5. He fhall be examined, What Authors in Theology he has read; and he fhall particularly make it evident, That he has confiderately read, Ames his Medulla Theologiæ : [ Or, fome other generally allowed Body of Divinity. ]

6. His Abilities to Refute Errors are to be tried, by putting fuch Inftances unto him, as the Triers may judge moft convenient.

7. He fhall declare to the Triers his Adherence unto, the Confeffion of Faith, agreed by the Churches of New England, and the Assembly of Divines at Westminster.

III. It is propofed, That if the Paftors of our Churches, are fo unadvised, as to employ in publick Preaching any Candidate of the Miniftry who hath neglected or contemned the Trial propounded for fuch Perfons, it shall be count ed an Offence; and it fhall be by the Paftors in the Neigbourhood, fignified unto fuch an one, that if he do not acknowledge his Offence, he fhall be dealt withal, as one that Walk diforderly.

IV. It is propofed, That if any Congregations be fo unadvised, as to invite unto publick Preaching any Candidate of the Ministry, who has avoided the Trial aforefaid, the Paftors of the Churches, in the Neighbourhood, fhall not only refufe to concur in the Ordination of a Perfon who has fo fhunned the Light, but also write unto the faid Congregations a fuitable Admonition for the Dif der, by which they thus expofe themfelves to the Devices of Satan.

is. Is

V. It is propofed, That when any Tried Candidate of the Miniftry is to be ordained unto the Paftoral Charge, he fhall, unto the Elders and Meffengers of the Churches, who are invited unto his Ordination, make due answers unto fuch Questions as their Moderator fhall propound, relating to his prefent Capacities and Inclinations, 'to ferve the Kingdom of GOD, and unto the 'Flock unto which he should now become re flated.

Several Affociations of Paftors in the Country have begun to execute thefe PROPOSALS. But they are not unto this Day fully Executed.

ARTICLE VII.

The other Ecclefiaftical OFFI CERS for the Affiftence of the PASTOR S.

§. I. F the Paftors were to be confidered, as

of the Churches, and their Interefts, yet the Pity and Favour of our SAVIOUR has been expref fed, in his joining of other Officers unto them, for their Affiftence in it.

S

There

There has been much thought about the Office of thofe called, RULING-ELDERS, to af fift the Paftors, in the Infpection and Government of the Churches.

We may not altogether give that Report about the New English, which Deacon Hilary, a Writer of the IVth Century gives about the Primitive Churches. Ecclefia, ut Synagoga, Seniores habuit, quorum fine Confilio, nihil agebatur in Ecclefia, quod, qua Negligentia obfoleverit, nefcio; nifi forte Doctorum Defidia, aut magis Superbia, dum foli velunt aliquid videri. But this may be reported, That be-, caufe the Office has not been well understood, (and thefe Elders have not been confidered as given to the Pastors meerly for Helps, as the Levites were to the Priests of old) nor have thofe few Churches that have maintained it, conformed unto what is practifed (of a Biennial, or Triennial Choice, and this in a good Number too,) in the other Churches of the Reformation; it is now generally laid afide. There are fewChurches, but what are,as many of the Primitive, at their firft planting. were, in the Condition mentioned by Tertullian; Ubi Ecclefiaftici Ordinis non eft Confeffus, Sacerdos eft ibi folus.

Our Platform afferts, an Office of Ruling Elders, diftinct from the Office of Paftor and Teacher; however, not fo called, for to exclude the Paftor and Teacher from Ruling. But then it affigns. a Work unto thefe, which it has happened fometimes, the Men whom the Churches have chofén, (and rarely have above One or Two at a Time, and thefe for Life, been chofen in a Church) have been uncapable of managing, any otherwife than

too

too clumsily, and fo as hardly to preferve the Dig nity of the Adminiftrations they have pretended

to.

An Affembly of our Paftors, once published this as their Judgment; That Ruling Elders are. appointed for the Affiftence of their Paftors, in the Government of their Churches, and the Infpection of the Flocks. And though thefe Of C ficers may not be furnished with all thofe At tainments. which are neceffary to a Paftor, yet if they are fo accomplished, as that they may be Helps to their Paftor, in the Management of their Church Rule, they may be chofen thereunto with much Benefit and Advantage to the, People of GOD. But, Whereas 'tis the Buf nefs of a Ruling Elder, to affift his Paftor, in Vi fiting the Diftreffed; Inftructing the Ignorant; Reducing of the Erroneous; Comforting the Afflic ted; Rebuking the Unruly; Difcovering the State, of the whole Flock; Exercising the Discipline. of the Gospel upon Offenders; and promoting the Defireable Growth of the Church; 'tis nes, ceffary that he be a Perfon of a Wifdom, Cou rage, Leifure,& Exemplary Holiness &Gravity, agreeable to fuch Employments.

One is at a Lofs about certain Paffages in Antiquity. If the Five or Six Brethren, whom Clemens with his Church, fent with his Excellent Letter unto the Church of Corinth, were not fuch Ruling Elders, yet Firmillian, Bishop of Cafarea, in the Third Century, feems to join the Se niors (or, Elders) with the Paftors, and fays,, That at certain times, they met for to fettle and orS2

der

18

der Matters committed unto their Care. And about fifty Years after, Menfurius, Bishop of Carthage; having occafion to travel, committed fome Treafures of the Church unto certain Elders, who afterward proving Wicked Men, began the Schifm of the Donatifts. And in the Acts of the Juftification of Cæcilian, which are more Ancient than the Council of Nice, we read of Elders diftin&t from the Bishops and Priests. Austin alfo feveral times makes mention of Elders diftinct from the Minifters of the Churches: Particularly he does it in the Infcriprion of his CXXXVII. Epiftle. Yea, in his XIX. Sermon on the Words of our Lord, [The Third in the Appendix of Tom..10] he declares the Duty of their Employments. The Council of Carthage, A. C. 407. diverfe times mentions thefe Elders, as defending the Rights of the People against the Bishops. Yea, we find them not Extinct in France and Italy, at the End of the Sixth Century.

That which has almoft extinguished them in this Country within the half of One Century, has been, the prevailing of fuch Sentiments as thefe, in very many of the Paftors.

The only Scripture that feems plainly to affert 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 Confideration, it will be found, That in the Primitive Churches, there were Paftors in two different Circumftances of Employment. First, there were Elders who in a more conftant Way carried on the Duties of the Evangelical Ministry, with the gathered Churches of the