on seven hills the Conclusion is That she is the great Citie which raigneth over the Kings of the Earth In this Chapter Saint Iohn proceeds in the same ter and tells how he saw first a mighty Angel descending from Heaven and proclaiming the fall of this Babylon Verse 2. 3. and towards the end of the Chapter to confirm the matter wih a sign another mighty Angel takes up a Milstone and throwes it into the Sea with this word with like violence Babylon shall be thrown and no more be found In the middest between the Voyces of these two Angels is inserted a long Speech uttered also by a Voyce from Heaven begining at this fourth Verse which I have now read and extending to the twenty ninth partly admonishing Gods People to come out of this Babylon in time partly describing her pride and security going before her destruction partly bringing in as it were the Funeral Song that is sung for her by her followers and Lovers partly exhorting Heaven with those that dwell therein to rejoyce at her ruine This is the Order now for the meaning of the words that shall appeare best by resolving three Questions 1. Whos 's this Voyce is 2. To whom it speaks And 3. What We need not be long to seek Who it is that speaks For both those that speak before and after are expresly called Angels and he that now speaks lacks that Addition and the interest that he challengeth in those that are spoken to calling them My People sheweth plainly to use the words of our blessed Authour in his speech to Peter at the Sea of Tiberias It is the Lord. And albeit those relations between the Lord and his People are often mentioned in Scripture without any restraint to any one person in the blessed Trinity yet because he that here speaks telleth of the Lord Gods judgeing the great Citie Verse the 8. As of another and third person Strong is the Lord God that judgeth her And again Verse 20. Speaking to the Prophets and Apostles saith God hath avenged you on her It is evident that he who hear speakes is the Mediatour Our Lord Jesus Christ who carries his people not in his minde onely but in the Explication of his name Matthew 1. 21. He shall save his People from their sinnes Whereto it fitly agrees that this Voyce is uttered From Heaven where our Lord Jesus is at the right hand of God We see the speaker now who are spoken unto Christs People There is no doubt but in some Sense all the World are Christs People His Inberitance his Possession And so much is often expresâ—y expressed But yet the Scripture in many places intimateth that this phrase restraineth from the World to some particular and choice people namely Israel The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a speciall people unto himselfe above all People that are upon the face of the Earth So Chapter 10. The Lords portion is his People Jacob the lot of his Inheritance Ye shall be my peculiar Treasure above all People though all the Earth be mine Hence it is that these two My people and Israel are used indifferently in the same Sentence as Psalm 57 Heare O my people O Israel and so in many other places yet even amongst these there is some time a difference put for all that are of Israel are not counted Gods People to some of them it is said Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodome give ear ye People of Gomorah And for an upbraiding of their continual rebellions against the Lord the Prophet Hosea is bidden to name one of his sons Lo-mmi ye are not my people and when to all other their Rebellions they rejected yea crucified the Lord of Glory the Lord also rejected them and as he threatned by his Prophet called his servants by another name Christians Even these also are in a different manner socalled sometimes all that are within the Covenant of Grace and the Sacraments thereof are called Christs People sometimes those that he hath foreknown and that are within the grace of the Covenant God hath not cast away his People whom he foreknew according to that I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts I will be their God and they shall be my People And these are those here most properly spoken unto as appears because the Motives here used the fear of partaking in sinne and punishment most properly work upon these besides these being oppressed holden in Captivity by the mystical Babylon here spoken of are in the 6. Verse Exhorted to cry her quittance in the same words almost which the ancient Church of Israel useth concerning the old Babel O Daughter of Babylon which art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us The third and last Point to be cleared remains what the people of God are commanded to doe goe out of her saith our Lord Iesus Christ That is doubtlesse out of Babylon before proclaimed to be fallen that is after the Prophetical phrase certainly to fall Babel is fallen is fallen whence this form is borrowed That Babel was a City in Chaldea standing by the River Euphrates where by the occasion of the presumptious Tower the Languages of Mankinde were confounded Genesis 11. 10. The first seate of Nymrods Tyranny Chapter 10. 