so numerous that they began to be call'd Christians Chap. 5 there were among them Prophets so being assembl'd on occasion as I conceive of giving an extraordinary Commission after the manner of the people of Athens when they elected Ambassadors or that I may avoid strife upon a point so indifferent to chuse two new Apostles The Holy Ghost said Separat me BARNABAS and SAUL for the Work wherto I have appointed them that is for so it is render'd by all Interpreters the Holy Ghost spake those words by the mouths of the Prophets Now the Prophets being well known for such this Suffrage of theirs was no sooner given than as one that can allow Prophets to be leading men may easily think follow'd by all the rest of the Congregation So the whole multitude having fasted and pray'd the most eminent among them or the Senatorian Order in that Church laid their hands upon PAUL and BARNABAS who being thus sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed to Seleucia TO evade this apparent Election or Chirotonia of the whole Congregation wherby these Apostles or Ambassadors to the Churches of the Gentils were ordain'd Divines have nothing to say but that they were elected by the Holy Ghost As if the Chirotonia of the People were more exclusive to election by the Holy Ghost than the Chirothesia of the Aristocracy for which in the mean time they contend But if neither of these were indeed exclusive of the Holy Ghost how is it possible in this frame where tho of natural necessity an Aristocracy must have bin included yet the Aristocracy is not in the Text so much as distinguish'd from the People or once nam'd that the Power and so the Ordination should not have bin in the People The Council of the Apostles of the Elders and of the whole Church at Jerusalem and other Councils not of Apostles nor of the whole Church in other times or places us'd this form in their Acts It seems good to the Holy Acts 15. 22. Ghost and to us But dos this whether a true or a pretended stile exclude that Act from being an Act of that whole Council Or how coms it to pass that because PAUL and BARNABAS were separated by the Holy Ghost they were not ordain'd by the Chirotonia of the whole Christian People at Antioch THE Chirothesia can be no otherwise understood in nature nor ever was in the Commonwealth of the Jews than Election by the few And so even under the mere Chirothesia Ordination and Election were not two but one and the same thing If MOSES ordain'd JOSHUA his Successor by the Chirothesia he elected JOSHUA his Successor by the Chirothesia and for what reason must it be otherwise with the Chirotonia That a Pharisee could do more with one hand or a pair of hands than a Christian Church or Congregation can do with all their hands is a Doctrin very much for the honor of the true Religion and a soverain Maxim of Ecclesiastical Policy Third way of Ordination in the Church of Christ THE third Constitution of Church-Government in Scripture whether consisting of Bishops or Presbyters between which at this time a man shall hardly find a difference runs wholly upon the Aristocracy without mention of the People and is therfore compar'd by GROTIUS to the Sanhedrim of Israel as that came to be in these Grot. ad 1 Tim. 4. 14. days from whence Divines also generally and truly confess that it was taken up to which I shall need to add no more than that it is an Order for which there is no Precept either in the Old Testament of God or in the New Testament of Christ This therfore thus taken up by the Book II Apostles from the Jews is a clear demonstration that the Government of the Church in what purity soever of the Times nay tho under the inspection of the Apostles themselves has bin obnoxious to that of the State wherin it was planted The Sanhedrim from the institution of the Chirothesia for a constant Order consisted of no other Senators than such only as had bin ordain'd by the Imposition of Hands which came now to be confer'd by the Prince in the presence or with the assistance of the Sanhedrim The same Order was Grot. ad Mat. 19. 13. observ'd by the Jewish Synagogues of which each had her Archon nor would the Jews converted to the Christian Faith relinquish the Law of MOSES wherto this way of Ordination among other things tho erroneously was vulgarly attributed whence in the Church where it consisted of converted Jews Ordination was confer'd by the Archon or first in order of the Presbytery with the assistance of the rest Hence PAUL in one place exhorts TIMOTHY thus 1 Tim. 4. 14. Neglect not the Gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And in another thus 2 Tim. 1. 6. Wherfore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the Gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands I GRANT Divines that Ordination by this time was wholly in the Presbytery what say they then to the distinction of Ordination and Election Are these still two distinct things or may we hence at least compute them to be one and the same If they say Yes why then might they not have bin so before If they say No who in this place but the Presbytery elected Why says Dr. HAMMOND §. 106. it is plain that the Spirit of Prophecy elected But to give account of no more than is already perform'd were the spirit of History rather than of Prophecy to which it appertains to tell things before they be don as did the Prophets now living in this Church that TIMOTHY should com to be ordain'd So the place is interpreted by GROTIUS and how it should be otherwise understood I cannot see But putting the case som Act preceded as SAUL and DAVID were elected Kings by Prophecy yet did ever man say that for this SAUL or DAVID were any whit the less elected Kings by the People To the contrary in every well-order'd Commonwealth a Jove principium the disposing of the Lot and of the Suffrage too has universally bin attributed to God THE Piety of Divines in persuading the People that God elects §. 134. for them and therfore they need not trouble themselves to vote is as if they should persuade them that God provides their daily Bread and therfore they need not trouble themselves to work To conclude this point with Dr. HAMMOND'S own words upon the same occasion this distinction of Ordination and Election is in Divines the procreative §. 111. Mistake or Ignorance producing all the rest THE reason why PAUL ordain'd now after this manner among the Jews is to me an irrefragable argument that he ordain'd not after this manner among the Gentils for wheras the first Ordination in the Christian Church namely that of MATTHIAS was
