Obj. WOuld you have the whole power of the Church con∣sist in the reall Body of the Church, and not in some chosen out of the rest as a representative thereof?
Ans. I have formerly shewed you, that the Apostles writ them* 1.1 Epistles (which I have quoted) not to any one particular man in the Church, or to more sequestred from the whole, but he wri∣teth to all them, to whom he sent his Epistles, which was to the whole reall Body of the Church; and therefore it must needs follow, that they had all equall power.
For to whom the Apostle writ his Epistle unto, of them he re∣quireth a performance of his will.
But he writ to all the reall Body of the Church, to whom he sent (as I have heretofore cleerly proved) and not to any one a part, or to more sequestred from the whole.
Ergo he requireth such things as he writ for, to be done by the reall Body of the Church, as in 1 Cor. 5. 4. & 12. 13.
Obj. Doubtlesse such businesse, may be despatched, with more fa∣cility, by certaine Members of the Body, chosen out of the whole, as a representative Church; then otherwise it can be done, by the reall Body of the Church?
Ans. We are not to deprive the poorest or meanest Member* 1.2 of Christ, of the right, and priviledge, of his Christian Liberty, it being as due, and proper unto him, as a Crowne to a King. And yet for order sake we allow, that Church businesse may be dispatched by some eminent persons, who are Members of it, so that they be chosen by the consent of the reall Body, as in the elections of Parliaments, &c. sor in such a manner was the con∣troversie dispatched, which hapned at Antioch, viz. by chusing certaine Members out of the reall Body, by the reall Body, as ap∣peareth, Act. 15. 2. as also at Jerusalem, where the Brethren, viz.