Two discourses concerning the Holy Spirit, and His work the one, Of the Spirit…

Those extraordinary Instances of Ananias and Sapphira in their sudden Death, of Elymas in his Blindness, were only miraculous Operations of God in testifying against their Sin, and proceeded not from any Apostolical Power in the Discharge of their Office. But as unto that kind of Power which now hath devoured all other Appearances of Church Authority, and in the Sense of the most is only significant, namely, to Fine, Punish, Imprison, Banish, Kill and Destroy Men and Women, Christians, Believers, Persons of an unblameable useful Conversation, with the worst of Carnal Weapons and Savage Cruelty of Mind, as they were never entrusted with it, nor any thing of the like kind, so they have sufficiently manifested how their Holy Souls did abhor the Thoughts of such Antichristian Power and Practices; though in others the Mystery of Iniquity began to work in their Days.

Those extraordinary Instances of Ananias and Saphira in their suddain Death, of Elymas in his Blindness, were only miraculous Operations of God in testifying against their Sin, and proceeded not from any Apostolical Power in the Discharge of their Office. But as unto that kind of Power which now hath devoured all other Appearances of Church Authority, and in the Sence of the most is only significant, namely, to Fine, Punish, Imprison, Banish, Kill and Destroy Men and Women, Christians, Believers, Persons of an unblameable useful Conversation, with the worst of Carnal Weapons and Savage Cruelty of Mind, as they were never intrusted with it, nor any thing of the like kind, so they have sufficiently manifested how their Holy Souls did abhor the Thoughts of such Antichristian Power and Practices; though in others the Mystery of Iniquity began to work in their Days.

(§ 11.) THE Ministry of the LXX also, which the Lord Christ sent forth afterwards, to go two and two before his Face into every City and Place whither he himself would come, was in like manner Temporary; that is, it was subservient and commensurate unto his own Personal Ministry in the Flesh, Luke 10. 1, 2, 3. These are commonly called Evangelists, from the General Nature of their Work, but were not those Extraordinary Officers, which were afterwards in the Christian Church under that Title and Appellation. But there was some Analogy and Proportion between the one and the other. For as