The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Shewing what we do not mean by Ordination:
THoſe that have many eyes upon them, had need to have their own about them; when we know our actions will be weighed by others, we may do well our ſelves to weigh them; when the Player is at home, or in the Tyring-houſe, he may be negligent and careleſs if he will; but when he is upon the ſtage, he muſt conſider what he doth. When David was a Shepheard, he might play what he would upon his oaten Pipe; but when he was annointed King, and had many eyes upon him, he prayes God to lead him in the right way, becauſe of his obſervers; for ſo the word is rendered by Junius and Tremelius (a)Pſal. 5. 8.; for then he knew he had a vigilant and waking enemy, (b)1 Sam. 18. 9.that from that time forward eyed him. Our Saviour Chriſt came ſtealing into the world, as if he were not willing it ſhould be known; for his Mother comes to Bethelem againſt her will, and there is brought to bed, in a very mean faſhion: yet becauſe ſome ſtrangers made enquiry for a Jewiſh King, Herod is troubled, and all Jeruſalem with him (c)Mat. 2. 3.; indeed his Title was but crazy, and he might well be jealous, Imbecilla ſe laedi putant ſi tanguantur: but Solomon had as good a Title to the Crown he wore, as God and man were able to convey unto him, and was in pe…ceable and full poſſeſſion; yet when his elder Brother Adonijah moves for an alliance, that might perhaps in time degenerate into an inſurrection, he is immediatly ſecured by a ſlaughter-man (d)1 King. 2. 24.; that therefore we may take off theſe unneceſſary jealouſies and misconſtructions, we have thought it beſt to ſay in the beginning, what we mean not by Ordination. As he that came unto the muſter, with a great ſaddle on his back, and the other furniture about him, thought good to tell the Muſter-maſter firſt of all, that he was not an Horſe: we would not have our Readers jealous, and therefore have reſolved to tell them.
1. That by Ordination, we mean no politick or civil power. When we opened the meaning of the termes, & did ſtate the queſtion, we told you, that by Church, we did not mean a civil or political Aſſembly, but confin'd our ſelves to Eccleſiaſtical and ſpiritual affairs: ſo now by Ordination, we do not mean any civil or political practice, but only Eccleſiaſtical; an Office we confeſs it is, as it is called (e)Rom. 12. 7 Rom. 11. 13., but hardly worth the having: yea it is an honour, as the Apoſtle ſaith, (f)Heb. 5. 4.no man taketh unto himſelf this honour; but exceeding low and under-valued, that no man is ambitious of it: yea it is, and may be called a power, (g)2 Cor. 10. 8.according to the power which God hath given me; but ſo feeble & decrepid, that it is not able to reſiſt the meaneſt Lanſpreſado in the Army. When Lawes were called Statutes and Acts of Parliament, this Ordination was not, nor in reaſon could not be expected; but ſince they have been called Ordinances, they have affinity with Ordination. When Valens the Emperour had forſook his godly Fathers way, and was become a Patron of the Arrians, and a perſecutor of the Orthodox and godly Miniſters, he grew extreamly jealous, and ſuſpected all that had capacities of undermining and ſupplanting him, and becauſe he had forſaken God, as Saul did, he durſt not truſt him, nor enquire of him, but goes unto a Conjurer, for to enquire who ſhould ſucceed him in the Empire; the Devil is in Chains of darkneſſe, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks (h)2 Pet. 2. 4., and cannot clearly ſee before him, but tells him, that his name began with theſe four letters, D, E, O, D, when this was once ſuggeſted to him, he makes enquiry into all, whoſe names began thus. We would not willingly be thus enquired after, and therefore tell you plainly, we have no worldly aimes, nor Ordinances in our thoughts, leave that to the great ones of the world, as Chriſt hath ſaid, (i)Mat. 20. 25, 26.the Princes of the Gentiles exerciſe Dominion over them, and they that are great exerciſe authority upon them; but it ſhall not be ſo among you; we leave that for them to ſcramble for, and are content to be without the Titles, that we may alſo be without the troubles.
