FOR if we confult Reafon, no Promife or Engagement, that is tranfacted in the Name of another, especially if particular Benefits are ftipulated thereby, can be binding, without the Confent and Authority of the Principal; mucli lefs, when done in Contradiction to his Express Will and Command. Therefore it must be highly prefimptuous to expect, that God fhould make good the Engagements, which are made by Perfons in his Name, whom he has not impowered to tranfact for him:

FROM the Hiftory of the Inftitution of this Sacrament it appears (and is not denied) that the Power of Baptifm was committed by our Saviour to thofe Perfons, whom he fent to Preach. And indeed it could not be otherwife, but that the fame Men, who Preach'd the Gospel, should also have the Power of Admitting of Converts into the Church by Baptifm; both of them being Minifterial Acts, which it was impoffible the Profelytes could do for Themselves.' And if none can Preach, except they be fent, much lefs can they Baptize, which of the two is the most folemn and peculiar Act of the Priesthood.

WE read of 70 Difciples Commiffioned by our Lord in his Life-time to go forth and Preach, B2

and

and of 500 Brethren who were Witneffes of his Refurrection; but it is very obfervable, that before his Afcent into Heaven, he commanded the Eleven Difciples only, to meet him in a Mountain Apart, far diftant from Jerufalem, and there Confecrated them, as his Succeffors, into the highest Office of the Priesthood, which he himfelf held upon Earth; the particular Branches of which Office are specified in the Commiffion he gave them, to be these three, 1. Preaching, for the Converfion of all Nations. 2. Baptifm, for their Admiffion into the Chriftian Church : and 3. Teaching, for their further Inftruction in all other Things neceffary to Salvation; and then clofed all with a Promife of being with Them, and fuch as Them, namely their Succeffors, to the End of the World, to ratify, and confirm thefe feveral Acts of the Sacerdotal Office.

WHERE-EVER any Mention is made of Baptifm after this, we find it constantly performed by the Apoftles, or fuch as They appointed. And to obviate that weak Objection of the 3000 Perfons baptized in One Day, it is fufficient to obferve that there were Twelve Apoftles, and the Seventy Difciples to do and affift in this; and it does not appear from that Paffage, that this great Number was all baptiz'd in the Compass of one Day, and as for the gene

ral

ral Practice of the Church, which, in Matters' of Fact especially, must be allow'd a certain Evidence of what the Apoftles did, and taught, it never vary'd for 1500 Years, except in fome few Instances, which were only Cafes of Necefli ty, or fo fuppofed to be, and can therefore be of no great Confequence in the prefent Dispute.

THE next Question is, who are the Mimifters, that now have the lawful Power of Baptizing committed to them, that fo we may be affured where to apply ourselves for a due and undoubted Admiffion into the Church. This is of the utmoft Confequence to be well affured of, because we are taught, that who-foever would be faved muft first be added to the Church.

TO be rightly inform'd in this neceffary Point, let us obferve, that as St. Paul defines a Prieft to be one, that is taken from among Men, and ordained for Men in Things pertaining unto God: It is plain then there are a Set of Perfons fet apart by God to minifter for him in Holy Things; and that of Course all others are excluded; No Man (as he goes on) taking this Honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

IF we confider further the Manner God has been pleased to use, in appointing his Priests, 'twill with much Eafe and Clearnefs, direct us to find the true Ones Now, in thefe unhappy and perillous Times, when all Things facred have in their Turns been impugned and called in Question.

"TIS plain the Church has never been without a Prieft-hood: Before the Law, we find it was vested in the Head of the Family, whence it often happen'd that the Kingly and Priestly Offices were both joined and united in the fame Perfon, as both * facred and § prophane, History do teftify.

AT the giving the Law to the Jews, God by a particular Defignation, fet apart the whole Tribe of Levi to be his Priefts, and conferred the Dignity of the High Priesthood on Aaron and his Sons, by a lineal Succeffion and Descent; and we may learn by the amazing and unexampled Punishment of Corah and his Accomplices, what a high Crime and Provocation it is, for any Unauthorized Perfon to invade, or even pretend to, the Priestly Office. That feasonable Instance of Divine Vengeance against those bold Ufurpers,

* Melchifedech,

§ Anius.

deterr'd

deterr'd the Jews from any fuch prefumptuous Attempts for the future; For after this remark

able Judgment, we do not read that any of the People ever dared to meddle with Priestly Acts, except Saul and Uzziah, who took upon themfelves to offer Sacrifice. But altho they were mighty Kings, they did not escape the fevere Juftice of God for this heinous Offence; it not appertaining to them (as the Prieft remonstrated to Uzziah)" to burn Incenfe unto the Lord; "but to the Priefts the Sons of Aaron, that were "confecrated to burn Incenfe;" and therefore, as a juft Penalty of their Crime, the first forfeited his Kingdom, and the other was cut off from the House of the Lord by an incurable Leprofy, for invading the Rights and Offices of the Priefthood.

THE Practice of the Ten Tribes after their Rupture and Schifm from the true Church of Jerufalem, in making Priests of the meanest of the People; is a Cafe too parallel to the Schifm of our present Diffenters, to be produced for a Precedent against the Establishment of a regular Priesthood ordained of God; and is recorded as a flagrant Inftance of Jeroboam's Impiety, who ufing this Means to engage the People in Idolatry, is faid to have made Ifrael to fin; for by changing the Priesthood, he foon brought them to change their God.

NOR