( 13 8 ) rity as they let up there half -presbyters : And fo the Church {hall change as the Moon. 5. That which is accounted a reproach to all Governours is not without proofto be imputed toGod, and his infpired Apoftles. But to make oft and fudden changes ofGovernment, is accounted a reproach to all. Governours : Ergo For it is fuppofed that they wanted either foretight and wifdom to know what was tobe done, or Power to maintain it. To make Laws and let up Churches, Officers, and Orders, this year, and to take them down, and let up new ones a few years after, feemeth levity and mutability in man : And there- foremuff not without caufe and proof be afcribed to God. And the rather becaufe that Mofs Laws had flood fo long, and the taking down of themwas a fcandal very hardly born : And if the Apofiles that did it, fhould let up by the Spirit others in their (lead, to continue but till they died, this would be more ftrangeand increafe the offence. 6. There was no fufficient change of the Reafon of the thing, Therefore there was no fufficient reafon to change the thing it fell if Prelates had had Authority to do it.) Ifyou fay, That in Scripture times there were not worthy men enow, to make Subpresbyters and Bithops both of: I anfwer, It is.notorioufly falfe, by what Scripture fpeaketh, z. Ofthe large pourings out of the Spirit in thofe times : 2. Of the. manyProphets, Teachers, In terpreters, and other infpired fpeakers which were then in one Congregati- on, Al?. 13. r, 2. And t Cor. 14. Infomuch that at Corinth Paul was put to limit them in the number of fpeakers, and the exercife of their gifts: a And it's known by hiftory and the great paucity ofWriters in the next . age, that when thofe miraculous gifts abated, there was a greater paucity of fit Teachers, proportionably to the number ofChurches, than before. 3. And who can prove that if there had been more men the Apofiles would have made a new Order of Presbyters, and not only more of the fame Order? z. Obj. But the Churchesgrew greater after than before ?' "Infra. r. Where was there three Churches in the whole world for 30.0 years fo numerous as the Church at Jerufálent is laid to have been in Scri- pture ?, 2. If the Churches were more numerous, why might they not have been difiributed into more. particular Churches ? 3. Or bow prove you thatPresbyters fhould not rather have been increafed in the number of the fame Order, than a: new Order invented ? 4. This contradicts the for- mer objeëtion: For if that Churches were fo fmall and few before, it's like there might have been the more gifted perfons fpared to have made two Orders in a Church. 5. At?d what if inConftantine'sdays the Churches grew yet greater, thañ they did in the fecond, or third age compared to the Apo- files ? willit follow that Rill more new Orders may be deviled, as Subpriefis. were ? 7. There_
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