488 of thofe that love not errour better than informa- tion and defire them not to be too angry with me for telling them what I. confidently hold, though it differ from the opinions ofmany whom I greatly reverence and honour ; while I profefs withal! that I do it not in a Magiferial impofing way, nor as fighting the perfons from whom I differ, but as offering my brethren that Light which I think needful to their own and to the Churches cure : And I will thank theta if they will do the like by me, if I be guilty of any fu- perffitious erroura Firfl, the Scripture telleth us of no Church= Elders but what were ordained ; and of none but such as were of the fame Office with the preach- ing Paflors or Elders : of none that hadnot au- thority to baptize and adminifter the Lords fup- per ; Nor BothChurch- hiflory tell us ofany o- ther as a Divineoffice. But when one Affembly had many Elders or Paflors, thofe that werebelt gifted for publike Sermons did preach ; and the reif did help to rule the Church , and to cate- chize, and inflrua and vifit particular families and perfons, and other parts of theoffice, as there was caufe. But nowwe have concluded that there is a di/lintt office of Ruling-Elders, who need no be ordained, and who have noponer to baptize or to adminifler the Lords Supper, This I think is a fuperflition : For we feign God to have made a Church-office which he never made. And though we mull honour and bold Communion with the Churches which have this blemiíh; yet fill it cannot be freed from ruperflition, Secondly, God bath requirednothing batpro- fejJa9n
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