The prerogative of popular government. A politicall discourse in two books. The former containing the first præliminary of Oceana, inlarged, interpreted, and vindicated from all such mistakes or slanders as have been alledged against it under the notion of objections. The second concerning ordination, against Dr. H. Hamond, Dr. L. Seaman, and the authors they follow. In which two books is contained the whole commonwealth of the Hebrews, or of Israel, senate, people, and magistracy, both as it stood in the institution by Moses, and as it came to be formed after the captivity. As also the different policies introduced into the Church of Christ, during the time of the Apostles. By James Harrington.

CHAP. IV. The deduction of the Chirothesia from Monar∣chical or Aristocratical Government, and of the second way of Ordination from the Chirothesia. In which is contained the Common-wealth of the Iews as it stood after the Capti∣vity.

WHat pleaseth the Prince (saith Justinian) hath the force of a Law, seeing the people in his Creation have devolved their whole power upon his person? w^ch is w^ch the most? But when Popular Government is changed into Monarchi∣cal, either the whole power of the people, or a great▪ part of it must of necessity accrue unto the King. Hence saith Sa∣muel, he will appoint him Captains over Thousands, and Cap∣tains over Fifties: in which words perhaps is intimated the Judges of the inserior Courts, or Jethonian prefectures; so* 1.1 that hereby Samuel tells the people they shall no more have the Election of their Rulers, but the King will have it: who it may be changed the nature of some of these Magistracies, or added others, for when David came to reign over all Israel,* 1.2 Joab was over the host (his Strategus or General) Jehoshaphat was Recorder, Zadoc and Abi••elec were the Priests, Seraiah was the Scribe, and Benaiah was over the Pelethites, and the Cerethites; that is, was Captain of his Regiments of Guard, called perhaps by these names, as those of Romulus were called

Celeres. But it should seem that few or none of these Offi∣cers were elected by the Chirotonia, that is by the people, but by the Prince, which kind of Election as will be shewn a∣non may be called Chirothesia. For the deduction of this kind of Ordination, or Election, we shall do well to hearken first unto Doctor Hammond; who in his Quaere, or Discourse* 1.3 concerning Ordination, by the Imposition of Hands, puts it thus. To lift up the Hands was a Ceremony in Prayer, and* 1.4 accordingly to lay hands on any, (differing no otherwise from lifting up, than by the determining that action to a peculiar object, (the person that was prayed for) was generally among the Iews, a Ceremony of benediction used first by the Father to the Children; in bestowing the blessing upon them, (and with that the succession to some part of his Estate or Inheritance) as appears in Iacobs blessing the Children of Ioseph: he stretched out his* 1.5 right hand and laid it upon Ephraims head, and so his left hand on Manasses, and so he blessed, &c. From thence it was accomodated among them to the communicating of any part of power to others as assistants, or to the deriving of any successive Office from one to another. Thus when Moses had from Heaven received, and long used his Commission to be under God the Ruler of the People, the seventy Elders were by Gods appoint∣ment* 1.6 assumed to assist him: it being certain from the Iewish wri∣tings, though the sacred Scripture have no occasion to mention it, that the succession of the seventy Elders under the name of San••edrim o Council was continued through all Ages by their creating others in the place of those that dyed, by this Ceremony of Imposition of Hands. To this purpose are the clear words of Maimonides, Moses our master created the seventy Elders* 1.7 by Imposition of Hands, and the Divine Majesty rested on them; and those Elders imposed Hands on others, and others on others, &c. So a little before the departure of Moses out of his life, when a Successor was to be provided for him, God com∣mands him to take Joshua, and lay his hands upon him. And* 1.8 Moses laid his Hands upon him, and gave him a Charge as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses: that is, derived unto him by this Ceremony the Authority which himself had, and constituted him his Successor in that Government. And so it is* 1.9 repeated Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his Hands upon him.

