"Let

valid, and legitimate. The rite of Christian baptism in all these cases, when not solemnized by ministers of Christ, is not the ordinance of Christ; it is not that holy sacrament of baptism to which he has given sanction and authority in his holy church. We never read of a layman in the gospel as performing the ritual of baptism. Christ gave his command only to his appointed ministers duly ordained. All women are expressly forbidden to minister publicly in the church of Christ. your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak." "I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.' Not only the public teaching, but the ministry of sacraments was forbidden them. That the Apostle is to be so interpreted we may infer from the words of Clement, who lived in the time of the Apostles, who says, if we have denied them to teach, how should any man dispense with nature, and make them ministers of holy things, seeing this profanation is a part of the Grecian's impiety, which for the service of women goddesses, have women priests.' Tertullian speaks to the same point, when he says, 'it is not permitted to a woman to speak in the church, no not to teach, not to

I

baptize, not to offer prayer and praise, nor to assume the ministration of any sacerdotal office.' Writing again expressly on the subject of baptism, he says, 'The petulance of a woman which has usurped the right of teaching, will in like manner assume to herself the right of baptizing; but if some defend, what has been falsely ascribed to Paul, to sanction the teaching and baptizing of women, let them know that the Presbyter in Asia, who penned that writing, as though he was to derive authority from the name of Paul, professes that he did it from his regard to him, but he really deviated from truth. For how can it be thought to be like the truth, that he should give the power of teaching and baptizing to a woman, whom he would not even allow to ask questions in the church. Let them be silent, he said, and ask their own husbands at home. know whose office it is, that

rashly to be trusted to others.'

But they should

baptism is not In another pas

sage he remarks, How wrong are those women who assume the assurance to teach, to contend, to exorcise, to minister in holy things, and perhaps to baptize.' Epiphanius speaks to the same effect when he brings a charge against the Pepuzians,

a sect of the Montanists, who made women bishops, and women presbyters, perverting a passage of St. Paul, who says, "that in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female." In a dissertation referring especially to this point, he shews at large that no woman was ever ordained to offer sacrifice, or perform any solemn service of the church, which if it had been allowed to any, would certainly have been granted to the Virgin Mary herself, who was so highly favoured of God. But neither she nor any other woman had ever the Priest's office committed to them. 'There is indeed,' says he, an order of deaconesses in the church, but their business is not to minister, or perform any part of the sacerdotal office, or any of the sacred mysteries, but to be decent helpers to the female sex in the time of their baptism, sickness, or the like.' And therefore he denies that the church ever made them presbyteresses, or priestesses. It is evident from the general history of the church, that those who are mentioned as helpers in the Lord, were intended to assist the appointed ministers of Christ as to baptism and other kind offices which could not be properly done by the other sex; and so like Phebe, Priscilla, like Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa,

6

and Persis, among the converts of Rome, are spoken of as servants of the church,' as helpers in Christ Jesus,' and as 'labouring much in the Lord.' As to the ministration of baptism by children, it is enough to say that however it may have been abused at times by certain persons, there is not the slightest sanction for it in the word of life. The nullity,' says Hooker, which a judge doth by way of authority without authority, is known to all men, and agreed upon with full consent of the whole world, every man receiveth it as a general edict of nature; and we cannot but infer in his own words, that baptism without the power of ordination, is as a judgment without sufficient jurisdiction, void, frustrate, and of no effect. In earthly things we do know that if men act for others without any commission, without any authority, that whatsoever they do is void and of none effect, and some inference will justly follow as to things that are heavenly.' We infer then in all ordinary cases, as 66 no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God," that it can only be rightly executed by those who are duly ordained as ambassadors of Christ, who have been appointed as ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries

of God. We cannot therefore but come to this conclusion, that such baptism ministered by mere laymen, by women, or by children, is void and of no effect. If one sacrament of Christ may be ministered by those who are not duly appointed, so may the other; yet there are some while they entertain so very low and unworthy sentiments as to this sacred ordinance, who consider baptism ministered by those that have not been ordained to this sacred office as valid, but who would think it a gross profanation of the Lord's supper to be thus ministered. But the same objections which apply to the ministration of the Lord's supper, must apply also to the sacrament of baptism. None have authority to execute the sacred office in either, but those who have been duly appointed to it, by Christ the author and finisher of our faith, and the great Head of the Church. "As my Father hath sent me," said he, "so send I you," and "I have appointed unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me." The commission which was given by the Son of God our Lord Jesus Christ, to his ministers, was a public and solemn ordination to invest them in their holy office. "He ordained twelve, that they might be with him, and sent them forth to preach."