Ministry is not alike necessary in all times and places but with great variety it is exceeding necessary in some Countreys and not in others but useful in some degree in most as I conceive § 36. If the Question be whether such a Ministry be useful in these Dominions or not I have answered before that in some darker and necessitous parts where ignorance doth reign and Ministers or able ones at least are scarce there such aâ— exercise of the Ministry is necessary but in other parts it is not of such necessity yet much work there may be for such or for those in the next Chapter mentioned in most Countreys of them therefore I shall next speak CHAP. II. Of fixed Pastors that also participate in the work of the unfixed § 1. IT is not only the unfixed Ministers that may lawfully do the fore-described work but the fixed Pastors of particular Churches may take their part of it and ordinarily should do somewhat toward it though not so much as they that are wholly in it § 2. I shall here shew you 1. What such may do 2. On what terms 3. And then I shall prove it And 1. They may as Ministers of Christ go abroad to preach where there are many ignorant or ungodly people in order to their Conversion 2. They may help to Congregate Believers into holy Societies where it is not already done 3. They may Ordain them Elders in such Churches as they Congregate 4. They may oft enquire after the welfare of the Neighbour Churches and go among them and visit them and strengthen them and admonish the Pastors to do their duties 5. They may instruct and teach the Pastors in publike exercises 6. They may exercise any acts of Worship or Discipline upon the people of any particular Church which giveth them a due invitation thereto 7. They may publikely declare that they will avoid Communion with an impious or heretical Church or Pastor § 3. But 2. As to the mode or terms it should be thus performed 1. No Pastor of a single Church must leave his flock a day or hour without such necessary business as may prove his Call to do so We must not feign a Call when we have none or pretend necessities He that knows his obligations to his particular charge and the work that is there to be done methinks should not dare to be stepping aside unless he be sure it is to a greater work § 4. And 2. No Pastor of a Church should be busie to play the Bishop in another mans Diocess nor suspect or disparage the parts or labours of the proper Pastor of that Church till the sufferings or dangers of the Church do evidently warrant him and call him to assist them § 5. 3. No Minister of Christ should be so proud as to overvalue his own parts and thereupon obtrude himself where there is no need of him though there might be need of others upon a conceit that he is fitter then other men to afford assistance to his Brethren When the case is really so he may judge it so especially when his Colleagues or fellow Ministers judge so too and desire him to the work but Pride must not send out Ministers § 6. 4. A Minister that hath divers fellow Presbyters at home to teach and guide that Church in his absence may better go out on assisting works then other men And so may he that hath help that while from Neighbour Presbyters or that hath such a charge as may bâ—ar his absence for that time without any great or considerable loss § 7. 5. And a man that is commanded out by the Magistrate who may make him a Visiter of the Churches near him may lawfully obey when it would not have been fit to have done it without such a command or some equivalent motive § 8. 6. A man that is earnestly invited by Neighbour-Ministers or Churches that call out to him Come and help us may have comfort in his undertaking if he see a probability of doing greater good then if he denyed them and if they give him satisfactory reasons of their Call § 9. 7. Men of extraordinary abilities should make them as communicative and useful to all as possibly they can and may not so easily keep their retirements as the Weak may do § 10. 8. And lastly No man should upon any of these pretences usurp a Lordship over his Brethren nor take on him to be the stated Pastor of Pastors or of many Churches as his special Charge It is one thing to do the common work of Ministers abroad by seeking mens Conversion and the planting of Churches or else to afford assistance to many Churches for their preservation establishment or increase and it s another thing to take charge of these Pastors and Churches as the proper Bishop or Overseer of them The former may be done but I know no warrant for the later § 11. That fixed Ministers may do all these forementioned works with the aforesaid Cautions I shall briefly prove 1. By some general Reasons speaking to the whole and 2. By going over the particulars distinctly and giving some reason for each part § 12. And 1. It is certain that a Minister doth not cease to be a Minister in general nor to be an Officer authorized to seek the Discipling of them without and Congregating them by his becoming the Pastor of a particular Church therefore he may still do the common works of the Ministry where he hath a Call as well as his Pastoral special work to them that he hath taken special care of As the Physitian of an Hospital or City may take care also of other persons and cure them so he neglect not his charge § 13. 2. A Minister doth not lay by his Relation or Obligations to the unconverted world nor to the Catholike Church when he affixeth himself to a special charge And therefore he may do the work of his Relations and Obligations as aforesaid Yea those works in some respects should be preferred because there is more of Christs interest in the Universal Church or in many Churches then in one and that work in which the most of our ultimate End is attained is the greatest work that in which God is most honoured the Church most edified and most honour and advantage brought to the Gospel and cause of Christ should be preferred But ordinarily these are more promoted by the Communication of our help to many as aforesaid then by confining it to one particular Church The commonest good is the best § 14. 3. Oft-times the Necessity of such Communicative labours is so apparently great that it would be unmercifulness to the Churches or souls of men to neglect them As in case of Reforming and setling Churches upon which Luther Melanchthon Chytraeus Bugenhagius Pomeranus Calvin and others were so oft imployed As also in case of resisting some destructive heresies In which case one able Disputant and prudent adviser and person that hath interest in the
seek to reclaim the wandring strengthen the weak comfort the distressed openly rebuke the open obstinate offendors and if they repent not to require the Church to avoid their Communion and to take cogniscance of their cause before they are cut off as also to Absolve the penitent yea to visit the sick who are to send for the Elders of the Church and to pray with and for them c. yea and to go before them in the worship of God These are the acts of Church Government that Christ hath appointed and which each faithful Shepherd must use and not Excommunication and other Censures and Absolution alone 2. But if they could prove that Church Government containeth only Censures and Absolution yet we shall easily prove it Impossible for the late English Episcopacy to do that For 3. It is known to our sorrow that in most Parishes there are many persons and in some greater Parishes very many that have lived common open swearers or drunkards and some whoremongers common scorners of a godly life and in many more of those offences for which Scripture and the ancient Canons of the Church do excommunicate men and we are commanded with such no not to eat And it s too well known what numbers of Hereticks and Seducers there are that would draw men from the faith whom the Church-Governours must after the first and second admonition reject 4. And then it s known what a deal of work is Necessary with any one of these in hearing accusations examining Witnesses hearing the defendants searching into the whole cause admonishing waiting re-admonishing c. 5. And then it s known of how great Necessity and moment all these are to the honour of the Gospel the souls of the offendors to the Church to the weak to them without c. So that if it be neglected or unfaithfully mannaged much mischief will ensue Thus in part we see what the Government is Next let us see what the English Episcopacy is And 1. For the extent of it a Diocess contained many score or hundred Parishes and so many thousands of such souls to be thus Governed Perhaps some Diocesses may have five hundred thousand souls and it may be London Diocess nearer a million And how many thousand of these may fall under some of the forementioned acts of Government by our sad experience we may conjecture 2. Moreover the Bishop resideth if not at London as many of them did yet in his own dwelling many miles perhaps twenty or thirty from a great part of his Diocess so that most certainly he doth not so much as know by face name or report the hundreth perhaps the thousandth or perhaps the second or third thousandth person in his Diocess Is it Possible then for him to watch over them or to understand the quality of the person and fact In Church Cases the quality of the person is of so much moment that without some knowledge of it the bare knowledge of the fact sometimes will not serve 3. And then it is known that the English Episcopacy denyeth to the Presbyters all power of Excommunication and Absolution uâ—less to pronounce it as from the Bishop when he hath past it And they deny him also all power so much as of calling a sinner to open Repentance which they called Imposing penance and also they denied all power of denying the Lords Supper to any without the Bishops censure except in a sâ—dden case and then they must prosecute it after at the Bishops Court and there render the Reason of that suspension So that the trouble danger labour time would be so great that would be spent in it that scarce one Minister of a hundred did venture on it once in seven and seven years except only to deny the Sacrament to a man that would not kneel and that they might do easily and safely 4. And then Consider further that if the Minister should be one of an hundred and so diligent as to accuse and prosecute all the open scandalous offendors of his Parish before the Bishops Court that so he might procure that act of Government from them which he may not perform himself it would take up all his time and perhaps all would not serve for half the work considering how far he must ride how frequently he must attend c. And then all the rest or most of