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A94219 A balm to heal religions wounds applied in a serious advice to sober-minded Christians that love the truth, and are well-wishers to reformation : in answer to The pulpit guard routed, lately set forth by one Thomas Collier ... / by Richard Saunders ... Saunders, Richard, d. 1692. 1652 (1652) Wing S755A; ESTC R42466 75,152 187

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that Bishops are Antichristian simply considered We all say their Lordly power which they assumed to themselves over other Ministers was Antichristian not the Calling of Bishops consider it simply as it signifies no other then the calling of a * Which is the true ancient sence of the word Bishop Pastour or Elder He might know if he were not willfully blind that those that have pleaded against the Lordly power of Bishops have constantly affirmed that the calling and office of a Bishop and a Pastour or Elder are one and the same and so that Power which they usurped over their Brethren was Antichristian and nothing else But secondly he adds The outward calling you have from them The P. G. Routed and can they give you that they have not themselves A Paradox He should have proved that the Bishops had not the outward calling of Ministers Reply Though Christ never called them to that superintendency over their fellow-Ministers which they took to themselves yet he called many of them to the office of Ministers and in that respect they might ordaine and approve others to that office This he ha's nothing to say to unlesse a confident dictate in the next page in answer to this That Bishops were Ministers and Ordained not as Lord Bishops but as Presbyters To this he sayes You juggle with the businesse The P. G. Routed c. Who knows not that not long since the name of Presbyter was a stranger among us and to your selves too Who knowes not Reply There is no man that is not as blind and ignorant as The P. G. Routed is but knows that the name of Presbyter was ever as frequent among men of knowledge as that of Bishop and knowne to be the name of Ministers of the Gospel and so used though his ignorance makes him so bold as to say we were strangers to it Hardly any that have written of the Ministry but have used this name or title more or lesse to signifie Ministers in office So that we doe not new name Bishops in calling them Presbyters as he affirms we give them their old name which they had before ever Lord Bishops were known 'T is knowne that in former ages of the Church a Bishop was onely as the Chair-man of the Eldership not having any power over the rest Now as such not in respect of the additionall power which by favour of Princes they got into did they ordaine our Ministers This is no juggling I hope but plaine enough for any to understand Whereas he sayes The P. G. Routed Why is not Episcopos as good Scripture as ancient as honourable as Presbyteros an Elder I answer who sayes but it is Answ Therefore we allow both the name and office of a Bishop as he is the same with a Preaching Elder But this he suggesteth to perswade his unwary Reader that our Ministers do deny that they were Ordained by Bishops as Bishops when as 't is only denied that they were ordained by them as Lord Bishops If this be not a cheating trick to deceive the weak let any man judge But he adds If they were Ministers and so ordained you The P. G. Routed you have done ill to Preach them downe as Antichristian And so to lay them aside as no Ministers Who ever did so Answ unlesse such rash spirits as himselfe Is it not knowne that those that were faithfull and godly among them have been and still are lookt upon as Ministers And do Preach Christ and that too by appointment of Authority in this Nation I am sure they did not long since * Dr. Hall Dr. Vsher others and if not dead do yet and yet see how impudently he vaunts upon this account Where is your call from them now Notwithstanding his confidence those Bishops that were godly were never denied to be true Ministers though they were justly spoken against in respect of their usurped power They sinned in taking that power to themselves that Christ never gave them but that did not make void that ministeriall power which they had from Christ by vertue of which they ordained and appointed other Ministers Whereas 't is moreover urged against him That the Power of the Presbytery is onely Ministeriall whereby it testifies declares and approves of those whom God approves and calls This I perceive by his answer he doth not understand and therefore I shall help him a little according to my apprehension of it because indeed it makes very much to the clearing of this Question Wherefore take notice that the Presbytery doe not give the Ministers authority to him That is from God who appoints officer in his Church for the edification and comfort thereof The Presbytery do only testifie and declare after they have proved and examined that such and such are approved and called of God that so they may be Ministers and in authority unto the Church and may give themselves to the work of the Ministry with more freedome having such a Seal to their Mission Now it being so that the authority and office descends to our Ministers from Christ and their Ordination by the Presbytery is but their Ministeriall testifying to the same if that which is testified of our Ministers be reall and true that is if they be men that have an inward call from Christ the corruption of those that did approve and testifie cannot at all make void their office So that those that are really gifted and are faithfull among our Ministers for I plead only for such are true Ministers of Christ notwithstanding some spots of Antichristianisme if you will call it so not then discovered to them did stick upon those that did testifie declare and appoint them to be Ministers For that blemish which stuck on the Ordainers could no way redound to them that were Ordained any further then they did approve the same in them and therefore now can redound nothing at all to such as have condemned and publiquely declared against the same as our faithfull Ministers have done This is a thing of speciall note as to the clearing of the controversie in hand and though Mr Hall gives a sufficient hint of it yet The P. G. Routed passes it over as though he understood it not when indeed I rather think 't is because he could not tell what to say to it Onely you may find some of the froth of his unsanctified spirit swimming on the top of the 98th page which you must take as his answer in these words If in some The P. G. Routed pride covetousnesse ignorance malice treachery bloodthirstinesse c. in others loosnesse of life prophanenesse drunkennesse whoring c. may delare men to be called of God You speaking of the Ministers of England have so much to say for your selves as any people in the World This is to perswade Answ and make the world beleeve that our Ministers have no inward call from God But how notoriously false