Is P.!·ordination l4wful ? 4 . But when a man is made a Miniltcr in gener~l before, he neede!h noiJro~er .01dination to fix him in a puticular charge; but only an ~pprohatton, recommendatton, patucular .Jnvefiiruu, and Reception. For elfe a man mu(\ be oft ordamed, even as oft as he rc:moverh. Bur yet Impofirio.n c£ bandr may fitly be ufcd in this particular Invf!ftitKre, though it be no proper ordimuion, that is .QO collation of the office of a Miniller in general, but the fixing of one that was a Mmi!\er before. ' <l!!ell:. 1.1. May aman beoft or t1vice Ordaimd ? I T is fuppofed, that we play not with an ambiguous word, that we rememb<r what Ordi.,_ tion is. And then you will fee Caufe to difiingui!b, I• Between entirt ITitt Ordination, and i:he exttrnal aQ or words or ceremony only. 2· Between one that was truly ordained befort", and one tbat was not. And fo I anfw<r. I· He that feemtd Ordained, and indeed was not, is not Re-ordainedwhen he is after Ordained.. 2· It is needful therefore to know the Effentials of Ordination, from the Integrals and Aeci– denta/J. 3• He that was truly Ortlaintd before may in fome cafes receive again the Repttition of the b~~r< ...,ords and outward Cmmonia of Ordination (as lmpofition of hands ). Where I will, 1 • TeB you in what wfes. 2, Why. l• In cafe there wanted fufficicnt ...,;wJJes of his Ordination; and fo the Church bath not fullici– cnt means of notice or fatisfad:ion, that ever he was ordained indeed : Or if lhewitneffes die before the notification.whether the Church !hould take his word or not, in fuch a cafe, is oone ofmy quefiioo, but Whether he lhould fubmit to the Repetition if they will not. · 2 • Efpccially in a time and place (which I have known ) when written and fealed Orders arc ofcen counterfeited, and fo the Church called to extraordinary care. · 3· Or if the Church or Magillratc be guilty of fomc caufclefs culpable incredulity, and will not belitve ir was done till they fee it done again. . • 4· Ocin cafe that forne real or fuppofed Integral (though not cffenti.J) part was omitted, or is by the Church or Magillrate fuppofed to be omitted ; And. they will not permit or receive·the Mi– niller to exercife his office, unlds he repeat the whole ACHon again, and make up that defect. 5· Or if the pcrfon himfelf do think that his ordination was infufficicnt, 'and cannot exercife his Minil!ry to the fatisfaction of his own Confcience, till the defect be repaired. r, In thefe cafes (and perhaps fuch others ) the9Htward A{)ion may be repeated. :2. The Reafons are, t. Bc:caufcthis is not abeingtwice ordailwl. For the word o,dination, fig– nificth a Moral atlion, and not a Pbyfical only : As the word Mt~rriage doth, &c. And it dfentially includeth the new Dc:dication and Defignation to the Sacred office ; by a kind of Covenant between the Dedicated perfon and CIJrift to whom he is confecrated and devoted. And the external words.arc but a part, and a part only as 6gnificant of the aelion of the mind. Now the oft exprdling of the fame mental dedication dorh not make it to beas many difiinc5t dcdkations. For, 1. If the Liturgy or the perfons words were tautological, or at the Or_dination ihould fay the fame thing often over and over, or for confirmation lhould fay often, that whichclfe might be C.id but once, this doth not make it an often or multiplyed Ordination: It was but oneLov! which Peter cxprelfcd, when Chrill ·made him fay thrice, that he Lovedrim; nor was it a threefold Ordination which Chrill ufed, when he fa id thrice to him, Fud my Lambs 1ndShrtp. 2 • And if thrice faying it that b~ur ma_keit no~ three O!dinations, neither will thrice faying it, at more hours dayes or months (or years) d1fiance, m fomc Cafes. For the 1ime rnaketh nor the Or... dim.tions to be many. It is but one Moral Action. But the common crrour ariferh from the cufiom of ca·lling the outw.,daction alone by the name of the wholemeral A{)ion (which is ordinarily done to the like deceit in the cafe of the Baptifmal Covenant, and the Lords Supper. ) 3· The common judgement and .cuftome of the World conlirmcth what I fay. If perfons that are marryed 1 ihould for want of wunefs or due folemmty be forced to fay and do the outward action all over again ; it is by no wife man taken in the proper moral full fenfc, for a fecond Mauiage: but for one marriage twice uttered. And if you lbould in witmji beoring be put to your Oath, and the Magillrate that was abfent fhould fay, [Reach him the Book again,! did not hear him fwear ], The doing it twice is not Morally rwo Jrimc[Jings nor o,,tlu, but one only twice Phyjically uttered. If ycu Bind your Son Apprt'ntice, or if you make any Indentures or Centrad-, and the Writings be.. lng loft or faulty, you write and fign, and fcal them all again, this is not morally anotber Contrail, but the fame done better, or again recorded. And fa it is plainly in this cafe. . 4· But Re-ordi11ation moraL'y and prop::rly fo called, is unlawful : For, 1. It is (or implyeth) a lye, z,iz... tlut wt: wc;re not truly Dedicated and Separated to this office before. 2. le is a Sacrilegious renunciationof our former dedication to God : whereas the Minifierial de· dicarion and Covenant is for Life, and not for a tryal ; whi'h is the mtaning of the Indelible Cba• ra{]rr, which is a perpctuil ltelatio11 and obligation. 3· It
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