of vj ble Church of Chrift. 39 for ordinary Elders of one Church to ordain Elders in another, then there is no fuch thing of Divine Inftitution : But there is neither Precept nor Precedent for it, therefore there is no fuch thing of Divine Inftitution. Negative Ar- guments are good in fuch Cafes as thefe. Oh/. 3. But Ordination mutt be by .Impofition of Hands, and that offuch as onceHands have been impofed on already. I anfwer, This Objehtion hath no Foundation at all in the Scripture, though it be commonly made; nor is there any thing like it: yet I (hall endeavor to move it out of the Way. t. Then you mull prove the Apoftolical Line to remain without Interruption, and that there are force in being to this Day that had their Ordination by Impofition of Hands fucceffively from the Apoftles, or elfe you will not find any fuch to ordain: if there hath been a Ceufation of fuch Or- dination but one Age, there is now no Recovery of it. An Error in the Foundation cannot be recovered in the Su- perllruaure : if Impofition of Hands by fuch as on whom Hands have been impofed, be an effential inOrdination, then if the Apoftolical Line be broken, there is an effential in Ordination irrecoverably loft ; but that the Apoftolical Line hath continued to this Day without Interruption, can never be proved. Antichrift having fpread his Wings over the whole European World for fo long a Time, and having had fuch a tower where he hath fet footing, and being fuch an Admirer of the Image he made to the fira Beaft, which Image confined in a Subordination of Churches un- to Churches, and Officers unto Officers, which utterly de- faced the Platform given out by Chrift and his Apoftles, in refpec`t of Churches and Church - Officers : I fay, he being fuch an Admirer of this Image, that they that dwell on the Earth every where mull make it, and fuch a Power to give Life to this Image, that it fhould fpeak and) caufe that as many as would not worfhip the Image of the Beaft fhould be killed, Rev. xiii. 14, is. What room was there left for the Apoftolical Line to continue where this Image was adored ? Now wherever Antichrift hath pre- vailed, this Image of the firft Beaft, the Catholick vifìblQ Church, headed by the Bilhop of Rome, confining of a Subordination of Churches untoChurches, and.Of lcers unto z Officers,
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