anxioh's⋅ Anf. to dif fent, pag. 37 &C. a See pag. 280 b See Pag. far refolved as to have no remaining fcruples and this among others was a fore enquiry to me; where to enter upon my fearch of this new warrant, and where to find the filken Clue which directed the way into this Labyrinth of Apoftolick practice, much time I spent, and much labour I loft,in turning over fuch papers as came to my hands, and could not find wherewithal to unloose this knot; till at last I met from the Affembly, what? what gave me fatisfaction? no, what compleated the Paradox; they fay, The truth is we read not at all in Scripture of the time, or occafion of ordaining elders in that Church (they mean the first Church, or the Church at Jerufalem) elsewhere they add. We find elders in that Church first named, A&t. 11. and afterwards, A&. 15. but when they were constituted, we find not particularly expressed; only we may rationally conceive, that the Apostles in their care for the Anf. to diff. Churches good, did ordain elders in that Church very early. We pag. 47. reserve this notion of the Affemblies to be anatomized, and fcattered peecemeal in the following part of this difcourfe; In this place we shall only parly with it, and fay,what if (a)Chrift not the Apostles,ordained the firft Elders? what if (b) St. Lukes not recording their original in the Acts of the Apostles be an additional confirmation of this truth, and of his cauteloufnefs 288. 282 not to use vain repititions? he having largely and plainly inferted it in his Gospel, whereunto the acts of the Apostles is a kind of fupplement, or appendix: And what if (c) the fame Affembly in the fame tract, in the fame 38. pag. and in the very next line after their denyal, to have read in Scripture of the time, or occafion of ordaining Elders, do in effect confefs all this? All which we do undertake to evidence in the places, unto which a reference is made in the margent,then what is proved by this Paradox, but what we all know already, even that none are fo blind, as they that will not fee, and that when men of the largest parts, and strongest abilities are once intoxicated, and made drunk with error, they never ceafe reeling,till they fall at the utmost distance from truth. But in the mean time this bold Affertion, that Presbyters fucceed Apostles thus marvailoufly flankered is the cit tadel, out of which they batter Timothies temporary office, and defy all who dare make a title (though they make it good) unto a prefent capacity to discharge it. However in the ftrength of the Lord, we will make our Approaches unto it, well hoping that the Magical fpell is now fpent, and the time come when this enchaunted Castle, raifed by the witchcraft of rebellion, 29 See pag Our Reasons a- rebellion muft vanish. Our affault is a down right denial that gainst the tem- the Apoftles did derive their Office-works unto an inferiour Orporarinefs of der, or namely unto Presbyters, and consequently that no Office Church-Offi- in the primitive Church was temporary. the firft cers, and against their derivation of their Office-works unto another and inferiour Order of Officers. practice. First, First, The conftant practise of the Apoftles contradicts it. Pres'Tis contrary byters are not of yesterday, they were as well in being in the to Apoftolick Apoftles days, as in ours; but no Scripture proves their receiving power from the Apoftles to ordain Minifters, or exercise the cenfures, &c. fingly, and independently, from an higher Order of Officers. Contrariwife we have many inftances of the Apostles referving those powers in their own hands, or deriving them to others of their own Order, and fuperior unto Presbyters for inftance, S. Paul cenfured the incestuous Corinthian, 1 Cor. 5. when yet that Church had affixed Elders, otherwise he could not have complained of her members, for unworthy receiving of the Eucharift, for had that Sacrament been celebrated by unordained men, the reproof lay equally against the unworthy breaking and pouring out, as against the unworthy taking and drinking of the bread and cup: and the Apoftle fhould not have ordered the felf-examination of the Communicants ere they came to the holy Table, but the fufpenfion of all celebration of that facred Mystery, till the Elders were ordained among them. The fame Apoftle commits ordination and cenfures to Timothy at Ephefus, long after that Church was gathered, and her Elders ordained, as fhall appear by and by, in our difcuffion of the date of the first Epistle to Timothy. But why need we poft it off fo long? How could Timothy receive and proceed upon the accufations against delinquent Elders, 1 Tim. 5. 