A Winding-Sheet for the PRESBYTERIAN.  
Or a Mite touching the Ordination of MINISTERS.  
By ARISE EVANS.   printer's or publisher's device 
Sold by the Author at Mr. Cadelths in Black Friars. near the King's Playhouse.   

A Mite touching the Ordination of Ministers;  
Courteous READERS  
examine diligently the proofs of Scripture in this little Work, for it tends to the Salvation of your souls, bodies and estate.  
MEn and Brethren let me tell you in love: that if your Ministers were not ordained to the ministry by Bishops, they have not the spirit of truth, and ye ought not to hear them, they are not sent of God, their ordination is nothing, and it will come to nothing, for I shall briefly show you by Scripture that your Presbytery (falsely so called) have no power from God to ordain Ministers: neither do they understand the word Presbytery, on which they ground their power, 1 Tim. 4.14. which word is Prophets, or Elder Elders, or Eldership; for so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth, which word ye have not where else in Scripture, but only in 1 Tim. 4.14. ye have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no where else save only 1 Tim. 4.14. and it means Prophets, as the words going before doth sufficiently manifest it: for saith he 1 Tim. 4.14. neglect not the gift that is in thee: which was given thee by Prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the Prophets: and St. Paul renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or in English Elder Elders or Eldership, because the Prophets were of a more ancient order then the Apostles, for Enoch was a Prophet jude 14.15. yet they were now under the Apostles or Bishops, 1 Cor. 12.28. Ephes. 4.11. and an Apostle and a Bishop is all one, for Christ is called an Apostle Heb. 3.1. and a Bishop 1 Peter 2.25. and judas before he fell was a Bishop Act. 1.20. an Apostle signifies a planter, and a Bishop signifies a Steward or overseer, he that planteth a Church and looks well to it, is an Apostle and a Bishop, but to wave that discourse and come forward: there was in the Apostles time abundance of Prophets, and they were not ordained of any man, neither did they ordain any, for God raised them in a miraculous way, 1 Sam. 10.11.12. they had no power to ordain Ministers, that was the work of the Apostles and Bishops; but the Prophets did encourage the Ministers to go forth and preach, and told them their best way, and what Countries and Cities was dangerous for them to go into; and them Prophets always spoke in the name of the holy Ghost; saying thus saith the holy Ghost Act. 13.1, 2. Act. 16.6, 7. Act. 20.23. Act. 21.4.10, 11. and St. Paul and Barnabas was sent forth to preach by the holy Ghost, and the Prophets laid their hand upon them Act. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. but it was done above 17. years after St. Paul's conversion Act. 9.6. Galat. 1.17.18. Galat. 2.1. Act. 9.26.27, 28, 29, 30. Act. 11. from verse 22. to the end of the Chapter, Act. 12.25. and if you compare these Scriptures above cited one with another, for that is the way to find out the truth 1 Cor. 2.13. you shall find it to be above 17. years after St. Paul began to preach at Damascus Act. 9.20, 21, 22. and surely St. Paul and Barnabas having been so often with the Apostles sent forth to preach, and received into fellowship by them Galat. 2.7, 8, 9 were ordained Ministers long before that time they came to Antioch Act. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. and that which the Prophets did to them then: It is not said that they ordained them, but it is said that they Recommended them to the grace of God, Act. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. Act. 14.26. and if ye would have that to be their ordination then Ministers must be often ordained; for St. Paul was Recommended again to the grace of God, by the same Prophets that abode at Antioch Act. 15.30.40. Act. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. and if you compare Act. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. with 1 Tim. 4.14. you shall find that the Prophets prophesied good things concerning Timothy, that he should be a good Minister and do great matters in converting the world, laying their hands upon him as they spoke, that was all, and to this agreeth St. Paul's charge to him to warfare according to the prophecies, which went before on him, 1 Tim. 1.18. but Timothy was ordained a Minister by St. Paul's own hands 2 Tim. 1.6. therefore St. Paul calls his own Son, 1 Tim. 1.2. his dear beloved Son, 2 Tim. 1.2. because none other Minister had a hand in the begetting or the ordaining of him to the Ministry, but of St. Paul himself, which ordained Timothy as he ordained them twelve, Act. 19.6, 7. who were them Ministers of Ephesus, St. Paul sent for to Miletus Act. 20.17. and if ye compare 1 Tim. 4.14. with 2 Tim. 1.6. you shall find much difference between the one Text and the other, for saith he 2 Tim. 1.6. Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands; but saith he 1 Tim. 4.14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Prophets, or Elder Elders or Eldership: Mark the first, he calls the gift of God, and bids Timothy to stir it up in him, the second he calls a gift, he doth not call it the gift of God, nor doth he bid Timothy stir it up in himself; but saith he neglect not the gift, or despise not prophesyings, 1 Thessal. 5.20. see here St. Paul presseth upon Timothy the gift of God in his ordaining of him to the ministry of jesus Christ, but for the say of the Prophets, he bids him not neglect them or despise prophesyings, 1 Tim. 4.14.1. 1 Thessal. 5.20.21. but to fulfil them, 1 Tim. 1.18. as St. Paul and Barnabas had done, Act. 13.1, 2, 3, 4. Act. 14.26. and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God, for the work which they fulfilled: and again you may see by the Scripture that to commend and to ordain are two several things, Act. 14.23. and when they had ordained them Elders in every Church and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed: and these Elders ordination was thus, St. Paul laid his hands on some, and Barnabas on the others, as ye see, Act. 19, 6, 7. for ordination of Ministers is a similitude of the procreation of Priests under the Law, and as those priests were bastards and sons of whores, that had three or four priests to beget them; so spiritually are those Ministers bastards & sons of whores who had many ministers hands on them in their ordination, therefore according to the Scripture as ye have it in the Book of Ordination of Ministers, the Lord Bishop himself alone layeth his hands upon the Deacons head at his first ordination to the ministry, and then he receives the gift of God, and is begotten 1 Tim. 1, 2. 2 Tim. 1.2.6. Philem. 10. Titus 1.4. and that which in after times is done to him are but Ceremonies that must be used by the Lord Bishop and others, to prefer him into higher degrees in the ministry, as there was Ceremonies used to the sons of Aaron by the old Law, Exod. 40.12, 13, 14, 15. and as a Priest by the old Law must needs be the seed of Aaron, else no Ceremony could make him a Priest after the old Law; so I say now, if a Minister as abovesaid, have not his being only from a Lord Bishop at first, he cannot be a Minister of God, by no means else; now you see brethren that your Presbytery ordination is a false thing, having not the least shadow of truth in it, for your Presbytery deny any Prophets to be in our days: Therefore they have no right at all to shelter themselves under their shadows; if there were any hopes that way as they would persuade you, from 1 Tim. 4.14. but you may see by what I have spoken, how they deceive themselves and you, and as their false Presbytery ordination came to have an usurping visible power, and being for a time by the strength of Apollyons Rebellious bloody sword of war: so it shall be utterly nulled and made void by the righteous sword of the Prince of peace, and he that will favour their way shall be destroyed for ever.  By ARISE EVANS.  
FINIS.