IT is the office of the Elders principally to watch, that the Church which is committed to them, be governed by good order, according to the rule of the Gospel, and that the ecclesiastical laws and ordinances, either universal or particular, be maintained and executed diligently, according to ⟨image 132⟩their charge. And if there shall happen any new inconvenience, their duty is to provide therefore by new ordinances & injunctions conformable to the Christian religion & charity: Without burdening of mens conscience, neither to charge the Church with a multitude of laws, nor bringing in superstition according to that which hath been said herebefore, where it speaketh of counsels, either to be done by themselves, or to take the advise and counsel of other churches, and the said laws and ordinances to be incontinent allowed & authorised by the magistrate, if so be that he be a Christian. And for this cause in all the primitive Church they have been accustomed to hold provincial synods twice a year. It is their office likewise when any peril or danger doth happen among them, to appoint prayers & fasting extraordinarily, & to practise & use them in their churches, when any such chances do happen with the consent of the Christian magistrate if there be any: so that the godly ⟨p. 115⟩orders of the church may be maintained with discipline. And above all things let the word of god be diligently & sincerely preached, with the sacraments truly ministered, the ecclesiastical goods well governed, & allthings well ordered. Their duty is also to elect men meet for the same: I say elect, for it cannot be found that ever there was any other lawful, ecclesiastical vocation in the Christian Church, since it was brought into any good order of government, but by the way of election, except God called any extraordinarily, without ordinary means. Now concerning the election that it may be lawful, behold the points which we consider therein. First who ought to be electors, what persons ought to be elected, and how they ought to elect, and how to confirm the election.
IT is the office of the Elders principally to watche, that the Church whiche is committed to them, begouerned by good order, according to the rule of the Gospel, and that the ecclesiasticall lawes and ordinaunces, eyther vniuersall or particular, be mayntained and executed dilygentlye, accordinge to ⟨image 132⟩their charge. And if there shall happen any new inconuenience, their duty is to prouide therefore by newe ordinaunces & iniunctions conformable to the Christian religion & charitie: Without burdening of mens conscience, neyther to charge the Churche with a multitude of lawes, nor brynging in superstition according to that which hath beene sayde herebefore, where it speaketh of coūsels, eyther to be done by thēselues, or to take the aduise and counsel of other churches, and the sayd lawes and ordinances to be incontinent allowed & auctorised by the magistrate, if so be that he be a Christiā. And for this cause in all the prymatiue Churche they haue beene accustomed to holde prouinciall synodes twise a yeare. It is their office lykewise when any peryl or daūger doth happen among them, to appoynt prayers & fasting extraordinarilye, & to practise & vse them in theyr churches, when any such chaūces do happen with the consent of ye Christian magistrate if there be any: so that the godly ⟨p. 115⟩orders of the church may be maintained wt discipline. And aboue al things let the word of god be diligētly & sincerely preached, wt the sacraments truly ministred, ye ecclesiastical goods wel gouerned, & althings wel ordred. Their duty is also to elect men méete for the same: I say elect, for it cānot be found that euer ther was any other lawful, ecclesiastical vocation in the Christian Churche, synce it was brought into any good order of gouernement, but by the way of ellection, except God called any extraordinarily, without ordinary meanes. Now concerning the election that it may be lawful, behold the pointes which we consider therin. First who ought to bee electours, what persons ought to be elected, and howe they ought to elect, and howe to confirme the election.
