warrantably do what the magistrate bids us (as Hobbes thinks), or what the people bids us (as others as unreasonably think). As if it would be a sufficient excuse for me, to say, * Lord I did what the magistrate, or the major vote of the people bid me, though it was that which thou forbiddest;' 5. If the people have no such power over one another, then they have none over their rulers or guides: but they have none such over one another. Indeed, in order to unity, a major vote may (not effectually oblige) but occasion an obligation: but as to government, let them shew us if they can from Scripture, where the major vote of a church hath the government of the lesser part; or that the lesser may go against their own judgment, and conscience, merely because the greater part requireth it. This governing vote, is as strange a thing to the Scripture as a pope is : 6. Pastors, or general, unfixed ministers, may receive persons into the universal church sometimes, without receiving them into any particular church: and what have any people there to do with the trial, or approbation of their profession or qualifications? One can lay no more claim to it than another: and surely all the world must not have the trial of them: 7. What people did Philip advise with before he baptized the eunuch? or who but Philip alone was the judge of his profession? What vote approved of the three thousand converts, (Acts ii,) or of Paul, (Acts ix,) or of Lydia, or the jailor, (Acts xvi,) or any other that ever were admitted by the ministers of Christ in Scripture times? And what magistrates were the approvers for three hundred years after Christ? no, nor after: 8. If in this part of our office we must obey men, against God (whether magistrate or people), then in other parts: and so if the vote of the church, or magistrate, forbid me to pray or preach against pride, covetousness or drunkenness, I must obey them; that is, I must obey men before God, and please men, and be no longer the Minister of Christ: 9. What can be more plainly contrary to Scripture, than for the people by a major vote, to rule those whom God commandeth them to obey, as their rulers? (Heb. xiii. 7; xvii. 24; 1 Tim. v. 17; 1 Thess. v. 12; Acts xx. &c.)

Object. Pastors have but a ministerial ruling power.' Answ. Who doubts of that? But is a ministerial rule no rule? No man on earth hath more than a ministerial power; for all are under God, and the Redeemer. All judges, jus

tices, and other officers in the commonwealth, have but a ministerial rule as officers: but is that no rule; or shall the people therefore rule these rulers? We are Christ's ministers for the people: we are their's finally, but have our power from Christ only efficiently. If the people are the rulers, who are the ruled? It is a strange society, when the ruling and ruled part is the same; where all the body is a head and an eye: 10. If people or magistrates will oblige the ministers by their power, whom they shall baptize, confirm, or absolve, and what profession they shall accept; then must the people and magistrates undertake to answer it before God, and to bear all the blame and punishment, if we miscarry in obedience to them. And truly, if they dare undertake this, we should gladly accept of the condition, with a thousand thanks, if we could but be sure that God would give us leave, and thus acquit us, and accept of our service on these terms. O then how easy a thing were it to obey, rather than to rule! So much for the power of the ministers in this, and other such like work.

2. When the question is, 'Whether such a professor be fit for our own communion or not, and whether it be our duty to avoid him or not,' then the people have a judgment of discretion; not a governing judgment, as the pastors have, but a judgment that must be the immediate guide of their actions. Yet this is to be thus exercised: they are to look to God's word as the rule, and to trust that with a divine faith: they are also to look at the judgment and directions of the pastors, that are their authorised guides; and to trust them as the officers of Christ. For the Word is their regulating guide; and the pastors are their authorised directing guides; and their own understandings, are their immediate discerning guides. So that they must not be wise in their own conceits, nor lean to their own understanding, without the use of Scripture, and ministry; but use their understandings for the improvement of these. So, that if they know not that the pastors of the church do mislead them, contrary to the word of God, they cannot deny them obedience, for the command to obey them is unquestionable. Or if they have not a grounded strong presumption, or probability of it, they may not suspend their obedience; but must leave the pastors to the work of their office, and trust them in it, and avoid those whom they reject, and hold com

munion with those whom they accept, and introduce, confirm, or restore. But in case they know that a pastor leadeth them into sin, they are not to follow him; and if they have just ground for a strong suspicion of it, they must suspend, and consult with other pastors, and get full information; for Christian people are not to be ruled as beasts, but as the children of God; and must understand what they are required to do, and why, as being free subjects, (though subjects) in the kingdom of Christ, and to be governed accordingly.

3. When the question is, 'Whether ministers are to be punished for abusing their power, receiving or rejecting men to the injury of the church, and contrary to the word of God;' here the magistrate is the judge. For as forcing, or punishing corporally is his work, so he must be the judge, where he is the executioner, or else he should be forced to go against his own judgment, and to be a mere servile executioner, which were to him an insufferable injury.

