rom. viii. 14; Gal. ii. 20. But of the visible Church of
Christ, for which Christ hath provided a visible polity, a visible
government, by visible officers and ordinances, for the good both of the
visible and invisible members thereof, which is that church government
here spoken of.

2. Government is the translation of a Greek word, which properly
signifies the government of a ship with chart, &c., by the pilot or
mariner, and thence metaphorically is used to signify any government,
political or ecclesiastical. But the word is only once used in all the
New Testament, viz. 1 Cor. xii. 28: _Governments_, h.e. ruling elders in
the church; the abstract being put for the concrete, governments for
governors. But whatever be the terms or names whereby government is
expressed, government generally considered seems still to signify a
superiority of office, power, and authority, which one hath and
exerciseth over another. This is the notion of government in general. So
that church government, in general, notes that pre-eminence or
superiority of office, power, and authority, which some have and
exercise over others in spiritual matters, in church affairs. And here
we are further to consider, that church government is either, 1.
Magisterial, lordly, and supreme; and so it is primitively and
absolutely in God, Matt. xxviii. 18. Dispensatorily and mediatorily in
Jesus Christ our Mediator only, whom God hath made both Lord and Christ,
Acts ii. 36; Matt, xxiii. 8, 10; 1 Cor. viii. 6, and to whom God alone
hath dispensed all authority and power, Matt, xxviii. 18, 19; John v.
22. Now church government, as settled on Christ only, is monarchical. 2.
Ministerial, stewardly, and subordinate; and this power Jesus Christ our
Mediator hath committed to his church guides and officers in his Church,
2 Cor. x. 8, and xiii. 10; and church government, as intrusted in the
hands of church guides, is representative. This ministerial church
government, committed by Christ to his officers, may be considered
either, 1. As it was dispensed under the Old Testament, in a Mosaical,
Levitical polity; in which sense we here speak not of church government;
(that polity being dissolved and a