**None have Authority to Baptize, or give Remif fion of Sins, but the Bishops, and those who are founded in the Evangelical Law, and our Low's Appointment; and, That nothing can be Bound or Loofed out of the Church, Jeeing there is None "there who has the Power of Binding and Loofing. That this is founded upon the Authority of That No One can

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"the Holy Scriptures. "ufurp to bimfelf, in Oppofition to the Bishops and Priests, what he has no Right and Power perform; and inftances the Examples of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram's endeavouring to ufurp to "themselves the Power of Sacrificing, in Oppofition to Mofes, and Aaron the Prieft. So again, in his Epiftle to Magnus, fpeaking of the Baptifm given by Hereticks and Schifmaticks, he calls it,

..

a Profane Washing; and gives this for a Reafon, why those who come over from them to the Church, ought to be Baptiz'd in the Church: "We Say, (fays he) That all Hereticks and Schifmaticks are utterly deftitute of all Power and Right: In Confequence of this, he calls their Altars, || False Altars; their Priesthood, Unlawful; and their Sa

**Intelligimus, non nifi in Ecclefia Præpofitis, & in Evangelica Lege, ac Dominica Ordinatio, ne fundatis licere Baptizare, remiffam peccatorum dare, foris autem nec ligari aliquid poffe nec folvi, ubi non fit qui aut ligare poffit aliquid, aut folvere. Nec hoc frater chariffime fine Scripturæ divinæ auctoritate proponimus, ut dicamus certa Lege, cuncta effe difpofita; nec poffe quenquam contra Epifcopos & Sacerdotes ufurpare fibi aliquid, quod non fit fui Juris & poteftatis. Nam & Chore, Datham, & Abyron, &c. Epift. 73. p. 145.

* Prophanum Lavacrum.

Dicimus omnes omnino Hæreticos & Schifmaticos nihil habere Poteftatis ac furis.

Falfa Altaria, & illicita Sacerdotia, & Sacrificia Sacrilega, & nomina adulterata fingentes.

crifices,

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crifices, Sacrilegious. He affirms, That they vainly Contend, [who fay, That] "any one can be Baptiz'd and Sanctified with Saving Baptifm, where "tis manifeft that the Baptizer has not Au"thouity or Commiffion to Baptize. And he asks, "How can they fuftifie and Sanctifie the † Baptiz'd, who are the Priest's Enemies, and en"deavour to ufurp to themselves things unfit and unlawful for them, and which were never granted "them by any Law or Authority whatsoever?

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Thefe, among many other Inftances that might be brought from St. Cyprian's own Works, do plainly fhow, That he efteem'd it neceffary that the Baptifmal Water should be Sanctified by the Pieff, That Hereticks and Schifmaticks were, in his Opinion, but as Lay-men; That they had no Power, Authority or Right to Baptize; and that, because they had not this Right or Authority, therefore their Baptifms were Null and Void. Whether thofe Hereticks and Schifmaticks were rightly judg'd by him to be but Lay-men, is another Queftion; but this is certain, that St. Cyprian efteem'd their Baptifms to be Invalid, for want of Commiffion and Authority to Baptize; and thereby plainly fhew'd, that he efteem'd the Commiffion to be Effential to the Miniftration of Baptifm; and confequently, that a fuppofititious Baptifm, by a Perfon who never had a Commiffion to Baptize, [which is the very Cafe of our Lay

* Fruftra Contendunt Baptizari & San&tificari illic aliquem falutari Baptifmo poffe, ubi conftet Baptizantem Baptizandi Licentiam non habere.

+ Quomodo tales juftificare & fanctificare Baptizatos poffunt; qui Hoftes Sacerdotum, aliena & illicita & nullo fibi fure conceffa ufurpare conantur? ➡➡ Epift. 76. p. 167, 170, 171.

Baptifms] muft be Null and Void, whatever became of Baptifins by Hereticks and Schifmaticks who in those Days used to be Ordain'd by Bishops.

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§ XIV. Firmilian was alfo of the fame mind for, in his Epiftle to St. Cyprian, he affirms of Hereticks who have cut themfelves off from the Church; That "They can have nothing of Grace, or Power, [or Authoдity;] fince all Grace and Authority is eftablish'd in the Church, where the ແ Bifhops prefide, who have the Power or Authority Baptizing, of Laying on of Hands, and of Ordi"nation. For as an Heretick has not the Authority of Ordaining, or of Laying on of Hands, fo neither "has be the Power or Authority of Baptizing. He fays, "That this was long before Eftablish'd t "and Confirm'd in a Council at Iconium, held by "him and the Bishops of Galatia and Cilicia, and "the rest of the neighbouring Regions, firmly to "be held and maintain'd against Hereticks, when any Doubt fhould arife about this Matter.

