of Divine .InJlitntion. 141 of Chrift , as the Chancellors. Court. (3) There is no Power pleaded for in Congregational Chnrches,but what is granted unto them by the Word and Conffitution of chrifi. And who is he that (hall take this from them, or deprive them of its exercife, or Bight thereunto? (r.) It is not done,nor ever was, by Jefur-s Chrifi himfelf. He doth not pull down what himfeif bath built ;. nor doth any one Inftitution of his , in the leafs interfere with any other. It is true, the Lord Chrift by his Law deprives all Churches of their Power, yea of their Rate, who walk, aft, and exercife a Power not derived from him ; but fet up againft him , and tired unto Inch ends as are oppolte unto , and deftruffive of the ends of Church.Order by him appointed. But to imagine, that whilft a Church claims no Power but what it receives from him, ufeth it only for him, and inObedience unto his Commands, that he hath by any Afit, Order or Con= ftitution, taken away that Power or any part of it from filch a Church,is a vain Suppofttion. (2.) Such Churches cannot by any d4C of their own deprive themfelves of this Right and Power. For (I.) it is committed unto them in a way of Trutt, which they falfifie, if by their own content they part with it. (2.) Without it they cannot difcharge many Duties required of them. To part with this Power, is to renounce their Duty, which is the only way whereby they may lofe it. And if it be neither taken from them by any Law, Rule, or Conftitu- tion of Chrift, nor can be renounced or forgone by them- felves , what other Power under Heaven can juftly de- prive them of it, or hinder them in itsExecution ? The truth is, the principal means which hath rendered the ge- nerality of Parochial Churches unmeet for the exercife of any Church- power, is, that their lnterett in it, and right unto it, hathbeen to long unjuftly detained from them as
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