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A28865
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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.
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Boughen, Edward, 1587?-1660?
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1645
(1645)
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Wing B3815; ESTC R20014
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28,236
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38
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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 Rules for Examination therein expressed Die Mercurij 2. Octob. 1644. The Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law Heb. 7.12 Si qui cum Episcopo non sint in Ecclesiâ non sunt Cypr. Epist 69. n. 31. OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield Printer to the Vniversity 1645. OBSERVATIONS UPON THE ORDINANCE c. 2. Octob. 1644. 1. I Will not quarrell with the Ordinance or Authors thereof because it ariseth from them who have neither skill nor authority to provide for Ordination This were something an high charge And yet Ordination is confessed a Ord. p. 2. to be a spirituall act which may only be performed by spirituall persons It ought therefore to be provided for by spirituall Persons Whereas this Ordinance goes backward it is sent from the Lords and Commons to the Assembly of Divines not to be devised or framed by them but to take care of the Printing thereof That 's all they have to doe in the publishing of this Ordinance Witnesse H. Elsynge It seems they are esteemed fit men to oversee the Presse 2. Whereas b Cod. Afric Can. 103. Publick Prayers and Formes of Ordination had wont to be collected and Ordered by Divines indeed by Bishops assembled in a Synode or free Councell though afterwards confirmed and authorized by Princes and Acts of State for the quiet performance of the same and full conformity thereto 3. Thus was it in the daies of K. Edward the sixt of Q. Elizabeth and K. Iames. Indeed were not Corporall and penall Lawes made which are not in the power of the Church some light Spirits and unquiet dispositions would dissolve the bonds of unity and subvert the frame of uniformity while they like of nothing but what is suitable to their own giddy braines and distempered fancies nor of that long 4. This Ordinance of the Lords and Commons is no long lived Ordinance it is not like c Dan. 68. the Lawes of the Medes and Persians lasting and unalterable it is but pro tempore for the time of their Soveraignty And the tide with Gods blessing may turne before October next If not d Provided that this Ordinance shall stand in force for twelve Months and no longer Ord p 15. Ordination we see is with them as changeable as an Ordinance And this manifests that this their Ordination is no divine Institution 5. But this Ordinance was made after advice had with the Assembly of Divines The Advice is theirs the Ordinance yours They are the Councellors to advise but yee the State that Ordaines and enacts Whereas they ought not e 25 Hâ—n VIII c. 19. by the Lawes of this Kingdome to have met in any such Assembly without the Kings summons f Ib. neither ought any Ordinance at all to be made without His Royall assent g 1. Elis c. 1. All such Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction is annexed to the Crowne of this Realme and to no other And h 1. Elis c. 2. the King by the advice of the Metropolitan of this Realme or of His Commissioners for causes Ecclesiasticall may Ordaine or publish Rites and Ceremonies But I read of no other that have Legall power in this Realme of England without the Kings Commission to doe thus 6. But you take advice with the Assembly of Divines your Commissioners An Assembly of Divines so you call it But is it so consists it only of Divines It seems so by the title of your Ordinance but how then come i Ordin Jun. 12. 1643 p. 2. the Earles of Northumberland and Manchester Viscount Sea and Seale Francis Rows Sir Henry Vane and John White into the Assembly Are these Divines States-men and Lawyers and Sword-men Lords and Knights all Divines I perceive then we may have Lord-Divines though not Lord-Bishops States-men may meddle with Divinity though not Divines with the State Now I have lived to see k 1. Sam. 19.23 Saul among the Prophets l Act. 2.17 your Sonnes and Daughters of all Professions Prophesy or Dreame Dreames some upon Wooll packs others in Pulpits or Tubbs no matter where so it be for the good of the State 7. Here then must needs be an advised a Divine Ordinance But though it be made after advice yee tell us not that it was made according to their Divine advice If it be I hope some of them will be able to justify it by the Lawes both of God and this Realme But the plain truth is this project was resolved upon before any advice had with them This will clearly appeare if we cast an eye back upon An Ordinance for the calling of an Assembly of Learned Divines Iunâ—â— 12. 