Numb. lI. 1! PPE 1èl D I. X. by teaching the Archiva at Lambeth to clear up the Ordination ofour firft Refor- ' mers, that thereby they might invalidate the Papif}s Calumny ofour Sueeefliorl;. ' being interrupted. But if Succeflion in Office (for Succeffion inDo&rine I nei- ` Cher fpeak of, neither did they plead for) bea 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, wefee them ac. knowledge Succeflion in Office to be neceffary, and Contend that therehash ` been nofuch 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 theSucceflion be interrupted ; forif we have ` itmediately 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 ; ifyou fay by the a Mediation of his written Word. I anfwer, that the written Word is no fit me- ` diem to convey the Authorityof the Minihry now adays upon anyMen: 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 nówa 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 particularlyapplied to fome individuum. But I am confident you will ` not fay it doth eitherof 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 toproceed 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 foaccommodated 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 tobe'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 undergoanIm-. ' ployment, or a willingMind to undertake it, or Conveniency. of Habitation for the Difcharge of ir, or the Defire of"any kind of Men invitinga 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 aJuftice of the Peace, be may have à willing Mind to dohis`, ` Country Service in that way, his Habitationfor fuel) an Imployment may bemore that Convenient, he may be put upon ir, and invited toit by hisCouñtry Neigh. 'Bonn.; and yet for all this, no Man-will take him for anOfficer in the Common- wealth, till hisName 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
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