the Pastoral work must be neglected to the danger of the whole Congregation 5. It is a great penalty to an innocent man to travail so far to the trial of his â—ause But the special thing that I note is this that it is Naturally Impossible for the Bishop to hear try and judge all these causes yea or the fifth or hundredth of them or in some places one of five hundred Can one man hear so many hundred as in a day must be before him if this discipline be faithfully executed By that time that he hath heard two or three Causes and examined Witnesses and fully debated all the rest can have no hearing and thus unavoidably the work must be undone It is as if you set a Schoolmaster to teach ten or twenty thousand Schollars Must they not be needs untaught Or as if you set one Shepherd to look to two or three hundred several flocks of Sheep that are every one of them three or four miles asunder and some of them fourty miles from some of the rest Is it any wonder thâ—n if many of them be lost 6. But what need we further witness then the sad experience of the Church of late Are we not sure that discipline lay unexercised and our Congregations defiled and Gods Laws and the old Canons were dead letters while the Bishops keep up the lame and empty name of Governours How many drunkards swearers whoremongers raylers Extortioners scorners at a godly life did swarm in almost every Town and Parish and they never heard of discipline except it were one Adulterer or fornicator once in seven years within twenty miles compass where I was acquainted that stood in a white sheet in the Church We know that there was no such Matter as Church Government exercised to any purpose but all left undone unless it were to undoe a poor Disciplinarian as they therefore scornfully called them that blamed them for neglect of Discipline For my part the Lord my Judge knows that I desire to make the matter rather better then it was then worse then it was and I solemnly profess that for the Peace of the Church I should submit to almost any body that would but do the work that is to be done Here is striving between the Episcopal Presbyterian and Independent who it is that shall Govern I would make no great stirr against any of them all that would but do it effectually Let it be done and it s not so much matter by whom it is done as it is to have it lie undone But I can never be for that party that neither did the work when
a Power to be a servant to all and to do the work And therefore that the first Question is Whether the great burden and labour of Ministerial service may be laid on any man without Ordination by such as our English Prelates Or whether all men are discharged from this labour and service on whom such Prelates do not Impose it If Magistrates Presbyters and People conspire to call an able man to the work and service of the Lord whether he be justified for refusing it what ever the Church suffer by it meerly because the Prelates called him not Sect. 24. Though the forementioned works do all belong to the Office of the Ministry yet there must be Opportunity and a particular Call to the exercise of them before a man is actually obliged to perform the several acts And therefore it was not without sence and reason that in Ordination the Bishop said to the Ordained Take thou authority to Read or to preach the word of God when thou shalt be threunto lawfully called Not that another call of Authority is necessary to state them in the office or to oblige them to the Duty in General But we must in the invitation of people or their consent to hear us or other such advantagious accidents prudently discern when and where we have a Call to speak and exercise any act of our Ministry Even as a Licensed Physitian must have a particular Call by his Patients before he exercise his skill This call to a particular act is nothing else but an intimation or signification of the will of God that hic nunc we should perform such a work which is done by Providence causing a concurrence of such inviting Circumstances that may perswade a prudent man that it is seasonable Sect. 25. A man that is in general thus obliged by his office to do all the formentioned works of the Ministry that is when he hath a particular call to each may yet in particular never be obliged to some of these works but may be called to spend his life in some other part of the Ministry and yet be a compleat Minister and have the obligation and Power to all upon supposition of a particular Call and not be guilty of negligence in omitting those other parts One man man may live only among Infidels and uncalled ones and so be obliged only to Preach the Gospell to them in order to Conversion and may die before he sees any ready to be baptized Anoâ—her may be taken up in Preaching and Baptizing and Congregating the Converted and never be called to Pastoral Rule of a particular Church Another may live in a Congregated Church where there is no use for the Discipling-Converting-Preaching of the Gospel and so may have nothing to do but to Oversee that particular Church and Guide them in holy Worship And in the same Church if one Ministers parts are more for Publick preaching and anothers more for Private instruction and acts of Guidance and Worship if one be best in expounding and another in lively application tâ—ey may lawfully and â—itly divide the work between them and it shall not be imputed to them for unfaithfulnss and negligence that one forbeareâ—h what the other doth For we have our guifts to the Churches edification Thus Paul saith he was not sent to Baptize but to Preach the Goâ—pel Not that it was not in his Commission and a work of his office but quoad exercitium he had seldome a second particular Call to exercise it being taken up with that Preaching of the Gospel and settling and confirming Churches which to him was a greater work Sect. 26. This Ministry before desâ—râ—bed whether you call it Episcopatum Sacerdotium Presbyteratum or what else is fit is but one and the same Order for Deacons are not the Ministers defined by us It is not distinguished into various Species Even the Patrons of Prelacy yea the Schoolmen and other Papists themselves do ordinarily confess that a Prelate and Presbyter differ not Ordine but only Gradu So that it is not another office that they ascribe to Prelates but only a more eminent Degree in the same Office And therefore they themselves affirm that in Officio the Power of Ordination is in both alike the office being the same But that for the honour of the Degree of Prelacy for the unity of the Church Presbyters are hindered from the Exercise of that Ordination which yet is in their Power and Office Sect. 27. As far as Ordination is a part of the Ministerial Work it is comprised in the forementioned acts of Congregating Teaching Ruling c. and therefore is not left out of the Definition as it is a duty of the office though it be not expâ—essed among the Efficient causes for the reason above mentioned and because I am now more distinctly to treat of it by it self and to give you fuâ—ther reasons hereof in the explication of the Nature and Ends of this Ordination CHAP. II. Of the Nature and Ends of Ordination Sect 1. THat we may know how far the Ordination in question is necessary to the Ministry and whether the want of it prove a Nullity we must first enquire what goes to the laying of the Foundation of this Relation and how many things concur in the efficiency and among the rest what it is that the Ordainers have to do as their proper part and what are the reasons of their Power and Work Sect. 2. As all that deserve the name of men are agreed that there is no Power in the world but from God the Absolute Soveraign and first Cause of Power so all that deserve the name of Christians are agreed that there is no Church Power but what is from Christ the head and Soveraign King of the Church Sect. 3. As the will of God is the Cause of all things And no thing but the Signification of it is necessary to the conveying of meer Rights So in the making a man a Minister of the Gopel there needeth no other principal efficient cause then the Will of Jesus Christ nor any other Instrumental Efficient but what is of use to the signifying of his Will So that it is but in the nature of signs that they are Necessary No more therefore is of Absolute Necessity but what is so necessary to signifie his will If Christs will may be signified without Ordination a man may be a Minister without it Though in other respects he may be culpable in his entrance by crossing the will of Christ concerning his duty in the manner of his proceedings Sect. 4. There is considerable in the Ministry 1. Beneficium 2. Officium 1. The Gospel pardon salvation-Ordinances are those great Benefits to the sons of men which the Ministery is to be a means of conveying to them And is it self a Benefit as it is the means of these Benefits In this respect the Ministry is a Gift of Christ to the Church and his Donation is the necessary act for their
belong to the Office of a Presbyter when yet he might not exercise it The Bishops in the Ordination of Presbyters enabled them to preach the Gospel And yet they were after that forbidden to preach till they had a License and it was put into the Visitation Articles to present those Ministers that preached without License If they will deny us the exercise of the Power that they first confess belongeth to our Office we are not answerable for their self-contradictions 2. By Discipline I suppose they mean but our Instruction and our publishing their Orders for Penance Excommunication or Absolution 3. They were the Judges of the sense of the Laws as far as the executâ—on required And the Vniversal Practice of England with their writings shewed us to our cost their judgement What good would it do us if the Law had been on our side while the Concurrent Iudgement and Practice of the Governors denyed it and went against it 4. He that had kept a man from the Sacrament according to the plain words of the Rubrick was to have been accountable for it at their Courts and so likely if he had been a man of serious piety and not a persecutor of Puritans to have been undone by it and was like to make so little of it as to the Ends of Discipline all men being compelled by the Presentments to receive the Sacrament that I never knew one to my best remembrance in 25 years time that I lived under the Bishops that was kept from the Sacrament except a Puritan that scrupled to take it kneeling And what was this to true Church-Government Sect. 17. Object But either they did it according to the established Law or not If they did the fault was in the Law and not in them If they did