the end they may be the better protected by the State in the free exercise of the same they are desir'd to make choice in such manner as they best like of certain Magistrats in every one of their Congregations which we could wish might be four in each of them to be Auditors in cases of differences or distast if any thro variety of opinions that may be grievous or injurious to them should fall out And such Auditors or Magistrats shall have power to examin the matter and inform themselves to the end that if they think it of sufficient weight they may acquaint the Phylarch with it or introduce it into the Council of Religion where all such Causes as those Magistrats introduce shall from time to time be heard and determin'd according to such Laws as are or shall hereafter be provided by the Parlament for the just defence of the Liberty of Conscience THIS Order consists of three parts the first restoring the power of Ordination to the People which that it originally belongs to them is clear tho not in English yet in Scripture where the Apostles ordain'd Acts 14. 23. Elders by the holding up of hands in every Congregation that is by the suffrage of the People which was also given in som of those Citys by the Ballot And tho it may be shewn that the Apostles ordain'd som by the laying on of hands it will not be shewn that they did so in every Congregation EXCOMMUNICATION as not clearly provable out of the Scripture being omitted the second part of the Order implys and establishes a National Religion for there be degrees of Knowlege in divine things true Religion is not to be learnt without searching the Scriptures the Scriptures cannot be search'd by us unless we have them to search and if we have nothing else or which is all one understand nothing else but a Translation we may be as in the place alleg'd we have bin beguil'd or misled by the Translation while we should be searching the true sense of the Scripture which cannot be attain'd in a natural way and a Commonwealth is not to presume upon that which is supernatural but by the knowlege of the Original and of Antiquity acquir'd by our own studys or those of som others for even Faith coms by hearing Wherfore a Commonwealth not making provision of men from time to time knowing in the original Languages wherin the Scriptures were written and vers'd in those Antiquitys to which they so frequently relate that the true sense of them depends in great part upon that Knowlege can never be secure that she shall not lose the Scripture and by consequence her Religion which to preserve she must institute som method of this Knowlege and som use of such as have acquir'd it which amounts to a National Religion THE Commonwealth having thus perform'd her duty towards God as a rational Creature by the best application of her Reason to Scripture and for the preservation of Religion in the purity of the same yet pretends not to Infallibility but coms in the third part of the Order establishing Liberty of Conscience according to the Instructions given to her Council of Religion to raise up her hands to Heaven for further light in which proceding she follows that as was shewn in the Preliminarys of Israel who tho her National Religion was always a part of her Civil Law gave to her Prophets the upper hand of all her Orders Definition of a Parish BUT the Surveyors having now don with the Parishes took their leaves so a Parish is the first division of Land occasion'd by the first Collection of the People of Oceana whose Function proper to that place is compriz'd in the six preceding Orders Institution of the Hundred THE next step in the progress of the Surveyors was to a meeting of the nearest of them as their work lay by twentys where conferring their Lists and computing the Deputys contain'd therin as the number of them in Parishes being nearest Neighbors amounted to one hundred or as even as might conveniently be brought with that account they cast them and those Parishes into the Precinct which be the Deputys ever since more or fewer is still call'd the Hundred and to every one of these Precincts they appointed a certain place being the most convenient Town within the same for the annual Rendevouz which don each Surveyor returning to his Hundred and summoning the Deputys contain'd in his Lists to the Rendevouz they appear'd and receiv'd 7. Order THE seventh ORDER requiring That upon the first Monday next insuing the last of January the Deputys of every Parish annually assemble in Arms at the Rendevouz of the Hundred and there elect out of their number one Justice of the Peace one Juryman one Captain one Ensign of their Troop or Century each of these out of the Horse and one Juryman one Crowner one High Constable out of the Foot the Election to be made by the Ballot in this manner The Jurymen for the time being are to be Overseers of the Ballot instead of these the Surveyors are to officiat at the first Assembly and to look to the performance of the same according to what was directed in the Ballot of the Parishes saving that the High Constable setting forth