Muft the Magiftrate or !J3ijhop be firft obe)'ed ? 787 g, Yea, if a Miniller be weaker, yea, and coldcr and .worfc than another, yet if .his MiniHry be competently fi'tted to edification, he that cannot leave him and go to a. better, WJthom app1rent hurt to the Church, and the fouls of others, by divirton, or exafperating Rulers, or breaking fami- :.cj Jyorder or violating Relation duties, mull take himfelf to be at prefent, denyed the greater helps thaf others have, and may tmft God in the ufe of thofe weaker means, to accept and blcfs him; becmfe he is in·the fiation where he hath fet him. This cafe therefore.: mutt be Rc:folved by apru· dent comparing of the Good or Hurt which is like to follow, and of the aCcidents or circumfiances whence that mua be difcerned. . ~elt. to. Wbat if the Magiftrate command tiJe people to receive one Paftor, and the !J3ifhofS or Ordainers anot/Jer, w/Jich of them muft be obeyed ? • . ,, THe Magiflrate and not the Bilhop or people, ( unle(s under him) hath, the power and di· See more .it fpofal of the Circumltantials or Accidents of the Church ; I mean of the,Temple, the Pulpit, rbis after, . the Tythes, &c. And he is to determine what Minifi:ers arc fit either for his ownCouJJten(1.1tct or Toleration and what not. In thefe therefore he is to be obeyed before the Bifhops or others. 2 . It a Pope or Prelate of a foreign Church , or any that hath no lawful Jurifdi6tion or Govern– ment over the: Church that wanteth a Pafior, !hall command them to receive one, their command is &lull, and to be contemned. . 3• Neither Magiflrate nor Bifhop, as is faid, niay deny the Church or people any Liberty which God in Nature, or Chrifi in the Gofpel bath felled on them, as to the Reception of their proper Pafiors. 4· No Bifhop, but only the Magiflrate can compeU by the Sword, the obedience of his commands. . 5· If one of them command the reception of aworthy pcrfon, and the other of an intolerable one, the former mufi prevail, becaufe of obedience to Chrifl, and care of our fouls. 6oBut if the pedons be equal, or both fit, the Magiflrate is to be qbeyed, if he be peremptory in his commands, and decide the cafe in order to the peace or proteCl:ion of the Church ; both be.. caufc ir is a lawful thing, arul becaufe elfc he will permit no other. 7· And the rather becaufe the MagW:rates Power is more pafi controverfie, than Whether any Bi ... flwp, Pallor or Synod can any furrher than by counfel and perfwafion, oblige the People to re– ceive a Pallor. ~ell:. 11. Whether 411 uninterrupted Sttccefion eitl1er of ri,g!Jt Ordinatio11 or o} Conwyance by Jw·ifdiuion , be necefJary to the '.Being of the Miniftry, or of a tme Church 1 THe Plpifls h1ve hitherto inGUed on the ncccllity df fucceffive right Ordination : But Voetim de dc[pe,•ta CauFa PapatUJ lmh in this fo handled tfl.em, and confutedJa•feniur, as hath indeed Chewed the dd peraremfs of that Caufe: And they perceive that the Papacy it felf cannot be upheld by that way ; and therefore J obnfon,aliaJ 1crret, in his Rejoynder againll: me now concludeth,that it iS not for want ofa fuccetfiveConfecration that they condemn the Church of England,but for want of true · JurifdWion,becaufe other Bithops had title to the places whilefi they were put in : And that fuccdlive: ConiCcution ( which wetake to includeOrdination) is not necdfary to the bting of Miniflry. or Church. And it is moft certain to any man acquainted in Church Hifiory, that their Popes have had a fuccellion of nt ither. Their way of Election hath b~en frequently changed, fometimes being by the people, fometunes by the Clergy, fomeumes by the Empcrours, and laflly by the Cudinals alone. Ord.ination thry have fometime wanted, and a Lay-rran been chofcn : And of~ the Ordination bath been by fuch as had no power accordmg to rhe1r own Laws. Ant;l frequent mtercifions have: been. made, iOmetime by many years vacancy~ when they had no Church, ( and fo there was none ort Euth, if the Pope be the Confiitutive Head) for want of a Pope;. fomctime by long Scbifms, when of two or th1'ee Popes, no one could be known to have more r1gh• than [he other, nor did they orh~rwife carry it, than by po.wer at la(}: Someri~cs by the utter incapacity of the poffetfors, fame berng Lay-men, forne Hereucks and Infidels, fo judged by Councils at Romt, Con(l•nce, B•fil ; and Eu~rniuJ the fourth continued after he was fo cenfuted and condemned and depofcd by the Ge– neral Couhcil. I have proved all this at large elfewhere. · And he that will not be cheated with a bare found of words, but wiU ask them, whether by • [uccrf!ionof Jurifi!Wion, they mean Efficimt Conveying Jurifdiaion in the Ca"Jm of his Ca11, or Re• Hh h h h ceivt~J
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