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
to ordaine by your own confession Is it no Ministeriall imployment Then may Lay-men conferre Orders But if you say so you contradict your selves in terminis for your own words are that l Ib. p. 2. It is manifest by the word of God that Ordination by PREACHING PRESBYTERS is an Ordinance of Christ But m Ib. No man ought to take upon him the office of a Minister untill he be Lawfully called and Ordained Ordination therefore belongs not to Lay-men but to Ministers only that 's evident 44. But Ordaining it seemes by you is one thing and authorizing another Ordination you yeeld to the Presbyters but authorizing you reserve to your selves And therein you deale evenly for you have as much power to authorize as they to Ordaine You give them power to Ordaine and they you power to Authorize but neither of these is the grant or ordinance of Christ This then being a Ministeriall act and these being before sufficiently authorized Ministers in all things how can it be that they must be authorized by you Lay-men before they may lawfully Ordaine But so you have ordained and so it must be Your Ordinance is your reason 45. You Authorize and they Ordaine First yee Authorize then they Ordaine and without your Authorizing they may not Ordaine least their Ordinations be dangerous if not invalid For Ordained it is by you that such and such Persons in your Ordinance set downe or any seven of them may Ordaine Presbyters for twelve Moneths and no longer Then your Ordinance and their delegated authority expire and others shall be set up and authorized for this great worke And so it shall be with you as in Tertullian's time it was with some of your Brethren * Tertul d◠Praescrip c. 41. Alius hodiè Episcopus eras alius A Bishop to day none to morrow others must step up while these sneake downe Ordainers to day none to morrow Ordinance-makers this day none the next Thus you put them in the same skale and condition with your selves 46. Presbyters so Ordained I take to be those who in the former Proposition are said to be Ordained by a Presbyter-Bishop joyned with other Presbyters being lawfully thereunto appointed and authorized But he is lawfully appointed and authorized that is appointed and authorized by the Supreme Legislator and according to the Law by him prescribed We must therefore to the Law of Christ to learne who is lawfully appointed and authorized to ordaine For n Heb. 5.4 as no man takes this honour of Priesthood to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was so no man takes the honour or power of Ordination to himselfe but he that is called of God to this Office as Aaron was For o Ib. v. 1. every High Priest taken from among men is Ordained for men in things pertaining to God By Ordination then which is Christs owne Institution and not from your or any humane Ordinance does the Priest or if you please Minister receive power in those things which pertaine to God Witnesse the Church of England which in her Articles confirmed by Parliament teacheth us that p Art 23. WE OUGHT to judge those LAWFULLY CALLED and sent who are chosen and called to this work by men WHO HAVE PUBLICK AUTHORITY GIVEN VNTO THEM in the Congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lords Vineyard And your owne words are that q Ord p. 12. in Ordination every Minister is set apart to fulfill this worke What have they to doe then with your authorizing 47. True it is by humane Lawes Bishops and Presbyters have freedome granted to discharge their Offices in such and such places without molestation or controule to gather their Tithes as also their Revenues and other profits setled upon them by the grace of Princes But this is not to be lawfully authorized with an intrinsecall but with an extrinsecall power that is to have free Liberty to exercise that ministeriall power which by Imposition of hands they had received before in severall Cures alotted to them And in what City or Towne they are not received to this freedome they are commanded to r ◠Mat. 10.14 shake off the dust of their feet against it But there followes an heavier doome in the next verse which God of his great goodnesse avert from those Cities and Parishes which have had an hand in the ruine or removall of their Bishops or Presbyters This seemed so impious an act to the Emperour Justinian that he enacted this Law ſ Iustinian l. 35. c. de Episc Cler. si quis audeat civitatem suo privare Episcopatu infamis redditur if any man dare deprive a City of her Bishopricke he becomes an infamous person O my great Masters in what state are they that rob whole Kingdomes of their Bishoprickes and have made a Covenant with Hell to extirpate the office 48. But by the way I cannot but take notice that he who hath been ordained according to our book of Ordination by a Bishop assisted with Presbyters is lawfully ordained For your owne wordes are that t Ord. p. 2. you hold his Ordination for substance valid and not to be disclaimed by any that have received it after this manner But I shall manifest that one or many Presbyters as Presbyters may not ordaine neither may Presbyters be authorized to ordaine 49. That one or many Presbyters quatenus as Presbyters may not Ordaine or conferre any Spirituall Order I prove first from your owne grant for you resolve that u Ib. It is manifest by the word of God that no man ought to take upon him the office of a Minister untill he be lawfully called and ordained thereunto unto that Office or Ministerie That must be the meaning and that 's most true and agreed upon by