7. THESE Chancellors are the only Lay-Elders that I know any where in any Church; that is, Persons entrusted with the Rule of the Church, and the Disposition of its Censures, who are not Ordained unto any Church-Office; but in all other things continue in the Order of the Laity or the People. All Church Rulers, by institution, are Elders. To be an Elder of the Church, and a Ruler in it, is all one. Wherefore, these Persons being Rulers in the Church, and yet thus continuing in the Order of the People, are Lay-Elders; whom I wonder how so many of the Church came so seriously to oppose, seeing this Order of Men is owned by none but themselves. The Truth is, and it must be acknowledged, that there is no known Church in the World, (I mean whose Order is known unto us, and is of any public consideration,) but they do dispose the Rule of the Church in part, into the hands of Persons, who have not the power of Authoritative Preaching of the Word, and Administration of the Sacraments committed unto them. For even those ⟨p. 131⟩who place the whole external Rule of the Church in the Civil Magistrate, do it, as they judge him an Officer of the Church, entrusted by Christ with Church-Power. And those who deny any such Officers as are usually called Ruling Elders in the Reformed Churches to be of Divine Institution, yet maintain that it is very necessary that there should be such Officers in the Church, either appointed by the Magistrate, or chosen by the people, and that with cogent Arguments. See Grot. de Jure Potestat. Cap.
7. THESE Chancellors are the only Lay-Elders that I know any where in any Church; that is, Persons entrusted with the Rule of the Church, and the Disposition of its Censures, who are not Ordained unto any Church-Office; but in all other things continue in the Order of the Laity or the People. All Church Rulers, by institution, are Elders. To be an Elder of the Church, and a Ruler in it, is all one. Wherefore, these Persons being Rulers in the Church, and yet thus continuing in the Order of the People, are Lay-Elders; whom I wonder how so many of the Church came so seriously to oppose, seeing this Order of Men is owned by none but themselves. The Truth is, and it must be acknowledged, that there is no known Church in the World, (I mean whose Order is known unto us, and is of any publick consideration,) but they do dispose the Rule of the Church in part, into the hands of Persons, who have not the power of Authoritative Preaching of the Word, and Administration of the Sacraments committed unto them. For even those ⟨p. 131⟩who place the whole external Rule of the Church in the Civil Magistrate, do it, as they judge him an Officer of the Church, entrusted by Christ with Church-Power. And those who deny any such Officers as are usually called Ruling Elders in the Reformed Churches to be of Divine Institution, yet maintain that it is very necessary that there should be such Officers in the Church, either appointed by the Magistrate, or chosen by the people, and that with cogent Arguments. See Grot. de Jure Potestat. Cap.
