.. \ [ 139 J Meffengers, and were not the Men fent to. And you now fay, that none but 1 Bifl1ops have dednve Votes. 2. And there are more 'ways ofdeciding Contra– . verfies than one. We d<?ubt not bur ev~ry Pallor may decide them by Ev~dence of Scnprure and Reafon. And many afiembled may contribute . their Rea(ons and be helpful to each other, and may fee more than one, if they be meet Men. And Pafiors thus by Teaching Evidence do that as .Authoriz..ea Officers ( as Tutors and Schoo1mafiersJ which Private Men do but as Private Men , and not as Officers: fo that even theil· Teaching DeciGon is an act of Authority ·as well as of Skill... And fo far as Human~authority rnufi go, the concurrent Judgment of a multitude of Divines, as of Phyficians, Lawyers, &·c. Ctfteris paribm deferveth more reverence · than a fingular opinion. But for all that , r. An Aife.mbly of Lay Men .have no Authority but from their Evi– dence and Parrs. 2, An Affembly of Biiliops have no deciding Authority' but by an office by which they are entrufied as fallible Men to reach others what they know themfelves, by the .fame Evidence which convinced them ; and to guide their particular Congregations in mutable Cir– cumfiances. 3· But ~n AiJembly ofApofiles had Power to fay, It feemeth goodtothe HolyGhoft. ,Obj. I. There wer.e the Brethren alfo. 2. Single .Apojfl~s had the Holy Ghoft, yet they did it i'n an: fijfembly• .Anfiv. I. The Infpiration or extraordinarygifts of the Holy Ghoft were then common to moft · Chrifiians at leait , as you may fee by con1paring Gt?l. 3· z, 3· 1 Cor, 12. .A[f. 8. Rom. 8. 9, &c~ - z.~here •
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