Prov. 3.32.

ick Laws was in its own Nature prior to, and of greater Authority than the other more occafional facred Books of the Old Teftament. But then, we must ever remember on these occafions, that fuch as did, their Lords will had alone the promise of knowing of his Doctrine, whether it was Joh. 7.17. of God, or whether he spake of himself; that the fecret of the Lord is confin'd to Pfal. 25. them that fear him, and that to them only 14. has he engag'd to fhew his Covenant. So that before we begin to examin, we are to come with an honeft defign, and muft refolve to deal faithfully with the Truths, and Commands of Chrift; and to believe the one, and obey the other with a ready mind and firm purpofe of heart, affoon as they fhall by these Conftitutions, or otherwife be made known unto us; without any regard to the contrary Cenfures, and Reproaches, and Imputations, or other Punishments which this World can inflict upon us. Otherwife our Labors will either be to no purpose, and we shall fluctuate in uncertain Scepticism for ever; or they will be to bad purpose, ferve but to upbraid our prefent Unchriftian Faith and Practice, and fo to aggravate our Condemnation hereafter. As to my felf, I no fooner perus'd thefe Books of Apoftolical Doctrine and Confitutions, but I immediately fet about the through examination of their Authority,

B 3

with

with the forefaid Defigns and Refolutions, and with hearty Prayer to Almighty God to profper all my Studies and Enquiries in thefe concerning Matters; and have at laft, by the Divine Bleffing, with the great, the laborious, the honest, and the conftant affiftance of a Learned and Pious Friend, who, I believe, went with the fame Defigns and Refolutions alfo, fatisfy'd my felf in my Enquiries hereto relating; and am accordingly prepar'd to communicate my Thoughts and Discoveries to the Chri-ftian World. And I earnestly beg of all the truly Learned and Pious, that they will lay afide all Paflion and Prejudice in a Cafe of fuch mighty Confequence; that they will examin every thing by the original Teftimonies themselves, fairly and freely, without all regard to modern Optnions and Prejudices, that where they cannot but fee my Arguments are cogent, they will readily own that they are fo; and that whenever they fhall find me guilty of any Miftakes or Omiflions, which in fo new and vaft a Defign muft needs be unavoidable, they will not thence take occafion to infult and triumph, but endeavour immediately to correct and fupply them ; and by farther more accurate Enquiries of their own to fet this whole matter in a better Light, for the future Advantage of the Church of Chrift. Always remem

bring that at the great Day of Account, to which we are every one haftening, it will not be expected that we fhould have been blindly of the Faith, or followed at random the Practices of the Age and Nation wherein we liv'd; [nay, that fuch a Blind Obedience to human Authority, in things beyond their Power to determin, will rather be a heavy Crime at that Tribunal; ] but that we should have guided both by their proper Standards, the Revelations and Discoveries made to us from our Bleffed Saviour by his Holy Apoftles. Now before I proceed to the feveral Parts of this Effay themselves, I fhall endeavour to give the Reader due caution, and to engage him. to greater attention and seriousness, by fhewing that these Constitutions. do generally in exprefs Words claim the facred Authority of Chrift himself, received from the Father, and communicated to us by his Apoftles; and that by confequence 'tis at our utmoft Peril if, without fufficient evidence, we obftinately reject these authentick Declarations of his Will to us. This I fhall do by producing feveral remarkable Expreffions of thefe Conftitutions themselves, referving others for their proper places hereafter. They begin as exprefly in the Name of the Apostles and Elders, as does the Parallel Decree of the first Council of Ferufalem, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles; 4.25.23.

