Baxter - BV669 B3 1681

çi4) Church thathad litany Elders, fotne one was chofen by the reft and by the people, to betty chief, and to force fpecial power ofChurch affairs: And r. In cafes of frequent Arbitration, there feemed a kind of neceffi- ty, that force One beUmpire : For if half go one way and half the other, there canbe no end : 2. And incafe ofHerefies and different Opinions in Religion, if One had not in each Church force deciding, over-ruling power, or Negative Voice, it is no wonder if Divifions were the bard - lier prevented, and the Churches Unity hardly kept. 3. And efpecially when fonie One was really wrfer and abler than the reff, it was thought but fuitable to Nature, that he ratherruled the juniors and weaker fort, than that their Votes fhould rule him, or rule without him. 4. And when all men have too much felf-love and Pride, which enclineth them to de_ fire pre- eminence, and maketh them judge too high of themfelves, it was thought fafer for all the Clergy and People, to judge who among them was really the belt and wifeft man, than to leave every man to be judge of himfelf and of the rat : For fo it wastoo likely that everyman would think himfelf the wifeft. Therefore one was chofen as fuppofed by others (evenby thewhole Church) as the fitteft man to havea deciding and overfeeing power among the refs, to avoid contention, which their own ftrife about preeminence would caufe. ü. And there was a fifth' caufe, which was not much lefs than any of the rest : which was, that often through the fcarcityof fit perfons, One man was firif fettled over a new-gathered Chureh, before any others couldbe had to joynwith him. And therefore he being there firft alone, and that in fole power, it was thought unfit that any that came after him, fhould come in without his confent or Ordination, becaufe he was the foie Governour ; fo that, z. becaufe they came after him, i. and that by his Wili, if not Ordination, it muff needs follow that he would ufually have the pre-eminence. As it is now amongus, where the Rector of the Parifh where there are divers Chapels, chufing his Curates, who are ufu- ally his Juniors, hé is conftantlyof greater power than they, and ruleth them accidentally, though his Office be thefame as theirs. 22. As by thefe means one Paftor got a pre eminence of effect', and power above the refs, fo in a fhort time he got the title of E ifcopsr, Bifhop, to be appropriated to himfelfalone, leaving the name ofElders, and Paftors, and Priefts unto the refs in common with himfelf: For he was now become the prime Overfeer of the whole Church, both people and Elders. 23. Oúr own experience fheweth us how it came to país, that the peo- ple themfelves not only confented to all this, but alfo definedand promo- ted it (efpecially then when the effefts of Clergy-ambition had not ful- ly appeared to the World :) For even now when a great Parifh can get one Learned able Paftor, they fay, we will allow you fomuch, but your Curates mutt take lefs: And they will not endure that theyoung and weakCurates, have either equal maintenance, or equal honour orpower over

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