They Decreed, "That all thofe should be holden

* Hæretici fi fe ab Ecclefia Dei Sciderint, nihil habere Poteftatis aut Gratiæ poffunt, quando omnis Poteftas & Gratia in Ecclefia Conftituta fit; ubi præfident majores natu qui & Baptizandi & manum imponendi, & ordinandi poffident poteftatem. retico enim ficut Ordinare non licet, nec Manum imponere, ita nec Baptizare. - Firmiliani Epift. inter Epift. Cypr.

LXXV. p. 159.

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+ Quod totum nos jampridem in Iconio, collecti in unum convenientibus ex Galatia & Cilicia, & cæteris proximis Regionibus confirmavimus, tenendum, contra Hæreticos firmiter, & vindicandum, cum à quibufdam de ifta re dubitaretur. p. 160..

Nos etiam illos quos hi qui prius in Ecclefia Catholica Epi fcopi fuerant, & poftmodum fibi poteftatem Clerice Ordinationis affumentes Baptizaverant, pro non Baptizatis habendos judica vimus, &c. p. 165.

"as

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as not Baptiz'd, who were Baptiz'd by fuch as "bad once been Bishops in the Catholick Church, if they were Baptiz'd by them after they had fepa"rated from the Church, and affum'd to themfelves "the Power of the Prieftly Order."

All which Paffages of Firmilian's Letter to St. Cyprian do abundantly prove, that he and his Colleagues, Affembled in the Council of Iconium, were entirely of St. Cyprian's Opinion, That there was no Baptism, where there was no Priestly Power to Baptize; and confequently, that Baptifm by Lay-men, Perfons not having this Prieftly Power, is Null and Void; whatever becomes of that other Queftion, Whether the then Hereticks and Schifmaticks were or were not, in reality, reduc'd to the State and Condition of meer Lay-men.

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(XV. So again, feveral of St.Cyprian's Colleagues in the Council of Carthage, confiting of 87 Bifhops, exprefsly affirm'd the fame thing: Thus Novatus à Thamugade fays, That "According to the Decree of their Colleagues, Men of moft Sacred Memory, all Hereticks and Schifmaticks who feem to have been Ordain'd, fhould, upon their Converfion to the Church, be receiv'd among Laicks. Confeffor Pomponius à Dionyfiana fays, "Tis manifeft, that Hereticks cannot: Baptize, and

* Secundum Decretum Collegarum noftrorum fan&tiffimæ memoriæ virorum, omnes Schifmaticos & Hæreticos qui ad Ecclefiam converfi sunt,- & qui Ordinati videbantur inter Laicos recipi. Concil Carthag. Inter S. Cypr. Oper. p. 354.

+ Manifeftam eft Hæreticos non poffe Baptizare, & Remilfionem Peccatorum dare, qui poteftatem non habent, ut aut fol vere aut ligare aliquid in terris poffint. P. 360.

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"give Remiffion of Sins, who have not the Power of Binding or Loofing any thing on the Earth.

Confeffor Clarus à Mafcula affirms, That ¥ "Hereticks, who have no Power out of the "Church, cannot Baptize any one with their "Baptifm."

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In Confequence of this Suppofition, That Hereticks were deftitute of Power and Authority to Baptize, [as Lay-men, Perfons who were never Commiffion'd, moft certainly are,] thefe Fathers determin'd, That those who were Baptiz'd only by fuch Hereticks, fhould, upon their Converfion, be Baptiz'd in the Church: It matters not, whether thofe Hereticks were utterly deftitute of all Power to Baptize, or no: We plainly fee, that St. Cyprian, Firmilian, and their Colleagues, grounded the Invalidity of their Baptifms, upon their fuppofed want of Power and Authority; which is an undeniable Proof, that 'twas their Opinion, That if there was in reality no Commiffion, there certainly could be no Baptifm' which is the very Cafe about which we are now Difputing: For our Lay-Baptifms are notorioufly fuch, as are perform'd by Perfons who never receiv'd, and therefore have not any Commiffion, Power, or Authority to Baptize; and confequently, according to St. Cyprian, Firmilian, and their Colleague Bifhops, Affembled in the Councils of Iconium and Carthage, thefe Baptifins being without Commiffion, Power, or Authority, are wholly Null and Void,

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Hæretici qui nec poteftatem foris, nec Ecclefiam Chrifti habent, neminem Baptizare Baptifmo ejus poffunt. P. 363.

§ XVI.