10. Nebuchadnezer the King thereof carried thither Captive Iehoiakim and with him Daniel and his companions together with the vessels of the House of God about some twelve years after Zedekiah also was carried away Captive to the same place Ierusalem burnt the Temple desolated and the whole people in a manner carried out of their own land to the same place of Babel where they continued seventy years unto the overthrow of the Babylonian Monarchy by Cyrus The Prophets Isay and Jeremiah foretel the ruine of this Babel and delivering of Gods People from her Tyranny whom they exhort upon her fall to returne into their own land Hence is this forme taken and this whole Chapter is compiled of little else but the phrases of the Prophets touching Babel and Tyrus as the diligent reader by comparing the concording places may easily perceive This Exhortation to leave Babylon is Depart ye Depart ye goe out from thence remove out of the middest of Babylon and goe forth out of the land of the Chaldeans flee out of the middest of Babylon and deliver every man his Soul be not cut off in her iniquitie for sake her and let us goe every one into his own Countrey Vers. 45. My people goe ye out of the middest of her and deliver ye every man his Soul from the fierce anger of the Lord which as you see are almost the very words of this Text so that which followes here in the seaventh Verse I sit as a Queen and am no VVidow and shall see no
for his pleasure sake And because they would not submit to her Obedience I think it will very evidently appeare that they are imcomparably more then all those that suffered Martyrdome for the Christian Religion under Heathen Romes persecution To omit those whom as an Imperious Harlot she hath caused to be killed for calling her name in question Thus you see the Description of Babylon doth no lesse agree to the present then the old Heathen Rome the great City her command over the Kings of the Earth Her inchanting Cup Her wantonness and delicacy Her arrogancy and pride Lastly that bloudy and bloud thirsty Cruelty against the worshippers of Christ exercised by her and which I desire you to observe by her alone for in no other part of the Christian world you shall find it To conclude then since neither Heathen Rome onely as she was heathen as Bellarmine would have it can be Babylon nor partly Heathen and partly Antichristan as revolted from the Pope with a gap of a thousand years between as Viegas divineth And the Character that the Holy Ghost sets upon Babylon doth no lesse but rather more agree to the present Pontifical Rome then to the old Imperial It is the falsely termed Christian indeed the Antichristian Rome which is the Babylon out of which Gods People are called And how they are to go out of her it rests to be considered Bellarmine cites Saint Augustine to prove that it is Corde non Corpore not in place but affection But the Temple of Gods people departing from Babel would seemto imply both And the rather because this great City is spiritually called Sodoâ— and Egypt now such was the departure of Lott out of Sodome and Israel out of Egypt It is true that by Cyrus his Edict Gods people were permitted to return into their own Countrey to the place where the Lords worship was then fixed Now there is no such place specially appointed as our Lord Iesus Christ shews in his speech with the woman of Sâ—maria But certainly if any of Gods people cannot by separation in judgement and affection so live as not to be partakers of the sins of Babylon they are to go out bodily also and in no wise to touch any unclean thing Gods people are warned to do even by the consideration of the Holy vessels of the Lord which they carried with them out of Babylon The reason which confirms this charge of going out of Babylon is drawn from the danger of participation in her sins and in her Plagues that is blowes stripes punishments which are not onely those mentioned in the 8 Verse Death Mourning Famine Fire but as in the 14. Chapter where the same Proclamation is made of her fall which is here the drinking of the hot and unalaid wine of Gods vengeance and to be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and the Lamb and the smoak of their torments shall ascend for ever and ever We have thus descussed the meaning of this Scripture which being all laid together is this Saint Iohn hears our Lord Iesus Christ admonishing from Heaven his faithful people to come out of the obedience of Romish Popish Babylon least partaking with her in her sins they receive also of her stripes and punishments both Temporall and Eternal Here concerning the person of the speaker mentioned in this first place and that circumstance that he speaks from Heaven I will for the present say no more but desire onely that it may renew the religious attention of all that each would say with himselfe I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints that they turn not to folly That every one would remember the words of the Apostle see that ye despise not him that speaketh for if you escaped not when ye refused him that speaketh one Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven But these points shall be more profitably pressed when we shall have considered the speech it self Wherein observe first he call â—is people to come out of Babylon a plain Argument that there are many not onely good Moral and Civil honest men there but good Câ—ristians not redeemed onely but in the possession of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which may be confirmed by these reasons First there is amongst these that are under the tyranny of the Romish Babylon the Sacrament of entrance into the Covenant of Grace Baptisme by which those that are partakers thereof are made Members of Christ â—he children of God and heirs of Eternal lifâ— of these that have but this Seal of Gods Covenant viz. infants are no small and contemptible part of Gods People though as yet they cannot hear this Voyce of Christ calling out of Babylon besides this there is publication of the tenure of the Covenant of Grace to such as are of years though not so openly and purely as it might and ought yet so