This is the Doctors deduction of the Chirothesia, or ordi∣nation by the Laying on of Hands from the Common-wealth of Israel: and (saith he) from the three Ʋses of this Ceremony there, that is first in praying for another, secondly, in paternall benediction; thirdly in creating successors in power, either in whole, or in part, derive three sorts of things in the New Testa∣ment, to which this Ceremony of Laying on of Hands is accomo∣dated; that of prayer simply taken was of two sorts, either for the cure of Diseases, or pardoning of sins. For Diseases: They* 1.10 shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. For sins▪ they were done away also by this Ceremony in the absolution of Penitents, to which belongs that Exhortation of Paul to Timo∣thy, Lay Hands suddenly on no man, (that is) not without due* 1.11 examination and proof of his penitence, least thou be partaker of other mens sins. From the second, that of Paternal bene∣diction, was borrowed, first that of blessing Infants, with the Ce∣remony of Imposition of Hands, as it differ'd from Baptisme. And secondly, that of confirming those of fuller age, that had been for∣merly* 1.12 Baptized. Lastly to create Successors in any power, or communicating any part of power to others, as to Assistants, is answerable that Imposition of Hands in Ordination so often mentioned in the New Testament, sometimes in the lower degree,* 1.13 as in the ordaining of Deacons. Elsewhere in the highest degree, setting Governors over particular Churches, as generally when by that laying on of Hands, it is said they received the Holy Ghost, whereas the Holy Ghost contains all the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 re∣quired to the pastoral function, and so signifies power from on* 1.14 high; the Authority and function it self; so it being given by Imposition of Hands▪ makes the parallel exact be∣tween this of Christian Ordination, and that observed in the Creating Successors in the Jewish Sanhedrin. So far the Doctor.

Now say I if the Scripture be silent as to the Ordination of* 1.15 the Elders in Israel: what meaneth that place: Take the wise men, and understanding, and known among your Tribes, and I will make them Rulers over you; once in their lives let them give us the sense of it, or of that other, where Eldad and Me∣dad are of those that were written, and yet went not up unto the Tabernacle: Otherwise that we hear no more of these, is from the silence of Divines, and not of the Scripture. But if

the Scripture be not silent in this point, is there not a great deal of fancy in going on to cure the sick, to pardon sins, to bless Infants, confirm the Baptized, ordain Ministers, nay, give the Holy Ghost, and all the graces belonging unto the pa∣storal Function, from a place that hath no such thing in it? for if the Sanhedrim according to Scripture were not ordain∣ed by the Chirothesia, there is no such thing to be derived by the Chirothesia from the Sanhedrim. The first Chirotonia indeed of the Sanhedrim was accompanied with miraculous indowments, wherefore if they will derive these gifts and graces from the Sanhedrim, why are they sworn enemies to the Chirotonia? Again the Sanhedrim was a Civil Court or Senate, wherefore then by this title should not these gifts and graces be rather pretended unto by the Civil Magistrate, than by Divines? what becomes of the Priest Aaron and his Lots? is he left unto the Civil Magistrate, while Divines de∣rive themselves from General Ioshua and his Chirothesia? But if the Sanhedrim and inferior Judicatories were otherwise or∣dained originally; then no Magistrate in Israel was origi∣nally ordained by the Chirothesia but only Ioshua. It is ad∣mirable that Divines should look upon God, as if in the in∣stitution of a Common-wealth he had no regard at all unto humane prudence; but were altogether fix'd upon their vain advantages. Who made humane prudence? or to what end was it made? Any man that understands the politicks, and considers that God was now proceeding according unto this art, as in his constitution of the Senate, and of the people, or Congregation is most obvious, must needs see that this power he indulged unto Moses of making his own choice of one man could not possibly be intended, as a permanent constitu∣tion, for whereas he intended Popular Government, nothing is plainer then that a people not electing their own Magi∣strates can have no popular Government. How absurd is it to conceive that God having already made an express Law that the people if at any time they came under Monarchy, should yet have the election of their King, should now make a Law that the people being under a Common-wealth, should no longer have the election of their Magistrates? for who seeth not that to introduce the Chirothesia as a standing Ordi∣nance, had been to bar the people of this power? Israel at

