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Show ----4· -· -~ · -·-----4··--- Ruling Eltlerr, Chaph. - ----- (which is but a !inall remnant in cdmparifon) 300. y_e.ues were [pent in the Primitive per~tions, whereof wee have tew monurnents of Antiquirie extant, written in that time-; thofe wee have "fpeake fo of EltkrJ, as doe indifferently com priCe as well "&tling "Eldm,as 'Ie,.,;ni11g Eldm; IyutitH his PrerkJ•ters,wloom he fiileth "the Cotll't of God., the Combination of tbe Apojller ofCbrij!, the holy "Affimb0·,and CormFUart andA{(cjfurtof theBifoops;wi.th aU thefe Epithets may as well agree to Ruling Elderr, .u; to Prl.zcherr: The Scripture doth not difdaine to admit Civil! Magiflrates into the fcllowfhip of Gods Tabernacle, Pfal. 8z. I. And why not then the " futlm of his ehurch? For 'I<rtuUi:Pl his Eldm, who were Prefi- " dmtr rner ti" Cmjitrcf of the Church, and attained<that bonour,not hy Bribes, but by approved 'Iejli.motl), Apologetic. Cb.tp. 2·9. what is there in his whole dcfcription of them, but is compatible to R11• ling Elder 1 ,as well as to r,·~~ching? Yea C;•pri.n{ w.ho lived in thofe ancient bloudy, but ze.1lous times) . dot~ exprefly acknowledge Elders that were not Prctcbe·t : For It evidently appeareth in the lift Epiflle of his fourth Boeke, that he ordained Calinur and A11- ceUUf to be Presbpers of his Church, who were no Preacbm but readerr oncly ; and yet were to be maintained Sportulil communibw ·, (that is, at the common charge of the Chmch) with the Prf bperr,and to Itt with himfelfe in their growo.eyeares. It appeareth alfo in the tenth Epiftle of his fourth Booke, That he ordained Numidirm a Confe!for, to be aPrerl?Jtcr of his Church, who was not at ~dl: called to be a Preacher. Ambrofo, though he om-lived thofe ttmcs of purer government, yet beareth full witndfe to the honorable u[c of futlin,~ Eldm in the Church before his tiine ; For in his Comment o~ 1 Tim. 15. 1. giving a reafon why the Apoflle .yonld have Eldernn yea res honoured, even in the he.-J.ingoftheir taults, he urgcth the honour of old a!!e in all Nations. Whence faith he, it w~s that the Synago{\uc; 'and afterwards the Church ha~ Elderr, lvtthl>fl_t wbrrJ? Counjal ?wt!Jing :v,u d.me in rbe Cbmcb: wlmh by "'h>t ?teghgmceu grnnmeout ofttft in the Clmrcb,I k:fuw not, t<;<lcjfe by t be jlo.Jtb ofTeachm, or utbcr prick, 1vbilcjlthry ouely ~vould Jreme to be farnwbut. Again!l: this teftimony, becanfc it is pre"nant, fimdry exceptions (or rather eva!ions) arc taken. As 1. Tli~t the Author .of this !e!l_im?ny w.1s not that a110imz Ambrofo, thef.l; mons Et01op o!111tll.mze , but lome · other beer of tha't nJ!llC Ar.: Sea:. 2 ." Anf. And what though? yet all men admowledge th·s other .Ambrofe, whofeTeftimony this is,to bean ancient learned Writer, and t~erefore his Te!l:imony of the Amiquiti~ o'f'fv,ling, Eldm ,is ![tffioeht to filenc~ that ch~rge and brave Rourif\,1, ~lj,lt Ruling Eldert ~,., lmerly '!nl;nnwnc, -an~ ,.,!Je~rd ~f .fiam ,,I/ Ant~quitie for I 5 oo. yures •. A feco!Jd ExceptlOt~ they gtvc , is that Ambr"fe fpeakctl1 n?t of Elderr m Office,_ ~ut In}~Jr~J, without whofe CoHnftll, not wtthout whofe aHthprmc notlung was done in the Church. . Anfiv. I. Tt is evident h~ fpe•kcch ·of the Eiderr in the Church as' iA the Syny,ogue; ; n_ow the E/.dv1 were Rulerr in the Syza~ g~11er,as appear~th by tundry places in the Go(pc\. 2. That 110- th:ngJI!•' d~ne w<tb~rt: t!J,,,. co/lrtf'U,implyctl~,th.lt nil bing :v.Jf dane wJthout thct>' ~rttbort;ze,~s the Cune phr~le ot othe•· Ancients imply,, whe~ they fpelk ot the concurr~nce of the Counce\ of Prcsbyt~ rs m Ghnrch-~~~ernnwnt; fo,r Ill that fenfc ft1Caketh Cyfri.m to hts. Po-.sbytcr:,(Epi,al"mm ~b:3· Epi(r.1o.) 1 p~·imdio Epif:"P·'IIH m:_1, [ ~c~cnlll!le~ Wt~h my !cH,, mbti fne co!lfzlw vcjlro e'- fne conJttiju p.ebw m,·,., pnv mm.J.'IIt<rll/a .. ~-.,wc, .md that not out ofcomte- · t:~,but a~. ,he w?rds in the ncx: !entcncc impli~s, Sicuti hrmot mu:! eUf pofcu.And_m:the fJme fcnic Jeromcr words to the like purpofe tmpltcs AmborJty m f~:h Counccls, whereby the Presbyters of e.1ch ~hu•rch govemed theH'OW? Church; thouf;h othcnviie in governtftg otl\el"Chmches, .they Imply_ mt!ler ad:uice then arttbority: his word!: arc b.forc f•[f.tonJ Jltd fcbifmcr grew m the Cht~·cb; Comm:uzi Pwbyteromm confilio Ecclcji£ gubemJb.l!llJ<r.Hierome in th~ z.Tomc ofhis works, and upon Titur. A third.cxcep'tion they gtvc is, that ;; by Eldm are me~~t proc!Jifl!, Elclw, whom the Biihol's were wont to confi1lt With.tll, 111 government, but now had ldt it off. "either by the idl~ne!Te of the. learned Te.~ehers, who for thei:. "own cafe ga\:.'C over medclling'' with matters pertaining to go: vernmcnt, or by the pyjde. of the brncd Bi!hops, who took all . up~)n themfclvcs, ~hat rhey_alon,: might feem to be forncwhat; For 1f you expound Pafl mem tor the 'Ie.~eh.>rr or "f ujl"orJ OfP;u·ifhes ;: only,as the Pre:byterhns do; or for13i~'Of'I al<:mc,~s.otl~e<'S ~o ; ,) canno~ fee (f~rth D•. Dawnb~m) !lOW the cxcludmg ot SemorJ "~nd takmg the.whole_burthen and.Imploym~nt upon themfe!v~, . could by Ambrofo be Imputed as a matter ot floth and"idlendfe "'clther iil \.he P aflor to exclude lay E!dp·r, or in BijiJaprto exc!ud~ · "l<.tmd |