as the grounds of the Catechisme are preached sin is shewed Christs redemption or the story of it is known Faith in him is called for and this Faith is by the Grace of God wrought in some For the Word of God and his Calling is not fruitless but like the rain returneth not in vain and where true Faith is Men are translated from death to life he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life Some men perhaps may object the Faith which they describe and call by this name of Catholick Faith Is none other but such as the Divels may have I answer Religion is not Logick He that cannot give a true definition of the soul is not for that without a soul so he that defines not Faith truely yet may have true Faith learned Divines are not all of accord touching the definition of it But if as by the whole stream of the Scripture it should seem to be a trust and cleaving unto God this Faith many there have the Love of our Lord Iesus Christ is wrought in many there now he that loveth Christ is loved of him and of the Father also and because the proof of true love to Christ is the keeping of his sayings their are good works and according to the measure of knowledge great conscience of obedience Yea will some man say But that which marreth all is the Opinion of merit and satisfaction Indeed that is the School Doctrine but the Conscience enlightned to know it self will easily act that part of the Publican who smote his breast and said God be merciful to me a sinner I remember a good advice of one of that side let others saith he that have commiâ—ted few siâ—nes and done maâ—y good workes satisfie for their sins But whatsoever thou dâ—st refer it to the Honour of God so as whatsoever good come from thee thou resolve to doe it to please God accounting thy works too
the Lord sanctify themselves Chap. 24. 5. called young men of the Children of Israel sent of Moses who offered the burnt offerings and sacrifice unto the Lord and this is usually interpreted to be the First-borne and that of the principall of the families instead of which the Levites were afterward taken see Numb 3. 12. And what a setled Priesthood there was in Moses and Solomons time to the Captivity and after it upon their return who knows not see Mal. 2. A speech to the Priests and for that five hundred-yeer gap betwixt the Old Testament and the New when the Prophets ceased yet a Priesthood continued that the service of God then was not to put to the charity of Passengers as beggars are by the high way but some were appropriated to it Ieroboam that forsook the Temple yet retained a Priesthood though of his own corrupt appointment Obâ—ect That of the Law was a Priesthood but we speak of a Ministery Resp. 1. We stand not upon words or Titles neither doth the Apostle for as 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9. he calls the Priests of the Law Ministers and their office a Ministration so he implies that the Ministers of the Gospel might have that Title of Priests 1 Cor. 9. 13. by taking his Argument for their maintenance from the Priests Altar and Temple as they that serve at the Altar partake of the Altar even so hath God ordained that those that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel and the name hath only grown ignominious by the Church of Rome's retaining it whom if by way of distinction they had been called by us sacrificers as Bishop Downham observes there had been no offence in it All that read the Fathers know it is the term used by them whose Tractates of the Ministery are intituled De Sacerdotio And the Apostle makes it only a change of the Priesthood Hebr. 7. 12. not a nulling of it upon which change of a ministration none presumed of themselves to officiate without an Ordination Iohn Baptist who was the preparative voice of the Gospel was ordained to it and his disciples were set apart by him our Saviour did the like in ordaining first Twelve for preaching and baptizing and then 72 after them when one of the twelve was lost no other stepped into his place without a solemne choice of him Paul and Barnabas Acts 14. 23. wheresoever they came and converted any nation were carefull of ordaining Successors Saint Paul as his last gives that charge to Timothy and Titus after him and in all Ages of the Church from the Primitive times both in the Greek and Latine Church it hath been observed to this day successively So that for such as would have no such office of a Ministery by ordination but all men left to themselves to officiate at their pleasure we may say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 16. We have had no such custome neither the Churches of God or as Eliphaz to Iob cap. 5. 1. call now if there be any will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn where is there any such President in all the reformed Churches The Israelites would have a King as all other nations These are upon the contrary singularity 'T is true the New Ierusalem Revel 21. 22. meant heaven is found without a Temple and a Priest because Christ shall then give up his kingdome to his Father 1 Cor. 15. i. e. the manner of this present government by the Scepter of his word and Seale of Sacraments and then God shall be all in all but till then a setled Ministery must be continued Secondly if no successive ordained Ministery why doth Saint Paul spend so much time in exhorting to a future provision for them 1 Cor. 9. Gal. 6. 6. 1 Tim. 5. 