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<DATE>2012-03-13</DATE>
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<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE OF Chri&s;tian Religion: OR, The <HI>FO&V;NDATION DOCTRINE</HI> OF Laying on of Hands. A&s;&s;erted and Vindicated by way of An&s;wer to &s;uch Arguments as by Lieutenant Colonel <HI>Paul Hob&s;on</HI> have been pre&s;ented again&s;t this Go&s;pel Ordinance. Affectionately tendred to &s;uch enqui|ring &s;ouls as are de&s;irous throughly to for&s;ake <HI>Babylon</HI> notion and humane tradition, and by univer&s;all obedience to follow the Lamb in all his righteous appointments. <HI>By</HI> THO. TILLAM <HI>a Mini&s;ter of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>PSAL. 102.13, 14.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Thou &s;halt ari&s;e, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea the &s;et time is come.</P>
<P>For thy &s;ervants take plea&s;ure in her &s;tones, and favour the du&s;t thereof.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>E. C.</HI> for <HI>Henry Ever&s;den,</HI> and are to be &s;old by <HI>William Huche&s;on</HI> of <HI>Durham</HI> M.DC.LV.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To all the e&s;pou&s;ed Virgins of the Prince of Peace, whether Per&s;ons or Churches, with &s;uch pretious panting Spirits as are breathing after his Divine embraces.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Heirs of Glory,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>WHat&s;oever be your outward &s;tate, yet &s;ince the di&s;tingui&s;hing love of God hath enrich|ed you with grace, I dare confidently (as his Amba&s;&s;adour) &s;alute you with peace, even that peace which the world can neither give nor take away; the peace of God that pa&s;&s;eth all under&s;tanding, &s;uch peace as unbelieving di&s;obedient ones never ta&s;ted, neither can enjoy. For however the Prince of darkne&s;&s;e transforming him&s;elf into an Angell of light, doth now more then ever, by &s;trong delu&s;ions Captivate thou|&s;ands in his airy region, where fancied &s;pirituall enjoy|ments po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e them with vehement de&s;ires to their con|ceited Paradi&s;e: Yet alas!
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 44.20.</NOTE> <HI>True peace is a meer &s;tranger, they feed upon a&s;hes, deceived hearts have tur|ned them a&s;ide, that they cannot deliver their &s;ouls, nor &s;ay, Is there not a lie in my right hand?</HI> While they boa&s;t of perfection, light, infallibility, the enemy hath &s;toln their hearts from Evangelicall obedience. I would in a word warn your pretious &s;ouls (<HI>ye who de&s;ire to obey from the heart that forme of Doctrine which was delivered you</HI>) beware of the great deceit of the&s;e dayes,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.17.</NOTE>
<PB REF="3">wherewith Satan deceiveth multitudes, to a &s;leighting that whole&s;ome form of &s;ound words; and in the mean time leads them by the no&s;es into the mo&s;t piti|full formes that ever were invented, as putting off the hat, bowing the knee, &s;aying, Sir, Ma&s;ter, Lord, thou, and &s;uch like. And &s;uch as differ from them about the&s;e gnats, &s;hall pre&s;ently di&s;cern the &s;erpents &s;ting full of deadly poy&s;on, denouncing Wrath, Woe, Dam|nation, all the plagues of God. But for the precious or|dinances of Chri&s;t, as Bapti&s;me, Church fellow&s;hip, Love-fea&s;ts, wa&s;hing of feet, breaking of bread, &s;ing|ing of P&s;almes, Impo&s;ition of hands, Church officers, Sabbath, Lords day, Anointing with oil, Holy ki&s;&s;e, Chri&s;tian &s;alutes, Cen&s;ures and &s;uch like, their very &s;ouls abhor them, and their pre&s;umptuous tongues dare cur&s;e the pretious &s;aints that u&s;e them. But ye beloved, building up your &s;elves on your mo&s;t holy faith,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jude <HI>v.</HI> 10, 21.</NOTE> pray|ing in the Holy Gho&s;t, keep your &s;elves in the love of God, waiting for the &s;econd coming of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in all the wayes he hath appointed. Be not found in the fire of fooli&s;h Virgins when the Bridegroom comes, but labour to &s;tand compleat in all the will of God, lacking nothing. To this end I here pre&s;ent you with a pretious Ordinance of Chri&s;t, oppo&s;ed by many profe&s;|&s;ors; and particularly by a Northern Gent. a Preacher, who&s;e arguments I do profe&s;&s;e &s;hould never have recei|ved an&s;wer by me, had not &s;ome boa&s;ted, that becau&s;e they were not, therefore they could not be an&s;wered. Whereupon at the earne&s;t de&s;ires of &s;ome choi&s;e &s;pirits I did engage, with purpo&s;e to confine my &s;elf to a narrow compa&s;&s;e, &s;uch as might be ea&s;ily copied; but the enlargements of that holy Spirit who is variou&s;ly communicated through this Ordinance of Hands, hath
<PB REF="3">put me upon the nece&s;&s;ity of making it more publick: with which purpo&s;e I did acquaint my Antagoni&s;t that if he plea&s;ed he might alter any thing of forme in his arguments; but after &s;everall weeks expectation, I heard of his ab&s;ence far from home, &s;o that my occa&s;i|ons, and pre&s;ent opportunities of the Pre&s;&s;e have enga|ged me to publi&s;h the Gent. Arguments as they were fir&s;t pre&s;ented, with my an&s;wer thereunto. And now the God of truth, accompany his own Precept with his own pre&s;ence, for the confirmation of tho&s;e obe|dient &s;ouls who have greatly honoured Chri&s;t by early &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion. For the information of tho&s;e pretious Spirits who are weeping and &s;eeking the way to Sion, with their faces thitherwards. And for the mitigation of that bitter per&s;ecuting, har&s;h impo&s;ing, imperious &s;pirit, that &s;o greatly rageth in many profe&s;&s;ors again&s;t the practice of this duty. O that darkne&s;&s;e might be di&s;pel'd, and the true light &s;hine in profe&s;&s;ors &s;pirits, lips, and lives! Let all that fear Chri&s;t beware of re&s;ting in that light &s;o much cryed up by deluded &s;ouls. The light in the naturall man will never &s;ave him, no nor &s;o much as &s;hew him what he ought to do (as a Chri&s;ti|an) No wonder then that tho&s;e who &s;o cry up that light, live in &s;uch gro&s;&s;e di&s;obedience to Go&s;pell Ordinances. But if natures highe&s;t attainers will know what they ought to do, <HI>Act.</HI> 10.6. if they would be told words whereby they may be &s;aved, <HI>Act.</HI> 11.14. they mu&s;t not be &s;ent to the light within (as deceivers &s;ay) but they mu&s;t &s;end for a Go&s;pell mini&s;ter to tell them words. But tho&s;e that cry up the light in the Con&s;cience, are enemies to tho&s;e words of Scripture. Alas pitifull dark &s;oules! they know no light but that which lighteth every man that cometh into the world;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 1.5.</NOTE> but thy pretious
<PB REF="4">&s;oul (thou Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t) can&s;t witne&s;&s;e the Go&s;pell light that lightneth every man that cometh out of the world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 15.19.</NOTE> by religious &s;eparation, not by a voluntary Po|pi&s;h humiliation. The former is a true light but natu|rall; the latter light is truly evangelicall. And this light is communicated through the Word and Ordi|nances, and particularly, through this holy Ordinance of <HI>Laying on of hands</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119.130.</NOTE>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Act. 9.17.</NOTE>, to which light I leave thy enquiring &s;oul, to illuminate thy under&s;tanding in the knowledge of this Ordinance, that through obedience to it thou maye&s;t have more light, to conduct thee into everla&s;ting life, through Chri&s;t thy King; for who&s;e &s;ake I am thy &s;ervant.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Tho. Tillam.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>This Que&s;tion it &s;eems was propoun|ded to the Gent.</HEAD>
<Q><HI>WHether the laying on of hands upon all Believers be a &s;tanding Ordinance to continue in the Church of Christ, and to be practi&s;ed now by the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, yea or no.</HI></Q>
<P>To which he returned the&s;e lines.</P>
<P>Your Quere doth not at all relate to the u&s;e of Laying on of hands for the de&s;igning of fit &s;ubjects to Offices, ac|cording to the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>Act.</HI> 6.16. &amp; 13.3. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.14. &amp; 5.22. Nor to your laying hands upon the &s;ick accor|ding to the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>Jam.</HI> 5.14. <HI>Act.</HI> 28.8. Therefore in my an&s;wer I &s;hall minde neither of them, but &s;ingly your Quere as ye lay it down (which is) <HI>Whether hands are to be laid upon all believers as believers without relating to an Office be a &s;tanding Ordinance in the Church of Chri&s;t, Yea or No.</HI></P>
<P>My an&s;wer to it briefly is, That I judge it not a &s;tanding Ordinance, and my grounds are the&s;e.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is taken from the unwarrantable foundation of &s;uch an act.</P>
<P>Secondly, The &s;ad ab&s;urdities that will come up|on it.</P>
<P><LABEL>For the fir&s;t.</LABEL>I. Where we have no command given out by Chri&s;t to his Church for a practi&s;e, there the Church hath no ground to continue a practi&s;e; but there is no command given forth by God or Chri&s;t to the Church of Chri&s;t for the laying on of hands upon all Di&s;ciples. Therefore there is no ground to continue that practi&s;e.</P>
<P>The Major Propo&s;ition is proved from the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1.12. &amp; 8.20. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 43.7. <HI>Job.</HI> 15.14. <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.15. <HI>Levit.</HI> 10.1, 2. applyed to the 13. <HI>v. Enod.</HI> 13.5.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="5">
<P>If any &s;hall que&s;tion the minor, I &s;hould be glad to &s;ee their proof. If any &s;ay it is proved in <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.12. with <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.2. where it is called, An oracle of God. And &s;ome have from that indevoured to prove Oracles and Commands both one. I &s;hall &s;ay little to the rea&s;ons, but refer the Reader to the ju&s;tifying of the proof.</P>
<P>And how incon&s;i&s;tent the application of tho&s;e Scri|ptures they bring, are to make good this particular, to wit, Laying on of hands upon all believers, and that by them that are bare Mini&s;ters. Now though it be not proper for any to prove negatives, yet &s;omething I mu&s;t &s;ay to them that go about to maintain this practi&s;e from that Scri|pture.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, I would have you con&s;ider that all that is &s;aid by them from hence is but a &s;uppo&s;ition, and a &s;uppo&s;ition is not a &s;ufficient foundation for the continuation of any thing that is called a Go&s;pell Ordinance. And that it is but a &s;uppo&s;ition is clear, if ye read but the Arguments of them that paraphra&s;e upon that Scripture, and con&s;ider well the Scripture it &s;elf, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.12. applyed with <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.2.</P>
<P>Secondly, It is not only a &s;uppo&s;ition, but a doubtfull &s;uppo&s;ition, for it is more probable that the Laying on of hands by the Apo&s;tles upon any that were bare Di&s;ciples, was rather concluded in that word in the fir&s;t part of the &s;econd <HI>ver&s;e</HI> of the 6. of the <HI>Heb.</HI> concerning Bapti&s;mes; then that which the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks in the &s;econd <HI>ver&s;.</HI> con|cerning laying on of hands; for if this be not one of the Bapti&s;mes that was here expre&s;&s;ed in this Scripture, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.2. I &s;hould gladly know how they would make up Bapti&s;ms according to this Scripture, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.2. for that if you will con&s;ider all the ca&s;e is doubtfull, and whether a doubtfull &s;uppo&s;ition be a &s;ufficient foundation to bear up an act as a Church Ordinance, we leave it to any &s;oul to judge. So that the minor is as well true as the major, then the conclu|&s;ion mu&s;t follow.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Object.</NOTE>If the Apo&s;tles did it, we have a command for it, for we are commanded to follow them, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.14. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.1.</P>
<PB N="3" REF="5">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In an&s;wer to this con&s;ider the&s;e things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Tho&s;e that object do not, nor cannot follow the Apo&s;tles in their works of Miracles.</P>
<P>Secondly, The two Scriptures, and ye will &s;ee, it doth not at all make good what they intend.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t place, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.16. the Apo&s;tle there doth not intend following him in all things, but he exhorts them from fal&s;e Apo&s;tles to follow him that is his teaching, and that teaching which he had preached to them, and in all the Churches; that you will &s;ee if you read the 15. <HI>v.</HI> But the Laying on of hands upon all di&s;ciples he taught in no Church nor to them.</P>
<P>Now to the &s;econd Scripture, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.1.</P>
<P N="1">1. To that is,
<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">An&s;w.</NOTE>that the Apo&s;tle did not intend acts of pow|er, as this is, but acts of imitation, for it is the &s;ame word of the Apo&s;tle hath in <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.1. where we are commanded to be followers of God as dear children. Now none are &s;o ignorant as to think we are commanded to follow God in acts of power. But in imitable acts an&s;wering the com|mands of Chri&s;t, and the practi&s;es of the Churches. But there is, as we &s;aid before, neither a command from Chri&s;t, nor any practi&s;e of the Churches that we can read of for Laying on of hands upon all Di&s;ciples, but it was properly an act of power, <HI>Act</HI> 8.19. &amp; 19.6.</P>
<P N="2">2. That which we have no example from the practi&s;e of the primitive Churches, we have now no ground to practi&s;e now. But we have no pre&s;ident in the primitive Churches that ever Laying on of hands was practi&s;ed upon all believers, by them that were not Apo&s;tles; therefore there is no ground for that practi&s;e. Now the Major propo&s;ition none will deny; and as for the Minor, it will clearly appear if ye con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="1">1. That we have no Scripture that ever hands were laid upon bare believers; two Scriptures <HI>Act.</HI> 8.17. &amp; 19.6. and no other Scriptures declares, that that act was performed either then, afterwards, or before; and I am confident that if you with a &s;ingle heart de&s;ire to &s;ee truth, as it is expre&s;t and intended, you will &s;ee no foundation to warrant &s;uch an act as the Laying on of hands upon all believers, by the Mini|&s;ters
<PB N="4" REF="6">of the Churches to be a &s;tanding Ordinance, and that you will clearly &s;ee if ye mind the&s;e things. 1. Who did it. 2. Upon whom. 3. Why.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, By whom, it was by the Apo&s;tle and no other, if any &s;hould be &s;o ab&s;urd as to &s;ay, What the Apo&s;tles did we are commanded to do, though we have no command for it, nor practi&s;e in the primitive Churches. To that I an&s;wer, If the bare examples of the Apo&s;tles without a command doth bind in any thing, then in every thing; the great ab&s;urdities that will follow upon that, you will clearly &s;ee, if ye view well the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>Act.</HI> 3.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. &amp; 16.3, 21, 26.</P>
<P>Secondly, Minde upon whom it was done, they were a people ignorant of and &s;trangers to the Holy Gho&s;t, as you will &s;ee if you read the &s;aid Scripture <HI>Act.</HI> 19.2. and al&s;o the forementioned Scripture. But where you read of &s;o many thou&s;ands as was converted <HI>Act.</HI> 2.41. &s;o many at another time <HI>Act.</HI> 4.4. nay if ye read over all the practi&s;es of the Church of <HI>Corinth,</HI> the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> or the Church of <HI>The&s;&s;alonica,</HI> or any other Churches, that were &s;etled, ye &s;hall never &s;ee any &s;uch practi&s;es among&s;t them.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It was not as men pretend in the&s;e dayes to put men in expectation of the Holy Gho&s;t to wait for him in this practi&s;e. But it was ab&s;olutely to communicate the Holy Gho&s;t in and by the action, <HI>Act.</HI> 8.14. &amp; 19.6.</P>
<P>Now we might &s;peak much more to the minor propo&s;iti|on, were it proper to &s;peak much to negatives, but that which hath been &s;aid is &s;ufficient to manife&s;t the truth of the Minor, therefore the conclu&s;ion followeth.</P>
<Q>The &s;econd thing is the Ab&s;urdities that of nece&s;&s;itie mu&s;t follow &s;uch an unwarrantable practi&s;e.</Q>
<P>The fir&s;t ab&s;urditie is, they lay unfaithfulne&s;&s;e upon Je&s;us Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 25.8, 9, &amp; 40. ver&s;. Heb. 8.5.</NOTE> cro&s;&s;ing this Scripture, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3.2. and advancing <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> above Chri&s;t, for <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> who was but a &s;ervant of God to de|clare the order and forme of Gods hou&s;e never left any to act upon doubtfull &s;uppo&s;itions, but gives them a particular command for every ordinance that was to abide in Gods hou&s;e.</P>
<PB N="5" REF="6">
<P>The &s;econd Ab&s;urdity is, They lay a lie upon <HI>Paul,</HI> he &s;ayes that he had declared the whole coun&s;ell of God to the Church, <HI>Act.</HI> 20.27. and yet never did deliver this to the Mi|ni&s;ters of Chri&s;t to lay hands upon all Di&s;ciples, which if they &s;ay is a truth, then they lay an untruth upon <HI>Paul.</HI></P>
<P>The third Ab&s;urdity is, They cannot do it in faith, there|fore &s;infull, unle&s;&s;e it be an imaginary faith. All acts done in faith have a command for it, or a promi&s;e to meet God in it. But in this they have neither.</P>
<P>The fourth Ab&s;urdity is, It brings them out of a capacity to an&s;wer this Scripture 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.15. In being able alwayes to give a rea&s;on of the faith or hope that is in them, that &s;o gain&s;ayers mouths might be &s;topped. Now to maintain an act from nothing but &s;uppo&s;ition, can never &s;top the mouths of gain&s;ayers; for &s;uppo&s;ition is as &s;trong in the one as in the other, and is &s;o far from convincing any, that it pro|duceth di&s;putes in all.</P>
<P>There is two things to be con&s;idered in the Acts of the Apo&s;tles, which were glorious di&s;coveries of the power and authority of Chri&s;t in the &s;ettlement of the Go&s;pell, which the&s;e men do directly cro&s;&s;e who are bare imitators of the act, but cannot carry on the end.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is, The Apo&s;tles had power before to preach and Baptize with water, yet before they did this, they mu&s;t wait for power, and that an eminent and glorious power at <HI>Jeru|&s;alem, Luk.</HI> 24.49.</P>
<P>Secondly, When they did do it, it was &s;o done that no men as men could imitate it, that made <HI>Simon</HI> &s;o amazed. <HI>Act.</HI> 8.18, 19.</P>
<P>Now the&s;e men that thus plead and endevour thus to pra|cti&s;e, have neither waited for power, nor yet have received that power, and what they do as their imitating the act without carrying on the end, which is the e&s;&s;ence of the act, in that thing men as men may do. And what an ab&s;urd thing this is, let them that fear the Lord, and love the glorious di&s;coveries of his power and authority in the &s;ettlement of the Go&s;pell, judge.</P>
<P>Now dear friends I de&s;ire you in the fear of the Lord &s;eri|ou&s;ly to minde not only what hath been &s;aid, as to the un|warrantablene&s;&s;e
<PB N="6" REF="7">of &s;uch an act, and the ab&s;urdities it doth produce; but further con&s;ider the&s;e few con&s;iderations that I &s;hall in Chri&s;tian love pre&s;ent to you who own and practi&s;e &s;uch a thing.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Con&s;ider how injurious you are to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which you will &s;ee if ye mind well the fift ab&s;urdity,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 8.18, 19. &amp; 19.5, 6, 7.</NOTE> Chri&s;t bringing forth an act to &s;hew his power, you imitate the act and have not the power; &s;o turnes acts of power into a bare imitation, and &s;o are injurious to Chri&s;ts intention.</P>
