A26911:153
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter of their nonconformity against Mr. J. Cheney's answer called The conforming nonconformist, and The nonconforming conformist : to which is added the second part in answer to Mr. Cheney's Five undertakings / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benjamin Alsop, 1680
A DEFENCE OF THE NON-CONFORMIST'S Plea for Peace, AGAINST Mr. J. CH… › Chapter 18
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. To make more, seemeth to accuse Christ's Law or Institution of Imperfection: Subordinate actions do not so: But to make Ordinances ejusdem generis, with those which he made, not as a mere man, nor as a mere Minister, but as Mediator, or King of the Church, doth seem to say, That Christ left half his work undone. Did he institute Baptism and his Supper, as a mere Man, or a mere Minister? then à quatenus ad omne any Man, or any Minister may do the like, and make more Sacraments: But if as King of the Church, and as Saviour, then none but our King of the Chuch and Saviour may do the like.
3. To make more, seemeth to accuse Christ's Law or Institution of Imperfection: Subordinate actions do not so: But to make Ordinances ejusdem generis, with those which he made, not as a meer man, nor as a meer Minister, but as Mediator, or King of the Church, doth seem to say, That Christ left half his work undone. Did he institute Baptism and his Supper, as a meer Man, or a meer Minister? then à quatenus ad omne any Man, or any Minister may do the like, and make more Sacraments: But if as King of the Church, and as Saviour, then none but our King of the Chuch and Saviour may do the like.
Christ hath instituted one day of each week to commemorate his Resurrection, as God the Creator instituted a weekly Sabbath (as I have proved in a peculiar Treatise.) Men may set apart one day in a year for special Thanksgivings, or Commemorations, and one day in a week, e. g. in a time of Plague and danger, to fast and pray, &c. But if any should make another weekly day of holy observance, to commemorate the same work of Christ's Resurrection, or our Redemption, which Christ did separate that day to commemorate, I think he would be both an unjust accuser of Christ's Law, as insufficient, and an unjust usurper of his Prerogative.
4. And it is considerable to me, that though Christ so extraordinarily Commissioned and Qualified his Apostles to record his Words and Acts in Scripture, and settle Church-Orders and Inferior Offices, and teach the Nations to observe all that he had Commanded them; yet even them did did he never Commission to make a new Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace; nor did they ever make one; but contrarily rebuked those that would but have kept up some of the old Ceremonies, Divine or Humane: And was not the Cross a stumbling and foolishness to the World in the Apostles Days? and yet they never made such a Sacrament. And who hath equal Power with them?