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A04417 Christ on his throne. Or, Christs church-government briefly laid downe and how it ought to bee set up in all Christian congregations. Resolved in sundry cases of conscience. Burton, Henry, 1578-1648, attributed name. 1640 (1640) STC 14541; ESTC S107732 25,100 92

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upon the Priest And even many Protestants are of opinion that Ordination cannot be performed but by a Prelate or at least by Ministers onely as without whose imposition of hands it were no Ordination or as if it did confer such an order Whereas the prime and proper conferring of this Order is by Christ himselfe inwardly calling and gifting a man for the work of the Ministry Secondly then what is that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ordaining and appointing of Ministers and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Imposition of hands which the Scripture speakes of I answer {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifying properly a stretching out of the hand it was used either in lifting up of the hands in token of sufferage in election of officers or in stretching out of the hand upon the head of the man chosen for confirmation Also when it was used by the Apostles it pleased God to bestow therwith the gifts of the holy Ghost and on some recovery of health This was very frequent in the Apostles times But afterwards in successive ages there was no such gift annexed to the laying on of hands Secondly Therefore it was of use according to its antient and ordinary custome in sufferages in elections of officers to declare assent and approbation of those for such and such places when after prayer hands were layd on them But by whom was this Imposition of hands used at the choice of Ministers I answer By those who gave their sufferages or votes to the election and those were sometimes the congregation it selfe and sometime others at their request joyning with them as we reade Act. cap. 6. 5 6. And all Ecclesiasticall stories tell us that antiently the election of Ministers was by every congregation respectively So as to them also of right belonged the laying of their hands as a token of their approbation and confirmation of him that was so chosen to that office And though we reade in one place That the Apostle layd his hands upon Timothy as 2 Tim. 1. 6. yet in another we reade as 1 Tim. 4. 14. that the Presbyterie layd their hands upon him Which Presbyterie comprehends as well the Elders of the people as those of the Ministry Accordingly wee exclude not the Elders or Ministers of other neighboring congregations from joyning in that worke for assistance especially in prayer for a blessing upon the new chosen Minister For so farre must we be from excluding any in this kinde that wee highly commend consociation and communication of gifts for assistance where it may be conveniently had Onely reserving to each congregation that peculiar interest and right which every true Church of Christ hath in chusing their owne Ministers and other Church officers And this stands with good reason for not onely antiquity both in and from the Apostles times pleadeth for this but even naturall reason and equity For reason willeth that such as chuse should ratifie Secondly Those who give the maintenance should chuse the Officer Thirdly Who have commonly better Ministers than those Congregations that upon good advice and counsell chuse them themselves Fourthly Where is greater love betweene Minister and people than where the liberty of such a choyce is enjoyed Fiftly What vertue at any time doth a Prelates imposition of hands adde to Ministers so ordained by him Or what bee those Ministers whom Prelates usually place over the people And I would aske any reasonable Christian whether hee would not rather have the approbation prayer and imposition of hands of the poorest godly man than of the most glorious Prelate Yea though hee were stiled even Grace it selfe For as James saith The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much It is not sayd The prayer of a great or learned man CASE XII How far may and ought true reformed Christian Congregations to hold communion among themselves and with other Reformed Churches FOr answer in generall First in generall it is agreeable to good and approved examples in Scripture to make firme leagues and faithfull Covenants for the maintenance of the true faith and religion of Christ See for this 2 Chron. 15. 12 13. and Chapter 34. 31 32 33. Ezra 10. 3 Nehem. cap. 9. 