the whole Church of God For the lawfulnesse thereof we appeale to the Law of Christ 50. Three Orders of Ministers we find in the New Testament which are often mentioned by the most Ancient Fathers and have alwayes been continued in the Catholike Church first Apostles or Bishops strictly so called secondly Presbyters and thirdly Deacons Confessed it is on all hands that a Deacon may neither consecrate the Lords Supper nor absolve much lesse ordaine one to performe those offices The reason is because it belongs not to his Office or Ministery And I presume it will prove to be as firme a truth that a Presbyter may not Ordaine because it belongs not to his Office or Ministerie For though a Presbyter by his Ordere receive power to Consecrate the Eucharist and absolve a Penitent he receives no power to ordaine Being then not lawfully called and ordained thereunto he ought not to take upon him this Office by your owne confession 51 My issue is this They onely have power to Ordaine who have this power given them by Christ and the word of Christ But to the Apostles onely or Bishops strictly so called is this power given by
Christ and his word Therefore Apostles onely or Bishops strictly so called have power to ordaine The Major is firme and agreed upon The Minor onely is doubted of I shall addresse my selfe therefore to justifie the Minor 52. That the power of Ordination is neither given to nor executed by any meere creature in the New Testament but onely to and by Apostles or Bishops strictly so called who are of the same Order with Apostles is evident by our Saviour's Commission immediatly issuing from himselfe and explained by Saint Paul 53. Our Saviour's Commission to his Apostles was this * S. Mat. 10.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A gift yee have received give this gift so the Greekes but we freely yee have received freely give what yee have received That is saith Gennadius Patriarch of Constantinople x Apud Balsam p. 1085. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of me you have received this dignity of Priesthood freely yee have received it freely give it Neither is this the sence of Gennadius alone but of 73 Bishops more that concurre with him in this Exposition If these be not enough I can tell you of y Ambros de dignit Sacerd. c. 5. Saint Ambrose z Hieron in Mat. 10.8 Saint Hierome and others that concurre with him in the same opinion 54. This Commission was given to the Apostles them onely he called v. 1. and those onely at that time he sent with that Commission v. 5. But given it was not to the Seventie and hence it is that not onely their number but their names also are precisely set downe v. 2 3 4. that so there might be no mistake at all in the Commission And as it was given to the Apostles onely so was it executed by them and others of their ranke but not by the Seventie not by the Disciples or Presbyters This is evident by Scripture and Church-historie By Scripture St Paul and St Barnabas were Apostles and they Ordaine Presbyters in every Church Act. 14.23 And Saint Paul ordaines Timothy 2. Tim. 1.6 By Church-historie a Hieron Catal c. 4. The Apostles ordained S. James Bishop of Hierusalem b Theodoret Dial. 1. S. Peter ordained Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and c Euseb hist l. 3. c. 17. S. John ordained many Bishops in Asia I make bold with Church History because you allow thereof and ordaine d Ord. p 6. that they who are desirous of Orders shall have triall made of their skill in Ecclesiasticall History 55. Titus and Timothy were Apostles also if we give credit to e Ignat. ad Ephes p. 226. Ignatius and f Theodoret. in 1. Tim. 3.1 Theodoret to them the same power of Order is committed which was to those g 2. Cor. 11. ◠chiefe Apostles To Titus h Tit. 1.5 For this cause left I thee at Creet that THOU SHOULD'ST ORDAINE PRESBYTERS or Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I have appointed thee not as it shall please an Ordinance of Lay-men to appoint thee The same power is acknowledged to be in Timothy 1. Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddenly on no man And in Epaphroditus by a good friend of yours who ingenuously confesseth that i Ad Philippenses Epaphreditū miserat ad Ecclesiam eorum consirmādam constituendos in eâ Presbyteros Episcopos Walo Messal p. 58. Saint Paul sent Epaphroditus to the Philippians to Ordaine Presbyters in that Church 56. Can you shew in Scripture or Ecclesiasticall Historie that the power of Ordination was given to or acknowledged to be in one or many Presbyters Can you prove that ever this power was exercised by one or many Presbyters and not censured for a nullity not disclaimed as never done 57. I question not but you will presently turne me to your old and often answered Argument 1. Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecye with the LAYING ON OF THE HANDS OF THE PRESBYTERY Therefore Timothy was ordained by Presbyters and if Timothy then may others also This is the Crambe the old burre with which you hope at length to choke us 58. First I cannot but acknowledge that Timothies Ordination was orderly and legall Secondly I yeeld readily that others may be ordained legally and commendably as he was But withall I must tell you that Timothy was ordained either by S. Paul alone or by S. Paul with other of the Presbytery That he was ordained by S. Paul alone is the opinion of your great Master Calvin and he hath Scripture to justifie it Calvin's resolution is plaine and full k Calvin Instat l. 4. 〈◊〉 §. 