that neglect you have put upon the fetled Order of the Church, and the irregular method you have taken; Therefore, we dare not act as if we thought God had approv'd your Ordination, till you fhew us this manifeft and undeniable neceffity; and fo dare not acknowledge you Minifters without Epif copal Ordination. And we judge it very hard, that this fhould be number'd amongst the unreafonable terms of Ministerial Conformity; when we think the whole point is, whether the other terms be unreasonable, and fufficient to juftify a feparation, or no. For, if they be, and it can be prov'd; this will prove fuch a neceffity as will justify. Irregular Ordinations, and demonftrate that God approv'd your Ordination: But if they be not, then no fuch neceffity was laid upon you; and it cannot be prov'd that God approv'd your Ordination, or that it is hard for you to fubmit to a regular Ordination. And we defire you to confider,whether, whilst you argue againft this under the general name of Diffenters, you do not argue for many Ignorant Mechanicks, who cannot properly be faid to have had any ordination but a pretended inward Call; and for a great number of men, of whom Mr. Baxter complain'd long ago that they Abridg made too light of Ordination. ment P. 117. P. 131. One thing more I am led to fay upon this Subject, and that is, fuppofing there was a neceffity of feeking Irregular Ordinations, fuch a neceffity as arofe only from the badness of the times, when Bishops were put down in England, which we are allowed by Mr. Calamy to think was the cafe of the ejected Minifters: yet this neceffity could juftify the Ordination no longer than it lafted; and when they were reftor'd, the Ordination was null, and another to be fought for in a regular way. This Ifay, fuppofing this truly the cafe, and the irregular practice grounded only upon this reafon : and this Mr. Baxter leads me to, by the parallel inftances He produces in his Paper about regular Ordinations. They are thefe, In an affault of an Enemy, and the absence of a Commander, an experienc'd Soldier who has no commission may supply the place of a Commander. The neceffity anfwers for the irregularity, while the neceffity lafts. But would He be acknowledg'd a Commander, if, when there is no neceffity,He fhould fhould still pretend to that office without another Commiffion in a regular way? Neceffity gives a man a License to practife Phyfick, in an extraordinary cafe, and when He can have no License in a regular way. Has He therefore a Licenfe to practife when this neceffity is gone, or does that License which neceffity gives last any longer than the neceffity it self? At a time when it is impoffible to procure a Commiffion from the King, suppose any Perfon, upon the manifest danger of that Kingdom, fhould take upon Him to be Lord Deputy of Ireland; that neceffity would make all his acts valid whilft it lafted: but when He could have formal Commiffion from the King, and would not, is it fit He fhould be acknowledg'd as Governour? or, Is the Power, which neceffity convey'd to Him, after that to be obey'd? As, therefore, in thefe cafes, Neceffity gives a Commiffion to thefe Perfons, and we allow of this necffity; as they have as much power to act upon this neceffity as if they had a Commiffion in the most regular way; and as they cannot be acknowledg'd to act by Commiffion when they may,but will not, have it in a regular way,and the neceffity way,and the neceffity ceafes ceafes fo let it be in the cafe before us. A real neceffity gives you a Commiffion to act, and to go out of the regular way. This neceffity makes all your acts valid whilft it lafts: and they remain valid because they depend entirely upon the Power you had at the time they were done, and not at all upon the Power you have afterwards. But if you refufe to take out commiffions in a regular way, when that neceffity is gone; you have no more pretence to Power and Authority, than the Perfons in the Cafes before-mention'd. I fee not what can be objected here, unless it be this. Since we allow you no Authority in what you do now; and do not think that God approves of your Ordination,now you may haveEpifcopal Ordination, and refufe it; why do we not infift upon the rebaptizing of those who are baptiz'd by you &c.? why do we allow your acts valid now we grant no neceffity? to which Mr. Baxter furnishes us with a reP. 133. ply. If the Lord-Deputy of Ireland were dead,and one fhould fo counterfeit the King's Hand and Seal, as that the Nobles and People could not difcern it, and should annex this to a grant for the Place, and fhew it to the People, and claim the Power by it ; if this man continue the exercise of this Power for a Year before the deceit be difcover'd, all his actions must be valid as to the benefit of the Common-wealth, tho' they are treasonable to Himfelf. From which it is plain, That, as the Honeft People ought not to fuffer for the treason of their pretended Governour; fo God will take care that the truly honeft People shall receive no hurt for the fault of others; that, as the King may approve of the actions themselves,as they refpect the Peo ple; and yet not approve of the perfon's pretenfions to his authority; fo Almighty God may approve of the actions of Minifters as they refpect the honest and well-meaning People; and yet not approve at all of the Minister, confider'd as fuch that,as the Governour's actions were valid, tho' He had really no commiffion; fo the actions of a minifter may be valid, and yet his Ordination no proper Ordination; which was the thing I defign'd to prove from this inftance. Indeed Mr. Baxter feems juft before, to lay it down for a truth that if the actions are not null, neither can the ordinations. But, if this inftance do not plainly prove the contrary, I confefs I cannot understand it, viz. C 2 ; that |