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the Supernatural Advantages which are confequent to a Legal and Valid Naturalization?

And indeed all the Benefits and Privileges of True Christian Baptism are so great and many, that it would be endless to recount them; let it fuffice to fay, that it is a Sign, a Seal, a Means of Conveyance, and a Pledge to affure us of thefe Supernatural Advantages, viz, of being Incorporated into the Houfbold, and thereby made Members, of Chrift, Children of God, and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, and of all the unfpeakable Happimeffes thereof, which Eye hath not feen, nor Ear heard neither have enter'd into the Heart of Man to Conceive.

NOW, if any reasonable unprejudic'd Man will but duly reflect on these fo inconceivable and ineftimable Privileges, fo infinitely above all the Powers of Nature, either to Obtain or Bestow, without fome fupernatural Donation, 'twill be very difficult, nay, I may fay, impoffible for him to believe, that God, who is the God of Order, and not of Confufion, will bestow them by the Mediation of those to whom he has given no Authority for that Purpose: Especially, when he remembers, that God has fet apart a Peculiar Order of Men, to be the Stewards of thefe his Mysteries, and to whom he has giv'n the Power of the Keys, whereby to admit into, and exclude out of his Spiritual Kingdom, as the Sacred Scripture do's fufficiently inform us: Thefe Men he

has

has dignify'd with extraordinary Marks and fignal Character of Honour, and feparated them from the rest of Mankind; that they might reprefent his Sacred Prefence among us, and that we might have a strong Confidence and wellgrounded Affurance of their Divine Miffion, and of our own Happiness in being admitted through Baptifm into the Number and Privi leges of his Children, by their Authoriz'd Miniftration.

For the Baptifm wherewith they initiate us into Chrift's Spiritual Kingdom, is not Theirs, but HIS, 'tis He that Baptizes us by their Ministry. His Father fent him to be the One Mediator between God and Man; as fuch, He fent His Apostles and their Succeffors, to be His Reprefentatives, to perform Acts of Mediation between God and Man in his Stead, and by his Authority, that fo they might be HIS OWN ACTS, and become therefore acceptable to His Father for our Spiritual Benefit and Advantage: For, fays he to these fame Apoftles whom he authoriz'd to Baptize; As my Father hath fent me, even fo fend I you: Lo, I AM with you alway; thereby making them to perfonate himself, that he, tho' in Heaven, might visibly here on Earth, mediate for us himself by their Miniftry, which is HIMSELF, because they act by his Authority, being fent by him: without him no Miniftrati ons in our behalf can be acceptable to his Father For, fays he, no Man cometh to the

Father

Father BUT BY ME, Joh. xiv. 6. And withdut me ye can do nothing, Joh. xv. 5. Hence we find why the Scripture fays that Jefus made and Baptiz'd Difciples, Joh. iii. 22. iv. 1. becaufe He did it by those whom he had fent for that purpose: For, verfe 2. Jefus himself [i.e. in his own Perfon] Baptized not, but his Difciples: He Baptized,but 'twas by them,vested with his Authority; and thereby it became his own Act; even fo, that Baptifm might always be justly interpreted to be done by him (who is the only proper Mediator, and whofe Mediatorial Acts alone, are, as fuch, acceptable to his Father, in our behalf.) He vefted his Apoftles and their Succeffors, and fuch as are Ordain'd by them, with HIS OWN AUTHORITY to Baptize to the End of the World, that they might perfonate him in this Act of Mediation, and that confequently HE might continue to make and Baptize Difciples by their Miniftry; which he cannot be faid to do, by the Act of one whom he never fent: For which Reason, added to those others I have brought under this 4th Head, we may truly fay, That the Divine Authority of him who Adminifters Baptifm is an Effential Part of that Holy Inftitution. But this is confirm'd alfo,

Fifthly, By the conftant Practice of those who truly are, and of others who pretend to be, the Lawful Minifters of Chrift in his Church.

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THE Lawful Minifters in all Ages have claim'd the Authority of Baptizing, even from the time of our Saviour's first giving the Commiffion to his Eleven Apoitles, unto this Day; and for this very Reafon, because they Deriv'd their Minifterial Power and Authority from Chrift: But if the Divine Authority of the Adminiftrator of Baptifm were not an Effential Part of that Inftitution, their Claim would have been unjust when founded upon their Di vine Right, and fo every Man would have had as much Authority to Baptize as they: But forafmuch as they were never accus'd of Injuftice for making this Claim, (except by fuch Wretches as the Author of the Rights, &c. who would confound all Order in the Chriftian Church;) and fince all Sober Chriftians, who know their Duty, never laid Claim to this Authority; it neceffarily follows, that the Lawful Minifter's Claim is good, and confequently that the Divine Authority of him who Adminifters is an Effential Part of Baptifm.

AS for thofe who pretend to be, but are not, the Lawful Minifters of Chrift; 'tis well known, that they plead for the Authority of Baptizing upon this very fcore, that they efteem their Minifterial Commiffion to be of Divine Right; and therefore will never fuffer their Common People to Adminifter Baptifm: From whence it follows, that they also in pra Etice confirm this Affertion of the Divine Au thority of the Adminiftrator of Baptism: other

wife their claiming the Power of Baptizing, by Virtue of the fuppos'd Divine Right of their Miffion, would be a meer foolery, and indeed a Contradiction.

SO that, the Lawful Minister's claiming the Authority of Baptizing, because his Million is truly of Divine Right; and the unlawful Minifter's claiming the fame Authority, because he esteems his Miffion alfo to be of Divine Right, do both confpire by their Practice to Confirm this Truth, That the Divine Authority of the Administrator of Baptifm is an Effential Part of that Holy Inftitution; and this is not a little Corroborated,

Sixthly and Laftly, From the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of England.

For in her 23d Article of Religion, she af- firms, That" it is not Lawful for any Man to "take upon him the Office of Miniftring the "Sacraments, &c. before he be Lawfully call'd "and fent to execute the fame. Now what can this Article mean by [ it is not Lawful?] Certainly nothing else but that it is Sinful, or Contrary to the Divine Law in the Holy Scripture, for fhe is not treating of Civil, but Spiritual Things. But against what Law in the Sacred Scriptures is this a Sin? Surely against that Law which treats of thefe Sacraments, and this Law is principally in the Inftitution of them; fo that the plain meaning of this Article muft be, that it is contrary to the very Inftitution of the Sacraments for any F 2

Man to take

upon

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