Five disputations of church-government and worship

Sect. 28. Moreover, the Church it self is not to cease upon the ceasing of Ordination, nor to hang upon the will of Prelates. Christ hath •ot put it in the power of Prelates, to deny him a Church in any countries of the world. For he hath first determined that particular Churches shall be (and that determination ⟨p. 157⟩ceaseth not,) and but secondly that they shall have Pastors thus ordained: He is not to lose his Churches at the pleasures of an envious or negligent man: But so it would be if Pastor must cease when Ordination ceaseth: For though without Pastors there may be communities of Christians, which are parts of the universal Church, yet there can be no Organized Political Churches. For 1. Such Churches consist essentially of the Directing or Ruling Part, and the Ruled Part) (as a Republic doth.) 2. Such Churches are Christian Associations for Communion in such Church Ordinances which without a Pastor cannot (ordinarily at least) be administered: And therefore without a Pastor the Society is not capable of the End, and therefore not of the form or name; (though it be a Church in the fore-granted sense.) Nay indeed, if any should upon necessity do the Ministerial work to the Church, and say he did it as a Private man, it were indeed but to become a Minister pro tempore, under the name of a private man. If Paul had not his Power to destruction but to Edification, neither have Prelates: And therefore the Acts are null by which they would destroy the Church. Their Power of Ordering it (such as they have) occasionally enableth them to disorder it (that is, If they miss in their own work, we may submit:) but they have no authority to destroy it, or do any thing that plainly conduceth thereunto.

Sect. 28. Moreover, the Church it self is not to cease upon the ceasing of Ordination, nor to hang upon the will of Prelates. Christ hath •ot put it in the power of Prelates, to deny him a Church in any countries of the world. For he hath first determined that particular Churches shall be (and that determination ⟨p. 157⟩ceaseth not,) and but secondly that they shall have Pastors thus ordained: He is not to lose his Churches at the pleasures of an envious or negligent man: But so it would be if Pastor must cease when Ordination ceaseth: For though wthout Pastors there may be communities of Christians, which are parts of the universal Church, yet there can be no Organized Political Churches. For 1. Such Churches consist essentially of the Directing or Ruling Part, and the Ruled Part) (as a Republick doth.) 2. Such Churches are Christian Associatios for Communion in such Church Ordinances which without a Pastor cannot (ordinarily at least) be administred: And therefore without a Pastor the Society is not capable of the End, and therefore not of the form or name; (though it be a Church in the fore-granted sence.) Nay indeed, if any should upon necessity do the Ministerial work to the Church, and say he did it as a Private man, it were indeed but to become a Minister pro tempore, under the name of a private man. If Paul had not his Power to destruction but to Edification, neither have Prelates: And therefore the Acts are null by which they would destroy the Church. Their Power of Ordering it (such as they have) occasionally enableth them to disorder it (that is, If they miss in their own work, we may submit:) but they have no authority to destroy it, or do any thing that plainly conduceth thereunto.