i 46 ) of Church-Government: And therefore not the Prelatical. aarat;s. 2, 1 do not expdt that ever this Controverfie fhould be handled by tWo more judicious Adverfaries than Saravia and Beza were And as Bezel protefteth againft a Parity, and pleadeth for a Proflafie; defireth that which he çalleth Divine Epifcopacy, tolerating and fubmitting to that which he calleth HumaneEpifcopacy, and flatly oppoling only that, which he calleth Satanical Epifcopacy ; So Saravia profeffeth, p. r, z. p. Defenf. 4, 5. that the General nature of the Evangelical .Minifiry, com- mon both to Bilhops'and Presbyters, containeth thefe three things, r. The Preaching of the Gofpel. z. The Communication of the Sacraments, 3. The Authority of Church Government : And only pleadeth that in this lair, the Power of Bithops and Presbyters is not equal, but the' Bii- fhops power is principal in Government. Which granteth the main Qáeftion which we Nonconformirf now contend for. And I confes that Saravia's Writings were the firft and chief that brought me to fufpeft that the Apoftles have Succeffors in the point of Government, as being but -ari ordinary and durable part of their Office : which Argument he hath bettermanaged than any man elfe that I have feen. And p. i2. ib. He granteth that the 70 Difciples werenot under the Government ofthe r z Apoftles. He granteth that chofen Seniors of theLaity may be great Y='d &P Affiftants in the Government: Yea, Def.- r.8. p. 83. He faith, that in 1O4. & the abfenceof Paul sand his -Afliftants, the Churchesof Crete were wholly r1o, ur ruled, till `Titus Ordained them Paltors by fuch Elders. [A enioribus c2o,121. Y C f quos ratio ii natura inqu avis Societate due, nonOrdinatio : eludes funt natos majores, d' quotquot aliqua virtute in papulo excellunt: qu?nos deferre na.. tura omuesgentes dác t: quibus addo eat''quos' tune temparis pafna, dona Sp. fanili venia excitabant, fed milli loco alligábant.a And no wonder, for he affirtneth, that in times of publick corruption ofOofirine, any man that is learned and able and fit, mutt propugne and defend the truth, as he bath ability and opportunity; or elfe be judged for hiding his talents as the unprofitable fervant, pag. 23. cap. 2. Yet doth he molt improbably imagine that Rome and Corinth had no proper Paftors, when Paul wrote his Epiflles to them. When as Paulhad dwelt a year and half at Corinth, when it was the pra&ice of theApoftles to OrdainElders in everyChurch, andwhen among the Corinthians there were fo many Prophets, Inftru&- ers, Speakers of Languages, Interpreters, &c. that Paul is fain to re- gulate and reftrain them in their Church-meetings, that they might not over-do, and hinder one another. Andyet were thefe People without any proper Pallor? Without aPrelate? it's like theywere. Yea, when Paul direCteth them to deliver the inceftnous man to Satan, and to exercife Church-difcipline upon others that were fcandaláus, Both not this inti- mate that they had among them fuch as were impowred to do it? If only tranfiently and occafronally, they could Worlhip God publickly and deliver Sacraments, and Govern the Church but tranfiently and rarely: How did they fpend the Lords days, when thofe tranfient guides were abfent ?
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