A SERMON OF THE DIGNITIE AND DVETIE OF THE MINISTERIE.

THe blessed Apostle S. Paul, hauing left1. Tim. 1. 3▪ Timothie as his substitute at Ephesus, and inuested him with E­piscopal authoritie, (that is to say, with so much of the Apostolical power as was necessarily to continue in the Church, which besides the Ministerie of the word and Sacraments, [Page 2] common to all Ministers, consisteth speci­ally in the power of Ordination, & Eccle­siasticall iurisdiction:) hee addresseth this and the other Epistle vnto him, thereby in­forming him, andChrysost. hom. 10. in 1. Tim. Oecumen in 1. Tim. 5. The Epistles to Ti­mothie and Titus, are pre­cedents for Bishops▪ and are as Ter­tullian saith, de ecclesiastico statu composi­tae. aduers. Marcion. lib. 5. in fine. in him all Bishops, how to 1. Tim. 3. 15. behaue himselfe in the house of God, which is his Church. And to this end he prescribeth Ecclesiasticall Canons, and Apostolicall Constitutions, not onely concerning the exercise of his Episcopall iurisdiction and gouernment of the Church, but also tou­ching the ordination of Ministers. For as in the fifth Chapter he chargeth him1. Tim. 5. 22. not to lay his hands rashly vpon any: soChrysost. hom. 10. in 1. Tim. Non absque ra­tione Paulus huiusmodi mo­nitis vtitur, quia Timoth [...] ipsi cura in­cumbebal Epis­copos ordinan­di, sicut & Ti­to. Conferre with this place, Tit. 1. 56 here he directeth him, what manner of persons he is to ordaine Ministers. Prouing from the weight and excellencie of the calling, that not euery one that desireth this office, is to be preferred thereunto: but such a one as Elthu Iob. 33. 23. scarcely acknowledgeth to be one of a thousand, whō the Lord hath, with the ex­cellent indowments of learning and pietie, adorned & made fit for so great and wor­thie a function. For mens calling must not goe before, but follow the calling of God. [Page 3] For their calling is but declaratiue, as the Schoolemen speake, whereas Gods cal­ling is effectiue. And therefore men ought by their calling to declare none fit for the Ministerie, but such as God by his calling hath made fit. The office of a Bishop, saith Paul, is an excellent function, a glorious calling, a worthy worke: therefore he that would be preferred to this office, must be qualified accordingly: that is, for his life, he must be both in generall [...], without blame, and in particular, chaste, as being the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of decent behauiour, harborous, &c. and for his gifts [...], that is, as the Apostle speaketh in an­other 2. Tim. 2. 2. See also Tit. 1. 9. place [...], apt or able to teach.

So that this text is an enthymeme, as we call it, the antecedent whereof setteth forth amplitudinem Ministerij, the dignitie of the Ministerie, or worthinesse of the calling: the consequent, aptitudinem Ministrorum, the worthinesse of the persons who are to be Ministers, inferred thereupon.

The Antecedent Paul confirmeth by his owne testimonie. For that asseuerati­on [Page 4] [...], it is a faithfull saying, hath (as othes also haue) the force of a testimonie: and in this place is vsed [...], that is, by way of preuention. For as the othes, which the holy Ghost interposeth any where in the Scriptures, doe argue our infidelitie; so these asseuerations doe presuppose in vs some contrarie and erroneous conceite. As if the Apostle had said: Although car­nall men, whoseRom. 8. wisdome is enmitie a­gainst God, doe basely esteeme of Mini­sters in regard of their calling: yet it is a most certaine trueth, which by the spirit of trueth I doe testifie vnto you, that the of­fice of Ministers is an excellent and wor­thy calling, and that they are greatly ho­noured of God, whom he calleth thereun­to. Indeede it is, and alwaies hath been, the lot and condition of Gods Ministers in this world, to be contemned, scorned and abused. The Prophets, who were the Em­bassadours of the great God, and Angels of the Lord of hosts, were [...] Chron. 36. 16 despised and de­rided. The Apostles, who were the twelue Patriarches as it were of the Israel of God, [Page 5] and Embassadours sent from Christs side, to reconcile men vnto God, were notwith­standing esteemed as the1. Cor. 4. 13. Skumme of the world and of scouring of all things. But what speake I of seruants? was not Christ him­selfe our royall Priest and Prophet, theHebr. 3. 1. A­postle and high Priest of our profession, of his owne kindred esteemed as aMar. 3. 21. mad man, of his ill willers slaundered as aIoh. 8. 48. 52. Daemo­niacke, of Herod and his gallants scorned and euen set [...]. Luc. 23. 11. at naught?

Against this carnall conceite of profane men, the holy Ghost opposeth his verdict, when hee saith, this is a faithfull saying. Whereby we are taught, vnlesse we had ra­ther conforme our iudgements to the vaine opinion of the wicked world, than to the infallible censure of the holy Ghost, to con­ceiue honourablie of the Ministers of God.

And this was the prosyllogisme or proofe of the Antecedent, taken from the testimonie of Gods spirit speaking in the Apostle, and prefixed as a preface, to win both attention and credit to this text.

[Page 6] Now followeth the antecedent it selfe. If a man desireth the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good, or excellent worke. In which words, besides the commendation of the Ministe­rie, which is the maine intendment there­of, two things are briefely to be discussed. The one, whether it bee lawfull for a man to desire the office of a Bishop: the other, what is the office of a Bishop, which the A­postle here doth so highly commend. Of the former the Apostle maketh no questi­on, but taketh it for granted, that it is law­full for a man to desire this function. For what (saithHomil. 10. in 1. Tim. Chrysostome) doth the Apostle say? If a man desire the function of a Bishop, I mislike it not, hee desires a goodly worke. For first, when men consecrate themselues, as Numb. 6. Amos 2. 11. Nazarits, to the studie of diuinitie, they doe it in this desire: which, if it bee a desire, as well to doe the worke of the Ministerie, as to obtaine the honour thereto belon­ging, is without doubt most acceptable vn­to God. And afterwards, when God hath blessed their studies, and fitted them for this function; this desire and willingnes to [Page 7] exercise their gifts, and to employ their ta­lents, is a part of their calling from God. For God calleth men, partly inwardlie by himselfe, not onely furnishing them with those gifts which appertaine to the suffici­ency of a Minister, but also giuing thē this Rom 1. 15. 1. Pet. 5. 2. [...], or willing readines to imploy their gifts: and partly outwardlie by his substi­tutes, to whom in his Church he hath com­mitted the power of calling, ordaining and admitting Ministers. The Prophet Esay, Esay 6. 6. [...]. when his tongue had been touched with a coale from the Altar, and hee had heard the voice of the Lord, saying, VVhom shall I send, he offereth himselfe and saith, Ecce me, Behold, here am I, send me. A desire there­fore to glorifie God in the seruice of the Church, and a signification of this desire, when a man is fitted for the calling, is not onelie lawfull, but also commenda­ble. The greedie and ambitious desire of them, who either are not willing, or not a­ble to glorifie God in the Ministerie, is that which is to be condemned.

As touching the second, it will be obie­cted; [Page 8] that the calling of a Bishop, being a function of great authoritie and preemi­nence in the Church of God, is indeede an excellent and worthie worke; but what is this to other Ministers, who are subiect to the Bishops? I answere, by [...], wee are in this place to vnderstand the office, and by [...], the person, not onelie of such as e­uer since the Apostles times haue proper­ly been called Bishops, (howsoeuer this place is principally to bee vnderstood of them, and so is expounded by diuersChrysost. hom. 11. in 1. Tim. Ambr. in. 1. Tim. 3. Hieronvm. Theophyl. &c. of the Fathers:) but of all Pastors and Mini­sters of the word and Sacraments in gene­rall. Which interpretation may be confir­med by conference of this Scripture with Tit. 1. 5, 6, 7. Tit. 1. where the same Canon being re­peated, the Apostle vseth sometimes the word [...], and sometimes [...]. From whence we may gather, either that by Bi­shop here the Apostle meaneth any pres­byter, the names being as yet confounded, as Ierome and Theodoret suppose: or at the least, that the same things which here are spoken of the dutie and dignitie of Bi­shops, [Page 9] doe also appertaine to Presbyters in generall: which cause the other Fathers alleag [...], why Presbyters be not expressely mentioned in this place. But howsoeuer the Fathers seeme to be diuided in the in­terpretation of the word Bishop, some of them by Bishop vnderstanding euery Presbyter; others, those who properly are called Bishops: yet all agree in this, that both of Presbyters and Bishops, that is to say, of all Ministers in generall, this text is vnderstoode. ForTheod [...]r. in. 1. Tim. 3. Etiamsi presby­teris has leges cōstituis diuinu [...] Apostolus, cla­rum est quòd eas op [...]rtet pri­mos seruare Episcopos, vt qui maiorem sint dignitat [...] assecuti. Theodoret, though hee say, that by Bishop euery Presbyter is here meant; yet he professeth that what is here said of Presbyters, doth chiefely apper­taine to Bishops. And the other Fathers, though they vnderstand this text as spo­ken of them who properly are called Bi­shops; yet they say, that in the name of Bi­shops, Presbyters are also included. Here by the way we are to note, that if the names of Bishop and Presbyter in the writings of the Apostles bee confounded, as Ierome and Theodoret teach, and many in our times not onely affirme, but also out ofAct. 20. 17. 2 [...] Tit. 1. 5, 6, 7. Phil. 1. 1. 1. Pet. 5. 1, 2. Acts 20. [Page 10] Tit. 1. Phil. 1. 1. Pet. 5. confirme, in so much as euery Bishop is a Presbyter, so euery Presbyter a Bishop, according to the Apo­stles phrase: then it followes necessarily, that in the Apostles writings, there are no Presbyters mentioned, but such as are Pa­stors and Ministers of the Word. And a­greeable to the phrase of the Apostles, hath the perpetuall vse of this word been in the Primitiue Church: there being, as I sup­pose, not any one example to be alleaged out of any Councell or Father, where the word Presbyter doth signifie any other than a Minister or Priest. And if the like shall bee obiected against Bishops, that in the Apostles times there was no difference betwixt Presbyters and them: I answere, though the names of Bishop and Presby­ter were for a short time confounded; yet the functions were not, as I haueIn Apoc. 1. 20 elsewhere shewed.

But to come to that, which, as I said, is the maine intendment of these words: the commendation, which the Apostle giueth to the office of a Bishop, is, that it is [...], a [Page 11] worthie worke. He calleth it a worke, that we should not imagine it to be an idle digni­tie, which when wee haue once obtained, we might giue ouer our selues to ease and securitie; but a worke full of imployment and difficultie, wherein it behoueth Mini­sters (who are the LordsMatth. 9. 38. workemen) to labour, and as the Apostle speaketh1. Tim. 5. 17. 1. Thess. 5. 12. [...] that is, to labour vnto wearines. But nei­ther is it a seruile worke, or a base Mini­sterie; but [...], a goodly and excellent worke.

Two things therefore doe here offer themselues to our consideration, Onus & honos Ministerij: The burden and the ho­nour of the Ministerie, both appertaining to the greatnesse of this calling, and both requiring, (which is the Apostles scope,) a correspondencie of gifts in the person of the Ministerie. For, in regard of both, we may iustly vse that exclamation,2. Cor. 2. 16. [...], and who is sufficiēt for these things? that is, who is able to beare this burden, who is worthie to haue this honour? For in that he calleth it a worke, that appertai­neth [Page 12] to the burden▪ in that hee termeth it excellent, that belongeth to the honour. And these two are vnseparable compani­ons. For, honos & onus: honour and charge goe together. Whence it is, that the same Hebrew [...] word signifieth both honorare & onerare. For whom God aduanceth vnto honour, them hee doth burden with a charge, and on whom hee imposeth a bur­den, to them he vouchsafeth honour. And as they bee vnseparable, so also propor­tionable. For such as is the weight of the burden, such is the height of the honour, and contrariwise. These things therefore which the holie Ghost hath vnseparablie vnited, ought not to be separated, neither by the Ministers themselues, nor yet by the people. Desirest thou the honour of the Ministerie, vt praesis, that thou maist be preferred aboue others? thou must also desire the worke of the Ministerie, vt prosis, that thou maist profit others. For he, that desireth the office of a Bishop, desireth an excel­lent worke. Art thou discouraged with the weight of the burden? so much let the [Page 13] height of the honour which God hath in this life awarded, and in the life to come prouided for faithfull Ministers, encou­rage thee. As for the people: many care not how great a burden they lay vpon the Ministers, and how little honour they af­ford them: as though their charge among all callings could be the greatest, and their honour the least. In a word, let vs on all hands so acknowledge the dutie and dig­nitie of the Ministerie to bee conioyned, that the Ministers be as readie to performe the dutie of the Ministerie, as to challenge the honour: And the people as willing to yeeld the double honour of reuerence and maintenance to their Minister, as from him to expect the performance of his du­tie. For what things God hath conioyned, let no man seuer.

But how soeuer in vse these things may not be disioyned; yet, that I may distinctlie and orderly speake of them, I am for a while to seuer them in my speech▪ And first wee are to weigh the burden of the Ministery. For that are we to vndergoe, [Page 14] before we can iustlie claime the honour. 1. Tim. 5. 17. Double honour indeed belongeth to the Ministerie: of which, as the people must count their Ministers worthie, so must wee labour to be worthie. For [...] should go with [...]. And who are worthie of the ho­nour of the Ministerie? Surely they, which beare, the burden, or doe the worke of the Ministerie. The worke of a Bishop, where­of the Apostle speaketh, is, as may bee ga­thered out of the words, [...], to bee a good Superintendent, whereunto Peter 1. Pet. 5. 2. exhorteth: 1. Epist. 5. Now what that is, the Apostle sheweth, Act. 20. where hee exhorteth the Ministers of Ephesus,Act. 20. 28. that they would attend vnto themselues and to the whole flocke, ouer which the holy Ghost had made them Superintendents, to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood. The same he repeateth, though in other words, 1. Tim. 5.1. Tim. 5. 17. Ministers are to be accounted worthie of double honour. But who? [...], that are good presi­dents, especially they that labour in the word and doctrine. For to feed the flocke, is the [Page 15] chiefe worke of the Pastor or Bishop, as appeareth in all these three places. Feede the flocke, saith Peter to the Ministers, [...], performing the Office of Bishops or Superintendents, not as of necessitie, but as willingly, &c. But to speake more di­stinctly, the worke of a Bishop or Pastor, which, as I said, is [...], to be good Presidents, or Superintendents, cōtaineth these branches. The first is, that they attend to themselues▪ the second, to their flocke. To themselues, that they may be precedents, and as the holie Ghost speaketh1. Pet. 5. 3. Tit. 2. 7. [...], pa­ternes and samplers of a godly life. For this in the Apostles phrase isTit. 3. 8. 14. [...], to be presidents of good workes. But of this more, when I come to the worthi­nesse of the person: vers. 2. To the flocke also they must attend, feeding and ouersee­ing the same both1. Pet. 5. 2. willinglie andHeb. 13. 17. care­fully, as those who are to giue an account. For whom in the new Testament, the holie Ghost, calleth [...], Superintendents, in the old he callethTsophim. speculatores, watchmen▪ whose office is the custodie and gardian­ship, [Page 12] not of mens bodies, but, that which isArs est arti­um, regimen a­nimarum. Gregor. pasto­ral. part. 1. c. 1. more, of their soules; for which they are to watch, as they who are to giue an account. In so much, that if any of their flocke shall perish through their default; they shall perish indeed in their sinnes, but their blood will the Lord require at the Ezec. 3. 17. 33. 8. watchmens hands. And this doth the A­postle Paul insinuate in his farwel Sermon, where in the conscience of his Ministerie faithfully performed, he professethAct. 20. 26. that he was free from the blood of them all. By which word, saith Gregorie, Homil. 11. in Ezech. we are conuicted who are called Priests, who besides those euils which we haue of our owne, doe ad the deaths of other men. For so many doe we kill, as wee doe suffer through our negligence and silence to perish. Now wee are to attend the flocke, first, by watching ouer the same as good shep­heards, accomodating our selues to their seuerall estates and necessities. As name­ly, 2. Tim. 3. 16. Ezech. 34. 4. 1. Thess. 5. 14. to instruct the ignorant, to reduce the erroneous, to heale the diseased, to seek the lost, to admonish the disorderlie, to com­fort the distressed, to support the weake, to [Page 17] be patient towards all. Secondlie, by1. Pet. 5. 2. fee­ding them in the Ministerie of the word and Sacraments, and lastly by1. Sam. 12. 23 praying for them both publicklie and priuately.

This burden of the Ministery, was after a sort prefigured by the burden of the Arke, which was imposedDeut. 31. 9. on the Priests. For in the ArkeHebr. 9. 4, 5. was the golden pot hauing Manna, and Aarons fruitfull rod, and the tables of the Couenant; and vpon it the propi­tiatorie ouershadowed with the glorious Che­rubins. For by the pot of Manna, we may vnderstand the Sacraments; by the rod, Ecclesiasticall discipline; by the budding and fruitfulnesseNumb. 17. 8. of it, their fruitfull con­uersation; by the tables, the preaching of the law; and by bearing the propitiatorie (figuring Christ,) the Ministerie of recon­ciliation committed vnto the Ministers of God, both in respect of prayer and also of preaching.

But the principall burden and chiefe worke of the Ministery, for which double honour is1. Tim. 5. 17. especially due to Ministers, is the preaching, that is, the expounding and [Page 18] applying of the word, to the diuers vses of 2. Tim. 3. 16. doctrine, confutation, instruction and re­proofe. To the2. Tim. 4. 1, 2. diligent performance whereof, in the1. Cor. 2. 4. demonstration of the spirit, in2. Cor. 4. 2. and 2. 17. sinceritie as in the sight of God, inMatth. 24. 45 discre­tion and1. Cor. 4. 2. faithfulnesse, as it becommeth the wise and faithfull steward of God, withTit. 2. 7. gra­uitie, Mic. 3. 8. iudgement, Ephes. 6. 19. 20 Ierem. 1. 8. 17. Ezec. 3. 8, 9. boldnes and power, and fi­nally with zeale of GodsIohn 7. 18. Mal. 2. 2. glory and2. Cor. 11. 2. Gal. 4. 19. salua­tion of the hearer: the Minister is bound with a double bond of necessitie, the one, in regard of himselfe; the other, in respect of the people. In regard of our selues, eue­rie one of vs must say with the Apostle, 1. Cor. 9. 16. Necessitie is laid vpon me, and woe vnto me if I preach not the Gospell. For if they bee subiect to the curse; who withhold the corne: what is to be expected of them, who withdraw from the people of God, the di­uine food of their soules? Assuredly both are accursed: they,Prou. 11. 26. of the people: these, of God:Ezech. 34. 2. woe to those Pastors, qui non pascunt, sed depascunt gregem, who feed not the flocke, but feede vpon it. And againe, [...]ac. 11. 17. Vae Pastori nihili, VVoe to the idle shepheard that [Page 19] forsaketh the flocke: the sword shall be vpon his arme, and vpon his right eie, (whereby is meant his power and iudgement.) His arme shall be dried vp, and his eie shall be vt­terly darkned.

In regard of the people, the Ministerie of the word is so necessarie, that our Saui­our saithLuk. 10. 42. there is necessitie of this one thing. And Salomon, Prou. 29. 18. that where this is wanting, the people perish. But the necessitie of preach­ing in respect of the people, appertaineth to the dignitie of the Ministerie, whereof I am now to speake.

And first of the office it selfe, and then of those titles, wherewith Ministers are a­dorned in the word of God. Of the office I am to speake, first, absolutely; then, by way of comparison. Absolutely it is affir­med in this place, to bee an excellent, or worthie worke. AndHeb. 5. 4. Heb. 5. an honour: and elsewhere we are taught, that for this workes sake, the Ministers are1. Thess. 5. 12. [...]. exceedinglie to be loued, and reuerenced, and for the dig­nitie of their function to bePhil. 2. 29. had in honor. Yea that the veryEsay 52. 7. Rom. 10. 15. feete of those which preach [Page 20] the Gospell ought to seem beautiful vnto vs. And the same may be confirmed, by consi­deration of the institution of the Ministery; the eminencie of the persons who haue ex­ercised this function; the excellencie of the end for which it was ordained; and lastlie, the dignitie of the parts, whereof it doth consist.

First, therefore Ministers were ordai­ned to supplie the office, and sustaine the person of the Sonne of God, who is the Word and wisdome of his father. For from the beginning of the world vntill the time of Moses, the Lord for the most part in his owne person, performed the office of preaching to his people. In which respect hee is often called in the bookes of Moses, theGen. 22. 11. 12 Exod. 3. 2. 4. 6. Gen. 32. 28. 30 & Hos. 12. 3. Exod. 13. 20, 21 & 1 Cor. 10. 9. Malac. 3. 1. Angell of God, and elsewhere the Angell of the couenant. But when the Lord in terrible maner had published his law from heauen, and the people, not be­ing able to endure his voice, had humbly intreated him, that he would be pleased to speake vnto them by a Prophet: vpon this occasion, the Lord ordained the publicke [Page 21] Ministerie, andDeut. 18. 18. promised a continuall succession of Prophets, (into whose mouth he would put his words,) which was to con­tinue vntill Christ, in whom especially that prophecie was verified. And againe, when Christ was to ascend into heauen, hee or­dained the Ministers of the Gospell, as the Embassadours of God, in his stead: affir­ming, Iohn 20. 21. that as his father had sent him, so he did send them. For we (saith the Apostle) 2. Cor. 5. 20. are the Embassadours of God in Christs stead, euen as though God did intreate you by vs, wee beseech you in Christs stead, be reconciled vnto God. The Ministers therefore were ordai­ned to supplie the roome of Christ. Which the Lord did, not that hee would haue the Ministerie of the word lesse esteemed, then if he should speake from heauen himselfe; but that hee might by this meanes teach vs after a more familiar manner, and might make the better triall of our obedience. For as Iohn saith,1. Iohn 4. 6. Hee that knoweth God, heareth vs; and who is not of God, heareth vs not. Our dutie therefore is, when God doth speake vnto vs by his Ministers, [Page 22] to set our selues, with Cornelius Act. 10. 33. and his company, in the presence of God; and to heare1. Thess. 2. 13. [...], The word preached, not as the word of man, but as it is indeede the word of God: and to receiue the Ministers of God, as the GalathiansGal. 4. 14. entertained Paul, as the Embassadours of Christ, as the Angels of God, yea, as Christ himselfe. For so hath he saidLuk. 10. 16. to his Ministers, Hee that heareth you, heareth mee; and hee that despiseth you, despiseth me.

But let vs also consider the excellencie of those persons, who haue in former times exercised any part of this function. And here I could commend vnto you Noah, the prince of the world, and2. Pet. 2. 5. Preacher of righteousnesse: Melchisedec, who was bothHebr. 7. 1. Gen. 14. 18. a King and a Priest: Moses the Pro­phet and Prince of Israel: Dauid a King and a Prophet: Salomon that glorious King, affecting the name of aEcclesiast. Preacher. I might alleage that the Kings among the heathen, were also Priests. For hence it was, that the Athenians and the Romanes, after they had expelled their tyrannizing Kings, did [Page 23] ordaine to themselues, Reges sacrificos, sa­crificing Kings, because certaine sacrifices among them, might not be offered but by Kings. But what speake I of meere men? The sonne of God, before his incarnation, as you heard before, was the Angell and messenger of God vnto his people: and after he became flesh, he professed, thatLuk. 4. 18. 43. he was sent to preach. And who knoweth not, that he being truely and onely [...], as hee is our King, so also our Prophet, and our Priest? And that, which yet more set­teth forth the excellencie of the Ministery; Christ, who, as he was God, thought it no robbery to be equall with God: yet as hee was also man, he would not take vpon him thisHeb. 5. 4, 5. honour to be our Priest, vnlesse hee had been called thereto of God, as Aaron was. Whereas therefore I said, that certaine Princes haue been Prophets: you may well thinke, that this is no greater credit to the Ministerie, that Kings haue prophecied; than it was commendation to the Kings themselues, that they were Prophets. And howsoeuer sometimes they haue been gra­ced [Page 24] with that part of the Ministerie, (for euen1 Sam. 10. 11. 19 24. Saul sometimes was among the Pro­phets:) yet might they not intrude vpon the other functions of the Priesthood. And therefore Saul, the King of Israel, for thru­sting himselfe into the office of the Priest, 1. Sam. 13. 9. 13. 14. was himselfe thrust out of his kingdome. Likewise, when Huzziah the King of Iuda, 2. Chron. 26. 16. 19. presuming (his heart being lift vp with pride,) to offer incense vpon the altar, which was a function peculiar to the Priests, the sonnes of Aaron; the Lord, not onely caused a fearefullAmos 1. 1. Zac. 14. 5. Ioseph. Antiq. Iud. lib. 9. c. 11. earthquake, to testifie his displeasure: but also presently smote him with a Leprosie, and sequestred him from his regall function. ForHebr. 5. 4. no man, what­soeuer he be, may take vpon him this honour, but he that is called thereunto of God, as Aaron was.

