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fame Place, but of the whole Body of Catholick Chriftians wherefoever difperfed in all Parts of the World. And indeed I am perfuaded that in the English Bible then used in the Churches of this Realm the Greek Word cunanoia, which is now tranflated Church, was there always tranflated Congregation. It is certainly fo rendred in the Places I have cited, and many more. A certain Evidence that in thofe Days when thefe Articles were compiled (that is, in the Year 1562) the Word Congregation taken in an Ecclefiaftical Senfe had the very fame Signification with the Word Church, and was used with the fame Latitude. And even in the Bishops Bible, which was not publifhed till near Six Years after thefe Articles, that is, about (g) the Year 1568, tho' the Word Enxanoia is there generally tranflated Church, yet it is fometimes tranflated Congregation, even where it cannot be confined to an Affembly met in one Place, as in those Words of our Saviour to St. Peter, it is not rendred as in our prefent Bibles, on this Rock I will build my CHURCH, but on this Rock I will build my CONGREGATION. Alfo above Forty Years after, in the Year 1603, (h) we find the Word Congregation ufed in this Senfe in the Canonical Prayer appointed to be ufed before all Sermons, Lectures, and Homilies, where we are ordered to pray for the whole CONGREGATION of Chriftian People difperfed throughout the whole World.

§ II. I thought it neceffary to be thus particular in the Explanation of the Word Congregation, and to fhew what was the Sense of the Word at the Time when these Articles were drawn up, that I might thereby obviate the Expofition I have

(g) Strype's Life of A. B. Parker, p. 272. (b) Can. 55.

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heard that fome have made of this Article, as if the Compilers of it had fuppofed that there was a Power of Ordination, or a Power of calling and fending Minifters in every Parifh, Chapelry, or the like, where a Congregation of Chriftians was regularly affembled for Divine Worfhip, confequently that in every fuch Congregation there are Perfons who have Authority to call and send Minifters, and therefore he that is called and fent by any fingle Congregation, or by Perfons appointed in any Congregation, that is, in any Parifh or Chapelry for that Purpofe, is lawfully called and fent to be a Minifter according to the Doctrine of the Church of England. But this Objection is of no Weight, because, as I have fhewed, the Word Congregation at that time had the very fame Signification with the Word Church, it being generally, if not always, fo used in the English Bible then read to the People in all Parish Churches, and therefore when it is faid who have publick Authority given unto them in the CONGREGATION to call and fend Minifters, it is juft the fame as if it had been faid who have publick Authority given unto them in the CHURCH. It is alfo certain in Fact, that from the beginning of the Reformation to this Day the Church of England never authorized or acknowledged any Minifter or others in any particular Congregation to have any fuch Authority, but only in the Church diffufive. The Meaning of the Article therefore is plainly this, It is not lawful by the Law of God for any Man to take upon him the Office of publick preaching or miniftring the Sacraments in the CONGREGATION OF Church of Chrift before he be lawfully called according to the Law of God, and fent to execute the fame. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and fent according to the Law of God, which be chosen and called to this Work by Men, who by

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the Law of God have publick Authority given unta them in the CONGREGATION or Church of Chrift, to call and fend Minifters into the Lord's Vineyard. I have put in the Words according to the Law of God, because it is certain that is meant by the Word lawful in this place. For thefe Articles were not drawn up by the Judges, or by the Parliament, or any Civil Magiftrate, who alone have Authority to declare what is lawful by the Laws of the Land, but by the Bishops and Clergy affembled in Convocation or Synod, who were ever efteemed to be Interpreters or Expofitors of the Law of God, and to have Authority to declare what was agreeable to his Laws, and what not, but never had Authority to declare what is agreeable to the Temporal Laws, and therefore when fuch an Affembly declares a Matter to be lawful or not lawful, we can understand it to be meant according to the Law of God only. Confequently when they fay, It is not lawful for any Man to take upon him the Office of publick preaching or miniftring the Sacraments in the Church, they could not mean that it was not lawful in this Realm only by Virtue of the Temporal Laws here in Force, because they had no Authority to declare or expound thofe Laws, but that it was not lawful according to the Law of God, and therefore could not be allowed in any Realm, in any Country, in any Church or Society of Chriftians. And without Difpute it is and muft be the Divine Law by which all Articles of Religion, as thefe are, must be tried.

