wrote this Bernard in his 65 Sermon on Cant. pag. 144. as Mr. Blackwood in his storming of Antichrist pag. 31. but as quoted by Mr. Tombs in his 66 Sermon hath this complaint against this people They laugh at us saith he because we baptize infants because we pray for the dead because we require the prayers of Saints c. by which it appears they held the baptizing of infants ridiculous SECT. 17. Secondly It may further appear that this people or at least many among them were called Anabaptists because when Luther and Calvin rise up in their times they bitterly inveigh against the Anabaptists as well as the Papists as their writings do abundantly declare by which it appears that they in their times found such a people in being as well as Papists And that these were of the same sort of people of which Bernard and the Frier had formerly complained may well be conceived inasmuch as the foresaid Author Du Plessis saith they were so spread abroad in Germany and France where Luther and Calvin had to do as that their prints and footsteps are to be discerned throughout the course of all Histories pag. 403. and that we see their Churches out live so many miseries and even untill these times consist and continue flourishing and largely propagated pag. 565. And History also relates how the Anabaptists in Germany spread themselves into the Netherlands and as it seems from thence into England For as Mr. Fox relates in his Acts and Monuments Vol. 2. fol. 95. in King Hen. 8. time there were two and twenty Dutchmen Anabaptists apprehended and about ten of them put to death in the year 1535. Since which time there hath remained in the Low Countries or England or both of the same race unto this every day If then this kind of people by Adversaries own confession did continue from the Apostles days and that their prints and footsteps are to be discerned throughout all Histories till Luther's time and so downwards why should any man be tender of being confident especially having those Scriptures of Mat. 16.18 Epk. 4.12 13. to back him that there hath a successive line of true Churches and true Gospel Administrators run along throughout all ages from the Apostles times to this day SECT. 18. Thirdly Though it should be granted which yet may not that the line of succession both of duly constituted Churches and of all due administrators of Gospel Ordinances had been cut off by the prevailings of Apostacy in times of Popery yet it would not hence follow that there neither is nor can be now true Churches or right Administrators of Ordinances because we have upon the matter and in substance and effect the same apostolical power now amongst us to plant and settle churches to administer Ordinances as was injoied in the Apostles days The ground upon which I build this assertion is this viz. Because we have the same instructions and directions from the Apostles in their writings about things of this nature as they had who lived in the Apostles times For though the Beleevers then were sometimes taught the use of Ordinances by word of mouth from the Apostles yet other while they were taught the same but in the same way as we also now are that is to say by their writings or however their writings were as authentique this waies as their preachings and instructions were when they were present This is plain from 2 Thes. 2.15 Therefore Brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle The word here translated traditions would surely be better translated Ordinances as it is 1 Cor. 11.2 as those that are well skild in Greek do inform and so Mr. Tindal hath translated it in this place In this Text there are two things chiefly to be observed to our purpose 1. That the Apostles instructed or taught men about the use of Ordinances as well by their Epistles as by word of mouth 2. That men were to use practice and keep those Ordinances they had been taught by the Apostles writings as well as when they had been taught the same by word of mouth their writings did as well authorise yea oblige them to hold fast to wit in use and practise the Ordinances they had been taught thereby as any other way of teaching used by the Apostles SECT. 19. Neither did the Epistles of the Apostles if any should make a doubt of this So appropriately belong to those to whom first and immediately they were directed but that they also were intended for the good of all that call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for so the 1 Cor. 1.1.2 shews being directed as well to all those which in every place cal on the name of Jesus Christ as unto them For so the words run Paul called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Softhenes our brother unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints WITH ALL THAT IN EVERY PLACE call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ both theirs and ours So that if we or any others in any place of the world call upon the name of Jesus Christ this Epistle as well belongs to us as it did unto the Corinthians in like cases Besides many of the Epistles of the Apostles are called general Epistles as being intended indefinitely to all whom they might concern so the 1 and 2 Epistle of Peter 1 Epist. John and the Epist. of Jude and the 7 Epist. to the 7 Churches in Asia though immediately directed to them yet even every one that hath an ear to hear is to hearken what the spirit saith unto the Churches as you have it in the close of every Epistle Revel. 