I come to the end of the Ministerie; which is, to saue mens soules. Other pro­fessions respect the good of this life; as the Magistracie, the maintenance of peace and good order among the subiects; the art of the Physition, the health of his Patient; the [Page 25] profession of the Lawyer, the wealth of his Client. But the end of the Ministerie alone, is the saluation of Soules. For although Christ hath performed so much as is suffi­cient, for the saluation of all: yet none are actually saued, but they onely, to whom the benefit of the Messias is communicated. Now the merits of Christ are applied ordi­narilie by the Ministerie of the Word and Sacraments: vnto which, for that cause, the power of Saluation is ascribed. They therefore who enioy the Ministerie of the Word and Sacraments, let them acknow­ledge themselues infinitely bound vnto the Lord; who hath visited them with the fa­uour of his people, and vouchsafed vnto them the peculiar priuiledge of his visible Church; in that he hath not onely sent his Sonne to redeeme them, but also giuen them those meanes, whereby the benefit of Redemption may be applied vnto them.

There remaine the parts of the Ministe­rie; which are two: the Leiturgie or pub­like seruice of God in the Congregation, and the regiment of the Church. The Lei­turgie [Page 26] hath three parts; the Preaching of the Word, publike Prayer, and admini­stration of the Sacraments. In the Preach­ing of the word, as the duetie of the Mini­sterie, so also the dignitie doth principally consist: this being the chiefe workeEphes. 4. 12. of the Ministerie, for which1. Tim. 5. 17. double honour is especially due vnto the Ministers: yea, the 1. Cor. 16. 10. worke of the Lord, in respect where of the Ministers [...], as theRom. 15. 16. Apostle speaketh, that is, performing the sacred fun­ction of preaching the Gospell, are called, 1. Cor. 3. 9. [...], the co-workers of God. But the worthinesse of this worke may easily ap­peare, if we consider the excellencie, pro­fit, and necessitie thereof. For what greater honour can be vouchsafed to a mortall and sinfull man, then to be theIob 33. 23. Angell or2. Cor. 5. 18. 20 Em­bassadour of God in stead of Christ; ap­pointed and sent of God,2. Cor. 5. 18. 20 to reconcile men vnto himselfe, to iustifie them, and to saue them? And hereby also appeareth the exceeding profit and necessitie of the Mi­nistery of the word. The profit, in that by the preaching of the worde, men are [Page 27] brought to saluation, and all the degrees thereof. The necessitie, in that without it ordinarily men cannot attaine to saluation, no nor yet to any degree of saluation. For whereas there are three degrees of saluation in this life, our vocation, our iustification, our sanctification: what one of these is not effected by the Ministery of the word, and what one of them is effected ordinarilie without it? For whom GodRom. 8. 30. hath elected, them doth he call; neither shall any be sa­ued (I speake of such as come to yeeres of discretion,) but such as are, or shall be cal­led. Hence it is, that the Church, which is the companie of the elect, is called [...], a companie of men called. Now men are called by the Ministerie of the2. Thess. 2. 14. Gospell, seconded and made powerfull by the Spi­rit of God. For first, by it, our minds are enlightnedLuk. 1. 79. Act. 26. 18. to see our owne miserie in our selues, and the infinit mercies of God in the mysterie of saluation by Christ. Secondlie, by it, as by theEsay 53. 1. Act. 26. 18. arme of God, men are drawne vnto him, that they may turne vn­to God, and beleeue in Christ. Neither [Page 28] is there any meanes in the world, so effectu­all to worke the conuersion of a sinner, or to bring him vnto faith in Christ, as the Mi­nisterie of the word: by which if a man will not be perswaded, neither will hee be­leeue, though an Angell should come from heauen, or aLuk. 16. 31. man be raised from the dead. For indeed the Ministerie of the Gospell, is theRom. 1. 16. power of God to our saluation. And al­though in the world it be contemned, as a weake and foolish meanes: yet it is the good 1. Cor. 1. 21. pleasure of God, by the foolishnes of prea­ching, to saue those that beleeue.

Againe,Rom. 8. 30. whom God calleth, them hee iustifieth, acquitting them from their sins, and accepting them in Christ, as righteous, and as heires of eternall life. But men are iustified by faith: and faith Rom. 10. 17. commeth by hea­ring the word of God. For as the Apostle rea­soneth, Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call on him, in whom they haue not beleeued; and how shall they be­leeue in him, of whom they haue not heard; and how shall they heare without a preacher? For this cause, Preachers are said to be1. Cor. 3. 5. Mini­sters, by whom we beleeue, and being Ministers [Page 29] of faith, whereby men are iustified, they are also saidDan. 12. 3. to iustifie men.

Moreouer, whom the Lord doth iustifie by faith, them also hee doth sanctifie by the Spirit of regeneration. For2. Cor. 5. 17. whosoeuer is in Christ, hee is a new creature. Neither can any man truely hope to enter intoIohn 3. 3. the kingdome of heauen, vnlesse he be borne againe. But how should men be borne againe? by 1. Pet. 1. 23. the immortall seede, saith Peter, which is the word of the liuing God: by which Preachers doe beget men vnto God. And in that re­spect are called spirituall fathers, fathers in the faith; because, as Paul speaketh to the 1. Cor. 4. 15. Corinthians, they beget them by the Gospell of Iesus Christ. And forasmuch as wee are nourished, as the Philosopher saith, by that from which we are ingendred: the word therefore, as it is the seed of our spirituall generation, so is it the food of our soules, whereby wee are to bee nourished, and to grow vp in grace: affording, both1. Pet. 2. 1. milke for the new borne, andHeb. 5. 12, 13, 14. strong meate for those who are better growne in Christ. And therefore, as the Ministers be fathers to be­get [Page 30] men; so are they alsoEphes. 4. 11. Pastors, to feed them. And whereas sanctification consi­steth of two parts, a dying vnto sinne, and a liuing vnto righteousnesse: the Ministerie of the word, is as salt to mortifie our cor­ruptions. In which respect the Ministers are called theMatth. 5. 13. salt of the earth. And in respect of righteousnesse habituall, it is the Rom. 10. 8. word of faith, the2 Cor. 3. 8. Ministerie of the Spi­rit, theAct. 20. 32. word of grace, byIohn 7. 17. which wee are sanctified. And as for actuall righteousnes, it is theColoss. 1. 6. fruit of the word preached, which being sowne in the furrowes of good and honest hearts,Luk. 8. 15. bringeth forth fruit with patience.

If therefore our vocation, iustification and sanctification, which are al the degrees of saluation going betweene election and glorification, bee all of them wrought by the Ministerie of the word: we must ac­knowledge it, worthily to bee called the power of God to our saluation, and not without good cause the power of sauing mens soules to bee ascribed vnto it, and to the preachers of it, as to the meanes and [Page 31] instruments vnder God. Receiue with meek­nes, saith S. Iames, Iam. 1. 21. [...], the word en­grafted, (to wit, by the Preachers who are Gods1. Cor. 3. 6, 7, 8 planters: 1. Cor. 3.) VVhich (saith he) is able to saue your soules. Attend to thy selfe (saith Paul to1. Tim. 4. 16. Timothie) and to doctrine, continue therein; for this doing, thou shalt saue both thy selfe, and them that heare thee. But to conclude this point with the oracle of our Sauiour Christ, sounding in the eares of S. Paul at his conuersion, from heauen: at which time he appearing vnto Paul, to make him as he there saith,Acts 26. 16. a Minister of the Gospell, setteth downe the end of the Ministerie in these words, which containe the summe of all that hath been said con­cerning the preaching of the word. To open (saithAct. 26. 18. he) their eies, that they may bee turned from darkenesse vnto light, and from the power of Satan vnto God, (there is voca­tion) that by faith in Christ, (for so I con­strue the words, there being a comma in the Greeke text after [...]) they may receiue forgiuenesse of sins, (that is iustification) and inheritance among them that are sanctified: [Page 32] there is sanctification, and glorification; and all to be procured by the Ministerie of the word.

Here therefore by the way diuers sorts of men are to bee admonished. First, the Ministers: that as they desire the saluati­on of their people, whom Christ hath re­deemed with his most pretious bloud, they would not onlie bee diligent in preaching, but also bee carefull so to preach, as that their conscience may beare them witnesse, that in their Ministerie they truely seeke to glorifie God, in the saluation of the people. Secondly, the people; that as they tender the eternal saluation of their soules, so they should be affected to the Ministe­rie of the word. For theMatth. 13. 44, 45. kingdome of hea­uen (so is the preaching of the Gospell cal­led, because it is the principall meanes to bring vs to Gods Kingdome) is like a trea­sure, or a pretious pearle, which a man hauing found, he will sell all that he hath to procure it. Thirdly, they that doe hinder the prea­ching of the word: for seeing the word preached is of such necessitie to saluation, [Page 33] they which are an hinderance to the prea­ching of the word, doe also hinder the sal­uation of their brethren, which euery Chri­stian is bound by all good meanes to ad­uance. Of this kind are they, who being not of the Ministerie doe get into their hands the liuings and possessions of the Church. For where is want of liuing, there will be want of Preachers: where Preachers or Prophets are wanting, there prophesie, or preaching faileth: and where Prou 29. 18. prophesie faileth, there the people perish. The people indeede shall perish in their sinnes: but their bloud shall be required at thy hands, who hast been the cause of their spirituall famishment.

Such also are those greedie Patrons, or rather latrons of Church liuings, who with Gehezi, sell such things as none but Simons will buy: who with the theefe, & traitor Iu­das betray for quid mihi dabitis, the bodie of Christ, which is his Church, into the hand of blind and Pharisaicall guides: who with 1. King. 12. 3 [...]. 1. King. 13. 33. Ieroboam the son of Nebat, preferre to the Ministerie, the skirts, or, as the Prophet [Page 34] calleth such, theEsay 9. 15. taile of the people. But these men as they imitate the practise of Gehezi, Iudas and Ieroboam: so let them feare their end.

And lastly, such are those Ministers, who hauing either no will, or no skill to feede the people of God with the food of life; doe notwithstanding for the milke and fleece of the flocke take vpon them the charge of soules. But let these and the for­mer consider, that wheras they ought to be resolued, not to hazard, or lose their owne soules, though they mightMark. 8. 36. gaine the whole world: they to gaine, not the whole world, but the tithes of some one parish (which are as nothing in comparision of the world) doe hazard not their own soules alone, but the soules of the people, whom they de­priue of the principall ordinarie meanes of their saluation.

But to returne to my purpose: haue you by your own experience found the Mini­sters to haue been the meanes vnder God of your vocation, iustification, sanctifica­tion, which are the necessarie forerunners [Page 35] of saluation? then, I dare say, you will con­fesse that to be true, which Paul writing to Philemon, forbeareth to speake: that you owe euen your ownePhil. 17. selues vnto them: and that you ought to be affected to them, as the Galathians were to S. Paul, who giueth this testimonie of them, that they were readie (if it had been possible) toGal. 4. 15. pul out their owne eies to doe him good. But if you be more readie to pull out their eies, then to doe them any good; it is a manifest argument, that as yet you are not sanctified, not iustified, not called; and therefore not to be saued, vnlesse these graces shall here­after be wrought in you by the Ministerie of the word. Which benefits if you doe but looke for at the Ministers hands, you cannot but honour and reuerence them in the meane time. But if you neither haue these graces, nor hope for any, wee must count our selues blessed, when for our cal­ling and the discharge of our dutie, we are of such persons hated and reuiled.

Thus much I thought good to speake of preaching the word. Now are wee [Page 36] brieflie to intreate of inuocation, and so of the rest. For as in the preaching of the word, the Minister is the Lords Embassa­dour to his people: so in publicke prayer he is an orator, and as it were an interces­sour for the people vnto God. In which re­spect, Chrysostome De Sacerdot. lib. 6. cap. 4. saith, that the Minister performeth an embassage vnto God, not only for his owne people, but also for the whole world, as if he were an vniuersall father hauing care of all. And Nazianzene Apolog. acknowledgeth it to be no small honour, to bee preferred before others in neerenesse vnto God, and to receiue [...]: a pre­sidentship of soules, and a mediation betweene God and men: By which they stand, as Mo­ses Psal. 106. 23. once did, in the breach: and for which, as the Prophets were wont, so may godlie Ministers now, bee worthilie called the 2. King. 2. 12. & cap. 13. 14. horsemen and chariots of Israel.

I come to the Sacraments: whereof the Ministers also are dispensers. For as in re­spect of the word, which is as it were Gods treasurie, the Ministers are his treasurers: so in respect of the Sacraments, which are the [Page 37] seales of God, theRom. 4. 1 [...]. seales of that righte­ousnesse which is by faith, they are the kee­pers of the Lords seales, whereby the peo­ple of God are assured, not of an earthlie patrimonie, but of an eternall kingdome in heauen. If therefore it be a great honour (as it is indeede) to be the Lord keeper of the Kings seale, which notwithstanding hath vse but in temporall affaires: what shall we thinke of their function, who are the keepers of the heauenlie Kings seales: which also serue for the confirmation of spirituall blessings in heauenlie things?

Hauing spoken of the leiturgie, wee are now to intreate of the regiment of the Church. For to the Ministers the Church, which is the spouse of Christ, is committed: that hauing espoused her against the mar­riage day, which is the day of iudgement, they may present her2. Cor. 11. 2. vnto Christ the bridegroome, as a pure virgin and vndefi­led. In which senseApolog. Nazianzene calleth the Minister, [...], and De Sacerdot. lib. 3. cap. 6. Chrysostome thus describeth him, [...], He whose office it is to adorne [Page 38] the spouse of Christ. And forasmuch as the Church in the Scriptures is also called the house of God: therefore the Ministers, who are set ouer the Church, are called Tit. 1. 7. Luk. 12. 42. [...], that is, stewards of God set ouer his houshold. And whereas the authoritie of a steward is signified by theEsay 22. 22. keyes com­mitted vnto him: our Sauiour Christ ther­fore, to his stewards hath commited keies, Matth. 16. 19 The keies of the kingdome of heauen, that both by preaching the Gospell, and by Ecclesi­asticall discipline, they might open to some the gates of heauen, and shut them to o­thers: that to them which beleeue and re­pent, they might pronounce the sentence of absolution, and might denounce dam­nation against the vnfaithfull and impe­nitent: that they might loose the one, and bind the other. Which their authoritie he hath ratified with most gratious promises, assuring them on his word, which is infal­lible, thatIohn 20. 23. whose sinnes they remit, they shall be remitted, and whose sinnes they retaine, they shall be retained. And againe,Matth. 18. 18 VVhat soe­uer they bind on earth, it shall be bound in hea­uen; [Page 39] and whatsoeuer they loose on earth, it shall be loosed in heauen. Wherefore, as by the worke of their Ministerie, men being ther­by conuerted, the will of God is done, as in heauen, so also vpon earth, according to our dailyMatth. 6. 10. prayer: so by the authoritie committed vnto them, it is done, as in the earth, so also in heauen. Then which, what authoritie is more glorious vpon the earth? the Magistrates indeede, hauing the keyes of an earthly kingdome, haue al­so power to loose and to bind the bodies of their subiects, and to commit the same to a Iaylour or executioner. But the Mi­nisters, hauing the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, haue power to binde and loose the soules of men, and to deliuer the obsti­nate to Satan: and what they doe vpon earth, is ratified in heauen. And this is that, whichAd Heliodo­rum de vit [...] [...] ­remitica. Ierome saith, the Ministers hauing the keies of the kingdome of heauen, doe iudge after a sort before the day of iudgement.

Hitherto the dignitie of the Ministerie hath been absolutely declared, and with­out comparison. But if into the ballance [Page 40] of comparison we shall put the Ministers and other men, I had almost in some re­spects added the Angels, we shall finde that to be true, whichDe dignitate sacerd. cap. 2. Honor & sub­limitas Episco­palis null [...]s po­test compara­tionibus ad [...] ­quari. Ambrose hath auerred: that the dignitie of Bishops can scarsely be mat­ched with any comparisons. Wee will there­fore compare Ministers with other men: first, as they are men; secondly, as they are Christians: thirdly, as they are honorable.

Men by nature, are the children Ephes. 2. 3. of wrath, and enemies of God; the Ministers are2. Cor. 5, 18. 20 Embassadours sent from God to recon­cile them vnto him. Men naturallie sit in darkenesse, and in the shadow of death, knowing no more of God then serues to leaue them without excuse: the Ministers are theMatth. 5. 14. light of the world, who are sent of God toLuk. 1. 79. enlighten them, to open Act. 26. 18. their eies, to bring them out of darkenesse into light, and to guide their feete into the way of peace. Men narurally are such, asEzech. 16. 14 Ezechiel describeth, wallowing in their owne pollutions, not washed with water, nor seasoned with salt: The Ministers are theMatth. 5. 13. salt of the earth, or­dained of God to season men, and toIohn▪ 17. 17. san­ctifie [Page 41] them with the word of truth, & to wash them with the lauour of regeneration. Men naturally areEphes. 2. 1. dead in sinne, neither can they liue vnto God, vnlesse they bee borne againe: Ministers are spirituall fa­thers, who by preaching the Gospell 1. Cor. 4. 15. beget men vnto God. Men naturally are without faith, voide of the spirit, destitute of grace: Preachers are1. Cor. 3. 5. Ministers by whom they be­leeue: Ministers of the2. Cor. 3. 6. 9. Spirit, Ministers of grace. Men naturalli [...] being the bond­slaues of sinne, and captiues of Satan, are by him as theLuk. 8. 33. Gergesins swine caried head­long into mare mortuum, the dead sea of perdition: the Ministers are by Obadiah Obad. 21. called sauiors, and by Christ himselfe,Luk. 5. 10. the fishers of men, [...], catching with theMatth. 13. 47 net of the word2. Tim. 2. 26. [...], those, who were caught of the diuell; bringing them out of theAct. 16. 18. power of Satan into Gods kingdom; out of the slauerie of sinne, into the glori­ous libertie of Gods children; out of the state of damnatiō, as it were the vniuersall deluge, into the state of grace and saluati­on, as it were into the Arke of Noah. You [Page 42] see then how the comparison stands be­tweene Ministers and other men.

Let vs therefore compare them with o­thers, as they bee Christians, and such as shall be saued by Christ. Other Christians are but the sheepe Ioh. 10. of Christ: Ministers are alsoEphes. 4. 11. Pastors or shepheards, to whom Christ the chiefe Pastor hath committed his sheepe to bee guided andIoh. 21. 15. 16 17. fed.1. Pet. 1. 2. Act. 20. 28. Other Christians are but theCant. 4. 12. plants in the Lords garden: Ministers are also the Lords gardi­ners, appointed of God to1. Cor. 3. 6. 7 8. plant, and to water them. Other Christians are but liuing 1 Pet. 2 5. stones in the Temple of God, which is his Church: Ministers are also Gods1. Cor. 3 9. builders, ordained of Christ,Ephes. 4. 12. [...], for the edifying o [...] his body, which is his Church. Others finally are but the familie, and as it were the house hold seruants of Christ: the Ministers are the stewards, Titus 1. 7. Matth. 24. 45. Luk. 12. 42. whom the Lord hath set ouer his familie, to giue to e­uery one, which be of the houshold of faith, their [...], portion of food in due season.

Out of these two comparisons it doth euidently appeare, that no man, whatsoe­uer [Page 43] he be, whether a true Christian, or but a naturall man, hath iust cause to despise the ministers of God. For in that the true Chistian hath attained to grace, hee hath obtained it by the helpe of the Ministerie, whereby he was reconciled vnto God, en­lightned with the truth, begotten vnto God, &c. And the naturall man, who wan­teth grace, is also to receiue it ordinarilie by the helpe of the Minister, if euer he haue it. And therefore those, who vilifie and contemne the Ministers of God in respect of their calling, doe manifestlie bewraie themselues to bee vile and contemptible persons, who neither haue any grace, nor yet desire any.

But now let vs compare the Ministers with other men, as they are honourable; and first, with all iointlie, and together▪ For if we will make a comparison of all honors in generall; we must also take a view both of their burthen in this life, and reward in the life to come. For the first, I haue shew­ed before, not only that honos and onus do alwaies goe together; but also that accor­ding [Page 44] to the weight of the burthen, such is the height of the honour. Now euery man is readie to lay loade vpon the Ministers, and amongst all callings to attribute the greatest burden and charge vnto them: by which reason, they must be faine to ascribe vnto them the greatest honour. For they are Pastors, not of mens bodies, as Magi­strates are, but of their soules; and they beare all mens burthens, as Chrysostome saith, & they watch for other mens soules; insomuch that if any perish through their negligence, the blood of those which doe perish, shall beeEzech. 33. 8. required at their hands. How weightie this burthen is, it will easilie appeare if we shal consider how heauy eue­ry priuate mans owneGal. 6. 5. burden will bee to beare in the day of the Lord. For the Mini­sters own burthē may seeme to be heauier then others. First, because the Lord requi­reth greater matters in them, then in others. Secondlie, because the same sinnes, which in other men are lesse offences, in them are esteemed greater faults. Simple fornicati­on, which in others was after a sort salued [Page 45] by marriage, in theLeuit. 21. [...]. Priests daughter, was punished with death. Thirdlie, because the PriestLeuit. 4. 3. 13. was to offer as great a sacrifice for his own sins, as for the sins of the whole people. But the Minister must not onely beare his owne burthen, but as vpon Aa­ron Exod. 28 29. the names of the twelue Tribes were imposed; so the Ministers are to beare the charge of their flocke; and of that flocke, which Christ hath redeemedAct. 20. 28. with his blood, and therefore was more deere and pretious to him, then his owne most preti­ous blood. But what vse are wee to make of this? shall wee therefore depresse the Ministers by contempt, whom wee op­presse with our burthens? nay rather as we presse them downe with our burthen, so let vs exalt them with honour. It is the ex­hortation of the holy Ghost: Heb. 13.Heb. 13. 17. O­bey them that haue the ouersight of you, and sub­mit your selues vnto them, for they watch for your soules, as they that must giue an account, that they may doe it with ioy, and not with griefe, for that is vnprofitable for you.

But as the Ministers charge is greater [Page 46] then others in this life; so hauing dischar­ged his dutie, hee shall haue a greater weight of glorie in the life to come. For that wise and faithfull steward mentioned, Matth. 24,Ma [...]. 24 45. shall not only receiue blessed­nesse for his reward, or that incorruptible crowne of glorie, which the holie Ghost hath promised vnto them: but also hauing saued1. Tim. 4. 16. both himselfe, and those that heare him, of whom hee may say in the day of iudgement, Behold, here I am and the chil­dren which the Lord hath giuen me (for whom the Minister begetteth through his Gospel vnto God, they shall be, as2. Cor. 1. 14. Paul saith, his reioycing in the day of the Lord) hee shall be preferred aboue others in happinesse. For good Ministers, as they haue been Apocal. 1. 20 starres in the Church militant to enligh­ten others with the truth: so in the Church triumphant they shall shineDan. [...]2. 3. as starres in the firmament for euer and euer. And this is that, which in the place before cited, the Lord promiseth to the wise and faith­full steward: that he will make himMat. 24. 47. ruler ouer all his goods. Vpon which wordes, [Page 47] an ancient and learnedAuthor im­perfect. operis apud Chrysostin Matth. 24. expositour writeth to this effect; The greatest amongst all is the Priestly dignitie, if a man keepe it without blemish. For if the Lord aboue all his workes, esteeme the soules of men most precious, (for them hee hath redeemed with his owne bloud) it is not to be meruailed, if he set him o­uer all, who brings vnto him the gaine of soules.

