Answ.

1. The consequence is denied. For Cloë might have made her complaint to ony one of the members of Corinth: but chose rather to do it to the Apostle, because his Apostolicall power would be helpfull in that case.

2. When there be Elders in a Church, all the complaints must Page  135 be made to them, and the causes prepared and cleared, and then by their means they must be complained of to the Church. Thus Paul adviseth Titus, to hear complaints with the Elders, and by the Elders to complain to the Church. Now to reason, complaints must be made by him, and Elders to the Church, therefore they must be made only to them, and not to the Church, is a very weak consequence.

3. Its granted by Divines there can be no proceeding to excom∣munication, but with the tacite consent of the people, therefore to them the complaints of the evills must be made by the El∣ders.

4. I would know, in case many Brethren have just occasion gi∣ven by the elders in a Church of an Iland, whether may they com∣plain, and to whom, if not to the body of the people, and they must know the complaints, before they can give consent to the censure.

5. Suppose there be grosse and haereticall doctrine preached by Officers, for which the people may justly reject their Pastours, in case they will not recant, and be humbled, as all confesse: whe∣ther must the people reject their Pastours for such evills, and never speak to them? or if the evill must be required, and called for to triall, may not a complaint be made to these people, before they come to examine and try?

Nay suppose all the elders but one, in a Congregation should be delinquent, dwelling only by one other Church, should the com∣plaints be carried to the one Elder, and not be carried by him to the whole body, when it is prepared?