declare what we mean by preaching of the Word and from thence premise some few distinctions which well considered of might put an end to this whole controversie By the Preaching of the Word we understand an authoritative explication and application of Scripture for exhortation edification and comfort to a Congregation met together for the solemn worship of God in the stead and place of Christ and we desire that every branch of this description may be well weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary The Subject of Preaching is the Word of God Mat. 28.19 Let him that hath my word speak my word faithfully Jer. 23.28 This is that sound doctrine and form of sound words which the Apostle enjoyns Timothy and Titus to hold fast And themselves and Christ himself taught no other things then were written in Moses and the Prophets c. This work is the explication and application of this word As Ezra read in the Book of the Law and gave the sense and caused all Israel to understand Neh. 8.8 And it is to this which Paul presseth Timothy when he exhorts him to shew himself a workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth 2 Tim. 2.15 The end of this work is the exhortation edification and comfort of the Church 1 Cor. 14.2 which is the profitable use of all Scripture 2 Tim. 3.16 The object of this work is a Congregation met together for the Solemn worship of God 1 Cor. 14.23 when you are come together into one place It is true that the word ought to be preach'd to Infidels Mat. 28. Mar. 16. Go into all the world but the principall object of this work is the Church Prophecy is not i. not so much for them that beleeve not but for them that beleeve 1 Cor. 14.22 Hence it is that God hath sâ—t his Officers in the Church 1 Cor. 12.28 For the Church Eph. 4.12 The manner of the doing of this work is 1 Authoritatively not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magisterially as Lords of Faith but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministerially as being over the Church in the Lord 1 Thes. 5.12 Thus is Titus enjoyned Tit. 2.15 These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all command Secondly In the stead and place of Christ Thus the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. We beseech you as if God did beseech you we pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God and hence it is that Christ saith to his Disciples Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me c. From hence First We distinguish between a private brotherly teaching admonition exhortation of one another and an authoritative publique teaching The first grounded on charity is the common duty of all Christians by the royall Law of love and prescribed to all even to women by the Law of God under pain of sin and this especially in evil times This practise we are far from disallowing or discouraging we call God to witnesse it would be the joy of our hearts to see our people full of knowledge and full of goodnesse able and willing to admonish one another with prudence love zeal and a spirit of meeknesse and this we exhort and charge in the name of Christ that they neglect not It is authoritative teaching only which we deny Secondly We distinguish between the teaching of parents and Masters in their Families to which also the teaching of School-masters may be reduced and Ministeriall preaching We call upon Parents Masters School-masters not only to bring their Families and Scholars to publike Ordinances but to make their Houses the Churches of Christ To reade the Scriptures in them to catechize them to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to teach them in their youth in the trade of their way as they will answer it at that great day And unto this duty we exhort even mothers but we deny unto them Ministeriall Preaching Thirdly We distinguish between the exhortation of a General in the head of an Army and of a Judge in his charge upon the Bench and preaching the Word of God Though we deny not the lawfulness of the one or the other of the two former because we have the approved examples of Ioab 2 Sam. 10. Of Abijah 2 Chro. 13. Of Iehosaphat 2 Chro. 19.20 Ioshua Cha. 23.24 yet we say First That properly thus to do was the Ministers work for thus the Lord prescribes Deut. 20.2 And it shall be when ye are come nigh unto the battell that the Priâ—st shall approach and speak to the people and shall say unto them Hear O Israel as it follows ver 3. And thus Iehosaphaâ— practiseth 2 Chron. 19. where he joyns Priests and Levites to the Judges whom he sends abroad in all the Cities of Iudah Secondly We say that there is a vast difference between this action and the work of the Ministry for neither is the object of it a Congregation sacred but meerly civill neither is the authority Ecclesiasticall and from Christ but meerly politicall These Officers perform this work as Custodes utriusque â—abâ—lae and their work is rather reducible to a charitative admonition then a ministeriall dispensation Should it not be done by them their sin was rather against charity then justice and ceased not to discharge the duty of a Generall or a Judge though they ceased to do the duty of a Christian Generall or a Christian Judge Fourthly We distinguish between Divinity-exercises in the Schools and University and the Preaching of the Word For though these Lectures are performed either only by such as have received Ordination and arâ— Ministers of the Gospel or such aâ— are Candidates of the Ministry either Prophets or the Sons of the Prophets and so not wholly without Commission yeâ— are they not performed to a Congregation met together for the solemn worship of God They are rather reducible to the work of School-maâ—â—ers instructing their Scholars and Scholars rendring account to their Masters then ministerial preaching Fifthly We distinguish between the act of members in any sacred or civil Assembly debating counselling and admonishing one another out of the Word of God and the preaching of the Word Because this action of theirs towards one another is not authoritative but meerly brotherly is rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Christian conference then preaching and no other then private Christians met together by mutual consent may perform neither is their meeting such a one as is the Object of preaching of which we speak Sixthly Before we proceed to argument we desire it may be observed that we dispute not what may be done in extraordinary cases either in regard of times or places where Ordination may not possibly be had whether in such a case private gifted men may not preach we do not dispute Davids necessity made it lawfull for him and his men to eat the shew-bread which it was not lawfull for any but only the Priests to eat but our
are not meant women simply but Women-Prophetesses in opposition to men-Prophets formerly spoken of This seems to be intimated in the words of the Text Let your Women keep silence in the Church i. your prophesying women That there were women that did prophesie appears from Act. 21.9 Now the Apostle doth inhibit all women-Prophetesses from prophesying in the Church It is not permitted to them of what rank soever to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the Law Thus also 1 Tim. 2.12 But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man These Prophetesses might teach in private but nature it self forbids them to usurp authority over the man by teaching him in publique Object But doth not the Apostle say 1 Cor. 11.5 Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head It seems by this Text that the women did pray and prophesie in publique Answ. Women are said to pray and prophesie not by doing so actually in their own persons but by joyning with men in praying and prophesying And the meaning of the Text is Every woman that joyneth in praying or prophesying Thus Solomon is said to offer 120000. sheep not in his own person but by joyning with the Priests that did it Thus Pilate is said to scourge Jesus which he did not do in his own person but by his Officers Object 4. These Prophets were to be tried examined and judged ver 32. And therefore they were not Officers extraordinarily inspired Answ. 1. It follows not Their doctrine might be tried therefore they were not extrordinary Officers or immediatly inspired for the Apostles were extraordinary Officers as is confessed and yet their doctrines were to be tried The Bereaus are commended for it Act. 17.11 Ans. 2. Those who were extraordinarily inspired thoug◠they could not erre so far forth as they were inspired by the holy Ghost yet might sometimes in some particular cases give an answer out of their own hearts in which they might erre and be deceived Such was the case of Samuel when he saw Eliab 1 Sam. 16. Doubtlesse the Lords anointed is before me but it was not so Thus Nathan permitteth and encourageth David to build the Temple 2 Sam. 7. but herein he was mistaken Act. 21.4 The foretelling of Pauls danger at Ierusalem was from God But the consequence drawn from hence by the prophesying Disciples that therefore he should not go up to Ierusalem was from their own spirit Vide Bezam Object 2. A second Objection is taken from 1 Pet. 4.10 11. As every man hath receivid the gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth c. From hence is inferred that every man that is gifted may lawfully Preach the Word though he be not called and solemnly set apart to this work Answ. To this we reply 1. That we heartily assent to this Truth That every man that hath received a gift of God ought to improve it to the good of others And we limit not the word Gift in the Text as some do only to the gift of liberality though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sometimes put for that gift as 1 Cor. 16.3.2 Cor. 8.4 6 7. but extend it as Oecumenius not only to the possession of riches but to all endowments of nature which whosoever is possessed of is bound to communicate to those that want them as having received them of God to be thus distributed yea and with Piscator Calvin Bullinger and others to all spirituall gifts as knowing that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one for the profit of the whole and mindefull of the heavy sentence pronounced upon the slothfull servant who hid his Talent in a Napkin Mat. 25. 2. But we assert That these spirituall gifts are to be exercised by every one in his own sphere by private persons privately by those that are in Office publikely and in the Congregation It is very observable that Aquila and Priscilla private persons yet of eminent gifts insomuch as they knew the way of Christ more perfectly then Apollos himself who was an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures kept their own place and whereas Apollos being a Minister in Office as appears 1 Cor. 3.5 preached publiquely in the Synagogues they as gifted Christians did not undertake to preach publikely but took him to them and privately expounded to him the way of God more perfectly Act. 18. This is a notable patern for private Christians even of the highest form to walk by In this way they may finde emploiment for all their gifts in this way they may honour God and be promoters of the Gospel as were those women whom the Apostle honours with the Title of Labourers with him in the Gospel Phil. 4.3 They laboured not by publike preaching for this the Apostle permits not to women 1 Tim. 2. but by private advertisements and admonitions as opportunities were administred 3. Therefore it follows not that because all gifts are to be improved therefore a gifted brother may preach for first there are other waies of making use of our most excellent gifts then by preaching only and secondly It is required in him that will preach warrantably not only that he be fitted for the work but that he be appointed to the Office of the Ministry as hath been before fully demonsttated and therefore that we do not the same work twice we here supersede Object But doth not the Apostle in the 11. verse where he saith If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God warrant every man that hath the gift of speaking publikely to the edification of the Congregation to preach publikely provided he speak as the Oracles of God Answ. We answer negatively those words permit not every gifted man to be a Preacher but direct every Preacher in the right dispensation of that weighty Office Calvin excellently upon these words He that speaketh observes Qui publicâ authoritate rite ordinatus est He that by publike authority is rightly ordained to speak Let him speak as the Oracles of God And Estius Qui ad hujusmodi munus in Ecclesiâ vocatur He that is called in the Church to this work let him speak as the Oracles of God And thus some restrain the word Gift in the 10th verse As every man hath received a gift i. an Office even so minister c. and that not with out probability for it is evident that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are taken sometimes in Scripture not for gifts simply but for an Office as Rom. 12.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having gifts which the Apostle in the verses following expounds of Offices So also 1 Tim. 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neglect not the