Now are wee to compare the Ministers with those peculiar sorts of men, to whom the Lord hath vouchsafed honour. And these are either priuate in the familie, or publicke out of the family in the Church, and commonwealth. Those that are to be honoured in the family, are our parents: to whom great honour is due by Gods com­mandement, but not so great as to the Mi­nisters. For, from thy parents as the instru­ments of God, thou hast thy generation: from the Ministers, as the instruments of the holy Ghost, thy regeneration: by thy parents thou art a man, by the Ministers a Christian thy parents by mortal seed begat thee vnto this world, the Minister, by im­mortall seed begetteth thee vnto the world [Page 48] to come: by thy parents is sin and corrup­tion deriued to thee from the first Adam; by the Ministers, iustification and freedom from sinne is communicated vnto thee from the second Adam. Finally, thy natu­rall parents are fathers in the flesh; but the Ministers are fathers in the Spirit. Both then, as you see, are parents: but the spiri­tuall fathers are, as Chrysostome saith,De sacerdot. lib. 3. cap. 5. [...], more honourable then fathers. And so great is the difference, Cap. 6. [...]. saith he, of them both, as of the life present, and the life to come; for these beget thee into this life, they into the other. Wherefore, leauing our naturall parents, we will compare them with another sort of spirituall fathers, which is now ceased: I meane the Leuiticall Priests; and chiefelie, the high Priest, whose dignitie appea­red, both in his office, and in his attire. For his office, hee was, as it were, a me­diator betwixt God and man; and therein, because he represented the Messias, he was superiour, not onely to other men, but to the Angels themselues. And his attire, which the LordExod. 18. & 39. appointed vnto him, was [Page 49] answerable thereunto, signifying a [...]rson, excelling the condition of other men. In­somuch that as historiesIoseph. An­tiquit. Iud. lib. 11. cap. 8. doe record, A­lexander the great, comming with his ar­mie against Ierusalem, when the high Priest did meete him araied with his sacred and magnificent attire; hee dismounted himselfe, and in the high Priest worship­ped God: who, as he said, had in a dreame appeared vnto him in that habit. But what is this to our Ministerie? As an argument of comparison frō the lesse to the greater. For, if the ministerie of the law was so ex­cellent: what shall we thinke of the Mini­sterie of the Gospell, which, as the Apostle sheweth,2. Cor. 3. 7. 8. 9. 2. Cor. 3. is much more excel­lent and glorious then it? The same doth our Sauiour seeme to testifie, when hauing extolled Iohn Baptist aboue all the Priests and Prophets that went before him, as be­ing more then a Prophet, then whom a greater had not risen amongst the sonnes of women; notwithstanding hee pre­ferreth euery faithfull MinisterMat. 11. 11. in the kingdome of God, that is to say, in the [Page 48] [...] [Page 49] [...] [Page 50] Church of Christ, before him.

Now we are to enter into comparison with the ciuill Magistrate. Wherein the fathersAmbros. Chrysost. Nazianz. indeed haue included also the so­ueraigne Magistrate, affirming that the Ministers excell Princes, as farre as gold is better then lead, as heauen surpasseth the earth, as the soule excelleth the bo­die: and such like speeches are frequent among them, which the Papists abuse to the maintenance of the Popes supremacie ouer Princes: For, whereas the Fathers speake of the dignitie and spirituall excel­lencie of the Ministery aboue all other cal­lings; the Papists vnderstand their spee­ches of power and externall authoritie. And againe, whereas their commendations are giuen of the calling in generall, either of all Ministers, or at least of all Bishops, whom the Fathers notwithstanding, ac­knowledged to be subiect to their Princes: the Papists applie them as peculiar to their Lord GodExtra. Ioan. 22. tit. 14 De verborum sig. [...]. cum inter. in glossa. the Pope, whom they stile the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. But howsoeuer the comparison of Bishops [Page 51] with Princes, vsed by the fathers, may seeme capable of good construction, in re­spect of spirituall excellencie, and dignitie celestiall: yet me thinks it should beseeme the modestie of a loyall subiect, in reue­rence due to that supereminent function, to exempt the royall Maiestie of Soue­raigne Princes from this comparison, not onely in respect of externall power and au­thoritie, (in regard whereof, we doe freely professe that Ministers are and ought to be subiect to their Soueraigne, and that to the King is committed of God a soue­raigne or supreame authoritie in all causes and ouer all persons, as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill:) but also in respect of externall excellencie and glorie. For as the whole Church, the spouse of Christ; so the Mi­nisters, especially, are glorious within: Psalme 45.Psalm. 45. 13 And as Christ his kingdome was not of this world: so is not their ex­cellencie worldly, nor their dignitie car­nall. For the Ministerie, as Chrysostome saith, [...]. De. sacerd. lib. 3. cap. 4. Is indeed executed vpon the earth, but it is to be numbred in the order of heauenly [Page 52] things, to other Magistrates, wee say with Nazianzene, Orat. ad Na­zianz. ciues [...]. [...], we also are rulers: yea I will adde (saith he) that we haue a grea­ter & more perfect rule; vnlesse you will say, that the spirit must giue place to the flesh, or heauenly things to earthly. The iudgement seat of the Magistrate is placed on the earth, & he on­lie determineth earthlie affaires: but the throne of the Minister, who exerciseth heauenly iudgements, is, asTom. 1. de verbis Esaiae. homil. 5. Chrysostome saith, in heauen; and his sentence pronoun­ced on earth, is executed in heauen. The Magistrate, as Peter 1. Pet. 2. 13. saith, is, [...], an ordinance humane, or appertaining to men: but the Ministerie is [...], an ordinance diuine, or apperteining to God. Or as Iehosaphat 2. Chron. 19. 11. distinguisheth them; the one for the Kings affaires, the other for the busines of the Lord. Both in deed are Gods Ministers, but the Minister, asIn Nu [...]er. Procopius saith, augustius est sortitus Ministerium, hath obtained a more worthie Ministerie. For the Magistrate is conuersant in externall mat­ters, that concerne the world: but the Mi­nister is employed in spirituall things ap­pertaining [Page 53] to God: the one is the Minister of Gods externall iudgement: the other of his word, and iudgements spirituall. Both also may be called the Pastors of the peo­ple: but the Magistrates are Pastors of their bodies, the Ministers of their soules. The one, may say with the Romane Magi­strate, Ilictor liga manus, deliga ad palum, or as ours doe vse to write, capias corpus, take his bodie, or habeas corpus, hauing authority only to bind the bodie: the other may say with Paul, 1. Cor. 5. 5. Tradatur Satanae, let him be deli­uered to Satan, or let him be1. Cor. 16. 22. Anathema ma­ranatha, that is, accursed vntill the comming of the Lord, as hauing authoritie to bind the soule: the one procureth the temporall good of the bodie, the other the eternall saluation of the soule. The armour, war­fare and munitions of the one, are corpo­ral: of the other,2. Cor. 10. 4. spirituall, [...]. mightie through God, to the ouerthrowing of strong holds. The one preserueth vs from externall foes, who are but flesh and blood: the other warreth not with flesh & blood, but with principa­lities & powers, deliuering men from most [Page 54] dangerous enemies, both within them, that is, their owne sinnes and corruptions, and without them, that is, the world, and the Prince of this world, the diuell. And there­fore in this respect also, as the Prophets were wont; so may the Ministers now, bee called the horsemen and chariots of Israel. Wherefore, if heauen and heauenly things surpasse the earth, and earthly affaires; if the soule, and the eternall saluation both of bodie and soule, are to be preferred before the bodie, and temporall good thereof; if the enemies of the soule be more dange­rous, then the foes of the bodie: then can we not deny, but that the Ministerie in dig­nitie doth excell the Magistracie. It is the conclusion of Chrysostome: The Ministe­rie, De sacerd. lib. 3 cap. 1. [...]. saith he, so farre surpasseth the Magi­stracie, as the spirit excelleth the flesh. And not to stand any longer in particular compari­son with the seuerall sorts of men, this may be auouched in generall, that as the Mini­sterie is of all good things among men the most excellent, asAd Smyrn. [...]. Ignatius saith: so the Mini­ster is vouchsafed the greatest fauour a­mong [Page 55] men; so that he may not vnworthily be called by a speciall prerogatiue, as Moses in his speech to God, calleth the Priest,Deut. 33. 8. [...]sh chasideca, virum quem benignitate prosequeris, as if the Minister were among men the chiefe obiect of Gods bountie and fauour, and as you would say, the fauorit of God. But I pray you what meaneth that speech of God to Moses, Exod. 30. 30. 32. Exod. 30. where hauing commanded him vers. 30. to anoint the Priests with the sacred oile: in the two and thirtieth verse, hee forbiddeth to anoint mans flesh with it? How shall wee vntie this knot, saithProcop. in Exod. 30. Procopius, writing vpon that place, Priests must bee anointed with the holie oile, but men may not? Surely, saith he, you must remember that the Priesthood or Ministerie surpasseth the height of all humane excellencie. For Ministers though they bee men: yet are they not as others, men of the world, but, as the Scripture vsually cal­leth them, men of God. To conclude, if the charge of the Ministerie be, as Chryso­stome speaketh, Onus angelorū humeris formi­dandum, a burthen which the shoulders of An­gels [Page 54] [...] [Page 55] [...] [Page 56] may shrincke at; and yet God enableth those men, whom he calleth, to beare this burthen, whereunto none in themselues are able; it cannot bee denied, but those whom the Lord calleth to the Ministery, he aduanceth aboue the condition of other men; calling them, as to a charge, so also to an honour, which might seeme to be­come Angels, rather then men.

Wherfore ceasing to compare Ministers with other men: let vs consider, whether they may not be cōpared with the blessed Angels. For as in some things they are like vnto them; so in other things, they seeme to haue some preeminence aboue them. Like in this, that as the Angels, so also the Ministers, areHebr. 1. 14. sent forth into the Ministerie for their sake, which shall be heires of saluation. In which regard the Ministers are often called in the Scriptures Angels; and the AngelsApoc. 19. 10. & 22. 9. [...], the fellow seruants of the Mi­nisters. Superiour they seeme to bee in re­spect of their Embassage, and of their spiri­tuall authoritie. The Embassage of the Ministers is not simplie [...] a message; [Page 57] but [...] the Euangell, into which the An­gels themselues doe desire, as Peter spea­keth, 2. Pet. 1. 12. Iohn 20. 5. [...], that is, stooping downe, as it were, to looke, and to behold. The law in­deede was published by the MinisterieAct. 7. 53. Gala [...]h 3. 19. of Angels; but the Gospell, by Christ and his Ministers. Now the Ministery of the Gos­pell is far more2. Cor. 3. excellent, then that of the law, and the contempt there of more Hebr. 2. 2. 3. grieuous. Neither hath the Lord, as ap­peareth by the storie ofAct. 10. 6. Cornelius, commit­ted the preaching of the Gospell to An­gels; but to his Ministers, whom wee are bound to heare and to receiue, not only as Gal. 4. 14. Angels of God, but euen as Christ Iesus.

And as touching their authoritie: to the Ministers, saith Chrysostome, De Sacerd. lib. 3. cap. 5. [...]. being con­uersant on earth is committed the admini­stration of things in heauen; and they haue receiued such an authoritie as God neuer communicated to the angels. For to which of the Angels hath God said at any time, which he hath said to his Ministers:Mat. 18. 18. Veri­lie, I say vnto you, whatsoeuer you shall bind vpon earth, it shall be bound in heauen: and [Page 58] whatsoeuer you shall loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen. And againe.Iohn 20. 23. VVhose sinnes you forgiue, they shall be forgiuen; and whose sinnes you retaine, they shall be retained. On which words, Theophylacts annotation is some­thing hyperbolicall; but in a qualified sense, true:Theoph. in I [...]an. 20. [...]. Marke me, saith he, the dignitie of priests, that it is diuine; for it belongeth to God to forgiue sinnes: wherefore you must ho­nour them as God. As if in plainer termes he had said; the authoritie of forgiuing sinnes is diuine; which being communicated after a sort to Ministers, in that they pronoun­cing the forgiuenesse of sinne according to their commission the sinnes indeede are forgiuen, their authoritie also may bee saide to bee diuine. Wherefore they bearing the image of Gods authoritie be­fore men in forgiuing or retaining sinnes, you are to honor and obey them as God, whose vicegerents they bee. The like hathAd Trall. [...]. Ignatius; Bee subiect, saith hee, vnto your Bishop, as vnto the Lord. And a­gaine, reuerence your Bishop as Christ. Nei­ther is this any more, then is commended [Page 59] vnto vs in the example of the Galathians, Gal▪ 4. 14. who receiued the Apostle as an Angell of God, yea as Iesus Christ.

Hitherto I haue commended the office of the Ministerie, both absolutelie, and by way of comparison. Now am I to pro­pound the honourable titles, which are gi­uen to the Ministers of the word. Where­of great store might bee produced out of the Fathers, but I will content my selfe with a few. Chrysostome therefore calleth Ministers theIn Matth 7. [...]omil. 17. oper. imperfect. Vicars, or vicegerents of Christ; in which title, though common to all Mi­nisters in a right sense, the vicar of Rome, (though lifting vp himselfe aboue all that is called God) doth chieflie glorie. Origen calleth them theIn Matth. tract. 5. eies of the Church: Am­brose, the captaines and gouernours of Christs flocke: Augustine, De doctr. Christian. lib. 4. cap 4. the defenders of the true faith, and subduers of errours: Nazianzene, likewiseI [...] Ap [...]loget. [...], the presidents of truth, Init. carm. ad epise. [...], the glorious gardians of mens soules, the foundations of the world, the light of the life, and pillars of the Christian faith. Bernard and others, praelatos, as being [Page 60] preferred before other men.

But omitting the writings of the fathers, let vs search the Scriptures; and inquire, what titles, or attributes of honour are by the holie Ghost assigned to Ministers. And first wee will begin with this very title of Gods Ministers, being a title common to them not onelie withRom. 13. 4. Princes, but also with Christ, who is called theRom. 15. 8. Minister of circumcision, that is, of the Iewes.

2 They are called [...],Hebr. 13 17. rulers.

3 By a speciall prerogatiue, they are ter­med not onelie in the old Testament, but also in the new,1. Tim. 6. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 17. men of God.

4 [...],1. Cor. 3. 9. coworkers of God, who hath so honoured his Ministers, that hee com­municateth his owne worke vnto them. Hence it is, that in the Scriptures they are said to remit sinnes, to beget men vnto God, and to saue them, &c.

5 [...], the Titus 1. 7. stewards of God, to whom are committed the keies of the kingdome of heauen.

6 The Aggei. 1. 13. Embassadours of God; and that, in the 2. Cor. 5. 20. stead of Christ.

[Page 61] 7 The Apoc. 1. 2. 3. Iudg 2. 1. Malach. 2. 7. Angels of the Lord, and Angels of the Churches, and therfore asIob 33. 23. Galath. 4. 14. Angels to be receiued.

8 The 2. King 2. 12. &c. 13. v. 14. chariots of Israel, and the horsemen therof, that is, the strength and stay of the Church, which is the Israel of God.

9 Stars, Apocal. 1. 20. because as in this life they shine before others, with the light of doctrine and good example; so in the life to come they shallDan. 12. 3. shine as the starres in glorie.

These are honorable titles, but you shall heare more glorious. For the holy Ghost not content to haue honored the Ministers with these, ascribeth also vnto them such titles and effects, as most properly belong vnto God. For albeit wee haue butMat. 23. 8 9. one Father, and one Teacher, who is in the hea­uens: notwithstanding the Ministers are called in the Scriptures, not only Doctors, but also Fathers; and such Fathers, as are [...]. De Sacerd. l. 3. cap. 5. more to bee feared then Princes, more to bee honoured then fathers, as Chrysostome speaketh▪ For whom they beget, they beget them sons of God, heires of heauen, & co­heires with Christ. And although this very [Page 62] worke of regenerating or begetting men to God, be the proper worke of the holie Ghost: yet the Ministers also are said by the1. Cor. 4. 15. Gospel to beget men vnto God, like­wise toMalac 4. 5. Luk 1. 16. conuert men vnto God, toAct. 26. 18. o­pen their eyes, to turne them from darknes vnto light, and from the power of Satan vnto God, toDan. 12. 3. Iohn 20. 23. iustifie men, and to remit their sins, toMatth 5. 13. season them as salt, that they do not putrifie in their corruptions, are the proper workes of the blessed Trinitie: and yet notwithstanding all and euery of them are ascribed to the Ministers of God. More­ouer, it is proper vnto Christ to be the1. Pet. 2. 25. Pa­stor of our soules, theIohn 1. 9. light of the world, theMatth. 1. 21. Sauiour of his brethren: and yet the Ministers also are calledEphis 4. 11. Heb. 13. 17. Pastors, not of mens bodies, but of their soules, theMatth. 5 14. light of the world,Obad. 21. sauiours of their brethren, to whom, as the instruments of God, power of1. Tim. 4. 16. Rom. 11. 14. sauing is ascribed. Wherefore to con­clude; if the Ministers were ordained to supplie the roome of Christ, and to be the Embassadors of God in his stead: if Kings and Princes, yea if the King of Princes [Page 63] haue executed this function: if the proper end of their Ministerie be the saluation of soules: if in regard of preaching, they bee the mouth of God to his people, in regard of prayer, the mouth of the people vnto God: in respect of the Sacraments, the kee­pers of Gods seales; as touching the go­uernment of the Church, the guardians of Christs bodie, to whom are committed the keies of the kingdome of heauen: if com­pared to other men, they, be the children of wrath, as all by nature are; these, recon­cilers to God: they, sitting in darkenesse; these, the light of the world: they, putrify­ing in their corruption; these, the salt of the earth: they, dead in sinne; these, begetting them anew, that they may liue to God: they bondslaues of Satan; these, sent to bring thē out of the power of Satan vnto God: if to other Christians, they, be sheepe these, Pa­stors: they, plants; these, plāters: they stones; these, builders: they, houshold seruants; these, stewards of Gods house: if to other honourable personages in generall, the Ministers doe so much excell others in ho­nour, [Page 64] as their charge is greater in this life, and their reward more glorious in the world to come; if in speciall, the Spirituall fathers be in honor to be preferred before the carnall, as far as the life to come before this present life; if the Priests of the law, in whom notwithstanding appeared a mirror of Gods glorie, are farre surpassed by the Ministers of the Gospel, who haue receiued a more glorious Ministery: if the spiritual pastors haue a more excellent function, then the ciuill, by how much the heauen is more excellent then the earth, [...]. De Sacerd. l. 3. cap. 5. or the soules more pretious then the bodie, as Chryso­stome saith: if the Lord hauing aduanced them aboue the condition of other men, hath made them in some things equall, in some things superiour to the glorious An­gels of God: and lastlie, if the holie Ghost hath assigned vnto them titles of honour, not onelie common to them with the best of the creatures, but also peculiar to the Creator, all which hath with vnanswerable euidence of truth been demonstrated vnto vs: then can we not deny, but that the Mini­sterie, [Page 65] is not onely a worthie worke, as the Apostle here speaketh, but a most excel­lent and glorious function.

The full demonstration whereof, I thought to be very needful, as well for their sakes, who bee not of the Ministerie, as for those that be. For first, those of the Laitie, by this doctrine may bee throughly per­swaded, to esteeme their Ministers worthy of that double honour of reuerence and maintenance, which by the word of God is due vnto them: & to free themselues from the two, no more vsual then capitall sinnes of our time, Contempt of the word and Sa­crilege.

For as touching reuerence; there is no true Christian, but he will readily acknow­ledge, that hee ought highly to reuerence those, whom God would haue in speciall manner honored, as the Embassadours of God in the stead of Christ, sent to reconcile men vnto God, and to saue them. Neither will he easily despise those, whom hee ac­knowledgeth to be the blessed instruments of God, for his singular and euerlasting [Page 66] 1 good. Whereas contrariwise, not to reue­rence the Ministers, is to dishonor God, 2 whose Embassadours they be. Basely to e­steeme of them in respect of their meane e­state in the world, is an euident signe of a worldly minded man: who, as he hath not learned to distinguish the men of God from the men of the world, or to acknow­ledge the ordinance of God, who hath1. Cor. 47. [...]. di­scerned them: so he seemeth to know no better good things then worldly goods, and therefore thinketh himselfe so much better then the Minister, as he is richer. But those who are religious and wise, are o­therwise minded. Obadiah, though the go­uernour of the Kings house, disdained not to doe reuerence1. King. 18. 7. 9. to the poore Prophet Eliah. and Ioash the King, when Elisha was sicke, was content to do him this honor, as not onely to visite him, but also to weepe vpon his face and say:2. King. 13. 14 My father, my fa­ther, the chariot of Israel and horsemen of the same. Yea, the Emperour Iustinian Maxima qui­dem in omni­bus sunt dona Dei à superna collata clemen­tia, sacerdoti­um & impcoi­um: & illud quidem diuinie ministyans, hee autem humanie praesidens, &c. Auth. Collat. 1. Tit. 6. Nouell. 6. in praefat. ac­knowledging, that the Ministrie, & the Ma­gistracie were two principall gifts of God, [Page 67] giueth the precedence to the Ministerie. And the like preeminence doe our lawes giue to those of the spiritualty, before them of the temporaltie. Howbeit priuate men stand otherwise affected towards the Mi­nisterie: euery meane man almost, not on­ly preferring himselfe before the Minister, but also disdaining to bestow, either his son on the Ministerie, or his daughter on a Mi­nister. Yet Esay the Prophet was a Noble man, and as it is thought of the blood roy­all. Neither did the Kings of Iuda disdaine to ioyne in2. Chron. 22. 11. 2. King. 23. 31. affinitie with the Priests.

To despise and contemne the Minister in respect of his calling, is to despise God 3 and Christ our Sauiour. For he that despi­seth you, saithLuke 10. 16. Christ, despiseth mee, and hee that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent mee. It is to professe a mans selfe voide of all soundnesse of religion. For it is certaine that a true estimate may bee taken of mens religion and pietie towards God, by their behauiour to the Ministers of God. Nei­ther can it bee, that they, who haue been brought by the Ministerie of the word to [Page 68] the state of grace and saluation, should contemne the Ministers thereof. Where­fore hee that despiseth the Ministerie, vn­doubtedlie, saith Ignatius, Ad Trall. [...]. Hee is an A­theist, and irreligious man, and a despiser of Christ. It is to hinder their owne saluation, by making the meanes thereof vneffectu­all vnto them, which Chrysostome esteemeth a point of madnesse. For it is manifest mad­nesse, De Sacerd. lib. 3. cap. 5. [...]. saith he, to despise so great authoritie, without which we can neither attaine to salua­tion, nor to the promised good things. For hee that despiseth the Ministers, despiseth also their Ministerie, by which notwithstan­ding, as by the ordinarieRom. 1. 16. power of God to our saluation, hee is1. Cor. 1. 21. pleased to saue those that beleeue. And whosoeuer de­spiseth the Ministerie of the Gospell, it shal be easier for them ofMat. 10. 15. Sodom and Go­morah in the day of iudgement, then for him.

4 To abuse the Ministers by word or deede, is a sinne highly displeasing vnto God, and grieuouslie prouoking his anger. For seeing they are the Embassadours of [Page 69] God, it cannot bee denied, but that by the iniuries and indignities that are offered to them as Ministers, the Maiestie of God is violated. Wherefore he hath said,Psal. 105. 15. Touch not mine anointed, and doe my Prophets no harme. Yea, who knoweth not that the per­sons of Embassadours, are by theSiquis lega­tum hostium pulsasset, con­traius genti­um id commis­sum esse existi­matur: quia sancti haben­tur legati. Di­gest. lib. 5. tit. 50. lege vltima. Cic. in Verr. lib. 1. Nomen legati eiusmo. di esse debet, quod non modo inter sociorum iura, sed etiam inter bostium tela in colume versetur. De harusp. re­spons. sic enim lentio, ius lega­torum cùm ho­minum praesi­dio munitum sit, tum etiam diuino iure esse vallatum. law of nations sacred and inuiolable? Because their Embassadours were contumeliously vsed, the ancient RomanesCic. pro lege Manilia. thought it a sufficiēt cause to extinguish Corinth, though the eie of Greece.

Dauid likewise reuenged the indignitie offered to his Embassadors, with the ouer­throw of the Ammonites. 2. Sam. 10. Doe earthlie Princes, who are but dust and ashes, reuenge the wrongs offered to their Embassadours; and shall wee thinke, that the Lord of hosts, the GodPsal. 94. 1. of vengeance wil suffer the indignities offered to his Em­bassadours, to goe vnpunished? Neuer any man, saith [...]. ad Magnes. Ignatius, offending in this kind e­scaped punishment. Let the withered hand of Ieroboam, 1. King. 13. 4. which hee had stretched out a­gainst the Prophet: let the two Captaines [Page 70] with their fifties,2. King. 1. 10. 12. who were sent to appre­hend the Prophet Eltah, destroied by fire from heauen: let the leaud children [...]. King. 2. 24. which reuiled Elisha, deuoured by the beares: let the people of Israel, for2. Chron. 36. 16. contemning and mocking the Prophets, reiected: let Corah, Dathan and Abiram, who for insur­rection made against Aaron, wereNumb. 16. swal­lowed vp of the earth, be witnesses of this truth. Neither hath the Lord taught this by example alone, but also by precept; wherein he hath appointedDeut. 17. 12. death to him that rebelleth against the Priest. For though the contempt of the Ministers now adaies seeme a very small or none offence: yet Chrysostome Homil. 2. in 2. Timoth. doubteth not to call it the cause of all euill, and the Scripture noteth it as a grieuous sinne. Wherefore the Pro­phet Hosea, Hos. 4. 4. when he would set out in liue­lie colours, the desperate wickednesse of the people in his time, he saith, they were like them which contend with the Priest. For to impugne the Ministers which are sent of God, is not to repugne men, but giant­like, to Act. 5. 39. fight with God: For it is not Aaron [Page 71] that you striue against, saith Moses, Numb. 16. 11. to Corah and his complices, but euen against God him­selfe.

