132 Of Chrillian Liberty. S E R M. interpret ; having required the prophets, as V. they were not like mere machines, but had their fpirits fubjed to them, or a power of ufing their fpiritual gifts with underftanding and difcretion, to fpeak on in courfe, one only at once ; and that women fhould be wholly filent in the church ; he concludeth with this general exhortation, let all things, the things above mentioned, and others like them, be done decently and in order. But where is the occafion for exercifing autho- rity in all this ? doth the apoftle make ufe of h:s own, or appeal to any other, requi- ring its interpofition ? doth he call upon the governors of the church to make new regu- lations for curing the evils complained of, and preventing the like for the future ? or if there were no governors in the Corinthian church at that time, which force alledge, cloth he make fuch regulations by his own authority, which was as fufficient for the purpofe, as the authority of their governors if they had ever fo many ? It would feem rather that, from his manner of writing, and the reafon of the cafe, the appeal is to common prudence, as fufficient to direh in fuch points of mere decency and order. The truth is, a fenfe of decency and in- decency feemeth to be natural to mankind, when
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