A Second Discourse About Re-Ordination, Discourse · Section 5
SECTION V.
THus much for the Authors book it ſelf, and I hope I have not barely skimmed over his words, but ſet my ſelf to beſtow my pains upon his ſubſtance, where the water ſticks with him: And here perhaps ſome of his Brethren, when they ſee ſuch a point as this managed in effect with the force only of one Argument throughout, (which therefore I have ſo ſolemnly ſtood upon at once) may be apt to impute it to barrenneſſe, when others perhaps more ſolid, may take it but as a note of his judgement, that knows ſo well the very lock where indeed his only ſtrength lies. I proceed to hit Appendix, which he hath more particularly beſtowed upon me in his courteous Animadverſions; I ſhall therein humbly take the occaſion of ſupplying further notes as I go the way along with him over my own Papers.
In the firſt Section he begins with the kind notice of the occaſion that drew me forth on this ſubject, which I muſt commit to the Lord, who knows that many times the perſonal failings of ſome of his frail Creatures in thoſe things which are perhaps lawfull in themſelves, and good to others, may procure from him, the leaving them in thoſe perplexities from which they cannot get out again, untill they have run the gantilop through thoſe his providences which he hath appointed for them in the way to the ſhelter of their former quiet, and healing of his mercy.
I do humbly implore this in the firſt place, and muſt take notice at the beginning of ſome words of my own, where I ſpeak of having made no uſe of the notions of others, I muſt except ſo much light (beſides what elſe may be obvious) as I have In two parentheſis, (p. 33. and p. 83.) which fell in after I had done the reſt, yet cannot paſſe without confeſſion, and crave the Readers ingenuity. I have obſerved what a little eſcape ſometime (as another would think) Auguſtine takes notice of himſelf in his Retractations.
For paſſing my judgement on Re-ordination, I laid down as firſt two diſtinctions. There are ſome things (I ſaid) that are indifferent in their nature, ſo as in ſome caſe they may be done, and yet are by Divines indefinitely counted evil. And there is evil which is notional only, or moral evil. That which my Opponent ſayes to this, is only that he quotes Dr. Saunderſon, ingenuouſly intimating from whence I took my firſt diſtinction, and not diſallowing my ſecond, differs only in his verdict, that he accounts not this thing in the number of ſuch indifferents, (to wit, indifferentia ad unum) but a thing unlawfull, and not an imaginary, but morall evil. He does not give us any reaſon here, pro or con, only paſſes to the next; but I deſire my Reader to note I do not leave the buſineſſe ſo, but when I have given in my opinion otherwiſe, I proceed in my diſcourſe, to lay down the nature of Orders, which I humbly offer as the free and open account for that my judgement. I have been therefore ſo large upon this before, as I muſt continue, and ſeeing this Author oppoſes nothing, but runs upon the common by as to the contrary, to wit, that Orders do give the Ministerial Authority and Office, which is not, I take it, well underſtood of thoſe themſelves that receive it. I ſhall ſeaſonably take here into remembrance, thoſe Arguments which the London Divines do offer for this aſſertion, and if they be anſwered, my Brethren I ſuppoſe will not be ſeeking to find out any, more likely or ſolid, from others.
Their firſt Argument is this, If Election does not give the eſſentials of the Miniſterial Office, then Ordination doth. I anſwer. As for thoſe many eminent and learned Divines, beſides the Miniſters of New England, that do hold Election gives the Miniſterial Office, and theſe worthy judicious Divines of London, that hold Ordination doth it, may I think both fairly part ſtakes. When the former do ſay and prove that Ordination is but the confirmation of a man in his Office, not the giving the Office, I like well the liberty of their judgements; but when they have will taken from Orders this which is too high for man to aſſume, and give it to Election and the people, I underſtand not with them▪ It is Mr. Perkins I Judge clearly in the right here, who hath told us, Our calling is of God, and the Churches Authority is a Miniſtry to approve and confirm that call. This I do aſſent to, in oppoſition to both of theſe Learned parties; to wit, that Ordination does not give the power or Office, but is only the confirmation of our call, againſt the one; and that that call is of our inward call by God, and not ſo low as the outward only of Election by the people. Ordinationis ritus eſt talis publica testification quâ vocatis, in conspectu Dei & ipſius nomine, doclaretur eſſe legitima, & divine, ſayes Chemnetius. Unto which I will adde one ſignal teſtimony, and that is out of the Confeſſion of the famous Churches of Helvetia, ſpeaking that the Miniſterial charge it to be committed to ſuch only as are found skillfull in the Law of God, of a blameleſſe life, and to bear a ſingular affection to the Name of Chriſt (the three things our Perkins before acurately hath) it follows, which ſeeing it is the true Election of God, is tightly allowed by the conſem of the Church, and by the laying on of the hands of the Prieſt, Harm. Confeſſ. printed Anglicae Cambridge, 1586.
