Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

The Life of Faith. 129 ' of fad, is the moft corplcat wayof tradition : And it will appear to you in what further (hall be Paid, that we have in- fallible proof; that thefe Scriptures are the fame, which the firft Churches did receive ; what ever inconfiderable errours may be crept into any Copies, by the unavoidable overfight of theScribes. g. The confiant ufe of thefacred Afremblies, bath been ano. ther means of fure tradition : For we have infallible proofof the fucceflìvc continuation of fuch Affemblies and that their ufc was (till, the folemn profeflionofthe Chriflian Faith, and worfhipping God according to it. 6. And the confiant ufc of Reading the Scriptures in tbofe r?jremblies, is another full hiflorical tradition : For that which is conflantly and publickly read, as the doc&rine of their Re- ligion, cannot be changed, without the notice of all the Church, and without an impoffible combination of all the Churches in the world. 7. And it fecureth the tradition that one Jet day hath been kept for this publickexercife of Religion, from the very &di; even the Lords day (bifides all occafional, times.) The day it fell being appointed to celebrate the memorial ofChrifts Refurtet'ion, is a molt currant hiftory of it; as the feaft of unleavened bread, and thePaffeover was of the Ifraelites de. liverance fromEdypt. And the exercifes (till performed on that day, do make the tradition more compleat. And becaufe fame few Sabbatarians among our felvcs do keep the old Sabbath only, and call Rill for Seripiure prooffor the in(titution of the Lords day; let me briefly tell them, that which is enough to evince their errour. r. That the Apoftles were Officers immediately comraiffroned by Ghriff, to difciplc the Nations, and to teach them all that Cbrif com- manded, and fo tofettle Orders in the Church, Mat. 28. 19, 20, 21. 11Ús 15. &c. 2. That Chrifi promifed and gave them his Spirit infallibly to guide them in the performance ofthis commiflion (though not to make thanperfectly impeccable) John 16.13. 3. That de faiio the Apoftles appointed the ufe of the Lords day for the Church Affcmblics ; This being all that is left to be proved, and this being matter of fad, which S requireth

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