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A28865 Observations upon the ordinance of the Lords and Commons at Westminster after advice had with their Assembly of Divines for the ordination of ministers pro tempore, according to their directory for ordination and rule for examination therein expressed. Boughen, Edward, 1587?-1660? 1645 (1645) Wing B3815; ESTC R20014 28,236 38

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Presbyters and so is it with us at this present q Bishops have power to ordaine Presbyters in every City Hieron in Tit. 1.5 EPISCOPI HABENT constituendi Presbyteros per urbes singulas POTESTATEM But Presbyters have no such power r Hieron ad Evag. Ep. 85. Quid facit EXCEPT A ORDINATIONE Episcopus quod Presbyter non facit SET BY ORDINATION and what doth a Bishop that a Presbyter doth not Saint Hierome distinguisheth plainly between the power of a Bishop and the power of a Presbyter Which extorted this confession from Walo Messalinus that ſ Walo Messal p. 288. in St Hieromes time a Bishop was distinguished from a Presbyter jure ordinand●rum Clericorum by the right of Ordination In S. Hieromes dayes a Presbyter might not Ordaine no nor yet in the dayes of Athanasius as is evident by that of Coluthus and Ischyras t Athan. Apol 2. Coluthus a Presbyter took upon him to be a Bishop as some of the Assembly doe now and presumed to Ordaine one Ischyras a Presbyter But for this presumption he was censured by Athanasius and all the Bishops of that Patriarchate and u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ib. this Imposition of hands sentenced to be no Ordination And this censure was shortly after justified by foure Councells more of no small note As is to be seen in the same Apologie 62. If you say that this was adjudged a nullity because one and not many Presbyters did it Epiphanius tells you that * Epiphan haer 75. Presbyterorum Ordo the whole Order of Presbyters is not able to ordaine a Presbyter How then can x Ord p. 3. seven Presbyters be lawfully appointed and authorized to Ordaine Can you authorize a Woman to Preach or Baptize Or a Deacon to Consecrate the Supper of Christ when you prove this I shall incline to the other But if Presbyters may ordaine why did St Paul I pray you send Epaphroditus an Apostle to Philippi to ordaine Presbyters where many Presbyters already were That there were at Philippi divers Presbyters is too plaine to be denied for S. Paul writes y Philip. 1.1 to the Bishops and Deacons in that Citie And those Bishops were but Presbyters as is agreed on all hands And yet that S. Paul sent Epaphroditus thither to ordaine Presbyters is acknowledged by Walo Messal p. 58. Thus at Ephesus were many Presbyters Act. 20.17 and yet S. Paul manifests that the power of Ordination as also of conventing and censuring Presbyters within that Diocesse was in Timothy and in Timothy only 63. No man or Ordinance of man can authorize me to doe any Ministeriall act which God hath not given me power to performe that is while I am in this condition no more then you can authorize me to flie in the aire No man can give Authority to a Deacon while a Deacon to consecrate the Lords Supper or to absolve a Penitent Neither can any authority give a Presbyter while a Presbyter only the power of Ordination The reason is because the God of all Power and Order hath assigned and appropriated this power to an higher Order as hath been already demonstrated 64. And yet mauger Gods Ordinance z Ord. p. 3. yee appoint and authorize Doctor Cornelius Burges Doctor William Gouge and one and twenty more or any seven of them to Ordaine Presbyters But I beseech you by what authority doe you make this Ordinance For matters meerly spirituall the old appeale had wont to be a Act. 24.14 to the Law and the Prophets Shew me in the Old or New Testament that ever this power was in Lay-men or given by Lay-men The New Testament is so full so plaine against you that Calvines assertion is that b Calvin Instit l. 4. c. 3. §. 16. not the People but the PASTORS ONLY did lay hands upon their Ministers And your resolution accords with his viz. that it is an Ordinance of Christ that Persons be set apart for the Office of the Ministry by PREACHING PRESBYTERS 65. But in your language I perceive it is one thing to ordaine another thing to authorize others to ordaine Whereas to speak truth c Nemo potest plus juris conferre in a●iū quam ipse habet no man can conferre that spirituall power upon another which he hath not in himselfe You assume not indeed to your selves the power to Ordaine but how much doe you abate of it when yee authorize others to ordaine Make the best of it it will returne to this issue That either these Presbyters before your Ordinance was Voted had power to ordaine or else it was not in your power to authorize them to ordaine 66. True it is that a Prince or State may give leave or not leave to a Bishop to ordaine and to a Presbyter to exercise his Priestly Office within their severall Dominions But this is only the power of Licence it gives them liberty but not authority to ordaine or Preach Suppose a Bishop assisted with Presbyters should ordain without your Licence in the associated Counties were there a nullity in the Ordination I beleeve your blessed Assembly will not say so If they doe they gainsay your third Proposition and the Scripture gainsayes them For though the Governours of Hierusalem had charged the Apostles that d Act. 4.18 they should not Preach in the Name of Jesus yet they professe that e Ib. v. 20. they cannot but speak the things which they have seen and heard and that f Act. 5.29 they ought to obey God rather then man God that had given them the power and charge rather then man that had discharged them 67. If you think the case is otherwise in Preaching then Ordaining you shall see that g Act. 13.50 cap. 14.5 19. when S. Paul and S. Barnabas had been persecuted at Antioch and Iconium and Lystra though the Rulers had used them despightfully and h Act. 13.50 the chiefe men had expelled them out of their Coasts yet for all this i Act. 14.21 from Derbe they returned againe to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch and k Ib. v. 23. ordained them Presbyters in every Church And those Ordinations I hope were valid though they were against the sence of the State 68. If to authorize be to give freedome then may the Turke authorize as well as you and your authorizing is no more then his And yet I think no Christian will deny but that those Bishops and Priests within the Turkes Territories ought to performe the duties of their severall Orders though the Grand Senior himselfe inhibite them But this must be done not in contempt but in obedience to authority for l Rom. 13.1 we must be subject to the higher powers But God is higher then all earthly powers we must therefore obey God Thus farre then we yeeld obedience to God and his word 69. But St Peter commands us to m 1. S. Per. 2.13 submit to every Ordinance