that the ordination may be none at all, and yet the actions not null. For it is the inftance of one who has no commiffion, but is guilty of Treafon in what he does; and yet the People are not to fuffer for this, because it was impoffible for them to dif cern it; and fo his actions are not null: and yet He must have a realCommiffion from the King, before He can act in that poft again. The parallel to thisGovernour and his People, is the Minifter and his People. As the Governour has no authority, and yet his acts are valid; fo the Minifter may have no authority from God on his part, and yet his actions may be valid as to the people; Almighty God not permitting them to fuffer for the fault of others.

This too may ferve to give fome account of the bleffing of Heaven attending your facred Miniftrations, which you seem to us, to speak of too often; because if this may be allowed as an argument that God approv'd your ordination, all parties in the World will claim it; and the moft irregular will plead it, and patronize under it the greateft irregularities imaginable. Pray confider this, Here is a pretended Governour with no Commission; many of his actions are perhaps for the good

of

of the Common-wealth; and yet this is no argument that he had a Commiffion, or that the King approv'd of his acting in his name. So here, The Actions of a Minifter may be for the good of many honest Perfons; and yet this is no Argument that God approves his Irregular Ordina tion. The Bleffing, whenever it is, is a reward to the Honesty of the well-meaning People; and ought not to be interpreted as an approbation of the Authority of the Minifter: as the King's permitting the actions of that pretended Governour to be valid, is due to the Honefty of the People who could not find out the deceit;but cannot be thought an approbation of the pretences of that Perfon, who was guilty of Treafon, in counterfeiting his Hand and Seal.

The refult of what I have faid is this. Those of you who were ordain'd by Pref byters, without Bishops, because Epifcopal Ordination could not be had (which Mr. Calamy gives us leave to take for the true reafon) we acknowledge to have had a realOrdination;and your Authority to have lafted as long as that neceffity lafted; and confequently,all your Acts valid,even as to the authority of them; this neceffity making them so as effectually as if you had had C 3 regular

regular Ordination. But when that neceffity ceas'd, we dar'd no more acknowledge an authority founded only upon a cafe of neceffity, without a regular Commiffion, when it might be had, than we dare acknow ledg him to be truly the King's Vicegerent, who, because, in cafe of abfolute neceffity, he had the command of a country without a regular Comiffion, therefore when he can have this regular Commiffion,refuses to take it. Thofe of you who have fince the reestablishment of Epifcopacy refus d either to conform as Laymen, or to enter into the Miniftry at this Door; after our most serious confideration, we cannot but judge to have put an open, and visible neglect upon Regular Ordination, without an apparent neceffity; giving occafion by this means to more grievous Irregularities. And, therefore, tho' we think your Actions valid, through the mercy of God, to honeft and well-meaning People; yet we dare not fay that God approves your Ordination in a way we take to be irregular; nor can we consent by our actions to give encouragement to fuch Doctrins as this, That Regularity is not to be regarded, when ever any Perfons will pretend a neceffity: for thither this tends, how little foever you

you defign it. Confider this, and fee if there be no reason why you should com ply in this point; at leaft, if there be no rea fon for us to request you not to go on to lay this unnecessary bar in the way of others.

2. Having thus given fome account of the reasons of what we require in this point, I will now confider thofe Objections I find offer'd in your Names against it. Amongst which I do not find any taken from the unreasonableness of Epifcopal Ordination; or any thing faid againft it; but all that is objected is drawn from that unhappy circumftance of an Ordination before. And this being ftill the cafe, I fhall endeavour, if what I have said before be not fatisfactory, to remove these Scruples. What I find urg'd is comprehended under thefe three Heads.

1. The Peace of your own Confciences. 2. The credit of the reformed Churches abroad. 3. The Scruples of your own People. For, as to nullifying your paft Ordina tions, I hope, I have faid what is fufficient.

1. As to the Peace of your Confciences, we are not for perfuading You to act a gainst your Confciences; to prevaricate or play with holy Things. But, if what I have laid down before be true, that an ir regular

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regular Ordination is none at all, when there is no abfolue neceffity; and, fuppo fing there was an abfolute neceffity, that it lafts no longer than that neceffity lafts; here can be no Playing with Holy Things, to feek it in a regular way; because, according to this reafoning, You are wholly unqualified to act as Minifters withoutit. And we prefs it upon you feriously to confider, if this be not a fair and reafonable Account of the Matter.

2. As to the Credit of the reformed Churches abroad, we think it no Prefumption, as we cenfure not them, who in a Cafe of neceffity went out of the ordinary method, fo to expect they will not cenfure us for not approving Irregularities, when there is no fuch neceffity for them. And we judge that you your felves Act as you think juft and reasonable, without that regard to them here pretended; and shall judge fo, till we fee you remove, alter, and reform ev'ry thing amongst you which the Reformed Churches abroad difprove, either in their Declarations, or their Practice. Nor do we think you would allow it a good Argument for our infifting upon this, if we could produce Reformed Churches abroad of the fame O