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. III. Another Objection drawn from the Councel of Carthage, answered.

ANother Ojection may be, that the Councel of Carthage before cited; mentions the laying on the Book by two Bishops upon the head and shoulders of the Bishop to be Conse∣crated, and therefore that is necessary; I answer that I much reverence that Councel in which was St. Augustine, and divers other B••shops famous for learning and piety in their Generations; but yet as I have said before, this was never practiced any re∣markable time, as sundry Doctors in the Church of Rome ob∣serve, and again it is impossible to be essential because not Aposto∣lical and that because the Holy Bible, and that highest part of it the New Testament was not writ when Bishops and Priests were Ordained, it is therefore worth our marking, that there is a difference in the decrees of Councels concerning Doctrine and Discipline, or Ceremonies of the Church in a point of Doctrine, they shew in what sence they understand such and such a Con∣clusion, but in the other they set down what is to be practiced to preserve Orders and decency in those Churches where they have to do; and indeed there can be no more required of obedi∣ence than in quiet and setled times, in which times only Coun∣cels can be Congregated, and in other times as things necessary by Divine right must always be kept close unto, so what is only humane may be spared. it is not possible for humane power to add any thing of absolute necessity to Divine justice which can∣not be altered; now of this Nature in this Ceremony of the Gos∣pel as is most apparent. For first the Pontifical varyes extreamly much in this very point from the Councel of Carthage, not on∣ly in adding to it that the Book must be open which is not expres∣ed in Carthage but by Changing those few Circumstances which are particularized there, as first where it is said in Carthage that two Bishops shall lay on the Gospel, the Ponti••ical saith, that

it must be done by the Consecrator and the assisting Bishop. An∣tonius is peremptory out of Hostiensis that it must be done by three in the third part of his sums Tit. 14. Cap. 16. Sect. 9. to∣wards the end of that Section, secondly where the Councel saith that the Book shall be put upon the head and the neck of the Consecrated Bishop. The Ponti••ical saith super scapulam & cervi∣cem upon the shoulders and the neck, thirdly whereas the Councel saith (uno fundente benedictionem) one pouring out the blessing; they make them altogether to give it in these words, Receive the Holy Ghost, Antonius where before is peremptory that three must do it; thus you see how in the Doctrine of the Church of Rome the Compiler of that Book is prefer'd before that ever to to be honoured Councel consisting of above two hundred Bi∣shops; amongst which were many most eminent men and indeed the Popes legates likewise, although they could only keep up his pretensions to it, not prevail for his universal superiority, besides this I observe in the Ceremoniale Romanum put out by Pope Leo the tenth and licensed by him in the second Sect. litera Charta (as the Printer calls it) or as we, fol. 11. the Ordinator and the rest put the Book only upon the neck of the Elect Pope when he is made Bishop; so that here in these Records of the Church of Rome, besides these other practices of Chaplaines or ••eacons be∣fore mentioned we find a great liberty taken in varying from the Councel of Carthage; and amongst themselves the Councel ap∣pointing the Book to be put upon the head and neck, the Pontifical upon the shoulders and the neck, the Ce∣remonial names only the neck which evidently makes it appear that this Clause hath been looked upon only as an humane or∣dinance, subject to Change and alteration, but the other of imposition of Hands, as Divine which no humane power could abrogate or alter: Give me leave since I am in the canvasing of the Canon to make one observation for the further illustration of a Conclusion before treated of, that is the Phrase (uno fun∣dente benedictionem,) the blessing is given by one, when the Pontifical makes it to be given at the same time by many, and so divers Doctors in the Church of Rome, which certainly may be very confused one begining sooner and so ending, but to avoid that, the Ceremonial before cited saith, that the Conse∣crator with the rest of the Bishops saith, Accipe Spiritum San∣ctum,

receive the Holy Ghost, but he adds the Consecrator alte, the rest submisse, he with a loud voice, the rest with a soft; and now consider that one is called the Consecrator as surely he must be, and the rest do but come into his assistance to lay on their Hands in token of the assurance of it, and therefore they speak lowly and humbly, he that is the Consecrator doth Consecrate, the rest come in as assistants and to this purpose they speak lowly and submissly, and to this purpose Vasques af∣ter a long discourse about this Question concludes Disp. 240. Number 65. that it is enough that one speaks the words and lays on his Hands likewise, where we may observe by him that the Consecrators words are, that they call the form of Consecra∣tion, we may say conveigh the Consecrating virtue, this be∣ing received in all Christian Churches but the other unconstant amongst themselves. Another Argument may be objected a∣gainst us of the Church of England who use a giving of the Bible to the Bishop who is to be Ordained in our Consecration.