transgress the Law then the fault was in mens abuse and the Law and Order cannot be blamed Answ. A sad case to poor ignorant miserable souls that they must be left in obstinacy and deprived of Gods means of Reformation without Remedy because either the Law or Iudges must be excused The Iudges are the mouth of the Law to us that is Law in the issue to us which they unanimously call Law If the fault were in the Law it was time it should be altered if it was in the Bishops universally it was time they should be altered Let us but have a Remedy and enjoy Gods Ordinances which he that is the Churches Head and King hath appointed for our benefit and we have done Sect. 18. Object But may not Bishops when they Ordain Delegate what measure of Ministerial Power they please and if you never received more why should you use it Answ. A poor relief to the forsaken Church Deprive her of Government and then tell us that we had no power Is the Power desirable to us if the Ordinance were not desirable to the Church 2. What Power have Bishops and whence did they receive it to change the Office of Christs institution or his Apostles If so they may turn the three Orders which the Papists themselves say the Pope cannot alter into as many more Then they may create an Office for Baptizing only and another for the Lords Supper only and another for praying only and so of the rest which is worse then making Lay-elders or then taking away the Cup in the Sacrament Hath Christ by his Spirit instituted Church-offices and are they now at the Bishops power to transform them 3. If they had power to distribute the work in the exercise part to one and part to another yet they have no power to deprive the particular Churches of the whole or any part but one or more must do it and the Office must be the same and the power exercised to the edification and not the confusion and corruption of the Church Sect. 19. Object But the Keys were given only to the Apostles and not to the seventy Disciples nor to Presbyters Answ. 1. If the seventy were only Disciples and not Church-officers the Ancients and the English Bishops have been much mistaken that have so much urged it that Presbyters succeed them as Bishops do the Apostles But if they be Officers then they have the Keys 2. The Episcopal Divines even the Papists commonly confess that part of the Keys are given to the Presbyters and Christ gave them together 3. Were they given only to Apostles for themselves or to convey to others If to themselves only then no one hath them now If to convey to others then either to Apostles only as their Successors but there 's none such or to Patriarchs or Primates or Metropolitans or Archbishops only but none of this will please the Bishops or to Bishops only which I grant taking Bishops in the Scripture sense And I desire to see it proved that it was not a presumptuous Innovation in them whosoever they were that after the days of the Apostles Ordained a new sort of Presbyters in the Church that should have no power of the Keys 4. They that must use the Keys must have Power to use them But Parish Bishops must use them as the nature and necessity of the work doth prove Therefore Parish Bishops must have the Power If only one man in a Diocess of an hundred or two hundred Churches shall have the power of the Keys we may know after all the talk of Discipline what Discipline to expect Sect. 20. Object Why blame you Lay-chancellors Registers Proctors c. when you set up Lay-elders we are as well able to call Chancellors Ecclesiastical as you can call Lay-elders so Answ. I never pleaded for Lay-elders If other men erre will it justifie your error But I must tell you an unordained man in a single Parish having power only to assist the Pastor in Government is far unlike a Lay-Court to Govern all the Churches of a Diocess Sect. 21. Object Do not your Arguments against Bishops for excluding Discipline make as much for the casting out of Ministers of whom you complain in your Reformed Pastor for neglect of Discipline Ans. 1. The Nature of Prelacy as set up in England â—here only one man had the Government of so many Churches unavoidably excludeth it if the best men were Bishops till it be otherwise formed But the nature of a Parochial Episcopacy is fitted to promote it 2. Those Presbyters that I blamed for neglecting the higher acts of Discipline do yet keep away more prophane persons from the Lords Supper in some one Church then ever I knew kept away in all places under the Prelates 3. If Ministers sinfully neglect Discipline yet as Preachers and Guides in publick worship c. they are of unspeakable need and value to the Church But few Bishops of England preached ordinarily And 4. We are desirous that Bishops shall continue as Preachers but not as Diocesan excluders of Parochial Church-Discipline Sect. 22. Object By pretending to agree with them that say there were no Presbyters in Scripture times you would put down
Bishops who gathered as many as they could under their own Government when they should have erected new Churches as free as their own Reason 12. If the Description of the Bishops settled in the New Testament and the work affixed to them be such as cannot agree to our Diocesan Bishops but to the Pastors of a single Church then was it never the mind of the Holy Ghost that those Bishops should degenerate afterwards into Diocesan Bishops But the Antecedent is certain therefore so is the Consequent I here still suppose with Learned Dr. H Annot. in Act. 11. passim that the name Presbyter in Scripture signifieth a Bishop there being no Evidence that in Scripture time any of that Second Order viz. subject Presbyters were then instituted Though I am far from thinking that there was but one of these Bishops in a Church at least as to many Churches Now as we are agreed de facto that it was but a single Church that then was under a Bishop and not many such Churches for that follows undenyably upon the denying of the existence of subject Presbyters seeing no such Churches can be nor the worshipping Assemblies held without a Bishop or Presbyter so that it was the mind of the Apostles that it should so continue is proveed by the Desciption and work of those Scripture Bishops Argument 1. From Acts 20.28 29 31. The Bishops instituted and fixed by the Holy Ghost were and are to take heed to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them overseeers to feed the Church of God and to watch against Wolves and to warn every one night and day But this cannot be done by Diocesan Bishops nor any that have more then one Church Therefore Diocesan Bishops are not the Bishops that the Holy Ghost hath so fixed and instituted such as Paul describeth were to continue and that 's such as can do that work Argument 2. The Bishops that the Holy-Ghost settled and would have continue and had the Power of Ordination given them were such as were to be Ordained in every City and every Church Acts 14.23 Tit. 1.3 4 5. See Dr. Hammonds Annotat. But it is not Diocesan Bishops that are such for they are over many Churches and Cities therefore it is not Diocesan Bishops that were settled by the Holy Ghost nor meant in those texts Ar. 3. The Bishops which were instituted by the Holy Ghost and are meant in Scripture were to watch for their peoples souls as those that must give account Ruling over them and to be obeyed by all and speaking to them the word of God Heb. 13.7 17 24. But this cannot be done by a Bishop to a whole Diocess nor will they be willing of such an account if they be wise therefore it is not Diocesan Bishops that are meant in Scripture Argument 4. The Bishops settled for continuance in Scripture were such as all the people were to know as labouring among them and over them in the Lord and admonishing them and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake 1 Thes. 5.12 13. But this cannot be meant of our Diocesan Bishop whom the hundreth part of the flock shall never see hear nor be admonished by therefore it is not such that were settled for continuance in the Church Argument 5. The Bishops settled by the Holy Ghost must by any that are sick be sent for to pray over them But this a Diocesan Bishop cannot do to the hundreth or thousandth person in some places therefore it is not Diocesan Bishops but the Bishops of a single Church that are capable of these works that are meant by the Holy Ghost to continue in the Church and consequently to whom the power of Ordaining was committed If any question whether the Texts alleadged do speak of subject-Presbyters or Bishops I refer them to the foresaid Reverend Doctor with whom I am agreed that there were no subject-Presbyters instituted in Scripture times Reason 13. It was not one or two or all Churches for a year or two or more in their meer fieri or infancy before they were well formed that consisted only of one settled worshipping Assembly and its guides but it was the formed and stablished state of the particular Churches To prove this I shall briefly do these three things 1. I shall shew it in respect to the Jewish Synagogues 2. As to the Churches in the Apostles dayes after many years growth even of every Church that 's mentioned in the New Testament as a particular Political Church 3. As to some of the Churches after the Apostles dayes mentioned by the ancients 1. It is apparent that the Jews Synagogues were particular Congregational Churches having each one their several Rulers and as many Learned men suppose they had an Ecclesiastical Judicature of Elders belonging to each of them where fit men could be found and this distinct from the Civil Judicature Or as others think they had a Sanhedrim which had power to judge in both Causes and one of these was in every City that is in Places of Cohabitation For in every City of Israel which had one hundred and twenty families or free persons say others they placed the Sanhedrim of twenty three And in every City which had not one hundred and twenty men in it they set the smallest Judicature of three Judges so be it there were but two wise men among them fit to teach the Law and resolve doubts See Aâ—nsworth on Numb 11.16 citing Talmud Bab. Maimonides more at large And doubtless many of our Country Villages and almost all our Parishes have more then 120. and every Country Village may come in in the lesser number below 120. which are to have three Elders and that say some was every place where were ten men And that these were under the great Sanhedrim at Ierusalem is nothing to the matter For so we confess that such particular Churches as we mention have some such General officers over them de jure as the Apostolical men were in the Primitive Church but not that any of these Synagogues were under other Synagogues though one were in a great City and the other but in a small Town And that these Synagogues were of Divine institution is plain in divers texts particularly in Lev. 23.1 2 3. where a convocation of holiness or a holy Convocation is commanded to be on every Sabboth in all their dwellings which most plainly could be neither the meeting at Ierusalem at the Temple nor yet in single families and therefore it is not to much purpose that many trouble themselves to conjecture when Synagogues began and some imagine it was about the Captivity For as their controversie can be but about the form of the meeting place or the name so its certain that some place there must be for such meetings and that the meetings themselves were in the Law commanded by God and that not to be tumultuary confused ungoverned Assemblies If the scourging in