17. can we think it was only for himself and such then living who expected Martyrdome weekly why such large directions for the qualification of such as were to be ordained by his Successors in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus surely it was written for our instruction now Thirdly consider what conclusion must be the issue of the contrary our Saviour pitied the people when they were like Sheep without a Shepherd That which is every mans work is no bodies As in reason the office of the Ministery must be weakly and negligently done when no persons are appointed to make it their study and sabour fo when gaps are thus opened for any person may not Iesuits and such lik Agents creep in under other forms and privily bring in damnable heresies to the seducing of the hearers I am loth to imagine that this should be at the bottome of this assertion that so with the more specious pretext they might take away the maintenance as indeed one must follow the other for if there be no need of a setled ordained Ministery what use of a setled meanes alotted for it If any shall stumble at that speech often in the mouthes of some Isa. 54. 13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord he may be satisfied by this double Answer 1. It was fulfilled in that time of our Lord and Saviour teaching them immediately by himself which he expounds accordingly Iohn 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets they shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath learned of the Father cometh unto me c. 2. The Lord is said to teach when he doth it by a Ministery sent by him according to that of Ierem. 3. 15. I will give you Pastors after my own heart that shall feed you with knowledge and understanding c. fulfilled under the Gospel And we grant that though the proposal of the doctrine is by the Minister yet the illumination of the mind and the rectifying of the heart through it is from God Object If that of Saint Peter 1 Eph. 4. 10. he objected As every man hath received the gift so let him minister the same as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God Answ. I conceive it is not meant the gift of preaching but of Almes The words immediately before are these Vse hospitality one to another without grudging there is the manner and then in these words As every one hath received the gift so let him minister is implyed the measure of it agreeing with that of Saint Pauls injunction 1 Cor. 16. 2. Let every one lay by him to that end as God had prospered him c. That these temporal things are the gift of God the fourth Petition of the Lords Prayer shewes sufficiently And that collections of these and giving them to the poor is called a ministring to the Saints See 2 Cor. 8. 4. cap. 9. 1. and stiled grace cap. 8. 19. and what other sense can there be of that cap. 9. 8. God is able to make all grace abound but of temporall blessings as the next words shew to multiply your seed sowen and minister bread for your food V. 10. and they may be called the
manifold grace or gift of God by the divers sorts of them to be administred food clothing relieving of the sick c. according as they are distinctly remembred at the last day Matth. 25. And are not all bountiful charitable persons the Lords Stewards in dispensing these things to those of his houshold of Faith so that upon these considerations the place appears to to be farre off from any application of it to Preaching Indeed the next verse may be so meant If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God c. but yet to be understood with this limitation viz. of a man ordained and constituted as we have said for that end In a word to allow all sorts of men to be preachers is to make the whole body an eye a tongue c. and if so as the Apostle saith where is the hearing are all teachers are all interpreters 't is an argument from the absurdity as if ye would expect the foot to see the hand to speak In Saint Pauls dayes it was said Who is sufficient for these things and shall all persons think themselves so now Saint Paul bids Timothy give himself wholly to it i. e. to meditation study reading and not to intangle himself with the things of this world which might take him off and may they now meet in tradesmen and manufactures and the office be performed without either Is there not a distinction made between the Church of Ephesus and the elders of it Acts 20. between the Church and the Angel of it Revel 2. which if it be not meant of one person the Bishop as Ignatius stiles him so about twelve years after which was the judgement of the Primate yet must at least be collectively meant of the Bishop the Ministery of it Is there not a distinction between the Saints of Philippi the Bishops Deacons are there not some said to be over the Thessalonians in the Lord and preaching admonishing called in special their work as appropriated to them for which he chargeth them to know them to esteem highly of them as the like in his last charge to the Church of the Hebrews cap. ult 7. