Blake - Houston-Packer Collection BT155 .B53 1653

Chap.19. and the Covenant ofGrace. Luke. in the Hifiory attic Air. What power the people or the faithful! may have in Eleftion , and how farce it may be conve- nient that they may be overborne for their good I will not here difpute.. I only conclude , that we finde not the people any where ordaining. We read ofOrdination in Churches , for the Churches ufe , not Ordination by Churches , taking it ,in that fenfe for the whole community of Beleevers. Thefe in a Minifteriall fundionin this aft of Ordination,, fe I feleft men apart for Presbyters, or Elders ; fo Acts r.I. 2,3. Titus 1 r. 5. places before mentioned ; the fame with Bithops, as ap- Epears in Tital. z. 5, 7. verfes compared. Titus is enjoyned to or- daine Elders in every City in Greet, the qualification of fuch Elders is there prefcribed , and the reafon given; for a Bithop muß be blamele fire , which will hold no congruity if an Elder be not the fame with a Bithop, which allo may be Peen, AUs 20. com- paring verre 17. and the 28. together. The Apofile there fpeaks to the Elders of Ephefad and he gives them a charge, to take heed to all the flock over which the holy Ghofl had made them Over- feers; that is, had given them an Epifcopal charge as the word fìg- nifies. Elders mull let apart men for Elders, and Presbyters are to be fet apart by a Presbyterie. This Ordination of Elders is to be in the Church, or for the Church , which may be taken either for the univerfal Church _vi- f ble, or for fome particular Church, and that either congregatio- nall or clafficall. Minif}eriall funftions are appointed of God , for the Church univerfal vifrble, (r Cor. 12, 28. God hath fet form in the Church farß Apoftles , fecondarily `Prophets , thirdly Teachers, tic. No one particular Church congregational or dial:- flea' enjoyes all the particular kinder there enumerated,) yet fo as the exercife of this funftion, is to be with limit to one particu- lar only. They are Minifters of the Church univerfal! , yet fo as orderly to exercife their funftion, only there where God by his, providence fhall defigne them. There are force funftions (as I may fay)catholick; what fuch a one doth any where in his funfti- on,is good every where; as a publick Notary, or Matter of the Chancery, that which they do is every where valide within the limit of that power under which they at ; It is of force through the whole Nation.Some functions are topicall or locllr, as Juffices of Peace a chief officer in a Corporation, Sheriffe, or Confiable, T 2 who 139 This Orc?fna- ti tion is ofPref. by ters and Elders. Thefe EIders are the fame wich Bithops. s They are Eid- ers of the Church uni- vèrfall.

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