Crete, on purpose to ordain elders in every City, Tit. i. 5. which clearly intimates that the Prefbyters, who were in Crete before, had no Power to ordain Elders: For if they had, what need had St. Paul to leave Titus there with a new Commiffion to do the fame thing, which the Presbyters had power to do?

AND befides, 'tis evident that in St. Cyprian's Time, who lived in the third Century, the Power of Ordination was appropriated to Bifhops. And fince the Church of Chrift, from the Apoftles unto the Days of St. Cyprian, was often exercifed and tried with Perfecutions, how improbable is it that thofe pious Bishops, who then lived, would have ufurped an Authority which did not belong to them? And if they had ufurped that Power, which was common to Prefbyters, how unlikely is it that the Presbyters would have fo tamely parted with their Right, without any Proteftation to the contrary? But fince thofe Bishops claimed the fole Power of Ordination, and the Deacons and Presbyters quietly yielded Obedience to them herein, it is highly probable that then the Power of ordaining Paftors was esteemed proper to Bishops.

AND if the Power of ordaining Paftors doth of Right belong to Bifhops, then Ordination, made by them, must needs be valid; and fo it is by all acknowledged. And therefore they that are ordained by Bishops, are undoubtedly lawful Paftors, and have Authority to preach the Word, and to guide the People in the Ways of Piety and Virtue. For they are Ambaffadors for Chrift, as though God by them did intreat us to be reconciled, 2 Cor. v. 20. And they are required to watch

for

for their Peoples Souls, and to feed the flock of God, taking the overfight thereof, 1 Pet. v. 2.

AND as the Paftors of the Church have Authority, and are by Office bound to inftruct and guide the People committed to their Charge in the Way of Salvation: So they have fufficient Means to understand the Scripture, and to divide the Word of Truth aright. And while they are careful to obferve the Rule of Scripture, they may be directed thereby in propounding all neceffary Matters of Religion; and they may be certain that they do not err in fuch Matters, though it be poffible for them to err. There is nothing below Divine Inspiration, that can fecure Men from all Poffibility of erring. But fince the Apostles have finifhed the Rule of Faith, there is none that hath been divinely inspired; nor is there any need of an infallible Guide to direct us in the Truth.

THE Romanifts indeed pretend that the Pope, or a General Council, confirmed by him, is infallible in determining Matters of Faith. But if the Pope be infallible, then he hath his Infallibility either by vertue of fome special Promife, or because he is St. Peter's Succeffor. But there is no Neceffity that he fhould be infallible, because St. Peter was. For St. Peter's Infallibility was a perfonal Privilege, in which he had no Succeffor. And there is no fpecial Promife in the Holy Scripture that fecures the Pope any more than other Paftors of the Church from erring in the Faith. Nay feveral Popes have been condemned and deposed for manifeft Herefie and Wickedness, which evidently confutes all Pretences for their Infallibility.

AND

AND as the Pope himself is not infallible, fo neither is a General Council confirmed by him infallible. For the feveral Paftors, of whom a Council confifts, are all fallible; and their Determinations are founded on fallible Argumentations, and not on the Spirit of Infallibility. And confequently they may err, and fometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God, as our Church teacheth, Art. 21.

AND if a General Council may of it felf err, then the Determinations thereof cannot be ininfallibly true, meerly because they are confirmed by the Pope. For the Pope's Confirmation of a Council cannot change the Nature of its De

But if the Council hath erred, the Pope's Confirmation of it cannot make its Degrees true. And if the Council hath not erred, then the Decrees of it were true before the Pope confirmed them.

BUT if the Pope, or a General Council confirmed by him were infallible, yet their infallible Determinations would nothing avail the People, unless their immediate Teachers alfo were infallible in expounding those Determinations. If it be faid that their Pastors may fufficiently inform them of the true Meaning thereof; then why may not the Minifters of the Gospel among us as certainly inform us of the true Sense of the Scriptures, and thereby teach us the true Faith?

CHAP.

T

Of the WORD of GOD.

HUS much of the Church, on whole faithful Members the Benefits of Redemption are conferred; now follow the ordinary Means, whereby the Benefits of Redemption are conveyed unto us: And those Means are especially three; the Word, Prayer, and Sacraments.

THE first ordinary Means of conveying the Benefits of Redemption to us is the Word of God. This Word contains all faving Truths, and is able to make us wife unto Salvation. For the Word of God doth not only fhew us our whole Duty both in Matters of Faith and Practice; but it is fufficient alfo to excite and perfwade us to believe and practise what God requires as neceffary to obtain Salvation. Whatsoever is apt to work upon our Love or Hatred, Hope or Fear, which are the Paffions that ftir us up to Action, is there delivered, and urged to the Height. For in the Word of God, Life and Happiness, Death and Mifery, are fet before us, and offered to our Choice. And there alfo are the most convincing Arguments, and perfwafive Motives, to engage and encourage us to live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent World,

that we may obtain eternal Life and Happiness in the next. And in the Word of God likewife are the heaviest Threatnings denounced against Sin and Wickednefs to deter us from it, that we may escape eternal Death and Mifery. And fure the Terrors of the Lord, or nothing, will make us depart from Evil. And the Hope of heavenly Happiness, or nothing, will perfwade us to purifie our Hearts, and practife Holinefs.

AND to make the Word of God the more effectual to dire& Men in the Truth, and to perfwade them to walk in it, God himself hath or dained it to be preached. And when the Word of God, by preaching, is rightly divided and expounded, and preffed upon the Conscience, it is mighty through God to the pulling down of the ftrong Holds of Sin. For the gospel is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth, Rom. i. 16. And all faving Virtues are ordinarily wrought in us by the Word preached. For the preaching of the Word is the ordinary Means which God hath established for converting and faving Men. And the Grace of God goeth along with this Ordinance of his, and maketh it effectual to thofe that do not neglect and defpife it.

AND if we attend to the Word preached, and embrace and follow thofe Directions, which our fpiritual Guides teach us out of God's Word, we then take the right Course which God hath prescribed, in order to be converted and faved. For the Pastors of the Church have Authority from Chrift to teach us to obferve all things whatsoever he hath commanded, Matth. xxviii. 20. And fo long as they lead us in the Way of Piety and Virtue, we are bound in Confcience to fol

low