2.7.11.17.29 3.6.13.23 Seeing then that the Apostles writings do as well concern us as they did those to whose hands they first came what being written aforetime being written for our learning as the Apostle teaches to reason Rom. 15.4 and since also these writings of theirs do sufficiently direct men about and authorise them in the use of Gospel Ordinances it thence follows that we have in substance and effect the same Apostolical power among us to direct and warrant us in the use of Ordinances in Church communion as those Beleevers had who lived in the Apostles daies SECT. 20. And because the knowledge and beleef hereof is of soveraign use to cure that infirmity which troubles many and keeps them out of the way of Jesus Christ and to resolve the main doubt therefore I shall yet make this further manifest by what follows I. Then since Christ Jesus is the Prophet of the New-Testament as Moses was of the old as hath been oft-minded it will not be amisse to shew that Moses by his writings was a Minister to the Jews as well when he was dead as while he was alive John 5.45 There is one that accuses
them to proceed on in this case to restore decayed Ordinances though upon terms of some disadvantage in comparison of what they formerly enjoyed Then why should not the written Gospel in this case as wel be a rule and ground to us 4. Were they reproved for leaving off the work till they had Prophets sent to quicken them and shall they think to escape rebuke from God who now neglect the restoration of Gospel Ordinances till God raise up men extraordinarily inspired to put them in the way 5. Did the Prophet assure them of the presence of God with them in the work of reformation and restitution of Temple and Ordinances as well as their forefathers enjoyed it before any such decay fell out as we see he did Hag. 2.5 Then why may not we expect that presence of Christ with us in the restitution of his Ordinances which he promised to those that should observe his commands even to the end of the world Mat. 28.19.20 SECT. 13. II. Whereas it is supposed by the persons whose scruple I am now labouring to satisfie that all right administrators and administration of Gospel Ordinances perished from the earth in times of Papal darkness To this I answer 1. That so to say is a meer presumption which cannot be made good In that great apostacy of Israel Eliah that great Prophet thought indeed that he even he alone was left whereas God had in secret seven thousand which had not bowed the knee to Baal 1 Kings 19.14.18 Rom. 11.3.4 So that we see it s no good argument to conclude that because in times of great and general apostacy there is no visible appearance of the faithful servants of God who have not defiled their garments that therefore there is none And who knows but that God might as well reserve unto himself in secrets seven thousand in the time of Papal Apostacy as he did in the Baalish Apostacy SECT. XIV 2. If that promise of Christ Mat. 16.18 Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it be to be understood as commonly it hath been and I know no sufficient reason to depart from that received interpretation that maugre all the slight policy and power of Satan and his instruments yet Christ will have a true Church on earth to the end of the world then we must conclude that Christ had a true Church in being even all the time of the greatest antichristian apostacy and Popish darkness though the footsteps thereof could not be discovered in history A conclusion to which that of the Apostle seems to add much strength Eph. 4.11.12.13 For in that he saith he gave some Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for work of the Ministry perfecting of Saints and edifying of the body of Christ TELL we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ he cannot reasonably be understood to mean less then that some of these Officers should remain and continue unto the coming of Christ at the end of the world when and not till when this unity of faith and knowledge and the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ shall be attained by all Saints For the Apostle Paul himself who was a Saint of the largest growth and I think we may say came the nearest to the stature of the fulness of Christ of all other yet he acknowledged that whilest he was here in the flesh that he had not as yet attained or was already perfect Phil. 3.13 and that he knew but in part 1 Cor. 13.12 and if not he much lesse the Saints that have lived since him in times of degeneration And if that estate be not yet attained for the compleating of which the Lord Jesus gave unto his Church the Officers aforesaid then they remain in being unto this day or else Christ hath not given them to remain VNTILL WE ALL come viz. Paul and all the rest of the Saints unto a perfect man which yet the Apostle affirms that he hath But those that will needs suppose all Church Officers and Administrators to have been utterly extinct when once the Popish Apostacy took place go about to make the contrary to what the Apostle affirms to be true and do say in effect That Christ gave some Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers untill the Churches and Saints came to the measure of the stature of Antichrist and not to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ SECT. XV 3. But then thirdly there is much to be said from History and that in great part of the adversaries own penning to prove that there hath been a continuance