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us, and be with us to the end of the world. And John tells us, That the inward anointing is to teach us all things; fo that we need not, as to any abfolute neceffity, any man to teach us. How then is this ceased, seeing God fpeaks to us by Chrift, and Christ muft be in us? Surely thefe men have not herein followed the rule of the fcriptures; but rather endeavoured moft grofsly to wreft them, and make of them a nofe of wax, notwithstanding their pretences as to the contrary in their fixth fection, where they fay, All things neceffary are either exprefsly fet down, or by good and necessary confequences may be deduced. Now that thefe two former affertions are not expressly fet down, they will not deny; whether they follow by found confequence, any understanding man may judge, by what is

above obferved.

There are divers other things in the fame chapter, which will not abide the test, for which the fcripture proofs, alledged by them, are most ridiculous; yet for brevity fake, I have omitted.

In Chap. 21. Sect. 7. where they fay, That the fabbath from the refurrection of Chrift, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in fcripture (say they) is called the Lord's day, and is to be continued to the

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end of the world as the Chriftian fabbath. In which they affert three things.

First, That the first day of the week is come in place of the feventh for a fabbath: To prove which they alledge, 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. Now concerning the collection for the faints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even fo do ye: Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in fore, as God hath profpered him, that there be no gathering when I come. Acts xx. 7.

And upon the first day of the week, when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his fpeech until midnight.

That thefe proofs affert not the thing exprefsly, we need not, I fuppofe, difpute. Now to fay, that because Paul defired the Corinthians to lay fomewhat by them in ftore that day; or because he broke bread, and continued his fpeech until midnight; therefore the first day of the week is come in place of the fabbath, is a confequence more remarkable for its fottishness, than to be credited for its foundnefs: indeed to make fo folemn an article of faith, as these men would have the morality of the first day of the week to be, would need a more pofitive and exprefs authority. The text

doth

doth clearly enough tell the reafon of the difciples meeting fo frequently; and of Paul's preaching fo long, because he was ready to depart to-morrow: it speaks not a word of its being fabbath.

Their fecond affertion, That the first day of the week' is therefore called the Lord's day, is drawn yet more ftrangely from that of Rev. i. 10. I was in the fpirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet; whereas no particular day of the week is mentioned; fo for them to fay, John meaned the first day of the week, hath no more proof but their own bare affertion.

For their third affertion, That it is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Chriftian fabbath, they alledge these fcriptures, Exod. xx. 8. 10, 11. Remember the fabbath-day to keep it holy; but the feventh day is the fabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy fon, nor thy daughter, thy man-fervant, nor thy maid-fervant, nor thy cattle, nor thy franger which is within thy gates; for in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the fea, and all that in them is, and refted the feventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the fabbath-day, and hallowed it. Ifa. Ivi. 2. 4. 6, 7. Mat. v. 17, 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets; I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil; for verily,

0 2

verily, I fay unto you, till heaven and earth pafs, one jot or one tittle shall in no wife pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

If they prove any thing, they muft needs prove the continuance of the feventh day, feeing in all the law there is no mention made of the first day of the week being a fabbath. If thefe may be reckoned good and found confequences, I know no abfurdities fo great, no herefies fo dam-. nable, no fuperftitions fo ridiculous, but may be cloaked with the authority of fcrip

ture.

In their 27th chapter, in the first, fecond, and third fections, they speak at large of the definition and nature of facraments; but in all the fcriptures they bring, there is not one word of facraments. The truth is, there was a good reason for this omiffion; for fuch a thing is not to be found in all the bible. For them to alledge, that the thing fignified is to be found in fcripture (though that be alfo a begging of the question) will not excufe fuch, who elsewhere aver, the whole counsel of God is contained in the fcripture, in forfaking and rejecting the tenor thereof, and scraping out of the rubbish of the Romish tradition, for that which is reckoned by themselves fo fubftantial a part of their faith.

In their fourth fection they affert two

things;

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things; firft, That there are only two facraments under the gospel. Secondly, That thefe two are baptifm and the fupper.

To prove which, they alledge Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. 1 Cor. xi. 20. 23. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's fupper: for I have received of the Lord, that which alfo I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jefus the fame night in which he was betrayed, took bread. 1 Cor. iv. 1. Let a man fo account of us, as of the minifters of Chrift, and stewards of the myfteries of God, Heb. v. 4. And no man taketh this honour to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron,

;

Now granting there were fuch things as facraments, to be folemnly performed, all that thefe fcriptures will prove is, that thefe two were appointed to be performed but that there are only two, or that these are they (which is the thing afferted, and incumbent to be proved), there is not the leaft fhadow of proof alledged; for, according to their own definition of a facrament, in the larger catechifm, where they fay, The parts of a facrament are two; the one an outward and fenfible fign, used according to Chrift's own appointment; the other, an inward and fpiritual grace thereby fignified:

both

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