APPENDIX. Of cla!Jical aJlemblies. T H E fcripture doth hold out a preibytery in a church, both in the firil: epi!Ue to 'Timothy, chap. iv. verfe 14. And in Acts xv. verfes 2, 4, 6. A preibytery conliileth of minill:ers of the word, and fuch other pub– lic officers as are agreeable to, and warranted by the word of God, to be church governors, to join with the minifters in the government of the church; as appeareth, Rom. xii. 7• 8. I Cor. xii. zS. The fcripture cloth hold forth, that many particular congregations may be under one preibyterial government; This propolition is proved by inftances. I. Firfl, of the church of Jerufolem, which confill:ed of more con– gregations than one, and all thefe congregations were under one preibyte– rial government. · This appeareth thus : 1. Fi1jl, the church of :Jerufalem conlill:ed of more congregations than one, as is manifeft, Firfl, by the multitude of believers mentioned in divers places. Both before the dilperfion of the believers there, by means of the perfecution, (mentioned in the ./ltfs of the apoiHes, chap. viii. in, the beginning there– of), witnefs, chap. i. verfe I I. chap. ii. verfe 41, 46, and 47, chap. iv. 4, chap. v. 1 4• chap. vi. of the fame book of the Acts, verfes r, 7. And alfo after the difperfion, Atfs ix. 3I, chap. xii. 24, chap. xxi. ver. 20 of the fame book. Secondly, by the many apoll:les and other preachers in the church of Jerufolem: And if there were but one congregation there, then each apofile preached but feldom; which will not confift with chap. vi. verfe 2, of the fame book of the .Acts of the apo!Ues. 'Thirdly, the diverfity of languages amongft the believers, mentioned both in the fecond and and fixth chapters of the Acts, cloth argue more congregations than one in that church. z. Secondly, all thofe congregations were under one preibyterial govern– ment; becaufe, Fir.ft, they were one church, AC!s viii. I, and chap. ii. 47, compared with chap. v, I r, chap. xii. 5, and chap. xv. 4, of the fame book. Secondly, the elders of the church are mentioned, ACls xi. 30, chap. xv. 4, 6, 22, and chap. xxi. 17, 18, of the fame book. 'Thirdly, the apoftles did the ordinary acts of preibyters, as preibyters in that kirk; which proveth a preibyterial church before the difperlion, ./iCls vi. Fourthly,
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