A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded upon the Church of Scotland Wherein not…A dispute against the English-popish ceremonies, obtruded vpon the Church of Scotland Wherein not…

It followeth to speak of Ordination, wherein with ^vCalvin, ^xJunius, ^yGersomus Bucerus, and other learned men, we distinguish betwixt the act of it, and the rite of it. The act of Ordination standeth in the mission or the deputation of a man to an Ecclesiastical function, with power and authority to perform the same. And thus are Pastors ordained when they are sent to a people with power to preach the Word, minister the Sacraments, and exercise Ecclesiastical Discipline among them. For ^zHow shall they Preach except they be sent? unto which mission or ordination, neither prayer nor imposition of hands, nor any other of the Churches rites, is essential and necessary, as ^athe Archbishop of Spalato showeth, who placeth the essential act of Ordination in missionè potestativa, or à simple deputation and application of à Minister to his Ministerial function, with power to perform it. This may be done saith he by word alone, without any other Ceremony, in such sort that the fact should hold, and the ordination thus given should be valid enough. When a man is elected by the suffrages of the Church, then his Ordination is Quasi solennis missio in possessionem honoris illius, ex decreto, saith ^bJunius. ^cChemnitius noteth, that when Christ after he had chosen his twelve Apostles, ordained them to preach the Gospel, to cast out Devils, and to heal diseases, we read of no Ceremony used in this Ordination, but only that Christ gave them power to preach, to heal, and to cast out Devils, and so sent them away to the work. And howsoever the Church hath for order and decency used some rite in Ordination, yet there is no such rite to be used with opinion of necessity, or as appointed by Christ or his Apostles. When our Writers prove against Papists, that Order is no Sacrament, this is one of their Arguments, that there is no rite instituted in the new Testament, to to be used in the giving of Orders. Yet because imposition of hands was used in Ordination, not only by the Apostles who had power to give extraordinarily the gifts of the holy Ghost, but likewise by the Presbytery or company of Elders, and Timothy did not only receive the gift that was in him,