Quest. CVII. Who is to call synods? princes, pastors, or people?
Answ. 1. There are several ways
of calling synods: 1. By force and
civil mandates; 2. By pastoral persuasion
and counsel; and, 3. By
humble entreaty and petition.
1. Magistrates only (that is, the supreme by his own power, and the inferior by power derived from him) may call synods by laws and mandates, enforced by the sword or corporal penalties, or mulcts.
2. Bishops or pastors in due circumstances may call synods by counsel and persuasive invitation.
3. The people in due circumstances and necessity, may call synods by way of petition and entreaty.
But what are the due circumstances?
Answ. 1. The magistrate may call them by command at his discretion, for his own counsel, or for the civil peace, or the church’s good.
2. The pastors and people may not call them, nor meet when the magistrate forbiddeth it, except when the necessity of the church requireth it: synods may profitably be stated for order, when it may be lawfully obtained (both as to limits of place, numbers, and time). But these prudential orders are not of stated necessity, but must give place to weightier reasons on the contrary.
3. Synods themselves are not ordinarily necessary, by nature or institution; (let him that affirmeth it, prove it;) but that which is statedly necessary is, The concord of the churches as the end, and a necessary correspondency of the churches as the means, and synods when they may well be had, as a convenient sort of means.
4. When synods cannot be had, or are needless, messengers and letters from church to church may keep up the correspondency and concord.
5. In cases of real necessity, (which are very rare, though usefulness be more frequent,) the bishops and people should first petition the king for his consent: and if that cannot be had, they may meet secretly and in small numbers, for mutual consultation and advice about the work of God; and not by keeping up the formality of their set numbers, times, places, and orders, provoke the king against them.
6. The contempt of synods by the separatists, and the placing more power in synods than ever God gave them by others, yea, and the insisting on their circumstantial orders, making them like a civil senate or court, have been the two extremes which have greatly injured and divided the churches, throughout the world.