and watch for the Good of their Souls; a Prefident, to be Chairman in their Affemblies, to keep up Order there; and a grave and skilful Perfon, fit to adminifter the Rites and Seals of the Christian Religion. Now all these Characters, Capacities, and Talents, are often contained in one fingle Perfon, who may be fufficient for a small Church; or, perhaps, in two or three Perfons, for the Supply of larger Churches.

(2.) I think we may take it also for a Certainty, that where God doth not interpofe to point out the Teachers, or Overfeers, in any Chriftian Church, by Infpiration, there is no Perfon or Perfons, either in the Church or the State, who have any rightful Power, derived either from Reafon or Scripture, to impofe a Teacher, or Overfeer, on any Affembly of Chriftians whatsoever, without their own Confent; 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. Confcience is too facred a Thing to be impofed upon by fallible Men, and the Soul is too valuable to have its Concerns intrufted with any Perfons, without our own Agreement.

And though the Choice or Confent of the Churches may not be fo particularly mentioned in Scripture, when Elders or Bishops were ordained among them, by Persons who

were

were infpired, yet Reason itself supposes it ; and their extraordinary Gifts from the Holy Spirit, proved and required the Duty of Submiffion and Confent in the People, even if they had not a Hand in the firft chufing 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 Confent of the People in the Choice of their Church-Officers. The Scripture itself makes it evident, that Deacons were chofen by the People in primitive Times. Acts vi. 3. Brethren, look ye out from among you feven Men, &c. And these were to be intrufted only with the Money, or temporal Things of the Church. And Nature, and univerfal Custom, teach us, that Phyficians and Lawyers, who are intrufted with the Care of the Bodies and Eftates of Men, are not impofed on us by others, but are chofen by the Perfons who intruft them. If I would learn Philofophy, or any Science, Art, or Trade, I have a natural Right to chuse who fhall inftruct me in it. Even Children are allowed to chufe their own Guardians and Boys, who are Apprentices, to chufe their own Masters, And doth not Reason loudly proclaim this Truth, that the Guides of our Souls in Religion ought to be chosen

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by

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 whofe Succefs none can be fo 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 Teftament has never appointed any uninspired Men to chufe Paftors or Teachers for a whole Affembly of People, and impose them upon the Affembly, or upon any particular Members thereof, against their Will.

(3.) It is certain also, that due Care ought to be taken that the Perfons be fitly qualified, who are chofen into this Office or Miniftry: And though private Christians have a Right to chufe their Minifters, and may beft judge of the general Suitableness of their Talents to their own Edification, yet they are feldom fo fit Judges of the learned Qualifications of Minifters, as those who have been fome Years Minifters, Paftors, or Teachers themselves, whether of the fame or of neighbouring Churches; and therefore, Reafon tells us, it is generally most proper that fome of these more knowing and experienced Men fhould be confulted in this Matter; and, after due Examination and Knowledge of the Perfon, their Approbation be obtained to encourage the Choice of the People, where it can be conveniently

had:

had: And therefore, in Scripture, (as I shall fhew immediately, )we never find any Ordinations by the People alone, without fuperior Helps; nor fhould it ever be done, where fuch Helps can be obtained.

(4.) May I not add, It is certain also, that there ought to be fome facred Solemnity attending the Inveftiture or Ordination of every fuch Officer? This has always been done in all Nations, both in civil and facred Affairs. This ought to be done by a folemn and publick Dedication of himself to this Service, with the Prayers of the Church concurring to feek a divine Bleffing on him therein. Reason itself dictates this as a most proper Practice. And it is as certain, that the Union and Affiftance of a few other Minifters, both in Prayer and in Exhortation, make a Sort of beautiful Harmony, and add folemn Weight to this Tranfaction of dedicating a Person to God: They are generally better capable of offering up the Prayers of the Society to God on fuch an Occafion : They are beft able to give a Word of Counsel or Advice to the new Minifter and to the Pcople; which is a Ceremony that should usually attend fuch an Inveftiture into this Office; for every Thing is fanctified by the Word and Prayer: And this will have a Tendency to maintain a happy Union and Correfpondence between different Affemblies of the famé Religion, whether the Ministers put their

Hands

Hands on the Head of the new Minister

or no.

(5.) This is also certain, that the Impofition of Hands, or any Ordination whatfoever, by Bishops or Prefbyters, can never be abfolutely neceffary to make a new Presbyter or Bishop; for the Lord Jefus Chrift would never leave the Subfiftence or Propagation of his Churches, or the Vertue or Efficacy of his Word and his Sacraments, to depend on the uninterrupted Succeffion of any Office or Officer, Bifhop or Prefbyter, to be tranfmitted from Hand to Hand, by any neceffary Forms of Ordination, from the Apoftles Days down to ours; for then it would be impoffible for any Church, or for any particular Chriftian, to know whether ever they have had an authentic Minifter, whether they have ever received the Gospel truly, or partook of any true Sacrament, or have any juft Hope of Salvation; because it is impoffible for plain Christians, or even for any Ministers in our Age, fo far from the Apostles, to be abfolutely affured, that fuch Ordinations have been rightly tranfmitted through Sixteen hundred Years, without any one Interruption. And I might add, the only Evidence and Proof that any Perfons pretend to have of fuch a Succeffion, is through the Papal Chair, which is attended with abundant Uncertainties and Impoffibi