Christianity and the two Sacraments of Christs institution and some short Catechism that containeth these And when we have done our best in publick and in private we leave many of them ignorant what these two Sacraments are yea or who Christ himself is And must we put them to so much more labour as to learn a Rationale or exposition of all the Ceremonies holy dayes c We shall but overwhelm them or divert them from the Essentials And here you may see the unhappy issue of humane wisdom and false means It is to be teachers of the ignorant that men pretend these Signs Images and Ceremonies to be usefull And yet they are the causes of ignorance and keep men from necessary knowledge If you doubt of this do but open your eyes and make use of experience See whether among the common people the most Ceremonious are not commonly the most ignorant yea and the most ungodly too It is a truth so notorious that it cannot be denyed Who more ignorant of the Sacraments then they that rail at them that fit in the act of receiving Who more ignorant of the doctrine of the Gospel who more obstinate enemies of a holy life more worldly self-conceited licentious prophane despisers of their faithfull Teachers then the most zealous persons for all these Ceremonies § 23. Reas. 21. Moreover these new Laws and services introduce also a new office into the Church There must be some of pretended Power to impose all these Ceremonies and see them executed or else all is vain And no such office hath Christ appointed Because men thought it necessary that all the Christian world should have but one way and Order in the Ceremonious worship which was commonly approved therefore they thought there was a Necessity of one Head to maintain this unity of order and so came up the Pope as to one cause And so in a Nation we must have some one or more Masters of Ceremonies when Ceremonies are kept a foot And so whereas Christ hath placed officers in his Church to teach and guide them and administer his own Ordinances we must have another sort of officers to make Laws for Mystical signs and Ceremonies and see them executed and punish the neglecters and teach the people the meaning and the use of them The Primitive Bishops had other kind of work we find directions to the Pastors of the Church containing the works of their office as to Timothy Titus c. But we no where find that this is made any part of their work to make new Teaching signs and Ceremonies and impose them on the Church nor have they any directions for such a work which surely they much needed if it had been their work indeed § 24. Reas. 22. When we once begin to let in humane Mystical Rites we shall never know where to stop or make an end On the same ground that one Age inventeth three or four the next think they may add as many and so it will grow to be a point of devotion to add a new Ceremony as at Rome it hath done till we have more then we well know what to do with § 25. Reas. 23. And the miserable plight that the Christian world hath lain in many ages by Ceremonies may warn us to be wise Augustine complaineth that in his time the Church was burdened with them and made like the Jewish Synagogue The most of the Churches in Asia and Africa are drowned too deeply in Ceremonious formality turning Religion into ignorant shews The Church of Rome is worse then they having made God a worship of histrionical actions and shews and signs and Ceremonies so that millions of the poor blind people worship they know not whom nor how And if we abate only of the number and keep up some of the same kind even Symbolicall Rites of mans institution to teach us and excite our devotion we shall harden them in their way and be disabled from confuting them For a Papist will challenge you to prove just how many such signs are lawfull And why he may not use threescore as well as you use three when he saith he is edified by his number as you say you are with yours § 26. Reas. 24. It is not inconsiderable that God hath purposely established a spiritual kind of worship in the Gospel telling us that God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth Such worshippers doth God require and accept Bodily exercise profiteth little The kingdom of God is not in meats or in drinks but in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Neither Circumcision availeth any thing in Christ Jesus nor uncircumcision but a new creature and faith that worketh by Love God would never have so much called men off from Ceremoniousness to spirituality if he had delighted in Ceremony § 27. Reas. 25. The Worship of God without his blessing is to little purpose No man can have encouragement to use any thing as a Means to teach him and help his devotion which he hath no ground to believe that God will bless But there is no ground that I know of to believe that God will bless these Instituted Teaching signs of mans inventions to the Edifying of our souls For God hath no where bid us devise or use such signs 2. Nor no where promised us a blessing on them that ever I could find And therefore we have no encouragement to use them If we will make them and impose them our selves we must undertake to bless them our selves § 28. Reas. 26. As vain thoughts and words are forbidden us in Scripture so no doubt but vain actions are forbidden but especially in the worship of God and yet more especially when they are Imposed on the Church by Laws with penalties But these Mystical Rites of humane institution are vain You call them your selves but Things indifferent And they are vain as to the use for which they are pretended that is to Teach and Edifie c. having no promise of a blessing and being needless imitations of the Sacraments of Christ. Vanity therefore is not to be imposed on the Church My last Reason will fullier shew them to be vain § 29. Reas. 27. We are sure the way in which Peter and Paul and the Churches of their times did worship God was allowable and safe and that Princes and Prelates are wise and righteous overmuch if they will not only be more wise and righteous then the Apostles in the matters of Gods worship but also deny their subjects liberty to worship God and go to heaven in the same way as the Apostles did If Peter and Paul went to heaven without the use of Images Surplice the Cross in Baptism kneeling in receiving the Lords Supper and many such Ceremonies why should not we have leave to live in the Communion of the Church without them would you have denyed the Apostles their liberty herein Or will you be partiall Must they have one way and we