of a true Church and a right administration of Ordinances even from the Apostles days down to this very time in which we live There was a people in the darkest times of Popery who opposed themselves against the corruptions of the times sometimes distinguished by the names of Waldenses and Albigenses and Lionists For their qualifications a certain Frier saith thus of them That men and woman little and great day and night cease not to learn and to teach and that divers of them could perfectly deliver all the New Testament a man saith he would not hurt his enemy if he should meet him upon the way accompanied with one of these Hereticks They were said to be modest simple medling little with bargains to avoid lying and deceit living upon their labour being content with a little chast sober and inviting others by their example to every good thing For the time of their continuance or being in the world Du Plessit an approved Author in his History of the Papacy pag. 330. brings in one Rainerius a Frier as writing about the year 1250. speaking thus of them Among all the Sects that are saith he or ever will be none can be more pernicious to the Church of God then that of Lyons for three causes First because it hath continued a longer time then any some say it hath been ever since the time of Sylvester others say from the time of the Apostles The second because it is more general for there is not almost any country where into this Sect hath not crept The third because all the other procure horrour by their Blasphemies against God this of the Lyonists hath a great appearance of piety in as much as they live uprightly before men and put their trust in God in all things SECT. 16. Though I will not say that all of this way were such as were nick-named Anabaptists for possibly it may be made out that some of them were tainted with that errour of the times of baptizing their children yet there is good reason to conceive that many of them did not For first Bernard who is reported to have lived about the year 1002. which was 250. years before the foresaid Frier
as lawful and so practised by any with consent of the Apostles yet this was onely among the Iews And therefore though Timothy was circumcised yet it was in that his mother was a Iewesse Acts 16.1.4 Whereas when the same thing was desired in the behalf of Titus the Apostle would by no means consent unto it for as much as he was a Greek the Apostle aleadging that as a reason of his refusal Gal. 2.3 And further tels the Gentiles that if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing Gal. 5.2 And the decree of the Apostles was express herein when some would have had the beleeving Gentiles circumcised that those among the Gentiles that were turned to God should not be troubled with any the Jewes customes but onely that they should abstain from things strangled and from blood c. Acts 15.19.20 with v. 28.29 But now water baptism was used among the beleeving Gentiles as well as the beleeving Jews all along as well after this decree of the Apostles as before Act. 16.15.33 and 18.8 which clearly evinceth the baptism we speak of to be no Jewish rite as is pretended nor yet to be practised upon like terms as circumcision was in the Apostles days SECT. VIII To those that lay aside not onely baptism but other ordnances also as things fleshly I shall in short say but this to convince them that those notions which lead them to this proceed not from the holy spirit but from the foul spirit the Devil 1. The Lord Jesus himself whose measure of the spirit was greater then any mans and the Apostles and other Saints in their times whose measure of the spirit were greater then any in these times can reasonably pretend to in that they did such works then as none now can do yet they were guided by the holy spirit to use and to enjoyn others to use water baptism the word breaking of bread and prayer as the History of the new Testament doth abundantly witness And therefore for those that have not so much of the spirit yet to conceit themselves to be elivated higher in the spirit and to be carryed above those forms which those that had more of the spirit were directed to use is such an immagination as may be sensibly felt to be a delusion of the Devil and not any inspiration of the Spirit of God Those in the Apostles days who separated themselves from the Churches of Christ and communion with them in ordinances of the Gospel though probably upon the same pretences with men of like separation in our times are charractorized by the Apostle to be sensual not having the spirit Jud. 19. 2. Therefore secondly what ever is meant by mens knowing of Christ not after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 or by other Scriptures of like import most certain it is that this is not the meaning of them that men should not know Christ in Ordinances because the Apostles themselves knew Christ in these and had communion with him and with his Saints in these yea and it was their business to perswade others hereunto and I hope no man will think that the spirit inspired them to speak contradictions For as God is true saith the Apostle our word toward you was not yea and nay 2. Cor. 1.18 3. When the Appostle opposeth the spirit unto the letter in 2. Cor. 3.6 he doth noâ— mean by letter Gospel Ordinances but the Ministration of Moses for that which he calls the letter in this 6 Verse he also calls the ministration of death written and engraven in stones