and the same thing c Acts 20 17 28. in relation to a Church of Christ and are mostly taken indifferently for any Ruling and Teaching Minister as may be shewed by Classick Authors in Civil respects and by Scripture Language An Elder is an ordinary standing Minister in a Church The Apostles were Elders d 1 Pet. 5.1 and executed Elders places both in Teaching and Ruling where-ever they came but all Elders were not Apostles nor could they exert Apostolick Power Elders being Men of ordinary use in a Church of Christ and must continue e Acts 14.23 An Elder primarily signifies an old Man f ib. 2.17 but applied to an Office of Eldership in Church or State he is fitly called a Presbyter or Alderman in our Language i. e. Elderman Such there were in the Church and State of the Jews g Exo. 12.21 and are in the Churches under the Gospel h Act 14.23 A Bishop is an Overseer of a Charge and may be without Rule Among the Grecians an Attick Magistrate Clark of the Market or Commissary of an Army was called a Bishop but the Scripture useth it for a Ministerial Charge Teaching and Ruling one or both Ruling at least § 4. The Elders of a Church are Pastor or Adjuvant in the Pastoral Charge under Christ The Pastor is an Elder of a visible and particular Church Chosen and Ordained to the Office of Feeding the Flock by the Word Sacraments and Government a 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Eph. 4.11 Act. 20.38 The Office Charge and business of a Pastor is as a Shepherd to his Flock to Feed Guide and Fold So Christ is the great Pastor b John 10 11 16. and the first to the Gospel-Church c Mat. 26.26 31. And as he is the Chief Pastor d 1 Pet. 5.4 so is he the great President and Example to all the Pastors of particular Churches in all things wherein he is to be followed in the Exercise of their Pastoral relation e John 13.15 as also the Guidance of his Spirit and Direction of his Word f Mat. 28.20 with all his holy Institutions are to be diligently observed for to him it is that they must give account g Heb. 13.17 of this their great Stewardship h 1 Cor. 4.1 2. § 5. The Ministerial Charge as to Administration of things of the most spiritual Nature in a Visible Church is contained in the Pastoral Relation and where God gives ability to perform it fully to the edification of the Church One may perform it duly a 2 Cor. 12.19 Eph. 4.12 But in case of bodily infirmity or greatness of the Congregation if he is not able through the first to bear the whole Work of Teaching and Exhorting or for the other reason he is not able to go through the governing Work Christ hath provided Helps and Assistance for him a Teacher in his Teaching work and a ruling Elder to aid and assist in Ruling b 1 Tim. 5.17 § 6. He that is called and ordained of Christ by the Church to concur with the Pastor in the Teaching Work to the furthering the Churches Edification is called a Teacher and waits on that Service helping also in Ruling with the Pastor a Rom. 12.7 1 Cor. 12.28 1 Tim. 3.1 2. Eph. 4.11 12. Tit. 1.9 1 Pet. 4.10 11. § 7. He that is Called and Ordained of Christ by the Church to concur with the Pastor in diligently rulling is required to wait on that Work especially for the Edification of the Church and is called a Ruling-Elder and is Ordained in the same manner with a Teaching-Elder a 1 Tim. 3.1 Rom. 12.8 1 Tim. 5.17 § 8. He that ministers to the external concern of the Church serving Tables for the support of the Worship of God and relief of the Poor is a Deacon a Acts 6.2 4.35 compar'd with ch 6. Neh. 13.13 there may be one or more as the concerns of the Church are and there may be Women-helps in some Cases necessary called Deaconesses b Rom. 16.1 12.8 1 Tim. 5.9 10. The Deacon's Charge is the true and faithful disposal of the Churches Stock and Contributions and to the Church they are accountable c 1 Cor. 4.2 1 Tim. 3.8 9 10. 1 Pet. 4.10 § 9. A Church which hath a Pastor and Deacon is fully Organized the Church requiring no more to Edification The Pastoral Office containing in it all the Teaching and Ruling Charge and the Deacons all that concern the Care of the Church as to Externals CHAP. VIII Of a Call to a Church Ministry How a Church is regularly furnisht by Call and Ordination A Call immediate or mediate What each is How a Church comes to a Call And how made The consummation thereof no Ordination A Person called being not a Member ought to be joined to the Church calling him before Ordination None can or ought to be Ordained to the Catholick Visible Church § 1. A Church of Christ comes to be regularly furnished with a Ministry for its Edification by a due Call a Heb. 5.4 of such as are qualified