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

Which thing is after observed according to the Divine Magisteries in the Acts of the Apostles, when Peter spake to the Lay-people about Ordaining a Bishop in the place of Judas, Peter, saith the Text, stood up in the midst of the Disciples, for the multitude was together in one. And it was not only in the Ordinations of Bishops and Priests, but of Deacons also, that we note the Apostles to have observed this. Of which also in their Acts it is written, and the twelve, saith the Text, called together the whole Laity of the Disciples, and said to them. And the whole business is managed thus diligently and cautiously, the whole Laity being convocate, lest any unworthy person should creep into the Ministry of the Altar, or the place of Priesthood. For God himself manifesteth by the Prophet O see, saying, They have made themselves a King, but not by me; that unworthy men are sometimes ordained by mans presumption, and that these things are displeasing ⟨p. 316⟩to God, which come not of a legitimate and just Ordination. 6. For which cause it is diligently to be observed and held as of Divine Tradition, and Apostolical Observation, which is held also with us, and in a manner (or almost) through all the Provinces, that to the right celebrating of Ordinations, all the next Bishops of the Province come together to the Lay-people to whom the Bishop (praepositus) is ordained, and that a Bishop be made, the Lay-people being present, who most fully know every mans life, and discern every mans acting by his conversation; which we see done also with your selves in the Ordination of our Colleague Sabinus, that by the suffrage of the whole fraternity, and by the judgment of the Bishops, who at the present met, and who wrote Letters of it to you, the Episcopacy should be delivered to him, and hands should be laid on him instead of Basilides. Nor can it rescind the Ordination which was rightly perfected, that Basilides, after his crimes detected, and his conscience laid bare by his own confession, going to Rome, deceived our Colleague Stephen, who lived far off, and was ignorant of the matter of fact, and of the silenced truth, that he might compass to be unjustly replaced in his Bishopric, from which he had been justly deposed. 7.

Which thing is after observed according to the Divine Magisteries in the Acts of the Apostles, when Peter spake to the Lay-people about Ordaining a Bishop in the place of Judas, Peter, saith the Text, stood up in the midst of the Disciples, for the multitude was together in one. And it was not only in the Ordinations of Bishops and Priests, but of Deacons also, that we note the Apostles to have observed this. Of which also in their Acts it is written, and the twelve, saith tbe Text, called together the whole Laity of the Disciples, and said to them. And the whole business is managed thus diligently and cautelously, the whole Laity being convocate, lest any unworthy person should creep into the Ministry of the Altar, or the place of Priesthood. For God himself manifesteth by the Prophet O see, saying, They have made themselves a King, but not by me; that unworthy men are sometimes ordained by mans presumption, and that these things are displeasing