Because we now obey them not I have answered this already to which I add 1. It s a fine world when men will separate themselves from the Churches of Christ to avoid schism and they that are against separation and offer Communion to the Separatists must be taken to be the Schismaticks themselves It is schism that we detest and would draw you from or else what need we say so much for Concord and Communion 2. I have told you already that it is not one Minister of a Multitude in our Communion that did cast off the Prelates half of them did nothing to it and the other half were Ordained since 3. Nor can you truly say that now they refuse obedience to Bishops where there are none to obey or none that command them 4. Again I tell you it is not Episcopacy but only the sinful species of Prelacy which the Parliament and Assembly and Covenanters did cast off And what if you think this species best must all think so or else be Schismaticks And why not all Schismaticks then that are against the Papacy which is thought by others the best form I have here given you some Arguments to prove your Prelacy which was cast off to be against the will of Christ and the welfare of the Churches And I shall not believe that its schism to be against sin and the Churches ruine And I cannot but admire to read in your writings that Discipline and Piety are pretended by you as the things which you promote and we destroy when I am most certain that the destruction of Piety and Discipline are the very things by which you have so much offended your Brethren and we would heartily come as near you as we can so that Piety and Discipline may not be destroyed Had we not known that the able faithful Preachers whom you called Puritans conformable and not conformable that laboured in the word and doctrine were fitter to promote piety then the ignorant drunken worldly Readers and lazy Preachers that once a day would preach against doing too much to be saved and had we not known that Piety was better promoted by Learning the will of God and praying and meditating on the Lords Day then by dancing and by cherishing men truly fearing God then by scorning imprisoning persecuting and expelling them we would never have been so much against your doings as we have been But mens salvation is not so contemptible a thing as to be given away to humour the proud that cannot live in Communion with any unless they may drive them to destruction We will not sell mens souls to you at such rates nor buy your Communion nor stop the reproachful mouths of any by such horrid cruelties We talk not now to you of matters that are known by hear-say only we see which way promoteth Piety and which destroyeth it we see that most of the ungodly in the land are the forwardest for your wayes You may have almost all the Drunkards Blasphemers and Ignorant haters of godliness in the Country to vote for you and if they durst again to fight for you at any time I cannot be so humble as to say I am blind and see not what indeed I see because another tells me that his eyesight is better then mine and that he seeth things to be other then I see them to be I doubt not but there are some Pious persons among you I censure you no further then experience constraineth me But I know that the common sense of most that are serious in practical Christianity is against your formal wayes of worship and against the course that you have taken in this land and the spirit of prophaneness complyeth with you and doteth on you in all places that ever I was acquainted in Bear with plain truth it is in a cause of everlasting consequence There is somewhat in a gracious soul like health in the body that disposeth it to relish wholesom food and perceive more difference between it and meer air or toyish kickshaws then it can easily express In abundance of your most applauded Preachers the things of God were spoken with so little life and seriousness as if they had not been believed by the speaker or came not from the heart yea Godliness and Diligence for Heaven was the thing that they ordinarily preached against under the name of preciseness and being righteous overmuch And the Puritans were the men that Pulpits rendered most odious to the people and your Preachers exercised their wit and zeal against while almost all their hearers through the Land did take a Puritan to be one that was seriously Religious Many a place have I lived in where there was not a man that ever spoke a word against Bishops or Ceremonies but a few there were alas a few that would sometime read a Chapter in the Bible and pray with their Families and speak of the life to come and the way to it and for this they were commonly called Puritans If a man had but mildly askt a swearer why he swore or a drunkard why he would be drunk or had once named Scripture or the life to come unless prophanely the first word he should hear was O you are one of the holy Brethren you would not drink or swear but you will do worse in secret It was never a good world since there was so much talk of Scripture and Religion but the King and the Bishops will take an order with you and all the Puritans and Precisians in the Land I profess upon my common sad experience that this was the common language of the people that were ignorant and prophane in all parts of England that ever I came in which were not a few and these were the men that they called Puritans and on such accounts And what could the Prelates and Preachers of the Land have done more to mens damnation then to preach them into an hatred of Puritanism when it was known by all that lived among them that Piety was Puritanism in their account and no man was so free from it as he that would scorn at the very name of Holiness and drink and swear as if he had defyed God This is true and England knows it and if you will after this think that you have wiped your mouths clean by saying as M r Pierce that by Puritans he means none but men of blood sedition violence despisers of dominion painted sepulchres Protestants frightened out of their wits c. the righteous God that loveth righteousness and hath said Be ye holy for I am holy will make you know to your penitent or tormenting sorrow that the thing which commonly was reputed Puritanism in England was no such thing as you describe And that it s none of your wisdom to â—ick against the pricks and play with the apple of Gods eye and bring men to hate the members of Christ and then tell them you meant the members of the Devil and to thrust men into Hell in