1643. 8. Wherein first before discussing of the question by your Learned Divines yee m Ord. Iune 12. 1643. p. 1. declare and resolve first declare and then resolve note that that the present Church-government by Arch-Bishops Bishops c. is evill and justly offensive and burthensome to the Kingdome a great impediment to Reformation and growth of Religion and very prejudiciall to the State and Government of this Kingdom and that therefore you are resolved that the same shall be taken away And in the Solemne League and Covenant yee vow the extirpation thereof 9. So the Assembly have their Lesson before hand Episcopall Government must downe it may not be admitted into consideration be the Assembly never so desirous It is Declared and Resolved by their infallible Masters that it is evill and n View of the Covenant p. 34. the View of the Covenant calls it Antichristian Justly offensive it is to the Kingdome and very prejudiciall to the state and so are the Kings Revenues and diverse Noble mens and Gentlemens goods and Lands you have therefore taken them away and some of them ye have given some sold away Indeed the Bishops Lands are justly offensive and their government prejudiciall to the State ye stand in For had they followed St Pauls directions 2. Tim. 3.4 5. I know in what state ye had been long since In truth had not their Lands been evill in your eye the Government would never have been offensive This Kingdome hath flourished more yeares with this Government then it can dayes with your unvoted undevised platform What a furtherance it hath been to Reformation and growth of Religion the Enemies to the Catholick Religion have been sensible and the most eminent men in the Reformed Churches bare us witnesse I shall name one yet living who will not I presume revoke or retract what he hath written Peter Moulin is the man and his words are these o Pet. Molin ad Episc Winton Ep. 3. §. Hic mihi Scio instaurationem Ecclesiae Anglicanae eversionem Papismi post Deum Reges
ſ Act. 14.23 by S. Paul and S. Barnabas t 1. Tim. 5.22 by Timothy and u Tit. 1.5 Titus The * Hieron Catal c. 16. two former are known to be Apostles the two latter are acknowledged by all antiquity to be Bishops strictly so called which are the very same with Apostles Though you will not believe me I presume ye will not mistrust Walo Messalinus his fidelity to your cause His very words are these x Walo Messal p. 44. Titus Timotheus Apostoli tunc nominabantur REVERA ERANT EPISCOPI JVRE EODEM ET ORDINE quo hodiè habertur qui Ecclesiam regunt Presbyteris praesunt Titus and Tymothy were named APOSTLES and IN VERY TRVTH WERE BISHOPS BY THE SAME RIGHT AND OF THE SAME ORDER that these are at this day who govern the Church and have command over Presbyters So your own dearest friend 37. But there can be no surer Commentary of our Saviours words then the Apostles daily practice And meet it is for us in these things to doe as they did And ought not Bishops to preserve as much as in them lyes that power which God in his word hath committed to them y 1. Tim. 6.20 Depositum custodi is a full command and of a large extent that charge which S. Paul hath committed to Timothie's and every z Vincent Lyrin c. 27. Bishop's trust is not to be waved on any hand carefully preserved it must be For doth not S. Paul charge Timothy to a 2. Tim. 3.14 continue in those things which he hath both learned and been assured of and to b Ib. c. 4. v. 5. fulfill his Ministry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his owne Ministry c Ib. c. 1. v. 6. which was given unto him by the imposition of S. Pauls hands Surely we ought to doe so and I hope God will so enable our Bishops that they shall discharge their duties though it be with hazard of their lives And a main part of their duty it is to Ordaine Presbyters and Deacons For to them and to them only this power belongs as shall be proved § 51.52 The third Proposition That Ordination performed by him by the Bishop being a Presbyter joyned with other Presbyters is in your judgement for substance valid