A Second Discourse About Re-Ordination, Discourse · Section 12
SECTION XII.
I Have but one thing more therefore to do now, and that is, to fall, together with theſe Authors, at the feet of the preſent Governours of our Church, in the behalf of my Brethren, whoſe hearts cannot ſerve them for all what can I ſay, to yield to this buſineſs of Re-ordination, at leaſt, as it is clogg'd with all its Circumſtances. We muſt therefore humbly requeſt, in the firſt place, according to the petition of others, as that which is moſt ful & eaſy, that there may be a general confirmation for all ſufficient men of the Orders that are paſſed. It hath pleaſed His Gracious Majeſty, to ſhed many Royal Favours from his Golden Rays upon you & if you ſhall vouchſafe this to us, we ſhall take it as an Act of Grace from you, which would, I am perſwaded ſet you more right in the eys of the Reformed Churches abroad, & alſo in the hearts of the people in this Nation. If this may not be obtained, I ſhall, in the 2d. place, make bold to renew the Propoſal in my laſt Sheets, that for as much as I ſee by theſe ſober Adverſaries, that my Brethren would be content with thank…ulneſs to ſubmit to a new Impoſition of hands by the Biſhop if it might be done only in ſuch a form as were optative (as the one expreſſes it) not ordinative; You would but be pleaſed, that unto the Forms of ordering of Prieſts, & Deacons, there might be a new framed, as proper for Confirmation, by the Biſhop, of ſuch who have been ordained by Presbyters only. This I do offer methinks with ſome confidence, as that which is not only moderate between both parties, but of ſtanding uſe, as to ſuch ſtill as may come over to us from other Churches, and ſo conducing to, and not derogating from, the Epiſcopal Dignity. If neither of theſe will be granted, yet we hope at leaſt for Charls the Second, and His Declaration ſake, you will not deny to the tender all due regard in Circumſtances, as in Expreſſions, Subſcription, and otherwiſe, that thoſe that are willing to come on, may come off with all fair, meet, and ſatisfying accommodation. I muſt confeſs, I am one of the meaneſt and unworthieſt of my Brethren, to take ſuch a petition into my mouth, in their behalf; but yet one whom the Lord hath called forth to be concerned in it more than any; and as I am a perſon more indifferent than others, not looſed from my own ſhell to ſtudy a Side, or be engaged to a Party, I may the rather ſpeak the truth to you, as near as I can, in Righteouſneſs.
It hath pleaſed God, that this thing, ſince I did it, hath filled my heart with many thoughts, and much trouble; And if I believe that Providence hath a hand in every thing that is going, I ſhall be worſe than one of thoſe upon whom the Tower of Siloh fell, if I ſhould not be deeply ſenſible of the Caſe of my Brethren, whoſe Spirits are in doubt, and groaning under the perplexities of this, and the like Impoſitions; And therefore, after I have been put to ſo heavy a diſtreſs, to clear up my own relief, and have endeavoured (according to my tenuity) to ſatisfie them, that if it be ſtill impoſed, their Conſciences may not be wounded for want of ſatisfaction in the doing; ſo muſt I alſo apply my ſelf to you from the Lord, and his hand upon me in it (which you muſt pardon therefore, and put accordingly upon his account) for that only ſure, and proper remedy in the thing, which is, to prevent the wound quite, by removing the occaſion. You may be happily loath to have any think, that leſs than the Miniſterial Function it ſelf, is given by your hands in Orders, but be you adured, if you continue requiring Re-ordination in our Caſe, your honour here will but turn to a formality, and the truth will be ſought out for our Apology.
