(i8) own Terfon,or in his FerfonalMiniffry here in the Earth, he d>d abfolutely and compleatly final, this State, exclufively unto the Miniftry of any others, that he was pleafed to make ufe of therein : For as he took it on himfelfas his own work to build his Church, and that upon himfelf, as its foundation; fo he employed his Apoflles to a& under him and from him, in the carrying on that work unto perfe&i- ori. But what was done by them, is efleemed to be done all by himfelf. For (i) It was immediately from him, that they receiv- ed Revelations, of what did belong untothis Church- State, andwhat was to be prefcribed therein. They never did , neither jointly nor feverally, once endeavour in their own Wifdom, or from their own Invention, or by their own Au- thority, to add or put into this Church State, as of perpe- tual Ufe, andbelonging unto it as fuch, either lefs or more, any one thing greater or lefs whatever. It is true, they gave their Advice in fundry cafes of prefent Emergencies, in, and about Church Affairs; They gave direction for the due and orderly Pradtice of what was revealed unto them, and exercifed Authority bothas unto the Ordination of Ofh- cers, and the Rejectionof obftinate (inners, from the Socie- ty of all the Churches ; but to Invent , Contrive , InJiitute or Appoint any thing in the Church, and its State, which. they had not by immediate Revelation from Chrift, they never attempted it, nor went about it. And unto this Rule of proceeding, they were precifely obliged by the exprefs words of their Commiffion. Mat, zS. rq, zo. This I fay is fo plainly included in the Tenor of their Commiflon, and fo evident from all that is divinely recorded of their Pra&ice, that it will admit ofno fober Contradiction. Inwhat others think it meet to do in this kind, we are not concerned. (z.) The Authority whereby they aáted in the Inftituti- on of the Church in its Order, whereon, the Confciences of rl
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