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Show Of the power of the Church iJJ eleFJion. Chap. 2. exh6rt him in the Lo1-d to fi.tifill the minillety which he hath reoeived of the Lord. And, fo after publick praife given to God. by him in the name of the Church, he di.f!Olveth .t he A,f, fembly With a Bleffing. r '$ E CT. V. 'I FOr our calling ofVeaconi, we bold it not nece!faty t~ m-dait:e . 'them with like folemnitie, of falling and prayers, as 1> ufed m th.e Ordination of Eldm ; becailfe-wee doc, not rca de the Apoflles g:ve any prefident thereofin the Ordination of the firfr De3Coni at jerufolem, A&.. 6. But the Brethren ?f the Church h~ving looked ou~amon" themfelves men fitly qualified for that callmg, according wthe"Scripturcs formerly mentioned, and having made fome proofi:s of them according to the Rule ( 1 'Iim.'3. 10.) the Eldm with tbe.cpnfent of the Church upon fQme Lords day, or other publick l)~ly meeting, ~oebrdainethem to the Office,and appuitlt them ovt!r that bufinefle, with prayer and irnpofition oflunds. ,-: ( $ E C 'f. VI. I OBjell. Two things are hei-e dem~nded; Firfi, by what war· ' rant the Peop!echoofe their Officers? / c Anfw. From the Prefident of the Apofl:olicall Clmrches.In the choofing of an Apofl:le, die voices of pt!Ople went as farre as any humane Suffrages could goe ;_of an hundred and'twenty, they chofe twd, and prefented them before the Lord, and hi{ Apofl:les. And becaufe an Apofl:le'wdslmmediately to be c:!lled of God, out ofthofetwo Godchofe one, All. 1. 15· 23. 26. All. 14. 23. The Apofl:les are faid to have crdained Eldm by lifting up of band!, (to wit, of the people) as the origiuall word implieth: And the multirnde of the Difciplcs are diretl:ed by the ,A.pofl:les to look out and choofe feven Deacom, A&.. 6. 3· I5· ' The praaice of fiicceeding Churches for·many yeares after, is plaine from Cyprians words, Lib. I. Epijl. 4· P leb1 maxim~ potej!a· wn ba_bet vel dignos Sacertkte! eligmdi,vel indignol rectefandi. · ObJell. 2. It is alfo det:nimded, by what warrant doth a particular Ghareb depute fuch who are not Pmbytm, to lay tbeir brJfldl ' upon urh orn. Prtsb.') terJ ·? nn re re I· t not more regu1 a r and orderly to repairc to wme B~lhop, to receive impofition of band1 from him? or as the Pmbyt~rs Ill every Churc? in Crete, received impofition of band1 from 'Iztw, who _was left Ill Crete with Epifcopall Authoritie for that very end, 'Izt. I. 5.? or rather then take impofttion of b.:urd,· from lay-mm (as they are called) why doe not the Churches rather mtreat the Elder~ of other Churches to fupply the deret:\: of their owne Pmbytery, by the Presbyters of other Churches? Anf. The wa~rant by which each particular Church doth de· pute fome of their own body (though not Prubyters) to lay their ~ands upon thole whom they have chofen to be their Pmbytm, IS gr~mnded upo~ the Power of the keys, which the Lord Jefm; ~hrift (who received all fulnelfe of Power fmm the Father) ·hath gtv~ to the Chur.ch: F ?r t?e power of the keys, i.s the power of or.en~ng ~nd !huttmg, binftng and loofing, Matt h. 16. 19. And tillS IS given ro the who.e Church met together in his name Mat. I8 .. IS. Wbt~tfoevn- (faith Chdfi,fpeakingoftheChurch) yee jball bmde on eartb,jh.JIJ ~e boH»d in ht~ZVm, and wbt~t[oever yee jhall lu_ofe on et~rtb~fhall b< loofed zn heaven : which is the whole mi.nifienall power of the Keys. s E cT. vI I. Objell. I.THe Church is not the firft fubjeCl: and receptacle of all Ecclefiafiicall power ; For though the Church eleCt a P aflor or ot?er ~lder,y~t the office of a P ,.por is from Chrifl:, Epb. 4- ~· 1\nd ro IS hiS Authoritie from Chrifi alfo ; And if he have netther his Office, nor his Authoritie fi·om the Church how can he be ordained by the impofition of the hands of th~ Church? AnfW.I: Though the office of a P ajlor in general! be immediately fcrm.Chn/1-,and the a~thoritie !r.om him alfo, yet the application o ti)IS office, and of thiS authorwe to this eleCt perfon, is by the Church; and therefore the Church hath fufficient and jufl: war· ra~t, as t? eleCl: and call a Prubyter unto office, fo to ordaine him K-It, by 101pofition of hands: They that h;we Power to eleCt a C .mg, have po"':er alfo to depute [orne in their name to fet the rowne upon his head. Gz |