4. The apostles themselves, in their joint acts of government in such
churches, acted as ordinary officers, viz. as presbyters or elders. This
is much to be observed, and may be evidenced as followeth: for, 1. None
of their acts of church government can at all be exemplary or obligatory
upon us, if they were not presbyterial, but merely apostolical; if they
acted therein not as ordinary presbyters, but as extraordinary apostles.
For what acts they dispatched merely as apostles, none may meddle withal
but only apostles. 2. As they were apostles, so they were presbyters,
and so they style themselves, "The elder to the elect lady," 2 John i.
"The elders which are among you I exhort," saith Peter, "who am also an
elder," (i.e. who am a fellow-elder, or co-presbyter,) 1 Pet. v. 1;
wherein he ranks himself among ordinary presbyters, which had been
improper, unless he had discharged the offices and acts of an ordinary
presbyter. 3. Their acts were such, for substance, as ordinary
presbyters do perform, as preaching and prayer, Acts vi. 4: ordaining of
officers, Acts vi. 6, and xiv. 23: dispensing of the sacraments, 1 Cor.
i. 14; Acts ii. 42, and xx. 7: and of church censures, 1 Cor. v. 4, 5,
compared with 1 Tim. v. ver. 1, ult.: which acts of government, and such
like, were committed by Christ to them, and to ordinary presbyters
(their successors) to the end of the world; compare Matt. xvi. 19, and
xviii. 17, 18, to the end, and John xx. 21, 23, with Matt. xxviii.
18-20. 4. They acted not only as ordinary elders, but also they acted
jointly with other elders, being associated with them in the same
assembly, as in that eminent synod at Jerusalem, Acts xv. 6, 22, 23, and
xvi. 4, "And as they went through cities, they delivered them the
decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which
were at Jerusalem." 5. And, finally, they took in the church's consent
with themselves, wherein it was needful, as in the election and
appointment of deacons, Acts vi. 2, 3. 6. The deacons being specially to