are of his Houshold Though all other Saints may be called Stewards of the manifold grace of God according to the proportion of the gifts and talents which they have received for their Lords use and so every man must give an account of his Stewardship even for civil gifts and common graces yet neither are all men nor all Saints as such any where stiled by the holy Ghost to be Stewards of the Mysteries of God as the Ministers of Christ are And it is one peculiar Argument which the holy Ghost useth why the Bishop must be eminently blamelesse above other Saints because he is so to carry himself in Gods House as one who in a speciall way is the Steward of God 6. They are called Preachers by way of Office or Gods Heralds though others may know and speak the same things viz· These authoritatively are sent forth to proclaim the minde of the Lord. 7. They are called Embassadors for Christ God hath given to them the Ministry of Reconciliation and hath committed to them the Word of Reconciliation 8. They are Super-intendents and Overseers of the Flock and if they had no such Office then in the discharge of this work they might be charged to be Busie-bodies And so we shall call this a sin which God Almighty hath charged upon them as their duty 9. They are called Stars in Christs right hand 10. The Angels of the Churches and our Lord himself doth clearly distinguish betwixt the seven Stars in the Church and the seven golden Candlesticks which are seven Churches he evidently puts a difference betwixt the Churches and the Angels set in them and over them in the Lord. The third Argument is drawn from the Lords speciall care in requiring peculiar gifts and qualifications in Persons so distinguished and designed for this work as formerly If the Lord out of his speciall care to the good of the souls of People hath appointed peculiar gifts and qualifications above what is required in all Saints as such in all who enter into the work of the Ministry then the Office of the Ministry is by Divine Instiâ—ution For why should God require such qualifications for an Office if he first had not appointed such an Office Suppose a Parliament should lay down severall qualifications for every man that is to be made a Justice of Peace Doth not this clearly infer that there is such an Office as of a Justice of the Peace But our Lord doth require peculiar gifts and qualifications c. Not only those Moral Theological Christian gifts and graces which are required in all Saints at such as to be blamelesse vigilant sober c. But such qualifications as are peculiar Though gifts as gifts do not alone invest into an Office yet where these are so strictly and peculiarly required they argue that there is an Office God requires 1. That they be apt to teach Saints may be Saints though they be not fitted to teach others It is â— good degree of Saintship when they are swift to hear slow to speak and apt to learn and we could wish the Saints in our times could learn and practise that Lesson but those faithful men to whom the Ministry is to be committed must be apt to teach 2. That they be not only apt but able to teach others also 3. That they be such as holding fast the Word may be able by sound Doctrine to exhort and convince Gainsayers 4. That they be such as stâ—dy to shew themselves approved unto God Workmen that need not be ashamed Rightly dividing the Word of Truth And who then is a faithfull and wise Steward whom the Lord may make Ruler â—ver hiâ— Houshold tâ— give them their portion of meat in due season 5. That these gifts be tried and approved by others for no man can be a competent Judge of his own gifts The Deacons must first be proved and if the Deacons the lowest Officer of the Church must by Divine appointment be first proved before he be admitted to use the Office of a Deacon how much more is this required in the Office of the Ministry which is far higher 6. That those that are to prove and approve observe these things without carnall preferring one before another that they doe nothing by partiality that they lay hands suddenly upon no man and this the Apostle chargeth them with before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and his Elect Angels Now why are all these qualifications required Would not all these injunctions about such an Office be superfluous if such an Office were not by Divine Institution 7. The qualifications are so many the work so eminent the successe so various the Ministry of the Word being to some the savour of life unto life and to others the savour of death unto death that the Apostle in admiration of the difficulty and dignity of this employment crieth out Who is sufficiâ—nt for these things But they who are alienated in their mindes as they snuffe at the service of God and bring the torn and the lame and the sick as if any thing though never so bad were good enough for an Offering to the Lord so they account the work of the Ministry so mean and the Office so contemptible that they say in opposition to the holy Apostle For these things who is not sufficient boldly intrâ—ding themselves into this work without any gifts or qualifications sutable and approved thereunto presuming to be Teachers of the Law and of the Gospel yet not undeâ—standing what they say or whereof they do affirm The fourth Argument From peculiar duties If God require peculiar duties of Ministers which he doth not require of Beleâ—vers as Beleevers then there is such a distinct Office by Divine Institution But God doth require peculiar distinct duties of Ministers 1. They are commanded to take special care of the Church of God to take the oversight of the Flock of God yet not as Lords over Gods Heritage but being examples to the Flock 2. When they have undertaken this work they are charged not to neglect the gift that is in them which was given by the laying on the hands of the Presbytery 3. Wholly to minde this Work and the Office Meditate on these things give themselves wholly to them that their profiting may appear to all It is not reason that they should leave the Word and serve Tables but they must continually give themselves to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word It is true that the work of the Apostles was exceeding great yet it is as true that their gifts were extraordinary and the assistance they had was above measure God testifying to the word of his grace by many signs and wonders Now if the Apostles endued with those transcendent abilities would not suffer themselves to be diverted how much more doth the work of the Ministry challenge the whole man of them whose parts and
Prophets saying Let us go after other gods So in the Apostles times there rose up many false Teachers who desired to be Teachers of the Law understanding not what they say nor whereof they do affirm Who crept into Houses and did leade captive silly Women laden with sin and led away with divers lusts which false Teachers could countenance or at least connive at any errour though never so absurd and destructive to the tenents which themselves professed yet they did ever joyn in resisting the Truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the Faith It was the danger of the Christian Churches planted by the Apostles to be assaulted and deluded by false Teachers among the beleeving Romans there were some to be marked and to be avoided which did cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned and those Seducers did not serve our Lord Iesus Christ but their own bellies and by their good words and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple Among the Corinthians there were False Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvell for Satan though he never change his nature and malice yet he oft alters his habit and pretences and when he cannot prevail as an opposer he turns professour and preacheth and so transformeth himself into an Angel of Light and therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers be transformed as the Ministers of righteousnesse These cried down the Ministry and Apostleship of Paul to set up themselves and their own errours which forced that holy Apostle to insist so largely in defending his Ministry in the 12. Chapter of that Epistle Among the Galatians there were some that troubled them whom Paul wisheth were cut off and these perverted the Gospel of Christ and by whom the Galatians were soon removed from him that called them into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel For even Satan and his messengers when they cannot prevail by their cunningly devised fables Then as Luther observes the Devil hath his Gospel and his agents will broach new truths such as Paul and the rest of the Apostles knew not Among the Ephesians Paul fore-told that after his departure grievous wolves should enter in among them not sparing the flock also of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them And the Apostles have foretold us That in the last times errours shall abound and men shall not only privily as then but even boldly and arrogantly as it is now bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And the most groundlesse errours because more sutable to our depraved natures draw more in a day then the most solid truths can obtain in many years Luther thus complains It is a grief and lamentation that Satan more hinders and wounds the Gospel by his ministers and phanatical spirits then all the Kings Princes and Prelates which with their open force have persecuted it or yet continue in the persecution of it How hard a thing is it to prepare a people for the Lord Ten years are spent before the foundation of a Church is well laid and when it is laid there creeps in some simple and ignorant fanatick that can say and do nothing but rail at Gods faithfull Ministers and this silly idiot in one moment overthrows a work of so many years Whose heart doth not bleed at the thoughts of such a sad disaster And therefore the hearers and followers of Seducers shall multiply many shall follow their pernicious wayes by whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of In the Church