Verse 7. which can rightly be understood of nothing else but the ministration of Moses And therefore they bewray much ignorance who from this Scripture cry down Gospel Ordinances as being but the letter when as indeed the Apostle doth oppose the whole Gospel ministration which as to the external part is made up of Ordinances as being spiritual unto that of the law which was but litteral And the reason why the Ordinances of the Gospel are said to be spiritual and those of the law but litteral You may understand by the sequel of the Apostles discourse in this Chapter which is this viz. because the end and spiritual meaning of the Ordinances of the Law was little understood or discerned but was vailed and hid under those shaddows so that as he says Verse 13. The children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of those things which now are abolished Whereas the end scope spirit and meaning of Gospel Ordinances is plainly revealed and may cleerly be discerned and therefore the Apostle by way of magnifying the ministration of the Gospel above that of the Law saith Verse 12.13 We use great plainness of speech and not as Moses who put a vail over his face c. and again vers. 18. We all with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord And therefore it is doubtless in respect of this difference that the Gospel ministration the outward part whereof consists in Ordinances is in other Scriptures as spiritual opposed to the ordinances of the Law as things fleshly Gal. 3.3 Are ye so foolish having began in the spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh Their folly was this for which he chids them In that they having first embraced the Doctrine and Ordinance of the Gospel by which Christ had before their eyes been evidently set forth as crucified among them Verse 1. and by which they had received the spirit vers. 2. yet were so weak as to think to better their condition at last by taking up the Ordinance of the Law which in comparison of those of the Gospel which they had already received were but weak and beggerly elements Chap. 4.9 Most evident it is that those Galatians began their Christianity in the beleeving the Gospel and putting on Christ in baptism Chap. 3.26.27 which here in Chap. 3. vers. 3. the Apostle calls their having began in the spirit If so then certainly they are not of the Apostles mind who deem water Baptism to be but fleshly If then the Ordinances of the Gospel as a great part of the Gospel Ministration be spiritual and in Scripture opposed to carnal ordinances as we see they are then most manifest it is that those poor souls whom the Devil hath so far beguild as to conceit themselves so spiritual and subline as to be above ordinances are indeed and in truth so poor low as and carnal to be grosly ignorant of the mind of God thus plainly laid down in Scripture SECT. IX My next Coralary from my first position shall be this If Christ be a Prophet of the New Testament as Moses was of the old then it follows that as the Law first given by Moses was a standing rule according to which the Jews upon all back-slidings were to reform themselves in worship and all other things until the coming of Christ in the flesh so likewise the Gospel in all the Doctrines Precepts and Ordinances
thereof first delivered to the Saints either immediately by Christ or immediately by his Apostles is to remain stedfastly as a standard according to which all men are to reform in point of faith worship discipline and conversation otherwise until Christ shall come again at the end of the world SECT. X. That the Prophets themselves though men of extraordinary inspiration when they found the Iews to have corrupted themselves and the worship of God did still call upon them to reform according to the written Law of Moses and that good men did reform accordingly will appear by these and the like Scriptures Ier. 6.16 Isa. 8.20 2 Kings 17.13 and 18.6 and 23.25 Neh. 10.29 And indeed whether they had Prophets among them or whether none yet still the written Law was their rule Mal. 4.4 Psal. 78.5.6.7 In like manner the Prophetical office of Christ answering the Prophetical office of Moses the Doctrines Ordinances and commands which Christ first gave forth do remain stedfast as that standing rule according to which all reformations in the Church of God ought to be managed This appears further by Heb. 2.1.2.3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we let them slip c. The things which they had heard and which they had first been taught he lays down Chap. 6.1.2 viz. Repentance from dead works faith towards God doctrine of Baptism and laying on of hands c. These and the like things which they had heard are so to be heeded that they may not at ANYTIME be let slip Again 2 Thes. 2.15 Therefore Brethren stand fast and hold the Ordinances which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle Where note likewise that the Ordinances of the Gospel whether taught by word or by writing as we have them are to be held fast And if it be demanded how long Christ himself resolves the case Rev. 2.25 That which ye have already hold fast till I come Which cannot be meant of his spiritual coming into the hearts of men to which sence some would pervert the words because thus he was come to his Church of Thyatira and the rest of the seaven Churches of Asia before he gave them this charge for he walked in the midst of the seaven golden Candlesticks to wit those seaven