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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53660	A plea for Scripture ordination, or, Ten arguments from Scripture and antiquity proving ordination by presbyters without bishops to be valid by J.O. ... ; to which is prefixt an epistle by the Reverend Mr. Daniel Williams.	Owen, James, 1654-1706.; Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716.	1694 (1694)	Wing O708; ESTC R32194	71,514	212

into Swords and makes Ambassadors of Peace to become Heralds of War and the Fathers of Vnity Sons of Discord Of all Divisions those amongst Ministers have the saddest tendency of all the Divisions of Ministers those that concern their Ministerial Call are the most destructive It is not strange that Romish Priests should Condemn all Reformed Ministers without distinction that the spurious Offspring of the Scarlet Whore should conspire against the Seed of the Woman that the Ministers of Antichrist should reject the Ministers of Christ. Their unmerited Condemnation is our Convincing Justification But that which administers just cause of Sorrow is to behold Protestant Ministers uncharitably Arraigning one another Some unthinking Dissenters ignorantly condemn all that are Ordained by Bishops as no Ministers of Christ not considering that thereby they nullifie their own Baptism which most of them received from Episcopal Ministers if they are but meer Lay-men their Baptism is no Baptism and ought to be repeated in the Judgment of many This Principle naturally leads to Anabaptism On the other hand some Dignitaries of the Church of England condemn all that are not Ordained by Bishops as no Ministers and so they Anathematize all the Reformed Churches that have no Bishops they affirm their Ministry and Sacraments to be meer Nullities and that there is no Salvation to be had in their Communion and therefore that it is safer to continue in the Roman Church as if the empty Name of a Bishop were more necessary to Salvation then an interest in the great Bishop of our Souls the Lord Jesus and an Idolatrous Heretical Church under the Conduct of Antichristian Bishops were preferrable to an Evangelical Orthodox Church without them But these severe Judges that pass a damnatory Sentence upon the greatest if not the best part of the Reformed Churches are worthily deserted by all sober and moderate Church-men Others of that Communion own Ordination by Presbyters without Bishops to be valid but they look upon them as Schismatical where Bishops may be had We have no Controversie with these about the validity of Ordination by Presbyters but about the Charge of Schism which we conceive falls upon the Imposers of unscriptural Conditions of Ordination Others allow Ordinations by Presbyters in the Forreign Churches who have no Bishops but they Censure such Ordinations for Nullities where Bishops may be had as in England Our present Controversie is with these For the stating of the Point in difference we 'l consider 1. Wherein we are agreed 2. Wherein the real difference lies Our Agreement We agree 1. That Christ hath appointed a Ministry in his Church A Gospel Ministry is not of Humane but of Divine Original It belongs to Jesus Christ to institute what sort of Officers must serve in his House 2. We agree that the Ministry is a standing Office to continue in the Christian Church to the end of Time Matth. 28.19 20. 3. That no Man ought to take upon him the Sacred Office of a Minister of the Word without a lawful Calling or Mission Rom. 10.14 15. Ier. 14.14 Heb. 5.4 4. That Ordination is always to be continued in the Church Tit. 1.5 1 Tim. 5.21 22. 5. That Ordination is the Solemn setting apart of a Person to some Publick Church-Office 6. That every Minister of the Word is to be Ordained by Imposition of Hands and Prayer with Fasting Acts 13. 3. 1 Tim. 5.22 7. That he who is to be Ordained Minister must be duly qualified both for Life and Ministerial Abilities according to the Rules of the Apostle 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.6 7 8 9. In these things which comprehend all the Essentials of the Ministry whatever more we are fully agreed The main difference is about the Persons Ordaining We say Ordination may be perform'd by meer Presbyters Some of our Brethren of the Episcopal Persuasion say That no Ordinations are valid but such as are done by Diocesan Bishops The common Cry against Protestant dissenting Ministers is That they are no true Ministers of Christ but Intruders and false Prophets And why so Not because they are not Orthodox in their Doctrine for they have subscribed all the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England Nor can they charge them with Insufficiency or Scandal for they are generally Persons of approved Abilities exemplary