And though Mr. Edwards boast himselfe heare, to be a Minister of the Gospell, and a sufferer for it, yet I challenge him, to prove unto me, that he hath any Calling or Ordina∣tion to the Ministry, but that which he hath successively from Rome; If he lay claime to that; he is one of the Popes house∣hold; But if he deny that calling▪ then is he as void of a calling to the worke of the Ministry, and as void of Ordination, as a∣ny of those Ministers, whom hee calleth Independant men, (which have cast off the Ordination of the Prelates) and con∣sequently as void of Ordination as a macanicall trades man.
And therefore I hope that Honourable House that is so full of wisedome (which Mr▪ Edwards doth confesse) will never judge these men unreasonable, because they do Petition, nor their petitions unreasonable before they are tried, and so proved, by some better ground, then the bare entrance of Mr. Edwards his Cavit, or writ of Ne admittas, though he saith he fo••ched it from heaven; for I know it was never there, Neither is it confirmed by the Records of holy Scripture, but taken from the practise of Nimrod, That mighty Hunter before the Lord,* 1.1 and from the practise of Haman that wicked persecu∣cuter,* 1.2 & from the evill behaviour and malicious speeches, and gesture of wicked Sanballet,* 1.3 and Tobias, who were both bitter enemies to God, and sought to hinder the building of the walles of Jerusalem.
But the Prophet Haggai, reproveth not onely such as hin∣dred the building of the Lords House▪ but also those that were contented to live in their seyled Houses, and suffer the Lords House to lie waste, Hag. 1-