A Second Discourse About Re-Ordination, Discourse · Section 9
SECTION IX.
IN the Fifth Section, there is a Third Objection; To be …ra…ined does ſeem virtually in the Act to renounce, make void, or offer injury to our firſt Oraers, and that does looklike ſome great evil. Unto which, that I may ſpeak hete ſomething more fully, I will acknowledge, ſo far as I can judge, that this conceit hath gotten into mens minds far and wide from the Ancients, which makes ſome (the Papiſts eſpecially) think ſo hainoufly of Re-ordination, as if there were no leſs than Sacrilege in it: Indeed this Author, and our Brethren, at this ſeaſon, have got a conceit that it is injurious to the Third Commandement, which requires the reverend uſe of Gods Ordinances, which may be done I hope, when an Ordinance is repeated, as when it is uſed but once; But if they could then ſhew me in the ſcattered Sentence: of the Fathers, that this were their harmonious reaſon why they are againſt it, it would do more with me for conviction, than any thing elſe I yet know, becauſe it would make me ſuſpect then ſome Moral evil perhaps to be in it, when all I apprehend yet is Notional only (as I ſaid at firſt) or but in mens imaginations.
The riſe then, or ſpring of this conceir, I gueſs to flow from St. Cyprians time, when Re-baptization was in the World: That pious Biſhop and Martyr does plead thus ſtill in his Writings, There is one Church, one Faith, one Baptiſm; thoſe that are out of the Church have not the …rue Faith, and ſo no Baptiſm; And therefore they that are baptized of Here-ticks muſt be re-baptized. Pro certo tenentes neminem for as baptizart extra eccleſiam poſſe, cum ſit baptiſm… unum intra ſanctam eccleſiam conſtitu…um, Lab. 1. Ep. 12. Hereupon there was none (we muſt conceive) rebaptized, but they ſuppoſed their former Baptiſm to be void, this being the pleaded ground for their Re-baptization. And though thoſe Diſciples Act. 19th. who doubted not of the validity of the Baptiſm they had, did not void Johns Baptiſm (I hope) in the leaſt, for their being baptized again into the Name of Jeſus; Yet while the Party himſelf here, and the Church were both perſwaded otherwiſe of theirs, this act might be accounted coram eccleſia, a kind of profeſſed voidance thereof, and their hereſie with it; And conſequently when they came to think that Re-baptization did make pull their firſt Baptiſm, the ſ…me thoughts from thence we may conjecture came to …o…ieſs them about Orders. But as the Fathers which ſucceeded Cyprian, and Councils, did lay aſide his Rebaptization, concluding the ground he went upon err…nions, and conſequently that the former Baptiſm of ſuch as were re-baptized (ho…vſoever they thought that re-baptived them) was good and valid according to the Word of God: So do I believe, that after Ages will diſprove the ground upon which Re-ordination is now by ſome required, and our former Orders being valid or good before God, or according to his Word, it is not our being re-ord…ined can make them null or void, but only they are ſo in the judgement of ſuch as lye under tha… conception.
To look then more throughly (if we can) into this buſineſs, Suppoſe a man a Miniſter already, and in Orders, does Re-ordination now make him no Miniſter, or to have been none, or evacuate his former Miniſterial Acts the time before? If that be true, then ſhould I never plead for Re-ordination ſure, then muſt I be ready to think it Sacrilege as ſoon as any; but this certainly can n…ver be. The Papiſts do hold that there is an indelible Character imprinted in Orders (under iterari non poſſe) and anathematize thoſe that gainſay it. To ſave their curſe, I deny not, with our Hooker, and Maſon, if by their Character they mean only ſpiritualis poteſtas (as ſome of them do) that there is ſuch a thing, (and they quoad homines we may ſay impreſſed hereby) which our Divines alſo do hold indelible; So that the Office being once received cannot be taken away, even by degradation it ſelf, though the Work may ſometime be made to ceaſe. Now if it were Orders did indeed give this power, as my Oppoſer, with the moſt, do think, then muſt thoſe Orders we take firſt, ſtand good and valid againſt any other we take after (if there were twenty) which can neither make nor marr, as to that end, which is already attained thereby. And here in the way may be one plain Conviction on this Gentleman, that when he does plead, that I make null my firſt Ordination and therefore my Profeſſion will not prevail againſt my Fact, he quite interſares with himſelf, who ſtill pleads all the way beſides, that my firſt Orders having given me my Miniſtry already, it is that renders my ſecond in vain.