16. Paulus ipse SE NON ALIOS COMPLVRES Timotheo manus imposnisse commemorat Saint Paul himselfe acquaints us that HIMSELFE NOT ANY MORE or other with him layed hands upon Timothy Exclusively himselfe not any other marke that 59. The text which confirmes this is cited by Calvin in the same place and this it is l 2. Tim. ◠6 Stirre up the gift of God which is in thee by the PUTTING ON OF MY HANDS Evident it is that this was done by Saint Paul The truth is m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat ad Philadelph 〈◊〉 14. the Apostles in those dayes were called the Presbytery Witnesse Ignatius n Hieron Catal. ◠27 who lived in those times and your present friend Walo Messalinus in these words o Walo Messal p. 21. Apostoli Presbyterium Hierosolymitanae Ecclesiae constituunt the Apostles were in those times the Presbytery of the Church at Hierusalem And what the Apostles were then and there they were also in other Churches where they came no question to be made of that And what power was in all the Apostles together in respect of any Ministeriall duty was in every one of them in particular and by himselfe Otherwise how could every single Apostle when their Colledge was dissolved and they dispersed into severall Countries for the worke of the Gospell performe his Office validly and effectually 60. But suppose the most that can be supposed either you must give S. Paul the lye or else you must confesse that Saint Paul was one of those that ordained Timothy So then to keep close to this president an Apostle or one of the same Order with an Apostle must have a chiefe hand in Ordination This serves to justifie the course of our Church but it condemnes your new Ordinance which authorizeth Presbyters alone without a Bishop or Apostle to ordaine 61. Timothy was ordained by an Apostle though perchance not by an Apostle alone and as Timothy so were all other ordained by Apostles or by such as were of the same Order with the Apostles and succeeded them in their Office p Hieron cont Montani insan Ep. 54. Et apud nos Apostolorum locum tenent Episcopi in S. Hieromes time the Bishops held the Apostles roome and so they doe at this day In his time Bishops onely had the power of Ordination but not
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 Å¿ Walo Messal p. 288. in St Hieromes time a Bishop was distinguished from a Presbyter jure ordinandâ—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 aâ—iuÌ„ 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
concerning his perswasion of the truth of the reformed Religion which few men know where to finde Where may we see the Articles of your Religion or the rule you will be tryed by Is the Reformed Religion contained in out 39 Articles In the Apostles Nicene or Athanasius Creed None of these are in your new Directory It may be it is in the Harmony of Confessions I would to God you would tell us which it is Be it what it will it is according to the Scriptures Is this enough Will not the Brownist and the Anabaptist the Papist and the Antitrinitarian yea and the Socinian say as much And some of these will put the best of your Elders shroadly to it to prove the contrary 85. But why have we not a Directory for faith as well as for Prayers That so we may know what your new reformed faith is I think as your Prayers are unformed so your faith is unfound it is yet to be agreed on A wonder it is you are so long in voting it But your wisedomes know that it is impossible to vote a Religion which might please all the adherents to this Rebellion As therefore ye leave every man at liberty to the spirit of prayer so have ye left every man free to choose his Religion so it be not destructive to your Platformes This you esteem to be that liberty of Conscience which stints not the Spirit and is the only curbe to Popery 86. But you have a great care of e He is to be demanded of his Zeale and Faithfulnesse in maintaining the Vnity of the Church against Errour and Schisme Ib. the Churches unity against Error and Schisme he is therefore to be examined concerning his Zeale and Faithfulnesse in the maintenance of this unity But have we not read of some whose Faith is said to be Faction whose Religion Rebellion f Tertul. de Praescrip c. 42. whose Vnity Schisme But how shall they maintaine Vnity that have dissolved the bonds of charity Thaâ— have raised such and so many Schismes as the Church hath hardly been acquainted with from her foundation That have hatched and clucked up so many Errors and Heresies that men and Angells stand amazed at And yet a pretence of Vnity and a pretence of Reformation may work much upon the weake People as many other pretences have Good Lord how like the Devill we affect to be to make show to be what we are least and to endeavour that we seek to overthrow The rest of your Interrogatories are borrowed from our Book of Ordination and from our Canons as every thing else is that is good in this Directorie 87. In the Ordination I observe that you call the Ministery g Ord. p 11. a great worke an h 〈◊〉 12. holy Service and suddenly after he is to be exhorted to i Ib consider the greatnesse of his Office I am glad you have so good an opinion of the calling If then it be such a worke such an Office as yee speake of why have you thrust such illiterate meane Persons into our Cures as Blacke-Smiths Taylors Felt-makers and the like with unwashed hands to meddle with this holy Service Are these men fit to undertake so great a worke Is it probable that such as these should k Ib. both save themselves and the People by you committed to their Charge It is rather to be feared that as l Levit. 