We confeſs, this Ordination was in former times ſo ſacred, and ſo venerable, that to be in Orders, & to be a Miniſter, were all one; but now the meaneſt Governour in any Gariſon, doth give out orders with more ſolemnity, then the moſt magnificent and glorious Prelate formerly was wont to do: therefore we mean no ſuch political or civil jurisdiction by our Ordination.
2. We do not mean compiling and making Canons, and Eccleſiaſtical binding Edicts and decrees, though there is no queſtion, but ſuch a power is in the Church, to make Lawes, for the regulating and well ordering of their own body (k)1 Cor 5. 12, 13.: as all, even the ſmalleſt and meaneſt bodies and ſocieties have alwayes had, ſuch as the Inns of Court and Chancery with us now are, as the Apoſtle plainly ſhews (l)1 Tim. 3, 4, 5.: which regulating of the Aſſemblies and Societies of Chriſtians, gave the occaſion of Ordination in the beginning (m)Act. 6. 1, 2, 3.; and when afterwards there grew debates and differences about the buſineſs of Circumciſion, the Apoſtles and Elders at Jeruſalem do make definitive and binding Ordinances, to guide the practice of the Churches, as appears (n)Act. 15. 28, 29., which reſolutions of that Synod and Aſſembly at Jeruſalem, the Mother-Church, are called the decrees that were ordained of the Apoſtles and Elders at Jeruſalem (o)Act. 16 4.; and this was the practice of all ſucceeding Churches, as appears by thoſe Canons that are called the Apoſtles, and others made by the Synods and Aſſemblies that ſucceeded.
But Ordination in the nature of it, implies no ſuch thing, is terminated in perſons, not in Rulers and precepts; tends to the conſervation of the ſpecies, or kind of Officers in the Church, whereby one Miniſter communicateth and deriveth to another, the power and Authority wherewith himſelf was veſted and endowed, as Paul requireth Timothy to propagate the ttuths by him delivered, to ſuch as ſhould tranſmit them unto others, (p)2 Tim. 1. 2and the things which thou haſt heard of me before many witneſſes, the ſame communicate thou to faithful men, who may be able to teach others alſr: ſo Ordination doth communicate the power to other perſons, that the holy ſeed may be preſerved, and propagated down along, from one unto another, as God hath promiſed by the Prophet, (q)Eſa. 59. 21.As for me, this is my Covenant with them, ſaith the Lord, my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy ſeed, nor out of the mouth of thy ſeeds ſeed, ſaith the Lord, from henceforth, and for ever.
3. We do not ſay it is a Sacrament, and its marvail that we do not, conſidering that for many hundred years, it hath been ſo accounted and called in the Church of Chriſt; for though the firſt undoubted evident record we have for that denomination, be Peter Lumbard, about ſix hundred years agoe, yet ſurely he was not the Godfather that firſt beſtowed that appellation on it; for we finde him inventing no…hing new, unleſs it be diſtinctions and diſtributions: matter we ſeldom or never finde him minting, but only method, for the ordering and underſtanding of what he found already coined, and brought forth into the world: but if we ſhould ſuppoſe him firſt, yet laſt we are ſure he was not, but hath been followed ſince by all the Writers in the Church of Rome; and not by them only, but by many Orthodox and great Divines, both Calviniſts and Lutherans; for though they do acknowledge, that if a Sacrament be taken properly and ſtrictly, for ſuch an inſtituted Ordinance of Jeſus Chriſt, which fitly, by ſome viſible and outward El…ment, repreſenteth inward grace, and exhibiteth the ſame unto the ſoul of every worthy and true receiver, It cannot be a Sacrament; yet if it be taken largely, and improperly and largely, for an inſtituted and holy rite, or Ceremony, whereby external Eccleſiaſtical power and Authority is derived and communicated from one unto another, it may be called a Sacrament; yet theſe good men had never ſeen it trampled and trodden on, as we have done; they never heard it called Antichriſtian, nor renounced and laid aſide, by thoſe that had been formerly ordained themſelves, yet were not willing it ſhould be ſtripped of any title, that might adorn and beautifie the thing; but we that have lived to ſee it vilified and undervalued, ſhould be inflamed and incouraged to ſet it up, and magnifie it, as the witneſſes (r)Rev. 11. 11, 12.in the Revelation, becauſe they were ſeen dead, are ſhewed after they were alive. When Mattathias the Prieſt of Modin, ſaw them do ſacrifice unto the Idolls before his face, and vilifie the holy things of God, he could not bear it, but roſe up and revenged thoſe affronts, and by himſelf and ſons reſtored Gods true Temple-worſhip, that was utterly decayed; and ſo that zealous holy Prophet David, (s)Pſal. 119. 126, 127, 128.It is time for thee Lord, to work, for they have made void thy Law, therefore I love thy Commandements above gold, yea above fine gold, therefore I eſteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every falſe way.