It muſt be acknowledged by you, and by me, that this Re-ordination is ordinarily at leaſt, if not quite againſt the hair of the Literate World, whether Councils, School-men, or Fathers, in ſo much that I muſt needs be afraid, the Truth it ſelf, were it not for the grand neceſſity put upon us elſe at this ſeaſon, would hardly bear me out in the defence of it, ſo unuſual, ſo unpleaded for by Divines Ancient and Modern, ſo abſonant to the ears of your ſelves, that even you that require it, will not own it, but when you have done, would have us count our former Orders null, leſt it be monſtrous; And if any of us do defend the ſame, and are ſure to be oppoſed by thoſe that oppoſe you, yet unleſs we will come up to this (which is to acknowledge our ſelves Intruders, and Uſurpers of the Miniſtry all the time before) we cannot for ought I ſee have any refuge in you, which is indeed ſo hard, and injurious (eſpecially when our former Biſhops have allowed what I aſſume) that I cannot but bring my complaint to you, and lay it at your doors. There are the Ceremonies I ſee with this you are bringing in upon us, tis a thouſand pitties ſo many good men ſhould be troubled with them, or at them methinks, as they are like to be, which I am not yet convinced, but they might be ſpared, or born perhaps (the ſcandal firſt pre…ented) as the water off ones Hat, or the hairs upon ones Cloaths, i… was ineptiae tolerabiles, therefore Calvin call'd them: Yet if theſe be ſtood upon, I count, the conſtant uſe of the ſame, or the like, or many more than them in the ancient Church, the moderate judgement of ſome of the eminent of our Reformed Divines abroad, the conſent and practice of our holy Martyrs at hom…, and the long eſtabliſhment thereof by Law in our Church, will put ſuch a countenance upon them that they muſt needs bear their ſail high, whether they can all of them endure the ſhock of that Text, Deut. 12.32. in diſpute or not. But for this matter of Re-ordination, it is ſuch an odd thing, the very Smectymnuus of the preſent Epiſcopacy, it will never turn to account (as one would think) unleſs to caſt a reflection on you in the judgements of the Churches abroad, and Ages to come, unto whom the multitudes involved, and other circumſtances conſidered, it will appear ſuch a Fact, quale nec Ant…quitas vidit, & aegre credent poſteri, the ſpectacle whereof, will not only, like Amaſa, unleſs it be covered with a cloth, cauſe many to make a ſtand at your wayes, but like the offering of the King of Moab upon the wall, raiſe their Tents, and depart from you. And there was great indignation againſt Iſrael.
There are two wayes now to cure this, either to ceaſe this matter, or maintain it; if you will ſtand to it, that you Ordain, and Re-ordain, that it is not forbidden, but rather juſtifiable by the words of God, and that we are not to have our fear taught us by the Precept of men, it were ſomething; but if you will impoſe it, and diſ-own it, and be aſhamed of it, and would have us nullifie our former Miniſtry to that purpoſe, to wit, to be contented to be held Uſurpers of holy things, ſacrilegious perſons, and all our Miniſterial Acts to be void, as the Acts of meer Laicks before, it is really intollerable, no mortal fleſh can be pleaſed with it. Come, come, my Lords and Brethren, there is no need of this; The matter is not ſo much as you ſhould be afraid of it; There is a time to begin a Cuſtom, and to break an old. And why not? Non deſunt leges, non deeſt Senatus-conſulium, dico apperté, nos, nos, conſules deſumus. There is no wanting the Scripture in the inſtances of Paul, and the Apoſtles, nor reaſon; there is wanting only a Will in you to be…tow an hours time or two to alter a few words in your Form, to ſuit it to our caſe, and the buſineſs might come to a perfect agreement.