There are two Books (let me therefore here mention it) come out againſt Re-ordination, one before, and this Author; two Arguments it is they harp upon; The former ſtands mainly upon this, That a ſecond Ordination does in the fact make null the firſt; The other inſiſts upon this, That our firſt Ordination (if he be underſtood as he muſt) does null the ſecond, to wit, by rendring it in vain. Now let u… ſet theſe two Arguments together by the ears, and they muſt needs fall by the hands of one another; for it a mans firſt Ordination be indeed made null, then is not his ſecond in vain; and if his ſecond be in vain, then is not his firſt null. The truth is, were the ſuppoſition true which they go both upon, it is the laſt Argument were of force, and the former muſt be nothing.
Neither would it hence follow, becauſe the Character (if one will call the Power or Office ſo) is not repeated, therefore the Rite (which does ſolemnize it) may not, any more, than becauſe the Regal Office, is but one and the ſame (which muſt be ſtill urged) therefore the annointing or in eſtiture can be but once alſo. If a man who is Conſecrated, ſhall deſert his firſt Ordination, and ſteal away himſelf from the Miniſtry into the Laity, when he believes God originally called him, and his labours like ſtill to be ſerviceable to him, not diſabled, not put to it, by diſtreſs, or force, for the ſafety of his Conſcience, S…u…s peace, Gods greater glory; and any will call that Sacrilege; there may be I think ſome appoſiteneſs indeed in the tern; but if the Papiſt will call Reordination barely ſo, and make that the reaſon why a man may not be Re-ordained, which he renders for the very account upon which he yields hereunto, to wit, becauſe he thinks his Power or Office indeed indelible, and that being entered in the Miniſtry, he may not go back, and to is conſtrained to it; it is but giving an innocent thing ill words, and as it ſeems to me rather in our caſe, it is plain in the whole, A cujus contrarium verum est.
I cannot therefore but take up a few word; here (if it be only to ſee the Genius at leaſt) of that other Oppoſer of Re-ordination. Does not he really renounce his Ordination, recede from his Office and d…veſt h…m…lf of Authority, who taketh up his Miniſtry …d anew paſſ…th under this conſtituting inveſting Ordinance? M…. C. p. 33. w…ich is the chief battering Ramm of that Book. But God forbid this indeed ſhould h… ſo, when Chriſts Diſciples had their Commiſſion, Go Preach and Baptize, renewed to them, a… hath been ſaid before: was that ſecond act indeed an actual and formal voidance of the firſt? When the Holy Ghoſt does ſeparate to him Paul for the work whereunto he calls him, Act. 13. Does that miſſion, or ſending forth of the Holy Ghoſt, make null his firſt Miniſtry, and authorative miſſion, by Jeſus Chriſt? Act. 26.16. — 18. When a Jew was baptized in Chriſt's time, did that null his Cicumciſion? When thoſe Diſciples Act. 19. were re-baptized, was that Baptiſm indeed a voiding of their firſt? Or, Chriſts Baptiſm really a renunciation of Johns? How can any prove that? Was the Ordination of Barnabat by thoſe at Antioch a diveſting him of any authority he had by being ſent forth before, by the Church of Jeruſalem? This cannot be. Yet again, when the men of Judah came and annonited David King in Hebron, was the paſſing of David under this conſtituting inveſting Ceremony (to ſpeak with him) really a renouncing his former annointing by Samuel, and receding from that Kingly Power and Office which was given him at firſt by that mouth, which ſaid, Ariſe, annoint him, for this is he? And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. Was Charles the ſeventh of France his Coronation at Rheimes, after he was Crowned at Poitiers before, and King by birth, any thing elſe but a farther eſtabliſhment of his title, only for the ſatisfaction and better obedience of his people? It is but ſo indeed here; And for that the Dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is becauſe the thing is eſtabliſhed by God, and God will ſhortly bring it to paſs.
The bottom then of my Adverſaries miſtake, I have already opened, and cannot omit one note more from Mr. Baxter, of whom I have made herein ſo neceſſary uſe before, who gathering an Argument, as ſolidly as learnedly, from the Magiſtrate 10 the Miniſter, in thi… caſe, does tell us, that our Divines in abundance have proved the power of Princes (howſoever men may have an hand in their Election and Inveſtiture) to be immediately from God (for which he mentions particularly Spalatenſis, Sara…ia, and Bilſon, that any who will may inform themſelves) whereupon he hath theſe words, p. 146. And for my part, I think I ſhall never conſent to any that will give more to men in making a Miniſter, than in making a King. All power is of God; the Powers that be, are ordained of God.
