but that this Power should reside either solely or principally in one Man doth not follow at all It was suteable to the State of the Jewish Church that there should be one supream Officer to be a Type of Christ but now there being no such occasion the Church may be governed withoâ—… any such 2. To have one National place of Worship is but â—…cidental to a National Church Israel was a National Church in Egypt yet had no National place of Worship all the Worship of God besides that which was tipical might be attended in their Synagogues The not having a National place of Worship is no hinderance to their being Governed by a Natiâ—… Authority There may be a National Government as well wiâ—… as with a National place of Worship This National Church is to be divided into provincial and those again subdivided into Classical The Light of Nature teaches us to make such Divisions of great Political Bodies that Government may be more easily managed Natural prudence teaches Men in the civil State to make such Subordination of Courts of Justice for the benefit of the Common Wealth This is according to the Counsel which was given to Moses by his father in â—aw and approved by God Exod. 18. By the same Rule that the whole is to Rule over the parts the greater parts are to Rule over the lesser parts for a greater part is an whole respecting the lesser parts into which it is divided A County is a part with respect to a Province but an whole with respect to the several Congregations therein and accordingly may Exercise Government over them yet with Subordination to that Authority that is over the whole A gradation both in Civil and Ecclesiastical Authority is founded in the very Law of Nature Obj. If we grant a National Church under the Gospel we may as well grant an Oecumenical Church those that plead for the Jurisdiction of Synods refer things at last to the Judgment of an Oecumenical Synod Answ 〈◊〉 is no such thing as an instituted Oecumenical Church there is a â—…lick Church but that Notes all those that profess the true Religion but there is no Instituted Oecumenical Church for the several Christian Nations are not in the same Covenant they are indeed in the same special Covenant but not in the same individual Covenant so it is here one Nation may keep Covenant while other Nations brack Covenant Neither is there any Institution for Oecumenical Synods if they could convene they have no Authority their consultations might be of some use to others but they have no Authority A National Synod is the highest Ecclesiastical Authority upon Earth CHAP. IX Of the Government of National Churches SUch Protestants as have acknowledged National Churches have been divided about the form of Government to be practised among them some of them are for a mixt Government partly by Arch-Bishops and Bishops and partly by Synods so the Church of England Some have Governed by a Synod alone so the Church of Scotland and this Government seems most Consonant to the Word of God Synods have been generally acknowledged in all Churches but upon differing grounds some have founded them upon that Rule of prudence Prov. 24.66 In the Multitude of Counsellers there is safety but if they be grounded upon this they have no other work but to counsel and advise and they can have no Authority all Ecclesiastical Authority does depend upon an Institution their Authority must be derived from God Some do found it upon that Example Act. 15. But this was not properly a Synod this was not the meeting of the Elders of many Churches but of the Apostles and Elders of the Church of Jerusalem together with the Brethren yet no doubt but the Apostles who were part of that Assembly had the Power of a Synod But the Foundation of Synods is partly that Publick Covenant which is between God and his People partly his Institution in the Old Testament and partly the Rules laid down for the Churches to walk by in the New Testament 1. This Publick Covenant shews that the whole must Rule the parts The Rule and Government doth fundamentally belong unto the Church the Church hath a right to Govern it self Thus it is Originally with all Nations as to their civil Government so also as to Ecclesiastical and therefore the Exercise of this Government must be in the hands of some that do legally represent the whole if it be not by some that represent the whole then the whole do not Govern the Rulers must be the representation of the whole Church Thus it is with a Synod they are either the Elders of the several Churches if the Country be not too Numerous or such as are chosen by the Elders if the Country be large and numerous and these are a legal representation of the Churches the Elders of the Churches are chosen to thâ—… Office to be Rulers of the several Churches and in case there be need They have Power to select out of themselves such a Company as may conveniently meet with whom their Power shall be entrusted The Light of Nature teaches that the Government must be committed to such a Number as shall not be uncapable by reason of their Number to assemble and discourse together for otherwise the Government of the Church would not be a thing practicable Thus it is not with Bishops they do not legally represent the Church for they are not chosen by the Church they are not Persons elected by the Church to Act in their behalf but are put into their Office by civil Authority and how can they represent the Church who do not desire any Authority from the Church and secondly their Office is not of Divine Institution and how can they who are not of Divine appointment legally represent the Church Those whose Office is not acknowledged in the Law of God cannot legally represent the Church of God 2. The Church of the Jews was Governed by a Counsel of seventy two Persons Some are of Opinion that the Jews had both an Ecclesiastical and a civil Sanedrim this is evident that in Christs time they had a Councel that did consist in a great part of the Priests Act. 14.6 and 22.30 And that God appointed the Priests and other Judges to joyn together in hearing of Controversies Deut. 19.17 So also that there was an assembly of the chief of the Priests and Levites appointed by Jehoshaphat to hear Ecclesiastical causes 2 Chron. 19.8 And that the High Priest was over them in those Ecclesiastical causes v. 11. By these things it is evident that the Church of Israel was Governed by an Assembly of the Principal Men of the Church Christ Jesus doth approve of their form of Government that was in his time Matth. 23.2,3 By Priests Scribes Pharisees By this it is not only evident that the Government of a National or Provincial Church by an Assembly of its Principal Elders is a proper suteable and hopeful way