many of these officers, and of these solemn rites and actions, were designed by Christ to be continued in the following ordinary occasions of these churches when extraordinary gifts should cease; and how many of these forms are to be practised in all succeeding ages. Most of the learned and inquisitive men who have written since, have greatly differed in their opinions of this matter, and left many things therein difficult, or dubious, after all their laborious comments. Let us enquire then what there is of all these things, that is certain and necessary in our age, and is not subject to this occasion of doubting which I have mentioned.

1. This seems certain by the light of nature and reason, that christian assemblies, as well as any others, in ordinary as well as extraordinary times, should have a teacher, to instruct the ignorant in knowledge, and make known to the church the mind and will of God in his word: they should have an exhorter, to stir up the people to the practice of their duty; a man of prayer, to address God in their public devotions; an overseer, or bishop, to take charge of the flock, to inspect the manners of the people, and watch for the good of their souls; a president, to be chairman in their assemblies, to keep up order there; and a grave and skilful person fit to administer the rites and seals of the christian religion. Now all these characters, capacities, and talents, are often contained in one single person, who may be sufficient for a small church; or, perhaps, in two or three persons for the supply of larger churches.

2. I think we may take it also for a certainty, that where God doth not interpose to point out the teachers, or overseers, in any christian church, by inspiration, there is no person or persons, either in the church or state, who have any rightful power, derived either from reason or scripture, to impose a teacher, or overseer, on any assembly of christians whatsoever, without their own consent; for it is they themselves must give an account for their own souls to God; and therefore, they must have a right to chuse who shall teach and lead them in matters of religion. Conscience is too sacred a thing to be imposed upon by fallible men, and the soul is too valuable to have its concerns entrusted with any persons, without our own agreement. And though the choice or consent of the churches may not be so particularly mentioned in scripture, when elders or bishops were ordained among them, by persons who were inspired, yet reason itself supposes it; and their extraordinary gifts from the Holy Spirit, proved and required the duty of submission and consent in the people, even if they had not a hand in the first chusing of them. The great God could do them no wrong by appointing elders, or bishops, for them, in an immediate way, or by inspiration.

But when extraordinary gifts ceased, we find many testimonies in the early writers, to the consent of the people in the choice.

of their church-officers. The scripture itself makes it evident, that deacons were chosen by the people in primitive times. Acts vi. 3. Brethren, look ye out from among you seven men, &c. verses 5-7. And these were to be entrusted only with the money, or temporal things of the church. And nature, and universal custom, teach us, that physicians and lawyers, who are entrusted with the care of the bodies and estates of men, are not imposed on us by others, but are chosen by the persons who entrust them. If I would learn philosophy, or any science, art, or trade, I have a natural right to chuse who shall instruct me in it. Even children are allowed to chuse their own guardians; and boys, who are apprentices, to chuse their own masters. And doth not reason loudly proclaim this truth, that the guides of our souls in religion ought to be chosen by ourselves when we are at the age of man, as being a matter of dearer and more divine importance than any other; and an affair in whose success none can be so much concerned as ourselves; for it is of ourselves that God will expect a final account. Let us take heed then to our own conduct in this matter, and remember, that the New Testament has never appointed any uninspired men to chuse pastors or teachers for a whole assembly of people, and impose them upon the assembly, or upon any particular members thereof, against their will.

3. It is certain also, that due care ought to be taken that the persons be fitly qualified who are chosen into this office or ministry: And though private christians have a right to chuse their ministers, and may best judge of the general suitableness of their talents to their own edification, yet they are seldom so fit judges of the learned qualifications of ministers, as those who have been some years ministers, pastors, or teachers themselves, whether of the same or of neighbouring churches; and therefore, reason tells us, it is generally most proper that some of these more knowing and experienced men should be consulted in this matter; and after due examination and knowledge of the person, their approbation be obtained to encourage the choice of the people, where it can be conveniently had: And therefore, in scripture, as I shall shew immediately, we never find any ordinations by the people, alone without superior helps; nor should it ever be done, where such helps can be obtained.

4. May I not add, It is certain also, that there ought to be some sacred solemnity attending the investiture or ordination of every such officer? This has always been done in all nations, both in civil and sacred affairs. This ought to be done by a solemn and public dedication of himself to this service, with the prayers of the church concurring to seek a divine blessing on him therein. Reason itself dictates this as a most proper práctice. And it is certain, that the union and assistance of a few

other ministers, both in prayer and exhortation, make a sort of beautiful harmony, and add solemn weight to this transaction of dedicating a person to God: They are generally better capable of offering up the prayers of the society to God on such an occasion: they are best able to give a word of counsel or advice to the new minister and to the people; which is a ceremony that should usually attend such an investiture into this office; for every thing is sanctified by the word and prayer; 1 Tim. iv. 5. And this will have a tendency to maintain a happy union and correspondence between different assemblies of the same religion, whether the ministers put their hands on the head of the new minister or no.

