Five disputations of church-government and worship

Sect. 2. I shall be much briefer on all these, then evidence would invite me to be, because I apprehend the most of them to be of no great necessity to our cause, we having enough without them, and lest men should think that we need such Mediums more then we do; and because of my exceeding scarcity of time which forceth me to do all hastily.

And for the first that [Humane Ordination is not of Absolute Necessity to the Being of the Ministry] I argue as followeth.¹ Arg. 1. If the Necessity of Ordination may cease (as to single persons) and the Necessity of Ministration continue (or if the obligations to each are thus separable) then is not Ordination of Necessity to the Being of the Ministry. But the Antecedent is true: which I shall prove by parts (for the consequence is past all doubt, nor will any I suppose deny it.)

And for the first that [Humane Ordination is not of Absolute Necessity to the Being of the Ministry] I argue as followeth.¹ Arg. 1. If the Necessity of Ordination may cease (as to single persons) and the Necessity of Ministration continue (or if the obligations to each are thus separable) then is not Ordination of Necessity to the Being of the Ministry. But the Antedent is true: which I shall prove by parts (for the consequence is past all doubt, nor will any I suppose deny it.)

1. 1Of this Voctius hath written at large de desperata causa Papatus, to which I refer the Reader.

Sect. 3. That the obligation to be Ordained may cease to some persons, I prove by instances in certain cases. And 1. In case of a mans distance from any that should Ordain him. As if one or many Christians were cast upon the Coasts of any Indian Heathen or Mahometan Nation, as many have been. There is no ordination Possible: and therefore not necessary or due. And to return for it to the Christian part of the world, may be as impossible: and if not, yet unlawful by reason of delay.