the Vrn shall have five several sutes of Gold Balls and one dozen of every sute wherof the first shall be mark'd with the Letter A the second with the letter B the third with C the fourth with D and the fifth with E and of each of these sutes he shall cast one Ball into his Hat or into a little Vrn and shaking the Balls together present them to the first Overseer who shall draw one and the sute which is so drawn by the Overseer shall be of use for that day and no other for example if the Overseer drew an A the High Constable shall put seven Gold Balls mark'd with the letter A into the Vrn with so many Silver ones as shall bring them even with the number of the Deputys who being sworn as before at the Ballot of the Parish to make a fair Election shall be call'd to the Vrn and every man coming in manner as was there shew'd shall draw one Ball which if it be Silver he shall cast it into a Bowl standing at the foot of the Vrn and return to his place but the first that draws a Gold Ball shewing it to the Overseers who if it has not the letter of the present Ballot have power to apprehend and punish him is the first Elector the second the second Elector and so to the seventh which Order they are to observe in their function The Electors as they are drawn shall be plac'd upon the Bench by the Overseers till the whole number be complete and then be conducted with the List of the Officers to be chosen into a Place apart where being privat the first Elector shall name a Person to the first
Ephesus for the word Ecclesia in this sense and secondly that they would not persuade us the word Ecclesia has lost this signification lest they condemn this place of Scripture to be no more understood The manner of Provincial Government being thus prov'd not only out of profane Authors but out of Scripture it self and the Citys that were least free having had such power over themselves and their Territorys why if the Romans took no more of them for this protection than was paid to their former Lords did they not rather undertake the patronage of the World than the Empire seeing Venice and Dantzic while the one was tributary to the Turk the other to the King of Poland were nevertheless so free Estates that of a King or a Commonwealth that should have put the rest of the world into the like condition no less in our day could have bin said And yet that the Romans when the nature of the Eastern Monarchys shall be rightly consider'd took far less of these Citys than their old Masters will admit of little doubt CICERO surely would not ly he when Proconsul of Cilicia wrote in this manner concerning his Circuit to his friend SERVILIUS Two days I staid at Laodicea at Apamea five at Sinnadae three at Pilomelis five at Iconium ten than which Jurisdiction or Government there is nothing more just or equal Why then had not those Citys their Senats and their Book II Ecclesiae or Congregations of the People as well as that of Ephesus and those wherof PLINY gives an account to TRAJAN CORINTH was in Achaia Perga of Pamphylia Antioch of Pisidia Iconium Lystra Derbe of Lycaonia were in Cilicia and with these as som reckon Attalia Ephesus and the other Antioch were in Syria Achaia Cilicia and Syria were Roman Provinces at the time of this Perambulation of the Apostles The Citys under Provincial Administration whether free or not free were under Popular Government whence it follows that Corinth Ephesus Antioch of Syria Antioch of Pisidia Perga Iconium Lystra Derbe Attalia being at this time under Provincial Administration were at the same time under Popular Government There has bin no hurt in going about for the proof of this tho indeed to shew that these Citys had quandam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were under Popular Government we needed to have gon no further than the Text as where the Chancellor of Ephesus to get rid of a tumultuous Ecclesia or Assembly of the People promises them a lawful one In Iconium Lystra Derbe and the rest you hear not of any King as where HEROD stretch'd out his hand to please the Jews and vex the Church but of the People of their Rulers of their Assemblys and of their Tumults The People at Lystra are now agreed to give the Apostles divine Honors and anon both at Iconium and Lystra to stone them Now to determin of divine Honor or of Life and Death are acts of Soverain Power It is true these nevertheless may happen to be usurp'd by a mere Tumult but that cannot be said of these Congregations which consisted as well of the Magistrats and Rulers as of the People and where the Magistrats shew that they had no distinct Power wherby to restrain the People nor other means to prevail against them than by making of Partys Which Passages as they prove these Commonwealths on the one side to have bin ill constituted evince on the other that these Citys were under Popular Government CHAP. III. The Deduction of the Chirotonia from Popular Government and of the Original Right of Ordination from the Chirotonia In which is contain'd the Institution of the Sanhedrim or Senat of Israel by MOSES and of that of Rome by ROMULUS DIVINES generally in their way of disputing have a bias that runs more upon Words than upon Things so that in this place it will be necessary to give the Interpretation of som other Words wherof they pretend to take a strong hold in their Controversys The chief of these has bin spoken to already Chirotonia being a word that properly signifys the Suffrage of the People wherever it is properly us'd implys Power wherfore tho the Senat decrees by Suffrage as well as the People yet there being no more in a Decree of the Senat than Authority the Senat is never said to Chirotonize or very seldom and improperly this word being peculiar to the People And thus much is imply'd in what went before THE next Word in