A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…

Thirdly, that we set up a popular government, making the Elders of the Church no more but moderators, &c. and that Ministers receive their power from the people, are their servants, and administer in their name, (as Mr. Ball and others object) when we oft profess the contrary, that all authority (properly so called) is in the hands of the Elders, and the liberty of the people is to be carried in a way of subjection, and obedience to them in the Lord: neither doth it follow from any Doctrine of ours, no more then from the ordination of Pastors by the Presbytery, that they are their servants, &c.

Thirdly, that we set up a popular government, making the Elders of the Church no more but moderators, &c. and that Ministers receive their power from the people, are their servants, and administer in their name, (as Mr. Ball and others object) when we oft professe the contrary, that all authority (properly so called) is in the hands of the Elders, and the liberty of the people is to bee carryed in a way of subjection, and obedience to them in the Lord: neither doth it follow from any Doctrine of ours, no more then from the ordination of Pastors by the Presbytery, that they are their servants, &c.

Fourthly, that if a Congregation reject a Pastor for no fault, they take both nomen & esse, the name and nature of a Pastor from him. For this the Reader is referred to our Answer of the twenty fifth Question of the thirty two questions sent unto us, where nothing at all is said, but reference is made to our answer to the nine questions, amongst which the seventh being of this very point, our answer is quite contrary to what is imputed to us. Our words are these, Concerning the Minister himself thus deposed, &c. we conceive though he be by them deprived of the execution ⟨p. 14⟩of his Ministry amongst them, yet until he accept of a call to another people, he still remain a Minister of Christ; in whose account he hath true right of administration among the people. Now if he remain a Minister of Christ, and have true right to administer, let any judge whether we take away nomen or esse; or that we make Church censures work ex opere operato, clave errant, as is also imputed to us. Many such mistakes we find, but let these suffice to inform the Reader how wary he had need be in receiving such reports against brethren: and this charity we have cause the more earnestly to crave of all, that they would reserve one ear to hear what their poor out-cast brethren can say for themselves, because we are placed at such a distance and disadvantage, that ofttimes it is not possible for us to take notice of such objections, and return an answer under a year or almost two years, whereby Satan hath a marvellous advantage to work strange thought and distasteful affections towards us, and fasten them so deeply that hardly they will be taken off again. But thus it falleth out too too frequently, that when Brethren, otherwise dear to each other, differ in their judgements, and break out to open contention about the same, they are very apt to make the opinions of the contrary party as unpleasing and absurd to the judgement of others, as may be, whence grief, offence, and alienations of affections (through the subtlety of Satan, and the corruption of our hearts) are ready to follow. And this makes us both fearful of our selves, lest we should give way to any unloving thoughts towards the dear servants of Christ, or return any offensive language unto them;