Authority, either in whole or in part, to the End of the World!

THIS will further appear from the Nature of a Commiffion, which is exclufive of all others, But those to whom it is given; for 'tis well known, that when a Prince gives a Commiffion to any of his Subjects for the executing of fome great Office, it is with defign to appropriate that Office to that particular Subject, that none may act in it but he, and those whom he shall Authorize: So here, The Commiffion of Baptizing, &c. given by our Saviour to his Apoftles and their Succeffors, &c. to the End of the World, is exclufive of all others, and confequently none can act therein to the Purposes for which the Commiffion was given, but they and such as they fhall Authorize for that purpofe; and therefore it neceffarily follows, that the Adminiftrator of Baptifm must have the Divine Commiffion or Authority, before he prefume to Act in this fo Appropriate an Office and Ministration.

Once more: The Words of Inftitution are a Peremptory Command of our Bleffed Lord, requiring His Apoftles and their Succeffors, and fuch as are or fhall be Ordain'd by them, exprefly to Disciple all Nations, Baptizing them. His Command is Express and Pofitive, Goye, Baptizing. They are conftantly bound therefore to Difciple, by Baptizing all who are capable, and have not yet been Baptized by THEM: I fay, they are oblig'd_by_this Com

E 3

Command, when 'tis in their power, to Baptize all fuch Perfons, because the Command is laid upon them, and no other; fo that if at any time a capable Perfon offers himself, or is offer'd, to any of them to be receiv'd into the Church by his Baptizing of him; (fuppofing that Perfon never to have been before fo received by One of them into the Church) the proper Minister of Chrift refufing fo to receive him, will by fuch refufal neceffarily give us to understand, either that he difregards the Express Command of our Saviour which is a Sin against this Inftitution; or elfe, that the Inftitution does not command him, or any other Minister of Chrift to perform this Office to all capable Perfons, who have not been fo initiated by fome one or other of them, which is a Contradiction to this exprefs Command because it will always hold true concerning a Perfon fo refus'd; That the Minifters of Chrift were commanded to Difciple him, Baptizing him, and yet not one of them has ever fo Difcipled him. They were commanded to do this, and not one of them has done it, which, if fuch Refufal be right, is making the Command to be of none effect,and fo deftroys the Obligation of the Inftitution it felf, because, none else are commanded thereby to perform this Sacred Office, and confequently none elfe have any Duty incumbent upon them (but the direct contrary as we shall fee by and by) for that purpose; and therefore by reafon of

our

our Saviour's Command, the Divine Authority of the Administrator is an Essential Part of the Inftitution of Baptifm.

But the Form of Adminiftring Baptism (in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft) being Effential, for even the Validity thereof, is an invincible Argument for the Divine Authority of the Adminiftrator, that it fhould be also an Effential Part of this Inftitution, because, as often as any one Adminifters Baptifm truly and really in the Name of the Trinity, fo often he exprefly affirms, and that truly too, that he does it by Virtue of that Power and Authority which he receiv'd from the Trinity for fo doing. This will be evident beyond Contradiction, when we impartially enquire into the juft Meaning and common Acceptation of the Expreffion [In the Name of when us'd by one who Acts for another; which we shall conftantly find fignifies, that he who comes, and does any thing in another's Name, does it by his Power and Authority who fent him." Thus Bleffed be "be that cometh in the Name of the Lord, (Pfal. 118. 26.) is the fame, as Blessed be he whom the Lord hath Sent, or who comes with the Authority and Commiffion which the Lord hath given him. So When David's young came, they fpake to Nabal according to all those "words, in the Name of David (1 Sam. 25. 9.) 'tis no more than if it had been faid, they fpake to Nabal according to all those Words,

66

E 4

Men

and

and made ufe of David's Name to let. Nabal know that he sent them. Thus again," Hag"gai the Prophet, &c. Prophefied unto the Jews,

in the Name of the God of Ifrael, (Ezra. 5. I What is this but to fay that Haggai prophefied what God had Sent, and Order'd him to Prophesy to 'em? When our Saviour fays, "I am come in my Father's Name (John 15.43.) He plainly declares that he was Sent by his Father, or came by his particular Appointment. Again, when our Bleffed Lord affirms, "The Works that I do in a Father's Name they bear

"

I

Witnefs of me, John 10. 25.) he in plain Terms afferts, that he did thofe Works by Virtue of that Power and Authority which he had receiv'd from his Father. And Lafly, (to name no more Texts to this purpose) When St. Paul fays, "I have judged already,-IN THE " NAME of our Lord Jefus Chrift,to deliver fuch a one (i. e. the Incestuous Corinthian) unto Satan, &c. 1 Cor. V. 3, 4, 5. He plainly afferts, that it is by Authority received from our Lord Jefus Chrift, that he adjudg'd and determin'd that Sinner to be excommunicated. So when a Magiftrate declares that he acts in the Name of his Prince, every one immedi ately understands thereby that he acts by the Authority which he receiv'd from him; but this is too plain to want more Examples; and therefore we may juftly conclude, that every time the Minifter fays, I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the

Holy

Holy Ghost, it is the fame as to fay, I Baptize thee by Virtue of that Authority and Commiffion which I have receiv'd from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; and therefore when he Baptizes a Perfon, and pronounces the Words, In the Name of the Father, &c. if he be one who is not vefted with the Divine Authority, he cannot be truly faid to Baptize in the Name of the Trinity; for 'tis a perfect Contradiction to fay fuch a thing is truly done in the Name of another, when really it is not done in his Name, or by his Authority and Commiffion, which is the only intelligible way of doing fomething in another's Namé.

Thus we see how our Lord has infeparably United the Divine Authority of the Adminiftrator, with the truth and reality of the Form of Adminiftration; infomuch, that the Form it felf is no further true, as to the Design thereof, than as it is attended with the Truth and Reality of the Divine Commiffion given to him who Adminifters; fo that, whenfoever this Form is truly us'd according to the Intent of this Inftitution, the Divine Authority and Commiffion of him who Adminifters, is neceffarily and conftantly imply'd and fuppos'd.

And really if we examine into all the Divine Pofitive Inftitutions that ever were made, we shall find none of them fo indifpenfibly require the Divine Authority of the Adminiftrator, and attended with fuch a Solemn Form of Afferting and Declaring his Authority every time of Ad

miniftra