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As for the ministry, you know what the apostle saith in Eph. iv. 11., speaking of Christ, "He gave some, apostles: some, prophets: some, evangelists: and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Well, but how long are these to continue? read verse 13., "Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." And I we yet come unto this condition? lar man will dare to say it, that he himself is come unto this condition, this stature of the fulness of Christ; but mark what the apostle saith, till we all come in the unity of faith. What a world of differences in faith are there now amongst us? but saith the apostle, these offices of the ministry are to continue till 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 pass, and therefore the ministry is still to continue; neither can it be said, that this unity of faith is to be understood of the doctrine of faith; for that were to say, that the ministry were to continue till the doctrines and rules for the ministry were given out, and then to cease and if ye look into Psalm lxviii., from whence these words are cited; ye shall find at verse 18, that Christ hath given these gifts, "That the Lord God might dwell amongst men." As if there were no abode or dwelling for God amongst men, without these gifts; and have we not need still that God should dwell amongst us? yea, and doth not God still dwell amongst us?

As for baptism; you know what our Lord and Saviour Christ said to his disciples, Matt. xxviii. 19. "Go teach all nations, baptizing them." I do not insist upon those 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; baptism therefore, is not to end till all nations be taught and baptized; and is that done? read what is said in Matt. xxiv. 14. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come." But the end is not yet come. When the gospel is preached unto all na

tions, then shall the end come; but the end is not yet come, therefore the gospel still is to be preached unto the nations, and they to be baptized, and so this ordinance of baptism is to continue still.

As for that of the Lord's supper; ye know what the apostle saith, "As oft as ye eat, &c., ye shew forth the Lord's death till he come." That cannot be understood of the coming of the Spirit; for so he was come in the apostle's time. But if ye look into 1 Cor. xi., ye shall see what a reason the apostle gives, why he gave out the Lord's supper unto the Corinthians, and they were to receive it; even such a reason as reacheth unto us as well as to the Corinthians, saith he, verse 23., "For I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread," &c. He makes this the reason why he gave forth the Lord's supper unto the Corinthians, and why they were to receive it, even because that the Lord Christ did give it to his disciples in the night when he was betrayed, and because he had thus received of the Lord, &c. Now I appeal unto any man, Is not this reason as good a reason upon us, as upon the Corinthians? If indeed the apostle had made this the reason, I have received a message from Christ, that you Corinthians should receive the Lord's supper, then this reason had not bound us as well as them, but the reason that he gives of this dispensation, reacheth to us as well as them, and therefore to continue amongst us as it was used amongst them.

As for the censures of the church, in case that any do offend and continue scandalously and obstinately in their sin; ye know what our Saviour saith in Matt. xviii., “ Tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man, and a publican." Now if you look upon the verses before and after this text, ye shall find that they do all bind us. Verse 10., "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones:" that still continues, So after this text. "Peter came unto Christ and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven times," verse 21., yea, look upon the whole chapter, and the other verses thereof, and ye find that they do still bind us and continue upon us,

why therefore not this also, which you have at verse 17. And if we mind 1 Cor. v., we may see that the apostle Paul doth argue this censure of the church, from universal, perpetual, and moral grounds; cast out therefore the old leaven, why? because" a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."

As for singing of psalms; you know what is said concerning our Saviour Christ and his disciples when they had received the supper Matt. xvi. 30., " And when they had sung a hymn, they went out." It was a usual practice among the Jews after the passover to sing a hymn: our Saviour Christ did receive the passover then, but he did not sing a psalm or a hymn between the passover and the Lord's supper, but he takes the hymn and removes it from following the passover, and hangs it upon the Lord's supper, to shew that it should be a new testament ordinance.

And they all sang: for those that went out did sing, and when they had sung a hymn they all went out.

