3. The Commanding Power of Pastors is in two things: 1. In Commanding them in the name of Christ to obey the Laws which he hath made them already. And this is the principal. 2. To give them new Directions of our own, which as is said, 1. Must not be against Gods Directions. 2. Nor about any matter which is not the object of our own office, but is without the verge of it. 3. But it is only in the making of under laws, for the better execution of the laws of Christ; and those under-laws must be only the Determination of Circumstances about Gods service which Scripture hath made necessary in genere, but left to the Governors determination in specie; and they are such as are alterable in several ages, countries, &c. so that it had been unfit for Christ to have determined them in his word, because his word is an universal Law for all ages and countries; and these Circumstances will not bear an universal determination: else why could not ⟨p. 9⟩Christ have done it? nay how is his Law perfect else that doth omit it? For example, God hath commanded us to read the word, preach, hear, sing, which must necessarily be done in some time, place, gesture, number of words, &c. But he hath not commanded us on what day of the week our Lecture shall be, or at what hour of the day, nor what Chapter I shall read, nor how many at once, nor what Text I shall preach on, nor what Psalm I shall sing, nor in what words I shall pray, whether imposed by others, or not, whether with a book, or foreconce•ved form, or not; nor whether I shall read with spectacles or without, or whether I shall discern how the time p•sseth by an hour-glass, or by the clock, or by conjecture without them. These therefore and other such like, must humane Prudence determine of. But with these Cautions.
3. The Commanding Power of Pastors is in two things: 1. In Commanding them in the name of Christ to obey the Laws which he hath made them already. And this is the principal. 2. To give them new Directions of our own, which as is said, 1. Must not be against Gods Directions. 2. Nor about any matter which is not the object of our own office, but is without the verge of it. 3. But it is only in the making of under laws, for the better execution of the laws of Christ; and those under-laws must be only the Determination of Ci•cumstances about Gods service which Scripture hath made necessary in genere, but left to the Governors determination in specie; and they are such as are al•erable in several ages, countries, &c. so that it had been unfit for Christ to have determined them in his word, because his word is an u•iversal Law for all ages and countries; and these Circumstances will not bear an universal determination: else why could not ⟨p. 9⟩Christ have done it? nay how is his Law perfect else that doth omit it? For example, God hath commanded us to read the word, preach, hear, sing, which must necessarily be done in some time, place, gesture, number of words, &c. But he hath not commanded us on what day of the week our Lecture shall be, or at what hour of the day, nor what Chapter I shall read, nor how many at once, nor what Text I shall preach on, nor what Psalm I shall sing, nor in what words I shall pray, whether imposed by others, or not, whether with a book, or foreconce•ved form, or not; nor whether I shall read with spectacles or without, or whether I shall discern how the time p•sseth by an hour-glass, or by the clock, or by conjecture without them. These therefore and other such like, must humane Prudence determine of. But with these Cautions.
