701 / 846
Numb.
lI.
1!
PPE
1èl
D
I.
X.
by
teaching
the Archiva
at
Lambeth
to clear up the
Ordination
of
our
firft
Refor-
'
mers,
that thereby they might
invalidate
the
Papif}s
Calumny
of
our
Sueeefliorl;.
'
being
interrupted.
But
if
Succeflion in Office
(for
Succeffion
inDo&rine
I
nei-
`
Cher
fpeak of,
neither
did they plead for) be
a
inatter of
fo
fmall a Confeque.ncer
our learned Country-Men
might
have
faved themfèlves
much Labour
and Trou-
ble,
and in
a few
Words have told the Jefuits,
that an Uninterruprion
of
Succef-
'
lion was a
thing not worth pleading
for
:
Put on
the other
fide,
we
fee
them ac.
knowledge Succeflion
in
Office
to
be neceffary,
and
Contend
that
there
hash
`
been no
fuch
Interruption in our Miniftry.
`
II.
The
Second Argument which perfuades me
to
believe
that
the pleading für
` a
Succeflion
is
of
great
Moment,
is
this,
viz. That
without
this
I
do not under-
`
Eland
how we that
are
now Minihers can
be faid to have
our Authority from
`
Chrifl
:
For we mutt
have
it
from him either mediately,
or
immediately.
But we
'
cannot
have
it
mediately from
him,if
the
Succeflion be
interrupted
;
for
if
we have
`
it
mediately from
him,
we mull have
it
by
the Mediation of
fome
Perfon, who at
'
length
had
it
immediately from
him:
But
if
the
Succeffion
be interrupted, we
'
cannot
have
it
from any Perfon
that
had it immediately from him;
or
his
Apo-
'
files.
This
is
a
kind
of
Contradiltion
in adjeelo,
and
therefore we cannot have
'
it
mediately from
Chrifl
t
If
you deny the Confequence,. and fay,
that
we may
`
have
our Authority
from
Chrifl
mediately, though we have it
not from
lone
`
Perfon who had it immediately front him. I demand how
;
if
you
fay
by
the
a
Mediation
of
his
written
Word.
I
anfwer,
that
the
written Word
is
no
fit
me-
`
diem
to convey
the Authority
of
the Minihry now a
days upon
any
Men:
And
'
that upon
this Account
;
The
giving
of
Authority which we
talk of,
is
in
ACE-
'
on terminated
upon fam
individuum
in
this Age, But the Scriptures meddle
not
'
with any of the
Individuumr
of
thefe times, and therefore
it cannot
give
any
Au.
thority unto
any tingle Perfon
nów
a days.
`
The
Major
I think
is
clear,
the
Minor
I
prove
thus
:
If
the
Scripture meddle
'
with
any
of
the
Individuum,
of
this Age,
it doth
it
either
quoad Nomen,
or
Toad
` Adjunëium aliad
incomunicabile,
or
by
Come
general Difcription which may
be
per-
'
foually and
particularly
applied
to
fome
individuum.
But
I am
confident you will
`
not
fay
it
doth either
of
the
two former
ways,
neither doth it
(fay
I)
by
the
third
'
way, and therefore
not
at
all.
That
it
doth not
give
any Authority toany
fin-
`
gle
perfon by way
of
general Difcription I prove
thus
:.
If it
doth,
it
mull be
'
in
fertile'
fuch
Form
of
Words, or
Words
of
equivalent to
thefe.
They
that
are
thus
and
thus qualified
may be Minihers
of
the Word
t
but there
is
no.
fuch
Form
of
Words in Scripture.
There
is
I
con£efs
fuch a
Form
of
Words
in
the Scripture
as
this,
They
that preach the Word
£hall
be thus
and
thus
quali..
fled.
But
if
any
individuum fhall
venture upon the Application
of
this
Propofitions
to take the Authority of the Miniltry upon himfelf; The Application Í conceive
`
muff proceed in
this
Form.
But
I am thus,
and thus, and thus qualified
:
there.
fore
I
may preach
the Word.
But this
is
to
proceed
ex omnibus
affirmatives
in the
`fecund Figure, which you know
makes a wild Conclufton.
If
you
fey
that
there
is
fuch
a
Form
of
Words, which being the
Major,
may
be
fo
accommodated
to
any fingie
Perfon
in
the
Mini,
as
he
may thereby infer
this Conclufion
g
'
Therefore I, M.
f.
or
I,
I.
B.
have
Authority to preach the
Gofpel,
and this
'
without
refpe&
to
any
Attion
to
be'
performed by fome Perfon,
gúafz
wedianreq
then I
will yield
that
nave
been beating
the
Air
all
this while.
I
have faid no-
i
thing
to
the
firfl
Branch
of
the firfl Propofition, concerning our
having our
Au..
'charity
immediately fromJefus
Chrifl, neitherdo
I
intend till
I
know
that it will
`
be 'denied.
Authority I.conceive to
be far differentfrom
either
Abilities
to undergoan
Im
-.
'
ployment,
or
a
willing
Mind
to
undertake it, or Conveniency. of Habitation
for
the
Difcharge
of
ir,
or the
Defire
of
"any kind
of
Men inviting
a
Man
to
it
:
I
"fay,
I
conceive
Authority
for
the
Difcharge
Of
any
Office
to
be
very far wide,
from any one
of
there, or altogether
:
For
a
Man may
have all thefe,
and
yet.
want Authority: For Example,
in
civil
Matters
:
A Gentleman
may be
abaft.,
dandy
qualified
to ba
a
Juftice
of
the Peace,
be may have
à
willing Mind to do
his`,
`
Country
Service in
that way,
his
Habitationfor
fuel)
an
Imployment may bemore
that
Convenient,
he may be put
upon
ir,
and invited
to
it
by
his
Couñtry
Neigh.
'Bonn.;
and
yet for
all
this,
no
Man-will
take
him for an
Officer
in
the
Common-
wealth,
till his
Name be
in
the Commifáion fromthe Supreme Magiftrate, and
he..
'taken
his
Oath
as a
Stipnlàrioä to the
fup'teäm Mag4fttate
on
his Pare, for
hs
"s
O
1
`
FàithfuÍ