( 122 ) it is Governing the Church : as when a man is impenitent, he dòth Ex- communicate him only by teachinghim and the Church, that filch perfons as are fo impenitent are under the wrath of God, and uncapableof Church Communion, and therefore requiring the Church as. from Chrifi, to avoid that perfon, and declaring him to be under the wrath of God till he repent, and requiring him to forbear Communion with the Church. And fo in other as of Government. And as in Worthipping, the Pallor delivereth the Sa- crament of Communion , fo it mull belong to him toGive it or Deny it.. 5. And indeed the ancient Churches had ufually more Paflors than Affem- blies, by which means every Presbyter could not daily preach andofficiate. But yet they were fo confiant Affiflantsin the Government, as hash occafioned fo many to think that it was mere Ruling Elders who joyned with the Bithops in thofe times. And Paul himfelf faying 1 Tim. 5 17. The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour, efpecially they that labour in the word and dollrine, doth plainly imply that there werefewer who were thus La- bourers in the word and dollrine than chat Ruled well. For indeed .thefollow- ing pradicesofthe Churches expoundeth this Text, when the.Chusches ha- ving few Learned or able Speakers, he that could fpeak or preach bell, did preach ordinarily, and was made Chief or Bifhop, and the refl helpedhim in Government, and other offices, and taught the people more privately, and preached feldomer when the Bifhopbid them and there wasneed: ( Beingyet of the fame office. ) Obj. Why then may they not now be forbidden publickGovernment in foro'Ec- clefæ exteriore? Anfir. r. Our queftion is not chiefly what part of the exercife oftheir pro- per office may be rerained on jail occafion ; But what it is which truly belongeth to their office. a. It is one thing to forbid -it them pro tempore; and another flatedly ( for this.changeth the Office.) 3. It is one thing to forbid a man Preaching, Praying, or Exercife of Difcipline in aChurch where there are many, and all cannot fpeak at once, and his reliraint is for the better doingofthe work, and the avoiding of confufion : And another thing to forbid a tingle Pallor of a Pariah Church, with all his Curates, to do it, when there is no other there, nor near the place, that knoweth the people, to do it ; but it mull be undone. ç. And indeed the cafe ofDifcipline in this differeth from Preaching and officiating in Worihip : Twomen cannot do the later at once in the fame Congregation, without confufion and hin- derance of Edification: But-ten men or twenty may confult and content to the ads of Difcipline. So that by Reafon, Scripture, and Antiquity it is clear, that ifany one part were more effential to the Presbyters office than the ref}, it would be the Authority andObligation toRule the flockby the word ofGod, and exercife. theChurch_Keys ofDifcipline. II. Now that this power is here taken from them (notwithfianding all the forecited Conceiìons or. Confeflions that it is due to, them )" I; prove. I. I might
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=