unam effe ab Apoftolis primam, ex qua omnes ; fic omnes prima, & omnes Apoftolica, dum unam omnes probant unitatem. pag. 76. vide etiam. pag. 81.

79.

and Rome. And he adds, That not onely Churches planted by the Apostles, but all other Churches which have borrowed, and do borrow dayly the root of faith, and feed of doctrine from them, are to be accounted Apoftolical, as being the race of Apoftolical Churches; for when all of the fame kind are mustered under their originals: All will be one Apoftolical Church, because all proceed from one; fo all are first, and all Apoftolical, while all approve one unity. I know fome paffages in this are highly esteemed by traducers, and denyers of the Apoftles fucceffors, but I dare fay it is for want of due confideration of the authors fcope, and of diftinguishing betwixt the first Apoftles, and their fucceffors. The tract he intitles A prefcription against Hereticks, by whom he specially defignes the Marcionites, whofe ringleader Marcion (Tertullians contemporary, or very little his fenior) levels all former Church-ftates to build a new one upon himself; And accordingly, as a fecond Chrift, he publisheth his new Inftrument, and as the Divel tempting Chrift, he retains,and rejects what he thought fit in Scripture. Tertullian in this cafe muft a& both defenfively, and offenfively, or defend the present Church-state, and deny Marcions notion, doing the former, he affignes fucceffors unto the old Apoftles, and maintains that the Church did not expire with them, but continues one and the fame, under the government and adminiftration of the Bishops, their fucceffors; doing the latter, he decryes, and exclaims against all new power, to ordain another kind of Apostles, and puts Marcion upon the proof of Chrifts again defcending, and conftituting, and giving gifts unto Idem pag. the heretical, and new created Apostles; whereby over, and befide the confirmation ofthe truth, and of his own most true opinion, he gives us this certain Axiom. That to keep out new, there must be fucceffors unto old Apoftles. This was Tertullians buckler against Hereticks above fourteen hundred and fifty years ago, then he, and his fellow Presbyters, faw no other way to fecure their own order, or the Churches peace, but in the maintenance of the fucceffion of their Bifhops unto the Apostles. But were henów alive, and inhabiting either Rome, or Geneva, or in any other place under their Jurisdiction, his affertion would not pafs uncenfured, nor himself unperfecuted without a recantation. Rome faith the alone is Apoftolical, Geneva faith fhe is, and all other Churches ought to be Presbyterial; and governed by Officers not founded upon Apoftolical commiffion,

but

Fifthly, it introduceth

ches.

external form

the alteration

but upon they know not what Apoftolick practice. These things fhall be further explicated in the tract concerning Apoftles, neither fhould we have named them here, but to fhew our Presbyters from what defperate precipices they tumble and caft down the stately temple of Church order, to build themfelves a moveable tabernacle in her ruins. But we haften to the next reason, which is a confequent of this. Fifthly, It introduceth multiformity, or diverfity of confti-multiformity tution betwixt the paft, and prefent Church? the form of the betwixt the Church is twofold, either internal, or external, the former is paft and prefaith in Chrift, because it confifteth in the union, relation, and fent Churlife which the Church hath, and holds with him as her head; The reathe latter is Chrifts inftituted miniftry; minifters being co-wor-fons are. kers with him. 1 Cor. 39: and builders upon his foundation, ver. Firft be10. According to thele divers forms, the Church falls under caufe the Midistinct denominations of vifible and invifible; and as without niftry is the one Chrift to be beleeved in, fhe cannot be one invifible of the Church Church, fo without one miniftry to preach the Word, admi- which form nifter the Sacraments, and exercife difcipline, fhe cannot be one cannot be alvifible Church: Hence Chrift coupleth his perpetual prefence tered without and a ministry, Mat. 28. 19, 20. and St. Paul faith the miniftry of the subject. given by Chrift, is neceffary to be continued at their work, till we all come in the unity. Ephef. 4. 11, 12, 13. Thefe Scriptures are moft plain to prove the external formation of the Church by the miniftry, the former looks upon the world as gen tiles till the Apostles difciple them; the latter looks upon the Church as undifcernable from other focieties till perfected by the miniftry: Neither need we to feek for mans, when we have found Gods authority; however for the farther evidencing of this truth, not in its felf, but unto fome mens capacities, we fhall fubjoyn the teftimony of feveral authors, antient, and modern. St. Cyprian faith: The Church of Chriftians is a flock, or people united to their Priest, or Paftor, whence we ought to know that flexome fait, the Church is in the Bishop, and the Bishop in the Church, and who- there is no Bish foever are not in the Bishop, they are not in the Church. i. e. if we four is no chussy may interpret his meaning, no vifible Church, no Church externally formed according to the pattern of the precedent Chriftianorum Ecclefia eft plebs facerdoti adunata,& paftori fuo grex adhærens,unde fcire debes epifcopum in ecclefia effe, & ccclefiam in epifcopo, fi qui cum epifcopo non funt, in ecclefia non funt. Cypr. lib. 4.epift. Epift. 9. ubi non eft epifcopus, ibi non eft ecclefia.Hieron. ad Luciferi

