AXTON. 161 Nay, you are not a pastor to any one congregation, con- trary to 1 Pet. v. 2. and Acts xiv. 23., " Feed the flock." From which it is manifest there should be a bishop and elders in every congregation. B. What is a congregation ? A. Not a whole diocese, but such a number of people as ordinarily assemble in one place, to hear the word of God. B. Whatifyouhad aparish six or seven miles long, where many could not come to hear youonce in a quarterof ayear ? A. I would not be pastor of such a flock. B. What is your third reason ? A. Because you are not chosen bythe people. Acts xiv.23. C. How came you to be parson of Moreton Corbct ? A. I am no parson. C. Are you then vicar ? A. No : I am no vicar. I abhor those names as anti, christian. I am pastor of the congregation there. C. Are you neither parson nor vicar ? How hold you the living ? A. I receive those temporal things of the people, because, being their pastor, I minister to them spiritual things. C. If you be neither parson nor vicar, you must receive no profit. A. Do you mean in good faith what you say ? C. Yea, if you will be neither parson nor vicar, there is good cause why another should. B. You must understand, that all livings in the church are given to ministers as parsons and vicars, and not as pastors and ministers. A. I am sure the names of parsons and vicars were not given by Jesus Christ, but by antichrist. B. How were you chosen pastor ? A. By the free election of the people, according to the word of God. B. Why, didnot the patron place you there? A. The patronallowed the people the free choice oftheir minister ; and after I had preached about sixweeks byway of probation, I was chosen by one consent of them all, and a'sermon was preached by one of my brethren, setting forth the mutual duties of pastor and people. B. May the bishops of England ordain ministers? A. You ought not to do it in the manner you do, without the consent of the.eldership, without sufficient proof of their qualifications, and without ordaining them to some parti- cular congregation. VOL. I.
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