this time, though designed for a Common-wealth, had no Land, no foundation to ballance her self upon, but was an Army in a Wilderness, encompassed about with enemies; to permit unto the people in this case, the choice of all their ci∣vil Magistrates was nevertheless safe enough, nay best of all, for at the election of wise men, and understanding, and known among their Tribes, so far as was needful unto civil admini∣stration, their skil must needs have been at any time suffici∣ent, but the Common-wealth was yet in absolute necessity of a Protector, and of Dictarian power. Now to know who was fittest in this case to succeed Moses, required the wisdom of God, or of Moses, and therefore was not yet safe to be ventur'd upon a people so new in their Government. For these reasons I say Moses used the Chirothesia for once, and no more, or let them shew me among all the Dictators, Iudg∣es, or Kings, that succeeded Ioshua, any one that was chosen by the Chirothesia, and be all Dictators. It is now above three thousand years since the institution of the Sanhedrim, from which time the ambitious Elders first, then the Talmudists, and of latter ages Divines have been perpetually striving for, or possessing themselves of this same Oligarchycal invention of the Chirothesia pretended to be derived from Moses; though there be neither any such precept of God or Christ in the Old or New Testament, nor any unanimous result upon the point, either by the Talmudists or Divines themselves. And for the clear words quoted by the Doctor out of Maimoni∣des, they are such unto which I shall in due time shew Mai∣monides to be elsewhere of a clear contrary opinion. But in this Controversie, without some clearer deduction of the Chirothesia, we shall make no happy progress, in this there∣fore I shall follow Selden the ablest Talmudist of our age, or any.

The Common-wealth of Lacedemon (if I could stand to shew it) hath strange resemblances to that of Israel, not only in the Agragrian, which is nothing to the present purpose, but in the Senate, which to prevent catching another time, I do not say was a Iudicatory only, but not only a Senate, but a Iudicatory also. For Lycurgus of all other Legislators was in this the likest unto God, or unto Moses, that his work was so exquisitely perfected at once, and his Laws so comprehensive,

that if the Senate had had no other function than to make or propose new Laws, there being little or nothing of that want∣ing, they would have had little or nothing to do. Now it being thus, and much more than thus in Israel, the Sanhedrim was not only the Senate, but the supream Iudicatory. And because one Court in a Territory of any Extent is no where sufficient unto this end; therefore the Sanhedrim had divers branches distended not only unto the Cities of Iudea, but e∣ven unto the Villages, these were called the Lesser Sanhedrim, or the Iethronian Praefectures.

The Great Sanhedrim consisting (as hath been shewn) of 70.* 1.16 Elders, sat first in the Tabernacle, and afterwards in the Court of the Temple.

The Iethronian Praefectures consisted some of three and twenty Elders, and others but of three. Of the former kind there were two in the gates of the Temple, and one sitting in the gates of every City, of the latter there was one almost in every Village.

The power of the I••thronian Court consisting of twenty three Elders, was in matter of Iudicature, equall with that of the great Sanhedrin, onely in cases of difficulty they observed this precept. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judge∣ment* 1.17 between blood and blood, between plea and plea, between stroke and stroke, being matter of controversie within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose (in the future, for the Common-wealth was yet but designed, not planted) and thou shalt come unto the Priests and the Levites, and unto the Iudge that shall be in those dayes, and enquire, and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgement. That is, thou shalt consult the Sanhedrim, or if there be no Sanhedrim, the Suffes or Iudge of Israel. The rea∣son why the Sanhedrim in this Text is mentioned under the name of the Priests and Levites is, that these about the begin∣ning of this Common-wealth having (as were also the Egyp∣tian Priests at the same time) been the learnedst Men, whe∣ther for Lawyers, or Physitians, there were scarce any other chosen into the Sanhedrim, though towards the latter end it happened to be far otherwise. For whereas sacrificing was feasting▪ the Priests enjoying a f••••idl••ness, became in latter times so heavy, that as to the Election of the Sanhedrim

not only the Levites of inferior rank were upon the matter wholly laid by, but the High Priest himself sometimes omit∣ted, the rest of the Tribes far excelling this in Learning.

