by their unwearied diligence the Orthodox after sound Confutation of their Heresie sitting down content with that discharge of their dutie And surely if ever our glorious lights of the sanctuarie bee put out and new ones set up in their stead next unto God's wrath penally inflicting such a judgment for a Peoples unthankfulness it will bee ascribed to our laziness and their unwearied diligence rather then to any truth of their Caus or excellence of their Arguing For they do not or will not know when they are confuted but after their Arguments answered ten times over they are as brisk to offer new disputation insisting upon their old bald Arguments as if never uttered before their diligence should provoke us to the like if not their diligence yet love to their souls should 2 Tim. 2.25 remembring that of Paul in meekness instructing those that oppose themselvs if at any time God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may recover themselvs out of the snare of the Divel wee must not give over a Patient while there is hope no not though they oppose themselvs but with long-suffering they must bee instructed becaus as the gift of grace so the time of grace is in God's hand alone It is a great skill to discern who are to bee forborn and who to bee opposed they that make Divisions and parties in the Church and scandalize the Doctrine are to bee avoided Rom. 16.17 others that walk humbly and peaceably under that weakness and dissenting Opinion from their brethren are to bee forborn loved and cherished till wee meet in heaven where Luther and Calvin and all whose Faith and hearts do center in the Lord Christ shall for evermore bee fully agreed To his Grace I commend you who is able to establish you and rest Yours and the Churches servant in the Gospel of Jesus Christ WILLIAM LYFORD AN APOLOGIE FOR Our Publick MINISTERIE TOuching the Office and Calling of Ministers and Lay-men's preaching the Question is not Whether Christians may and ought privately to edifie one another by admonitions counsels reproofs repetition of Sermons reading of good Books and other Christian conferences all this I grant and commend to practice from these Scriptures Heb. 3.13 1 Thes 4.8 1 Thes 5.11.14 Rom. 15 14. But the whole state of the controversie may fitly bee reduced to these three heads Quest 1. Whether the work of a Minister in the Administration of the Word and Sacraments bee a Calling Office and work distinct from the rest of the people Whether there bee any such Calling or Office for that holy work in the New Testament Affir 2. Whether Ordination of Ministers for Administration of Word and Sacraments bee an Ordinance of Christ in the New Testament Affir 3. Whether it bee lawful for men uncalled and unordained to Take upon them the preaching of the Word in the Name and with the autoritie of the Lord Jesus or the Administration of the Sacraments Neg. The answer and determination of these three Questions will clearly state the Caus which I shall do in three Conclusions Concl. 1 1. The Ministerie is a distinct Calling and Office which they are bound to attend unto and None but they can or ought to perform Concl. 2 2. Ordination of Ministers by imposition of hands of other Ministers for the Administration of the Word and Sacraments is an Ordinance of Christ in the New Testament Concl. 3 3. No man uncalled and unordained can with good Conscience intrude or enter upon that Work and Office it is a great sin so to do Of these I will speak in order The first Conclusion in Answer to the first Question viz. that the Ministerie is a distinct Office and Calling is proved 1. By express words of the Text 1 Tim. 3.1 if any man desire the Office of a Bishop hee desireth a good work The Text tell 's you that Bishop or Presbyter is an Office a good Office and hee that is made a Bishop is a man in high Office even to take care of the Church of God ver 5. and in him there are required manie qualifications which are not required in other Believers Again Paul writing to the Philippians doth plainly distinguish the Bodie of Saints from the Officers To all the Saints which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Phil. 1.1 By Bishops there all understand Ministers of the Gospel in Office of Teaching distinct from the people who were Saints but not Bishops So in the Church of Ephesus the like distinction between Pastor and People in respect of Office and Calling is obferved Act. 20. Paul called for the Elders of the Church vers 17. Hee minde's them of their Office vers 28. Take heed to all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers or Bishops to feed the Church of God for so did Christ ordain and set in the Church som Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministerie Ehes 4.11.12 e.i. to bee Guides to the Flock to feed them with wholsom Doctrine Heb. 13.7 17. Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God and submit your selvs for they watch for your souls In which places you see that Ministerie of the Word is a name of Office given to certain men designed and singled out to that work as a special work not common to others take one clear place more viz. 1 Thes 5.11 Comfort and edifie one another there 's the peoples mutual dutie in private But vers 12. know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you there 's the Pastor's Office and dutie who though they may bee but even with you in respect of Gifts and Graces yet they are over you in the Lord in respect of their Office and Work they are over all even over them which were able Concl. 1 privately to admonish one another and the people's dutie is to know i.e. to acknowledg them as such and to esteem them very highly for their work 's sake becaus God hath set them over you in that Office By all which places of Scripture it is evident that in the Churches of Christ Som are Pastors and Elders to feed Some are Guides and Rulers Som are Sheep the flock to bee fed Som are Guided and Ruled Som are single Saints Som are Bishops over them in the Lord. There is a work wholly to bee attended and men appointed to attend that work wholly Names of Office without an Office are meer mockeries the Names of a King of a Steward Pastor Bishop Guide c. without their respective Offices are not given in Scripture In the places now cited you finde those distinctive Titles and Names joyned with the work it self I demand then with the Apostle Are all Teachers 1 Cor. 12.28 Rom. 14.4 are all Bishops are all Guids and Pastors The Minister and his Work are as precisely distinguished by the
receiv of him the Christian Faith others say to receiv farther instructions from him Eleutherius sent unto him Damianus and Faganus by whom the King was converted with many of the people and were baptized about the year 179 the Monumentsand Rites of Heathenish Idolatrie were subverted Superstition decaied and true Religion increased there were then in Britain Fox Acts Mon. ubisupra 28 Head Priests which they called Flamines and three Archpriests which they called Arch-Flamines having the over-sight of the manners over the rest These 28 Flamines they turned to 28 Bishops and the three Arch-Flamines to three Arch-bishopricks having then their Seats in three principal Cities viz. London York Gloucester In these daies Rome was a Virgin Church not Anti-Christian And if wee grant that England received the Faith from Eleutherius Bishop of Rome yet hee was neither a Pope nor Papist And from this Apostolical root do wee extract our Ordination and Succession as beeing well assured that very early in the Primitive Church Whites Way to the Church § 49. the Gospel was planted here And though the Papists object that the Faith was again extinguished in England yet Dr White shew's the contrarie viz. that the Faith continued here from King Lucius to the coming of Austen the Monk whom Gregorie sent hither 600 years after Christ who when hee came found divers Brittain Bishops and learned men with a monasterie at Bangor who did oppose Arrianism and Pelagianism and the pride of Austen the Pope's Embassador Secondly I say that the rightfulness of our Vocation is not cut off or nulled by such a Succession for that learned Letter as it confesseth the Succession of our first Reformers to have been from men of the Romish Religion Mat. 3.2.3 so it teacheth truly That Heretical Bishops may lawfully Ordain and that it is an Heresie such as the Donatish was to denie it To this agree's the judgment of our Saviour who Teacheth that the Scribes and Pharisees have a lawful Succession from Moses they sit in his Chair their Calling is of God though a race of bad men possessed that Chair and Christ will have them acknowledged for the lawful Ministers So is our Calling and Succession though it passed thorough corrupt times The Scriptures themselvs Baptism the Articles of our Creed have all passed through the Papacie unto us and yet they ceas not to bee true Scriptures nor true Baptism much less doe's Ordination ceas to be rightful it beeing an act of jurisdiction which may bee legally and law fully performed by men of corrupt Faith Concl. 2 Wee must carefully distinguish the Acts of Office which have their form and beeing from a root or fountain without us from the qualities of the man that perform's the Office The man may bee naught yet his Office good and Acts don by virtue of his Office just and allowable although the man and his Religion bee naught As for instance a Popish Landlord make's you a Leas of a Farm your Leas is not Antichristian but good in Law though hee that demised it bee for his Religion a Papist A Popish Judg doth pass a sentence in Court which stand's good in Judicature His sentence is not Popish though hee that pronounced it bee a Papist the reason is becaus the legal sentence is not of him nor from him as a Papist but a Judg who doth but deliver that which hee hath received from an higher root the Law So in this case Ordination