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ceiving fuch Valid Baptifm. This is fo clear and evident that there is no need to enlarge upon it; Only I would further add, That if he knows himself to be invalidly Baptiz'd by one who never had the Divine Commiffion, and who notwithstanding prefum'd to Baptize him, in Oppofition to, and Rebellion against, thofe who were truly Authoriz'd for that purpose, his acquiefcing with fuch a Baptifm, will be an Addition to his Sin; because he thereby makes himself a PARTNER in the other's REBELLION, and ftrengthens him and his Adherents in their Wickedness of Oppofing Chrift's Lawful Minifters; concerning whom our Bleffed Lord has pofitively affirm'd, That he who defpifes them, defpifes him; and he that defpifes him, defpifes him that fent him. And what greater Contempt can be offer'd to them, than to take part with fuch as oppofe them in t all the Miniftrations of that Sacred Office, to which our Saviour has appointed them? This fhould make us exceeding careful not to con cur with fuch Men in their Ufurpation; efpes cially confidering, that by this our Concur rence, we involve our felves in the Guilt of Rebellion, even against God himself, The Cons fequence of which muft needs fall infinitely hort of any the leaft Advantage, and, on the contrary, bring upon us the fevereft of his Wrath, inftead of thofe Supernatural Graces and Benefits which he has promis'd to thofe who duly obey his Holy Institutes schreg

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AS for thofe who do not, but yet may know, whether the Baptifin they have receiv'd be according to Chrift's Inftitution, or no, and confequently, Valid or not Valid; it highly concerns them to make use of thofe Facul ties wherewith God has blessed them, that they may not be deceiv'd in fo great an Affair as this is. For, wilful Ignorance, and Carelessnefs in Spiritual Things, will never excuse them at the Day of Judgment. Nor will it then ferve their Turns to plead, that they follow'd the Inftructions and Examples of their Teachers; for our Lord, who is Truth it felf, has faithfully affur'd us, that if the Blind lead the Blind, both ball fall into the Ditch: And the Unprofitable Servant, who improv'd not his Lord's Talent, but hid it in a Napkin, was for his Sloth and Idlenefs branded with the dreadful Name of Wicked, and caft into outer Darkness, to teach us Diligence in the most Important Things of another Life. And what can be of greater Importance to us, than to know, whether we are truly initiated into the Chriftian Church, and thereby entitled to all thofe infinite Benefits and Privileges, thofe ineftimable Graces and Bleffings which every Member of the Church has a Right and Title to? Certainly, it highly concerns us to know the Truth of our Claim to fuch vaft Benefits, fince our Saviour has told us, That except a Man be born of Water, &c. he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; he cannot be a

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Member of that Kingdom here in the Church Militant the only knowns Ark of Salvation from the Wrath to come; Don in Heaven hereafter, in the Church Triumphant y if thro? his Careleffnefs and Negligence he has not been really initiated orehter'd thereintoy by that One Baptifmn which Chuift has inftituted, and Cor miffion'd his Apoftles, and them only, with their Succeffors and their Subftitutes, to Administer for that Púrpofe to the End of the World. mods IoAND now, having gone thro? all that I defign'd to fay about Invalid Baptifm, I fhall conclude with my Aafwers to fome few ohjections, that may probably be staisted againft this Effay out chis May Hodj drod build ada son L'vongmi oly Jurie skariston J edt ¿ # OgВ JE CI Td IONS, Jain

ed iw bebacid I bas diol? aid got Chiudo THOME may Object, That tho flom 9 Chrift bid his Eleven Apoftler dil ciple the Nations, Baptizing them,& coryet he did not therefore confine Baptifm to their and their Succeffors Miniftratiohy fo as that one can AdminiftersTrue Baptifm but they and fuch only as they fhall authorize Follif he had, he would in exprefs Words have told us, that no others should have Authoring ho Baptize but they.oo vid didnt for aflond fav däct of said we do.huiT erl & AnfwersTis univerfally granted, that our Lord confind the Matter of Baptifm to Water, and the Form to: In the Name of the Trinity,

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merely by his faying thefe Words, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost So that no other Matter or Form can be introduc'd for the Adminiftration of Valid Baptifm, tho' Chrift has not in exprefs Words forbidden us to introduce them. Even fo, tho' he has no where faid in exprefs Words, That none but his Apofiles, and their Succeffors, and fuch as they should appoint, might have this Authority; yet I affirm, that he has confin'd true Chriftian Baptifm to their Minitration only, becaufe, he has done as much as if he had faid fo in exprefs and pofitive Words; for, he gave that Commiffion PARTICULAR LY to them, and to no athers, and promis'd conftantly to concur with, and [upport them in the Exercife thereof to the End of the World; and he has made no fuch Promife to Lay Bapti zers; and this is as full and exprefs, as his appointing no other Matter than [Water,] and no other Form than [In the Name of the Trini ty, as is very evident to all, who give them felves leave to think juftly, and adequately on the Words of Inftitution. Befides, this Com miffion is of fuch great Moment, that the Apoftles themselves could never have lawfully undertaken to Minifter in it, if Christ himself had not particularly authoriz'd them fo to do, becaufe, Baptifm is, by Virtue only of Chrift's Inftitution, made a Means of conveying SUPERNATURAL BENEFITS, which they had no NATURAL RIGHT to confer on

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any Man by means thereof, and they could acquire no SUPERNATURAL ONE to do so, till Chrift gave them that Power by a particular Defignation as we find he did, in the very Words of Inftitution; and therefore, fince the Apostles themselves could never have prefum'd to act in this great Miniftration, Particular Divine Commiffion; it being impoffible for even them to adminifter Baptifm valid, for fupernatural Ends and Purposes, without it; it muft needs follow, that no others can do fo, but by Virtue of this, or fome other new Commission and if they have no new one, they muft do i it by Virture of the Old; and' confequently he who adminifters Baptifm, valid for Supernatu ral Purpofes (AND 'TIS NOT CHRISTIAN. BAPTISM IF IT BE NOT THUS VALID) mult neceffarily be vefted with the Divine Commission, given at first to the Eleven Apostles, and by their Succeffors convey'd down to him: And if fo, then all others are excluded from any Valid Miniftration hereof, because they are Deftitute of this Divine Commiffion, which was never once given to them for such a purpofe.

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Obj. II. Others may probably object, That at this Rate I confine the Efficacy of the Sacraments, and particularly of Baptifm, wholly to the Divine Authority of the Administrator; and fo, if the Perfon who Minifters, has not been Commiffion'd by Chrift, he adminifters no real Sacraments at all.

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