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you in the Lord and that watch for your soules as they that must give an accompt and if that were the speciall office of the ministery then to have curam animarum why not now or where doth it appear the term is expired I conclude this point with an observation of the several steps of our declinings or defections of later yeares First we were offended at some titles of the Ministery then at the office it selfe First at such a Ministery so ordained then at the ordaining of any Ministery at all First the solemn Assemblies in publick were forsaken and a retreat made into corners then the Preachers themselves slighted called by Solomon the Masters of Assemblies First a ceremony in baptizing of Infants scrupled at then the Baptisme of Infants themselves nay the Sacrament of Baptisme by water called into question also First the Communion forborne out of offence to some gesture now the Sacrament it selfe neglected and contemned as if we may now live above and without Ordinances without any ordained Ministry to administer each as indeed the one must follow the other This is the train laid to blow us up what Iacob said after Ioseph was lost and Benjamin must go too All these things are against me may be our application for the Church If any thirty years agone should have foretold that this Garden of God should have brought forth these weeds that such Tenents should have so prevailed among us he would have been by the most religious persons of that age taken for one that dreamed and they ready to have answered for their Mother-Church as Hazael did for himself when the Prophet told him what evill he should be the Authour of Let us be of moderate spirits and not run beyond the bounds of any president in the Primitive times walk not in wayes not cast up Jerem. 6. 16. enquire for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein be not like those in the next words that said we will not walk in them but in new ones according to your own fancies Let the Tribe of Levi be purged but let not the physick be so strong as to destroy them Saint Paul magnified his own office this is but to support it from being trodden under feet and the end is your good that in these distracted times ye might not be without leaders so ordained and fitted to guide your feet in the way of peace and so much for the first A necessity of an ordained Ministery Now the second observation is that Ordination is not onely an internal Call of God but an external of man for so 't is denominated by that very act laying on of hands i. e. implying the hand of God is not all in the holy frame of the heart of the person by his spirit requisite in every true believer but there must be the hands of men in the designation of him in his name also The first was wont to be asked the person ordained viz. Whether in his heart or conscience he found himself truly called to the Ministry according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ. This perswasion of his gave a capacity but the authority actually conferred on him was by the imposition of hands Ability and faithfulnesse were the qualifications but the commission to officiate was transferred to Timothy 2 Eph. 2. 2. by that means Ye know those two memento's of Saint Paul to him Neglect not the gift 1 Tim. 4. 14. Stirre up the gift of God which is in thee 2 Tim. 1. 16. by the laying on of my hands and of the hands of the Presbytery if it should be asked What is here meant by the gift I conceive there is no necessity of understanding it either of gifts of ability or saving gifts of the Spirit for as the former doubtlesse were found in Timothy before his ordination and the latter from his childhood education 2 Epist. cap. 3. 15. cap. 1. 5. so 't is a doubt if it were in the power of Timothy to transferre either of those by this means they being to be left to Christ himself who enlightens every man that cometh into the world and to that holy Spirit who blowes when and where it listeth but the surest sence is to take it for the authority given him for the officiating and exercising these abilities and transferring of it unto others And in this sence I grant gifted men may preach and perform other ministerial acts i. e. who with the internall have received this externall power and authority also according to Christs ordinance through imposition of hands Indeed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often taken for internall abilities and 't is not improbable but at the solemn meeting of the Church
ensuing which could not make served onely to declare men innocent p. 108. When any of ours ascribeth the work of remission to God and interprets the Priests sentence to be but a solemn declaration of that which God himselfe hath already performed they i. e. the Church of Rome scorne it And so after much to this purpofe he thus concludes p. 113. Let it suffice to have shewen how God alone doth truly give and private Ministerial absolution but declare remission of sinnes And thus I leave Mr. Hooker under Doctor Heylen ' s Censure who hath already concluded that forgivenesse of sins by the Priest onely declarativè doth not come up to the doctrine of the Church of England Though the reason he gives because it holds the Priest doth forgive sins authoritativè I do not see the force of The former supposing the latter for the Officer whose place it is solemnly to make Proclamation of the Kings pardon doth it authoritativè nay dares not do it unlesse he were authorized accordingly And so much for the Primates judgement of those words of Ordination Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou forgivest are forgiven whose sins thou retainest are retained The PRIMATES judgment of the Vse of a set Form of Prayer heretofore declared and now more fully enlarged and confirmed with the concurrence of the Votes of such eminent persons who are so esteemed by the contrary-minded THis Subject hath been so sufficiently discussed and determined by others that no new thing can be expected from me onely you have here the Iudgement and Approbation of this eminent Primate which being of so great esteem with all good men 't is possible now upon near an even scale of mens opinions in it his may be of that weight as to give satisfaction First that the Vse of a set Form of Prayer is not a setting up of any new doctrine as the Athenians judged of Saint