a Blessing upon the expedition they were now about to be imployed in So our Annotator upon the Rhemists interprets it which we might suspect done out of too much heat of contention and that because They had expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second verse Saying of Mass He would needs find fault too with their construing Imposition of hands in the next verse Giving of orders but that we find the same opinion in some of the Romanists too all of them grounding it upon St. Pauls assertion in the beginning of his Epistle to the Galatians chap. 1. v. the 1. Paul an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ For answer to which it is confess'd not only that Paul had an Immediate calling from God but also that such a Mission was altogether as essential to the Apostleship as to the Prophets in the Old Testament But this Calling or Sending was nothing else properly but the Designation and Appointment of fit persons which while the High-Priest of the New-Covenant was present with them had perhaps annex'd unto it their Inauguration Both however were received immediately from him After his Ascension this latter must needs be left in the hands of the Church Nor doth it any way blemish their Prerogative above the after-Fathers of the Church to own Ordination By man since their Master had vouchsaf'd to receive the sacrament of Baptism from one who he himself had pronounced less than the least of these Prophetical Ordainers So then our Apostle was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receiving his authority from Men nor is any Presbyter For all are sent by the Holy Ghost neither was he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 designed or chosen by man to this Ministery as all ordinary Pastors are but he might nevertheless be ordained by man and so to omit late Interpreters St. Chrysostom tells us he was in his Homily upon my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as having no authority to exercise his Apostleship to which he was called by special Direction from the Holy Ghost till he was ordained to it by the laying on of hands So that there is no reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text urged should be any more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 1. to Timothy by the commandment of God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in almost all the rest of his Epistles by the will of God Nor is it worth the while for them to urge the Letter of the Syriack translation which renders it Not of the sons of man nor by the hand of the son of man for it follows but by the hand of Jesus Christ which is enough methinks to make them forsake the argument and look better into the Propriety of the Language It seems then not improbable that all Apostles after Christs Ascension into Heaven received their Apostleship by Imposition of hands from the Church That Timothy had his office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the designation of the Spirit is not to be denied 1 Tim. 4.14 But yet that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the laying on of hands is clear from the same place and more expresly and particularly from another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the laying on of my hands 2 Tim. 1.6 And do we not read that Timothy was plac'd at Ephesus as Titus was left at Grete to ordain others after the same manner Tit. 1.5 Even Matthias himself of whose choice we find mention without any of his Ordination For though our English in translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was numbred with make the text seem to imply him sufficiently instated in his Apostolate by having the lot fallen upon him yet the Original will better bear Erasmus's Cooptatus est or Beza's Communibus calculis allectus after which implying only a Nomination might well follow a solemn Admission though we have no mention of it in this sacred History Here you see we have an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Holy Ghost for Barnabas and Saul the Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them at the second verse Which to say was no more than send away Barnabas and Saul to Cyprus betrayes so much Ignorance in the use of that expression in both Testaments that I think it cannot find much entertainment with any Person of Reason This Separation therefore was nothing else but their Ordination and the conferring that power upon them which the Holy Ghost now call'd them to by an External Extraordinary Call and afterwards ratified by an Internal Ordinary Calling at their laying on of hands upon them And so I come to the First part of my text which represents unto us their Commission and that first from the Holy Ghost expresly given us in these words Being sent forth by the Holy Ghost This is the first particular namely that the Holy Ghost is the Superintendent or the Unction they receiving their Commission from him That by the Holy Ghosts sending is rather to be understood his Inward giving them that Power which their Ordination intituled them unto than either his