man to turn his back upon, and ears from, the voice of this great Prophet fpeaking in his Appointments and Inftitutions.

Fifthly; How, and in what manner this hearing work fhould be rightly performed

Firft; if you ask me,What thefe Appointments are, which Queft. we are to receive, acknowledg, and fubmit unto, and fo to hearken unto this great Prophet in?

I Anfwer, That if you look into the whol new Teftament, Aufw. you fhal find the precepts of Chrift are either Moral, as the Ten Commandements, or Pofitive. As for the Moral precepts of the Ten Commandements, though our Lord and Savior CHRIST, hath added no new thing unto them, more than what was before;yet, as I may fo fpeak, he hath put them into another drefs than what was formerly put upon them; for faith he in the 's Chapter of Matthew, It hath been faid by them of old, Thou shalt not commit Adultery: But I fay unto you, Who foever looketh upon a woman to luft after her, &c. In this s Chapter of Matthew, there are fix Cafes that our Lord and Savior Chrift fpeaks unto; in three of them, he makes mention of the very words of the Moral Law; as at the 21 verle, Te have heard it was faid of old, Thou shalt not kill; at the 27 verte,Te have heard that it was faid of old,thou shalt not commit Adultery. So again, verse 33. But now when he fpeaks of the other Laws that were not of the ten Commandements, ye may oblerve that he alters his manner of fpeaking, Le have heard that it hath been faid, An Eye for Eye he doth not fay, Ye have heard that it hath been faid, by them of old time. When (Ifay) he speaks of any of the ten Commandements, that Claufe is added: when he speaks of the other Three Cafes, that Claufe is not added.

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Again; you may obferve this, That thofe words, Te have heard that it was faid To them of oldtime, fhould be rather tranflated (as it is in fome of your Books) Ye have heard that it was faid By them of old time; which appears by the antithefis or oppfition, But I fay,

Again; You may obferve, That when he faith at the 17.v. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I am not come to destroy,but to fulfil: Thofe words (according to the Original, may be read thus, I am not come to destroy but to fill up; for though Christ added nothing unto the ten Commandements or Moral Law, yet notwithstanding, he did more fully reveal and make known what was, and is therein commanded; for our Lord and Savior Chrift, did not barely speak against the falfe gloffes and Inerpretations of the Jews, and Jewish Rabbins, for he inftenceth in the words of Mofes, and of the Law it self. It hath been said by them, Thou shalt not commit Adultery, but I fay, whoever looketh upon a woman to luft, &c. What then, were not unclean thoughts forbidden by the Law, and in Mofes time? Yes: but when Chrift came, he doth more fully and cleery reveal what. was before commanded and forbidden in the Law; and fo though he bath made no new addition to the Law, yet in this respect he hath (as it were) made fome advance upon the very Moral Law, the ten commandements; and herein we are to hearken to him this great Prophet, by acknowledging, receiving, and fubmitting unto thefe commands thus opened and Interpreted by him.

But now if you look upon the Poftive Precepts or Commandements of Christ, you shall find, that Jesus Christ bath given forth many that were not given forth in the times of Mofes, or of the Old Teftament, for in the times of the Old Teftament, Circumcifion was, now Baptifm is: then the Paffover, now the Lord's Supper: then their Ministers were Priests and Levites, now Paftors, and Teachers: then the whole Nation of the Jews a Church, now as man do Beleeve they are added to the Church: then if any man did fin prefumptuously, he was to be cut off by the Sword from among the people, now to be cut off by the Censures of the Church. So that I fay, if you look upon the Pofitive Precepts, there are many that are now given forth by Chrift, which were not given forth before in the times of Mofes, and of the Old Testament, and these,all these we are

to receive, to acknowledge, and to fubmit unto, and herein to hearken to this great Prophet.

But it will be granted on all hands, That there are many Object. Appointments Inftitutions, and Ordinances which were given forth by this great Prophet in the times of the New Teftament: but the Queftion is. Whether thefe are to continue ftill or no? We grant indeed, that there were fuch Appointments in Chrifts own time, and in the Apostles time; for the people of thofe times, and of that generation: but the Question is, Whether thefe ftill are to continue, and whether ftill we are to fubmit, to receive, and to acknowledge thefe Appointments; and fo whether ftill we are to hearken unto Chrift herein ?..

For Answer hereunto: Obferve I pray, the laying of Anfw. Chrifts Appointments, Inftitutions, and Ordinances. If they be laid and prefts upon univerfal and perpetual grounds, then they are. ftill to continue. Now you fhall find, that thefe Appointments, Inftitutions, and Ordinances of Chrift, Baptifm, the Lords Supper, Particular Churches, the Miniftry, Church Cenfures, Singing of Pfalms, and the like, are laid upon fuch univerfal and perpetu al grounds, as to continue until Chrifts coming again.

