by their unwearied diligence the Orthodox after sound Confutation of their Heresie sitting down content with that discharge of their dutie And surely if ever our glorious lights of the sanctuarie bee put out and new ones set up in their stead next unto God's wrath penally inflicting such a judgment for a Peoples unthankfulness it will bee ascribed to our laziness and their unwearied diligence rather then to any truth of their Caus or excellence of their Arguing For they do not or will not know when they are confuted but after their Arguments answered ten times over they are as brisk to offer new disputation insisting upon their old bald Arguments as if never uttered before their diligence should provoke us to the like if not their diligence yet love to their souls should 2 Tim. 2.25 remembring that of Paul in meekness instructing those that oppose themselvs if at any time God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may recover themselvs out of the snare of the Divel wee must not give over a Patient while there is hope no not though they oppose themselvs but with long-suffering they must bee instructed becaus as the gift of grace so the time of grace is in God's hand alone It is a great skill to discern who are to bee forborn and who to bee opposed they that make Divisions and parties in the Church and scandalize the Doctrine are to bee avoided Rom. 16.17 others that walk humbly and peaceably under that weakness and dissenting Opinion from their brethren are to bee forborn loved and cherished till wee meet in heaven where Luther and Calvin and all whose Faith and hearts do center in the Lord Christ shall for evermore bee fully agreed To his Grace I commend you who is able to establish you and rest Yours and the Churches servant in the Gospel of Jesus Christ WILLIAM LYFORD AN APOLOGIE FOR Our Publick MINISTERIE TOuching the Office and Calling of Ministers and Lay-men's preaching the Question is not Whether Christians may and ought privately to edifie one another by admonitions counsels reproofs repetition of Sermons reading of good Books and other Christian conferences all this I grant and commend to practice from these Scriptures Heb. 3.13 1 Thes 4.8 1 Thes 5.11.14 Rom. 15 14. But the whole state of the controversie may fitly bee reduced to these three heads Quest 1. Whether the work of a Minister in the Administration of the Word and Sacraments bee a Calling Office and work distinct from the rest of the people Whether there bee any such Calling or Office for that holy work in the New Testament Affir 2. Whether Ordination of Ministers for Administration of Word and Sacraments bee an Ordinance of Christ in the New Testament Affir 3. Whether it bee lawful for men uncalled and unordained to Take upon them the preaching of the Word in the Name and with the autoritie of the Lord Jesus or the Administration of the Sacraments Neg. The answer and determination of these three Questions will clearly state the Caus which I shall do in three Conclusions Concl. 1 1. The Ministerie is a distinct Calling and Office which they are bound to attend unto and None but they can or ought to perform Concl. 2 2. Ordination of Ministers by imposition of hands of other Ministers for the Administration of the Word and Sacraments is an Ordinance of Christ in the New Testament Concl. 3 3. No man uncalled and unordained can with good Conscience intrude or enter upon that Work and Office it is a great sin so to do Of these I will speak in order The first Conclusion in Answer to the first Question viz. that the Ministerie is a distinct Office and Calling is proved 1. By express words of the Text 1 Tim. 3.1 if any man desire the Office of a Bishop hee desireth a good work The Text tell 's you that Bishop or Presbyter is an Office a good Office and hee that is made a Bishop is a man in high Office even to take care of the Church of God ver 5. and in him there are required manie qualifications which are not required in other Believers Again Paul writing to the Philippians doth plainly distinguish the Bodie of Saints from the Officers To all the Saints which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Phil. 1.1 By Bishops there all understand Ministers of the Gospel in Office of Teaching distinct from the people who were Saints but not Bishops So in the Church of Ephesus the like distinction between Pastor and People in respect of Office and Calling is obferved Act. 20. Paul called for the Elders of the Church vers 17. Hee minde's them of their Office vers 28. Take heed to all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers or Bishops to feed the Church of God for so did Christ ordain and set in the Church som Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministerie Ehes 4.11.12 e.i. to bee Guides to the Flock to feed them with wholsom Doctrine Heb. 13.7 17. Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God and submit your selvs for they watch for your souls In which places you see that Ministerie of the Word is a name of Office given to certain men designed and singled out to that work as a special work not common to others take one clear place more viz. 1 Thes 5.11 Comfort and edifie one another there 's the peoples mutual dutie in private But vers 12. know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you there 's the Pastor's Office and dutie who though they may bee but even with you in respect of Gifts and Graces yet they are over you in the Lord in respect of their Office and Work they are over all even over them which were able Concl. 1 privately to admonish one another and the people's dutie is to know i.e. to acknowledg them as such and to esteem them very highly for their work 's sake becaus God hath set them over you in that Office By all which places of Scripture it is evident that in the Churches of Christ Som are Pastors and Elders to feed Some are Guides and Rulers Som are Sheep the flock to bee fed Som are Guided and Ruled Som are single Saints Som are Bishops over them in the Lord. There is a work wholly to bee attended and men appointed to attend that work wholly Names of Office without an Office are meer mockeries the Names of a King of a Steward Pastor Bishop Guide c. without their respective Offices are not given in Scripture In the places now cited you finde those distinctive Titles and Names joyned with the work it self I demand then with the Apostle Are all Teachers 1 Cor. 12.28 Rom. 14.4 are all Bishops are all Guids and Pastors The Minister and his Work are as precisely distinguished by the
Unto Titus Paul give 's commandment to ordain Elders Tit. 1.5 and prescribe's certain Rules and Canons for the trial and qualification of them that are to bee ordained vers 7. a Bishop must bee blameless holding fast the faithful word that hee may bee able to convince the gainsaiers vers 9. So unto Timothie hee gave directions and rules touching Ordination 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man neither bee thou partaker of other mens sins i.e. Admit not any into the ministerie without sufficient examination and good proof of their abilitie for learning and godly conversation els the blame will light upon thee becaus by the laying on of thy hands they were admitted Conclus 2 into that sacred function What need Titus bee left in Crete to ordain Elders in every Citie if Saints of themselvs might do all without Ordination And to what purpose are those Cautions and Directions about Ordination if there were no such thing to bee don if Ordination it self bee needless then much more is the manner of doing it needless Answ Som think that the cerimonie of laying on of hands may bee omitted Ans Somtimes wee must bee tied to example in the least gesture though not prescribed and yet men presume to dispens in a circumstance expresly prescribed Why should wee bee wiser then Paul Why should wee bee ashamed of Gods express will Timothie was ordained by laying on of hands and enjoined to lay on hands on others in their Ordination thus were the Deacons ordained Act. 6.6 and thus were Saul and Barnabas set apart for the execution of their Calling Act. 13.3 And seeing the Scripture is so punctual about the Manner of Ordination and the Qualitie of Persons to bee ordained the Dutie it self is much more established even as when God give 's us rules for praying fasting alms Magistrates Matth. 6.1 3 c. it doth necessarily implie that there must be Magistrates praying c. And herein is fulfilled that prophecie of Es 66.21 concerning the Ministerie of the N. T. I will take of them for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord. i.e. Though the distinction of Tribes bee taken away and that old Priesthood ceased yet God promised it as a blessing to the Church of the Gentiles that hee would rais up of themselvs som that should bee in stead of the old Priests and Levites in things perteining to God Upon these undeniable proofs I frame these 3 Arguments as to the main caus Argument 1 1. Look how the Apostles did ordain and call Ministers of the Word and as they appointed others after them to bee ordained and sent so and in like manner ought men now to bee sent and ordained But the Apostles did ordain men for the ministration of the word and sacraments by laying on of hands and also appointed and enjoined the same to bee don in the Churches of Christ therefore it is Christ's Ordinance that so it ought still to bee don and they that do otherwise do go against the example and appointment of the Scripture and so overthrow an Ordinance of Christ in the N. Testament Argument 2 2. That which is contrarie to the examples rules and directions of Scripture cannot bee don without sin But to administer the Conclus 2 word or sacraments without Ordination is contrarie to the examples and rules of Scripture therefore it is unlawful and cannot bee don without sin Argument 3 3. If Sending bee more then Gifting by God's word then there