thereto and Ordination of them A Church Calls when after waiting upon God for Directions b Phil. 4.6 Mat. 9.38 and coming to be acquainted with the Grace and Ministerial Gifts of a person or persons which having tryed c 1 Joh 4.1 1 Tim. 3.10 they are inclined to apprehend him or them suitable for them the Church gives him or them a solemn invitation to a Ministerial Charge § 2. A Call to a Ministerial Charge or Work is either immediately by God himself in a more than usual way or manner a Gal. 1.1.12 1 Tim. 1.1 or mediate by the Church of God and every one that undertakes such holy service must have one of these two Calls or else God sends him not b Rom. 10.15 The immediate Call is when God doth qualifie and call a Person to a Ministerial Service without the instrumentality of Men or Churches and such was the Call of the Prophets and Apostles whose Call was their Ordination and Infallible § 3. A Mediate Call is that which Christ makes by the instrumentality of a Church walking after Christ's commands a 1 Pet. 5.2 2 John 6. but is not infallible but eventually may not answer the Churches end in Calling because the Person called may not be suitable or for some reasons may refuse to submit thereto Hence God answers a Churches Call by sending to them a Person fit and willing whereby it most times proves happy and successful b Jer. 3.15 Mat. 9.37 38. § 4. The Church having wisely and duly debated the whole matter with all secrecy and keeping things within the Church and asked counsel of God and Neighbour Churches so far as may be needful and come to some result among themselves all if possible agreeing without strife and murmuring a Phil. 2.3 8. 1 Pet. 3.8 or
belong to this and not to other m Heb. 12.23 § 13. The Catholick Church is but one onely a Eph. 4.4.5 1 Cor. 12.12 and it cannot be visible as Catholick for the greatest part are not seen by us being Saints in Heaven b Eph. 1.10 3.15 Elect Infants and many not known by Profession and if Men apply Catholick to the Professors of Christianity living at the same time upon the Earth and call them the Catholick Visible Church it is a mistaken Appellation for they are neither a Visible Church nor Catholick Not a Visible Church because 1. Christ hath instituted none such 2. They are never seen in coetu or in a Congregation as a Visible Church is nor can be till the last Day c Mat. 13.41 3. Christ never gave Ordinances for such a Communion 4. All these are not under any visible bond of Confederation together which is the form of a Visible Church Profession is no Bond but a proper requisite only thereto 5. Christ never instituted such a Church Ministry but what were set in a particular Church and exercised in such The Apostles Christ's extraordinary Ministers were first set in the Church at Jerusalem d Eph. 4.11 1 Cor. 12.28 and were first Officers there and tho their Commission reached to the Planting and Governing other Churches that should succeed yet they exercised not their Ministry or Apostolick Power to any supposed Catholick Church Visible nor wrote to such but gathered particular Churches out of the World and in them settled a distinct Ministry and Ordinances peculiar to each wherein they exercised their own power as far as necessary for their Settlement and Edification Again there is no Catholick Visible Church for 1. If there be there is two Catholick Churches which is a contradiction and contrary to that Creed called the Apostles 2. All visible Professors if a Church cannot be Catholick because they are not all the Members of Christ on Earth and they that profess at large at least are not Members of Christ many if not most of them 3. It is not a Catholick Church because it 's not a Body-Corporate in any visible manner nor are capable of answering the ends of such in Government Order or Priviledges 4. If there be a Catholick visible Church it 's rational there should be a Catholick visible Pastor and from these Principles arose the Pope and the Papal Jurisdiction established throughout the professing World In the first Ages after Christ each particular Church called it self Catholick from the Profession of that Doctrine which was called the Catholick Faith because received by all the Churches Afterward the Word Catholick was applied to a supposed Universal Visible Church and became not only serviceable to the rising of the Mystery of Iniquity but a great Foundation of the Antichristian Fabrick which was afterward built thereon with all the Ecclesiastical Tyranny and Papal Superstitious Pomp imaginable The Protestants that have cast off the Universal Pastorship of one and will not endure a Catholick single Pastor do most of