42 The Inßitution and Government mer : for there is no mention of Ordination in the Text, nor in the Context, nothing that leads to it in the whole Chapter That there was laying on of Hands in fome Cafes in the primitive Times, I grant : That ever Hands were laid on in ordaining of Elders, I deny. Now to what particular Cafe this mull: be referred is not determined, pofiìbly it might be on the Sick for their Recovery, the End of which was for tite Confirmation of the new Difpenfation. Now when this was in ufe, Hands were not to be laid on all fick Perlons, to the End they might recover, nor was it their Duty fo to do : If it had, I prefurne the Apofle would not have left Trophymus lick at Miletus, he would have laid on Hands and recovered him. And if Hands were not to be laid on all lick Perlons, then there was good Reafon they Mould not be laid haftily on any, but watt till the Mind of God was known in this Matter, left fome on whom Hands were laid Ihould not recover, and fo 'tumble fome with re- fpea to the newDifpenfation, inftead of convincing them. Ohjea. 7. But fome may fay, Though Ordination by Im- pofition of Hands be not fo clear, yet Ordination by Elders cannot fairly be queftioned : for it is beyond all Difpute, that Titus had Power to ordain, and that in more than one Church, Tit. i. 5. For this Caufe left I thee in Crete, that thou fhouldfl fet in order the Things that are 'wanting, and or- dain Elders in every City, as I had appointed thee. I anfwer, I. Titus was an Evangelift, and had Office - power in all the Churches that he was fent to.. This is no Precedent for ordinary Elders, who have no Office-power out of that particular Church to which they relate ; nor is Titus a Precedent for Ordination by a plurality of El- ders : If he be a Precedent for any, it is for a Prelatical Ordination, and not for a Presbyterian one. 2. Titus had his Commiffion immediately from the ,Apoftles, and that none of our Elders can pretend to. 3. The Word that is here translated ordain, it is obferv. ed by forne that it is a differing Word from that in fíc'3s xxiii. i ¢. which is there tranflated ordain, and that it is the fame Word in the Greek with that in Jas vi. 5. that tranflatO is there
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=