is somthing more by God's word required unto preaching then sole Gifting But Sending is according to God's word more then Gifting therefore somthing more then Gifting is required to make a preacher of the Gospel That Sending is more then Gifting is evident becaus Gifted men must bee ordained Timothie was a man rarely Gifted yet hee was ordained and sent by the outward calling of the Church 1 Tim. 4.14 and so were the rest of whom wee read 1 Tim. 2.7 Act. 13.2 3. There bee two things required to make a Minister 1. Gifts which must bee tried and approved 2. Ordination and solemn Inauguration into their Office Gifts give not Autoritie to any man for any thing the Lawyer at the Bar may have as great gifts as the Judg upon the Bench yet becaus-hee hath not the like Commission hee may not intrude upon the Judges office A private man may bee as well Gifted as a Justice of Peace yet without a Commission hee may not do his office so is it in this present case There is but one branch of the second Conclusion unproved which saith that Ordination must bee by the laying of hands of other Ministers and this is added to put a difference between true and fals Ordination In som congregational Churches they have their Pastors ordained i.e. chosen and appointed by the people Truely then they may preach and exercise Ministeriall Acts in the name of the People but not in the name of Christ unless they did derive their Autoritie by Ordination from Christ It is a gross mistake to think or teach that Church-power is Originally in the People as the proper seat and subject thereof from them to bee derived and placed upon whom they choos Christ gave all power to the Bodie of the Church finaliter objectivè i e. for their use and benefit according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.22 All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas all are yours i.e. for your service and salvation but they are not yours i.e. they are not of your making and autorizing Church-power is first seated in Christ the Head and Apostle of our possession and from him committed to his Apostles and from them to Bishops and other Ministers Conclus 2 sters by succession they commit the same to others which themselvs had first received but according to that known rule no man can give to another that which himself hath not first received therefore the people which never received Orders nor Power to administer the word sacraments and keies how they can can bestow it on others is besides all Scripture and reason Church-power is in the Ministers of the Church by Derivation from the Apostles and they alone can commit and Transmit it unto others The Text is express which saith that Ordination is by the hands of the presbyterie Object But how can you can justifie your calling to the Ministerie seeing you were ordained by Bishops and Bishops from the Pope and the Pope is from the devil You lost your true succession in the Papacie and the calling which yee now have is Antichristian Sol. The Papists say wee have no true Ministerie becaus at the Reformation wee received it not from Rome The Brownists say our Ministers are not rightly called into their Offices becaus wee râ—â—eived it from Rome Thus wee are condemned of all hands one of these accusers must needs charge us falsly but admit both their allegations to have som truth yet neither of them do conclude what
they intend 1. To answer the Papist I shall onely crave leav to insert among my plain pages a letter of that most godly learned man Dr Reinolds to a friend of his who craved his help to answer the challenge of som Papists touching the lawfulness of our Ministerie Your godly requst good Mr Barker I should bee somwhat better able to satisfie Dr Rainolds his Letter if I knew on what grounds these proud popish challengers do perswade themselvs that none of you can avow your vocation to the Ministerie to bee lawful But I guess they do it on the same that Hart in his conference with mee becaus the ancient Canons Ecclesiastical ascribed to the Apostles say Episcopus duobus aut tribus Episcopis ordinetur Presbyter autem ab uno Episcopo and they think none of us to bee ordained by a Bishop becaus in the beginning of her Majesties reign one popish Bishop of Q. Maries beeing then left none of our Bishops could bee ordained by two or three Now if they build hereupon as to mee it seemeth they do becaus I finde no other reason in b b Decler c. 3. Bellarmine c c Epitom Controv part 1. Con. 4. q. 2. Parsons or d d Harding Stapleton Greg de Valem the rest of this objection against us it may bee that as Hart when hee saw the answer that I made thereunto would needs have that whole point left out in our conference Conclus 2 saying hee would not press mee therewith so these men will renounce their promiss of subscribing to the profession of the Gospel and forsaking Poperie when they see you able to justifie your calling to the Ministerie For I went to the Archbishop of