(%) . Much its our Parifh Churches are)hadmore Elders then One, but notfach flore of men of eminent gifts u that all thefe Elders could be fueh . But e s ifhalfa dozen of themtilju- diciom perfoes of this Parifh wereordained to be Elders, of the fame Office withmyfelf, but becaufé they arenot equally fit for publick preaching, (hould molt implay themfelves in the refl of the overftght , contenting that the publick preaching lie moll uponme, and that 1 be the Moderator of them far order in circumflantials r This I think was -the true EpifcopacyaridPresbytery of the ferfl times. From the miflakeofwhich, twocontrary Errors have arifen s The one of thole that think this Moderator was of another Office in fpecie; having certain work afsignedhim by God, which is above the reach of the office . of' resbyters to perform ; and that he hadmany fixed "churches for his charge. The other of them that thank thefe Elders werefuch 03 arecal- led nowLay - elders, that is, vnorda:nedmen, authorized to Govern , without e authority . to Treach, Baptize-, or Adminifler the Lords Supper. LAnd fo both-tlse Prelati- cal on one fide, and thePresbyterians and Independentson the other fide, run out, andmiflake theancien`t form, and then contend againfl each other. (This was the f zbflanco of what 1 wrote to Mx. Vines, which his fubj'oyned Letter refers to, where he fignifieth that Ls judgement was the fame.) When Paul andBa.cnabas were together, Paul was the chieffpeaker,, and yet Barnabas by,the. Idolaters cal- led Jupiter. Nature teachetb its that men in the fame of- fice fhould yet have the preheminence that's due to them by their Age, and Parts, arid interef?s , &c. and that order ihoùldbe kept among them,, as in Colledges and all Societies is. ufual. The moll excellent part of our work- is publick preaching, but the molt of, it for quantity is the refl of the Overight- of the church (in Inflrisa,trig. perfoital`y,,ad- motsi(hing, reproving,: enquiring into the truth of accu'a-: (g 3) ties,
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