I muſt therefore here humbly deſire theſe worthy Authors, and others, that they conſider well ſuch expreſſions when they uſe them, that Orders is the taking up the Ministry, a conſtituting Ordinance, which if they conceive ſo, as if it gave the Miniſtry coram deo, I muſt invert that of the Father, ment…m …ene, linguam corrige, and ſay, if they will keep their words, they muſt correct their apprehenſion. I do like well indeed to ſee the meaning of this Author to be ſo full, who thinks that to be re-ordained, does offer injury to our Miniſtry it ſelf, as if we did thereby even recede from our Office, (the contrary whereof is true) or vacate our Miniſterial Acts, which might well highly provoke his quickeſt worth and zeal againſt it; but when perhaps he hath let his thoughts cool a little more on the matter, he may come to conceive with us, that the Miniſtry it ſelf is not conferred by our Orders at the firſt, and conſequently that it cannot be endamaged by being re-ordained in the leaſt, but that theſe Orders firſt and laſt both do operate upon, or to the ſame, only by way of declaration before men, for the reception of us in the Church, where we are (as hath been ſaid) no otherwiſe, than we ſee the like of Princes as to their Kingdoms, in the inſtances now mentioned, and ſcarce yet out of ſight.
And here I cannot ſay, but we may divide perhaps between the Miniſtry it ſelf, and our Orders; the Miniſtry, which is from Chriſt, and his inſtitution alone, and Orders which are of man. Let us be allured in the firſt place, that our Miniſtry, or Office it ſelf, receives no damage by theſe ſecond Orders, (which a man does not indeed recede from, but cleave to thereby) and the great fear is over; and as for our former Orders barely, whether they receive any injury hereby or no, it may be perhaps another matter. For my part I muſt acknowledge that there is injury offered to the ſame, but I will not ſay hereby, in what we do. The doing injury is one thing, and the ſuffering injury is another; we are here but ſufferers, It is a Chriſtians du…y to bear injury when he muſt not do i…. Let me ſay then, it is even the duty of theſe firſt Orders of ours, to ſuffer wrong in this caſe, ſo long as it is not from us who cannot help it. The wrong is, that we cannot enjoy that right we ſhould have by them, and while by taking new, we do but purſue …he ſame ends of ſetting off our Miniſtry, or giving i… its free paſſage, for which we took them a… firſt, and cannot now have it upon their ſcore they ought (at I may ſo ſay) to be content with us, and put it up from the time. We do not our ſelves, think the worſe of them for being vilified; Beſides, let the Biſhop think them to be null, and we think them to be good, our thinking is nothing to the thing it ſelf, if they be valid indeed, and according to truth, they will be ſo, whether others think ſo or no; and we go no more from any thing we have by them, by taking new, than we do go from the wealth we have, when we get more.
What then is the matter here in good earneſt? Why the doing this, you may ſay perhaps, will at leaſt make men think our former Orders to be null, though they be not, and this is ſomething. I anſwer, no, you cannot ſay ſo much as this, or it may make them think only, that they will not paſs in theſe times, and that a man is forced therefore to do but the ſame thing legally a…d canonically, which was done otherwiſe before; and this is that no doubt, but moſt think indeed, as the plain truth, according to the vulgar reaſon, although we may put it in the fairer words (if we will) of ſo…e moderate Biſhops themſelves, that our lor…ner Orders are lawful before God and the Church, but not legal, according to the Order of the Nation, And yet is not this …he p…int indeed neither at the bottom, what others may think (while the objection is that we renounce or rel…t…quiſh our former Miniſtry thereby) but what they may thi…k, we think our ſelves in the doing hereof, or upon what account it is we do it. I have therefore framed my anſwer, in my former ſhee…s to this Objection, thus; that I humbly judge, So long as a man doth clearly and unfeignedly, bo…h before and after, as he hath occaſion, declare himſelf to the contrary, this will not I hope by the Lord, and ought not by man, to be laid to his charge, becauſe expreſſion in this caſe, does give conſtruction to the action. The Biſhop you may ſay, do shold our former Orders null, and requires new; If we yield, Do not we in the fact grant the ſame? I ſay again, No; If we declare otherwiſ…, and yield not to the fact on that accoun…, for I mu…t gi…e St Ambroſe's due memento here Si ratio redde…d ſit… ro omni ot…oſo verbo, cave etiam aliquando ne d… vittoſo ble…tio. I have cleared this, by the inſtance of the Reubenites. J…ſ. 22. which methinks, may ſatisfy the ingenuous; though in the application, for thoſe words, we have been content (p. 57.) I wiſh I had put we have forced our ſelves, for that is more, I find for my own art, than I am even yet able to ſay. Flect… mihi cor meum Domine, mi Deus, confiteor enim haec tibi, & indulgen…m peto.