of Pergamus There were some who held the doctrine of Balaam and also some that held the doctrine of the Nicholaitans which thing saith God I hate In Thiatyra there was the woman Iezabel though never called of God to any office yet she called her self a Prophetess and who taught and reduced many of Gods servants to commit fornication And in the last dayes the holy Ghost fore-tels expresly That men shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits And therefore the Ministry is and shall be perpetually necessary in the present and future ages And hence it is that Satan and his messengers do so extreamly traduce and vilifie the Ministers of God who withstand their errours and multitudes of men who drive on various interests and scarcely agree in any one thing yet they can all unanimously agree in this to Oppose and so much as in them lies to Extinguish the Ministers and will entertain no thoughts of peace but upon this condition that the Ministers be abolished and then they seem to promise to themselves and others rest as if they would proceed no further which is much like that wherewith Demosthenes refuted Alexander that that league must needs be destructive to the flock wherein the Keepers and Shepherds of the flock must be abandoned And if this be once obtained the people shall soon finde That when the Shepherd is smitten the flock will be scattered Mat. 26.31 Secondly As the need is perpetual and as great in these times as in former so God is careful to provide for the necessities of his Saints as well in the later times as in the former dayes This needs no proof because many rather now think that God neglected all former Saints in comparison to us and so magnifie the Saints of this present age that they either condemn or lightly esteem the generation of righteous men that lived before us But however sure it is that God is tender of his youngest children and that the Primogeniture shall not carry all away If our elder Brethren had a double portion yet God hath provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect However we are sure that the Covenant is the same to us that it was to them Christ the Mediator of the Covenant is the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever The relation of the Church to hi m is tender Acts 9.5 and Christ undertaking is as full a ever so to preserve the Church That the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Thirdly As our need and Gods care are perpetual so the great and sole ordinary means which our Lord in his tender regard to the souls of his hath appointed to heal our nature so corrupt to clear his mysteries which are so high to detect the frauds of Satan which are so prevalent and to counter-work seducers which are so many and so active is the Ministry of the Word For God hath not revealed any other way in Scripture whereby he hath promised to call home his elect effectually to separate them from an evil world to be a peculiar people to himself then by the preaching of the Word Therefore the Ministry is perpetually necessary to bring in
be no Schism in his Body and he hath Ordained the Ministry for this end Till we all come in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. 4. The Saints are to be established in the truth of the Gospel and for this end was the Ministry Ordained That from henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive 5. Besides all these there will alwaies be gainsayers Who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake and their mouths must be stopped therefore the Ministry will be perpetually necessary for the attaining of these ends Obj. If the Ministry of Pastors and Teachers be perpetually necessary for these ends Why then is not the Ministry of the Apostles Prophets and Evangelists perpetuated for all these are one breeding and feeding Ministry which Christ ascending on high set in his Church Ans. Those extraordinary Offices were necessary to plant the Churches to lay the foundation as wise master-builders that all the Saints might be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being the corner-stone but after the foundation was laid it pleased the Father to leave the Ministry in the hands of ordinary Pastors and Teachers that they might build upon the Foundation even as God raised up Moses an extraordinary Prophet to give the Law and then left it to ordinary Teachers both to reade the Law and give the sense thereof for even Moses of old time had in every City them that preached him being read in the Synagogue every Sabbath day so hath the Lord appointed ordinary Teachers and Pastors and hath committed to them the Ministry and hath commanded them to wait on their Ministry and when they Prophesie to Prophesie according to the proportion of faith And as he hath commanded them to fulfill their Ministry which they have received of the Lord so hath he also enjoyned the people to be swift to hear and to esteem them that are over them highly for their works sake If the removall of the Ministry from place to place be threatned by God as one of the saddest curses which can befall a people and the removing or sleighting of it by men be charged upon them as a grievous sin Then the Ministry is perpetually necessary by Divine Institution and to be esteemed a very great blessing but the removall of the Ministry is threatned as one of the saddest curses c. For where there is no vision the people perish they are destroyed for lack of knowledge It was the darknesse of those wofull times before King Asa that Israel had been a long season without a teaching Priest and so without the true God and without the Law The famine of hearing the Word of God is threatned as the worst of famines worse then that of bread and water When God delivered up the Ark into captivity then every one had cause as well as Eli's daughter in Law to cry out Ichabod the glory is departed from Israel As it was thus in the Old Testament so in the New When Christ was greatly provoked by the Jews for their rejecting of him one of the greatest judgements that Christ threatens against them is that the Kingdom of Heaven should be taken from them and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof When people set themselves to discountenance disobey and destroy the Ministry God may justly remove the Candlestick out of his place How are those famous Asian Churches laid desolate The wilde beasts of the desart lie down there their not only houses but Temples are full of dolefull creatures the Owles dwel there and the Satyres dance thâ—re and Mahumetanism hath covered the face of the Eastern parts of the world as Antichrist hath done in the West The Ministry is the hedge of Gods Vineyard which if it be broken down all that passe by the way pluck it the Boar out of the Wood doth wast it and the wilde beasts of the field devour it The Ministers God in mercy hath set as watchmen upon the wals of Ierusalem which shall never hold their peace day or might If they be discountenanced and through carnal fears so dispirited that they are like unto dumb dogs that cannot bark it is a forerunner that the Flock will be devoured by the Wolves and that such a people is near to ruine It was the sin of Ieroboam and though he intended it for establishment yet it became a ruine both to him and to his house that he contemned the Ministry and made Priests of the lowest of the people which were not of the sons of Levi. Ahab and Iezabel persecuted the Prophets of the Lord with the sword and how dolefull was their end when the dogs licked up his blood and eat her flesh It is noted that the contempt of the Ministry and the oppression of the people do frequently go together Asa a good King yet being in rage against the Seer put him in prison and the holy Ghost observes that at the same time he oppressed some of thâ— people It is noted of Amaziah that God had determined to destroy him because he did evil and would not hearken to the Counsel of the Prophet And that great sin for which God abhorred the excellency of Iacob and sent his own people into captivity is expressed to be this that when the Lord had sent to them his Messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place that then they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy And in these daies the way of truth is evil spoken of and there are risen up even among Professors those who are Retainers of a form of godlinesse and yet are despisers of them that are godly who separate themselves being sensual having not the Spirit who despise prophesying and quench the Spirit And one reason why preaching is not so effectual to the bringing in of souls to Christ is because of the many multitudes that frequent Sermons there are but few that come to the Word as to an Ordinance of God or that seek God in his own Ordinance there are very few which when they receive the Word of God which they hear of Ministers Receive it not as the word of men but as indeed it is the Word of God which effectually worketh in them that do believe Now this evil is not only a sinne against Gods free mercy but is also a sin against the sweetest of remedies How will our sore prove uncurable and our disease continue without healing if we
despise the balm of Gilead and reject all healing medicines It is in the number of those sins which go before us unto judgement when people put away the Ministry of the Word from them they are said by the holy Ghost before the day of Judgement come to judge themselves unworthy of eternall Life And thus we have done with the Arguments proving the perpetuity of the Ministry there remains one great Objection to be Answered CHAP. III. Wherein the grand Objection Asserting the Loss of the Ministry under Antichrist is Answered WE confesse that there was a Ministry Ordained of Christ and continued all the daies of the Apostles and some Centuries after yet the Mystery and Ministry of the Man of Sinne was then working which at length so farre prevailed that all the world wondered afâ—er the Beast and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations so that be causâ—d all both great and small rich and poor bond and free to receive his Mâ—rk in their Right hand or in their Foreheads In this Apostacy the Church which had been a chaste Virgin became the Mother of Harlots and Abominations and not only the Kings and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the Wine of her Fornications but especially the Priests in all Nations were the abominable Pandors to promote the filthinesse of her Whoredoms they were the Merchants made rich by her Fornications Now under this Reign of Antichrist Bethel was turned into Bethavâ—n the Ministry was wholly lost being only in pretence for Christ but in reality for Antichrist And therefore we look upon all Ministers now as Members of that notorious Strumpet as Locusts from the bottomlesse Pit as Priests of Baal and Limbs of Antichrist and so account it not a sinne but a duty to contemn their persons and abhorre their Ministry We acknowledge first that the Apostacy under Antichrist was exceeding dreadfull Secondly That not only the people and the Princes but the Priests also had a great hand and were chief agents in this defection Thirdly That its the duty of Gods people to come out of Babylon that they partake not of their sins nor receive of their plagues But yet we need the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in Christ that we may know the things that differ that we may not call good evil and evil good but according to the Word of truth judge righteous judgement And therefore we intreat the Reader or this Objector conscientiously to ponder these Considerations 1. Consider as there have been many