teach Thus these two Pillars of the Protestant Reformation are so far from deriving their Call to the Ministry through the Papacy as some late Protestants pretend to do that they do utterly reject any Ordination which comes from them Nor was Luther and Beza ordained after they came from the Papists Mr. Stub's Occas Quaer But Beza is said to defend his Call to the Ministry by Instances of those that were called extraordinarily as Isaiah Daniel Amos Zecharias c. These things premised we may assume that either of these ways as approved by our Reformers respectively could we go to defend our Call to the Ministry as well as they Being first many of us ordained by those who received Ordination from you and some may run with you to Bishop Cranmer who was ordained by the Papacy and then proceed till we come up to Clemens or Lucius and so to St. Peter And as for the pretence of Beza or Luther about their extraordinary Call it 's not impossible for us to give as fair a Demonstration of it as either of them specially if we take the Rules given by Mr. Beza to judg of such a Call by to be cogent viz. good Life sound Doctrine and the Election of the People But to be plain we do not very well like either of these ways Not the first it is so sordid as that the Papists themselves in deriving their Call through the Papacy are forced to take it from so many false pretended Popes or Diabolical Popes even Witches and Devils incarnate by their own confession that they make but a lamentable Succession of it in the end And especially if Stapleton may be regarded tho a Papist who tells us That it is not a bare and personal Succession but lawful Succession which is a note of a true Church and defineth that to be lawful Succession when not only the latter succeeds into the void rooms of those that went before them being lawfully called thereunto but also hold the Faith which their Predecessors did Now let this Rule be honestly stood by and we are sure the Papists shall never be able to prove a Succession of many points of their Faith and Doctrines from the Apostles whilst the World stands and consequently neither can the Protestants derive a lawful Succession from them We like not the second way for we will not compare with Isaiah Daniel Amos nor Zechariah in respect of their immediate Mission But this we say That our Call to the Ministry is no otherwise extraordinary than our Call to believe the Gospel is so or as it stands clear from all the idle Ceremonies used by Papists or others in their Ordinations or as it is ordered as near as we can according to the Word of God And is the sacred Word of Power to beget us to God and by the assistance of his Spirit to make us his Children or Christians and is it not of Power or Authority sufficient to enable us to worship God in his own Ordinances which were made for Christians and not Christians for them This seems justly ridiculous We make no doubt but that it 's easy with God and no extraordinary thing to raise a People to himself in a Nation where all have corrupted the way of Christianity or lost the State and Praise of a true Church meerly through his Blessing upon the reading and diligent searching of the Scriptures I speak of a Nation where the Scriptures are received as that is our case The Truth is all the ways of God's Worship are in the Word made ready for us and laid at our Doors and we do but take up gladly what others let lie as useless things that they may hug their own Devices But now to silence a Papist for ever which some will think to be a difficult undertaking do they not allow even by the Pen of the Learned Bellarmine chap. 7. that even an Heathen that is not baptized may administer Baptism in case of Necessity And this they esteem a valid Baptism And why then may not we when God hath opened our Eyes to see any other Truth as well as that enter upon the dutiful observance of it in the best way we can our Circumstances especially the case of Necessity being considered For is not Necessity as good a Warrant to take up the practice of or to restore one Truth as well as another Certainly one Ordinance is as sacred as another and where Churches are setled ought to be dispensed in the most honourable way and by the most fit Instruments even Christ's Ministers Wherefore till the Papists shall recal their opinion about Baptism and prove a Succession as necessary to Baptism as Ordination they can with no shew of reason insist upon the necessity of Ordination to be founded upon Succession But further It 's evident from the Scriptures Acts 13. that a Succession is not necessary to true Ordination for tho the Apostles were yet living it was not thought necessary that they should impose Hands upon Barnabas and Paul but this is done by gifted Men or the Prophets that were in the Church at Antioch The only question here to be resolved is Whether this laying on of Hands was for Ordination The Papists do hold it was some Protestants deny it but some Protestants do affirm it Mr. Churchman in his History of Episcopacy tells out of Chrysostom That tho Paul was an Apostle neither of Men nor by Men yet as for the Work to which he was separated ask the said Father saith he and he will tell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was