I come to the honour of maintenance; which, though it be most due to the Mini­ster by the word of God, is notwithstan­ding now adaies greatly called into que­stion. Some thinking the Ministerie vn­worthie of allowance, as being in their conceit an idle and needelesse function; and therefore whatsoeuer they can by anie fraudulent deuice either detaine or pur­loine from the Minister, they thinke it well gotten. Others thinking, that the mainte­nance of the Ministery is a thing arbitrary, which they may either yeeld or withhold, as [...]ey find themselues able, or as they like their Minister. Others acknowledging that Ministers ought to bee maintained, not­withstanding would haue them to depend either altogether, or for the most part, on the vncertaine beneuolence of the people: themselues not caring how little they pay by way of dutie, so they may pay what they list by way of beneuolence. The first is a [Page 72] kind of brutish people, which haue no taste of religion; but are either meere earth­wormes, or Epicures, seruing no God but Mammon, or their owne bellie. The se­cond, a kind of professors forward in shew, and but in shew; who thinking the mainte­nance of Ministers to be as it were a matter of ceremonie, make no conscience of it. The third, a companie of glorious profes­sors, who being indeed vnwilling to pay so much as they ought of dutie, would not­withstanding make God as it were behol­ding, and his Ministers obnoxious vnto them for their gratuities. But I hope it doth sufficiently appeare by that which hath bin said in commendation of the Ministerie, that the Ministers are well worthie of suffi­cient maitenance, and that, to bee yeelded vnto them, neither as a thing arbitrary, nor as a meere gratuitie; but as an honor in e­quitie and iustice due vnto them by the word of God. Yea, I will adde, so due, as that without sacrilege it cannot be detai­ned from them.

For the cleering of this point, we are to [Page 73] shew two things; first, that a sufficient main­tenance is due to the Minister. Secondly, what this sufficient maintenance is. As tou­ching the former: the Apostle1. Cor. 9. 14. saith: 1. Cor. 9. 14. God hath ordained that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospel. The main­tenance, therfore of Ministers is not an hu­mane policie, but the ordinance of God: and wee are to acknowledge it to bee due vnto them not onelie by mans law, but al­so, iure diuino, by the law of God. Now God hath ordained it as a dutie both of pietie towards him, and also of iustice and equitie towards his Ministers. Pietie re­quireth that we shouldMat. 22. 21. giue vnto God that which is Gods. For God hauing reserued vnto himselfe a portion in all mens goods, he is to be honoured with the same, as Sa­lomon Prou. 3. 9. saith: Prou. 3. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the chiefe of thy in­crease. This portion is the Ministers al­lowance: in which respect the LordDeut. 18. 2. Ezech. 44. 28. pro­fesseth, that hee is the portion of his Mini­sters. And this portion is so due vnto God, and from him to his Ministers, as that to [Page 74] professe religion, and to denie this allow­ance, is no better then toGala. 6. 6. 7. mocke God, and no lesse then toMatth. 3. 8. robbe him.

Equitie requires, that the Ministers, ha­uing not onely for the furnishing of them­selues to the seruice of the Church, spent their time, industrie, and substance; but al­so when they are furnished, employing their gifts, and spending their strength in the most profitable and necessarie seruice of the Church, should bee liberallie main­tained, and as the Apostle speaketh, bee 1. Tim. 5. 17. counted worthie of double honour. And this equitie the holy Ghost prooueth by diuers reasons: 1. Cor. 9. First, à pari, vers. 7.1. Cor. 9. 7. VVho goeth a warfare at his owne cost? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruite therof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke? Therefore by the same reason, Ministers, who are the captaines of the Lords bandes, planters of his vineyard, Pastors of his flocke, are to haue mainte­nance from the Church. Secondlie, à mi­nori; we are in equitie to afford food, and 1. Cor. 9. 9. 10. 1. Tim. 5. 18. not to mussle the mouth of the oxe that trea­deth [Page 75] out the corne: therefore much more are we to yeeld maintenance to them, that breake vnto vs the food of life: vers. 9. 10. Thirdly, à maieri, the Minister communi­cateth spiritual things to the people, which are incomparablie of more value then all temporall commodities. Is it then a great matter, saith the1. Cor. 9. 11. Apostle, if we reape your carnall things? vers. 11. Fourthly, à simili, as the Leuiticall Priests for their seruice had liberall maintenance; so ought the Ministers of the Gospell.1 Cor. 9. 13. 14. Doe you not know, saith he, vers. 13. 14. that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the Temple, and they which waite at the Altar, are partakers with the Altar? so also hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gos­pell, should liue of the Gospell.

Now, what and how great this sufficient maintenance is, which as I said, is due to the Ministers, we are not to estimate accor­ding to the niggardly conceits of world­lie men, but according vnto that proporti­on of allowāce, which God assigned to the Priests of the Law. For it cannot be deni­ed, [Page 76] but that as we are more bound vnto the Lord in all duties of thankfulnes, since the Messias exhibited, then they to whom hee was only promised; & as in the same respect the Ministerie of the Gospell far excelleth the priesthood of the law: so the portion which is due vnto God, and from him to his Ministers, ought to be answerable.

Let vs then consider, what allowance was due to the clergie by the lawe. First, they hadNumb. 35. 4. 5. 7. Iosua 21. Philo de Sa­cerd. honorib. 48. cities, and the suburbane fields round about, for the space of two thousand cubits euerie way; which in so small a coūtry was a very great proportiō. Secondly; they had the Numb. 18. 21. Leuit. 27. 30. 32. Matth. 23. 23. tithes of the corne, wine, oile, and of all fruites and hearbs, the tithes of the heards and the flockes. Third­lie, the first Exod. 34. 19. 20. Ezech. 44. 30. Nehem. 10. 36. Num. 18. 15. 16. borne, of all sorts of cattell, as of beeues, sheepe; and goates, and the prises of the rest, according to the Priests esti­mation. Likewise, the first borne of men, redeemed at fiue shekels a man. Fourth­lie, theNum. 18. 13. Deut. 18. 4. Ezech. 44. 30. Nehem. 10. 35. 37. first fruits, as namely, the first ripe of all that was in the land; the first fruits of the wine, oile, and wooll, the first fruit of [Page 77] their dough. Fiftlie, allNum. 18. 8. 14. 19. Ezech. 44. 29. 30. the oblations and vowes, and whatsoeuer was dedicated vnto God, and separated from common vse. Sixtly, theNumb. 18. 9. 11. Ezech. 44. 29. Leuit. 24. 9. Matth. 12. 5. meate offerings, the sinne offerings, and the trespasse offerings, the heaue offerings, and the shake offerings, and the shew-bread. Seuenthlie, ofNum. 18. 18. Leuit. 7. 31. 32. 34. Deut. 18. 3. Leuit. 7. 8. sacrifices eucharisticall, they had the brest & the shoulder; of others, the shoulder, the two cheekes, and the mawe; of burnt sacrifices, the skinne. Eightly, all theExod. 23. 15. cap. 34. 20. males were to appeare thrice a yeare before the Lord, and none emptie handed. Lastly, all these duties were to beNehem. 10. 35. 37. brought to the Priests and Leuites; and if any for their owne ease desired not to pay in kind, but to redeeme any dutie, or cōsecrated thing; they were to pay according to the Priestes estimation, and to adde a fifth part. And if anyLeuit. 5. 15. 16. detained any thing, either in whole, or in part, which was holy, and by law due; hee was to bring a ramme for an offering, he was to make good that which hee with­held, and also to adde a fifth part.

The maintenāce therfore of the Priests, by the law of God, was in respect of the [Page 78] quantitie, very liberal; and in respect of the maner, very honorable. For as Philo De honorib. Sacerd. saith, it is a great honor to bee partaker of those things which are consecrated to God; and as heIbid. hath well obserued, lest the people when they brought any of their duties, should vpbraid the Priest, as if he were be­holding vnto them; they were commanded to bring their offerings or gifts into the Temple, that from thence the Priests might receiue them, as from the hands of God. Now, if such plentifull & honorable main­tenance by the law of God, was due to the Priests and Leuites; no man of vnderstan­ding will denie, but as great a proportion at the least, doth in equitie belong to the Ministers of the Gospell.

If it be said, that the Leuites were the 13. part of Israel, and therefore a greater pro­portion needfull for their maintenance: I answere, though they were the 13. Tribe, yet were they not the thirteenth part. For when the other 12. Tribes wereNumb. 1. 46. numbred from 20. yeeres and vpward, such onelie as were fit to beare armes, the number of [Page 79] them was six hundred and three thousand, fiue hundred and fiftie. Whereunto if you shall adde all which were either vnder twentie yeeres, or vnfit for seruice, the number would be at the least doubled. But the Le­uites being al reckoned from a moneth old and aboue, their number wasNumb. 3. 39. but two and twentie thousand: which was not much a­boue the sixtith part; and not so much byNumb. 3. 33. two hundred seuentie three, as the onelie first borne of the other tribes. And there­fore when the Lord tooke the Leuites for the first borne of Israel, the odde two hun­dred seuentie three, were redeemed accor­ding to theNum. 18. 16. law, at fiue shekels a man; and for them aNumb. 7. 47. 48. 50. 51. thousand three hundred sixty fiue shekels giuen to Aaron and his sonnes. Now, if a suruey bee taken of the Clergie of England and their families; I suppose, they will not come much short of this pro­portion. Besides, the meanes of mainte­nance, which the Clergie of Israel had, descended to their posteritie; and there­fore a lesse annuitie might suffice them, be­cause they had a perpetuitie; whereas the [Page 80] maintenance of our Clergie dieth with them; and out of the annual receites, which the parent hath for terme of life, his poste­ritie must be prouided for; and in that re­spect an inheritance to bee permitted vnto them, which was denied to the Leuites. But although our Ministery be more excellent, and therefore greater honour both of re­uerence and maintenance due vnto it: though our number and charge being not lesse, our need of larger maintenance grea­ter, because it endeth with vs: though the Church, being not tied to the succession of the posteritie, which oft would prooue vn­worthie, but being (by law) alwaies to bee prouided of sufficient incumbents, ought in this regard also to make the better allow­ance; yet what haue wee in comparison of them? yea what are our annuities to their perpetuities? Our Colledges, and colle­giate Churches (blessed bee God) haue lands, and our benefices glebes, though much impaired by sacriledge. But what are these to the 48. cities of the Priests and Leuites with their precincts; beside all the [Page 81] land, which at any time was dedicated vn­to God, and (being not redeemed) re­mained for a perpetuallLeuit. 27. 21. 28. possession to the Priests? Beside the lands (which many want) we haue scarce any thing but tithes; and a great part of them, by popish either appropriations, whollie alienated, or ex­emptions defaulked, or by the sacrilegious practises, both of corrupt Patrons, and also of vnconscionable parishioners, mightilie impaired. But the Priests, to whom our Mi­nisters are answerable, had so many allow­ances (as you heard) that although they had had no tithes, the proportion of their maintenance had farre exceeded ours.

If it shall be said, that tithes are ceremo­niall or iudiciall, and therefore not to bee exacted of vs: I answere, first, that many learned men are of iudgement, that they are morall, as being that part of mens goods which is perpetually due vnto the Lord. But I will not enter into that questi­on at this time, it shall suffice vs to acknow­ledge these two things: first, that if not the same maintenance which was assigned to [Page 82] the Priests, then questionlesse a greater is due vnto the Ministers of the Gospell, for the reasons before deliuered: secondly, that although tithes were prescribed by the iu­diciall law; yet the equitie of that law re­maineth, and it is lawfull for Christian Ma­gistrates in imitation thereof, to prescribe the same things. Neither can it be denied, but that the tithes being by the lawes, not only of this land, but almost of all Christen­dome, consecrated vnto God, for the main­tenance of the Ministers, they cannot with­out sacrilege bee alienated, or detained from them. It is destruction, saithProu. 20. 25. Salomon, to deuoure that which is sanctified, & after the Vowes to enquire. That which is once dedi­cated vnto holy vses, and consecrated to God, may not returne to common vses. If the thing be abused▪ the vse is to be refor­med: but the propertie is the Lords, and no man can take it from him. See Numb. 16. 38. Leuit. 27. 21. 28. Sacrilegious therefore was the alienation of Church liuings by appro­priations, which are the bane of the people, and blemish of our Church: neither wil the [Page 83] Popes authority, by which they were made, excuse them as lawfull; but prooue the originall of them, to haue been Antichri­stian. Sacrilegious hath been the practise of courtlie Harpies, who haue praied vpon the liuings of the Church, which praied for them. If it were sacriledge in Nebuchadnez­zar (though a conqueror) to take away the goldenDan. 5. 2. 2 [...]. vessels of the Temple; and in Belshazzer, to abuse them to profane vses: what shall we say of them, who haue taken, not the mooueables, but the very patrimo­nie of the Church? Sacrilegious is the pra­ctise of Patrones, who detaine any part of the glebe or tithes, or with Gehezi make gaine of that which ought freelie to be gi­uen: as well as it was sacriledge inIos. 6. 22. & 7. [...]1. Achan, to take part of that which was consecrated vnto God. Sacrilegious are all the practi­ses and deuises of vnconscionable pari­shioners, who either by fraude or pretence of law, as by pretended customes, composi­tions, or such like, defraude the Minister of his due. Was it sacrilege inAct. 5. Ananias and Sapphira, punishable with sudden death, [Page 84] who detained part of that which them­selues had consecrated vnto God, and might before the consecration thereof haue kept it to themselues? and is it not much more sacrilegious to detaine that, which wee neuer had right to keepe, as be­ing by law consecrated vnto God? Chri­stians should remember that the tithes and reuenues of the Church, are Gods part; and that it is their dutie to honour God, not with theMal. 1. 8. refuse, but with the Prou. 3. 9. chiefe of their increase: that to detaine those things which bee consecrated to God, for the mainte­nance of his Ministers, is no other then to robbe and spoile God himselfe. For will a man, saithMala [...]. 3. 8. he, spoile his gods? yet haue you spoiled me: but you say, wherein haue we spoiled thee? In tithes and offerings. Let them con­sider on the one side, the gracious promi­ses of God made to those who honour him by giuing the due honour of maintenance to his Ministers, as Prou. 3.Prou. 3. 9 10. Honour the Lord with thy riches, and with the chiefe of all thine increase. So shall thy barnes be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall euen burst with [Page 85] new wine. And Malach. 3.Malach. 3. 10 Bring you all the tithes into the store house, that there may bee meate in mine house, and prooue me now here­with, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windo wes of heauen vnto you, and power you out a blessing without measure. On the o­ther side, the fearefull curse, not onely de­nounced, as Malac. 3.Malac. 3. 9. You are accursed with a curse, for you haue spoiled me, saith the Lord, viz. in tithes, and in offerings: but also exe­cuted on those who haue been guiltie of sacriledge. Let the great and greedie Har­pyes set before their eies, theDan. 5. 5. hand wri­ting, which appeared to Belshazzar when he was quaffing in the cuppes of the Temple: and let the rest, I meane sacrilegious pro­prietaries, corrupt Patrons, couetous and vnconscionable parishioners call to mind what befell toIos. 7. Achan, to2. King. 5. 27. Gehezi, toAct. 5. Ana­nias and Sapphira: and as they would auoid their punishment, so let them abhorre their sinne.

And to conclude this point, let those which be in authoritie (as it becommeth the nursing fathers of the Church) imitate [Page 86] the zeale of godlie Nehemiah, who could not cndure the alienation of oneNehem. 13. 8. cham­ber of the Priests to the priuate vse of To­biah. And let our Parliaments, in the name of God, be carefull to auoide that imputa­tion which Paul laieth vpon the Iewes, that howsoeuer in respect of the particulars be­fore mentioned, it may be verified of too many among vs, yet notwithstanding the whole state may not bee charged with it. Rom. 2. 22. Thou abhorrest idols, saith he, and doest thou commit sacriledge? And let them know that not onelie to the restitution of impropria­tions (which at the dissolution of the Ab­bies ought to haue been made) they still remaine deepelie obliged: but also for the not restoring thereof, the whole land stan­deth in an high degree, obnoxious to the iudgements of God. For though the Pope and Papists had some shew of reason to take from the secular Priests, that which they gaue to the regular, who as they ima­gined, liued in a state of perfection, whose deuotions were in their conceit the trea­sures of the Church for the releefe of la­bouring [Page 87] soules, and whose maintenance in their intent, was to serue for the great re­leefe of the poore and harbourlesse: yet what colour, or shew of reason haue we, by alienating the Church liuings from the Cleargie, to robbe God of his portion, the Ministers of their maintenance, the people of their spirituall, and the poore of their corporall sustenance? And lastlie, let them acknowledge it to bee a great shame for our land prosessing the Gospel, and sincere religion of Christ, that the idolatrous Priests, not onely among the Papists, but also among theGen. 47. 22. Heathen, are more regar­ded, and better rewarded, then the true Ministers of Christ among vs.

And thus much of the vse, which the people are to make of this doctrine.

Before I come to the Ministers them­selues, some thing is to bee added concer­ning scholers or students. That none of them presume to refuse the Ministerie, as thinking thēselues in respect either of their parentage, or of their wealth, or of their gifts, too good to be Ministers. For if they [Page 88] will call to mind what hath been said con­cerning the honour of the Ministerie: I doubt not, but they will say with Paul, 2 Cor. 2. 16. And who is sufficient for these things? and be more readie to acknowledge themselues vnwor­thie to bee Ministers, then the Ministerie to be vnworthie of them. If they refuse it, because it wanteth either wealth or honor, or because they call into question the law­fulnes of the chiefe places in the Ministerie (which respects haue diuerted many indu­ed with excellent gifts, to the studie of Phy­sicke, or law either ciuill or common) I would intreate, not onely them, that they would with indifferencie reade that which In Apoc. 1. 20. elsewhere I haue alledged to iustifie the honorable calling of Bishops, as being the ordinance of God, but also those which be in authoritie, that they would acknow­ledge it to be a godly, wise, and necessary policie, that places of great reward and emi­nent honor, should be prouided for those who deserue best, in respect either of the studie and profession of diuinitie, or exer­cise of their Ministerie, For honos alit artes: [Page 89] neither may it be expected that men of best gifts, and therfore most worthie to be con­secrated to the Lord, will ordinarily vnder­take this calling, which is exposed to such contempt of the world, subiect to so great a charge as the gardianship of mens soules, and yet rewarded with small preferment either of maintenance or honor; when o­ther studies, especially that of the law, doth promise vnto them, so rich rewards, so great honour, so high preferment in the world. It is true, there should bee no com­parison in the estimation of a Christian, be­tweene that profession which respecteth onely outward wealth (especially if you adde the vsuall and personall corruption of them who professe it, who vndertaking all causes that come to hand, seeme to set not only their tongues, but also their soules to sale) and that calling, by the studie and practise whereof, thou mayest1. Tim. 4. 16. saue thine owne soule, and those that do heare thee: notwithstanding because yong men, when they are to make choice of their professi­on, are not (for the most part) so wel setled [Page 90] in Christianitie, as simplie to preferre things spirituall, to things temporall; there must be some inducements to the studie of diui­nitie, which may euen in outward respects allure them who are of best gifts, and of greatest hope: for they also are flesh and blood.

Now I come to the Prophets, and sons of the Prophets; that is, to Ministers and students of Diuinitie: who from the dig­nitie of the Ministerie are to reape two vses. The one, of comfort and incourage­ment, the other of instruction. For al­though the Ministerie aboue all callings is most subiect to the contempt and dis­grace of profane and godlesse men: yet the Ministers are to be assured, that their fun­ction, is a worthie and excellent worke; and that as God himselfe hath greatly honou­red thē, so can they not but be honored of all those▪ who are the children of God. The contempts and contumelies of the rest, which they offer vnto vs for Christs, or for our callings sake, ought to bee so far from dismaying vs, as that we ought in respect [Page 91] thereof to account our seluesMatth. 5. 11. 12. happie: For being there by made conformable not on­lie to the Prophets and Apostles of Christ, but also to our Sauiour himselfe, wee shall also be conformed vnto them in happines and glorie. And howsoeuer our Ministe­rie be contemned or oppugned; yet wee are to be assured with the Apostle,2. Cor. 2. 15. 16. that we are a sweete sauour vnto God in Christ, not onelie in them that are saued, but in them also that perish; to the one, a sauour of death vnto death, & to the other, a sauour of life vnto life. And in some measure may euerie one of vs say with the Prophet (though speaking in the name of Christ)Esa. 49. 4. 5. howsoeuer I haue laboured in vaine, and haue spent my strength in vaine, and for nothing: yet my iudgement is with the Lord, and my worke with my God. And though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eies of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

The instruction which is to bee learned is this, that seeing the function of the Mi­nisterie is so honourable, as hath been said, Ministers first, would labour to be worthie [Page 92] of that honour, which in respect of their function appertaineth to them. And se­condly, that students in diuinity would not offer themselues, or Bishops admit them, namelie, to bee Pastors, vntill they bee in some competent measure qualified accor­ding to that sufficiencie or worthinesse, which is required in the Minister of God. For (as they say) Non ex quouis ligno fit Mercurius. And this (that I may proceede from the worthinesse of the Ministerie, to the worthinesse of the Minister, described vers. 2.) is the vse which the Apostle him­selfe maketh in this place. The office of a Bishop, saith he, is a worthie worke: there­fore a Bishop ought to be blamelesse, &c. But howsoeuer many things are here re­quired to the worthinesse or sufficiencie of a Minister; yet all may be reduced to these two heads. The one, respecting his life, that he be [...], of blamelesse conuersa­tion: the other, his Ministerie, that hee be [...], apt, that is, able and willing to teach: the one, implying, [...] personae, the gifts of the person, wherewith the Minister [Page 93] is to be adorned, [...],Gal. 2. 14. to walke vp­rightlie; the other, [...] Ministerij, the gifts of the Ministerie, wherewith he is to be furnished, [...], to 2. Tim. 2. 15. diuide the word aright. And these two are vsually ioyned together in the Scriptures, to wit, Thummim and vrim, integritie of life, and light of do­ctrine; precept, and practise. For the Lord would haue his Ministers, whom they teach by precept, to goe before them also in example, and contrariwise. For this cause, as God inserted in the brest-plate of the PriestExod. 28. 30. vrim and thummim, to bee vpon his hart: so Moses praying that God would adorne his Priests with sufficiencie, hee craueth these twoDeut. 33. 8.; Let thy Thummim & thy vrim be vpon the man of they mercie. Like­wise, on the skirts of the Priests robe the Lord appointedExod. 28. 33. 34. golden belles and pomgranates to bee sowed round about; signifying by the one, the sweet and hea­uenlie sound of true doctrine; without which sound, saithGreg. lib. 1. Epist. 24. in ea verba Exod. 28. Audiatur sonitus, &c. Sacerdos ingre­diens sanctua­rium moritur▪ si de eo sonitus non audiatur: quia iram con­tra se occul [...]i iudicis exigit, si sine sonitu praedicationis incedat. Gregorie, if a Minister doe goe into the Sanctuarie, hee incurreth the anger of God: by the other, the sweet [Page 94] and holsome fruit of a godlie life. For as the diuinePlato in La­chete. Philosopher saith, Hee maketh the best harmonie, whose life agreeth with his doctrine. But whose doctrine is altogether dissonant from his life, he is, as the Apostle saith,1. Cor. 13. 1. a iarring Cymball. The same hath the Prophet Malachie ioyned together; shew­ing that these things were, and so ought to be in the Priests of God.Mal. 2. 6. 7. The law of truth was in his mouth, and there was no iniquitie found in his lippes: he walked with me in peace and equitie, and did turne many away from ini­quitie. For the Priests lippes should preserue knowledge, and they should seeke the lawe at his mouth, for he is the Angell of the Lord of Hosts. In the new testament these two oft con­curre. Mat. 5. 13. 14. cum 16. Matth. 5. Ministers are said to bee the salt of the earth, and the light of the world; because their office is, by sound doctrine to season, and by good example to shine be­fore others:Act. 20. 28. Act. 20. The Ministers of Ephesus are exhorted to attend both to themselues and to the flocke: to them­selues, by liuing well; to the flocke, by fee­ding them with holsome doctrine. For we [Page 95] that are Ministers, saithTom. 9. de Pastor. cap. 1. Augustine, haue two things; the one, that we are Christians; the other, that we are Ministers. Illud quòd Chri­stiani sumus, propter nos est; quòd autem prae­positi sumus, propter vos est. In eo quòd Chri­stiani sumus, attenditur vtilitas nostra: in eo quòd praepositi, non nisi vestra. VVee are Chri­stians for our selues, and Ministers for you. In that wee are Christians, our owne profit is at­tended; but as we are Ministers, your profite it sought. Likewise, in his epistles, Paul ex­horteth Ministers1. Tim. 1. 19. to retatne faith, that is, sound doctrine, and a good conscience: to1. Tim. 4. 16. at­tend to themselues and to doctrine: as touch­ing their life, to shew themseluesTit. 2. 7. 8. examples of good works: and as touching their Mini­sterie, Tit. 2. 7. 8. to teach sound and vncorrupt do­strine. These two, whosoeuer ioyneth to­gether, that is,Matth. 5. 19. whosoeuer shall keepe the Commaundements of God and teach others so to doe, the shall be great in the kingdome of God. Such a Minister was Iohn Baptist, to whom our Sauiour giueth this testimonie,Ioh. 5. 35. that he was a burning and a shining light: bur­ning, in himselfe, and shining vnto others. [Page 96] Such were all the men of God, who are commended vnto vs in the Scriptures; whose knowledge was inflamed with piety, and their pietie enlightened with know­ledge.