false Christs so there are and have been many mistaken Antichrists and the holy Ghost bids us not to beleeve every Spirit but to try the spirits when many shall say Loe here is Christ and loe there is Christ And it s as true of Antichrist some say Lo here is Antichrist Some Lo there yet the Lord commands us saying beleeve them not The Truths Ordinances Servants and Ministers of Christ do not therefore cease to be of Christ because some either by mistake or by design shall say they are of Antichrist The Doctrine of the Deity of Christ who is God blessed for ever will not cease to be a most precious Truth because Michael Servetus Georgius Blandatra Franciscus David Laelius Socinus and his adherents condemn it as an Antichristian Errour Was Valentinus Gentilis therefore a friend and Martyr to God the Father because he died as an enemy to God the Son Were the Valdenses who appeared against the Romish errours the limbs of Satan because some of the Romanist affirm that Satan was let loose in Berengarius and his Disciples How luxuriant and confident are the fancies of many concerning the things contained in the Revelations wherein modest Christians would chuse rather to be humbly inquisitive then Dogmatically positive Was Innocent the third the lesse nocent or was Pope Calixtus the more holy because some of their followers make them to be the Angel coming down from heaven having the Key of the bottomlâ—sse pit to binde Satan as if the binding of Satan were nothing else but to Excommunicate Emperours and to depresse the Imperial power under the Papal Shall Dominicus or Franciscus those two great Founders of the Orders of the Friars Dominican and Franciscan the great upholders of Papacy shall they be lesse suspected because some of their disciples admired them and confidently averred them to be that Angel ascending from the East having the Seal of the living God Rev. 7.2 Men have no power to make Christian Unchristian or Antichristian either persons or things according to their pleasure The Word of God is established in the heavens and his Truths do not vary after the variety of mens mistaking fancies Therefore we have great need to be sober and humble and to beg of the Lord the spirit of love and of a sound minde that we may neither justifie the wicked nor condemn the Righteous 2. Consider concerning Antichrist Though we grant it that Antichrist is not an individual person as Bellarmine and the Papists generally affirm But the state and succession of men which with one and the self same spirit oppose Christ. 2. That the seat of this great Whore is not as some intimate Constantinople nor Ierusalem as others affirm but Rome that great City that then reigned over the Kings of the earth spiritually called Sodom and Egypt And 3. that the Antichrist is not the Turk and Mahumetanism in the East But the Pope and Papism in the West yet there is no ground to condemn every thing in that Antichristian Synagogue for Antichristian for without all question the Books of the Old and New Testament were wonderfully preserved even in mystical Babylon As formerly when the Oracles of God were committed to Israel the Lord continued the holy Scripture in the Jewish Church notwithstanding their spiritual Apostacy and Babylonish Captivity The good Word of the Lord is no lesse the Word of Truth because the false Antichristian Synagogue do acknowledge it no more then the Scripture ceaseth to be the Scripture because Satan the father of lies did alledge it Gold is gold wherever you finde it Truth is truth however men either accept it or contradict it It 's a vast comprehensive Errour to reject all Tenents though never so true for errours because an erroneous Society doth confesse them For all is not false which the false Church asserteth Every errour is founded upon the mistake of some truth as every evil doth usually arise from the abuse of some good In this mixture of good and evil light and darknesse where there are many precious truths yet many abominable falshoods it 's our duty to sever between the righteous and the vile that we neither swallow down all for truth because there is a mixture of truth nor reject all for false because there is superadded a redundancy of falshood Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God and his coming is
with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse therefore we must Watch and Pray for the spirit of discerning that we may distinguish between things that differ 3. Consider as the Lord had his truths so he had his Church in Babylon during the rise and growth and reign and continuance of Antichrist The Apostacy though generall over all tongues and kindreds and Nations yet it was not so universall in all individuall persons but that there were a remnant according to the Election of grace As in the Baalitish Apostacy the Lord reserved seven thousand who had not bowed their knees to Baal So in this Antichristian defection the Lamb upon Mount Sion had 1â— times 12. thousand that adhered to the doctrine of the 12. Apostles and these 144000 had their Fathers name written in their Forehead redeemed from among men bâ—ing the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb and in their mouth was found no guile and they were not defiled with those Antichristian whoredomes For they are Virgins they were the true seed of the woman which keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ against whom the Dragon raged And therefore when the Romanists ask where was the Church before Luthers time We answer it was in and among them though it was not of them The Waldenses Albingenses Berengarians Pauperes de Lugduno or Lionists Lollards in severall places having many other severall names and these in the severall ages of the Reign of Antichrist held the truth of Jesus and opposed the errours of the man of sin which severall Popes endeavoured to destroy but could never effect All the Kings and Potentates of the earth were stirred up against them and a Decree made that if any temporall Lord did neglect to expell them out of his Dominions that he should be excommunicated his subjects absolved from allegiance and all their Lands confiscate and given to others Hence some of the Princes of the earth made it Treason for any of their Subjects either to hear or harbour them or any waies to releeve them And the armies raised against the Saracens and Mahometans were converted against these poor Christians and plenary indulgence pardon of all sin promised to all that would fight against them And if in France alone as it s reported in the History of that War there were slain ten hundred thousand what shall we think the number of them to be who were slain in all other Nations Yet under all these pressures and persecutions though they were often dispersed yet they could not be extinguished but these afflicted people of the Lord being scattered fled into Provence and the Alpes some into Calabria Bohemia Polonia and into Britain as Thuanus in his Preface And though many Opinions were imputed to them to make them odious yet their accusers do wofully and wonderfully contradict themselves as some of our Learned men do prove and some of them ingenuously confesse yet their main tenents were that they renounced the Church of Rome as the mysticall Babylon contemned the Pope as the man of sin and rejected their severall Popish opinions as Antichristian They held the same truths for substance that the Protestants now professe Insomuch as some of the adversaries confesse that they who are now Calvinists were anciently called Berengarians and the New Protestants are the Old Waldenses This Sect some of the Papists complain to be of all most pernicious to the Church of Rome 1. Because it is most ancient and durable having continued from the time of Pope Sylvester Others say from the time of the Apostles 2. Because most generall no part of the earth scarce free from it 3. Because it hath the greatest appearance of godlinesse for they live justly towards men and believe all things well concerning God only they blaspheme and hate the Church of Rome As the Lord had his Saints during all the Reign of Antichrist so he raised up his Ministers who in their severall successive ages in severall places testified against the spirituall whoredomes idolatrous worships and deceiving frauds of Antichrist it 's true as the generality of the people so the generality of the Priests in those times did worship the Beast even all that dwelt upon earth whose names were not written in the Lambs Book of Life and some observe that it was the righteous judgement of the Lord upon the Church at that time that such an Apostate people should have such apostaticall Priests and the holy Ghost maketh this one expresse ground because men did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie that they all might be damned who beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse But in this generall defection both of people and of their Teachers The Lamb had a remnant with him who were called and chosen and faithfull even an afflicted poor remnant of Pastors as well as of people reserved in the midst of Babyltn who did trust in the Name of the Lord and those godly pious Priests were both obedient unto and bold in the faith of Jesus Now if there were such Ministers during the reign of Antichrist that followed the Lamb did not defile their garments but preached and prayed and lived and died in their constant and consciencious oppositions of the man of sinne then surely the Ministry was not totally lost under the reign of Antichrist But that there were such appears both by Holy Scripture-prophesie which foretels it and unquestionable History of the Church that confirms it In the one men may learn what God spoke with his mouth In the other what the Lord fullfilled with his own hand The holy Ghost expresseth that there should be some to prophesie in Sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty daies Now not to dispute but taking that for granted which the best Interpreters assert and by Arguments out of the Revelations prove 1. That those One thousand two hundred and sixty daies are not naturall daies but propheticall every day taken for a Year as Ezek. 4.6 Num. 14.14 2. That those two Witnesses prophesying were not two individuall persons as Enoch and Elias as Bellarmine and other Papists affirm but a succession of Holy men stirred up all that time to testifie the truth of Christ against Antichrist as our learned men prove 3. That the Reign of the Beast continuing for 42 moneths which moneths taken prophetically as before every day for a year and reckoning for every monâ—th 30 daies now multiply the 42 by the 30. and the reign of the Beast is 1260 years and though there be great difficulty when to begin the rise and reign and most Expositors herein much vary yet in the continuance there is a generall accord and none can rationally make any question about it 4. That these Sackcloth-prophecies though but very few comparatively to the Locusts out of
