The true nature of a Gospel church and its government

AND whereas they have made such a noise in Christian Religion, and have filled so many Volumes with their Acts and doings, yet some of them, who under the Pope, would place all Religion in them, do grant and contend that they are a mere Humane Invention: So Bellarmine affirms Pighius to have done in his Book de Coelest. Hierarch. Lib. 6. Cap. 1. But for his part he judgeth that it is more probable that they have a Divine Original by virtue of that Word; Where Two or Three are gathered together in my Name, there I will be in the midst of them, Matth. 18. De Concil. Lib. 1. Cap. 3. which will not bear the least part of the superstructure pretended to be built upon it.

AND whereas they have made such a noise in Christian Religion, and have filled so many Volumes with their Acts and doings, yet some of them, who under the Pope, would place all Religion in them, do grant and contend that they are a meer Humane Invention: So Bellarmine affirms Pighius to have done in his Book de Coelest. Hierarch. Lib. 6. Cap. 1. But for his part he judgeth that it is more probable that they have a Divine Original by virtue of that Word; Where Two or Three are gathered together in my Name, there I will be in the midst of them, Matth. 18. De Concil. Lib. 1. Cap. 3. which will not bear the least part of the superstructure pretended to be built upon it.

OF these Delegates and Messengers of the Church, the Elders or Officers of them, or some of them at least, ought to be the principal. For there is a peculiar care of public Edification incumbent on them, which they are to exercise on all just occasions: They are presumed justly to know best the state of their own Churches, and to be best able to judge of matters under consideration. And they do better represent the Churches from whom they are sent, than any private Brethren can do; and so receive that Respect and Reverence which is due to the Churches themselves. As also they are ⟨p. 263⟩