Controversy is Psephisma which signifys a Decree Chap. 3 or Law and this always implying Power always implys the Suffrage of the People that is where it is spoken of popular Government for tho a Psephisma or Decree of the Athenian Senat was a Law for a year before it came to the Suffrage or Chirotonia of the People yet the Law or Constitution of SOLON wherby the Senat had this Power originally deriv'd from the Chirotonia of the People THE third Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifys to constitute or ordain this in the political sense of the same implys not Power but Authority for a man that writes or proposes a Decree or Form of Government may be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to propose or constitute it whether it be confirm'd by the Chirotonia of the People or not nay with HALICARNASSAEUS the Word signifys no more than barely to call or assemble the Senat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 NOW if these Words be somtimes otherwise taken what Words be there in any Language that are not often us'd improperly But that understood politically they must of necessity be understood as I have shewn or will so intangle and disorder Government that no man shall either make head or foot of it is that which I make little question to evince in the surest way that is by opening the nature of the Things whence they derive and wherof they are spoken by the best Authors AND because the Words tho the Things they signify were much more antient derive all from Athens I shall begin by this Constitution to shew the proper use of them Chirotonia in Athens as has bin shewn out of SUIDAS who speaking of Rome refers to this was Election of Magistrats or enacting Laws by the Suffrage of the People which because they gave by holding up their hands came thence to be call'd Chirotonia which signifys holding up of hands The Legislative Assembly or Representative of the People call'd the Nomothetae upon occasion of repealing an old Law and enacting a new one gave the Chirotonia of the People And yet says the Athenian Demost contra Timocr Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the Proedri give or make the Chirotonia to either Law The Proedri as was shewn in the former Book were the ten Presidents of the Prytans which Prytans upon this occasion were Presidents of the Nomothetae Again wheras it was the undoubted Right and Practice of the People to elect their Magistrats by their Chirotonia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it
holding up of Hands they had elected Presbyters That us'd in England from the time of the Reformation till the Episcopal correction of the same WHEN they had ordain'd them Elders by Election in every Congregation INDEED the circumstance of the Place forbids any other construction Chap. 5 of the words for if the Suffrage or Chirotonia which were scarce sense related to the Apostles only what needed they have don that in every Congregation or Church which they might have don in any Chamber or Closet The circumstance of the Action forbids any other construction for the People were assembl'd upon occasion of Election or Creation of Officers which thing dos not use to be don in Assemblys gather'd for Divine Service besides these Congregations were not always of one mind but somtimes for sacrificing to the Apostles somtimes for stoning them which are acts of Power wherfore they were Political Assemblys Now these consisting also of a People that had in their Citys quandam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the government of themselves hence arises the strongest circumstance of all forbidding any interpretation of the Text that might exclude them from election of their own Magistrats Priests or Ecclesiastical Elders such as had bin the Asiarchs tho Heathen Prelats yet remember'd by the Scripture as affectionat Friends to PAUL or such as were those tho Acts 19. 31 to a better end now ordain'd by the Apostles Wherfore GROTIUS notwithstanding all the art he uses in other places to avoid this sense giving his note upon the Text yields Tho chirotonizing may be said of any Election made by one or by the few yet to the Election in this place it is probable that the consent of the People was given no less being impli'd in the beginning of the Chapter where the Multitude believ'd where they were stir'd up where they were evil affected and where part held with the Jews and part with the Apostles Which shews that the People were active in the business But says Dr. SEAMAM There is difference between the Consent of the People and the Power of the People which is not to understand the case in controversy nor to take notice that the People wherof we are speaking were under Popular Government for wherever the People are under Popular Government between that which is don by their consent and that which is don jussu populi by their power there is no difference How should the People give their consent but by their Suffrage or what difference where they have Power can there be between the Suffrage and the Power of the People Dr. HAMMOND upon this point is far more quaint where the Scripture says that the Multitude were evil effected and where part held with the Jews and part with the Apostles he thinks it e'en like enough But where it is said that a great Multitude of the Jews and also of the Greecs believ'd he seems to have no opinion of it for says he It is evident that Believers were at first but few in every Town or City §. 