Churches Rev. 1.13.20 which notes his coming to them and abiding amongst them Besides can any be so weak as to think when Paul 1 Cor. 11.26 directs the Church of Corinth to shew forth the Lords death till he come by the breaking of bread that he means it of Christs spiritual coming by his Spirit into their hearts since it is evident enough that thus he was come to them already in as much as the Apostle stiles them Sanctified ones in Christ Jesus and called to be Saints and such as were by him inriched in every thing waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Chap 1.2.5.7 Again the same command or law according to which Tymothy was to manage the affairs of the Church then in his days is to be kept without spot unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.14 And when there is any degenerating backsliding or falling off from the first pure ways of the Gospel there men in repenting and reforming are to do the FIRST works Rev. 2.5 SECT. XI Many there are indeed upon whom the spirit of Ranteterism hath not yet so far prevailed but that they acknowledge water baptism in its proper subject true beleevers and all other Gospel Ordinances to be still in force and agreeable enough to that spiritual worship required under the Gospel were it so that they had but oppertunity of enjoying them in a due way of administration But that now they make a considerable obsticle in their way of coming into Church-communion Gospel Ordinances viz. the want of a right administrator For they suppose that since that general apostacy from the purity of faith and Gospel order which befel the Churches upon the entring of the Papacie into the world there hath none appeared sufficiently Authorized by God to rally again what had been routed by hand of the enemy or to gather Churches or administer Ordinances all due Admistrators in this kind being perished from the earth and that therefore we must be content to wait till God shall raise up some such whose authority in this behalf he shall attest with visible signes of his presence by gifts of the Holy Ghost and divers miracles as at the first erection of Gospel Churches and Ordinances To the solving of which doubt I shall now apply my self as unto that which I principally intended SECT. XII 1. Therefore suppose it were granted that all right administration of Gospel Ordinances did totally cease during the time that Papal darknesse over spread the world yet this upon such a supposition would put men but in like condition with the people of God the Jews during the time of their captivity in Babylon in which the Temple lay waste the dayly sacrifice ceased and all use of publike worship was cut off and yet when God gave them the oppertunity by bringing them out of Babylon they presently fell to restore the use of decayed Ordinances though Prophets extraordinarily inspired by God to direct them were altogether wanting And though the Temple at the first might not be built but according to Gods own direction 1 Chron. 28.12.19 yet the Jews though now they had no such extraordinary directions Ezra 2.63 nor in conclusion did attain the perfection of the Temple as at first Ezra 3.12 Hag. 2.3 yet they by the light of that written Law set upon restoring of Temple and worship according to such opportunity as they then had And that they did well in so doing appears in that after they had begun and did again desist from the work the Lord raised up two Prophets Haggai and Zachary to reprove them for that they had let their hands slick from the work Hag. 1.1 to 12. Ezek. 5.1 All which considered together with this that Christ is a Prophet in his time like unto Moses in his may greatly encourage such who are but lately come out of the bondage of mistical Babylon to put to their hands to the restoring of the decayed Ordinances of the Gospel to the uttermost of that opportunity they have and according to that Gospel pattern we finde in the writings of the New Testament do but parralel their case with ours and see if we have not as great reason to be doing this way as they 1. Have we no men extraordinarily inspired to lead the way herein neither had they till such were raised to reprove them for their negligence therein 2. Suppose we should in some things want opportunity of comming up to the utmost of the first Gospel pattern yet they were under the like disadvatage in their low reformation Hag. 2.3 3. Was the written Law a sufficient ground for
you even Moses in whom ye trust saith Christ to the Jews in that the Doctrine of Moses which they had in writing did accuse them Moses himself is said to accuse them Again ver. 46 47. For had ye beleeved Moses ye would have beleeved me for he wrote of me but if ye beleeve not his writings how shall ye beleeve my words Where we see 1. That to beleeve Moses and to beleeve the Doctrine of Moses in his writings is the same thing And 2. That Christ held it altogether unlikely that those that would not beleeve and obey those matters of Doctrine whilst commended to them in the writings of Moses should ever beleeve and obey Christ himself teaching the same things And by rule of proportion it holds well that if those that would not beleeve Moses writings could not beleeve Christs words he speaking and Moses writing the same thing neither would they beleeve and obey the Apostles themselves or men of like qualifications if they should come again amongst us who now will not obey those Doctrines rules and precepts which they have left us in writing And hereto agrees that also Luke 16.31 If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Again John 7.19.22 did not Moses give you the Laws and yet none of you keepeth the Law ver. 22. