The badges of Christianity. Or, A treatise of the sacraments fully declared out of the word of God Wherein the truth it selfe is proued, the doctrine of the reformed churches maintained, and the errors of the churches of Rome are euidently conuinced: by pervsing wherof the discreet reader may easily perceiue, the weak and vnstable grounds of the Roman religion, and the iust causes of our lawfull separation. Diuided into three bookes: 1. Of the sacraments in generall. 2. Of Baptisme. 3. Of the Lords Supper. Hereunto is annexed a corollarie or necessary aduertisement, shewing the intention of this present worke, opening the differences among vs about the question of the supper, discouering the idolatry and diuisions of the popish clergy, ... By William Attersoll, minister of the Word of God.

Chap. 20. That orders are no Sccrament.

BY orders we must vnderstand the offices and ministry of the church, a as also Peter Lumbard doth. We con∣fesse, when Christ led captiuity captiue, he gaue giftes vnto men, b and ordained Some to be Apostles, some prophets, & some Euangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the repairing of the

saint, for the worke of the ministry and for the edification of the bo∣die of Christ. By these he declareth his will vnto vs, he gathe∣reth togither his scattered sheep, and publisheth the glad ty∣dings of saluation, as Ier. 7. I haue sent vnto you all my seruants the Prophets, rising up earlie euerie date. And christ our sauiour saith, Luc, 10. He that heareth you, heareth me: and he that de∣spiseth you, aespiseth me and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. And the Apostle Paule, 2. Cor, 5, teacheth, God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe, not imputing their sins vnto them, and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation: Now then are we Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God. This we hold, this we beleeue, this we teach touching the degrees, orders, and offices of the ministry of the gospell.

But the popish orders of the Popish churches, b they say are seuen, whereof some are greater and higher offices, some are lower, lesser, and inferiour. The greater are three, the of∣fice of Priest-hood to offer vp the sacrifice of the bodye and blood of Christ vpon the Altar: of Deaconship, to assist the priests in all things which are done in the Sacramentes, to bring in the oblations, to set them vpon the Altar, to couer it with cloathes, to beare the crosse, and to read the Gospell and Epistle to the people: of the subdeacons, to bringe the chalice and patten, to bring the cruet with water and the to∣well to the Altar, and to pour out water to wash their hands. These are their higher Offices aboue the rest, as the higher trees among the lower shrubs. The lesser orders are foure in number. First of dore-keepers, these receiue the keyes of the church doore to open the same. Secondly of readers, to reade the Bible to the people.

Thirdly of Exorcistes, to call vppon the name of the Lorde, ouer such as haue vncleane spirites, adiuring and coniuring them to come out in the name of god: which power of commaunding euill spirites is ceased in the Church. Lastly, A Colythes, to prepare and carry torches and tapers when the Gospell is read to the people, or the sa∣crifice is to be offered.

These seuen popish orders, or rather plaine disorders and consusions, we cannot receiue d into the number of Sacraments of the Church. For 〈◊〉〈◊〉, orders are so fruitefull, that this bird hath hatched seauen young ones. This Sacra∣ment is so rich, so rank, so riotous, that it hath ingendered and brought forth seauen petty and pretty sacraments, and therefore these being numbred and patched vp to the sor∣mer, we should haue 13. Sacraments. A goodly brood of a gallant egge. For if euery one of these orders of doore∣keepers, readers, exorsistes, Acolithes, subdeacons, deacons, and priests be Sacraments: we should multiply the number of Sacramentes according to the number of these orders, and so indeede of seauen, we should haue 13. Sacraments, which were a very disorderly order, or if you list to cal it, an orderly disorder.

And so Peter Lumbard maister of the Sentences, e cal∣leth not orders a Sacrament as speaking of one, but Sacra∣ments as speaking of many, saying, Orders are called Sacra∣ments, because in receiuing of them grace is conferred, which is repre∣sented by those things that are there performed. Neither can they say they al make but one sacrament, sceing they are distinct offices one from another, diuerse in offices, in institution, in calling, in ordinatiō, in ceremonies, and in forme of conse∣cration: so that they may by as good right and as great rea∣son make baptisme and the Lords supper one sacrament, as all these orders so diuerse and distinct the one from the other.

Secondly, sacraments haue their institution from christ: orders haue not their institution from Christ to be Sacra∣ments of the church: therefore orders are no sacraments. Nay as they are retained & vsed in the church of Rome, they are no ordinances or institutions of christ at all. For touching the osfices of priest-hood to offer vp the body of Christ for the quick and dead: of deacons to serue these Baals priests at their Idolatrous alters: of subdeacōs, of rea∣ders, and of the rest, they are not found in scripture, neither were ordained by the apostles, neither were they receiued

into the church for many yeares after Christ and his A∣postles. The new Testament as it doth acknowledge no o∣ther sacrificer and sacrifice but Christ, so it admitteth no priests, no priest-hood, but spitituall priests and a spirituall priest-hood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices of praise and thanksgiuing vnto God, f as appeareth Reuel. 1. 6. Christ hath washed vs from our sinnes in his blood, and made vs kinges and priests vnto God euen his father. And the Apostle Peter in his first epiftle chap. 2. saith, Ye also as liuely stones be made a spiri∣tuall house, an holy priest-hood, to offer vp spiritual sacrisices accepta∣ble to God by Iesus Christ. And again afterward, Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priest-hood, an holy nation, a people set at liberty, that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkenesse into his marueilous light. Whosoeuer bringeth in another priest-hood then this, & maketh new priests, abo∣lisheth as much as in him lyeth the priest-hood of Christ. Againe, what will they say, of offices and dignities in the Church greater then these, the office of pope, of cardinall, of patryarch, and the rest of that vnholy hierarchy? Will they discharge and cut off these from being sacraments, & aduance the baser orders of hedge priests and dombe dea∣cons to so high a dignity? What? Do they abase and dis∣grace those greater places, and thinke their popes and car∣dinals not worthy of that honor and authority? or do they thinke this Sacrament to vile and base to agree to those princelike dignities of the church? Or dare they preferre their priest-hood, their readers, their decons, there doore∣keepers, their dog-keepers, and the rest of that rabble be∣fore the pope dome, the cardinalship, the Patryarchship? Is not this high treson against their holy father, & petty trea∣son against the cardinals and other of that generation? Last∣ly, Sacraments must haue an outward element and word of institutiō, as hath been often declared & proued: but their orders haue neither outward element, nor word of institu∣tion: therfore orders are no sacra. Seeing therfore they can shew no materiall signe added to the promise, nor grati∣ous promise added to the signe: there can be no sacrament

of orders to seale vp and assure any mercy of God granted vnto vs. To omit that reason, which we might 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon them, namely, that orders are peculiar & proper to the mi∣nistry, and are no sanctified instrument aply any general and common grace of the Church. Wherefore, asmuch as orders haue neither outward signe, nor promise of grace, nor institution from Christ, but disgrace the higher digni∣ties of their Church, and ouerthrow their owne chosen number of seauen Sacramentes: we conclude necessarily from these premises that orders are no Sacrament.

Notes

• a

  Lumb. sent. lib. 4, dist. 24 cap. 3
• b

  Eph. 4, 11
• Ier. 7. 25.
• Luc. 10 16.
• 2 cor. 5. 19. 10
• b

  sentent. lib. dict. 24. cap. 1.
• d

  Reasons ren dred why or∣ders are no Sacraments.
• e

  sent. lib. 4 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 24. cap. 1
• f

  Reuel. 1. 6 1. Pet. 2. 5. 9