Extraordinary Calling of them before mentioned in the second verse or the Secret Instinct of the Spirit directing them whither they should go though both expositions have their throngs of Assertors I am for my part induced to think because the former Interpretation seems to impose a needless repetition upon the text the latter besides that this Cyprus whither they went was Barnabas's own Countrey as appears plainly at the latter end of the 4. chap. so that he might in all probability be carried thither by his own Affection hath none or very few Parallels in this History or elsewhere either Historical or Grammatical For first how many Journeys of S. Paul and others do we here meet withall without the least mention of the Holy Ghosts sending it being sufficiently known and elsewhere to be collected that they were directed by him in almost all their undertakings And then secondly The spirit of Prophesie except where in general those Extraordinary gifts are express'd in one as St. John 7.39 and the like is not usually called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but barely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the Holy Ghost but the Spirit as you may see in the 11 19 20 and 21. chap. of this book to name no more whereas this power of Orders is styled the holy Ghost in that very form which the greatest part of the Western Church hath taken up from our Saviours own mouth And in the 20. of this book v. 28. the Presbyters which were ordained by the Apostles are charged by S. Paul at Miletus to take heed unto the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers These had no Extraordinary Mission as our Apostle here and yet They were sent by the Holy Ghost and therefore why not These in the same sense For In the 2. v. they were sent by him upon his Immediate choice and
is an Article not denied by any but such who have so far renounc'd their Understanding that they are resolved to hearken to none but their own Schismatical Fanatick Teachers I conceive it more pertinent and of greater concernment and more advantagious to the Fathers and Sons of the Church to clear the Text from giving Patronage to that opinion so magnified of late that the power of Ordination belongs of right to the Presbytery a Position condemned by the Council of Trent Sess 23. can 7. and is but usurped by the Bishop If I would enter upon a discourse of the Bishops Right in Ordination I might tell them It was a very Ancient Usurpation if it be one even within one year after Christs Ascension into Heaven as Chronologers reckon it For we find at the 6. of this book which treats of things done within the 33. year of Christ the Apostles laying on their hands upon the seaven Deacons without any challenge from the Seventy two of being excluded But to keep to the Text It will suffice to enquire by what Title these Prophets of Antioch exercised this Power and so consequently whether their practice be a sufficient ground for this Opinion That it is not the same Power to Ordain a Priest and to Ordain an Apostle is true But it makes the more for them since it is far more plausible to say that Priests have a power to ordain a Priest than that they have so to consecrate a Bishop Some therefore to avoid this say there were Bishops among these Prophets three at least Others say that the Prophets themselves did not lay their hands on them but sent them to the Apostles at Jerusalem and that it was they that layed their hands on them A learned Divine among us with far greater probability affirms they were more than meer Presbyters in that they were Prophets reckoned at the 4. of S. Pauls Epistle to the Ephes v. the 11 in the next rank to the Apostles before Evangelists they themselves being even Apostles Secundi Ordinis if I mistake not his meaning The two former Opinions have no countenance at all from the Text and so I leave them The Last Interpretation though very probable may admit of some dispute since the Scripture seems to evidence that this Spirit of Prophecy which is thought chiefly to consist in Interpreting the word of God by Immediate Inspiration was at this first breaking forth of the Sun-beams of the Gospel communicated to far greater numbers of men than were likely to have any Precedence or Authority in the Church above Presbyters Read the 14. of the 1 Epistle to the Corinthians and you shall find the Apostle exhorting all his Corinthians to desire especially the Gift of Prophecying and at the 34. v. of the same chapter he commands Women to keep silence in the Church implying that They also sometimes had this Gift of Prophecying as we see Acts 21.9 Phillips Daughters were Prophetesses agreeable to Gods promise repeated out of the Prophet Joel at the second of the Acts verse the 17. your Daughters shall Prophecy The result of which will be that these Prophets were rather Inferiour to Presbyters in Authority than above them though perhaps sometimes Fuller of the Holy Ghost that is better enabled by the Spirit for the performance of that part of the Presbyters charge which consisted in Preaching And