collectus est adunatus in individua concordia sibi junctus Soli illi foris remanserint qui etsi intus essent ejiciendi fuerant Qui cum Episcopo non est in Ecclesia non est that is in that particular Church Cyprian had a people that could all meet together to consult or consent at least about the Communion or Excommunication of thâ— members Epist. 55. Cornel. he tells Cornelius how hard the people were to admit the lapsed or scandalous upon their return if the manifestation of repentance were not full The Church with whom the person had Communion was then it that had a Bishop and was no greater then to be capable of the Cognizance of his cause and of receiving satisfaction by his personal penitence Brethren for so I will presume to call you whether you will or not Some experience hath perswaded me that if we had honestly and faithfully joyned in the practice of so much of Discipline as all our principles require it would have helped us to that experimental knowledge by the blessing of God which would have brought us nearer even in our Principles then our idle Disputations separated from practice will ever do As Augustine saith of the disputes de causa mali Lib. de utilitat Credendi cap. 18. Dum nimis quaerunt unde sit malum nihil reperiunt nâ—si malum so I may say of these disputes while we thus dispute about the causes of disorder and division we find nothing but disorder and division It is easie to conjecture of the ends and hearts of those that cry down Piety as preciseness while they cry up their several waâ—es of order it seems they would have ordered impiety and their order must be a means to keep down holiness which all just order should promote Those men that can fall in with the most notoriously ungodly and favour and flatter them for the strengthening of their interest do tell us what Discipline we may expect from them If they tell us that our Churches also are corrupted and all are not truly or eminently godly we can say to them as Augustine lib. de utilitat Credend cap. 17. Pauci hoc faciunt pauciores bene prudenterque faciunt sed populi probant populi audiunt populi favent yea we can say much more But fâ—r those that go further and clap the prophanest railers on the back and hiss them on to hiss at those that diffâ—r from them and are glad to hear the rabble revile our Mâ—nistâ—y and our Churches in taking part with their Prelacy and Liturgy they tell us lowder what unity and order they desire and what a mercy of God it is that such as they have not their will and though among themselves the slanders and reproaches of such men may go for credible or be accepted as conducing to their ends yet in the conclusion such witnesses will bring no credit to their cause nor with just men much discredit ours at least it will not diminish our reputation with God nor abate his love nor hinder his acceptance and then we have enough Saith Cyprian Epist. 69. ad Pupian Quasi apud lapsos prophanos extra Ecclesiam positos de quorum pectoribus excesserit Spiritus Sanctus esse aliqâ—id possit nisi mens prava fallax lingua odia venenata sacrilega mendacia quibus qui credit cum illis necesse est inveniatur cum judicii dies venerit That is As if with the scandalous and prophane and those that are without the Church from whose brests the holy Spirit is departed there could be any thing but a naughty mind and a deceitful tongue and venemous hatred and sacrilegious lies and those that belâ—eve them must needs be found with them when the day of judgement comes Me thinks rather the hatred and railing of the ungodly should intimate to you that our Ministry is of God! why else do all the most obstinaâ—ely wicked maligne us as their enemies though we never did them wrong why seek they our destruction and are glad of any Learned men that will encourage them in their malignity and to strike in with any party that are against us when all the harm we wish or do them is to pray for them and perswade them and do our best to save them from damnation As Cyprian ubi sup said to Pupian ut etiam qui non credebant Deo Episcopum constituenti vel Diabolo crederent Episcopum proscribenti so say â— They that will not believe Gods testimony of our Ministry let them believe the Devils testimony as the confession of an enemy that by the mouths of the wicked revileth us as Ministers and persecutâ—tiâ—us for doing our Masters work Another reproach is commonly laid upon our Minâ—stry by those that vilifie them in order to their endâ— viz that they are boyes and raw and unlearned and manage the work of God so coursely as tends to bring it into contempt I would there were no ground for this accusation at all but I must needs say 1. That no men are more unmeet then you to be the accusers Have you so corrupted the Ministry with the insufficient and ungodly that we are necessitated to supply their places with men that are too young and now do you reproach us because we imperfectly mend your crimes yea because we work not in possibilities It is the desire of our souls that no able useful man may be laid by however differing in smaller matters or controversies of policy But we cannot create men nor infuse learning into them but when God hath qualified them we gladly use them the bâ—st that can be had are chosen and what can be done more And I hope yâ—u will acknowledge that godly and tolerably able young men are fitter then impious ignorant Readers We excuse no mans weakness but to speak out the truth too many of the adversaries of our Ministry accuse our weakness with greater weakness when they are unable or undisposâ—d themselves to manage the work of God with any of that gravity and seriousness as the unspeakable weight of the business doth require they think to get the reputation of learned able men by an empty childish trifling kind of preaching patching together some shreds of sentences and offering us their Centons with as much ostentation as if it were an uniform judicious work And then they fall a jâ—ering at plain and serious Preachers as if they were some ignorant bawling fellows that were nothing but a voice and had nothing to produce but fervent nonsence Brethren will you bear with us a little while we modestly excuse our simplicity which you contemn We will not say that we can speak wisedom to the wise nor make ostentation of our Oratory but we must tell you that we Believe what we speak and somewhat feel it and therefore we endeavour so to speak whâ—t we believe and feel that others also may belâ—eve and fâ—el us If a man speak smilingly or
