Chap. V. the HISTORY of the PURITANS. 173 AXT. Becaufe you are not chofen by the people; Ellis xiv. 23. And Ela6erh, they ordained elders by elec7ion in every church, Xe1po7ovtiÇav]es, by the lifting up of hands. B's CHANC. How came you to be parfon of Morton Corbet? AXT. I am no parfon. CHANC. Are you then vicar? AXT. No; I am no vicar, I abhor thofe names asantichriflian; I am paftor of the congregation there. CHANC. Are you neither parfon nor vicar? How hold you your living ? c AXT. I receive thefe temporal things of the people, becafe I being their pallor, do minifler to them fpiritual things. CHANC. If you are neither parfon nor vicar, you muff reap no profit. AXT. Do you mean good faith in that you fay ? CHANC. Yea, if you will be neither parfon nor vicar, there' is good caufe why another fhould. Brut. You muff underhand, that all livings in the church are given to miniflers, as parfon and vicars, and not as pillars and miniflers. How were you chofen paftor ? AXT. By the free eleEtion of the people, and leave of the patron : After I had preached about fix weeks, by way of probation, I was chofen by one confent of them all, a fermon being preached by one of my brethren, Petting forth the mutual duties of pallor and people. BrsH. May the bithops of England ordain miniflers? AXT. You ought not to do it in the manner ye do ; that is, with- out the confent of theelderfhip, without fufficient proof of their qualifica- tions, and without ordaining them to a particular congregation. BtsH. Well, Mr. Axton, you muff yield fomewhat to me, and I will yield fomewhat to you ; I will not trouble ydu for the croft in baptifm; and if you will wear the furplice but fometimes, it (hall fufice. ANT. I can't confent to wear the furplice, it is againft my con. fcience ; I truft, by the help of God, I (hall never put on that yleeve, which is a mark of the beafl. Bun. Will you leave your flock for the furplice? AXT. Nay; Will you perfecute me from my flock for a furplice? I love my flock in Jefus Chrift, and had rather have my right arm cut off, thanbe removed from them. Blsx. Well, I will not deprive you this time. AXT. I befeech you confider what you do in removing me from my flock, feeing I am not come in at the window, or by fimony, but ac- cording to the inftitution of Jefus Chrift. On
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