Five disputations of church-government and worship

5. As for the fifth sort, that is, [The standing President of a Classis, having no Negative voice] I should easily consent to them for order and Peace: for they are no distinct Office, nor assume any Government over the Presbyters. And the Presbyterian Churches do commonly use a President or Moderator pro tempore. And doubtless if it be lawful for a Month, it may be lawful for a year, or twenty years, or quam diu se been g•sserit: and how many years had we one Moderator of our Assemblies of Divines at Westminster? and might have had him so many years more if death had not cut him off? And usually God doth not so change his gifts, but that the same man who is the fittest this month or year, is most likely also to be the fittest the next.

5. As for the fifth sort, that is, [The standing President of a Classis, having no Negative voice] I should easily consent to them for order and Peace: for they are no distinct Office, nor ass•me any Government over the Presbyters. And the Presbyterian Churches do commonly use a President or Moderator pro tempore. And doubtless if it be lawful for a Month, it may be lawful for a year, or twenty years, or quam diu se bene g•sserit: and how many years had we one Moderator of our Assemblies of Divines at Westminster? and might have had him so many years more if death had not cut him off? And usually God doth not so change his gifts, but that the same man who is the fittest this month or year, is most likely also to be the fittest the next.

6. And for the sixth sort, viz. [A President of a Classes having a Negative voice,] I confess I had rather be without him, and his power is not agreeable to my Judgement, as a thing instituted by God, or fittest in it self. But yet I should give way to it for the Peace of the Church, and if it might heal that great breach that is between us, and the Episcopal Brethren, and the many Churches that hold of that way; but with these Cautions and Limitations. 1. That they shall have no Negative in any thing that is already a duty or a sin: for an Angel from heaven cannot dispense with Gods Law. This I doubt not will be yielded. 2. That none be forced to acknowledge this Negative vote in them, but that they take it from those of the Presbyters that will freely give or acknowledge it. For its a known thing that all Church-power doth work only on the Conscience, and therefore only prevail by procuring Consent, and cannot compel. 3. Nor would I ever yield that any part of the Presbyters dissenting should be taken as Schismatics, and cast out of Communion, or that it should be made the matter of such a breach. This is it that hath broken the Church, that Bishops have thrust their Rule on men whether they would or not, and have taken their Negative voice at least, if not their sole Jurisdiction, to be so necessary, as if there could be no Church without it, or no man were to be endured that did not acknowledge it; but he that denieth their disputable Power must be excommunicated with them that blaspheme God himself. And as the Pope will have the acknowledgement of his Power to be inseparable from a member of the Catholic Church, and cast out all that deny it, so such Bishops take the acknowledgement of their Jurisdiction to be as inseparable from a member of a particular Church, and consequently (as they suppose) of the universal: and so to deny them shall cut men off, as if they denied Christ. This savoureth not of the humility that Christ taught his followers 4. Nor would I have any forced to declare whether they only submit for Peace, or consent in approbation: nor whether they take the Bishops Negative vote to be by Divine Institution, and so Necessary, or by the Presbyters voluntary consent & contract, as having power in several cases to suspend the exercise of their own just authority, when the suspension of it tendeth to a public Good.