Sect. 9. 2. A Minister is an officer of Christ and therefore receiveth his Authority from him and can have none but what he thus recieves And therefore 1. He hath no Soveraignty or Lordship over the Church for that is the perogative of Christ. 2. He hath no degree of underived Power and therefore must prove his Power and produce his Commission before he can expect the Church to acknowledge it 3. He hath no Power to work against Christ or to destroy the souls of men or to do evil Though he hath a Power by which occasionally he may be advantaged to evil yet hath he no Authority to do it For Christ giveth no man power to sin nor to do any thing against himself 4. He deriveth not his authority from man though by man as an instrument or occasion he may The People give him not his Power The Magistrate gives it not The Ordainers Bishops or Presbyters give it not any further then as I shall shew anon by signifying the will of Christ that indeed giveth it and by investing men in it by solemn delivery The Choosers may nominate the person that shall receive it and the Magistrate may encourage him to accept it and the Ordainers may Approve him and Invest him in it but it is Christ only that gives the Power as from himself As in Marriage the persons consent and the Magistrate alloweth it as Valid at his bar and the Minister blesseth them and declareth Gods consent But yet the Power that the Husband hath over the wife is only from God as the conferring cause and all that the rest do is but to prepare and dispose the person to Receive it save only that consequently the consent of God is declared by the Minister Of which more anon when we speak of Ordination Sect. 10. 3. A Minister is a man separated or set a part to the work of the Gospel For he is to make a calling of it and not to do it on the by Common men may do somewhat that Ministers do even in preaching the Gospel but they are not separated or set apart to it and so entrusted with it nor make a Calling or Course of employment of it Ministers therefore are Holy persons in an eminent sort because they have a two-fold Sanctification 1. They are as all other Christians sanctified to God by Christ through the spirit which so devoteth them to him and brings them so neer him and calls them to such holy honourable service that the whole Church is called a Royall Priesthood a Holy Nation c. to offer spiritual sacrifice to God And Christ hath made them Kings and Priests to God But 2. They are moreover devoted and sanctified to God not only by this separation from the world but by a separation from the rest of the Church to stand neerer to God and be employed in his most eminent service I mention not mans Ordination in the Definition because it is not essential to the Ministry nor of Absolute Necessity to its being of which anon But that they be set apart by the will of Christ and sanctified to him is of Necessity Sect 11. 4. These Ministers have a double subject to work upon or object about which their Ministry is Employed The first is The world as that matter out of which a Church is to be raised The second is Believers called out of the world These Believers are Either Only Converted and not invested in a Church state or such as are both Converted and Invested These later are either such as are not yet gathered into a particular Church or such as are For all these are the objects of our office Sect. 12. 5. Accordingly the first part of the Ministerial office is to Preach the Gospel to unbelievers and ungodly ones for their Conversion This therefore is not as some have imagined a common work any more then preaching to the Church Occasionally ex Charitate only another man may do it But ex Officio as a work that we are separated and set a part to and entrusted with so only Ministers may do it No man hath the Power of Office but he that hath the Duty or Obligation to make it the trade or business of his life to preach the Gospel though bodily matters may come in on the by Sect. 13. 6. Hence it appears that a man is in order of Nature a Preacher of the Gospel in General before he be the Pastor of a particular flock though in time they often go together that is when a man is ordained to such a particular flock Sect. 14. 7. And hence it follows that a man may be ordained sine Titulo or without a particular charge where the Converting preparatory work is first to be done Sect. 15. 8. And hence it appeareth that a Minister is first in order related to the unbelieving world as the object of his first work before he be related to the Church existent either Catholick or particular And that he is under Christ first a Spiritual Father to beget children unto God from the unbelieving world and then a Governour of them If others have already converted them to our hands and saved us that part of our work yet that overthroweth not the order of the parts and works of our office though it hinder the execution of the first part it being done to our hands by others in that office Sect. 16. 9. The second part of the Ministers work is about Believers meerly converted together with their Children whom they yet have power to Dedicate to God And that is to Invest them in the Rights of a Christian by Baptism in solemn Covenanting with God the Father Son and Holy Spirit And these are the next Material objects of our Office Many of the Ancients Tertullian by name and the Council of Eliberis thought that in case of Necessity a Lay-man though not a Woman may Baptize If that be granted yet must not men therefore pretend a Necessity where there is none But I am satisfied 1. That Baptism by a a private man is not eo nomine a Nullity nor to be done again 2. And yet that it is not only a part of the Ministers work to Baptize and approve them that are to be Baptized ex officio but that it is one of the greatest and highest actions of his office Even an eminent exercise of the Keyes of the Kingdom letting men into the Church of Christ it being a principal part of their Trust and power to judge who is meet to be admitted to the Priviledges and fellowship of the Saints Sect. 17. 10. The third part of the Ministers work is about the Baptized that are only entred into the universal Church for many such there are or else the unbaptized that are Discipled where the former work and this are done at once And that is to congregate the Disciples into particular Churches for Holy Communion in Gods Worship c. They must do part of this
