Commiffion from them, endeavour to advance themselves into the High-Priefts and Priefts Office, and to minifter in fuch Holy Things, as God has appropriated to that Sacred Commiffion, which he gives to Men for that Purpose: And this they do, not upon the pretence of Neceffity, arifing, as fome fuppofe, from the want of fuch as are Commiffion'd, but in an obstinate perverfe Refiftance against Christ's Spiritual Vicegerents, undervaluing and trampling upon that Authority wherewith He has invefted them.

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§ II. It is alfo to be remembred, That God always us'd (if we may believe the Divine Oracles) to fet a Mark of his fevereft Difpleasure, not only upon fuch Ufurping Adminiftrators themfelves, but alfo upon thofe who adher'd to and encourag'd them in their Ufurpations; as I have formerly obferv'd and inftanc'd upon this Occafion and He has made fuch Ufurpers and their Adherents fenfible of his Wrath and Fury, not only when they have attempted Sacred Miniftrations, without any plea of Neceffity, as did Corah and his Company, and King Uzziah; but also, when, to all appearance, they had a fair plea of Neceffity to excufe their Ufurpations, if That could be an Excufe, as we fee that it was not in the Cafes of Saul and Uzza.

§ III. Hence it behoves fuch Ufurpers, and thofe who concurr with, abett, and encourage their Ufurpations, ferioufly to confider what they are doing and upon what foundation they can venture to affirm any Validity to be in fuch pretended Miniftrations; when God himfelf has branded others like theirs, with indelible Marks of Infamy

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and Reproach, by the Everlasting Sacred History of his Juft Indignation and moft Righteous Ven geance against fuch Ufurpers, and their Encou ragers and Abettors.

§ IV. It was this Confideration, that at first fet the Author of Lay-Baptifm Invalid, upon enquiring, whether God has a kinder Regard for fuch Ufurpations now, than He had formerly; and whether He will now admit of and receive as good and valid, the pretended Miniftration of Chriftian Sacraments, from fuch Ufurpers Hands, as He never did fo much as once Authorize, Commiffion, or Impower for Sacred Miniftrations, fince He has Ordain'd and Set apart a particular Order of Men, whom He Vefted with his own Authority for fuch Purposes? Upon a ferious Enquiry into this Matter, and a deliberate Search into the Divine Inftitution of the Chriftian Priesthood and Sacraments, and the Nature thereof, He could not chufe but think thus much; That the Commiffion of him who minifters Chriftian Sacraments, is as much, as durable, and as conftantly an obliging Pofitive Divine Institution, as either the Matter or Form of the Sacraments is; and that confequently, a Miniftration deftitute of either of thefe latter, which is fo difpleafing to God, as to be therefore wholly Null and Void; is, but an Equal Offence against the Inftitution of Baptifm, with another false Miniftration which is deftitute only of the Divine Commiffion; and that therefore this latter, where there is no Commif fron, is as much Offenfive to the Divine Majefty, and confequently Null and Void, as the other, upon the very fame Reafon and Foundation: And this, with refpect to Baptifm, he has endeavour'd to proye, from the Inftitution it felf of Baptifm, keepB 2

ing

ing close to the Rule which our Saviour fet his Church herein. And the Oppofers of this, muft produce no less than Vincentius Lirinenfis's Golden Rule, viz. Traditio, femper, ubique, & ab omnibus credita, to prove that it was a Catholick Tradition, always, in every Place, and by all taught, believ'd, and practis'd, at leaft by the generality of the Ancient Church, viz. That the Inftitution of Baptifm does not hinder, but that Persons who were never Commiffion'd at all to Baptize, may adminifter Legally Valid Baptifm; I fay, Legally Valid, with refpect to the Divine Law; for if it wants of that Legal Validity, what fignifies any other pretended Validities of Mens Invention? If they do not produce fuch an Univerfal Tradition as this, for the Interpretation of the Inftitution of Baptifm, in favour of Miniftrations perform'd by fuch as were never Commiffion'd; their pompous Show of Quotations from fome few Latin Fathers, will amount to no more than a bare Discovery of fome of their private Opinions; which, in Matters of fuch vaft Moment as this is, will fall infinitely fhort of Deciding the Merits of the Caufe.

V.. Let us then fee what Mr. Bingham has done towards the Difscovery of this Univerfal Tradition ; and whether his Scholaftical History does not rather prove, that the Univerfality of the Church's Tradition, is, That the Inftituion of Baptifm requires the Divine Commiffion of the Minifter of Baptifm conftantly to accompany the Miniftration thereof; and becaufe conftantly, therefore, that the Commiffion is Effential to the Valid Miniftration thereof; Effential, by reafon of its Equal Obligation and Neceffity with the Matter and the Form by the Inftitution.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

Our Historian's Account of the Apoftolick Commiffion to Baptize; of the Conveyance, and conftant Neceffity thereof to the End of the World.

§ I.

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E firft very rightly begins with the Commiffion given to the Apostles, p. 2. where he fays, "It is certain, the Commiffion to Baptize, was Originally given by our "Saviour to the Eleven Apoftles; for fo it is exprefsly faid, Mat. xxviii. 16, &c. Then he adds; That "By the Tenor of this Commiffion, it is "certain they were invefted with Authority, not only to Baptize themselves, but to communicate this "Power to others: For the Commiffion and Power of Baptizing, was not to Die with them, but to Continue to the End of the World, p. 3. Upon which 'tis very remarkable, that He makes the Commiflion to Baptize of conftant Duration and Obligation, in and to the Church; for he fays, 'twas to Continue to the End of the World : And the very great and preffing Neceflity of this, he urges thus; But then two Questions arife from "bence: Whom they actually Authoriz' to Baptize? " And to whom they gave Commiffion to Authorize "others to Baptize? For (fays he) both these things were ecellary, to Preserve the Church, according to the D20er of Chift, at leaft in Future Ages, p. 3. Pray obfèrve this, for 'tis a granting of the Thing difputed for, B 3

VIZ.

viz. That the Church cannot be preferv'd, Chriftian Baptifin cannot be had, without the Commiffion to Baptize; for, if it can, then, whom the Apostles actually Authoriz'd, and to whom they gave Commiffion to Authorize others, to Baptize, were not Neceffary to preferve the Church: For where lies the Neceflity, if it can be preferv'd without the Commillion to Baptize? But this Hiftorian fays they were Neceflary; i. e. the Commiffion, who fhould Baptize, was Necessary to preferve the Church, according to the Order of Chrift, in future Ages. And this amounts to no lefs, than that the Commiffion to Baptize was Neceffary to Preferve Baptifm; becaufe if Baptism is not Preferv'd, the Church it felf is not preferv'd, fince Baptifm is the Incorporation of all its Members; and therefore, where there is No Commiffion, there is no Baptifm, no Church, according to the Order of Chrift; if we may believe Mr. Bingham himfelf. This is a fair fetting out for him at the Beginning of his Work, and is deftructive of the main Defign of his Hiftory, and fhews that the Divine has the better of the Hiftorian.

II. He next proceeds to Answer the Two Que ftions he juft now propos'd, and proves, first, That the Apoftles gave Commiffion to Bifhops, Presbyters and Deacons to Baptize; and then fays,

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but ftill it remains a Question,whether they extend"ed this Commiffion to any others, either in Ordinary or Extraordinary Cafes, p. 3. He fays, The Ancient Author, under the Name of St. Ambrofe, was of Opinion, That the Apoftle's first found "it neceffary, for the Augmentation and Encreafe "of the Church, to Gant a General Commiffion to * all Chillians, both to Teach and Baptize 3 but

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