172 Ve HISTORY of the PURITANS. , Chap. V. een AXT. But I may choofe whether I will anfwer upon 'oath or not. I Elizabeth, am not bound to bring myfelf into danger; but becaufe Iam perfuaded it will redound .tc God's glory, I will fpeak, be the confequence what it will; and I truft in the Holy Spirit, that L (hall be willing to die in defence of the truth. Brsx. Well what do you think of my calling? AXT. You are not lawfully called to be a bifhop, according to. the wordof God. Bisx. I thought fo ; but why ? AXT. For three caufes, t. Becatife you were not ordained by the . confent of the elderfhip. Btsit. But I had the hands of 3 or 4 bithops. AXT. But that is not the elderfhipSt. Paul fpeaks of, z Tim. iv. 14. Bisx. By what elderfhip were you ordained ? Was it not bya bifhop? AXT. I had indeed the layingon of the hands of one of the bishops of England, but that was the leaft part of mycalling. Btsx. What calling had you more? AXT. I having exerciftd and expounded the word' feveral times in an ordinary affembly of so minifters; they joined in prayer, and being re- quired to fpeak their confciences in the prefence of God, declared upon the trial they had of me, that they were perfuaded I might become a profitable labourer in the houfe of God; after which I received the lay- ing on the hands of the bifhop. Bzsri. But you had not the laying on of the hands of thofe preachers. Ax-r. No; I had the fubftance, but I wanted the accident, wherein I befeech the Lord to be merciful to me; for the laying on of hands, as it is the word, fo it is agreeable with the mighty aétion of ordaining the mini-fters of God. Btsx. Well, then your ordination is impeded as welLas mine. What is your fecond reafon? AXT. Becaufe you are not ordained bifhop over any one flock ; nay, you are not a paftor over any one congregation, contrary to z Pet. v. S. Feed the flock; and to Ads xiv. 23. from whence it is manifeft, that there fhould be bithops and elders through every congregation. Brsx. What is a congregation? AXT. Not a whole diocefe, but fuch a number of people, as ordina- rily affemble in one place, to hear the word of God. Bzszz. What if you had a parifh fix or (even miles long, where many could not come to hear once in a quarter of a year ? AXT. I would not be a paftor over fuck a flock. Blot. What is your third reafon ? AXT.
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