Conversations and great Industry in the Lord's Vineyard who seek not their own things but the things of Christ. They are willing to be tried by the Characters of Gospel Ministers Where lies the defect then why in this they are not Ordained by Bishops They derive not their Power from such Diocesans as pretend to an uninterrupted Succession down from the Apostles They were Ordained by meer Presbyters that have not the Ordaining Power and none can communicate that to another which he hath not in himself Our Case then in short is this Whether Ordination by meer Presbyter's without Diocesan Bishops be valid The Question needs but little Explanation By Ordination I mean the setting of Persons apart by Imposition of Hands for the Sacred Office of the Ministry By Presbyters I understand Gospel Ministers who are called to the Oversight of Souls and to whom the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed By Diocesan Bishops I intend that Species of Church Officers which claim to themselves a Superior Power of Order and Jurisdiction above Presbyters and to be the sole Pastors of several hundreds of Congregations having Parish Priests under them who have no Power of Discipline in the Church By valid I mean not what the Old Canons make so but what the Scriptures determine to be so Those Sacred Oracles which are of Divine Inspiration and not Arbitrary Canons of weak Men's devising are the Foundation of our Faith and the infallible Standard by which Truth and Errour must be tried The Question being thus explained I affirm That such as are set apart with Imposition of Hands for the Office of the Ministry by Gospel Ministers without the Species of Church Officers who claim a superior Power over Presbyters are regularly Ordained and their Ordination is valid according to the Scriptures This Truth I hope to demonstrate by the following Arguments CHAP. II Presbyters have power to Ordain because they are Scripture Bishops The Syriac Translation useth not different Names If there be a difference the prebeminence belongs to the Presbyter Objection concerning Timothy and Titus answered 1. The Iesuits urge this against the Protestants 2. The Scripture doth not call them Bishops 3. The Government of Ephesus was in the Presbyters of that Church 4. St. Paul doth not mention Timothy in his Epistle to the Ephesians as he doth in other Epistles 5. When St. Paul took his last leave of them he made no mention of Timothy for his Successor though he were present 6. He did not reside at Ephesus 7. Ephesus no Diocesan Church but a Parochial or Congregational The Asian Angels no Diocesan Bishops Prov'd from the extent of the Asian Churches from

between God and them as cloathed with the Authority of Ambassadors delegated by Christ thereto and supportted by his Presence and Power in our Administrations The Lord Iesus as Head of the Church promiseth and dispenseth Gifts suitable to the Ministerial Office and renders them so essential thereto as that none can be duly admitted to this Trust who are not in some good degree fit to teach divide the Word aright convince Gain-sayers yea credibly appearing devoted to God and concerned for the Salvation of Men. No Ordainers can dispense with the want of these nor is the Ministerial Office conveighed by the greatest Solemnities to any Man void of these Qualifications though the best accomplished may awfully say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. 16. The same holy Instituter of this Office ●ath wisely provided against Intruders and also for the encouragement of such as are capable by subjecting Probationers ordinarily to the Enquiry and Iudgment of Men fit and authorized to determine of their Call and Endowments and to invest them in the Office of a Presbyter by Fasting and Prayer with imposition of Hands the Authority and Obligations of which Office are in the Scriptures adjusted by Christ and can admit of no Change at the Will of the Ordainers Reason directs that the Ordainers should be fit to judge of the necessary Qualifications of such as are proposed to this Charge The Scriptures determine that the Ordainers be such as are invested and exercised in the same holy Office And who so capable to judge or likely to be careful and faithful in their Admissions These are appointed to make a Minister though Churches are to elect who so approved shall be their Minister Pastors invest in the Office though the People do appropriate the more stated and usual Employment of the Officer Confusion and a degenerate Ministry must ensue Mens attempting the Ministry if they get but a good conceit of themselves or that particular Churches assume the sending forth Preachers or making Ministers for themselves unless in Cases very extraordinary The Reverend Author in the following Treatise hath