20 APPENDIX Numb.Il. ' Faithful Difcharge in it. Neither would any underfanding Man think himfelf ` obliged to obey his Warrants, ifhelhould have the Confidence to iffueout any be- ' fore theft compleating Acts be done, notwithftanding all the former Prepared- ` ons towards it. ` In like manner to the thing inHand about Ecclefiaftical Officers: A Man, I ` doubt not, may have competent Qualificationsfor the Workof the Miniltry, he ` may have a willing Mind to the Employment, hemay have an Habitation fit for the Overfight of filch a Congregation, he may be invited by them to undertake the Care andOverfight of them ; and" yet, for all this, till Jefus Quiff, the Su- ' preme Governor of his Church, fhall by his Vicarios Epifcopos, put his Name into ` the Commilfton and take reciprocal Security from himfor his faithful Difcharge in it, he neither can, nor ever was efteemed a Minifter duly authorized. And ` therefore, though God as in theCafe of a Civil Magiftrate, may very fitly and ` 'properly be faid to do all as you urge, I think out ofSpalarenfis : So he may be fold ` in the Cafe ofEcclefiaftiacal Officers to be faidproperly and fitly to do all; yet he `doth not all the Work without the Mediationof his Vicegerents, and 1 cannot ` fee but that part of the Work which he hath left for them to do, is as neceffary for ` the compleating and perfectingofthe Work, as that which he doth without their Mediation ; and by confequence, if that part of the Work be left undone. ` the whole Work is as impeded and incomplete, as if this had been done, but t the other Parts left undone. Here is in this,' I confers, form thing taken pro con- `feJfo, that Jefus Chrift bath fore Vice-gerents here on Earth, and that he bath ` left fome part of thisWork in their Hands for them to do: Which being aMat- ` ter of Fad, thall be proved when Iknow it is denied. ` III. But Thirdly, My Third Argument is this : I do therefore plead for anun- ' interruptedSucceflion, becaufe it appears to me that moti of the Invaders and In- ` truders upon the Minifterial Office, are very,much ftrengthened and juttified in ` their Schifmand Ufurpation, if Succeffon be not material. For I will not deny ` but manyof them are Men competentlyqualified, and all of them willing to un- dertake the Work, live conveniently, or will live conveniently to difcharge the work, are chofen by a Number of Chrillians who call them out to it : Now ifall ' this make them Minitiers authorized, why do we clamour againft them ? whydo ` we not give them the Right Hand of Fellowfhip and Brotherhood in the Work ' ofthe Lord ? If you fay, they take this Courfe for their Call, when there is no ` neceflity ; if you lay, this is a Courfe only to be ufed in extream Necelfìty; when `either the Parties think that there are no ChurchOfficers in being, or thofe that are in being be lbcorrupt and wicked, as either they will not give them Orders, or they dare not take Orders from them. I anfwer, That this extreme neceffry is ' their Cafe : They think therebe no fuch things as Chrills Church Officers now in being ; or if they be, they are filch as either will not give them Orders, or filch ` as they dare take no Orders from : And therefore they are (till excufable upon ` fuch an Hypothefisas you propound. Whereas, do but grant a Succeflionunin- ` terrupted neceffary, it will uncontroulably follow, that they are therefore no Mi- ` niters ofChrift, becaufe they have not been let part by fuch who at length ` rook their Authorityfrom Chrift's own Hands. Ryon fay that there is a nece(lity of a Difpenfation incafe ofa generalApoftacy, `although the difpenfrig with Ordination in filchExtremity doch furnifh Sectaries with a Foundation to build their Schifms upon. I anfwer, r. That we fuppofe that which yet never fell out, nor ever is likely to fall cut. There was neveryet filch a general Apoftacy but Chrift kept fome Church Officers in being, who ` might from Ageto Age continue the Propagation of the MinifterialOffice to his ` Church. Nay, it is admirably worth our Confideration, that when God ftirred ` up the drouzy World to depart from Rome's Superftitions and Idolatries, he then bowed' the Hearts of fomeof the Church -Officers to go along with them, who might be_inlframentel, for the conveighingof the Minifterial Office to thenext ` Generation: and took away the Subjectof this over anxious Enquiry, what melt we do if all apoftatize? what God did then we may probably hope he will al- ' ways do in the like Exigency. But if you tIiould be importunate, and demand frill what mutt be done in filch a general Apoltacy. I anfwer, Icannot tell either what Impiety or Abfurdity would follow, if I fhould affirm, that infilch an ex- ' traordinäry Difpenfation of Providence, the faithful might (afely wait for fome ' extraordinary Revelationof God's Mind what they Ihoulddo in fuch an unknown, ` unprefidentedCafe. And" if this be to turn Seeker, I confefs I fomething incline to
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