Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BS2096.A1 1701 .P3

ibinotatiòns on Chap. 14. ArTNOTATIOÑS. `ó IT'`s a bout* oft put, gave it could be that God'sSpirit Mould infpireMen witkTongtrer or Prophefie, andyet not tell them when and how toufe them ? But its not to be thought, that he that wasbefore without theHabit, had the aEtual Ufeofthem; then fudden- iy infpired ; but that, as the Learned, fo the Infpired had the habitual Knowledge of Tongues beforethey afèmbled, and fo for the actual Ufe and Time, were to exercife their ownDif. tterien. II. TheDefcriptionof the Church here, oft named as meeting in one Place with their Oft- tors and Guides, tells us; that then aChurch of this Rank was not a Diocefe ofmanyhundred Af emblies, which had all but one Bishop, their Conflitutive Head ; but that it was a Comga nygradated for Perfonal Communion, that ufually met in one Place ; though Neceffity might Make themmeet in many, and tho' Come General Guides might takecare of many filch, Churches. ÍII. Thegreater number ofProphets, and Teachers, rerc. that were here in one Affembly,. whole Exercifesthe Apoftle was put to reftrain, doth fully confute Dr. Hamm.nd's oft-repeated 'Opinion, 1 That in Scripture-times there is no Proof that there wereany more Presbyters to one Church, than one, who Was a Bishop, and had Deacons under him ; and that for want of capa- bicPerfons. But hisOpinion inferreth, That then a Church was nogreater than could meet in "äne Place : For one Bithop could not be at once in many. And if no Subjera-Presbyters were made in Scripture-times, it mutt be preyed by what jolt Power they were after made, even a fort ofPallors never madeby the Apoftles. W. TheArgumentsof the Apo(tleagainft the uninterrupted Ufe of Tongues not underftood iä theChurch, arefo many; cogent, plain, and vehement, that I will not Tote time toanPÁer the Tapifts Cavils againft them, when they defend theirLatin Maffes and' Prayers ; but only note, That nothing can be fo plainly fpoken by God's own Spirit, which Carnal prejudiced Men can- not pervert ; and that it is no wonderifthey will not be judged and ruled by God's Word, um, lestthey themfelvesmay he judges of the Seefe of it ; and how little God's Word figoilleth to the People, whereit muft have filch ExpSfitorsand judges. One that knewno More againft the Papal Kingdom, called the Church ofRome, than r. Their Latin Service, and cherifhingof Ignorance: 2. And that as Leeches they live on Blood, and keep up their Religionby violent Cruelty ; if he have but read this s Cr. 14. and Chrif's Commands for loving each other ; yea, if he have not loft muchof Humanity it felt', I think, can hardly he a Papift. V. The Pretence that fome fetch hence, forany Man that will to (peak in the Church,- if he think he is infjsired, is utterly vain : For that leave ishere refttained ro Infpired Prophets, and thofe to be regulatedby the Laws of Order, Decency, andEdification; And God hathmade it theOffice of thePatfors, to be Riders in the Aflemblies VI. The abufe of the General Rules by Papiftsufurping Church-Lords and Canonifts, is no torious; who, becaufeGod's awnOrdinances mufl, as to Modes and Circumiances, be :man*. gel Decently, Orderly, and to Edification, thence pleadfor a Dominionto add many Symba lira] Rites and Ordinances of theirown, which Peter and Panel neverknew, to make God'sOr dinances:WMDecent, Orderly, and to ' dilicaiion, even things that in Male ú genre are needlefs at the bell, and then they filence, excommunicate and ruineall that cafitfefuch corrupt- ing inventions: Like Ledekiab .i/hab's Prophet, who (with his Brethren) fpake lay a Lying Spirit ; and then made it Decent, Orderly and Edifying, by wearing a paircf Horns, to tell hob how he fhouldpulp down his Enemies; and then finore Michaiah, for pretending to hive snore dare Spirit and Truth than he had ; that Michaiah might be fed in Prifon with the Bread and Water of A:Tamn, till experience showed who had the Truth : How there Mee would have Merl the Apoftles ofChrif if they now lived, and worshippedGod but as then thel did, their Canons coach us to .conjedì are. CHAP.

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