<P>Secondly, Con&s;ider how you put your &s;elves under the reproof of God, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1.12. when he &s;hall &s;ay, Who hath re|quired the&s;e at your hands? &s;hould you then bring that place of Scripture, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.2. and if God demands, How ye know he did intend the Laying on of hands upon all Di&s;ciples in that place, you can only &s;ay, you think &s;o. And what a &s;ad thing is that? How ju&s;tly do you come under Gods reproof?</P>
<P>Thirdly, Con&s;ider not only in your acting how unlike all the primitive Churches you are, but al&s;o unlike <HI>Philip</HI> you are <HI>Act.</HI> 8.12, 13. though he was able to work miracles, and in many things beyond you, yet when he had Baptized with water, he left the Laying on of hands to the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Act.</HI> 8.14, 15, 16, 17.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Con&s;ider the great danger of turning acts of power, into bare imitation and want the power, &s;ee <HI>Act.</HI> 19.13, 14, 15, 16. <HI>Exod.</HI> 7.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. &amp; 8.16, 17, 18, 19.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="7" REF="7">
<HEAD>The Fourth Principle OF <HI>CHRISTIAN RELIGION:</HI> OR, The FOUNDATION DOCTRINE OF Laying on of Hands. A&s;&s;erted and Vindicated by way of An&s;wer to the&s;e Arguments.</HEAD>
<Q>THE Gents. fir&s;t ground, Why the Foundation Principle of Laying on of Hands, is not a &s;tanding Ordinance, he taketh (as he &s;aith) <HI>From the unwar|rantable foundation of &s;uch an act.</HI></Q>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<P>To which in Chri&s;ts &s;trength I an&s;wer.</P>
<P>That it's to me a Paradox, that a Foundation Principle of Chri&s;tianity, &s;hould want a warrantable foundation. How then can Chri&s;t be accounted faithfull in all his hou&s;e, even
<PB N="8" REF="8">as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was, if he hath &s;hewed-him&s;elf &s;uch a fooli&s;h builder to rai&s;e a &s;uper&s;tructure upon an unwarrantable foundation?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 3.2.</NOTE> <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> never left his hou&s;e in &s;uch a pitifull plight.</P>
<P>The Lord Chri&s;t timely expo&s;tulates with &s;uch as will give him the hearing,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 6.46.</NOTE> but will not do the things that he &s;ayes; and &s;uch this age abounds with, that grant this Foun|dation principle to be the teaching, &s;aying, or doctrine of Chri&s;t, but it's only to be learned, not to be practi&s;ed. But I am &s;ure this a&s;&s;ertion hath none other then an unwarrantable &s;andy foundation, which this interrogatory mu&s;t needs overturn, <HI>Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I &s;ay?</HI> Whereas the man which Chri&s;t commands, <HI>digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock,</HI> and &s;uch a foundation have the Six Principles of Chri&s;tian Religion, and every one of them, for they are plainly called <HI>Foundation Principles,</HI> which all the ri&s;ing flouds,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 6.48.</NOTE> and vehement &s;treams of oppo|&s;ition &s;hall never be able to &s;hake, <HI>for they are all founded upon a rock,</HI> and the rock is Chri&s;t: <HI>&V;pon this rock will I build my Church, and the gates of hell &s;hall not prevail again&s;t it.</HI></P>
<P>The Gent.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16.18.</NOTE> hath laid but a &s;andy a&s;&s;ertion for his fir&s;t groundwork, in judging Impo&s;ition of hands no &s;tanding Ordinance, as having no warrantable foundation. Where|as, it hath not only as firm a foundation as Chri&s;t him&s;elf the rock of ages, being one of his fir&s;t Doctrines, words, &s;ay|ings, or teachings, (as the Originall holds forth) but is al&s;o it &s;elf (with the other principles) called a <HI>Foundation. Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 6.1, 2.</NOTE> and of faith towards God, of the Doctrine of Bapti&s;ms, and of Laying on of hands,</HI> &amp;c. The word in the Greek is <GAP DESC="foreign">, which &s;ignifies &s;uch a ba&s;is or principle is laid under another thing, without which that thing cannot &s;tand.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2.20, 21.</NOTE> It is one of tho&s;e foundation &s;tones of the Apo&s;tles and Prophets, layed next the chief corner-&s;tone Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and what&s;oever building would grow up to an holy temple in the Lord, <HI>Can no more want this foundation principle of Laying on of hands,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 5.12.</NOTE> then its fel|low principle Bapti&s;me,</HI> for it is <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the word of the beginning of Chri&s;t,</HI> which the the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, Every Chri&s;tian babe ought to be taught,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2.2.</NOTE> as being a part
<PB N="9" REF="8">of that &s;incere milke of the word, which he ought to u&s;e in the infancy of his profe&s;&s;ion, whiles yet he is unskilfull in the word of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.13.</P>
<P>We have talked much of the Six Principles of Chri&s;ti|an Religion, but alas, it hath been but an uncertain &s;ound from unskilfull Trumpets, whereby Chri&s;ts Souldiers have not prepared them&s;elves to the battell,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act 8.30.</NOTE> through their obedience; &s;o that if a <HI>Philip</HI> &s;hould demand, <HI>&V;nder|&s;tande&s;t thou what thou reade&s;t, or heare&s;t?</HI> who could give a clear an&s;wer?</P>
<P>A great noi&s;e is made of Six Principles, and yet this Gent. &s;aith, that one of them is not a &s;tanding Ordinance, as wan|ting a warrantable foundation; thus the number of our Principles are only five, by his account. And Chri&s;t him|&s;elf affronted as a deceiver. For if this be true that the Gent. &s;aith; there is a title, yea and more then a title of a law, word, or doctrine, far exceeding the law of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> that is fallen to the ground, and no more a &s;tanding Ordinance, Chri&s;ts lips being not a warrantable foundation (it &s;eems by this a&s;&s;rrtion) to &s;upport it.</P>
<P>But who would not tremble that ever was truly awakened to hear a practicall Doctrine of Chri&s;t, which at fir&s;t was &s;poken by the Lord
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heb. 2.3. with 6.1, 2.</NOTE> to be &s;o flighted? He that de&s;pi&s;ed <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> law, died without mercy. O that timely repentance may avert that &s;o much &s;orer puni&s;hment,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10.29.</NOTE> due to tho&s;e who bring ano|ther Doctrine, to rai&s;e a foundation Principle of Chri&s;tian Religion, as no &s;tanding Ordinance. Contrary to many clear Scriptures, as <HI>Mat.</HI> 28. <HI>ult. Phil.</HI> 4.9. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.2. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.15. <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.26. <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.1, 2, 3. which clear Scriptures (with many more) do prove the continuance of all Go&s;pel Ordinances throughout all ages, and yet this plain in&s;titution of Chri&s;t him&s;elf, &s;eems to the Gent.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 24.11.</NOTE> (like <HI>Maries</HI> me&s;&s;age) but an idle tale, no &s;tanding Ordinance, as having no warrantable foun|dation.</P>
<P>From which ab&s;urd and unju&s;t conclu&s;ion, the Gent. pro|ceeds to twi&s;t a rope of &s;and, in a &s;trange Syllogi&s;m, for the &s;ubverting a people, who are little better acquainted with mood and figure, then their plow-&s;hares, to whom Logick is as much a &s;tranger, as the truth of this Principle of Laying
<PB N="10" REF="9">on of hands. But though the Gent. differ not much from a Barbarian to them in this Logicall dre&s;&s;e: yet to a preju|diced people &s;et led upon their lees, any thing that looks but again&s;t this truth will &s;erve turn.</P>
<P>The &s;ub&s;tance of what he a&s;&s;erts in &s;uch a multitude of words, is, That Chri&s;t hath given no command to his Church to practi&s;e the Laying on of Hands upon all Di&s;ciples.</P>
<P>But &s;o far are tho&s;e Scriptures he quotes, from proving his a&s;&s;ertion, that they return vigorou&s;ly upon his own head.</P>
<P>For from the fir&s;t of them I do in Gods name expo&s;tu|late with him,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1.12.</NOTE> <HI>Who hath required this at your hands, to con|tradict and oppo&s;e one of the Principles of Chri&s;tian Religion? Who&s;oever therefore &s;hall break one of the&s;e lea&s;t Commandements and teach men &s;o, he &s;hall be called the lea&s;t in the Kingdome of heaven, Mat.</HI> 5.19. that is, utterly cut off. <HI>Act.</HI> 3.22.23.</P>
<P>His &s;econd Scripture directs us to the Law and to the te&s;timony,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 8.20.</NOTE> which through di&s;tingui&s;hing grace hath engaged gratious hearts in obedience to this law of Laying on of hands; whiles he rejecteth the Law, and &s;hunneth the clear te&s;timony that Chri&s;t hath given to this, equall with other of his Ordinances, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.4.</P>
<P>His third,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezck. 43.7.</NOTE> Me thinks &s;hould lay a loving re&s;traint up|on him, no more to defile the pretious things of Chri&s;ts hou&s;e, of which Laying on of hands hath the fourth place.</P>
<P>And O that his fourth proof might prove armour of proof upon his,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 15.14.</NOTE> and many others hearts! to &s;top their car|reer again&s;t the commands of Chri&s;t; for how can he men|tion this Scripture, <HI>Ye are my friends if ye do what&s;oever I com|mand you,</HI> whiles he &s;heweth him&s;elf an adver&s;ary to this command of Chri&s;t? which the Apo&s;tle &s;hews is nece&s;&s;ary to be taught Chri&s;ts babes, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.12. and doubtle&s;&s;e they acted according to their commi&s;&s;ion, which runs thus, <HI>teaching them to do all things what&s;oever I have commanded you,</HI> Mat. 28.20. Yea the Spirit expre&s;ly te&s;tifyeth that what the Apo&s;tles did teach or write are the commands of Chri&s;t,
<PB N="11" REF="9">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.37. Then doubtle&s;&s;e Chri&s;ts true friends, will hear and ob&s;erve the&s;e teachings (<HI>Heb.</HI> 5 12. <HI>Ye have need that one teach you again</HI>) which are none other then Chri&s;ts own com|mands.</P>
<P>The Gent^s.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 4.15.</NOTE> fifth Scripture informs us that where no law is, no tra&s;gre&s;&s;ion. But why did he produce this Scripture? or what is this to the Fourth principle or Chri&s;tian Religi|on, but only to ratifie and confirm this law of Chri&s;t: un|le&s;&s;e it can be imagined that Chri&s;ts foundation principles are not his own lawes? he commands nothing but what he teacheth, he teacheth nothing but what he commands, yea what his Apo&s;tles teach, he teacheth, <HI>Luk.</HI> 10 16. <HI>He that heareth you heareth me, and he that de&s;pi&s;eth you de&s;pi|&s;eth me.</HI></P>
<P>Let &s;uch therefore as tremble at Gods word take heed of the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion of his own laws, i&s;&s;uing from his own lips, &s;uch as this foundation Principle is fully proved; Le&s;t they &s;hare in <HI>Nadabs</HI> judgement,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Levit. 10.1. &amp; 2.13.</NOTE> remembring that of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Jam.</HI> 2.10. <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all;</HI> for he that did teach re|pentance, faith, and Bapti&s;me, did al&s;o with the &s;ame lips teach Laying on of hands. Now if thou be Baptized, and yet doe&s;t not &s;ubmit to the Fourth Principle, thou art become a tran&s;gre&s;&s;our of the Law
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Jam. 2.11.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>And when once the &s;eal is opened, and the trumpet hath &s;ounded forth that opened Go&s;pell truth; nothing remains but the powring out of Gods Vials upon &s;uch as refu&s;e it.</P>
<P>Certainly he hath no di&s;cerning eye that beholds not &s;ad marks of Gods di&s;plea&s;ure upon &s;everall per&s;ons who have turn'd their backs upon this fourth foundation Principle in tho&s;e parts where this Gent^s. papers are &s;pread abroad, of which I may &s;peak particularly in a convenient &s;ea&s;on; for becau&s;e they received not the love of the truth that they might be &s;aved,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;&s; 2.10, 11.</NOTE> therefore God doth &s;end them &s;trong delu&s;ions to believe lies.</P>
<P>The good Lord make the fearfull fals, Schi&s;ms, Apo&s;ta&s;ie and blindne&s;&s;e of &s;ome, to be a timely warning unto others, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. &amp; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4 3, 4.</P>
<PB N="12" REF="10">
<P>But I mu&s;t proceed to declare that we make no &s;uch mat|ter of the word <HI>Oracle,</HI> as the Gent. deems, for though all the lively oracles of God are his commands; to be imbra|ced, if Notionall, and to be obeyed if Practicall, (as Bapti&s;m and Laying on of hands) yet they are no &s;uch niceties that we in&s;i&s;t on, neither re&s;ting on &s;uppo&s;itions, or doubt|full &s;uppo&s;itions, wherein the Gent. &s;o much toyls and en|tangles him&s;elf and his readers. But have plainly and clear|ly proved that Laying on of hands is a doctrine of Chri&s;t, or one of the words of the beginning of Chri&s;t, a foundation Principle, the Apo&s;tle teaching a command of the eternall King; and he that hath an ear let him hear, for it is the Spi|rit that &s;peaks to the Churches.</P>
<P>But more du&s;t in new doubts ari&s;e from the Gent. &s;uppo|&s;ition or probability that Laying on of hands upon bare Di&s;ciples was rather concluded in the word <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> then in the word <HI>Laying on of hands:</HI> for if Laying on of hands be not one of the Bapti&s;ms here expre&s;&s;ed, he &s;aith, He would gladly know how we would make up Bapti&s;m according to the Scripture? <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.2.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Fir&s;t, I would demand of the Gent. whether ever he read that Laying on of hands is any where termed a Bapti&s;me? if not, then it is a wilde &s;uppo&s;ition, and hath no probability at all that Laying on of hands &s;hould be con|cluded (as he phra&s;eth it) in the word Bapti&s;m.</P>
<P>Secondly, I &s;hall (now I am &s;et to it) as gladly an|&s;wer his demand that we can very currantly make up Bap|ti&s;m, and never be beholding to impo&s;ition of hands for the matter.</P>
<P>There are three &s;orts of Bapti&s;me, <HI>Flaminis, Fluminis, San|guinis,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 4.5.</NOTE> of Spirit, of Water, of Bloud, and the&s;e three agree in one, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.8.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t is that heavenly birth, qualifying the &s;ubject for Water,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 3.3.</NOTE> as I long &s;ince deliverd in his hearing at <HI>Muggle&s;wik</HI> from <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.22. In this, the eternall dove with his extended wings,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 30.1. Luk. 1.35.</NOTE> covereth, or over&s;hadoweth the believing &s;oul, who (like the ble&s;&s;ed Virgin) conceiveth with his Je&s;us, by the hearing of the ear.</P>
<PB N="13" REF="10">
<P>The &s;econd is that externall admini&s;tration in which the Di&s;ciple of Chri&s;t is buried with him, as our Lord com|manded, and his Mini&s;ters practi&s;ed, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28 19. <HI>Act.</HI> 10.47, 48.</P>
<P>The third is that bitter cup, the drinking whereof, fir&s;t baptized our Redeemer in a &s;ea of &s;orrows, <HI>Luk.</HI> 12.50. His Fathers wrath forcing his vitall bloud in &s;treams through every <HI>pore</HI> of his body, falling down to the ground, <HI>Luk</HI> 22.44. This is that cup and Bapti&s;m, which the true &s;ervants of Chri&s;t mu&s;t al&s;o &s;ubmit unto, <HI>Mat.</HI> 20.23. fol|lowing their Lord without the Camp, (through many tri|bulations) bearing his reproach.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10.32.</NOTE> <HI>Call to remembrance the for|mer dayes, in which after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.</HI></P>
<P>It is ob&s;erved by one that the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> which we tran&s;late <HI>illuminated,</HI> (and that truly is rendred in the <HI>Syriack, Arabick,</HI> and <HI>Aethiopick,</HI> Baptized. And that the Greek fathers do &s;ometimes call <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Baptizo.</HI></P>
<P>But enough hath been &s;aid and proved, in an&s;wer to the Gentlemans demand, &s;o that I hope he and others will &s;ee that we are put to no &s;traight at all to make up the Do|ctrine of Bapti&s;ms, of Spirit, of Water, of Bloud; without any need of impo&s;ition of hands upon that account. And therefore this doubtfull &s;uppo&s;ition is utterly vani&s;hed, and the fourth Foundation Doctrine of Chri&s;t e&s;tabli&s;hed, as an eternall
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mar. 24 35. with Heb 6.1, 2.</NOTE> decree of his own lips, which the Church through|out all ages (<HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.21) is obliged faithfully to ob&s;erve, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.20.</P>
<Q>But the Gent. goes on to an&s;wer an objection made from Apo&s;tolicall example. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.16. &amp; 10.1.</Q>
<P>Concerning which (before I reply to his an&s;wers) let this be ob&s;erved, That although Apo&s;tolicall example be &s;uffi|cient ground to practi&s;e Chri&s;tian duties, yet we have in this particular of hands, much more then bare examples, namely the teachings of Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, for it is al|ready fully proved, and I hope will be retained in obedient hearts.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="11">
<P N="1">1. <NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Institution.</NOTE>That this foundation Principle is the expre&s;&s;e Doctrine, or word of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. That &s;uch as be babes in Chri&s;t, had need to be taught this Doctrine.</P>
<P N="3">3. That this Doctrine was religiou&s;ly taught and practi|&s;ed in the Churches of the <HI>Hebrews,</HI> &amp;c. And</P>
<P N="4">4. That the Spirit of God enjoyns all that are truly &s;pirituall to embrace the things written by the Apo&s;tles, as none other then the commands of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.37.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, And as for Apo&s;tolicall examples, we look upon them as binding,</P>
<P N="1">1. If they were performed in the Churches of Chri&s;t, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. If tho&s;e Apo&s;tolicall practi&s;es were never &s;olemn|ly repealed; for there were &s;ome cerimonies wherewith for a time they complyed, which were afterwards utterly aboli&s;hed, <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.3, 4, 5, 12, 13. &amp; 4.9, 10, 11. &amp; 5.2.</P>
<P N="3">3. If &s;uch performances be not impo&s;&s;ible (&s;uch as miracles) for Chri&s;t doth not command impo&s;&s;i|bilities, his yoak is ea&s;ie, his burden light; yea the Gent. him&s;elf confe&s;&s;eth, that we are not commanded to fol|low in acts of power, I &s;uppo&s;e he means miraculous acts, which may &s;erve as a ju&s;t reply to his fir&s;t con&s;ideration; for though Chri&s;t hath left us an example that we &s;hould follow his &s;teps, yet it is only in his morall, not in his mediatory actions.</P>
<P>Moreover, let it be ob&s;erved, That miracles are no part of the Ordinance, for though many miracles did attend Prea|ching, Bapti&s;m, Supper, Laying on of hands, and other Ordinances, yet I hope the Gentleman will not conclude that the ce&s;&s;ation of miracles doth &s;trip us of the&s;e mercies.</P>
<P>The&s;e things being premi&s;ed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4.16. &amp; 10.1, 2.</NOTE> I do confidently a&s;&s;ert from the two Scriptures he mentions, That the Apo&s;tles examples are obliging to all believers.</P>
