A Gospel Church Described, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Whether Ordination of Persons to the Ministry is to be perform'd by Fasting, Prayer and Imposition of hands? As also shewing where this Ordaining power is lodg'd by Jesus Christ whether in a Diocesan Bishop, the People, … in the hands of Presbyters? Whether it …e Lawful to hear Laymen Preach, &c.
Quest. IV. WHether Ordination of Persons to the Ministry be to be perform'd by Fasting, Prayer and Imposition of hands, or not?
Answ. 'Tis necessary, in a Well-Order'd Gospel-Church, that all who are sent out to Preach the Gospel, be Ordain'd to that Work by Fasting, Prayer and Imposition of hands: And this I prove by these Arguments.
Arg. 1. Ordination by Fasting, Prayer and Imposition of hands is necessary, because all Scripture Examples of Ordination of any Persons to Divine Offices in the Church, were thus made, and none without it. None, saith Mr. Clark, is, or can be produced to be done without it; we have Scripture Warrant for it, but none for the neglect of it. Num. 8. 10. Thou shalt bring the Levits before the Lord, …d the Children of Israel shall put their hands …n the Levites, &c. So Acts 6.6. There …u have Seven Deacons that were to serve …ables, i. e. Administer to the Poor, an In…rior Office in the Church, yet these must be …rdain'd by Fasting, Prayer and Imposition … hands. So Acts 13.3. Paul and Barnabas, …ho were Extraordinary gifted and called, …od would yet have them Ordain'd by Fast…g, Prayer and Imposition of hands: So Acts 4.23. And a multitude of other Places.
Arg. 2. We have an express command for … 1 Tim. 5.22. Lay hands suddenly on no Man; where the Negative includes the Affir…ative i. e. lay hands on Meet Persons, and …ne else.
Now, as the Apostles Ordain'd Ministers, … must all Ministers be Ordain'd; but the …postles Ordain'd by Fasting, Prayer and Im…sition of hands, therefore all that are Or…in'd to Preach the Gospel must be Ordain'd … the same manner.
Arg. 3. If it has been the constant Practice … the Church, all along from the Apostles …mes hitherto, to Ordain Ministers by …ayer, Fasting and Imposition of hands, then …ought to be continu'd in the Church. But … has been the Practice of the Church all a…g therefore it ought to be continu'd.
Mr. Calvin in his Institutions, Lib. 4. Chap. … Sect. 1. after he had, in the closing Section of the last Chapter, shew'd how the Apost… Ordain'd Elders in the Church, viz By fa… ing, Prayer and Imposition of hands; he te… us, that the Primitive Churches, in their O… der and Discipline, and Particularly in the making Ministers, kept Precisely to the Ap… stles Rules in their whole frame of Chur… Offices and Church-Government.
Quest. V. Where is this Ordaining Po… lodg'd by Jesus Christ? Whether in a Dioce… Bishop, or in the Body of the Church, or in … Ministers of Christ?
1. To be sure it is not lodg'd in a Dioces… Bishop, for it was proved before that a D… cesan Bishop, as such, is no where found… Scripture, for being but a Presbyter, can, b… God's Word, claim no Superior Power abo… other Presbyters, but what is given him… consent.
2. This Ordaining Power cannot lye in t… People, for tho' the People have a power… Elect and chuse, as is Evident Acts 6.3. i… ye out Seven Men — whom we may appo… but they have not the Ordaining Power, … 5, 6. And they chose Stephen, &c. Whom… set before the Apostles, and when they had Pr… they laid their hands on them. Meer Elect… to the Ministry doth not confer the Off… Nil dat quod non habet.
If there be neither Precept, Promise or… ample in all God's Word, of, or to any… ple or Church that did Ordain their… Pastors; then the People have no power so …o.
But there is neither Precept, Promise or Ex…ple, therefore those Ordain'd by the People …ly, are no Ministers of Jesus Christ.
3. But this Ordaining Power lyeth wholly … the Presbyters and Officers of the Church: …ere is no Command, nor Promise, nor Ex…ple to, or of any others in Scripture, that …er did Ordain. Officers in the Church have …ly Authority from Christ to Ordain others … the Ministry, as Scripture abounds with …xamples, Acts 6.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. the People …uld not so much as Ordain the Deacons, and not the less, then not the greater, Acts 13. … Acts 14. This was the custom in every …urch, as this Scripture proves, and in every …ty, Tit. 1.5.
And here let me add
Quest. VI. Whether it be Lawful to bear Lay…n Preach? You have heard they have no …uthority to Preach; But may we hear them …thout Sin?
How far it may be Lawful to hear them, …en we can possibly hear no Ministers, is now …ubtful, and I shall not determine.
But to chuse to hear them, when Ministers …y be heard, is a Sin, which I prove thus,
'Tis certainly the Duty of every Serious …ristian to joyn himself a Member to some …rticular Church, and to sit down under the …stor of that Church as their Pastor, and constantly to hear him; this is clear from t… Scriptures compar'd together, Mat. 18.… Act. 28.28. We are to feed the Flock;… must then know to what Flock or Fold… belong, Eph. 4.11, 12. Heb. 13.7, 17.
2. 'Tis Sin to hear such that we can… pray for a Blessing upon their Ministry; … this we cannot do in Faith, for such, wh… God never sent; we can pray for nothing… what God has promised; but God never p… mised to Bless these Mens Preaching.
3. Nay, we are forbidden to hear the… Jer. 23.16. Thus saith the Lord, hearken n… the word of the Prophets that Prophecy… you.
Object. These were false Prophets, — those, you speak against, speak the Truth.
Answ. Do not they say God sent th… whereas God never sent them, nor gave th… any Commission, see vers. 21. I never s… them. So Jer. 27.14.15. 'Tis cert… saith Learned Chemnitius, that none are to heard in the Church which are not sent God.
4. Yet consider further, that if they S… Preaching, as has been prov'd, then do… you, in hearing them incourage them in t… Sin, and thereby make your selves parta… of it?
Would to God weak, well-meaning C… stians, that have more Affections then J… ment, would seriously lay these things to …rt.