But here, 1. The magistrate must not give the minister a law to govern the church by, unless the determination of circumstantial appendants; but must see that we govern it according to the word of God, our only and sufficient rule. 2. And he must not be over-busy, nor unnecessarily intermeddle in the work of another's office, nor be too confident of his own understanding in the matters of the pastor's work, as if he knew better than they. 3. But he must correct or cast out those ministers that will not obey the word of God; punishing us for breaking the old rule, and not making new rules for us, is their work, so be it, he can procure a better supply. 4. In this case, if the magistrate's judgment be right, he doth his duty, and ministers must obey him; if he err, he may be guilty of persecution, in hindering good, under pretence of punishing evil. If his error tend not to the destruction, or great and certain hurt of the church; the ministers whom he casteth out, are bound to obey him, and give place to others, and bestow their labours in some other country, or in some other kind at home: but if his error lead him to destructive persecution, we must passively submit, but not actively or negatively obey him, but must preach as long as we are able, and do our duty, till by prison, or death he stop us in the exercise.

PROP. 10. To this Ministerial Approbation of the Profession, and Qualification of the Expectant, there is to be adjoined a Ministerial Investiture, or Delivery of the Benefit expected. THIS is the proper work of the ministers of Christ. He that is himself in the heavenly glory, hath left his Spirit within to draw men to him, and his ministers without, to deliver up the counter-covenant on his part, in his name, and to espouse them to Christ, and to accept them in his name and stead. And this investiture is one of the principal parts of the nature and use of sacraments, which all have not fully considered. The Papists tell us of seven sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, the Eucharist, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction. Calvin sticks not to yield them three. The name of Sacrament being not in Scripture, but of mere Ecclesiastic use, and being a word that will stretch, I distinguish between three sorts of sacraments. (1.) For any Divine institution which notably signifieth spiritual grace; and so, though I think Extreme Unction none, as being now no duty, yet, I doubt not, but there is more than seven. (2.) For any solemn investiture of a person by ministerial delivery, in a state of church-privileges, or some special Gospel-mercy. And so I grant that there are five sacraments ; Baptism, Confirmation, Absolution, the Lord's-supper, and Ordination. As a man that delivereth possession of a house, doth deliver the key to him that enters; and as we are invested in the possession of land, by the delivery of a twig or turf; and as ministers were wont to be invested, or have induction into the churches by giving them the books, and the bell-ropes; and as women were wont to be married with a ring, and as a prince doth knight a man by a sword; so Christ, by his ministers, doth first by Baptism invest us in our church-state, and infant-privileges; and by Confirmation, confirm us in our church-state, and invest us with a right to the privileges of the adult; and by Absolution reinvest us in the privileges that we had forfeited; and by the Lord's-supper deliver to us Christ and his benefits, for our ordinary nourishment, and growth in grace; and by Ordination he investeth the person ordained with ministerial power. (3.) But taking the word Sacrament in that strictest sense, as our divines define a sacrament, as it is an outward

sign of Christ's institution, for the obsignation of the full covenant of grace, betwixt him and the covenanter, and a delivery, representation, and investiture of the grace, or benefits of that covenant; thus we have only two sacraments, Baptism, and the Lord's-supper. But truly, I would not quarrel with them for the mere name, as to the five which I mentioned.

PROP. 11. The solemn Ministerial Investiture of Professors, into the Right of the Church-privileges of the Adult, is either 1. Of the Unbaptized, who are now first entered. 2. Or of the Baptized in Infancy, that never proved ungodly, nor violated that first Covenant. 3. Or of those Baptized, whether in Infancy or Age, that have since proved wicked, and broke that Covenant. The first of these Investitures is, to be by Baptism; the second by Confirmation; and the third by Absolution. So that the solemn Investiture that I am pleading for, is by Confirmation to one sort, that never proved ungodly since their Baptism, and by Absolution to the other sort that broke their Covenant.

THE baptism of the adult, we have not now to do with. Of those that are baptized in infancy, some do betimes receive the secret seeds of grace, which by the blessing of a holy education, (and some among the profane) is stirring within them, according to their capacity, and working them to God by actual desires, and working them from all known sin, and entertaining further grace, and turning them into actual acquaintance with Christ, as soon as they arrive at full natural capacity; so that they never were actual ungodly persons. To these their investiture in the state of adultmembers upon their personal, approved profession, is a confirmation of the mutual covenant that it findeth them under, and of them in that covenant.

But there are others (I doubt the most), that since their infant-baptism, have proved actual wicked and ungodly persons; if not openly flagitious and scandalous, yet at least unacquainted with any special sanctifying work, till after they attain to the full years of discretion. These break their covenant made with God in baptisms, in which they were devoted to him, and engaged to live to him, forsaking De Exhomologes, vide Albaspin. in Tertul, de Pœnit. c. 10. p. 297. et Observ.

passim.