The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

AND if any shall yet farther appear to justify this deprivation of the Right laid claim unto, and the exclusion of the people from their Ancient Possession with sobriety of Argument and Reason, the whole cause may be yet farther debated from principles of natural Light and Equity, from maxims of Law and Polity, from the necessity of the Ends of Church-Order and Power, from the moral impossibility of any other way of the conveyance of Ecclesiastical Office-Power, as well as from Evangelical Institution and the practice of the first Churches.

AND if any shall yet farther appear to justifie this deprivation of the Right laid claim unto, and the exclusion of the people from their Ancient Possession with sobriety of Argument and Reason, the whole cause may be yet farther debated from principles of natural Light and Equity, from maxims of Law and Polity, from the necessity of the Ends of Church-Order and Power, from the moral impossibility of any other way of the conveyance of Ecclesiastical Office-Power, as well as from Evangelical Institution and the practice of the first Churches.

IT will be Objected, I know, that the Restoration of this Liberty unto the people, will overthrow that jus Patronatus, or Right of presenting unto Livings and Preferments, which is established by Law in this Nation, and so under a pretence of restoring unto the people their Right in common, destroy other Mens undoubted Rights in their own enclosures.

BUT this Election of the Church, doth not actually and immediately instate the persons chosen in the Office whereunto he is chosen; nor give actual Right unto its Exercise. It is required moreover, that he be solemnly set apart unto his Office in and by the Church with Fasting and Prayer. That there should be some kind of peculiar Prayer in the dedication of any unto the Office of the Ministry, is a notion that could never be obliterated in the minds of Men concerned in these