The faith, doctrine, and religion, professed, & protected in the realme of England, and dominions of the same expressed in 39 articles, concordablie agreed vpon by the reuerend bishops, and clergie of this kingdome, at two seuerall meetings, or conuocations of theirs, in the yeares of our Lord, 1562, and 1604: the said articles analised into propositions, and the propositions prooued to be agreeable both to the written word of God, and to the extant confessions of all the neighbour churches, Christianlie reformed: the aduersaries also of note, and name, which from the apostles daies, and primitiue Church hetherto, haue crossed, or contradicted the said articles in generall, or any particle, or proposition arising from anie of them in particular, heereby are discouered, laid open, and so confuted. Perused, and by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England, allowed to be publique.

7. Proposition.

Orders is no Sacrament.

The Church of England, and of other places reformed doe acknowledge an order of making ministers in the Church of God, where all things are to be done by order. But that Order is a Sacrament, none but disordered Papists will say: and yet they obserue none order in speaking of the same. For among them.* 1.1

Some doe make seuen orders: whereof some they call infe∣rior, and some superior▪ the inferior be be the order first of Por∣ters, whose office is to keepe the doore: to expell the wicked and to let in the faithfull: next, Exocristes, or Coniurers, which haue power to expell the deuills: thirdly▪ Lectors, or Readers, who are to read Lessons, and bookes in the Church: & Fourth∣ly, Acolytes, or Candle bearers, whose office is to beare Cruels to the altar, with wine and water; and to carrie about Candles and Tapers.

The superior is the order of Subdeacons; Deacons, and of Preists, The Subdeacons are to read the Epistle at seruice time to prepare necessaries for mistration; and to assist the Priest in ministration. The Deacons dutie is to read the Gospell, and also to assist the Preist in ministration. The Preist his part, and office is, to minister Sacraments, that is to say, Baptisme, Pe∣nance the eucharist, and to sacrifice for the quick and the dead: Annoiling of the sick: and Matrimonie.

Others, numbring the seuē Sacraments, doe quite ouerpasse in silence, the Sacrament of order, and in place thereof menti∣on the Sacrament of Preisthood, as Vaux; of Bishopdome, as Hugh Cardinalls; of Archbishopdome, as W. Paris.

These seuen Orders, say some Papists, as Lombard d 1.2, are se∣uen Sacraments: which added to the other sixe, make 13. Sa∣craments: and are from Christ, and his Apostles time e 1.3, yea were instituted euen by Christ himselfe f 1.4.

Which theire assertions are besides the word of God. For in the holy Scripture.

VVhere can it be seene that either orders, as some can make

one, or seuen Sacraments; or Preisthood, as others thinke, is a Sacrament? what element hath it? what forme? what promise! what institution from Christ?

Where can any of those hideous titles of Porter, Exorcist, &c. be found ascribed to any minister of the new Testament? or the manner of their creation, or offices established?

Some Papists themselues doe write, that all inferior orders are not grounded vpon Scripture, but some of them come by tradition g 1.5. And Peter Lombard saith plainely, that fiue of the seuen orders, neither can be read in the word of God; nor yet were heard of in the primitiue Church h 1.6.

Where is it appointed to the ministers of the newe Testa∣ment onely to minister Sacraments? or to minister moe then two, viz. Baptisme, and the Lords Supper?

By what one place of Scripture haue Priests authoritie to offer Sacrifice, and that for the quick, and the dead also?

Where without extreame blasphemie can they shew that our S. Christ was a Porter, an Exorcist, an Acolyst, &c. & alwaies in his Chruch a King, a Prophet, and a Priest?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Canis. Catech.
• d 1.2

  Lib. 4. dist. 24. cap. 1.
• e 1.3

  Test. Rhem. annot. marg. p. 572.
• f 1.4

  Jbid. annot. Luk••. 2••.19.
• g 1.5

  Maioran. clyp. milit. eccles. lib. 1. cap. 9.
• h 1.6

  Lomb. lib. 4. dist. 24.