The keys of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word…The keyes of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof according to the word…

What defect may be found in such a call, when the Brethren exercise their lawful liberty, and the Elders their lawful authority, ⟨p. 38⟩in his ordination, and nothing more is required to the complete integrity of a Ministers calling? If it be said there wanted imposition of hands by the Bishop, who succeedeth in the place of Timothy and Titus, whom the Apostle Paul left the one in Ephesus, the other in Crete, to ordain Elders in many Churches. Tit. 1.5.

What defect may be found in such a call, when the Brethren exercise their lawfull libertie, and the Elders their lawfull authority, ⟨p. 38⟩in his ordination, and nothing more is required to the compleat integritie of a Ministers calling? If it be said there wanted imposition of hands by the Bishop, who succeedeth in the place of Timothy and Titus, whom the Apostle Paul left the one in Ephesus, the other in Crete, to ordain Elders in many Churches. Tit. 1.5.

Ans. Touching ordination by Timothy, and Titus, and (upon pretence of them) by Bishops, enough hath been said by many godly learned heretofore, especially of later times.

The sum cometh to these conclusions. 1 That Timothy and Titus did not ordain Elders in many Churches, as Bishops, but as Evangelists. Timothy is expressly termed an Evangelist, 2 Tim. 4.5. And Titus is as clearly deciphered to be an Evangelist as Timothy, by the characters of an Evangelist, which either Scripture holdeth forth, or Eusebius noteth in his Ecclesiast. histor. lib. 3. cap. 37. Gr. cap. 31. Lat. Not to be limited to a certain Church, but to follow the Apostles, finishing their work in planting and watering Churches, where they came. They did indeed ordain officers where they wanted, and exercised jurisdiction (as the Apostles did) in several Churches; yet with the rest of the Presbytery, and in the presence of the whole Church,