I anfwer. This were it true, proves nothing why the Chri

i

ftian Church fhould alfo do it; the Mofaical wasla temporal Anf. by a difpenfation, the Chriftian is perpetualan Befides many, great, declaration and weighty are the differences betwixt thofe Prophetsgrandsonf not only of the pretended extraordinary Officers. A roi stimal

lifications of

divers Church ftates then, First, Our pretended extraordinary Officers are of the con and now, but ftitution of our Church, fo were not thofe Prophets of the of the moft conftitution of the Jewish Church neither were any Officers different qualof her conftitution temporary, and extraordinary: They were thofe ProMofes, Aaron, the Priefts and Levites Mofer is confiderable in a phets, and our double refpect Firft as Legiflator (who is no Officer in the pretended exfenfe wherein we are now treating of Officers, for therein Motraordinary fes typed Chrift, and holds no refemblance with Apoftles or Evangelifts therein heneither had, nor could have fucceffors.

Secondly as cheif Magiftrate, therein he had fucceffors, as Joshua, Josh. 1. 1. Othriel, Judg. 2.95 10. &c. Aaron the high Priest had fucceffors, he faw himself stripped, and his fon Eleas zar clothed with his Robe, and fettled in his Office of high Prieft-hood, ere his death, Numb. 20. 26, 27. 28. the Priests, and Levites allo had fucceffors. Numb. 18. 167. Deut. 17.9. & 9 dikejoma

C

officers.

Secondly, Our pretended extraordinary Officers are affir med to alter the frame and conftitution of our Church, Chriß left it to them Apoftolical, they left it to their fucceffors Presbyterial; Chrift gave both Apoftles, and Elders (to orders vo of preaching minifters) to the Church, they took away one, and left only the other remaining. Whereas all the Prophets raifed up in the old Teftament, or any of them, did not alter the firft frame of the Jewish Church, vacate the old, and bring in a new Ecclefiafticall Government, because the Prieft-hood continued to be after the order of Aaron till Gospel times.monl

Thirdly, We have no word in the new Teftament foretelling us of the ceafing of fome, and raifing of other extraordinary Officers, or willing us to receive them when they do come, but many to the contrary, Mat. 28. 19, 20. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephef. 4. 11, 12, 13. Mat. 7. 15. Mat. 24. 11. ver. 24. 2 Pet. 2. 1. Joh. 4. 1. But the frequent raifing up of Prophets under the old Teftament difpenfation, is promifed in the very body of the Mofaical Ordinances. And therefore they are unduly called (at leaft in the fame fenfe as we call ours now) extraordinary. Deut. 8. 15.The Lord thy God will raise up a Prophet unto thee from

S !

the

the middeft of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me anto bim shall ye my hearken, willingly grant this promife principally belongs to runch Chrift, and is accordingly cited by St. Stephen; No. 7. 37. but photocou leffelprincipally, it refers to other Prophets, forerunning his

} Incarnation. And it hath both a fore, and after reference in ng the Chapter, which rather inclines it to them then him. foto Firft, If we look backward but to the verfe immediatly gowything before it, we fee Mofes delivering this promife as a mean to keep Ifrael at all times to their law, and from heathen has fuperftitions, and enchantments; read the words, they are; to baby For thefe nations which thou shalt poffels bearked unto obfervers of girth comi simes, and unto diviners, but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath at fuffered thee jo to do; the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee à Prophet That Ifnael when planted in Canaan, was very forward at feveral times to learn thofe wayes of the heathen, and that God for the most part raifed up Prophets at fuch times, is evident from Ifa 8. 19. Jer. 10. 2. Jerk 27.9. Micah 3.7. Micah 5. 12. Zech. 10.2.21 E. ALA Babola

J

Secondly, If we look forward we behold a rifle given for the trial of falle Prophets, vef. 20, 21, 22. But the prophet which hall prefume to speak a word in my name, which Ihave not commanded bim to speak, on that shall speak in the name of other gods, that Prophet hall furely dye, and if thou fay in thy heart; bow shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken When a Prophet Speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to paft, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the Prophet bath spoken it prefumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him; From whence is colligible, that Mofes under the promise of Gods raifing up a Prophet, intended not only Chrift the great Prophet, but even other Prophets alfo who fhould fpeak the word of the Lord; for if the Prophet like unto me, had referred only to Chrift, this caution needed not to have been given concerning true, and falle Brophets But the whole Jewish nation (with Samaritanes) ought to keep themfelves to the five books of Mofes, and deny credence to all, and every the prophetical writings before the Incarnation. Whereas if the Prophet like un me refer unto other Prophess as well as Chrift, we have a war rants ton beleeve their writings, and may conclude upon the reafon, why a caution against falfe Prophets is added, to wit, leaft the people fhould be abuted with falfe alarums of the comming of the great Prophet. Thus to expound the Text abc In loc. is not my fingular opinion (4) Abulenfis, (b(Cajerme (cŶ A La