therefore since we cannot conclude they had the Power of Ordaining Apostles unless we acknowledge them at least equal to Apostles which this Interpretation doth not make good with submission to the Reverend Author or any other who shall otherwise instruct me I think we need not contend for their Superiority above Presbyters but rather be contented with this that whatever they were they did not this by any Power tranferr'd upon them in ordinary no not even as they were Prophets but by Particular Extraordinary Appointment and Revelation from the Holy Ghost For so much St. Luke tells us expresly in the next verse save one before my Text As they ministred to the Lord and Fasted the Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them What then will this advantage them towards the grounding a perpetual practice on it Durst the Jews do you think consecrate an High-Priest without those Ceremonies mentioned in the 8. or 9. chap. of Levit. because God himself did dispense with them in the Consecration of Eleazer upon Mount Hor Num. 20 Or Might the Priests presume to use any other Altar for Burnt Offerings than that in the Tabernacle because God for the Conviction of Baals Prophets approved of Elijahs Sacrifice which he offered upon stones that we do not read where were ever Hallowed 1 Kings 18 Why did not They who had so many Judgements denounc'd against them for letting their children passe through the fire make this reply for their Innocency Lord why dost thou lay thine heavy hand upon us Didst not thou command the Father of the Faithful thy servant Abraham to offer up his Son his only Son Isaac for a burnt Sacrifice If the Prophets at Antioch ordained some upon a special command from the Holy Ghost Let not Presbyters challenge to themselves the same Power till they can shew the same Patent for it But If it were absolutely necessary nay only lawful to follow all Examples recorded in Holy Writ and which too perhaps are not therein condemn'd we should quickly dash the first against the second Table and cast off our Service to God our Obedience to the Church and our Love to one another The Consequences would be such as this there were but twelve that Christ administred the Blessed Sacrament unto before he departed this world and they were all Men and his Disciples yea Apostles and it was after Supper in an upper chamber and in Jerusalem together with many other circumstances the least whereof if any omitted would look but of a bad complection There must be no more nor any other now But to the business in hand Without all question it is not over safe for any Presbyters to venture upon the conferring of Orders upon any where there are no Bishops For though Those Churches beyond Sea not to meddle with our Neighbours urge the Example of the Levites executing the Priests Office when the Priests were too few at the 29 of the 2 book of Chron. yet if they did well consider that this was done but till the other Priests were Sanctified certainly they would long before now have provided themselves of Bishops Indeed the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas had Bishops once and where is the advantage which any of them have received by Rejecting them Alass they are so few that you can scarce name any Indeed if Toleration and promiscuous Indulgence of Heresies which are no where so rife as where there are no Bishops be an advantage then Amsterdam is as happy yea happier now than ever it was or any other place can be I find
THE PATTERN OF Ecclesiastical ORDINATION OR APOSTOLICK SEPARATION Being a Discourse upon Acts the 13.4 5. At first intended for the satisfaction of some Objections raised upon the said Trinitary Text by a Private Worthy Friend and now by his desire made publick for the Satisfaction and Instruction of others whom it may concern By Edward Wakeman Rector of St. Matthews Friday-street London 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Gangrens can 6. LONDON Printed by J.G. for Richard Royston at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1664. IMPRIMATUR Geo. Stradling S.T.P. Rever in Christo Pat. D. Gilb. Archiep. Cant. à Sac. Domest Ex Aed Lamb. Junii 22. 1664. To the most Reverend Father in God And the Right Honourable GILBERT Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY Primate and Metropolitan of all England and one of the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council Most Reverend Father in God WHen I consider as I cannot but often do so for Ingratitude is an unpardonable crime the Largeness of your Former Favours amongst the rest of my Honourable Friends and that Influence I receiv'd from you when you shone so bright in a somewhat lower Orb than now you do I cannot but confess at least my debts to you far greater than ever I shall be ever able to pay Children can never make a sufficient return unto their Parents though they should honour them with all they have all that they can do or suffer since without them they could never have been in a capacity of Being much less of Well Being Immortales gratiarum horti This makes me now so bold