the Bottomlesse pit which were innumerable called two like their types Moses and Aaron who brought Israel out of Egypt or as Elias and Elisha which reduced Israel out of Baalism yet these Witnesses though in number few continue in their successions all the reign of the Beast for the daies of their prophecying in Sackcloth are One thousand two hundred and sixty years and so expire not till the 42 moneths of the Beasts Reign be expired Now fifthly we adde that these Sackcloth Prophesiers were not only Saints who mournfully bewailed the abominations of those times that the holy City should be trampled under foot but also that they were holy pious Ministers distinct from the Saints in Office and in the act of their Prophetical function which is intimated to us 1. From the power bestowed upon them the Lord gives to them not only to pray and to mourn but to Prophesie Rev. 11.3 Not so much by prediction of things future as by Preaching the everlasting Gospel It was a mighty power from on high that a few contemned persecuted Ministers should have gifts to be able and power to be couragious to preach against the son of perdition when all the world wondered after the Beast 2. From their effectual exercise of that power and that in their publick detecting those Antichristian abominations and denouncing the wrath of God against them It is said in the daies of their Prophesie though they were poor men and had no carnal weapons to defend themselves or offend their enemies yet in a spiritual sense fire proceedeth out of their mouths and devoureth their enemies Revel 11.5 For the Lord did make his words in their mouth to be fire and the people wood and it devoured them Ier. 5.14 and the holy Ghost adds further that these Prophets tormented them that dwel upon the earth v. 10. 3. The Spirit of truth doth not only call these two by the name of Prophets but elsewhere distinguisheth the Prophets and Righteous men He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward and he that receiveth a Righteous man in the name of a Righteous man shall receive a Righteous mans reward Where Christ incouraging poor Preachers of the Gospel against all the hard and harsh usage of the world intimates to us 1. That there are some who by way of Office and distinction from others are Prophets and Preachers 2. That there is some eminent reward due to Prophets 3. That they who do any good to Prophets even because of that Office shall receive a Prophets reward And in this very Prophesie concerning Antichrist the Spirit maketh these two distinct the Prophets and the Saints Babylon is therefore ruined because in her is found the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints Rev. 17.24 Now if we descend from the words of this Prophecy and come to observe the answerable event in History we shall finde that in every age there were Ministers opposing the tenents of Antichrist Their particular names times places and their manner of resisting the man of sin it will be too large to insist upon yet a brief Catalogue of Ministers is here inserted From the time of Christ and his Apostles for 600 years our famous Iewell against the Romanists hath abundantly proved that the truths professed in the reformed Churches were maintained by the Ancients And in the succeeding Centuries when the Man of Sinne began to prevail there were in their several Ages Godly and Learned Ministers who opposed the Popish Errours defending the sufficiency of Scripture Communion in both kindes Justification by free Grace disclaiming the defilements of worship in adoring Images Invocation of Saints praying for the Dead worshipping Reliques and openly testifying against the rising and swelling power of the Pope declaiming against his Supremacy and title of Universal Bishop as Antichristian From the 600 year of Christ to the 700 besides Isidore Hesychius and others there were in this Island these two famous Preachers Aidan who converted from Paganism the Kingdom of Northumberland which then contained not only the Country now so called but also Cumberland Westmoreland Lancashire Yorkshire the Bishoprick of Durham and some part of Scotland Also Finan by whose Ministry the Lord turned to the Christian faith the Kingdom of the East Saxons and of Mercia as our own Countryman doth testifie Bâ—sides our famous Countrymen Bede Alâ—vinus and many others there were Adlebertus and Clemens and Sampson with many other Priests who did mightily withstand Pope Boniface Besides Taurinensis Agobarduâ— Rabanus Maurus there was Scotus accused by the Pope for an Heretique and murdered as is conceived by his own Scholars for his opposing the carnal presence And Bertram a Priest in France was so clear a Protestant in the point of the Sacrament in a Book that he set forth that some Romanists say it was writ by Oecolampadius under the name of Bertram And the most learned of the Papists confess that Walafridus Strabo Ionas Bishop of Orleans and Hinâ—marus Archbishop of Rhemes departed from the received opinion of the Church Catholique In this Age the most unlearned and unhappy are recounted Radulphus Flaviaâ—ensis Stephanus Eduensis Smaragdus and our English Alfricke whose Saxon Homily was appointed to be read publikely to the people against the carnal presence In this Age more light began to appear even in the heat and height of Antichristianism not only by the Ministry of Fulbert Bishop of Chartres Anselme of Laon Author of the Interlineal Gloss Oecumenius Theophylact and others but especially by Berengarius and his disciples Besides Arnulphus the Martyr Hugo de Sancto Victore Robertus Tuitiensis Gulielmus de sancto amore Ioâ—chim Abbas Niceas were Peter Bruis and his Scholar Henry of Tholousâ— two famous Preachers against Popish errours insomuch as Peter was apprehended and burnt In this Age the Waldenses appeared who were the famous opposers of Antichrist In this Age are recorded Alâ—â—ssiodore Peter de Vinâ—is Arnoldus de nova villa and those two famous Preachers Gerardus and Dulcinus who preached that the Pope was Antichrist and Rome Babylon Besides our famous Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne the great hammer of the Romanists who wrote to the Pope that he was Antichrist In this Age appeared for Christ Thomas Bradwardin Richard Armachanus Taulerus a famous Preacher in Germany and that glorious instrument of the Lord Iohn Wickliff In this Century besides Peter de Alliaco Nichol. Clemangis and many others we need name no other but those great Worthies and Martyrs Savanorola a famous Preacher in Florence with Iohn Huss and Hierom of Prague whose memories are pretious throughout all the Reformed Churches In this Age the Father of mercies raised up Martin Luther and so many others and from that time the defection from Rome was so eminent that it hath visibly continued to this day and concerning the following times
is evident because these Titles are applied not onely to extraordinary but to ordinary Ministers The Ministers of the seven Churches of Asia are called Angels the Ministers ordained by Titus Stewards the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Overseers or Bishops now a Ruler is a name of Office and implieth a Commission to constitute him in that capacity Fourthly We argue From the constant distinction that is made in Scripture between gifts and calling We reade Ioh. 20.21 22. First Christ gives his Apostles their Commission As my Father hath sent me even so send I you Then he gives them their gifts Receive the Holy Ghost Thus also Isa. 6.6 7 9. God touched his lips with a coal from the Altar and gifted him Afterwards he gives him his Commission Thus also it was with the Prophet Ieremy 1.5 9. God sends him and then puts forth his hand toucheth his mouth and fiâ—s him Even as it is in all civill Governments Gifts make not any man a Judge or a Lord-Maior Sheriff or Common-Counsell man though he be never so richly qualified for these Offices unlesse he be lawfully appointed thereunto So is it in Church-affairs it is not gifts but calling that constitutes a Minister therefore that distinction of a Minister by gifts and a Minister by calling hath no footing in the Word of Truth If gifts were sufficient to make a Minister then women might preach as well as men for they may have as eminent gifts Indeed gifts are a necessary qualification of the person to be called but make him not a lawfull Minister till called and ordained And if he take the Office upon him unsent he is an Usurper and may fear to perish in the gain-saying of Corah notwithstanding his gifts Fifthly We argue from the Rules laid down in Scripture for the calling of men to the Office of the Ministry The Word of God doth exactly tell us the qualifications of the person that is to be called 1 Tim. 3.2 3. c. The Scripture also directs for the manner of his calling to the work who are to Ordain How he is to be Ordained 1 Tim. 4.14 c. Now either these directions are superfluous and unnecessary or else it is a truth that no man ought to take this Office upon him without such a call Nor were these directions given for that age only but for all the ages of the Church to the end of the world as appears evidently from 1 Tim. 6.18 compared with 1 Tim. 5.7.21 In the first place he is charged to keep those commands without spot to the appearance of Iesus Christ And in the second place there is as solemn a charge particularly applied to quicken his diligence and faithfulnesse about matters of the Church and especially the ordination honour and maintenance of the Ministry in ordinary as appeareth by the context before and after from ver 17. to ver 23. The same charge is laid down also by way of direction Chap. 3. and particularly committed to Timethy's care ver 14. And one main ground why Paul chargeth Timothy to be so carefull about these particulars especially at Ephesus was That thereby false doctrine might be prevented 1 Tim. 1.3 4. for which there is scarce a more effectuall means in the world then a publike and regular care of calling persons duely qualified to the Ministry And we cannot but look with sad hearts upon the spreading of errours in these daies of generall Apostasie as the righteous judgement of God upon the supine negligence of men in this particular among others The same charge upon the same ground is laid upon Titus Cha. 1.5 9 10. where also the Apostle gives singular directions for the qualification of the person to be ordained both in point of gifts and grace which are all vain and unusefull if any may enter upon the Ministry without Ordination Sixthly We argue from that confusion which would come into the Church if every man that presumes himself gifted should intrude himself into the Office of the Ministry without a regular call Saint Ierome held it an infallible sign of a Church falling into ruine Vbi nulla Ministrorum est electio manifestum cognosce collabâ—nt is Christianismi judicium where there is no choice of Ministers acknowledge this a manifest evidence of Christianity decaying The reason is apparent The prostituting of this sacred and weighty Office to the wils of men opens a door to all disorders and the introducing of all heresies and errors How much did the Church of Antioch suffer from such as came from the Apostles and had no Commission Act. 15. Gal. 2.5 besides that contempt and scorn which it exposeth the Ministry unto Admit the same in the Common-wealth or in an Army Might he that would make himself a Maior Judge Constable a Colonell Captain c. what an Iliad of miseries would thence â—nsue is easier to be imagined then expressed CHAP. V. Containing part of the Third Proposition PROVING That none may do the Work of the Ministry without Ordination NO man may perform the work of the Ministry but he that is solemnly set apart and ordained to be a Minister Having in the precedent Chapter asserted the necessity of Ordination to the work of the Ministry against the presumptuous usurpation of such as run and are not sent We shall by the grace of God in this Chapter vindicate the work of the Ministry unto those whom God hath set as Officers in his Church That there is a work belonging to the Ministry is out of question and what that work is is confessed by all It belongs to them to dispense the mysteries of God the keys of the Kingdom of God are in their hands It is their work to watch for souls as they that must give an account of them at that great day To preach the Word and by sound doctrine to convince gain-sayers to administer the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper to pray for and blesse the people in the Name of God to rule and govern the Church having a care of discipline and all these as in the place and person of Christ. Of how great necessity these works are unto the Church is evident unto understanding Christians and hath been demonstrated already It now remains to be enquired whether all or any of these works may be performed by men uncalled though gifted or whether they be peculiar unto Ministers Those with whom we have to do yeelding all the rest to the Ministry challenge in their writings a liberty to preach the Word and in their practises some of them a power of praying for and blessing the people how justly we shall shew when we have first stated the Question which we shall do briefly and plainly that we may not seem to disallow what we ought to countenance commend nay to command in the Name of the Lord and that we may prevent and anticipate the cavils of some gain-sayers For the right stating of the Question we shall