Paul appeares in that 't is the practise of the Belgick Churches for which ye have the determination of the Divines of Leyden Polyander Rivetus Wala'us Thysius in their Synopsis Theologiae And the resolution of Mr. Aimes our countryman who lived and died a Professor of Divinity among them in his cases of conscience who saith 't is lawfull from the approved practice of the Saints in the Psalmes and other Formes of blessing in the Scripture nay profitable and necessary for some though it be read out of a book Then for the judgement and practice accordingly of the Reformed Church of France Ludovicus Capellus gives us a sufficient account of who is Professor of Divinity in the University of Somer in one of his Theses lately published de Liturgiae formulis conceptis or a set form of a Liturgie where after hee hath answered all the pretended arguments against it which it seemes he had gleaned up out of some of our English Writers of late he concludes that 't is very necessary both for the most learned Pastors and congregations as unlearned and the edification of both being used throughout the Christian world in all ages at least for these 1300 years and is still at this day in all places excepting only as he saith some of late with us in England whose censure of them ◠is so severe that it would be offensive in me to repeat it And surely the general custome and practice of the reformed Churches which Saint Paul urgeth 1 Cor. 11. 16. cap. 14. 33. cannot be contemned by any sober Christian unto which may be added the judgement of diverse pious and eminent men of onr own nation and so esteemed by such as have asserted the contrary whose judgements being too large to be inserted here I shall deferre them till the last who do very fully concurre with the Primate in it Calvin was a wise and learned man now as Beza tells us it was his constant practice to use a set form of Praier before Sermon without alteration So was it his advice in his Epistle to the Protector of England in Edward the sixth's time which hath bin mentioned elsewhere for the establishing of a set form of a Liturgy here from which it might not be lawfull for pastors to depart both for the good of the more ignorant preventing of an affected novelty in others and the declaring of an unanimous consent in all the Churches For which practice and advice he had sufficient warrant from the President of the Ancient Fathers in the Primitive times which might be here also produced And doubtlesse the councell of Eliphaz is is good Iob 8. Enquire I pray thee of the former ages and prepare thy selfe for the search of their Fathers for we are but of yesterday and know nothing shall not they teach thee c. as that of the Prophet Ieremiah cap. 6. 19. aske for the old way and walk therein which may well rebuke the presumption of some who are so led by their own fancies that the Ancient Fathers are of no exemplary esteem with them Onely I may safely reprepresent this to the consideration of any ingenuous person that if it were the practice of the Church of God in all ages for 1500 or but 1300 yeares after Christ not only of the vulgar but of such as were glorious Martyrs and the most eminent Preachers of former and later yeares with whom the holy spirit did much abound doth not the assertion of the contrary condemn the generation of the just or at least argue a bold presumptuous censure of the spirits of just men now made perfect in heaven This only by way of preparative to the Readers attention that there is no singularity in it 2. See the warrants for it in the Scripture i. e. in the Old Testament Numb 6. 23. the Lord gives a form of words to Aaron and his sons to be continued as a perpetual Liturgy from age to age for the blessing the children of Israel saying unto them the Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace c. Numb 10. 35. Moses gives himself a set form at the rising and resting of the Ark. When the Ark set forward Moses said Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And when it rested he said return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel Continued by David at the removall of the Ark in his time Psal. 68. 1. In the 26. of Deut. ye have two set formes prescribed of God himself First to him that offers his first fruits verse 3. thou shalt say unto the Priest c. verse 5. thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God c. consisting chiefly of confession to the 11. verse and then to him that offers his third years tythes verse 13. when after a solemne protestation of bringing all the hollowed things paying his Tythes truly
is observable the argument which he useth he produceth as a Maxime then in his time taken for granted not to be proved but supposed no man then so much as questioning the necessity of it for though there were then divers disputes about discipline and ceremonies in which this learned Authour then appeared yet both parties esteemed alike of Ordination to be a sacred institution none presuming to take upon them the office of the Ministery without it Well this I conceive to be the sence here of laying on of hands viz. That it was a Principle of the Catechisme taught to Christians at their first reception that there was to be a successive ordination or setting apart of persons for the Ministery for an authorative preaching of faith and repentance and administration of Sacraments called laying on of hands from the outward rite as the Lords Supper by breaking of bread And this was the judgement of the most Reverend and learned Father of our Church the late Arch-Bishop of Armagh which hath the rather emboldned me to employ my thoughts in the confirmation of it and surely if it be a fundamentall the knowledge of the sense of it is of a greater consequence then to be slighted First it is considerable how well this doth sute with Saint Pauls expression elsewhere speaking of Ordination 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stirre up the gift of God that is in thee by the putting on of my hands 1 Tim. 4. 