6 III. Indeed it must be confeffed that this Article does not tell us how many Orders of Men are appointed to minifter the Word and Sacraments, or whether more than one Order of Men may minifter thefe Offices, neither does it inform us

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who are thofe that have publick Authority given unto them in the Church to fend Minifters into the Lord's Vineyard. However this Article fufficiently teaches that a Commiffion is neceffary on this Occafion, and that there are fome Men who have Authority in the Church to give fuch a Commiffion. And this the Compilers of these Articles might very well judge to be fufficient, because the Church in her Ordinal had before declared this Matter more particularly. For in the Preface to the Forms of Ordination, it is faid, that it is evident to all Men diligently reading Holy Scriptures and Ancient Authors, that from the Apostles time, there have been thefe Orders of Minifters in Chrift's Church, Bishops, Priests and Deacons, which Offices were evermore had in fuch reverend Eftimation, that no Man by his own private Authority, might prefume to execute any of them, cxcept he were first called, tried, examined and known to have fuch Qualities as were requifite for the fame, and alfo by publick Prayer, with Impofition of Hands approved and admitted thereunto. And in the Form for the ordering of Deacons, we are taught, that it appertaineth to the Office of a Deacon in the Church, where he fhall be appointed, to affift the Prieft in Divine Service, and Jpecially when he miniftreth the Holy Communion, and to help him in the Distribution thereof, and to read Holy Scriptures and Homilies in the Congregation, and to inftruct the Youth in the Catechism, to baptize, and to preach if he be thereto admitted by the Bishop. And in the Form of ordering Priests, we learn that it appertaineth to his Office to preach the Word of God, and to minifter the Holy Sacraments, And in the Form for confecrating a Bihop we are taught that over and above what is common to him with Priests and Deacons he is admitted to the Government of the Church of Chrift, and is thereby vefted with a Power to ordain and fend others. And accordingly when a Deacon is to be ordained,

it is faid that when the Day appointed by the Bishop is come, the Arch-deacon or his Deputy shall prefent unto the Bishop fuch as defire to be ordained, and after the Bishop has prayed with the Congregation for them, put proper Queftions to them, and received proper Anfwers from them concerning the Nature of the Office whereunto they are at that time to be called, and concerning their Purpose faithfully to discharge the fame, he then lays his Hands upon them and ordains them. The like is also done in the ordering of Priests, only here, the Priests that are prefent lay on their Hands together with the Bishop. And fo in the Confecration of an Arch-bishop or Bishop, the Prayers are offered and the Questions put by the Arch-bifhop or Bifhop who performs the Confecration, and then he with the other Bishops prefent lay on their Hands and confecrate him. Here then is no Ordination, no Confecration of a Minister can be made according to the Doctrine of the Church of England but by a Bithop: every Perfon to whatever Order he is to be ordained must be presented to the Bishop, he must try, examine and approve him, he muft lay his Hand upon him, or ordain him before he can be a Minifter of any Order in the Church. And tho' in the Ordination of a Prieft, the Priests that are prefent lay on Hands together with the Bishop, they may not do it without him: The Perfon to be ordained must be presented to him, he must try and approve him, he muft lay his Hands upon him, he muft fay the Words of Ordination and commit the Charge to him. The Priefts are fubordinate Affiftants or Affeffors to him, but can do nothing in this Cafe when he is away,

Since then the Church had been fo particular as to this Matter in her Ordinal, and had there fo fully declared who were the proper Minifters of the Word and Sacraments, and who were autho

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