the Synagogues prove not this power which is much disputed Mat. 10.17 and 23.34 Luke 6.22 and 12.11 and 21.12 Acts 22.19 and 26 11. Yet at least excluding men their Synagogue Communion may Iohn 9.22 34. and 12.42 and 16.2 But because this argument leads us into many Controversies about the Jewish customes lest it obscure the truth by occasion in quarrels I shall pass it by 2. I find no particular Political Church in the New Testament consisting of several Congregations ordinarily meeting for communion in Gods Worship unless as the forementioned accidents might hinder the meeting of one Congregation in one place nor having half so many members as some of our Parishes When there is mention made of a Country as Iudea Galile Samaria Galatia the word Churches in the plural number is used Gal. 1.2 Acts 15.41 and 9.31 2 Cor. 8.1 But they 'l say These were only in Cities But further considâ—r there is express mention of the Church at Cenchrea which was no City and they that say that this was a Parish subject to Corinth give us but their words for it without any proof that ever I could see and so they may as well determine the whole cause by bare affirmation and prevent disputes The Apostle intimateth no such distinction Rom. 16.1 1 Cor. 11.18 20 22.16 When ye come together in the Church I hear that there be divisions among you When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper 16. We have no such Custome nor the Churches of God Here the Church of Corinth is said to come together into one place And for them that say This is per partes and so that one place is many to the whole I answer the Apostle saith not to a part but to the whole Church that they come together in one place and therefore the plain obvious sence must stand till it be disproved And withall he calls the Christian Assemblies in the plural number Churches for its plain that it is of Assembly Customes that he there speaks So 1 Cor. 14. there is plainly expressed that it was a particular Assembly that was called the Church and that this Assembly had it in many Prophets Interpreters others that might speak Verse 4. He that Prophesieth Edifieth the Church that is Only that Congregation that heard And Verse 5. Except he interpret that the Church may receive Edifying And Verse 12. Seek that ye may excell to the Edifying of the Church Verse 19. In the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that I may teach others also And Verse 23. If therefore the whole Church be come together into one place and all speak with tongues One would think this is as plain as can be spoken to assure us that the whole Churches then were such as might and usually did come together for holy communion into one place So Verse 28. If there be no Interpreter let him keep silence in the Church And which is more lest you think that this was some one small Church that Paul speaks of he denominateth all other particular Congregations even Ordered Governed Congregations Churches too Verse 33. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints So that all the Congregations for Christian Worship are called All the Churches of the Saints And it seems all as well as this so stored with Prophets and gifted men that they need not take up with one Bishop only for want of matter to have made subject Elders of And Verse 34. Let your women keep silence in the Church for it is a shame for a woman to speak in the Church So that so many Assemblies so many Churches Obj. But it seems there were among the Corinthians more then one Congregation by the plural Churches Answ. 1. Many particular seasons of Assembling may be called many Assemblies or Churches though the peoole be the same 2. The Epistle was a Directory to other Churches though first written to the Corinthians 3. Those that say it was to Corinth and other City-Churches that Paul wrote need no further answer It seems then each City had but a Congregation if that were so 4 Cenchrea was a Church neer to Corinth to whom Paul might well know his Epistle would be communicated and more such there might be as well as that and yet all be entire free Churches So in Col. 4.16 And when this Epistle is read among you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea This Church was such as an Epistle might be read in which doubtless was an Assembly The whole matter seems plain in the case of the famous Church at Antioch Acts 11.26 A whole year they assembled themselves with the Church and taught much people Here is mention but of One Assembly which is called the Church where the people it seems were taught And its plain that there were many Elders in this one Church for Acts 13.1 it said There were in the Church that was at Antioch certain Prophets and Teachers And five of them are named who are said to Minister there to the Lord And though I do not conclude that they were all the fixed Elders of that particular Church yet while they were there they had no less power then if they had been such In the third Epistle of Iohn where there is oft mention of that particular Church it appeareth Verse 6. that it was such a Church as before which the â—rethren and strangers could bear witness of Gaius Charity And it s most probable that was one Assembly but utterly improbable that they travailed from Congregation to Congregation to bear this witness And Vers. 9 10. it was such a Church as Iohn wrote an Epistle to and which Diotrephes cast men out of which is most likely to be a Congregation which might at once hear that Epistle and out of which Diotrephes migâ—t â—asilier reject strangers and reject the Apostles letters then out of many such Congregations Gal. 1.22 When Paul saith he was Vnknown by face to the Churches of Iudea it is most likely that they were Churches which were capable of seeing and knowing his face not only by parts but as Churches And its likely those Churches that praised Luke and sent him with Paul as their chosen messenger were such as could meet to choose him and not such as our Diocesses are 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Paul gives order both to the Church of Corinth and the Churches of Galatia that upon the Lords day at the Assembly as it is ordinarily expounded they should give in their part for the relief of the Churches of Iudea So that it seems most likely that he makes Churches and such Assemblies to be all one Acts 14.23 They ordained them Elders Church by Church or in every Church Here it is confessed by those we plead against that Elders signifie not any subject
dayes and after He affirmeth also that the power of the Keyes belongeth to the Presbyters and that its convertible with the power of celebrating the Eucharist and that 's the Reason Why it belongs to them page 98. ibid. and that the Power of the Keys that is the whole power of the Church whereof that power is the root and sourse is common to Bâ—shops and Presbyters page 128 and that to this all sides agree page 106. and that by their Grant Deacons and others may preach but not Rule or administer the Lords Supper see page 118.123 And he is far from being of their mind that think in Scripture times there was but one single Bishop without other Presbyters in a Diocesan Church For he supposed many in a Congregation Page 126 he saith You see by St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. that one Assembly whereof he speaks there furnished with a great number of Prophets whether Presbyters or over and above them In the Records of the Church we find divers times a whole Bench of Presbyters presiding at one Assembly And before he had shewed how they sate about the Bishop and the congregation stood before them And page 127. he saith that Clemens the Disciple of the Apostles in his Epistle to the Corinthians to compose a difference among the Presbyters of that Church partly about the celebration of the Eucharist adviseth them to agree and take their turns in it I confess I knnw not whence he hath this doubtless not in the true approved Epistle of Clement but it shews in his judgement 1. That there were then many Presbyters in the Church of Corinth 2. And that that Church was but one Congregation or not very many Else what need the Presbyters take their turns when they might have done it at once 3. That the word Presbyter in Clemens signifieth not a Prelate 4. And it seems this intimateth there was then no Bishop in Corinth else no question but Clemens would have charged these disagreeing Presbyters to obey their Bishop and used some of Ignatius language 5. Nay if Bishops had been then known in the world is it not likely that he would have charged them to get a Bishop if they had not to Govern such a disagreeing Presbytery And page 129 130 131. he shews that the condemning of Marcion at Rome and of Noelus at Ephesus are expresty said by Epiphanius Haeres 42. num 1. 