192 Tb~ HISTORY of the PuRITANS~ VoL. II. K. Charles!. Jt was aJiedged in favour of t.he SUBORDINATION OF SYNODS, that "-~~'the fcripture fpeaks of an appeal from one or two brethren to tbe w/Jole Subordinachurcb, Matth. xviii. 1 5· and of tbe appeal oj the church at Antioch to the tion offynods. aprjf!es and elders at Jerulalem, A,"/s xv. 2. But the independents affirm– f:;:~~/~-15, ed, that a fynod of preft,yters is no where called .a church; a~d ~~at the 12 8, &c. appeal of the church of Antioch was only for advtce, not for JUdlctal determination: But that fuppofing the affembly of the apofi:les at 'Jerufa– lem had been a fynod, it could neither be provincial nor national in refpeCl: of the church at Antioch, and confequently no proof of a fubordination. L ightf. The mail:ers ofjewijh antiquities difp\ayed all their learning upon this fub– rem. P· I7· jeCt, for the jewifbjanhedrim being propofed as the model of their cbrif– tian presbytrry, it waR iiecefi1ry to enquire, what were the refpeetive powers of the ecclefiafiical and civil courts under the law. Mqfes having appointed, that he that would not bearken to the priift, or the judge, jhould die, Deut. xvii. I 2. it was inferred in favl'Ul' of church power, that the priift held one court, and the civil magijtrate another; but Mr. Se/den oblerved, that the vulgar Iatin, till within thef~ forty years reads thus, qui non obediverit(acerdoti., ex decreto judicis morietur, he tl:at ~villnot o– bey the prieft, jhall die by tbefentence oj" tbe judge; and Mr. Lightjoot add– ed, that when the judges of inferior courts went up to Jerufalem by way of appeal, it was only for advice and confultation; but when the .quefiion was put, Decem. T2·. for a Jitbordination ojfynods with LAY-ELDERS, os f omany courts qfjudicature, with power to difpenfe church cenfores, it was carried in the affirmative, and inferted in their humble advice, with this ad– Vide App. N"Ill. chapter of eh. govern– ment. dition; " fo Chriil: has furni!hed fome in his church (belides mini!lers " of the word) with gifts for government, and with commiffion to exe– " cute the fame, when called thereunto, who are to join with the minif– " ter in the government of the church, which officers the reformed chur· " ches generally call ELDERs," Complaints of Thus the main foundations of the presbyterial .go~ernment we~e voted the indepen- of DIVINE APPOINTMENT, by a very great maJOTtty; but the mdepen– dents, dents entered their diffent in writing, and complained to the worlJ " of " the unkind ufage they met with in the affembly; that the papers they " offered were net read; that they were not allowed to il:ate their own " queflions, being told, they fet tbemleves induftriouOy to puzzle the " caufe, and rer.der the cleareil: propofitions obfcure, rather than argue " the truth or falfenefs of them·-that it was not worth the aff~mbly's '' while to fpend fo much time, in debating with fo incoiifiderable anum– "'' ber of men; they alfo declared, that the affembly refuted to debate « their main propofition, (viz.) Whether a divineright ofcburchgo~Jernw " ment, did not remahl witb every particular congregation-" To all which it was replied, th'at the a!Iembly were not confcious they had . ~~
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