The power of the Triumvirates, or three Iudges in the Villages extended no farther than to inflict stripes to a certain number, and pecuniary mulcts to a certain sum. These possibly had the same recourse upon occasion of difficulty unto the Iudges in the gates, as the Iudges in the gates had to the Sanhedrim: but their power is not so much to the pre∣sent purpose which regards onely their manner of Election. This having been institutively exercised, as hath been shewn by the Chirotonia, or Ballot of the People, came sooner or la∣ter, (I find no man that can resolve npon the certain time) to the Chirothesia. For though when a Iudge in the gate, was dead, that Court elected his Successor out of their Disciples, (each Court in the gates had 99 Disciples that were their constant auditors) or out of the Triumvirates; and when an Elder of the Sanhedrim dyed, the Sanhedrim elected his Succes∣sor out of the Courts in the gates, more particularly those in the gates of the Temple by suffrages; yet no man was capable of being elected into any of these Courts, that was not a Presbyter, nor was any man a Presbyter that had not recei∣ved* 1.18 the Chirothesia: nor could any man confer the Chirothe∣sia that had not first received it, or been so ordained a Presby∣ter himself: nor though he were so ordained, could he confer the like Ordination, but in the presence of two others, whether ordain'd or not ordain'd: and no Ordination could be con∣ferr'd but either this way, or by some one of the Iudicatories.* 1.19 The manner how this Ordination was conferr'd, if the party were present, was either by laying on of Hands, or by saying a Verse or Charme, or if he were absent, by a Letter, or Pa∣tent.

An Elder thus Ordained was called Rabbi, might have Di∣sciples,* 1.20 teach, practice, or expound the Law, declare what was thereby free or forbidden (which with them was called bind∣ing and loosing) ordain others with the assistance mentioned, or be capable of Election into some one, or any Court of Ju∣stice, according to the nature of his Ordination, the Conditions mentioned at the conferring of the same, or the gift that was in him by the laying on of the hands of the Presby∣tery,

which in some extended no farther than to shew how meat should be kill'd and dress'd, how uncleanness should be purified, what were vices of the body, what might be eaten or drunk, and what not? in others it extended to some one or more, or all the facultys expressed; but I am inclining to believe that a plenary Ordination, used not to be conferr'd but by the Great Sanhedrim, or at least some one of the Ie∣thronian Courts.

They used also to confer this Ordination some time occasi∣onally, and for a season in this manner. Receive the gift of* 1.21 judiciary Ordination, or the right of binding and loosing, til such time as you return unto us in the City. Where the Christian Jews still following their former Customes in higher matters, as the observation of the Sabbath, and of Circumcision, even unto such a degree, that Paul not to displease them took Ti∣mothy and circumcised him, seem unto me to have followed this custom, who when the Prophets at Antioch had informed them that Paul and Barnabas were to be separated unto an extraordinary work, laid their hands upon them, and sent them* 1.22 away: for otherwise as to Ordination Paul and Barnabas had that before; At least Paul by Ananias, and for any such* 1.23 precept in the Christian Religion there was none.

Iosephus, Philo, and other Authors, that tell us the Com∣mon-wealth of Israel was an Aristocracy, look no farther than the introduction of the Chirothesia by the Presbyterian party, which must have taken date some time after the Captivity, or the restitution of the Common-wealth by Ezra, there heing not one sillable for it in Scripture, but enough to the contra∣ry, seeing God introduced the Chirotonia. By which it is demonstrable that a Presbyterian party may bring a Popular Government unto Oligarchy; aud deface even the work of God himself, so that it shall not be known to afer-ages; as also that Ecclesiastical Writers (for such are the Talmudists) may pretend that for many hundred years together, as Divines al∣so have done, to be in Scripture, which neither is, nor ever was there. But have I yet said enough to shew that Ordi∣nation especially as in this Example, not of a Clergy, but of a Magistracy, whether by the Chirotonia, or Chirothesia is a political institution? or must I rack my brains for Arguments to prove that an Order or a Law having such influence upon

