the most High was pleased to manifest in the first ordering or disposing of the Administrations of the Jewish Church which he committed to the hands of some chosen and peculiar persons distinguished from others of the people to whom the like power was not committed as to Aaron and his Sons Exod. 28.1 2. And by then signal of his displeasure manifested against those who would not acknowledge it Num. 1 6. but confederated in the Conspiracy of Korah Now if the Lord took such care to set in order and keep right that house whereof Moses had the management viz. the Jewish Church and therefore called Moses his House and to establish its Ministery is it not as equal that the Lord Jesus should take the like care for his House viz. the Christian Church and provide for its Ministery and that as the former so the later should consist of persons peculiarly set apart and appointed thereunto This sort of reasoning from the Old to the New and from the Former to the Latter Dispensations the Apostle doth use by way of Equity many times to prove the matter whereabouts he was reasoning Doth God take care for Oxen If so then it is as equal at least that he should take care for such as labour and tread out the Corn under the Gospel But if this have not weight enough to prove the matter in question Secondly it may be evidenced from Scriptures that are direct as to this purpose That it was committed to certaine numbers of persons who from among many others were appointed and set apart for this work appeares from the Scriptures afore mentioned Mark 13. He called to him whom he would and they came unto him and he ordained twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them forth to preach of them which came unto him he ordained twelve And somewhat more plain doth Luke relate this action Luk. 6.13 He called to him his Disciples and of them he chose twelve whom also he named Apostles or Messengers or men sent out Now though this seeme to relate to them onely as to Preaching yet it is to be considered that to these very same individual persons thus chosen and called and set apart from others was the Commission given to Preach and Baptize Matth. 28.16 18 19. The eleven Disciples went away into Galilee and Jesus came and spake unto them saying c. Act. 10.41 42 Not to all the people but unto Witnesses chosen before of God even to us and he commanded us to Preach unto the people c. Now that they were ordained and appointed to serve as a Ministery it appears from the first Chapter of the Acts the second Verse compared with vers 17 and 25. Vntil the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Spirit had given commandment to the Apostles whom he had chosen And in vers 17 speaking of Judas saith He was numbred with us and had obtained part of this Ministery And in vers 25 it is said of Matthias That he may take part of this Ministery and Apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell away And the lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbred with the eleven Apostles or Messengers or men who were sent out to preach and baptize the Nations To the second What the nature of that Ministery was which the Lord Jesus appointed to succeed him in this service Besides what hath been spoken already the Scripture doth declare what plentiful provision the Lord of the Harvest made in point of a Ministery In Ephes 4.11 12 13 you have the Gospel-Ministery expressed both in their Names and Numbers their Nature and End in reference to their Use and Duration in the same Order and Degree which the God of Order hath placed them in For their Name and Number the reading of the eleventh Verse declares both For their nature and use it 's laid down either more generally in this term for the work of the Ministery or more particularly in these two Termes Viz. For the perfecting of the Saints For the edifying the body of Christ The duration of this Ministery was to be till we all came to the Unity of the Faith even all this whole Ministery so numbered and named as before who were all as well as any the fruit of Christ's Ascension The Gifts given to men for the work of the Ministery those were to abide as to Institution one as well as another one as long as another the one without the other not being perfect as in another case it 's said Heb. 11.40 As these were given to continue till we all came to the Unity of the Faith Ephes 4.13 so they were set in the Churches by Ordinance and establishment 1 Cor. 12.28 as that which was to continue But to return to the nature and use of this Ministery Viz. To perfect the Saints To edifie the body of Christ The Word which is here used To perfect the Saints will be read properly to perfect the number of the Saints as well as their graces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad coagmentationem Sanctorum vers 12. until there be not one Saint or Elect more to be added to the number It comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod propriè de numero dicitur Or from the the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfectum reddo vel omnibus numeris absolutum reddere The Translators have rendered it severally in several places Viz. to prepare Heb. 10.5 A body hast thou prepared me Rom. 9.22 Adapta ad interitum Fitted to destruction To restore or put in joint Luxata membra in locum restituere And so it is used in Gal. 6.1 Ye which are spititual restore such a one with the spirit of meekness 1 Cor. 1.10 Be ye perfectly knit together in the same minde Sitis compacti vel coadunati If some one member of a true Church should be overtaken with a fault and in that sence be out of joint the rest which are spiritual should restore i. e. put such a bone in joint againe But if many members should do the like and the whole prove dislocated and disjointed Who shall restore them to their former order againe but the hand of that Ministery by which they were adapted and fitted and first knit together For they were not onely given for this end that they might perfect the number of the Saints by fitting and preparing them and puting them in joynt and this act rendered as transient to pass away in the very acting or once doing but they are said to be set in the Church i. e. statuit aut determinavit the word is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.6 Statuo in Sione lapidem Behold I lay i. e. set or appoint by an irrevocable decree in Sion a chiefe corner-stone Act. 13.47 Constituite c. I have set or appointed thee to be a light to the Gentiles Act. 1.7 It is not for you to know the times or
