ESSAY V111: 225 saith the common-prayer-,book, which was made by saints and martyrs, " It is evident unto all men, diligently reading holy scripture, and ancient authors, that from the apostle's time there have been these orders of ministers in Christ's church ; bishops, priests, and deacons" Thushe proceeds triumphant where the civil government is on his side, and will yield to no man in argu- ment or dispute. Classicus arises inwarm oppósition to prelacy, and asserts it an indisputable truth, that no minister of Christ is superior to another: I read saith lie, in my bible, no distinction between bishops and presbyters ; they are the same officers in scripture; and the power of synods is so plainly instituted at the council at Jerusalem ; Acts xv. that I am amazed this should be esteemed a matter of doubt or difficulty ; and I am well assured Of this because Timothy had the hands of presbytery laid.uponhim; 1 Tim. iv. 14. there is no man above or below a presbyter has any thing to do in ordaining ministers since the apostles are dead. Antipas grows impatient at thesebold assertions, and asserts with as much boldness, that the power of ordaining all sorts of officers in the church belongsproperly to the brethren .ofa single congregation, and none besides have any authority to meddle with it, since the race of inspired men are dead and gone The brethren have all the power in their hands, and it is the church or congregation alone that has any manner of right to chuse and approve and establish its own pastors, elders, overseers and dea- cons : For is it not said ; Acts'vi. 3. Look you out among you seven men, &c. And if this be done atthe choice of deacons, why not of elders too ? The learned say, that the word in Greek, which is used for ordaining of elders, signifies the choice or. " lifting up the hands of the brethren to vote for them*." Whatsoever particulars are disputed in church government, the power of the people must be ever acknowledged and received as a fundamental and immoveable truth. Among all these combatants there is not one but is so positive in his own sentiments, that one would think they had received all their opinions by inspiration, or that Christ and his apostles had been precisely of their party, and had written their opinions down. in express letters and syllables. And not only are they so as- suredof the truth of their tenets, but the vast importance of them too : And each of them growsangry that his own particular opinion should be reckoned among the less evident, or the less iin )ortant points of religion: Their fury boils high, and their mistaken zeal and warm ferment of their passion swells every punctilio to a mountain, and makes every particle of their opi- nions fundamental : They do 'pot observe how their swift career. VOL. III.
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