The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…

There is no contract freer than that between a husband and wife, as to the choice of persons. And yet when a woman chooseth a man for her husband, it is not she that (properly) giveth him the Ruling power; she did but choose the receiver; God by his Law is the Giver: If she bargain with him that he shall not be her Governor, it is null because against Gods Law: And so it is in the present case. If the power of Ordination and Church ⟨p. 207⟩Government can be proved to be settled by Christ on the Presbyters either conjunct with the Bishop or alone, he that ordaineth a Presbyter by virtue of Christs institution, cannot deprive him of that power by his own will and act, by saying, You shall have no such power: For God is the describer and the giver.

There is no contract freer than that between a husband and wife, as to the choice of persons. And yet when a woman chooseth a man for her husband, it is not she that (properly) giveth him the Ruling power; she did but choose the receiver; God by his Law is the Giver: If she bargain with him that he shall not be her Governour, it is null because against Gods Law: And so it is in the present case. If the power of Ordination and Church ⟨p. 207⟩Government can be proved to be setled by Christ on the Presbyters either conjunct with the Bishop or alone, he that ordaineth a Presbyter by virtue of Christs institution, cannot deprive him of that power by his own will and act, by saying, You shall have no such power: For God is the describer and the giver.

§. 14. Yea some would persuade men that the very office of Presbyters is of humane institution; As some Papists in the Council of Trent would have had it pass that Christ having made the Pope, the Pope maketh the office of Bishops, and they hold their power from him, so some Prelates would have it believed that Christ only instituted the Order of Bishops, and that Bishops made the Order of Subject Presbyters, and that after Scripture-times; there being none till then existent, but the word [Presbyter] in Scripture, everywhere signifying only a Bishop. Which those that are against the distinct order of Bishops thankfully accept, and say that indeed Subject Presbyters having no ordaining power are a humane invention since Scripture-times, and that God instituted no such order: But the difference, is that these say man had no authority to do it, and bid the other prove by what authority it was done, and where the Bishops had such power given them to make a new species, order or office of sacred Ministers; But the other say that it was well done: But proof is all.