A26911:693
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter of their nonconformity against Mr. J. Cheney's answer called The conforming nonconformist, and The nonconforming conformist : to which is added the second part in answer to Mr. Cheney's Five undertakings / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benjamin Alsop, 1680
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
His second Question is, [Do we take you to be ⟨p. 174⟩duly ordained?] And the Answer is, [We are bound to judge those to be justly Ordained which are so reputed, and we have no reason to suspect.]
Ans. 1. But whose reputation is it that you rest on? Half the Parish say, you are not justly ordained but by a Bishop: The other half say, you are justly ordained by Presbyters: You falsify, if you feign them all of a mind. 2. And who knows how to define and bound your [Reasons of Suspicion?] 3. The Canons and Bishops say, you have forfeited your License if you conform not; and without a License you may not Preach. 4. And if you will question no mens orders, you will have many Lay-Pastors.
Ans. 1. But whose reputation is it that you rest on? Half the Parish say, you are not justly ordained but by a Bishop: The other half say, you are justly ordained by Presbyters: You falsifie, if you feign them all of a mind. 2. And who knows how to define and bound your [Reasons of Suspicion?] 3. The Canons and Bishops say, you have sorfeited your License if you conform not; and without a License you may not Preach. 4. And if you will question no mens orders, you will have many Lay-Pastors.
To his 3d Quest. he answereth, [We question not your presentation.] Ans. And yet it is the Magistrate that must impose Ministers, and in times of Usurpation he feigneth them to be unquestioned. The sum hitherto is, We must take any Man for our Pastor, that is Ordained and presented. But what if I knew that multitudes do not so, doth it make them of that Church because they should consent and do not? Of 1800, or 2000 only 600 would come to the Sacrament, (though they usually heard) unless all the rest would receive it kneeling and administered by the Liturgy, though they were left free to use that Gesture themselves; and withal they were told that we had not a Bishops license.