<PB N="15" REF="11">
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e we have no other warrant for many of our Ordinances then Apo&s;tolicall example. There is no expre&s;&s;e command for ob&s;erving the Lords day, and but one Apo&s;to|licall example, but this I fear too many ungratefull (that I &s;ay not ungracious) &s;pirits would readily and willingly di&s;pen&s;e with.</P>
<P N="2">2. Where have we ought but Apo&s;tolicall example, for women to receive the Lords &s;upper?</P>
<P N="3">3. What &s;hall we do for authority to ordain officers by impo&s;ition of hands, if we refu&s;e Apo&s;tolicall Prece|dents?</P>
<P>Secondly, We mu&s;t ob&s;erve Apo&s;tolicall examples, be|cau&s;e they have exactly followed the commands of Chri&s;t. <HI>That which we have &s;een and heard</HI> (&s;aith <HI>John</HI> 1 <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 1.3) <HI>de|clare we unto you, touching fellow&s;hip. We have not fellowed cun|ningly devi&s;ed fables,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Peter</HI> 2 Epi&s;t. 1.16. <HI>I received of the Lord that which al&s;o I delivered unto you,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Paul,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.23. So that what&s;oever I finde the Apo&s;tles practi&s;ing (except before excepted) I &s;hall freely and chearfully ob&s;erve, and expect the pre&s;ence of the God of peace in &s;o doing, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.9.</P>
<P>And in the very ca&s;e in hand, touching the Fourth foun|dation Principle, had I no more to re&s;t upon but the bare example of the Apo&s;tles in the Churches, I would faithfully obey: for I hope enough hath been &s;aid punctually pro|ving, that what they &s;o practi&s;ed, Chri&s;t commanded them. and though I have heard much ignorance in the handling of this point, yet I hope none will henceforth be &s;o bla&s;phemous as to charge the Apo&s;tles of will-wor&s;hip, but rather bewail their own blindne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Well then, if the Apo&s;tles laid on hands by command from Chri&s;t; Certain I am, that all Baptized Di&s;ciples are bound to ob&s;erve it, for &s;o runs the Commi&s;&s;ion, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.19, 20. <HI>Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them&mdash;Teaching them to ob&s;erve all things what&s;oever I have commanded you.</HI> He doth not &s;ay, ob&s;erve what I &s;hall command them, neither doth he leave them or us to teach and practi&s;e what, and &s;o much as we plea&s;e, But all things what&s;oever I have
<PB N="16" REF="12">commanded you. You <HI>Peter,</HI> and <HI>John,</HI> &amp;c. &s;o that if <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>John,</HI> were commanded to practi&s;e Laying on of hands, then all Baptized Di&s;ciples are bound to ob&s;erve it. And upon the&s;e termes (and none other) Chri&s;t hath promi&s;ed them his pre&s;ence to the end of the world.</P>
<Q>But the Gent. &s;aith (upon 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.16) <HI>That the Apo&s;tle doth not intend fellowing him in all things.</HI></Q>
<P>I mu&s;t needs &s;ay the&s;e are very &s;lender,
<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Reply.</NOTE>&s;orry &s;hifts to &s;huffle off obedience, &s;ince tis evident in the &s;ame Epi&s;tle (1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.1.) that he commands them for remembring him in all things, and keeping the ordinances as he delivered them to them. And would the Apo&s;tle &s;o prai&s;e them, for that they were never exhorted to?</P>
<P>But &s;econdly, Who&s;oever (in his right mind) &s;hall peru&s;e that Chapter (<HI>viz.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.) may ea&s;ily &s;ee that the Apo&s;tle intends all things, even all the my&s;teries of God, whereof he was a Steward, <HI>v.</HI> 1, 2.</P>
<P>And as a Steward of &s;uch divine my&s;teries he &s;hunned not to declare all the coun&s;ell of God, his care being alike in all Churches,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 20.27.</NOTE> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.17. &amp; 14.33, 34. &amp; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.28. <HI>the care of all the Churches.</HI> Yet the Gent. confidently affirmes, That he did not teach the Laying on of hands upon all Di&s;ciples in any Churches nor to them.</P>
<P>To which I reply.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It &s;eems &s;omewhat more then &s;trange that the A|po&s;tle &s;hould be thus cen&s;ured of Phari&s;aicall hypocri&s;ie, in making clean the out&s;ide of the cup and platter, tithing Mint and Cummin, and neglect the great and weighty matters of the Law. Is he &s;o carefull in all Churches about parti|cular callings, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.17. about orderly &s;peaking, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.33, 34. about Almes, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 16.1. And is he &s;o care|le&s;&s;e in laying the Foundation Principles of Chri&s;tian Re|ligion? Either the Apo&s;tle in neglecting, or the Gent. in a&s;&s;erting &s;uch neglect,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4.1, 2.</NOTE> mu&s;t needs be gro&s;ly guilty of igno|rance, unfaithfulne&s;&s;e, or hypocri&s;ie.</P>
<P>Secondly, It's plain the Apo&s;tle practi&s;ed Laying on of hands in the Church; and did he inforce obedience without
<PB N="17" REF="12">teaching?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 19.5, 6. Chap. 17.11. Chap. 2.40.</NOTE> or were tho&s;e <HI>Ephe&s;ian</HI> Di&s;ciples &s;o ignoble to act by an implicite faith, in &s;ubmitting to they know not what. The <HI>Bereans</HI> are recorded noble, for not barely re&s;ting on the Apo&s;tles words; it is &s;aid of <HI>Peter,</HI> that with many other words he did te&s;tifie and exhort. For the Go&s;pel and <HI>Acts</HI> is but an Epitomy of what Je&s;us and his Apo&s;tles did and &s;aid. Mu&s;t it then be a&s;&s;erted that becau&s;e it is not de|clared in &s;o many words, <HI>He taught laying on of hands,</HI> that therefore he taught it not at all? why then they pra|cti&s;ed what he never taught; this is will-wor&s;hip with a witne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>We do not finde that <HI>Philip</HI> &s;pake one &s;yllable of the Do|ctrine of Bapti&s;me, ether to the <HI>Samaritans,</HI> or to the <HI>Eunuch,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 8.12, 36.</NOTE> and yet they are Baptized, and he cals for the Ordinance; &s;o that I dare boldly affirme that <HI>Philip</HI> did teach the Do|ctrine of Bapti&s;me, though no mention be made of teaching, and &s;o of hands; for what liberty &s;oever others dare take, yet I dare not charge the Apo&s;tles with acting be&s;ides their Commi&s;&s;ion; and certain I am, their Commi&s;&s;ion binds them to teach, that which the Di&s;ciples are bound to ob&s;erve, <HI>Teaching them to ob&s;erve; Mat.</HI> 28.20. and <HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elf pro|fe&s;&s;eth, <HI>That what he received of the Lord, that he al&s;o delivered un|to them,</HI> by way of teaching, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.23. And requires us to account of him and his fellow Mini&s;ters, <HI>as faithfull &s;tewards of the my&s;teries of God,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.1, 2. So that what|ever the Gent. confidently affirmes to the contrary, I dare boldly avouch that if there were no more but Apo&s;to|licall practi&s;e, and Di&s;ciples ob&s;erving Laying on of hands, I &s;ay, I dare from hence aver it with full a&s;&s;urance, that the Apo&s;tle did teach Laying on of hands on all Di&s;ciples, faith|fully in all Churches. Chri&s;t having purcha&s;ed the &s;ame priviledges for all his Saints, commanded the &s;ame exact rules for them all <HI>(teaching them to ob&s;erve all things what&s;oever I have commanded you)</HI> And the Apo&s;tles mo&s;t faithfully di&s;pen&s;ing all to al Churches, and particularly to this Church of <HI>Corinth,</HI> for &s;aith he, 2 <HI>Cor</HI> 12.13. <HI>What is it wherein ye were inferior to other Churches?</HI> Nay he profe&s;&s;eth, <HI>That in every thing they were enriched by him, So that they came behind in no gift,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.5, 7.</P>
<PB N="18" REF="13">
<P>But if the Gent. &s;peak true in &s;aying, that <HI>the Laying on of hands upon all Dyciples, he taught in no Church nor to them:</HI> I mu&s;t be bold to &s;ay, the Apo&s;tle &s;pake fal&s;e in affirming that they were enriched in every thing&mdash;in all knowledge, and that they came behind in no girt. For I am &s;ure that Laying on of hands is the Vehicle,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vehiculum Spi|ritus.</NOTE> or conduit pipe, through which many gifts of the Spirit are conveyed. And as &s;ure that tho&s;e divine ornaments wherewith the <HI>Corinthians</HI> were &s;o enriched, were graciou&s;ly handed through <HI>Paul,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.15.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, I do po&s;itively a&s;&s;ert, That the Apo&s;tle did ex|pre&s;ly teach the Laying on of hands upon all Di&s;ciples in the Churches, for be&s;ides the Church of <HI>Samaria, Act</HI> 8. and the Church of <HI>Ephe&s;us, Act.</HI> 19.5, 6. where it is declared that they heard before they ob&s;erved either <HI>Bapti&s;me</HI> or <HI>Laying on of hands. When they heard this, they were Baptized&mdash; and Paul laid his hands upon them all.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;ay, be&s;ides the Apo&s;tles teachings in the&s;e Churches, it is evident that they did expre&s;ly teach this Doctrine with other foundation words,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 5.31. Gal. 1.22.</NOTE> once and again to the Churches of <HI>Judea,</HI> or Chri&s;tian <HI>Hebrews,</HI> who were then comfortably walking in the compleat order of the Go&s;pell, <HI>Heb.</HI> 13.7. &amp; 17.24. Yea this Doctrine is taught to all the Di&s;ciples or babes in Chri&s;t, as milke fitter for con&s;titution; for though by the improvement of their time, and talents they might have been teachers, yet they were &s;til &s;uch babes (not teachers) that there was a nece&s;&s;ity of teaching them again the&s;e fir&s;t foundation Doctrines, which po&s;&s;ibly they had &s;o forgot, that young converts were deprived of them.</P>
<P>Thus 'tis evident this Doctrine of hands was taught in the Churches to babes, yea to the Hebrew Di&s;ciples, and though it be &s;o much &s;lighted, yet the Apo&s;tles do rec|kon it one of the &s;ix foundation Doctrines, for <HI>Sions</HI> babes.</P>
<PB N="19" REF="13">
<Q>The Gent. proceeds to overturn Apo&s;tolicall example, by his an&s;wer to the &s;econd Scripture brought to a&s;&s;ert it, namely 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.1. <HI>Be ye followers of me, even as I al&s;o am of Chri&s;t,</HI> to which he &s;ayes the Apo&s;tle did not intend acts of power, but acts of imi|tation.</Q>
<P><LABEL>My reply is,</LABEL>That if his meaning be,
<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Reply.</NOTE>that the Apo&s;tle did not exhort all the <HI>Corinthians</HI> to exerci&s;e the Mini&s;teriall function, or to follow him in doing miracles, 'tis freely yeelded. But if he mean that the Apo&s;tle did not command them to follow him in all imitable Chri&s;tian duties, 'tis utterly denyed; for what he commands more generally in this Scripture, he he doth more particularize in <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.9. <HI>Tho&s;e things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and &s;een in me, do: and the God of peace &s;hall be with you.</HI></P>
<P>Now to the point in hand; &s;uch babes to whom he writes, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3 1, 2. had learned the Doctrine of Laying on of hands, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.12. and this Doctrine they had al&s;o received, <HI>Act.</HI> 19.6. which likewi&s;e they had heard and &s;een in <HI>Paul,</HI> when he was a babe in Chri&s;t, <HI>Act.</HI> 9.17. This therefore they ought to do as ever they expect the pre&s;ence of the God of peace, &s;o that in this particular it is evident that <HI>Paul</HI> com|mands them, <HI>Be ye followers of me:</HI> as being fully proved a command of Chri&s;t, and practi&s;e of the Churches.</P>
<Q>But the Gent. &s;aith, <HI>That impo&s;ition of hands is an act of Power.</HI></Q>
<P>To which I reply,</P>
<P>'Tis no more an act of power then its fellow Principle Bapti&s;me, Preaching, or any other Ordinance of Chri&s;t, touching which, that of the Wi&s;eman may be applyed, Say not this is better then that, for they are all beautifull in their &s;ea&s;on.</P>
<P>It's true, the gifts of the H. Gho&s;t were &s;o eminently poured out through Laying on of hands, that <HI>Simon Magus</HI> thought it
<PB N="20" REF="14">an act of power, <HI>Act.</HI> 8.19. But <HI>Simon Magus</HI> &s;hall be no tutor of mine, for <HI>Simon Peter</HI> teacheth me a contrary le&s;&s;on, <HI>Act.</HI> 3.12. namely, that what gift Chri&s;t is plea&s;ed to convey through Mini&s;ters, is not by any power in the poor in&s;tru|ment.</P>
<P>But wherein is Laying on of hands an act of power, more then Bapti&s;me or Preaching? is it becau&s;e the gifts of the Spirit were received by it? Why &s;o, they were by Bapti&s;me, or el&s;e <HI>Peter</HI> preached fal&s;e doctrine, and failed in what he promi&s;ed, <HI>Act.</HI> 2.38. <HI>Repent and be Baptized every one of you, and ye &s;hall receive the gift of the holy Gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Nay, but there were miraculous gifts be&s;towed vi|&s;ibly upon Laying on of hands, <HI>Act.</HI> 19.6. <HI>They &s;pake with tonguet and prophe&s;ied.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> So there was in Preaching, <HI>Act.</HI> 10 44. <HI>While Peter yet &s;pake the&s;e words, the holy Gho&s;t fell on all them which heard the word, and they &s;pake with tongues and magnified God, ver&s;.</HI> 46.</P>
<P>Now what rea&s;on or religion can call Laying on of hands a greater act of power then Preaching is? Or who dare put an end to the Fourth Principle becau&s;e the vi&s;i|ble power is cea&s;ed; and yet retain Preaching from which the very &s;ame vi&s;ible power that did accompany it is al&s;o cea&s;ed.</P>
<Q>But the Gent. Syllogi&s;tically a&s;&s;erts, <HI>That the laying on of hands upon all Believers, was never practi&s;ed by any &s;ave only Apo&s;tles.</HI></Q>
<P>If by Apo&s;tles he means the Twelve,
<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">An&s;w.</NOTE>and <HI>Paul,</HI> then I deny his a&s;&s;ertion, for <HI>Ananias</HI> was not &s;uch an Apo&s;tle, and yet he did Lay hands on <HI>Paul,</HI> pre&s;ently after his conver&s;ion, and before his Bapti&s;me; and that not for ordination to office: but as the Scripture plainly declareth, for the&s;e two ends.</P>
<P N="1">1.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 9.17.</NOTE> That he might receive his &s;ight.</P>
<P N="2">2. That he might be filled with the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P>Which latter, is the very end of the admini&s;tration of the Fourth Principle; which is not buond up to any preci&s;e
<PB N="21" REF="14">time, but is here admini&s;tred before Bapti&s;m. In <HI>Act.</HI> 8. &s;oon after Bapti&s;me. In <HI>Act.</HI> 19. long after Bapti&s;me. Which is the ground of our latitude in waiting for believers &s;ubmi&s;|&s;ion to thir holy Ordinance. But</P>
<P>Secondly, If his a&s;&s;ertion were true, that none but Apo&s;tles may admini&s;ter this Ordinance of hands, yet mu&s;t it not fall to the ground for want of &s;uch officers to admini&s;ter it, for Chri&s;ts hand is not &s;hortned, neither are the gifts and graces of his Spirit re&s;trained. I know not of any gift that is cea&s;ed, but what Reprobates may have and go to hell with, <HI>Mat.</HI> 7.22, 23. Neither are tho&s;e gifts utterly cea&s;ed in the Churches of the Saints.</P>
<P>And as for tho&s;e choi&s;e gifts of his love,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 3.15. Ephe&s;. 4.8.11.12.</NOTE> for the work of the Mini&s;try, tho&s;e Pa&s;tors after his own heart, which he that is faithfull hath promi&s;ed; no le&s;&s;e hath been his libera|lity &s;ince his a&s;cen&s;ion then before. <HI>Say not thou, What is the cau&s;e that the former dayes were better then the&s;e? for thou do&s;t not enquire wi&s;ely concerning this, Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.10.</P>
<P>I know that many deceived &s;ouls have traditionally received the ce&s;&s;ation of Apo&s;tles, with as much confidence as they dare blot out this Fourth Foundation Principle. But where is that Scripture that &s;aith, Apo&s;tles are cea&s;ed? To put a di&s;tinction between ordinary and extraordinary officers, is to coyn &s;uch terms and conclu&s;ions, as will never pa&s;&s;e for cur|rant in Gods account, as being not once mentioned in the Scriptures of truth.</P>
<P>I have therefore laid down this as an eternall truth, <HI>That Apo&s;tles are not cea&s;ed, but by the free gift of Chri&s;t continued in, and to the Churches of the Saints.</HI> As Chri&s;t hath given them to, (<HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.11.12.) &s;o he hath &s;et them in the Church, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.28. And in his Churches we frequently find the&s;e A|po&s;tles, <HI>Epaphoditus</HI> was an Apo&s;tle of the Church of <HI>Philippi,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, which we tran&s;late <HI>Your Me&s;&s;enger;</HI> &s;o 2 <HI>Cor.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2.27.</NOTE> 8.23. <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>The Apo&s;tles of the Churches, the glory of Chri&s;t.</HI> So that we mu&s;t not be unfaithfull to Chri&s;t, to let fall one of his Foundation Principles for want of an officer to admini&s;ter it. If it were true, as the Gent. &s;aith, that none but Apo&s;tles may do it, yet 'tis clear that Chri&s;t hath richly furni&s;hed his Churches even with Apo&s;tles,
<PB N="22" REF="15">&s;o that neither Officer nor Ordinance is yet fallen to the ground.</P>
<P>Thirdly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 2.18.</NOTE> the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>If I build again the things which I de&s;troyed, I make my &s;elf a tran&s;gre&s;&s;our.</HI> Such a tran&s;gre&s;&s;our is this Gent. in bringing &s;lime in &s;tead of morter by the&s;e his Arguments to build again that Popi&s;h, Prelaticall &s;uperiority, which Chri&s;t and Saints have exploded.</P>
<P>It was indeed their a&s;piring project to uphold their totte|ring <HI>Babel,</HI> that all the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t had not equall authority, and therefore mu&s;t not pre&s;ume to admini&s;ter all ordinances,; and particularly none but Lawn-&s;leeves mu&s;t pre&s;ume to medle with this Ordinance of hands, either to private Di&s;ciples (wherein they being purblind did gro&s;ly mi&s;take the &s;ubject, as they did al&s;o in Bapti&s;me, taking Carnall babes for Spirituall) neither might any el&s;e without the&s;e Lordly Prelates ordain any to Church office.</P>
<P>And &s;uch a de&s;igne is this Gent. driving, who would con|fine and limit this ordinance of hands, to the hands of A|po&s;tles. 'Tis &s;trange that this foundation Principle mu&s;t either be mounted and advanced above its fellowes, or el&s;e it mu&s;t be buried in oblivion, and not practi&s;ed at all.</P>
<P>What is impo&s;ition of hands, more then the Doctrine of Faith, Repentance, Bapti&s;me, and the re&s;t, that the beautifull feet of him which bringeth the Doctrine of Faith, and Baptizeth, may not pre&s;ume to admini&s;ter hands?</P>
<P>Chri&s;ts Doctrine owns no &s;uch difference in point of &s;uperiority, but who&s;oever is orderly called to preach, hath al&s;o full authority to carry on all Ordinances what|&s;oever Chri&s;t commanded his Apo&s;tles, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.19, 20. If what hath been &s;aid doth not &s;atisfie, as to the equall power of all preaching Mini&s;ters to carry on all Ordinan|ces, let the&s;e Scriptures be con&s;idered, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.2. Act. 20.28. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.5.8. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.1, 2, 3, 4. 3 <HI>Joh.</HI> 9. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1.1. with many more; which clearly hold out equall power, not one for any &s;uperiority. So that the Gent. is much mi&s;taken in &s;aying, 'tis an Ab&s;urdity, yea that many Ab&s;ur|dities
<PB N="23" REF="15">will follow our a&s;&s;ertion, that we are commanded to follow the Apo&s;tles in all things (except &s;til before excepted.)