9. if there were no Elders in the Church before his coming, or if they were ordained by him? (for he had fuch power, 1 Tim. 5. 22.) yet the power of adminiftring the cenfures was no longer in his hands, but in a Confiftory, Claffis, or Affembly of themselves. I know these inftances, especially that concerning the Church of Corinth, fupply matter to long difputes, not by their own inevidence, but by the wranglings of their Expofitors. However left we should fwell this difcourfe to too great a Bulk, and rend away a principal part from that concerning the Apoftles, we cannot difcufs them here, but must refer them thither which notwithstanding, if our reasons against the Evangelifts temporarinefs, and * Tipag, 212, &c. mothys Evangelizate upon Presbyterian principles, be conclufive * See and and evident, a foundation will be laid, whereupon the continuing diftinction betwixt the Apoftles and Presbyters, must be built, and the whole Presbyterian ftructure in defence of their fucceffion unto the Apoftles, will be levelled. And finally, what hath been inftanced of Timothy in this paragraph, will perfwade candid Readers of the reasonableness of our denyal, that the Apostles committed their office-works unto Presbyters, or that fuch an affertion can be founded upon their practise. Secondly, It falfly and anti-fcripturally fuppofeth that defcended Chrift did not form his Church which he confirmed at his ascen Secondly, 'Tis a falle fion, but left his Apoftles. (as they gathered it) to caft it into fuppofition. what mold they pleafed, the erroniousness of which conceipt is evidenced by all the Gofpels, and especially by A. 1. throughout. Befides, were it true, that the Apoftles, not Chrift appointed the standing Ministry, then the Divine Right thereof is forthwith abrogated and anulled, fince it must be warranted by the Legiflators inftitution and commiffion, not by the Apostles practife how early foever it were: otherwife the Apostles, not Christ, are the Churches Law-giver; their practise, not his inftitutions are her Laws. Thus Presbyters demurring upon the Bifhops plea for a distinct order, nullifie Chrifts Legislation, and fettle their own office, upon a foundation inconfiftent with it. But we remember that we have already, referred this point, and fend it to its place. Thirdly, It infolds a notorious contradiction, for firft, it grants Thirdly, that the Apostles received commiffions and delegations, but by It implies a and by it makes them fupreme, and impowers them to delegate contradiction. at pleasure, fome into their own comniiffions for a time, others into another for perpetuity, then which, nothing can be more contradictory to reason, for was it ever heard, or to use the Af Jembly's words, can it be rationally conceived, that any fupreme Governour fhould iffue out commiffions to his Officers to do what they will upon their own heads, and fometimes to act by their commiffion, as the Apoftles are faid to do in the delegation of the Evangelifts, otherwife to act without it, yea to the difannulling and overthrow of it, as they are alfo faid to do in the ordination of Presbyters? And yet their commiffion includes Succeffors, and though they should alter the orders inftituted by Chrift, yet could they not give Church Officers auy other works then what he had appointed, namely, preaching, baptizing, perfecting of the Saints, &c. The Wight Divines, and the Affembly understood well enough the import of the Apoftles commiffion, R. how It diffolves how it must if it continue include Succeffors; because the firft Apoftles are not now,and yet the world is not ended, nor are we all come in the unity,&c.But this is the peftilence of their difcipline, an Antidote must be prepared againft it,but they can or will compound no better then a bold charge of breach of truft upon the Apostles, making warrant of Chrift and Apoftolical commiffion to command one thing, but warrant of Scripture and Apoftolical pra&tice to do another. Fourthly, It diffolves the ftraighteft Bond of Ecclefiaftical UFourthly, mity, and mans against the Church her ftrongest Fortress against Ecclefiaftical hæretical Invafion and Deprædation. The Apostle, Eph.4. fhews Unity. the several Ligaments of the Churches Unity: as, 'tis one Faith, one Baptifm, one Spirit, one hope of calling, fo 'tis one Ministry: Indeed the Apostle doth not use the phrafe one Miniftry in exprefs fyllables,but when he said,That afcended and defcended Christ is the Jame wch gave fome Apostles,&c.he means as much as if he had plainly faid one miniftry. Our entire conjunction with our head is