5. Believers are over-seers to excommunicate, deprive, censure, and authoritatively rebuke their pastors, and so 1. pastors of pastors, over-seers and watch-men, over their Over-seers and Watch-men. 2. The relation of pastor and flock, of feeders and a people fed is taken away. 3. That which the Scripture ascribeth to pastor• only, 1 Tim. 5. 19, 20. Tit. 1. 13. v. 9. is given ⟨p. 193⟩to private professors. 6. The brotherly consociation of the authority and power of jurisdiction in many sister-Churches united together, is taken away, there is no Christian-communion of Church officers, as Church officers 7. All particular Churches are left, in case of errors, to the immediate judgement of Christ, and obnoxious to no Church censures, suppose they consist of six or ten professors only. 8. The grounds of the doctrine are these same arguments, which Anabaptists and Socinians use against the places of Kings, Judges, Magistrates, to wit, that believers are free, redeemed, bought with a price, all things are theirs; and therefore all power, which consequence is no stronger the one way, then the other. 9. It layeth a blot upon Christs wisdom, who hath appointed congregations to be edified by no power of the keys in case of aberration a•d incorrigible obstinacy. 10. It maketh the Word of God imperfect, which setteth down no Canons, how the believers of an independent Church should govern, and Paul teacheth how Timothy and Titus, and all Church-men should govern. 11. It excludeth not women from usurping authority over men, by judging, excommunicating, ordaining pastors, seeing they are the body and Spouse of Christ as believing men are. 12. It maketh the Sacraments no Sacraments, the baptized non-baptized, and in the place of Turks; if possibly the pastor and the ten professors of the independent Church be unbelievers, which is too ordinary. 13. By this an assembly of Pastors and Elders from divers congregations, have no more the power of the keys, then one single man, who may counsel and advise his brother. 14. Extreme confusion and inevitable schisms hence arise, whilst such a sister-Church saith, I am Pauls, and her sister-Church saith, I am Apollo's, and there is no remedy against this fire. 15. The pattern of a Church governing and ministerial, consisting of only believers, is neither in all the Scriptures, antiquity, nor in the writings of Divines.
5. Believers are over-seers to excommunicate, deprive, censure, and authoritatively rebuke their pastors, and so 1. pastors of pastors, over-seers and watch-men, over their Over-seers and Watch-men. 2. The relation of pastor and flock, of feeders and a people fed is taken away. 3. That which the Scripture ascribeth to pastor• only, 1 Tim. 5. 19, 20. Tit. 1. 13. v. 9. is given ⟨p. 193⟩to private professours. 6. The brotherly consociation of the authority and power of jurisdiction in many sister-Churches united together, is taken away, there is no Christian-communion of Church officers, as Church officers 7. All particular Churches are left, in case of errours, to the immediate judgement of Christ, and obnoxious to no Church censures, suppose they consist of six or ten professours only. 8. The grounds of the doctrine are these same arguments, which Anabaptists and Socinians use against the places of Kings, Judges, Magistrates, to wit, that believers are free, redeemed, bought with a price, all things are theirs; and therfore all power, which consequence is no stronger the one way, then the other. 9. It layeth a blot upon Christs wisdome, who hath appointed congregations to be edified by no power of the keyes in case of aberration a•d incorrigible obstinacy. 10. It maketh the Word of God imperfect, which setteth downe no Canons, how the believers of an independent Church should governe, and Paul teacheth how Timothy and Titus, and all Church-men should governe. 11. It excludeth not women from usurping authority over men, by judging, excommunicating, ordaining pastors, seeing they are the body and Spouse of Christ as believing men are. 12. It maketh the Sacraments no Sacraments, the baptized non-baptized, and in the place of Turkes; if possibly the pastour and the ten professours of the independent Church be unbelievers, which is too ordinary. 13. By this an assembly of Pastors and Elders from divers congregations, have no more the power of the keyes, then one single man, who may counsell and advise his brother. 14. Extreme confusion and inevitable schismes hence arise, whilst such a sister-Church saith, I am Pauls, and her sister-Church saith, I am Apollo's, and there is no remedy against this fire. 15. The patterne of a Church governing and ministeriall, consisting of only believers, is neither in all the Scriptures, antiquity, nor in the writings of Divines.