That which is replied by this Author, and by Mr. C. in effect both, is this only. Proteſtatio non valet contra factum. I anſwer; There may be. Fact of a man which contradicts his Profeſſion in the nature of the thing it ſelf (as I might perhaps take ſome of their inſtances, but that I ſhould fill too much Paper to ſpeak to them) and here it is true (if it be ſo) a mans Proteſtation cannot prevail againſt his Fact; Or there is a Fact of a man that contradicts his Profeſſion only in the conceit of ſome perſons, but does not do ſo in the thing it ſelf, nor in the eſtimation of others that judge aright of it; And in this Caſe, it ſhould be apparent methinks, that the Fact muſt receive interpretation by the mans declaration; For while ſome may judge one thing of it, and ſome another, it is they only can judge charitably, that take his own account of it. Had the ſetting up of the Altar by the Rubenites been Idolatry in the thing it ſelf, or had they done it really to eſtrange themſelves from the God of Iſrael, their Proteſtation had been nothing to juſtifie their Fact; but when it was indeed no ſuch matter, but only judged a renunciation, by their miſtaken Brethren, their Profeſſion we ſee alone did honeſtate the Act, and gave all ſatisfaction: Such is truly I deem our Caſe in this Objection.
And now I am methinks ſomething engaged …o take into farther cognizance the main B…dy of that other Book I have mentioned, the Tenour of whore Diſcourſe does run thus, Re ordination does accumulate nothing to the v…lidity, liberty, or dignity of our Miniſtry, which he deſcants upon in ſeveral learned Pages, and therefore we may not be re-oraained. For which methinks, I would write only, this Re-ordination does ſuper-induce the C…nonical Stamp of allowance in the preſent Church, upon our Miniſtry, and ſo propoſe it back to him, whether therefore we muſt not be re-ordained? To ſpeak to this, I muſt firſt in the way tak…notice, tha… when Divines do tell us of the validity of an Ordinace▪ I perceive by ſome words of Auſtin about Baptiſm, they account, that wh…n there is the eſſentials of an Ordinance, then is …he Ordinance valid: In which ſenſe, it is not to be concei…ed, that we who have exerciſed our Miniſtry ſeveral years upon our firſt Orders, ſhould doubt in the leaſt of the validity thereof, which …his very ready Author alone (if there were not a world beſides) hath ſufficien…ly proved: But when we ſpeak of the validity of Orders, in this diſpute, I would have it underſtood as to the effect. I anſwer then to this Authors whole diſcourſe, with that one diſtinction I have in my firſt Sheets, which I believe himſelf by this time will yield to be too true; And that is, "The validity of our former Ordination may be taken either in regard of what it ought to do, or in regard of what it does do: I ſay there, that the Orders we have firſt, ought to give the ſame outward authority, liberty, acceptation to our Miniſtry, as Epiſcopal Orders, but they do not; They ought I count according to the Law of God, but they do not do ſo, according to the preſent conſtitution of our Church and Land; and hence is it men are re-ordained. I wi…l put this in other terms, as more proper perhap… for theſe preſent Sheets: Ordination (I have ſaid) is that which gives us the Reception as Miniſters, in the Church where we are; Now there is the Right of this Reception, and the actual Fruition. I am perſwaded that when a man is ordained only by Presbyters, it is the Will of God that the Church ſhould receive him as an Officer of his, which reaches the Rulers to permit him the exerciſe of his Miniſtry, as well as the People to render their honour and obedience they owe to him for his works ſake. If they will not receive him accordingly, let them look to anſwer the denial to his Lord; Nevertheleſs, in regard …he Right of Reception is for Reception it ſelf, and it is the actual enjoyment hereof is the end why a man does take Orders at all, to wit, that he may actually uſe this Calling, that his Miniſtry may have its preſent free paſſage in the Church, and in his Place, which he cannot have now unleſs he takes Epiſcopal Orders alſo, it is not enough that he hath the Right already, when he Frui…ion is farther to be ſought, and ſ…eking, but the ſame end, and engagement towards God, that pu… him upon ſeeking Orders at firſt, muſt now even put him upon Re-ordination.
