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
acts yet all that he doth quite out of the line of his Office are Nullities Sect. 14. We see then that all that the Law hath left to the Ordainer is but this In General to Discern and judge of the person that is Qualified according to the Description of the Law and particularly to call him out to the work if he need excitement and to Try and Approve him before he be admitted and to Invest him or solemnize his admittance at his entry So that the sum of all is but to find out the qualified person because he is not named by the Law Sect. 15. And even in this the Ordainers are not the only Discerners or Judges but the person himself the People and the Magistrates have all the forementioned parts in the work And God himself goes before them all and by providence frequently points them out the man whom they are bound to choose Ordain accept and submit unto and that by these particular acts Sect. 16. 1. As God doth plainly describe the persons in the word so he doth Qualifie them accordingly by his Guifts and that of three sorts Even his special Graces necessary so far as was before mentioned Ministerial Abilities of Knowledge and utterance and a desire after the work for its ends 2. God useth to qualifie so small a nuâ—ber thus compared with his Churches Mecessities that whether they should be Ministers in general or not is seldom matter of controversie to prudent men or at least a doubt that 's more easie to decide 3. God useth by Providence to give some one man by advantage of parts acquaintance opportunity interest c. a special fitness for one place and people above other men and so to facilitate the decision 4. God useth to stir up the hearts of the Church to choose or consent to the person thus qualified 5. And he useth to stir up desires or consent in the heart of the person to be the Pastor of that particular flock 6. And he useth oft times to procure him Liberty if not some call from the Magistrate 7. And also to remove impediments in his way 8. And to assist ordainers in discerning the qualifications of the person when the work comes to their hands All this God doth providentially Sect. 17. By this much it appeareth that the Ordainers do not give the power as from themselves to others nor doth it pass through their hands They are but the occasions and the Instruments of Inauguration or solemn possession when their interposition is due It is the standing Act of Christ in his Law that giveth the Power immediately I say immediately as without any mediate receiving and conveying cause that is directly efficient of the Power it self though not so Immediately as to exclude all Preparations and perfecting Instruments accidentall causes other means As in case of Marriage it is the womans consent that is of Necessity to the designation of the Person that shall be her husband But it is not her Consent that properly giveth him the power of an husband over her For that is done by God himself in that Law by which he constituteth the husband to be head of the wife and determineth in specie of his power which one determination immediately conferreth the power on all individual persons when once they are chosen and named so that the Elector of the person doth but prepare and dispose him to receive the power and not give it He doth but open the door and let men in to the Ministry not give it It s one thing to bring the person to the Pool that healeth that he may be the man that first shall enter and it s another thing to heal him It s one thing to Judge of the person that shall receive the Power immediately from God and another thing to give it him our selves Sect. 18. It s thus in the case of Magistrates Power in which mens interest hath ever been more discernable to the world and beyond controversie then in the power of Ministers Though here there be a certain specification that dependeth on the will of man yet the Power it self is immediately from God and men do but choose the person that shall receive it and present him to God and solemnly inaugurate him And for my part I think I shall never consent to any side that will needs give more to men whether Presbyters Prelates or people in making a Minister then in making a King All power is of God the powers that be are ordained of God Sect. 19. If any doubt of this as I perceive by many writings they do I shall to spare the labour of a Digression refer them to the copious unanswerable labours of abundance of Protestants that have written in England for the Royal Power But instead of more let them but read Spalatensis and Saravia and Bilson and rest satisfied or confute them before they expect any more from me Sect. 20. As in the making of Bayliffs for our Corporations either the people or the Burgesses have the power of choosing and the Steward or Recorder hath the power of swearing him and performing the Ceremonies and yet none of these confer the power but only design the person who receives the power from the Prince alone by the Charter of the Cities or Towns as his Instrument so is it in the ordaining of Ministers The People may choose and the Pastors may invest but its God only by the Gospel Charter that confers the power from himself Sect. 21. Hence it is plaâ—n that the Argument is vain that 's commonly used by the Prelates from Nemo dat quod non habet For it falsly supposeth that the Ordainers are the givers of Power the master-error in their frame Christ hath it and Christ giveth it Men give it not though some of them have it For they have it only to use and not to give When the People choose a King they give him not the Power but God giveth it to the man whom the people choose When our Corporations choose their Bayliff the choosers give him not the Power for they had it not themselves but they determine of the man that immediately from the Princes Charter shall receive it Nor doth the Recorder or Steward give it Primarily but only Instrumentaliter perfective by a Ceremonial inauguration So the People give not Pastors the Power Nor the Ordainers but only complementally Sect. 22. From what is aforesaid also it appeareth that the work of the Ministry is founded first in the Law of nature it self which upon supposition of mans misery and his recovery by Christ and the Promise and means appointed for application requireth every man that hath Ability and Opportunity to do his best in the Order appointed him by God to save mens souls by proclaiming the Gospel and using Gods appointed means for the great and blessed Ends that are before us Sect. 23. Hence it also appeareth that Gods first command partly in Nature and partly