These things which the holy Ghost ioyntly requireth in Ministers, by no means ought to be seuered. For what is an honest Minister, if he be vnlearned? A Lampe that burneth, but giueth no light: a Bell of good mettall, but wanting a Clapper: a kinde Nurse, but without milke: an ho­nest Gregor. past. part. 2. c. 4. Praeconis offi­cium suscipist, quîsquis ad sa­cerdotium ac­cedit, vt ante aduentum iu­dicis qui terri­biliter sequi­tur, ipse scilicet clamando gra­diatur. Sacer­dos ergo si prae­dicationis est nescius, quam clamoris vo­cem daturus est praeco mu­tus? Crier, but without a voice: a well minded Watchman, but void of sight: a willing Guide, but ingorant of the way. And therefore they are like to remaine in darkenesse, who should be enlightened by him: to be hunger-starued, that should be fedde by him: to remaine vncalled, who should bee called by him: to be surprized who should haue warning from him: to goe out of the way, who should be guided by him. Wherefore it is well said of Ierome, Hieronym▪ ad Oceanum. In­nocens a [...]sque sermone con­uersatio, quan­tum exemplo prodest, tantum silentio nocet. Innocent conuersation without instruction, doth as much hurt by silence, as it helpes by ex­ample. [Page 97] For the Ministers, they be the light of the world, the salt of the earth, the eies in the bodie of Christ, which is his Church, the guides of the people: If therefore the lightMatth. 6. 23. of the people be darkenes; alas, how great shall their darkenesse be? If the salt whereby the people should be seasoned be vasauourie, how should not the people putrifie in their sinnes? If the eies of the cōgregation (asNum. 10. 31. guides be in stead of eies) be blind, how should the people see? If the guides know not the way, needes must the people wander. If the Matth. 15. 14. blind leade the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

But some idle drone wil say: it is enough for mee, that I serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse; though I cannot, or do not preach. To whom I answere, that a mans religion and iustice, if hee haue any, must appeare in the exercise of his calling. And therefore a Minister can hardlie be a good man, as I suppose, that is not, in some com­petencie, a good Minister. Now a good Minister, is not onely a sheepe in Christs fold, but also a Pastor of his flocke: not on­lie [Page 98] a liuing stone in the Temple of God, but also a builder: not onely a plant in Gods garden, but also a planter: not only a child of God, but a father also in the faith, begetting others vnto God: not onelie [...], a disciple of Christ, but a teacher, Mat. 28. 19. [...], instructing others.

On the other side, what is a learned Mi­nister, if he be vngodlie? He is nothing, saith Paul, 1. Cor. 13. 2. for if I had prophecie, saith he, and knew all mysteries, and alknowledge, and had not cha­ritie, I were nothing. For an 1. Cor. 8. 4. Idoll is nothing, as he saith in the same Epistle. And a Mi­nister, that saith, and doeth not, little diffe­reth from an idoll; being not vnfitlie to bee compared to the Mercuriales statuae, which shew the way to passengers, but themselues stirre not. But with Paul (in 1. Cor. 13. 2. 3. that place) nihil esse, and nihil prodesse, to be nothing, and to profit nothing, is all one. But Ministers, who with the Pharisies,Matth. 23. say and do not, they are like to profit the peo­ple but a little; and themselues nothing at all. This therefore ought to bee the first care of euerie Diuine,Matth. 6. 33. First, to seeke the [Page 99] kingdome of God and his righteousnesse. That he may be a sound Christian, before he bee a Minister; a Disciple of Christ, before hee take vpon him to teach others; a liuing stone in the Temple of God, before he pre­sume to bee a builder: a sheepe of Christ, before he be a Pastor; a plant in Gods gar­den, before he be a planter; that himselfe be called, before he call others: himselfe a follower of Christ, before he lead others: himselfe one of the houshold of faith, be­fore he take vpon him to bee a steward or ruler of the houshold.

And surely if all Christians, who tender their owne saluation, had neede to labour for holinesse,Hebr. 12. 14. without which no man shall see God: then much more had Ministers need to1. Tim. 4. 7. exercise themselues vnto godlinesse, to whose care and fidelitie the saluation of others is entrusted; that by preaching pro­fitablie, and liuing vprightlie, they may 1. Tim. 4. 16. saue, not onelie themselues, but those al­so who are committed to their trust. O­therwise, if we say and doe not; yea, if wee say one thing, and doe the contrarie, wee [Page 100] shall neither profit the people, nor yet our selues. Not the people, whom by our example we do more scandalize, then edi­fie by our doctrine, pulling downe with the left hand, what we set vp with the right, misleading by our life, whom by our do­ctrine wee would seeme to lead. Euen as the Prophet saith,Esay 3. 13. My people, qui ducunt te, seducunt: they which leade thee, mislead thee. Wherfore, as Isidore saith, Qui negligit recta facere desinat & recta docere: Let him cease to teach well, that cares not to liue well. For to what purpose doest thou commend to thy people the straite and afflicted way to heauen; when thy selfe takest the broad and easie way, which leadeth vnto hell? for wil not the people sooner learne Atheisme by thy life, then religion by thy doctrine? For what saith thy sillie sheepe in such a case? Surelie if my Pastor were indeed per­swaded, that there is a God which wil iudge the world, ren dering to euery man accor­ding to his waies; if hee thought indeede, that there is a heauen for the godlie, and a hell for the wicked, as hee would perswade [Page 101] vs; it could not bee, that he would liue as he doth. But what heare I words, when I see deedes? If my guide goe that way, who am I, that I should not follow him? This is that, which Gregory saith,Pastoral. part. 1. cap. 2. Cum Pa­stor per abrupta graditur, ad praecipitium grex sequitur; when the Pastor goeth in steep-downe places, the flock followeth headlong vnto ruine. Wherefore, whosoeuer by an vngodly life ouerthroweth his doctrine, hee layeth Leuit. 19. 14. a stumbling block before the blind, or causeth Deut. 27. 18. the blind to erre out of his way, which who­soeuer doth he is accursed: yea, as I said, he openeth a schoole to Atheisme, whereby it comes to passe, asDe dignit. Sacerd. cap. 6. Ambrose saith Vt non so­lums ipsi dum malè agunt, dignè pereant, sed alios insuper secum indignè perdant: That not onelie themselues whiles they liue wickedly, doe wor­thilie perish, but also vnworthily they destroy o­thers. But neither do they profit thēselues, for as Paul saith,1. Cor. 13. 1. 2. If I speake with the tongue of Angles, & could prophesie, and had all know­ledge, and haue not loue, it profiteth me nothing. Such Ministers are like to cookes, which prouide wholesome meate for others, but [Page 102] eate not thereof themselues. Like to those carpenters that built the Arke for Noah, and themselues perished in the floud; for whiles they1. Cor. 9. 27. preach to others, themselues become reprobates. For if we haue nothing to alleadge for our selues in the day of iudgement,Matth. 7. 22. 2 [...]. but, Lord haue not we prophesied in thy name? we shall receiue this doome, I know you not, depart from me you workers of iniquitie. Yea, he that teacheth others, and teacheth not himselfe; hee that condem­neth other sinners vnto hell, and commit­teth greater crimes himselfe; hee teacheth God with what sentence to condemne himselfe, for vnto him that terrible, but yet iust sentence doth belong;Luk. 19. 22. Out of thine owne mouth I will condemne thee thou wicked seruant. Whereas contrariwise, if we would 1. Tim. 4. 16. attend to our selues to liue well, and to doctrine to teach well, and would conti­nue therein, wee should saue both our selues and those that heare vs: if we would bee carefull both toMatth. 5. 19. keepe Gods Com­mandements, and teach others so to doe, wee should bee great in the kingdome of [Page 103] God; great (I say) in the kingdome of grace, but incomparablie greater in the kingdome of glorie. Vnto which he bring vs, that hath so dearely bought it for vs, euen Christ Iesus the righteous: to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise and glorie for euer, Amen.

A SERMON PREA­ched at Lambith.

OVr Lord & Sauiour Christ, hauing appeared to Saint Iohn, in a glorious forme, v. 13. &c. (before described) in the midst of seauen goldē Candle­sticks, hauing seauen v. 16. Stars in his right hand: In this verse, hee expoun­deth the mysterie both of the seauen Starres, and also of the seauen golden Candlesticks; shewing, that as by the golden Candlestickes are meant the seauen famous Churches of Asia, viz. Ephesus, Smyrna, and the rest before [Page 2] specified, vers. 11: so the seauen Starres are (that is, doe signifie) the Angelles of those sea­uen Churches. In handling of which wordes, I am to performe two things First, because this expositiō is, asIn Apoc. 1. Albertus noteth, allegorical, we are to examine, who, and what manner of of persons are meant by the Angels of the Churches. For although it bee a thing a­greed vpon among theThose fewe which by the An­gels vnder­stand, either the Angels of heauen, or the whole churches, are easily confu­ted: the for­mer, because the faults re­proued, and repentance enioyned in the Epistles, cannot agree to Angels; the latter, be­cause they confound the seauen Stars, which Christ held in his hand, with the seauen golden Can­dlestickes, in the midst whereof hee walked. interpreters both new and old, that by the Angels we are to vn­derstand the Pastors or Bishops of the Chur­ches: yet is it become a great controuersie in our time (which I wish were as likely to bee determined and ended, as it is easie by eui­dence of truth to be decided) what manner of Bishoppes they were: whether (for the substance of their calling) such as the reue­rende Fathers of our Church are (which, by the grace of GOD, I will plainely prooue), or such, as some of our time haue fancied.

Secondly, wee are to consider the quality of their function, and out of the wordes to shewe, that the office and function of Bishops heere meant by Angells, is in this text both approued as lawfull, and commended as ex­cellēt: [Page 3] they hauing this relation to the Chur­ches whereof they are Bishoppes, that where the Churches are compared to Candlesticks, they are presupposed to bee the lightes sette there on, toMat. 5 15. Iohn 5. 35. giue light to all in the house of God: where the Church in this booke is tearmed heauen (as it is the heauen vppon earth) the Pastors and Bishoppes are the Starres of heauen: where it is called the king­dome of heauen, as though it were the heauē of heauens, they are the Angels in this hea­uen.

For the deciding of the former question, two things are in the wordes offered to our consideration. For whereas they are said to be Angels of the Churches, wee are first to consider what manner of Churches they were, whereof they were Angells; and se­condly, what manner of preheminence they had in those Churches, in regard wherof they are tearmed the Angels of the Churches. As touching the first: we are to try, whether these Churches whereof they were Angels or Bi­shops, were parishes, or dioceses: and conse­quently, whether they were parishionall, or diocesā Bishops. For som of late haue taught, [Page 4] that properly there is no visible Church, but a parish, nor lawfull Bishoppes but parishio­nall; and that for the space of two hundred yeares after Christ, there were no other but parish-bishops. And that we should not think, they vse the word parish, in so ample a sense as the auncient Fathers and Councilles were wont to vse the worde [...], (as after you shall heare): they define a Parish to bee a particular, ordinarie, or set Congregation or Christians assembling in one place (as it were in one synagogue) to the solemne wor­shippe and seruice of God; such as bee our parishes here in England. To make good this newe-found opinion (the noueltie wher­of bewrayeth the falsitie) they haue coyned others, as newe, and therefore as false asser­tions. As first, that euerie parishIure diui­no▪ by right hath sufficient authoritie within it selfe immediately deriued from Christ, for the go­uernement of it selfe in all causes ecclesi­asticall. And secondly, least they might seeme to set vppe an absolute Popeling in euerie parish, who should haue not onelyFor they say, that the Pastor of a particular con­gregation is the highest or­dinarie eccle­siasticall office in any true cō ­stituted visi­ble Church of Christ. supreame, but also sole authoritie in causes ecclesiasticall: they adioyne vnto him, his [Page 5] consistorie of lay or gouerning Elders. And to this parishionall presbyterie consisting of the parish Bishoppe (forsooth) and his pa­rish elders, they doe ascribe that sufficient, immediate, and independent authoritie for ecclesiasticall gouernement of euerie proper visible Church, otherwise called a parish. Thirdly, as for diocesan or prouinciall Bi­shops, they hold them vnlawfull, & Antichris­tian: neither may they (good men) bee ac­knowledged to bee so much as members of the true visible Church; because forsooth they bee not members of some one onely parish; which in these mens conceipt must needes be the kings owne case.

Concerning the second; viz. what was the preheminence of these Bishoppes in the Churches, in respect whereof they are called the Angels of the Churches; Others more wise and learned then the former, graunting they were Bishops of whole Cities, and the Countreyes adioyning (that is to say of Dio­ceses) notwithstanding the sway of the go­uerment they ascribe to the Presbyteries of those Churches, consisting partly of ministers and partly of annuall or Lay-presbyters; ma­king [Page 6] these Angels or Bishoppes nothing else but [...], or presidents of those presbyte­ries: and such presidents, as were not superi­our to the other presbyters in degree, but onely in order; hauing an authoritie commit­ted to them by the free consent of the rest, to assemble the Presbyters, to moderate the ac­tion, to propound matters, to aske voyces, euer pronouncing what the greater part de­creeth, and lastly to execute the presbyterial decrees: and further, such president, as had not this superioritie for terme of life, but for a shor time, as a weeke or a moneth, and that by course; this presidentshippe being, accor­ding to their conceipt, common to all in their turnes.

Now for the clearing of this matter, which wee haue in hand: forasmuch as both sortes obtrude lay-elders to extrude Bishops; I will 1 first proue against both, that there were no lay-gouerning-elders in the primitiue church & that the presbyteries then consisted whol­ly 2 of ministers. And then more particularly against the former sort, that in the first two hundred yeares, the visible Churches (such as they speak of) indued with power of ecclesiasti­call [Page 7] gouernement, were dioceses properly, and not parishes: & that the presbyteries which were in those times, were assigned not to pa­rishes, but to dioceses. And consequently, that the Angels of the Churches and presi­dents 3 of the presbyteries, were not parishio­nall, but diocesan Bishops.

Against the latter, that the Bishop being ad­uanced 4 to a higher degree of the ministerie, was set aboue the other presbyters, not onely in prioritie of order, but also in maioritie of rule: and that, neither for a short time, nor yet by course: but, as for his worth hee was either at the first appointed by the Apostles, or af­terwards elected by others; so was he to con­tinue for tearm of life, vnlesse for his vnwor­thinesse he were displaced.

And so in the last place I will come to the other thing, which is to bee obserued in this 5 text, which is, cōcerning the qualitie of their function: wherein I am to shew, and by eui­dence of truth to demonstrate, that the cal­ling of such Bishops, is of apostolicall and diuine institution. Vnto which last, that I may in due time come, I will be the shorter in the former.

[Page 8] ANd first,First, no presbyters, but Mini­sters. I am to shew, that there were no other Presbyters in the primitiue Church but Ministers. A sufficient proofe whereof may bee this: that, as in the writings of the Apostles, in the auncient Fathers and coun­cils, the word [...] or Presbyter (noting an Ecclesiasticall person) doth euermore sig­nifie a Minister of Priest (which word, though abused by the Papistes to signifie sacrificing Priests, is the proper english of Presbyter, and from thence deriued:) and therefore questi­on might as wel be made whether there were anie annuall ministers or lay-priests, as pres­byters, (that being also a name, as themselues say, confounded in the Scriptures with Epis­copus, and noting a person, who must by the Apostles rule beAble to teach. [...]): so can ther not a­ny one pregnant testimonie be alledged out of the scriptures, Councils or Fathers, menti­oning or meaning any lay, annual, onely-go­uerning presbyters: which no doubt will seem strange to those; who remember with what vehemencie this kinde of presbyters hath beene vrged and obtruded vpon vs. For al­though manie places are vsually alleadged out of the Scriptures and Fathers: yet I doe [Page 9] vnfainedly professe, that (to my knowledge) there are onely two allegations, which I e­steeme worth the answering: the one, out of 1. Tim. 5. 17. 1. Tim. 5. the other, out of Ambrose on the same Chapter. The Presbyters, sayth Paule, that rule well, let them bee counted wor­thie of double honour, especially they who la­bour in the worde and doctrine. From whence they gather a distinction of Pres­byters or elders; that some are gouerning elders onely: others, also Ministers. Where­unto I answere, that not anie of the Fathers, or any other before our age, did euer vnder­stand this text of any other, but of the mini­sters of the word, they cōceiuing of it, as if the Apostle had said: Let those Ministers or Priests which rule wel &c. Neither doth the Apostle indeed note 2 sorts of Elders, as they imagin, but two dueties of the Ministers, in respect wherof double honour is due vnto them: the one generall, [...], to bee good pre­sidents; the other speciall, [...], to labour in the word and doctrine. Putting onely this difference, that where­as double honour is due to all ministers for the performāce of their duty in general, (for [Page 10] soHiero. nym. in 1. Ti. 5. Ierome expoundeth these wordes, qui bene praesunt (i.That is, who fulfill their office. qui implent officium suum:) yet especially they are to bee honoured for their paines in preaching the word; that be­ing, in Pauls estimation, the chiefe worke of the Ministerie. For [...] is all one with that phrase of going out and in before others, wherby the conuersation of publike persons in the scriptures is signified. And they are said [...], who goe out and in before the people of God as it becommeth them. And thus also the ancient Syriack Paraphrase expoundeth those wordes, [...] qui bene segerunt, who demeane themselues well in their place. And this is to be vnderstood both of their priuate conuersation (in which sense the word [...] is vsedTit. 3. 8. 14. Tit. 3. 8. 14. where those which beleeue, are exhorted [...], to bee presidents of good workes) and also of their publike administra­tion. Both which the Apostle expresseth in his farewell-sermon to the same Presbyters of Ephesus, of whome hee speaketh to Timothe, Act. 20. 28. Act. 20. 28. which may serue as a cōmenta­rie to this place. As if the Apostle had sayd, those Presbyters or Ministers among you, [Page 11] who fulfill their ministerie according to that directiō which at my departure I gaue them, viz. that they should attend to themselues and to the whole flocke, ouer which the holy Ghost had made them ouerseers, (that is [...]) and more specially, to feede the Church of God which hee hath redeemed with his owne bloud, (that is, to labour in the word and doctrine) let them bee counted worthie of double ho­nour. It is plaine therefore, that the Apostle in that place speaketh onely of Ministers. And that hee speaketh not there of lay or onely-gouerning elders, it may further bee proued by plaine euidence out of the text. For, seeing by honour in that place the Apo­stle vnderstandeth honourable maintenance, which by their owne confession is not due to lay-elders; it is therefore certaine, that this place acknowledgeth none such. Thus ther­fore I argue;

To all those elders, who are mentioned or meant in this place, the honour of maintenance is due for their worke sake.

To the Lay-elders the honour of mainte­tenance is not due for their work sake.

[Page 12] Therefore lay-elders are not mentioned nor meant in this place.

The proposition the Apostle prooueth in the next words by 2.1. Tim. 5. 18 Deut. 25. 4. testimonies. For the Scripture sayth, thou shalt not moosell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne. Which testimony hee also alleageth1. Cor. 9. 9. 1. Corin. 9, to proue that mainetenance is due to the Ministers of the Gospell. And againe, Luk. 10, 7. The workeman is worthie of his sti­pend.

The Assumption thēselues confesse, both by their doctrine and their practise. For, whereas some obiect, that their lay-elders, if they stand in neede, are to bee maintained: I aunswere, that theySee the Suruey of the pretended discipline cap. 10. choose such as haue not neede; and if they haue, that the maintenance which is allowed, is for their neede, and not for their worke sake. But the Apostle sayth, the Presbyters are wor­thie of double honour, and the workeman is worthie of his stipend; to signifie, that the honour or mayntenaunce, whereof hee speaketh, is not a beggerly almes giuen onely in charitie for neede; but an honou­rable stipende, in iustice due to the Mi­nister [Page 13] for his worke sake.

Seeing therefore this Scripture failes them, wee may conclude, that lay-elders haue no footing in the Scriptures; and therefore by their owne principles ought not to bee obtruded vpon the Church of God.

I come to Ambrose, writing on the first verse of the same ChapterAmbrose. in 1. Tim. 5. 1. Where the A­postle exhorting Timothie, not to rebuke an elder or aged man, Ambrose giueth this reasō: For among all nations old age is honourable: and then addeth, vnde & synagoga, & postea eccle­sia seniores habuit, quorum sine consilio nihil a­gebatur in Ecclesia. Quod quâ negligentiâ obso­le verit nescio, nisi fortè doctorum desidiâ aut ma­gis superbiâ, dum soli volunt alquid videri. Whence it is, that both the Synagogue, and after­wards the Church had Seniors, without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church. Which by what negligence it is growen out of vse, I knowe not, vnlesse perhappes by the slouthful­nesse of the learned or teachers, or rather pride, whiles they alone will seeme to bee some thing. Which wordes, whosoeuer vnderstande as giuing testimonie to lay-elders, they [Page 14] wrong Ambrose, in making him against his meaning to testifie that, which hath no warrant either in Scriptures, or in the elder writings of Antiquitie. For, Ambrose himselfe was a Diocesan Bishoppe, and one who laboured as much as anie, not to iustifie (for that nee­deth not in those times) but to magnifie the calling of Bishoppes; and was as farre as any, from subiecting either Bishoppes or Mi­nisters (as these men doe) to the Presbyte­ries of lay men.

But let vs examine the force of their ar­gument. Ambrose saith, there were elders in the Church as well as in the Synagogue, therefore (say they) there were lay elders. It followeth not. For euen the Synagogue hadIerom. 19. 1. Seniores sacerdotum, Seniors of the Priests, as well as Seniores populi, Seniors of the people. And, of such, Ambrose speaketh, when hee sayth, in the Church or Church causes nothing was done without their ad­uise. If it be said, that Ambrose speaketh of such Seniors, whose aduise was neglected through the default of the learned or tea­chers, and therefore of such as were not tea­chers; I answere againe, neither doth this fol­low: [Page 15] for, doctorum, the learned or teachers, be­ing a common title both to Bishoppes and Presbyters, and so to bee vnderstood in this place; wee may easilie conceiue, how the as­sistance of the Seniors, through not lay-men but Ministers, was grown out of vse, through the default of such as had beene teachers in the Church, either as Presbyters, or as Bi­shoppes. For, whereas in the Primitiue Church, the Bishoppe had vsed the aduise of certaine graue Ministers, who remained with him, after the greatest number of Presbyters (being now allotted to their seueral titles or charges) were seuered from him: (a liuely resemblaunce whereof remaineth in the Deanes and Chapters of Cathedrall Chur­ches) and nothing almost was done in Church causes without their aduise: Am­brose complaineth, that their counsell in his time was neglected, & their assistance grow­en out of vse, by what negligence hee could not tell: but as hee ghesseth, it was to bee attributed either to the idlenesse doctorum of the learned or teachers, that is to say, of the Presbyters, who for their owne ease gaue o­uer medling in matters appertaining to go­uernment; [Page 16] or else to the pride doctorum of the learned or teachers, that is to say, of the Bishoppes, who tooke all vppon them­selues, that they alone might seeme to bee somewhat. For if you expound Doctorum, for pastors of parishes alone, as the Presbyte­rians doe, or for Bishoppes alone, as others doe: I cannot see, how the excluding of Se­niors, and taking the whole burden and im­ployment vpon themselues, could by Am­brose bee imputed as a matter of sloath or i­dlenesse, either to the Pastors, excluding the lay Elders; or to the Bishoppes, ex­cluding the learned Presbyters. But how­soeuer Ambrose knewe not what to saye of this matter, otherwise then by coniec­ture; yet I doubt not but the true cau­ses, wherefore the assistaunce of the Seni­ors grewe out of vse, were these: First, because it beeing a matter of greate trou­ble, whereby they had no profitte, they prouided for their owne ease, giuinge o­uer to intermeddle in those combersome imploymentes, (which was Ambrose his first reason). Secondly, because it grewe needelesse; for that the frequent Synodes [Page 17] of Bishops, which in euery Province were as­sembled, not onely determined many cau­ses, which before were wont by Presbyteries to bee decided: but also decreed many ca­nons and constitutions, whereby the Bishop, without his former assistance, might seeme sufficiently directed. I conclude therfore the first poynt, viz. that in the Primitiue church there were no lay Elders, and consequentlie, no parishionall Presbyteries. Wherevpon, it will necessarily follow, either that euery pa­rish Bishop (as they call him) must rule as a Pope, or be subjected to the authoritie of the diocesan Bishop.