loc. 16.

dent Church, the reafon is becaufe minifterial acts as preachForma ex- ing of the Word, adminiftration of the Sacraments, and exerterna ecclefia cife of the Cenfures, fpecificate the Church, and difference her confiftit in cœ- from other focieties. And uniformity of external conftitution tuum facrorum colle&tione,con(in what is effential to the conftitution) is a moft requifite ventione, ad principle of union betwixt one Church and another, in fo miniftratione much, that what ever Church is not fo formed as the Primitive &regimine was, is not one Church with her, Not that the former Church ecclefia unius cujufque pe- prefcribes her example (as her own act) to be imitated by all nes illius pa- following Churches, but becaufe both the one and the other, fores, Presby is conftituted one body by the conftitution of the Law-giver, teros do feni- and promised to be continued in unity until the end of the ores Maref. world. Marefius faith, The outward form of the Church confifts Sytem. Theo. in ber gathering, assembly, publick fervice, and government : All Fus divin. which are performable in each Church, by her own Paftors, Presby2 par. p. 96. ters and Elders, The London minifters lay; a true ministry is efUnde enim nate funt he- fential to an organical Church, or Church adminiftring ordinances : res, nifi dum But ifthis, and their other opinion about diverfity of the epifcopus qui Office, Order, Commiffion, and Warrant,betwixt the paft, and unus eft, prefent Church-officers be both true, what follows but multiecclefie pre eft formity, and diverfity of conftitution betwixt the paft,and Superba quorundum preprefent Church-ftates, fo that they are not one vifible body, fumtione con- neither have they one head, because as hath been faid, this external form or miniftry, fpecificates the Church, and differen Cypr. lib. 4. ceth her from other focieties, and because by rule undenyable, epift. epift 9. Neque enim the compofition cannot be one, where fuch form is manifold; because aliunde hare-it infeparably inheres to the matter, and will not admit of the JuperJesoborta funtinduction of another form; Excellently St. Cyprian faith, whence c. Epift.3 come herefy's and fchifmes, but when the Bishop which is one, and initia bereti-Set over the Church (he means each particular Church, and ufeth corum, &c. this argument against thofe Africane Schifmaticks, who made a lib3 epifl.9. rent from the Church of Carthage, and carried themselves in

temnitur..

C.

hac funt enim

epi folently towards him their Bishop) is contemned by proud and Obj. Amefi prefumptuous men. This he fpake neither in a heat, nor fudus, faith pro-2 feffion of faith denly, but in feveral places elfewhere ufing almoft the fame is the external words, it appears to have been his conftant, and profeffed form of the Judgment.

Medullock.

Church. Amefius to exprefs his fingularity (a fault too too common Theol. lib. with him) and to elevate the divine right, and neceffity of the Car Self. miniftry, makes profeffion of fath to be the external form of the 27. ca.33. Church; the miniftry to be her organical ftate.

Sell 18.

But this is eafily refuted, by a right ftating what an organical

ftate

affertion fully

manifefted.

ftate is, and confidering whether the ministry stand in the fame relation to profeffion of faith, as an organical ftate doth ftand Anf. the invaunto its form. An organical ftate prefuppofeth a form, nei lidity of his ther is it, or continues it longer fuch a ftate, then while fubfervient to the form, therein, or thereby exercising his function; the eyes, or ears of dead men are no organs, because being separated from the form, they do neither fee nor hear. If we compare this with the miniftry, and profeffion of faith, we fhall foon perceive these wide differences.

