Of the Right and Power :ion. And nonethenbut he, could doe it, becaufetonone, but him then w ; Power conveighed. They could not fay eo him now, as before one of them~~ ! 5 Exocl.~., 4• /Egypt, Whomadeyotl aCommander overM,tocall us together~ nor plead in ba '[ thcTmmpets, and fay: Nay, but we will meetftill ofour felves, evenas we d~~~o forr.in JEgypt; wewill frill keepe our qldmanner ofconventions. No: for Go~ hadnowtakenanotherorder: Goo (Ifay)hadnowdoneit: And Goo flJall(I trufl:) be allowed, to tran!late this l'orver tothe principal! member ofthebody a d to difpofeofit, as it bell pleafethHim. ' n 1: The very fame cafe fell out againeafter,in the captivity of B•hylon. anda a· :As; ~nd<rtbt after rha~in the perfecucion under Antiochru_ : And thefe three, are all ;he pat~r~~~ c.tpt~v"Y· wehave mthe Old Tellamenr. As beforemlEgypt; fo, then, theyhadmeetinos: As,•~" "'•· b~t :hey ~ere _all by fiealth: yet ?Jmtmgs,then t.hey had. F~r Mo[es ceafing,:nd ti"bus. htsrtght w~thhtm, the Pu1vtr devolved to the bodze, to gathcm fdfc(asis ufuall' · ' fuchcafes.) But then, whenNehemias after lhe Captivity, and Simton <.Macch1~ !mu after the fury oft.fintiuth1u, were raifed themby Go o ; when Go D had f~t them in UUofes's place, they might lawfully doe, as UUofes before had done· and take thejilver Trumpets into their hands againe. So foone as they hada lawfuti Go· ve_rnour, the right returned to him ~ra.ight : And the Con~regation, none ofthem nught then plead: Nay, but as hedtdmBahylon, or as we d1d under Antio,·hm. So i!'!"·'t:; 4 • andnootherwife, will weAjfemMellill. No, weefeeche contrary rather: E:enof chemfelves, they profeffe to Simeonplainly: now, they have alawfull Governour no meeting lhould from then~:eforrh be in the Land, withotlt him, his privitie and per: miJlion. · 4 And even asthe[etwoNthtmi.uandSimeon: even byrhef.1meright Conjlan; ~o be.forc C1n· tine ·: by<.Mofesright, all, all by the Commillion here.penned. By it, didConjlan.' •»Jfl!t, tine refume theTrumpet, and enjoy·and exercife thePower ofcalling the Congregation: (For evenUtlo[es's pateune andpractice fivefundry times at leall doth EufebiUI al– ledgein the lifeof-Conftantine to jullifie his proceedings fiill by Mofes"sexampte.) True it istherefore,that beforeConftantinu time,they met togetherasthey durft,ancl tooke fuch order as they could. They mull venturethen: there was noMofes : they had noTrumpet : and tfthey had,they durfinot have blowen it. But whenConftan– tinec•me inplMe,inMofes'splace, it was lawful! for him to doe as Mofudid: And fo be did; and they never faid to him, Nay,fpareyourTrumpet : lookc how we have done hitherto,we will dpe fo even !lilt: meet no otherwife now,than in former times we have;byourowneagreement. As before it was faid, this hadbeene plainedea. ling: Thus (ifrightly they might).they ~ould hav~ done: Did they fo~ No: bu~ to him they wenc,as eoMofes,for thetr meetmgs; at h1s hands they fought them; ;vlth· out his leave or liking they would not :utem.pt them: :Yea, (I dare fay) they blef– fed G o o from their heartS, that they had lived eo fee the day, they might now •f. femhleby thefoundofth~ Trumpet. , . . To conclude this pomt then: Thefe tW? tunes or efiates ofthechurchare not to be confounded: There is aplaine difference becweene them, and adtverfe refpetl to be had ofeach. Ifthe fuccellion ofMagifrrates be interrupted, in fuch cafe ot necef· fity, thechurchofher felfe maketh fupply, betaufethen, Gods Orderceafeth. But, G o o granting aConjlantineeo them againe,<? oos former pofirive orderrerurneth, · and the courfeis eo proceed and goe on, as before. When theMag1firateandhts au– thority was at :;ny time wanting to the church, forced !he ;~as to deale wit~ her owne affaires,within her felfe: for then was theCh11rcb wholly dtvtded from Pnnce~ and they from it. But, when ehis wall ofpartition is pulled downe, ~1all Mofes ha~e no mo.re to doe thanPhJracb, orConji&ntirtt thanNero l Congreganons were.fo ea : led under them :!Uull they befo!hll under thefe coo~ No: nomorethan thetr ma~ner of meeting in lEgypt (for all the world like this of the Prt~tttvt churchye fecuted) was to bea rule, and eo over-rule chefc Trumptt~ here (m the :rext)clt~~~ Go o for givin<> them or <.Mofes for taking chem at Hts hands. Th1s rather· ever the Cbt~rc!J f.1ll int~ fuchbloudytimes, they mufi meet as they may, and colmcer rogetl
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=