I come to the second;2. The Churches, dioceses. which is, to shew, that in the Apostles times, & in the age follow­ing, the Churches, whereof the Bishops are called Angels (or, to vse their words, the visi­ble Churches, endued with power of Ecclesi­astical gouernment) were dioceses properly, and not parishes. This is prooved out of this place. For, whereas our Sauiour Christ, wri­ting to the Churches of Asia, numbreth but 7. and naming the principall, and (some of [Page 18] them) mother-cities of Asia, saith, the seauen starres, were the Angels of those 7. churches; it cannot bee denied, but that the churches whereof they were Bishops, were great and ample cities: and not the cities alone, but also the countries adjoyning. For, it is euident, that the Apostles, when they intended to cō ­vert any Nation, they first preached to the chiefe cities thereof. Wherein, whē through Gods blessing they had converted some, their manner was to ordaine Presbyters; hoping by their Ministerie, to convert not onely the rest of the citie, but also in the countries ad­joyning, so many as did belong vnto GOD; the kingdome of heauen beeing like a little Mat. 13. 33 leaven, which beeing put into any part of the meale, seasoneth all. Neither were the parishes distinguished in the Apostles times, nor the presbyters assigned to their seuerall titles or cures; but in common, the presby­ters were to attend theAct. 20. 28 whole flock con­verted, feeding them with the Word and Sa­craments, and to labour the conversion of the residue, so farre as they should be able, both in the citie, and in the countries adioy­ning. The presbyteries therefore in the A­postles [Page 19] times, were appointed, not to seueral parishes, but to whole cities, and the coun­treyes annexed, that is to say, to Dioceses; that both they might convert them, and at­tend and feede them beeing converted.

Against this which hath been said, they do object; that in the first 200. yeres, all the chri­stians in any one great city, did make but one particular ordinarie congregation assembled in one place; & consequently, that both the presbytery, and the President thereof, were assigned but to one congregation.

I answere, first, that the presbytery and the President thereof, were prouided, not onely for the cities thēselues, but also for the coun­tries adjoyning, which were converted, or to be converted, by the Bishop & presbyters of the citie; and being converted, were counted part of that church. And therfore though the antecedent of this objectiō were true, yet the consequence were to be denied. But the an­tecedent, is not onely false, but also vnreaso­nable, & vncredible. For, if you consider the number of the christians in the greatest cities within the first two hundred yeeres, or the times vvherein they liued, or the places [Page 20] where they vsed to assemble; you will ac­knowledge, that all the Christians in the great Cities, neither did, nor could ordinarilie as­semble in the same place, as one set particular ordinary congregation.

What the number of Christians were be­fore the first 200. yeers were ended, in Rome, Ephesus, Alexandria; and such like Cities, we may imagine by that great multitude of Christians which were atActs. 4. 4. 5000. Ierusalem; with­in a few weeks after the death of Christ: 3000. hauing beene converted inActs. 2. 41. one day. At Rome▪ about the yeere 100. the company of Christians beeing much increased, (& til then both the Presbyters attending them promi­scuoslie, and the people meeting in diuerse places vncertainly) Euaristus the Bishop of Rome, was faine, for avoyding of confusion, to distinguish thē into diuersPlatina, ex Dama [...]o. Onuphr. de e­piscopat. et titulis. &c. parishes, or titles, assigning vnto them, not presbyteries, but seuerall Presbyters; the number whereof byPlatina, ex Dama [...]o. Onuphr. de e­piscopat. et titulis. &c. Hyginus was augmented, about the yeere 138. In the time of Cornelius, Bishops & Martyr, about the yere 250. there were in the Church of Rome (as himselfe sheweth in an Epistle yet extant in Eusebius) one,Eusebius. lib. [...] cap. 43. and but [Page 21] one Bishop, 46 Presbyters, 7 Deacons, and of other Clergie-men 101, of widdowes and other distressed people, aboue 1500: all main­tained by the charitable contribution of the Christian people in Rome, which afterwardes he calleth [...], a very great and innumerable people. And well might he so call it: for, Tertullian within the first 200. yeres saith no lesse. See his Apologet. cap. 37. Adde to the multitude of the people, the conside­ration of the times, raging for the most part with persecution, & not permitting the Chri­stians ordinarily to meet in great multitudes; also the consideration of the places wherein they vsed to assemble, as it were by stealth (as priuate houses, and [...]aults called Cryptae, and other priuate and priuie places, not capable of such multitudes) and you will easily ac­knowledge, that the Churches which were in the Cities alone, contained many particular congregations, vnto all which, there was but one presbyterie, or Colledge of Presbyters assigned.

[Page 22]NOw,3, The An­gels, not pa­rishionall, but dioce­san Bishops? these Presbyteries in the Apostles times, as the presbyterians cōfesse, had & by divine ordinance ought to haue a President, whom the holy Ghost heere cal­leth an Angell, and the Fathers, a Bishoppe; which, by that which hath been said, may be proued to have been, not a parishionall, but a diocesan Bishop. And that is the 3. point, which I was to prooue. For, if the churches whereof they were Bishops, were dioceses, & not parishes; if the parishes were not yet di­stinguished, nor Ministers assigned to their peculiar titles, or seuerall cures; if the pres­byteries were allotted to whole dioceses, and not to seuerall parishes: then the Bishoppe, who was set ouer a whole diocese, and not a particular parish, who was president of the presbyterie allotted not to a seuerall parish, but to a whole diocese, was vndoubtedly not a parishionall, but a diocesan Bishoppe. And this was the state of the Church in the Apo­stles times. Howbeit, in the end of the Apo­stles time, parishes began to be distinguished in cities, and afterwards in the country. For, about the yeere 100. and therfore before the [Page 23] death of S. Iohn, Euaristus Bishop of Rome, distinguished the parishes or titles in Rome, Damasus, &c. vt supra. and assigned not a presbyterie, but seuerall Ministers to euery of thē: which was also prac­ticed in other cities. We may gather out of Eusebius, that before the time of Iulianus, that is, before the yeere 180, diuers particular congregations or churches, were subiect to the Bishoppe of Alexandria. For, in the first yeere (saith heeEuseb. lib. 5. cap. 9.) of Commodus, the Bishoprick [...], of the Churches in or about Alexandria, was committed to Iulia­nus, after that Agrippinus had fulfilled his mi­nisterie for the space of twelue yeeres. Neither may we omit that, which Eusebius saith of Titus, and Theodoret both of Titus and also of Timothe, because it also plainely confu­teth their newe assertion, who deny, that more particular congregations then one, were subiect to any Bishoppe, within the first two hundred yeeres.

Titus (saith Eusebius) the Bishop [...] Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 4. of the churches in Creet.Theodoret. in 1. Tim. 3. Theodo­ret saith, Titus was the Bishop Cretensium, of the Cretians, and Timothe Asianorum, of them in Asia.

[Page 24] Epiphanius saith Singuli ecclesia [...]ū episcopi ha­beut beut sub se ecclesias: Epist. ad Ioan. Hiei [...] sol. apud Hieron. tom 2. all Bishops of the Churches, haue Churches vnder thē. As touching coun­trey Townes, they were indeede converted aftor the Cities: and because they remai­ned heathenish for a time after the conversi­on of the Citie, therefore heathenish people are still called Pagans: Notwithstanding the Bishop and Presbytery of the Citie acknow­ledging them to belong to their charge, la­boured their conversion as soone as they could; and when they were converted, the Bishoppe out of his Presbyterie assigned not a Presbyterie, but a Presbyter or Minister to euery of them; a Presbiter, I say, & not a Bi­shoppe: sauing that where the Diocese was large, the Bishop being not able to performe all episcopall duties in all places (things bee­ing as yet not so well setled) was faine to ap­point a Presbyter heere and there, to be [...], a country Bishop, who, together with his charge, remained subiect to the Bishop of the Citie, in whose diocese hee was; neither might hee meddle any further in Episcopall affaires, thē by the Bishop was permitted vn­to him. The Councell of Sardica determi­ned, [Page 25] that one Presbyter is sufficient for a vil­lage; or a little Cittie or Towne, Council. sard. capit. 6. and therefore licence not to be granted to ordaine a Bishop in such places. VVhich euidently sheweth, that Bishoppes were set ouer cities and dioceses, and that euery parish and Countrey-towne had not a Bishoppe, or a presbytery, but one onely Minister, as sufficing for such a charge.

Thus thē parishes were distinguished, both in the cities and countries, & seuerall presby­ters peculiarly assigned vnto them. Vpon which division of parishes, & assignement of presbyters vnto them, there happened no alteration to the state of the Bishop: the dif­ference was in the imployment of the pres­byters. For whereas, before, they attended the whole flocke in common, by the directi­on of the Bishoppe: now, by his assignement, they were deputed to their seuerall charges. The Bishops iurisdiction was not altered, hee hauing, as before, the same episcopall charge of the citie and country adjoyning. In respect wherof, a diocese cōtained [...] & [...], in this division, signifying, not as the vulgar vse of our English word Parish im­porteth [Page 26] a particular ordinary congregation, answerable to a Iewish Synagogue, but the whole citie & suburbs, though containing as many particular parishes, asIn Ierusalē were 400. Sy­nagogues. Io­seph. Ierusalem did Synagogues; & in that sense (euen after the division of Parishes) is ordinarily vsed in the bestEuseb. hist. passim. Epiph. Epist. ad Ioan. Hie­ros. apud Hie­ronym. tom. 2. writers. One of the anciētCanon. A­post. 33. Canons, called the Apostles, appointeth euery Bishop to deale in those matters [...], whatsoeuer apper­taine to his own See, & the countries subiect vn­to it. Which Canon the council of Antioch re­citing, & calling it the anciēt canon of their fa­thers, explaneth in these wordes;Concil. Antioch. c. 9. For eue­ry Bishop ought to haue authority ouer his owne paroecia, & to haue care [...], of the whole region which is subiect to his citie, vsing [...] and [...] promiscuously.

These three points wherof hetherto I haue intreated, are of such euident and vndeniable truth, that Calvin, the first founder of the Presbyterian discipline, doth acknowledge the same. For, speaking of the discipline of the primitiue Church, whichInstit. lib. 4. ca. 4. §. 1. hee confes­seth was framed according to the worde of God, & scarcely had any thing differing ther­from; [Page 27] he saith:Calv. Instit. lib. 4. cap. 4. §. 2. Quibus ergo docendi &c. to whom the office of teaching was inioyned, all thē they named Presbyters. They, out of their num­ber chose one in euery citie, to whom they special­ly gaue the title of Bishop: ne ex aequalitate, vt fieri solet, dissidia nascerentur; least out of ae­quality, as vsually it happeneth, dissensions should arise. And some-what after, Habebant ergo, &c. Euery citie had their Colledge of Pres­byters, who were Pastors and Teachers. And a­gaine, To euery citie there was attributed a cer­taine region or country, which frō thence should receiue their Presbyters, & be reckned as part of that church. And yet againe: But if the coūtrey which was vnder his Bishopricke, were more large then that hee could sufficiently discharge all the offices of a Bishop in euery place: through the countrey, in certaine places, some Presby­ters were appointed, who in matters of lesse im­portance should bee the vicegerents of the Bi­shop. Such they called Chorepiscopi, because in the province they represented the Bishop.

Thus farre, that worthy seruaunt of Christ, Calvin: who though in these three thinges hee agreeth with vs, namely, that the Presby­teries consisted of Ministers, that the Chur­ches [Page 28] indued with power of Ecclesiasticall gouernment, were dioceses, and that Bishops vnder their charge, had both their cities and countries adioyning: yet I confesse, in the fourth point he differeth from vs, and as I am vndoubtedly perswaded, from the truth.

IN the 4.4. Bishops, superior to other Mini­sters, in de­gree. place therfore, wee are to intreat of the superioritie of Bishops ouer other Mi­nisters. For, although the presbyterians & we agree in this, that by divine institution, there was in the primitiue Church, and still ought to be one, set ouer the Presbyters: yet in diuers things they dissent from vs, and as I said, from the truth. First, in that they make the Bishop superior in order onely, & not de­gree. Secondly, in that they assigne a superi­oritie or presidentshippe vnto him for a short time, and that by course. Thirdly, in that they ascribe vnto him a prioritie onely of order, & not a majority of rule or power. And to this pupose, it pleaseth thē to distinguish Bishops into 3. sorts, divine, humane, divelish; acknow­ledging such onely, as they fancy, for divine. Howbeit, I must needs cōfesse, that reverend Beza, though an earnest patron of the presby­terian [Page 29] discipline, & one who came far short of Caluins moderation in this behalfe, notwith­standing he speaketh farre otherwise of our Bishoppes, then our men vse to doe.Beza de mi­nistr. euang. cap. 18. see▪ also cap 21. in fine. Quòd si nunc Anglicanae Ecclesiae, saith hee, &c. But if now the reformed English Churches do persist be­ing vpheld by the authoritie of their Bishoppes and Archbishops (as this hath happened vnto them in our memorie, that they haue had men of that order not onely famous martyrs of God, but [...]o most worthie Pastors and Doctors:) let England surely enioy that singular blessing of God, which I pray God may be perpetuall vnto it. And that wee may all say Amen to Beza his wish, I will shew you first in generall, that the Bishoppes or Angells of the primitiue Church, were superior, as wel as ours, in de­gree to other Ministers: and then more parti­cularly I will declare, wherein their superio­ritie did consist.

That Bishoppes were superiour to other Ministers in degree, all antiquitie with one consent (if you except Aërius, who for dissen­ting in this point was accounted an hereticke by Epiphanius and Augustine) doth acknow­ledge;Concil. fard. c. [...]3. distinguishing three [...] degrees of [Page 30] Ministers, Bishoppes, Presbyters, Deacons, aun­swerable to the high Priest, Priestes and Le­uits; making the Bishoppes to be the first de­gree, Presbyters the second,Aduers. Par­menian. libro 1. Quid com­memorem Laicos, qui tunc in ecclesia nulla fuerunt dignitate suf­fulti? quid mi­nistros pluri­mos? quid dia­conosintertio? quid presbyte­ros in secundo sacerdotio cō ­stitutos? ipsi apices & prin­cipes omnium aliqui episcopi illis tempori­bus, vt damno aeternae vitae istius incertae lucis mora [...] breuissi mas compararent, instrumenta diuinae legis impiè tradide­runt. & Deacons the third. So sayth Optatus, What should I menti­on the Deacons placed in the third, or the Pres­byters in the second Priesthood or Ministerie? the verie chiefe, & principes omnium Episcopi &c. and princes of all, the Bishoppes &c. Neither is any thing more vsuall in Councils and Fa­thers, then the distinction of ministers in [...] these three degrees.

Ignatius, who liued in the Apostles times, often mentioneth this distinction: as, ad smyrn. Ignat. ad smyrnenses. Let the Lay men be subiect to the Deacons, the Deacons to the Presbyters, the Presbyters to the Bishoppe, the Bishoppe to Christ: and ad Tarsens. Ad Tarsēs Presbyters submitte your selues to to the Bishoppe: Deacons to the Presbyters: the people to the Presbyters and Deacons. [...], my soule for theirs, who obserue this good order, and the Lord be alwayes with them. And again, Ad Phila­delph. [...]. Let the Presbyters, and the Deacons, and the rest of the [Page 31] Clergie together with all the people, be obedient to the Bishoppe, as their ruler; for so much is implied in the word.

And such was the difference betweene the degree of a Presbyter and of a Bishoppe, that when Eustathius the Bishoppe of Tyrus sought vpon secrete displeasure to disgrade certaine Bishoppes whom Photius had ordai­ned; the censure of the great Councill ofEx actis Concil. Chal­ced. de Photio & Eustathio. Chalcedon was this, [...]: to reduce a Bishop to the degree of a Presbyter, it is sacriledge. To omitte o­thers, let vs heare Ieromes confession, because he vsually is alledged as fauouring the here­sie of Aërius. Hyero [...]i [...]. ad Euagrium. At Alexandria (sayth hee) From Marke the Euangelist vnto Heraclas & Dionysius Bishoppes, euermore the Presbyters hauing chosen one from among themselues, and placed him in excelsiori gradu in a higher degree, called him Bishop, euē as an army maketh an Em­perour; & in the end of the same Epistle, That we may know, saith he, that the apostolicall tra­ditions are taken out of the old testament, looke what Aaron & his sonnes, and the Leuites were in the Temple, the same let the Bishops, Priests & Deacons challenge in the Church. [Page 30] [...] [Page 31] [...]

[Page 32] But let vs consider more particularly wherein the superioritie of Bishoppes did, and doth consist. Paule writingTit. 1. 5. to Titus, the Bishoppe of Creet, sayth, I left thee, that thou shouldest continue to redresse those thinges that are amisse, and that thou shouldest ordaine Presbyters in euerie Citie, as I appointed thee. From whence wee may gather a threefolde superioritie of Bishoppes; the first, Singula­ritie of preeminence, during life: I left thee, that thou sholdest &c. The second, the pow­er of ordination; that thou shouldest ordaine Presbyters: The third, the power of iurisdicti­on; that thou shouldest redresse &c. and this two­fold power not confined to a parish, but ex­tended to the whole Island of Creet, and to all the Cities thereof. From the first of these dependeth the vnitie, from the second the perpetuitie, from the third the eutaxy or good order of euerie Church.

As touching the first,Bishops, superior to other Mini­sters in singula­ritie of preemi­nence, during life. whereas there were many Presbyters in one Citie, (as in the time of Cornelius Epist. Cornel. apud Euseb. lib 6. c. 43. there were 46. in Rome;) yet there neither was nor might be, as hee there sayth, any more Bishops but one in a whole Diocesse, or as the holy Ghost here teacheth [Page 33] vs, but one Angell in a Church; one Timothe at Ephesus, one Titus in Creet, one Epaphrodi­tus in Philippi, one Archippus at Colossa &c. which is a truth that Councilles and Fathers with one consent doe testifie.Concil. Nicen. apud Ruffin. eccl. hist. lib. 10. c. 6. Ruffinus re­porteth this Canon out of the Coūcil of Nice, which indeed agreeth with the 8. Canō, Ne in [...] ciuitate duo sint Episcopi, that in one Citie there be not two Bishops. Hieronym. Chrysost. Ambros. Theodoret. Oecumen. In: Philipp. 1. Ierom writing on the first to the Philippiās saith, Here, by Bishops we vnderstand Presbyters, for in one Citie there could not be more Bishops then one: the like hath Hieronym. Chrysost. Ambros. Theodoret. Oecumen. In: Philipp. 1. Chrysostome, Ambrose, Theodoret, Oecume­nius, writing on the same place.

This, as it was ordained for the preserua­tion of the Church in vnitie, and for the auoi­ding of schisme; so is it for the same cause to bee retained. For whence, saith CyprianCypr. lib. 4. Epist. 9. haue schismes and heresies risen and doe rise, but whiles the Bishop, who is one and gouerneth the Church, by the proud presumption of some is cō ­temned; and the man, honoured by Gods accepta­tion of him as worthie, is iudged of vnworthie men?

The like hathHier. ad­uers. Luciferi­an. Ierome, who sayeth, that vnlesse this singularitie of preeminence [Page 34] bee yeelded to the bishoppe, tot in ecclesi [...] efficientur schismata, quot sacerdotes, there will bee so many schismes in the Churches as there bee Priestes. And in the place be­fore Ad Eua­g [...]ium. cited, hee sayeth, that the Pres­byters hauing elected One from among them­selues, and placed him in a higher degree, cal­led him a Bishoppe. And that wee should not thinke this to haue beene peculiar to Alexandria; elsewere, hee sayeth, after that euerie one sought to drawe disciples after him,In Tit. 1: toto orbe decretum est, vt vnus de Presbyteris electus superponeretur caeteris, ad quem omnis ecclesiae cura perti­neret: It was decreede in the whole worlde, that one beeing chosen from among the Pres­byters, should bee set ouer the rest in euery Church, vnto whom the whole care of that Church, or care of that whole Church, should ap­pertaine.

The Presbyterians also confesse, that by Gods ordinance there ought to be one set o­uer the rest: but that one, they say, was for a short time, as for a weeke or a Moneth, and that by course; this superiority being commō to all in their turns. And to this purpose they [Page 35] alleage the courses of the Priests, and the te­stimony ofIn Ephes. Ambrose. But, the courses of the Priests make nothing to this purpose. For though the seuerall orders of Priestes serued in their course; yet hee, who was chiefe of his order, kept his preeminence when their course was ended. And to their testimonie I aunswere: first, that the author of those com­mentaries is suspected. Secondly, that his testimony is false: for nothing is more euidēt, thē that bishoppes were elected to their pla­ces. Ierome, in the two last testimonies which I alledged, witnesseth the same. And lastly it is falsified by them who alleage it: for that au­thor speaketh not of a running regency to be changed euerie week or moneth; but of the succession of one bishop after the deceasse of another, according to their senioritie. Nei­ther can any thing be more euidently proued out of the monumēts of Antiquitie then this, that bishoppes continued their regency for term of life. Was notEuseb. lib. 3. 13. & 21. &c. Anianus bishop of A­lexandria 22. years, and Abilius after him 13. yeares, euen in the Apostles times? Likewise Iames at Ierusalem 30. yeares, and after him Simeon the sonne of Cleophas 3 [...]? Euodius [Page 34] [...] [Page 35] [...] [Page 36] at Antioch aboue 20. yeares, and Ignatius 40? Linus at Rome 12. yeares after the death of Peter and Paul, 22. in all? Anacletus 10. and odde monethes: Clemens, 9. Euaristus 8? and so throughout the succession of Bishoppes from the Apostles to the Councill of Nice, and so downeward? Notwithstanding if you will beleeue them, such Bishops as were for a weeke by course (for they suppose it was Hebdoma [...]ica [...]) must bee esteemed di­uine; though there cannot bee alleaged out of all antiquitie, either in the Apostles times or since, any one example of such. As for those who be for terme of life, they (forsooth) are but humane, though superiour onely in priority of order: but if superiour also in power or maioritie of rule; then are they, in their iudgement, worse then humane.

Let vs therefore see,B B. Superiour in power or maioritie of rule. if Bishops were not al­so superiour in power. Hearken to Ierom. Aduers. Luciferia [...]os. The safetie of the Church (saith he) dependeth on the dignitie of the chiefe Priest or Bishoppe: to whom if there be not giuen exors & ab omnibus [...]minens potestas, a peerelesse power, and emi­nent aboue all, there will be so many schismes in the Churches, as there be Priests.

[Page 37] This power is two-fold: the power of ordi­nation, and of iurisdiction. As touching the former: it hath been the receiued opinion in in the Church of God, euen frō the Apostles time vntill our age, that the right of ordinati­on of Presbyters, is such a peculiar preroga­tiue of Bishops, as that ordinarily, and regu­larly, there could bee no lawfull ordination, but by a Bishop.

At Ephesus, there were diuers Presbyters, Acts 20. and so no doubt in Creet▪ yet the A­postle for this cause substituteth Timothe at Ephesus, & Titus in Creet, that they might or­daine Elders by imposition of hands. Which authoritie, as it was not in the Presbyters be­fore their comming, but in the Apostles; so was it not at their deceasse deriued to thē, but to such as were successors of Timothe at Ephe­sus, and of Titus in Creet.

They object, 1. Tim. 4. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was giuen thee by pro­phecie, with imposition of hands of the Presbyte­rie. Vpon which place especially, they build the authoritie of their presbyteries. But with­out cause; this place admitting two expositi­ons, neither whereof doth fauour their pres­byterie. [Page 38] For first, Presbyterium heere may signifie, not the fenate, or company of Pres­byters, but the office of a Presbyter or priesthoode; in which sense the word is often vsed.

And so, not onely diuers in former times, as Ierome, Brimasius, Anselmus, Haymo, Lyra, but Culvin also expound it. Paul, saith Cal­vin Instit. lib. 4. cap. 3. in fine. in another place, saith, that he, and not any more, imposed hands on Timothe. 2. Tim. 1. 6. I admonish thee that thou stirre vp the grace which is in thee by imposition of my handes. For that, which in the other Epistle is said con­cerning the imposition of handes of the Presby­terie; I doe not so vnderstand, as if Paul did speake of the Colledge of Seniors: but vnder this name I vnderstand the ordination it selfe; as if hee should say, endevoure that the grace which by imposition of handes thou diddest re­ceiue vvhen I made thee Presbyter, be not in vaine.

