A counter-essay, or, A vindication and assertion of Calvin and Beza's presbyterian judgment and principles drawn from their writings, in answer to the imputations of a late pamphlet, entituled, An essay concerning church-government ... attempting to fasten upon them an episcopal perswasion ... / by a minister of the true Presbyterian Church of Scotland, established by law.

Proposition 2.

None who assums this in after times, were allowed of these Di∣vines, as to their pretended jus, or as having a Divine Warrand and Institution. The Proposition is proved thus.

Demonstration. Major.

They who according to Calvin and Beza, were only togather the Vo••es, moderate the Actions of the meeting, and were subject to the meeting, or Church Judicatory, as being chosen by them, these had not the Government in their Persons, or a Fixed Official Prehemi∣nency of Ordination and Jurisdiction over the same.

Assumption.

But the Presidency of the First Pro••st••••e•• or Moderators, was in these Divines Judgement of this nature. Therefore these first Proesto••e••, or Moderators, had no Official Preheminency, in Ordinati••n and Jurisdiction over their Brethren, or the Government of the Judica∣tories in their Persons, as is said. The Major is clear, and is ••ounded upon the Nature and Rule of oppos••ta; For to be subject to he mee∣ing, and to gather the Votes only, and that by their own Election and Choise, cannot consist with having a f••xed, yea, (according to this mans pleasing) a sole Official Power in Ordination and Jurisdicti∣on ••v••r them. The Assumption is above cleared, from the expres••▪ Assertions, of these Divines, wherein it is made good, that Calvin asserts, that this Moderator or Fixed President, at first brought in, was only to moderat the Actions of the meeting, and was subject to them. The same we heard Beza assert, in speaking of his humane E∣pis••••pacy, as subsequent to that which had the Divine Warrand. The Conclusion is legitimatly deduced.

The 2 Proposition, viz. No••e who assumed this sort of Presidency, in aft••••t••mes, viz. An Official Prehemi••ency in Ordination and Juris∣diction over Pastors, were allowed of Calvin or Beza, as having a Di∣vine Warrand, is thus proved.

Demonstration.

These Divines, who disallow of any s••rt of Dominion in a single per∣son, over Church Judicatories, who maintain the equal Function, and Official Power of Pastors therein, who dis••wn the very first con∣tinuing fixed Moderator as a humane invention, and do hold that even this fixed Moderator ought to be sub••ect, to the consistorial judicial Votes o•• ••is Brethren, these do disown a Fixed Official Pr••h••minence, in Ordina••ion and Jurisdiction, in any ordinary Pastor over Church-Judicatories, and do condemn such as assumed this; but Calvin and

Beza do disallow of this Power above exprest, in any pastor above his Brethren. Therefore they disallow of these who in after times assumed this, as having no divine warrand. The Major is Evident upon the same ground on which the former first Proposition is bottomed, which if any deny, they will necessarily involve them in Contradicti∣ons. The ••ssumption is evident, from the above-cited places of Cal∣vin and Beza. We heard Calvin clearly ass••r•• the equal Official power of pastors, and that even extraordinary Offices, were not to encroach upon this power; That the first Proestetes were only to gather the Votes, and were subject to the Meeting, we also heard that Beza calls this Fixed Moderater the ••pisiopus humarus, as dist••nguished from the first divine Bishop, and asserts, that the setting of him up, was an a••er∣ation, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from the Divine Rule, and that which gave th•• f••rst rise to Antichristian Tyranny; we also heard, that he disown even the inference of a Fixed Moderator, from the Angel of the Church∣es; we have also frequently Observed, how that Calvin disowns the peculiarity of the very name (Bishop) to one Pastor, as giving the least semolance of any difference in the Official power and function of pa∣stors. The Conclusion therefore of their disowning this Official pre∣heminent power in Ordination and Jurisdiction, assumed, or rather usurped in after times, evidently and necessarily fo••lows; yea, is so evident, that Beza in his Treatise de Episcopatu triphci, calls the Bi∣shop assuming, in after times this preheminence in Ordination and Iurisdiction over Pastors, the Satanical Bishop, and the poysoned egg, out of which Antichrist was hatched. Come we to the 4th Proposi∣tion of our pamphleter, which is this thus.