g4 The State of the f rfi Churches, &c. fubjea unto involuntary furprizals, whole pardon they continually prayed for. (q..) Their love and fenrè ofdu- ty ftirred them up to labour mightily in their Prayers with fervency and con(tancy ; for the Salvationof the whole Fraternity of Eleí Believers , whether throughout the world , or more elpecially thole in and of their own Church. He that fhould afcribe thole things unto any of thole Churches , which now in the world claim tobe foonly, would quickly find himfclf at a lots for the proofof what he afferts. Did we all feduloully endeavour to reduce and rtftore Churches unto their primitive flate andframe, it would bring moreglory toGod, than all our contentions about Rule and Domination. 4. It is certain, that the Church of Corinth was fallen into a (infal excels, in the DepofitionandRejellionof their pag. 57 5s. Elders, whom the Church at Rome judged to pag.62. have prefided among them laudably and un- blameably , as unto their whole walk andwork among(t them. And this they did by the fuggeftion of two or three envious dilcontented perforas 5 and as it is probable from force digreons in the Epif?le,tainted with thole Er- rors, which had formerly infefted that Church, as the de- nial of the RefurretJion of theflefb, which is thereforehere reflec`.ted on. But in the whole Epiftle,the Church is no- where reproved for affuming an Authority unto them- felves which did not belongunto them. It feems what Cyprian afterwards affirmed , was then acknowledged; namely , that the right of choofing the worthy , and of re- fearing theunworthy , was in theBody of the People. But they are feverely reproved for the abufe of their Liberty and Power. For they had exercifed them on ill grounds, by ill means , for ill ends, and in a molt unjuft caule. He therefore exhorts the Bodyof the Church to return unto their
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