Againe, though it should signifie a com­panie of Seniors; notwithstanding, this place is so farre from prooving either parishionall Presbyteries (which neuer were, or if they had beene, should not haue had authoritie to [Page 39] ordaine him, who was not to serue a parish) or lay presbyteries whatsoeuer, (whichCalv. lib. 4. c. 3 §. 16. hoc postrem [...] ha­bendū est, solos pastores manus imposuisse mi­nistris. And Be­za speaking of the worde [...] in his annot. quo nemine coetus omnis ille significaatur qui in verbo la­borabant. Calvin and Beza acknowledge to haue no right to impose handes) as that thoseChrysost. Theodor. Theophy. Oecumen. in. 1. Tim. 4. Fa­thers, who expound this place of a company of Elders, vnderstand, heere, the ordinati­on of Timothe to be a bishoppe by the impo­sition of their handes, who were either bi­shops, or more then bishoppes; the worde beeing heere, and elswhere, generally taken; as Beza also confesseth. Insomuch, that as the Apostles sometimes1. Pet. 5. 1. 2. Iohn. 1. and 3. Epist. 1. are called Pres­byteri, so Presbyterium heere may signifie a company of Apostles or apostolicke men; in which number2. Tim. 1. 6 Paule was one. For Pres­byters, as these Fathers say, might not or­daine a bishoppe.

Ne (que) enim sas erat, saithAmbr. in 1. Tim. 3. Ambrose, ne (que) decebat, for neither was it lawful, nor decēt, that the inferiour should ordaine the superior: For no man giueth what hee hath not receiued. And without all cōtradiction, saith theHeb. 7. 7. Apostle, the greater blesseth the lesse, and not contrari­wise, namely, ex aut horitate.

Yea, but the Coūc. of Carth. say they, cōmit­teth authority of imposing handes to Presbyters.

[Page 40] The words of the Canon are these:Concil. Carth. 4. c. 3. Whē a Presbyter or Priest is ordained, the Bishoppe blessing him, or holding his hand vpon his heade, let all the Presbyters also which be present, holde their hands vpon his head, by the Bishops hand. Where, we plainly see the power of ordinati­on to be ascribed to the Bishop, & the Pres­byters hands to be adjoyned (as with vs) not for necessitie, but for the greater solemnity of the action, and the better encouragment of the partie ordained, hauing the consent and approbation of more then one. Otherwise, the perpetuall consent of the church of God, appropriateth the ordinarie right of ordina­tion to the Bishop alone; the Councils & Fa­thers speaking of the Ordainer, as of one: As, Concil. Antioch. c. 9. Euery Bishop, within his own diocese, may or­daine Presbyters and Deacons. Canon A­post. 2. [...], let a Presbyter be or­dained of one Bishop. Concil. Carth. 3. c. 45. et Africā. c. 22 By one Bishop, many Presbyters may be ordained. Concil. Hispal. 2. c 6. A Bishop a­lone may giue to Priests and Deacons their ho­nour: but he alone cannot take it from them.

As for Presbyters, they are by Councils forbidden to ordaine: and if at any time they presumed so to do, (there being thē no want [Page 41] of orthodoxall Bishops) their ordination was repealed and iudged of none effect. Because Colluthus Athanasi. apol. 2. contra Arian. in epist. presbyt. et diac. Mareotic. ad Curios. et Phi­lagr. praefect. Agypti. was not a true, but an imaginarie Bishop, not onely himself was commanded in a general coūcil to cary himself as a Presbyter: but Ischyras also and others, who by him had been ordained Presbyters, were returned to their former order. Likewise the coūcil ofCōcil. Cō ­stan. 1. c. 6. Constantinople, iudging Maximus to haue bin no lawful Bishop, iudged also the ministers by him ordained, vnlawfull. Yea the Chorepiscopi themselues, sometimes wereConcil. Antioch c. 10. restrained, & somtimes forbiddenConcil. Ancyr. c. 12. Damas. epist. 4. Leo, epist. 88. altogether, to ordain Presbyters or Deacons. Nay further we read, that whē a certaine Bishop in the ordination of a Presbyter and two Deacons imposed his hands on them, and vsed the helpe of a Presbyter, onely to read the words of conse­cration and to blesse them, himselfe oculorum dolore derentus, beeing not able to reade for the paine of his eyes: the councill ofConcil Hi­spal. 2. ca. 5. Hispalis re­versed the ordination as vnlawfull.

And this is one principall reason whereby Epiph. hae­res. 75. Epiphanius prooueth against Aërius the heretick, that the office of a Bishop is a higher degree then that of Presbyters, [...], [Page 40] [...] [Page 41] [...] [Page 42] for the functiō of Bishops, is an order generatiue of fathers; for it begets fathers to the church: vvheras the order of presbyters, being not able to beget fathers; by the laver of re­generation, begetteth children to the church, not fathers, or teachers. And this is so clear a case, that bishops only, in the iudgement of the fa­thers, haue right of ordaining Ministers regu­larly; as that Ierome himselfe, euen where and when hee seeketh to advance the presbyters as high as he can aboue the deacons, doth cō ­fesse ordination to be peculiar to bishops.Ad Evagr. Quid facit excepta ordinatione Episcopus, quod presbyter nō faciat? what doth a bishop excepting ordinatiō, which a presbyter may not do? Where, you are not to vnderstand him, or other or the Fathers, speaking somtime to the likeChrysost. hom. 11. in 1. Tim. episco­pi sola ordina­tione superio­res sunt, at (que) hoc tantū plus­quam presby­teri [...]abere vi­dentur. purpose, as though the bishop were not supe­rior in any thing els: but that potestate ordinis, as touching power of order, he is superior one­ly in ordination. For, that he is superior pote­state jurisdictionis, in power of iurisdiction, they euery where acknowledge.

Thus haue I reported the iudgement of the anciēt church, ascribing the ordinary right of ordination to bishops: But yet, not so appro­priating it vnto them, as that extraordinarily, [Page 43] and in case of necessity, it might not be lawful for presbyters to ordaine; & much lesse tea­ching (as the Papists imagin) absolutely a nul­lity in the ordination which is not performed by a bishop. For suppose a churchThe state of some refor­med churches. either al­together destitute of a bishoppe, or pestered with such as the popish prelats are, heretical & idolatrous, by whō no orthodoxall Ministers might hope to be ordained; wee neede not doubt, but that the ancient Fathers would, in such a case of necessity, haue allowed ordina­tion without a bishop, though not as regular, according to the rules of ordinary church gouernment; yet, as effectual, & as iustifiable, in the want of a bishop. For, seeing the Coūc. of Conc. An­tioch. c. 10. Antioch, permitted the licēsed Chorepisco­pi, who were but presbyters, to ordain presby­ters & deacons in the country, in the local ab­sence of the bishop, to whom with a litle more paines they might haue repaired: how much more would they haue allowed the same to a company of graue & learned Ministers in the totall want of a bishoppe? Yea, doth not the church of Rome, in her practice allow Chore­piscopos or Suffragans to ordaine? & haue not some learnedSee D. Field. de eccle­sia. lib. 3. ca. 39. men among them (in their iudgement) approued the ordination, not of [Page 44] priests alone, but of Bishops performed by Presbyters, where no Bishops are to be had? Yea, suppose that the right of ordinatiō doth belong to the power of th' episcopall order: yet I am sure the begetting of fathers to the church by ordination, doth no more belong to the power of order in Bishoppes, then the begetting of children to the church by Bap­tisme, to the power of order in all Ministers. Yet, in the case of supposed necessity, in the absence of their priests, not onely other men, but women also, among them are permitted to baptise. The truth is, where Ministers may be had, none but Ministers ought to baptise: and where bishops may be had, none but bi­shops ought to ordaine. But though neither ought to be done; yet beeing done, the for­mer, by other christians in the want of a Mi­nister, the latter, by other Ministers, in the defect of a bishoppe, as the one in the iudge­ment of the fathers is of force, the church re­ceiuing the partie baptized into the commu­nion of the faithfull; so also the other, the church admitting the party ordained as a lawfull Minister. Thus much by the way, to prevent popish cavills.

[Page 45] Now am I to shewe, that the Bishop is su­periour also in the power of jurisdiction. The Presbyters indeede doe gouerne, but the people onely of their particular flocke; and that not [...]ot in an outward court, but in the Court of the conscience. in foro externo, but in foro conscien­tiae, [...]eeding and guiding them by the mini­sterie of the word and sacraments, and by watching ouer them. And that pastoral authoritie which they haue, is delegated and com­mitted vnto them by the Bishop; vnto whom the care of the whole Church, asIn Tit. 1. Ierome saith, doth belong. But the Bishoppe doth gouerne also in foro externo, not one particu­lar flocke, but the whole diocese; and not the people onely, but the Presbyters also, ha­uing authoritie both to direct, & also to cor­rect them. And that authoritie is deriued vn­to them from the Apostles, as to their succes­sours in the gouernement of the Church. For which cause, as wee shall heare anon, Bishops at the first were called Apostles. For, as Ierome Hieronym ad Marcella [...]. aduers. Mon­tan. saith, Apud nos, that is, in the true Church, Bishoppes doe hold the place of the Apostles. And Irenaeus Irenaeus. lib. 3. c. 3. testifieth that the Apostles left the Bishops their successours, deliuering vnto thē their owne place of gouernement.

[Page 46] I shal not neede to proue their authoritie ouer the people of their diocese, if I de­monstrate their rule ouer the presbyters thereof.

Consider therefore the Presbyters, either as they were parts of the Presbyterie assisting the Bishoppe; or as Pastors, seuered from the Bishop, and allotted to their seuerall charges. As touching the former; it is euident, that the Bishops had not onely a prioritie of order, ouer the seuerall Presbyters; but a majoritie of rule, ouer them all. ForAduers. Luciferianos. Ierome (as you heard) yeeldeth to the Bishop a peerless pow­er and eminent ouer all, or as the word exors may signifie, admitting no partener. Like­wise Ignatius that holy martyr, who for many years was Bishop of Antioch in Saint Iohns time, [...] saith he,Ignat. ad Trallian. [...]; What is a Bishoppe else, but such an one as holdeth or menageth the whole power and authoritie aboue all? And wri­ting, a little before his Martyrdome, to the Presbyters of Antioch, where himselfe was Bishoppe, [...] sayth hee,Idem ad Antioch. [...]. You Presbyters feed the flocke which is a­mong [Page 47] you, vntill God shall declare who shall be your gouernour; for I am euen now to bee sacrificed, that I may gaine Christ. And in di­uerse of hisAd Smyr­nens. ad Tar­sens. ad Phi­ladelph. Epistles (as you heard before) hee exhorteth the Presbyters to bee subiect and obedient to their Bishop.

Now, the Presbyters were subiect to their Bishop, both as to their Ruler, to be guided and directed by him; and also as their iudge, to bee censured and corrected of him. For by auncient Canons, and Councils, the pres­byters might not doe any thing of impor­tance, without the direction of their Bishop. Let Presbyters and Deacons doe nothing sayth the auncient Canon,Canon apost. 40. [...] without the sentence or appointment of the Bi­shop. The first CouncillConcil. Arelatens. 1. c. 19. of Ar [...]es likewise decreede, vt presbyteri sine conscientia episco­porum nihil faciant: and to the like purpose the Councill ofConcil. Ancyr. c. 12. Ancyra. As touching Bap­tisme, Tertull. de Baptismo. Tertullian sayth, The chiefe Priest, which is the Bishop, hath the right of giuing bap­tisme: then, the Presbyters & the Deacons, but yet not without the authority of the bishop for the honor of the church; which being safe, peace is safe: & for the cōmunion;Cypr. lib. 3. Epist. 14. Cypryā findeth fault [Page 48] with the Presbyters of Carthage, where hee was Bishoppe, that they not regarding pro­positum sibi episcopum, the Bishoppe set ouer them, had receiued some to the communion who had fallen in time of persecution, with­out warrant from him, though absent. In a word, Let no man, sayth Ignatius Ignat. ad smyrn. doe a­ny thing appertaining to the Church, without the Bishoppe: and more particularly hee sayth,Ibid. that the administration of the Eucharist is then to bee esteemed firme and good, when it is done ei­ther by the Bishop, or by him whome the Bishoppe hath authorized.

But as the Bishoppes had authoritie to guide and direct, so also to censure and cor­rect the Presbyters. For proofe wherof, what should I tell you ofCypr. lib 3. Epist. 9. Cyprian, partly assu­ring Rogatianus a Bishop (who in modesty, hauing been reproched of his Deacon, com­plained to his fellow Bishoppes) that pro epis­copatus vigore & cathedrae authoritate, for the vigour of his Bishopricke, and authoritie of his chaire, hee had power to reuenge his owne cause: and partly aduising him, if the Deacon did persist, hee should either depose or sus­pend him? OfAduers. Vi­gilantium ad Riparium. Ierome, maruelling that [Page 49] the Bishoppe of the Church, where Vigilan­tius was Presbyter, did not virga apostolica, with the Apostolicke, and with an iron rodde, breake that vnprofitable vessell, and deliuer him vnto the destructiō of his flesh, that his spi­rit might be safe? Doth not the scripture te­stifie the same, when the Angel of the Church ofApoc. 2. 2. Ephesus is commended for examining & not suffering those which said they were Apostles and were not? and contrariwise the Angel of Ap. 2. 20. Thyatira reproued for suffering the tea­chers of the Nicolaitan heresie, who are com­pared sometimes to Balaam, and sometimes to Iezabell, because they perswaded to forni­cation & Idolatry? But most plainly doth Paul attribute to Timothe and Titus (who, as after­wards we shal proue, were Bishops) this epis­copall power, whereof we speake: to them a­lone & their successors, doth he direct his in­junctions for the execution of that power; & on thē he laies the whole charge. For this cause I left thee in Creet, Tit. 1. 5. sayth hee to Titus, that thou shouldest [...] reforme and correct what is defectiue or amisse, and shouldest ordain Presbyters in euerie Citie, as I appointed thee. And to Timothe, I requested thee 1. Tim. 1. 3. sayth he, [Page 50] to abide still in Ephesus, that thou mayst com­maūd some that they do not [...] teach strange doctrine:1. Tim. 5. 22.lay not thou hands hastilie on no man, neither be thou partaker of other mēs sinnes, keepe thy selfe pure.1. Tim. 5. 19. 20.Against a Pres­byter receiue not thou an accusation, but vnder two or three witnesses; them that sinne rebuke o­penly, &c. On which words,Haeres. 75.Epiphanius in­ferreth against Aërius, therefore Presbyters are subiect to the Bishop, as to their iudge; and ther­fore as to their superiour. Now followeth the charge:1. Tim. 5. 21. &c. 6. 14.I charge thee before God, and the lord Iesus Christ, and the elect Angels, that thou ob­serue these things without preiudice, and without partialitie.

But consider also the Presbyters, as seue­red in place from the Bishop, and affixed to their seueral cures: First, in the Citie, and then in the Country. For as in the City, the Bishop, to whom, asIn Tit. 1 Ierome saith, the whole care of the Church did appertaine, distinguished the parishes, and assigned a Presbyter to euery of them: so in the Countrey, when the townes & villages were conuerted (which was effe­cted by the Bishop of the Citie & his presby­tery.) they had their presbytersHere note by the way▪ that presbyters first were ordained (as diuines be in our vniuersi­ties) to the na­tionall or dio­cesan Church (where they li­ued) in com­mon, before they were assig­ned to their peculiar titles or cures. by the Bi­shop [Page 51] appointed vnto them: & when any place was void, the Bishop out of his presbytery, or if he could not, the Metropolitan supplied it. These presbyters, as I said before, might doe nothing but by authority frō the bishop, or as the ancient council ofConcil. Ancyr. c. 12. Ancyra speaketh, si­ne authoritate literarū eius, without the authori­tie of his Letters. Nay, they might not so much as trauel frō place to place, and much lesse re­moue from one cure to another, without the Bishopslicence. To his iurisdictiō & censures they were subiect: for to him they were accu­sed; being accused, by him they were conuen­ted, and examined; being faulty, by him they wereConcil. Ni­cen. c. 5. Car­thag. 2. c. 8. & alijs. censured, according to the qualitie of their offence; by reproofe, putting to si­lence, suspension, depriuation, excommuni­cation.

To conclude, the pastors of seuerall parishes either had assistants to restrain them, or they were subiect to the bishop, or they ruled a­lone without cōtrolement, neither subiect to Bishop, nor restrained by assistants. But this last is absurde: for that had been to set vp a Pope in euery parish, and to make as manie schismes as there were parishes. Associates [Page 52] of lay Presbyters in euerie parish they neuer had, nor yet haue in those Countreyes where Presbyters be erected. For there is but one Presbyterie in the Church of Geneua, for all the parishes in the Citie, and territory thereto belonging: and in all Scotland, where be some thousands of parishes, there bee scarce halfe a hundred presbyteries. To haue a Presbyte­rie of ministers to assist the pastor in euerie parish, it neither was, nor is possible. It re­maineth therefore, that the Ministers of seue­rall parishes euer were, and still ought to be, subiect to the bishoppe; whose pastoral care extended it selfe to all euen the remotest pa­rishes in his Diocese, to see them furnished with sufficient Ministers, to prouide that they were soundly taught, and discreetly guided, to reforme abuses notified vnto him, to sup­presse schismes, to decide controuersies, to exercise Church-censures against offen­ders, &c.

Thus then you haue heard, that the An­gels or Bishoppes of the Primitiue Church were, for the substance of their calling, such as our bishops are; that is to say, Diocesan and prouinciall bishoppes, being superiour in de­gree [Page 53] to other Ministers, and hauing a singula­ritie of preeminence for terme of life, and a peerelesse power both of ordination and iu­risdiction. For, as for titles of honour, which in our church are giuen to bishops; sure it is, they are inferiour to those which the holie Ghost assigneth vnto thē in this place. Nei­ther should we thinke much, that they, in re­spect of their honourable calling, are termed Lords (a title in Scriptures giuen not onely Gen. 31. 35 Let not my Lord be angry, saith Rabel to her father. to naturall, but also, and that more woor­thily, to spirituall1. King. 18. 7. 13. Art not thou my Lord Eliah? and, was it not told my Lord, saith re­ligious Oba­diah. fathers) when the holy Ghost termeth them Angels of the churches. Not that Bishops may behaue themselues as 1. Pet. 5. LL. of the churches; but that they being angels, & spiritual fathers, to whō, a paternal and pastoral authority is committed ouer the churches, may worthily be honored with the title of Lords. Neither is there such great dif­ference between Master & Lord, that inferior Ministers, which assume to themselues the ti­tle of Master, should deny the title of Lord to Bishops. Neither doth it follow, that Bishops are Lords of the churches, or they masters of the churches, because the titles of Lords are attributed to Bishops, and Masters to them.

[Page 54] IT remaineth,5. The qua­lity of the episcopall function. that I should demonstrate not onely the lawfulnes of the Bishops cal­ling, but also the excellencie, and dignitie thereof, in that they are heere called starres and angels. But to intreat of the excellencie, it shall not be needfull, if we be perswaded of the lawfulnes. For if the function of all Mini­sters in generall, be (as I haue else-whereIn 1. Tim. 3. 1. manifestly prooued) honourable, and they, in regard of their calling, are to be1. Tim. 5. 17. esteemed worthy of double honour; then much more the office of Bishops, who are the chiefe and principall Ministers, is a worthy or excellent worke. If euery Minister in a diocese is to be honored in regard of his calling; much more that one, who in a place of singular preemi­nence is set ouer the rest. And if a worthy mi­nister be among men as one of a thousand, as Elih [...] Iob. 33. 23. speaketh; vndoubtedly a worthy bi­shop is as one of a million. If it be an honor to beget children to the church, as all ministers do, by the ministery of the Gospell, & by the laver of regeneratiō; much more to beget fa­thers to the church, as bishops do, by ordina­tion. If it be a great honour to be set ouer the people of one particular flock; what is it to be [Page 55] set ouer not onely the people, but the Pastors also of many flocks, as a chiefe steward ouer Gods family, as a principall spirituall Gouer­nour of his body, which is his church, as a sin­gular successour (as touching ordination and jurisdiction) in euery church, of the glorious Apostles of Christ.

All the question now adaies is of the lawful­nes. For those, who vnderstanding the words of the Apostle, 1. Tim. 3. 1. (that the office of a bishop is [...]) of the ministery in gene­ral, acknowledge it to be both good & excel­lent; they are so far from granting [...], the office of a bishop, properly vnderstood of those, whom the church of God, euer since th' Apo­stles times, hath peculiarly termed Bishops, to be excellent, that they do not acknowledge it to be good. Yea, they are so far from acknow­ledging it to be good, that they thinke it nei­ther lawful, nor indifferent, nor tolerable.

I will therefore shew that the function of Bi­shops is lawful and good, in that they haue di­vine both institution, being Angels (and ther­fore sent of God) & approbation, being stars, which Christ holdeth in his right hand. And this I will prooue, first, by consequence; and [Page 56] then directly.The function episcopall, an apostolicall and divine or­dinance. For, what function or gouern­ment is of apostolicall institution, that is to bee acknowledged a divine ordinance, in respect of the first institution; as hauing GOD the au­thor thereof: the episcopall function, or gouern­mēt by bishops, is of apostolicall institution: ther­fore the episcopal function is a divine ordinance.

The proposition is of vndoubted truth, and is so acknowledged by Beza. Surely, saith he,De grad. Ministr. c. 23. if it proceeded from the Apostles, I would be bold to ascribe it wholly, as al other apostolical ordinances, to the institution of God.

The assumption I will proue by three argu­ments: in which I will proceede as it were by degrees. 1. That gouernment which was gene­rally and perpetually vsed in all Christian chur­ches in the first three hundred yeres after Christ, and his Apostles, and not ordayned by generall councils, was vndoubtedly of apostolicall insti­tution. This proposition, besides that it is Augustines rule, is also of manifest truth. That which the whole church obserueth, saithDe baptis. contra Dona­tist. l. 4. c. 24. quod vniuersa tenet ecclesia, nec cōcilijs in­stitutū, sed sem­per retentū est, non nisi autho­ritate apostoli­ca traditū rec­tissimè credi­tur. Au­gustine, and was not instituted by Councills, but alwaies retayned, it is very rightly belieued to haue beene ordained no otherwise but by the au­thority of the Apostles. And againe, to dispute [Page 57] whether Aug. ep. 118 that which the whole primitiue church throughout the world obserueth, is to be done or not, insolentissimae insan [...]ae est, it is most insolent madnesse. For, can it enter into the heart of a modest and charitable Christian, to imagine, that all the godly learned Fathers, whereof many had liued and conversed with the Apostles, all the famous Confessors, and glorious Martyrs of the primitiue Church, all those pure & orthodoxall churches, planted by the Apostles, did all with one consent, im­mediatly after the deceasse of the Apostles, cōspire to abolish that forme of gouernmēt, which the Apostles had established, and (as these men vse to aggravate the matter) to turne Christ out of his kingdome? Or if wee could find in our harts to thinke they were so vngodly (which be it far from vs once to ima­gine:) yet how is it possible, that al christians, in all places, so far distant one from another, should suddainly, & at once, jumpe, not one­ly in abolishing the Apostolical gouernment, but also in setting vp in all places throughout the Christian world, one vniforme gouern­ment, which they had not receiued from the Apostles? Therefore this proposition also, is [Page 58] of infallible truth.

I will therefore adde th' assumption. But the gouernment of the churches, by such Bishops as I haue spoken of, was generally and perpetually v­sed in all Christian churches, in the first three hundred yeeres after Christ and his Apostles, & not ordained by any generall Councill.

That it was so vsed, appeareth first by that which hath been said: when I shewed that the Angels or Bb. in the primitiue Church, were diocesan Bb. superior in degree to other Mi­nisters, hauing singularity of preeminence during life, and majority of power, in respect both of ordination, and also iurisdiction.

Secondly, by the confession of Ierome, who saithHier. in Tit. 1. when factions began in the church, toto orbe decretum, it was decreed in the whole world, that one elected from the rest of the Pres­byters, should bee set ouer the rest, viz. in euery church, vnto whom the whole care of that church should appertaine, and that the seeds of schismes might be taken away. And in another place, he saithIn Psal. 44. that the church when th' apostles de­ceassed, in stead of them who had bin fathers, had her children, that is, bishops, who should become Princes or Gouernors in all Lands. [Page 59] In omnibus finibus mundi (saith hee) principes ecclesiae. i. episcopi constituti sunt: In all the ends of the world, the princes of the church, that is, Bishops, were ordained or established.