134. they were not whole Corporations at once converted nor consequently could they act in a common capacity but as CLEMENS ROMANUS says they that were by the Apostles constituted Bishops and Deacons in several Citys and Regions were constituted over those that should after believe there were oft so few at the present And then as fast as any did com into the Faith they readily submitted themselves to those by and under whom they did com in and were not at all troubled honest men with the consulation or deliberation about the way of electing their Teachers and Guides COM away to leave the Scripture a while and follow CLEMENS be it so for discourse sake that in those days there was no where any such thing as a great Multitude believing much less whole States or Book II Commonwealths at once converted wherby they might still act in a common capacity but only som privat or gather'd Congregations or Churches and that in such it was the Apostles PAUL and BARNABAS chirotoniz'd yet these as they were found or as afterwards they came to be made must of necessity have bin Corporations for what can a number of Men coming into a Society regulated by certain Laws Constitutions or Form be but a Corporation Som Ecclesiastical Policy or Disciplin they must have had and that probably seeing the greatest Legislators even MOSES himself have written after Copys according to som Pattern what was this Pattern and whence came it §. 125. WHY says he not from their Heathen Customs but from the Metropolis for it must be remember'd that whersoever the Gospel was preach'd it came originally from Jerusalem and then as AGRIPPA in PHILO §. 135. says of that City it was the Metropolis not only of Judea but many other Regions because of the Colonys thence sent into Aegypt Phenice and both the Syria's nay to Pamphylia Cilicia and a great part of Asia as far as Bithynia and Pontus So in reason the Churches in Lystra Iconium and Antioch where PAUL and BARNABAS ordain'd Elders were to follow the pattern at Jerusalem and there we know it was not by the Suffrage of the People that an Elder was assum'd into the Sanhedrim but the Prince or Head of the Sanhedrim receiv'd him in by Imposition of Hands It will be much more reasonable to deduce the circumstances of ordaining Elders from the Customs familiar to them that preach'd the Faith to them than from the former usages of them to whom it was preach'd who were not to dispute but to believe and receive the Institutions as well as Doctrins which were brought them THESE methinks are strange Arguments The Gospel came to us from Rome is Rome therfore the Metropolis of England It is true AGRIPPA being a Jew and writing to CALIGULA in the behalf Philo de legatione ad Caium of the Jews not of the Christians tells him That Jerusalem is the Metropolis of the Jews and of all their Colonys so is London of the English and of all their Colonys but dos it follow from hence that either Jerusalem or London is the Metropolis of Christendom But the Jews had many Colonys in Asia and therfore the Churches of Lystra Iconium and Antioch were to follow the pattern at Jerusalem The Jews indeed had Synagogs in Iconium and Lystra as the French have Churches in England but is this a good argument The French have Churches in England therfore the English are to follow the Orders of the French Church The Jews withstood the Gospel at Iconium for Acts 14. 4. says the Text the Multitude of the City was divided and part held with the Jews and part with the Apostles therfore the believing Iconians must have acknowleg'd Jerusalem to be their Metropolis and were to follow the pattern of that City And what was that Why there we know it was not by the Suffrages of the People that an Elder was assum'd into the Sanhedrim but
of them because there is no such thing throout the Scripture to be found as a Law made by the Sanhedrim without the People and if so then that the Sanhedrim with the People had power to make a Law is by this place of Scripture undeniably evinc'd But besides the chief Fathers which here are call'd Rulers of the Congregation Ezra 10. 14 and in the time of DAVID were call'd Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds mention is also made of the Elders of every City and the Judges therof in which words you have the Judges in the Gates throout the Tribes of Israel as they were instituted by MOSES All which particulars being rightly sum'd up com to this total Tâ—at the Commonwealth restor'd by EZRA was the very same that 〈…〉 was instituted by MOSES A Transition to the Cabalistical or Jewish Commonwealth SUCH was the Government restor'd by ZOROBABEL EZRA Sect. 4 and NEHEMIA Now whether the Jewish or Cabalistical Common-wealth father'd by the Presbyterian Jews of latter ages upon MOSES or EZRA be the same shall be shewn by reducing the invention of these Men to three heads as first their Cabala secondly their Ordination and last of all their great Synagog The Cabala THE Cabala call'd also by the Jews the Oral Law consists of Sect. 5 certain Traditions by them pretended at the institution of the Sanhedrim to have bin verbally deliver'd to the seventy Elders by MOSES for the Government of the Commonwealth These were never written till after the dispersion of the Jews by the Emperor ADRIAN when to save them from being lost they were digested into those Volums call'd the Talmud which they hold to be and indeed are as to matter of Fact the authentic Records of their Government Of the Traditions thus recorded says one of the Rabbins or Jewish Doctors Think not Rabbi Corbulensis that the written Law or the Law of MOSES is fundamental but that the Oral or Traditional Law is fundamental it being upon this that God enter'd into a League with the Israelits as it is written After the tenor of Exod. 34. 27. In codice juris Chagiga these words I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel A man says another who returns from the study of the Talmud to the study of the Bible can have no quiet conscience neither was there any peace to him that Zach. 8. 