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision c. How did Moses give them the Law and circumcision when as he was dead many hundreds of years before they were born Why in that they had the writings of Moses and were as well concerned in what they imported as those were to whom Moses first delivered the Law in that respect Moses was said to give them the law as well as to their fore-fathers Acts 21.21 They are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children and to walk after the customes Where likewise we see that to forsake the Doctrine of Moses is to forsake Moses and Luke 16.13 They are said to have Moses and the Prophets when yet they had but their writings so that to forsake Moses and to forsake his Doctrine and to have Moses and the Prophets and to have their Doctrine in writing is in Scripture language and account the same thing in effect and substance And there is altogether the same reason why to have the Ministry of the Apostles and to have their Doctrine in writing to forsake the one and to forsake the other should be substantially the same thing And let every man be sure of this that if Christ Jesus at his first comming did interpret mens neglect of Moses in his writings to be an neglect of Moses in his Ministry that he likewise at his second comming will account mens neglect to observe his Ordinances and wayes delivered us in the writings of his Apostles to be an neglect of the Apostles ministry yea of Christ himself whose Embassadours they are to the world and to the Saints as well by writing as speaking as I shall shew further by and by SECT. 21. 2. The same thing is true also of the Doctrines and writings of the Prophets for they by their writings are as wel Ministers to those under the New Testament as they were to those to whom they in their life time preached under the old so far as their Doctrine concerns men now 1 Pet. 1.10 11 12. Of which salvation the Prophets have inquired searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you ver. 12. unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselve - but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported to you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you Where note 1. That the Prophets are said to minister to us who now live under the New Testament the things of the Gospel the same things which those have reported who preached the Gospel and to minister to us and to be ministers to us of the Grace of the Gospel is in effect the same thing But then 2. How or by what means are the Prophets ministers to us of this Grace but by their writings and if they by their writings are ministers unto us then much more are the Apostles Ministers to us upon the like account Again Eph. 2.20 and are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles c. If then the Doctrine of the Prophets transmitted in writing was as wel the Basis and foundation upon which the Churches in the Apostles times were built as the Doctrine of the Apostles themselves as by this text it clearly appears that it was then by the same rule the Doctrinal writings both of the Prophets and Apostles are a sufficient foundation whereon to build Churches now in these times And therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 16.25.26 that by the Scriptures of the Prophets as well as by the preaching of the Apostles Christ Jesus is made known to all nations for the obedience of Faith If then the Scriptures of the Prophets be a sufficient ground for men in all Nations in faith to act upon for so much of the Gospel as is revealed in them as you see by our Apostle they are then without doubt the Scriptures of the Apostles also are a sufficient ground for men in all Nations in faith to act upon as touching all those Doctrines Ordinances Rules and Precepts of the Gospel contained in them John 20.31 But these are WRITTEN that ye might BELEEVE that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that beleeving ye might have life through his name SECT. 22. 3. I shall yet further strengthen my principal assertion touching the presence of an Apostolical power now amongst us directing and authorizing men in the gathering of Churches and administration of Ordinances I say I shall further confirm this by several considerations taken from the nature manner and extant of the apostolical ministration SECT. 23. 1. The Apostles were and are Apostles to men as well by their writings being absent from them as by their preachings when present with them For this consider first Rom. 15.15.16 Neverthelesse Brethren I have written the more boldly to you in some sort as putting you in mind because of the Grace that is given me of God that I should be the Minister of Jesus Christ unto the Gentiles ministering the Gospel of God Two things would be noted here touching our businesse in hand 1. The act of Paul he wrote and wrote boldly unto these Romans 2. The reason or ground why he did so write and that was because by the Grace of God he was made the minister of Christ to the Gentiles such as they were to minister to them the Gospel of God By which we gather that in that he wrote this Epistle to them it was in direct pursuance of his Office as being the minister or Apostle of the Gentiles and that