6, p. 452, 464), Hemmingius (_Enchirid._, class. 3, cap. 11, p. 388),
Martyr (in 1 Cor. v.), and sundry others. Bullinger recordeth(1079) that
this was the manner of the particular churches in Helvetia, to choose unto
themselves a certain senate of elders, or company of the best men in the
church, which might, according to the canon of holy Scripture, exercise
the discipline of excommunication, which form is well warranted by the
Scriptures; for when Christ committeth the authority of binding and
loosing unto the church, Matt. viii. 17, 18, however the power and
authority itself pertain to any particular church collectively taken, as
hath been said, yet the execution of the same is committed to the
consistory or senate of elders which representeth that church, and which
Paul calleth a presbytery. Zanchius saith that Chrysostom,(1080)
Bullinger, and all good interpreters, understand the presbytery to be
there meant by Christ when he saith, "Tell the church." Chrysostom saith
{~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH VARIA~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA WITH PERISPOMENI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}, that is, saith Junius,(1081) the ecclesiastical
sanhedrim made up of pastors and elders. Thus Camero likewise expoundeth
the place.(1082) _Ecclesiae nomine_, saith he, _videtur Christus
significasse collegium presbyterorum qui ecelesiae Christianae erant
praefuturi, cujus presbyterii mentio fit_, 1 Tim. iv. Now if Christ hath
committed the power of excommunication unto the church, what have bishops
to say for themselves who appropriate this power unto themselves, each one
in his diocese? For when we cannot give the name of the church unto a
bishop,(1083) because he is but one man, and the church is a company of
many men; nay, nor yet can we give the name of the church unto a company
of bishops, for if they might be called the church, it should be for this
respect alone, because they represent the church: but _soli episcopi_,
&c., "Bishops alone (