Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

(269 ) Church, and to fecure the Miniftry and facred works and fouls of men , from injury by Ufurpers, that God bath appointed the wayof Ordination : And therefore it is fraud, and not obedi ence, for any man fo to ufe it, as tocheat himfef andthe Church with a formality, and fruftrate the Ordinance and mils its ends. Se&. 5 3. Prop. 4. Ifany man , avoiding the Orthodox and UnanimousMiniftry, fhall apply himfelffor Ordination to force divided fchifmatical or heretical perfons, that will Approve,him,. and Ordain him, when the others would reje& him, this alfo,as the former, is fraud and felf-deceit and not obedience ; upon the laut mentioned grounds. it is the bafeft treacherous kind of finning, to turn Gods Ordinances againit himfelf, and to fin under the filcher and pretence of an inflitution. By ufing the means in oppofition to its end, they make it no means, and ufe it not as a meansat all.Though Paftors muff Ordain, yet is it not all kind of Paftors Ordination that fhould fatisfie ao honeft meaningman but thatwhich path the qualificationsfuited to theRule and end. Se&. 54. In fuch cafes of unjull entrance, if the People fin= fully comply,and the manhave poffeflion,it may be theduty of Tome particular perfons, that cannot help it, ( having done their own parts in difowning it) to fubmie and not therefore to feparate from the Church, except in defperate extraordinary cafes (not now tobe enumerated :) And all the adminiftrations of filch a man fhall be not onlyValid to the innocent,but with= out any fcruple ofconfcience may beufed and received, withex- pz&ation of a promifed bleffing. Se&. 5 5. But yet gauddebitum it is the Churchesduty (ex.. cept in Cafes of Neceftìty) to difown inch intruders, and to fnrpe& and fufpend obedience , to thofe that indire& ly enter, ( by a few ignorant, or fchifmatical Ordainers, re= fufing,the, tryal of the unanimous abler OrthodoxMiniftry ) till they have-either perfwaded the man to procure theirAppro. barion, or have therofelves fought the Judgement of the faid UnitedMinifters concerning him. And feting all the Churches of Chrifl fhouldbe linkt and jointed together and hold com- munionand correfpondency, according to theircapacities', the Members ofa particular Church are bound in talon, and to 5vi m 3 tbofe

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