an instance be given of any Text either in the Old or New Testament in which the word Prophet doth not signifie one in Office peculiarly called and sent Now if this be an irrefragable truth as indeed it is then the Apostles permitting all Prophets i. men in Office to prophesie is no warrant for gifted brethren if out of Office to do that work Thirdly Though what hath been already said be sufficient to infringe the Argument drawn from this place to warrant the preaching of men out of Office yet we adde for the more full Vindication of this Scripture that the Prophets here mentioned yea and throughout the New Testament seem not to be only Officers in the Church but extraordinary Officers immediatly inspired and sent by the holy Ghost which appears in that First They are not only mentioned and preferred before Pastors and Teachers the ordinary Officers of the Church Act. 13.1 1 Cor. 12.28 but also before the Evangelists themselves Eph. 4.11 12. who are acknowledged by all to have been Officers extraordinarily sent Secondly The gift of prophecy is reckoned amongst the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit and put in the midst of them 1 Cor. 12.9 10 11. and contra-distinguished from ordinary gifts vers 7 8. the word of wisedom the word of knowledge The word of wisedom denotes the Pastors work the word of knowledge the Teachers work but prophesying is different from both these câ—â—sisting partly in the fore-telling of future events as Act. 11.27 28. In those daies came Prophets frâ—m Ierusalem unto Antiâ—â—h and there stood up one of them named Agabus and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great dearth throughout the wâ—rld 2. Partly in an infallible explication and application of the mâ—st difficult places of Scripture not by industry and labour but by the immediate illumination and teaching of the holy Ghost by whom the Scriptures were inspired Thirdly It is evident by the series of this Chapter that the Prophets herein spoken of and their prophesying was extraordinary ver 26. When you are come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation Tongues Interpretation Revelation are joyned together ver 30. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace by which it appears that the Prophets here spoken of were inspired by the holy Ghost and that this gift of prophecy was an extraordinary dispensation of God given to the Primitive Church but now ceased and therefore this Text cannot justifie our Lay-Preachers who cannot without impudency pretend to such extraordinary Revelations as these had We might fill many Pages with Quotations of Authours that consent with us in this last Calv. Inst. l. 4. c. 3. sec. 10. c. Pet. Mart. loc com clas 4. c. 1. p. 558. Aret. prob lo. 61. de Prophetia Gerh. com loc tom 6. de Minist Ecc. Diodat in 1 Cor. 14. 1 6 23. Gomarus on Rom. 12.6 Synops. purioris Theolog. disp 42. thes 22. Our English Annotat. in 1 Cor. 14. Against this third Position asserting the Prophesying in this Chapter mentioned to be extraordinary there be many things objected which we shall answer for the further manifestation of the truth Object 1. The Apostle exhorteth the faithfull to desire this gift vers 1. and to seek to excell therein and therefore it is not likely that it was a miraculous and extraordinary gift Answ. It doth not follow that because it was to be desired therefore it was not extraordinary Other spiritual gifts were extraordinary yet saith the Apostle Desire spirituall gifts as much as he saith of prophesying Elysaeus desires a double measure of Elias spirit 2 King 2.9 was not that extraordinary The faithfull might in those daies in which such extraordinary gifts were usually given in the Church lawfully seek after them especially by praying to God for them which is the way prescribed vers 13. Let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret And it is apparent that in the Schools of the Prophets many did study and prepare that they might be fitted for this extraordinary gift of Prophecy 1 Sam. 19.20 2 Kin. 2.3 4. and 2 Kin. 3.15 and out of them God usually made choice of such as he emploied as his speciall Embassadors to his Church Object 2. The Apostle speaketh of such prophesying as is to the edification exhortation and comfort of the Church therefore of ordinary prophesying Answ. It follows not because extraordinary prophesying as well as ordinary was given for the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 12.7 The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withall Eph. 4.11 12 13. All the extraordinary as well as ordinary Officers were given by Christ for the gathering and edification of the Church And all gifts are to be emploied to this end 1 Cor. 14.26 Whether you have a Psalm or Doctrine or Tongue or Revelation or Interpretation Let all things be done to edifying Object 3. The Apostle in this Chapter speaks not of any thing extraordinary but laies down a generall liberty for all the members of the Church of Corinth to prophesie And this appears because he presâ—ribes Rules 1. For men how they should order their liberty for edification and then 2. for Women forbidding them altogether the liberty of prophesying Let your women keep silence in the Churches Women say they are here named in opposition to men and they only being prohibited all men may and ought to be allowed to prophesie in publique Answ. 1. It is absolutely false to say that the Apostle speaks of nothing extraordinary in this Chapter for he speaks of the gift of tongues vers 6 14 2â— 26. and of extraordinary Psalms and Revelations Answ. 2. It is also as false to say that the Apostle gives a generall liberty of prophesying to all to all the members of the Church of Corinth It hath been already proved that the liberty was given to such only as were Prophets v. 29 30 31. and these Prophets were persons in Office as hath been demonstrated and that they were exâ—raordinary Officers Superiour to Evangelists Pastors and Teachers Now all the members of the Church of Corinth were not Pâ—ophets 1 Cor. 12.29 nor had the gift of Propheâ—y as appears by the Apostles prayer for them 1 Cor. 14.6 I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied c. Answ. 3. Women are not mentioned in opposition to the men in Corinth simply But in opposition to such as had extraordinary gifts whether of Tongues or of Prophecy or any such like And the scope of the Apostle is not to give liberty to all but to lay down rules to those that were Prophets and men in Office how they should regulate their prophesying for the edification exhortation and consolation of the people and then he wholly excludes the women from this work Answ. 4. We may further answer that by women here
and Barnabas to the Lord. Answ. 1. This interpretation cannot consist with the Antecedents and Consequents as we have already shewed 2. If this Interpretation were true it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is illis not sibiipsis 3. Tremellius that translates the Syriack of the New Testament renders it Et constituerunt eis in omni coetu Seniores And they appointed that is Paul and Barnabas to them that is to the people The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illis Object There is another that confesseth that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can agree with no other but Paul and Barnabas and therefore he labours to finde the Election of the people in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which saith he doth not signifie in every Church as it is translated but according to the Church instancing in the Orators phrase faciam secundum te I will do it according to thy minde So they that is Paul and Barnabas ordained them Elders according to the Church that is according to the will and minde of the Church Answ. If this were granted it would not prove the matter in hand That the major part of a Congregation by divine right have the whole and the sole power of Election it would only conclude an acquiescency in the people and that they had satisfaction in the Ordination carried on by Paul and Barnabas A phrase to the same purpose is used Tit. 1.5 where Titus is left in Crete to appoint Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we may as well say that the whole City had their vote in Election in Crete and that every thing was done according to the minde of the City as to say here that every thing was done according to the minde of the Church See more of this in M. Blake his Treatise of the Covenant So much for the first Argument The Second Argument by which we prove That the power of Election of Ministers doth not by divine right belong wholly and solely to the major part of every particular Congregation is drawn from the mischiefs that will inevitably flow from this assertion For 1. It is certain that every one that is to be made a Minister is first of all to be tried and proved whether he be fit for so great an Office 1 Tim 3.10 Let these also be proved c. These also that is the Deacons as well as the Bishops The Bishop therefore is to be tried and examined whether he be apt to teach whether he be able to convince gainsayers whether he be a workman that needs not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth Now there are many Congregations wherein the major part are very unfit to judge of ministeriall abilities and if the whole and sole power were in them they would set up Idol-Shepherds instead of able Shepherds 2. There are some Congregations wherein the major part are wicked and if left to themselves wholly would choose none but such as are like themselves 3. There are some wherein possibly the major part may be hereticall and will never consent to the Election of an Orthodox and sound Minister 4. Sometimes there have been great dissentions and tumults in popular Elections even to the effusion of bloud as we reade in Ecclesiasticall Story Sometimes Congregations are destitute of Ministers for many years by reason of the divisions and disagreements thereof as we see by wofull experience in our daies Now in all these or such like cases if the whole and sole power of Election were in the major part of every Congregation how sad and lamentable would the condition be of many hundred Congregations in this Nation And therefore it is that in all well-governed Churches great care is had for the avoiding of these Church-undoing inconveniences In the Church of Scotland the power of voting in Elections is given to the Presbytery of the Congregation with the consent of the major