2. Haeres 57 num 1. to have been done and passed by the Act of the Presbyters of those Churches And which is of later date the Excommunication of Andronicus in Sâ—nesius 57. Epist. I find reported to have passed in the same sort and all this agreeable to the practice recorded in Scripture alledging 1. Tim. 5.19 Acts 21.18 citing Cyprian Ep. 46. and the Apost Constit. and saith Bloudell in this might have spared his exact diligence it being granted c. Mr. Thorndike also tells us pag. 62. of the words of Ninius that in Ireland alone Saint Patrick at the first plantation of Christianity founded three hundred and threescore and five Bishopricks And can any man believe that all these had Cities or more then one of our Parish Churches when all Ireland to this day hath not seven Cities and when all this was done at the first plantation of the Gospel I think we had this sort of Episcopacy Even since the Reformation there is reckoned in Ireland but four Arch-bishops nineteen Bishops What think you then were 365. Bishops at the first plantation of the Gospel To proceed to some further Evidence 1. It s manifest in Clemens Rom. Epist. to the Corinthians there is mention of no more but two Orders the one called sometime Bishops sometime Presters the other Deacons page 54.55.57 and this he saith the Apoâ—â—les did as knowing that contention would arise about the name of Episcopacy and that they so seâ—led the Ministerial Offices that others should succeed in them when some were deceased For my part I cannot see the least reason to be of their mind that think Clemens here doth speak only of Prelates or supereminent Bishops of which I refer the Reader to Mr. Burtons notes in his English Translatâ—on of Clemenâ— But suppose it were so If at that time the Churches had none but single Bishops it is plain then that they were but single Congregations For no other Congregations having communion in theâ—r-then-ordinary publike worship could be managed without a Bishop or Presbyter to do the work But for them that sleight Mr. Burtons other mens plain Reasons concerning the judgement of Clem. Romanus and force his words to speak what they mean not I desire them to observe the judgement of Grotius whom they profess so much to value who in his Epistol 162 ad Bignon gives this as one Reason to prove this Epistle of Clemens genuine Quod nusquam meminit exsortis illius Episcoporum autoritatis quae Ecclesiae consuetudine post Marci mortem Alexandriae atque eo exemplo alibi introduci cepit sed planè ut Paulus Apostolus ostendit Ecclesias communi Presbyterorum qui iidem omnes Episcopi ipsi Pauloque dicuntur consilio fuisse gubernatas Nam quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominat omnia ista nomina non ad Ecclesiam sed ad Templum Hieros pertinent unde infert omnia recto ordine agenda si Iudaeis tanto magis Christianis You see that Grotius then and Clemens in his judgement were against Prelacy 2. The very same I say of Prelacie Epist. ad Philip. which mentioneth only two sorts Presbyters and Deacons 3. And though Ignatius oft mention three it seems to me that they were all but the Governours or Ministers of one Congregation or of no more people then one of our Parishes In the Epist. ad Smyrâ— he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Vbi Episcopus praesens fuerit illuc plebs Congregetur sicuti ubi Christus est omnis militia coelestis aâ—est as the common interpreter translateth it ut vid. est in Edit Perionii Vsherii c. Vbi comparuerit Episcopus ibi Multitudo sit quemadmodum ubi Christus ibi omnis astat exercitus coelestis as Hier. Vairlenius Videlius translate it Or Vbi utique apparet Episcopus illic multitudo sit quemadmodum utiq ubi est Christus Iesus illic Catholica Ecclesia as Vshers old Tranlation And by the Context it appeareth that this plâ—bs or multitudo is the Church which he ruleth and not only one Congregation among many that are under him For this doth without distinction bind all the people one as well as another to be where the Bishop is or appeareth viz. in the publick Assembly for Communion in Worship It is plain therefore there that were not then many such Assemblies under him otherwise all save one must have necessarily disobeyed this command And in the Epistle to the Philadelphians he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e.
Ministration But of this gift the Church is the subject He giveth Pastors to his Church 2. But in conjunction with the Churches Mercies the Minister himself also partakes of mercy It is a double Benefit to him to be both receptive with them of the blessing of the Gospel and to be instrumentall for them in the conveyance and to be so much exercised in so sweet and honourable though flesh-displeasing and endangering work As in giving Alms the giver is the double receiver and in all works for God the greatest Duties are the greatest Benefits so is it here And thus the making of a Minister is a Donation or act of bounty to himself Christ giveth to us the Office of the Ministry as he giveth us in that office to the Church As a Commanders place in an Army is a place of Trust and Honour and Reward and so the matter of a gift though the work be to fight and venture life Sect. 5. The Duty of the Minister is caused by an Obligation and that is the part of a Precept of Christ And thus Christs command to us to do his work doth make Ministers Sect. 6. From the work which the Ministers are to perform and the command of Obedience laid upon the people ariseth their duty in submission to him and Reception of his Ministerial work And in Relation to them that are to obey him his office is a superiour Teaching Ruling Power and so is to be caused by Commission from Christ as the fountain of Power that is to command both Pastor and People Sect. 7. So that the Ministry consisting of Duty Benefit and Power or Authority it is caused by Preceptive Obligation by Liberal Donation and by Commission But the last is but compounded of the two first or a result from them The Command of God to Paul e. g. to Preach and do the other works of the Ministry doth of it self give him Authority to do them And Gods command to the People to hear and submit doth concur to make it a Power as to them And the Nature and ends of the work commanded are such as prove it a Benefit to the Church and consequentially to the Minister himself So that all is comprehended in the very imposition of the Duty By commanding us to preach the word we are Authoâ—ized to do it and by Doing it we are a Benefit to the Church by bringing them the Gospel and its Benefits Sect. 8. Our Principal work therefore is to find out on whom Christ imposeth the Duties of Church Ministration And by what signs of his will the person himself and the Church may be assured that it is the Will of Christ that this man shall undertake the doing of these works Sect. 9. And therefore let us more distinctly enquire 1. What is to be signified in order to a Ministers Call and 2. How Christ doth signifie his will about the several parts and so we shall see what is left for Ordination to do when we see what is already done or undone Sect. 10. 1. It must be determined or signified that A Ministry there must be 2. And what their Work and Power shall be 3. And what the Peoples Relation and duty toward them shall be 4. What men shall be Ministers and how qualified 5. And how it shall be discerned by themselves and others which are the men that Christ intends Sect. 11. Now let us consider 1 What Christ hath done already in Scripture 2. And what he doth by Providence towards the determination of these things And 1. In the Scripture he hath already determined of these things or signified that it is his Will 1. That there be a standing Ministry in the Church to the end of the world 2. That their work shall be to preach the Gospel Baptize Congregate Churches Govern them adâ—inister the Eucharist c. as afore-mentioned 3. He hath left them Rules or Canons for the directing them in all things of constant universal necessity in the performance of these works 4. He hath described the persons whom he will have thus employed both by the Qualifications necessary to their Being and to the Well-being of their Ministration 5. He hath made it the Duty of such qualified persons to desire the work and to seek it in case of need to the Church 6. He hath made it the Duty of the people to desire such Pastors and to seek for such and choose them or consent to the choice 7. He hath made it the Duty of the present Overseers of the Church to Call such to the work and Approve them and Invest them in the office which three acts 〈◊〉 are called Ordination but specially the last 8. He hath made iâ— the Duty of Magistrates to encourage and protect them and in some cases to command them to the work and set them in the office by their Authority All these particulars are determined of already in the Laws of Christ and none of them left to the power of men Sect. 12. The ordainers therefore have nothing to do to judge 1. Whether the Gospel shall be preached or no whether Churches shall be Congregate or no whether they shall be taught or governed or no and Sacraments administred or no 2. Nor whether there shall be a Ministry or no Ministry 3. Nor how far as to the Matter of their work and power their office shall extend and of what Species it shall be 4. Nor whether the Scripture shall be their constant universal Canon 5. Nor whether such qualified persons as God hath described are only to be admitted or not 6. Nor whether it shall be the duty of such qualified persons to seek the office or the Duty of the People to seek and choose such or of Pastors to ordain such or of Magistrates to promote such and put them on None of this is the Ordainers work Sect. 13. If therefore any man on what pretence soever shall either determine that the Gospel shall not be preached nor the Disciples Baptized the Baptized Congregated the Congregations governed the Sacraments administred c. or that there shall be no Ministers to do those works or if any man Determine that which will infer any of these or if he pretend to a Power of suspending or excluding them by his Non-approbation or not-authorizing them he is no more to be obeyed and regarded in any of this Usurpation then I were if I should make a Law that no King shall reign but by my nomination approbation or Coronation And if any man under pretence of Ordaining do set up a man that wants the Qualifications which Christ hath made necessary to the Being of the Ministry his Ordination is Null as being without Power and against that Will of Christ that only can give Power And so of the rest of the particulars forementioned Where the Law hath already determined they have nothing to do but obey it And though the miscarriages of a man in his own calling do not alwaies nullifie his