5. This is also certain, that the imposition of hands, or any ordination whatsoever, by bishops, or presbyters, can never be absolutely necessary to make a new presbyter or bishop; for the Lord Jesus Christ would never leave the subsistence or propaga tion of his churches, or the virtue or efficacy of his word and his sacraments, to depend on the uninterrupted succession of any office or officer, bishop or presbyter, to be transmitted from hand to hand, by any necessary forms of ordination, from the apostles' days down to ours; for then it would be impossible for any church, or even for any particular christian, to know whether ever they have had any authentic minister, whether they have ever received the gospel truly, or partook of any true sacrament, or have any just hope of salvation; because it is impossible far plain christians, or even for any ministers in our age, so for from the apostles, to be absolutely assured, that such ordinations have been rightly transmitted through sixteen hundred years, without any one interruption. And I might add, the only evidence and proof that any persons pretend to have of such a succession, is through the papal chair, which is attended with abundant uncertainties and impossibilities; as has been often shewn by protestant writers.

There is another reason also why the ordination, or imposition of hands, by either bishops or elders, or any superior character, cannot be absolutely necessary to make a minister, or ordain a pastor, in a particular church; and that is, that a whole nation may be corrupted, and every bishop and elder therein may be departed from the faith and practice of the gospel, as itwas in England in the days of popery: then, if a certain number of good men join themselves in a church, or voluntary society, for the sake of reformation, and enjoying pure worship, they can never have a minister settled and ordained among them, while these corrupt clergy around them refuse their assistance, and even forbid and oppose it to their utmost. But our blessed Lord would never leave his people, who desire reformation, under such circumstances of impossibility to be reformed. There must

therefore, in some cases be a power of ordination vested in the minister and people themselves, without the absolute necessity of recourse to others, and this is called a mere independent, or a popular ordination; as that by bishops is called episcopal, and that by elders, presbyterian.

6. Will it not follow, from all these premises, that when there are no inspired persons in a church, and the christian assemblies are left to the ordinary ways of supporting themselves from age to age, and of supplying themselves with officers for their edification, these church-affairs are to be conducted by such plain rules and dictates of the light of nature and common prudeuce, as are mentioned before, and which, in the days of extraordinary gifts, were never contradicted; though those extraordinary gifts, at that time, might sometimes supersede the necessity of some of these prudential rules: Yet always keeping an eye to the conduct of the primitive churches, so far as the extraordinary persons and gifts, orders and actions, in those times, did not plainly interpose, to superadd any thing above and beyond what was practicable and proper in ordinary cases; and always taking care that nothing be imposed as necessary, but what scripture, and the plain reason of things, have evidently made so; and managing all other prudential concerns by the joint opinion and consent of the society itself? I think, if we act by this rule, we cannot displease Christ our Lord, even though we should happen to mistake in some little formalities.

7. Though the people in the uninspired ages of the church must always chuse their own officers, and perhaps, in some uncommon cases, may ordain them alone; yet, since in all the rules, directions, and examples, which we have in the New Testaments, about the ordination or mission of any new officers, there is mention made of some superior person or persons, apostles or evangelists, elders, prophets, or teachers, appointing or ordaining them, or praying for them, or conferring gifts upon them, or committing the gospel to them, or laying hands on them; and since there is not any one appointment, mission, or ordination, either of deacons or ministers, that I know of, in the New Testament, without some one or more of these things, I am ready to think this might be so far an example to us, as that we should not too easily and readily encourage the ordinations of new ministers, to be performed totally and merely by the people, without some person or persons of superior characters, that is, bishops or elders, engaged with them in this work; except only, as was said before, in cases of such necessity, where the concurrence and assistance of such elders as are sound in the faith, and pious in life, could not be obtained. Though popular ordinations may be valid, and may be sometimes necessary, yet

it seems more regular, according to scripture, to have usually the active concurrence and assistance of soine elders therein : and where their assistance may be obtained, I cannot call it a regular ordination without them.

8. And in the last place, I would say, that since there are some texts in the New Testament, wherein single persons, either apostles, as Paul and Barnabas, ordained ministers in the churches; or evangelists, as Timothy and Titus; and since other missions or ordinations are intimated to be performed by several persons, viz. prophets, teachers, elders, or a presbytery; as in Acts xiii. J. and 1 Tim. iv. 14. Since there is sometimes mention made of the imposition of hands in the mission of a minister, and sometimes no mention of it; and since it is evident, that in some cases popular ordinations are, and must be, valid, without any bishop or elder; I think none of these differences should be made a matter of violent contest among christians; nor ought any hard words to be pronounced against each other by those of the episcopal, presbyterian, or independent way. Surely all may agree thus far, that various forms or modes, seeming to be used in the mission or ordination of ministers in primitive times, may give a reasonable occasion, or colour, for sincere and honest searchers after truth to follow different opinions on this head; and do therefore demand our candid and charitable sentiments concerning those who differ from us.

And indeed, the chief ground of the differences between all christians in matters of ordination, is that wherewith I began this section; viz. that it is an uncertain thing, whether several of these particular modes and actions, in the furniture, mission, or ordination of a minister, which are mentioned in the books of the New Testament, do really belong only to the extraordinary days of inspiration, or whether they must be imitated as our example, in all ordinary occurrences of the church; always supposing and maintaining, that none of these" ceremonies or assistances from other ministers or elders, are always and absolutely necessary to the mission or ordination of a new minister; since there may be seasons wherein the concurrence of good bishops, ministers, or elders, cannot be obtained; at least, not with any tolerable conveniency, or without sending abroad to far distant nations.

SECT. IV. The Rest of the Instances wherein Reason and Revelation agree in Matters of Social Worship.

But it is time now to proceed to the eighth instance of church-affairs, and shew how far the common sense and reason of mankind concur with the revelation of the New Testament in this matter.