An assertion of the government of the Church of Scotland in the points of…

But this simile maketh rather for us then against us, for though every member be useful and steadable in the body according to it's own condition, yet every member neither can nor doth exercise those principal actions of seeing, hearing, tasting, &c. I say not that other members cannot see, hear, taste, as the eyes, ears, and mouth do, but they cannot at all see, hear, nor taste. So if the Rulers of a Congregation be as the eyes, ears, mouth, &c. then other members of the Congregation cannot at all act those actions of government which they act. Hence it is that some, who make the whole Congregation the first subject of the power of spiritual Jurisdiction, do notwithstanding hold that the whole Church doth exercise the said jurisdiction as Principium quod, the Eldership alone, as Principium quo, even as the whole man seeth, as Principium quod, the eye alone, as Principium quo, and so of all the rest. Thus do they put a difference betwixt the power it self,¹ and the exercise of it, ascribing the former to the collective body of the Church, the latter to the representative: knowing that otherwise they could not preserve the distinction of Rulers and ruled in the Church.

But this simile maketh rather for us then against us, for though every member bee usefull and steadable in the body according to it's owne condition, yet every member neither can nor doth exercise those principall actions of seeing, hearing, tasting, &c. I say not that other members cannot see, heare, taste, as the eyes, eares, and mouth doe, but they cannot at all see, heare, nor taste. So if the Rulers of a Congregation be as the eyes, eares, mouth, &c. then other members of the Congregation cannot at all act those actions of government which they act. Hence it is that some, who make the whole Congregation the first subject of the power of spirituall Jurisdiction, doe notwithstanding hold that the whole Church doth exercise the said jurisdiction as Principium quod, the Eldership alone, as Principium quo, even as the whole man seeth, as Principium quod, the eye alone, as Principium quo, and so of all the rest. Thus doe they put a difference betwixt the power it selfe,¹ and the exercise of it, ascribing the former to the collective body of the Church, the latter to the representative: knowing that otherwise they could not preserve the distinction of Rulers and ruled in the Church.