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Show z6· · '.R,Jding Elders, · Chap. 2. their laity? But the wodJ will love his own;' be th~6re nehverCfo1 mah-n. Y idle proans,or Hately Rulers o· f· m· an~ own dev'1 ·m g? the mr.c. roufr fupply t'1cm QPt qnlywith mainte. nance, but Wl~d: magm~O: n~e; but let t~e Lord appoint ruling Eltk>:r, 3CCOJ mg. tot e iimplicity o(thc Gofpd, to affiil his Miniil~rs 111 the ,w,ork of governmcnc, that they might ~[tend the m,m:c to l~bour. m theW or~, if they (b~l expect from tqe Church any m~mtenan~e fw: thetr works fake, Oh !·that fe\!lllCtP a. f!range mat~er, ;~JlP, ~un~ear:d o.( from <tlLintiql!icy, til~ tl~ p~efcJ,lt ag~. , , ' 1 J •. ·• ' ' '1 "11Je fccond Rcafon why lay Elders, (a.~theymilcalJ ~h.cm) "ruling .E!dc,.r (as we wid.1 P:ml call them} arc not me.mt Ill !(J/t!J "'Jext, is becaule Pmd mentioning the Presbyters but once 111 all "his Epi~les,excluJcth alllay.El~e~-sfrom tha~ Prcsbyt~ry,Negl.dJ '~ not.(fatth h,e) the g>'.JCf whidnntzther, ,wbtch war gtvoz th~;hy ':,pri'f1becy, with impofitimu ~ . thf b.mdJ of.z?e Pr.erbyt~l'l''' 2 T;(n. "4· q. This Chriilian Presbyterie gavcimpofiuon of hands to «ordain l'v'liniilers; bnt l.ty Elders had noright to impofc hands "to that purpofe; therefore Lay-men were none of tlus _Presby" ter:ie; to~· if the p,·csbY.terie be rakt:n for the company ot Elders, «non~ wci·e of th.1t f.c;>mpany but fuch as might g~yc in)pof1tion " ofbands ; or, if Pt;csbyterie be .taken forthe offiCe; of an Elder, ''then none tni~ht take th~t fun&iotlOn him, but muil recei~e "irnpofitiou·of h.mds, as. 'Iilrmhy did, thcr~ i.ay-men which n,i" . th'cr gi\·e· nor r~cci~e impo(ition of hand~;. arc wholly de, «ba,rred both fwm r\le d~~rce, an,d fwm the iociety of the Pref" byteri~ rlut ·.vas ml' Ju!J time. . Our anfi.ver confiikth <Jf three points: · Fl rfi, L.;y Eldm l<.:."c difc!~im, bm ru 1inz E_!derr, though not .att,n<lii/g toE'·cachin;.:, as dtey ha~e l!v:irclctl:ionl1·om the people _;who~a~r,thc 5ofl.y v~rh~Church; (o'!r~ .tl~cy o;;c!aiqcp,&.fs_rap¥t ·fropt ~mong \lt hc peoplc.by im£ofition.ot h~1ds of tf!e offim~of the ChtlJ ch,who arc the Presbytede, tfJe compn.y <i>fEl&rs: for by Pmbyterie, we concc:vc .c~r.mo,t be there meant the olfjce.of an :t:l~er; fm he~J.peaketh of fuch. a Presbyteq, as laid ory hands: now ~tis. n,9t the office of an Elder, bnuhe, comp<~tiy of.l;:ld!lfs, .. W:ltlayonhands.·· , ;_ .;1 ,., , ,·• ,; ;i11[w.2. When,itis uid, no man can ~ive~r;hat hee hath !lOt received; !:he light of Nature, thdaw of Mojc1, the Go! pel of , / · , Chrill, Sea. :z. ----- Chrifl-, do all of them make a ready anfwer for us. The law 'of, Nature tels us, It is not neceffary5 that they that give fhould alwayes form.•/Jy hJ.ve before-hand received t.~at power which they give; it is enough if they have received it vzrtuaf&: For inil<mce, a mulcitude of free people may elect and ordain a King over them, arulyet none of them had befdre-hand re!:eived kingly pow~r; it is ctJough they have a virtuall power, toiet up and to fubmt~unto any lJ.\Vfi.Jll forme of government, which they fee good for themfelves in the land . The people of lfael (to wit, fomein the name of the reft,for all could not at once)impofc their hands upon the Levites,;l\'umb.8. 1 o. and yet they were not Levite~ themfelves, not had received impoficion of h.mds themlelves, and yet may ncvertheleifc impofe hands upon others. In the Gofpel of Ghriil, the power of the Keys is given to the Church, to Pete~·, not as an· ·Apo!He, nor as an Elder;bm as a profeil believer; in the name of believers, and upon occa!ion of the profeffion of hisf.1ith, Jl1at.I6. 16. to I 9· whereupon the binding at)d loofing (which is the power of the 1\cys) is attributed to the· whole Chnrch,M.Jt.18.I7,18. If then the power ·of the Keys which is the whole body of Churchpower, be givcn·to the body of the Church, thm~gh it be notin their power to cxercifc their pafiorall prea~hing ot the Word,and adminilrring of the Sacraments,yet it is in their power to eleEf fuch whomG!ild'hatlrfurnifhed with gifts among them unto lllch·officcs as may difi>cnfe all the holy rhiugs of God to them ; and by impofitioll ofh.mds, to dedicate thClll to God, and to the publique fervice of his Church. Now if the whole Chmch have this power ro impofe hwds upon their officers, in their fir11 ordination, ho\V run iifeem ~' ilran[!e and unheard of thing, or :m abli~rd matter, th.Jt ruling Eldm · !hould togethe•· wi~h- d~c P .~JI. •r and T,a,beri, (all of th~m making np the Pmb;tcrie or the Clmrch) impofe bands in the name of the Lord, and of the Ch~Jrch upon the ordained? · Anf"'· 3· Ho~ide~,thcre be that conceive,1f!d that nut improbably, tlutin anciem rime,the children b.rptiv:d in the Clmrch were not received to the Lards Supper, nor into ehe fit !I frnition 6f all Church libcnic~, umill that they being grown up toyccrs, did p •.blikcly before the Churd1 pt'ofdfe ddr t:tith,and ratihetheco\~ na!lt' DJ:tdt~ fvr t!v.:min B.l.iJti 'fllc, :l : I (H; HN~'e Cr);,+1r0led c~!l: th0Y ' · ! · ') r t1 |