power will you make new necdlefs officm in the Church? When Cyprilll and his Cartbage Council fo vehemently difclaimcd beingEpi[copi Epi[coporum l 19• 1would fain know whether th~fe ntfJJ made ~b~rehes of humane and not of Divine fabrication, ( wherher Univerfal ( or Plpd ) Patriarchal, Provmc.al, ?''· ) were made by formtr Churches or by no Ch•rchu. If by noChurclm, then wher by other fo:wm or by Jingle per[ons : If by other focie– ties, by what power do they make new Churches to ChnH, who are rhemfelvcs no Churches : If by Jingle per[om, either they arc before Church-member/ or not. If not, how can rhofc make new Churches that be not fo much as members of Churches, without a Cornmiffion from Chrift ? But if either fwmer Churches or theirmember/ made thcfc new Cburcbe1, then t.It followcth that there were ano– ther fort of Churches before thefe new or humane Churches. And if fo, either rhofe other that made thc[e were th<mfclvcs made of God or not? And fo the ~de/lion will run up till you bri~:g it either to fame Church of Gods making which made thefe other, or fame pc:rfon cnmmiffioccd ro do it. If you fay the firll, then he that will confefs that there is a fPtcies of C~urchcs of Chrilts lnftitution and a[pecies not of his inllitution, mufi prefer the former, and mufi well prove the powu of making the later. And fo they mull do,_ if they'fay that_it was done by particular perfons that were no par– ticular Church-members. For tf Chull commtllioned them to fettle any one JPecies of Churches thofe are to be elleemed fetled by Chrift. But if you fay that Chrilllcft them to vary the JPecies J Churches as they faw caufe, and fo on to the end of the _World, l· You mull well prove it, 2 • It is before difproved : ( unlcfs you take the wordChHrch equtvocally. ) 2 o. Laftly, all Chriftians ate fatisfied of Chrifts Authority; And therefore in that they can agree: But fo they arc nor, of any humane ChHrch·m•f<.!rs authority ; And therefore in that there will never be an agreement: Therefore fuch new Churches, and Eccle6allical Governments will be but (as they ever have been) the Engines of divi6on and ruinc in the c:;hurchcs: And the /ftcitS of Gods ma– king, with the mutability of mutable Adjunc!ts and Circumllances, will bdl prcfcrve the Churches peace. But i~ the true nature of Pafioral or Eccle6allical Government were well underllood, it would pur an end to all rhefe Controver6cs. Which may be moftly gathered from what is faid before; To which 1will add this little following. QQell. Wherein confi}Jetb the true nature of Pafloral (ht~rcb Go11ermnem ~ 'Anfw. r. NOt in any ufe of the r .. ordor ~orporal force. 2. Not in a power to contraditl' Gods word. 3• Not in a power co-ordinatt with Chrills, to do hi< proptr ,..,~;., or that whido hath the lime grounds, reafons, and nature. . 4• Not in anHnqutftionablt Empire, to command things which none mull prtfumc to examine, 01 judge of by a difcerning judgement, whether they be forbidden by God or not. 5• Not now in making anew word of God, or new .Articluof failb, or new HHiverfol Laws, for the whole Church. 6. Not in any thing which derogates from the true power of Magiftrater, or Parenu, 01 'Maflrrs. · 1 Cor. 4 • 1; 2. But Iolc is a Miniflerial pov.:er, of a M1jfengeror Strv•nt, who bath a commillion to deliver his Mafters commands and exhortation~. 1P".!·'• 2,1• 2· As it is over the f:aity orfln~k.J, !t is a power in the facred AJI"cmblies to Teach the people by Mu.2i.I9,,o. office, and to be their Pnclls or Gutdes tn holy WorOup. 3• And to Rule 1hc Wodhip-aClions for the 1 Thef. S· u, time, length, method, and orderly performance of them. . •3. 3• As to particular perfons, it is the power of che Churc>.Keys.which is, •· To judge who is mccr 2 Ttm. 4 ' ;: ~: to beby Bjpcifm takm in to the Church, :z. To rep•ov_:, cx~nrt and infiruel thofe that by vice or ig– norance in mdcr to Reptntancc, or Knuwlulgt or CIJI tirmatton do need the Pafioral help. 3• To judge who is to be forbidden C_hurch·cornmu~ion as imp1n!t t; 01 a~ leail! with who~ rhat Churda mu!t be forbidden to cornmumcate. 4• To JUd~e w''{ mnr tor Aulolu(Jon as a penitent. S· To deliv<r men pcrfonally a fcaled pardon from c.!Hit' ;, hi. two Socramtnts. 6. To vi6t the ficlr, and comfort the fad, and refolvc the doubting, and help 1hc pJor. This i< the true Church Govern– ment, which is like a Philofophcrs or Schoolmallers in his d10o ong volunlccrs, fuppofing 1hem to have no power or the rod or violence, but only to rake m or pur out ol chcir Schools: And what r.ced is there: of an Univerfal, Patria"hal or National Head, to do a• y of rhi5 work, which is but the Government of a pcrfonal Teacher and Condulior ; and which workcth only on the Con– fcience? . 4• But h<fides this time is a necellity of Agreeing in the righ1 management of this work : which nccdethllo newHead, but onlph<Confultationsof the feveral Bill10ps or Pallors, and the Magi– llrares civil rule, or txtrinjiclr,. Epi[copacy (as Conjlantine called <t. ) 5• Alld befides this there is need to Ordain Paftorsand Bijhops in 1h' Church. And this is not done by any force ncilher; but l· By Judging what men are lit, 2. By perfwading the people to 'onfc:nc
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