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 9.</NOTE>) And in this thing it's plain <HI>Ananias</HI> did it, and the Presbyte|rie did it, and <HI>Timothy</HI> had power to do it,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4.14. &amp; 5.22.</NOTE> and other Mi|ni&s;ters may do it, and God will ble&s;&s;e it.</P>
<P>And thus having an&s;wered the Gent. touching fit Mini&s;ters for this ordinance; I &s;hall in the &s;econd place take a view of the &s;ubjects, which he &s;aith were a people ignorant of, and &s;trangers to the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P>Whereunto I an&s;wer,</P>
<P N="1">1. That it is true of tho&s;e <HI>Act.</HI> 19. before <HI>Paul</HI> in&s;tructed them better; but I hope the Gent. will bethink him&s;elf, and confe&s;&s;e that before the Laying on of hands, they were taught and believed in the holy Gho&s;t.</P>
<P>And as for tho&s;e Di&s;ciples of both &s;exes in <HI>Samaria,</HI> they heard Chri&s;t faithfully preached, (<HI>Act.</HI> 8.5, 6.) they &s;aw the power of the holy Spirit working by wonderfull mi|racles, (<HI>v.</HI> 6. unclean &s;pirits ca&s;t out (<HI>v.</HI> 7.) they were fil|led with joy (a lively fruit of the Spirit, <HI>v.</HI> 8.) they believed (which is an eminent gift of the Spirit, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.9.) and were Baptized in the name of Je&s;us, that is, according to the command of Je&s;us, (<HI>v.</HI> 12.) Now to affirme that the&s;e were ignorant of, and &s;trangers to the Holy Gho&s;t, is that which I dare not venture upon, for the reverence I owe to God, and fear le&s;t his Saints &s;hould &s;hun me for gro&s;&s;e un|truth.</P>
<P>But however, the Gent. at unawares hath thus far holpen us, in acknowledging &s;ome truth, namely, That they were but yong beginners, meer babes in Chri&s;t, to whom this Ordinance of hands was admini&s;tred.</P>
<Q>Whereas he &s;aith, <HI>That there was no &s;uch practi&s;e a|mong&s;t. the</HI> 3000. <HI>Act.</HI> 2. nor <HI>Act.</HI> 4. <HI>nor in the Churches of Corinth, Rome, The&s;&s;alonica, or any other &s;et|led Churches.</HI></Q>
<P><LABEL>I an&s;wer,</LABEL> If Laying on of hands be the Apo&s;tles Doctrine,
<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">An&s;w.</NOTE>then the 3000. did religiou&s;ly practi&s;e it; what a needle&s;&s;e thing is
<PB N="24" REF="16">it now to play the Logician, and mu&s;ter up a Minor, and Conclu&s;ion. But Laying on of hands is the Apo&s;tles Do|ctrine, <HI>Ergo.</HI> Is it not much more &s;ub&s;tantiall to prove this truth by the plain word of God; thus, <HI>Act.</HI> 2.42. <HI>They continued &s;tedfa&s;t in the Apo&s;tles Doctrine;</HI> &s;o that either the Gent. mu&s;t deny Laying on of hands to be the Apo&s;tles Do|ctrine for babes, or el&s;e he mu&s;t perforce confe&s;&s;e, (with humility) that they did practi&s;e it. What wi&s;eman will &s;ay, this Church neglected, what their me&s;&s;engers in ano|ther
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Act. 8.14, 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> Church practi&s;ed?</P>
<P>And as for that uncouth rea&s;oning, that neither the Churches of <HI>Rome,</HI> nor <HI>Corinth,</HI> nor any &s;etled Churches, did practi&s;e the Fourth Principle. As it is not true in it &s;elf, as I have already fully proved, &s;o it mu&s;t unavoidably bring in &s;uch gro&s;&s;e Ab&s;urdities (if he talks of Ab&s;urdi|ties) as &s;hall &s;hake, yea and overturn mo&s;t of our Ordi|nances.</P>
<P>For I may as well conclude, that breaking of bread, and the Lords Supper is not to be practi&s;ed, becau&s;e neither the Churches of <HI>Rome,</HI> of <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> of <HI>Philippi,</HI> of <HI>Colo&s;&s;e,</HI> of <HI>The&s;&s;alonica,</HI> nor any of the &s;even Churches of <HI>A&s;ia,</HI> have any mention of it.</P>
<P>I know not of any more then three Churches that mention the Lords &s;upper; namely, <HI>Judea, Troas,</HI> and <HI>Corinth,</HI> and in &s;o many (at lea&s;t) is the Fourth Principle recorded, <HI>viz.</HI> the <HI>Hebrews, Samaria,</HI> and <HI>Ephe&s;us.</HI></P>
<P>I might produce many Churches, where not a &s;yllable of Bapti&s;me is once mentioned, and the like of &s;everall other Ordinances; but I am per&s;waded &s;o of the Gent. that he will ingenuou&s;ly acknowledge, it was for want of a better rea&s;on that he produced this.</P>
<Q>From the &s;ubjects, he proceeds to the end of this Or|dinance, which he &s;aith, <HI>Was not to put per&s;ons in expectation of, or waiting for the Holy Gho&s;t, but imme|diately to communicate the Spirit in the action.</HI></Q>
<P>Tis &s;trange to me that the Apo&s;tles &s;hould &s;o earne&s;tly pray for the holy Spirit,
<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">An&s;w.</NOTE>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 8.19.</NOTE> to fill them that were not to ex|pect
<PB N="25" REF="16">or wait for it. De&s;erves he food that thinks it vain to gape? The Lord Je&s;us hath put all his upon earne&s;t prayer and expectation for his Spirit, <HI>Luk.</HI> 11.</P>
<P>Neither is it in the power of any creature to communi|cate of the Spirit through any ordinance, for the Wind (or Spirit) bloweth where and how it li&s;teth, having &s;everall gifts which he di&s;tributeth as he plea&s;eth, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.11. whether &s;ooner or later, 'tis worth the waiting for.</P>
<P>Now the ju&s;t end of this Ordinance of hands (as of all other ordinances) is for &s;pirituall babes to obtain a geater mea&s;ure of the &s;ame Spirit, &s;ome heavenly qualifica|tion, &s;ome &s;ealing, confirming mercy, &s;uch as Believers have need of, as <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.13. <HI>In whom al&s;o after that ye believed, ye were &s;ealed by that holy Spirit of promi&s;e;</HI> that is, after the poor babe hath rolled it &s;elf upon Chri&s;t by a faith of adherence, God is plea&s;ed to &s;eal it by faith of a&s;&s;urance, &s;ometimes &s;ooner, &s;ometimes later, &s;ometimes in Bapti&s;me or after, &s;ometims, through laying on of hands, Lords Sup|per, Prayer, Preaching, how he will, and when he will; where|fore it behoves the gratious &s;oul to wait upon him for his Spirit in all his holy appointments, for there he will hand out his loves, <HI>Cant.</HI> 7.12.</P>
<P>There is a generation of profe&s;&s;ors that are rather princi|pled by &s;ight then faith, who will not believe except they &s;ee &s;ignes and wonders, but they &s;hould remember that an evill and adulterous generation &s;eeketh after a &s;ign. And yet they might &s;ee &s;igns and wonders every day,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 12.12.</NOTE> yea the &s;igns and wonders of Apo&s;tles wrought among&s;t them; that is, tho&s;e greater works, that Chri&s;t promi&s;ed his Di&s;ciples &s;hould do, <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.12. Greater miracles they never could, they never did do. But greater works of conver&s;ion were wrought by them, and the&s;e are the great &s;ignes and &s;eals, and mighty deeds, that God is working by his Apo&s;tles even before our eyes. There being many through grace that are able to &s;ay, <HI>The &s;eal of mine Apo&s;tle&s;hip are ye in the Lord:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 9.2. 2 Cor. 3.2.</NOTE> Ye are our Epi&s;tle written in our hearts, &s;een and read of all men.</HI></P>
<P>Yet the&s;e &s;ignes will never &s;atisfie a doubting <HI>Didymus,</HI> no not all the atte&s;tation of all the Apo&s;tles; except he &s;hall
<PB N="26" REF="17">&s;ee in his hands the print of the nails, and put his finger into the print of the nails,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 20.25.</NOTE> and thru&s;t his hand into his &s;ide, he will not believe. Such a faithle&s;&s;e generation hath this age brought forth, except they &s;ee the very &s;ame miracles as were wrought by <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> upon mens bodies, they will not believe there are any Apo&s;tles now in being, except they &s;ee the &s;ame gifts of tongues, or &s;ome vi&s;ible operation upon laying on of hands, they will not believe there's any &s;uch Ordinance now in force. Although the &s;ame unbelieving profe&s;&s;ors will not reject preaching upon that account (that were too open a di&s;covery of a half Chri&s;tian) though the &s;ame &s;igns did, but now do not accompany that Or|dinance.</P>
<P>Thus <HI>Herod</HI> may do many things, and hear <HI>John</HI> gladly, but fooli&s;h Virgins cannot be thorough &s;pirited; &s;ome|thing will be found wanting in the day of Chri&s;t, when it will be too late to go to buy, what now they &s;light. And then they &s;hall experimentally finde the truth of St. <HI>James</HI> his Doctrine,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 2.10.</NOTE> <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point</HI> (one principle) <HI>he is guilty of all.</HI> Remember that after Trumpets,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 13.41.</NOTE> come Vials. <HI>Behold ye de&s;pi&s;ers, and wonder, and peri&s;h: for I work a work in your dayes, a work which you &s;hall in no wi&s;e be|lieve, though a man declare it unto you.</HI></P>
<P>But as for the gracious heart, who puts forth his faith into obedience upon the account of a naked in&s;titution, becau&s;e he finds that Laying on of hands is the Doctrine or word of that Chri&s;t whom he loves, and in whom he lives, becau&s;e it is one of his Foundation Principles; becau&s;e it is &s;incere milk for new born babes; becau&s;e the Ma&s;ter builders declare that &s;uch babes have need of &s;uch Princi|ples; becau&s;e the&s;e were the Apo&s;tles teachings in, and wri|tings to the Churches; becau&s;e the eternall Spirit binds true Di&s;ciples to embrace the Apo&s;tles writings, and teachings, as none other then the commands of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Hence the faithfull &s;oul mounted on the wings of love (without attendance upon miraculous or vi&s;ible opera|tions) divinely ecchoing to the language of his beloved, cries, <HI>Lo I come to do thy will O God, yea thy law is within my heart.</HI> I am weary with forbearing, and I can no longer &s;tay.</P>
<PB N="27" REF="17">
<P>And thus putting re&s;olution into action, he frequently meets with &s;uch holy tran&s;portations and true &s;pirituall re|fre&s;hings (far exceeding any miraculous vi&s;ible operation) that he breaths forth this or the like heavenly Rapture, (as being tran&s;lated and transformed into the &s;ame image from glory to glory,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 6.10.</NOTE> by the Spirit of the Lord) <HI>Or ever I was aware, my &s;oul made me like the Chariots of Ammi|nadib.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e are no fancies; we &s;peak that we know, and te&s;ti|fie that we have &s;een. And thus the believing babe, meets with that benediction which Chri&s;t entailed upon his obe|dience, <HI>Joh.</HI> 20.29. <HI>Becau&s;e thou hast &s;een, thou ha&s;t believed, ble&s;&s;ed are they that have not &s;een, and yet have believed.</HI> The&s;e are the proper objects of Chri&s;ts prayer, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17.20. <HI>Neither pray I for the&s;e alone, but for them al&s;o which &s;hall believe on me through their word.</HI> He doth not &s;ay through their miracles, but through their word; becau&s;e it is a &s;urer rule of directi|on then any miracle, yea then any revelation, vi&s;ion, or extraordinary voice from heaven what&s;oever, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.16, 17, 18, 19.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tles voice is the tryall of &s;pirits, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.7. <HI>We are of God, he that knoweth God, heareth us: hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the &s;pirit of errour.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<P>For further illu&s;tration of the end of this Ordinance of <HI>Laying on of hands;</HI> namely, A fuller attainment, and greater mea&s;ure of &s;pirituall gifts; Let it be ob&s;erved, that the gifts of the Spirit are of two &s;orts.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t, Externall, and vi&s;ibly miraculous; and the &s;e have two &s;peciall u&s;es.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. To confirm the word and ordinances.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. To convince unbelievers.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The &s;econd &s;ort are more intrin&s;ecall, &s;oul-&s;atisfying and glorious; for the &s;ealing, e&s;tabli&s;hing, and nouri&s;hing of Chri&s;t babes.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e externall gifts, which are of &s;uch excellent u&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark. 6.7, 13</NOTE> and are accompanied with choice con&s;olation to believers; yet may a <HI>Judas, Demas,</HI> or any other re|probate
<PB N="28" REF="18">be largely &s;tored with them,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 7.22.</NOTE> and go to hell after|wards.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e gifts are,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Healing.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Miracles.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Extraordinary Prophe&s;ie.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. Divers kinds of tongues.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. Interpretation of tongues, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.9, 10.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1. For healing. Although it be a gift continued in the Churches, and is the proper work of Elders, <HI>Jam.</HI> 5.14, 15. and we enjoy it to this day, and have &s;ometimes &s;een and heard of wonderfull effects, yet it cannot be con&s;tantly ex|pected no not from the hands of Apo&s;tles. If <HI>Paul</HI> could have healed his faithfull fellow-labourer (<HI>Phil.</HI> 2.25, 27, 30.) I am confident he would.</P>
<P N="2">2. If any are by this means healed, Chri&s;t hath performed his promi&s;e. If all were under the influence of this gift (at all times) mortality &s;hould cea&s;e; no man would ever dye, that might &s;o ea&s;ily injoy life.</P>
<P N="3">3. This gift is rather for confirming
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Mark. 16.20.</NOTE> the word and Ordi|nances, and for the conviction of Heathens, then for the reco|very of Chri&s;tians.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 28.8.</NOTE></P>
<P>And thereupon <HI>Paul</HI> leaves the Heathen Parent of <HI>Publius</HI> at <HI>Miletum</HI> well. But the Chri&s;tian <HI>Trophimus,</HI> he left at <HI>Miletum</HI> &s;ick. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.20.</P>
<P N="4">4. A reprobate may enjoy this gift and peri&s;h, <HI>Luk.</HI> 9.6.</P>
<P>Therefore this is no &s;uch de&s;irable gift for beleevers to look for in Laying on of hands.</P>
<P>Secondly, Miracles, of what kind &s;oever, are 1. To con|firme the word and Ordinances, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.4. Whereupon &s;uch Ordinances as God confirmed by Miracles, are firmly to be retained and ob&s;erved, and not at any time to be let &s;lip, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.1.</P>
<P>Now it is mo&s;t clear that Laying on of hands upon Di&s;ciples, was confirmed by miracles; &s;o that this Ordi|nance (among&s;t others) mu&s;t be carefully ob&s;erved, with ear|ne&s;t heed
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heb. 2.1. opened.</NOTE>, le&s;t at at any time we &s;hould let it &s;lip. Ob&s;erve
<PB N="29" REF="18">poor &s;oul, thou that &s;tande&s;t in awe of thy God mu&s;t not let it &s;lip at any time, therefore hold it fa&s;t at this time.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e it is a &s;uper-angelicall ordinance, and there|fore to remain &s;tedfa&s;t and unmoveable, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.2.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 2.</NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e the &s;lighting of this, and other Go&s;pel mer|cies will unavoidably bring the greate&s;t mi&s;eries (<HI>v.</HI> 3.)
