The doctrine of instituted churches explained and proved from the word of God

2. The Church of the Jews was Governed by a Counsel of seventy two Persons. Some are of Opinion that the Jews had both an Ecclesiastical and a civil Sanhedrin, this is evident, that in Christs time they had a Counsel that did consist in a great part of the Priests, Act. 14.6. and 22.30. And that God appointed the Priests and other Judges to join together in hearing of Controversies, Deut. 19.17. So also that there was an assembly of the chief of the Priests and Levites, appointed by Jehoshaphat to hear Ecclesiastical causes, 2 Chron. 19.8. And that the High Priest was over them in those Ecclesiastical causes, v. 11. By these things it is evident, that the Church of Israel was Governed by an Assembly of the Principal Men of the Church. Christ Jesus doth approve of their form of Government that was in his time, Matth. 23.2,3. By Priests, Scribes, Pharisees. By this it is not only evident, that the Government of a National or Provincial Church, by an Assembly of its Principal Elders, is a proper suitable and hopeful way; but likewise that this way is to be observed in Christian Nations, seeing no other Provision is made for their Government; many of the appointments that God made for the Jewish Church, do continue in force still, and this among the rest, no other Provision being made ⟨p. 31⟩yet it does not follow that our Assemblies must have any standing president, as the Jewish Assemblies had their High Priest, who was their president, and was a Type of Christ; neither does it follow, that we are limited to the same Number that they were, Circumstances being a sufficient reason for a variation in such cases.

2. The Church of the Jews was Governed by a Counsel of seventy two Persons. Some are of Opinion that the Jews had both an Ecclesiastical and a civil Sanedrim, this is evident, that in Christs time they had a Councel that did consist in a great part of the Priests,