their Councils abridged. Glory tlìat fhall be revealed. (Thefe arehis Dignities.) Feed the Flock of Godwhichis among you, (not out of your reach-andhearing in a vaft Dio- cefs) taking the overfight, not by conftraint, but willingly (and on willing Alen) not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage, but being Examples to the Flock; androhen the chief Shepherd fhald appear, ye :hall receive Crownof Glory that fadeth not away. §. 11. Nothing is morecertain than that the Church for above 30© years had no powerof the Sword, that is, forcibly to meddle with and hurt mensBodiesor Eftates, (except whatthe Apoftieshad by miracle) ; And to this day noProteftants, and not molt Papifts claim any fuchPower as of Divine Inftitution, but only plead that the Secular Powers are bound by theSword to deftroy fuch as are jùdged Hereticks by the Bithops, and to punilh fuch as contemn the cenfuresof the Church. S. ra.. He that would fee more for the Power of Princes vindicated from the Clergies Claimand Ufurpation, may find-much in many old Trea- tifes, written for the Emperours againft. the Pope, colleted by Guldaflus de Monarch. and in Will. Barclay, but much better in Bifhop Eilfon, of Obe- dience, -and in Bifhop Andrew's Tortura Torti, and in Bithop Buekr.idge Rofenfis of the Power of Kings, and machin Spalatenfis de Repub. S. 13. The Vniverfality of Chriftians is the CatholickChurch, of which Chrift is theonly Heador Soveraign ; butit is theduty of thefe toworfhip God in folemn Affemblies,' and tolive in a holy Converfation together; and to join inftriving againft fin, and to help each other in the way to life ; therefore Societies united for thefe ends are called , Particular Churches. ß. 14 When the Apoftles had converted a competent number of Chri- ítians, theygather'd them into fuch Affemblies, and as a Politick Society, fet over themfuch Minifters.of Chrift, as are afore defcribed, to be their Guides. § 15. Thefe Officers are in Scripture called fometime Elders, and fometimes Bithops, towhom Deacons were added to ferve them and the Church fubordinately. Dr. Hammond bath weft defcribed their,Office in inhis Annotat. whichwas to preach conflantly in publick, and private, to ad- minifler both Sacraments, to pray and praife Godwith the People, to Catechize; to vifttand praywith the fick, to comforttroubled Souls, to admonifh the unruly, to rejeil the impenitent, toreftore the penitent, to take care of thepoor, and in a word, ofall the Flock. §. 16. The Apoltles fet ufuallymore than one of thefe Eldersor Bi(haps in every Church, not as if one might not rule the Flock where no ,more was neceffary, but according to their needs, thatthe work might.notbe un- done for want of Minifters.. §. 17: Theyplanted their Churches ufually in-Cities, becaufeChriftians comparatively to the refe were few (as Setts are among' us) and nowhere elfe ufually enough for a Society, and becaufe the Neighbour-fcattered Villages might:belt come to the. Cities. near them ; not but that it was+ lav-
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