Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/436

 EhkpJXl. O F* ^ItA ^d fr £ S *t 'E R. *** ttofc iluroe 3bW -ie&Uy tKe JDMfiity^to e*amitte r die" *arjou* models V)f-igb«crftrt>ent afid ' to fettle' the beft fair r themfelves. He ^bo'fiwd^ed the fnrtrte arid therefore knew the (brings of tfehutoanV hearts Would nevfer'ha>e reftri-ed'a'polrit lo : the dk tefininsttioti dtf ftftaA; w!ikh. l ftoni IJ the vanity-' ' Sf 'merei fjjecula-* tfcm antf thti'ntceffify- -Wait of feh^ciarf-fexpeiie^c%;ha"salway1 been fo var%fufly ; coufidered by ; man, which ftorri the greatnei^ of its '-dbj*a«.f > tfifaoiifr coujkf riot thus have inflflttfted hi* church in folly. ' * As a'fociety, as a fociety modelled ih wifdoin and founded' on peace, the individuals 6f it muft efertainTy -hiive -been, retailed id: their proper fphe&i by a* ett^entratthg priheK jpbelofc obedience iinfome and by cu'i?eguia«5ng power i<>f gGVerii4 merit ia. others; j But the Chriftiaa. ivas^ not modelled nierety like a common fociety.r H had this peculiarity in the- fpame ami texture* ©fits r cxwifHtutiqn,. that i could not 4 have btglin t6 eiift.at all without a prtvpoufly^mftitiitedj^buforrti df govern^ ment. : It ' Eagan taexift ft firft iby i the J>aptifinal admitiifttfttfoi) of; the iapoftlcs* And tbci aptiftfllic?! ipemftr of. .introducing prd* felytes into it muil have neceffarify included in its idea a power of government over th* ^rofelytes afterwards. The firflf Ghrifc tians were actually admitted iato. the! pale, by apbftolical minU ftrdtion* iThe.firft Ghfriftians wdre aftually, fubjeSt- in the pat* to apdftolifcaL government." -.* r •. ■ -. . r ; . .if The* mode of pdllty that was; firft delivered to the apoftles for the prefent government of the church muft have been the fame that was continued over the church in the* days of the apofldes. The mode bf polity that was either then or af- terKvards j appointed by Chrift for the regimen -of his church in . all ages tnuft have been thte* fame . that was 'carried with Christianity intQ all nations and has continued with Christianity in all ages. And both were indubitably the monarchical or epit copal. This was the model of > cccfefiafticaL polity that wai 1 F f f obferved