the Office of an Apostle and that he was ordained an Apostle here that he might preach the Gospel with greater Pewer And certainly that he had not the Apostleship before may be made manifest by that which followed after But tho some Protestants doubt whether this were Paul's Ordination tho the matter is clear of it self yet here is the Ordination of Barnabas without all question and then it is evident that there was an Interruption of Succession in the case of Ordination even in the Apostles Days and therefore by no means to be held to be necessary in our Days who are so far removed from the times of the Holy Apostles that in vain do Men think to find a clear and undoubted Succession of any one Ordinance from them Wherefore we may safely conclude that where the Truth of the Gospel is received with the Gifts of God's Spirit as that was the case at Antioch there is a sufficiency of Power on the Persons so gifted with the advice of the Church to send forth or appoint Men to the work of the Ministry altho 't is true this course is most warrantable in the case of necessity and in no wise to be done in contempt or wilful neglect of that way which is more ordinary and regular Howbeit to tye all Power of Ordination so strictly to the Persons of Men ordained by such as were ordained by
Mr. Taylor to follow him But sith he refers me also to Mr. Leigh's Crit. Sac. He shall do well to mark what he saith even as quoted by Mr. Walker p. 36. the reason says he why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put pro Lotione mundatione is because such as are immersed that is dipped come out of the WATER washed or cleansed So then to Baptize is to dip the Subject in the Element in the Name c. and that which is no small but a most importent Confirmation of that Mode and only that is the Baptism of Christ's own Person for Mr. Walker cannot deny that the Greek in Mark 1. 9. being rightly rendred in English is thus read Jesus came and was baptized of John INTO JORDAN and therefore he may be confident he was not sprinkled for it would be nonsence to say he was sprinkled into Jordan but good sence and plain truth too to say he was dipped into Jordan And yet for all this Mr. Walker fights stoutly both against Truth and Reason leaning only upon the single Authority of Bernard and will have Sprinkling to be meant or signified by the Word Baptize as well as Dipping And Mr. Taylor says the same tho many learned Writers contradict them both But it shall suffice here to set down two both equal in Learning and Vertue to these our present Opposites The first shall be that truly Famous Man Dr. Jer. Taylor in his Rule of Conscience l. 3. c. 4. If you would attend to the signification of the Word BAPTISM signifies plunging in Water or dipping with washing And saith Keckerman Immersion not Aspersion that is dipping not sprinkling was the first institution of Baptism as it doth plainly appear from Rom. 6. 3. Syst Theol. But for all this Mr. Walker pretends Antiquity for Sprinkling and it is strange to see what learned Men will say when they are set to defend Error We will but touch two of his most ancient Instances that you may see the bottom of the business 1. He goes as high as the second Century and takes an instance of sprinkling from the service of the Daemons that is Devil-Gods but why so Because he supposes the Heathen used sprinkling in the Service of their Daemons in imitation of the Christians Practice But the truth is it 's more to be feared that unwary Christians did fall to imitate the Heathens for we are told so in effect even by a learned Popish Author which for the plainness of the Testimony I will here faithfully transcribe He saith This chief Chair of the Church being translated from Antioch to Rome He Peter and his Successors were very careful and vigilent to reduce the Christian Religion being as yet indigested unpolished and little practised and the Professors thereof into better Order and Vniformity out of the Law of Moses which Christ came not to abolish but to fulfil out of the Civil and Politick Government of Romans Greeks and Egyptians and out of both sacred and prophane Rites Laws and Ceremonies of other Nations but most especially by the wholsom Doctrine and Direction of Christ Jesus and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit See a Book called The Manners Laws and Customs of all Nations pag. 151. Behold here the Springs of Human Inventions and Ceremonies Mr. Walker's second Instance is a Story of one sprinkled with Sand instead of Water the Water being scarce and the Party like to dye but alas they could not dip the Sick into the Sand and however their Zeal may be commended their Action is not to be commended at all It shews their Folly for it 's better to be without a Ceremony when we cannot possibly have it in God's way than to set up our own Devices in the stead and place and use of it For I will saith God have Mercy and not Sacrifice And thus we shall leave Mr. Walker to consider his Sandy Foundation for his sprinkling Infants 2. Mr. Taylor says Sprinkling cannot nullify Baptism and therefore our dissenting Brethren are to blame to make our Baptism to be essentially corrupted and not to be accounted Baptism because not performed