Owen - BX5085 O84x 1681

(42.) to that Office, nor provided any Way or Means, whereby any one fhouldbe made Partaker of it. And for any to pre- tend a Succeffion in Office, or any part of their Office, with- out any of thofe things which did conititute it, is extream Prefumption. It is therefore granted , that if there were not other Offices appointed by the Authority ofChrift, it had not been in thePower of man, to makeor appoint any un- to that Purpo['e, and the Church-State itfelfmuft have ceaf- ed. But this he hath done, Eph. 4. i r, i z. i Car. iz. z8. (2) That Perfons were to be interefted in thefe Offices, ac- cording unto the Way and Means by him prefcribed; which were not fuch as dependedon his own immediate, extraor- dinary aEtings, as it was with the former fort, but fuch as confifted in the Churches acting according to his Law, and inObedience unto his commands. This Church-State was appointed by the Authority of Chrift. The Direction whichhe gave in his own Perfon for Addreffes unto the Church in cafe of Scandal,which is an ob- liging Inftitution for all Ages. (Mat. 18. 17, 18, 19, zo.) proves that he had appointed a Church-State, that fhould abide through them all. And when there was a Church . planted at 5erufalem, therewere not only Apoltles in it, ac- cording to its firft State, but Elders alfo, which refpe&ed its fecond State, that was approaching ; Alt. 15. z3. The Apoftles being in Office before that Church State, the Elders ordained in it. So chap. r i. 3o. And the Apojtles ordained Elders in every Church; Aft. 14. zz. Tit. i. 5. r Tim. 5. 17. whom theyaffirmed to be made fo by the Holy Ghoft. zo. z8. The Churches to whom the Apoftle Paul wrote his Epiftles, were fuch all of them, under the Ruse of ordinary Officers. Phil. i. 1. Rules and Laws are given for their Ordination in all Ages; Tit. r . i Tim. 3. And the Lord Chrift treateth from Heaven with his Churches, in this Order; Rev. if ,. zd. 3d. He hath promifed his,

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