The humble answer of the Divines attending the Honourable Commissioners of Parliament, at the…The humble answer of the Divines attending the Honorable Commissioners of Parliament, at the…

And whereas your […] of their work […] in the Apostles, we could wish that you had declared ⟨p. 28⟩whether it belong to their Mission or Unction; for we humbly conceive, that their Authoritative Power to do their Work in all places of the world did properly belong to their Mission, and consequently that their Office, as well as their Abilities was extraordinary and so by your Majesties own concession not to be succeeded into by the Bishops.

And whereas your 〈…〉 of their work 〈…〉 in the Apostles, we could wish that you had declared ⟨p. 28⟩whether it belong to their Mission or Unction; for we humbly conceive, that their Authorative Power to do their Work in all places of the world did properly belong to their Mission, and consequently that their Office, as wel as their Abilities was extraordinary and so by your Majesties own concession not to be succeded into by the Bishops.

As to the Orders of standing Officers of the Church your Majesty doth reply, That although in the places cited, Phil. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 8. there be no mention but of the two Orders only of Bishops or Presbyters, and Deacons, Yet it is not thereby proved that there is no other standing Office in the Church besides, which we humbly conceive is justly proved, not only because there are no other named, but because there is no rule of Ordaining any third, no Warrant or way of Mission, and so the Argument is as good, as can be made, a non cause ad non effectum; sor we do not yet apprehend that the Bishops pretending to the Apostolic Office do also pretend to the same manner of Mission, nor do we know hat those very many Divines that have asserted two orders only, have concluded it from any other grounds then the Scriptures cited.