Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…

That which has almost extinguished them in this Country within the half of One Century, has been, the prevailing of such Sentiments as these, in very many of the Pastors.

The only Scripture that seems plainly to assert that Office, is 1 Tim. V. 17. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double Honour, especially they who labour in Word and Doctrine. But perhaps upon mature Consideration, it will be found, That in the Primitive Churches, there were Pastors in two different Circumstances of Employment. First, there were Elders who in a more constant Way carried on the Duties of the Evangelical Ministry, with the gathered Churches of the ⟨p. 125⟩full, and therein did preside Well. But at the same time it was necessary to Labour for the Conversion of Infidels, of whom it could not be expected, that many of them would come unto the Assemblies of the Faithful. Wherefore to convert these, and spread the Nets of Salvation in the most likely Places for them, which was then very much the Work of the Day, there were those who did Labour with Travelling (which the Word here used may import) for the Word and Doctrine, among the Infidels: And every ones sees why such Labourers as these are judged to be Worthy of a peculiar Honour. As the Bishops and Presbyters in the Scriptures, are evidently the same, so it appears not, that there were any Presbyters known in the Scripture, who were not such as both Preached the Gospel, and administered the Sacraments of it. The Ruling Elders in the Churches of the Reformation, seem to be akin to a sort of Elders among the Jews, who were not Ordained (they say) by laying on of Hands, but only were Venerable for their Age, Discretion, and Gravity; and were called Zikne Hashuk, that is to say, Elders of the Street, or Vulgar Elders. Great Men, who yet are Zealous Maintainers of that Order which goes by the Name of RULING ELDERS [or, Seniors,] in the Reformed Churches, are well aware of this. And therefore still to preserve this Useful Order, they take the Method, which One, who may justly be called an Eagle Eyed as well as an Excellent Writer in the Church of Scotland, has at length pitched upon. The Cyprianus Isotimus of that Marvellous Man, has these Passages.