The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

§10. And if a man would say, I will be a member of this Parish Church, and you shall perform so much of your Office as I desire, and no more; I will hear and receive the Sacrament but when I please, and I will not admit you to catechize or instruct any of my family, nor visit the sick, nor will I be responsible to you for any thing that I hold, or say, or do; nor have any thing to do with you, but in the Church; is a Minister bound to do his office to men, or take them for his special flock on these terms? The ancient Churches had abundance of strict Canons; if the people should have chosen a Bishop, and said We will obey none of these Canons, nor you but you shall be our Bishop on our terms, was he bound to have consented, and to have been such a Bishop? This is really the case of no small part of England, though they say it not openly by words.

§11. It is objected that as Apostles, so ordained Ministers have their authority before the consent of the people and receive it not from them.

Ans. 1. Who ever questioneth it, that is considerate, as to an indefinite charge in the Church universal? But what's that to the question? Are all the Ministers in the world bound to be the Pastors of this Parish or Diocese? Our question is what constituteth the relations between a Pastor and his Particular flock? Doth not the ordainer here say, Take thou Authority to Preach the Word of God, &c. when thou art thereto lawfully called? Because a man is a Licensed Physician without me, doth it follow that he is my Physician without my consent? 2. Are all those Church-members that Ministers are authorized to preach to? Then all the Heathen-world are Church-members. 3. They receive not authority from the people; but their consent is necessary to make themselves capable receivers of the relation and right of Church-members. God, and not the Wife, giveth the Husband the superiority; but he is no such Husband to any that consenteth not.