3. Against the scandal of the weak Jews, and their heart-estrangement from the Gentiles, who neglected their ceremonial observances, as also against the scandal of the Gentiles, who were much troubled and offended at the urging of circumcision, and the keeping of the law as necessary to salvation, ver. 1, 2, 19, 24, the synod put forth an ordering or regulating power, framing practical rules or constitutions for the healing of the scandal, and for prevention of the spreading of it, commanding the brethren of the several churches to abstain from divers things that might any way occasion the same: "It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to impose" (or lay) "upon you no further burden than these necessary things," Acts xv. 28, 29. Here is _burden_ and _necessary things_, (so judged to be necessary for those times, and that state of the Church,) and imposing of these upon the churches: will not this amount to a plain ordering power and authority? Especially considering that the word _to impose_, or _lay on_, when it is used of the judgment, act, or sentence of an assembly, ordinarily signifies an authoritative judgment, or decree, as, "Why tempt ye God, to lay, or impose, a yoke upon the neck of the disciples?" Acts xv. 10. Thus some in the synod endeavored to carry the synod with themselves, authoritatively to have imposed the ceremonies upon the churches; whom Peter thus withstands. So, "They bind heavy burdens, and hard to be borne, and impose them upon men's shoulders," Matt, xxiii. 4: and this laying on of burdens by the Pharisees, was not by a bare doctrinal declaring, but by an authoritative commanding, as seems by that, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," Matt. xv. 9. 2. By the title or denomination given to the synodal results contained in their letters sent to the brethren. They are styled, "The decrees ordained, or judged," Acts xvi. 4. Here are plainly juridical authoritative constitutions. For it is very observable, That wheresoever the words translated _decree_ or _decrees_ are found in the New Testament, thereby are denoted, laws, statutes, or decrees: as "Decrees of Cæsar," Acts xvii. 7: "A decree from Cæsar," Luke ii. 1: Moses' ceremonial law, "The hand-writing to ordinances," Col. ii. 14: "The law of commandments in ordinances," Eph. ii. 15: and this word is found used only in these five places in the whole New Testament: and the Septuagint interpreters often use the word in the Old Testament to this purpose; for _laws_, Dan. vi. 8; for _decrees_, Dan. ii. 13, and iii. 10, 29, and iv. 3, and vi. 9. And the other word translated _ordained_, when applied to an assembly by the Septuagint, is used for a judgment of authority, as, "And what was decreed against her," Esth. ii. 1; and so a word derived from it, signifies a _decree_, Dan. iv. 14, 21.