A41335:130
Weighty questions discussed I. Whether imposition of hands in separating a person to the…
Weighty questions discussed I. Whether imposition of hands in separating a person to the work of the ministry be necessary?, II. Whether it be essential to the right constitution of a particular church, that the teaching elders and the members meet always in one place? : whereunto is added a prediction of Mr. Daniel Rogers, minister in Essex, long before the beheading King Charles I and Arch-Bishop Laud, foretelling that they should not dye a natural death / by Giles Firmin ...Weighty questions discussed I. Whether imposition of hands in separating a person to the work of the ministry be necessry?, II. Whether it be essential to the right constitution of a particular church, that the teaching elders and the members meet alwayes in one place? : whereunto is added a prediction of Mr. Daniel Rogers, minister in Essex, long before the beheading King Charles I and Arch-Bishop Laud, foretelling that they should not dye a natural death / by Giles Firmin ...
London : Printed for the author, 1692
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.
Thus if strangers hearing there is an Ordination come in among you, there they may hear Preaching and Prayer; but who is the person to be ordained, they cannot tell by Preaching and Prayer, but when a person is brought forth, and the Presbytery Impose their Hands upon him and pray, now they may know who the Person is.
3dly. If Prayer and Fasting be Ordination without Imposition of hands, then as oft as Ministers meet together, to keep days of Fasting and Prayer, and pray for him who is the Pastor of that Church where they meet, for increase of grace, gifts, blessing upon and success in his Work, so oft the Man is ordained; are not these the Heads you pray for, when you Ordain in your way? What Heads have you more? Not only in the Sacraments; but in all Church-Ordinances, there is something which visibly shows a difference between that Ordinance and another. As the Eyes and Hands lifted up to Heaven in Prayer, visibly show a difference between Prayer and Preaching, and so in Preaching from Prayer; but according to you there is nothing whereby Ordination differs from other Ordinances.
3dly. If Prayer and Fasting be Ordination without Imposition of hands, then as oft as Ministers meet together, to keep days of Fasting and Prayer, and pray for him who is the Pastor of that Church where they meet, for increase of grace, gifts, blessing upon and success in his Work, so oft the Man is ordained; are not these the Heads you pray for, when you Ordain in your way? What Heads have you more? Not only in the Sacraments; but in all Church-Ordinances, there is something which visibly shews a difference between that Ordinance and another. As the Eyes and Hands lifted up to Heaven in Prayer, visibly shew a difference between Prayer and Preaching, and so in Preaching from Prayer; but according to you there is nothing whereby Ordination differs from other Ordinances.