

Nuitib.
IÌ.
1í
P P
àE:
N
D`
I
X
a
right
way to
ufe
them; and
fo
leeks
an Ordination
into
the Miniftry,
r
Tim.
;.
a.
He
that
defreth
the
Office
of
a
Bithop, defrreth
a good
Work.
But
God,
as
be
gives
no
Gifts
in vain,
fo
he
fets
Man upon no vain Endeavours.
Thole therefore
that are bound to
feek
to be
Minters,
are
not
bound to vain Endeavoùrs;
and
therefore
there
is
a
poflibility
of
Succeeding
E
But
there
is
very oft
no
poffibility
of
Authoritative Eccleliaftical Ordination
t
Ergo,
There
Inuit be
a
potlibility
of
fucceeding fome other way
;
for,
nemo
renetar
ad
impotrbile
:
God's Gifts
of
Light
are not
to
be
put
under
a Bufhel.
While
I
live
where my
Pains
may
be
feared,
and
others enough may
competently
fupply my
Room, I
will
do nothing
diforder
.
nor without Authority from Man,
fo
far
as
belongs
to them to convey
it;
and
if
they
that have
Power
filence
me,
I
will be
flee.
But
if
I
live
where there
is
a
t
i-
fible
Necefltty
of
my Labours,
I
will, by God's
Help, rather preach without
Auche-
city ;
yea, though I were filenced,
than
forbear
;
as
knowing that Men
have
their
Power to
Edification, and
not to Deftruetion
;
and
I
will
rather venture to anaver
before
God to
the Charge of doingGood, and
facing
Souls
to Chrift without Im-
polition
of
Hands, or Human Appointment, than
the Charge
of
hiding my
Ta-
lent
as
a flothful, evil
Servant, and
of letting Men go to
Hell, and rejeet
Chrift
for
want
of
a
Commiffìon from
Man to hinder them,
for
I
know that
an
that
con-
-
vertetb a
Sinner
from
the
Error of
his
way, bath
fared
his
Soul
from
death, and
covered
a
multitude
of
Sins ,
yam. ç. zo. 6.
Chrift himfelf bath taught
us
in
Scripture
fo
to interrupt
his
Laws,
as
that
Ceremonials and meer-Pofitives, do give
way to natural Morals and Subfatitials
;
and
that whentwo
Duties come together
and
cannot both
be performed, the greater mug
be chofen ;
and therefore
it
is
fo
in
our
prefent Cafe.
t.
Even under the Law
this
is
oft
manifefted; to
inl
ance
but in
one
;
Circumcifion it felf,which
wasfo
far neceffary
as
to be called God's
Co-
venant, and
hethat
negle&ed it
was
to
be
cut
off
from the People,
yet in the
dernefs for
forty Years together
is
difpenfed
with, and
gives
place
to greater
natu-
ral
Duties.
z. Much
more under the Gofpel, when God placeth
lefs
in Externals,
as
chooing
fuch
Worfhippers
as
will
worfhip him in Spirit and in
Truth. Chrift
often
healech
on the
Sabbath
Day,
and
tells
them it
is
lawful to do Good
(viz.
ne-
ceffary
Good)
on
that
Day.
He
tells
them that
David,
when
he was
Hungry, and
they that were with him,
did eat the
Show
-bread which
was
not
lawful
(viz.
with-
out
filch Neceffity)
for him to eat, but
only
for the
Prieffs
:
And that
the Priefis
in
the
Temple
do break
the
Sabbath, and are biamelefs,
and
therefore jufifies his
Difciples
for rubbing the
Eares
of
Corn.
If
the Prophet
Ifaiab
under the Law
could tell them,
that
This
ma,
the Falb which the
Lord bath
chafen to loofe
the
Bands
of
Wickednefs; to
undue
the heavy Burdens,
and
to
let the
Oppreffed
gó
Free, and
to break every
Take,
If.:
58.
6,
7.
And
the Holy Ghoft faith,
I
will
not
reprove thee
for
tby Sacrifices, or
thy
Burnt
Offerings to
have
been
continually before
me,
Pfal. po.
8.
How much
more, under the Gofpel, would God haveExternals and
Modals Poop
to
the
Sublance? He that
tells us
there
is
Joy
among the Angels
in
Heaven over one Sinner
that repenteth,
would not have
that
Office
that calleth
them
to
Repentance
laid by,
nor
Men forbear the Works
of
it,
for
want
of
a
Man rightly ordained himfelfto fay, Goe.
There
is
tome great Moment in that
Leffon which Chrift
calls -the
Pharifes
fo emphatically
to learn, Mat:
9.
t;.
But go
ye now, and
learn
what that
meaneth,
built
bave Mercy
and
not Sacrifice
:
Nor
is
Chrift
very forward
to
fatisfie
their Demand,
By
what
Authority
doff
than
thefe
things?
Mat.
at.
24, 27.
Nay,
he flatly refufed.
7.
An OrdainedMinifter
may have
fufficient
caufe
to
give
over
his
Calling,
without the
Will
of
the Ordainer, or
any in his
place; therefore he may have
fufficient
Caúfe to affume
it, without
the Will
of
anOrdainer.
The
Antecedent
is
doubtlefs
;
Nay,
it may
be
his
Duty to
give over
i
as
if
the
-
People do generally rejeht him,
or
if he
be called
to an Employment
where he may
be
certainly more
farviceable,
or is
fitter
for; or
when there are ma-
ny
abler
to fupply
his
Place
if
he remove,
&c. For the Confequence, perhaps yo*
will
fay,
It
follows
not,
becaufe all muff
concur
to
a
Man's
Call
to the
Work
:
Bue
one thing wantingmay
call him from
ir.-
But
I antwer,'
The
Strength of the
Con=
fequenca
is
here;
in that
as
clear
a
Call
at
leaf
is
neceffary to take
a
Man
off
a
Courfeof
Duty in
fo
needfulan Employment,
as
to
put him
on:
And therefore
let
us
fuppofe
a
Parity in other
Refpe
&s,
and look only
at that
one Reafon,
The
Good of the Church
:
It
is
certain,
that
if I
knew I were a great Wrong to
the
Church by
my,
Continuance
(as by
keeping
out
one far better,
or the
like) I
were
bound
to
give over,
though without the Ordainers
Content, or
againf
ir,
ifit
can-
not be had
:
Therefore it
follows,
that
if
my exercifing that Officebe undoubtedly
Conftderats confiderands
to the great Good
of
the
Church,
I
may
do
it
without
ars
Ordainer