Evidence against Lay-Baptifm is very Significant, and of great Importance both to themselves and us. For,

First, It fhews them the great Neceffity of fecuring to themselves a Real, and therefore Valid Miffion; fince, by their own Confeffion, they have no Chriftian Baptifm, if their Baptizers are not in Valid Holy Orders. And,

Secondly, Their Evidence is a Benefit to us, because it fhews the prevailing Power of Truth which Men [ferioufly confidering the Nature of Things] are obliged to fubmit to, even tho' themfelves are involved in the Confequences of it. It is no fmall Motive of Credibility, when a Truth is attested to, not only by those who are its avowed Friends, and Practice according to it, but also by thofe very Men, who, in the Opinion of unprejudic'd Standers by, are oblig'd, confidering their Circumftances, either to oppofe and gainsay it, or elfe to reform their own Practice, that they may be truly confiftent therewith. It is a pleasant and delightful thing, to fee Men in love with Truth in the Abstract: It is no Abatement of the Truth how much foever they are concern'd in the Confequences which they themselves have made; thofe Confequences may indeed (and ought to] be re form'o, but the Truth they are Witneffes for, is unchangeable, and is not in the leaft alter'd by their contrary, irregular Circumstances and Practices. Nathan's Parable to King David contain'd an excellent Truth, of the great Deformity, and heinous Demerit of Mens acting contrary to the Rules of Fuftice and Equity. David affented to this Truth; and in the Cafe that Nathan put to him was fo very zealous, that he, like a Juft and Righteous Judge, refolv'd, that the Man who was guilty of Ꭶ

the

the Injustice Nathan complain'd of, Should furely die. The King did not reckon, that the Application was to be made to himself; no matter for that, the Truth was ftill the fame: And when Nathan faid unto him, "Thou art the Man," he ftill acknowledg'd the Truth he had affented to before, he fubmitted to the Juftice of the Sentence himself had pronounc'd, and fincerely repented of, without endeavouring to excufe or extenuate, the Dccalion which himself had given for Nathan's Parable; and God grant that the French, and the Dutch, and other Reform'd abroad, c. may go and do likewife, fo as really to put in Practice what is agreeable to, and confiftent with their own avowed Principles, in the matter before us!

As for what Mr. Bingham fays of the Church of England, and Senfe of her Members, from his 122d, to his 137th Page, it is needlefs to repeat in Anfwer thereto what has been already faid in Treatifes * already published, and in which our Reverend Hiftorian's Remarks are obviated and anfwer'd: And therefore the Reader is referr'd to them, that I may now proceed to fum up the whole Evidence of the Antients in the next Chapter, and fo conclude.

* Diffenters and other unauthoriz'd Baptisms Null and Void by the Articles, Canons and Rubricks of the Church of England. The Bishop of Oxford's Charge Confider'd.

CHAP. VIII.

259

The whole Evidence of Antiquity fum'd up; proving, That the far greater Majority of Ancient Teftimony, is against all pretended Bap tifms perform'd by Perfons, who never were authoriz'd by Bifhops to baptize, and confequently that fuch Baptifms are not valid by any Ecclefiaftical Law, Tradition or Custom of the ancient Catholick Church: The Conclufion containing a true State of the Question about fuppos'd Cafes of Neceffity, where Epifcopally Authoriz'd Baptizers are not to be had.

W

E have already feen in Chap. 3. That the ancient Catholick Church never attempted to Authorize or Commiffion Lay-men to baptize, in any Cafe whatsoever; and that all the Endeavours of this fort have been made only by fome few particular Perfons, who can upon no account whatfoever be faid to make up, The ancient Catholick Church, and whofe Attempts, if they were right, are alfo of no Importance to favour the Practice of those who have not even fo much as any Pretence to this Suppos'd Authority, and Commiffion, from Bishops to baptize, as certainly our Laicks [the Diffenting Teachers] have not.

It remains now that I fum up the whole Evidence relating to Baptifms perform'd by a real [or Suppos'd] Epifcopal Commiffion, and concerning other pretended Baptifins by Perfons who never had fuch a Commiffion at all, that the Reader may,

in a narrow Compafs, fee the whole Evidence of the Antients for and against these never-Commission'd Baptifins, and pafs Judgment accordingly: And that he may do it the more eafily, I note the Whole in the following Table, in which the Antients, &c. who are thought to have been for Baptifms by Perfons never Commiffion'd by Bishops, are noted on the Left-fide; and thofe, whofe Evidence is for Baptifms perform'd by Epifcopal Authority only, are on the Right, with the Pages in this Book, where their feveral Teftimonies, and the Arguments thereupon, are to be found, thus:

No one can have a Power

of Baptizing, but he who receives fome way or other, a Commihion from them, according to Mr. Bingbam's faid Author, p.8. The Original Power of Baptizing lodg'd folely and entirely in Bifhops, and derivatively convey'd from them to others, ordinarily and extraordinarily, according to Mr. Bingbam,

p. II.

Baptifm by fuch Perfons

was reputed as the Bi

ibid.

Lay-men always debarr'd

thop's Act,

from Baptizing in all

ozdinary Cafés, ac

cording to Mr. Bing

bam,