I

arts,

22

d Itaque

•pide, and (d) Calvin this expound it? Calin words will tranfcribe, he faith, Therefore after he had bid them to take heed Soothsaying, divination, magick arid necromanagi and other poftquam auperftitions, he fuljoynes his promise to take fufficient crederento guriis, divinationibus,arTeave them destitute of Prophets. Thus he Unto whomy and tibus magicis, the forementioned I have judged it requifite to fubjoynthe necromantia, large, and ampleteftimony of Mr. John Diodatiy concerning the aliis perftitionibus ve Fold Teftament Prophets; he faith,The miniftry of the Prophets tuireas dare

26

Argument

notations on

was no way concerning the ceremonial, and ordinary fervice bar vaks operam, jubjidirected to these three general ends. First to maintain by preaching, cit se daturum and by the word, the religion, and customs in their ancient purity and quod pro omintegrity, to correct and purge vices, crept in among them from time nibus fufficere debet, nempe to time, to oppefe all humane power, which should be contrary to prophetis nunGods power, and finally to keep, or fet again all things into their quam deftitu*former state, by the Jame spirit, as they were first established in the be- tum iri. Calv. ginning: The Jecond, was alwares to keep alive the promises of the inft. lib. 4. Meffiah, and to keep the faith and expectation of the fanbful alwares ca. 1. Sect. 5. bent towards him and to comfort and Strengthen the Church in ber Jufferings, by Jetting before her the promifts of her reftauration by Chrifts spiritual Kingdome. The bird, to be the minifters of Gods before his anoracles in many particular occurrences, for the redealingofbufecret will, the prophefie for to give refolution in perplexities, or direction and council in dif- of Ifaiah. Lon cult cafes or for to denounce threatnings, to beat down the pride do 16498 of the rebellious, and for to bring unbelievers to repentance, finally b they were inftruments of Gods continual communication with his Church, and fovereign powder, and government over her the ftrength 1949. ning of the ordinary ministry, and a remedy against disorders and orwich growing evils. Thus he. And thus' are we returned to the place where the beginning of the objection found us, and hope we may (notwithstanding any thing which may be alledged of the old Teftament Prophets) confidently, and rationally af fert, that the one, and alwaies the fame conftitution of the valv Jewish Church fhames the Chriftian, if the be multiformous. un 3114. The Reader may perceive how eafily, if lifted to purfue all advantages, I could convince this opinion of the imaginary fucceffion of Presbyters unto the Apoftles, of the higheft, and he's most blafphemous derogation unto Chrift. It charging him no his A with temerity and inadvertency in his inftitutions before t afcenfion, yea after his afcenfion, for he then confirmed what he had before inftituted. But the argument before us con cerns the Church, I fhall therefore only add in conclufion of this fifth reason, that as it is impoffible to injure the Church and

S 2

Chrift

Chrift not feel it, fo fhe cannot be more infufferably abused,then to be charged that she is not now Organized as in her Primitive Aftate; It giving the lye to Chrifts promifed prefence with her minifters, and raising fuch a thick wall of partition betwixe the two Church ftates, as both cannot be that one bolly of Chrift.

Sixthly it

Sixthly, It not only makes the Church monftrous, or manideftroyes the fold, but renders her miniftry a chimara, a metaphyfick notion, a miniftry. lye, nothing at all, because the principle of the temporariness of any minifter will, or may be improved to deordinate the whole miniftry Sathan, and corrupt men are only excellent at affuming, and concluding from particular propofitions; grant them one Office, or Officer to be temporary, how facile, and ftrong is their inference (a pari) they are all fo. Let me wifigs movp Divist-add, fuch inference of every one, arifeth out of the premises of il miour opinion of the temporariness of any one Officer; for the 2921 temporary Officer once had an exprefs warrant, and commiffion for his Office, or the Church would never have received him.