and not to be disclaimed by any that have received it 38. THe Bishops are so much beholding to you as to ackowledge them to be Presbyters and their Ordinations valid notwithstanding their assumings and encroachings Yee take order therefore that d Ord. p. 13. a Presbyter so ordained shall be admitted to a charge WITHOUT ANY NEW ORDINATION 39. Notwithstanding this your Magisteriall definition I must tell you that this your Proposition is partly true partly false True in that an Ordination performed by a Bishop is valid But false that it is performed by him as a Presbyter He ordaines not as a presbyter but as a Bishop or if you will is an Apostle Bishop Not by vertue of the Order of Presbyter but by vertue of his Episcopall or Apostolicall Order e Epiphan haer 75. Presbyterorum enim Ordo non est potens generare patres for this Order the Order of Presbyters is not able to beget Fathers or Presbyters but Children for the Church And so no validitie in their Ordaining as shall be more fully manifested in the Confutation of your next Proposition 40. False like wise it is That the Ordination is only so farre forth valid as it is performed by a Bishop soyned with Presbyters Bishops you pull downe as low as yee can no Ordination good by a Bishop without assisting Presbyters but a Minister is highly in your favour he may if you Authorize Ordaine alone for doe not you say The Minister that ordaineth p. 13. But as you are out in affirming that one or many Presbyters may Ordaine so are you as wide from truth in resolving that a Bishop cannot Ordaine without presbyters joyned with him For this is certaine that the assisting Presbyters are not of the essence of Ordination for then were there no Ordination in the Greek Church since therein Presbyters lay on no hands at all in Ordination As f Pet. Arcud de Concord l. 6. c. 4. §. Igitur in Petrus Aroudius manifests Neither is there so much as mention made of Presbyters assisting or laying on their hands by or with or neare the Bishops hands at Ordination in all the Greeke Canons or the Euchologue but only of the Bishop ordaining a Presbyter They had an eye upon Scripture wherein they finde S. Paul alone and Titus alone and Timothy alone ordaining without assistants Yee are carefull to preserve the credit of some late reformed Churches beyond the Seas give us leave to be tender of those many and famous Churches in the East the first the learned churches of the world from whom we received the Scriptures and if the Learned be not mistaken the best expositions thereof even our Faith and Orders though not immediatly 41. I must confesse that in the Latine Churches g Concil Carthag IIII. Can. 3. Presbyters at the Ordination of a Priest and of a Priest only layed on their hands by the Bishops hand But these were for attestation not for Ordination The African Fathers therefore that enjoyne this very Act of the Presbyters ascribe Ordination wholy and only to the Bishop as is to be seen Co◠Afric Can. 31.55 80 c. A Bishop therefore may Ordaine without the assistance of Presbyters and the Ordination shall be good though not Legall with us because the Bishop may be justly questioned and censured for transgressing the Canons of our Church The fourth Proposition Presbyters so ordained being lawfully thereunto appointed and authorized may ordaine other Presbyters 42. IT seems hereby that Ordination is one thing and lawfull authorizing another That is if I mistake not your meaning when a Presbyter is ordained he receives no such power till he be afterwards lawfully authorized by you or such as you are And yet immediatly after ye make h Ord. p. 2. lawfull calling and Ordaining to be one and the same A Lawfulnesse then there is in Ordination without your concurrence or approbation Yea your own words are that i Ph. p. 15. Presbyters ORDAINED according to this Directory shall be for ever reputed and taken to ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES for LAWFULL and SUFFICIENTLY AUTHORIZED Ministers of the Church of England and capable of any Ministeriall imployment If that be not home enough observe I beseech you how you resolve that every Minister by imposition of hands i◠k Ib. p. 22. set a part to fulfill the worke of his Ministery IN ALL THINGS Having then so full a Commission given them in Ordination how comes it to passe that before they may Lawfully Ordaine they must first be appointed and authorized by you 43. Is it a Ministeriall Imployment to Ordaine If it be so then is every Minister by his Orders sufficiently authorized