fident (as he doth in that Epiftle) to be obferved in following or

dinations.

Thirdly, That the fubftantial Rules about ordination are invariable, or always one and the fame, before, in, and after the Apoftles time. And this leads in our fecond obferveable from the Text. -Secondly, Revelation and Ordination had primitively divers operations, and the Church could do her ordinary work without fuch extraordinary affiftances. The Apoftles without confulting any other then their own priviledges, and the Churches prefent neceffity, elect, or caufe to be elected two Candidates Lot expoundfor the Apoftolate, and afterwards appoint Lots to determine ded. which of the two fhould carry it.

..

Matthias his ordination by

I well know that this giving forth of Lots, and the event Vid. Pifcat. thereof, the prize falling to Matthias, is made an * argument to ad All. . ult. prove the extraordinarinefs of the whole action. But let the Prea. in & Cameron. Devilers and and Defenders of that opinion confider, that three Matth. 16, things are to be eyed in every ordination,

The fubject matter.

2. The form.

3. The circumftances in its administration.

1. The fubject matter which is a perfon meetly qualified, and fo adjudged by thofe who have authority, to be the Admiminiftrators of Holy things.

2. The form: which is either internal or external; internal, or Chrifts promife to continue the Miniftry; external, to continue it by the ordination of Minifters. For 'tis with you (Apofiles, Minifters) he promifeth to be prefent unto the end of the world, i. e. in a minifterial fucceffion, for he cannot be prefent with what is hot, and no man or individual number of men, continue perpetually upon earth. Both thefe concurred in Matthias his perfon and preferment, the fubject matter, A. 1. 21, 22. Wherefore of those men which have accompanied with us all the time that the Lord Jejus went out and in among us, beginning from the baptifm of John, unto that fame day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained with us, to be a witness of bis refurrection. The internal form, A.1.20. For it is written in the book of the Palms, Let bis babitation be defolate, and bis Bishoprick let another take. The external form, Verf.23,24,25. And they appointed two, Jofeph called Barfabus, who was firnamed Juftus, and Matthias, and they prayed and faid,Thou Lord, which knoweft the bearts of all men, hem whether of these two thou haft chofen, that be may take part with us

P: 3:

inst

18,19. Francofurti. 1642.

in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by his tranfgreffion fell, that he might go to his own place. In all this (the fpecial circumftances of time, place, and of those individual perfons,onely excepted) there ought to be a concurrence in the ordination of every lawfully ordained Church-Officer of the fame order, until this day, because they are unalterably effential to their office, Hitherto then there is nothing extraordinary. Is it therefore,

3:

3. In the circumftance of Matthias his ordination? this was Mcafting of Lots, A&. 1. 26. but did not make him him an extraordihageary officer.

1. Because the Apoftlefhip, or the Office whereunto he was hab admitted, was fettled in the Church long before thefe Lots were given forth: for the Apoftles and hundred and twenty never queftioned the continuance of the office, ere they put it to lot whether Matthias fhould be the officer; which unless they had been fully perfwaded of Chrifts minde for the fixation of the Of erdamfice, they ought not to have done but rather to have put ic color, it to 020TH CAB7 and fought a clear direction from the Lord, whether Judas fhould ACA INT have a Succeffor, yea or not.

ՇՅԱԼ 2. This cafting of Lots was not conftitutive of the Office,but a visible Rite whereby Matthias his defignation to it was intimated to the Church. Neither was it a Rite appropriate to ordinations into the Apoftlefhip, or manifefted by Divine Revelation at this time, and to be used on this and like occafions, but it was fed at the difcretion of the eleven Apoftless becaufe S. Paul and Barnabas were ordained into the Apoftolate by another and Linto the different ceremony, viz. By impofition of bands, Act. 13.1,

ad tons hot of hands
IS both Lots and Impofition

33 the truth
hands were arbi-
trary, and prudential ceremonies, hot conftitutive, but decla-
rative of Church Officers and their feveral ufages in the fame
cafe, (viz. ordination of divers Officers of the fame Order), is
Officers of t
evictive not of the extraordinarinefs of the ordained, but of the
ordainers authority and power in the contrivance, continuance
or difcontinuance of thofe Rites, or of any of them: for as they
could not both of them be appointed by revelation, or Chrifts
pofitive inflitution, becaufe one of them would nullifie the other;
two revelations would be brought into competition which of
them fhould continue the manner of ordination; and the Church
would be left at incertainty whofe part to take: fo neither did
the Chriftian Church ftand in need of fuch divine and fuperna

C

218

tural

I

ercitat. Evan.
lib. I. ca. 7.

c Com. in Jonam.

