Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

What in Scripwre was Tempormy, a11d w!JJt Perpetual. 2 .:_,. Ld\ly, And Rulers will be tempted in Church and Start, to take fuch perfons for intolenb!e in all Societies, and fitch whofc principles are incon!iHem wirh Governriu:nt. _ And no th:tnks ro this opinion, if they be not tempted ro diflike the $\:ripture ic (elf, and inHead ot it to fly to the P:~pifts Tr3dirions, and the Churches LegiJlJtive Soveraignry or worfe. But here alfo remember that I charge none with all this, but rhofe before defcribcd. Q!elt. 136. How (halltve knotv tvl;at parts of ScriptHre Precept or Example, were intended. for 'tmi1mfal conjfant obltgatio11s, and what tvere b1ct for tl>e ttme and pe!Jom that they were then direEfed to ~ .lln[w. JT is not to be dcnyed, but fome things in Scripture, even in the New Tdhment, are not Laws, much lefs univc1fal 2nd perpz:ua!, And the ditT~rcnce ii w be found in· the Scripr~rc ir felf. As, · 1• All that is certainly of t!niver{al and pcrpetu3! oblig1tion, which is but a Tranfcript of thcVni– vcrf;l and perpetual Law of Nature. 2 . Ar.d all that which hath the exprefs CharaCters of V;riverfa!it] and Perpetuity upon ic: And fu,h "" .n the fubflantial parts of the Goff'cl ; As [Except ye Rrpent, ye jh,U oU prrijh, Luke 13 .3, 5· Ex::ept a man beborJtag~in, l~e caJtnot tHtcr _i,tto_the /Cing,domnffleaven) John_3· 3, 5· He 1h 11 t bcliwnh in him, fhaU not pcrijh, but bave cver/aftzng life, John 3· 16. He tb.Jt beluvcth antl if baptized.; jhali be {avcd, and he tbat bdievrtiJ not, fnaU be d~mn.ed_, Mark I_6: r6. JVithout Holinefi none ft 1 .J/J faG9d, Hcb. 12· 14· Go;prrach the Gvfptl to ell Nauon1, bp~tzmt.. tbems &'C. teacl 1 ing them t (J obfirve dn th'i1tg1 that I have commanded ) 10t'• Murh. 28. I9, 20. J A\>undance fuch "Tcxrs have the exprcfsCharaCl:crs ofVniverf.tllt)!_ and Perpetuity (which many CJIJJYlurality ). . 3· And with thcfe we may number thote which were given to all thf Churches, with commands ro keep them, and propJgatc them to pofierity. 4· And tbofc that have a plain and necdfary connexion, to thcfe befQre mentioned. "i• And thofe which plainly have a full parity of reafon with them : And where it is evident that the Command was given to thofc particular times and pcrfons, upon no reaions proper to them alone, but fuch as were common to all others. , 1.deny 11Cf but ( as Amtfi!H nolcth after others) many cerrmonial and temporary Laws, ar'c urged (when they are made) wid1 natural and perpetual motives : But the reafons of mal;_ing them were narrower) what ever the reafons of obeying them ~~ . On the other fide, Narrow and temporary precepts and examples, I• Are void of all thefe fore– faid charaCters. z, They are about Materialr of temporary ufe. 3. Or they _are but the ordering of fuch cu.fiomrs as were there before, and were proper to thoft: Countrcys. 4· And many fpccchcs are plainly appropriated to the time and pcrfons. 5· And tnlny ad:ions were nunifdUy nccafionaJ, with· out any intimation of reafonor purpofe of obliging others to imitation. For infiance, 1. ChriHs preaching foriletimcs on a Mountain, fometimes in a Ship, fometimes in a Houfc, and fometiines in the Synagogues, doth lhew that all 1hdC arc lawful in fcafon on the lik~ occafion : But he purpofed not to oblige men to any one of them alone. ' 2 • So ChriHs giving the Sacrament ot his Body.and Blood, in an upper room, in a private l~oufe, af~ ter Supper, to none but Mini£\crs, and none but his family, and buc w twelve, and on the fifrh dayof ,he week only, and in the gcf\ure of a decumbent leaning fitting ; all thefc are plainly occdional and not intended as obligi.ng to imitation: For that which he made a Law of, he fcpanred in hi; fpceches, and commanded them to do it in remembrance of him till his coming. And Pa~tlexpoundcth the dil1ind-ion, 1 Cor. I r. in his practice. · So the promife of the Spirit of Revelation and Miracles is txpounded by the event, as the feal of the Gofpd and Scripture, proper to thofe times in the main. So the priLnitive Chriflians f~lling their eftates, and difiributing to the poor, or laying it down at 'he Apofiles feer, was plainly appropriated to that time, or the like occafions, by the Reafon of it; which wa' fuddenly to Olew the world what the belief of Heaven through the promifes ofCbrifi,could make them all, and how much their Love was to Chril\ and one another, and how little to the World: And alfo by the cdf.uion of it, wh'en the pcrfecutions ab1ted , and the CllUtches came to any fc:cleqJcnr; Yea, and at firH it was not a thing commanded to all, but only voluntarily dont. So the worncns Vail, and the cufiome of kifiing each other as a token of Love, and mens not wear– ing long hair, were the cuHomes of the Coumrey there ordered and improved by the Apolilts a:bout f:acrcd things; but 110t introduced into other Conntreys that had no fuch cunome. So alfo Anointing was in thnfc Countreys taken for {a/ubriouJ, and rcfrtjhiu~ to the body, and i cerunony of initiation into places of gteat honour; Whereupon it was uG.d about thcjic~, and Gods giving the gift of healing in thofe rir~es was fr<qucntly conjunfr wi!h this means. So rhat htnct: the anointing of the lick came: up; and the antientChrillians turned it into an initiating Ce~ Xxxxx 2 remony,

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