(37) Rulingpart oftheir Office; and whether thefe have not a Power above particular ChurchPaftors in Ordinations, and in the overfight of the Pa- hors themfelves, and in the Care of manyChurches, 1 have long ago con_ feffed, is a Cafeof too much difficulty for me to determine. On the one- fide, though the Apoltles have no Succefíbrs in the extraordinary and temporarypart oftheir Office, yet Church- government being anordinary andpermanent part, as doctrine is, I can hardly think that when we find one Formof Church.government inftituted by Chrift himfelf, and conti- nuing till the end of that Age, that we fhould prefume to fay that this Form then ceafed and another muff fucceed it without goodproof.What we findenacted and fetled muft Rand, till we can prove it abrogate. And unlefs it were a thing which in the natureof it were temporary,it feemeth a harfh imputation of mutability, to feign Chrift to fet up a Church-govern- ment whichfhould be in force but for an hundred years. And on the o- ther fide it puzkthme, i. to find it fo hard to prove, that the Apoftles themfelves did indeed exercife anyOffice power over other Paftors,which one maynot do towards another, over and abòye that which accrewed to them from the meet= extraordinary advantage of their gifts andApo. ftolicalproper work: z. And to find it fo obfcure, whether they fettled/ anyas their Succeffors in that fuperiority of power which they had. gk. But being in fuch doubt, and being uncertain whether fuch Arch- Bifhops or ApoftolicaISuccefl'ors in thepoints ofOrdination and overfight of many Churches, be of Divine rightor not, 1 refoive not to contend a- gainit any fuchOrder, nor to difobey any juft commandsof fuch, nor to- reproach the tuflo neof theChurches. q z. And though I know that Paftors fhould not unneceffarily bedivert-: ed by any aliene works, yet if it pleafe the Magiftrate to commitfome of his power ofChurch-government by the Sword, (about things extrinfick,. tothe Paftoral Office) into the hands of fome Minifters, as his Officers,. and if he call them Bifhops, and command us to obey them, and ifhe make them Barons, and endow them with Lordfhips andgreat revenues,. though I feethe great peril tothe Church from hence, by reafon ofinens- pride and worldlinefs t yet will l not reproach this Order, nor deny any juft obedience to any filch Officers of the.King: 53. Ifanyacknowledging the Paftors .ofeachChurch to have the whole Pattoral Office, and power of the Keysof that Church which heoverfeeth,; tìtall yet affirm that the aforefaid fuperiour General Bifhops (or Arch- Bifhops) have a fuperiour power of theKeys, and therefore (hall have the decifion of controverfies that arife in particular Churches between the Paftors and the People, and that appeals may be made by the people to them, and that they may vifitthe particular Churches at theirpleafure, and have power to cenfure the particular Bithops (or Paftors) when they deferve it, or to OrdainMinifters, remove them, and depofe them as- there is juft caufe, (by bare fentence, and the peoples confent,) and all thisPare divsno, as Succefförs to the Apoltles in their Government, or to
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