Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Appendix · Section 1 · Letter 7
Mr. Iohnson's Fifth Letter to Mr. Baxter.
SIR,
THE, Question, as I remember, was stated between us thus: Whether an infallible Knowledge that our Ordainers have full Authority to ordain, be necessary to make us have true Peace of Conscience in the Exercise of our Ministry. To which Question, before I give any Answer, I shall first willingly yield these two Propositions. 1. That an infallibly lawful Ordination is necessary to make us infallibly lawful Ministers. 2. That an infallible Proof that we have been lawfully ordained is necessary to make us infallibly know that we have been lawfully Ordained. But I deny that an infallible Knowledge t…at we have been lawfully Ordained is necessary to make us lawful Ministers. Or that an infallible Knowledge that we have been lawfully ordained, is necessary to give us true Peace in the exercise of our Ministry. The former Negative is so clear from the extrinsical Nature of Knowledge to the Essences of the things known, and the Posteriority of the Nature of Scientiae a re Scibilis, that it is altogether superfluous to say any thing in order to the Proof of it. But the other being indeed the thing you doubt of. I shall offer you what is upon my own Understanding, and what it is that persuades me to take the negative part. And my Reason is this: I do therefore think that an infallible Knowledge that his Ordainers had full Authority is not necessary to give a Man true Peace in the Exercise of his Ministry: Because true Peace, according to Gospel Equity is not founded upon exactness, but upon utmost diligence and sincere Endeavours. And particularly in point of Knowledge or in the Question [What is our Duty to know] True Peace is not founded upon exact or infallible Knowledge, but upon an utmost Diligence, or sincere Endeavour to know. And therefore if we can but truly say, that we do use our utmost Diligence to know, we have the Foundation of true Peace, though we be in the mean time in much Ignorance about the thing we enquire after. And to the Question in hand, if we can truly say, that we have used our utmost Endeavours to know whether our Ordainers had full Power to Ordain; we may have true Peace in the Exercise of our Ministry though in the mean time we cannot infallibly prove, and by consequence cannot infallibly know that they had any such Authority. True Peace, according to Gospel measure, very well agreeing with inculpable Ignorance.
And the Truth is, if it were not thus in óther things, I do not see how any Man could with Peace of Conscience enjoy those things which we call their Inheritances. For it can never be infallibly proved, nor they by consequence infallibly know, that they have just Right and Title to them. If they be not lawfully begotten, they have no just claim to their Inheritances. Now if they do not, or indeed cannot infallibly know that they have been lawfully begotten, they cannot know infallibly that they have a just claim to their Inheritances. But they can never come to an infallible Knowledge that they have been lawfully begotten, and by consequence upon such Principles as these, can never, with Peace of Conscience, enjoy that which all Men usually call their due Inheritances.
And I conceive upon the same Grounds, The Levites and Iewish Priesthood could never, with any Peace of Conscience, have exercised their Sacred Offices, in regard they could never come to an infallible certainty that they did descend from Aaron, upon which account only they had their just claim to those holy Employments. Yea, and all the Princes in the World, who derive by dissent their Titles to their Crowns, would upon such a Principle as this, fit either very loose, or with little ease in their imperial Chairs, being never able upon infallible Proof to make good that they were the true legitimate Heirs to their Predecessors. Which Considerations a posterioris, (as the Argument alledged doth a priori) over-rule my Iudgment to determine that an infallible Knowledge that our Ordainers had full Authority to Ordain, is not necessary to give us true Peace in the Exercise of our Ministry; which was the only thing intended at the present
By Your Fellow-labourer, and Enquirer after Truth, M. Iohnson. Wamborn, Decemb. 26. 1653.