sin which accordingly he did as many places testifie So although the same Apostle when he was at first called had not an express Command touching Baptism as the Eleven had in so many words yet nevertheless he wanted not sufficient Authority for to baptize those whom he did baptize without degrading this Ordinance and making of it inferiour to Preaching as this Objection would infer from the Apostle's speech when he saith Christ sent me not to baptize but to evangelize Which inference being inforced as a consequence needs a proof from Scripture before it can impose belief upon any person Object Object When Christ gave power and authority to the eleven Disciples to teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Spirit he added Matth. 28.20 Lo I am with you all the days even unto the end of the world How is this Scripture fulfilled if there be not a Ministery continued to the end of the world Answ Answ This command of Christ to his Apostles and this promise of his presence with them to the end of the world must be considered as being made to those eleven individual persons or else with such others as were to succeed them in that work of Ministery teaching the Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded them First If it respecteth the Eleven onely then there must be another understanding of those words The end of the world then is most commonly received for according to the common acceptation of the end of the world taking it for the utmost and extremest part of time so it could not be applied to the Apostles personally who lived not to see the end of the world in that sence according to that Scripture Zech. 1.5 Your fathers where are they the Prophets do they live forever Secondly If it respect a Succession of Ministery it must be either an Apostolical National Ministery for breeding the Church or a Pastoral Congregational Ministery for feeding the Church or both Now that this Succession of Ministery in both or either of these kindes is not so visible as it 's commonly judged hath been already proved and needs not again be repeated Nor doth it hence follow that any imputation of unfaithfulness should be fixed upon the most righteous God as if he must needs be rendered unrighteous unless there be a continuation of Ministery either Apostolical or Pastoral because that he hath said that they teaching the Nations to observe whatsoever he had commanded c. lo he was with them all the days to the end of the world And that this may the more clearly appear consider what is spoken touching Eli and his house in 2 Sam. 2.30 to the end I said that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever i. e. in the Priesthood Exod. 28.1 41 43. Exod. 40.13 14 15. But now the Lord saith Be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed God had promised Aaron and his seed after him and that by a Statute for ever the execution of the Priests office Exod. 40.15 yet there was implied in this promise this condition that they should continue to honour God in that Administration And though this was not exprest it was ever understood as is evident de facto in the case of Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10. who for offering with strange fire which the Lord commanded them not were devoured by fire from the Lord. Levit. 10.3 And Moses said This is that the Lord said I will be sanctified in all them that come nigh me and before all the people will I be glorified And Aaron held his peace The like manner of God's proceedings doth appear in express terms in the case of Eli and his sons in the place before alleadged though God had said touching him and his father's house that they should walk before him for ever 1 Sam. 2.30 and yet doth there say Behold I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy fathers house And the man of thine which I shall not cut off from my altar shall be to consume thine eyes and to grieve thy heart And he that is left in thy house shall say Put me I pray thee into one of the Priests offices that I may eat a piece of bread Which was accordingly fulfilled in the next Chapter and in 1 Kings 2.27 The Lord gives the reason of this seeming-contradiction why he should say of Eli and of his father's house that they should walk before him in the Priesthood for ever and yet doth also declare and accordingly accomplish that the Continuation or Succession shall be cut off as it was from the posterity of Eli and likewise from the line of Aaron before the time of the expiration of the Mosaical dispensation The reason of this the Lord expresseth in these words But now be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Though with respect to the Eternal condition of believers the foundation of God stands sure having this seal The Lord knows who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 and that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 and though neither life nor death nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor any other creature shall be able to separate a believer from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. ult forasmuch as the Father which gave them to Christ is greater then all and none shall be able to pluck them out of the Fathers hands Joh. 10.28 29. nay sin it self shall not be able to have dominion over them Rom. 6.14 Rom. 7.25 26. Yet with respect to any External condition which may befal them how eminently-glorious soever it may be and what promise soever may be made unto it yet the Equity of this condition is implied if not expressed that the person to whom such promise of External blessing or presence is made are engaged to walk with God to be found honouring of God c. Upon this is the Entail to be reckoned and God no longer can in faith be expected to perform his part then such a person or people are found faithful with God on their part He that honours me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 31 c. 1 Chron. 28.7 9 If thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever Which forsaking and casting off are expounded in Psal 89.30 31 32 33 34 If his children forsake my law and walk not in my judgements I will visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail And in 2
