The reasons of the Dissenting Brethren against the third proposition, concerning presbyterial government· Humbly…

Secondly Exceptions.

1. For the mention of five thousand, Chap. 4. Verse 4. This cannot be evinced from that place that the five thousand were a new number added to the three thousand. The words are these, Howbeit many of them that heard the word, believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand. But that this number of five thousand should refer to them that believed, is not certain; seeing both the Greek will bear it and favour it, as well to be meant of the number that heard, as of the men that believed; and of the two, that former is the more probable, that he should say of the men that heard they were five thousand, and that of them that heard many believed, this sounds well, and is no way forced; but five thousand men to be converted at once, is that which was never afore nor since. And the great conversion that our Divines have instanced in, is the three thousand, Acts Chap. 2. and not in this five thousand. And if the scope of the Holy Ghost therein, why the number of the men that heard should be here reckoned to be five thousand be asked after, it was to show what had occasioned the persecution which he had spoken of in the Verse before. Namely this, that such a multitude of the people should be taught and preached to; this fretted the Pharisees that came upon Peter and John; and with this agrees¹ the second Verse, that they were grieved they taught the people; the effect whereof is, that many of them that heard believed, notwithstanding this persecution, but how many of these is not certain. And Beza and Calvin ⟨p. 18⟩and many others of our protestant Writers judge this number not to be of this new accession of Converts, but the total number including the former, and the [Greek or Hebrew], although translated men, is when put alone (as there) all one with [Greek or Hebrew] Females, as well as Males, which especially may be so taken, because it is spoken of such a promiscuous auditory. And if any should affirm it meant of Males only, and them now converted, it would make a greater Miracle then any other recorded, especially when the people are said to be converted, Verse 2. that did alike run to see the Miracle.