One inſtance there is inded from antiquity, often in the penns of the learned, it is out of Athanaſius, of ſome perſons with Iſchyras amongſt them, whom they would not allow (as they ſay) to be Miniſters, becauſe one Coluthus that Ordaind them, only was a Presbyter; Unto which may be added the ſtory of the purblind Biſhop, 2 Concil. Hiſpal. 3. can. 5. circa an. 656. But Dr. Field upon the Church, in his fift Book, hath mentioned this, and given by the by full ſatisfaction. It is one thing h…rein (he counts) what they judged according to their Canons, and what we ought to judge according to the Law of God; And ſo the Author of Sum. Conc. quotes Pope Inocent, Adverſus formam Canonum ad Ordinem venire tentans ordine & honore privetur. I believe they judged at this time, in this inſtance, according to their own conſtitutions, that a man muſt be Ordained by a Biſhop, and ſo do you now according to yours, and therefore I plead for Re-ordination on he part of the Submitter; But on the part of the Requirer, that may diſpenſe with their own Canons, or alter them, I muſt ſay, it is not ſo in the reformed Churches, who have had more light ſince them of old. It is not ſo according to the Law of God, with that worthy Dr. mentioned. Non ita fuit ab initio, with St. Jerome; and whether the Law of God or Canons of Men muſt take place, judge you. It is this we ſtand upon, when a man is in Orders, whether by Presbyters or Biſhops, he is Chriſts Miniſter according to his Word, put in Office by him. You are perſonages now of quality, as of great learning, ſo of much honeſty, and would not (we believe) do the leaſt injury in your dealings unto any in other matters; Here now is a matter of as great and manifeſt wrong, as can be, which your opinion does us, and that opinion that does wrong, is a ſinful opinion; to wit, it takes away that Office from a perſon which Chriſt hath given him, and holds it null. If it was a grievous thing in theſe times to put a Miniſter out of his Place, what is it to put a Miniſter out of his Office? A Thief is not more dangerous than ſuch an opinion, which (believe it) ſhall be brought to the Bar one day, to anſwer unto Chriſt for what it does. There is no great Perſon, or Parliament men, that holds any honour from the King, if he hath an Engliſh ſpirit, but will venture his life, rather than loſe his honour, while the King is pleaſed to continue it; And can you or they think, that we who have been Ordained Miniſters of Chriſt, ſhould ſo eaſily deſert that Miniſtry as not valid, or not maintain it to be good? You may expect as well, we ſhould deny the Lord that bought us, as the Lord that ſent us, or recede from that authority which we received neither from you, nor the Presbytery, but from him only. We can rather dye here, than yield to any.
Men and Brethren, let me ſpeak to you freely of the Patriarck David, of our Right Reverend Fore-fathers, your Predeceſſors, and the eminent Sons of our Church, who have defended the reformed Churches, and Presbytereal Ordination, and I muſt call each of you, with the whole Honourable, the preſent Parliament, to Record, who are men of ſpirit and righteouſneſs, that this ſame matter be reviſed, as a point of the greateſt Right or Wrong that can be in debate; wherein it is not only we, that are concern'd, but Chriſt, our Maſter and Lord, (Who rejecteth you, rejecteth me) together with the Souls of his people; And what have theſ… Sheep done? If therefore there does paſs any Act that we in our caſe ſhall be forced to be Reordained, we do hope that you alſo ſhall be enjoyned to frame ſuch a form, or alter this ſo, as that the Prerogative of Chriſt be not touched, nor our former Miniſtry, or the reformed Churches ſlurred, and then it may be happily well enough in this matter.