the Common-wealth, that being introduced or Repealed, it quite alters the whole frame of the Government, must needs be of a Political nature, and therefore not appertain unto Divines, or unto a Clergy, but unto the Magistrate, unless their traditions may be of force to alter the Government as they please? all is one, they can abate nothing of it, let what will come of the Government, the Chirothesia they must and will have. Then let them have Monarchy too, or Tyran∣ny, for one of these according as the ballance happeneth to stand with or against their Chirothesia is the certain conse∣quence; either Tyranny as in Israel▪ or Monarchy as in the Papacy, and from that or the like principle, in all Gothick Empires, which examples to begin with Israel, well de∣serve the paines to be somewhat more diligently unfold∣ed.

All Elections in Israel, (save those of the Priests who were Eligible by the Lot) being thus usurped by the Presby∣terian party, and the people by that means devested of their Chirotonia; some three hundred years before Christ, Hillel Senior High Priest, and Archon, or Prince of the Sanhedrim found means to draw this power of Ordination, in shew somewhat otherwise, but in effect unto himself, and his Chi∣rothesia, for by his influence upon the Sanhedrim it was* 1.24 brought to pass, that whereas formerly any man Ordain'd, might (in the manner shewn) have ordained his Disciples; it was now agreed that no man should be ordained without the License of the Prince, and that this power should not be in tbe Prince, but in the presence of the Father of the Sanhedrim, or Speaker of the House. Thus the Aristocracy of Israel be∣coming first Oligarchical took (according unto the nature of all such Governments) long steps towards Monarchy, which succeeding in the Asmonean Family, commonly called the Machabees, was for their great merit (in vindicating the Jews from the Tyranny of Antiochus) confirmed unto them by the universal consent and Chirotonia of the people. Neverthe∣less unto him that understands the orders of a Common∣wealth, or hath read the Athenian, Lacedemonian, or Roman Story, it will be plain enough that but for their Aristocracy they needed not to have been so much beholding unto, or to have stood so much in need of one Family. It is true both

the merit of these Princes, and the manner of their free Ele∣ction by the people; seem to forbid the Name of Tyranny un∣to this institution. But so it is, that let there be never so much merit in the man, or inclination of the people to the Prince, or the Government that is not founded upon the due ballance, the Prince in that case must either govern in the nature of a Common-wealth, as did those of this Family, reforming the policy after the Lacedemonian Modell, or turn Tyrant, as from their time, who lived in the Age of the Gre∣cian Monarchy did all their Successors, till under the Romans this Nation became a Province. From which time such en∣deavours and insurrections they used for the recovery of their antient policy, that under the Emperor Adrian, (who perceived at what their Ordination, being not of Priests, but of Magistrates, and of a Senate, pretending unto Soveraign Judicature and Authority seem'd to aim) there came (saith the Talmud) against the Israelites an Edict out of the King∣dom of the wicked (meaning the Roman Empire) whereby who∣soever should ordain, or be ordain'd, was to be put to death, and the school or City in which such an act should be done, to be destroyed; whereupon Rabbi Jehuda Ben Baba (least Ordination should fail in Israel) went forth, and standing between two great moun∣tains, and two great Cities, and between two Sabbath days jour∣neys from Osa and Sephara, Ordained five Presbyters. For this feat the Rabbi is remember'd by the Talmudists under the name of Ordinator; but the same (as it follows) being disco∣vered by the Roman Guards, They shot his body through with so many Darts, as made it like a sieve, yet staid not the busi∣ness here, but so obstinate continued the Jew in the supersti∣tion unto which this kind of Ordination was now grown, that whereas by the same it was unlawful for them to Ordain in a forraign Land, and at home they could not be brought to ab∣stain, the Emperor banished them all out of their own Coun∣try, whence happened their total dispersion. That of a thing, which at the first was a meer delusion, such Religion should come in time, and with education to be made that not onely they who had received advantage could suffer Martyrdome, but they that had lost by it, would be utterly lost for it, were admirable in the case of this people, if it were not common in the case of most in the world at this day: custom may bring