And here I will not forget before I go off, to re-mind my R…ader, that when I make this Reception, or free courſe of our Miniſtry, the End of Orders, upon which I build ſo much as I do, I in end i… …ll the way on…y as one end thereof: There are two ends (beſides the deſignation it ſ…lf of the perſon, or the outward application of the jus ad perſ…nam) I do ſetly make, or apprehend of Ordination, which may be diſtinguiſhed, as to the Ordainers, and the Ordained, and I deſire it may be well obſerved; The Acts I count are the end of the Ordainers, the Effects of the Ordained.
The firſt and chief end (as moſt expreſs) of this Rite, is, the commending a perſon to the Grace of God for this Charge of the Miniſtry that is now ſo ſolemnly laid upon him, which is all one as to ſay the ſeperating, conſecrating, or ſanctifying him by prayer, as to the Act of the Ordainers; and in the Effect as to the Ordained, the bleſſing, grace, preſence, aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit upon, and with him, for his ſtudies, work, and ſucceſs, thereby obtained. Praecipuè ſervatur iſte ritus, ut tota eccleſia communibus precibus deo miniſterium vocati commendet, ſayes Chemnitius: Which Prayers we are not to account to be inanes but though there is no promiſe (it is true) extant in Scripture, whereby God hath obliged himſelf to give Grace (or Gifts) in the adminiſtration of this Rite, as there is to the Sacraments; yet may our Faith be ſtrengthned to expect ſome benefit more peculiarly upon theſe Prayers, when this Impoſition of hands, according to Apoſtolical practice, is joyned with them, from ſuch Texts, Gen. 48.14. Deut. 34.9. Mar. 10.16. Provided only we take that of Calvin alſo wiſely with us, Quaeritur an per externum ſignum gratia fuerit data? Reſpondeo, quoties ordinabantur miniſtri, precibus totius cocleſiae fuiſſe deo commendatos, atque hoc modo impetratam fuiſſe gratiam a deo non autem virtute ſgni fuiſſe illis datam. Neither may you argue here againſt Re-ordination. If we are to believe in God for this Grace, or Gift (as it is in Timothy) or Spirit of God, to enable us in our Office, to be given upon the Churches prayers now, then can it not b… ſought by prayer again: For, Though the formality of the Function a baits not, maju… & minus (as Mr. C. himſelf ſpeaks) yet the qualification of the ſubject may. And not only ſo, but we have the Apoſtles impowered by Chriſt, yet waiting for Power from on high, Lu. 24.49. And there is an inſtance hath been mentioned, that may alſo effectually ſatisfie us herein, and that is of David, who in his firſt annointing by Samuel, had the Spirit of God come upon him (to wi…, for Government, or his Office) and yet is the ſolemnity repeated after (when there was need) without any more ſcruple at al… for that matter.
The ſecond End hereof, is the Conciliating to a perſon an Authority in regard of men (which I make ſo much uſe of) that his Miniſtry be received (I ſay) thereupon by all in the Church where he is. This, as to the Act of the Ordainers, is their publick teſtimony, approbation, and declaration of him as called of God; and in the Effect to the Ordained, is this his Reception (I ſo much preſs) by the Church, as to the exerciſe of his Miniſtry, and acceptation with his people. Now though it be true (what I muſt finally inculcate) that our firſt Orders, or ſolemn approbation by the Presbytery, hath given us a R…ght from God, or from his Word, to this Reception mentioned: Yet ſeeing (I account) we cannot have the Fruition hereof without the Canonical allowance alſo of the Biſhop, and it is the actual enjoyment hereof (I ſay) in the preſent exerciſe of our Function, and free courſe of the Goſpel, is the ultimate end here without queſtion we look at in Orders, it is this Reaſon muſt warrant a man in his ſubmiſſion, though nothing I know will the Impoſition of Re-ordination.