by Dipping To this I answer When our Saviour commanded to baptize he commanded but one not divers kinds of Actions and to do that which is not only contrary to his own blessed Example in this very thing but also such an Act as cannot with any equity of Speech or good Sence be called Baptism is to err essentially in the performance of it And so great is the difference between Dipping and Sprinkling that such as sprinkle Infants dare not speak as they act when they pretend to baptize No they dare not say I sprinkle thee in the Name of the Father c. which they might well say if the word Baptize does equally signify dipping and sprinkling We are not therefore to blame to labour to have this Ordinance kept as it was delivered for sure if it be our Duty to keep God's Ordinances it 's our Duty to keep them as they were observed by Christ and the Primitive Churches And so far as the manner of doing this command of Christ is essential to the Ordinance dipping is of the essence of it without which it cannot be called Baptism Again All the Scriptures which command to baptize do expresly command to dip the Party to be baptized and therefore Mr. Taylor is to blame to say There is not one place of Scripture which in express Words commands Dipping pag. 59. Yea Sir your Text Matth. 28. 19. commands Dipping For were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated into plain English it must be rendred by dipping And I pray Sir consider whether you could not with a good Conscience translate it so And on the other side Whether your Conscience would not accuse you should you translate the Text Teach all Nations sprinkling them I dare say no Man dare thus read the Text. Why then do they thus act Shall we speak one thing and do another So speak ye and so do ye as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty to wit the Gospel 3. What you urge from the Legal Washings has been answered by the Learned of our way and particularly by Mr. Danvers who says I have carefully examined all the Places in the Old Testament where the word Dipping or Baptizing is mentioned and do find it is expressed by the Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Minceus and Dr. Hammond observe The Septuagint do render the Word Tabal in the Hebrew by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with all the Translators both the Latin Dutch Italian French and English do translate to dip the Word rendred Washing being another Word as the following Scriptures inform you Gen. 37. 31. Exod. 12. 22. Lev. 4. 6. 17. 14. 6. 16 51. Levit. 9. 9. Deut. 33. 24. John 3. 5. Numb 16. 18. 2 Kings 5. 14. I cannot think therefore that you can conscionably parallel Rom. 6. 3 4. Col. 2. 11. with the
It was a Vertue in the Philosopher who would not be accounted of this or that Nation Tribe or City but entitled himself a Citizen of the whole World meaning he had an equal respect for Mankind and if his Relation might be an Honour he would be related to them all that he might honour them all Secondly Christains must honour all Men because God himself hath honoured them all setting his Love upon them and manifesting it to them and that divers ways As 1. In the common Acts of his Providence of which we have an excellent Account in the 107th Psalm to which I refer you It is he that giveth them fruitful Seasons filling their Hearts with Joy and Gladness he gives them Life and Breath and all things Hence they even all Nations are called his People and the Sheep of his Pasture Psal 100. 1 2. and upon this very ground are required to pay their Debt of Thankfulness unto him 2. God has greatly honoured Mankind in the gracious Act of Redemption I say in this he has greatly esteemed all Men and counted them very precious That God hath done this for all Men nothing can be more plain than these Testimonies There is one God and one Mediator between God and Man who gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. We see Jesus made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death That he by the Grace of God should taste Death for every Man Heb. 2. 9. For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3. 23 24. He is a Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World Surely he that against the Light of these plain Testimonies can or will think that God neglected the greatest part or any part of Mankind in the most important Business of Redemption must needs have a very low esteem and dishonourable thoughts of that part of Mankind cannot value them much above the fallen Angels or Devils for whom no Ransom was given and consequently they cannot honour all Men. The Devils are but Sinners shut up to the Judgment of Eternal Fire without means of Recovery and these Men that narrow up the Redemption of Man to the Elect only shut up the remainder of Men in that Condemnation which is inevitable And what Honour can belong to such How should we count them precious if indeed God hated them from all Eternity It is not saying That we know them not by Name and therefore ought to honour all Men that will salve the Business For the truth is if we heartily honour all Men we must be sure that God would have us do so and of this we cannot be sure if we think God made them only to damn them For if the