An ExpoFtion of the Epiple ~ What Anfwer doth Chri!l: give them l He knew it was a folly to tell them for Sermo" it would not fatisfie them. But I will ask_;:ou a110ther Q!!.dlio11, faith he, (and XXXV. that alfo makes for what I fay,) The Baptifm of 7oh11, whmce WtU it from ~ Heavm (that is by.divine infiitution,) or oj Mm1 . Here was a lhrewd Qge" fiion ; Audthryfa~d, We canuot tell, for they were !n a doubt; you may read what their Reafonmgs were, I only quote 1t for thts, That Jefus Chrt!l: him– fdf that was made the Head of the Church; was asl<ed, hy what Authority he dicl'it l Therefore you may very well ask any either men, if they take any Authority over the Church, will you lhew your office, that it is warranted in the Word l Joh11 could not baptize, you fee, but he mu!\: have it from Heaven. This is our Saviour Chri!l:'s fcope and meaning. Now, !T\YBrethren, (that you may fee the ground of the equity of this,) you mu!\: kHow, that all Officers of a Church are· in a further difiance from the Church,to have anyAuthority over it,then Jefus Chrifi is over the whole Church. Now, if that Jefus Chri!l: doth not take upon him to be a Head,' who deferveth it but it is given him, certainly no man is to take any office over the Church of God but he mu!l: have a warrant•for it; the thing will neceffarily follow. All the King' and Princes in Chri!l:endom, a.nd all t.he Parliaments in the World, cannot fet up an office.over the Church, whtch Chn!l: hath not fet up. It is God, faith he, that bath fet m the Churchfome Apoftles, audfome Prophets, andjome Teachers, 1 Cor.u.28. Or, if you will fpeak in the language of the Text, G1ven them, that is,Appointed them, fo the phrafe in Eph+ You that cannot add an Hair to your Head, can you think you can add a Mem– ber to the Church of Chri!l:, which lhall have an Office,that he never appointed? Take the Natural body; Can any man invent, all men, take all their wits toge– ther, a Member that is not natural to the Body, that God bath not already made? For i11 his Book allour Members are writtm. Can you make a diffe– rent Member from the Hand or the Eye, that the Body harh not, that you can fay will be ufeful to the Body? Go to the Church, all the Men in the World cannot find out by their wifdom and appointment an Officer that lhallrule in the Church, that doth not depend meerly upon God's command, you mu!\: have all thefe Members written in his Book. T he Head is wrmen you fee, it is given to him ; certain!y then all the Members mu!l:. This Kingdom is pulling down, it is fetting up a power over Churches, what elfe makes all the Commotions and Stirs that.are among ~s l All that I will fay is this; Have a warrant for what you do, that 1t may be fatd, By what Attthority do)'' thefe thi11gs '! My meaning is this; By what Authority do thefe Appoint• ments exercife Juri(diClion over the Church of God? If Chri!l: himfelf have it by gift, certainly they mu!l:: All our Tenour holdeth ill Capite, (that I may fpeak in Law) holdeth of lum that 1s Head of the Church. I do not fay, that if there be Officers in the Churcl1, which God hath not appointed, that prefent– ly they deny Chri!l: to be the Head, and that they do not hold the Head it felf. Par vc itfrom U! to [ayJo, that is the expreffion in Cot. 2. 19. [peaking of ldota– terr, be faith, they do not bold the Head, Chrilt; but we may fay, that thofe Officers do not hold of the Head, as it is expre!l: Eph+ 1), 16. In which two places.you may fee the different pbrafes. So much now for that Fir!\: thing, He had it given to him to be the Head, He had his Body given to him, and be had his Headlhip given to him too. Now I come to the dignity it felf, it is Headlhip ; Ht gave him to bt a Head over all to tht Church. There are Three things to be explained in this. Fir!\: What is intended byChurch: Scco~dly, What being a Head to the Chttrch importeth. Thirdly, To whot purpofe [Over aO] cometh in. Tt is put you fee be– tween his being a Head, and to the Church. Hfls a Head (faith he) cvrr aP t• the Chu1·ch.
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