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 3.</NOTE> no po&s;&s;ibility of e&s;cape: if every tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion and di&s;obedi|ence to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> law
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heb. 10.28, 29.</NOTE> (every tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion) were &s;o &s;e|verely puni&s;hed; how &s;hall we e&s;cape? Impo&s;&s;ible to e&s;cape.</P>
<P N="3">3. Thou mu&s;t take heed to this Fourth Principle as well as other duties, (earne&s;t heed) Becau&s;e it was at fir&s;t &s;poken by the Lord, and confirmed to his Apo&s;tles, and by them faith|fully taught us. Mind it Chri&s;tian, 'tis for thy life; thou can&s;t not e&s;cape, if thou let it &s;lip; after warning, if thou receive not the truth with love, God will &s;end thee &s;trong delu&s;ions to believe a lie. Ah! how have I &s;een the Lords profe&s;&s;ed people carried away captive, that have &s;lighted this Ordinance. Hurryed by Satan, to bla&s;pheme other glo|rious truths, drowned in the world, and the love of it (1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.15.) given up to horrible lying, bitterne&s;&s;e, emula|tion, envy, &s;trife, &s;edition, making &s;chi&s;ms, rents, divi&s;ions, what not? O thou believer, that profe&s;&s;e&s;t Chri&s;t, mind this word of Chri&s;t, the&s;e four fir&s;t ver&s;es of the Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Hebrews;</HI> Remember, that this fourth principle was fir&s;t &s;poken by the Lord him&s;elf, and is plainly called, <HI>The word of the
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Heb. 6.1.</NOTE> beginning of Chri&s;t,</HI> and was confirmed by &s;igns, and wonders, and miracles.</P>
<P N="2">2. Miracles are given for conviction of Heathens, <HI>Act.</HI> 8.6. &amp; 16.27, 29, 30. But alas! this avails not at all, if love (manife&s;ted by obedience to all Chri&s;ts commands) be wanting, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.2. A per&s;on may have this gift, and peri&s;h.</P>
<P>The third gift of this nature is extraordinary Prophe&s;ie, or foretelling of events; &s;uch as may wonderfully po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e a <HI>Balaam,</HI> a <HI>Saul,</HI> a <HI>Caiaphas,</HI> a Witch; this may confirme truths, and convince &s;inners, but the Prophet be damn'd; 'tis an
<PB N="30" REF="19">excellent gift in a gratious heart, but &s;hort of ordinary Pro|phe&s;ie.</P>
<P>The fourth extraordinary gift (that is according to Court cu&s;tome not the chief) is kinds of tongues, not new tongues, for that is a &s;peciall gift peculiar to true believers; a reall &s;ign of an effectuall work of grace; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth &s;peaketh,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 14.1.</NOTE> wherefore tho&s;e 144000. Redeemed Virgins, are pre&s;ented with a new &s;ong in their mouth, which none el&s;e could learn.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 17.19.</NOTE> When once <HI>Paul</HI> becomes a Convert he Preacheth a new Doctrine; he was before a Bla&s;phemer, but now he hath learned a new le&s;&s;on. He is not a believer, that hath not learned a new language
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 5.4.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>The&s;e miraculous tongues are never called new tongues, but &s;trange tongues, and other tongues, to convince a &s;trange people; to preach to other Nations, as was needfull then, but now cannot well be employed, &s;ince Popi&s;h inqui&s;iti|ons, and Turki&s;h &s;lavery, hath &s;hut the Go&s;pell out of their territories, <HI>Act.</HI> 13.46. Neither have Chri&s;ts Mini&s;ters any warrant to attempt the publi&s;hing of Go&s;pell truths in other Nations, who are known to be dogs, &s;wine, and per&s;ecutors, <HI>Mat.</HI> 7.6. &amp; 10.23.</P>
<P>And therefore Satan, and not Gods Spirit, hath enga|ged &s;ome fooli&s;h deluded &s;ouls called Quakers to pa&s;&s;e the Seas, in expectation probably of &s;ome miraculous ability to publi&s;h their poi&s;on again&s;t Chri&s;ts Ordinances, but have only performed the work of Barbarians, and &s;o re|turned.</P>
<P>But certainly &s;hould Chri&s;t call into forain parts, he would enable his &s;ervants to help &s;ick &s;ouls abroad, as well as to heal &s;ick bodies at home. Alas! our native Countrey hath need enough of more labourers.</P>
<P>Wherefore (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) tongues are for a &s;ign, <HI>Not to them that believe,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 14.21.</NOTE> but to them that believe not. This gift therefore belongs not to thee thou dear Di&s;ciple of Chri&s;t, It is our mercy that the Ordinance I now contend for came once under hand and &s;eal from heaven; our Ma&s;ters hand, and this &s;ign of tongues confirming it.</P>
<PB N="31" REF="19">
<P>Since therefore this fourth Foundation Principle of thy Religion is thus by this miraculous gift ratified, and thy pre|tious &s;oul converted; thouart not to expect &s;uch needle&s;&s;e un&s;utable gifts as the&s;e, which Gods word tels thee are not convenient for thee; But fince the Spirit of truth hath more excellent trea&s;ure, then tongues, or the interpretation of tongues; take thou the coun&s;ell of the Apo&s;tle,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12.31.</NOTE> <HI>Covet earne&s;t|ly the be&s;t gifts, and yet &s;hew I unto you a more excellent way;</HI> there are &s;ome gifts more excellent then others, and there are graces more excellent then any other gifts, the be&s;t gifts will be fewel to thy choice graces, and &s;et thy heavenly heart all on a holy flame.</P>
<P>Wherefore covet earne&s;tly the be&s;t gifts for this end. And fince 'tis evident that the golden gifts of Chri&s;t
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Zech. 4.12.</NOTE> pa&s;&s;e through golden pipes or Ordinances, into the bowl of the Can|die&s;tick, that is, the Church; put thy affectionate mouth to the&s;e pretious pipes, that contain &s;uch pretious gifts, and draw with the buckets of joy out of the wels of &s;al|vation.</P>
<P>It is undeniable that this fourth foundation Doctrine of Chri&s;t is one of tho&s;e pipes, or channels, through which the&s;e eternall &s;treames do run; and doubtle&s;&s;e did not poor crea|tures (drownd in delu&s;ions) conclude the&s;e &s;treams were dryed up, they would not neglect this pipe, this ordinance of hands, as they do. But &s;o they think, and &s;o they &s;peak, for &s;ay they, the power or gifts of the Spirit are cea&s;ed, and therefore the ordinance is of no u&s;e.</P>
<P>Well, when I &s;hall clearly demon&s;trate, that the be&s;t gifts are to this day continued, as I have already proved that no gift is cea&s;ed, that is needfull for believers; And when it &s;hall appear that the&s;e be&s;t gifts have been conveyed through impo|fition of hands; Then &s;urely both the Ordinance and gifts will be earne&s;tly de&s;ired, and affectionately embraced, by gra|tious &s;ouls.</P>
<P>The&s;e be&s;t gifts which being continued,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12.8, 9, 10.</NOTE> Saints &s;hould covet, are
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Wi&s;dome.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Knowledge.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Faith.</ITEM>
<PB N="32" REF="20">
<ITEM>4. Prophe&s;ie.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. Di&s;cerning of Spirits.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>It mu&s;t be granted without controver&s;ie, that the&s;e are the be&s;t gifts of the Spirit, and that they are continued in power and efficacy to this generation.</P>
<P>And fir&s;t of Wi&s;dome,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 4.7. Job 28.18. 2 Sam. 14.20.</NOTE> which the eternall Spirit that gives it, hath recorded as the principall thing, and therefore it is here in the Catalogue of gifts de&s;ervedly &s;et in the fir&s;t place; The price thereof is above Rubies, it's a defence bet|ter then &s;trength, it transformes the per&s;on &s;o, that he ap|pears as an Angell of God. Marvellous encomiums of de|&s;erved prai&s;e, are given by the Spirit to this mo&s;t excellent gift; far &s;urpa&s;&s;ing all tho&s;e other gifts before mentioned, as Healing, Tongues, Miracles, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which the devotion of a <HI>Didymus</HI> doth &s;o much dote upon, making &s;o great a noi&s;e in the world, &s;o that all's lo&s;t with &s;uch a profe&s;&s;or, becau&s;e tongues are cea&s;ed, and miracles do not appear to &s;atisfie his &s;en&s;e. Ah poor &s;hallow creatures, &s;hadowes of Saints, that thus cry out as undone, for the want of what they may peri&s;h with. Scarce one word of wi&s;dome to be heard; nay the very Ordinance which is mo&s;t particularly de&s;igned for the conveyance of Spirituall gifts, mu&s;t be cut off, though it be a foundation Principle becau&s;e they &s;ee not the prints of the nails, and &s;pear.</P>
<P>The power is gone, we want Apo&s;tles, the Fourth Prin|ciple is void, Gifts do not now appear, the power is gone.</P>
<P>This is the great cry of the&s;e times, to cry down a founda|tion Doctrine of Chri&s;t. But let the true babes of Chri&s;t know to their comfort that the pwoer is not gone, &s;o long as this gift, this be&s;t gift of the Spirit remains, which is better then they all. Wherefore get wi&s;dome thou believing obedient &s;oul,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 4.7.</NOTE> and with all thy getting, get under&s;tanding, for&s;ake her not, and &s;he &s;hall pre&s;erve thee; love her, and &s;he &s;hall keep thee; exalt her, and &s;he &s;hall promove thee; &s;he &s;hall bring thee to honour when thou do&s;t embrace her. He that thus coun&s;els thee, hath richly experienced the truth of what he a&s;&s;ures thee: he asked wi&s;dome, and God gave
<PB N="33" REF="20">him a large heart, and was &s;o well plea&s;ed with his choice,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 1.10, 11, 12.</NOTE> and de&s;ire, that he added to his reque&s;t, the greate&s;t wealth, honour and royalty that ever was given to mor|tall man.</P>
<P>This pretious gift &s;hall conduct the true Chri&s;tian to the Bridegrooms Chamber, yea into his Ma&s;ters joy,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 25. Dan. 12.3.</NOTE> where he &s;hall &s;hine as the brightne&s;&s;e of the Firmament, for he made wi&s;dome his choice, and u&s;ed all means, all the appoint|ments of Chri&s;t to attain it, and did not finde tho&s;e pipes empty, which others &s;lighted and neglected; but through tho&s;e channels his ve&s;&s;ell was filled, wherefore he now lifts up his head with confidence;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 5.9.</NOTE> and Chri&s;t is become what he promi&s;ed, even the authour of eternall &s;alvation to his obedient &s;oul. While tho&s;e who lived in the profe&s;&s;ion of &s;ome (it may be many) truths, are found with empty ve&s;&s;els, void of this excellent gift of wi&s;dome, as refu&s;ing the channell through which it pa&s;&s;eth; &s;o that now,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 45. Mat. 25.10, 11, 12.</NOTE> when all too late, they would run to buy, the Bridegroom enters his royall chamber, the Bride with the wi&s;e Virgins attend him, and the door is &s;hut, eternally &s;hut; Lord, Lord, open to us, is all too late.</P>
<P>Becau&s;e I have called and ye refu&s;ed, (O read and trem|ble) <HI>Prov.</HI> 1.24, <HI>&amp;c.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 14. ult.</NOTE> Who is wi&s;e and he &s;hall understand the&s;e things? prudent and he &s;hall know them? for the wayes of the Lord are right, and the ju&s;t &s;hall walke in them: but the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors &s;hall fall therein.</HI></P>
<P>By this time po&s;&s;ibly &s;ome gratious &s;oul will confe&s;&s;e, that the be&s;t, and mo&s;t excellent gifts of the Spirit are not cea&s;ed. But this powerfull, yea mo&s;t powerfull operation is continued, in this principall gift of Wi&s;dome, and &s;eeing the nece&s;&s;ity of it, may po&s;&s;ibly cry out, O help me to wi&s;dome or el&s;e I die! Which way is my beloved gone? in what path doth this mo&s;t excellent gift of wi&s;dome pa&s;&s;e? Why thou poor enquiring &s;oul, it is the Prince of gifts thou enquire&s;t after, he is free, and I dare not confine him to any particular pa&s;&s;age, he hath many walkes, but I can point thee out which way he hath gone, namely, in yonder path, which is one of his principall walks, termed Laying on of hands; 'tis a path of his own preparing, and indeed,
<PB N="34" REF="21">a foundation Doctrine of his own lips. His &s;ervant <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> found him in this very path, and therein obtained this precious gift of wi&s;dome, which for the excellency of it beares his own name, <HI>Deut.</HI> 34.9. <HI>And Jo&s;hua the &s;on of Nun was full of the Spirit of wi&s;dome; for Mo&s;es had laid his hands upon him.</HI></P>
<P>Was this tran&s;cendent gift of the Spirit conveyed through the Laying on of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> hands?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 7.28.</NOTE> Why, the lea&s;t Go&s;pell Mini|&s;ter is greater then <HI>Mo&s;es.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> But <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> was an Officer.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> He was a great Captain indeed, and did conquer <HI>Canaan,</HI> but there is not a Di&s;ciple of Chri&s;t, but is a greater Captain, even a King and a Prie&s;t, and conquereth the world; yea is more then a Conquerer through Chri&s;t. What|&s;oever priviledges the chiefe&s;t in <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> hou&s;e enjoyed, even the lea&s;t member of Chri&s;ts Kingdome is inve&s;ted with; that is, to enter into the <HI>Sanctum Sanctorum,</HI> or mo&s;t holy place with boldne&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10.19.</NOTE> which was the peculiar priviledge of their high Prie&s;ts.</P>
<P>So that this way, even through impo&s;itions of hands hath the ble&s;&s;ed Spirit communicated wi&s;dome, his mo&s;t excellent gift.</P>
<P>In the time of the Go&s;pell we finde the great Apo&s;tle of the Gentiles rich in this gift, <HI>A wi&s;e Master builder.</HI> And St. <HI>Peter</HI> greatly admires this gift of Wi&s;dome in him, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.15. <HI>Even as our beloved brother Paul al&s;o, according to the Wi&s;dome given unto him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> But when was this <HI>Wi&s;dome given unto him?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> At the &s;ame time when the Holy Gho&s;t fir&s;t filled him; that is, when the fir&s;t Me&s;&s;enger was &s;ent for this (as the chief end) from the Lord Je&s;us to him; <HI>Brother Saul</HI> (&s;aid <HI>Ananias</HI>) <HI>the Lord Je&s;us &mdash; hath &s;ent me, that thou mighte&s;t receive thy &s;ight, and be filled with the Holy Gho&s;t, Act.</HI> 9.17. and accordingly the eyes of his mind (as well as of his body) were &s;o enlightned with this choice gift of wi&s;dome, that he was able to preach Chri&s;t &s;o, that all which heard him were amazed; he being &s;o able pre&s;ently to prove that he which be&s;towed this gift upon him, is the very Chri&s;t.</P>
<PB N="35" REF="21">
<P>So that here we have the preci&s;e time when this wi&s;dome was given him.</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> But how, or by what means was this gift commu|nicated?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> By that e&s;peciall Ordinance through which other gifts of the &s;ame Spirit were conveyed by <HI>Peter,</HI> and <HI>John,</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elf, afterwards; that is, by impo&s;ition of hands, <HI>Act.</HI> 9.17. <HI>And Ananias went his way and entered into the hou&s;e, and putting his hands on him &s;aid,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>So that here in two lively examples, the way and means of communicating this principall gift, is di&s;covered to thy inquiring &s;oul.</P>
<P>I &s;hall add no more at pre&s;ent concerning this gift, which I would be found in at the &s;ound of the great trumpet, but to coun&s;ell thee in the words of my Redeemer in another ca&s;e, <HI>Go, and do thou likewi&s;e.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 10.31.</NOTE></P>
<P>The &s;econd be&s;t gift which is al&s;o continued to, and mu&s;t be more and more encrea&s;ed in the Saints (as we may &s;ee this day) is Knowledge, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.4.</P>
<P>As this is honoured in the next place to Wi&s;dome; &s;o are they both lock'd up together for the newborn babe, in the riche&s;t Cabinet that heaven hath, even in the heart of the Lords Chri&s;t, and our Je&s;us,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 2.3.</NOTE> <HI>in whom are hid all the trea&s;ures of Wi&s;dome and knowledge.</HI></P>
<P>This is one of tho&s;e choice acquirements for the building up of the Saints, which who&s;oever wants is blind,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 1.5, 8.</NOTE> and in a peri&s;hing condition; <HI>My people are de&s;troyed for want of knowledge,</HI> is the great Gods patheticall expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 4.6. Take heed therefore thou do&s;t not reject it, nor the means by, and through which it is attained; for as it is trea&s;ured up in the &s;ame magazin or &s;torehou&s;e, &s;o it runs in the &s;ame channel with wi&s;dome; that is, communicated through the &s;ame Ordinance; <HI>Then &s;hall we know,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 6.3. Hab. 2.14.</NOTE> if we follow on to know the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>Faith is the third continued gift, running through &s;e|verall channels, that is, different admini&s;trations, from the &s;ame Lord.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12.5.</NOTE> But that &s;aith which &s;o runs as through Bap|ti&s;me,
<PB N="36" REF="22">Supper, Hands, and other Ordinances, I do not judge that foundation Principle (<HI>Heb.</HI> 6.) but a faith of a&s;&s;urance, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.13. or the &s;ealing of the Spirit, which hath been communicated to &s;ome upon their purpo&s;e to obey Chri&s;t in this Ordinance, to others, whiles they have been under the admini&s;tration of hands; to a third &s;ort immediately after, to divers at a greater di&s;tance; yea I have &s;een &s;uch a pre&s;ence, and (with an eye which the naturall man never enjoyed) be|held &s;o great a Maje&s;ty in the admini&s;tration of this fourth Principle, as hath con&s;trained me to admire the mighty ope|ration of the Spirit, and to conclude that wonders are not totally cea&s;ed.</P>
<P>Let babes in Chri&s;t covet earne&s;tly this great gift,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 2.20. Ephe&s;. 3.8. Hab. 3.17, 18. 1 Sam. 30.6. Mat. 21.22. Jo&s;h. 10.12, 13. 1 Joh. 5.4. I&s;a. 45.11.</NOTE> and be found in all the means and wayes of obtaining it; for 'tis a Chri&s;t-exalting gift; a &s;elf-aba&s;ing gift; a &s;oul-&s;atisfy|ing gift; a heart-encouraging gift; a mercy-obtaining gift; a wonder-working gift; a world-conquering gift; a God-commanding gift.</P>
<P>Now certainly, if I have &s;poken truth concerning this pre|tious gift of Faith, then it is not true which &s;ome have &s;o confidently a&s;&s;erted; namely, that the powerfull operations of the Spirit are cea&s;ed. But I know, what they mean, <HI>viz.</HI> the vi&s;ible print of the nails, and &s;pear, &s;o that it appears to me, they believe little further then they &s;ee, and therefore &s;light this Doctrine of Laying on of hands.</P>
<P>Which I think few will deny to be a notable means for the conveyance of the fourth continued &s;pirituall gift, which is Prophe&s;ie.</P>
<P>All &s;pirituall gifts are beautifull in their place, but this rather to be de&s;ired, for the edification of others, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.1.</P>
<P>I do not judge a per&s;on compleatly in Gods way, how eminent &s;oever he be gifted, untill he have received this Ordi|nance of hands. I look upon the Church as neglecting her duty when omitting it, or employing per&s;ons in the Admini|&s;tration of Ordinances without it, and hiding her talents when &s;he doth not &s;eparate &s;uch per&s;ons by it, as are fit for the Lords harve&s;t.</P>
