Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

Is Impojition of bands necejJary? Muft mm be ordaii~ed to partimlar U•' 795 thcred from the beginning ~ill now, by fo great an erro~r, as a wrong convc)'~ncc of the Minifiekial power. 11 1. The wordJurifdi!Jioll as applyed to the Church officers, is no Script,irc Word, and in ihe common fence foundeth roo bigg, as fignifying more power than tke ftrvantJ of aU muH claim ; For thereis One Law;_iver who Uablt IDfaz't and to de{lroy. But in a moderate {Cnce it m•y be rolcratcd Iro:~. 33· :n.. As lurifdid:ion fignifieth in parti_cular, I· Legifiarion~ 2·. ?~Judicial Proccfs ~r _Sc~tence, 3· Or the Jam. .of. 12 ' Execution of fuch a fentence, finctly taken, fo Ordmatwn IS no part of }unfd1Cbon. But as Jurifdillion fignifieth the fame with. thepower of Governme~t ,Jm ~{egendi in general, fo Ordination is an Act of Jurifdiction : As the pla<mg or cl]oofing of Infmour pfi.ccrs may ild 0ng to the Steward of a Family or as the Calling or authorizing of Phyfic10ns bdongcth to.the CoUtd~e of Phyficions, and the authorizing of Lawyers to the Judges or Somty, or the authonzmg. of Doctors m Phdofophy, to the Society of Philofophers or w particular rulers. Where note th<~;r m rhC rhree Jail infiances:. the: Learning or Fitnefs.of the faid 'f.erfonsor Societies, is _bur their Difpofitiu vd c~ptitudu ad puttftatcfn exercendam ; but the a6tua1 Power of conveying authoriry to others, or dcfigning the Rccipie~t per~ fon, is received from the fupream power of the Land, and fo is properly an Act of Authority, here ullcd Jurifdiction. . . . . So that the common difiingui!hing of Ordination froni Jurifdiaionor Governmmt, as if they were totE fiecie different, is un(ound. 1 v. Impo~tion of handr was a ~gn ( Iike,th~ Kifs of ptact, an4.the anointi~g ?f p<rfons, arid like our k._neeling tn Prayer, &c.) whtchhavmg firfi fomc:what ·m the~tna*ure, tO •nv•tt men. to the ufc:, was become: a common !ignitican~ {ign,of a[uperioHrs bened~?Jion of an it;lferiour; in thofe times and Countreys. And fo was here applycd ordinarily for its antecedent fignificancy and aptitude to this ufe ; and was not purpofely lnfiiruted, nor had its fignificancy newly given it by Infiitution ; And fa was not likea Sacrament necdfarily and perpetually affixed to Ordination. Therefore we tnufi conclude, 1o That lmpofition of hands in Ordination is a decent, apt, fignifi. cant fign, nor to be fcruplcd by any, nor to be omined Without ncct:ffity, as beingof Scripture, ancient, and common ufe. 2 • But yet that it is not elfential to Ordination; which may be valid by any fit dtjignatio>Z and Jiparation of the perfon. And therefore if it be omitted, it. nullificth not the action. And if the Ordainm did it by Letters to a man a thou[and mt!es off, 11 would be va!td : And fame perfons of old were ordained when they were ab[cnt. . . v. '! add as to the nwl of Ordination, r: That without this Key, the office and Church ddors would be cafi open, and every Herc:tick or Sdf~conceitcd perfon intrude. 2 • It is a fign of a proud unworthy perfon, rhat will judge himfelf fit for fo great a work, and AI'!. 13 ;,; intrude upon fuch a conceit, when he msy have the Judgement of the Pafi:ors, and avoidc:th it. Hcb. ~·4· ro~J 3· Thofe thar fo do, !hould no inore be raken for Minilters by rhe_ people, than any !hould go fot Cbrijlians that are not Baptited, or for marrycd perfons whofe marnage is nor folemnizcd. '' ~ell:. 10. Is Ordination necejJAYj to make aman a Paftor of a particular Church M Ji~eh ? And u he to be made aGeneral Minifter and a particular,Ourch.E/d~r. or Paftor at once)mzd b; one Ordination~ . . I Have: proved that a man tnay be made a Minifier in general, yea and fcnt to exercife it in Con.. verting lnfidels,and baptiZing them, before: ever he is the Paftor of any particular Church.To whicti I add, that in this General Miniflry, he is a Paftor in the univc:rfal Church, as a Licenfed Phf£icion that hath no Hofpital or Charge, is a Phyficion in the Kingdom. · . And, I· As Baptifm is as (uch our Enterance into che univ""fol Church, and not intO a j,jrtlcular ; fo is Ordination to a Minificr an enterancc: only on the Miniftry as fuch. 2· Yec a mln may at once be made a Minifier in general, and the Pallor of this or that Church in pmicular : And in Kingdoms wholly inchurched and Chrifiian, it is ufually fittefi fo to do ; Leti many being ordained fine titulo, idJtHt[sand poverty of fupernudlerarits, fiiould 'onilpt and dilhonour· the Minifiry : Which was the caufc: of the old Canons in this cafe. 3· But when a man is thus called to both at once, it is not all done by Ordinalio1f. as fuch; but his con;plicateRtlatio~, proccedeth fro~ a cornpl_ic~tion of Cailfes_. As he is a Miniftcr, it is by drJi.. ~"'"'· And as hets·'tht Pajlor of thu People, tt JS by the <OnJumft caufes of appropriation; whiel. are, I· Nt:cdfuilythe Peoples Confent; 2· RegUlarly, the: P11jfors approbation and recomriiendation and reception of the pcrfon into their Communion. 3· Plnd fometimes the Magifirate may do mu;h t• ,~/igttbe people tocolt{cnt. I i i i i +· But

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