Chap. VI. ne HISTORy of tbe PuRITANS~ days they took the part of opponents, and fifteen days they were upon K. Charles r: the defenfive. To give a lhort fpecimen of their debates. 1 645· . The chief enquiries were, concerning the confl:itution and form of the ~d;;:' fir£1: church of Jerujalem; the fob-ordination ofJjnods, and of lay-elders. !>ate, p. 13, Upon the fir£1: quefiion the independents maintained, that the firfl church &c. at Jerufalem was not larger than could meet in Olif place. In fup ort of which allegation, they produced feveral pa{fages from the new tefl:ament; as, ACls i. I 5· 'The whole number qf dtjciples being about one hundred and twenty, met together with one accord. And ACJs ii. I, They were all with one accord in one place. When they were multiplied to three thoufand 'tis !till faid, they met together with one accord, and in one place, ACls ii. 46. When they were further increafed , multitudes being added to them, . b~th men and women, they jli!/met together with one accord, and in one place, . ACls v. I z, I 4· when the number of difcipl es had received yet further additions, fo that it became neceifary to choofe deacons to take care of' the poor, the whole multitude were called togetber, and chqfe out}even mew from among themfelves, and fet them before the apofi:les, ACls vi.. z, 5; . And even after the general difperfion of the difciples, mentioned ACJs., viii. 'tis recorded, that thofe who remained met together in one place as a. church, ACls xv. 4, 22. 'Ihen pleafed it the apojlles and elders, with the WHOLE CHURCH, to fend chqfen men if their own company.to Antioch. They allowed, that there was mention of a pre!bytery in fcripture, but· that it was no other than the pre!bytery or elders of one particular church or congregation, it being no where expreifed that God has fet in the_ church, difi:inct forts of pre!byteries, fuch as coifrftories, clo:ffes, provin· cial jjnods, and general a.Jfemblies, one above another. They objected alfo to the high powers claimed by the pre!byteries, as the right of ad– miffion and exclufion from the chrifi:ian church with pains and penalties. which as they had no foundation in fcripture, were not very confiil:ent. with the powers of the civil magifi:rate. By way of rep] y the preibyterians maintnined, that the church ifJ:ru- Presbyteri– fJlemwas made up qf more congregations than one, as appeared from the a;'s reply. multitude of difciples mentioned in dive:·s places ;--from the many a- frand de– pofiles and teachers in the church of Jerl!falem, who could not exercife ate, P· 4 r' their gifts in one affembly ;-and from the diverfity oflanguages' mentioned ACls ii. and Ac1s vi. Now it being granted, that the difciples were too numerous to aifemble in one place, it muil: follow that they were un-- der one pre!byterial government, becaufe they are fii!l called 0 N E CHURCH. Afls viii. I, the eldersofwhichareoftenmentionedin , th~ fame tJi!l:ory. The ableil: critics in the aifembly were divided upon thts !1ead, as Dr. Temj;le, L ightfoot, Se/den, Colman, Vines, and others;. but 1t was carried for the pre!byterians.. ·
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