<PB N="37" REF="22">
<P>And I e&s;teem any man that &s;ets to the Mini&s;tery without it (if he may and doth not receive it) as running without his errand.</P>
<P>Let none here mi&s;take me, as though I did confound the fourth Principle with Ordination; I know the one is an initiating Ordinance proper for babes,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 1, 6.</NOTE> &s;uch as <HI>Timothy</HI> re|ceived at the hands of <HI>Paul,</HI> by which often this gift of Pro|phe&s;ie is communicated; which when it mounts to &s;uch a flame, that the &s;oul is con&s;trained with the Prophet, <HI>Jer.</HI> 20.9. to cry out, <HI>I was weary with forbearing and I could not &s;tay;</HI> Then I judge it the Churches duty to &s;et upon this &s;epara|ting admini&s;tration, with &s;a&s;ting and prayer, according to pattern, <HI>Act.</HI> 13.2, 3. As the Elder&s;hip or Presbyterie, did to <HI>Timothy,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.14. Per&s;ons thus de&s;igned to the work, are &s;ent out by the Holy Spirit, <HI>Act.</HI> 13.4. therefore prize it.</P>
<P>The la&s;t &s;tanding or continued gift here mentioned, is, Di&s;cerning of Spirits, which rai&s;eth the &s;oul to a notable degree of &s;pirituality
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 2.14.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>No wonder then, that the Apo&s;tle urgeth the nece&s;&s;ity of the Six Principles, as being the di&s;hes, in, and by which this &s;pirituall gift is brought by degrees to the believing &s;oul, which when he heartily feeds of, it is of that &s;trengthning nature, as transforming the Di&s;ciple from a babe to a &s;trong man, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5. <HI>ult.</HI></P>
<P>'Tis no &s;mall mercy to be able to try the &s;pirits whether they be of God, and to know Chri&s;ts voice from a &s;tranger,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 4.1. Joh. 10. Mat. 7.15, 16.</NOTE> a wolf from a &s;heep.</P>
<P>Since therefore the u&s;e and end of Laying on of hands, is for attaining the Spirit of Chri&s;t by degrees. And that I have &s;o fully proved, that the choice&s;t gifts of the Spirit are as largely (that I &s;ay not more liberally) handed to believers now as ever, and that the&s;e heavenly gifts are &s;o clearly communicated through this Ordinance of hands; Let my coun&s;ell be acceptable to thee, if ever thou de&s;ire&s;t thy friends &s;ociety, get thee to his place of abode, that is,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Can. 1.8.</NOTE> forth by the foot &s;teps of the flock, and feed thy kids be&s;ides the &s;hepheards tents.</P>
<PB N="38" REF="23">
<P>There he makes his flock to re&s;t at noon. There he will give thee his loves, not every where, but in wayes of his own appointment.</P>
<P>His flock have left thee fair prints of their foot&s;teps both in Doctrine and practi&s;e; A goodly flock hath the Shepherd of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> who&s;e faith follow, and lean not to thine own un|der&s;tanding.</P>
<P>Say not the Lords hands is &s;hortned, or his power cea&s;ed; thou &s;ee&s;t his riche&s;t gifts are continued to thee, and many more then I have mentioned, as the &s;pirit of grace and &s;upplication,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zech. 13.10.</NOTE> the gift of &s;uffering, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1.29. of courage and boldne&s;&s;e, <HI>Act.</HI> 4.10, 13. and &s;un|dry others.</P>
<P>Be not wanting to thy &s;elf in &s;lighting this or any Or|dinance, through which Chri&s;t is plea&s;ed to convey his gift.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jonah 2.8.</NOTE> They that ob&s;erve lying vanities, for&s;ake their own mercy.</P>
<P>If there be any breathings in thy &s;oul after the&s;e &s;piritu|all trea&s;ures which will &s;tand thee in &s;tead when the trumpet &s;ounds, get thee to the Merchants now, if thou drive off thy bargain till then the door will be &s;hut. Po&s;&s;ibly thou maye&s;t think this Ordinance of hands not worth half my writing, or thy reading I am &s;ure my pains is the greater, and I do not think it too much to clear up an Ordinance whereby Chri&s;t hath &s;weetly refre&s;hed my &s;oul; I know it hath long lien &s;ullied among&s;t the Romi&s;h pots.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 68.13. I&s;a. 60.8.</NOTE> But God can give it the wings of a dove to thy bo&s;ome to engage thy dove-like &s;oul to flie (though in clouds) to thy windowes.</P>
<P>What if thou &s;houlde&s;t look upon this Ordinance with a contemptible eye,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 9.6, 7.</NOTE> and e&s;teem it no better then clay and &s;pittle, yet u&s;e it, becau&s;e 'tis the Doctrine or word of Chri&s;t; po&s;|&s;ibly it may clear thy &s;ight.</P>
<P>Thou ha&s;t many pretious Lambs of Chri&s;t in view, that have led thee the way through this admini&s;tration, as <HI>Peter, John, Paul, Ananias,</HI> and thou&s;ands more, who continued &s;tedfa&s;tly in this and all the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles Doctrine.</P>
<P>And remember that thou art commanded to ob&s;erve and do all things what&s;oever Chri&s;t commanded his Di&s;ciples
<PB N="39" REF="23">in tho&s;e dayes, &s;o &s;halt thou be &s;ure of the pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t who&s;e favour &s;oever thou lo&s;e&s;t. So &s;halt thou approve thy &s;elf a new-born-babe, a new Creature, a friend of Chri&s;t. And as many as walke according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the I&s;rael of God.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<P><HI>I mu&s;t now return to the Gent. my Antagoni&s;t, to wipe off tho&s;e Ab&s;urdities, which he &s;aith mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity follow this practi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, We lay no unfaithfulne&s;&s;e upon Chri&s;t, nor advance <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> above him, &s;ince Chri&s;t hath not left us to doubtfull &s;uppo&s;itions (as the Gent. &s;peaks) for the in&s;titution of this practi&s;e of Laying on of hands is &s;ub&s;tantially proved from the mouth of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly, Neither do we lay a lie upon <HI>Paul,</HI> who hath declared this Principle as a part of the coun&s;ell of God, and &s;o to be practi&s;ed by Chri&s;ts Mini&s;ters, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.2.</P>
<P>Thirdly, We have both commands and promi&s;es, and therefore can act in faith in this Ordinance, as is already fully proved.</P>
<P>Fourthly, We have given &s;ub&s;tantiall grounds of our hope, in this point, to the &s;topping the mouths of gain&s;ayers, let &s;uppo&s;itions go to the &s;uppo&s;ers.</P>
<Q>As for the Gentlemans two Apo&s;tolicall acts, which he &s;aith we cro&s;&s;e, if there were any thing worth noting it would fall fall upon him&s;elf; for</Q>
<P>I &s;uppo&s;e he is but an imitator of the Act in Preaching, but cannot carry on the end, in&s;omuch as he wants the power they had (if it be a want.)</P>
<P N="2">2. They were as much amazed at the power of the Spirit in <HI>Peters</HI> Preaching (<HI>Act.</HI> 10.44, 45.) and more, then <HI>Simon Magus</HI> was. Neither can the Gent. imitate <HI>Peters</HI> Preaching, any more then I can their impo&s;ing hands; he hath neither
<PB N="40" REF="24">received like power, neither is he able to carry on the like end (as he phra&s;eth it) nor do any thing in Preach|ing, but what men as men may do. And whatever of this nature he brings forth is equally applicable to his own practi&s;e of Preaching. Really the Gent. writes more like a Notioni&s;t, Quaker, or Seeker, then a &s;etled Chri&s;tian; I wi&s;h he were throughly weaned from tho&s;e wandrings; for why doth he rai&s;e &s;uch a du&s;t about waiting for the power and re|ceiving the power, of being imitators of the act, but cannot carry on the end?</P>
<P>Let all that fear the great God and tremble at his glori|ous word, and have any love to his Ordinances, con&s;ider whither this Gent. would lead them.</P>
<Q>He &s;aith, <HI>The Apo&s;tles had power before to Preach and Baptize with water, yet before they did this (Lay on hands) the mu&s;t wait for power, and that an eminent glorious power at Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and he quotes <HI>Luk.</HI> 24.49.</Q>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here are big words, and &s;mooth words, to deceive the hearts of the &s;imple, <HI>Rom.</HI> 16.17, 18. But I do utterly deny them to be the words of truth.</P>
<P>For why doth he? how dur&s;t he quote <HI>Luk.</HI> 24.49. and yet &s;o confidently a&s;&s;ert they had power to preach be|fore?</P>
<P>Let him, and tho&s;e dear friends he writes to, (if they be not willing to be deluded) look two ver&s;es backward, <HI>viz. Luk.</HI> 24.47. and they &s;hall &s;ee that the Apo&s;tles had no power to preach upon the account of their full and great commi&s;&s;ion, untill this power came. For thus &s;peaks the Lord Je&s;us &mdash; <HI>And that repentance and remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins &s;hould be preached in his name,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 24.47, 48, 49.</NOTE> among all Nations, beginning at Jeru&s;a|lem. &mdash; And behold I &s;end the promi&s;e of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the City of Jeru&s;alem, untill ye be endued with power from on high.</HI></P>
<P>Now friends in the name of Chri&s;t con&s;ider whether the Gent, hath declared truth in &s;aying they had power to Preach and Baptize before, upon the account of their la&s;t Commi&s;&s;ion? for that only he relates to in quoting <HI>Luk.</HI>
<PB N="41" REF="24">24.49. their former Preaching and Bapti&s;me being at that time utterly void, as you may clearly &s;ee by comparing the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>Mat.</HI> 10.5, 6. with <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.18, 19, 20. and <HI>Luk.</HI> 22.35, 36. and <HI>Act.</HI> 19 4. Their former work was to preach, <HI>The Kingdome of God is at hand.</HI> But now,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5.7.</NOTE> <HI>The King|dome of God is come with power, Mark.</HI> 9.1. <HI>Luk.</HI> 24.49. and &s;uch as was their Preaching, &s;uch was their Bap|ti&s;me.</P>
<P>But here I mu&s;t challenge the Gent. to make good his word, that they did ever preach one Sermon, or ever Baptize one per&s;on, before this power came, or el&s;e he hath but deluded you, in making you believe that there is need of a greater power for admini&s;tring the Ordinance of Laying on of hands, then there needs for Preaching, and Bap|ti&s;me, for that is his full &s;cope and de&s;ign, in which I appeal to any ingenuous &s;oul. Nay, I appeal to him|&s;elfe.</P>
<P>Secondly, He would per&s;wade per&s;ons (but then they mu&s;t be very ignorant) that the Miraculous vi&s;ible power, is the e&s;&s;ence of the Ordinance.</P>
<P>Whereas I have abundantly proved that the command of Chri&s;t gives e&s;&s;ence to the Ordinance, and that the commu|nicating of the Spirits gifts is the full end of the Ordinance to obedient &s;ouls for Chri&s;ts honour.</P>
<P>And I have al&s;o proved, That the Spirit hath commu|nicated better gifts and more glorious power through this Ordinance, then ever were or can be vi&s;ible to a naturall eye, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.9. <HI>ad finem;</HI> and that the &s;ame gifts &s;till remain, for which by all means we &s;hould endevour.</P>
<P>Thus I hope 'tis evident that the &s;ame power is requi|&s;ite for Preaching, Bapti&s;m, and other Go&s;pell Ordinances, as for Laying on of hands, and that the very &s;ame power hath accompanied Preaching, as hath attended the fourth Prin|ciple, and as often hath it appeared in the one, as in the other.</P>
<P>Wherefore con&s;ider in the name of the Lord what a de&s;ign is here laid to ra&s;e the foundation of all Ordinances, and <HI>level</HI> them with the du&s;t? And indeed what pre&s;umption is it for the Gent. to Preach, Baptize, break-bread, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and yet
<PB N="42" REF="25">want the e&s;&s;ence of the&s;e Ordinances; if it were true as he holds forth, that the vi&s;ible miraculous power of the Spirit were the e&s;&s;ence of Ordinances?</P>
<Q>But to the Gent. fifth ab&s;urdity, which he &s;aith is <HI>injurious to Je&s;us Chri&s;t who brings forth an act to &s;hew his power, and yet we having not the power, do imitate the act turning acts of power into bare imitation, and &s;o are injurious to Chri&s;ts intention.</HI></Q>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. All the acts which Chri&s;t brings forth are acts of power, &s;ince all power in heaven and earth is put into his hand, we profe&s;&s;e he cannot act unlike him&s;elf, therefore we are &s;landered in being charged as injurious to Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. The great power Chri&s;t intends in all the acts he brings forth, is to convert &s;ouls, the&s;e acts are tho&s;e greater works which Chri&s;t promi&s;ed his Saints &s;hould performe, <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.12. and the&s;e are the mighty &s;ignes of true Apo&s;tles, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9.1, 2. &amp; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.2, 3. Who&s;oever therefore is inabled to perform the&s;e greater works, is &s;o far from being injurious to Chri&s;t, that he fully an&s;wers Chri&s;ts intention, for herein Chri&s;ts greate&s;t power is put forth, and &s;hines mo&s;t gloriou&s;ly, and they that are in&s;trumentall thus in bearing up his name and power in the world, &s;hall at la&s;t &s;hine as the brightne&s;&s;e of the Firmament,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 12. 1 Pet. 5.5.</NOTE> and receive at his hands a Crown of glory that fadeth not away.</P>
<P N="3">3. I have already fully proved, that tho&s;e externall vi&s;i|ble gifts of the Spirit, which Carnall Chri&s;tians, and di|&s;tru&s;tfull <HI>Didymu&s;&s;es</HI> do &s;o &s;trangely dote upon, are not the greate&s;t acts of Chri&s;ts power, tho&s;e prints of the nailes and &s;pear, are but Chri&s;ts conde&s;cen&s;ions to weak Chri&s;tians. Tho&s;e tongues which were given once (and but once that we know of) in the laying on of hands, and in Preaching, although the Gent. do ever &s;o highly magnifie them among&s;t profe&s;&s;ors, and believers, &s;o as to ra&s;e the foundation of a foundation principle, becau&s;e he &s;ees not that &s;ign of tongues, doth but feed his hearers with food that is not for them. If we dare but give credit to that wi&s;e ma&s;ter builder,
<PB N="43" REF="25">he will clearly &s;hew us what an unwi&s;e &s;teward is this Gent.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24.45. Luk. 12.42.</NOTE> what an unfaithfull &s;ervant, not dividing the word of truth aright, not giving them their portion of meat in due &s;ea&s;on.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 2.15.</NOTE> But indeed &s;etting them a gaping for &s;uch food as Chri&s;t in|tends not for them. <HI>Tongues being for a &s;ign,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 14.22.</NOTE> Not to them that be|lieve, but to them that believe not.</HI></P>
<P>And while they are thus bu&s;ily enquiring after the vi&s;ible power, the &s;igns, the miracles, (like that impertinent que&s;tion <HI>Act.</HI> 1.6.) they are robbed of that proper, powerful, food that Chri&s;t hath fitted for his table gue&s;ts, and conveyed through laying on of hands; that true Manna, which who|&s;oever feeds upon &s;hall never die. I mean tho&s;e be&s;t gifts which true Chri&s;tians ought earne&s;tly to covet, and u&s;e all means to procure; as Wi&s;dome, Knowledge, Faith, Prophe&s;ie, Prayer, and the re&s;t, wherein the mighty Al|mighty power of Chri&s;t is put forth, and which &s;undry believing &s;oules have felt, and found, in this Ad|mini&s;tration of hands, &s;ome eminently, and &s;peedily, others more ob&s;curely, and by in&s;en&s;ible degrees The ble&s;&s;ed Spirit dividing to every man &s;everally as he will; that is, What he will, how he will,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12.11.</NOTE> and when he will.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, I mu&s;t declare that the Gent. and others, making &s;o much noi&s;e about the vi&s;ible Power, the miraculous Power, the externall glorious Power, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> do but hereby proclaime their own unbelief: The Apo&s;tle plainly telling us that tongues are for a &s;ign, not to believers, but to unbelievers, as above.</P>
<P>Secondly, As for that reproof in <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1.12. I have already &s;poke to it, and the God of heaven make it a warning to him, that he may cea&s;e to re|proach the wayes, ordinances, and &s;ervants of Chri&s;t.</P>
<Q>And as for Gods demand, how we know <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.2. is meant to lay hands on all Di&s;ciples; though the
<PB N="44" REF="26">Gent. &s;ayes we can but an&s;wer <HI>we think &s;o,</HI> and how &s;ad that would be.</Q>
<P>I an&s;wer,</P>
<P>We can confidently tell him (for God will make no &s;uch idle demands) that we know &s;o, we know the fourth Princi|ple belongs to all Di&s;ciples.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e it is one of the fir&s;t Doctrines or Words of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e it's one of the foundation Principles for Chri|&s;tians.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e it's plainly called milk for babes, Indefi|nitely.</P>
<P N="4">4. Becau&s;e the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t taught and practi&s;ed it to all his.</P>
<P N="5">5. Becau&s;e Chri&s;ts babes have need of it, God him&s;elf hath &s;poken it, and therefore will never que&s;tion us for ob|&s;erving the Apo&s;tles writings and teachings,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.37.</NOTE> which his holy Spirit hath te&s;tifyed are his own commands.</P>
<Q>Thirdly the Gent. would have us con&s;ider, <HI>How unlike this practi&s;e is to the primitive Churches, and to</HI> Philip, <HI>Act.</HI> 8.12, 13. <HI>who wrought miracles, more then we can do, and Baptized with water, but left the Laying on of hands to the Apostles, Act.</HI> 8.14.</Q>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. We have diligently con&s;idered, and through grace found our &s;elves in the very &s;teps of the primitive Churches, whereof &s;ome are particularized as the Church of <HI>Samaria,</HI> the Church of <HI>Ephe&s;us,</HI> the Churches of <HI>Judea,</HI> or the <HI>Hebrewes,</HI> who were taught and continued &s;tedfa&s;tly in the Apo&s;tles Doctrine, they being care|full to &s;ettle the &s;ame order in all Churches: E&s;pecially in foundation Principles, upon which all the Saints are built.</P>
<P><HI>Now therefore ye are no more &s;trangers and forainers,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2.19, 20.</NOTE> but fellow-citizens with the Saints, and of the hou&s;hold of God; and are built upon the foundation of the Apo&s;tles, and Pro|phets,
<PB N="45" REF="26">Je&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elfe being the chiefe corner-&s;tone.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It's too bold to &s;ay that <HI>Philip</HI> left Laying on of hands to the Apo&s;tles, when it was the &s;peciall work of God to employ <HI>Philip</HI> &s;uddainly in the mighty &s;ervice of converting that noble <HI>Aethiopian,</HI> whom Hi&s;torians record to be &s;o famous in converting his whole Nation.</P>
<P>But &s;econdly, What a deal of &s;tir here is to &s;et up the poor weak in&s;trument, as though there were any power or virtue in one Mini&s;ters hands more then another, or in one Ordinance then another? Why, this is nothing but the old Pope and Prelate, masking in a new habit. Let the eternall Spirit determine, what difference there is between <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Philip</HI> (I &s;hall offer no violence to the text, only change names a little) 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.5, 6, 7, 8. Who then is <HI>Peter,</HI> and who is <HI>Philip,</HI> but Mini&s;ters by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? <HI>Philip</HI> planted, <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>John</HI> watered, but God gave the increa&s;e. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increa&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Now he that planteth, and he that watereth are one.</HI></P>
