C175) caufe the Being or Nullity ofOffice and adminiftrations, had never been treated off by God to men , nor had it been re- vealed,or a thing regardable, but that we may know it Nor doh it otherwife attain its ends. And that it is not neceíl'zry to be known, I further prove. Se& 28. If this fucceffion muft be known, then either to the Paflor, or to the Church, or both : but none of thefe= therefore -- r. If it mutt be known only to the Paflor, then it is not Neceffary as to the Church. And ye it is not Neceffary to be known to the Paflor hitpfelf neither. For (as is (hewed) its imp f',ibie for him to know it, fo much as by a Moral Certainty. His Predectfî)rs and their Ordinations were ftrange to him. 2. Not to the C hunch. For is is not poffible for them to know it : Nor likely that they fbould know as much as the true Ordination of their prefent Pallor according to the Prelatical way, when it is done fo ftr out of their fight. Se&. 29. IF the forefaid uninterrupted fuccefsion be necef fary to the beingof our Minifiry, or Churches or Ordinances, then is it incumbent on all that will prove the truth of their Miniflery Churches or Ordinances , to prove the Paid fuccefsion. But that is not true ; for then none (as is aforefaid) could prove anyofthem. Either it is meet that webe able to Prove the troth of our Miniftry,Churches and ad- miniftrations, or nor. Ifnot , then whydo the adverfariescall unto it ? I fyea : then no man among the Churches in E,,ropc (on their grounds) bath any proof ; and therefore mull not pretend to the Miniftry Churches or Ordinances, but we ma' all turn Seekers to day, and Infidels to morrow, by this device. See. 3o. Argument 8. The Minillry of the Priefts and Levities before the incarnation of Chrifl,and in his time, was not Null, though they wanted as much or more then Inch a furcef- Bon of right Ordination : therefore it is fo ftill with the Gofpel Miniftery. TheAntecedent I ikall more fully manifefl neerer to the end : Only now obferve, that when Abbiathar was put out by Solomon ; andwhen fuck as werenot of the line or Genealogie of the Priefts, were put as polluted perfons from the Priefthood (Neb. 7. 64, 61. and 13 29,30. Ezra 2.62.) yet
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