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Show lhall be made .Gov.cr,nqurs , and 'who then !hall be governed ? Anfw. The multitude of Brethren are governed by the Elders, fo long as they rule aright, to wit, whilef'c they ~10ld forth the Word and voyce of Ch.rif'c,which the fheep,of Chnf'c ar~·wo?t to· heare, Job• JO, 4· B~o~t· in cafe .the officers do crre, and aomtmt of· fence> "they ,{hall b¢ governed by the whole body of the, Breth;tn ; thoughothetwifethe Brethren are bound to obey and fubmit to them in the Lord, Heb. 13. 17• • Obj<tl. 3· A demooraticall go:vernm~t might do well in AtbtnJ, a ci~y .ftllit(ullofpregnant wits, but will foone degenet·ate tQan Anarchic (a popular tu[11Ult)amongf'cntde co.riJmbn.people. . Anfw. 1. It is unworthy the fpirit of fo godly learned a man as maketh this objetlion, to preferre Atbens before Jemfalem, pregnant wits before fan8ifed bear/s. · Anfw. 2 ' Though the government were democratical! (as· it is 110t) yet ~here is no tumultuous difordcr, where not the will of each man beareth the !i.vay, but the voycc of Chrift alonc,is heard, who is the Head and wife Monarch of the Church. 1 . . Objef1. If it. be faid, tumult, and difiurbance;. and confufion cannot be avoided where the multitude ha_ve all of them,, not. only leave, but power to fpeak, and one will be ready to take-the word out of the others mouth, and one of them to thwart a.nd contra· ditl: one another; and will not this make the Chur~h of Cl1rill a confluence of Cyclops? . An[w. All fuch diforder is eafily and timely prevented by the Elders, who have power from Chrif'c to refirain any mans fpcech, whilef'c another is [peaking; and to· cut off any mans fpcech that groweth either impertinent or intemperate : the Elders having re' eived in fpt!Ciall manner the power of the keys, they have power , to open find !hut the dores of fpcech 1md filence, in which ref peEl the governlliCnt of the Church- is not mecrly democracicall, fiut (as the befl governments be) of a mixt temper; in ref peel: of Cbrift ( whofe voyceonly mufr be heard:, and his rule kept) it is a Monar. <hJ ; in ~rpea of the ptopltJ' power in c\1oofing qfficers, and joynt power With t~e officers in admitting members, in cenfming offenders, it is a Democracy; in refpcct of theojficm infirullion and reproof_ of the people in the publike minifiery, and in ordering ofa ll things in the Nfembly, it is an .Arijlocracy; what is foguonodd goho & .i n fia>nu y civill •g overn ment, ·I S m· Church-~ovemment; and w at IS d nd cvilhs by the wifrl.ome ofChrifi iafely avoided and prcvente • . But t~at we may mo~e di!Hnaly declare our li:lves wherein I - e~h the difference of their mutuall authority, both of the CIJ !cb Qver the Elders, and the Elders over the Ch h · 11 Ch h "fi h urc , wee conce1ve the . u~c exercl et feverall acts of authority over th . Eld Wit, m three cafes : · elr ers, to · . t, In calling and elef1in11 them to 0 tr. d. d ·. • h al" h • b · · 111.:e, an mor ammgt em . 10 t ereunt? m defect of their Presbytcrie. 2 • . In fmding tlum fortb upon the publikc fervice of Chrifr as the whole Church at Jerufalem fenc forth chofi M" ·fl. '· h I of. fl. o.· . en mtners Wit "eTt terst h JAnnmflbi~ .t.r<IdOn to• An110cb, and other Churches Art > UllS• 22. 1'10'1'! e. aua or IS not greater then he that fent him,but ufu-f11ymfenour, Job.t3· 16. 3· In cafe of offence given by any Elder, or by tbe wbole Elder fbi togdet 'hfer ,h th e dC hurch h. athd aut(h; ority to require fatisfaa·10n of h P an ~ t ey o not ~~~e ue atisfaaion, t em, to proceed to cenfi.tre ac- !=(lrdmgto·the qua hue of the offence. For wee fee when fomc of)~e C.hurch_of]eru.faltm _cooke offence againfr Peter, for com.murucatmg wuh the Gcnulu, and contended with him about · t . Pettr condefcended to give ample and due ~ccount of his ru 1 ' the fatisfaa:ion of them all, Af1s 1 1 • 2 • to 8. a ons to If >~dmonition, an~ (in fome cafes) exwmmunication be ordinances of God fanCl:~fied for the healing of the foules of Gods .people gone af'cray ; It were a facrilegious injury to the Elders to deprive them. of the beneli,t of fuch wholfome medicines, whe~ ~he ~f'cate of theJr foules f?ould come to f'cand in need thereof: and ltbcmga rliled~afe, ~up~ eft _inftituere ejuuj! deftituere; IfPlebs obfe'J_ut~I pw1>m Dommzm & zpfo ( as.Cypri= faith, lib. 1• Ep. 4.) maxzmr potej!atnn habet ~zgnos Sacerdow eiigendi, then, as hee faith there alfo, poteftattm etlam ba~et Saco!rdotes indit,nos recufondi & abdicandi. ' On the other fide, the Elders have rule over. the Church and do exprelfe it in _fundry a as of aut~ority : as,. ' . >. J, Ia callmg the Church tegethr upon any weighty occafion, .. .tf£1.6.2. 2. In opening the do~et of jjtech and filence to any cif t~e. Alfen)l'> ty, |