<P>And one would think this &s;hould &s;atisfie an hone&s;t hum|ble heart in this matter.</P>
<P>But thirdly, <HI>Philip</HI> was an Evangeli&s;t, in the very &s;ame rank with <HI>Timothy,</HI> and it cannot be denyed but laying on of hands was the work of an Evangeli&s;t, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.22. <HI>Lay hands &s;uddenly on no man.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 9.17.</NOTE> Doubtle&s;&s;e <HI>Philip</HI> had as much authority as <HI>Ananias;</HI> for it is confidently a&s;&s;erted by &s;ome, that <HI>Ananias</HI> was but a bare Di&s;ciple, though 'tis a wild a&s;&s;ertion, but let that pa&s;&s;e at pre&s;ent. Well, certain it is, <HI>Ananias</HI> who had power to Baptize, had equall power to lay hands upon <HI>Paul,</HI> upon a twofold account.</P>
<P N="1">1. For the cure of his body.</P>
<P N="2">2. For the filling of him with the holy Gho&s;t. The very end, and u&s;e of this fourth Foundation Prin|ciple.</P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> was at pre&s;ent but a new-born-babe, learning and ob|&s;erving, or practi&s;ing his Principles. I hope none will pre|&s;ume to &s;ay that this main end of <HI>Ananias</HI> impo&s;ing hands,
<PB N="46" REF="27">that <HI>Paul</HI> might be filled with the Holy Spirit, was any or|dination to office, unle&s;&s;e they will be wi&s;e above what is written.</P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> was not then Baptized, and not likely to re|ceive ordination before his Foundation Principles were laid.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides, Certain it is, that his &s;olemne Ordina|tion, by impo&s;ition of hands, was long after, namely, <HI>Act.</HI> 13.</P>
<P>But La&s;tly, <HI>Philip</HI> being an Evangeli&s;t, was not inferiour to the &s;etled elders, or Presbytery
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4.14.</NOTE>, and they had authority to impo&s;e hands.</P>
<P>If any &s;hall object, That was in Ordination.</P>
<P>I &s;hall only an&s;wer this, That &s;trong meat for men is not inferior to milk for babes.</P>
<P>But enough hath been &s;aid, to prove Chri&s;ts Mini&s;ters e|quall in power.</P>
<Q>The Gent^s. la&s;t Con&s;ideration, warneth his dear friends of the danger of turning <HI>Acts of Power into bare imitation and want the power,</HI> quoting, <HI>Act.</HI> 19.13, 14, 15, 16. <HI>Exod.</HI> 7. to 13. &amp; 8.16, 17, 18, 19.</Q>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. I know no power that was ever put forth in Laying on of hands, more then there was in Preaching. <HI>Act.</HI> 10.44, 45. How dare he then imitate them in Preaching and want the power?</P>
<P N="2">2. I know no power any man hath to Preach Authori|tatively, <HI>Tit.</HI> 2.15. but the &s;ame per&s;on hath by the &s;ame Commi&s;&s;ion power to carry on all Ordinances that ever Chri&s;t commanded. <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Apollo</HI> are equall in power, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.5, 6, 7.8. Here <HI>Paul</HI> is the planter, and <HI>Apollo</HI> the waterer. In <HI>Act.</HI> 8. <HI>Philip</HI> is the planter, and <HI>Peter</HI> with <HI>John</HI> the waterers. Now by the Gent^s arguing from <HI>Act.</HI> 8. <HI>Apollo</HI> beares the bell away from <HI>Paul</HI> in point of power. But the Spirit of God &s;aith, they are equall, <HI>One. Ana|nias</HI> had power to Baptize, <HI>Ananias</HI> had power to impo&s;e hands.</P>
<PB N="47" REF="27">
<P N="3">3. Thrre were certain Conjurers cudgel'd by the Devill, <HI>Act.</HI> 19. for calling on the name of Je&s;us whom they ab|horred.</P>
<P>And a &s;ort of Sorcerers, who&s;e &s;erpents, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>'s &s;erpent devoured.</P>
<P>But were ever any Go&s;pell Mini&s;ters in the lea&s;t reproved for admini&s;tring any of Chri&s;t Ordinances?</P>
<P>Why, tho&s;e Vagabond exorci&s;ts knew not, believed not Je&s;us; how then &s;hould they call on him
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rom. 10.14. 1 Joh. 2.3, 4.</NOTE>? but we know him, and obey him, as we are able. <HI>And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his Commandements. He that &s;aith I know him, and keepeth not his Commandements, is a lyar, and the truth is not in him.</HI></P>
<P>He will never charge us with &s;in for ob&s;erving all things what&s;oever he commanded his Apo&s;tles.</P>
<P>He never commanded his Apo&s;tles to teach his Churches that it was nece&s;&s;ary to have &s;uch mini&s;ters, as mu&s;t either do miracles, or el&s;e they mu&s;t not admini&s;ter all Ordinances to the end of the world. But he layes down plain directions how Mini&s;ters mu&s;t be qualifyed, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. <HI>Tit</HI> 1. not one &s;yllable of miracles or tongues.</P>
<P>And yet they are bound to teach the &s;ame things,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 2.2.</NOTE> that <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Timothy</HI> did, among&s;t which I am &s;ure Laying on of hands was one.</P>
<P>To conclude, le&s;t the Gent^s. bu&s;tle about imitation of Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, in carrying on Go&s;pell Ordi|nances, without power to confirme them ten thou&s;and times over, with new miracles; I &s;ay le&s;t this noi&s;e and du&s;t &s;hould weaken the hands, and blear the eyes of Chri&s;ts enquiring ones, &s;o as to have a &s;light e&s;teem of Chri&s;ts commands, &s;ince all Go&s;pell Ordinances, and Mini&s;ters have equall au|thority;</P>
<P>Let it be remembred that tho&s;e Divine writings and Ordinances which our decea&s;ed husband left as Le|gacies, for the tryall of our love to our fir&s;t love, in remembrance of his &s;ad &s;ufferings till his &s;econd coming, were all confirmed once unto us by &s;ignes and wonders.</P>
<PB N="48" REF="28">
<P>And being thus ratified under hand and &s;eal, by him who&s;e Kingdomes, Lawes, are le&s;&s;e mutable then the Laws of <HI>Medes</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ians,</HI> it is not for us to que&s;tion them, but te&s;tifie our love,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 14.15. &amp; 15.14.</NOTE> and friend&s;hip by ob&s;erving them, even all of them.</P>
<P>Remember the pattern of heavenly things, I mean tho&s;e Mo&s;aicall admini&s;trations,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10.1.</NOTE> which were a &s;hadow and no more of what we now enjoy.</P>
<P>But what&s;oever was written aforetime, was written for our Learning.</P>
<P>And therefore at the giving and writing of the Law, migh|ty &s;igns and wonders were wrought in the &s;ight of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and <HI>Egypt.</HI></P>
<P>So at the giving and writing of the Go&s;pel &s;igns and won|ders from heaven confirm'd it, in the &s;ight both of Chri&s;tians and Heathens.</P>
<P>But at the <HI>Jews</HI> return from <HI>Babylon,</HI> not one miracle wrought, and yet the people ob&s;erve all their ordinances, yea &s;ome that were di&s;continued hundreds of years.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Neh. 8.16, 17.</NOTE> We are now returning out of <HI>Babylon,</HI> prai&s;ed be God, let us embrace all our ordinances with thankfulne&s;&s;e, without expecting new miracles to confirm them.</P>
<P>It's true, all our Ordinances have been di&s;continued many hundreds of years during the time of Popi&s;h Apo&s;ta&s;ie, or el&s;e in an Antichri&s;tian garb, have they been admini&s;tred to fal&s;e &s;ubjects. Yet even in the darke&s;t times of the Bea&s;ts rage, did the Lord pre&s;erve him&s;elf a remnant, that held fa&s;t his truth in &s;ome corners; perhaps by fifties in a Cave: for the woman had a being though in a wilderne&s;&s;e, &s;ack|cloth condition,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 12.</NOTE> all that 1260. years, being nouri&s;hed there with her own proper food, the &s;incere milk of the Word, the Scriptures of the old and new te&s;taments, which are none other then tho&s;e two witne&s;&s;es appointed of God to &s;eed her
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Joh. 5.39. Jer. 15.16.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>And at her approach into the open light, and cheerfull day of liberty (which &s;hine mo&s;t gloriou&s;ly under this happy Government we now enjoy) being by degrees freed from that impo&s;ing, per&s;ecuting Babyloni&s;h thraldome&punc; &s;he &s;earcheth tho&s;e divine records, her own peculiar trea|&s;ure,
<PB N="49" REF="28">and portion, and like tho&s;e <HI>Nehem.</HI> 8.14. what &s;he findes written in that law, &s;he obeyes, &s;tep by &s;tep, as God di&s;covers truth, without expecting new miracles to confirm it; and at length hath found out, and laid this fourth Principle in its proper place. Yet &s;ome have branded this pretious Ordinance in Print, as <HI>A new Admini|&s;tration.</HI></P>
<P>But really I &s;tand amazed that their con&s;ciences did not give their pen a check; &s;ince 'tis &s;o evident that <HI>Peter,</HI> and <HI>John,</HI> and <HI>Paul,</HI> and <HI>Ananias,</HI> and thou&s;ands more, were found in this practi&s;e, &s;ixteen hundred years ago, and did mo&s;t faithfully teach the &s;ame doctrine as one of the &s;ix foundati|on Principles of Chri&s;tian Religion; as the proper food or milke for babes, yong beginners in Chri&s;tianity, to whom the Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Hebrewes</HI> is chiefly written, nay on|ly written.</P>
<P>For although it is clear that tho&s;e <HI>Hebrew</HI> or <HI>Judean</HI> Churches, had officers &s;etled among&s;t them, whom they are exhorted to remember, as tho&s;e that had the rule over them, <HI>&amp;c. Heb.</HI> 13.7. and to obey them, and &s;ubmit to them, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 17. Yet was not this Epi&s;tle written to tho&s;e Officers, or Rulers, or Mini&s;ters, or Angels (like the 7. Epi&s;tles to the <HI>A&s;ian</HI> Churches <HI>Rev.</HI> 2, &amp; 3.) but only to the members of tho&s;e Churches; as is mo&s;t evident by the clo&s;e of that Epi&s;tle, where this exhortation or injunction is laid upon tho&s;e babes; <HI>Heb.</HI> 13.24. <HI>Salute all them that have the rule over you.</HI></P>
<P>Had this been wi&s;ely con&s;idered, the adver&s;aries of this fourth Principle would not &s;o much have betrayed their weakne&s;&s;e, and di&s;covered their nakedne&s;&s;e, as with &s;uch con|fidence to a&s;&s;ert that the Doctrine of hands <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. belongs only to the Mini&s;tery.</P>
<P>The wi&s;eman cryes out,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Eccl.</HI> 10.16.</NOTE> <HI>Woe to thee O Land when thy King is a child.</HI> I may much more &s;adly apply it to Churches, if our adver&s;aries &s;peak truth that the fourth Principle <HI>be|longeth to Mini&s;ters. Woe to thee O Church when thy Elders (or Bi&s;hops) are babes:</HI> Yea &s;uch babes as are unskilfull in the word of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.13. And yet it's as clear as the Sun, that this Principle (among the re&s;t) is to be u&s;ed by
<PB N="50" REF="29">&s;uch babes <HI>as are unskilfull in the word of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> Where|fore let our adver&s;aries pretend never &s;o much ability, or eminency, or experience to teach others; I dare boldly a&s;&s;ert, that untill &s;uch time as God &s;hall draw out their hearts to u&s;e this milk of the fourth Principle, <HI>they are but unskilfull in a Foundation Doctrine of the word of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e;</HI> And truly that's exceeding &s;ad, if we con&s;ider, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P>Well then; to weaklings in the faith, to young Di&s;ciples hath Chri&s;t de&s;igned this <HI>A B C.</HI> Doctrine of &s;ix principles, to be laid as their fir&s;t foundation upon him&s;elf, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.20. which is &s;o far from being <HI>A new Admini&s;tration</HI> (as our An|tagoni&s;ts term this fourth Principle by way of deri&s;ion) that what we contend for, is one of the words of the be|ginning of Chri&s;t;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Heb. 6.1.</NOTE> one of tho&s;e fir&s;t things which Je&s;us began to do and teach, which are not &s;et down particularly by the Evangeli&s;ts (for if they &s;hould be written every one, it's &s;uppo&s;ed the world could not contain them, <HI>Joh.</HI> 21.25) this is one of tho&s;e Commandements which Chri&s;t gave to his Apo&s;tles after his re&s;urrection, one of tho&s;e things that he &s;pake to them concerning the Kingdome of God, <HI>Act.</HI> 1.1, 2, 3. for as Chri&s;t was forty dayes in&s;tructing <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in <HI>Sinai,</HI> how to govern his hou&s;e under the Law; &s;o he was forty dayes in&s;tructing his Apo&s;tles in <HI>Sion,</HI> how to order his hou&s;e under the Go&s;pell, not writing his Lawes (then) with inke and paper, or in tables of &s;tone, but acccor|to the tenour of the new Covenant, he did engrave them in their minds,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 8.10.</NOTE> and write them in their hearts, with this full a&s;&s;urance (upon the word of a King) <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.26. that his holy Spirit &s;hould bring all things to their remembrance, what&s;oever he had &s;aid unto them; &s;o that he hath been ex|actly faithfull in all his hou&s;e, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3.</P>
<P>As truly therefore as Chri&s;t gave them Commandements, (<HI>Act.</HI> 1.2.) &s;o truly are tho&s;e things which the A|po&s;tles taught, <HI>Act.</HI> 2.40, 41, 42. and 8.17. and left in writing, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.12. &amp; 6.1, 2. &s;o truly, I &s;ay, are the&s;e things, the very Commandements of the Lord, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.37. which at fir&s;t began to be &s;poken by the Lord, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.3.</P>
<PB N="51" REF="29">
<P>So that the vanity of that taunt (that Laying on of hands is <HI>A new Admini&s;tration</HI>) doth too much betray an ignorant, that I &s;ay not an envious frame of &s;pi|rit.</P>
<P>And as this foundation Principle was laid in <HI>Sion,</HI> by tho&s;e wi&s;e ma&s;ter-builders in the beginning of the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, which is to be practi&s;ed and ob&s;erved equally with its fellow principles, Faith, Repentance, Bapti&s;me, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> to the end of the world:</P>
<P>So was it religiou&s;ly performed with the re&s;t, in the pure&s;t Churches, for &s;ome hundreds of years after the Apo&s;tles, as is fully and faithfully proved from the pure&s;t &s;treams of Antiquity, by tho&s;e eminent &s;hining lights in the Church of God, to whom this pre&s;ent generation is &s;o exceedingly obliged, for their indefatigable labours in vindication of this, and many other pretious truths of Chri&s;t; namely, Mr. <HI>John Tombs</HI> in his <HI>Anti-paedobapti&s;m,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Second Part. 23. Sect.</NOTE> and Mr. <HI>Christopher Blackwood,</HI> in his <HI>Soul-&s;earching Catechi&s;m,</HI> pag. 58. to whom I refer you.</P>
<P>Only one te&s;timony I &s;hall &s;et down out of <HI>Eu&s;ebius, lib.</HI> 6. <HI>cap.</HI> 42. <HI>Novatus</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>being very like to die, was baptized in the bed where he lay, if it may be termed a bapti&s;me which he received, for he obtained not after his recovery that which he &s;hould have done according to the Canon of the Church, to wit, confirmation by the hands of the Bi&s;hop: In &s;o much then as he obtained not that, how came he by the Holy Gho&s;t?</HI></P>
<P>In which pa&s;&s;age I ob&s;erve,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, That in tho&s;e dayes (namely in the third Century) it was not the cu&s;tome to baptize Infants, but Profe&s;&s;ors, that la&s;ie practice of Infant &s;prinkling being after wars fomented and advanced by the man of &s;in.</P>
<P>Secondly I ob&s;erve, That it could not be termed or judged a lawfull bapti&s;m, which was Admini&s;tred in bed; for how was that a buriall? Nay both the Clergy and Laity oppo|&s;ed his admi&s;&s;ion into the Mini&s;tery, becau&s;e they judged that bed-bapti&s;me unlawfull, <HI>pag.</HI> 118.</P>
<PB N="52" REF="30">
<P>Thirdly, I ob&s;erve, That the Church had received the fourth Principle, as one of their Canons, Lawes, or Rules.</P>
<P>Fourthly, That he is recorded as a di&s;obedient per&s;on to all po&s;terity, for neglecting and omitting that duty of Laying on of hands.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, That it was &s;o long received as an eternall truth, that the holy Gho&s;t was communicated (in his gifts) by Laying on of hands.</P>
<P>So that I hope God will cau&s;e &s;hame to work unfeigned &s;orrow in &s;uch as have &s;o ra&s;hly termed Laying on of hands, <HI>A new admini&s;tration.</HI></P>
<P>My coun&s;ell and advice to all that truly fear the Lord, and de&s;ire a greater mea&s;ure of his Ble&s;&s;ed Spirit, in the gracious gifts, and flouri&s;hing fruits thereof, is &s;peedily to ha&s;ten to the u&s;e of all means that the redeemer of our &s;ouls hath de&s;ig|ned for his dear Di&s;ciples, his babes, his lambs, which he folds in his bo&s;ome, and hath enjoyned all his under-&s;hepheards faithfully to feed, as ever they would manife&s;t their loves to him their Saviour.</P>
<P>Wherefore I as the unworthye&s;t of them all, would gladly &s;erve thee, thou e&s;pou&s;ed &s;oul, that ha&s;t devoted thy Virgin affections to the divine embraces of the King of Saints. I be&s;eech thee (as Chri&s;ts Amba&s;&s;adour) I humbly intreat thee, open the mouth of thy enquiring thir&s;ty &s;oul, that as a new|born-babe thou may&s;t receive this growing thriving food, in the rich encrea&s;es of Gods holy Spirit; 'tis &s;incere milk fit|ted for thy con&s;titution. O ta&s;t and &s;ee how gratious the Lord is! thou do&s;t not yet know, how he will communi|cate him&s;elf to thee through this Ordinance; thou can&s;t never experience the virtue and goodne&s;&s;e of food till thou receive it.</P>
<P>I do not &s;o earne&s;tly invite thee to the meane&s;t things of Chri&s;ts hou&s;e, tho&s;e inferiour gifts which Reprobates may have, and <HI>Simon Magus</HI> would have purcha&s;ed with money, and which carnall Chri&s;tians &s;o much cry out for, the power, the vi&s;ible miraculous power, the tongues, the &s;igns, the wonders, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Alas poor &s;oul! the&s;e will not feed thee, the
<PB N="53" REF="30">wi&s;e&s;t Stewards that ever Chri&s;t employed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 14.22.</NOTE> tell thee (thou panting &s;pirit) they are not for thee.</P>
<P>Why, thou art a believer, I prethee what good would tongues or miracles do thee? would they &s;atisfie thy gaping thir&s;ty &s;oul? did not that excellent Apo&s;tle earne&s;tly di&s;&s;wade Di&s;ciples from their vain affection of the&s;e externall gifts? What if I &s;hould come with tongues to you (&s;aith he 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.6.) would that profit you? I &s;hould not be under&s;tood, <HI>ver.</HI> 7.8. and if you did enjoy your de&s;ire of tongues, ye &s;hould but &s;peak to the aire, and be a Barbarian, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 9, 11. <HI>Ah brethren</HI> (&s;aith he, after long labouring to blunt the edge of their fond de&s;ire of tongues above other gifts) <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20. <HI>Be not children in under&s;tanding;</HI> as if he &s;hould &s;ay, thy de&s;ires are childi&s;h, in making &s;uch a noi&s;e about this le&s;&s;er gift, which will neither edifie thy &s;elf nor others, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 14, 17.</P>