14. neglect not the gift that is in thee given thee with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery both thus sufficiently reconciled Saint Paul was the principal the Presbyters were his assistants according to the constitutions and custome of our Church in Ordination The Bishop is not to do it alone but with the assistance of at least three or four of the Ministers which was after the pattern of the Primitive times The injunction of Saint Paul for it is accordingly 2 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man i. e. ordain And it is the more observable that all are from one and the same Apostle it being one argument to prove Saint Paul was the Authour of this Epistle to the Hebrews by the use of this expression here which is not in the Epistles of any other Apostle 'T is true we read of extraordinary gifts of tongues c. given by laying on of hands in the Acts but they cannot be understood here for they were but temporary and ceased like Scaffolds which after the building of an house are taken down but what is meant here must be as the foundation which remains to the last and all falls with it that agrees to an Ordained Ministery which must continue for the preaching of faith and repentance and administration of Sacraments to the end of the world In which sence is that last speech of our Saviour Matth. 28. Lo I am with you unto the end of the world it cannot be limited to the persons of the Apostles with whose deaths those Administrations did not expire but must be understood collectively of the whole body of the Ministery then as it were in their loines who should succeed in preaching and Baptisme and through whom a successive powerful assistance of the spirit is to be transferred in and through those unto the worlds end This power of officiating was powred on the head of the Apostles and descendeth to the skirts of their garments in these dayes And how like a fundamental Ordination is may easily appear it began at the foundation of the Church and was one of the first stones laid in this Edifice and it must continue to the last for as the Lords Supper is to continue till the second coming of Christ so the Ministers of it have the same term also Ephes. 4. 13. He gave some Pastors Teachers c. Till we all come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the Stature of the fullnesse of Christ c. Rom. 10. 15. Ye have a building of four or five stories high of severall Acts and Ministrations but Ordination of a Ministery is the Foundation Salvation is at the top of this Iacobs Ladder but Ordination at the bottome Whosoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be saved but how shall they call on him on mhom they have not believed how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent c. See praying believing hearing preaching and then as the foundation of all a Mission of Preachers for that end what is said of the Commandements of the Law Iames 2. he that offends in one is guilty of all such is the concatenation of the principles of the Gospel break one link and all are endangered He that renounceth his Baptisme renounceth his Faith into which he was baptized even the death and resurrection of our Saviour signified by it Colos. 2. Consider what ye do in renouncing the Ministery by whom ye were baptized and have believed 1 Cor. 3. 5. if any efficacy be in the Sacrament according to the qualification authoritative faculty of the person officiating see what hazard you run in rejecting of such so ordained Ye know the speech of our Saviour Matth. 23. 17. He that swears by the Altar sweareth by it and all things thereon and is not the contrary true he that despiseth the Altar despiseth not only that but all that depend on it If the Ordination or Mission of the person through Gods institution be of any efficay to what is officiated I may leave the application to your selves Consider what ye do in a totall renouncing of an ordained Ministery as to Baptisme and believing through whom as instrumentals ye did partake of them If the foundation fall how can the building stand As ye see here Saint Paul makes an ordained Ministery a fundamental principle of Christian Religion So much for the sence of the Text what is meant by laying on of hands Now if Ordination be a fundamental principle hence then these 2 things may be inferred 1. A necessity of continuing an ordained Ministery in the Church and the neglect of it to be the underming of the foundation of it 2. That Ordination is not only an internal call from God but an externall from Man for 't is denominated here from laying on of hands First a necessity of continuing such a distinct Order and profession for preaching and other sacred Administratihns This subject would heretofore have been accounted needlesse to be handled but it is necessary and seasonable now there being many set against the very function as if any man might of himself assume it To such I shall represent these considerations following viz. 1. That in all ages there have been some persons set apart for such divine Offices even before the Law or constitution of Aaron and the Levites as since see some appointed Exod. 19. 22. Let the Priests which come near to