be (a) the Ear, and the Eye, and the Mouth, and the Heart, and the Soul of the Bishop All which put together, whether it implies no more than meer waiting at Tables, every ingenuous Perfon may conceive. But that they are of the lower Rank of the Clergy, the Council of Nice informs us, where it injoins them (b) to keep within their proper Limits, as knowing they are Servants of the Bishop, and less than Presbyter's.

As to what I have faid in this Chapter, touching our Church's three Minifterial Orders, I conclude with this Obfervation. When (c) Ignatius was carried to Rome, to be caft to the Beasts, as by Word of Mouth, and Letters, he delivered many folid Truths to the Churches, by and thro' which he paffed; fo this was one, (d) without these (three Orders) a Church is not called a Church.

(α) Τ5 Επισκόπε ἀκοὴ, καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς, καὶ σόμα, καρδιά τε, Jux, lib. 2. cap. 44. (6) Εμμενέτωσαν οι Διάκονοι τῆς ἰδίως μέτρες, ειδότες ότι ν μ Επισκόπε υπηρε ται εισί, * 5 Πρεσβυτέρων ἐλάτες τυγχάνεσι, Can. 18. (c) Ep. ad Trallefios. (4) Χωρίς τέτων Εκκλησία ἐ και

λεῖται.

CHAP.

CHAP. IV.

Her Ordination vindicated.

N

EXT to the Government of our
Church, and her Spiritual Officers,
it will be fit to confider, how those
Officers are created; and this the

following Head will explain.

Her Ordination.

Her ORDINATION is authentick, and agreeable to Scripture. For there we learn, that the Minifterial Office must be invaded by none; No man taketh this honour to himself, but he, that is called of God, Heb. v. 4. They, that here go without this Call, run without their Errand, and therefore, in Luther's Judgment, fhall want Succefs; for God, says he, (a) prospers not the Labour of them, that are not called, and

(a) Non fortunat Deus labores eorum, qui non funt vocati, & quanquam falutaria quædam offerant, tamen non ædificant.

the

tho' they deliver wholfom Things, yet they do not edifie.

It is not a Competency, nor yet a Fulness of Abilities, that actually instates Men in the sacred Function; there must be moreover a lawful Miffion: How shall they preach, except they be fent? Rom. x. 15. S. Paul, indeed, tells the Corinthians, in his first Epistle, 14th Chapter, and 13th Verse, Ye may all prophefie; but then he fpake not collectively, and generally, of all the Members of that Church, but restrictively, or diftributively; and fo 'tis applicable to them only, who were Prophets, and fo duly qualified for the Work.

For any to ingage in the Holy Ministry, without a regular and due Call, must not only be impudent Boldness, but an bainous Sin: A Sin fo intolerable in the Jewish Church, as to be fatal to fuch as prefumed to commit it! Not only Korab, and his Accomplices, but even Kings themselves, Saul and Uzziah, were fad Examples of it: And poor Uzzah, only for taking hold of the Ark, with pious Intention to prevent its Overthrow, was ftruck dead immediately. And tho' the Gofpel, I grant, is a milder Dispensation, and God's Measures with Men, are now more gentle, and condefcenfive; yet this encourages no Intruders into the Ministry, tho' never fo

well

well gifted, or furnished with the best Accomplishments.

Nay, our Bleffed Lord himself, who brought the Gospel into the World, put in a ftronger Bar against this, than ever there was before, to all indued with Meekness, and pious Modefty; I mean, his own great Example. In regard of inconceivable Qualifications, who was ever so fit for the Evangelical Miniftry ? Yet he undertook it not, but as he was fent, and therefore he was called an Apostle, Heb. iii. 1. And for our farther Satisfaction, it is faid of him, Heb. v. 5, 6. that Chrift glorified not himself, to be made an High Priest; but be, who faid unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he faith alfo in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. So that he did not intrude into the facerdotal Office, or challenge, and affume it to himself, but God conferred the Dignity, and proclaimed from Heaven, that he had a Title to it. For any Mortals, therefore, to crowd into the Priesthood (the Best of whom are infinitly short of him) must be daring Arrogance, and as dangerous Prefumtion. To keep us from which, and to guard the Sacred Function, by awing us from venturing on it rafhly, and irregularly; our Lord's Example, and the cited Texts, were

ushered

ushered in after this Manner : No Man taketh this Honour to himself, but he that is called of God Fair Notice, that the Holy Office is of fuch a Nature, as not to be undertaken, but in that Way, which, it is most probable, God has directed, and which we are now in quest of.

Every Chriftian may counsel his Brethren, and inftruct them privately, and occafionally, in Way of Charity, as Aquila and Priscilla did Apollos; but to do it publickly, and authoritatively, requires fpecial Defignation to it, I think it was S. Auftin's Rule, above 1200 Years paft, and will hold for ever, (a) None, but he who is rightly called, ought to preach publickly in the Church.

And therefore, that a Catus, or Multitude of Laymen, fhould appoint one to be their Minifter, and that this fhould be a lawful Call, or fufficient Ordination to the bigh Imployment, must be an Error in them that teach and practise it. For when the Apostles ordered Chriftians to recom. mend fit Perfons to them for Deacons, tho' they were to be extraordinary (boneft repute, and fulness of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom, Acts vi. 3. being their fet Qualifications)

(4) Nemo in Ecclefiâ debet publicè concionari, nifi rite

vocatus.

F

yet,