are endued, makes a Man a Member of the Church. The first or Major Propofition is fo very clear and manifeft, that I think, no perfon can have the face to deny it. And as for the fecond or Minor, it is eafily proved from a paffage of St. Paul himfelf in this very Epiftle. He faies, For we being many are one Bread and one Body. For we are all partakers of that one Bread, 1 Cor. 10. 17. What is meant by the Bread here mentioned, I fhall not at prefent inquire: but 'tis plain, that in the Apostle's judgment, being partakers of one and the fame thing, does make the partakers thereof one Body. For he gives this as the reafon, why they were all one Body, viz. because they were all partakers of that one Bread. And confequently in the 13th Verfe of the 12th Chapter, which is the Text I am now confidering, thofe perfons who are endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Holy Ghoft, are, in the Apostles judgment, and by his own way of arguing used but a little before in this very Epiftle, by the participation of the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Holy Ghoft,united to Chrift the Head and to the Members of the Church, and made one Body with them who partook of the fame. And fince the Premifles are fo evident, as the one is in it felf, and the other is proved to be; the Conclufion must be undeniable, viz. that being endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Holy Ghost, wherewith Chrift was, and the Members of the Church are endued, makes a'Man a Member of the Church; which was what I undertook to prove.

If it should be objected, that the Apoftle faies, with one Spirit are we all baptized into (or made Members of) one Bady; and confequently being baptized with the Spirit cannot here fignify being endued

endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit; because all the Difciples of Christ were not even in the primitive times endued therewith; I anfwer, that all the Difciples of Chrift were not even in the primitive times endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, as I fhall afterwards prove; and confequently they could not all be baptized therewith into one Body, that is, they could not by being endued therewith be made Members of the Church. But then I add, that the word all does not in this Text comprehend all the Chriftians of thofe Times. For I have already fhewn (chap. 5. p. 56.60. and ch. 9. p. 96, 97.) that the Apostle in this Chapter treats of thofe perfons only who were endued with the Extraordi nary Gifts of the Holy Ghoft; and he himself was certainly one of them. And therefore he might truly fay of himself, and all thofe he was then speaking of, with one Spirit are we all baptized; that is, we are all endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of one and the fame Spirit. And that by be ing endued therewith they were made Members of the Church, I have already fhewn.

But it may be faid perhaps, that the perfons who are endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, could not be thereby made Members of the Church; because, 1. they must have been Members of the Church, before they were endued therewith; 2. by being endued therewith they were united (not to the whole Church, every Member of which did not, as has been granted, enjoy thofe Extraordinary Gifts, but) to fome particular perfons only who were endued with the fame. Befides, if they were made Members of the Church by being endued with the Extraordi nary Gifts of the Spirit; then, 1. upon my own Prin

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Principles the Neceffity of Water-baptifm feems to be destroyed, because Men may become Members of the Church without it; 2. it seems to follow, that the fame Extraordinary Endowments are also now neceffary, because we are now made Members after the fame manner as they were heretofore. All these things put together feem to overthrow my Interpretation of the Apostles words; because they feem inconfiftent with my afferting, that a Man is made a Member of the Church by being endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Now to all this I might return the following Anfwer, viz. that fince the Argument above recited has fo evidently proved the Truth of what I afferted, it is incumbent upon those who differ in opinion from me, to account for these difficulties, as much as upon my self. For I am not a little confident, that the Argument it felf is not fairly capable of being anfwered. But I need not fly to this refuge; becaufe this whole heap of Objections, tho' feemingly terrible, is by no means* infuperable. And I doubt not but I fhall convince the Reader, that every particular thereof may be very fairly and easily removed.

I begin with the first and greatest Difficulty. 'Tis pretended, that thofe who were endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, could not be thereby made Members of the Church; because they must have been Members of the Church, before they were endued therewith. In answer to this, I defire thofe who are not Quakers, to confider, that this Argument will as effectually overthrow the Apoftle's exprefs Declaration in one part of this very Epiftle, as they think it does my interpretation of his Words in another part thereof. For, as I have already obferved, the Apoftle faies,

We

We being many are one Bread and one Body. For we are all partakers of that one Bread, 1 Cor. 10. 17. 'Tis plain then, that in the Apoftles judgment they were therefore one Body, because they were partakers of that one Bread. Now those who are not Quakers do univerfally grant, that the Bread here mentioned is what we call the Eucharift. 'Tis plain then, that we are therefore one Body, becaufe we do all partake of the Eucharift. And confequently we are made Members of Chrift's Church by the participation of the Eucharift. But muft we not be Members of the Church, before we partake of the Eucharift? Yes furely. How then does our Participation of the Eucharift make us Members of the Church; fince we must be Members, before we can partake of it? Certainly, fince the Apostle faies, that the Participation of the Eucharift makes Men Members of the Church, whereas they must have been Members, before they could partake thereof; this Objection will as evidently prove that the Apoftle was mistaken, as that I am mistaken in afferting, that by the Participation of the Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, Men were made Members of the Church, whereas they must have been Members, before they could partake of 'em. Let those who refuse my interpretation of the Apoftle's words anfwer the Ob jection they have made against the Apoftle, and they will not want an Anfwer to that which they have made against me.

But I fhall now furnifh 'em with an Answer to both, which they may be pleafed to take as fol lows. I grant, that ordinarily Men could not be endued with the Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, untill they were actually Members of the Church, I fay, ordinarily. For the inftance of Cornelius

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and his Friends is an exception; and perhaps the only one, that ever was known. But then I add, what I hope will be duely obferved, that when a Man is faid to be united to Chrift and the Members of the Church, that is, when a Man is faid to be made a Member of the Church; it is not alwaies neceffarily to be understood, that he was wholly difunited, or not at all a Member thereof before, or that that whereby he is united to it or made a Member of it, is the only or principal Tie or Band of Union, whereby he is united to it, or made a Member of it. For all that is neceffarily to be understood, is this, viz. that that where by he is faid to be united to it, or made a Member of it, is one Tie or Band of Union. Perhaps he was not united to it and made a Member of it, before he was united and made a Member by that particular Band: and perhaps he was.

For tho' one Band has actually united him to the Church, there may notwithstanding be many other Bands, by every one of which he is really united again, that is, he is joined to it by new and fresh Ties.

I fhall illuftrate this by making a plain and familiar Suppofition, which I hope will en able the most unlearned perfon throughly to understand my meaning. Suppofe a Parcel of Sticks to be tied together with one Band. That wherewith they are thus tied together, does certainly unite the Whole, and make them one Bundle. But to this one Band, which has already united them, and made them one Bundle; there may be an Hundred other Bands added, each of which does really Tie them together, and make them one Bundle, notwithstanding they were really u nited and made one Bundle, even when there was but one Band. And thus the Body of Chriftians,