no design to reflect on Episcopal Ordination nor to raise any unseasonable Debates among Protestants But being in a peculiar manner assaulted as an Vsurper of the Ministerial Office because separated thereto by the imposition of no Hands besides those of Presbyters He herein affirms and I think with great Iudgment and Evidence proveth That Presbyters though no Prelates are authorized by the Lord Iesus to Ordain fit Persons to the Office of Presbyters and that the Ordination of such is valid Many have successfully engaged in this Debate heretofore yet thou wilt find some very considerable Addition to what occurs in most other Authors It 's not unworthy the Animadversion of all concerned for the meer being of Religion that there is a general Attempt this day not only against the Exercise of the Ministry in an aptitude to its end but against the very Office of the Ministry many that widely differ in other things do yet center herein The fordwardness of some to nullifie the Mission of their Brethren conduceth as much thereto as any thing except the Personal Faults of Ministers Such decisions of the Subject in debate yields no small Advantage to the Romish Hierarchy whiles most Protestants are unchurched and their Holy Administrations arraigned as Nul●ities A Notion that never obtained in the English Church till the Grotian design received Patronage here and that to subserve purposes as little propitious to our Civil Rights as to Religion it self The Increase of Purity Self-denial Light and Love would soon decide Cases more important and render the Vitals of Christianity more secure which are now so variously exposed Octob. 14. 1693. I am thy Servant in our common Lord Daniel Williams ERRATA PAge 65. l. 4. r. Writers ibid. l. 18. r. occasionally p. 91. l. 2. r. excluduntur p. 100. l. 7. r. 100. Through a Mistake of the Printer Chap. VI. Is made Chap. V. and Chap. VII is made Chap. VI. and so unto the end of the Book So Arg. V. is made Arg. IV. and Arg. VI. is made Arg. V. and so forward unto the last A PLEA FOR Scripture Ordination c. CHAP. I. The Vse and Efficacy of the Ministry It 's opposed by open Violence false Teachers Divisions the last of which occasioned the present Vndertaking The Case of Ordination by Presbyters stated THE Ministry of Reconciliation is that powerful Engine by which the strong Holds of Satan are demolished the Gates of Hell broken down Sin 's Captives reduced and Trophies erected in honour of the victorious Prince of Peace The Dispensation of the Gospel is the Glory of Nations the Support of Christianity the Shield of Truth and the Triumph of the Cross. By this despised means Christ divides him a portion with the great and shares the spoil with the strong by the foolishness of Preaching he confounds the Wise and by weak earthen Vessels he breaks the Iron-Scepter of the Prince of the Power of the Air. For this reason it is that Gospel Ministers are so much opposed in the world while the Prince of Darkness hath a Kingdom in it he 'l bend all his Forces against them as Invaders of his Dominions and irreconcilable Enemies to his usurped Regiment Many and various are his Serpentine Devices and repeated Stratagems to render their Endeavours of winning Souls ineffectual Sometimes he assaults them by open Violence he pours upon them the strength of Battel to the disgracing of their Persons the spoiling of their Goods the infringing of their Liberties and the sacrificing of their very Lives to the insatiable Rage of unreasonable Men. They are killed all the day long and accounted as sheep for the slaughter and yet in all these things are more then Conquerors through him that loved them and hath promised his Presence with them to the end of Time He holds the Stars in his right Hand guides their Motions and restores a declining World by their powerful Influences Their restless Adversary failing in his former method transforms himself into an Angel of Light that he may more insensibly destroy the Angels of the Churches What he cannot effect by Power he will attempt by Craft He 'l send forth his daring Emissaries to undermine Preaching by Preaching Thus the Adversaries of Iudah offered to build the Temple that they might hinder the building of it St. Paul's Enemies preached Christ of envy and strife that they might obstruct his sincere Preaching The Devil himself turns Preacher in the Pythonic Woman to scandalize the Apostle's Ministry He emits Wolves in Sheeps cloathing to tear and devour the unwary Flock If he be defeated in this Attempt he 'l make trial of skill in as pernicious a way as either of the former to wit by alienating their Affections and imbittering their Spirits towards one another He arms them with Weapons that are forreign to the nature of their warfare he turns their Plow-shares