10.1 Num. 3. â— with Nadab and Abihu they offer strange fire so with them they will perish in this fire and draw the people into the same destruction 88. Well he is m 〈◊〉 p. 32. set apart by Imposition of hands that ancient Ceremonie of Ordination to fulfill the worke of his Ministery in all things What Ministery is this Here is none named in particular And yet there are more Orders of Ministers then one witnesse your servant Smectymnuus who n Smect Ans p. 63. acknowledgeth Presbyters and Deacons to be of two distinct Orders But the Church of England agreeably to the whole Church of God for 1500 yeares together tells us that o Preface to the Book of Ordination from the Apostles times there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christs Church BISHOPS PRIESTS and DEACONS 89. His Ministery Hath it no speciall or particular name to be knowne by Alas Ministery and Minister are words of a large extent generall names that reach to all Orders and perchance further Minister is the Genus which hath these species under it Bishop Priest and Deacon and each of these is a Minister But before we can tell which of these is meant there must be added a specificall difference as there must be to a Creature before we can conceive what manner of Creature or of living Creature is intended What though In all things be added yet all these things will reach no further then to those things which are within the compasse or power of that his Ministery to which he is ordained And so for all this we are to seek to what Ministery he is set apart Whereas in our Book of Ordination in the Pontificals and Enchologe every person in his Ordination is by name assigned to his particular Order 90. Indeed I must confesse your Minister is expressed to be a Presbyter before Ordination pag 4. as also after Ordination pag. 15. but at Ordination Minister As if Presbyter and Minister were convertible termes names of the selfe same signification True it is that every Presbyter is a Minister but every Minister is not a Presbyter no more then every living Creature is a man though every man be a living Creature I should rather conceive a Minister to be a Deacon then a Presbyter in our language because we usually translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministery and Minister 2. Cor. 13.23 2. Tim. 4.5 c. But you must enjoy your owne words and your owne meaning though they be contrary to the sence and custome of the Church 91. Order also is taken that p Ord p. 12. one of the Ordainers exhort and charge the People in the name of God willingly to receive and acknowledge him as the Minister of Christ and to maintaine encourage and assist him in all the parts of his Office No question to be made of their willingnesse to receive and acknowledge a new Minister Novelties are pleasing and the People q 2. Tim 4.3 having itching cares will heap to themselves Teachers after their owne lusts and fancies But when it comes to maintenance yee shall find that an Exhortation or Charge will not serve the turne For though r Jer. 5.31 their Prophets prophecy falsely and the People love to have it so yet experience hath taught you that maintenance comes hardly from them till your Orders and Ordinances constraine them to pay You have been therefore and will be enforced to take a more strict course for the maintenance of your Ministers 92. But when it comes to assistance they will be forward enough for your Ordinance is that Å¿ Ord. p. 12. the People be charged to assist the Minister in all the parts of his Office What Are all Presbyters Are all Ministers Are all Teachers t Haereticorum qui â—am Larcâ— sacerdotalia munera injungunt Tertul. de Praescrip c. 41. By your Ordinance not only some but all the People are turned Prophets The People must assist the Minister in Baptizing in Preaching in administring the Lords Supper for all these belong to his Office If this be not your meaning you should have done well to have expressed your selves in plainer termes that we might understand your meaning For this is certaine that no man can assist a Presbyter in all the parts of his Office that is not of the same Office For though a Deacon may assist the Presbyter in the administration he cannot assist him in the Consecration of the Lords Supper And your selves will say that a Deacon may not assist him in Imposition of hands How then may the People assist him in all the parts of his Office Surely either the meaning or the expression is not good that 's plaine 93. I have done with your Directorie I have discharged my Conscience and I would to God I could u Ord. p. 12. dismisse you with a Blessing With a Prayer I may beseeching God so abundantly to blesse you with his grace that you may see your foule Impieties and Repent and in time while it is called to day discharge your Consciences knowing assuredly that you must appeare and give a strict account for all your Ordinances and Actions before the impartiall Barre of that unerring Iudge Christ Jesus And x Heb. 10.31 a dreadfull thing it is to fall into the Hands of the Everliving God Then an Ordinance of Parliament or the Protection of both Houses shall stand you and your Divine Assembly in small stead In that day your Ordinances and Actions and Intentions shall be throughly sifted and layed open before your faces Then y S. Ioh. 5.29 they that have done good shall goe into the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evill into the Resurrection of Damnation God give every one of us grace to lay this to heart that so we may avoyd the wrath to come AMEN FINIS