Then Churches gathered, and Officers ordained, in these days, without Apostles, are true Churches, and true Church-Officers, according to Christ; and Churches thus Organized, according to the Rules of the Word, are true, and entire Churches, and the first subject of all Church-power, as well as those Primitive Churches planted by the Apostles. For the concurrence of the Apostles is not put into this Charter, whereof we speak, as a conditional Clause; which might not have been omitted, if Christ had intended, that it should be always necessary. He doth not say, upon this Rock my Apostles shall build my Church, and to my Church built by them I will give the Keys of the Kingdom; but, upon this Rock I will build my Church (viz. by such Instruments as Christ will raise, ⟨p. 114⟩and use, and bless in that work, in every Age;) and to this Church, thus built, he gives the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Object. But Christ gave the Commission of gathering Churches to his Apostles, in Matth. 28.18, 19. And, when he ascended up on high, he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ, Ephes. 4.8, 11, 12. Answ. Those and the like Texts of Scripture do indeed show, that God used Apostles principally in this work, but not only: For as to Teach and Baptize is common to other Teaching-Officers, as well as Apostles; so the gathering of Churches, by making men Disciples of Christ, was done by others, besides Apostles, even in the Apostles days, Act. 11.20, 21. The dispersed Disciples planted the Church at Antioch, the Members whereof were first called Christians, a Church whose planting Barnabas approved, ver. 23. 2. They show, that God would use Apostles herein, for a time, but not always; which I prove, 1. From the proper work committed, to them, which was to make the first Models and Patterns of planting and ⟨p. 115⟩gathering Churches, which ordinary Instruments are bound to attend in the gathering and constituting of Churches, 1 Cor. 3.6, 10. and, in that sense, their work continues to the end of the World, though their manner of working. viz.
Then Churches gathered, and Officers ordained, in these days, without Apostles, are true Churches, and true Church-Officers, according to Christ; and Churches thus Organized, according to the Rules of the Word, are true, and intire Churches, and the first subject of all Church-power, as well as those Primitive Churches planted by the Apostles. For the concurrence of the Apostles is not put into this Charter, whereof we speak, as a conditional Clause; which might not have been omitted, if Christ had intended, that it should be always necessary. He doth not say, upon this Rock my Apostles shall build my Church, and to my Church built by them I will give the Keys of the Kingdom; but, upon this Rock I will build my Church (viz. by such Instruments as Christ will raise, ⟨p. 114⟩and use, and bless in that work, in every Age;) and to this Church, thus built, he gives the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Object. But Christ gave the Commission of gathering Churches to his Apostles, in Matth. 28.18, 19. And, when he ascended up on high, he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ, Ephes. 4.8, 11, 12. Answ. Those and the like Texts of Scripture do indeed shew, that God used Apostles principally in this work, but not only: For as to Teach and Baptize is common to other Teaching-Officers, as well as Apostles; so the gathering of Churches, by making men Disciples of Christ, was done by others, besides Apostles, even in the Apostles days, Act. 11.20, 21. The dispersed Disciples planted the Church at Antioch, the Members whereof were first called Christians, a Church whose planting Barnabas approved, ver. 23. 2. They shew, that God would use Apostles herein, for a time, but not alwayes; which I prove, 1. From the proper work committed, to them, which was to make the first Models and Patterns of planting and ⟨p. 115⟩gathering Churches, which ordinary Instrumentts are bound to attend in the gathering and constituting of Churches, 1 Cor. 3.6, 10. and, in that sense, their work continues to the end of the World, though their manner of working. viz.
