So The Infiitution and Government as a necefrary Qualification to be eyed in the Choice of an Elder. I can find no Rule for it laid down in the Word, which yet is a perfeét Rule for us to walk by, Chrift bath no where enjoined us to fend Men to School to learn the Tongues, in order to their being chofen to a Pafloral Re- lation in the Church. Secondly, I snail fpeak next of the Qualifications of Dea- cons, to which regard mull be had ; thefe are laid down together in the Word, i 4'im. iii. 8. You have their Quali- fications both negative and pofrtive ; they muff be grave, of a folid Behaviour, not light and frothy, not double - tongued, fpeaking forward and backward, one thing to one, and another thing to another; not given to much Wine, nor greedy of filthy Lucre : for a covetous Perkin in that Office will be under a Temptation to deceive the Poor that fhould be fed by them. Yer. 9. Holding the My fiery of the Faith in a pure Confluence. There muff be fame Experience of thefe Things before they be chofen, which is the proving of them, mentioned in ver. so. Let thefe firli he proved, and then let them ufe the Ofjrce of a Deacon, being found blamelefs. This is no Rule for the Church to choofe Deacons upon Trial, as fome have argued, fuch a Choice puts them into the Office before they are proved. Their Wives alto muff be grave, not Slanderers ; fober, faithful in all Things. Yer. i i . They mull he the Huf and of one Wife ; that is, they mutt not have a Plurality of Wives at one Time ; he muff alto rule his Children and his own Houfhold well. Thefe are the Qulifications of El- ders and Deacons, which Churches muff have regard to in the Choice they make. And I think I may truly fay, that thefe Things which were written aforetime, were written for our Learning ; and are the Rule that Churches muff go by, in the Choice of Officers to the End of the World. Secondly, The Power of receiving Members, by which the Church is inlarged, is in the Hands of the Church, Plus ii. 41. the three thoufand Converts there mentioned, were added unto the Church, ver. ¢r. And the Lord added unto the Church daily filch as fhould be Paved. Alts ix. Paul effayed to join himfelf to the Difciples, and they were all afraid of him, and would not believe that he was a Difci- ple, s ...
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