urge against this do fignify, that Ordination in the regular courfe of Things, ought to be adminiftred without Bishops. But all that is objected is a difficulty arifing from your having been before ordain'd without Bibops, which Ordination you cannot renounce, as you must do, in effect, if you fubmit to Epifcopal Ordination. Taking it, therefore, for granted because I find nothing alleg'd against it, that regularly Ordination is not to be adminiftred without the Bishop, I fhall 1. Give an account why this is infi fted on. 2. Answer your fcruples against complying with it, as I find them exprefs d by Mr. Calamy. Premifing only this, that fince most of You came into the Miniftry fince the reftauration of Epifcopacy, and therefore have brought this difficulty voluntarily upon your felves, refufing wittingly and confiderately either to conform as Lay-men, or to be ordain'd by Bifhops, it feems a wonder to us that you fhould not be more willing to fubmit in this Point, and to make fome recompence for this notorious neglect put upon the Epifcopal Office, than to fearch out Objections against it. Much more do we B 3 find find reason to wonder, that inftead of recommending Lay-Conformity to fuch whose Confciences could heartily approve of it, and an Education in another way, you ftill continue to advife, prepare, and ordain others to the Miniftry; by that means laying what you account an infu perable difficulty, which would otherwife be wanting,in the way towards fuch an Union as you fay you defire. Pardon us, if we cannot think, that this practice is agreeable to that defire of Peace and Concord you exprefs, which feems to us as if You rather defir'd to prevent it, unlefs it could be brought about wholly in your own way. But I return 1. To give fome account why this. Re-ordination is infifted upon, and propose some reasons why it may be fubmitted to. Now the reafonableness of infifting upon this appears from this one propofition, the truth of which to us is plain, acknowledg'd by Mr. Baxter, and not in the leaft call'd in queftion in any of your reafonings on this Head, viz. That Epif copal Ordination is the regular orderly Ordibridgment nation fetled in the Church of Christ. This Baxter's being fo, as Mr. Baxter judges (in his dif Life, p. putation with Mr. Johnfon) that the end why See the A of Mr. we we are obliged to feek Ordination rather from an Ecclefiaftical Officer than from a Magiftrate, &c. is, because God hath appointed him for order fake, and to prevent Intrusions and Abuses; fo we argue, that the Reason why we are obliged to feek Ordination from a Bishop, rather than from Presby ters without a Bishop, is because God hath appointed Him for order fake, and to prevent Intrusions and Abuses; And because the going out of this fetled way, tho' it be into another which poffibly might prevent Intrufions and Abufes as well, were it the fetled way, gives too much encouragement and too much room for Intrufions and Abufes. As we think with Mr. Ibid. Baxter that Neceffity only can answer for the irregularity of Ordination; fo we think that where there is no neceffity, or when this neceffity ceafes, God gives no encourage ment to fuch deviations, and a Regular Ordination is to be fought for. That, therefore, it is not the folemnity of the work, the care taken, the fitnefs of the Perfon, the faft ing and Prayer, that can excufe the neglect of this, or be accounted fufficient without this because this is the method deliver'd down to us from the Apostles times, and the departing from this tends Ibid. to the overthrow of all Order: nor can we fuppofe that Almighty God fupplies the want of it, when no neceffity can be pleaded, because He is the God of Order, and not of Confufion. We judge with Mr. Baxter, that Perfons (let them be never so well qualified) are to feek an orderly admiffion, and make others the Judges of their qualifications: And imagining our method to be the orderly and fetled method from the Primitive Ages, where we fee it neglected, when there is no neceffity, we think in Juftice, we cannot acknowledge those who depart from it approved of God in fetting apart themselves for the Miniftry. We dare not think that He allows, fo great a neglect caft upon the Order fetled in his Church; and we dare not in our Consciences give any encouragement to a method which has difunited a whole Nation from their Bishops;and fuch an encouragement as would be in effect, an acknowledgment that God approves of Irregular Ordinations upon no neceffity, and would tend to introduce ftill more and more Irregular Ordinations, when ever any neceffity fhould be pretended. This we dare not do, and taking this to be your Cafe, that you have neglected neglected the way fetled in the Church; and, when no neceffity urged, put your felves into the Miniftry in another manner, we cannot think it hard, that you fhould receive Orders in a regular way. This will indeed be an acknowledgment that you have been in an errour: but furely this confideration will not weigh more with good Men than the Univerf al good, and the fervice you may do by giving fo.publick a teftimony to Order, and Inftitution, and fo great a stop to irregularity and confufion. Upon the whole, We think that, according to Mr. Baxter, We may infift upon this; nay, and ought, as long as we are an Epifcopal Church. For it was his opinion (as is plain from the occafion of that Paper I have now refer'd to that nothing but neceffity can excuse those who neglect Epifcopal Ordinaion; and that their Irregular Ordinati on, when there is no neceffity for it, is not approv'd by God. I confefs this argument fuppofes You to have no neceffity laid upon you, which I fhall now fay fomewhat to. You know it is an easy thing to plead neceffity, and there is no end of Irregularities, if any Neceffity be admitted but what is most apparent for it is then only |