3. It is not their Office but the Churches Delegation that giveth power to be the Members in Synods. The Specificating act in which Synodal power and so the right of a Decisive Vote is founded, is the Churches Delegation. None ought to be Admitted into such Assemblies, but those whom the Churches shall •end. Now as in Civil Councils, many times not only Magistrates but other Citizens duly qualified are sent to represent the City whose delegates they are; so in Ecclesiastical Councils, not only the Rulers of the Churches, but others may receive a mission from them, and have then and there, equal power with the former. True it i• that of these Delegates from the Churches, th• Elders ought to be the principally concerne• ▪ They are presumed best to know the sta•• of their Churches, and to be best able to Judg• in Ecclesiastical Affairs. This notwithstanding, they are not to assume the sole power to themselves, nor yet a Negative Voice i• in such Assemblies, as they may in their own particular Churches. It must (says Dr. Owen) (p)be affirmed that no persons by Virtue of any Office merely, have right to be Members of Ecclesiastical Synods as such, Neither is there either example or reason to give colour to any such pretence. Officers of the Church, Bishops, Pastors, Elders, may in present in them, ought to be present in them, are meetest for the most part so to be, but merely as such, it belongs not unto them ▪ This will seem to some to be Independent ⟨p. 87⟩Doctrine: But that is their mistake. Bullinger, Hyperius, Daneus, Voetius, and amongst our English writers Whitaker, Parker and other great Divines have affirmed as much as this comes to Yea, the generality of our Divines in their disputations against the Papists Episcopal Monopoly of Synodal Power, reason as we do. And it is clear from this Argument. If it belongs to Elders as such to be Members of Synods, then all such must be there. But if so, then in case a Synod should continue sitting a year together (as it often happens) all that while the Particular Churches to whom those Elders belong that are remote from the place where the Synod meets, must not have one Elder to instruct and guide them.
3. It is not their Office but the Churches Delegation that giveth power to be the Members in Synods. The Specificating act in which Synodal power and so the right of a Decisive Vote is founded, is the Churches Delegation. None ought to be Admitted into such Assemblies, but those whom the Churches shall •end. Now as in Civil Councils, many times not only Magestrates but other Citizens duely qualified are sent to represent the City whose delegates they are; so in Ecclesiastical Councils, not only the Rulers of the Churches, but others may receive a mission from them, and have then and there, equal power with the former. True it i• that of these Delegates from the Churches, th• Elders ought to be the principally concerne• ▪ They are presumed best to know the sta•• of their Churches, and to be best able to Judg• in Ecclesiastical Affairs. This notwithstanding, they are not to assume the sole power to themselves, nor yet a Negative Voice i• in such Assemblies, as they may in their own particular Churches. It must (sayes Dr. Owen) (p)be affirmed that no persons by Vertue of any Office meerly, have right to be Members of Ecclesiastical Synods as such, Neither is there either example or reason to give colour to any such pretence. Officers of the Church, Bishops, Pastors, Elders, may in present in them, ought to be present in them, are meetest for the most part so to be, but meerly as such, it belongs not unto them ▪ This will seem to some to be Independent ⟨p. 87⟩Doctrine: But that is their mistake. Bullinger, Hyperius, Daneus, Voetius, and amongst our English writers Whitaker, Parker and other great Divines have affirmed as much as this comes to Yea, the generality of our Divines in their disputations against the Papists Episcopal Monopoly of Synodal Power, reason as we do. And it is clear from this Argument. If it belongs to Elders as such to be Members of Synods, then all such must be there. But if so, then in case a Synod should continue sitting a year together (as it often happens) all that while the Particular Churches to whom those Elders belong that are remote from the place where the Synod meets, must not have one Elder to instruct and guide them.
- (p)Ibid. p. 26•.