knit by all these joynts, break the hold of any one of them, we are fo far feparated from him. The Church is a mystical Body, wherein as in the natural body, when all is joyned together, and compacted by that which every joynt Jupplieth, according to the effectual working of the measure in every part, the whole maketh encrease to the edification of it felf in love. Now if the Miniftry have the nature and place of a joynt in the mystical Body, it must always be the fame; much more when it is the principal joynt, and Atlantick knot wherein all the other joynts meet, and are moved: For is it one faith? bow is that generated? by the Miniftry; Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they bear without a preacher? Is it one baptifm? how is that difpenfed? by the Miniftry; Matth.28.19. Go ye therefore & teach all nations,bapti zing them, &c. Is it one Spirit? how is that received? by the Minitry; 2 Cor. 3. 6. Who alfo bath made us able Minifters of the new Teftament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. Gal. 3. 2. This onely would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the bearing of faith? V.5. He therefore that miniftreth unto you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you,doth be it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Is it one Body? how is that concinnated? by the Ministry Ephef. 4. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. And he gave fome Apostles, and fome Prophets, and fome Evangelifts, and fome Paftors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the miniftry, " niftry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ; till we all come in the Unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a ja kamo stan perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. In the fame Epiftle the Apostle tells that Church, that they were made oss, or a Body incorporated, and végékías, or com parteners of the promife, by his Ministry, Ephef. 3. 6,7. That the gentiles fhould be fellow heirs and partakers of his promife in Chrift, by the Gospel, whereof I am made a minifter, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me, by the effectual working of his power. Is it one hope of our calling? how are our expectations raised towards it by the miniftry, 2 Theff. 2. 13, 14. For we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God bath from the beginning chofen you to falvation through fanctifi cation of the Spirit, and belief of the truth; whereunto be called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jefus Christ. This faith Scripture and what faith Reafon ? Will it ever admit Faith, Baptifm, Spirit, Body, Hope of calling, to be ordinary and unalterable Unities, when yet the Ministry which knits them together is fometimes temporary, fometimes perpetual, Sometimes ordinary, fometimes extraordinary, notwithstanding it was inftituted by Chrift to continue in doing of that werk till we all come in the unity, &c. Let one inftance be given of any number of men, who made a real change in their Ministry, and did not alter fomewhat in their Faith, Baptifm, &e. Think we when Rebels cut Chrifts cords in funder, they intend to tie themfelves fafter, or rather to hold their Faith and obedience by a bow knot, which they will flip, or ftreighten at pleasure. Search the Church Antiquities, you will finde the original betwixt ordinary and extraordinary Officers commen cing in the most profligate practices of moft pernicious Hereticks, had Marcion, Valentinus, or Bafilides a fafer retreat for their new Apoftolate, then an obftinate denyal of fucceffors unto old Apostles? Sure Iam, Tertullian (who lived but two hundred years after Chrift, and was himself a Presbyter) thus catechizeth Marcions difciples, Let them turn over the order of their Bishops fo flowing in a fucceffion por um fuorum, from the Apostles, that their firft Bishop had one of the Apostles, or Apo- ita per fuccef ftolical men, (who perfevered with the Apoftles) for his Authors and fionem ab iniAncestor Thence he proceeds to them (pag.82.) what Churches tio decurrencould produce their genealogie, namely, Corinth, Philippi, Ephefus, tem,ut primus Evolvant or dinem Epifco ille epifcopus, aliquem ex Apoftolis, vel Apoftolicis viris,qui tamen cum Apoftolis perfeveraverit autorem, dantecefforem habuit. Tertul. de præfcript. p 80. A quibus traducem fidei, femina do&trina catera ecclefia mutuata funt,& quotidie matuantur & ecclefia fiunt. Ac per bot,& ipfe Apoftolica deputantur,ut foboles ecclefiarum Apoftolicarum. Omne genus ad originem fuamcenfentur neceffe eft: Itaque tot, ac tanta ecclefiæ, R 2 and |