Mathia. ef in loc. 82.2.qu 82. 2. que. 95. art. Ex. "had an. Alap h ad an. Act 162 Chrifti 45.

Se&.67

tinal directions, either ceremony being ufed by her elden Sifter
the Jewish Church, upon like occafions Thus the Priests fami- a Scuter.ex-
dies were placed, and their feveral pes affigned by lot, 1 Chron.
24.31. 1 Chron. 25. 8. Nebem. 10.34. compared with v. 1 and
b Light-
v. 8, 9. where alfo we may obferve who gave forth, and num- foots harmony
bredthefe Lots This cuftom continued till our Saviours time, ad
for Zacharias the father of John the Baptift, was of the courfe or Thorndikesi
Jervice of God
lot of Abiah. Luk. 1.95. But notwithstanding that lots shath this at religious
ecclefiaftical ufe under the old difpenfation, yet impofition of assemblies,
hands by a triumvirate, or three Elders, was the most ufual pag. 66.
way of ordaining of Jewila Officers. (b) And that the Apoftles
had refpect unto Jewith customs in the ufage of both thefe ce- d Serm. de
remonies of lots and impofition of hands, is the opinion of ma-
hy fathers, fchoolmen, and learned Interpreters gathuso (c) St.
Ferome, (d) St. Augustine, (e) St. Chryfoftom, (f) Bedas (g) The
mas Aquinas, (b) Baronius, (i) Dionyfius Carthufianus, and (k)
Gorh mus. To thefe fo far as concerns impofition of hands may be
added (1) Calvin, and (m) Beza. Suffice this in evidence of Sect. 34. &
the fecond inftance, and therewith we will not only conclude ad an. 34.
our third Affertion, but all that we intend to write of Apolto- ik in loc.
Hical ordination paffively confidered, or their own ordination by 1 Inflitut.
Chrift. Proceed we to the fecond member of the diftinction lib. 4. ca. 3.
about Apoftolical ordination, which is, susserl. Sea. 16..
Secondly Apoftolical active ordination, on their ordination A&..6. 6..
of others, of which alfo we fay, it did not make those whom Member
the Apoftles ordained temporary. The affirmative is princi- of the diftin-
pally intended by Zanchy, when he makes the Apoftolical ordi- &tion,or Apo
pation of those whom he calls Evangelifts to be a main reason of ftolical active
the discontinuance of their office. But this is a more infirm, their ordina-
and infufficient medium to proves an officers temporarinels, tion of others.
then any of the former: That a following Revelation fhould This did not
take a former by the heel, and fupplant it, is but can equal make thofe
matchi, it fetring God against God, and one Revelation, to ordained
gether by the ears with another. That Officers immediatly temporary.
ordained by the Law-giver were temporary, might be true, The dangers
if he had any where told us that he made them upon fuch of the affirma
terms; but that Officers ordained by the Apostles (who them-
felves were ordained by Chrift) were temporary, is most false
and dangerous, it ferting man againft God, the Adminiftra
tor against the Legiflators and annihilating divine Revelation,
and inftitution, by humane ordination. Befides this abfurdity,
will thence unavoidably follow, that all offices into which the

Apostles

In com. ad

2.

ordination, or

whom they

tive.

of the affirmative.

