But if it be enquired, Whether a Synod hath power of Ordination and Excommunication; we would not take upon us hastily to censure the many notable precedents of ancient and later Synods, who have put forth acts of power in both these kinds. Only we doubt that from the beginning it was not so: and for our own parts, if any occasion of using this power should arise amongst our selves (which hitherto through preventing mercy it hath not) we (in a Synod) should rather choose to determine, and to publish and declare our determination. That the ordination of such as we find fit for it, and the excommunication of such as we find do deserve it, would be an acceptable service both to the Lord, and to his Churches: but the administration of both these acts we should refer to the Presbytery of the several Churches, whereto the person to be ordained is called, and whereof the person to be excommunicate is a member: and both acts to be performed in the presence, and with the consent of the several Churches, to whom the matter appertaineth. For in the beginning of the Gospel in that precedent of Synods, Act. 15. we find the false teachers declared to be disturbers and troublers of the Churches, and subverters of their souls, Act. 15.24. but no condigne censure dispensed against them by the Synod. An evident argument to us, that they left the censure of such offenders (in case they repented ⟨p. 29⟩not) to the particular Churches, to whom they did appertain. And for Synodical ordination, although Act. 1. be alleged, where Matthias was called to be an Apostle, yet it doth not appear that they acted then in a Synodical way: no more then the Church of Antioch did, when with fasting and prayer they by their Presbyters imposed hands on Paul and Barnabas, and thereby separated them to the work of the Apostleship, whereto the holy Ghost had called them, Act. 13.1, 2, 3. Whence as the holy Ghost then said, [Greek or Hebrew]: so thereupon Paul styleth himself [Greek or Hebrew]. Rom. 1.1. And this was done in a particular Church, not in a Synod.
But if it be enquired, Whether a Synod hath power of Ordination and Excommunication; we would not take upon us hastily to censure the many notable precedents of ancient and later Synods, who have put forth acts of power in both these kinds. Onely we doubt that from the beginning it was not so: and for our own parts, if any occasion of using this power should arise amongst our selves (which hitherto through preventing mercie it hath not) we (in a Synod) should rather chuse to determine, and to publish and declare our determination. That the ordination of such as we find fit for it, and the excommunication of such as we find do deserve it, would be an acceptable service both to the Lord, and to his Churches: but the administration of both these acts we should refer to the Presbytery of the severall Churches, whereto the person to be ordained is called, and whereof the person to be excommunicate is a member: and both acts to be performed in the presence, and with the consent of the severall Churches, to whom the matter appertaineth. For in the beginning of the Gospel in that precedent of Synods, Act. 15. we find the false teachers declared to be disturbers and troublers of the Churches, and subverters of their souls, Act. 15.24. but no condigne censure dispensed against them by the Synod. An evident argument to us, that they left the censure of such offenders (in case they repented ⟨p. 29⟩not) to the particular Churches, to whom they did appertain. And for Synodicall ordination, although Act. 1. be alledged, where Matthias was called to be an Apostle, yet it doth not appear that they acted then in a Synodicall way: no more then the Church of Antioch did, when with fasting and prayer they by their Presbyters imposed hands on Paul and Barnabas, and thereby separated them to the work of the Apostleship, whereto the holy Ghost had called them, Act. 13.1, 2, 3. Whence as the holy Ghost then said, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉: so thereupon Paul styleth himself 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Rom. 1.1. And this was done in a particular Church, not in a Synod.