It hath been uſual for thoſe that undertake the patronage and protection of any point, to value and advance it above the literal and proper worth: when the Apoſtle found the ſacramental Elements ſo undervalued by the Corinthians (t)1 Cor. 11. 20, 21., he gives them what did properly and really belong unto them (u)v. 23, 24, 25.; but thoſe good men that lived afterwards, did ſo advance and dignifie thoſe Elements, that tranſubſtantiation, and the carnal and corporal preſence of our Saviour in the Sacrament, was for many hundred years undoubtedly believed; and the like we finde of many other points, that have been controverted; but we are not ambitious of any ſuch advancement, we are content that Ordination be eſteemed an inſtituted Ordinance of Jeſus Chriſt, the door of the ſheep-fold, (as our Saviour ſpeaks) whereby the Shepheard entereth (w)Joh. 10. 1, 2., the only way to propagate the miniſterial power, and having gotten that ſhall be content to wave all garniſhes & dreſſes that ſet it out; for we obſerve, that the more ſimple and ſingle any Jewel is, the more illuſtrious; to clutter a deal of gold about a Diamond, doth but obſcure it: its true of this, that's ſaid of vertue in the general, divitiis animoſaſuis, ſhines by the luſtre of its own worth, and needs not borrow Clothes to go abroad in: therefore we do not ſay its a Sacrament, but we ſay it is a ſacred thing. When Hercules came into a Temple, he found the Image or Statue of Adonis in it, but pull'd it down with this expreſſion, certè nil ſacri…es; we would not labour to erect and ſet it up in the Temple and Church of God, but that we know, and do believe it is aliquid ſacris; but omnia ſacra, non ſunt ſacramenta. We ſhall not ſtrive to lift it up above it ſelf, and put a valew on it that is not native and eſſential. The apocryphal Books are many of them very good, and may be very well commended to be read and uſed; but becauſe the Papiſts would have thruſt them into the Canon, they have been ſlighted and deſpiſed more then they needed; as Jacobs eldeſt ſon had divers priviledges, but becauſe he went up to his Fathers couch, his excellency was abated (x)Gen. 19. 3, 4..
4. We do not ſay, it doth confer and contribute internal, ſanctifying & ſaving grace, that one that was before a carnal, unconverted, unregenerate man, is thereby made a ſpiritual, converted, & regenerated perſon: were it a Sacrament, as properly and really as Baptiſme and the Lords Supper are, yet we durſt not aſcribe ſo much unto it; for however great effects are by the ancient, and ſome modern Writers aſcribed to baptiſme, yet that was ſuppoſed to be in non ponentibus obicem, in ſuch as were not able to barre the door againſt the power of it, which here is not to be ſuppoſed; for theſe muſt be adulti, to be ſure, grown men, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks (y)1 Tim. 3. 6, not a novice, and therefore able to oppoſe the work of God upon them; but yet it may be ſaid, for to confer grace upon ſuch as come provided and prepared for it; for the Office and Miniſtry it doth confer, is numbred among thoſe graces, that are given by God unto the Church (z)Rom. 12. 6, 7, 8.; and by the Apoſtle in another place is expreſly called grace, (a)Rom. 1. 5.by whom we have received grace and Apoſtleſhip, where the Office of an Apoſtle is called grace, that is, a faculty and power to attend and act in holy things, which others have not; and though Ordination do not confer and contribute a fitneſs for the ſervice, but prerequire it, and ſuppoſe it, for an internal call muſt qualifie the perſon to be ordained, he muſt believe, and be perſwaded, that he hath inward grace, and fitneſs for the work, and is willing and deſirous to be imployed and uſed in it: yet we know not what God may do in ſuch a caſe, whether the faſting, praying, laying on of hands, that muſt be uſed in Ordination, may not bring down a ſhowre, or at leaſt a ſprinkling and dew of grace upon the ſouls of them that are there ready to be ordained: for if we do believe, that the putting up of bills in an ordinary Congregation to the Miniſter, may bring a bleſſing down upon the parties that are prayed for; why ſhould we not think, that when many Miniſters and people meet on purpoſe, to beg a bleſſing upon perſons ſet apart for the work of God, that God will hear and anſwer, and do ſomething more then otherwiſe had been? If people did not think God might be moved, they would not put up bills for people that were undertaking a voyage by Sea or Land, that were like to be very dangerous. And beſides theſe general grounds, that juſtly move us to deſire the prayers of believers, we have ſpecial and particular aſſurance, that laying on of hands in Ordination, doth give ſomething that may be called grace, or a gift in ſome particular and ſpecial manner (b)2 Tim. 1. 