Baxter - BR161 B28 1680

!LC Church-Hiiory of Bi hops and the malignant Enemies of holinefs, by the power of his communicated . love, making them friends and joyful lovers: This Spirit firft filled the Humane Nature of Chrift our Head; who firft communicated, it to fouie chofenperlons in an eminent manner anddegree, asNature maketh the . heart and brain and other principal parts tobe organical, in making,pre- ferving, and governing the relt., To thefe he gave an eminenceof Power toworkMiracles, of Wifdom to propagate theWord of life, . and infal- liblyby Preaching andWriting promulgate and record his facredGofpel,, and of holy love to kindle the like by zealous holinefs in the hearts ofo- thers. To thefe organical perfons he committed theOeconomy of being the witneffes ofhis words and aftions, his refurrefìion and afcenfion, and of recording. them in writing, of planting his firft Churches , and Peal ing the truth of their teftimony by many Miracles, promiling them his Spirit to perform all that he committed to their truft, and to bringall to their remembrance,, and to lead them into all truth, and tocommunicate inftrumentally his Spirit to others, the fanaifying gifts by blefhng their Doctrine, and the miraculous gifts by their impofitionof hands. §, 2. By thefe principal Minifters the firft Church was planted at7ertu. falem, (fitlieft called the Mother-Church) and after by thole that were fent thence many Churches were gathered in many Kingdoms of the world, darknefs being not able to refi'lt the light. The Apoftles and- Evangelifts and Prophets delivered to them the Oracles of God, teach, ing them to obferve all things that Chrß had commanded them, and pra laically teaching them the true Worfhip of God, ordering their Affemblies, and or. daining them fuch Officersfor fàcred Miniftration asChrift would havecon- tinued to the end of the world, and 'fhewing the Churches the way by which they mull be continued, and defcribing all the work of the Office ap- pointed them :by Chrift. . S. 3. TheApoftles were not the Authors of the Gofpel, or of any el:" fential part of the Chriftian Religion, but, the Receivers of it from Chrift,. and Preachers of it to the world :: Chrift is the Author and finifher, or pee- fetter of our faith. But theyhad befides the power of infallible remem- bring, !knowing and delivering it, a double `power about matters of Order in the Church: i. lay the fpecial gift of the Spirit's infpiration,,to found: and fiablifh filch orders as were to continue to the end, and none that came after them might change, they being the Ordinances of the Holy. Ghofb in them. z. Temporarily, pro re naed, to make convenient muta-. ble Conftitutions, in plattersleft by the great Legiflator to humane pru- dence,, to be determined according to his general regulatingLaws. In this laft the Apoftles have Succeflors; but not in theformer: No other have their Gift, and therefore not their Authority: No men can be Aid to have an Office -that giveth.them Right to exercife abilities which they never badnor (hall have. (¡l ç Chrift fummed up all the Law in LOVE to Godand Man, and awaarksofLovee ;, and all the Gofpel in Faith,,andHope, and Love by then

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