Jews and Gentiles were converted to Christ, and being converted, incorporated and associated themselves into churches, as the history of the Acts, chap, ii., and forward, evidenceth abundantly. 2.  Church officers, under the New Testament, are for the calling and gathering men unto Christ, and to his body mystical; and for admitting of those that believe into that one body, Matt, xxviii. 18, 19; 1 Cor. xii. 28.  And is not he that calleth, before them that are called by them; they that baptize, before the baptized; and they that gather the churches, before those churches which they gather?  May we not hence conclude, Therefore, &c.

Argum.  III.  The names, titles, and other denominations purposely and peculiarly given to the church guides in Scripture, generally do bear power and authority engraven upon their foreheads. Therefore, they are the proper, immediate, and only subjects of ecclesiastical power.  Thus we may argue: 

Major.  All those persons in the Church, that have such names, titles, or denominations given to them peculiarly in the Scriptures by the Spirit of Christ, as generally have authority and power engraven upon them in reference to the Church, are the immediate and only proper subjects of ecclesiastical power.

Minor.  But Christ’s officers in the Church have such names, titles, or denominations given to them peculiarly in the Scriptures by the Spirit of Christ, as generally have authority and power engraven upon them in reference to the Church.

Conclusion.  Therefore Christ’s own officers in the Church are the proper, immediate, and only subjects or receptacles of ecclesiastical power.

This major proposition must be granted.  For, 1.  Is not this the Holy Ghost’s familiar and ordinary manner in Scripture, to give titles and denominations, which are apt, pertinent, significative and instructing both to others and themselves that have such denominations conferred upon them?  As in the family, the husband is called the head of the wife, 1 Cor. xi., because he is to govern, she is to be subject:  the wife is called an help-meet, &c., Gen. ii.:  to teach the wife her duty, to help his good and comfort every way, to hinder it no way.  So in the commonwealth, magistrates are called heirs of restraint, to put men to shame, Judges xviii. 7, because they are to restrain disorders, shame evil-doers:  higher powers, to teach others subjection to them, Rom. xiii. 1.  “An ordinance of man or human creation,” 1 Pet. ii. 13:  because, though magistracy in general be an ordinance of God, yet this or that special kind of magistracy, whether monarchical, aristocratical, &c., is of man.  Thus in the Church:  the Church is called Christ’s body, Ephes. iv. 12, to show Christ’s headship, the Church’s subjection to Christ, and their near union to one another.  Christians are called members, Rom. xii.; 1 Cor. xii., to teach them mutual love,