out of the fire and to love our neighbours as our selves and therefore to see a man yea a town and Country and many Countries lie in sin and in a state of misery under the Wrath and Curse of God so that they will certainly be damned if they die in that condition and yet to be silent and not Preach the Gospel to them nor call them home to the state of life this is the greatest cruelty in the world except the tempting and driving them to hell To let the precious things of the Gospel lie by unrevealed even Christ and pardon and holiness and eternal life and the communion of Saints and all the Church Ordinances and withal to suffer the Devil to go away with all these souls and Christ to lose the honour that his grace might have by their conversion certainly this in it self considered is incomparably more cruelty to men then to cut their throats or knock them on the head as such and as great an injury to God as by omission can be done I need not plead this argument with a man that hath not much unmand himself much less with a Christian. For the one is taught of God by nature to save men out of a lesser fire then Hell and a lesser pain then everlasting torment to the utmost of his power And the other is taught of God to love his brother and his neighbour as himself If the Love of God dwell not in him that seeth his brother in corporal need and shutteth up the bowels of his compassions from him how then doth the love of God dwell in him that seeth his brother in a state of damnation Cursed by the Law an enemy to God and within a step of everlasting death and desperation and yet refuseth to afford him the help that he hath at hand and all because he is not ordained Sect. 24. Let this be considered of as in any lower case If a man see another fall down in the streets shall he refuse to take him up because he is no Physician If the Country be infected with the Plague and you have a Soveraign medicine that will certainly cure it with all that will be ruled will you let them all perish rather then apply it to them because you are not a Physitian and that when the Physitians are not to be had If you see the poor naked may no one make them cloaths but a Taylor If you see the enemy at the Walls will you not give the City warning because you are not a Watch-man or on the Guard If a Commander die in fight any man that is next may take his place in case of Necessity Will you see the field lost for a point of Order because you will not do the work of a Commander A hundred such cases may be put in which its plain that the substance of the work in which men can do a great and necessary good is of the Law of Nature though the regulating of them in point of order is oft from Positive Laws but the Cessation of the obligation of the Positives about Order doth not disoblige us from the common Law of Nature For then it should allow us to lay by humanity Sect. 25. To this some may say that Its true we may preach in such cases but not as Ministers but as private men and we may baptize as private men in Necessity but we may do nothing that is proper to the Ministry To this I answer God hath not made the Consecration of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist nor yet the Governing of the Church the only proper acts of the Ministry To preach the word as a constant service to which we are separated or wholly give up our selves and to baptize ordinarily and to congregate the Disciples and to Teach and Lead them in Gods worship are all as proper to the Ministry as the other And these are works that mens eternal happiness lieth on If you would have an able gifted Christian in China Tartary Indostan or such places supposing he have opportunity to speak but occasionally as private men and not to speak to Assemblies and wholly give up himself to the work and gather Churches and set a foot all Church Ordinances among them you would have him unnaturally cruell to mens souls And if you would have him give up himself to these works and yet not be a Minister you speak contradictions For what 's the office of a Minister but a state of Obligation aod power to exercise the Ministeâ—ial acts As it s nothing else to be a Physitian supposing abilites but to be obliged and impowred to do the work of a Physitian The works of the Ministry are of Necessity to the salvation of mens souls Though here and there one may be saved without them by privater means yet that 's nothing to all the rest It is the salvation of Towns and Contreyes that we speak of I count him not a man that had rather they were all damned then saved by an unordained man Sect. 26. The End of Ordination ceaseth not when Ordination faileth the Ministerial works and the benefits to be thereby conveyed are the Ends of Ordination therefore they cease not This is so plain that I perceive not that it needs explication or proof Sect. 27. Nature and Scripture teach us that Ceremonies give place to the substance and matters of meer Order give place to the Duty ordered and that Moral Natural duties cease not when meer Positives cease But such is the case before us Ordination is the ordering of the work If that fail and the work cannot be rightly Ordered it follows not that it must be cast off or forborn On this account Christ justified his Disciples for plucking ears of Corn on the Sabbath day Necessity put an end to the Duty of Sabbath keeping but the duty of preserving their lives continued On this account he justifieth his own healing on the Sabbath day sending them to study the great rule Go learn what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifiâ—e So here he will have Mercy to souls and Countreyes rather then Ordination On this account he saith that The Priests in the Temple break the Sabbath and are blameless and he tells them what David did when he was hungry and they that were with him how he eat the shewbread which out of Necessity was not lawfull for him to eat but only for the Priests and yet he sinned not therein Sect. 28. Moreover the Church it self is not to cease upon the ceasing of Ordination nor to hang upon the will of Prelates Christ hath â—ot put it in the power of Prelates to deny him a Church in any countries of the world For he hath first determined that particular Churches shall be and that determination ceaseth not and but secondly that they shall have Pastors thus ordained He is not to lose his Churches at the pleasures of an envious or negligent man But so it would be
if Pastor must cease when Ordination ceaseth For though wâ—thout Pastors there may be communities of Christians which are parts of the universal Church yet there can be no Organized Political Churches For 1. Such Churches consist essentially of the Directing or Ruling Part and the Ruled Part as a Republick doth 2. Such Churches are Christian Associatioâ—s for Communion in such Church Ordinances which without a Pastor cannot ordinarily at least be administred And therefore without a Pastor the Society is not capable of the End and therefore not of the form or name though it be a Church in the fore-granted sence Nay indeed if any should upon necessity do the Ministerial work to the Church and say he did it as a Private man it were indeed but to become a Minister pro tempore under the name of a private man If Paul had not his Power to destruction but to Edification neither have Prelates And therefore the Acts are null by which they would destroy the Church Their Power of Ordering it such as they have occasionally enableth them to disorder it that is If they miss in their own work we may submit but they have no authority to destroy it or do any thing that plainly conduceth thereunto Sect. 29. The ceasing of Ordination in any place will not either disoblige the people from Gods publick Worship Word Prayer Praise Sacraments Neither will it destroy their Right to the Ordinances of God in Church communion But this it should do if it should exclude a Ministry therefore c. The Major is proved 1. In that the Precept for such Publick worship is before the precept for the right ordering of it He that commandeth the Order supposeth the thing ordered 2. The precept for publick worshâ—p is much in the Law of Nature and therefore indispensable and it is about the great and Necessary duties that the honour of Gods add saving of men and preservation of the Church lieth on It is a standing Law to be observed till the coming of Christ. And the Rights of the Church in the excellent Benefits of Publick Ordinances and Church order is better founded then to depend on the Will of ungodly Prelates If Prince and Parliament faâ—l and all the Governours turn enemies to a Common-wealth it hath the means of Preservation of it self from ruine lest in its own hands or if the Common-wealth be destroyed the Community hath the Power of self-preservation and of forming a Common-wealth again to that end The life and being of States specially of mens eternal happiness is not to hang upon so slender a peg as the corrupt will of a few Superiours and the mutable modes and circumstances of Government nor a Necessary End to be wholly laid upon an uncertain and oft unnecessary means The children lose not their Right to Food and Rayment nor are to be suffered to famish when ever the Steward falls out with them or falls asleep or loseth the Keyes Another servant should rather break open the doors and more thanks he shall have of the Father of the family then if he had let them perish for fear of transgressing the bounds of his calling If incest that capital disorder in procreation were no incest no crime but a duty to the Sons and daughters of Adam in case of Necessity because Order is for the End and thing ordered then much more is a disordered preservation of the Church and saving of souls and serving of God a duty and indeed at that time no disorder at all Sect. 30. 7. Moreover if the failing of Ordination should deprive the world of the preaching of the word or the Churches of the great and necessary benefits of Church Ordinances and Communion then one man yea thousands should suffer and that in the greatest matters for the sin and wilfulness of others and must lie down under such suffering lest he should disorderly redress it But the consequent is against all Justice and Reason Therefore the Antecedent is so to Sect. 31. In a word it is so horrid a conclusion against Nature aâ—d the Gospel and Christian sence that the honour of God the fâ—uits of Redemption the being of the Church the salvation or comfort of mens souls must all be at the Prelates mercy that a considerate Christian cannot when he is himself believe it that it should be in the power of heretical malicious or idle Prelates to deny God his honour and Christ the fruit of all his sufferings aâ—d Saints their Comforts and sinners their salvation and this when the remedie is before us and that it is the will of God that all these evils should be chosen before the evil of an unordained Ministry this is an utterly incredible thing Sect. 32. Argument 2. Another Argument may be this If there may be all things essential to the Ministry without humane Ordination then this Ordination is not of Necessity to its Essence But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the consequent That there be a people qualified to receive a Pastor and persons qualified to be made Pastors and that God hath already determined in his Law that Pastors there shall be and how they shall be qualified is past all dispute So that nothing remains to be done by man Ordainers Magistrates or People but to determine who is the man that Christ describeth in his Law and would have to be the Pastors of such a flock or a Minister of the Gospel and then to solemnize his entrance by an Investiture And now I shall prove that a man may be a Minister without the Ordainers part in these Sect. 33. If the will of Christ may be known without Ordination that this man should be the Pastor of such a People or a Minister of the Gospel then may a man be a Minister without Ordination But the will of Christ may be known c. ergo Sect. 34. Nothing needs proof but the Antecedent For it is but the signification of the will of Christ that conferreth the Power and imposeth the Duty And that his will is sometime signified concerning the individual person without Ordination is apparent hence 1. The Description of such as Christ would have to preach the Gospel is very plain in his holy Canons in the Scripture 2. His Gifts are frequently so eminent in several persons as may remove all just occasion of doubting both from the persons themselves and others 3. Their suitableness to a People by interest acquaintance c. may be as notable 4. The Peoples common and strong affection to them and theirs to the People may be added to all these 5. There may be no Competitor at all or none regardable or comparable and so no controversie 6 The Necessities of the People may be so great and visible that he and they may see that they are in danger of being undone and the Church in danger of a very great loss or hurt if he deny to be their Pastor 7. The Magistrate also may call and command him
