Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

1:/'fe I , co do to enquire into -the reafon ? it is our duty to obey and not to know ofhim why he commands ; if d:ur@- ··~~ was enough in Pythagora.· his School to put tlie bu(ineffe pail: difputing amongfl: his Scholars, I am fure it fhould be much more in Chrifl:s School.; we will therefore enquire no further reafon for it. 2. Why an Ordinance ofChrilt, it is this; becaufe all fpiritual Ordinance~, Laws, Inltitutions do hold on Chrifl: ; it is not in .the liberty of man to erect any new fpi ritual Ordinance in the Church <?f Chri!l:. I will not deny but the power ofman may come in to order fuch things as are not proper,but rather common to the Church with other focieties , as to meet together in fome place , and at fome time, &c. according co that rule, let All things be done decently, and in order; for this is not an inftitution, but onely the dictate of right reafon. 'But when it comes up to anOrdinance,Law,Inftitution,(i.)when fomething mordhall be put on the thing then nature hath put on it,when by vertue of the inltitution there is conjoyned to it fome kind of ·fpiritual efficacy to work upon the foul,this only holdson Chrift. 'Hence,becaufe in the preaching of the Word, and in the adminiftration of the Sacraments we expet\: a vertue, a fpiricual efficacy, more chen they have or can yeild in any natural way, therefore we fay, thefe are Ordinances of Chrifl; and fo becaufe in lso~ing unto 'fefm we expect a vertue, a fpiritual efficacy to go _ along together wi!h it, more then nature can give it, therefore we call this an Ordinance, and an Ordinance of Chrift, to ditlinguifh it from all other.Ordinances , Rules, Conftitucions ofmen -whatfoever. SECT. III. Ufe of Reproof. Well-then, is inward experimental looking unto Jefus a choice an high Gofpel-Ordinance? how may this reprove thoufands? how many are there that minde not this duty? the truth is,_that ·as the whole 'World lies in w~ck.edneffe~ fo the eyes of the whole world

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