them retain the Notion of an Universal Visible Church as also of divers Catholick Pastors dividing that Catholocy which they will not allow the Pope among themselves each one exercising the Office and Power of a Catholick visible Pastor where-ever he comes having bin ordained by a Presbytery of a Catholick Constitution to a Catholick Pastorship to the Catholick Church To conclude Our best Protestants in opposition to the Papists have still denied the being of a Catholick Visible Church amongst whom was Famous Dr. Whitaker whose Arguments upon this Question against Duraeus are Quoted by Mr. Hooker in his Survey ch 15. p. 265. Our Savoy Confession allows the Name but denies the Nature Ch. 26. § 2. Institution of Churches § 6. for it saith it s not entrusted with the Administration of any Ordinances nor hath any Officers to Rule and Govern as such and what a kind of Visible Church is that that is neither the subject of Ordinances or Officers Mr. Hooker saith Church is the Genus of all particular Churches but a Visible Church in the generical consideration can no more be found existing out of individual particular Churches than a Man can be found existing under the generical consideration of Man out of individual Men. But that a totum aggregatum of all Churches in this World can be made and be a visible Church he denies upon Learned and convincing Reasons which will stand their Ground against all contradiction To whom for brevity sake we refer the Reader where also he evinceth that there 's no Catholick Visible Church considered as a totum Representativum i. e. as a Representative Church in all the Pastors that there cannot be a Catholick Visible Representative Church and that there is no such thing as a Representative Church of any kind of greater or lesser extent § 14. What the Scripture speaks of a Church is either of a Church in general and indefinitely belongs to any or of a Church in Specie either Catholick and invisible or particular and visible but saith nothing of a Catholick Visible CHAP. III. Of a Congregational Church in General Of Christ's Dispensation as Head A visible Church defined Revealed Worship exercis'd first in Families then in Instituted Churches The Foundation of visible Churches laid in Abraham's Covenant Two parts thereof The Church of Israel First Essential then Organized The difference between the Mosaical and Gospel Oeconomy The Church of Israel Congregational § 1. THE Lord Jesus Christ exerts his Headship not only by the more immediate Administration of his Spirit a 1 Cor. 2.11 12. 12.4 7.13 Eph. 4.3 7. internally in the hearts of his People whereby he constitutes his Mystical and Catholick Body but also as the Apostle and High-Priest of our Profession b Heb. 3.1.2 6. by external Means of Grace Constituting and Ordaining particular visible Churches and in them Ministry and Ordinances suited to the State and respective Ages of the World c Heb. 9.1.8.10 Deut. 29.1 for the filling up and edification of his Mystical Body d Eph. 4.12 13. and blesseth such accordingly to his great Glory and good of his Chosen e Eph. 3.21 Ps 106.45 Exo. 20.24 Deut. 4.8 § 2. A Visible Church is a Particular Assembly of Professing Believers a 1 Cor. 1.2 visibly embodied in Christ b 1 Cor. 12.27 for a stated and holy Communion c Act 9.31 in one place d 1 Cor. 11 20. with God and one another in all instituted Ordinances e Act 2.42 appertaining to themselves and their immediate seed f Act. 2.39 Isa 61.9 65.23 Eph. 6.4 for God's Glory in Christ g Eph. 3.21 and their mutual Edification h 1 Cor. 14 5.12.26 § 3. God's External Worship by Revealed Religion was first celebrated in Adam's Family a Gen. 4.3 4. and continued in the Families of the Faithful till the time of Abraham
Establishment in its Vailed State and as to its appurtenances appropriate to Abraham's Natural Posterity in a National Church-Constitution waxed old decayed and vanished away n Heb. 8.13 and the substantial part of Abraham's Covenant in respect of the true Grace and Government of the Promised Seed appeared and remained glorious o Gal. 3.17 4.26.28 30 31. § 4. These Extraordinary Ministers were Apostles Evangelists Prophets and Teachers whom the Lord Jesus set in the first Gospel-Church at Jerusalem a 1 Cor. 12 28. and gave them to his Churches for a general good but firstly to that Church b Eph. 4.10 11. where they first exercised their Ministry Apostleship and Eldership The Apostles so called by Christ's first Mission were Twelve c Matt. 10.2 c. one of which fell from his Apostleship d Act 1.20 these were Ordained by Christ himself and had a double Mission one to the Jews only before Christ's death e Mat. 