Esteem or Honour which we give to all Men proceed not from sincere Love to them and Desire of their Happiness it is but Hypocrisy no true Honour for the Honour which we owe to all Men is not founded upon any thing wherein they are dignified above us but upon those Blessings or Favours from God which are common to us all and wherein he has made no difference between one and another And therefore if we truly esteem love and wish all Men well in the Case of their Salvation me must believe that God does so too or else we cannot do it heartily Augustine's Speech here is worthy of Remembrance O vehement Love that God for Man's cause can vouchsafe to become Man Who can hate Man whose Nature and Likeness he beholds in the Humanity of God Surely if God has not loved all Men in Christ we have no cause to count them precious because we see them not favoured in the Humanity of God 3. That our God counts all Men precious may be seen in the Order given that the Word of Peace or Reconciliation may be preached to all Men or to every Creature to be made known to all Nations for the Obedience of Faith Mat. 28. 19. Rom. 16. 26. Surely this Message with the Messenger and Messengers that brought it to all Men does stupendously evidence how precious God accounts all Men. He may justly demand What could have been done to evidence my Love to Man and the precious Esteem I have of him which I have not done Has he not sent his Apostles whose Words have gone to the uttermost parts of the Earth Rom. 10. Yea he hath sent his Son whom he hath made Heir of all Things yea he hath sent thus to those that would not accept these Tokens of Love Estimation or Honour John 1. 11. Mat. 21. 38. Surely it is an Act of Honour towards the Party visited when the King comes to visit the Beggar yea the Traytor Whence is this to me said Elizabeth that the Mother of my Lord should come to me And whence is this to Man or what Honour hath God conferred upon Man that our Lord himself should come to Man to redeem him by the Death of the Cross and to make all Men see what is the Fellowship of this mysterious Piece of Godliness which is God manifest in the Flesh c. by the Light of the Gospel Thirdly Christians must honour all Men because this is one effectual way to recommend the Way of Christianity or the Truth which we profess to the acceptance of all Men. And hitherto may be referred these and the like Rules Walk in Wisdom towards them that are without If you salute your Brethren only what do you more than others The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all Men. Render to no Man Evil for Evil but overcome Evil with Good Shewing all Meekness to all Men. Giving a Reason of the Hope that is in you with Meekness and Fear That Christian that shall walk towards all Men according to these Rules shall certainly honour all Men and greatly recommend the Truth to them all for thus shall he himself become an Epistle of Christ read and known of all Men. 1. Cor. 3. 2. I shall conclude this first Doctrine with a solemn Protestation against all such as would set up their Religion by Violence Blood and Treachery by what Name soever distinguished for if this be their Scope they have not known Christ nor the Divine Power of Christianity Cain leads the Van to this unreasonable Troop who never did nor can honour all Men till they be delivered from this Principle No they desire to kill that they only might be honoured By this unchristian sort of Christians what unspeakable Butcheries have been committed Hundreds of Thousands in a neighbouring Nation in this Age cruelly destroyed What Hangings Burnings and Tormentings all Europe over And this pretendedly to advance Holy Church As if our Saviour's House must be built with Blood when yet he plainly tells us he came not to kill Men but to save them and sharply rebukes his
Disciples when such a Spirit appeared in them And have we not seen a refined Generation as they would be thought peeping forth with the Name of Blood or the smiting Principle written on their Forehead with direction to their Proselites to pray that God would destroy all Oppressior and Oppressors from off the face of the Earth Lord what is this The greatest part of Mankind peradventure are Oppressors in one thing or other and must a Christian pray for their Destruction or for their Conversion Sure the latter is the Duty of all Christians 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. They cannot desire such a woful Day but that Mercy may be extended knowing that themselves were sometimes foolish disobedient living in Malice hateful and hating one another Tit. 3. But alas do not these Men pray for their own Destruction Who sees not that such a Principle is pregnant with Oppression O let all Christians beware of it And let us pray for them that hate us persecute us and speak all manner of Evil against us falsly for his Names sake who hath called us not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Thus leaving all Men of bloody violent and treacherous Principles to consider what Spirit they are of how unlike our Lord Christ how different from the Primitive Christians how contrary to Humanity it self which teaches all to do to others not as they do but as we would they should do to us We shall