10. went out or came in The like wherof is the Talmudical way of applying Scripture throout And it was the common Blessing the Pharises gave their Children My Son hearken to the words of a Scribe or Doctor rather than to the Law of MOSES To whom says CHRIST hereupon You have made the Commandment of God of no Mat. 15. 6. effect by your tradition Ordination by Imposition of Hands NOW as true as the Talmud or as this word of a Scribe or that Sect. 6 MOSES deliver'd the Oral Law to the seventy Elders and to JOSHUA so true it is that MOSES ordain'd both the seventy Elders and JOSHUA by the imposition of Hands and that this Ordination by the imposition of Hands together with the Oral Law came successively and hand in hand from the seventy Elders and from JOSHUA downright to these Doctors This indeed is so generally affirm'd by their Talmudists that there is no denying of it but that as to the seventy Elders it is quite contrary to Scripture has already bin Book II made sufficiently apparent for JOSHUA is acknowleg'd to have bin ordain'd by MOSES with imposition of hands But this Argument besides that the Act of MOSES was accompany'd with a miracle and that it is absurd to think that a thing plainly miraculous should or can be receiv'd as an Order in a Commonwealth will go no farther than that JOSHUA upon this authority might have elected his Successor by imposition of hands Let them shew us then that he did so or indeed that he left any Successor at all for certainly if JOSHUA left no Successor so ordain'd or no Successor at all which is the truth of the case then descended there upon them no such Ordination from JOSHUA and so by consequence none from MOSES Whence it follows that the Authority and Vogue of Ordination by the imposition of hands among the Jews procedes not from the Law of MOSES but from the Oral Law which how bad an Authority soever iâ—â—e to us of right is of fact or of what the exercise of Ordina 〈…〉 s among the Jews a good and sufficient testimony Now therby the condition of this Ordination tho in som times of the Commonwealth it was less restrain'd was such that no man not having receiv'd the same from the great Sanhedrim or som one of the inferior Courts by laying on of hands by word of mouth or by writing could be a Presbyter or capable of any Judicature or Magistracy in the Commonwealth or to give Counsil in the Law or any part of the Law or to be of the Assembly of the great Synagog Sect. 7 The great Synagog WHAT the Assembly of the Princes and Fathers was in the time of EZRA has bin shewn and is left to the judgment of others But this is that which the Talmudists and their Ancestors the Cabalistical Jews among which the Pharises were of the highest rank unanimously affirm to have consisted of the seventy Elders and of a Juncta of fifty Presbyters not elected by the People but by the laying on of hands by the Sanhedrim or by som other Judicatory This they say was the institution of their great Synagog where I leave them but that according to the sense wherin they cite their Authoritys the like with them was a constant practice appears not only by their own Testimony and Records but is plain in Scripture as where CHRIST speaks of the Jews to his Apostles in this manner They Grot. ad Mat. 10. 17. will scourge you in their Synagogs that is the Jews having as yet no Law made wherby they can invade the liberty of Conscience or bring you for the practice therof to punishment will call their great Synagog wherin the Priests and the Pharises or the Sanhedrim have at least seven to five the overbalancing Vote over the rest Which also are their Creatures and by these will easily carry or make such Laws wherby they may inflict upon you corporal Punishment which Interpretation of Christ's words was fulfil'd even to a tittle or rather with over measure For upon this occasion the High Priest and as Acts 4. 6. many as were of the kindred of the High Priest were gather'd together at Jerusalem That this same Juncta to be in this case added to the Sanhedrim was to consist but of fifty those fifty not elected by the People but chosen by the Elders of the Sanhedrim and not out of the body of the People but out of such only as had receiv'd Ordination by the Sanhedrim or by som other
introduc'd by Christ into his Church Matth. 19. 28. WE do not find that CHRIST who gave little countenance to Sect. 1 the Jewish Traditions ordain'd his Apostles or Disciples by the imposition of hands his Apostles were twelve whom he compares to the twelve Princes of the Tribes of Israel and his Disciples were seventy in which number it is receiv'd by Divines that he alluded to the seventy Elders or Sanhedrim of Israel So thus far the Government of the Church instituted by CHRIST was according to the form instituted by MOSES But CHRIST in this form was King and Priest not after the institution of MOSES who separated the Levits to the Priesthood but as before MOSES when the Royal and Priestly Vid. Grotium videat Grotius in Epist ad Hebraeos Function were not separated and after the order or manner of MELCHISEDEC who came not to the Priesthood by proving his Pedegree as the High Priest in Israel by Father or as the King Priest in Athens by Mother but without Father and Mother Or be what has bin said of MELCHISEDEC approv'd or rejected such for the rest as has bin shewn was the form introduc'd by CHRIST into his Church The first way of Ordination Acts 1. CHRIST being taken up into Heaven his Disciples or Followers Sect. 2 in Jerusalem increas'd to about one hundred and twenty names and the Apostles decreas'd by one or by JUDAS who was gon to his place PETER whether upon the Counsil or Determination of the eleven Apostles as is most probable beforehand or otherwise stood up and spoke both to the Apostles and Disciples assembl'd upon this occasion That one out of the present Assembly might be ordain'd an Apostle and they that is the