the mini

d

But the perpetual Officer never had, could, or can have any more: now may one of thefe warrants and commiffions be an nulled, and made void, why may not another: Church order is like foundation ftones, no part of it can be removed, but fomewhat of the fulfftructure tumbles with it. That Presbytery fell with Epifcopacy, and had been grub'd up root and Jus divin. branch, with that tree of her own hewing down, unless the had 2 par. pag. left a stump ftanding, whereupon to graft her own ordination by 2. Paper delivered to the Bishop Presbyter is a recent experiment. Wherefore when fallen on the wrong fide of the Lighter, the pitifully tells the infters at Wight fulting Independents, that he did not Covenant the abolition of Scripture Epifcopacy, but Prelacy. Prophetical whereof was that paffage in his bleffed Majefties papers (wherein is enough alfo to prove him King and Prieft)viz.His Majesty doubteb whether it be in Seventhly, it irreconcili- your power to give him any perfect affurance, that in the defired aboliably contra- tion of the prefent hierarchy the utter abolition of Epifcopacy, and dias other af- confequently of Presbytery, is neither included, nor intended. Thus Calvius and His Majesty, His Majesty, and this fhall end our fixth reason. Zanchys. Seventhly, It irreconciliably contradicts thofe, portentous affertions of Calvin, and Zanchy, which boad ruin,and deftructiNon nego on to whatsoever Church flate they hang over. Calvin (as was quin Apoftolos before obferved) faith I deny not but some time aftertem evangeliftas quofdam excitavit deus,us noftro quidem tempore fa&um eft. Calv.sinftit. lib. 4. ca. 3. Sect. 451 sm or 小

sertions of

quoq; vel fal

2

wards.

evangeliftas

662.

.8.

9. Reasons a

wards. (i.. after the Apoftles time) God bath raised up some Apoftles, or in their stead Jome Evangelifts, as bath hapned in our Aliquando time. Zaneby faith, when God pleaseth he raiferb up fome Evanger, quofdam excilifts. Both those notions (whatsoever they are to truth) are tat deus directly contrary to the Evangelifts, or any other Officers limi- quum vult. tation to the Apoftles dayes, and have a force upon the ftrongeft Zanch. in 4. back't Presbytery, to make it ftoop as low to the pretended E-pracept, pag. vangelifts in thefe dayes, as to Timothy and Titus in the Apostles. This Presbytery half in the chair in England, provideatly fore faw, and to fecure themselves haftily hewed down the ffairs (or was endeavouring to do it, ifthe Independents had not difcovered and difturbed them) whereby the afcended the Supremacy. The Apostles commiffion, when pleaded by Bifhops, was temporary, there was no other way to eject Epifcopacy, but afterwards the Apoftles commiffion, and most of their works were bon ordinary, and imitable by Presbyters, there was no other way to fettle Presbytery. The particular inftances we reserve to the tract of Apoftles but they are fo numerous and notorious, that the diffenting brethren, not paffionately, but with very good. reafon tell the Affembly, that they brought the Apostles to the State, condition, and work of ordinary parish ministers. This the Against the ferably (the odium of the term only excepted) acknowledge, gainst the and fay, Our brethren confefs the Apostles were virtually elders, we government Jay really, and indeed: Whence is eafily colligible. Firft,how pag 36. the fame Officers are temporary, or continuing as they ferve, differt, pag. or ferve Presbyterian defignes. Secondly, how unjustly Presbyters quarrel with the Bishops for deriving their Office from $6. the Apoftolical, as one and the fame order: When yet them felves do, and muft confound two diftinct orders, Apoftolical, and Presbyterial, ere they can patch together their new difci-. pline. Particularly, the incongruities wherewith the Wight Presbyters paffionately, and abfurdly load Epifcopacy, do fly h back into their own faces, and Arongly retort against them-Wight difelves. They fay; Whereupon it follows, that the highest officers vines fecond in the Church are put into a lower orb, an extraordinary office is paper. turned into an ordinary diftin&t office, confounded with that which in Scripture is not found, a temporary and diftinct office revived. This fhall conclude our feventh, and laft reafon for our refolution against the temporariness, or fole limitation of any Officer terpretation unto the Apostles dayes. The other Interpretation of temporary is yet behind, or as as relative to it is fpoken of uncertain, or erratical time. Any time when erratical time

Calvin

Presbyterian.

-Auf. to i idifia

Second-in

of temporary

propounded..