of a v?if ble Church of Chri 1. 31 That Churches are independent appears ; (t.) In that they are equally Riled in the Word, the Church or Churches of God, the Church of Epbefus, the Church of Sardis, &c. There is not one Mark or Charaaer given to any one Church, whereby the may be known, as having a Supe- riority over other Churches. If there be any fuch thing as Superiority in any one Church mentioned in Scripture, let that Church be named, and her Power be made known, wherein the was above others ; which of the feven Churches of 1Í6a was the Metropolis, that had the power of ordering and governing the Reft ? I fuppofe none will pitch upon Laodicea, for fhe feemeth to be lefs concerned about Matters of Worfhip and Difcipline than any other befides. And if either of the other fix had the Charge of the Laodicean Church to have the over -fight of her, I doubt not but they would have been reproved for their Negligence towards her, as well as for the Niifcarriages that were a- mong themfelves. I fay there is no Mark nor Chara'Efer given to any one Church in Scripture, by which the may be known to be above others, or to have any Power more than another. There is no fuch thing as Cathedral or Diocefan Church, no mention made of any Metropolitan Church in Scrip- ture : nor are the Terms of Parochial, Claffical, Provincial, National or Oecumenical to be found in Scripture; no other Name given to Churches by the Word but the Church of God, or the Church in God the Father, and in the Lord Jefus Chrift, or the Churches of the Saints : No other Titles are Churches dignified withal, nor any one Church in the Scripture. ,z.) It appears in that Elders are equally ftiled in the Word ; they have no Superiority one over the other. If Churches had a Superiority over Churches, it is likely that Elders would have had a Superiority over Elders alfo, but that they had not. There is no fuch thing of Divine Appointment as Paftors over Paftors. This appears, FirfI, In that Elders (as I Paid before) are equally (tiled in the Word, Elders, Paftors, or Bithops, which is all but the fame thing. Paftors and Teachers are diftinguifhed by
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