Church This is it that I affirm and have already proved § 7. Nor yet is it any of our Question Whether the difference between these general unfixed Ministers and ordinary fixed Presbyters be in point of Authority or of exercise only Whether they are two distinct Species of the Ministry or but one of the same Office in Specie variously exercised I have given in my thoughts of this before so far as I can yet reach But if it be granted that some should ordinarily exercise their office generally and ambulatorily over many Churches as others ordinarily must exercise it fixedly in one particular Church I shall not contend whether they are to be called One Office or two nor yet whether the fixed Minister may not extraordinarily upon a special reason do the same work as the itinerant Minister in the same way But Ministers there must be for both these work § 8. And that some should make the general work before mentioned their ordinary business and not take the pastoral Charge of any particular Church I conceive besides the former proofs is further manifest 1. In that the work of Converting Unbelievers and bringing them into a fitness for Church Communion is the work that is to go first and is the greatest work It s the greatest in weight praecisively considered and as to the terminus à quo of the change that it effects and it is the greatest in regard of opposing difficulties the winning of a soul which rejoyceth Angels and rejoyceth Jesus Christ himself will have so much of Satans malice to oppose it and hath so much resistance in the heart of the sinner that it requireth the whole work in ordinary of those Ministers that are specially called hereunto § 9. And 2. Withall it commonly falls out that there are far greater numbers to be converted then to be Governed after Conversion If it be not so in some Countries where the face of God hath shined most effectually yet in others and in most it is even in the far greatest part of the world O how many millions of souls are there that perish for lack of knowledge and know not for want of teaching and never heard of Jesus Christ in any likely manner to prevail in all their lives Surely such multitudes of Miserable souls yea Nations require Ministers wholly set upon this work § 10. And 3. It ordinarily falls out too that the unconverted unbelieving part of the world do live at a great distance from the Churches of Christ and therefore the same man that is Pastor of a Church hath not opportunity to speak to them Or if they live in the same Country they seldom meet in greatest numbers in the same Assemblies And therefore when the Pastor is upon his own work it is requisite that there be some to speak to the rest § 11. And yet I doubt not but as there are hypocrites in most Churches and among us many that by their ignorance or impiety we have cause to judge to be yet no Christians are our Ordinary hearers so the Pastors of the Churches may and must endeavour their conversion and much suit their preaching to the condition of such souls But yet those millions that in other parts of the world and perhaps in Ireland Wales and the Highlands of Scotland too many such may be found that neither know what Christianity is nor are the Ordinary hearers of a fixed Ministry and live not within the reach of such should have a Converting Itinerant Ministry for themselves § 12. Moreover 4. The Pastoral work is it self so great and the charge that we take of particular Churches and our obligation to them so strict that it will usually it self take up the whole man and will not allow a Pastor time for the other work on those at a distance yet uncalled without neglecting the souls that he hath undertaken to oversee § 13. And 5. For want of such general Ministers the state of persons is in some places confounded and the world and the Church are thrust together as if there were no difference to be made Because there are no Ministers known but Pastors therefore there are no People known but as Christians where yet the very knowledge of Christianity is too rare Whereas if where numbers and distance make it necessary the preparing Ministry had first done their part it would have prevented much dangerous confusion and self-deceit that followeth hereupon in many places § 14. And 6. By the mistaken supposition that such generall or unfixed Ministers are ceased men have been drawn to set Lay-men upon the greatest and noblest work of the Ministry and a conceit is hence risen among some that because this is not proper to the Pastors of a Church therefore it is not a Ministerial work but the work of gifted Brethren And hereupon uncalled men are tempted to exercise it and by laying aside the officers appointed hereunto by Christ the burden is cast on the weakest men § 15. Yea 7. By this means many Ministers themselves understanding not the Nature and extent of their own Office when they do but preach to any that are not of the Church that they have charge of imagine that they preach but as meer Lay-men and if they preach for the Conversion of unbelievers they profess it to be no act of their office which is an act that hath more inconveniences then I shall now express § 16. And 8. Which is worst of all by supposing that no Ministers are now to be appointed for the Conversion of Infidels and gathering and planting Churches it is come to pass that the most necessary work in all the world is neglected cast off and almost quite unknown in the world except Mr. Eliots and a few with him in New England and some of the Jesuites and Fryars in the East-Indies and America who have been sent or have adventured themselves for the Converting of the Nations Were it but known and considered how much of the Will of Jesus Christ is to be fulfilled by this most blessed work Princes would have studied it and contributed their assistance and many would have been ready to have offered themselves to God for the work when now it is looked on as no part of our duty not only because that sluggishness and cowardize calleth it impossible and the adventure unreasonable but also because we think it was a work that was proper to Apostles and Evangelists and Ministers are now tyed to their proper flock And thus the poor unbelieving world is left in their sin § 17. And 9. I doubt by this mistake and neglect we forfeit the benefit of that special promise in too great a measure Mat. 28.20 and miss of that eminent assistance and presence of Christ with our Ministry that otherwise we might expect If we did go into the world and preach the Gospel to the Nations having used our industry first to learn their languages we might expect that Christ would alwayes be with us
voice which I would have none forced to Because they are too long to put into this section I will adjoyn that part of his Letter that concerns this subject prefixing one that went next before it against the selling of the Church lands that the Bishops may see how little such men as he consented to it or liked it and may take heed of charging them with Sacriledge § 20. Lastly the Erastians are known to be for Episcopacy it self so be it it come in by the power of the Magistrate And that nothing proposed crosseth the Principles of the Congregationall men I have shewed before But whether really we shall have their consent to a Peace upon these proposed terms I know not because their writings that I have seen do not meddle with the point save only one Congregational man Mr. Giles Firmin hath newly written for this very thing in his Treatise of Schism against Dr. Owen page 66 67 68. I desire you to read the words to save me the labour of transcribing them In which he giveth us to understand that some of the Moderate Congregational Party will joyn with us in a Reconciliation on these terms Whether many or all will do so I know not Let their practise shew whether they will be the first or the last in the Healing of our Divisions But if they refuse we will not for that refuse to Love them as Brethren and study to perform our duty towards them as knowing that we suffer much more when we come short of our duty and love to others then when they come short of their duty and love to us Mr. Richard Vines his Letters before mentioned as a Testimony that the Presbyterian Ministers are not against a fixed President or that Episcopacy which Bishop Hall c. would have been satisfied with Reverend Friend I Received your two last and as for a Schoolmaster I shall do the best I can to propound one to you c. As for your Question about Sacriledge I am very near you in present opinion The point was never stated nor debated in the Isle of Wight I did for my part decline the dispute for I could not maintain the cause as on the Parliaments side and because both I and others were unwilling it was never brought to any open debate The Commissioners did argue it with the King but they went upon grounds of Law and Policy and it was only about Bishops Lands for they then averred the continuance of D. and Chapiters Lands to the use of the Church Some deny that there is any sin of Sacriledge under the Gospel and if there be any they agree not