There remains now the laſt Objection in my ſixth Section and that is from Baptiſm; Baptiſm cannot be iterated, therefore not Orders. My Anſwer to this is, There is not here par ratio, Baptiſm is a Sacrament, and there is a promiſe of Grace annexed to Sacraments, and that as to Baptiſm is Regeneration, which whether real or relative is but once, and therefore Baptiſm is not repeated; but there is no ſuch Grace and promiſe to Orders. Quod Baptiſmus non ſit iterandus de re magna agitur, ſayes an eminent Doctor. And for the Papiſts then, Quod Baptiſmi proprium eſt ad Ordines ſuos conferre, he accounts not equal. See Exam. Con. Trid. de charactere. This is my Anſwer. Nevertheleſs, in regard that the dread which is upon mens Spirits in this thing, does mainly I think ariſe from hence, I thought good to add thus much farther upon Truths ſcore, to wit, That howſoever the univerſal judgement of the Church ſtands firm againſt Re-baptizing now, yet we find in the Scripture, that there hath been ſome particular reaſons, that even Baptiſm it ſelf hath been repeared, and the former not renounced, but confirmed hereby. This is in the inſtance of Act. 19.5. which I have opened there. For reply whereunto, my Opponent, after the quoting of Voſſius againſt Re-baptization (which might as well have been a hundred) and Optatus, who hath belike a ſingular conceit that Johns Baptiſm to theſe Diſciples was null, becauſe it was after Chriſts Precept was given, who in the mean while forgot ſure that plain Text, Jo. 3.22.23. that Jeſus baptized (which was by his Diſciples, Ch. 4.2. and they could not do it without a Precept) when John did; I ſay, after this he comes to confeſſion, in the end, of two or three literate Pages & grants theſe Diſciples firſt Baptiſm good, and yet re-baptized, and not only ſo, but becauſe Johns Baptiſm was in eum qui veniret, and Chriſts was in eum qui jam veniſſet, and ſo not the ſame foreign, he adds, there was as much ground to adminiſter Chriſts baptiſm after Johns, as Johns after Circumciſion; Here then is there a good plea for us. Whether a man is Circumciſed or Baptized, Baptized into Chriſt to come, or already come; Circumciſion and Baptiſm both was ſtill an external entrance or admiſſion into the Church and Covenant of God; and conſequently, if the entrance into the Church may be ſolemnized more than once, the entrance into the Miniſtry may be ſo, I hope with leſs ſcruple. Thus we ſee not only that this Argument comes to nothing againſt us, but may happily be rather inverted for us; So that it fares here with this Author methinks according to thoſe words of the Prophet, Either the Bud does yield no Meale, or if it do▪ yield, the Stranger (his Adverſary) ſwallows it up.
In the cloze I find methinks a little leven in the mind of my Adverſary, which it may be, ſome or other of my expreſſions, being not grave enough, or too much engaged, might raiſe. If I be culpable I am ſorry, but for my part I ſhall return nothing of that nature, but my reſpects, which he hath merited I connt highly, that he hath been ſo fair all along before. And as for what he objects, why was not Mr. H. as tender to be re-ordained to ſtop the mouth of peeviſh people heretofore, as well as now? I with heartily that the anſwer were not ſo eaſy as it is, to wit, can ſa patet. It was little glory to Paul that he was a Phariſee, in compariſon of his being a Curiſtian, and yet in how much ſtead did a ſeaſonable owning thereof ſtand him in? Act. 23.6. Religion it ſelf may then ſometimes put a man u…on policy, & that leaden Rule of tempori aptari, have a golden & pious conſtruction, when a Chriſtian for a good end, does accommodate himſelf to others preſent ſpirit and affections. I …e this man does think, that if he, or other like worthy perſons, ſhould do as I have done, the better ſort of their hearers would be ſo offended, as to leave them; but if by the better, he means the ſober as well as the pious, I dare undertake for them, that if he cannot otherwiſe enjoy his Miniſtry, they ſhall go near to be the firſt, to adviſe him to it. For my part, when I ſee a worthy Miniſter of Chriſt, that doth much good, and Ordained in theſe times, and another who is a thing in Paſtors cloathing, ready to deſpiſe him as no Miniſter, only becauſe he had not the ſame Orders himſelf hath, and many of his Pariſh joyn thoughts with him; Methinks a kind of pious ſcorn and juſt