2.  When was any such power committed by Christ to the multitude of the faithful, either in the first planting and beginning of the Church, or in the after establishment and growth of the Church under the apostles’ ministry?  Not the first; for then the apostles themselves should have derived their power from the community of the faithful:  now this is palpably inconsistent with the Scriptures, Which tell us that the apostles had both their apostleship itself, and their qualifications with gifts and graces for it, yea, and the very designation of all their particular persons unto that calling, all of them immediately from Christ himself.  For the first, see Gal. i. 1:  “Paul, an apostle, not of men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ,” Matt, xxviii. 18-20.  For the second, see John xx. 22, 23:  “And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them,” &c.  For the third, see Luke vi. 13, &c.:  “And when it was day he called to him his disciples:  and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon—­” Matt. x. 5-7, &c.:  “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying.”  And after his resurrection he enlarges their commission, Mark xvi. 15, 16:  “Go ye into all the world;” and, “As my Father hath sent me, so send I you,” John xx. 21.  See also how the Lord cast the lot upon Matthias, Acts i. 24-26.  Nor the second; for if such power be committed to the community of the faithful after the apostles had established the churches, then let those that so think show where Christ committed this power first to the apostles, and after to the community of the faithful, and by them or with them to their ordinary officers, for execution thereof.  But no such thing hath any foundation in Scripture; for the ordinary Church guides, though they may have a designation to their office by the church, yet they have the donation, or derivation of their office and its authority only from Christ:  their office is from Christ, Ephes. iv. 8, 11; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Acts xx. 28, 29.  Their power from Christ, Matt. xvi. 19, and xxviii. 18, 19; John xx. 21, 23.  “Our power which the Lord hath given us,” 2 Cor. viii. 10.  They are Christ’s ministers, stewards, ambassadors, 1 Cor. iv. 1; 2 Cor. v. 19, 20.  They are to act and officiate in his name, Matt, xviii. 19; 1 Cor. v. 4, 5; and to Christ they must give an account.  Heb. xiii. 17, 18; Luke xii. 41, 42.  Now if the ordinary officers have (as well as the apostles their apostleship) their offices of pastor, teacher, &c., from Christ, and are therein the successors of the apostles to continue to the world’s end, (Matt, xxviii. 18-20,) then they have their power and authority in their offices immediately from Christ, as the first receptacles thereof themselves, and not from the Church as the first receptacle of it herself.  A successor hath jurisdiction from him from whom the predecessor had his; otherwise he doth not truly succeed him.  Consequently the Church or community of the faithful cannot possibly be the first receptacle of the power of church government from Christ.