1 8 The State of the firft Churches, &c. or Paftors;unlefs it were thole that were written unto par- ticular perlons by name. And as this is plain in all the Epiftlesof Paul, wherein fometimes difilinci mention is madeof the Officers of the Church , (òmetimes none at all; fo the Apoflle john affirms that he wrote unto the Church , but that Diotrephes , (who feerns to have been their Bifhop) received him not ; at once reje&ing the Au- thority of the Apo(tle, and overthrowing the liberty of the church: which example was diligently followed in the fucceeding Ages,7oh. Epift. 3. ver. 9. And the Apo- file Peter writing unto the Churches, on an efpecial oeca- lion, (peaks diflin&ly of the Elders, I Pet.5. 1, 2. See alfò Heb.13.24. the body of the Epiftle being dire&ed to the Body. of Churches. Wherefore all the Inftru&ions, Di re&ions and Injun&ions given in thole Epitllesas unto the exercife of power, or the performance of duty, they are given unto the Churches themfelves. Now thefe are fuck, many of them, as cannot be acted or performed in any Church by the Body of the People, but that which is Congregational only. It were too long here to infift on particulars; it (hall be done elfewhere ; and it will thence appear, that this Argument alone, is fufficient to bear the weight of this whole Caule. The Reader may if he pleafe confider what aeprefentation hereof is made in thefe places compared together, Matth. 18.15, 16, 77,18. At1`. r. 12, 23. Chap. 2. I, 42, 44, 46. Chap. 5. I 1,12,j3. Chap. 17. 21, 22, 25, 26,28, 29, 30. chap. 12.5,12. chap. 14. 26, 27. chap. 15. 1, 2, 354, 6, 12, 13, 22, 23, 27, 28, 30. chap. 20. 28. Rom. 15. 5, 6, 14,25., 26. chap. 16. 1, 17, 18.1 Cor. i. 4, 5. chap. 5. throughout. chap. 12. 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 18, 28, 29, 30, 31. chap. 74. throughout. Chap.16. 10, II. 2 Cor.3. 1,2,3. Chap. 7. 14, 15. chap. 8. 22, 23, 24. chap. 2,6, 7,8,9,10,11. Chap. 8. 5, Ephef.2. 79,20,27,22. Chap. 5. 1 1, 12. Gal. 6.1. Philip. 2.25. 26,
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