WORSHIP007

                  Worship of God

                                  E. Drapes

                                Chapter VI

               Shows the Continuance of this Ordinance

I shall now in the last place show you, how long the Ordinance of baptism was, and is to continue;
wherein I shall also show, the continuance of Churches, and other Ordinances of Christ, which is, Till
Christ come again the second time, without sin to salvation. Till he comes to raise up our vile natural
bodies, and make them like his own glorious body, which I shall first evidence to you from the
Scriptures, and then answer those objections that seem to have weight in them against it.

The first Scriptures that I shall instance in, is Matt. 28:19,20. Go ye therefore, etc. Teaching
them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the World. Amen. The Lord promises his presence to be with his disciples in all ages.
That we may clearly understand this Scriptures, we must consider, God may be said to be present
with them, to whom he spoke, two ways, either with their persons, and so he was all their days; or with
their doctrine, and so he is in all ages. In this last sense I understand the Scriptures, neither can it
be interpreted truly otherwise. For if any say as some do, he means his presence shall be with their
persons to the end of the world, that cannot be, for the end is not yet; but if any say, the end is come
to them, I answer, the Lord says not till the end of the World come to you, but simply till the end of
the World, the word in the Greek is the same with that end the disciples asked Christ of, Matt.
24:3, which is the end which Christ says, is not yet, neither knoweth any man, the hour thereof.

Objection:

But by the end of the world, we may understand the utmost parts of the earth, and so Christ was with
them to the utmost part of the earth.

Solution:

The word mentions not earth, but World, and the end of it, so that by the World, we are to
understand people, not ground, and by end, not the furthest part of the earth, but the coming of the
Son of man in the clouds visibly to good and bad, which is plainly seen if we consider the words, I will
be with you always, or, all days. But might some say, what mean you by always, even to the end of the
World, so that this last clause is a more full confirmation and explanation of the word always, that is
to say, for ever. From whence I conclude, the meaning is, God will always, even to the last day, be
present with their doctrine; by which presence he is as truly said to be present with his disciples, as
Moses and the Prophets were said to be with the Jews. The Apostles as the foundation are yet with
us, and God with them. Now their doctrine was faith and obedience to the commands of Christ, Go
teach, and baptize, teaching them to observe all things I commanded you, and lo, I am with you to the
end of the World.

Another Scriptures is, Eph. 4:11-13. And he gave some Apostles, etc., For the perfecting of the
Saints, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. From whence we may observe,
that Christ has placed such officers in his Church, which is all his people to the end of the world, that
may be instruments to make all the Saints one perfect man. Now all Saints make not up this perfect
man, till they are all gathered together into unity. That which the Apostle says, Heb. 11:39,40, of
the Fathers: They received not the promises, God having provided some better thing for us, that
they without us should not be made perfect. Perfection, as I have before in the first part
demonstrated, is not by parts, but of all together. The Fathers without the Apostles, the Apostles
without us, and we without those that are to come after us, shall not be made perfect. Now, till that
time wherein we shall attain unto the measure of the stature of Christ's fullness, the Lord has placed
in his Church Apostles, etc., which Church was not any particular Church in whom all these officers or
gifts were placed, but all Churches, or the Church in all ages, according to that of Paul, I, as a wise
master builder, have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. And therefore is it said, The
Saints are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
Cornerstone. Now the Apostles and Prophets are the foundation of the whole building, as in their
days, so in our days; and now, what have we to do, but to build on the same foundation.

Again, consider what says the Scriptures, Matt. 16:18. And I say also unto thee, that thou art
Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Now the Church of Christ were a company of Disciples baptized, professing the doctrine of the
Gospel, as I shall show more clearly afterwards. Now against this Church the gates of hell should not
prevail, because it was built upon a Rock.

Many think the meaning of that Rock to be Christ; others judge it to be Peter. But, for my part, I
believe it to be meant of neither, excluding the other, but of both. For Christ is the true foundation,
For no other foundation can any man lay, than that which is already laid, even the Lord Jesus. Yet I
say also, Christ is not called a foundation, but in reference to his doctrine given to Peter and the
Apostles, preached by them first, who are also said to be the foundation. They, as instruments in
Christ's hand: Christ, as the fountain and fullness, that fills all in all. So that however behold a
Church built, That the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Objection:

But may some say, the gates of hell did prevail against many Churches.

Solution:

It is not said, the gates of hell shall not prevail against any Church in particular, but against the
Church, that is to say, the whole body of Christ in all ages. And though we cannot see a Church
successively from the Apostles, yet I shall prove there has been a Church in all ages, Eph. 3:21.
Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end, Amen.
Behold here a Church, in all ages. The Churches, and so the Ordinances of the Churches were not to
abide only in the Apostles days, but to the end of the world, in all ages.

But yet to evince this more fully, consider that the word preached by the Apostles, is the only word
to be preached, for faith and obedience in all generations. Therefore says Christ, Neither pray I
for these only, but for them also which shall believe on me also through their word, John 17:20. The
word of God preached by them, and not their persons, is expressed by Christ to be the ground of our
faith that believe now; to whom and to all that shall believe afterwards, his prayer extends. Again,
says Paul, As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other Gospel unto you,
than that we have preached, and you have received, though it be an Angel from heaven, let him be
accursed, Gal. 1:8,9. Therefore is the Gospel called, The everlasting Gospel, Rev. 14:6. Now the
word that the Apostles preached, is that which was given to them by Christ, Go preach the Gospel, he
that believeth and is baptized; this is to be held forth, as the word of God, To the end of the world.
The time from Christ to the end of the world, is The last days, wherein Christ himself hath spoken to
us, Heb. 1:2. Who by this dispensation changed the old Priesthood and Law, Heb. 7:12. Now he
did not destroy them, as evil, but changed them: for the Priesthood of Aaron, he established his own
by death. For the law of Ceremonies pointing out a Christ to come, he established baptism, and
breaking of bread, to hold forth the establishment of his Priesthood in his death; who is already
come, dead, and risen again.

Now as long as the Priesthood of Christ remains, so long must the Law remain; for there is no
Priesthood without a Law. The life of obedience is required till Christ coming. Therefore says
Christ, Ye know not in what hour your Lord shall come: therefore watch. But lest any should say, the
exhortation concerns not us, Christ says, What I say unto you, I say unto all; Watch. As Paul says,
speaking of the judgments of God to Israel, Now all these things happened to them for ensamples,
and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come, 1 Cor. 10:11.
So are they for our admonition, and the Apostles' doctrine our rule: therefore he says to Timothy,
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful
men, who shall be able to teach others also, 2 Tim. 2:2. Let those that think the commands of the
Apostles only concern that generation, consider this Scriptures: Yea, Baptism is so far from being
ceased, that it is called, One of the first principles of Religion, Heb. 6:2. Now surely if you take
away that, you may as well take away Religion also; and how you may waive that without bringing in
another Religion with other Principles, I understand not.

But if any say yet, all this satisfies not, then I shall demand, what ground have any to prove its
removal out of the way. For this is certain, no dispensation given by Christ was ever removed, but by
the bringing in of some other. And Christ has now given out his laws, and will give out no other. But
it is high time to hear what is said against it, which I shall willingly do.