Secondly, These Twelve are not neither to be considered simply, as twelve Christians, or twelve Disciples; but as their Witness of the Lord Jesus (they being with him from first to last) was a Twelve-fold Witness of him in all his things; a twelve-fold seeing with their Eyes, a twelve-fold hearing with their Ears, a twelve-fold handling also with their Hands, and feeling of the Son of God: As one of them said, That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our Eyes, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life; that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye might have fellowship with us, &c. 1 John 1. 1, 2, 3. Now this being thus, it ⟨p. 97⟩followeth that the Doctrine of the other Apostles, as of Paul and Barnabas, was still but the Doctrine of the Twelve; their Doctrine, I say, and no other: Wherefore as Ephraim and Manasseh were dissolved into the twelve Tribes, so these two, with all other the Apostles of Christ, are dissolved into the Number of the Twelve, because their Doctrine is only the Doctrine of the twelve; for they centre in their Doctrine; their length and breadth, and depth and height being the Doctrine of the Twelve. So then the names of the Twelve being found in the Foundations of this Wall, it argueth that that Doctrine is only true, that is the Doctrine of the twelve Eye-Witnesses of the Lord Jesus: And again, That at the day of Antichrists fall, this Doctrine shall be in its former purity, and bear the sway, and for ever hold up the Wall of safety, for the Inhabitants of New Jerusalem: And indeed this▪ Doctrine, That the Doctrine of the Twelve is that upon which Eternal Safety is built and stands, is so true, that it must not be varied from, upon pain of Eternal Damnation: Here centred Luke the Evangelist, here centred ⟨p. 98⟩Jude, here centred the Author to the Hebrews, yea, here centred Paul himself, with all the Old and New Testament▪ The Doctrine of the Twelve must be the Opener, Expounder and Limiter of all Doctrines; there also must all men centre and ground, and stay. A man may talk of, yea, enjoy much of the Spirit of God; but yet the Twelve will have the start of him; for they both had the Spirit as he, and more then he: besides, they together with this, did feel, see, handle and receive Conviction, even by their very carnal Senses, which others did not;
Secondly, These Twelve are not neither to be considered simply, as twelve Christians, or twelve Disciples; but as their Witness of the Lord Jesus (they being with him from first to last) was a Twelve-fold Witness of him in all his things; a twelve-fold seeing with their Eyes, a twelve-fold hearing with their Ears, a twelve-fold handling also with their Hands, and feeling of the Son of God: As one of them said, That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our Eyes, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life; that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye might have fellowship with us, &c. 1 John 1. 1, 2, 3. Now this being thus, it ⟨p. 97⟩followeth that the Doctrine of the other Apostles, as of Paul and Barnabas, was still but the Doctrine of the Twelve; their Doctrine, I say, and no other: Wherefore as Ephraim and Manasseh were dissolved into the twelve Tribes, so these two, with all other the Apostles of Christ, are dissolved into the Number of the Twelve, because their Doctrine is onely the Doctrine of the twelve; for they center in their Doctrine; their length and breadth, and depth and heighth being the Doctrine of the Twelve. So then the names of the Twelve being found in the Foundations of this Wall, it argueth that that Doctrine is onely true, that is the Doctrine of the twelve Eye-Witnesses of the Lord Jesus: And again, That at the day of Antichrists fall, this Doctrine shall be in its former purity, and bear the sway, and for ever hold up the Wall of safety, for the Inhabitants of New Jerusalem: And indeed this▪ Doctrine, That the Doctrine of the Twelve is that upon which Eternal Safety is built and stands, is so true, that it must not be varied from, upon pain of Eternal Damnation: Here centred Luke the Evangelist, here centred ⟨p. 98⟩Jude, here centred the Author to the Hebrews, yea, here centred Paul himself, with all the Old and New Testament▪ The Doctrine of the Twelve must be the Opener, Expounder and Limiter of all Doctrines; there also must all men center and ground, and stay. A man may talk of, yea, enjoy much of the Spirit of God; but yet the Twelve will have the start of him; for they both had the Spirit as he, and more then he: besides, they together with this, did feel, see, handle and receive Conviction, even by their very carnal Senses, which others did not;