38. Severally in particular It stands both with Christian piety and prudence for all the members of a particular Church or congregation to enter into a firme covenant among themselves to maintain a holy communion together in the profession of the truth and practise of a holy life as becommeth the communion of Saints Thirdly It stands with the like Christian piety and prudence to hold a sweet and inviolable bond and communion with all other churches or congregations rightly constituted as we conceive according to Christs ordinance and walking according unto it Fourthly If there be any Christian Churches that doe in some small circumstances differ from us in that forme of government which wee conceive and beleeve Christ hath set up in his Word so as therein they may seem to come short of that exactnesse that is required nor yet are able to attaine unto it either in regard of some outward difficultie or human imperfection and frailty the judgement being as yet not fully enlightned and perswaded concerning which the Apostles rule is Let every man bee fully perswaded in his owne minde wee do notwithstanding not with-hold from them the right hand of fellowship but hold communion with them as the churches of Christ they holding the Orthodox Truth and the substance of the government which is suteable to the Church of Christ and joyning with us against the Common Adversaries of the Gospell concluding with that excellent saying of our Savior Christ They that are not against us are on our part The EPILOGVE or Conclusion HAving thus freely and faithfully though briefely as the present straits of time would permit declared what I have and doe conceive and beleeve concerning Christs kingdome and that forme and frame of the government thereof in his Church as I finde it recorded in the Scripture whereof I am in my conscience fully perswaded as my earnest prayer and trust is That Christ by his spirit and Word will leade his into all truth necessary to salvation so my hope is that however perhaps those things which I have here delivered according to the simplicity of my conscience will not so bee relished of all but that they wil seem bitter especially to the ignorant and carnall minded who savour not the things of Christ yet my confidence is that all the wise hearted and wel affected to Iesus Christ For If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ that is love not to have Iesus Christ set up as Lord over their soules let him be Anathema Maranatha will embrace Christs yoke and to the uttermost of their power labour to advance his throne in all Churches or if that through Sathans malice cannot bee effected yet that they will set him up as sole Lord and King over their owne soules and so will joyne in communion with all those that doe or shall desire heere to serve Iesus Christ according to that purity of conscience which is required in every true Christian as the Apostle professed of himselfe and in that way wherein the name of Christ shall bee most magnified and his kingdome exalted heere on earth And this shall the better be done if a Law be made this present Parliament that as Antichrists kingdome in the Prelacy shall and must be cast out so Christs kingdom may bee freely set up in this kingdome while his people even as many as will are suffered freely to enjoy Christs Ordinances in their puritie and so may at length recover that Christian liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and for which his precious bloud was poured forth and whereof this Land by the Hierarchy hath beene till now deprived it being our hearts desire rather to live under Christs governement in this our owne native Countrey than for want thereof bee forced to flye into forreigne parts where how can wee so sweetely enjoy Christ without the bitter remembrance of our Native Soile which wee shall never cease to wish worse unto than to our owne Soules FINIS Acts 15. 16. Ezra 5. 6. Nehem. 4. Cum reflavit affligimur Cic. So D. Hall in his Booke of Episcopacie 2 Thess. 2. 7. Mat. 19. 3. Mat. 7. 17. Mat. 15. 13. Mat. 12. 33. 2 Ti. 1. 13. 3. 16. Phil. 3. 15 16 Ier. 23. 32. Mat. 18. 17. 1 Cor. 5. Mat. 15. 9. Ecc. 29. 13. Col. 2. 8. 18. Vol. 2. p. 667. print ed. 1631 Gal. 4. 9 10. Col. 2. 16. Gal. 5. 1. 1 Thess. 5. 1 Cor. 14. 15 * Ier. Heb. 12. 1 Sam. 1 King 1 pet. 5. 4. 1 Pet. 2. 25. Rom. 8. Act. 26. a Act. 20. Tit. 1. 5. 7. b Eph. 4. 11. c Luke 1. 2. 2 Cor. 11. 23. d Luk. 10. 7. 1 Cor. 3. 9. Act. 6. 4. Mat. 28. 20. Act. 20. 7. Mat. 20. 25 26. Heb. 13. 17. Quest Answ. Act. 15. Act. 15. 28. Act. 15. 21. Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 14. * D. Hall in his Episcopacy by Divine right Act. 8. 17. Mar. 16. 18. Iam. 5. 16. Mark 9. 40. 1 Cor. 16. 22. 2 Tim. 1. 3.