indignation only might ſerve him, to let ſuch know how eaſy this Ceremony might be had if he pleaſed. And truly as for ſome young men who have been taken by Presbyters into Orders, for their piety, and gifts, and not the Univerſity ſake; I ſhould be apt to adviſe ſuch here unto, of choice, (if their Conſciences ſerve to hold out) for the ſake of the Goſpel, leſt their Miniſtry elſe in ſhort time come to be contemned, when men of known learning, if they ſtand out, are not ſubject to that diſparagement; Nay farther, whereas it is in the mouths of mon, that unles they do this, they can have no preferment, and that is judged a carnal argument (as this Author at firſt beſpeaks his friend to that pur…oſe) We are to conſider well, before we condemn any. If a man ſhall think Re-ordination unlawful, and be tempted to do it upon preferment, the Lord rebuke the tem t…tion, and forgive him,. If he think it lawful, and ſome conceived advantges beſides the Goſpel draws him in, when elſe he is loath, this argues the mind unfixed and does alſo need mercy, But if a man is deſtitute of a place, and meerly for the ſervice of God in his calling, becauſe he cannot elſe have another, does ſubmit hereunto, and call this preferment, you may pardon the mans words, but his meaning is ſuch, as includes the true end, why the thing indeed is to be done. I ſay not this to entice any to go on farther in theſe times, than their hearts ſerve them, or that they ſhould not conſider when they do this, how far they are to paſs beſides: He is a wary perſon, that will go in at no gate at firſt, until he is aſſured well, all the others alſo, that lie in his way, are open. But I ſpeak it, becauſe the great concernment of the Goſpel, the burden of the work, the pleaſure and readineſs of the fleſh, to be diſcharged, the ſelf-denial in bearing the brunt, and the incumbent duty (as men are beſt fit for doing ſervice) are not weighed like wiſe as fully, I doubt upon the contrary. And ſo I have done with this Opponent, and what I have ſaid to him, may ſuffice I hope for Mr. C. alſo, for he that anſwers the one, muſt alſo (as to the main) anſwer the other. I remember the Comaedian,
Menander fecit Andriam, & Perinthiam;
Qui utram vis rectè norit, ambas noverit.
There remains at laſt an Epiſtle in the beginning of his Book, which does particularly oblige me to him for his undeferved good thoughts of me, as Vir doctus, candidus, & pacis eccleſiae ſtudio ſiſſimus; I muſt confeſs, I find not my ſelf entirely pleaſed with the firſt of theſe titles, which yet he advances ſuperlative kindly in the Inſcription. It is an eaſy matter for a man in writing a few ſheets, to obſerve ſome paſſages himſelf, and take the notices he meets with in his common reading out of others, with ſome ſparſed ſayings, as ſall in every where, and ſo ſeem learned (perhaps in ſuch helped ſentences) when his learning is indeed but ſcanty, mean, and ordinary.
Mecum habito, & novi quam ſit mihi curla ſupell….
I dare not therefore at parting, aſſume to my ſelf this favour of his, leſt my Maker condemn it in me for pride, which in him is courteſie; Only I muſt take notice juſtly as to this Author, that the more true worth and learning there is in a m…n himſelf, ſo much the more ready is ſuch a one to the f…reſt conſtruction of another. Quod ſummè de…iderct homo, est benig nitas ipſius.
Thus is this heavy work at laſt diſpatched off my hands, which I count ſo, not only in regard of the harder travel through my great indiſpoſition, in the birth of it, but alſo in regard of the fruit, while my tender and pion: B…thren whoſe turns it ſhould ſerve, (and ſo the Church in them) have ſo many things more to ſtick at beſides this, that they are like to be quite heartleſs, as to their regard or acceptance hereo…; Yet could I not break off the thread begun, but God who rules our ſpirits, wills, and the event, would have it run its length our, although I muſt ſay, I could ſcarce ever come to it, but with a mind full of Clouds or trouble, for which cauſe I have been forced often, firſt to have beſought heaven; when this good man (my Adverſary) methinks trips over my Book, touching things only as he goes along, tanquam canis ad Nilum, with his foot dipped in Oyl, and a mind that is free and at caſe. Yet muſt I humbly leave it to the Lord now at laſt, by whom he will ſave Iſra…l, by him that boweth on his knees, or him that lappeth.