Answ. A profane multitude under a diocesan prelate, is not a Church mystical of redeemed ones, as a company of Believers are, but professing the truth and consisting of a flock of called Officers, they may well be a Ministerial Church, which four Believers cannot be. It is true God hath not tied his power and presence to any order or office, as Anabaptists say: and so speaketh the Catech. of Raccovia aand Smalcius band Nicolaides csay, there is no necessity of a Ministry, after that the Evangel i• preached by the Apostles and confirmed by miracles: and that a Ministry is onely profitable ad benè esse, and not necessary; The Arminians teach so, the dRemonstrantes, praedicationem verbi ad id simplicitèr necessariam negant: quid clarius? So eEipscopius, pastoris actio non tam necessaria est quam utilis ad edificationem, postquam Scriptura omnibus & singulis legenda data est, ut ex ca suopte Mart discat quisque quantum satis est. But Paul maketh it in the ordinary way, necessary for salvation to believe, *to call on the Name of the Lord, and to hear a Prophet sent; and the presence and power of God in the Seals of Righteousness, is tied to lawful Pastors, who only can administrate those Seals, Mat. 28. 19. as to means ordained of God, not as if God could not save without them, and accept the righteous doers without them, but see how this man would bear us in hand, that the comfort of pastoral preaching and the Sacraments cannot be tied to called Ministers, except we call God an accepter of persons, which is denied, Acts 10? I believed Teachers and Doctors and Elders, had been the Eyes, Ears and Hands, and so integral parts of the visible Church, as Christ is the head of the catholic church. And this man maketh integral parts adjuncts of the church, thereby declaring Ministers ⟨p. 183⟩may be well wanted, and that they are passements ad bene esse, and things of order. Never did Anabaptists speak louder against the Ordinances of Christ; and Socinians and Arminians are obliged to him. Thirdly, the believers have right to the Officers, and this right is an essential property of the Church; then also, because believers have right to the Keys, the Keys are only an adjunct of the visible Church, which our brethren must deny. 4. Acts 20. 17. 1 Tim. 3. 15.
Answ. A profane multitude under a diocesian prelate, is not a Church mysticall of redemed ones, as a company of Believers are, but professing the truth and consisting of a flock of called Officers, they may wel be a Ministeriall Church, which foure Believers cannot be. It is true God hath not tied his power and presence to any order or office, as Anabaptists say: and so speaketh the Catech. of Raccovia aand Smalcius band Nicolaides csay, there is no necessity of a Ministery, after that the Evangel i• preached by the Apostles and confirmed by miracles: and that a Ministery is onely profitable ad benè esse, and not necessary; The Arminians teach so, the dRemonstrantes, praedicationem verbi ad id simplicitèr necessariam negant: quid clarius? So eEipscopius, pastoris actio non tam necessaria est quam utilis ad edificationem, postquam Scriptura omnibus & singulis legenda data est, ut ex ca suopte Marte discat quisque quantum satis est. But Paul maketh it in the ordinary way, necessary for salvation to believe, *to call on the Name of the Lord, and to heare a Prophet sent; and the presence and power of God in the Seales of Righteousnes, is tyed to lawfull Pastors, who onely can administrate those Seales, Mat. 28. 19. as to meanes ordained of God, not as if God could not save without them, and accept the righteous doers without them, but see how this man would beare us in hand, that the comfort of pastorall preaching and the Sacraments cannot be tyed to called Ministers, exccept we call God an accepter of persons, which is denied, Acts 10? I believed Teachers and Doctors and Elders, had beene the Eyes, Eares and Hands, and so integrall parts of the visible Church, as Christ is the head of the catholick church. And this man maketh integrall parts adjunctes of the church, thereby declaring Ministers ⟨p. 183⟩may be well wanted, and that they are passements ad bene esse, and things of order. Never did Anabaptists speake louder against the Ordinances of Christ; and Socinians and Arminians are obliged to him. Thirdly, the beleevers have right to the Officers, and this right is an essentiall property of the Church; then also, because beleevers have right to the Keys, the Keyes are onely an adjunct of the visible Church, which our brethren must deny. 4.
- aCatech. Rac. de eccles. ch. p. 301. 302.
- bSmalcius in refut. thesiii Dr. sra•zii. par. 2. disp. 4 p. 379.
- cNicolai•. in defens. tract. Socinian• de ministr. missione contra Miedziboz•um p. 140.
- dRemons. apol. f. 246.
- eEpiscop. disp. 28. Thes. 11.
- *Rom. 10. 14, 15.