Congregation or why was this propos'd to them appointed two by Suffrage for how otherwise can an Assembly appoint These were BARSABAS and MATTHIAS which Names being written in scrols were cast into one Urn two Lots wherof one was a blank and the other inscrib'd with the word Apostle being at the same time cast into another Urn. Which don they pray'd that God would shew which of the Competitors by them so made he had chosen when they had thus pray'd they gave forth their Lots that is a scrol out of the one Urn and then a name to that scrol out of the other Urn and the Lot fell upon MATTHIAS or MATTHIAS was taken wherupon MATTHIAS was number'd or rather decreed with the eleven Apostles For * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psephisma being a word which properly derives from such Stones or Pebbles as popular Assemblys of old were wont to ballot with or give suffrage by not only signifys a Decree but especially such a Decree as is made by a popular Assembly Now if this was Ordination in the Christian Church and of Apostolical Right then may there be a way of Ordination in the Christian Church and of Apostolical Right exactly conformable to the Ballot or way us'd by MOSES in the institution of the seventy Elders or Sanhedrim of Israel Book II AFTER the conversion of som thousands more most if not all Sect. 3 of which were Jews a People tho converted yet so tenacious of their The second way of Ordination Acts 4. 4. Laws and Customs that even Circumcision hitherto not forbidden by the Apostles was continu'd among them the twelve Apostles call'd the multitude of Disciples to them So MOSES when he had any thing Acts 6. to propose assembl'd the People of Israel And when the twelve had thus call'd the Disciples they said Look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom whom we may appoint over this business So MOSES said to the Congregation of Israel Take ye wise men and understanding and known among your Tribes and I will make them Rulers over you And the saying of the Apostles pleas'd the whole multitude So the People of Israel were wont to answer to MOSES The thing which thou sayst is good for us to do This saying of the Apostles being thought good by the whole multitude the whole multitude elected seven men whom they set before the Apostles and when they had pray'd they laid their hands on them To say in this place as they do that the Act of the People was but a Presentation and that the Apostles had power to admit or refuse the Persons so presented is as if one should say That the act of electing Parlament men by the People of England was but a Presentation and that the King had power to admit or refuse the Persons so presented And seeing the Deacons henceforth had charge of the Word to say that by this choice the Deacons receiv'd not the charge of the Word but the care to serve Tables is as if one should say That Parlament men by their Election receiv'd only the care to levy Mony or Provision for the King's Table but if upon such Election they debated also concerning Laws that Power they receiv'd from the King only BUT if this was a way of Ordination in the Christian Church and of Apostolical Right then there may be a way of Ordination in the Christian Church and of Apostolical Right consisting in part of the Orders of the Israelitish Commonwealth and in part of the Orders of the Jewish Commonwealth Sect. 4 The third way of Ordination 1 Tim. 4. 14. LASTLY PAUL writing to TIMOTHY concerning his Ordination has in one place this expression Neglect not the Gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophesy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery So the Presbytery of a Jewish Synagog laid their hands on 2 Tim. 1. 6. the Party ordain'd And in another place he has this expression Stir up the Gift of God which is in thee by the laying on of my hands So the Ruler of a Jewish Synagog did lay his hands also on the Party ordain'd Moreover the Apostle in these words The Gift that is in thee by laying on of hands tho in relation to Gifts beyond comparison more excellent uses the Phrase known upon the like occasion to have bin common with the Jews Wherfore if this were a way of Ordination in the Christian Church and of Apostolical Right then may there be a way of Ordination in the Christian Church exactly conformable to the Jewish Commonwealth and yet be of Apostolical Right Nor is it so strange that the Apostles in matters of this nature should comply with the Jews of which so many were converted seeing it is certain that not only the Apostles but all such as in these times were converted did observe the Jewish Sabbath nay and that PAUL himself took TIMOTHY and circumcis'd him because of the Jews that is to comply with them or to give them no offence Nor do our Divines any where pretend imposition of hands to be deriv'd from CHRIST but unanimously confess that it was taken up by the Apostles from the
is propos'd Universitys THAT the Vniversitys being prudently reform'd be preserv'd in their Rights and Indowments for and towards the education and provision of an able Ministry Joh. 5. 39. WE are commanded by CHRIST to search the Scriptures The Scriptures are not now to be search'd but by skill in Tongues The immediat gift of Tongues is ceas'd How then should skill in Tongues be acquir'd but mediatly or by the means of Education How should a State expect such an Education particularly for a matter of ten thousand men that provides not for it And what provision can a State make for this Education but by such Schools so indow'd and regulated as with us are the Universitys These therfore are a necessary step towards the prevention of such Ignorance or Interest as thro the infirmitys or biass of Translators Interpreters and Preachers both have and may frequently com to be incorporated with Religion as also to the improvement or acquisition of such Light as is by the command of CHRIST to be attain'd or exercis'd in searching the Scriptures The eighth Parallel 1 Chron. 