A treatise of the nature of a minister in all its offices to which is annexed an answer to Doctor Forbes concerning the necessity of bishops to ordain, which is an answer to a question, proposed in these late unhappy times, to the author, What is a minister?

SECT. IX. Whether Ordination doth communicate the Essence to the Outward Call.

HIS first Conclusion is, Ordination as it is Popishly dispen∣sed under the Opinion of a Sacrament, and as leaving the Impression of an indelible Character, doth not Communicate the Essence of this outward Call.

In the handling this Conclusion, there are two thing•• he in∣sists upon; First, to shew that the Prelatical party are Popishly affected in this Doctrine; 2dly, to dispute against the Indelible Character: for the first, he draws it from the Answer in the Ca∣techism which is in the Book of Common Prayer, where it is said, that there are only two Sacraments as generally necessary to Salvation, not as he puts it down, two only Absolutely necessa∣ry to Salvation, and then glosses on it, q.d. there are more, and those necessary, but not absolutely necessary. These are his words, which you see is a false Quotation; But because that ever-to-be-honoured Book the Common Prayer is named, I will first vindicate that, and then proceed: Know then, It is the first time that ever read the Prelatical party accused under that Notion, that the Common-Prayer Book held the Doctrine of the Church of Rome, because it was the most Authentique piece which expressed the Doctrine and Religion of the Church of England; 2ly. Let the Reader observe, that this word Sacra∣ment is a Term not found in the New Testament, but an Eccle∣siastical Term taken up by the ••athers, and used by all Christi∣ans for that thing which is Ordinarily defined, a visible sign of an invisible and spiritual Grace; Now if that have the Noti∣ons which the Word Sacrament expresseth, then Mr. Hooker cannot deny Orders to be a Sacrament, because he grants an outward Call to be necessary, which is an outward Sign, and he grants the Effect of that Call to be the Order given by it, which is an Invisible grace, as Grace is taken largely for Gratia gratis

data; and yet the Common Prayer Book is most true, which saith, there are two only generally necessary, that is, to all men; for Orders are not generally necessary to all men, as Baptism and the Lords Supper are, but only to such persons as under∣take such Duties. Let this suffice to have been spoken to that which he unnecessarily to his businesse or mine inserted.