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Show Chap. 2. .with qrnplicity, he dircltcth alfo the Ruler to mle with diligence : and who is that Rulerin the Church, but the ruling Elder? of whom the Apofile faith to Timothy,The Elders tbt mle well are wor, ti!J of dotwl• honolll', I :1im.).I7·· But, as the wifdom~ of man·is enplity to God ; fo che wifdo1uc and wit of n1an hath fou!1d out many inventions and · exceptiops againf1: every Scriptnre that holdeth forth this Ordinance. "Obje[J. 1. The Elders the Apofile here fpedketh of, may be "tulers.in the f~mUy, as Parents are rulers to children, husbands '' co wives, Mafias to fervants. . 1 An[w. Tlie Church a,;(! family are two' di(HnCl: bddies : the Apo!l:le fpeakec~ here not ro~ the mcm'?crs of the families,( as iltch) nor of chefunllions and duttesof fanuly-members, but of the t:1- mily of the Church, and of their timcuons and duties one-cowards another: His.words are plain, ( verf. 4, )·) AI we (faith he) tJ.lVe '"~'!!' m:mberJ m om body, an~ all th~ member1 h'-'Ve 1l1t the f~e office; jJ rv.c bemg ltUI!)', a"' one kqdy m Cbrifl, and eve>J ohe mclf}bcrr ope of tJnotber. One body in Chrif1:i.s not one family (in ScripCUI'e phrafe) bm one Church; and of thts body of the Church, the members they be, \~hom P au! ~!reltcth to the due difpenfing o(their (eyerail funcuons and g1hs ; npm<;ly, tho; publiquc of1icer$ .of ,the Church, c;i e.~ chen;, Pa!l:or~,· Deacons and Elders,) to. attend upon their p~oper work, teaching, exhorting, giving, ruling, verf. 6, 7, 8. and all the re!l: of the members co walk in fuch duties oflove and pureneffe, brotherly_ kindneffe and modef1:y, diligence and ferve! 1~y, &c. as arc reqmhte foi every Chri!lian,_v-.f. 9· co the end of the Ch.rpter. "Objerf. 2. But P~~~ fpeakech not of iay Eld~rs.ruling in che "Church, but of Rulers. · t"•r.i Anftv. Neither do we acknowledge ruling Elders in the Ch;~ to be !Jy Elders properly; for to fay nothing of the diflinaion between the Clergie and Laity, which is of a later edition then Apo!l:oliqu~ time~ ; the mling Eldas being ordained co the Oflice by the ele~on ol the people, nnd impolicion bf h.mds (as well as t~e prcachmgl;lders) theJ.:tre no more lay men, or private Chri{ h~ns,chen the Teachers or .Paf1:ors arc lay Mini!lers; and though the _Pallor~ ~C.!c!1er·be~i,ther of them Church-mlers,yec the Ruler~~ here. dtllm9Jtfhed trom them, as a di!Hntl: member attending to Ius actton of rule as his proper funaion. "Objef1. SelhiZ· "Obj'etl. 3· P_,utl fpeakecli of G:wriill gifts, not of publikc pf" fices in the Churches, for he fpeaketh of the fever:tll powers and· "aCtion of all the members of the body of Ch<·i!l:; now the of" ficers of the Church, chey alone arc not the body ofChri!l:, but "alrche mulcimde of bcli•:wrs; which of all chc!c gifts in thCJfe "times, was noccommon,as well to th~ rcople as to the MiniCtcrs, " and to women as well as to men ? A ttfiv. t, P .ml-fpcaketh as well of publik_e ofliccrs as of particular gifts, as hath been !hewed b~ thrc~ rc.tlons above, out ~f the words of the Text. It is true ll!deed, hcc fpcakech of partJCllbt gifts· alfo,.Iio.t peculiar to any office, butcorn:uon to all believers, from veofo 9· co the end ; but 'gifts are not che·m~mbcrs of rhe body of Chrifl:,but the pertons indued With tlwfc fpirituall !'ifrs; neither can it be. f:1id, chat all the members· of the Chmch luvc all thcte gifts wichont maJ),ife!l: contradiCtion to tl\e words of the Text, 'tor then-all-the members had the.Gmepowcr to do all of thetu the: fame !\&ions, which thcApot:lc cxprelTy dcnierh, verf. + all the members (faith he) have not the hme aCtion,whi~h is tranfl< lted 0 flice; whence it is, chat when hee fpeaketh of different ofti~~. IJ~ diviqct_h them by p.micles ofpartition,im i,n, o, o, vaJ.7,8. an~ he injoyneth each office to attend his own funetiOI'l.J ~.~t \~hell lieCO!neeh cq 1~.;(>. of the pr-ivJtc members, and. of the gites common to them all, he neither n1.1keth any partitio.n o£r~cm into fc.verall forts, nOl' bindeth them to attendance on the impl<;>yment or exercile of any fpeciall gift, as he doth the fmmer. . J1 • Btu that.a&every ~ruth, fo ev,e1y ordinance of God 111if!' be conn•' hl,J!d by njip or Qh ree-witneffes ~~htre.b<.: other T exes of ?cri ptures whicbbe.,~witllcffeco, ; ' , · , · A~ J' · for rulh11t Eldct:s, hr 1 Cm· . .J 2 .28. the. pollle tclhh thcCorintbian: r31thac God hath fcc in his Chnrchfeverallmembcrs : as firfl 1\pofl:les.;~on.dly P1'ophecs; thirdly. "(eu:he!·s,ati:;r that miracle$, t\J~ gifijg jf\f.J\eJ!jng, helps,~!l;OVCI;l)J'lCiltS"'divcrf\tiFS of COill(liCS. \Nhere g\lVt.rn,ment -J$ ·~pl'efly reckoned a.mongllj ,~he\c . offices,. whid1 God h~th fedn J1js Church for-.the government tlt,crcof, lon!'lk>efpreit,injoycd civill Magi!l:r.wy, atyi r})ereforc l}e m~~neth, fPidtul\11Jgpve_rnmf!l1t, Ol' Church rulers., . c' Qbj~of. le'1/lll;lthcfc 'g01WllllCl1tS'\fC1fpiritll.lll gif~ .Tiflt.fpiri-. ma!IOJffi,:q,Q!)a<;iminjfh.4ti•m"s.. · · , · ' n ·j • '.Anfiv .... |