Οἱ ἀπόςολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι πᾶσι τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν L.I. Pref. πις ούσασιν εἰς ἃ κύριον Ιησεν Χριςόν χάρις 2. 200. ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρώη από το πορτοκράτορος Θεῖο, δια το κυρίς ἡμης Ιησε Χριςός πληθυνθείη, ν

2

Επιγνώση από Ακέσατε διδασκδίαν ἱερὰν οἱ αντεχόμενοι τ ἐπαγγελίας αυτέ, ἐκ προςάγει μετα τα ζωτήρος, ὁμότοιχον ἢ ἐνδόξοις φθονο γας αυτό. φυλάσσεσθε, οἱ Θεῖ ὑἱοὶ, απορία εἰς ὑπακοί Θεῖ πράσσειν καὶ γίνεπε αρεςοὶ ἐν πᾶσι Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμ. Thus alfo begins the fecond Book. Περί Επισκόπων ηκέσαL.II. C. 1. μμ το Κυρίε. In like manner of the P.213. Tithes and firft Fruits under the Gofpel: 0.25.7.236 τα διδόμθμα κατ' ἐντολίω Θε. Of the Unanimity requir'd of Chriftians: κ κυρι 6.44.1.253 ακίω θέσιν, Of bearing Injuries: ἅτε εο8.46.1.254 σεβής υπάρχων, καὶ κατ' ἐντολίω Χρισὸ ζῶν. And elsewhere, on another occafion: a 6.53.2.248 χρισιανός θέλεις εξακολέθως της τα κυρία

νόμῳ. Of ferring Women apart for the MiII. niftry: το το ἑλλων αθεότητα τὸ 1. 284 ἀγνώημα, αλλ' ο Χρισε κατάξεως. Of the Widows that liv'd ill : Χλλ' αἱ μή κατ' οντος 6.14.1.286 λω Θεο ζῆν θέλεσαι ἐνοῦσα ὅτι σαν αν πρώπε τοτο θέλημα γέγονεν, αλλά, Θε πρόσο ταγμα. Of paying Tribute to Governors : L.IV..13. Θες 38 τοτο διάταγμα ὃ ὁ Θεὸς διετάξα P. 259 το δια Χρισέ. When they fpeak of Virgi8.14.3.299 nity: πεί ο αθενείας ἐντολίω σοκ ἐλάβομιμο At the entrance on the Seventh Book: Яues L.VIII. επόμθμοι τῷ διδασκάλῳ Χρισῷ. Of the form of 7.362 21.369 Baptifin ; τω βαλλίσης ὡς ὁ κύριο. διετάξατο

ἡμῖν,

ἡμῖν. Of all fuch Precepts in general: πάντα του προτεταγμγία ὑμῖν ὑπὸ το κυρίε .31.1.372 φυλάξατε. Again of Baptifm: κατ' ολίω 6.43.1.387 το Χριςός σε. Of a Confeffor ufurping the Sacerdotal Function, without a regular Ordination thereto: ἤρνης το Χριςε άταξιν, L.VIII. c. καὶ ἔςιν ἀπίςε χείρων. Ofa Virgin: 8 χειρο-23.7.409 * τον εξ' επιταγων η κυρία στον ἔχομον. 0f24.409 affifting those that are under Perfecution :

ૐ

ἐντολῶ κυριακών πληροντες. Of the obfer-c.45.7.420 vation of good Order, as to the different Ranks and Officers in the Church : μὴ πρ.46.3.428 βαίνειν τὲς ὅρες ο γάρ εἰσιν ἡμέτεροι, αλλα το 422 Θε8. Where they alfo give an undeniable reason why these Appointments are to be esteem'd of Divine Original and Authority, thos deliver'd by the Apoftles only: ὁ ὑμ γδ, φησὶν ὁ κύρια, ακέων, ἐμὲ ἀκέει· καὶ ὁ ἐμὲ Luc.το. 16 ακέων ακέει το Σποςείλαντο με. καὶ ὁ ὑμᾶς ἀθε π, ἐμὲ ἀθετῶ ὁ ν έμε αθεν ἀθετῶ τὸν αποςείλαντά με. And, to conclude; they add on the fame occafion this important caution, well worthy the confideration of the Chriftian Church ; ὑμεῖς ἐδὲν ὀφείλετε τολμῶν «ακινῶν π ὑμῖν καὶ γνώμων Θεο παρ' ἡμερες οριοθέντων. And indeed the fame Sacred and Apoftolical Authority is here alfo claim'd by the Language all the way; where 'tis conftantly in the Name of the Apoftles themfelves and fo as ever to imply that they were really present, and concurr'd to every thing determin'd or fpo

ken