of a vifible Church of Chr. 43 tranflated appoint : fo that for an Apoftle or Evangelift to appoint, and a Church to ordain, are two Things. 4. The Ordination of Elders is not the Work of one Man, but of many. It was done by Election, by common Suffrages, .f'& xiv. z3. 5. Titus had not an unlimited Power, he was to do it as Paul had appointed him, which I conceive was no other way than by advifing and direaing the Church how they fhould proceed in this Matter. My Reafon is, becaufe he . was to fet in order the Things that were wanting. If this were to be done otherwife than by way of Advice, then he had not only the Power of ordaining, but of ruling and governing too ; then the Difcipline of all thofe Churches . was in the Hands of Titus, and he that was an Heretick, as in ver. io. muff be rejected by Titus after the firft and fecond Admonition fo that the Power of Church - Cenfure is wholly out of the Hands of the Churches, and in the Hands of Titus. And therefore if Churches give up the Power of Ordination into the Hands of Elders from fuch. a Precedent as this, they give up at the fame Time the whole Difcipline of the Church into the fame Hands. And then if their Elders be corrupt, they have no Way left to relieve themfelves, but muff: lie at the Mercy of fuch. Elders, whether they will right them or not. Churches do little know what they do when they call in. Elders to ordain them Elders :_ for where the Power of Ordination lies, there lies the Power to fet in Order the Things that are wanting. And I am apt to think that fuch., as have an itching defire to ordain Elders in other Churches, their Fingers do alfo itch to have the Government of thofe Churches out of the Hands of thofe Churches,, into their own Hands alto. 6. Evangelifts, as well as Apoftles, are now ceafed.; Who then thall challenge this Power of Ordination, if it be not in the Hands of the Church ? (ordinary Elders can- not fo much as pretend to it, for they have neither Precept nor Precedent to thew for it) And if it be now in the Hands of the Church, then, as I faid before, it was in.the Churches. Hands from the Beginning. Obje3,
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