And they all sang together: for if one of them only did sing, then either our Lord and Saviour Christ alone did sing, or some one of his disciples did sing alone: our Lord and Saviour Christ did not sing alone, for the evangelist would have told us so: John tells us, That our Saviour prayed then, and he sets down his prayer in John xvii., and saith he, he prayed," and he said, Father, glorify thy Son," &c. So if Christ had sung alone, John or some other evangelist would have said that he sung, and would have given us his psalm which he sung, as well as his prayer which he prayed: neither can it be said, that they all sung because they did all consent unto what he did: for they consented unto his preaching, to the miracles which he wrought, and to his prayer which he made; yet it is not said, they wrought this or that miracle when he wrought it; or that they preached, when he preached; or that they prayed, when he prayed alone: yea, where do we find in all the New Testament, that they are said to do any thing that Christ did alone: surely therefore he did not sing here alone, for it is said, "And when they had sung," &c. Nor did one of his disciples sing alone; for to that kind of singing two gifts are required, the gift of prophesy, whereby a man is able to speak in the congregation to the benefit of the whole body; and the melodious gift of singing. Now those gifts were not yet given, for Christ was not yet dead and ascended and therefore one

of the disciples did not sing alone, and if Christ did not sing alone, nor one of his disciples alone, then they all sang together.

Aye, but if they did all sing together, how could it be to edification? For we read in Col. iii., that the apostle says thus, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching, and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs." How can we teach and admonish one another if we sing altogether? If a disciple do sing alone, he may teach and admonish the rest.

For answer to that, I shall but acquaint you with the misreading of the words; look upon the words in verse 16., and the very right reading will take off this and other scruples. The words are to be read thus, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another: (there is a stop) In psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." The words do not run thus, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, stopping there, but in the Greek and original, the words run thus, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another: (there is the stop) In psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." And thus there is a better sense of the words too, and a greater dependence of things together. So that I say, our Lord and Saviour Christ and his disciples did all sing together, and if they all sung together at the supper, why should not his practice be a rule to us as well as his receiving the supper a rule to us; as it is pressed by the apostle in 1 Cor. xi., if Christ could sing thus with his disciples without stinting the Spirit, in whom the Spirit was without measure, then also we may sing together, and yet not stint the Spirit; but Christ and his disciples did all sing together, and that for our example. Thus whether you look upon one or another of these ordinances, ye find that they are still to continue, and that we are to receive, acknowledge and submit unto these appointments, and to hear Christ herein.

But besides these particulars, take three or four general reasons for the continuance of them.

If that the word of the New Testament, as commanding to believe, and promising to give the Spirit; I say,

if this word do continue, then the ordinances of Christ are still to continue. If the appointments, institutions, and ordinances of Christ be not still to continue, then the word of the New Testament, as the commandments of believing, and the promise of giving the Spirit, do not continue neither. There is the same reason: for, when we say that the Lord Jesus Christ hath appointed baptism, the Lord's supper, and other ordinances, what do men say? True, these were appointed indeed for those times, when Christ and the apostles lived. But now I pray, may not the same be said concerning the commandment of believing, and concerning the promise of giving the Spirit? You say that you are bound to believe; how prove you that? Say you, because Christ hath commanded me. But I answer you with your own answer, He commanded the men of those times only. You say, that you shall have the Spirit; how prove you that? Christ hath promised it. But how prove you, that the promise of the Spirit reacheth beyond those times? Look what you answer for the ordinances, that may be answered to the commandment of faith, and the promise of giving the Spirit, and so for the whole New Testament. And so both Old and New Testament will fall to the ground, and then we return to heathenism.

You

If the doctrine of the ordinances be of the foundation of our religion, then certainly the ordinances are still to continue, for without a foundation there is no building. Now if you look into Heb. vi., you shall find, that the doctrine of ordinances is of the foundation of religion, ver. 1, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment." What this baptism is, I will not dispute; what this laying on of hands is, I will not now reason; but certainly they must be ordinances. Now look, saith the apostle, as the doctrine of the resurrection, and eternal judgment, and repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, are fundamental doctrines; so the doctrine of baptisms, and laying on of hands, are of the foundation. Now I say, if these are of the foundation, then the ordinances must still continue. Neither can it be said,