Their ſecond Argument is from Tit. 1.5. Ordination does foreign, they preſſe the word Act. 6.3. I anſwer this Text Tit. 1.5. is paralell with Act. 14.23. (ſee Fulk in locum) and in both the word ordained (though the Greek differ) is taken comprehenſively, as it includes election, and ſo in thoſe words foreign whom we may appoint, the plurall we includes (I think) thoſe whom the Apoſtles ſpeak to, as well as themſelves, and makes for us; for is follows then, Ordination does foreign conſtituere or make a Miniſter, as election does, and election as ordination, that is, they do both go to the deſignation of the perſon, as in the making Magiſtrates in Corporate Towns, but the power does flow immediately from the Charter, from Chriſts inſtitution.
The third Argument is from Ro. 10 15. this ſending (ſay they) is miſſio poteſtativa, a ſending with authority. I anſwer it is true (compare Jer. 23.21. with it) but this Authoritive miſſion, is not Ordination. This appears irrefragably by the climax in the Text, themſelves have noted, Without calling upon the name of the Lord, no ſalvation; without faith, no calling upon him; without hearing no faith; without preaching no hearing; and without being ſent, no preaching: conſequently if by being ſent, is meant Ordination, it muſt follow, without Ordination, no Salvation; which God forbid, ſeeing Hiſtories are not wanting to tell us not only of ſome perſons, but people (as I remember) have been converted by private Chriſtians, and ſcattered Diſciples which have not been in orders. ſee Theodorat lib. c. 14. et c. 23, 24. Peter Martyr diſproving the opinion of thoſe that hold Ordination ſo neceſſary, Ʋt citra eam non poſſet eſſe Miniſterium in eccleſia, does quote John the Baptiſt who preacht and baptized, and no doubt converted many, and Paul before the 13. of the Acts, and Moſes who conſecrated Aaron and his ſons and offered varia ſacraficiorum genera (ſaies he) and had no conſecration, Loc Com. De Ec. p. 849.
The fourth Argument is from 1 Tim. 4.14. This foreign they ſay here is Docendi officium, for which they quote thoſe two Texts, Eph. 4.8. Rom. 12.6. Anſw. I muſt confeſſe I my ſelf have been bended to this ſame conceit upon the ſcore of the laſt Text; but when I have more narrowly conſulted the ſame, I find that I and they have been quite out. The queſtion is, whether the word foreign may be in…er reted Office? And if the Apoſtle does uſe it in that ſenſe otherwhere, we ſhall be apt to believe it ſo here; if he does not, this belief will ſink of its own accord. Now then if we look the firſt of theſe quoted Texts, we ſhall find the word there to be foreign, and ſo is a plain miſtake, that concerns not our ſearch. For the other Text then, let us look into it, and we find the Apoſtle does diſtinguiſh de induſtria between the two words foreign and foreign, Gifts and Grace, and the one of them, according to the ſenſe there, muſt ſignifie authority and office, and the other endowments or abilities for the ſame. Now which of the two words is it that ſignifies the former? Truly one might think at the firſt ſight it were the firſt, being ready to read the ſenſe thus, Having gifts — whether propheſie or miniſtry, &c. making thoſe latter words (which import Office) refer to Gifts: But when we look better, we ſhall find otherwiſe, and muſt read the ſenſe of the words as in their own order they lye, to wit, according to the grace given to us, whether Propheſy or Miniſtry, &c. And ſo theſe latter words referr indeed to the word Grace, which is the truth. That this may appear, let us know, that Grace property is Gods favour in general, and the word therefore is put in Scripture uſually for ſeveral effect; of it. Remiſſion of Sin and Reconciliation is one effect of his favour, and that is called Grace; The internal habits infuſed, Faith, Repentance, Love, &c. are effects of his favour, and they are called Grace; The Goſpel is an effect of his favour, and that is called Grace, the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men. So