Canterburie his Register and taking thence a note how Bishop Freak who ordained mee consecratus est à Matthaeo Cant. Roberto Winton Edmundo Sarum and how each of these was consecrated by other three or four as Matthaeus Cant. by four that were Bishops in King Edwards time these again consecrated by Archbishop Cranmer whom three with the Pope's consent had consecrated and so brought every one upward to those times wherein the Church of Rome acknowledged them ordained lawfully I had no sooner shewed this extract to Mr Hart but hee confessed hee thought no such thing could bee shewed and that himself had been born in hand otherwise on the conceit above mentioned You who are further from London where the records are kept though your friend if need bee can help you thereunto may ask them if they think not Archbishop Cranmer and the rest in King Henrie's time to bee lawfully ordained Bishops which when they acknowledg becaus the Pope confirmed them you may offer this proof that our Bishops succeeding them in King Edwards time and so in Q. Elizabeths were consecrated by three of them or their succesfors out of the authentical Records of the Archbishoprick sâ—il that Matthew Parker the first Archbishop in Q. Elizabeths daies was thus by William Barlow Bishop of Bath and Wells in K. Edward's time John Scorie Bishop of Chichester Miles Coverdale of Exeter John Hodgeskir Suffragane of Bedford If they acknowledg that hee and all the rest in like sort were consecrated by a number of Bishops sufficient but these not confirmed by the Pope as the first in King Henrie's time were they must bring forth proof that without his consent no Bishop is lawfully ordained which soundly they never can If they say the Bishops since Cranmer's time were and are Hereticks and therefore are not lawfully autorized to ordain first here they will fail in proof too becaus Heresie is an error repugnant to the word of God and that wee hold any such they cannot shew then admitting the contrarie and putting the case wee did to avoid so huge debate of all points in controversie their own Principal Doctors a a In 4. sent dist 25. q. 1. Art 2. Con. 2. Dominicus Soto b b De sacram in genere l. 1. c. 26. Bellarmine c c Com. Theal Tom. 4 dist 9. q. 3. puncts 2. Greg. de Valentia do teach out of S. d d Lib. 2. c. 13. contr epistolam Parmén tract 9. in Evang. Joannis Jo. 9.33 Augustine grounding on the Scripture that Heretical Concl. 2 Bishops may lawfully Ordain and that it is an heresie such as the Dontatists was to denie it What other cavils or sophisms they are likely to use I cannot imagine but very willing to yield you any help that I can upon farther notice I commend you to the Grace of our good God beseeching him to direct and strengthen by his holy Spirit your self and the rest of your fellow Souldiers to fight his Battels At Oxford the third of June 1605. JOHN RAINOLDS IF any doubt of this Letter he may receiv satisfaction touching the Truth of it by som yet living in Corpus Christi Colledg from whom I had this Copie Object But though this stop the Jesuits mouth yet it strengthen's the other part of the Objection with whom wee have chiefly to deal Answ 2 Not at all 1 For though our Consecration and Succession were continued in the times of the Pop's reign yet it did not fetch its Original from the Pope the Gospel sounded out of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem even as far as Britain long enough before that Anti-christ of Rome was born Rom. 16.26 Col. 1.6 And though wee should not think the wors of the Gospel though received from Rome in her first pure state whom Paul celebrate's for a famous Church Rom. 1.6 8. Acts and Monoments l. 2. p. 1. c. Whites way to the Church § 49. Yet the light came to England first from Jerusalem and not from Rome as Mr Fox and Dr John White have learnedly demonstrated out of Gildas and sundrie other Autors who affirm that Britain received the Gospel in the time of Tiberius the Emperor under whom Christ was crucified and though there bee som little variance among Autors about the time yet that confirm's the Truth of the matter in which they all concur that England received the Gospel very early either by the preaching of som one of the Apostles or som of that time mostly received is that Joseph of Arimathea was sent by Philip from France to Britain about the year 63. and laid the first foundation of the Christian Faith which was confirmed and increased by others The same is confirmed by the Testimonie of Tertullian Adversus Jodaees c. 7. Et Britannorum inaccessa Romanis lâ—ca Christs verò suhdita in his Book against the Jews where reckoning the parts of the world whither the Gospel was dispersed by the sound of the Apostles reciteth the parts of Britain unsubdued by the Romane's sword yet subdued unto the Concl. 2 Scepter of Christ 2. Again the same Mr Fox relateth that about the year 180 King Lucius the first Christned King sent to Eleutherius the Bishop of Rome to