Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

Peter drew Barnabas and many more to difsimulation, and al- ma tobetray the liberties of the Gentiles, Paul doth not fay, This is my Diocefs and Imull be the Ruler here : nor doth Peter plead this agaigfl him, when Pauland Harnabes fell out,whether .Mark fhould be taken with them or not neither of them did plead a Ruling Authority, nor fay, This is my Diocefs, or I am the fuperior Ruler, but they produced their reafons, and when they couldnot agreeconcerning the validity Of each others reafons, they feparatedand took their feveral companions and wales. Prop 13. It was not only the Apof}les, but multitudes more that were fuch general unfixed Minifters : as the feventy, Bar- 'Jabots, Silas, Epapbroditus. Timothy and many others. Anal all thefe allo had a Power of Preaching and Ruling where they. came. Prop. 14. None of thefe General Officers did take away the Government from the fixed Presbyters of particular Churches ; nor kept aNegative vote in their own hands, in mat- ters of Government : for if no fixed Bishop (or Presbyter ) could excommunicate any member of his Church without an Apoflle, then almoí} all Churches mull remain polluted and un- governed, through the unavoidable abfence of thofe twelve or thirteen men. TheApollies therefore did admonifh Paftors to do their du- ties, and when themfelves were prefent had power to do the like, and to cenfure Pall:ors or people that offended : but they did not take on them the full Government of any Church, nor keep aNegative vote in the Government. Prop. t5. It teems utterly untrue that Chrifl did deliver the Keyes only to the twelve Apoilles as fuch, and fo only to their Succeffors, and not the feventy Dilciples or any Presbyters. For ß. The feventy all() were General unfixed Officers and not like fixed Presbyters or Bithops : and therefore having a larger Comm (lion mull have equal power. z. The Apostles were not fingle Bishops asnow they are differenced from others : but they were fuch as had more extenfive Commit, ions, then thofe now calledArch Bifltops or Patriarchs. If ciiercrore the Keyes were given rhem as Apoflles, or General Officers, then they were nevergiven to Ilifhops, For &Chops as fixed Bihops of this

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