5 14 TheAuthority of /efuc Chrift, Vol. . the old : Unlefs wewill fuppofe (which at firft fight feems veryharfh and unrea- fonable) that by the terms of the ChriftianReligion, Children are in a much worfe condition, than the Children of theJews were under the Law. So, that the parity of Reafon being fo plain, nothing lets than an exprefs Prohibition frorri our Saviour, and an exception ofChildren from Baptifm, canbe thought fufficient to deprive the Children of Chriftians of any Privilege, ofwhich the3ewijh were capable. For the plain meaning ofthis Commiffion to the Apoftles is, to go and profelyte all Nations to the Chrijiian Religion, and to admit them folemnly into it by Baptifm, as the Yews were wont to profelyte Men to their Religion by Cir- cumcifiön and Baptifm ; by which Rites alto they took in the Children of the Profelytes, uponpromife that when they came toYears they fhould continue in that Religion. And if this was our Saviour's meaning, the Apoftles had r o reafon from the Tenor of their Commition, to underfgand that the Children of Chrifrian Profelytes were any more excluded, than the Children of Profelytes to the.7ewifb Religion, unlefs our Saviour had exprefly excepted them ; for it is a favourable Cafe, and in a matter of Privilege, and therefore ought not to be determined to debar Children of it, upon any obfcure confequence from a Text, which it is certain was never fo underflood by the Chriftian Church, for 1500Years together. I have done with the ferfl part of their Commiffion, which was to difciple or profelyte all Nations to theChriftian Religion, and to admit them into the Chriftian Church, by the Rite or Sacrament of Baptifm. I proceed to confider the Secondpart of their Commiffion, which was to inftruét Men in the Precepts and Dutiesof a ChriftianLife, teaching them to obferveall things wbatfoever Ihave commµndedyou. You fee how their Commiffion bounds and limits them, they were to teach others thofe Precepts which Chrift had taught and deliver'd to them ; they had no Power by virtue of this Commiffion to make new Laws, which fhould be of univerfal and perpetual Obligation, and confequentiy necef, fary to the Salvation of all Chriftians; they were only to be the Publifhers, but not the Authors of this new Religion. And therefore St. Paul, when the Corin- thians confulted him about feveral things relating to Marriage and Virginity, he only gives his advice, but would not take upon him to make a Law in thole cafes that fhould be binding to allChriftians. And for the fame reafonChriftians do generally at this day, think themfelves abfolved from the Obligation of that Canon, whichwas made even in a Council ofthe Apoftles, as to all thofe Branches ofit, the reafon whereof is now ceafed. But ñotwithftanding this, the Autho- rity which our Saviour conferred upon his Apoftles to teach his Dotrine, does in the nature of it neceffarily imply a Power of governing the Societies of Chriftians, under fuch Officers, and by fuch Rules, as are molt fuitable to the natureof fuch a Sòciety, and molt fit to promote the great Ends of the Chriftian >Q Religion : For without this power of governing, they cannot be fuppos'd to be endowed with fufficient Authority to teach ; and therefore in purfuance of this Commiffion, we find that the Apoftles did govern theSocieties of Chriftiansby fuchRules and Conftitutions, as were fitted to the then prefent circumfiances ofChriftianity. And as they did appoint temporary Officers upon emergent Occafions, fo theyconftituted others that were of perpetual ufe in the Church, for the inftruûing andgoverning of Chriftians, and that in fuch a fubordination to one another, as would be molt effeáual to the attaining of the end of Go- vernment ; which fubordination of Governors, hash not only been ufed in all Religions, but in all the well regulated Civil Societies that ever were in the World. And this may fuffice to have fpokenof the fecond part of their Com- million. The Thirdand lag thing in the Text, is the Promife which our Saviour here makes for the encouragement oftheApofles in this Work; Lo, Jam with you al- ways, evenunto the endof the world; that is, tho' I be going from-you in perfon, 3,et I will Rill be prefent with you by my Power aad Spirit. And Purely this mutt
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