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

¹But now lest any should conceive of him and those of his side, that they either exercise amongst themselves, or would thrust upon others any popular or democratical Church government: therefore he desireth the Reader to make estimate, both of their judgement and practice in this point, according to these three declarations.

¹But now lest any should conceive of him and those of his side, that they either exercise amongst themselves, or would thrust upon others any popular or democraticall Church governement: therefore he desireth the Reader to make estimate, both of their judgement and practice in this point, according to these three declarations.

1. 1Pag. 22.

First he saith they believe, that the external Church government under Christ, is plainly aristocratical and to be administered by some choice men, although the state be after a fort popular and democratical.¹ In respect of the latter, he saith it appertains to the people freely, to vote in elections & judgements of the Church; in respect of the former, that the Elders ought to govern the people, even in their voting in just liberty, by propounding and ordering all things, and (after the voting of the Church) solemnly executing, either ordination or excommunication. Behold how he runneth upon the rock of popular government, even whiles he pretendeth to have his course another way: God send us better pilots. I remember I have read in sundry places of Bodin de repub. that the state is oft times different from the government. But sure I am, this anti-consistorian ⟨p. 25⟩maketh not only the state, but the government of the Church to be democratical, & that in the superlative degree, for the government is democratical, at least composed of a mixture of aristocracy, and democracy (which is the most that he dare say of the Church government) where the people have the liberty of electing their own officers and rulers, and where the Senate so far observeth the people, that they may not pass the final act, in any matter of importance, without the knowledge and tacit consent o the people, though the people do not vote in the Senate, nay though the Senate do not vote in the hearing of the people. Now this seemeth not enough to those with whom we have now to do. They will have the people freely to vote in all judgements of the Church. And what is that, but the very exercise of jurisdiction by the people,