Five disputations of church-government and worship

Sect. 94. For, though 1. No Pastors on Earth can prove an uninterrupted Succession of persons lawfully Ordained. 2. Nor is it necessary to prove a Local succession; because God hath not tied his Church to Towns or Countries, and a Church and Pastor that are banished into another Land, may there be the same Church and Pastor, though in and of another place: yet 1. We have a succession of possession in the Office itself. 2. And a succession of actual Ordination in great probability: no man can prove against us that we receive our Ministry from any that were not actually Ordained. Yet this much is not Necessary to our Office.

Sect. 94. For, though 1. No Pastors on Earth can prove an uninterrupted Succession of persons lawfully Ordained. 2. Nor is it necessary to prove a Local succession; because God hath not tyed his Church to Towns or Countries, and a Church and Pastor that are banished into another Land, may there be the same Church and Pastor, though in and of another place: yet 1. We have a succession of possession in the Office itself. 2. And a succession of actual Ordination in great probability: no man can prove against us that we receive our Ministrie from any that were not actually Ordained. Yet this much is not Necessary to our Office.

Sect. 95. Object. But Christ hath tied the Office of the Ministry to a legitimate Ordination; but he hath not tied the Magistracy to a lawful Title. Answ. Here are two falsehoods barely affirmed, or implied. One is that a just Title is less necessary to the Magistrate then the Minister; when the Reason of both is the same. Title is the foundation of Right. Magistracy is a Right of Governing. No Relation can be without its Foundation. The other is, that God hath tied the Office of the Ministry to a legitimate Ordination. This is unproved, and I have proved the contrary before. It is our Duty to enter by Legitimate Ordination where it may be had; and thus we do. But if any of our Predecessors (perhaps a thousand or five hundred years ago) did enter otherwise, that doth not invalidate our Ordination or Ministry, nor is it any of our sin.

Sect. 95. Object. But Christ hath tyed the Office of the Ministry to a legitimate Ordination; but he hath not tyed the Magistracy to a lawful Title. Answ. Here are two falshoods barely affirmed, or implyed. One is that a just Title is less necessary to the Magistrate then the Minister; when the Reason of both is the same. Title is the foundation of Right. Magistracie is a Right of Governing. No Relation can be without its Foundation. The other is, that God hath tyed the Office of the Ministrie to a legitimate Ordination. This is unproved, and I have proved the contrary before. It is our Duty to enter by Legitimate Ordination where it may be had; and thus we do. But if any of our Predecessors (perhaps a thousand or five hundred years ago) did enter otherwise, that doth not invalidate our Ordination or Ministrie, nor is it any of our sin.