kind of ruling officer; not plurally, they that
rule, as if he had indefinitely or universally meant all the ruling
officers in the church. 2. He reckons up here distinct kinds of ordinary
officers, pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons; and pastors and
teachers, besides laboring in the word, have power of rule, 1 Thes. v.
12, Heb. xiii. 7-17, and he that ruleth, here, is distinct from them
both; and therefore this term cannot mean all church rulers, but only
one kind, viz. the ruling elder.

3. Though this name, _he that ruleth_, be common unto more rulers in the
church, than to the mere ruling elder; yet it doth not therefore
necessarily follow, that it cannot here particularly point out only the
mere ruling elder, inasmuch, as _he that ruleth_, is not here set
alone, (for then this objection might have had some color,) but is
enumerated with other officers as distinct from them.

4. Though the ruling elder here be called _he that ruleth_, yet this
doth not exclude the pastor from ruling, no more than when the ordinary
ministers are called pastors and teachers, the apostles and evangelists
are excluded from feeding and teaching, in Eph. iv. 11, 12; 1 Cor. xii.
28. This elder is called, _he that ruleth_, not that there is no other
ruler than he, but because he doth no other thing but rule, others rule
and preach also.

_Except_. 3. If this were meant of such elders, then these elders were
as necessary to the church as pastors, being given to the church by the
like reason. Consequently where these elders are not, there is no
church; as there is no church where the word and sacraments are not.[51]

_Ans_. 1. According to this argument deacons are as necessary as either
pastors, teachers, or elders, and without deacons there should be no
church; for they are all enumerated here alike, Rom. xii. 7, 8, and in 1
Cor. xii. 28; but this would be absurd, and against experience. 2.
Though both pastors and ruling elders belong to the church by divine
right, yet doth it not follow that the ruling elder is equally as
necessary as the pastor. The ruling elder only rules, the pastor both
rules and preaches, therefore he is more necessary to the church. There
are degrees of necessity; some things are absolutely necessary to the
being of a church, as matter and form, viz. visible saints, and a due
profession of faith, and obedience to Christ, according to the gospel.
Thus it is possible a church may be, and yet want both deacons,