The Due Right of Presbyteries, Chapter 10 · Section 1 · Objection 8 – Objection 9
Object. 8. If Classicall Presbyters be not Elders in …elation to the classicall Church, and so to all the Congregations in it, yee must forsake all these places, where it is said, the Elders of Jerusalem, the Elders of Ephesus, the Angels of the seven Churches, which is absurd; if they be Elders to all these Churches, then 1. All those people in those Churches must submit their consciences to them and their Ministery, as to a lawfull ordinance of God. 2. All the people of those Churches must have voyce in election of them all. 3. All these people owe to the…s maintenance and double honor. 1 Tim. 5. 17. for if the Oxes mouth must not be muzl…d, but he must be fed by me and my corne, he must tread my corne, and labour for me. These Churches cannot all meet in one, to ordaine, and chuse all these Ministers, and to submit to their Ministery.
Answ. The Elders are Elders of Ephesus and Elders of Jerusalem, not because every Elder hath a speciall, pastorall charge over every Church distributively taken, for it was unpossible that one Congregation of all the converts in Ierusalem extending to so many thousands, could all beare the relation of a Church to one man as their proper Elder, who should personally reside in all, and every one of those Congregations to watch for their soules, to preach to all and every Congregation foreign, in season and out of season. But they are in cumulo called Elders of Ephesus, in that sense that Kings are called the Kings of the Nations not because every King was King of every Nation, for the King of Edom was not the King of Babylon; and the King of Babel was not the King of Assyria, yet amongst them they did all fill up that name to be called the Kings of the Nations, so were the Elders of Ierusalem in cumulo, collectively taken, Elders of all the Churches of Ierusalem collectively taken; and as it followeth not that the King of Edom, because hee is one of the Kings of the Nations, is elected to the Crowne of Caldea, by the Voyces of the States and Nobles of Caldea; so is it not a good consequence, such a number are called the Elders of the Church of Ierusalem, therefore the Elder of one Congregation at the Easterne Gate at Ierusalem, is also an Elder of a Congregation of the Westerne Gate. Nor doth it follow that these two Congregations should submit their consciences to one and the same Elder as to their proper Pastor; to whose Ministery they owe consent in Election, Obedience in submitting to his Doctrine, and mainetenance for his labours; all these are due to him, who is their owne proper Pastor: the as Caldeans owe not Honour, Allegiance, Tribute to the King of Edom, though the Kingdome of Caldea bee one of the Kingdomes of the Nations, and the King of Edom one of the Kings of the Nations. But if indeede all the Kings of the Nations did meete in one Court, and in that Court governe the Nations with common Royall authority, and counsell in those things which concerne all the Kingdomes in common; then all the Nations were obliged to obey them in that Court, as they governe in that Court, but no farther: and when the people doe consent to the power of that common Court …citly, they consent that every one of these shall bee chosen King of such and such a Kingdome; and promise also tracitly Obedience, and Subjection to every one of the Kings of the Nations, not simply as they are Kings in relation to such a Kingdome, but onelyonly as they are members of that Court; so the Congregations acknowledging and consenting to the classicall Presbytery, doe tracitly chuse and consent to the common charge and care that every Pastor hath, as hee is a Member of that common Court which doth concerne them all, therefore all these consequences are null.
Object. 9. But when the Presbytery doth excommunicate in a particular Congregation by a delegate, they may with as good reason, preach by a delegate, as exercise Jurisdiction by a delegate; the one is as personall and incommunicable, as the …r.
Answ. It is certaine there bee great oddes; for the acts of jurisdiction performed by speaking in the Name of Iesus Christ, doe come from a Colledge and Court, and because it were great confusion that a whole Court should speake, therefore of necessity such acts must be done by a delegate. Indeed the Juridicall acts of the whole juridicall proceeding of decerning the man to be excommunicated cannot bee done by one man onelyonly, it would bee most conveniently done by the whole Senate, or at least by a select number against which the accused party hath no exception, and is willing to bee judged by; but the acts of order, as Preaching flowing from the power of order, can be performed only by the Pastor in his owne person, and not by a deputy. Except that a Synodicall teaching, which commeth from the power of Jurisdiction may bee sent in writ by Messengers and Deputies to the Churches, Acts 15. 25. Acts 16. 4.