Two discourses concerning the Holy Spirit, and His work the one, Of the Spirit…

(2) The Church hath no Power to call any unto Office of the Ministry, where the Lord Christ hath not gone before it in the Designation of him by an Endowment with Spiritual Gifts. For if the whole Authority of the Ministry be from Christ, and he never gives it but where he bestows these Gifts with it for it's Discharge, as in Eph. 4. 7, 8, &c. then to call any to the Ministry whom he hath not so previously gifted, is to set him aside, and to act in our own Names and Authority. And by reason of these things the Holy Ghost is said to make Men Overseers of the Flocks who are thus called thereunto, because both the Communication of Power in the Constitution of the Law, and of Spiritual Gifts by internal effectual Operation, are from him alone, Acts 20. 28. (3) The outward way and Order whereby a Church may call any Person unto the Office of the Ministry among them and over them, is by their joint solemn Submission unto him in the Lord, as unto all the Powers and Duties ⟨p. 235⟩of this Office, testified by their Choice and Election of him. It is concerning this outward Order that all the World is filled with Disputes about the Call of Men unto the Ministry, which yet in Truth is of the least concernment therein. For whatever Manner or Order be observed herein, if the things before mentioned be not premised thereunto, it is of no Validity or Authority. On the other hand, grant that the Authority of the Ministry dependeth on the Law, Ordinance and Institution of Christ, that he calls Men unto this Office by the collation of Spiritual Gifts unto them, and that the Actings of the Church herein is but an instituted moral means of communicating Office-Power from Christ himself unto any; and let but such other things be observed as the Light and Law of Nature requireth in cases of an alike kind, and the outward Mode of the Churches acting herein need not much be contended about. It may be proved to be a Beam of Truth from the Light of Nature, that no Man should be imposed on a Church for their Minister against their Wills, or without their express Consent; considering that his whole Work is to be conversant about their Understandings, Judgments, Wills and Affections; and that this should be done by their Choice and Election, as the Scripture doth manifestly declare, Numb. 8. 9, 10