A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

Obejct. 1. From Acts 8. 4. They that were scattered abroad, went every where preaching the Word. So Acts 11. 19. Apollos also taught boldly in the Synagogues, Acts 18. 25, 26. yet no word of their Mission or Ordination. The Jews esteemed Christ himself but a private man, not ordained nor authorized to any office in the Church, yet they permitted him to preach in their Synagogues. Answ: 1. Those that after Stephens death, were scattered abroad, and preached the Word, must needs have been called, sent, and ordained (by the principles of the Socinians themselves,) for the Doctrine which they preached, was a new Doctrine, both to Samaria, Acts 8. 5. and to those dispersed Jews, Acts 11. 19. Themselves confess, that they who preach a new Doctrine, must have a special Mission and Ordination. 2. Philip was one of those who went abroad preaching the Word, Acts 8. 45. Now he is expressly called an Evangelist, Acts 8. 8. therefore no president for private Christians to preach. 3. It is a bad argument Luke mentioneth, not their Ordination, therefore they were not ordained. They may aswell argue thus. Luke mentioneth ⟨p. 56⟩not that they prayed when they preached, therefore they did not pray when they preached. Or thus: The Scripture mentioneth not Joabs father, but only his mother Zerviah, therefore he had not a father. 4. And suppose they preached the Word without Mission or Ordination, this is but like that which Chrysostome, lib: ad eos qui scandalisati sunt, cap: 19. recordeth as a marvellous extraordinary benefit, which did accrue from the bloody persecutions of those ancient times, viz. That in such times, the sheep acted the parts of shepherds, being driven away to deserts and mountains, where (by the Spirit of God speaking in them) they converted unbelievers, and gathered Churches: Which concludeth nothing against the necessity of Ordination, in constituted and reformed Churches, for they who were scattered abroad, being driven away in the heat of persecution, might not have the opportunity of Ordination, and they went forth to gather Christians to plant Churches, to lay foundations where Christ was not known. Such cases were in the beginning excepted from the stae of our present question. 5.