10.6 whereby the Partition-Wall was broken down f Eph. 2.14 and then to all Nations Jews and Gentiles g Mat. 28.19 with a particular charge to go to the Jews first h Acts 13.46 Upon the Fall of Judas Matthias was chosen by the Church and a Divine Ordination by Lot i ch 1.26 Paul and Barnabas were additional Apostles k ch 14.14 and sent especially Paul Apostles to the Gentiles l Ro. 11.13 They had an extraordinary Ordination by Christ's immediate Call and Instigation of the Holy Ghost m Acts 13.2 Ga. 1.12 They were all of them such as had bin Eye-Witnesses of the Life Death Resurrection and Ascention of the Lord n Acts 1.21 22 23. Paul himself had seen Christ but was converted and called to Apostleship after his Ascention therefore he saith he was born out of due time o 1 Cor. 15.8 9. They were divinely inspired had a marvellous effusion of the Spirit upon them p Act. 2.12 had the Gifts of Tongues Healing Interpretation and of miraculous Works q Mark 16 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 12.28 They had more than ordinary Graces and Gifts mightily furnished to the Work of the Ministry and lastly had the Care of all the Churches r 2 Cor. 11.28 § 5. The Evangelists were inspired Ministers of Christ to his Churches a 2 Tim. 3.16 Acts 8.5.26 21.8 Sub-Apostolick Adjuvant to the Apostles in their Work and much at their direction b 1 Tim. 1.3 2.15 2 ep 2.2 Tit. 1.5 Some were Apostolick Evangelists as Matthew and John two of them Called Evangelists from their Evangelical Histories of Christ in their Gospels c Matt. 1.1 Mark and Luke were only Evangelists none of the Twelve Philip Timothy Titus were only Evangelists ordained Apostolically d Acts 6.2 2 Tim. 1.6 Titus 1.5 and employed and sent by the Apostles to places where they had Preached and to Churches already Planted to Visit Teach and Direct to the Election of Officers and see a supply of what was wanting or prepare Matters for the Apostles coming § 6. The Prophets and Teachers of the first stamp seemed to have much of Inspiration by the Holy Ghost a Act 2. by the coming down thereof upon the Apostles and Brethren at Pentecost It appears not that they had any Office or governing Power in the Church nor much differing b ib. 13.1 but being Brethren full of the Holy Ghost as the Deacons and Barnabas before set apart c ib. 6.3 11.24 were employed by the Apostles or moved in themselves to Preach the Gospel where-ever they came for Conversion of the dark unbelieving World d ib. 11.19 There were of later date Gifted Brethren by an ordinary Measure e 1 Cor. 14 4 5 37. 1 The. 5.20 of Grace and Gifts some for Edification within the Church and some for Propagation of the Gospel abroad which may yet remain the reason thereof remaining § 7. These Extraordinary Ministers continue not in the Churches a 1 Cor. 13 8. neither Apostles or Apostolick Men to whom it was essential to be Ordained or immediately sent by Christ and the Holy Ghost as also extraordinarily inspired and qualified The Miraculous Gifts they were furnished with are ceased b Ibid. The Apostles were to be such as had seen the Lord on Earth c Acts 1.21 22. of such there is none now They were charged with the Care of all the Churches d 2 Cor. 11 28. of such there is none now one or more to whom Christ hath committed the Care of all the Churches or of many indefinitely Lastly There 's not the same Reason for such a Ministry now The Doctrine of the Gospel having bin received in the Nations of the Earth the Canon of the Scripture filled Churches have bin planted and walked in by the Rules and Order of the Gospel The Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles abundantly confirmed by divers Signs following e Heb. 2.3 4. and since by the Profession Practice and Sufferings of multitudes of faithful Witnesses f Heb. 12.1 Rev. 12.11 CHAP. VII Of the Ordinary Ministers of a Church Christ hath appointed a sufficient Ministry for the Churches according to their inward and outward concerns What an Elder is What sorts The Pastoral Charge what it contains How discharged by one or more A Teacher what A Ruling Elder what A Deacon what A Church is fully Organiz'd with a Pastor and Deacon § 1. CHRIST being Exalted to God's Right Hand and sitting there an Apostle and High Priest of good things to come a Heb. 9.11 hath made provision for the calling in of the Elect b Acts 13.48 and his redeemed ones c Rev. 5.9 building and furnishing his spiritual Temples and Habitations for God by the Spirit d Ephes 2.20 21. not only by and under the Apostles Ministry but also by a sufficiency of Ministry and Ordinances in an ordinary and standing way and manner of Dispensation to the end