Major.  Whatsoever members of Christ’s organical body have an ordinary office of ruling therein given them of God, distinct from all other ordinary standing officers in the church, together with directions from God how they are to rule; they are the ruling elders we seek, and that by divine right.

Minor.  But he that ruleth, mentioned in Rom. xii. 8, is a member of Christ’s organical body, having an ordinary office of ruling therein given him of God, distinct from all other standing officers in the church, together with direction how he is to rule.

Conclusion.  Therefore he that ruleth, mentioned in Rom. xii. 8, is the ruling elder we seek, and that by divine right.

The major proposition is clear.  For in the particulars of it, well compared together, are observable both a plain delineation or description of the ruling elder’s office; and also a firm foundation for the divine right of that office.  The ruling elder’s office is described and delineated by these several clauses, which set out so many requisites for the making up of a ruling elder, viz:  1.  He must be a member of Christ’s organical body.  Such as are without, pagans, heathens, infidels, &c., out of the Church, they are not fit objects for church government, to have it exercised by the Church upon them; the Church only judges them that are within, (1 Cor. v. 12, 13,) much less can they be fit subjects of church government to exercise it themselves within the Church.  How shall they be officers in the Church that are not so much as members of the Church?  Besides, such as are only members of the invisible body of Christ, as the glorified saints in heaven, they cannot be officers in the Church; for not the Church invisible, but only the Church or body of Christ visible is organical.  So that every church officer must first be a Church member, a member of the visible organical body:  consequently a ruling elder must be such a member. 2.  He must have an office of ruling in this body of Christ.  Membership is not enough, unless that power of rule be superadded thereto; for the whole office of the ruling elder is contained in the matter of rule; take away rule, you destroy the very office.  Now, rule belongs not to every member:  “Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints,” Heb. xiii. 24, where rulers and saints are made contradistinct to one another.  In the body natural all the members are not eyes, hands, &c., governing the body, some are rather governed; so in the body of Christ, 1 Cor. xii. 3.  This his office of ruling must be an ordinary office; apostles had some power that was extraordinary, as their apostleship was extraordinary; but when we seek for this ruling elder, we seek for a fixed, standing, ordinary officer ruling in the church. 4.  All that is not enough, that he be a member of the church, that he have an office of rule in the church, and that office also be ordinary; but besides all these it is necessary that he be also