Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

the Obftacle was thought to be taken away, -which before hinder'd the Benefit of the Sa crament, and fo the Graces due to their Baptifm, if it had been done in Charity, and which were impeded and hinder'd, by reason of their Uncharitablenefs and Sinful Separation from the Church; upon their Coming in to her Unity, took place, and became effectual to their Spiritual Advantage. This was the Opinion of thofe Churches, who allow'd those Baptifms to be Valid in themselves And how true this their Opinion was, I am not concern'd; because the Baptifms I am difputing, are not fuch Heretical and Schifmatical Bap tifms, but plainly Unauthoriz'd; not only with out any Commiffion at all, but alfo in Oppofition Ito Epifcopacy it felf which thofe Ancient Churches never experienc'd, nor enter'd into any Confultation about.co

[ocr errors]

3

As for the Validity of Lay-Baptifm, That it "Stands on the Authority of the Church's Power, to grant fuch Licenfe to Lay-men in Extremities when it can be prov'd, that Chrift has Kefted his Church with facha Power, it will ne cellarily follow, that fuch Authoriz'd LayBaptifm, in Cafes of Extremity, must be Valid upon that Foundation: But even then our Ordinary Lay-Baptifmis must be Null and Void, because they are deftitute of the Plea of Ne

?

fity, and alfo of any fuch Authority given them by the Church, in a Country where Chriftian Priefts are to be had. And there

fore,

fore, 'tis in vain to claim any Benefit from. the fuppos'd Power of the Church; because fhe her felf is fuppos'd not to have Authority. to exercise this Power, except in EXTREMITIES, which (God be prais'd) we do not yet labour under. But, after all, 'tis dangerous for the Church to give any fuch Liberty to Lay-Perfons for Cafes of Neceffity, as fome People call 'em: Because, this would be an Occafion of Destroying the very Unity of the Church, and expofe her to the Endless Divifions and Separations, which Hereticks and Schifmaticks would make from her. For, if by Virtue of this fuppos'd Power, fhe should once make a Canon to License Lay-men to Adminifter Valid Baptifm in Cafes of Extre mity, then, fuch Dividing Hereticks and Schifmaticks, calling their pretended Scruples and Tenderneffes of Confcience, by the Name of CASES OF EXTREMITY, would establish the Validity of their Lay-Adminiftrations, up, on the Authority of the Church from whom they feparate, and vindicate their Oppofitions to her, by the Power which fhe (in such case) would be conftru'd by Implication to give unto them. And fo every Private Perfon, after having blinded his Understanding by hearkning to Falfe Teachers, might plead, That he was under a NECESSITY to feparate from the Church, by reafon that he cannot overcome his Scruples about her Doctrine and Worship; and therefore might join himself to

any Congregation he should like beft, without the leaft Fear of Dividing from the Church Because, where True Sacraments, with all the Ef fentials relating thereto, and the Word of God, are, there must be a True Church; and he could find Proper Sacraments adminifter'd in thefe New Congregations even by Lay-Adminiftrators, who would be prefum'd to act by the Authority of the Church her felf. This would be to build the Church and its Unity upon fo precarious a Foundation, that we should not know what Schifm and Caufelefs Separation mean, tho' the Scripture tells us there are, and will be fuch Sins: And the Apostle's Pronouncing Damnation upon those who are guilty of fuch Sins, (Gal. 5. 20, 21.) would have no Force and Efficacy upon Men's Confciences, if they fould once perfwade themselves (as they too often do) that they feparate for Ne ceffity, and can (upon that very Account) receive Valid Sacraments from Lay-Hands And then 'twill be in vain to fay, that fuch LayAdministrations must be confirm'd by the Bishop, before they can be Valid Sacraments. For it will be demanded, by what Authority the Bishop requires fuch Adminiftrations to be confirm'd by him? And if good Testimonials from Holy Scripture are not produc'd for this Purpose, the Bishop's Supplying and Righting fuch Irregular Acts will be made a Jeft of and the Separatifts will conclude themselves as much in the Church as the Bishop himself,

while they Adminifter and Receive as good Sacraments as he; fince he cannot prove their Lay-Adminiftrations neceffary to be Confirm'd, Righted and Supply'd, by impofition of his Hands, &c. On the contrary, if it had but been conftantly afferted and defended, That the Sacraments of the Chriftian Church are, by Inftitution, of fuch a Nature, that the Chriftian Priesthood is one Infeparable and Effential Relation to them, or, that the Divine Authority of the Adminiftrator, is AS MUCH and as durable a part of their Inftitution, as the very Matter, or outward Elements of them. If Men had been always taught, that in the Sacraments, the Priest is AS MUCH the Reprefentative of God the Giver, as the outward Elements are of the Graces given, and that consequently, these latter are no Chriftian Sacraments when feparate from God's Authorized Reprefentative the Priest: And that the Church her felf cannot by any Authority given to her, alter the nature of these things. If these Topicks had been conftantly infifted on, without Trimming to please any Party of Hereticks or Schifmaticks whatsoever: 'Tis more than probable, that Men would have been much more tender of the Unity of the Church, and more cautious of feparating from her, than now we find they are; fince how far foever their vain Curiofity might have prompted them to have follow'd New fangled Lay-Teachers to please their itching Ears, yet the Confideration of their being deftitute of CHRI

L 4

STIAN

[ocr errors]

STIAN SACRAMENTS, might have terrify'd them from withdrawing from the Communion of the Chriftian Priesthood, and thereby have prevented, at leaft, many of thofe final Separations from the only Salutary Communion, which abundance of poor Wretches have fallen into, meerly thro' the falfe notion of better Edification, and a vain belief of being fure to find true Chriftian Sacraments in Communion with their New Jet up LayTeachers. And 'tis juftly to be fear'd, that the continual feparations from the Church in all Ages, and particularly in ours, have chiefly fprung from this wretched Opinion of the meer Opus Operatum of Sacraments being real Sacraments, whether Adminifter'd by a Priest or a Lay-Man; as if Chrift's appointing the Order of Prielthood in the Chriftian Church, fignify'd nothing at all, notwithstanding 'twas the refult of the moft confummate Wifdom of our Great Lawgiver.

BUT, becaufe 'tis pleaded from Scripture Inftances, that Cafes of Neceffity and Extremity, have taken place of Divine Inftitutions, and that therefore Baptifm, in Cafes of extream Neceffity, may be Validly Adminifter'd by a Lay-man, notwithstanding the Inftitution requires it to be Adminifter'd by a Prieft: And forafmuch, as mány Lay-baptiz'd Perfons encourage themselves by fuppofing theirs to be a Cafe of Neceffity, and confequently that they have receiv'd true Chri

« AnteriorContinuar »