that to be received as an Ordinance of God, for which there is no colour in Scripture. For to consult Maimonides a lit∣tle better upon this point. Whereas (saith he) they grant in* 1.25 case it should happen that in all the Holy Land there remained but one Presbyter, that Presbyter assisted by two other Israelites, might ordain the seventy, or great Sanhedrim, and the Sanhe∣drim so constituted might constitute and ordain the lesser Courts, I am of opinion that were there no Presbyter in the Land, yet if all the wise-men of Israel should agree to constitute or ordain Judges, they might do it lawfully enough. But if so, then how comes it to pass that our Ancestors have been so solicitous, least Judicature should fail in Israel? Surely for no other cause than that from the time of the Captivity the Israelites were so disper∣sed that they could not upon like occasions be brought together. Now I appeal whether the clear words of Maimonides, where he saith that out Master Moses ordained the Sanhedrim by the Chirothesia, be not more clearly and strongly contradicted in this place, than they are affirmed in the other, since acknow∣ledging that if the people could assemble, they might Ordain the Sanhedrim; he gives it for granted, that when they did assemble, they had power to Ordain it, and that Moses did assemble them upon this occasion is plain in Scripture. Again if the power of Ordination fall ultimately unto the People, there is not a stronger argument in Nature, that it thence primarily derived. To conclude the Chirothesia of the Pres∣byterian party in Israel is thus confessed by the Author no otherwise necessaty, than through the defect of the Chirotonia of the People: which ingenuity of the Talmudist, for any thing that hath yet past, might be worthy the imitation of Divines.

In tracking the Jews from the restitution of their Common∣wealth after the Captivity to their dispersion, it seemeth that the later Monarchy in Israel was occasioned by the Oligarchy, the Oligarchy by the Aristocracy, and the Aristocracy by the Chirothesia. But that this Monarchy, though erected by Magnanimous and Popular Princes, could be no less than Ty∣ranny deriv'd from another principle, that is, the insufficien∣cy of the ballance. For albeit from the time of the Captivity, the Jubilee was no more in use, yet the Virgin Mary as an Heiress, is affirmed by some to have been Married unto Io∣seph,

by vertue of this Law, Every Daughter that possesseth an* 1.26 inheritance in any Tribe of the Children of Israel, shall be Wife unto one of the Family of the Tribe of her Fathers, &c. By which the popular Agrarian may be more than suspected to have been of greater vigour than would admit of a well bal∣lanced Monarchy.

The second Presbytery, which is now attained unto a well ballanced Empire in the Papacy, hath infinitely excelled the patern, the Lands of Italy being most of them in the Church. This if I had leisure might be tracked by the very same steps: at first it consisted of the seventy Parish Priests, or Presbyters of Rome; now seventy Cardinals creating unto themselves an High Priest, or Prince of their Sanhedrim, the Pope, but for the Superstition whereunto he hath brought Religion, and continues by his Chirothesia to hold it, a great and a Reve∣rend Monarch, established upon a solid foundation, and go∣verning by an Exquisite policy, not only well ballanced at home, but deeply rooted in the greatest Monarchies of Chri∣stendom, where the Clergy by vertue of their Lands are one of the three States.