6, 7.; and it was undoubtedly believed for many ages in the Church, that Ordination did imprint a Character on him that was ordained, that never could be blotted out; which if true, could not be any thing elſe, but internal ſaving grace; for if any private godly man may be aſſured, that if he aske, he ſhall receive, if he ſeek, he ſhall finde, if he knock, it ſhall be opened unto him, and that our Saviour giveth an univerſal and common reaſon for it, namely, that every one that asketh receiveth, and he that ſeeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it ſhall be opened (c)Mat. 7. 7, 8., much more, when divers Miniſters and other godly perſons do aſſemble, and meet on purpoſe, to faſt and pray for ſuch perſons, that are now lanching out into the Ocean, and undertaking a dangerous and tedious voyage, for to turn men from darkneſs unto light, from the power of Sathan unto God, that they may receive the forgiveneſs of their ſins, and inheritance among them that are ſanctified by faith in Chriſt, as he ſpeaks (d)Act. 26. 18; for Ordination is a very great work, and muſt be carried on, multorum manibus, both extraordinary and ordinary Officers imployed in it, (e)1 Tim. 4. 14.neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by Prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery; for when any Company agree to ask ſome ſpecial favour of God, for the glory of his name, and the ſervice of his Church, they are more likely to attain it, as Chriſt expreſly ſaith, (f)Mat. 18. 19, 0.that if two of you ſhall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they ſhall aske, it ſhall be done for them, of my Father which is in Heaven; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midſt of them; ſo that there is all the reaſon in the world, to wait for and expect a bleſſing upon ſuch a meeting. All know, that the high Prieſts Office, in the times of Chriſt, was very much degenerated and decayed; for beſides that, it was often bought and ſold, as in the ſtory of the Maccabees it doth appear, and in Joſephus, it was now worſe then ever; for whereas the High-Prieſt was but one, nor ought not for to be, as being in a ſpecial manner a type of Chriſt, who is therefore called the High Prieſt of our profeſſion (g)Heb. 3. 1., there was at this time two, as appears (h)Luk. 3. 2., and they not equal in Commiſſion, and dividing it between them, but taking it by turns, for Caiaphas was high Prieſt that year, ſaith the Apoſtle, to note the irregularity and corruption that was crept into it (i)John 11. 49., whereas the high Prieſt was to be ſo until he died, yet notwithſtanding, there was ſomething ſtill rem…ining in the Office, for ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, (k)Joh. 11. 51and this ſpake he not of himſelf, but being high Prieſt that year, he propheſied, that Jeſus ſhould die for that Nation: if therefore that degenerate decayed office, had ſo much ſtrength and vigour yet remaining in it, as to make the Maſter, and preſent owner, to be a Prophet, how much more may we believe and hope, that Ordination, being an Ordinance of God, remaining yet in purity and vigour, contributeth ſomething that is worth the having? We know our Saviour, when he breathed on them, gave the holy Ghoſt, and therewith power to forgive ſins (l)Joh. 20. 22, 23., yet we decline theſe great collations and contributions, and content our ſelves with certain hope, and expectation of an office power, which is undoubtedly conferred on thoſe that come prepared and fitted for it, though we have no reaſon to ſtraiten Gods bleſſed hand, but to open our mouthes wide for what ſoever God ſhall be pleaſed to beſtow, and have a promiſe that we ſhall be filled (m)Pſal. 81. 