4 The Preface. muchits they. Its known that the Presbyterians common7 ly maintain in their Writings, that Paflors haveno Coer- cive or Secular Power, but only the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, to exercife on the Confcience, committed to them by Çhrifi. 4. And the writings andpractice of tho[e inEngland, openly manifefi it and its them with whom you have mofi to do. Some tell me that Presbyterie is the Government of the Church without Bithops : And is itonly the Negationofyour Prelacy that is the odious thing ? Is, there nothing Pofitiveodious in Presbyterie ? Thus our Be- lief is condemned by the Papifis, even becaufe we Believe not fo much os they ; When in the Pojtives of our Faith there is nothing that they can blame. Some make it the odious thing that they haveLay-Elders ; But z. The Pref. byterians account them not Lay , but Ecclefiaficks. 2. And what is the odious harm that there men do among them ? They are prefent, and confent to the ad- moni/hingandcenjuring of affendors. c_./Ind what great harm doth that to the Church ? Is it becaufe they do not Preach :' No fare ; in that your Readers are much like them. What work canyou .Name that thefe Plders are ap® pointed to, that byyour Confefsion is not to be done ? It is not theWork then, thatyou blame, but that thefe men do it. 3. But what is this to all that are in thispoint ofyour mind, and think that unordained Elders wanting Power to preach, or adminifier the Sacraments, are not Officers in the church of Gods appointment ? Asfar as ! can un- derfiand, thegreater part, ifnot threefor one of the Eng- li(h Minifiers thatyouhandat a difiancefrom, are ofthis mind,andRfaragain Lay-Elders as well asyou; ofwhom 1 confefs my fell to be One. (andthat Mr Vines was one, Ihave(hewedyou in the End.) Surely thenall we arenone of the odious Presbyterians in your eyes. Wily then is there fuchadifiance ? Andare Lay Elders as badas Lay-Chan- cellors ? _ So
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