And alas indeed! what ſhall we make of all thoſe who cannot ſubmit to be Re-ordained otherwiſe? Shall they be Jews or Samaritanes? Miniſters or not? I know not how they may look on the Miniſtry, that have greatneſs, wealth, and honour, tumbling in upon them with it; but as for others, that deſire or expect only to get their bread and raiment by it, and are intent upon the work, their buſineſs, and their account, which makes them groan under the weight, with a who is ſufficient for theſe things? If I know any thing of fleſh and blood, there cannot be a thought almoſt more pleaſing to it, than to conceive, that if the times will now deſtroy their former Orders, or not let them paſs, then may they look on Providence as giving them a diſcharge from their labour; and conſequently that there can hardly be a piece of ſelf-denial more cloſe, than for a man ſincerely upon that account, to tye up himſelf by this taking new (when he is willing to be free) as the likelieſt way to ſet his mind at quiet from that temptation, and force himſelf upon his work, if his heart be indeed fully up, and without flaw, even with this; And will your honours now I pray, conſpire with the fleſh and blood of ſinful man, that becauſe ſome perſons will not ſubmit to you in this thing, you will find a means how to gratifie the ſame to the full? Truly, if you were indeed able to take away a mans Office, as eaſily as you may his Place, it would be giving them ſuch a play day, that it cannot be ſaid how many would gladly accept there ſ…; But when the Office remains indelible, As I muſt tell them, that ſuppoſing this be ſo, that their Orders will paſs, though they may look on Providence thereby to diſpenſe with them for all that which they may not do in their calling without new Orders, if their Conſcience cannot ſubmit to them (for if it can, they know what they have to do) yet will it not diſpenſe with them, or acquit them from any thing they can do, only upon their old, and there is no doubt but much ſtill may be done, and will be permitted to any Miniſters that are peaceable, and able in this caſe: So muſt I tell you, that this is a better way to puniſh ſuch for their non-ſubmiſſion, than to pleaſure their fleſh for it; Let them be held ſtill for Labourers in the Vineyard, that the Mr. may not be offended with you who hath employed them, nor their Talents be wrapt up in a Napkin, or the people be deprived of their pains, though it be only by permiſſion, as aſſiſtants to others for the good of the Church, and help of them, when the Titles themſelves, with Inſtitution and Induction are beſtowed, only according to the Law of the Land. This is that will ſatisfie thoſe that are truly pious at the heart, and ſtick hereat only upon Conſcience; For let them but glorifie God, and ſave mens Souls, and they have their main end, being deſirous to do Gods work with a little, and leave their wages with him; And this will alſo beſt fetch in others, who when they refuſe only out of obſtinacy, or unſound ends, they will ſoon grow weary, while they ſee (as I am ſpeaking) they ſhall have work as they are Miniſters of Chriſt, but preferment only as Miniſters according to the conſtitution of the Nation.
Though this be hard, I heartily wiſh it may not be worſe, but humbly hope and crave it may be better. And having now taken upon me to ſpeak to your Honours, I muſt importune you yet farther in the Name of the Lord, more in general than about this thing only, to wit, for the multitudes of his Servants, who have their faces towards Sion, in a way of different perſwaſions. Let not my Lords think it to be meerly pride, and humour deſign and faction, perverſeneſs and obſtinacy, or fanaticiſm altogether, but rather in many a ſerious Spirit, a zeal of God, a care of their Souls, a breathing after purity, at leaſt Epictetus his foreign as to every one of them; And therefore ſuffer a plain man, only from his own heart, to beſeech you, in the Name of the Almighty, the God of you, and me, and them, if there be any bowels, if there be any candour, if there be any ſence of the hatches you were your ſelves under but lately, that you put forth your in…ereſt which God hath given you at the Helm (it may be to ſome of you for ſuch a time as this) to preſerve what indulgence you can for all tender Conſciences (as Gods Soveraignity) ſo far as ever it can ſtand with the promotion of ſober holineſs, neceſſary government, and due order.
It was the prudence of Themistocles, as I remmber, to counſel Greece to let the Perſians have their Bridge unplucked down; it would be yours I am perſwaded here, to let the ſober of other Parties have a Bridge made for them, that when they would they might come honourably over to you, as it was for them to let their enemies have their Bridge, that when they would, they might be gon again from them. Alas, what were the parting with a Ceremony or two for Englands peace? What were it, when you have all that Money and Dignity can yield you, and are ſharing it amongſt you, to leave others poor Conſcience for their part? Let them but ſee a countenance of hearty Piety above Ceremony, of Grace above Prophaneneſs, and that you let Gods Children alone in thoſe things wherein they do you no hurt, it will bring them very near to you. Oh that men were brought to this paſs, that they were heartily willing to let their Brethren come in, and be one with them! It is pitty certainly, that any Spirits ſhould be ſuch, that the ſame things will not content them ſometimes, with the good leave and complacency of their Brethren, unleſs they may have them in ſpite and oppoſition; And why ſhould any uſe violence, where more may be wonn with courteſie? Then Abner called to Joab, and ſaid, ſhall the Sword devour for ever? Knoweſt thou not it will be bitterneſs in the end? How long ſhall it be ere thou bid the people return from following of their Brethren?