First, the ministry precedes profeffion of faith. Rom. 10. 14 and 17. Rom. 16. 26. Gal. 3. 2. I know Amefius in confirnia- Cap.32.Se&. tion of his opinion, adds, That there may be a profeffion of faith in. 30. Jome affemblies, before folemne preaching of the Word, and adminis ftration of the Sacraments. But this needs no refutation, fince Chrifts inftitution,and promife is otherwife, Mat. 28. 19. 20. St. Paul refolves the cafe otherwise. Rom.10. 14, 17. and no Scripture inftance can be given of any company profeffing the faith, before they had been under a Gofpel miniftry. And Amefius fhould have done well to have told us, what profeffion of faith men can make before they hear of faith, or the Gofpel.

Secondly, minifterial acts (as hath been inftanced) difference profeffion of faith from other profeffions; the Church from other focieties. This they do not commonly, but most pro perly, they specificating the Church a diftinct fociety from all others, and entirely, and exclufively belonging to her, and her alone. Otherwife the moft, and moft learned of our reformed divines are mistaken, who make pure preaching of the Word; and lawful adminiftration of the Sacraments to be the marks of the Church. To these fome add ecclefiaftical discipline, but with no disadvantage to our Affertion, for all of them are ministerial works. Mat. 28. 19.20. 1 Cor.11.24,25,26.1 Tim.4. 1 Tim. 5. per tot. Return we therefore to the other more antient, and more true opinion, which refolves the miniftry to be the external form of the Church; wherein we acquiefce; And are refolved that this form must continue one and the fame, from the firft inftant, to the last moment of the Churches continuance, if the be alwayes one body, and have conftantly the fame confti

tution.

Our refolution arifeth, and is confirmed, not only from Secondly, what hath been already faid, but from hence, that the Church the Church is is often called Chrifts body. 1 Cor. 12. 27. Ephef. 3. 6. Ephef. a body which 4. 16. And unless we foift the mock-figure Antiphrafis into must be one

that

often called

に

4

constitution of

Calv. in Heb.

3.216.

that expreffion, and fay the Church is called a body, because The holds no proportion with other bodies, we may conceive the holy Ghoft in comparing the maffical with the natural body, points at fome Analogy betwixt them; But nothing is more obviously proveable of the natural body, then her inftitution, to confervation by the fame Elements. And the following Scriptures seem to juftifie the fame of the myftical body. Eph. 4. 10. ad fin. 16. Eph. 2. 21. Col. 2. 19.

If any one think this inftance from the natural to the mystical Thirdly, the body, is too remote let them know this truth is attefted by the the Jewish Church-ftate ere the incarnation, fhe was at first seated in MoChurch was fes his chair, or formed by officers of his appointment. And alwares one. therein, after the expiration of nigh two thousand years, fhe fate in Christs time, neither are her then officers blamed for fetting in it, but for ftepping out of it by their traditions. The new Teftament, and the faith of Chriftians willingly prefer Chrift to Mofes, as the furety of a better teftament, an high Prieft confecrated for evermore. The Apostle, and Bishop of our profeffion, who was faithful in all his house i. e. as Calvin expounds it, in the government of his whole Church. All which he was not as a fervant (which Mofes was) but as a fon, Heb. 3. 5. 6. But if reason be refractory, how hardly will it be reclaimed, fince the Mofaical difcipline continued inforce fo long, it commencing, and concluding in high Priests, Priefts, and Levites; yea moft of the nation of the Jews continue under that pedagogy unto this day. But Chriftian minifters allow Christs inftitutions to be abrogated, almost as soon as inftituted, because very early after his afcenfion the Apoftles (with whom he promised to be prefent fucceffively unto the worlds end) did ordain others to do their work, not in virtue of their Commiffion, or Order, neither do their fucceffors found their Jusdivinum-fhip thereupon, but upon a new warrant, and the rules of ordination in the difput. difp.1. Word: More might be added in this particular, but we chufe Sect. 3. pag. to give it the Reader in Mr. Baxters words, he faith; It is not a tolerable thing to charge God with fuch a fudden mutation of his law, or order of Church government, without very certain proof; If we find Chrift fettling one way of Church-government in his own Obj. the Je- time, and prefently after for the first age, it is a most improbable thing with Church that be should take that down again, and a fet up another kind of gofrequently ad- vernment, to continue ever afterwards. Thus he.

22.

Baxters 5.

mitted extra- Obj. Do any fay the Jewish Church frequently admitted excers or pro- traordinary Officers, or Prophets?

ordinary offi

phets.

I