The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

FOR that kind of Synods which some call a Classis, which is a convention of the Elders or Officers of sundry Parochial Churches, distinguished for Presential Communion, ordinarily in some acts of it by virtue of their Office, and for the exercise of Office-Power, it is the constitution of a new kind of particular Churches, by a combination of them into one, whose Original distinction is only in the Civil Limits of their Cohabitation; which probably may be done sometimes, and in some places, unto Edification.

4. THE Persons of whom all sorts of Ecclesiastical Synods ⟨p. 260⟩are to consist, must be enquired into. And there is nothing of mere humane prudential constitution that hath longer obtained in the Church, than that those should be Officers of the Churches only. And, whereas, after the days of the Apostles we ¹have no Record of any Synods of more Churches than one, until after the distinction was made between Bishops and Presbyters, they were made up of both sorts of them. But afterwards, those who were peculiarly called Bishops, enclosed this Right unto themselves; on what grounds God knows, there being no one Tittle in the Scripture, or the Light of Reason to give them countenance therein.

4. THE Persons of whom all sorts of Ecclesiastical Synods ⟨p. 260⟩are to consist, must be enquired into. And there is nothing of meer humane prudential constitution that hath longer obtained in the Church, than that those should be Officers of the Churches only. And, whereas, after the days of the Apostles we ¹have no Record of any Synods of more Churches than one, until after the distinction was made between Bishops and Presbyters, they were made up of both sorts of them. But afterwards, those who were peculiarly called Bishops, enclosed this Right unto themselves; on what grounds God knows, there being no one Tittle in the Scripture, or the Light of Reason to give them countenance therein.