25. 8. Mal. 2. 12. THE excellent Learning of the Levits in all kinds not ordinarily infus'd but acquir'd there having bin among them as well the Teacher as the Scholar leaves little doubt but their forty eight Citys were as so many Universitys These with their Suburbs or Indowments contain'd in the whole each of their Circuits in Land reckon'd at four thousand Cubits deep about a hundred thousand Acres that is if their measure was according to the common Cubit if according to the holy Cubit as with Levits was most likely twice so much which at the lowest account I conceive to be far above the Revenues of both our Universitys THESE being order'd as has bin said it is propos'd Augmentation of Livings THAT the legal and antient provision for the National Ministry be so augmented that the meanest sort of Livings or Benefices without defalcation from the greater be each improv'd to the Revenue of one hundred pounds at least Book III THIS in regard the way is by Tithes coms up so close to the The ninth Parallel Orders of Israel as in our day may shew that a Commonwealth may com too near that pattern to be lik'd We find not indeed that the Apostles either took or demanded Tithes in which case the Priests who were legally possest of them might have had suspicion that they under color of Religion had aim'd at the violation of Property But putting the case that generally the Priests had bin converted to the Christian Faith whether the Apostles would for that reason have injoin'd them to relinquish their Tithes Or what is there in the Christian Religion to favor any such surmise To me there seems abundantly enough to the contrary For if the Apostles stuck not to comply with the Jews in a Ceremony which was of mere human invention and to introduce this as they did Ordination by imposition of hands into the Christian Church that they would upon a like inducement have refus'd a standing Law undoubtedly Mosaical is in my opinion most improbable So that I conceive the Law for Tithes now in being may or may not be continu'd at the pleasure of the Lawgivers for any thing in this case to the contrary Confident I am that the introducing of this Model in the whole which is thought impracticable were not to willing minds so difficult a work as the abolition of Tithes BUT Benefices whether by way of Tithes or otherwise being thus order'd it is propos'd Ordination THAT a Benefice becoming void in any Parish the Elders of the same may assemble and give notice to the Vice-Chancellor of either Vniversity by a Certificat specifying the true value of that Benefice that the Vice-Chancellor upon the receit of this Certificat be oblig'd to call a Congregation of his Vniversity that the Congregation of the Vniversity to this end assembl'd having regard to the value of the Benefice make choice of a Person fit for the Ministerial Function and return him to the Parish so requiring that the Probationer thus return'd to a Parish by either of the Vniversitys exercise the Office and receive the Benefits as Minister of the Parish for the term of one year that the term of one year being expir'd the Elders of the Parish assemble and put the Election of the Probationer to the Ballot that if the Probationer has three parts in four of the Balls or Votes in the Affirmative he be therby ordain'd and elected Minister of that Parish not afterwards to be degraded or remov'd but by the Censors of the Tribe the Phylarch of the same or the Council of Religion in such cases as shall be to them reserv'd by Act of Parlament That in case the Probationer coms to fail of three parts in four at the Ballot he depart from that Parish and if he returns to the Vniversity it be without diminution of the former Offices or Preferments which he there injoy'd or any prejudice to his future Preferment and that it be lawful in this case for any Parish to send so often to either Vniversity and it be the duty of either Vice-Chancellor upon such Certificats to make return of different Probationers till such time as the Elders of that Parish have fitted themselves with a Minister of their own choice and liking IN case it was thought fit that a Probationer thus elected should before he departs receive imposition of hands from the Doctors of the University I cannot see what the most scrupulous in the matter of Ordination could find wanting But let this be so or otherwise it is indifferent The Universitys by proposing to the Congregation in every Parish do the Senatorian Office and the People thus fitting themselves by their Suffrage or Ballot reserve that Office Chap. 2 which is truly popular that is the Result to themselves The tenth Parallel MOSES for so far back the Divines reach at Ordination in the institution of the Senat of Israel wherin he can never be prov'd to have us'd imposition of hands performing the Senatorian Office caus'd the People to take wise men and understanding and known among Deut. 1. Numb 11. their Tribes wherof the Lot fell upon all but ELDAD and MEDAD And the Apostles doing the Senatorian Office in like manner without imposition of hands caus'd the whole Congregation to take two Acts 1. 26. wherof the lot of Apostleship fell upon MATTHIAS So that this way of Ordination being that which was instituted by MOSES and the chief or first of those which were us'd by the Apostles is both Mosaical and Apostolical Nor has a well order'd Commonwealth See Book 2. chap. 8. any choice left of those other ways of Ordination us'd by the Apostles in complaisance to worse sort of Government but is naturally necessitated to this that is to the very best ORDINATION being thus provided for it is propos'd