of the World e Matt. 28.19 20 21 § 2. According to the great Concerns of a visible Church in this World Christ hath wisely consulted the well-being of it a Eph. 3.10 in instituting and appointing the Ministers thereof b Ephes 4.10 11. As to the higher internal concerns he hath ordained Elders c Acts 14.23 Phil. 1.1 and as to the more external no Church being able to subsist and keep up Ordinances according to the instituted Nature of them without a due care of those concerns he hath ordained and appointed Deacons d Acts 6.2 3. Phil. 1.1 § 3. An Elder is an ordinary Minister to the Church chosen and ordained by it to a Charge with Rule and Government a 1 Tim. 5.17 Act. 4.23 being a Person of Age or Gravity judged to be duly qualified for it b 1 Tim. 3.1 2 c. An Elder Presbyter or Bishop we may find to be taken in Scripture for one
the Oeconomy erected by Christ and his Apostles was sufficient to answer all Intents and Purposes of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction without dependance upon the States and Princes of the World for the execution thereof and was fully practical under any Civil Powers who would but permit the Profession of Christianity according to Mens Consciences 2. If any Alledge That the Congregational Practice abridgeth the People of their Liberty We answer 1. If by liberty be meant liberty to sin this all Religions must profess to restrain that which doth not is not to be called Religion and this is no more than all Christian Magistrates ought to do Besides a liberty to Sin is the most Diabolical Slavery in the World 2. Our Way deprives Men of no lawful Civil Liberties 3. It doth no more deprive Men of Spiritual Liberties than a Civil Corporation-Government deprives Men of Civil Liberties For 1. Both the one and the other have the most desirable Immunities and Priviledges granted by Charter in their respective kinds 2. There are no Members made by a coercive power all voluntarily offer themselves 3. There are no Members admitted or cast out by an Arbitrary and Despotick Power but all is done by the consent of the Body Politick 4. A Church is made a Prison to none but any one may depart to another orderly and regularly when called thereto 5. As all Members are admitted so all Ministerial Officers are chosen by Consent and Agreement of the Body none are imposed 6. As all Tryals of offending Persons in a Civil Corporation are by the Neighbourhood as to matter of fact so in a Spiritual Corporation all such Judicial Proceedings are in a way of Tryal first in the Church by the Brotherhood upon whose Judgment of Guilty or not Guilty the Elder passeth Sentence of Condemnation or Absolution 3. If any object Strictness of the Terms of Admission It is Answered 1. All Vertuous Persons like those Societies best that stand upon the strictest Terms of Admission for they are likely to be purest 2. Have not all Families Companies Corporations their Terms of Admission which they will stand upon Is it not fit you should be qualified as the Society expects and submit to the Laws of the Society by express Agreement Is it fit you should enjoy the Immunities of a Family or other Society without a due qualification and obligation Without the first you are unmeet without the latter ungovernable 3. The Terms are reasonable and as easie as possible for a Spiritual Society a houshold of Faith as is made appear in the following Treatise And whatever slight Terms of Admittance you are for whilst a non-Member if you have the true Grace of God in your heart when you become a Member you will not be willing others should be so admitted lest it should make such a foul House as your self will not be able long to endure 4. Some one will say or think I am loth to come under the Observation Obligation and Charge of Church-Membership I hope I shall go to Heaven without it tho I would willingly have my Child baptized Ans 1. Take this altogether and it 's a great question whether such an one hath Grace in his heart or hath any good grounds of Hope that he shall go to Heaven For it argues loosness of heart and life and Covetousness which is Idolatry yea and plain Hypocrisie that he would have his Child baptized meerly for form and Reputation sake For I would say to such an one 1. Is not one Seal of the Covenant of as much weight to a Believer as another Wilt thou baptize thy Child as thy duty and neglect the other Seal for thy Worldly Advantage and so indulge thy self in Sin By what right dost thou claim Baptism for thy Child Is it by vertue of Abraham's Covenant And dost thou openly profess it and wilt not stipulate to the said Covenant How art thou such a Child of Abraham as