distinct from all other standing officers in the church, viz. from pastors, teachers, deacons; else all the former will not make up a peculiar kind of officer, if in all points he fully agree with any of the said three.  But if there can be found such an officer in whom all these four requisites do meet, viz:  That, 1.  Is a member of Christ’s organical body; 2.  Hath an office of rule therein; 3, That office is ordinary; and, 4.  That ordinary office is distinct from all other ordinary standing offices in the church; this must unavoidably be that very ruling elder which we inquire after.  By this it is evident, that in this proposition here is a plain and clear delineation of the ruling elder’s office.  Now, in the next place, touching the foundation for the divine right of this office; it also is notably expressed in the same proposition, while it presupposeth, 1.  That God is the giver of this office; 2.  That God is the guider of this office.  For whatsoever office or officer God gives for his Church, and having given it, guides and directs to the right discharge thereof, that must needs be of divine right beyond all contradiction.  Thus this proposition is firm and cogent.  Now let us assume: 

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 ordinary standing officers in the church, together with direction from God how he is to rule.

This assumption or minor proposition (whereon the main stress of the argument doth lie) may be thus evidenced by parts, from this context: 

He that ruleth is a member of Christ’s organical body.  For, 1.  The Church of Christ is here compared to a body, We being many are one body in Christ, ver. 5. 2.  This body is declared to be organical, i.e. consisting of several members, that have their several offices in the body, some of teaching, some of exhorting, and some of ruling, &c.  “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another,” &c., ver. 4-6, &c. 3.  Among the rest of the members of this body, he that ruleth is reckoned up for one, ver. 5-8; this is palpably evident.

He that ruleth hath an office of ruling in this body of Christ.  For, 1.  This word (translated) he that ruleth, in the proper signification and use of it, both in the Scriptures and in other Greek authors, doth signify one that ruleth authoritatively over another, (as hereafter is manifested in the 3d argument, Sec. 2.) 2.  Our best interpreters and commentators do render and expound the word generally to this effect:  e.g.  He that is over[46]—­one set over[47]—­he that stands in the head or front[48]—­as a captain or commander in the army, to which this phrase seems to allude—­he that ruleth. 3.  This word, wherever it is