Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

fo long and be visible among us: And that the Continuance of fucli Valid Minifters who have Commiffion for the effecting of these Noble ends in the Church, is to be fo plain and perfpicuous, as that it fhall be eafe to discover and diftinguish them from Non-Commiffion'd new Upstarts, is evident by another Design, for which our Lord appointed them, viz. That we henceforth should be no more Children tofs'd to and fro, and carried about with every Wind of Doctrine by the flight of Men, and cunning Craf tinefs whereby they lie in wait to deceive, (Eph. 4. 14.) For how can Valid Minifters of Chrift defend us againft every Wind of Doctrine, and the Cunning Craftiness of Deceivers, if they are not to be visible and known to us? So that as fure as God is true, fo fure we are, that his Validly Commiffion'd Minifters, i. e. Apoftles and Prophets, &c. fhall continue, and be known in the Church to the Confummation of all things, we fhall never want fuch as have Capacity to Adminifter his Holy Sacraments, and confequently need never be in Sufpenfe about the Validity of our Baptism Adminifter'd by their Hands; so that my affirming Baptifm to be Invalid for want of fuch Divine Authority or Commiffion the Adminiftrator, do's not put this Divine Inftitution upon an uncertain, but a fure and lafting Foundation.

and therefore

BUT here I expect that it will be ask❜d, In whom do I fuppofe this Divine Authority to

be

be fix'd? I answer, that I do not only fuppofe, but firmly and undoubtedly Believe, after a ftrict and impartial Enquiry which I have deliberately made into this Matter; that 'twas fettled by Chrift himself at first, and continually convey'd down to this Day, in EPISCOPACY ONLY; and of this I am as certain, as that our first Day of the Week was appointed by Chrift and his Apoftles, to be the Chriftian Sabbath: Nay, tho' I am very well fatisfy'd that this our Chriftian Sabbath is of Divine Appointment; yet I can fafely affirm, that the Arguments by which it is to be prov'd, are not fo numerous as thofe for the Divine Right of Epifcopacy; as may easily be demonftrated whenfoever it fshall be put to the Trial. As for thofe who are of another Opinion, I wish they had either more Knowledge, or more Humility; it is none of my Bufinefs here, to endeavour their Conviction: But if they would use their utmost Diligence to do the Will of God in all other Inftances of their Duty, and feek to him for that Wisdom which is from above, enquiring without Prejudice, by attentively reading the Sacred Oracles; and comparing therewith what has been faid by many excellent Authors upon this Subject; I hope they would then know of this Doctrine whether it be of God; which that they may, I heartily recommend thefe few Modern Books to their ferious Perufal, viz.

A Modeft Proof of the Order and Government fettled by Christ and his Apoftles in the Church. Printed for John Wyat, at the Rofe in St. Paul's Charch-Tard, 1705.

A Difcourfe fhewing who they are that are now qualify'd to Administer Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Printed for C. Brome, at the Gun at the Weft-End of St. Paul's, 1698.

Dr. Potter of Church Government. Printed for Tim. Child, at the White-Hart in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1707,

Dr. Hickes's Two Treatifes, one of the ChriIftian Priesthood, the other of the Dignity of the Epifcopal Order. Printed for Richard Sare, at Grays-Inn-Gate in Holborn, 1707.

And a little Book call'd, The Plain Man's Guide to the True Church. Printed for R. Clavel, at the Peacock in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1708.

IV. But fome it's likely will charge me with Uncharitableness, in denying the Validity of the Baptifms of Foreign Churches, where there is no Epifcopal Ordination; and of many Good and Pious Men who are with out fuch Ordination among our felves.

Anf. The

An. The Main Drift of my Effay is against the Validity of that Baptifm which Men know themselves to have received from Perfons who were never Divinely Commiffioned, and yet prefume to ufurp this Authority in Oppofition to the Divine Right of Epifcopacy; which being duly confider'd, frees me from Answering to this Charge, with refpect to fuch Foreigners, fome of which have told you that they do not Act in Oppofition to Epifcopacy; and have pleaded, that they lie under a Neceffity not to have Bishops among them; but that they highly value and reverence that Order in our English Church. Whether this Plea of Neceffity be good; or whether it affects them fo far, as to hinder their Receiving Epifcopal Ordination from other Proteftant Churches, tho' they cannot have Bishops refiding among themselves, is not my Business (here) to enquire: But this I'm fure of, That there is not the leaft Reafon, (nay, 'tis impious) to compliment away the Great Truths of God, to please any, tho' never fo great a Party of Men.

THE Divine Right of Epifcopacy is plain from Scripture, and was never call'd in Queftion by any confiderable Number of Men, till within thefe laft Two Hundred Years; and must we now lay it aside, for fear of Oppofing new upftart Notions and Opinions? God forbid! Muft our holding faft the found Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, be call'd H 3 uncha

uncharitable and unkind, because it does not fuit with the Temper and Difpofition of other People? Cannot we ftill keep our Charity for them, by Believing that God may difpenfe with the very want of the Christian Sacraments, and beftow even the Supernatural Graces of them, to thofe who labour either under an Invincible Ignorance, or else an Impoffibility of Receiving thofe Sacraments, when they do all that lies in

Will? Cert their Power to fulfil his Blessed

we may; for God can dif penfe with his own Inftitutes, and give the Spiritual Graces annex'd to them, to whom he pleafes (by Axiom 2.)

BUT as for fome among our felves, I fear their Cafe is very dangerous; because, Abundance of them feem to want fo fair an Ex cufe, living under that Epifcopal Government which they refufe to acknowledge and fubmit to: But God only knows their feveral Circumftances of Knowledge and Capacity, and the Strength of thofe Prejudices which fome of them may have contracted by their Education. He is Infinite Goodness it self, and will never punifh any for what they never could help. But as for the Slothful and Negligent, the Obftinate and Perverse, we have no Authority from Divine Revelation to hope any thing for their Advantage. But to fum up my whole Anfwer to this Objection, in the Words of an Excellent Modern Author.

"THOSE

« PoprzedniaDalej »