And now methinks there lies before you, O you Rulers, many thouſands at your feet crying quarter, quarter for our Souls, quarter for our Conſciences; we are not able to ſubmit to ſome of theſe Impoſitions: Though the things may be lawful, yet ſo long as they are againſt their Conſciences, it is ſin to them, and they cannot do them but they wound their Souls, He that doth them and doubteth is damn'd if he do them. O for Gods …ake! take heed, do not ſhove, do not preſs them upon damnation. If the Chriſtian that only by his example, gives occaſion to another to do the ſame thing he does, before his Conſcience be ſatisfied, ſhall judge himſelf that he hath ſinned, and dare not do the ſame again, leſt the wrath of God be kindled; what ſhall we think of ſuch (if there be any ſuch) that are ready to provide all ſeverity and rigor to force mens Conſciences, which for to do were the higheſt of ſcandal? And if it be better to have a Millſtone about ones neck, and be hurled into the bottom of the Sea, than to offend one of Gods little ones; what is it to offend thouſands, and ten thouſands? I profeſs to God, if I were a great perſon, I ſhould not think I ought to be more careful in the taking away a mans life in judgement, than in paſſing ſuch Impoſitions, that may enſnare mens Conſciences; and if I ſhould indulge my ſelf otherwiſe, and think to find a way to engage the Lord towards me in his tender mercies, I ſhould think this were like to be the beſt; to be pit…iful to his Children, in having regard to their grieved Conſciences. He ſhall have judgement without mercy, that hath ſhewed no mercy. If the tender Chriſtian himſelf, that by temptation from without, does feel one ſcalding drop of Gods wrath to be ſo hot, when he ſhall but yield to the moſt ſmall thing againſt his Conſcience, what ſhall thoſe Rivers of Brimſtone be hereafter, for thoſe that drive men forward, and make no Conſcience, though men do ſin againſt their Conſciences? If innocent blood does cry ſo loud from Earth to Heaven for vengeance, what ſhall the blood of mens Souls? O Sirs! You w…ll not, you will not, I hope, ſeek the blood of mens Conſciences. It muſt be a very hard thing for an honeſt man, and good ſubject, to be put upon it, to loſe all that he hath for a Ceremony; And yet as that Ancient ſaid to the Child that ask'd him why he chod him for ſo little a matter, Cuſtome (ſaies he) is no little matter; So ſay I, Conſcience is a great matter, when the thing is little for which a man ſuffers. Not that I would indulge my ſelf in ſuch ſcruples, or that while Charity hopeth all things, and believeth all things, and on ſome you have compaſſion, this ſhould hinder the making difference between a Scruple of Reaſon and Affliction, and the Refractorineſs of Faction. Will the Unicorn be willing to ſerve thee, or abide by thy Crib?
I pray God to encline you all to thoſe waies of Prudence, Humility, and Charity, that if it be poſſible, you may win the hearts of good men to you, who like the Diſciples that were amazed when they heard of Saul in the Synagogue, Is this he that deſtroyed them which called on this name in Jeruſalem? may begin as it were every where, to wonder at themſelves, and at one another, how they came to be filled with former prejudice and miſ-apprehenſion, as if with a change of the times, and a taſt of Affliction, your Character was changed, and Titus the Biſhop turn'd Titus the Emperour, Neminem a ſe triſtem demittere.
Now the God of Peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jeſus, that great Shepheard of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlaſting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work, to do his Will, working in you that which is, well-pleaſing in his ſight, through Jeſus Chriſt, to whom he Glory for ever.
FINIS.