the Blessing is come upon surely not the Blessing of Church-Membership Obj. But I hope my Infant hath right to Baptism tho I am no Church-Member Ans He that himself is such as that if he were un-baptized he hath no right to Baptism cannot plead right for his Child But no non-Member can plead right to any Seal the Seals of the Covenant being given to the Church and not to the World nor one Seal to the World and the other to the Church Obj. But I am a Member of the Catholick Church by my Personal Covenanting with God Ans 1. Who knows what thy private and secret actions be to verifie the Truth of what thou saist the Church calls thee to Covenant with God and them If thou wilt partake of the Priviledges of the Church and if thou hast bin serious in Covenanting privately thou wilt be as willing to Covenant openly with God and his Church for he that Covenants socially Covenants but personally and he that Covenants with Christ Covenants with him socially tho secretly for he takes him as Head of the Mystical Body So that the Notion of Personal and Social Covenanting makes not a legal distinction having no sufficient dissentaniety of parts they differing but ratione only and so are but diversa not ratione re so as to be vera opposita 2. Such personal Covenanting as you intend if it be real makes you but a Member of the Mystical Body of Christ not of any visible Church which alone is the subject of the Seals and other Ordinances 3. The Proselytes publickly embraced Abraham's Covenant and joined to the Church thereby under the Old Testament before they were circumcised and under the New Testament before they were baptized For the first see Deut. 29.11 12. where the Stranger covenanted publickly with the Lord and socially with that Church in the Land of Moab just before they passed over Jordan and were circumcised by Joshua ch 5.2 3 4. For the latter see Acts 2.39 41. Peter makes them that manifested their Repentance to stipulate publickly to Abraham's Covenant before they were baptized And as many as declared their glad receiving and embracing the Promise for themselves and Seed were baptized for they who did not explicitely declare so much were not baptized as appears by the Text. In a Word Dost thou profess to be a Christian to have received Christ by Faith for righteousness and life and to live Godly in Christ Jesus It is thy Duty then to join thy self in Church-Fellowship and thou sinnest greatly against God if thou dost not For 1. Church-Membership is one of the great parts of Abraham's Blessing And wilt thou exclude thy self from any part of so great a Gift 2. Church-Membership is a Spiritual Blessing that a Believer is blessed withal in Christ Jesus And shall not that be valued by thee 3. A Believer in Christ hath right to Church Blessings And wilt thou loose thy Possession for want of Claim 4. If thou art a true Believer Christ is precious to thee in all
Deacons by laying on of Hands as for the laying on of Hands on ordinary Pastors and more there being a seeming President for the first but none for the second § 8. It 's alledged The Presbytery laid their Hands on Timothy a 1 Tim. 4.14 and they say The Presbytery was a Classis or at least a Consistory of ordinary Elders Ans 1. That Inference wants proof for that they were not all so is beyond Question for the Apostle Paul was among them for one or else Timothy had Hands laid on him twice b 2 Tim. 1.6 2. The Apostles were Presbyters and call themselves so c 1 Pet. 5.1 and why might it not be a Presbytery of Apostles and Evangelists seeing such are mentioned by Name and it belonged to them and not to ordinary Pastors to bestow the Gifts of the Holy Ghost by laying on of Hands And 3. It appears that Timothy received such a Gift by the laying on of Hands d 1 Tim. 1.18 4. He was not made an ordinary Pastor but an Evangelist the Ordination of whom we find was by the Apostles As Paul's Ordination was a separation to his Apostleship to the Gentiles e Acts 13. § 9. It 's alledged That Timothy is charged to lay Hands suddenly on no Man which seems to be meant of Ordination of ordinary Pastors Ans If it be so meant yet it proves not laying on of Hands by ordinary Pastors for Timothy was not such It is not to be doubted but the Gift that Timothy received was such an extraordinary Gift as was bestowed then frequently by laying on of Hands and which Simon Magus would have purchas'd of Peter for Money That on whomsoever he should lay his Hands they should receive the Holy Ghost a Acts 8.18 19. This Gift or the Rite of Conveyance the Apostles were wary of prostituting to Men of corrupt Minds And therefore the Apostle warns Timothy not to apply