our Ordination is Valid The Major is proved from 1. Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given theâ— by Prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Pres-Presbyterie Also from Act. 13.1 2 3. They were the Prophets and Teachers of the Church of Antioch that imposed hands on Barnabas and Saul whether it were for their first Ordination to the Office or only for a particular Mission I now dispute not The Church of Antioch had not many Prelates if any but they had many Prophets and Teachers and these and none but these are mentioned as the Ordainers As for them that say these were the Bishops of many Churches of Syria when the Text saith they all belonged to this Church of Antioch they may by such presumptuous contradictions of Scripture say much but prove little Sect. 24. As for them that grant us that there were no subject Presbyters instituted in Scripture-times and so expound the Presbyterie here to be only Apostles and Bishops of the higher order I have shewed already that they yield us the Cause though I must add that we can own no new sorâ— of Presbyterie not instituted by Christ or his Apostles But for them that think that Prelates with subject Presbyters were existent in those times they commonly expound this Text of Ordination by such subject Presbyters with others of a Superior rank or degree together Now as to our use it is sufficient that hence we prove that a Presbyterie may ordain and that undeniably a Presbyterie consisted of Presbyters and so that Presbyters may ordain This is commonly granted us from this Text. That which is said against us by them that grant it is that Presbyters did Ordain but not alone but with the Bishops Sect. 25. But 1. if this were proved it s nothing against us for if Presbyters with Bishops have power to Oâ—dain then it is not a work that is without the reach of their Office but that which belongeth to them and therefore if they could prove it irregular for them to Ordain without a Bishop yet would they not prove it Null Otherwise they might prove it Null if a Bishop Ordain without a Presbyterie because according to this Objection they must concur 2. But indeed they prove not that any above Presbyters did concur in Timothies Ordination whatever probability they may shew for it And till they prove it we must hold so much as is proved and granted Sect. 26. As for 2 Tim. 1.6 it is no certain proof of it It may be Imposition of hands in Confirmation or for the first giving of the Holy Ghost after Baptism ordinarily used by the Apostles that is there spoken of which also seemeth probable by the Apostles annexing it to Timothies Faith in which he succeeded his Mother and Grandmother and to the following effects of the Spirit of Power and of Love and of a sound mind which are the fruits of Confirming Grace admonishing hâ—m that he be not ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord which is also the fruit of Confirmation However the pâ—obâ—bility go they can give us no certainty that Paul or any Apostle had an hand in the Ordination here spoken of when the Text saith that it was with the laying on of the hands of the Presbâ—terie we must judge of the office by the name and therefore 1. we are sure that there were Presbyters 2. And if there were also any of an higher rank the Phrase encourageth us to believe that it was as Presbyters that they imposed hands in Ordination Sect. 27. Argument 9. If Bishops and Presbyters as commonly distinguished do differ only Gradu non Ordine in Degree and not in Order that is as being not of a distinct office but of a more honourable Degree in the same office then is the Ordination of Presbyters valid though without a Bishop of that higher Degree But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequent The Antecedent is maintained by abundance of the Papists themselves much more by Protestants The reason of the Consequence is because ad ordinem pertinet ordinarâ— Being of the same office they may do the same work This Aâ—gument Bishop Vsher gave me to prove that the Ordination of meer Presbyters without a Prelate is valid when I askt him his Judgement of it Sect. 28. Argument 10. If the Prelates and the Laws they went by did allow and require meer Presbyters to Ordain then must they grant us that they have the Power of Ordination But the Antecedent is true as is well known in the Laws and common Practice of the Prelates in Ordaining divers Presbyters laid on hands together with the Bishop and it was not the Bishop but his Chaplain commonly that examined and approved usually the Bishop came forth and laid his hands on men that he never saw before or spoke to but took them as he found them presented to him by his Chaplain so that Presbyters Ordained as well as he and therefore had power to Ordain Sect. 29. If it be Objected that they had no power to Ordain without a Bishop I answer 1. Nor a Bishop quoad exercitium without them according to our Laws and Customs at least â—â—â—ually 2. Ordaining with a Bishop proveth them to be Ordainers and that it is a work that belongeth to the order or office of a Presbyter or else he might not do it at all any more then Deacons or Chancellors c. may And if it be but the work of a Presbyters office it is not a Nullity if Presbyters do it without a Prelate if you could prove it an irregularity Sect. 30. Argument 11. If the Ordination of the English â—relates be valid then much more is the Ordination of Presbyters as in England and other Reformed Churches is in use But the Ordination of English Prelates is valid I am sure in the judgement of them that we dispute against therefore so is the Ordination of English Presbyters much more Sect. 31. The reason of the Consequence is because the English Prelates are more unlike the Bishops that were fixed by Apostolical Institution or Ordination then the English Presbyters are as I have shewed at large in the former Disputation the Scripture Bishops were the single Pastors of single Churches personally guiding them in the worship of God and governing them in presence and teaching them by their own mouths visiting their sick administring Sacraments c. And such are the English Presbyters But such are not the late English Prelates that were the Governors of an hundred Churches and did not personally teach them guide them in worship govern them in presence and deliver them the Sacraments but were absent from them all save one Congregation These were unliker to the Scripture fixed Bishops described by Dr. H. H. then our Presbyters are therefore if they may derive from them a Power of Ordination or from the â—aw that instituted them then Presbyters may do so much more Sect. 32. Argument 12.
