ESSAY Water, we are not buried with Chrift: No VIII. honeft Man, fays he, could ever doubt that John's Difciples were immerft at Enon, for the Scriptures fay, there was much Water there, John iii. 23. Afpergio, a bold Talker, is as confident that fprinkling, or pouring Water on the Head, is a true Method of Baptism, and is ready to say severe things against the Practice of Immerfion, as if it were not only needlefs, but, as they are ready to call it, foolish and finful. 'Tis plain, faith he, in the Word of God, that the Apoftles were baptifed with the Spirit, which can never mean that they were dipt or plunged into the Spirit, but only that the Spirit was poured out upon them: And when the Ifraelites were baptifed into Mofes, 'tis plain they were only fprinkled with the Cloud and the Sea, Matt. iii. 11. compared with Acts ii. 3, 17. and I Cor. x. 2. and therefore, fays he, I wonder that any Man fhould be fo weak as to give himself the trouble of Dipping when he has fuch Texts as these to prove Sprinkling. Sedentius, a weak and warm Diffenter, is just come from St. Paul's Cathedral: Being urged by great Curiofity, with much ado he obtained Leave of his Conscience to go thither and fee Men receive the Lord's Supper kneeling: As he returns he is almoft ready to pronounce Damnation against the Organs Organs and Singing-Men, for they are all, ESSAY for every On the other hand, Genicola hates the Prefbyterians for their fcandalous Irreverence at the Sacrament: "What, faith he, "dare any Man ufe fo clownish and fo rude a Gesture as fitting, when he receives "the Seal of the Pardon of his Sins, and "the Emblems of the Body and Blood of "Chrift?" and he forbids all fuch Worfhippers from his Communion with this Sentence, Procul, O procul efte, profani; i, e. bence ye profane Creatures, though he can hardly pretend to bring one Text of Scripture for his own Practice: He is fure alfo that the Surplice, a Sign or Token of Purity, and as our Reformers teach, ought to be worn at Prayer, for we must lift up Hands of Purity and Innocence when we come before God; and he finds the long white Garment in thefe Words, Let all ESSAY things be done decently and in order, 1 Cor. VIII. xiv. 40. To me, faith Pifcopion, 'tis as clear as the Light, that no Man can be a Minister of Chrift unless the Hands of a fuperior Man, even a Diocesan Diocefan Bishop, have been upon his Head; and all the Preachings and Miniftrings of fuch a prefumptuous Wretch, who was not thus ordained, are but vain Babblings, empty Trifles, and impudent Ufurpations in the Name of the Lord: For thus faith the Common Prayer Book, which was made by Saints and Martyrs, It is evident unto all Men, diligently reading holy Scripture and ancient Authors, that from the Apostles time there have been these Orders of Minifters in Chrift's Church; Bishops, Priefs, and Deacons. Thus he proceeds triumphant where the Civil Government is on his Side, and will yield to no Man in Argument or Difpute. Clafficus arifes in warm Oppofition to Prelacy, and afferts it an indifputable Truth, that no Minister of Chrift is fuperior to another: "I read, faith he, in my Bible, no "Distinction between Bishops and Presby"ters; they are the fame Officers in Scrip ture: And the Power of Synods is fo plainly instituted at the Council at ferufalem, Acts xv. that I am amazed this "fhould be esteemed a matter of Doubt or "Difficulty; and I am well affured of this, because because Timothy had the Hands of the ESSAY Prefbytery laid upon him, 1 Tim. iv. 14. VIII. "there is no Man above or below a Pref byter has any thing to do in ordaining "Minifters fince the Apostles are dead. " Antipas grows impatient at these bold Affertions, and afferts with as much Boldness, that the Power of ordaining all Sorts of Officers in the Church belongs properly to the Brethren of a fingle Congregation, and none befides have any Authority to meddle with it, fince the Race of infpired Men are dead and gone: The Brethren have all the Power in their Hands, and 'tis the Church or Congregation alone that has any Manner of Right to chufe and approve and establish its own Paftors, Elders, Overfeers and Deacons : For is it not said, Acts vi. 3. Look you out among you feven Men, &c. And if this be done at the Choice of Deacons, why not of Elders too? The Learned fay, that the Word in Greek, which is used for ordaining of Elders, fignifies the Choice or lifting up the Hands of the Brethren to vote for them *: Whatsoever Particulars are difputed in Church Government, the Power of the People must be ever acknowledged and received as a fundamental and immoveable Truth. Among all these Combatants there is not one but is fo pofitive in his own Sentiments, ESSAY that one would think they had received VIII, all their Opinions by Infpiration, or that Chrift and his Apoftles had been precisely of their Party, and had written their Opinions down in exprefs Letters and Syllables. And not only are they fo affured of the Truth of their Tenets, but the vaft Importance of them too: And each of them grows angry that his own particular Opinion fhould be reckoned among the lefs-evident or the lefs-important Points of Religion: Their Fury boils high, and their mistaken Zeal and warm Ferment of their Paffion fwells every Punctilio to a Mountain, and makes every Particle of their Opinions fundamental: They don't observe how their swift Career and Violence carries each of them befides or beyond their Text, and thus they are fometimes hurried on befide the Goal of Truth, and I am perfuaded their Affurance always runs too fast for their Evidence, and reaches far beyond it. They commend and practife Vehemence as a Virtue, and fo far forget their Bible as to believe all Moderation to be a mere Spirit of Indifference, and unworthy of a good Chriftian. They all maintain oppofite Notions, yet by their Temper and Conduct they all feem to approve each other's Zeal for his own Party, and with one Confent they vote me a mere Latitudinarian, a lukewarm Profeffor, a Citizen of Laodicea, who has not a Spark of Zeal for the Gospel of Chrift, |