STIAN SACRAMENTS, might have terrify'd them from withdrawing from the Communion of the Chriftian Priefthood, and thereby have prevented, at least, many of thofe final Separations from the only Salutary Communion, which abundance of poor Wretches have fallen into, meerly thro' the falfe notion of better Edification, and a vain belief of being fure to find true Chriftian Sacraments in Communion with their New fet up Lay Teachers. And 'tis juftly to be fear'd, that the continual feparations from the Church in all Ages, and particularly in ours, have chiefly fprung from this wretched Opinion of the meer Opus Operatum of Sacraments being real Sacraments, whether Adminifter'd by a Prieft or a Lay-Man, as if Chrift's appointing the Order of Priesthood in the Chriftian Church, fignify'd nothing at all, notwithstanding 'twas the refult of the most confummate Wildom of our Great Lawgiver.

BUT, becaufe 'tis pleaded from Scripture Inftances, that Cafes of Neceffity and Extre mity. have taken place of Divine Inftituti ons, and that therefore Baptifm, in Cafes of extream Neceffity, may be Validly Adminifter'd by a Lay-man, notwithstanding the Inftitution requires it to be Adminifter'd by a sit Prieft: And forafmuch, as many Lay-baptiz'd Perfons encourage themselves by fuppo fing theirs to be a Cafe of Neceffity, and confequently that they have receiv'd true Chri

ftian Baptifm, I fhall therefore, in Answer to the next Objection fhew, that those Instances produc'd from Scripture are not parallel to Chriftian Baptifm, and that there is nothing in them that can favour Lay-Baptifm, even in Cafes of the greatest Extremity.

Obj. XII. IN the Inftitution of the Paffo ver, it was appointed that the Jews. Should eat the Pafchal Lamb" with their Loins gird "ed, their Shoes on their Feet, and their Staff "in their Hand, Exod. 12. 11. which fignifies a ftanding Pofture; The Church of the Jews afterwards chang'd this Pofture into that of Leaning or Lying along; and our Saviour finding this Custom prevail'd in his Days, comply'd with it when he celebrated the Paf fover, (Mat. 26. 20.) Which plainly fhews, that we may many times comply with the Churches changing even a Divine Institution for a Human one; and why not therefore with the Churches allowing of Lay-Baptism in Cafes of Neceffity? Again, our Saviour reproving the Jews for their over Rigid Nicenefs in obferving the Divine Inftitution of the Sabbath, tells them, "That David when he had need did "take and Eat the Shew-Bread, and gave to them “ that were with him; which was not lawful for "him to eat, neither for them that were with him,

i

but for the Priests alone (St. Mat. 12. 4. St. Mark 2. 25, 26.) making David's Neceffity a fufficient Reafon, for difpenfing at that time with God's own Pofitive Inftituti

on

on about the Shew-Bread. "And further, our Bleffed Lord upon the fame occafion reproving the Jews, fays, that God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice, (St. Mat. 12. 7.) Which is fufficient to inftruct us, that in Cafes of Neceffity, the Pofitive Inftitutions of God himself must be fometimes difpens'd with, for the supply of bur Wants, and confequently that Baptifm in Cafes of Neceffity, where a Prieft cannot be had, may be Validly Adminifter'd by a Layman, to fupply the Spiritual Wants of thofe who are Unbaptiz'd.

Answ. THIS Objection confifts of fo maBy Particulars, that 'twill be neceffary for me to confider it, in the fame order wherein it yes, And, d

ift. THE Pofture of ftanding to Eat the Pafchal Lamb, was no more than a Temporary Inftitution, peculiar to the Celebration of the Fift Paffover in Egypt, the very Night the Jews were to depart out of that Country. This is plain, from the Reafon of God's ap pointing them to Eat in fuch a Posture of Travellers, in hafte, vis. because he would "pass through the Land of Egypt that Night,

and Smite all the Firft-born in Egypt both of "Man and Beast, (ver. 12) which would have fuch an Effect upon the Egyptians, that they would be very preffing and Urgent upon the Children of Ifrael to depart out of ther Country tob betrid of their Company, for whofe fake they had fuffered fo many and

great

great Plagues, and were now depriv'd of their First-born, throughout all their Houses and Families: See Exod. 12. from ver. 29. to ver. 34. And, if the Children of Ifrael had not been that Night in fuch a Travelling Pofture, they would not have been prepar'd for fo fudden and hafty a Departure, as the diftracted and terrify'd Egyptians oblig'd them to, whereby they might have been expos'd to abundance of Inconveniencies, both from the Fury of the Egyptians, and their own Unpreparedness for a Midnight Journey: And therefore that they might not be thus incommoded, God requir'd them to eat the Pafchal Lamb "IN HASTE, “with their Loins girded, and their Shoes on their "Feet, and their Staff in their Hand, to be ready for their Journey at any Warning that fhould be given them that Night; but after their Departure, the Reason of this Appointment ceas'd, and therefore fo did the Appoint ment it felf, and confequently was no longer binding and obliging; and we never find this Travelling Pofture repeated in any of the after Celebrations of the Paffoyer: but that it was only a Temporary Inftitution, peculiar to that firft Celebration, I appeal to the Learned Jews both Ancient and Modern, and also to our best Commentators upon the Place, (fee Bishop Patrick, Grotius, Diodati, Pool's Synop fis, &c.) to whom I refer the Reader, that I may not be more prolix upon this Subject.

THE

3

THE Pofture of Standing then, being not enjoyn'd to be conftantly us'd, was no Effential Part of the Inftitution of the Paffover, and therefore 'twas afterwards indifferent what Pofture the Jews fhould Eat the Pafchal Lamb in; for which Reason, their Church certainly had Power to appoint any innocent Posture the fhould think fit; and fince Leaning or Lying along was determin'd by her, and prevail'd in our Saviour's Days, and he was pleas'd to conform to it, we ought to follow his Example in complying with fuch Inftitutions of the Church as are not contrary to the Law of God. But this Imftance do's not allow us to comply with the Church's CHANGING a Divine Inftitution for a Human one; because, the Church of the Jews did not herein CHANGE a Divine into a Human Inftitution, for the Pofture of Standing was then no Divine Appointment becaufe not Effential to the Paffover, and therefore the Church of the Jews did not CHANGE this into another Ceremony, but ABPOINT the indifferent Ceremony of Lying or Leaning, when there was no Divine Inftitution at that time, obliging them to any other Posture.

LAND therefore, we ought not, from the Authority of this Inftance, to comply with the Church's allowing of Lay Baptifm in Cafes of Neceffity, becaufe, Baptifm by a PRIEST is Effential to Chriftian Baptifm, and as much obliging as the Inftitution of WATER it felf, during the utmost term of the Christian Difpenfation,