low'd to the faime purpofe, as the Cenfers wherewith Adron offer'd Incense; for God did not order those Two Hundred and Fifty Cen fers to be continu'd, for the fanie ufe to which those Sinners put them, but requir'd them to be made broad Plates for a Covering of the Altar: To be a Memorial unto the Children of If rael, that no Stranger which is not of the Seed of Aaron come near to offer Incense before the Lord, (Numb. 16. 39, 40.) So that, if thefe Cenfers are a Parallel Inftance for Perfons Baptiz'd by uncommiffion'd Pretenders, then, the ufe that God order'd them to be put to, fhould teach us to make a like ufe of fuch Sinfully Baptiz'd Perfons, viz. To make them Memorials to all Chriftians, that none who are not Commiffion'd by Chrift, fhould dare to come near to Baptize in the Chriftian Church! But how fhall fuch Sinfully baptiz'd Perfons' become fuch Memorials fo effectually, as by renouncing their falfe, and receiving true Chriftian Baptifm from Chrift's Authoriz'd Minifters, and thereby fruftrate as much as they can, the prefumptuous Ufurpations of those who have no Divine Miffion for fo great a Miniftration? This is the moft proper Inference that can be drawn from thefe Cenfers, with respect to such as are unlawfully Baptiz'd: Tho' after all, they have nothing in them that can with any Coherence, be juftly adapted to the Inftitution of Chriftian BapA tifm, or any one Effential Part thereof: The

Two Hundred and Fifty Princes, indeed, if compared to the Unauthoriz'd Administrators of Baptifm, may be fomething to the purpose and fo may the Incenfe, if compar'd to the Water in Baptifm: Becaufe, as this, when rightly Adminifter'd, is the means of Spiritual Benefits; fo Incense, when rightly offer'd, i. e. by a Divinely Commiffion'd Perfon, was a means likewife of procuring the Favour of God, by making an Atonement, for the Sins) of the People. But as for the Cenfers, they were only the Veffels wherein this Incenfe, the Outward Means of the Atonement, wası contain'd; fo that they have not the leaft reference, either to the Perfon Administring, ori the Water of Baptifm, or to the Person Bap tized, and therefore, if the Objector will have them to be Parallel to any thing at all in this matter, they must be fo to the Veffel, which contains the Baptifm-Water: And he may make as much ufe as he plea fes of that! Parallelifm, which is nothing at all to our prefent purpose. Poi voedi bus produifd

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UPON the Whole; the Grand Defign of these Princes was (in oppofition to the Estat blifh'd Priesthood) to offer Incenfe before thes Lord, contrary to a Divine Pofitive Inftitution, which confind that Action to Aaron and his Sonst only. This Offering being thus unlawful; for: want of the Divine Authority of the Perfons: Adminiftring, was fo far from being accepted, that it was a crying Abomination; and insteadi OWT

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of procuring a Bleffing, either for themselves or their Abettors, drew down upon them swift Destruction; th the Princes being immediately confum'd by a Fire from the Lord, and Fourteen Thousand Seven Hundred of their Partizans destroy'd by a Plague. Even fo, if any thing about Baptifm may be hence inferr'd, we may juffly fear, that the Adminiftration of fuppos'd Baptifm by Non-commiffion'd Perfons, in Oppofition to the Divinely eftablift'd Prieft hood of the Chriftian Church, instead of being a Means of conveying Spiritual Graces and Benefits, to thofe who knowingly receive, or acquiefce in it, will rather exclude both fuch Giver and Receiver, (tho' they escape God's Judgments here) from the infinite Privileges of his Children hereafter, without a fincere and fpeedy Repentance.

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Some other Objections I have endeavour'd to obviate in the Progrefs of this Effay, and therefore fhall only further declare, that I fincerely believe the Subject of this Difcourfe to be a Substantial Truth; nay, even a first Principle of Chriftianity, and that without the couragious Afferting and Vindication thereof, the whole Chriftian Priesthood and the Divine Authority of it, must be call'd in queftion (as we fee it has lately been in Publick Print) and confequently in time fo far deny'd, as to encourage every bold intruder to ufurp that Sacred Office and Miniftry, even in oppofition to that Divine Commiffion,

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which hich has been conftantly handed down from Chrift and his Apoftles, to this very Day. I hope therefore that None who are vefted with this Divine Authority, will fight against it by appearing publickly in oppofition to the Subject of this Effay: As for my manner of arguing to defend it, there may be fome undefign'd Faults therein, which I humbly fubmit to their juft Correction, and prudent Cenfure; hoping they will execute both, with fo much Wildom and Conduct, as (to make me fee my own Errors, and at the fame time) not to prejudice, but add Strength and Cogency to the Caufe I have pleaded, which ought by no means to fuffer for my Weakness in its Defence.

AS for the mere Pretenders to this Divine Authority, I have nothing to fay to them or their Followers, but only to defire 'em to take care not to deceive themfelves, but feriously to enquire whether there is any Legality in that pretended Commiffion, by which they Act; which till they can folidly prove, I fhall always efteem to be utterly Invalid for the Adminiftration of Chriftian Sacraments. I fhall not trouble my felf to enter the Lifts with them, tho they quarrel never fo much with what I have faid; they have Work enough already cut out to their Hands, in thofe excellent Books which I have mention'd in my Answer to the Third Objection; and to their Arguments I refer them for the DI VINE RIGHT OF EPISCOPACY, that Moiriw

they

they may fave themselves the trouble of demanding them from me.

IF they fhall oppofe my Affertion of the Neceffity of a Divine Commiffion to Admini fter Baptifm, they will thereby Confound themfelves when they affirm that they Baptize by Virtue of fuch a Commiffion: And then I fhall not think them worth my Anfwering.

I conclude all with my hearty Prayers to Almighty God, that this my weak Endeavour may be for his Glory, and that he would keep

from all FALSE DOCTRINE, HERESÝ AND SCHISM; that all who profefs and call themselves Chriftians may be led into the WAY OF TRUTH, and hold the Faith in Unity of Spirit, in the Bond of Peace, and in Righteoufnefs of Life; and that he would be pleas'd to Illuminate ALL BISHOPS, PRIESTS AND DEACONS, with true Knowledge and Understanding of his Word, that both by their Preaching and Living they may fet it forth and fbew it according ly; and rightly and duly Adminifter HIS HOLY SACRAMENTS, that fo TEROBOAM'S PRIESTS may not PROPHANE HIS SERVICE, but that THE SEED OF AARON may fill MINISTER before him; to whom, with his Eternal Son, and Holy Spirit, Three Perfons, but One God, be afcrib'd, as is moft due, All Honour, Praife, and Glory, Might, Majefty and Dominion, by every Creature that is in Heaven and Earth, and under the Earth, For eper and ever Amen.

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