Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

(zit) profecute, unlefs I were dealing with the Papifls (to whom havefail more ofit, in another writing.) 4. Ignatius his Presbyters were not men of another of- fièe, nor yet fet over many Churches that hadall but one Bi- jhop : But they were din the fame Churches with the Bi- (hop, andof thefame of ftce,only fubjeci to his moderation or prefidencj for vnity and order fake : and this wefirive not againft,if limited by thegeneral Rules ofScripture. Sea. a6. objeli.. Thofe that you have to deal with. fay not,that [Therewere noPresbyters inthe Apoffles days, but only that in the Apoftles writings, the word [Bifhopsi always fignifies Bifliops,and the wordElders either never or but rarely Presbyters. But it is poílible for them tobe in the time ofthofe writings that are not mentioned in thofe writings; and the Apoflles times were larger then their writings, as you are told rind. againft the bond, lvlini/t.p.i od.] Anf, t. The words I ci- ted( fromAnnot.in AL`k.t I.) faithfully, which you may Perufe : which fay that there is no evidence that in Scri- pture times any of the fecond Order were inftituted. ] So that it is not Scripture writings only, but Scripture times that's /fioken of. And2. If there be no evidenceofit, the Church cannot believeit or affirm it ; for itjudgeth not ofunrevealed things; and therefore to us it is no Inflitution thatpath no evidence. 3. The Apofileswere all deadfave John before the endofScripture times : So that they mull líeinfloituted by John only: And John dyed the next year afterScripture times, ,ts the chiefchronologers judge: For as he wrote his vlpocalypfe about the 14th year of Domi- tian,fehis cofpel theyear before Trajan, and dyed thenext year, beingafter the commoner reckoning, An.D. 98. and force think more. And what likelihood, or proof at leaff,, that John did inflitute them theyear that be dyed ? when the fame men tell us, of his excurfion into Afia to plant (i3) Elders,

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