In former times, on the longer Days, it was no unufual Thing, to have Two public Meetings, both a. Forenoon, and an Afternoon Service, on this Occafion.

The Cuftom has been, that among the other Exercifes of the Day, the Perfon expecting his Ordination, does by Praying and Preaching before the Affembly, give fome Difcovery, that he underftands the Work, to which he is now to be Separated. Several of thefe, have been afterwards publifhed, by which it may be feen, how comparable to fine Gold, have been the Nazarites.

Of later Times, 'tis grown Cuftomary, if there be time for it, for fome Elder Divine alfo to give a Sermon proper for the folemn Occafion; and for fome fuch to make fome of the Supplicati

Yea, Sometimes the Perfon to be Ordained has of late been excufed from Offering any Ser mon at all on this Day; it being (by fome) thought more decent for fome Elder Divine, to deliver fuch Things as are moft proper for the Day.

When these are over, The MODERATOR, mentioning the Reafon of their being thus affembled; First, applies himself unto the Elders. and Mejengers of the Churches there prefent,: and fignifies unto them, That if they have any Objection to make against the Ordination which is now otherwife to be proceeded in, they have now an Opportunity to offer it. None being offered; (after a due Paufe) he then applies himself to the whole Congregation, and particularly to thofe who propofe to fit unE

der

der the Miniftry now to be eftablished, with an Intimation, That if any of the People know any thing, either in the Doctrines or the Morals of the Perfon, who now ftands a Candidate for an Ordination, that may be a juft Objection aagainst him, they have now aLiberty to tender ⚫ it.

Nothing being tendered, he now applies himfelf unto the Brethren of the CHURCH, who have called the Affembly thus together, defiring them, That, if they abide by their Choice of Mr. A. B. to be their Paftor, and will according to the Word of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, Jubmit unto him as their Overfeer, and One who is to Watch for their Souls, they would fignify it by lifting up their Hands.

'Tis very certain, That the Right of a Church, To Chufe its own Paftor, was Recognized and Exercifed, in all the Times of Primitive Christianity; Yea, 'twas one of the Laft things that the Man of Sin ravifhed from the People of GOD. The Liberty in this Matter, with which our Afcended REDEEMER has enfranchifed and enriched His Churches, appears to have been fo conceded by His Apoftles, that when we read, [ A&t. XIV. 23. They ordained them Elders in every Church; it is evident from the known ufe of the XEIPOTONIA which was used in it, that the Text is to be read, They had by the Suffrages of the People, created them Elders in every Church. The Apoftles only Præfided, and the People under their Conduct Elected. The taking away of this Priviledge from the People, is by Calvin juftly called, Impia Ecclefia Spoliatio; A Spoil impiously committed on the Church of GOD. Yea, Our Eag

lish Bibles themfelves, until they had undergone Epifcopal Correction, at this Text, put in the Words, By Election; and the Margin had this Note; The Apoftles did not thrust Paftors into the Church, thro a Lordly Superiority, but chofe and placed them by the Voice of the Congregation. All Antiquity confeffes the Part which the People had in the Choice of their Paftors. The Emperor Conftantine, writing to thofe of Nicomedia, could fay to them, That it was in their Power, to make Choice of what Paftor they pleafed; and it freely depended on Their Judgment. And the Council of Calcedon, fpeaking of the Church at Ephefus, could fay, That fuch a Bishop should be given them, as fhould be elected by the Confent of those whom he was to feed. Yea, this Right was most notoriously claimed by the, Plebs obfequens Præceptis Dominicis, et Deum metuens, the godly People, in the Cyprianic Age; It was then Inconteftibly allowed, Plebs ipfa maxime babeat Poteftatem, vel eligendi dignos Sacerdotes, vel indignos recufandi ! The Power of Electing and of "Rejecting their Paftors, let the People

have it.

We all know, what Confeffions of this Matter, the Proteftants in defending the Reformation, find themselves compelled unto.

But, no Wonder! When Father Paul himself, in his Treatife, Of Beneficiary Matters, exprefly fays; Pope Leo fhews amply, that the Ordina tion of a Bishop could not be Lawful or Valid,' which was not Requir'd by the People, and Approv'd by them; which is faid by all the Saints of thofe Times; and St. Gregory thought Conftance Could not be confecrated Bishop of Milain, be

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ing

ing Elected by the Clergy, without the Confent of the Citizens, who by reafon of Perfecution retired to Genoa; and he prevailed, that they fhould be firft fent unto, to know their Will; A Thing worthy to be noted in our Days, where that Election is declared to be Illegitimate and Null, in which the People have any Share. Thus, (a, Rara Avis in Terris!) An Honeft Romanist. Even in Rome itself, the People Elected their Bishop, until the Twelfth Century. And a Council in the middle of the Seventh Century, makes the Ordination of a Bifhop to be Void, where he is not Elected by the People No wonder, that Proteftants, and efpecially New-English Ones, lay fo much. Strefs on the Choice which a Church makes of a Paftor. Even Bzovius the Jefuite, gives diverfe Reafons, why the Popular Election of Minifters continued for many Ages, and even to the Days of Charlemaign; One is, That Paftor and People may have a Due Love to one another. Yea, Upon quoting an Order of a Council at Rome, ab omni Ecclefia eligatur confecrandus Epifcopus, and an Order of another Council at Clermont, Epifcopus emnium confcendat Electione, a Learned and Worthy Presbyterian (Mr. Lauder) of Scotland, carries his Remark fo far, as to fay, ' Hence it is evident, That Perfons are Conftituted or made Bishops, by the Election of the People, and not by Ordination which is performed by the Bishops.

S. 9.Their Suffrage being then given the Moderator turns to the Perfon, whofe Ordination is now carrying on; fignifying, That fince he obferves the Call unto the Ministry of the Gospel, and

unto

unto the Paftoral Charge of the Flock in this Place, which has been given him, it remains for him to declare his Acceptance of it! The Expectant (whom in the French Reformed Churches they called, The Propofan,) hereupon turns himself to the Affembly with a Declaration of this Importance; That with an humble Reliance on the Glorious Head of the Church, for His Gracious Affiftances, he does accept of the Work, and Charge. to which he is invited; Requesting the Prayers of all Good Men that he may obtain the Mercy to be found Faithful unto the Lord, and unto His People.

The Moderator now goes on to fay, that fuch and fuch Perfons having been defired to join in the Solemn Impofition of Hands, on the Perfon who is now to be fet apart, for the fpecial Service of the Sanctuary, they shall proceed unto:

it.

Diofcorus the Bishop of Alexandria, was ordain. ed by no more than Two Perfons; nevertheless, the Council of Calcedon owned him, and frequently termed him, The moft Reverend. The odd Ordination of Evagrius, we fay nothing of.

The Churches of New-England, have not yet limited any Number, as neceffary to this Action; though rarely fewer than Three, have been employed on this Occafion.

They then laying their Hands on his Head, He who was chofen to that Service, makes an ar dent Prayer unto the Glorious GOD; particularly, Acknowledging the Glories of the enthroned

JESUS,