in the definition Some hold an alienation of Church goods in case of Necessity and then make the Necessity what and as extensive as they please The most are of opinion that whiles the Church lies so unprovided for the donations are not alienable sine Sacrilegio If there were a surplusage above the competent maintenance it were another matter It s cleer enough that the Dâ—nors wills are frustrated and that their General intention and the General use viz. the maintenance of Gods worship and Ministers should stand though the particular use might be superstitious I cited in my last Sermon before the Parliament unprinted a place touching Sacriledge out of Mr. Hildersham on Psal. 51. It did not please You may find the words in his book by the Index If his description of it be true then you will still be of your own mind I dare encourage no purchasers but do desire to have some more of your thoughts about it and I shall return you mine as I do my thanks for your excellent and worthily esteemed Treatise which you vouchsafed to prefix my name before Sir I have no more time or paper but to subscribe my self Your truly loving Friend R. Vines London July 20. Sir THough I should have desired to have understood your thoughts about the point of Sacriledge that so I might have formed up my thoughts into some better order and cleerer issue then I did in my laâ—t yet to shew unto you how much I value this correspondence with you I am willing to make some return to your last And first touching the Schoolmaster intended c. The Accomodation you speak of is a great and a good work for the gaining into the work such useful parts and interests as might very much heal the discord and unite the strength of men to oppose destructive ways and in my opinion more feasible with those men then any other if they be moderate and godly for we differ with them rather about some pinacles of the Temple then the foundation er abbuttresses thereof I would not have much time spâ—ut in a formula of doctrine or worship for we are not much distaxt in them and happily no more then with one another But I would have the agreement attempted in that very thing which chiefly made the division and that is Government heal that breach and heal all there begin and therein labour all you can What influence this may have upon others I know not in this exulceration of mens minds but the work speaks it self gâ—od and your reasons for the attempting of it are very considerable For the Assembly you know they can meddle with just nothing but what is sent uâ—to them by Parliament or one house thereof as the order saith and for that reason never took upon them to intermedle therein What they do in such a thing must be done as private persons and not as in the capacity of Assembly men except it come to them recommended by the Parliament The great business is to find a temperament in ordination and government in both which the exclusion or admittance of Presbyters dicis causa for a shadow was not regular and no doubt the Presbyters ought and may both teach and govern as men that must give account of souls For that you say of every particular Church having many Presbyters it hath been considered in our Assembly and the Scripture speaks fair for it but then the Church and City was of one extent no Parishes or bounds assigned out to particular men as now but the Ministers preacht in circuitu or in common and stood in relation to the Churches as to one Church though meeting haplâ— in divers houses or places as is still the manner of some Cities in the Low Couâ—tries If you will follow this model you must lay the City all into one Church particular and the Villages half a dozen of them into a Church which is a business here in England of vast design and consequence And as for that you say of a Bishop over many Presbyters not over many Churches I believe no such Bishops will please our men but the notion as you conceive it hath been and is the opinion of learned men Grotius in his commentary on the Acts in divers places and particularly Cap. 17. saith that as in every particular Synagogue many
not indifferent All the words that you can use will not satisfie them that it is indifferent if you use it not Indifferently We see by experience the power of custome with the vulgar But you will say What if they do overvalue it as necessary what danger is in that I answer very much 1. They will offer God a blind kind of service while they place his worship in that which is no part of worship as forms are not as such but an indifferent circumstance 2. They will be hereby induced to uncharitable censures of other Churches or persons that think otherwise or disuse those customs 3. They will be strongly induced to rebell against their Magistrates and Pastors if they shall judge it meet to change those customs 4. They will turn that stream of their zeal for these indifferent things that should be laid out on the matters of Necessity and perhaps in vain will they worship God by an outside hypocriticall worship while they thus take up with mens Traditions 5. They will forsake Gods own Ordinances when they cannot have them cloathed with their desired mode All this we see in our dayes at home The most ignorant and ungodly do by hundreds and thousands reject Church discipline and Sacraments and many of them the Prayers and Assemblies themselves because they have not the Common Prayer or because the Churches kneel not at the Lords Supper in the act of Receiving and such like So that it is a grievous plague to our peoples souls to be led into these mistakes and to think that Circumstances and things indifferent are matters of Necessity And yet on the other side lest the constant disuse of all convenient forms should lead the people into the contrary extream to think them all unlawfull and so to be guilty of the like uncharitable censures and evils as aforesaid I think it safest that the ablest men should sometime use them And this Indifferent use of them will lead the people to indifferent thoughts of them and so they will not provoke God by blind worship nor be so ready to fly in the faces of their Ministers when they cross them herein as now they are For example what a stir have we if men may not kneel at the Sacrament or if the dead in case of Ministers absence or other hinderance have not somewhat said over them at the grave and in some places if Ministers go not in procession in Rogation week and many such like customs If these were sometime used in a good and lawfull way it would keep men from mistaking them to be unlawfull and if they were sometime disused people would not take them as things necessary nor so hate and reproach both Ministers and brethren that neglect them or do not alwayes humour them herein yea or that were against them nor would men separate on these accounts Reas. 2. The constant use of Forms of Prayer depriveth people of their Ministers gifts and potently tendeth to work the people into a dull formality and to a meer outside heartless kâ—nd of service Which is as great an enemy to serious Devotion and consequently to mens salvation as almost any thing that 's to be found among professed Christians in the Church How dangerously and obstinately do such delude themselves and think that they are as uprightly religious as the best and so refuse all the humbling convincing light that should bring them to a change and blindly misapply the promises to themselves and go on in meer presumption to the last and all because they thus draw neer to God with their lips and say over a form of words when their hearts are far from him and they know not or observe not what they say And that constancy in Forms doth potently tend to this dead formality we need no other proof then experience How hard doth the best man find it to keep up life and seriousness in the constant hearing or speaking of the same words If you say that it is our fault I grant it but it is an uncurable fault while we are in the flesh or at least its few that ever are very much cured of it and non wholly There 's much also in nature it self to cause this A man that delighteth in Musick is weary of it if he have constantly the same instrument and tune or at least cannot possibly have that delight that Variety would afford him So is it in recreations and oft in dyet and other things Novelty affecteth Variety pleaseth Commonness dulleth us And though we must not therefore have a New God or a New Christ or a New Gospel the fulness of these affordeth the soul a daily variety and also their perfect goodness is such as leaves no need of a variety in kind yet is it meet that Ministers should have a gratefull variety of Manner to keep up delight and desire in their people A sick stomack cannot take still the same Physick nor the same dish I know that an ancient prudent man especially the Learned Pastor himself that better comprehendeth what a form of words contains can make a much better use of forms then younger Christians can do But I think with all I am sure with the generality to whom we must have respect a constant form is a certain way to bring the Soul to a cold insensible formal worship And on the other side if a form be Constantly disused and people have noâ— sometimes a recitall of the same again and again it may tend to breed a childish levity and giddyness in Religion as if it were not the matter but meer Novelty and variety that did please And so it may also easily make Hypocrites who shall delude themselves with conceits that they delight in God and in his word when it is but in these novelties and varieties of expression that they are tickled and delighted and their itching ears being pleased they think it proves a work of saving grace on the heart And therefore to fix Christians and make them sound that they grow not wanton in Religion and be not as children carryed up and down with variety of doctrineâ— or of modes I think it would be useful to have a moderate seasonable use of some forms as to the manner as well as often to inculcate the same matter Avoiding still that constancy that tends to dull their appetites and make them weary or formal in the work Reas. 3. The constant use of a stinted Liturgy or form of Prayer doth much tend to the remisness and negligence of the Ministry When they know that the duty requireth no exercise of their invention and that before the Church they may as well perform it with an unprepared as with a prepared mind it will strongly tempt them and prevail too commonly to neglect the stirring up of their gifts and the preparing of their minds When they know that before men they may in Reading a Prayer come off as well without any regard to their hearts as with