likewiſe is the putting a perſon into that Dignity to be one of his Miniſtry, an effect of his favour (and very great favour, if we can prize and uſe it right) and therefore the Office and authority of our Miniſtry is called Grace alſo, and ſo it is called Grace in the Text. I know not indeed of any that have ſaid this before me, but I am confident I am in the right, as my eye ſees, when the Sun ſhines. We will compare it with one or two Texts elſewhere, and no man ſhall be able to deny it. See Rom. 15.15, 16. I put you in mind becauſe of the grace which is given to me of God, that I ſhould be a Miniſter, &c. So Gal. 1.15, 16. with Gal. 2.9. And in the ſame Chapter here, Rom. 12. v. 3. I ſay, through the grace of God given to me, to every one of you, not to think of himſelf more highly than he ought. What is that Grace there? but according to the authority I have as a Miniſter to rebuke and admoniſh ſuch. And when we are come ſo nigh, no wonder if at the next breath as it were, the Apoſtle uſes the word foreign in the ſame ſenſe, and conſequently the word foreign be the more certainly and ſtrictly reſtrained to its proper ſenſe, as diſtinguiſhed here-from; ſo that the meaning of theſe words are, Having endowments varying according to the office whe em he hath put us, let him that exhorteth wait on his exhorting, and he that teacheth on teaching, &c. I conclude this grand Objection with a double Note (that I may be ſure to run it quite through while I have it under my P…n, to trouble me no more as it hath done) 1. That the word foreign then, being not uſed elſewhere in any ſenſe, but that writen is …eculiar to it; as when we ſay gifts of healing (See 1 Cor. 12. where it is often iterated) we are not lightly to believe that it ſhould be taken in a forced ſenſe here without we had ſome ſupport for it. 2. That foraſmuch as foreign is the general word put for ſeveral of its effects in Scripture, and this foreign is indeed one ſpecial effect in particular among them, diſtinguiſh'd by the Apoſtle himſelf from the reſt, to wit, Qualification or Abilities (whether ordinary or extraordin…ry) for ones office, as it is never taken our of its proper ſenſe elſewhere, ſo, for ought I know, it may not, without ſpraining the word quite, and puting its right foot out of joynt.
The laſt argument is from the great ſolemnity of the Ordinance, the eminency of the perſons Ordaining, and the care they are to take in it: 1 Tim. 5.22. I anſwer, theſe particulars and the like, when they have enlarged them, may ſerve well to keep up the due credit there ought to be upon this ſolemn approbation of our Miniſtry by our Church Rulers, which, as God requires of them, leſt unworthy perſons ſhould pretend his call and intrude; So does he of us (if any of us have indeed his call) both for the benefit or bleſſing of thoſe Publick Prayers which we do humbly expect as one expreſſe end of this Rite, and alſo for the procuring us our reception in the Church, which is another, a Right whereunto is derived to us by the ſame. I deſire my Reader to mark this once for all, as a matter of more weight than haply he thinks of; It is not only that a man is hereby received as a Miniſter (which he was not before) but he hath hereby a right conferred on him to be received as ſuch (which he was not to be before) by the Church in the free uſe of his Miniſtry, and the people, that the command of God does take hold on them hereupon, to render that honour and obedience which is du… to him in his name, He that receiveth you receiveth me. Which when it comes to be weighed, will I hope be accounted a very ſufficiently competent end of mans ſolemnity. And thus much this argument of theſe my Reverend Fathers and Brethren of 0532 0 London may help to main ain, but otherwiſe I ſuppoſe it proves nothing; Of whom therefore I humbly take my leave, craving their pardon, that when I have found naught here, to glean upon the Vine of my proper Oppoſer, I have turn'd back my hand as a grape gatherer into their Basket.