or better part thereof And therefore M. Gillespie though a great friend to the due right of particular Congregations yet when he comes to state the question about Election of Ministers he puts it thus Whether the Election of Pastors ought not to be by the votes of the Eldership and with the consent tacit or expressed of the major or better part of the Congregation c. he durst not state it precisely upon the major part and afterwards he tels us That the Election of a Minister is not wholly and solely to be permitted to the multitude or body of the Church and that an hereticall and schismaticall Church hath not just right to the liberty and priviledge of a sound Church And that when a Congregation is rent asunder and cannot agree among themselves the highest Consistories Presbyteries and Assemblies of the Church are to end the controversie and determine the case after hearing of both parties Bucanus tels us That the Election of a Minister for the avoiding of confusion ought not to be by every member of a Congregation but by the Presbytery or by the Pastors and Teachers of neighbouring Congregations directing and guiding the people as being most fit to judge of Ministerial abilities The Lutheran Churches put the power of calling of Ministers into the Presbytery Magistracy and People To the Christian Magistrate they give nomination presentation and confirmation To the Presbytery examination ordination and inauguration To the People consent and approbation He that would be further satisfied in this point may reade the Discourse of our Reverend Brother Dr Seaman about Ordination where he shall finde the custome and practice of most of the Reformed Churches in calling of Ministers for the avoiding of the forementioned mischief So much for the first Proposition CHAP. IX Wherein a second assertion about Election is largely proved namely That the whole essence of the Ministeriall Call doth not consist in Election without Ordination THat the whole essence of the Ministeriall Call doth not consist in Election without Ordination There are many Learned and Godly men whom we much reverence though we dissent from them in this particular that say That Ordination is only Adjunctum consequens consummans an adjunct following and consummating the Ministeriall Call but not at all entring into the constitution of it That Ordination is nothing else but the approbation of the Officer and a setling and confirming him in his Office and that Election is that which gives him the essentials of his Office Dr Ames saith That the vocation of a Minister doth properly and essentially consist in Election Mr Hooker saith That the Election of the People rightly ordered by the rule of Christ gives the essentials to an Officer or leaves the impression of a true outward Call and so an Office-power upon a Pastor Our Brethren in New-England in their Platform of Church-Discipline say That the essence and substance of the outward Calling of an ordinary Officer in the Church doth not
Minister preacheth in his own Congregation to Members of another Congregation he doth not preach to them nor they hear him preach as a Minister but as a gifted Brother And that at the same time he preacheth as a Minister by vertue of his Office to those of his own Congregation and to others of another Congregation then present onely as a gifted Brother ex officio charitatis generali out of the general office of charity which to us is very irrational 2. Hence it will follow That when a Minister preacheth out of his own Congregation he preacheth only as a private Christian and not as an Ambassadour of Christ and when he acts in a Synod his actings are the actings of a private Christian and when he preacheth a Lecture out of his own Congregation though it be in a constant way yet he preacheth only as a gifted Brother Now what a wide door this will open to private men to preach publickly and constantly in our Congregations we leave it to any indifferent man to judge 3. Hence it will follow That when a Minister baptizeth a childe he baptizeth him only into his own Congregation For if he be not an Officer of the Catholick-Church he cannot baptize into the Catholick-Church which is directly contrary to 1 Cor. 12.13 4. Hence it will follow That a Christian who by reason of the unfixednesse of his civil habitation is not admitted into a particular Congregation hath no way left him to have his children baptized but they must all be left without the Church in Satans visible Kingdom because they are no particular Members and according to our Brethrens opinion there is no extension of the Ministerial office beyond the particular Congregation 5. We adde That according to this Assertion there is no way left us by Christ for the baptizing of Heathens when it shall please God to convert them to the Christian faith We will suppose an hundred Heathens converted We demand by whom shall these be baptized Not by a private Christian. This our Brethren abhorre as well as we To baptize is an act oâ— Office and can be done only by Officers Not by a Minister For a Minister say they cannot perform any Pastoral act such as this is out of his own Congregation Neither can these hundred converts choose a Minister and thereby give him power to baptize them for they must first be a Church before they have power to choose Officers and a Church they cannot be till baptized Neither can they joyn as Members to any other Church and thereby be made capable of Baptism by that Minister into whose Church they are admitted For in the way of Christ a man must first be baptized before he be capable of being outwardly and solemnly admitted as a Member of a particular Church The three thousand were not first added to the Church and then baptized but first baptized and thereby added to the Church We cannot conceive how such Heathen converts should regularly be baptized unlesse it be granted that every Minister is a Minister of the Church-Catholick and that every Minister hath an habitual indefinite power to act as a Minister in any place of the world where he shall be lawfully called That the desire of these hundred converts to be baptized is a sufficient call to draw forth this habitual power into act and that he may being thus desired according to the rules of the Gospel regularly and warrantably baptize them 6. Hence it will follow That a Minister preaching out of his own Congregation cannot lawfully and warrantably pronounce the blessing after his Sermon which yet is practised by our Brethren For to blesse the people from God is an act of Office and to be done only by an Officer Numb 6.23 24 25 26. compared with Revel 14.5 where the same blessings and persons from whom they come are expresly mentioned And so also Isa. 66.21 where under the name of Priests and Levites to be continued under the Gospel are meant Evangelical Pastors who therefore are by Office to blesse the people and they onely Deut. 10.8 2 Cor. 13.14 Ephes. 1.2 7. Hence it will also follow That when a Minister of a particular Congregation is sick or necessitated to be a long while absent upon just occasion that all this while though it should be for many years the Congregation must be without the Sacrament of the Lords Supper without having their children baptized and without any Preacher that shall preach amongst them as a Minister of Christ but only in the capacity of a private Christian. Neither can it be answered by our Brethren as some of them do that a Neighbour Minister in such cases may come in at the desire of the Congregation and administer the Sacraments amongst them by vertue of Communion of Churches unlesse they will also hold Communion of Offices which they do not For these acts being acts of Office cannot be done unlesse there be an habitual indefinite power of the Ministerial Office which by the desire of the Congregation is drawn out into act There are divers other absurdities that flow from this Assertion That a Minister cannot act as a Minister out of his own Congregation brought by Mr Hudson to whom we refer the Reader Onely we shall craâ—e leave to cite a passage out of Mr Ball alledged by the fore-named Author That to suppose a Minister to be a Minister to his own Congregation only and to none other Society whatsoever or to what respect soever is contrary to the judgment and practice of the Vniversal Church and tendeth to destroy the Vnity of the Church and that Communion which the Church of God may and ought to have one with another For if he be not a Minister in other Churches then are not the Churches of God one nor the flock which they feed one nor the Ministry one nor the Communion one which they had each with others Again pag. 90. he saith If a Minister may pray preach and blesse another Congregation in the name of the Lord and receive the Sacrament with them we doubt not but being thereunto requested by consent of the Pastor and Congregation he may lawfully dispense the Seals among them as need and occasion require That distiâ—ction of preaching by Office and exercising his gifts onely when it is done by a Minister and desired of none but Ministers and that in solemn set constant Church-Assemblies we cannot finde warranted in the Word of Truth and therefore we dare not receive it Before we part with this Argument we must necessarily answer two Objections Obj. If a Minister be a Minister of the Church Universal Visible and can act as a Minister out of his particular Congregation wherein doth he differ from an Apostle Was it not the peculiar priviledge of the Apostles Evangelists c. to have their Commission extended to all Churches This Objection is made by Mr Hooker Answ. Though we believe that every Minister is a Minister of
sake And he that shall call such Bishops wicked and ungodly is notoriously guilty of the breach of the 9. commandement 2. Supposing though not granting that all of them were wicked and ungodly yet notwithstanding though we are far from justifying their ungodlinesse We answer That some evil men may and alwaies have de facto been officers and Ministers in the Church In the Church of the Jewes Hophni and Phinehas in the dayes of Christ Scribes and Pharises 2. That the wickednesse of such men did not null or evacuate their ministerial acts The Scribes Pharisees that sat in Moses his chair were to be heard though they said and did not Christs commission did as well authorize Iudas as any other to Preach and baptize c. And surely if the Principall acts belongingto the Ministerial function as Preaching Baptizing adminstring the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be not nulled or made void by the personal wickedness of Ministers then consequently not their ordination So that if Iudas had been an Apostle when Christ sent his Apostles to ordain Elders his Ordination should have been as valid as his Preaching and Baptizing formerly had been The Leprosie of the hand doth not hinder the growing of the corn which that hand soweth But these Bishops were Antichristian and their office Antichristian and therefore the Ministers ordained by them must needs be Antichristian Ministers and not the Ministers of Christ. For satisfaction to this objection we shall first propose what the ancient learned godly Non-conformists have left in print about it and then we will lay down our own answer The old Non-conformists by joynt consent have written That they did not see how our Bishops could be called Antichrists or Antichristian 1. Because the word mâ—rks out Antichrist by his false Doctrine nor do we find in holy Scripture any such accounted Antichrist or Antichristian which holding the truth of Doctrine swerveth either in judgement or practise from Christs rule for Discipline Now it