<P>No, no, thou little one, thou &s;uckling,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 10.21.</NOTE> to whom the good plea&s;ure of thy Father is to reveal the my&s;teries of his Kingdome, which he conceals from the wi&s;e and prudent. I &s;tand (as one of wi&s;domes maidens) to give thee an earne&s;t in|vitation, yea to compell thee to come,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 9.3. Luk. 14.23.</NOTE> and &s;up with the Lord, upon a daintier di&s;h then tongues, or any &s;uch ex|ternall things: Upon that hidden manna, the bread that cometh down from Heaven,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 6.50. Cant. 1.3, 4. &amp; 2.4.</NOTE> which who&s;oever eats of &s;hall never die. I would lead thee and all thy virgin compani|ons, by the &s;avor of his good oyntments, into the inner chambers of the King, yea into his banqueting hou&s;e, where thou &s;halt be pre&s;ented with his choi&s;e&s;t gifts, <HI>Wi&s;dome, Know|ledge, Faith,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The Wi&s;dome of God in a My&s;tery, not an external &s;ound,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 2.3. Ephe&s;. 3.17, 18, 19, 20.</NOTE> to &s;atisfie a carnall heart, but all the trea&s;ures of wi&s;dome and knowledge, &s;uch as will warm thy in&s;ide, and by degrees &s;o root thee and ground thee in love, that at length thou &s;halt be filled with all the fulne&s;&s;e of God;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 2.2.</NOTE> <HI>&V;nto all riches of the full a&s;surance of under&s;tanding, to the acknowledge|ment of the my&s;tery of God, and of the Father, and of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<PB N="54" REF="31">
<P>Come then,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 22.17.</NOTE> let heaven and earth ring together. <HI>The Spi|rit and the Bride &s;ay, Come, and let him that heareth, &s;ay Come, and let him that is athir&s;t Come, and who&s;oeverwill, let him take of the water of life freely.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Who &s;o is &s;imple let him turn in bither,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pov. 9.4, 5.</NOTE> as for him that wanteth un|der&s;tanding, &s;he &s;aith unto him, Come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.</HI></P>
<P>Ah thou beloved believer! here's a fea&s;t for a King, &s;uch a King as thou art, and thou &s;halt be a welcome gue&s;t, the more thou &s;halt eat,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5.1.</NOTE> the better welcome, <HI>Eat O friends, drink abundantly O beloved.</HI></P>
<P>I have acquainted thee in what di&s;hes this &s;upper is &s;erved, through what pipes the&s;e be&s;t gifts are conveyed;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 10.44. &amp; 2.38. &amp; 9.17.</NOTE> namely, through the word Preached, through Bapti&s;m, through Lay|ing on of hands, and other Ordinances.</P>
<P>Thy obedience will di&s;pell the clouds of thy Ignorance. <HI>If any man will do his will, he &s;hall know of the dectrine whether it be of God or whether I &s;peak of my &s;elf.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 7.17. Rom. 2.13.</NOTE> For not the hearers, but the doers of the Law are justified.</HI></P>
<P>Therefore look upon them as the enemies of thy &s;oul, that tell thee thou mu&s;t learn the fourth Principle but not practi&s;e it.</P>
<P>Thy dear Redeemer learns thee another le&s;&s;on; <HI>If ye know the&s;e things,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 13.17.</NOTE> happy are ye if ye do them.</HI> Do them there|fore, and wait upon God for what he plea&s;eth to give, and when.</P>
<P>The &s;ucking babe is not alwayes &s;en&s;ible of its grouth, in drawing the brea&s;ts; Po&s;&s;ibly God may give thee an Eunuch's portion &s;peedily, po&s;&s;ibly by in&s;en&s;ible degrees.</P>
<P>The Chri&s;tian <HI>Hebrews</HI> had been in the u&s;e of this milk (this fourth Principle and in the other five) a con&s;iderable time,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 5.12, 13.</NOTE> before they had any eminent gift; wherefore let not any pretious &s;oul in this practi&s;e either &s;ay God is a hard ma&s;ter, or que&s;tion his own condition, if gifts do not pre&s;ently or eminently flow as they de&s;ire. O <HI>Augu&s;tine!</HI> he is come, he is come, warmed the Martyr within, when the flames were mo&s;t &s;corching without. Po&s;&s;ibly God re&s;erves his gifts till thou ha&s;t mo&s;t need of them. Some &s;ooner, &s;ome later.</P>
<PB N="55" REF="31">
<P>If any &s;hall &s;ay the <HI>Hebrews</HI> were not in the practi&s;e of this Doctrine of Laying on of hands, becau&s;e they were not eminent in gifts.</P>
<P>I mu&s;t tell &s;uch per&s;ons that they flatly contradict the Scriptures which te&s;&s;ifie,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 2.42. Heb. 5.12.13.</NOTE> That they continued &s;tedfa&s;tly in the Apo&s;tles Doctrine; yea that they had been taught it, and did u&s;e it.</P>
<P>And to &s;ay, That they were taught Bapti&s;me, and did pra|cti&s;e it; and were taught, Laying on of hands, but did not practi&s;e it; is &s;uch a &s;ign of a &s;hallow capacity as de&s;erves no an&s;wer but &s;ilence and pity.</P>
<P>Wherefore I invite thee again thou troubled tempted &s;oul, whom the enemy keeps back with &s;cruples, it is thy Lord cals for thee; <HI>Behold I have prepared my dinner,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 22.4.</NOTE> my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come unto the marriage.</HI></P>
<P>Take heed thou tender Lamb of making light of the&s;e in|vitations; beware of delaies, they are very dangerous, as thou tendere&s;t the good of thy &s;oul look not upon thy livings or livelihood, but e&s;pecially thy relations;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk 14.18, 19, 20. Ch. 9.59, 61. Ch. 14.27.</NOTE> no not &s;o much as bury thy dead, or take leave of them that are at home. <HI>He that loveth father and mother more then me, is not wor|thy of me. And who&s;oever doth not bear his cro&s;&s;e and come after me, cannot be my di&s;ciple.</HI></P>
<P>How many poor &s;ouls have I known, &s;ome at the very door of Bapti&s;me, and while they have delayed, &s;lumbred, and loitered, the enemy came and &s;owed tares,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13.25.</NOTE> by &s;ome de|luded Quaker, or otherwi&s;e, &s;lighting Chri&s;ts Ordinances.</P>
<P><HI>I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 5.43.</NOTE> if another come in his own name,</HI> (crying up his light within, in the &s;ecret chambers, <HI>Mat.</HI> 24.26.) <HI>him ye will receive.</HI></P>
<P>Some have been ready to fall upon their knees (for con|venience &s;ake) to have hands laid upon them, and though God hath had mercy upon any that have afterwards obeyed; yet others have been left to &s;trong delu&s;ions, to believe,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;&s;. 2.11.</NOTE> write and practi&s;e lies. <HI>If any man draw back,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10.38.</NOTE> my &s;oul &s;hall have no plea&s;ure in him.</HI> And others who have &s;lighted the fellow|&s;hip of the Saints, neglecting Chri&s;t invitation; I have
<PB N="56" REF="32">&s;een death &s;urpri&s;e them in their di&s;obedience.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 14.24.</NOTE> <HI>For I &s;ay unto you that none of tho&s;e men which were bidden, &s;hall ta&s;te of my Supper.</HI> And is not that &s;ad, thou poor enquiring &s;oul?</P>
<P>But in the la&s;t place,</P>
<P>If God have drawn out thy heart, by the &s;mell of Chri&s;ts garments; I &s;ay Chri&s;ts garments, tho&s;e outward things, which proud ones pa&s;&s;e by, and deluded &s;ouls di&s;dain; Which yet the Spirit &s;ayes,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 45.8.</NOTE> <HI>Come out of the Ivory Palaces, ca&s;ting forth the fragrant odours, and cordiall perfumes of myrrhe, Aloes and Ca&s;&s;ia.</HI></P>
<P>If the&s;e have made glad thy gracious heart, whiles thy Queen-like virgin-&s;oul hath adorned her &s;elf with the choice embroyderies of thy beloved, not contenting thy &s;elf wich a fancied light in thy con&s;cience, but approving thy &s;elf <HI>the Kings daughter</HI> indeed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 13.</NOTE> legitimately de&s;cen|ded, <HI>all glorious within, (and) thy clothing of wrought gold;</HI> That is, if thou have yeelded thine obedience to tho&s;e principles, and other Ordinances
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Zech. 4.12.</NOTE>, through which the golden gifts and graces of his Spirit flow: Let no man de|ceive thee with vain words, giving thee leave to learn, but not to practi&s;e thy Principles.</P>
<P>The Lord make my coun&s;ell acceptable to thee, which is, <HI>To live in the perpetuall exerci&s;e or practi&s;e of all thy Prin|ciples.</HI></P>
<P>Yet mi&s;take not, I would not have thee &s;et them up for Idols,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 17.13.</NOTE> and live upon them, to &s;ay, <HI>Now I know that the Lord will doe me good, &s;eeing I have got a Levite to my Prie&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Take heed of &s;o practi&s;ing any of thy Principles. Now I have done enough once to believe (a <HI>Magus</HI> may do &s;o) or repent;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 8.13.</NOTE> <HI>Judas</HI> did it; or be baptized, &s;o was <HI>Ananias</HI> and <HI>Sapphira.</HI></P>
<P>In this re&s;pect,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3.13, 14.</NOTE> thou mu&s;t forget what is behind, and pre&s;&s;e forward.</P>
<P>In this re&s;pect,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 6.1.</NOTE> thou mu&s;t leave thy Principles, and go on to perfection.</P>
<PB N="57" REF="32">
<P>But how mu&s;t thou leave thy Principles? What, never to look at them any more? No &s;uch matter.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 19.5.</NOTE> But as thou mu&s;t <HI>leave</HI> thy father and mother and cleave to thy wife, &s;o thou mu&s;t leave thy Principles.</P>
<P>Who&s;oever &s;hall teach thee (in a marryed &s;tate) to be di&s;obedient to, or utterly to leave and for&s;ake thy Parents; I &s;hall bequeath to him the Legacie fit for a blind Phari&s;ee, <HI>Mat.</HI> 15.6.</P>
<P>And the like portion to him that &s;hall coun&s;ell thee to learn thy Six Principles, but not to practi&s;e them; or at any time to leave them, &s;o.</P>
<P>As for the fir&s;t Principle, which is Repentance,</P>
<P>Why thou poor &s;oul, as oft as thou calle&s;t for thy dayly bread, &s;o often thou mu&s;t practi&s;e thy Repentance. For thou do&s;t dayly contract new flaines, therefore thou mu&s;t dayly go to that &s;ountain
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Zech. 13.1. Rev. 7.14.</NOTE>, to wa&s;h thy robes, and make them white in the bloud of the Lamb. Crying, Father which art in heaven, forgive my tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, as I forgive others; that is, manife&s;t forgivene&s;&s;e, &s;eal my pardon, &s;atisfie my &s;oul, that all my &s;ins are imputed unto Chri&s;t, and his righte-ou&s;ne&s;&s;e to me.</P>
<P>And can thy &s;oul live a day without this &s;atisfaction, without this a&s;&s;urance? The Lord would have thee aske to purpo&s;e; not barely pardon, but a&s;&s;urance that thou art pardoned; <HI>Aske and ye may receive,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 16.24.</NOTE> that your joy may be full.</HI> And thus thou mu&s;t not leave, but practi&s;e Re|pentance.</P>
<P>Secondly, for Faith;</P>
<P>If ever thou did&s;t receive it, embrace it,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 1.5.</NOTE> and yeeld obe|dience to it, be carefull con&s;tantly to live in the exerci&s;e of it. Why thou no longer live&s;t then thou believe&s;t;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 17.</NOTE> there|fore go thy wayes on, from faith to faith, in the mounting &s;teps of <HI>Abrahams</HI> faith, as one of the hou&s;hold of faith.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 4.12. Gal. 6.10.</NOTE> Take heed of <HI>Hymeneus</HI> &s;in
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 1.19.</NOTE>, and let <HI>Pauls</HI> exerci&s;e be thine, <HI>Act.</HI> 24.16. O beware of men that will yeeld thou &s;houlde&s;t learn it, but not practi&s;e it.</P>
<PB N="58" REF="33">
<P>As for Bapti&s;me;</P>
<P>If ever thou was buried with Chri&s;t in it,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.4.</NOTE> one buriall will &s;erve the turn, <GAP DESC="foreign">, he that is once baptized, or wa&s;hed, needeth not &s;ave to wa&s;h his feet
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Joh. 13.10. compared with 2 King. 5.10. &amp; 14. &amp; Heb. 10.22.</NOTE>; and yet there is dayly need of Mortification, <HI>Col.</HI> 3.5. this thou mu&s;t be practi&s;ing all the dayes of thy Pilgrimage, thou do&s;t never learn it till thou practi&s;e it; There's dayly need of a holy walk in newne&s;&s;e of life, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6.4. Wherefore thou Baptized Believer, whatever men &s;ay, be thou dayly in the practi&s;e of this Prin|ciple.</P>
<P>A cha&s;t Virgin often re&s;i&s;ted Satans temptation, with this weapon, <HI>Chri&s;tiana &s;um,</HI> I am a Chri&s;tian. As oft as the enemy makes his appoaches again&s;t thee, tell him thou art e&s;pou&s;ed to Chri&s;t, and ha&s;t (not in thy childi&s;h infant &s;tate, when perhaps thou wa&s;t a&s;leep) made a bold manly profe&s;&s;ion of thy &s;ubjection to him in this Ordinance. What &s;hould I fear? if truth &s;peak truth, <HI>Mark.</HI> 16.16. I did (I do) be|lieve. I was Baptized, I &s;hall be &s;aved.</P>
<P>And for this fourth Principle.</P>
<P>Be &s;ure thou practi&s;e it, as ever thou de&s;ire&s;t a larger mea|&s;ure of the Spirit, for the communicating of which it is ap|propriated.</P>
<P>If God do immediatly confer his gifts in, or &s;oon after the admini&s;tration, be carefull to improve them to his glory, put them not under a bed of ea&s;e, or a bu&s;hell of gain. If he deal with thee as with tho&s;e <HI>Hebrew</HI> babes, keep thee long in thy childhood, without &s;ome eminent manly gift, yet pra|cti&s;e this Principle, in the exerci&s;es of patience; waiting for a return to tho&s;e prayers, that did accompany this Ordi|nance, and indeed is an e&s;&s;entiall part of it, without which, neither this nor any thing el&s;e is or can be &s;anctifyed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 11.13.</NOTE> and upon which pretious promi&s;es are entail'd. Breaking bread, is no ordinance of Chri&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12.11.</NOTE> without prayer and prai&s;e. Re|member the Spirits method, who is a free Agent, <HI>Dividing to every man &s;everally as he will,</HI> what, how, and when he plea&s;eth.</P>
<PB N="59" REF="33">
<P>Some &s;eed in &s;ome &s;ort of ground, will &s;pring up &s;peedily. Though I do not &s;ay that is either the be&s;t &s;eed, or the be&s;t &s;oil, &s;ee <HI>Mat.</HI> 13.5. And &s;uch is the gift of tongnes, to &s;uch as greedily gape after it, and petti&s;hly ca&s;t away the ordinance of hands, if they may not have it. That, or nothing will plea&s;e their palate.</P>
<P>But the Spirit hath another &s;ort of &s;eeds, which may not &s;o &s;uddainly appear, but po&s;&s;ibly lie all winter under the clods, and yet the ground very good, and the &s;eed lying &s;o long in it, makes it better; and although it make not &s;uch &s;peed in &s;pringing, yet it is carefully kept,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 8.15.</NOTE> <HI>and brings forth fruit with patience.</HI></P>
<P>At the fir&s;t practi&s;e of this Principle, the &s;eed is &s;own, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 45.19. and in a &s;utable &s;ea&s;on it will &s;pring and ap|pear. <HI>Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 5.7.</NOTE> Behold, the Husbandman waiteth for the pretious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, untill be receive the early and latter rain.</HI> We are at a great lo&s;&s;e for want of waiting for returns of duties.</P>
<P>Having therefore yeelded obedience to this Ordinance, let no man per&s;wade thee (thou longing &s;oul) to ca&s;t off the exerci&s;es of a patient waiting for a return; but take up thy re&s;olution with the Prophet,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 85.8.</NOTE> <HI>I will hear what God the Lord will &s;peak: for he will &s;peak peace unto his people, and to his Saints: but let them not turn again to folly.</HI> If God have but be&s;towed &s;o much wi&s;dome upon thine obedience, as to wait with faith and patience, for fuller manife&s;tations of him&s;elf; then I am &s;ure thou ha&s;t not found this ordinance empty.</P>
<P>The fifth Principle,</P>
<P>If thou be truly &s;pirituall, mu&s;t be thy dayly practi&s;e. It is a duty incumbent upon thee, and beares a date as antient as thy vi&s;ible profe&s;&s;ion and reall &s;ubjection to Chri&s;ts com|mands.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.4.</NOTE> For in thy buriall with thy Redeemer in the Bap|ti&s;mall &s;ountain,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5.17. Heb. 10.20.</NOTE> thou did&s;t begin thy ca&s;e in the &s;imilitude of his re&s;urrection, with an engagement &s;o to run, by the rules of the new creature, in that new and living way, all the dayes of thy life. Thou wa&s;t a mi&s;erable polluted creature,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2.1.</NOTE>
<PB N="60" REF="34">before he met with thee dead in tre&s;pa&s;&s;es and fins, but he hath breathed upon thee by his quickning Spirit, and there|fore in the power of the &s;ame Spirit dayly thou mu&s;t practi&s;e the re&s;urrection.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3.11.</NOTE> <HI>If the Spirit of him that rai&s;ed up Je&s;us from the death dwell in you; he that rai&s;ed up Chri&s;t from the dead, &s;hall al&s;o quicken your mortall bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.</HI> Wherefore &s;top thy ears to any other Spirit, that would dull the edge of thy devotion in the practi&s;e of the re&s;urrection. Live at pre&s;ent in the power of it, and make u&s;e of all means with the Apo&s;tle.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3.11.</NOTE> <HI>If by any means I might attain unto the refur|rection of the dead.</HI> Thy God will be found in the u&s;e of his own means.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 3.1.</NOTE> <HI>If ye then be ri&s;en with Chri&s;t, &s;eek tho&s;e things which are above.</HI></P>
<P>And La&s;tly,</P>
<P>Let the eternall judgment be thy exerci&s;e continually. Thou ha&s;t no other way in this world, to avoid the horrour and terrour of it, and this way (whatever men talke, to keep thee in idlene&s;&s;e) thou maye&s;t e&s;cape it.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.31.</NOTE> <HI>For if we would judge cur&s;elves, we &s;hould not be judged.</HI></P>
<P>Cheer up thy drooping &s;pirit, take courage and re&s;olution, and be as lively as po&s;&s;ible, in the practi&s;e and exerci&s;e of all thy Principles: The more lively, the more like Chri&s;t, who&s;e meat and drink was to do the will of his father; and the more like Chri&s;t, the more boldne&s;&s;e thou &s;halt have in the day of judgement
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 4.17.</NOTE>.</P>
<P>Wherefore labour diligently to be found in all the will of thy God. Let no man &s;poil thee of any truth, but e&s;pe|cially of one of thy Foundation principles. What though this milk be never &s;o mean, 'tis the more like a crucified Chri&s;t. I confe&s;&s;e Laying on of hands is but a &s;imple &s;ervice,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.17.</NOTE> no more is its companion (Bapti&s;me) but tis one of the fir&s;t words of thy dear Redeemer, a part of that form of Doctrine which he delivered and hath owned,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 8. &amp; 19.</NOTE> and by &s;igns and wonders confirmed, which he would not &s;o fignally have ratified, had it not been a part of his owne &s;ervice.</P>
<PB N="61" REF="34">
<P>Let not mens conceits of the ce&s;&s;ation of this holy Ordi|nance, deprive thy pretious &s;oul of tho&s;e choice gifts which &s;tream through it, which thy panting &s;pirit (if thou be truly thir&s;ty &s;oul) cannot but find as much need of, as thy fellow &s;aints, &s;ixteen hundred years &s;ince.</P>
<P>The promi&s;e runs as &s;trenuou&s;ly to this age, and the Saints in it, though we be tho&s;e afar off, as it did to them that were nigh
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Act. 2.39.</NOTE>: For he that made promi&s;e remains faith|full; and what ever men dare affirme to the contrary, yet he hath &s;aid, that <HI>It is ea&s;ier for heaven and earth to pa&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 16.17.</NOTE> then one tittle of the Law to fail.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
