A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

This takes off some of the chief exceptions brought by the Author of the Queries concerning Ordination, quest: 19. which done, his other exceptions are the more easily mastered. He himself passeth from one of •hem, as not being very considerable, viz. that Presbytery there is used to signify not a company of Elders, but the Ordinance or office it self. Of which before. There are but two other answers of his. One is that Timothy being an Evangelist had no need to pass through the common door of Ordination. Of which hereafter.

This takes off some of the chief exceptions brought by the Author of the Queries concerning Ordination, quest: 19. which done, his other exceptions are the more easily mastered. He himself passeth from one of •hem, as not being very considerable, viz. that Presbyterie there is used to signifie not a company of Elders, but the Ordinance or office it self. Of which before. There are but two other answers of his. One is that Timothy being an Evangelist had no need to passe through the common door of Ordination. Of which hereafter.

The other is a conjecture of his own, which if it be a light, I confess it is a new light. It seems more probable (saith he) be far that when Paul laid his hands on Timothy, 2 Tim: 1. 6. there were some other Apostles, or Apostles fellows that joined with him in that action. And that Apostles should be called Presbyters or Elders, and a company of them a Presbytery or Eldership, is an expression consonant to other Scriptures where the appellation of Elder is attributed unto them, 1 Pet: 5 1. 2. Epist: Joh: 1. &c. 3 Epist: 1. Ans: 1 In the last two Scriptures which he citeth, the word Elder is a name of age not of office, and we are to understand, [Greek or Hebrew] in those places to be only a degree more then [Greek or Hebrew]: Epist, to Philemon. v. 9. Paul the aged, So John the elder. i. e. now full of years and very old. For which reason also some have noted that frequently in his first Epistle he useth this compellation, my li•le children. 2. Peter indeed speaketh of himself as one of the Elders by office, wherein we ought rather to observe his humility, condescension, and prudent insinuation, then make any such use of it as this Querist doth. It had been more for his purpose if another had said it of Peter, and not he of himself. For as Ocumenius upon the place tes us, Peter calls himself so for modesties cause, and the better to enforce the following exhortation, that the Elders should not lift up themselves above others, as he did not lift up himself above them. Sure