Baxter - BR161 B28 1680

and their Councils Abridged. 4E5 man unordained is nearer theMiniftry, than fuch a man ordained So that here was a Nullity. z. And all the following Popes were the Succefors of Eugenia: that was depofed, and thus judged by a General Council ; but by force brought them tofubmit, and held the place. 3. Either the Eleeiion, Ordination, or both, is it that giveth them the Effence of their Papacy: If Eleliion, then there hath been a long interruption : for fome-while -the Peo- ple chofe, and in other Ages the Emperours chofe, and in thefe times the Cardinals; and therefore fomeof them had no lawful choice: And for Or- dination, or Confecration; a.There have be en three or fourPopes at once, and all wereConfecrated, that yet arenow confeffed to have beenno true Popes. 2. Inferiours only Confecrated. 3. And fuch as had no power themfelves. Befides that, the See hath been very many years vacant, and fome fcore years thePope hathbeenat Avignon, and had but the name of P. ofRome. And when three or four have been Pope at once, Bellarmine confeffeth, learned men knewnot which was the Right, yea, General Councils knew ' not. The Council at Bafil thought Felix the fifthwas the right Pope, but it proved otherwife ; fo that many palpable Intercifions have been made at Rome. 2. Our. Ordination hathbeen lets interrupted than theirs. Objedt. But you are not ordained by Whops. Anfe'. t. Almoft' all in Eng. land are till of late; if that will ferve. 2. Presbyters may ordain in cafe of necel iry, as the generalityof the Old Epifcopal men grant, and their Or- dination is not null. 3. Presbyters have power to Ordain, and were re- /trainedonly from the exercifè by humane Lams, as many of the Schoolmen confefs.4. Presbyters haveJfill ordained with theBithop; therefore they had 4uthority to it, and the work is not Alien to their FunEtion. g. Our Patio! Presbyters are Bithops, having fome of them Afìiflants, and Deacons under them ; or as Grotius notes, at leaft they arc fo, as being t'ie chief Guides of that Church: Their own Rule is, that every City fhould have a Bithop ; and everyCorporation is truly a City, 'AV;, and therefore mull have a Bi- thop. 6. The jut Divinum of Prelacy is "lis fubjudice. 7. Bithop 7l/hzr maintaining to me the validity of the Ordinationof the Presbyters without aBifhop, told me how he anfwered King C. who askt him for an in (lance in(-hurch-Hiftoxy, viz. That Hiermit adEvag. tellsusof more ; that the Pref. byters of Alexandria, till the days of Heroclas and D.onyfìus , took one from among themfetves, and made himBiilhop; therefore they may make a Presbyter, which is lets. 8. Itsat fahconfeffed, that in Scripture- times there were no , Presbyters under Bifhops, but the fingtç Churches had tingle Pallors. 9 No man canprove Ordination by fixed Bithops over many Churches (now call- ed Dioeefan) in the firtt Age : The fixedBi(hops had no more at frft but ,. ogle Churches. Objelt. But you newer received potvre from the Bifhop to or- dain; and 'tbereforecanna have that which was never given you. tinfin. If they put men into that Ofjice, to which God hath affixed the pa.r:r of Ordinati: on, then they-do their parr to convey the power. As if you marry a cup- pk, and exprefs not the mans authority over the woman, yet he bath' it

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