to present this small Handful of Tender First Fruits unto your Grace which I confess were against my Will Crop'd from me by a Friendly Over-powerful hand And indeed to whom should I devote the Pattern of Ecclesiastick Ordination but to the Greatest Apostle and Arch Angel of it in this our Church next under Christ Your Self It is no ceremonious but Fundamental point the Ordination to and execution of the Ministerial Function And yet I expect hard censures from the World on all sides but Fear none that are uncharitable If any will but take the pains to teach me better I shall be thankful However your Lordship and the World may guess by this how I spend that Talent of Health and Time c. which God is pleased to Lend me I cast both it and my self at your Graces Feet and think my self to have obtain'd enough if it find acceptance with or Protection from you My Lord Whose obedient Son and Servant in the Blessed Jesus I am Edward Wakeman July 5th 1664. THE PATTERN OF Ecclesiastical Ordination Or Apostolic Separation Acts 13.4 5. 4. So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed 5. And when they were at Salamis they Preached the word of God in the Synagogues of the Jews The whole story runs thus V. 1. Now there were in the Church that was at Antioch certain Prophets and Teachers as Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch and Saul V. 2. And as they ministred unto the Lord and Fasted the holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them V. 3. And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away V. 4. So they being sent forth by the holy Ghost departed unto Seleucia and from thence they sailed to Cyprus V. 5. And when they were at Salamis they Preached the Word of God in the Synagogues of the Jews THe Text is a relation of the entrance of two that were solemnly ordained upon the sacred Ministerial Function Paul and Barnabas after some considerable time spent amongst the sage and learned Prophets at Antioch that noble nursery and such reputation gotten as that they were thought fit enough to be intrusted with a publick employment for the Church at Jerusalem nor that without desert for St. Luke tells us at the 9. and 11. chapters They were full of the Holy Ghost are now by vertue of an express from the same Holy Ghost separated or which is all one consecrated to their Apostleship by the laying on of hands I call it their Apostleship rather than Episcopacy or Priesthood though neither interpretation want its Patrons as finding in their execution of that Function whereunto they were now call'd and we do not read of any new Ordination of them afterwards little agreement with the Office of a Bishop it being limited to some particular Church and less with that of a Presbyter which gave him neither power of Ordaining nor yet of Censures both which St. Paul at least is recorded to have exercised and that indifferently in any part of the World Besides that it seems too much below the Eminency of an Apostle though the Schoolmen be not ashamed to fasten all their seven Orders upon our Saviour Christ himself to be tyed to those Gradations now when the Spirit was poured out upon all Flesh which were only necessary for the succeeding Christian Church wherein the Gifts of the holy Ghost were in great part to be supplied by Mans endeavour This Apostleship therefore being conferr'd upon them immediately like faithful Stewards they applied themselves diligently to the Performance of their charge And being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed And when they were at Salamis they preached the word of God in the Synagogues of the Jews In the former part of which words we have laid down their commission for this great Function in these words Being sent forth by the Holy Ghost In the latter we have expressed their Exercise of that Function Synechdochically layed down in these words They departed and preached the word of God in the Synagogues of the Jews Their Commission is twofold First Internal from the Holy Ghost expressed in the text sent forth by the Holy Ghost Secondly External from the Church implied by the connexion of this with the former verse They on whom the Prophets had layed their hands They were sent forth by the Holy Ghost Which Commission from the Church if we again consider with Reflection upon this from the Holy Ghost we may observe by way of Deduction the joynt concurrence of the one with the other or the certain effect of this Imposition of hands the gift of the Holy Ghost In or from the 2. part I shall shew you that the duty of such as are thus Commissioned by the Holy Ghost and by the Church is Preaching and what that Preaching was is or ought to be But before I enter upon the particulars named because the text hath been otherwise by some interpreted it will be very requisite that I give you some account of the exposition that I mean to follow For There are who contend that Ordination is nothing concerned in this place that Paul and Barnabas were not by this Imposition of hands admitted to any degree Ministerial but only received it in way of