What the Mmifterial Office u. 8. \Vhcther you wi11 call this Co;t{ent to particular Church Relation and dmy by the name of aCo~ mmt or not, is but lis de nomim : h is no more rhan mutual Confint that is nccdfary to be cxpref1-.d: And mutual Confc::nt exprdE·d may be called aCovenant. 9· Ad mcliu1 rffe, the more c::xprefs theConf!!nt or Covcnam is, the ·better ; For in fo greu mat· rcrs men lhould know what they do, and deal above boud : Efpecially wht.n tX?=ricnce rellcth us that ignoraucc and Inugc:r~ is ready to ear our the heart of Religion in almoll all the Churches in rh~ wo:ld. But yet ad 1§e Churches rnufr fee that t?ey fe~gn or mak.,e no m~re Covenants xceeffary than God harh made ; becaufc humane unnecc::ffary uwennons have fo long dJ!lraCl'ed and laid watlc the Church<s of Cbrift. I O· The PajforJ Confcnt mufi concurr with the per[ons to be received: For it mufi be mucu 3 t Con– . h. :.S. ~9, fcnr: And as none can be a rnembc.r:, fo none may be aPalter againHhis wi!!. And though he be }, \ 3. 7 ,;;: under Chrifis L~ws what ptrfons to receive, and' is not arbitrary, to do what he lift, yet he is rhe 1ilc;1. 5. 12, Guide of theChurch, a:nd the difccrner of his own duty. And aPafior may have reafans to refufc ll• w take a man into his particular Charge, without rejecting him as unworthy. Perhaps he may ' un. 5· 1 7· already have more in numbt.:r than he can wtH take care of. And ocher fuch Reafons may fall out. John 20· 21. & J; :o. lnk~: 10 ; . R·lnl,IO.l}. \cts 20. 28. II· In thoft: Countrcys where the MagiOrates Laws and common confcnt, ·do take every q:t.Jlified pcdon for a member of 1hat CJ1urch where his b:JbitatiOJt is, ( called a Parifh, ) and to which he erdi· uarily rc{ortctb, the PlHor that undertakcrh that charge, doth thereby feem to confent to be PaHor to all fltch pcrfons in that Parifl1o And rhcrc Cohabitation and ordinary conjunction with the Church, ffiJ)' go f• a fignilic1tion of confent, and inftcad of more particular Contract or Covenant, by vir– tue oi tht Lxpotirion of the {aid Laws and Cufloms. Yet 10, that a man is not therefore to be taken tor a membet of 'he Church, mccrly becaufe he livcth in the Parifh ; For fo Atheifis, Infidels, Here– tJCk> and Papifis may do; But becaufe he is, I· A Pnifhioner, 2· Q!!alified, 3• Joyning with the Church, and actually fubmining to theMinillry. · 12. where there is this much only, it is a flnful flandcr to fay that fuch a Pari{h is no true Church of Chrifi; however rhere may be many defirable orders wanting to its better being. Who hath the power of trying and receiving we nun Chew anon. Q!efl:. 17. Wherein dotb the Mmifterial Office ejfentially conJift? THe Office of the Sacred Minifiry is a mixt Relation ( not a fimple ) l• As the Minifier is re– lucd to Ch,.ijt he is Hid Servant or Minifter by Office, that is, oneCommif!ioned by him for that [.JcrcJ worJt, where there is, I · The Commiffion it folf, (which is not Particular, but Gentral, in a General Law, applicable to each fingular perfon when qualified,) 2. T he determination of the inJi~ vidual perfon who is to receive it : which confifieth in the CaiJ, which I have opened before, and therefore rl'pcat not. Only note again, that by virtue of the General Cornmiffion or Inftitution of 1hc Otliet in fP<eie, the power is convey<d from Chrill to the IndividHal pcrfon, and that the Church ( Ekc1ors or Ordaincrs) arc not the Donors, Authorizers or Obligers, but only inftrumentJ ofdrfigning tm apt recipient, and delivering him poffiffion. 2. That by virtue of this lnftitut_ion , Charter, or Phi\. t.{5,t6, Law-CommiJ!ion, it is that the acts of a man flrmingly or -vifibly calltd, are valid to the Church, though 1 7· really he were not ordained, or truly called, but deceived them by hypocritical intrufion. Mltth. 7· 22 · 2. T he Ca:t[ation or Efficiency of Chrill: in the making any one a Miniller , is 1. Difpofitive) malte~ ~;~;(. 1:.'71,48. ing him-~ ~ualificd fit recipient ; 2. ThenApp~ing the General Commiffion to him) or g.iving him 2 Tim. ~. 2. the Funcrzon lt felf. 2Tun. 1. 5·7· I· The Difpofitive ath of Chritl are, I· Giving him compttent Knowledge for a Minill:er : 2. Giving E_rhef. 6 · 1 9' him competent GoodutjJ, that is, Love toGod, Truth and Soulr, and wiUing11t[r for the work~ 3· Give~ ;~~;: !.' 4, S• ing him competent Powtr or Abili~itr for ~ecution, which is principally in VtteroHCt; and fo qualiTims 1. 9· fying his IntelleU, WiU and Execulti.lt Power. . . oCor.' G. 2· The Immediate co.vtyance or act ofCollatiOn, IS r. An Obligalion hid on the perfon to do the ~;:s\~;.1 ' z. work. . 2· Authority given hirrl to warrant him, and tq oblige others ; That is, a Jur docendi, gu· bauandt> &c. 3· The form of the Relation is denominated, r. From th~ Reception of thefe Efficie•ciu in ge– neral, 2. From rhe fubordination which hereby they aro placed in ro . Chrill, as their Relation is denominated a Termino. r. Formally the Office confillcth in r. An Obligation to do the work of the Office. 2· Authority to do it, and to oblige others to fubmit to.it. 2. Thefe make up an Office which being denominated alfo from the 1erminU<, is confidered, r. As to the nearefi term, which is t·he work to be done. 2. The remote, which is the objea of that 2 Tim.t.2.& work,: 3· ' · & 4· "· The work is t . 1caching: 2· Ruling: 3• Worfhipping. And fo it is elfentially [An Obligalion & .: ~·· ~· and Power, ofMinijft:ri:~l Teaching) R11ling ~tnd Wor:Jhipping God. ] 1 1 . .d. r..o. 2. As to the objetl: it is, r. The world to be Convtrted. 2. The Converted to be Bap1ized ana Congrel3· · gaud'
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