The maxims of Rome are profound, for there is no making use of Princes without being necessary unto them; nor have they any regard unto that Religion which doth not regard Empire. All Monarchies of the Golthick model, that is to say, where the Clergy by vertue of their Lands are a third estate, subsist by the Pope, whose Religon creating a reve∣rence in the people, and bearing an awe upon the Prince, pre∣serveth the Clergy, that else being unarmed, become a cer∣tain prey unto the King or the people; and where this hap∣peneth (as in Henry the Eighth) down goes the Throne, for so much as the Clergy looseth, falls out of the Monarchical into the Popular scale. Where a Clergy is a third estate, Popular Government wants earth and can never grow: but where they dye at the root a Prince may sit a while, but is not safe; nor is it in nature (except he have a Nobility or Gentry able without a Clergy to give ballance unto the peo∣ple) that he should subsist long, or peaceably: For where∣ever a Government is founded upon an Army (as in the Kings of Israel, or the Emperours of Rome) there the saddest Tragedies under heaven are either one the stage, or in the

Tiring-house. These things considered, the Chirothesia be∣ing originally nothing else but a way of Policy excluding the people, where it attaineth not unto a ballance that is suffi∣cient for this purpose, bringeth forth Oligarchy or Tyran∣ny, as among the Jews: And where it attaineth unto a ballance sufficent unto this end, produceth Monarchy as in the Papacy and in all Gothick Kingdomes.

The Priests of Aegypt, where (as it is described by Sicu∣lus) their revenue came unto the third part of the Realm, would, no question, have been exactly well fitted with the Chirothesia pretended unto by modern Divines. Suppose the Apostles had planted the Christian Religion in those parts. and the Priests had been all converted, I do not think that Divines will say that having altered their Religion they needed to have deserted their being a third estate; their o∣verballance to the people, their lands, their preheminece in the Government, or any part of thir Policy for that: and I am as far from saying so as themselves.

On the other side, as Paul was a Citizen of Rome, let us suppose him to have been a Citizen of Athens, and about (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) to constitute the Christian Religion in this Gommon-wealth where any Citizen might speak un∣to the people. Imagine then he should have said thus. Men of Athens, that which you ignorantly seek, I bring unto you the true Religion, but to receive this, you must not alter your for∣mer belief only but your ancient Customes; your political Assem∣blies have been hitherto called, Ecclesiae, this word must loose the ancient sense, and be no more understood but of spiritual Con∣sistories, and so whereas it hath been of a popular, it must henceforth be of an Aristocratical, or Presbyterian significati∣on. For your Christonia that also must follow the same rule insomuch as on whomsoever, one or more of the Aristocracy or Presbytery shall lay their hands, the same is understood by vertue of that Action to be Chirotonized. How well would this have sounded in Aegypt, and how ill in Athens? Cer∣cainly the Policy of the Church of Christ admits of more pru∣dence and temperament in these things, though the Apostles being Jews themselves, satisfied the converted Jews that were used to Aristocrrcy by retaining somewhat of their constitu∣tions, as the Chirothesia yet when Paul and Barnabas come

to constitute in Popular Common-wealths: they are (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) Chirotoni∣zing them Elders in every Congregation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Sam. 8. 12.
• * 1.2

  2 Sam. 8. 15.
• * 1.3

  § 10.
• * 1.4

  Exod. 17. 11.
• * 1.5

  Gen. 48. 14.
• * 1.6

  Numb. 11. 17.
• * 1.7

  Tit Sanhed. C 4.
• * 1.8

  Numb. 27. 28, 23.
• * 1.9

  Deut. 34. 9.
• * 1.10

  Mat. 16. 18.
• * 1.11

  1 Tim. 5. 22.
• * 1.12

  Mat. 10. 16.
• * 1.13

  Acts 6. 6.
• * 1.14

  Luke 24. 49.
• * 1.15

  Deut. 1. Numb. 11.
• * 1.16

  Selden de Syn.
• * 1.17

  Vide▪ Grot. ad Deut. 17. 8.
• * 1.18

  Mikotzl Misna Gemara
• * 1.19

  Abr. Zacuth. Maimonides.
• * 1.20

  Rab. Jonah. Rab. Nathan.
• * 1.21

  Maimon. Tit. San. Cap. 4.
• * 1.22

  Acts 13. 3.
• * 1.23

  Acts 9. 17.
• * 1.24

  Malmon. Tit. San. Cap. 4.
• * 1.25

  Halac. San. C. 4. S. 11.
• * 1.26

  Numb. 27. 8.