Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

39, AP PENDI X. Numb. II. your Second, leafily carry thewhole Caufe. To what youadd concerning Autho- rity, I confers, tharit is not thefame thing with Fitneß, dre. but I fay, it may be conveyed fine vicarin Epifcopir. 2. I deny that any Church-Guides are in point of Government vicari Cbrifli. They are nearelt it as i,Uuncii, and Et may Beftech and Require in Chrift's Name and Stead ; but they are nomorehis vicarii, then the Maiftrate hof theSovereign. They are not Pro-reger; nor do theyreprefent his Perlon. They have not that Powerwhich they convey to others, flea in them- felves toconvey (at lealt in ordinande pares) but areonly media app/icandi legem:edl perfanam. v/d r'. Toyour Third Argument I anfwer, Invadersof the Minifterial Office, may unjufily takeEncouragement hence but no juft Encouregementis giventhem. The belt things are Occafions of encouraging Men in Sin, e. g. Gods Meteifulneß, Chrift's Satisfaction, the Preaching of Free-Grace, &c. ToyourQueftion, if this be fuf&cient, why do we not give them the Right Hand of Fellowlbip ? I ant fwer, They defpife or negle& God's Order, and thereforedeferve not the Hand of Fellowlhip. If God bid them (go and work in his Vineyard) but for Order's fake (go in at this Door) he that will not go in at this Door is a difobedient Servant; and not to be owned till he reform. But if Godhimfelf do nail up this.Doo , there needs no exprefs Difpenfation for our not going in at it ; for nemo tenetur ad impofbile (nil: ipfe ft Caufa culpabilie impofbilitstie t) Ncr is it neceffary that iii be expreffed that (wego in at another Door) for the Commandof going to labour in the Vineyard is not abrogated by the locking up of that Door ; faeing as it was opened non ut fiat opus directly, feu'ut fu fiat; tó it is nailed up non no fiat, fed-no fit fiat ; and therefore theCommand requires us to go in at another. If by Laic every Phyfician that Praeticeth in Lotion, mutt be approved by the Colledge, hé defervesto be punilht, andnot taken for a Phylician, that,will profefs and praûiCe . it without the Approbation of the Colledge ; and every Wile Patient will fear leäít hebe Confcious of fuch Unworthinefs, as that he dares not venture a Tryal, Or at the belt, he is a difobedient Subject. Butif the Colledge of Phyficians be dead or diffolved, any worthy Manmay profeß and practice without their Approbation, and as the LawofNaturebinds him to do Good, fo theObligation, that limitedhint is ipfo fahto diffolved, ceffánre materia r where you fay that (this extreagt nucefiity is their Cafe). I anfwer, Nothing more untrue : They flight anddefpife Ordination; they may be ordained if they would fubmic themfelves to tryal, if they be,.found fit : But they will not. Their falfe Imaginations create no necefficy ; but a necef- frty of laying them by, and receivingtheTruth, which is impofedon them by God; or if they will call it a NecefGty that is impofed on them by their Error, it is buta NecefGtyof not being ordained while they judge it fixxful (which yet is none, be- , caufe they are (till bound to lay, by thatConceit) but not a Necetlityof being Mi- nisters in the mean time without it :: Betides that, as it is a Necellicy of Sufpenfon andForbearance, and not of Acting, to it is themfelves that are the culpableCaufe of it : and exeulpa propria nemini debetur commodum. If Vaux think he mull blow up the Parliament, and Itavailliack that he niuft flab 'a King, doth this neceffccate them ? Such a NecefGty as every wicked Man brings on himfelf of finning by a Cuftom in Sin, which aggravates, and not excuferh his Fault, which is evident when the Cafe is made plainby God, andonly theirNegligence, or finful Prejudice hindereth them from Recoveryour of their Error : For the (Grow)that you delire, 1 fay I am loath to yield thatChrilt hath no knownMiniftry on Earth, that I may keepout Invaders. To your Cafe about Apoltacy, I anfwer, There are many other Cafes that may neceffitate an Entrance into the Miniftry without Ordinati- on; betides univerfal Apoftacy. a. So great anApoltacy as was in the Arrian Pre- valency. 2. Such unlawful Ingredientsas are in the Romifa Ordination. ;. The "Death, or the violent Profcription of the Ordainers in one Kingdom. For if all that arefound to work in the Vineyard, to exercife the Miniftry, muff but go to another Land for it, Poverty, Weaknefs, Magiftrates Prohibition may fo reftrain them, that not oneofa Hundred could enter when God doth by the Churches Ne- celfity call to it. Much lefs could all the World travail for Ordaination to fort= Corner of the Earth. As for the Churches Officers which you mention, that went along in Reformation, it's true of Presbyters ; they were the Leaders ; but fo few Bilhops out of Englund, chat the Reformed Churches were forced to go on, with- out their Ordination. But to this Day, there is a neceffity ofPreaching withoutOr- dination, by legitimateChurch Guides, -in-many Parts of the World ; and I doubt not, but it is thegreat Sin of many that is is negle&ed. I fuppofe didyou confider well but the Sence of the Law Natural, and Superodturatly rlvealed, you would not

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