true Churches or have true Ministers But the Consequent is false therefore so is the Antecedent Of this I shall say more anon Sect. 33. If none of the Protestants Churches that have not such Bishops are true Churches and have not a true Ministry then neither Roman Greek Armenian Aethiopian c. or almost any through the world are true Churches For they are defective in some greater matters and chargeable with greater errors then these But the Consequent is false therefore so is the Antecedent He that denyeth all these to be true Churches denyeth the Catholick Church And he that denyeth the Catholick Church is next to the denying of Christ. Sect. 34. Having thus proved that there is no necessity of Ordination by such as the English Prelates I have withall proved that men are not therefore ever the less Ministers because they have not their Ordination nor our Churches or Ordinances ever the more to be disowned Sect. 35. Yet where there is no other Ordination to be had it may be a duty to submit to theirs Not as they are Episcopi exortes as even Grotius calls them or of this species but as they are Pastors of the Church notwithstanding such superfluities and usurpations Sect. 36. It is not the duty therefore but the sin of any man that was Ordained by such Prelates to a lawful office to disclaim and renounce that Ordination as some do For it is not every irregularity that nullifieth it There may be many modal circumstantials or accidental miscarriages that may not Null the the substance of the Ordination it self Sect. 37. Yet it must be concluded that we may not be wilfully guilty of any sin in the modes or accidents But that may be a sin in the Ordainer which the Ordained may not be guilty of as doing nothing that signifieth an approbation of it but perhaps disowning it Sect. 38. If we have been guilty of submitting to a corrupt ordination as to the accidents we must disown and repent of the sinfull mode and accidents though not of the Ordination it self in substance As we must bewail the errours and infirmities of our preaching prayer and other holy duties without renouncing the duty it self which is of God and to be owned Sect. 39. As to the Question of some Whether a man may be twice Ordained in case he suspect his first Ordination I answer 1. You must distinguish between a General Ordination to the office of the Ministry and a special Ordination to a particular Church As the licensing of a Physitian and the setling him over a City or Hospital The first may be done but once in case it be truely done but the second may be done as oft as we remove to particular Churches Though yet both may be done at once at our first Ordination they are still two things Even as Baptizing a man into Member-ship of the universal Church and taking him into a particular Church It s not like that the separation and Imposition of hands on Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.2 3. was to their first Apostleship Sect. 40. If a man have weighty reasons to doubt of his first Ordination his safest way is to renew it as is usuall in Baptim with a Si non Baptizatus es Baptizo te If thou be not Ordained I Ordain thee This can have no danger in such a case CHAP. VI. Ordination at this time by English Prelates especially is unnecessary Sect. 1. BEsides what is said against the Necessity of such Prelatical Ordination in it self I conceive that more may be said against it as things now stand from several accidental reasons which make it not only unnecessary but sinful to the most Sect. 2 As 1. The Obligation that was upon us from the Law of the Land is taken off which with the Prelates themselves is no small argument when it was for them So that we are no further now obliged then they can prove us so from Scripâ—uâ—e Evidence and how little that is I have shewed before The English Prelâ—cy is taken down by the Law of the Land we are left at Liberty â—rom humane Obligations at least Sect. 3. If any man say that it is an unlawful power that hath made those Laws by which Prelaâ—ical Government is taken down I aâ—swer 1. It is such a Power as they obey themselves and therefore they may permit others to obey it They hold their estateâ— and lives under it and are protected and ruled by it and profeâ—s submission and obedience for the generality of them And when another Species of Government was up that commanded 〈◊〉 to â—ake an engagement to be true to the Government as 〈◊〉 without a King and House of Lords when our 〈◊〉 refused that Engagement as unlawful the generality of the contrary minded took it even all that I was acquainted with that were put upon it So that I may take it for granted that they judge the power which they obey themselves to be obeyed by others Sect. 4. And 2. I would be glad to hear from them any regardable proof that those that Governed when Paul wrote the 13th Chapter to the Romans had any better Title to their Government Let them review their own late writings on that subject and they may have arguments enough that are Valid ad hominem at least Sect. 5. The Laws of the Land do make the Acts even of an Usurper Valid while he is in possession and make it treason to them that do against him that which is treason if it were against a lawfull Prince and therefore if we granted them what they here affirm it would be no advantage to their cause Subjects must look at the present Governours with peaceable subjection For if they be left to try their Princes titles and suspend obedience upon their single opinions you know what will follow Sect. 6. And 3. It will be hard to prove that many a Prince that hath ruled in England had a better Title It s known that many of their Titles were naught And yet their Lawes are Valid still or were so to Posterity And how can they convey a better title to their Heirs then they had themselves If you say that the Consent of the People gave them a better I must return that if that will serve the people in Parliaments more then one and in their real subjection have consented to this But this is a subject that requireth much more to be said of it or nothing at all and therefore I shall take up here with this little which he present cause makes necessary Sect. 7. And I may add a further Reason that we are not only disobliged by the Laws from former Prelacy but we are obliged against it The Rulers have deposed and forbidden it And in lawful things it is a duty to obey our Governours And that the demolishing of the Prelacy is a lawful thing in it self considered For I meddle not with the manner at this time I have said enough before to