10.. Away therefore with all thoſe foul ungrounded and unworthy calumnies, that have been caſt upon this holy Ordinance of Jeſus Chriſt, as if we thought or ſaid, that whatever one was, or had been before, yet the hands of Presbyters had power to abſolve him from all irregularities, and to confer upon him ſaving and renewing grace; to make the meaneſt mechanick perſon in a Country, as good a Miniſter as the graveſt and moſt learned Doctor; that the hands of Clergymen were grown of late ſo fat and full, that they were able to beſmeer an ignorant unskilful novice, with ability to preach the word, and adminiſter the holy Sacraments, as well as any body; and that a Barber or Butler that had but lived in a Biſhops houſe, would ſerve to make as good a Miniſter, as need be; whereas you ſee we do require a fitneſs in the perſon, and hold it to be our duty, enjoyned ſtrictly to us, to lay hands ſuddenly on no man, neither to be partakers of other mens ſins (n)1 Tim. 5. 22.; and if notwithſtanding all our examinations & inſpections, unworthy perſons do creep in, we do believe our hands do not, nor cannot poſſibly abſolve them, & make them whole. Neither need men fear the fatneſs and fulneſs of them; for whatſoever they have been in former times, yet of late they have been waſhed very clean, and wiped with ſo coarſe a towel, that there is little now left, but ſkin and bones upon them; what ſpiritual good we can, we are and ſhall be willing to beſtowe; but for corporal and carnal, we may ſay as John and Peter do (o)Act. 3. 6., Silver and Gold we have none, but what we have we give.
5 We ſay, it is not the invitation or election of the people, we would be very unwilling to be miſtaken or miſinterpreted in this; for we acknowledge people are the purchaſe and poſſeſſion of the Lord Jeſus, for the bodies of thoſe beaſts, whoſe blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the high Prieſt for ſin, are burnt without the Camp, wherefore Jeſus alſo, that he might ſanctifie the people with his own blood, ſuffered without the gate (p)Heb. 13. 11, 12.: the whole aim and buſineſs of the Miniſtry is for the people (q)Eph. 4. 12., for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry, for the edification of the body of Chriſt, yea whatſoever incident or accidental influence or aſſiſtance doth befall us, in the progreſs and perſuance of our miniſterial Calling, it is ſtill for the peoples good, as the Apoſtle plainly ſayes, (r)2 Cor. 1. 6.whether we be afflicted, it is for your conſolation and ſalvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the ſame ſufferings, which we alſo ſuffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your conſolation and ſalvation: ſo that we ſhould be injurious to the Church of Chriſt, which is his body (s)Eph. 1. 23., If we ſhould derogate from them, or deprive them of, or ſcant them in, any part or portion of that power, which Chriſt their head and Huſband, hath bequeathed to them, or eſtated on them: for as its ſaid, that the three favourites of common Law, are life, liberty, and power; ſo in the Canon, or ſpiritual Law of Chriſt, his Churches Dower, is and ought to be as great a favorite. But we muſt not give her more then doth become her: nothing that may be a prejudice or diſparagement unto her Huſband. Women in France are honoured and valued, as is well known, yet do not ſway the Scepter: there be many good Women, …hat are great ſupporters of their Huſbands Honour and Eſtate, and are therefore ſaid to build up their houſe (t)Prov. 14. 1., yet doth it not become them to wear their Huſbands breeches. We ſhall be ready to afford unto the people, what is their due, what is their Ornament and honour; but may not put upon them what belongeth to the man, for that is ſtill forbidden, as well as formerly it was: (u)Deut. 22. 5.the woman ſhall not wear that which appertaineth to the man. We muſt therefore take heed we give not too much, leſt it diſparage and diſhonour her. But becauſe this is a tender point, and our Readers moſt of them muſt be the people, We ſhall defer the full debate and clearing of it, unto another Chapter, and ſhall ſet down all we know to be the peoples right, in theſe particulars.