Horatius Bonar on the need for church government

[Reformed Covenanter]

A Church without government must be a Church without order and without power. Even a State, to be powerful and united, must be well governed. If there be government, there must be the rulers and the ruled. If there are no rulers, or if all are rulers, there is no government; and if there is no government, unity breaks up, compactness is gone, discipline is impossible, purity is hopeless.

The moment two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus, government begins; and when the two or three are multiplied, then government develops itself, and the necessity for the control of law and for the recognition of some to carry out that law becomes indispensable. If all things in the Church are to be done decently and in order, law and administration must step in, otherwise every man will do what is right in his own eyes. ...

For the reference, see:

Horatius Bonar on the need for church government

A Church without government must be a Church without order and without power. Even a State, to be powerful and united, must be well governed. If there be government, there must be the rulers and th…

reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Oddly, the James Begg Society omitted this preface from their reprint of James Moir Porteous's book on ecclesiology to which they gave the new title, Jesus Christ, King of the Church.