it rashly to any for it 's apparent the Apostles laid not their Hands on Simon Magus finding he had no truth of heart but rejected him and laid not Hands upon him though he had bin baptized § 10. Heb. 6.2 is pleaded That Baptism and laying on of Hands were appointed as standing Ordinances in Churches Ans This Text hath bin much mistaken and abused But briefly it 's not to be understood as if Baptism it self or laying on of Hands were to be understood to be the Principles there meant for indeed he speaks but of one Foundation a 1 Cor. 3.11 the Doctrine of Christ which is laid in Repentance and Faith held forth in Baptism and confirmed by the Apostolick Signs following Christ's Ascention b Heb. 2.3.4 Mark 16.16 in those extraordinary Gifts conveyed by laying on of the Hands of the Apostles and Apostolick Men Hence Beza saith he found in one Copy That Baptism and Laying on of Hands were enclosed by a Parenthesis But if it be not so it matters not much for it is the Doctrine of Baptism and laying on of Hands which are here spoken of viz. The Foundation-Doctrine of Christ symbolically exhibited by the one and miraculously beyond all doubt confirmed by the other in Apostolick times § 11. We conclude concerning this high applauded Ceremony which the Papists make Sacramental and say it leaves an indelible Character and some Protestants adore little less That we find upon the best Enquiry and strictest Scrutiny That it is no continued Ordinance or Institution of Christ in his Churches And That its an obsolete and ceased Ceremony for these Heads of Reasons only for brevity sake following 1. Because the End and Significancy of this Rite is ceased therefore the Rite it self for a Rite that signifies nothing is an empty Sign and vain and we ought not to do any thing in the Worship of God that is empty insignificant vain a Col. 2.8 Matt. 15.9 Col. 3.20 and the doing whereof is Will-Worship 2. That Ceremony that none can by a due Authority apply cannot be performed but none such are now or can pretend thereto there being no Apostles or Apostolick Men or such as can pretend to extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost much less to a Power or Commission to bestow them on others by any Solemn Duty whatever much less by a Ceremony Therefore such a Practice as is a Pretence before Men to that which we dare not profess plainly to in Words before God is but a mocking of God and Man b Gal. 6.7 2 Cor. 11.13 3. We have shewed that the Ceremony was never appropriate to the Ordaining of any Ministers for it was a common Ceremony used in other Cases and to other Persons To the sick c Mar. 16.18 to new Converts d Act 8.17 to those that were Members and had Grace but it was none of those Gifts that were for Propagation and Confirmation of the Doctrine of Christ e ib. 13.3 Many yea most of the Apostles were Ordained without it f Mat. 10.7 8. 28.19 No Ordinary Pastor Ordained with it as we read of g Acts 24.23 Where it was used the Appliers of it were such as were inspired or had immediate Command from God for doing it and there were many that never had imposition of Hands themselves h Acts 8.14 17. 4. Ordination is no where called Laying on of Hands nor Laying on of Hands Ordination in the Old or New Testament 5. There is the same Reason for the Ordaining Ruling Elders and Deacons by Imposition of Hands greater for the latter i Acts 6.6 and will the Assertors of this Rite allow it to them No they appropriate it to Teaching Elders only 6. Our Translators do honestly own that the Churches Solemn and Publick Election of Elders by Suffrage is Ordination k ib. 14.23 7. There is no more ground for continuance of this Rite nor so much as for that of washing feet l Joh. 13.5 or laying on of hands or anointing the sick m James 5.14 but since the cessation of Miraculous Gifts the anointing of the sick and Imposition of Hands in all Cases as a Rite is ceased That of washing feet was only teaching to Christ's Disciples the duty of Humility and Self-Denial which they were after to follow him in as Ministers not in the use of the Ceremony it self n John 13.13 14 15 16. and there are but two Instituted Rites perpetuated to the Churches to the end of the World Baptism o Mat. 28.19 and the Lord's Supper p 1 Cor. 11 26. 8. If it be used only to denote the Blessing of the Party Ordained then Imposition of Hands is a great Usurpation and makes the Elders of one Church superiour to them of another for the lesser is blessed of the greater which Superiority Christ never allowed q Heb. 7.7 Mat. 23.11 Mar. 9.34 Luke 22.24 26. If it be said It 's used to point out the Person ordained it 's childish and frivolous