I shall touch a little upon thefe Particulars, and prove the thing firft by way of enumeration.

As for that of Particular Churches: You find in the Book of the Revelation, that Chrift fpeaks of things to come after John's time who lived the longest of all the Apoftles: at the firft Chapter, and the firft verfe thus: The Revelation of Jefus Chrift which God gave unto him, to fhew unto his fervants things which must shortly come to pass. And in the 4 Chapter and the latter end of the I verfe, faith the Lord Chrift to John, I will fhew thee things which must be hereafter. Now in the firft Chapter he gives him a Vifion of the Son of man walking between the leven golden Candlesticks: and he tells us at the laft Verfe, That thofe feven golden Candlefticks, are the feyen Churches: fhewing, That thus Chrift

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would appear unto his people in the way of Churches after John's time, in the times that were to come. And fo in the clofe of the Book of the Revelation, after he had fpoken of all things that fhould come to paffe, faith he at the 16. verfe, I have fent mine Angel to teftife unre you these things in the Churches. Not in the Church in general, but in the Churches. And it ye look into the first Epistle of Timothy, ye fhall find, that the Apoftle Paul having given directions, and feveral Precepts concerning Bifhops, Elders, Deacons, Widdows, and about the ordering of the houfe of God, (which faith he, is the Church of God) he concludes all with a folemn Charge,Chap. 6. Verf.1 3. I give thee Charge in the fight of God,and before Jefus Christ,That thou keep the Commandement (not this, but the Commandement, according to. the old Tranflation, and the Original Greek) without spot, unrebukabl, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Chrift: Which appearing, doth fynchronize with the judging of the quick and dead, 2 Tim. Chap. 4. Verf. 1. but Timothy himfelf doth not live fo long, and therefore this Charge lies upon every Minister and others refpectively, for fo indeed the Charge is directed to the man of God, Chapter 6. Verse 11. who by the fame Apostle, is interpreted to be every Minister Epift.2.chap. 3. verf. 17. So that the ordering of Gods house by Bishops, or Elders, Deacons, and Widdows,is ftil to continue, and therefore particular Churches and Congregations for publick Worship still to continue..

As for the Miniftry, you know what the Apostle faith in the 4. Chapter to the Ephefians, at the 11. verfe, fpeaking of Chrift, He gave fome, Apoftles: fome, Prophets: fome, Evangelifts and fome, Paftors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniftry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Well, but how long are thefe to continue? reade the r3. verfe, Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfili man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Chrift. And I pray, are we yet come unto this Condition ?. It may be fome particular man will dare to lay it, that he himself is come unto this condition,

condition, this ftature of the fulness of Chrift; but mark what the Apostle faith, till we all come in the unity of the Faith. What a world of differences in Faith are there now amongst us? but faith the Apoftle, Thefe Offices of the Miniftry, are to continue til we all come; not till one man comes, or two men come, but till we all come unto the unity of the Faith; that is not yet come to pafs, and therefore the Ministry is ftill to continue; neither can it be faid, That this unity of Faith is to be understood of the Doctrine of Faith; for that were to fay, That the Miniftry were to continue till the Doctrines and Rules for the Ministry were given out, and then to cease: And if ye look into the 68. Pfal. from whence these words are cited; ye fhal find at the 18. verfe, that Chrift hath given thefe gifts, That the Lord God might dwel amongst men. As if there were no abode or dwelling for God amongst men, without these gifts; and have we not need ftill,that God fhould dwel amongft us? yea, and doth not God ftill dwel amongst us?

As for Baptifme; you know what our Lord and Savior Chrift faid to his Difciples, Mat. 28. 19.Go teach all Nations, baptizing them. I do not infift upon thofe words, Lo, I am with you until the end of the world, though that will carry it; but I pray you mark those words, Go teach all Nations baptizing them So that all Nations are to be Taught and Baptized: Baptifm therefore, is not to end till all Nations be taught and baptized; and is that done? reade what is faid in the 24 of Matthew, at the 14. verf. And this Gospel of the Kingdom hal be Preached in all the world, for a witness unto all Nations, and then hal the end come. But the end is not yet come; when the Gospel is preached unto all Nations, then fhai the end come; but the end is not yet come, therefore the Gofpel ftill is to be preached unto the Nations, and they to be Baptized, and fo this Ordinance of Baptifm is to continue ftill.

As for that of the Lord's Supper; ye know what the Apoftle faith, As oft as ge eat, &c. Ye fhew forth the Lords death till he come. That cannot be understood of the coming of

the