Apoftles immediatly, or perfonally admitted Officers, were temporary; whereby the Church would now be utterly deprived of the Presbyterate, and of the Diaconate, yea of all order, and power of ordination; Since the Apoftles in their own perThe proof fons, ordained both Elders A&t. 14. 23. and Deacons, A&6 1, 2, 3. &c. This mischiefis avoided, and the mistake which cau feth it, by a right understanding of the nature of ordination, which be it adminiftred by the Apostles, or by any other lawfully impowred from the Law-giver downward to the end of the world is not, nor never was any temporary, or arbitrary thing, but a permanent Church act grounded upon Chrifts inftitution, and promife to perpetuate the miniftry. This muft minifterially commence in Apoftolick ordination, but was it therefore temporary? to whom did Chrift promife a perpetu al miniftry, but to the firft Church whereof the Apostles were Minifters? What did they fee the date and expiration of that promife? Is the worlds end, and the Apoftles lives-end Synonima's, and terms equivalent? or did that world then ceafe, and another begin fince? certainly ifit be fill the fame world, if there be any of the All fpoken of by St.who are yet to come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, &c. they are under the fame promife, and have the fame means of its actiflodgment. This the London Divines acknowledge, they fay, For ordination of MiniJus divin. fters, we have not onelyApoftolical example, but Apoftolical precept, 1. par, pag. 1 Tim. 5. 22. If it be further objected, that yordination mentioned in the text forenamed was only for thofe times, and not to continue to the end of the world.

161.

។

Anf. This is not true; for if the miniftry be to continue to the end of the world, then the way to enter into the miniftry enjoyed t by the Apofiles, is also to continue: And there can be na reafon brought why the one should be abolished, and not the p:ber. Thus they. And herehence is eafily colligible, that they think what ever the Apoftles commanded concerning ordination is practicable unto the end of the world; whereunto Ladd that ordination practiced by the Apoftles, was only the firft link of the chain of the fuc ceffion of Church-officers, because unless duly ordained offcers, till, and at this day are ordained, and do ordain, as tru ly, and into the fame commiffion, as if the Apoftles were still alive, and affifted in thofe actions; the commiffion, ordination and promise are all loft, and the Church hath eyer fince the death of the Apoftles been governed by new erected officers.

This truth is perpetually attefted by all the Antients, they tinanimously deriving the order Epifcopal from the Apoftolical, not as a new order, but as the fame order tranfmitted by the death of the Apoftles, unto the Bishops their fucceffors.

Thus have we examined Zanchy's reafons for the temporariness of the first Church-officers, namely, either because they A breif rewere chofen by Revelation, or because they were Apoftolically and enforce capitulation, ordained, and we hope if what we have written meet with un- ment of our prejudiced Readers, it will convince their confciences of the inftances ainvalidity of those reasons, let them be confidered either gainst Zanjoyntly,or feparately.

chyes reafons for the

tempo

Ifthey be confidered joyntly, and Revelation affociate with rariness of Apoftolical ordination determine the temporariness of Officers, Church-offthen Revelation in conjunction, is the confufion of ordination ; cers. and Scepticks in religion may deservedly question how following ordinations can perpetuate any ecclefiaftical Officer, fince new Revelations may be pretended to discontinue them, which will as little contradict Chrifts promife, or the Churches pra&ife, as the former did, they being both of them as exprefs for the continuance of those Minifters, which former Revelations made temporary; As for the perpetuation of those Minifters, which till these new ones come, we judge continuing.

If they be confidered feparately, then to recapitulate fum up, and breifly enforce what hath already been more largely handled. We may tell those who maintain the contra

ry.

That divine Revelation did not make any Officer temporary, because all Church-officers are founded upon Revelation; which in its firft difcoveries gives them to, and leaves them with the Church; to abide with her until the end of the world, and till we all com in the unity of the faith, &c. And if any fucceeding Revelation fhouldann ulthe former, the divine right of the Miniftry is utterly loft,fince both the Primitive, and prefent Church are under one, and the fame Mediatorian Government. And as we may tell them this, fo alfo,

That the ordination of the Apostles by Chrift, did not make themselves, or those whom they ordained temporary.

First not themselves, for that the Apoftles themselves were ordained,

е