is evident that our Bishops do hold and teach all fundamental doctrines and truths and some of them have soundly maintained them against Hereticks converted many to the truth and have suffered persecution for the Gospel 2. Their Hierarchy and other corruptions charged upon the calling of our Bishops were rather to be esteemed the staires and way to Antichristianity then Antichristianity â—t self for they were in the Church before the Popâ— who is the Antichrist and the chiefe Head link of all Antichristianity was revealed 3. The Antichristian Bishops hold their preeminence as from Gods law which is unchangeable whereas our Bishops since his Majesties reign to this day for the most part hold superiority by no other right then the positive law which is variable yea it appeares by the institution of the Court of Delegates and the continuance thereof to this day that they do and ought by law to hold their Jurisdiction not as from God but is from the Prince Thus they And as to the Ministers Ordeyned by Bishops they say Bishops are able to judge of such gifts as are required for the sufficiencie of Ministers that many of them have been such Ministers themselves as to whose labours thâ— Lord hath set to his Seal We are perswaded that though it were not necessary yet it cannot be unlawful for him that entreth into the ministery to be approved and authorized even by them Andif our Ordination be in this behalf faultie how will our Brethren justifie the calling of their own Ministers that have received Ordination ever from the people who neither by commandement nor example can be found to have any such authority nor are in any degree so capable of it as the Bishops Thus much is said by the old Non-conformist For our own particulars we shall return an answer to this objection by distinguishing of the word Bishop and the word Antichristian There are three sorts of Bishop the Scripture-Bishop thâ— Bishop of the first Primitive times and the Bishop of latter times Now we are far from thinking that the scripture Bishop that is to say the Presbyter or the Bishop of the first Primitive times who was nothing else but a chief Bresbyter or the Moderator of the Presbytery and had a Priority not of power but of order onely like a Speaker in the Parliament were Antichristian The question onely is about the Bishop of latter times The word Antichristian may be taken propeâ—ly or improperly An Antichristian Minister propeâ—ly is one that own 's the Pope as a visible Monarchical head over the Church and that stands a Minister with subjection and subordination to the Church of Rome and that professedly maintains the Popish religion An Antichristian Minister improperly is one that in his calling and office hath divers things that are Antichristian In the first sense we believe none will say our Bishops were Antichristians But yet we cannot deny but that those Bishops who did take upon them by divine right the care of whole Diocesses and did assume the whole power of jurisdiction over the people and Ministers therein and did challenge a Majority and tantum non a sole power in Ordination did symbolize herein too much with Antichrist and had in this sence much of Antichristianisme in them yet notwithstanding this is not sufficient to denominate them Antichristian no more then the having of some hypocrisy and covetousnesse doth denominate a godly man an hypocrite or a covetous person The denomination is alwaies á meliore Our Bishops for the most part were very Orthodox in doctrine and pure in the substantialls of worship and have written many learned treatises against Popery and Antichristianisme Indeed in matters of Discipline and ceremonies they were exceeding faulty and some of â—hem of late yeares began to Apoâ—â—atize both in doctrine and worship for which God hath grieviously punished them yet all this is not sufficient to make them Antichristian properly so called much lesse to null all their acts of Ordination no more then their acts of preaching baptizing and administring theLords supper specially if we consider that they had power enabling them to perform all these acts as they were Presbyters though they never had been Bishops Bâ—t let us suppose though not grant the Bishops were Antichristian and their office Antichristian yet we answer That it will not follow that the Ministers made by them are Antichristian unlesse it can also be made out which never can be done that they were Antichristian in the very act of Ordination For as a maimed man may beget a perfect child because he begets him not as maimed but as a man So an Antichristian Bishop may ordain a true Minister because he ordaines him not aâ— Antichristian but as a Presbyter that by divine warrant hath authority so to do As Austin against the Donatists proves the validity of Baptisme by Hereticks if they Baptized with water in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost though in other
points they were Heretical So certainly a Minister ordained to Preach the Word and administer the Sacraments according to the mind of Christ is a lawful Minister though ordained by a Bishop in other points Antichristian considering that in that one act he is not Antichristian but doth that which he hath warrant from the Scripture to do though he were not a Bishop The word Sacraments and Ministery are the institutions of Jesus Christ. And these are not made null and void though the power to dispence them in foro externo be conveighed to us by corrupt Instruments no more then the Scriptures were polluted because offered by Hophni and Phinehas or the Chair of Moses defiled because the Scribes and Pharisees sat in it We must carefully distinguish as a learned Minister well saith the acts of office which have their form and being from a root or fountain without us from the qualities of the man that performes the office The man may be naught yet his office good and acts done by vertue of his Office Just and allowable although the man and his religion be naught As for instance A Popish Landlord makes you a lâ—ase of a Farme your lease is not antichristian but good in Law though he that demised it be for his Religion a Papist A Popish Judge doth passe a sentence in Court which stands good in Judicature his sentence is not Popish though he that pronounced it be a Papist the reason is because the legall sentence is not of him nor from him as a Papist but as a Judge who doth but deliver that which he hath received from an higher root the Law So in this case Ordination is an act of Office received from Christ and is not Antichristian though executed by one that is in other things Antichristian We do not rebaptize them that were baptized by a popish Priest because the power ofGods Ordinance depends not on theperson that does execute the same but upon an higher foundation the institution of Christ. Ministerial acts are not vitiated or made null though they pâ—sse through the hands of bad men But stand good to all intents and purposes to such as receive them aright by vertue of their Office authoritatively derived from the first institution A Bishop in his Presbyterial capacity hath divine right to ordain and therefore his Ordination is valid though it be granted that he is Antichristian in his Episcopal capacity If a Minister made by a Bishop be a lawfull Minister why then did you in your late covenant abjure Episcopacy with all its dependencies We did not swear in our covenant to endeavour the extirpation of Scripture Episcopacy which is Presbytery but of Prelacy that is of those Lordly titles which Bishops were invested withal and of their unjust usurpation of a sole power of jurisdiction and of a Majority of power in Ordination together with their Chancellours and Commissaries and the rest of the Hierarchy But we never did and never shall by Godâ— Grace renounce them as Presbyters which by consent of all sides are by divine right nor Ordination by them upon that account which we doubt not but is lawful and valid and will appear so to be at the great Tribunal And thus we have answered this objection with all the branches of it There is one objection of great concerment yet behind But before we mention it we shall propose three other Arguments for the Justification of the Ministry made during the prevalency of Episcopaâ—y From the glorious successe God gave unto it during the raign of Prelacy For since our Ordination God hath sealed to the truth of our Ministry and hath blessed it with the Conversion of many Thousand souls unto God Now that Ministry that God doth ordinarily blesse with bringing forth sons and daughters unto God that Ministry must needs be a Ministry sent of God For God hath threatned as we have often said That a false Ministry shall not profit And the Apostle proves the lawfulnesse of his Ministry by the successe it had upon the hearts of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 9.1 2. There are many of those that cry down our Ministry as Antichristian and separate from us as no Ministers that cannot deny but that they had their conversion if they are at all converted from us And if our Ministry be Antichristian how is their conversion Christian From the ends and purposes for which we were Ordained They that were Ordained by Bishops together with other Ministers for no other end and purpose but to Preach the Word and Administer the Sacraments according to the will of Christ are lawful Ministers of Christ. But so were the Ministers Ordained during the prevalency of Episcopacy Ergo. He that shall say That a Minister that Preacheth Christ and his truths and administreth â—he Sacraments according to the mind of Christ is an Antichristian Minister because of some defects in his entrance doth more advance and honour Antichrist then he doth disparage or disgrace us Mr. Ball no friend to Episcopal Government in his answer to Mr. Can hath these words In every true Church where the Word of God is intirely preached and received and the Sacraments for substance rightly administred there is a true Ministry ' and a true calling to the Ministry though in some things maimed and faulty From the destructive mischiefes and Church-ruining consequences that do naturally flow from this assertion For he that shall undertake to make good this desperate proposition as that learned and godly man so often cited justly calls it That a Minister made by a Bishop is no Minister of Christ but of Antichrist must also be forced to confesse and acknowledge 1. That Mr. Bradford Mr. Rogers Mr. Philpot Dr. Taylâ—r Mr. Saunders and the rest of those blessed Saints and Ministers who laid down their lives in defence of the Gospel against Antichrist were Antichristian Ministers 2. He nulliâ—ieth and and maketh void all the Ministerial acts performed by the Ministers of England ever since the Reformation For if our Ministry be no true Ministry then is our Baptisme no true Baptisme the Sacrament of the Lords Supper no true Sacrament our Church no true Church 3. He must acknowledge that there was neither Church Sacraments nor Ministry in the whole Christian World for many hundred years past For it is without dispute that there was no other way of entring into the Ministry for many hundred years in the Church of Christ but by the Ordination of Bishops 4. He must be forced if a Minister to renounce his Ministry and take it up again from the people who as the old Non conformists well say have neither commandement nor example in all the New Testament to authorize them to Ordain him And by this means he overthroweth the whole Ministry a nd Church of Jesus Christ and will be necessitated at last to renounce all Churches and all Ministry and turn Seekers as some do in our dayes even upon