SECTION V. 35 impose on conscience any such advices of their own, which nei- ther reason nor revelation approve; much less to impose anyof their own inventions of new doctrines, or duties ; or so much as their own peculiar explications of the words of Christ, by their own authority. When our Saviour gave commission to his disciples, or his,apostles, to preach the gospel to all nations, it was in this manner: Go teach them to observe, not whatsoever you shall command, but, whatsoever I have commanded You ; Mat, _xxviii. 20. It is granted indeed, the apostles had authority to explain the meaning of Christ to the churches by inspiration ; hut even they were not entrusted to invent any new doctrines or laws of their own, and impose them upon men. And as these inspired persons have communicated to the churches all that Christ designed, we must rest there. And since Christ is the only Lord of his own Church, whose wisdom is infallible, and whose power and authority are unquestionable, itis very unreasonable to suppose that he should leave any part of the doctrines or duties of Christianity to be invented, or imposed upon his churches, by men, whose best wisdom and knowledge are weak, and fallible, and uncertain ; and their authority so doubtful and questionable, or rather so null and void, as to any inventions and impositions of their own. Alas, what wretched work would such á supposed authority make in different churches, in the same age ? What contentions, and endless confusions, would be raised among Christians ? What different and contrary opinions, andceremonies, and forms of worship and practice, would be imposed on distinct churches, and all called by the christian name ? Has notthe whole church of Christ suffered infinite damage by these pretences? What mischiefs and strifes, and schisms, would arise in the same churches, by the different sentiments and injunctions of different elders or pastors in the same church ? What eternal innova- tions in churches, as to their faith, worship, and practice, when pastorsdie successively, and others, of different principles, come m their room ? Has not the world seen too muchof this already, in every age of the church ? Observe with what zeal St. Paul, the greatest of the apostles, exclaims against any such sort of power, even in himself and his fellow-teachers. What is Paul, or what is Apollos, or what is Cephas, or Peter, but servants, or ministers, by whom were taught to believe the same gospel, or the same religion and institutions of Christ; 1 Cor. i. 12. and iii. 5. We are far from being lords ofyourfaith: We are only the helpers ofyour joy ; 2 Cor. i. 24. As for the lesser things, whichChrist has commanded, and which are necessary to be determined some way or other in a church, as in any human society ; such as the appointment of the c 2
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