no meanes a

He will by acknowledge any Ministers in the Re, formed Churches to be the Embassadours of Christ, though the Apostles were. It seems he hates this name the more, because, Embassadours by the law of Nations are inviolable persons, how much more the Embassadours of Christ. But let us now see whether the word of God gives not as high a rise and Authority even to the ordinary Ministery of the Sospell, as an Embassadour from Christ. When Paul Saish, We are Embassadours from Christ 2. Cor: 5.20. he speaks it not in reference to anything peculiarly apostolicall, or any thing incompetent to ordinary Ministers, the contrary is most plain from the text itself, He hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation bod then wee are combassa dours for Christ • though God did beseech you by us toee pray you to Christs thee you reconciled to God. Now if Paul was the combatsadour of

wor

are also the

mouth

be Crist, because he had committed unto him the word of re: Conciliation then all true Ministers of the of the Gospell Embassadours of Christ for the same reason. See the like Eph 6. 20. For which I am an Embassadour. for what? Not for king miracles, casting out devills, planting Churches in Severall Kingdoms, or the like, but for opening my boldly, to make knowne the mistery of the susped 0.19. where in he desires to be helped by the e prayers & the Saints. By the same reason all faithful and Rawfully called Ministers are the Embassadours of Christ, as well as the Apostles: Even as under the old Testament, the Priests who were ordinary Teachers, and called in in ordinary Mediat way, were the The Angels or Messengers of the Lord of Hosts, Mal: 2.7. Prophets. 2 Chron : 36.16. To wise men and Tribes are died 12 10. wis maintain as well as the to be sent of God as well as prophets, Math. 23.34. the Ministers of the Seven Churches in Aria are called. a called Angels, Revel: 2.3. and an Interpreter of the word of sad is a Mesi senger, fob. 33. 23. Now Christ hash given to the church Pa:

as

And

stor

from

Stows and Teachers, as well as Aposites, Onophets and Er angelists, all these are Heaven, not from men, Ephes,

CHAP. IL.

or

of the Election of Pastours with the Congregations confent. The Question is not, whether the power of Ecclesiasticall overnment, or jurisdiction belong to the people, Body of the Church: (for the tements of Brownests and Anabaptists concerning populart governments we utterly abhorre) lective body of the Church ought to be assembled & their veices Severally asked in Elations, asked in Elections, for all may consent when nove belt in Elections, but the representative body of the Church, nor whether the consent of the people to the admisSion of a Pastor is to be sought and wished for, it being

nor whether the whole cal:

ati

per to enter with the 7 acknowledged by ode & denyed by nove that it his whether liberty ought to be less consent then against it. for granted to the whole Congrega on, or any mombed thereef to abject against the lion's life Mans or doctrine, or against his qualifikation for such a particular charge for it is contain that not only the congregation but others who know any just impedimentether the churches liberty of conadmission have place to abject to same, as Senf be inconsistent with, or destructive unto the basly teries house of gamination and ordination, for these together: but the question is whether it be necessarily required to may the night vocation of a Pastor, that he be freely elected If the botes of the Eldership, and with the consent (tacit, or apres

stand

sed)

fed) of the major or better part of the Congregation, fo that the bee not obtruded, renitente, & contradicente Ecclefia.

The affirmative part of this queftion is proved from Scripture, from antiquity, from Proteftant writters, yea Churches and from found reason, and from the confeffions of oppofites, To begin with Scripture, and with the primitive paterne, the Apostles themselves would not fo much as make Deacons till all the seven were chofen, and presented unto them by the Church, Ast, 6.2,3,5,6: The Author of the Historie of Epifcopacy, part, 2. pag. 359. To cut off our Argument from Acts 6, faith. That the seven were to be the stewards of the people in difpofing of their goods, good reason that the election fhould be made by them, whofe goods and fortunes were to bee difpofed of, this answer was made by Bellarmine before him: But Walaus tom. 2. pag. 52. reafoneth other wayes the feeders of the peoples foules, muft bee no leffe (if not more) beloved and acceptable then the feeders oftheir bodies; therefore these must be chofen with their own confent,as well as thefe. Secondly, Elders (both ruling and preaching). were chofen by moft voices of the Church: the fuffrages being fignified, per xgoroviav, that is, by lifting up, or ftretching out ofthe hand, A&t. 14. 23. Where the Syriak verfion doth infinuate, that the word onsales, is not to be understood of the Apostles ordination of Elders, but of the Churches Election of Elders, thus, Moreover they made to themselves, that is, the Difciples mentioned in the former verfe, made to themfelves, for they who were made, were not Elders or Minifters to Paul and Barnabas, (but to the multitude of the Difciples) in every Church Elders, while they were fasting with them and praying, and commending them, &c. Now how could this Election be, but after the Gracian forme by the Churches lifting up, or ftretching out of hands. But becaufe fome doe fill stick at this place, it may bee further cleared, thus

χειροτονία.

