PART II. Reverend Mr, RichardBaxter. 7 Some other Propofals areadded in the End ofyour 'Letter. Prop 'r./ Am fatisfed that the 71poftles bate S&cceJT in all tbófe Wails that are óf j Handing Necefty, and that Church Government is one of thole Works, and that it is improbable, that Chrift Paullfettle one Species ofChurch Government in the A o- ffks Hands for 'ein Age, and then change it for ever Sifter, 'Sind they that affirm fisch m Change mutt prove it. ` Anfw. 6. Suppofing what the Apoftles did inorderingof Church Government to be in the Name andbytheAuthority ofChrift, this Affertion I conceive to be Very true, and it Both infer a Subordination of all Officer'sand Members of the Church tothe Apoftles, 'and thofe that were their Succeffors. Prop.a. Whether theApostles bada Power by Office togevern theLXX, and the Presb}- tors as inferior Officers, betides the Power that theybad by the weerInterefbof their Gfftr and Priviledge of being Eye WitneJs of the Works ofthrift, and Ear Witnefo of his Words. Anfw. 7 The extraordinaryGifts of the 14poftles; and the Priviledge of being Eye andEar Witneffes to Chrift, were Abilities which they tL..bfor the infallible llifcharge of their Function, but they were not the Ground of their Power and Authority to govern the Church. That the Seventy, and fo other Presbyterswere inferior ro the Apoltles, and un- der their Government, dothappear to me, though at their firft fending by Chritf they were immediately fubjeht co Chrifì, the Apoftles not being then ettablifhed in the Government of the Church, but when Chrift authorifed his Apoltles with the Power of Government; Pdreftàs Clavium was eommittud to them only, not tó the Seventy ; and fo we muff conceive that the Colledge of Apoltles wereinvefted with the Government of the Church, and the Seventy not 'having the Keys corn- mitted to them were under the Authority of theApoltles, and fo were Presbyter# to the Apofies Succpffors. Prop ;. If theApoftles Example willprove the right of an unfixed, ambalatery Epija- pacy, yet Iwouldfee bow it appearsthat ever they werefixedto particular Charges, or ever any of them bada diflinft and limited Dioceß, where the tell bad not Charge su weil as they. Anfw. 8. I conceive the Apoltles as Apoltles had an unlimited, and, as ÿoú call it, an unfixed, ambulatory Epifcopacy, being fent into the whole World, andnot by Chrilt's Inititution confined to any one fixed Seat i but yet that hinders not, but that by Confent andAgreement among themfelves, they might have a Diltri- butionoftheir leverai Circuits, as it is teenin the Agreement betweenSr. Peter and Sr. Paul, which as it did not exclude their original Power over All Churches, fo it did accommodate them to a more opportune Difchargeof their Fun&ion, and accordingly they fetled their Succeffors in thofe Places, not committing to them An univerfal Jurifdidion which was a Perfonal Priviledge of their Apottlethip, Prop. 4. 1 am, fatisfied that very early after the Apoflies, the common Governmént of each Church was by a Bifhop and Presbytery i but yet I han fee no Evidence that this Church for ryo.er soo Tears was any more than one Congregation, like one ofour Parifhei for Number of People, which was congregated in a City, and from the circumjacent Villa- ges ; as our Independant or Anabaptift Charrues now are, while the Multitude were fufs- deli i I would therefore crave any clear Proof, that the fret fixed-Bijbops ruled.any more landing Congregations, having ordinarily Afemblies and Communion in the Lord's Supper; than one only, and whether the multiplying ofBelievers did not make a real Change of the. . former Species ofGovernment, whole the Bijhap of the City took on him the Government of many particùfarChurches, who bad but one before, and whether Bifhops Amid not have. been multiplied anfait as Churches were, andPresbyters wire. Anfw. r. That the Government of the Churches was not only Vicatim, but Re- giwmtion, appears by thofe Deputies and Succefforswhich the Apoftles Conftitu. ted ; in particular, 7irus is authorifed to ordain and govern not.onè Parifh, but the many Churchesin Crete. That thofe primitive Bilhops did employ their ordi- nary Fun&ion of Preaching and admirftiring the Sacrament in their City of Re. fidence, may well begranted, . which. hinders not, but that they might have In- fpeetion into the circumjacent Villages for ordaining of Presbyters, and other Ad- neinifirationsof Góvernment, and what needed a Colledge of Presbyters raiding in the City with the Bilbao, if they were not tent out by him to officiate in thofeVillages adjacent, as the Number of Believers required, nordid the multi: A 4 pVida(
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