more have Ministers Ordained by Presbyters a lawfull call to their Ministry But the Prelates say that they had a lawfull Call to their Prelacy therefore c. The reason of the Consequence which only will be denyed is 1. Because the Presbyters are Ordained to an Office that is of Christs Institution but the Prelates are Consecrated to an Office that is not of Christs Institution but against it and against the light of Nature in taking on them the impossible Government of an hundred or many hundred Churches as was shewed in the former Disputation 2. Because the Prelates hold an uninterrupted Succession of Legitimate Ordination necessary to the Being of their Prelacie I mean such as now we dispute against hold this but so do not the Presbyters The said dissenting Prelates are still upon their Nâ—mo dat quod non habet which therefore we may urge upon them And 1. They cannot prove an uninterrupted Succession themselves on whom it is incumbent according to their principles if they will prove their Call 2. We can prove that they are the successors of such as claimed all their Power from the Roman Vicechrist and professed to receive it from him and hold it of him as the Catholick Head and so that their Ordination comes from a seat that hath had many interruptions and so had no power of Ordination by their Rule For when the succession was so oft and long interrupted Nemo dat quod non habet and therefore all that followed must be usurpers and no Popes and those that received their Offices from them must be no Officers But the Presbyters that Ordain will give a better proof of their Call then this Sect. 61. Argument 19. Where the Office is of Gods Institution and the persons are endued with Ministerial abilitities and are Orderly and duly designed and separated to the Office of the sacred Ministry there are true Ministers and Valid administrations But all these are found in the Reformed Churches that have Ordination without Prelates therefore c. The Major is undenyable as containing a sufficient enumeration of all things necessary to the Being of the Ministry Sect. 62. The Minor is proved by parts 1. That the Offiâ—e of a Presbyter is of divine institution is confessed by most And I suppose those that deny it to be of Scripture insâ—iâ—ution will yet have it to be Divine But if they deny that yet it sufficeth us that it is the same officer that they call a Bishop and we a Presbyter that is the chief Pastor of a particular Church Sect. 63. 2. And that the persons are duly or competenly qualified for the Ministry nothing but Ignorance Faction and Malicâ— that ever I heard of do deny Supposing the humane frailties that make us all insufficient gradually for these things The Ignorant that know not what the Ministerial qualifications are do judge as carnal interest leadeth them The Factious rail at all that be not of their mind Grotius thought the opinions of the Calvinists made them unfit materials for the Catholick Edifice that by his Pacification he was about to frame So do most other Sects reject those as unworthy that suit not with their minds And malice whether â—nâ—mated by Heresie Prophaness or Carnal interest will easily find faults and unweariedly slander and reproach But besides such I meet with none that dare deny the competent abilities of these Ministers Sect. 64. And 3. That the persons are Orderly and duly separated to the work of the Ministry is thus proved Where there is a separation to the Ministry by mutual Consent of the person and the flock and by the Magistrates authority and by the Approbation and Investiture of the fittest Ecclesiastical officers that are to be had there is an orderly and due separation to the Ministry But all this is to be found in the Ordination used in England and other Reformed Churches without Prelates therefore c. This proves not only the Validity of their Ordination but the full Regularity Sect. 65. God himself as hath been shewed doth by his Law appoint the Office of the Ministry imposing the duty upon the person that shall be called and giving him his power by that Law And then there is nothing to be done but to detertermine of the person that is to receive this power and solemnly to put him in Possession by Investiture Now the principal part of the former work is done also by God himself by his Qualifying the person with his eminent Gifts and giving him opportunities and advantages for the Work So that the people and Odainers have no more to do but to find out the man that God hath thus qualified and to elect approve and invest him and usually he is easily found out as a candle in the night So that the two great acts by which God maketh Ministers is his Instituting Law that makes the office and his Spiritual and Naturall Endowments given to the person which the Church is but to find out and call into use and exercise And therefore we may still truly say that the Holy Ghost maketh Pastors or Overseers of the Church as well as formerly he did Act. 20.28 because he giveth them their Gifts though not such Miraculous Gifts as some then had By his common Gifts of Knowledge and Utterance and his special Gifts of Grace it is the spirit that still makes Ministers and still Christ giveth Pastors to the Church Sect. 66. It is therefore to be noted that Eph. 4.6 7 8 11 the way of Christs giving officers to his Church is said to be by giving Gifts to men and the diversity of Offices is founded in the diversity of the Measure of Grace or these Gifts To every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore he saith Ascending on high he led captivity 〈◊〉 and gave Gifts to men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Tâ—â—chers So that giving Gifts and giving Apostles Prophets c. are here made the same work of God Not that 〈…〉 and Approbation of these gifts is hereby made unnecessary but 〈◊〉 this is Gods principal act by which â—e giveth Pastors and Teachers to the Church and by which the Officers aâ—e distinguished For the Church is to discern and submit to those that are thus gifted and to follow the Spirit and not either contraâ—ict or lead him When God hath thus gifted men the main wâ—rk is done for making them Ministers iâ— withall he give tâ—em opportunities and advantages for the work and it is the Churches Duty â—o Own and Approve these Gifts of God and to do their parts to introduce the person And if the Ordainers refuse this in case of Necessity the gifted person is bound to improve his Gifts without them I say in case of Necessity using the best Order that is left Sect. 67. This being premised I come to the Argument § 64. And the