proceed to the next Point of Doctrine grounded upon the second Direction in the Text Love the Brotherhood Doct. II. Brotherly Fellowship Love and Vnity is carefully to be endeavoured and maintained by all Christians This Brotherhood being not natural but spiritual and mystical admits of a twofold Consideration 1. In the largest Sence the Word and Use of it in Scripture will bear 2. In a more strict and special Sence In the first we must comprehend all that own the holy Scriptures for the Rule of Faith believing in the only true God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost for these three are one that Christ died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification that live soberly according to the general Rules of Christianity tho they may be diversly persuaded in the Methods of Christian Worship Or I could be content if the State of Christianity would bear it in these Days to express my self in this Case in the Words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 2. All that in every place call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ among whom he found Diversities of Opinions as well as Disorders in practice of Ordinances Not that he allows either but labours to reform both yet so as he would preserve Amity among them as they were Brethren tho some of them were carnal 1 Cor. 3. others allowing themselves a very dangerous Liberty in religious Matters even to eat Things sacrificed to Idols some doubting of the Resurrection others very loose in their Devotion at the Lord's Table they were some tumultuous others otherwise vicious 2 Cor. 13. Now whether the Apostle in his Exhortations to Unity intends that notwithstanding these Errors they should hold ample Communion with the Erroneous or whether upon adhering to Reproof by him given and their obeying the Epistles which he sent to them he obliges them to maintain and uphold their Communion is the Business to be considered The first it is not like to be for then few Errors either in Doctrine or Life could break this brotherly Fellowship among Christians And then to what purpose are these Rules given Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. Withdraw your selves from every Brother which walks disorderly c. 2 Thess 3. 6. Surely all that can be required as to Unity with these Christians is a brotherly Compassion to encourage what we can the Truth they hold or the Good they do to hold with them in the common Cause of Christianity against the common Enemy of it I conceive the latter to be the only safe way viz. That notwithstanding their great Carnality Weakness of Judgment or Frowardness in their erroneous Opinions c. if now they would receive the Counsel of the Lord's Messenger or which the Lord by his Messenger had sent unto them that then the Brotherhood once found among them should still continue tho they had too evidently forfeited their Privileges Thus to take the Apostle's meaning is to make him harmonize with himself 2 Thess 3. 14. If any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother But to take the Apostle in the first Sence would make him irreconcileable to or with himself So then Paul did not advise the Faithful at Corinth to hold ample Communion with those of ill Life and erroneous Principles in the necessary parts of Religion such as the Resurrection and Separation from Idolatry doubtless are for he that denies the first denies Christ to be risen makes the Apostles false Witnesses and the Faith of Christians vain 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3. And the second makes Men uncapable to serve God Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Idols or Devils 1 Cor. 1. 10. Let us then consider the second or more strict Sence of the Word Brotherhood in our Text. And here we must take it as it pertains to truly constituted and well-governed Societies of Christians For undoubtedly God intended to have the Christian Religion stated and maintained in all Nations according to the pristine Simplicity of the Gospel without the mixtures of Legal Ceremonies or humane Innovations For when Jesus gave commission to his Apostles to teach all Nations baptizing them and then to teach them to observe all Things whatsoever he commanded them Mat. 28. 19 20. and gave being to this Order to continue to the end of the World it must needs be highly rational on the part of all such as do piously stand to this Form of Doctrine as explicated and delivered to the Churches Rom. 6. 17. Heb. 6. 1 2. And consequently it must needs be very pleasing to God and commendable in the Church that his Institutes be kept with the greatest exactness as they were delivered at first 1 Cor. 11. 2. For if once Variations in either the Doctrinal or Practical Parts of the Christian Religion be admitted there can be no certain duration of any Truth A little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump Gal. 5. 7. And this the Apostle speaks too with relation to the Imposition of some Legal Rites which once had a Divine Original and Use in the Church of God and yet now could not consist with obedience to the Truth Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the Truth Hence Saint Paul would not give place to St. Peter himself when too much