Five disputations of church-government and worship

No duty is at all times a duty. If a man be to be ordained ⟨p. 19⟩by a Presbytery, it is not a flat duty to do it at that time when the President is absent, except in case of flat necessity; why may not the rest of the Presbyters then, if they see it conducible to the good of the Church [resolve never to ordain (except in case of such Necessity,) but when the President is there, and is one therein;] which is indeed to permit his exercise of a Negative vote, without professing it to be his right by any Institution? It is lawful to ordain, when the President is present; it is lawful (out of cases of Necessity) to forbear when he is absent: according therefore to the Presbyterian principles, we may resolve to give him de facto a Negative voice, that is, not to ordain without him, but in Necessity: and according to the Episcopal principles, we must thus do: for this point of Ordination is the chief thing they stand on. Now if this be all the difference, why should not our May be, yield to their, Must be, if the Peace of the Church be found to lye upon it. But 5. I would have this Caution too, that the Magistrate should not annex his sword to the Bishops censure, without very clear reason: but let him make the best of his pure spiritual Authority that he can: we should have kept peace with Bishops better, if they had not come armed, and if the Magistrates had not become their Executioners.

7. As to the seventh sort, viz. [A President of a Province fixed, without any Negative voice] I should easily admit of him, not only for Peace, but as orderly and convenient, that there might be some one to give notice of all Assemblies, and the Decrees to each member, and for many other matters of order: this is practised in the Province of London pro tempore, and in the other Presbyterian Churches. And as I said before in the like case, I see not why it may not be lawful to have a President quam diu se been gesserit, as well for a month, or a year, or seven years, as in our late Assembly two successively were more, (as I remember) so that this kind of Diocesan or Provincial Bishop, I think may well be yielded to for the Churches Order and Peace.