is an Act of Office derived from Christ and it is not Popish though executed by a Papist Wee do not rebaptize them that were baptized by a Popish Priest becaus the power of Ged's Ordinance depend's not on the person that doe's execute the same but upon an higher foundation the Institution of Christ Ministerial Acts are not vitiated or made nud though they pass through the hands of bad men But stand good to all intents and purposes to such as receiv them aright by virtue of their Office autoritatively derived from the first Institution To right Ordination besides the parties inward Call are required To right Ordination what is requited Two things 1. On behalf of the partie to bee Ordained hee must have sundrie qualifications as integritie of life by which hee get's a good report even of those that are without 2. Soundness in the Faith hee must not bee an Heretick or misbeliever but able by sound Doctrine to instruct and convince the gain-faier 3. Hee must bee apt to teach readie to communicate his knowledg to others Secondly on behalf of them that do ordain it is likewise required 1. That they take a trial of their Gifts and Life as Paul saith Let them first bee proved and then let them minister if they bee sound worthie 2. Then follow 's Ordination it self which is don when then they are Consecrated and set apart and Autorized with imposition of hands and praier to preach the Word in the Name of Christ 1 Tim. 4.14 3. Then follow 's their Election or designation to their particular places and charges which is don partly by the voice of the people and partly by the wisdom of the Guides of the Church Thus are wee Qualified Called Admitted and Autorized to execute the sacred Function according to Scirpture-Rules and God hath Concl. 2 sealed to us the fruit of our Calling by the conversion of many thousand souls in Christ Jesus wee by the blessing and assistance of the holy Ghost have begotten you so that if wee bee not true Ministers of Christ to others yet surely wee are to the people of this Nation and to som wee hope of our present though uuthankful and Causless enemies Object Object But private men unordained may convert souls as the woman of Samaria informed her neighbors Rahab was converted by the Spies Aquila and priscilla helped Apollos c. Sol. I shall Answer this point more largely under my last conclusion for this present thus I doubt not but much good is don by the faithful reproofs counsels and instructions of private Christians women may save their husbands 1 Cor. 7.16 1 Pet. 3.1 Tit. 2.3 at least win them to a liking of Christianitie the Elder women must bee Teacher's of good things and so the Members of the Church do edifie one another But what is this Christ's Ordinarie way must this overthrow Christ's Order and Ordinance No by no means If any of you bee inwardly toucht with the zeal of God's glorie with a sens of the peoples ignorance and miserie let such beeing tried and found Orthodox and competently gifted bee Ordained Let them give themselvs to this work and wee will give them the right hand of fellowship without asking of what Vniversitie they were But beware how yee bring disorder and confusion into the Church and so overthrow the Ordinance of Christ upon serious consideration of our third Conclusion which now followeth Concl. 3 Having proved in the fomer Conclusions that the Work of the Ministerie
they intend 1. To answer the Papist I shall onely crave leav to insert among my plain pages a letter of that most godly learned man Dr Reinolds to a friend of his who craved his help to answer the challenge of som Papists touching the lawfulness of our Ministerie Your godly requst good Mr Barker I should bee somwhat better able to satisfie Dr Rainolds his Letter if I knew on what grounds these proud popish challengers do perswade themselvs that none of you can avow your vocation to the Ministerie to bee lawful But I guess they do it on the same that Hart in his conference with mee becaus the ancient Canons Ecclesiastical ascribed to the Apostles say Episcopus duobus aut tribus Episcopis ordinetur Presbyter autem ab uno Episcopo and they think none of us to bee ordained by a Bishop becaus in the beginning of her Majesties reign one popish Bishop of Q. Maries beeing then left none of our Bishops could bee ordained by two or three Now if they build hereupon as to mee it seemeth they do becaus I finde no other reason in b b Decler c. 3. Bellarmine c c Epitom Controv part 1. Con. 4. q. 2. Parsons or d d Harding Stapleton Greg de Valem the rest of this objection against us it may bee that as Hart when hee saw the answer that I made thereunto would needs have that whole point left out in our conference Conclus 2 saying hee would not press mee therewith so these men will renounce their promiss of subscribing to the profession of the Gospel and forsaking Poperie when they see you able to justifie your calling to the Ministerie For I went to the Archbishop of Canterburie