Duty to the Elder, realmof 1 [e, b4ve their fenfes exercifed to difeer, bothg9od and evil. Novices mall not be made Pa- (tors of the Church. It is not for nothing that the Tounger are fo often commanded, reverence and tubmifion to the Elder ; and that the Paflors and Governors of. the Church, are ufually called by the name of Elders ; becaufe it was fuppofed that the elderfort were the moll experienced and wife, and therefore Paflors and Rulers were to be cho- fen out ofthem. And why is it that children mull fo much honour their fathers and mothers, and mull begoverned by them ? It is not meetly be- caufe generation giveth the Parents á propriety in their children : For God would not have fatly to be the governöur of »ifdorn , upon pretenfe of fuch propriety :But it is alfo becaúfe that it mull ordinarily be fuppofed that Infants are ignorant, and Parents have underfanding, and are fit to be their Teachers, as having had lcnQer time and helps to learn, and more experience tomake their know- ledge clear and firm. If the young and unexperi- enced Were ordinarilyas wife as the aged or ma- ture, why are not children made governors of their Parents, or at leall commanded to inflruet and teach them, as ordinarily as Parents mull do their children ? The Lord Jefus himfelf would be fubje& ro his mother and reputed father in his Child-hood. Lake 2. 5 I. Can there be a 1iveliet convi&ion of the arrogancy of thofe novices, who proudly Height the judgments of their el- ders, as prefuming groundlefly that they are wifer than they ? Yea Chrifl 'would not enter upon his publickMiniflry or Office, till he was about thirty 'ears of age. Luke 3. z 3. He is blind that per- D 2 ceiYeth
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