These two were the Grand and Capital and Comprehensive Institutions and appointments of the Lord Jesus unto which He gave gifts for the perfecting of the Saints But whether the present Ministery and the present Churches be those Ordinances of His which He then instituted and appointed and not rather something like them or instead of them is the matter in Question The persons called by the name of Seekers having compared them with the Word of God and not finding them to conform thereunto dare not joyne issue in the present practice of them which of it self is ground sufficient yet that it may appear that this ground and reason is not without Reason somewhat is to be added by way of Demonstration and Evidence There have not been wanting those which have taken paines to prove the Affirmative and to reprove the Negative sharply It 's necessary to consider of those proofes seriously and endeavour to apply those reproofes as profitably as may be to state the matter in question as fairely and truely as the present Capacity is abilitated and can extend to First I finde it 's most generally taken for granted that Disciples quâ Disciples or as others say Disciples able to preach the Gospel have power and are commanded to Baptize Matth. 28.19 and upon this ground it 's practised and this is all the Ministery that I can finde is acknowledged by some Secondly that Believers may incorporate themselves and become a Church is by others affirmed from Joh. 1.12 That being made sons by believing they have power to become the sons of God in state which I suppose is meant that Believers have power to estate themselves into visible Sonship or else I know not what to make of the distinction Others express the same thing with other words much different proving a Church and Ministery upon other Principles and Grounds From all which as I differ in the Matter so I shall in the Method desiring to lay down something Positively from these Scriptures submitting to the judgement and censure thereof judging it most profitable rather then to take notice of the several Objections I have seen with the Answers to them Knowing well that Truth is truely evidencing and convincing and if this shall approve it self so it will save labour of answering those Objections though something will be spoken to them also in their place Our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who himself was the Great Apostle of his Father as well as the High-priest of our profession Heb. 3.1 whilst he was to perform his Father's work Rom. 15.8 whose Messenger or Apostle he was as being set apart and sent forth for that purpose Joh. 6.38 39 40. Joh. 12.49 and spake and acted according to the commandment he had received from the Father In the performance of which Ministration or Service he was pleased to single out some certain persons from amongst others whom he appointed and authorized to wait upon him in that Ministration or Service Those he termed Disciples or Apostles Matth. 10.1 When he had called to him his Disciples he gave them power c. Now the names of the twelve Apostles were these c. These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying Go not into the way of the Gentiles but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and as ye go preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 16. Behold I send you forth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These twelve were such as he ordained from amongst others Mar. 3.13 He went up into a mountain and called to him whom he would and they came unto him And he ordained twelve that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach Luke 6.13 And when it was day he called to him his Disciples and of them he chose twelve whom he also named Apostles These Disciples were not meerly such as were followers of Christ and had learnt of him as Scholars but such as himself out of others had Chosen Called and Ordained that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach which accordingly he did and named them Apostles as Matth. 10. and Luke 6. doth evidence And what Commission he had the same he gave to them As he saith of himself I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel so he commanded them not to go to the Gentiles nor into the way of Samaria but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Matth. 10.5 Besides these he likewise sent forth the Seventy with like Power and Commission to preach the Gospel and to confirm it by Miracles as Himself and the Apostles also did But in a more especial manner did the Twelve converse with him upon all occasions as his assidual attendants or houshold-servants During the time of his Administration upon earth and when he was about to finish the work which the Father sent him to do so far as concerned his personal presence he delegated that power the Father had committed to him into the hands of them those very persons whom before he had ordained to be with him Matth. 28.18 19 20. Now the time approaching wherein the Mosaical Dispensation was to expire and the Christian Church and its Worships to be introduced in the stead thereof our Lord Jesus having fulfilled all righteousness as touching the Law gives commandment that the Gospel be preached to all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit Touching the persons to whom Christ did delegate the power and authority of Preaching and Baptizing much is written as hath been hinted before Some say To Believers as Believers Some say To Disciples as Disciples Some say To Preaching Disciples Some say To Disciples able to preach the Gospel so as to bring over souls to believe and be baptized Others speak in other expressions It is too much to follow them in all There be four things I shall desire may be enquired into the discussion whereof will take in most of the Scripture which any way give light to the understanding of this Subject and which may occasionally answer many Objections which otherwise require particular discussion I shall propound them by way of Question First Whether Christ did not commit the Preaching of the Word and administration of Baptisme to a Ministery Secondly What the nature and end of that Ministery was which the Lord Jesus appointed to succeed him Thirdly Whether there be any pattern of any visible Congregated Church under the Gospel without or before a Ministery or Baptisme Fourthly Whether the present Ministery and present Churches may be acknowledged the Ministers and Churches of Christ according to the first Pattern To the first of these That Power and Authority to Preach and Baptize was committed to the Apostels or to the Eleven Disciples as to a Ministery might be demonstrated First From the Equity of it which appears in the Respect or Care which