αντιχειροτονείν,

Xoronaves; It may be understood three wayes, and all these χειροτονησαντες wayes it faveth the peoples right. It may be either the action of the Church onely, as the Syriak maketh it, or a joynt action both of the Churches, and of Paul and Barnabas, as Junius makethit; or an action of Paul and Barnabas, in this fenfe that they did conftituteElders to the Churches,by the Churches own voyces. However, the word relateth to Election by ftretching out, or lifting up of hands, not to ordination by laying on of hands, which is the fenfe followed by the Italian verfion, and Diodati authorifing and ordaining fuch a one only to bee an Elder as was χειροτονητος, which I prove, 1. From the native fignification of the word, where Julius Pollux hath Lib. 2. Cap. 4. Gualther and Wolf Seberus render it manuum extenfio, and XISTOVE manus levare, and arisigOTOVEN, manibus refragari, Budaus interpreteth, xgorona to be plebifcitum, fuffragium, H. Stephanus XICOTOVE manum protendo; & attollo manum porrigo: and becaufe, faith he, in giving votes, they did thence came the word to be ufed, for fcifco, decerno, creo, but properly grove, is (faith he) as it were, Inv Neipa Tewa, ideft, avarava, Justin Martyr, Quaft.& Refp. ad orthod. Refp. ad quast. 14. doeth expreffely diftinguifh χειροτονία Xfood. As words of a moft different fignification, where Cedrenus Anno. 526. faith Euphranius XepoTorSital. Pilander, the interpreter rendereth, Epifcopatui, communibus fuffragiis deligitur. Scapula, and Arias Montanus alfo in his Lexicon tells us, that χειροτονειν is manis porrigere, or elevare, eligere, Or creare magiftratum per fuffragia, for is moft diffe. rent from laying on of hands, which is not aftretching out or lifting up, but a leaning or laying down of the hands on fome thing. Wherefore the Hebrews note laying on of hands by Saraak, inniti Chryfoftome faith the Roman Senat, did χειροτονείν. Teses Which D: Potter himfelfe turneth, did make gods by moft voices; Charitie mistaken, pag 145. 2. Theufe of the

χειροτονείν,

Την χειρα τείνω,

T૪૬ ૩૬૪૬

and

χειροτονειν

word

χειροτονητος,

word in this fenfe, and in no other sense, either in Scripture, 2 Cor. 8. 19. or Greek authors that wrote before the new Testament. So that Luke could not be understood, if he had ufed it in another fenfe, but he wrote fo that he might be understood: If he had meant ordination, he would have used the word Kaisara, as Acts 6. 3. Tit. 1.5. or ExeJnxav Tas Xelpas. as Acts 6.6. 2. The manner of the Elections among the Græcians teftified by Demofthenes, Cicero, and others, cleareth the meaning of the word. So they had a phrase prvi pater, omnium fuffragiis obtinet, and despotovner, no man giveth a contrarie vote. When the Grecians choifed their Magiftrates at their Comitia held folemnely for that end: he that was nominated, was brought into the threater before the people, fo many as aproved of him, held forth, or ftretched forth, or lif ted up their hands: If the major part did thus Xeporove, hee partly was then faid to bee sporantos, a Magiftrate created by fuffrages. So Elias Cretenfis in Greg. Nazianz. orat. 3. I findealfo in Afchines orat, contra Cetefipont, fome decrees cited which mention three forts of Magiftrates, and among the rest τις υπό το δήμου κε Χειροτονημένες. Thore that were made by the peoples fuffrage. In the argument of Demosthenes his oration, adverf. Androtion, thefe Magiftrates are called αι αρχαι κατα χειροτονιαν Te do vousya, Magiftrates made by the peoples fuffrage, Fronte Ducaus in his notes upon the fifth tom. of Chryfoftome pag 3. confeffeth that with heathen writters EipoTove, is per fuffragia creare, and therefore the word is rendered in the Tigurine ver fion, and by Calvin, Bullinger, Bea, and fo doth Erafmus, upon the place understand the word: ut intelligamus, faith hee, fuffragiis delectos. 4. Xeporivares, joyned with not at all make against that which I fay, as fome have conceaved it doth, but rather for it, for aros here is to bee rendred, ipfis not illis, and fo Pafor in the wordpotove rendereth, Acts 14.23. quumque ipfis per fuffragia creaffent Presbyteros, So

A

αυτοίς

χειροτονείν,

αυτοίς,

doth

that