way or other feel ere long that they have owned a very unprofitable cause and such as they shall wish they had let alone and that it made not for their honour to be so much enemies to the welfare of the Church as the enemies of the abolition of that Prelacy will appear to be Cons. II. The matter of that clause in the National Covenant which concerneth the abolition of this Prelacy before mentioned was so far from deserving the Reproaches and Accusations that are bestowed on it by some that it was just and necessary to the well being of the Church In this also I purposely mean the Civil controversie about the authority of imposing taking or prosecuting the Covenant and speak only of the Matter of it to avoid the losing of the truth by digressions and new controversies They that by reproaching this clause in the Covenant do own the Prelacy which the Covenant disowneth might shew more love to the Church and their own souls by pleading for sickness and nakedness and famine and by passionate reproaches of all that are against these then by such owning and pleading for a far greater evil Cons. III. Those of the English Ministry that are against the old Episcopacy and are glad that the Church is rid of it are not therefore guilty of Schism nor of sinfull disobedience to their spiritual superiours If any of them did swear obedience to the Prelates a tyrannicall imposition that God never required nor the Primitive Church never used that 's nothing to our present case which is not about the keeping of oaths but the obeying or rejecting the Prelacy in it self considered It is not schismatical to depart from an â—â—â—rpation that God disowneth and the Church is endangered and so much wronged by and to seek to pull up the Roots of Schism which have bred and fed it in the Churches so long Cons. IV. Those that still justifie the ejected Prelacy and desire the restauration of it as they needlesly choose the guilt of the Churches desolations so are they not to be taken for men that go about to heal our breaches but rather for such as would widen and continue them by restoring the main cause Cons. V. If we had had such an Episcopacy as Bishop Hall and Bishop Vsher did propound as satisfactory and such men to manage it Episcopacy and Peace might have dwelt together in England to this day It is not the the Name of a Bishop that hath been the matter of our trouble but the exorbitant Species introducing unavoidably the many mischiefs which we have seen and felt Cons. VI. Ordination by the ejected Prelacy in specie is not of necessity to the being or well-being of a Presbyter or Deacon If the Species of Prelacy it self be proved contrary to the word of God and the welfare of the Church then the Ordination that is by this Species of Prelacy cannot be necessary or as such desirable Cons. VII A Parochial or Congregational Pastor having assistant Presbyters and Deacons either existent or in expectance was the Bishop that was in the dayes of Ignatius Iustin Tertullian and that Dr. Hammond describeth as meant in many Scriptures and existent in those dayes I speak not now to the question about Archbishops Cons. VIII The Ordination that is now performed by these Parochial Bishops especially in an assembly guided by their Moderator is beyond all just exception Valid as being by such Bishops as the Apostles planted in the Churches and neerer the way of the Primitive Church then the Ordination by the ejected Species of Prelates is Cons. IX As the Presbyters of the Church of Alexandria did themselves make one their Bishop whom they chose from among themselves and set him in a higher degree as if Deacons make an Archdeacon or Souldiers choose one and make him their Commander saith Hierom ad Evagr. so may the Presbyters of a Parochial Church now And as the later Canons require that a Bishop be ordained or consecrated by three Bishops so may three of these Primitive Parochial Bishops ordain or consecrate now another of their degree And according to the Canons themselves no man can justly say that this is invalid for want of the Consecration by Archbishops or of such as we here oppose Cons. X. Those that perswade the People that the Ordinanation of those in England and other Churches is null that is not by such as the English Prelates were and that perswade the people to take them for no Presbyters or Pastors that are not ordained by such Prelates and do make an actual separation from our Churches and Ministers and perswade others to the like upon this ground and because the Ministers have disowned the English Prelacy and withal confess that Church of Rome to be a true Church and their ordination and Priesthood to be just or true are uncharitable and dangerously Schismatical though under pretence of decrying Schism and many wayes injurious to the Church and to the souls of men and to themselves This will not please but that I not only speak it but further manifest it is become Necessary to the right Information of others FINIS The Second DISPUTATION VINDICATING The Protestant Churches and MINISTERS that have not Prelatical Ordination from the Reproaches of those Dividers that would nullifie them WRITTEN Upon the sad complaints of many Godly Ministers in several parts of the Nation whose Hearers are turning Separatists By Rich. Baxter LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevil Simmons Bookseller in Kederminster 1658. The Preface Christian Reader IF thou be but for the interest of Christianity more than of a party and a Cordial friend to the Churches Peace though thou be never so much resolved for Episcopacy I doubt not but thou and I shall be one if not in each Opinin yet in our Religion and in Brotherly affection and in the very bent of our labours and our lives And I doubt not but thou wilt approve of the scope and substance of this following Disputation what imperfections soever may appear in the Manner of it For surely there is that of God within thee that will hardly suffer thee to believe that while Rome is taken for a true Church the Reformed that have no Prelates must be none that their Pastors are meer Lay-men their Ordination being Null and consequently their administrations in Sacraments c. Null and of no Validity The Love that is in thee to all believers and especially to the Societies of the Saints and the honour and interest of Christ will keep thee from this or strive against it as nature doth against poyson or destructive diseases If thou art not a meer Opinionist in Religion but one that hast been illuminated by the spirit of Christ and felt his love shed abroad in thy heart and hast ever had experience of spiritual communion with Christ and his Church in his holy Ordinances I dare then venture my cause upon thy judgement Go
