of a io fble Church of Chrfji. 33 nor had the Churches that were commended Inch a Power : for if they had, they would have been reproved for the Mifcan ïages of others which they fhould have reformed. (5.) It appears that Churches are independent, in that there is no Appeal to be made from one Church to another. An Appeal is from an inferior Power to a fuperior Power; the Appeal that Paul made was to a fuperior Power : Thou haft appealed unto Cefar, and unto Cefar thalt thou go. When an Appeal is made, that Power that is appealed from can neither acquit nor condemn, the Power is wholly out of their Hands : fltis xxv. 37. Then Agrippa fail unto Feflus, this Man might have been fit at Liberty, had he not appealed unto Cefar. But there is no taking a Cafe out of the Hands of the Church ; thither it mutt be brought, and there it muff be iffued, Mat. xviii. Tell it unto the Church; if he negleet to hear the Church, then let him be to thee as a heathen Man or a Publican. Whatfoever ye (hall bind on Earth (hall be bound in Heaven. Chri(t will own the Churches Acts, they keeping clofe to the Rule; he will not flay till a Cafe is iffued by an Appeal. Objefl. There was an Appeal by the Church at4ntiach, to the tpoftles and Elders at ferufalem; and the Matter was determined by the Apoftles and Elders, Plus xv. 2. com pared with ver. z8, 29. anfwer, i. This was no Appeal made by any Member or Mem- bers, that were under dealing, from the Power of the Church at flntioch, to a fuperior Power; what was done was done by the Church itfelf. It was the Church that determined to fend Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them up to yerufalem, ver. 2, 3. z. This was no Appeal; it was but fending for Advice : there were certain Men that came down from 7udea, that taught the Brethren, that except they were circumcifed af- ter the Manner of Mofes, they could not be faved, mover. i. Now thefe Meffengers were fent up by the Church about this Queflion, tier. z. that they might the better underfland what the Pleafure of God was in this Matter. And when they came to Jerafalem, they were received by the Church, and the Apoftles and Elders, to whom they declared the whop
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