his Register and taking thence a note how Bishop Freak who ordained mee consecratus est à Matthaeo Cant. Roberto Winton Edmundo Sarum and how each of these was consecrated by other three or four as Matthaeus Cant. by four that were Bishops in King Edwards time these again consecrated by Archbishop Cranmer whom three with the Pope's consent had consecrated and so brought every one upward to those times wherein the Church of Rome acknowledged them ordained lawfully I had no sooner shewed this extract to Mr Hart but hee confessed hee thought no such thing could bee shewed and that himself had been born in hand otherwise on the conceit above mentioned You who are further from London where the records are kept though your friend if need bee can help you thereunto may ask them if they think not Archbishop Cranmer and the rest in King Henrie's time to bee lawfully ordained Bishops which when they acknowledg becaus the Pope confirmed them you may offer this proof that our Bishops succeeding them in King Edwards time and so in Q. Elizabeths were consecrated by three of them or their succesfors out of the authentical Records of the Archbishoprick sâ—il that Matthew Parker the first Archbishop in Q. Elizabeths daies was thus by William Barlow Bishop of Bath and Wells in K. Edward's time John Scorie Bishop of Chichester Miles Coverdale of Exeter John Hodgeskir Suffragane of Bedford If they acknowledg that hee and all the rest in like sort were consecrated by a number of Bishops sufficient but these not confirmed by the Pope as the first in King Henrie's time were they must bring forth proof that without his consent no Bishop is lawfully ordained which soundly they never can If they say the Bishops since Cranmer's time were and are Hereticks and therefore are not lawfully autorized to ordain first here they will fail in proof too becaus Heresie is an error repugnant to the word of God and that wee hold any such they cannot shew then admitting the contrarie and putting the case wee did to avoid so huge debate of all points in controversie their own Principal Doctors a a In 4. sent dist 25. q. 1. Art 2. Con. 2. Dominicus Soto b b De sacram in genere l. 1. c. 26. Bellarmine c c Com. Theal Tom. 4 dist 9. q. 3. puncts 2. Greg. de Valentia do teach out of S. d d Lib. 2. c. 13. contr epistolam Parmén tract 9. in Evang. Joannis Jo. 9.33 Augustine grounding on the Scripture that Heretical Concl. 2 Bishops may lawfully Ordain and that it is an heresie such as the Dontatists was to denie it What other cavils or sophisms they are likely to use I cannot imagine but very willing to yield you any help that I can upon farther notice I commend you to the Grace of our good God beseeching him to direct and strengthen by his holy Spirit your self and the rest of your fellow Souldiers to fight his Battels At Oxford the third of June 1605. JOHN RAINOLDS IF any doubt of this Letter he may receiv satisfaction touching the Truth of it by som yet living in Corpus Christi Colledg from whom I had this Copie Object But though this stop the Jesuits mouth yet it strengthen's the other part of the Objection with whom wee have chiefly to deal Answ 2 Not at all 1 For though our Consecration and Succession were continued in the times of the Pop's reign yet it did not fetch its Original from the Pope the Gospel sounded out of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem even as far as Britain long enough before that Anti-christ of Rome was born Rom. 16.26 Col. 1.6 And though wee should not think the wors of the Gospel though received from Rome in her first pure state whom Paul celebrate's for a famous Church Rom. 1.6 8. Acts and Monoments l. 2. p. 1. c. Whites way to the Church § 49. Yet the light came to England first from Jerusalem and not from Rome as Mr Fox and Dr John White have learnedly demonstrated out of Gildas and sundrie other Autors who affirm that Britain received the Gospel in the time of Tiberius the Emperor under whom Christ was crucified and though there bee som little variance among Autors about the time yet that confirm's the Truth of the matter in which they all concur that England received the Gospel very early either by the preaching of som one of the Apostles or som of that time mostly received is that Joseph of Arimathea was sent by Philip from France to Britain about the year 63. and laid the first foundation of the Christian Faith which was confirmed and increased by others The same is confirmed by the Testimonie of Tertullian Adversus Jodaees c. 7. Et Britannorum inaccessa Romanis lâ—ca Christs verò suhdita in his Book against the Jews where reckoning the parts of the world whither the Gospel was dispersed by the sound of the Apostles reciteth the parts of Britain unsubdued by the Romane's sword yet subdued unto the Concl. 2 Scepter of Christ 2. Again the same Mr Fox relateth that about the year 180 King Lucius the first Christned King sent to Eleutherius the Bishop of Rome to