among them that unchurch our Churches and degrade our Ministers and perswade all people to fly from them as a plague and try their doctrine their spirits their publick worship their private devotion and their whole conversation and when thou hast done come into our Assemblieâ— and spare not if thou be impartial to observe our imperfections judge of our Order and Discipline and Worship together with our Doctrine and our lives and when thou hast done unâ—church us if thou darest and if thou canst We justifie not our selves or our wayes from blemishes but if thou be but heartily a friend to the Bridegroom offer us then if thou darest a bill of divorce or rob him if thou darest of so considerable a portion of his inheritance Surely if thou be his friend thou canst hardly find in thy heart to deliver up so much of his Kingdom to his Enemy and to set the name of the Devil on his doors and say This is the house of Satan and not of Christ. If thou have received but what I have done though alas too little in those Societies and tasted in those Ordinances but that which I have tasted thou wouldst abhor to reproach them and cut them off from the portion of the Lord. Remember it is not Episcopacy nor the old conformity that I am here opposing My judgement of those Causes I have given in the foregoing and following disputation But it is only the New Prelatical Recusants or Separatists that draw their followers from our Churches as no Churches and our Ordinances of Worship as none or worse then none and call them into private houses as the meetest places for their acceptable worship Who would have thought that ever that generation should have come to this that so lately hated the name of separation and called those private meetings Conventicles which were held but in due subordâ—nation to Church meetings and not in opposition to them as theirs are Who would have thought that those that seemed to disown Recusancy and persecuted Separatists should have come to this Yea that those that under Catholick pretences can so far extend their charity to the Papists have yet so little for none of the meanest of their Brethren and for so many Reformed Protestant Churches Yea that they should presume even to censure ut out of the Catholick Church and consequently out of heaven it self I have after here given thee an instance in one Dr. Hide who brandeth the very front of his Book with these Schismatical uncharitable stâ—gmata The sensless Queres of one Dr. Swadling and others run in the same channel or sink If these men be Christians indeed me thinks they should understand that as great that I say not greater blemishes may be found on all the rest of the Churches as those for which the Reformed are by them unchurched and consequently they will deliver up All to Satan and Christ must be deposed And how much doth this come short of Infidelity At least me thinks their hearts should tremble least they hear at last In not loving theâ—e you loved not me in despising and reproaching these you despised and reproached me And yet these men are the greatest pretenders next the Romanists to Catholicisme Vnity and Peace Strange Catholicks that cut off so great and excellent a part of the Catholick Church And a sad kind of Vnity and Peace which all must be banished from that cannot unite in their Prelacy though the Episcopacy which I plead for in the next Disputation they can own The summ of their offer is that if all the Ministers not Ordained by Prelates will confess themselves to be meer Lay-men and no Ministers of Christ and will be Ordained again by them and if the Churches will confess themselves No Churches and receive the essence of Churches from them and the Sacrament and Churh Assemblies to be Null invalid or unlawfull till managed only by Prelatical Ministerâ— then they will have Peace and Communion with us and not till then And indeed must we buy your Communion so deer As the Anabaptists do by us in the point of Baptism so do these Recusants in the point of Ordination You must be Baptized saith one party for your Infant Baptism wat none You must be Ordained saith the other sort for your Ordination by Presbyters was none The upshot is We must be all of their Opinions and parties before we can have their Communion or to be reputed by them the Ministers and Churches of Christ. And on such kind of terms as these we may have Vnity with any Sect. If really we be not as hearty friends to Order and Discipline in the Church as they we shall give them leave to take it for our shame and glory in it as their honour But the question is not whether we must have Church-Order but whether it must be theirs and none but theirs Nor whether we must have Discipline but whether it must be only theirs Nay with me I must profess the question is on the other side whether we must needs have a Name and shew of Discipline that 's next to none or else be no Churches or no Ministers of Christ The main reason that turneth my heart against the English Prelacy is because it did destroy Church Discipline and almost destroy the Church for want of it or by the abuse of it and because it is as then exercised inconsistent with true Discipline The question is not whether we must have Bishops and Episcopal Ordination We all yield to that without contradiction But the doubt is about their Species of Episcopacy Whether we must needs have Ordination by a Bishop that is the sole Governour over an hundred or two hundred or very many particular Churches or whether the Bishops of single Churches may not suffice at least as to the Being of our office I plead not my own cause but the Churches For I was ordained long ago by a Bâ—shop of their own with Presbyters But I do not therefore take my self to be disengaged from Christianity or Catholâ—cism and bound to lay by the Love which I owe to all Christs members or to deny the Communion of the Churches which is both my Duty and I am sure an unvaluable Mercy And I must say that I have seen more of the Ancient Discipline exercised of late without a Prelate in some Parish Church in England than ever I saw or heard of exercised by the Bishops in a thousand such Churches all my dayes And it is not Names that are Essential to the Church nor that will satisfie our expectations We are for Bishops in every Church And for Order sake we would have one to be the chief We dislike those that disobey them in lawful things as well as you But let them have a flock that is capable of their personal Government and then we shall be ready to rebuke all those that separate from them when we can say as Cyprian Epist. 69. ad Pupian Omnis Ecclesiae populus