Thirdly, by the testimonies of Councils, histories, and Fathers, who with one consent giue testimony to this gouernment. Neither can any one pregnant testimony of any sound writer, or example of any one orthodoxal or apostolicall church, be produced to the con­trary. Fourthly, the successions of Bb. in all the most famous churches, deduced from the Apostles times to the council of Nice, do yet remaine vpon record in theEus [...]. passim Epiph. haer. 66. Iraeneus and Tertullian doe proue the deri­uation of the orthodoxall doctrine from the Apostles, by a continuall succession of Bishops in the churches, tea­ching the same truth. Irae. lib. [...]. c. 3. Tertul. de praescrip. histories & o­ther monumēts of best credit. Neither is any thing objected against this succession, which I hold worth the mentioning. Verily, to a mo­derate christian, this might seeme a sufficient cōmendation of the episcopal functiō, thogh no more could be said to iustifie it; that in the best times of the primitiue church, it was borne of so many thousand godly & learned Bb. receiued in al true churches, approued of al the orthodoxall & learned Fathers, allowed & cōmended of all the famous councils. Al­lowed I say, & cōmended, but not first orday­ned [Page 60] by Councils. For, the most ancient pro­vinciall Councils, consisted chiefely of such Bishops, assembled & guided by the Metro­politanes. And the councill of Nice, which was the first generall councill (for vntill the time of Constantine, there was no meanes for assembling a Councill generall) is so far from first ordayning Bishoppes, as not onely that Councill consisted of such bishops, but also it speaketh of Metropolitanes, as being long before in vse; yea, and ratifieth the ancient custome (for so it saithConcil. Nic. ca. 6. [...]) of subjecting diuerse prouinces to the Patri­arches or Archbishops of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, and confirmethCap. 7. the next place of honour (according to the ancient custome) to the bishop of Ierusalem.

Therefore the gouernment of the Churches by such Bishops, as I haue spoken of, was vndoub­tedlie of apostolicall institution.

Againe, that gouernment which no where was in vse in the first three hundred yeeres, is not of Apostolicall institution:

The gouernement of the Churches, by a paritie of Ministers, and assistance of Lay-Elders in euery parish, was no where in vse [Page 61] in the first three hundred yeares. Therefore it is not Apostolicall institution.

Now I proceede to the second degree, as­cending to the Apostles times, from whence in the second place I argue thus:

That gouernement which euen in the Apo­stles 2 times was vsed in the Apostolicall Churches, and was not contradicted by them, was vndoubtedly of apostolicall institution. This I take for graun­ted.

The gouernement by Bishoppes was vsed euen in the Apostles times, and not contradicted by them. This I proue, both by Scripture, and by other euidence. The seauen Angels were the Bishoppes of the seauen Churches as all confesse, and for the substance of their cal­ling like to ours, as I haue prooued. Besides, it is wel knowen, that the Angel of the church of Smyrna, to whome the second Epistle is directed, was Polycarpus Bulling. in Apoc. conc. 9. noteth that Polycarpe was made Bishop of Smyrna, 13. yeares before the reuelation was giuen, and so hee continu­ed for many yeares after. that renow­ned Martyr, of whom the Church of Smyr­na that then was, writethEuseb. lib. 4 c. 15. thus in an E­pistle yet extant in Eusebius: Of which elect (say they) this Polycarpe was one in our times, an Apostolicall and propheticall Do­ctor [Page 62] [...] hauing beene the Bishoppe of the Catholike Church in Smyrna. And it may well bee sup­posed, that the Angell of the Church at E­phesus, to whom the first Epistle is directed, was Onesimus. For when Ignatius wrote his Epistles, hee testifieth,Ignat. ad Ephes. & ad Antioch. that at that time, Onesimus was Bishoppe of Ephesus. Nowe hee wrote, while Clemens was Bishoppe of Rome; as appeareth by his firstIgnat. ad Mariam Cas­sob. Epistle: That is to say; betweene the 90. yeare of our Lord and 99. in the middest of which time the Reuelation was giuen. And that wee should not thinke that Testimonie counterfeit and falsely fathered on Ignatius, who was Bishoppe of Antioch at the same time: Eusebius also alledgeth it out of the same Epistle. Ignatius, sayth hee,Euseb. lib. 3. c. 35. being at Smyrna where Polycarpus was, hee writeth one Epistle to the Church of Ephesus, mentio­ning their pastor Onesimus.

Moreouer it is euident, that from these seauen Angels, a succession of Bishoppes was continued in all those seauen Churches, vntil the Councill of Nice, and long after: for both to that council, and to diuerse others follow­ing, [Page 63] the Bishops of those seauen ChurchesVide sub­scriptiones Concil. Nice­ni; Ephesini interact. Chal­ced; Chalcedo­nensis, & Con­stantinop. 6. subscribed their names: As, to to the Councill of Nice, Menophantes bishop of Ephesus, Arte­midorus of Sardis, Eutychius of Smyrna, &c. to the council of Chalcedon, Stephanus B. of Ephe­sus, Florentius of Sardis &c. Again, it is with great consent testified byIrenaeus. Eusebius. Epiphanius. Augustine, &c. Authors of best credite in the Church of God, that in the A­postles time (reckoning vntill the death of S. Iohn: that is to the yeare of our Lord, 101, or 102), there were not onely Bishops, but also a succession of Bishops in diuerse Churches. As, at Rome these were bishops successiuely in the Apostles time;Irenaeus. lib. 3. c. 3. Euseb. lib. 3. c. 2. & 4. & capp. 13. 14. 34. Linus, Anacletus, Cle­mens, and about the yeare 99. Euaristus.

At Ierusalem Euseb. lib. 2. c. 23. & l. 3. c. 11. Iames the iust, and Simeon the sonne of Cleophas.

At Antioch, Ignat. ad Antioch. Eu­seb. 3. 22. Euodius and Ignatius.

At Alexandria, Euseb. l. 2. c. 24 & l. 3. c. 13. Saint Marke, Anianus, Ab [...]ius, Cerdo.

Neither were they contradicted by the A­postles, but approued by them: As, these An­gelles of the seauen Churches, in respect of their function approoued by Saint Iohn, or rather by our Sauiour Christ. Epaphrodi­tus, the Apostle or Bishoppe of the Philippi­ans, [Page 64] (who therefore is not mentioned in the inscription, because that Epistle was sent by him) commended by Paule as hisPhil. 2. 25. [...] copartner both in his fun­ction and in affliction, and the Philippians Phil. 2. 29. [...]. commanded to haue in honour such. Iames the iust, Bishoppe of Ierusalem, generally ap­proued, Act. 15. See the Gene­ua note on Act 21. 18. Act. 15. and 21. Gal. 1. 19. Ar­chippus the Bishoppe of Colossa, in respect of his function,Colos. 4. 17 approued of Paul Coloss. 4. 17. Antipas, Apoc. 2. 13. who had beene Bishoppe of Pergamus (as Arethas reporteth) highly commended by the holy Ghost. Apoc. 2. 13.

Hereunto adde the confession of Ierome, In Tit. 1. that when factions began to arise in the Church, some saying I am of Paul, I am of A­pollos, I am of 1. Cor. 1. Cephas, (which was in the Apostles times, 1. Cor. 1.) it was decreed in the whole world (and therefore by the Apo­stles; for Ierome himselfe calleth the epis­copall function,Ad Euagr. a tradition Apostolicall) that one being chosen from among the Presby­ters, should bee set ouer the rest, &c. Hee also confesseth,Catalog. script. that Iames the iust, shortly af­ter the passion of Christ, was made Bishoppe [Page 65] of Ierusalem. And that at Alexandria, euen fromAd Euagr. Saint Marke (who died fiue or sixe years before Peter and Paul, and after whom there was a succession of three more in the Bishoprick, during the Apostles time) there had been Bishops chosen successiuely. And least we should thinke, as some doe, that the words, A Marco, are vnderstood exclusiuely, as though Marke himselfe had not beene Bi­shippe of Alexandria; Ierome telleth vs else­where, Prooem. in Matth. Marcus interpres Apos. Petri, & Alex­andrinae Eccle­siae primus Episcopus. that Mark was the first Bishop of the Church at Alexandria.

Seeing therfore godly and worthie Bishops were ordained in the Apostolicall Churches in the Apostles times, & they not oppugned, but approued of the Apostles; it followeth therefore, that the gouernement of the chur­ches by Bishops, is of Apostolicall institutiō.

But yet I proceed to a further degree. Which 3 is, to proue that the Apostles thēselues ordai­ned bishops, & cōmitted the Churches vnto thē; & therfore that the episcopal function, is without questiō of Apostical institution. The Antecedent is to be explained & proued, by shewing the time when, the places where, the persōs whom, the Apostles ordained bishops.

[Page 66] As concerning the time, there is some dif­ference betweene the Church of Ierusalem, and the rest. For there, because shortly af­ter Christes passion, a great number were conuerted to the faith (for weeActs. 2. 41. & 4. 4. reade of 3000. conuerted in one day:) and because that was the mother Church, vnto which Christians from all partes were afterwards to haue recourse; the Apostles before their dis­persion, Statim post passionem domini, straight­wayes after the passion of our Lord, ordained Iames the iust, Bishoppe of Ierusalem, as le­rome Catelog. scriptorum. testifieth.Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 23. [...]. Eusebius reporteth out of Hegesippus, who was neere the Apostles times (as Ierome saith) that to Iames our Lords brother, the throne of the Bishopricke at Ieru­salem was committed by the Apostles. Likewise Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 1. out of Clemens Alexandrinus, hypotopos. 6. that Peter, Iames and Iohn, after the ascension of our Sauiour, did choose Iames the iust, Bi­shoppe of Ierusalem. The same is testified by Epiphanius Epiphan. haeres. 66. haeres. 66. where also hee set­teth downe the succession of the Bishoppes of Ierusalem from Iames, to his time. Byhomil. 3. & 33. in initio. Chrysostome on the Acts. ByAmbros. in Galat. 1. 19. Ambrose on the Epistle to the Galathians, Paule [Page 67] sawe Iames at Ierusalem, because there hee had beene ordained Bishoppe by the Apostles. By Eusebius Euseb. lib. 3. c. 5. & Chronic. Anno 33. himselfe, byDoroth. in synops. Dorotheus, by Aug. contra [...]resconium. l. 2. c. 37. in order, not in degree. Augustine, &c.

If any obiect (as somede gradib. ministr. c. 23. haue done) that Iames was ordine, but not gradu, superi­our to the Presbyters of the Church at Ieru­salem, or that hee was (according to their conceipt) president of the presbyterie for a short time, and that onely in his course: they must remember, that he was an Apostle, and his honour and degree by his Bishoprick not impaired. Yea, Eusebius reporteth out of Cle­mens Alexandr. Euse. l. 2. c. 1 [...]. that Peter, Iames and Iohn after the ascension of Christ our Sauiour, though the Lorde had vouchsafed them some preroga­tiue of honour, yet they would not arrogate to themselues that glorie, but chose Iames the iust to bee Bishoppe of Ierusalem. And good AuthorsEuseb. lib. 3. c. 11. & 4. c. 22. ex Hegesippo. testifie, that both hee, and his suc­cessour Simon, the sonne of Cleophas, were by the Apostles preferred to that place, because they were our Sauiour Christs kinsmen accor­ding to the flesh.

What then? was he superiour to the rest of [Page 68] the Apostles? In degree he was not; but in or­der he was, when and whilest they were at Ie­rusalem, after his election, as appeareth Act. 15. howbeit their purpose in making him Bi­shop, was not to set him ouer themselues, but ouer the presbyters & people of Ierusalem. For indeed the Apostles first ioyntly ruled the Church at Ierusalē; but being to goe into all the world, & no longer to be accounted mē ­bers of that particular church, ordained Iames to be bishop: & that charge which before they had in common, they now committed to him in particular. And this is that which Ierome ci­teth out of Hegesippus. Hegesippus (saith hee) Catalog. scriptor. in Ia­cob. who was neere the Apostles times, in the fift book of his cōmentaries speaking of Iames, sayth, Suscepit Ecclesiā Hiero solymae post apostolos fra­ter Domini Iacobus, cognomento Iustus. Iames the brother of our Lord, sirnamed Iustus, receiued or vndertooke the Church of Ierusalem after the Apostles.

For the other point: (to omitte his con­tinuance at Ierusalem, as the superintēdent of that Church testified by theAct. 15. Act. 21. Gal. 1. scriptures) the same authors which say hee was Bishoppe, doe also testifie that hee continued so vntill [Page 69] his death.Catalog. script. in Iacob. Thirty yeeres, saith Ierome, rexit he ruled the Church at Ierusalem, that is to say, euen vnto the seauenth yeere of Nero; & in like manner his successour, 38. yeeres.

As touching other churches; we are to ob­serue, that the Apostles did not, at the very first planting of them, appoint bishops vnto them; because as yet, there was neither that choice, nor yet that vse of thē, among a peo­ple, which was to be converted, before it nee­ded to be gouerned: but first they ordayned Act. 14. 23. 19. 6. et 20. 17. 28. Presbyters, to labour the conversion of the people, and to seede them which were converted by the Word and Sacraments, and attending them in cōmon, to gouerne them after a priuate manner, and as it were, in foro conscientiae. But the Episcopall power, which consisteth specially in the right of ordinati­on, and in the sway of ecclesiastical iurisdic­tion committed to one, the Apostles each of them retained in their owne hands, as it is ma­nifest 2. Thes. 3. 14. 1. Corin. 5. whiles either they continued neere them, or meant not to be long frō them. All which while, bishops were not so needful; the Apostles providing for the necessity of those churches, either by their presence, or by their [Page 70] Letters or Messengers. And this is the cause, why in the writings of th'apostles, bishops are so seldom (though not so seldom as some imagine) mentioned, & the name with Pres­byter confounded. But when as they were to leaue the churches altogether, either by de­parture, or by death, (that the churches should not be left fatherlesse, they fulfilled that in Psal. 45. according to Augustine & Ie­romes exposition, In stead of fathers, that is, th'apostles, there shall bee children borne vnto thee, whom thou shalt make Princes ouer all the earth; Hieronym. et Augustin. in Psalm. 44. that is, bishops succeeding th' apo­stles in the regiment of the church:) at their departure they left substitutes, and at their death appointed successors, to whom they committed the gouernment of the churches; furnishing them by a singularity of preemi­nence, both with the right of ordination, and with the power of iurisdiction, as well ouer the Presbyters, as the people of each Citie, with the country adioyning. And these, at the first were called, sometimes Angels of the churches, as Apoc. 1. 2. 3. some-times [...], praepositi, Rulers. Hebr. 13. 17. (which text in theCanon. 44. canons of th' apostles, & in the second [Page 71] Epistle ofIgnatius ad Trallian. Ignatius, as also the name prae­positi, in Latine Fathers, from thence is ap­propriated to Bishops.) some-times, th' apo­stles Philip. 2. 25 of the churches, as succeeding th' apo­stles in the gouernement of the particular churches: as, Philip. 2. 25. Epaphroditus, who was the Bishop or Pastor of Philippi, is there­fore called their Apostle; as not onelyAmbrose. Hieronym. Theodoret. Calvin. Tho. Aqui. &c. in Philip. 2. Am­brose; Ierome, Theodoret, but also Calvin tea­cheth vpon that place, and obserueth the mu­tual affectiō, both of Epaphroditus as their Pa­stor, and of the Philippians, as his stock. For, whiles th' episcopall power was for the most part in th' apostles & apostolicke men, those, who also had that power, were called apostles: & therfore Ambr. Ambr. in Ephe. 4. et in 1. Cor. 12. 28. vnderstāds by apostles, in some places of the scripture, bishops, as Eph. 4, 11. & 1. Cor. 12. 28. Apostoli, episcopi sunt. And to the like purpose, Cyprian, Cypri. lib. 3 epist. 9. Apostolos. i. e­piscopos et praepositos dominus elegit. For, as Theodoret Theodoret in 1. Tim. 3. hath wel obserued, on 1. Tim. 3. Intimes past, saith he, they called the same men Presbyters & Bb. and those who now are called Bishops, they named Apostles. But in processe of time, they left the name of Apostle, to those who are properlie called Apostles, and the name of [Page 72] Bishop they imposed on them who had been called Apostles. Thus Epaphroditus was the Apostle of the Philippians, Titus of the Cretians, and Ti­mothe of the Asians. Neither was it long, that the name Episcopus was cōfounded with Pres­byter. For, Ignatius, who was a bishop aboue 30.For S. Iohn died anno. 101 and 5. of Tra­jane. And Ig­natius, after he had beene 40. yeeres Bishop, died in the yere 107. and 11. of Trajane. yeeres in th' apostles times, appropria­teth the name [...], to a Bishop, & distin­guisheth the three degrees of the Clergy (as the church, euer since the time of th' apostles, hath distinguished thē) by these three names, Bishop, Presbyter, Deacon. So do theCan. 2. 6. 7. &c. ca­nons which are called the Apostles, & some other monuments of Antiquity, which were written neere the Apostles times; of which sort are diuers testimonies in Eusebius, cited out of the most ancient writers of the church.

But, we are also to shew the places where, & the persons whom, th' apostles ordained Bi­shops: and first out of the Scriptures. For, by the Epistles of Saint Paule to Timothe and Titus, it is apparant, that hee had ordained Timothe Bishop of Ephesus, & Titus of Creet; The Epistles themselues, beeing the verie patternes and precedents of th' episcopall function. For, as the Apostle had committed [Page 73] (vnto them episcopall authoritie, both in re­spect of ordination and jurisdiction, which in th' epistles is presupposed: so doth he by those Epistles1. Tim. 3. 15. Ambros. prae­fat. in 1. Tim. Timotheū iam creatum epis­copum instruit per epistolam, quomodo de­beret ecclesiam ordinate. informe them, and in them all Bi­shops, how to exercise their function; First, in respect of ordination (as Tit. 1. 5, I left thee in Creet, that thou shouldst ordaine presbyters in euery citie, as I appointed thee. 1. Tim. 5. 22, Im­pose hands hastily on no man, neither be parta­ker of other mens sinnes: And to this purpose describeth how Presbyters & Deacons, whō they were to ordaine, should be qualified. 1. Tim. 3. 2. and 8. Tit. 1. 6. 7. 8. 9.) Secondly, in regard of iurisdictionTit. 1. 5. not onely ouer the people, but also ouer the presbyters; ap­pointing them to be both guides & censurers of their doctrine, (as 1. Tim. 1, 3,) I required thee to continue in Ephesus, that thou shouldest commaund some that they teach no strange doc­trine▪ neither that they attend [...], &c. [...]. Tim. 2, 10, stay prophane [...] & vaine bablings. T [...]. 1, 10, 11, There are many deceiuers, [...], whose mouthes thou must stoppe, which subvert whole houses, reaching things which they ought not for filty by lucres sake: wherefore rebuke theme sharply▪ that they may bee sounde in the faith. [Page 74] Tit, 3, 9, Stay foolish questiōs & genealogies, &c.) and also iudges of their persons & conversa­tion: as, 1. Tim, 5, 19, 20, 21, Against a Presbyter receiue not an accusation, but vnder two or three witnesses. Thē that sin rebuke openly, that the rest also may feare. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Iesus Christ, & the elect angels, that thou obserue these things without preiudice, & with­out partiality. Tit. 3, 10, Reicet him that is an hereticke, after once or twice admonition.

And that wee should not thinke (as some do) that these things were spoken to them, as to extraordinary persons (whose authoritie should did with them) but to them and their successors to the end of the world: he straight­ly chargeth Timothe, that the cōmandements and directions which he gaue him, should be kept inviolable1. Tim. 6. 13. 14. vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ; and therefore by such as should haue the like authority vnto the end. Ambrose, writing on those words, faith,Ambrose in 1. Tim. 6. Paul is so circumspect, not because hee is fearefull of Timothe his care; but for his successours, that they, after the example of Timothe, might conti­ [...]inue the will ordering of the church. For the au­thority which was committed to them is per­petually [Page 75] necessary: without which, the church neither can bee gouerned (as without juris­diction) neither yet cōtinued, as without or­dination; & therefore not peculiar to extra­ordinary persons, but by an ordinary deriua­tion to be cōtinued in those, who are the suc­cessors of Timothe and Titus. Now I appeale to al, who haue any iudgement, whether their supposed Presbyteries (which cōsist of Lay­men for the greatest part) or the Bb. which succeeded them in the gouernement of the church, were to be accoūted their successors. Why but, did bishops indeede succeed Timothe in the gouernment of Ephesus? yes, without questi­on▪ For (to omit not onely this angel of Ephe­sus, Apoc. 2. which was one of the next suc­cessors vnto Tim. whether it were Onesimus or any other, but also Polycrates theEuseb. lib. 5. cap. 25. B. of Ephesus in the time of Victor, who professeth that he was the 8. bishop of his kinred) in the councill of Chalcedon, Cōc. Chalc. Act. 11. Leontius the B. of Magnesia saith, that frō S. Timothe to that time, ther had bine 7. Bb. of Ephesus al ordain'd there.

Against this, two things are obiected; first; that Timothe and Titus may seeme not to haue beene appointed Bishops of Ephesus and Creet, [Page 76] because they did not continue there, but were re­moued to other places. Where-vnto I answere, that although vpon speciall & extraordinarie occasions, they were by th' apostles called to other places, as his, or the churches necessity required; yet these were the places of their ordinary resiance, where they both liued and died. Paule willeth Timothe 1. Tim. 1. 3. [...], per­manere, (the word isSee the vse of the worde, Math. 15. 32. Acts. 11. 23. & 18. 18. 1. Tim. 5. 5. significant) to abide still, or continue at Ephesus: and he left Titus not to redresse things in Creet for a brunt, & so to come away; but that he shuldTit. 1. 5. [...], continue in redressing what should be a­misse, and still keep that church, as it were, in reparation, For wheras someDe Mini­str. grad. c. 22. et in 1. Tim. 1. 3. thinke that Timothe was commanded Acts, 20, to stay at Ephesus for a short time, only to confirme the church there, being troubled with the sediti­on raised by Demetrius; they are vtterly de­ceiued. For, Paul appointed, Timothe to con­tinue in Ephesus, 1. Tim. 1. 3. [...], when himselfe was going into Macedony. But this cannot be vnderstoode of either of those voyages into Macedonia, which are mentioned Acts, 20: the first, from Ephesus▪ after the tumult vvas appeased, Acts, 20, 1. at which time he could [Page 77] not leaue Timothe at Ephesus to settle the christiās after the vp-rore raised by Demetri­us; for immediatly before the historie of that tumult, it is said, that hee had sentAct. 19. 22. Timothe before into Macedonia, and himself follow­ed Act. 20. 1. and when he had gone through those partes, (namely of Macedonia) hee came into Greece, purposing from thence to goe towardes Ierusalem. But vnderstanding that the Iewes laid waite for himAct 20. 3. hee re­solued (that hee might auoyde their ambush­ments) to returne into Macedonie, and from thence to [...]ayl towards Ierusalem, trauelling a­long by the coasts of Asia: in which iourney it is expressely saide,Act. 20. 4. 5. 14. that Timothe Their con­ceipt therefore is strange who say that the first Epistle was write to Timothe out of Macedonie. accom­panied him, and from Philippi with others went before him to Troas, and to Assos, from whence hee accompanied him to Miletum; Act. 20▪ 17. whether the Apostle sent for the Presby­ters of Ephesus. Seeing therefore Paul ap­pointed Timothe to stay at Ephesus, when him­selfe was going into Macedonia; & in all those iourneyes into Macedonia mentioned in the Acts, viz. cap. 16. 19. 20, Timothe was with him in Macedonia; and forasmuch as hee went no more thither vntill hee had beene at Rome: [Page 78] it is apparant therfore that this iourney hap­pened in Paules peregrinations, after his de­parture frō Rome; when he hauing staid there aboue two years, was at length dismissed and set at libertie by Nero, in the 4. of his reigne, which was the 57. yeare of grace. From which time vntill the 13. of Nero, hee renewed his former paines in trauelling from place to place. Now, the historie of the Actes of the Apostles ending with Paules first being at Act. 28. 30. Rome, the rest of his acts in the 9. yeares following, cannot otherwise bee knowen but by those his Epistles which were written in that time, & other monuments of Antiquity, which testifie that Paul ordained Timothe Bi­shoppe of Ephesus, and Titus of Creet. Wher­unto wee may adde the credible testimonie ofHieronym. siue Sophronius in Catalog. in Tito. Dorotheus in synopsi. Isido­rus de vita & morte sanct o­rum. 87. & 88. Vincentius lib. 38. c. 10. & An­tonius ex Po­lycrate, part. 1. tit. 6. cap. 28. §. 6. Niceph. lib. 10. c. 11. diuerse authors, who report, that Ti­mothe and Titus, as they liued, so also died, the one at Ephesus, the other in Creete.

The other thing which they obiect, is, that they were Euangelists. But that doth not hinder, but that when they were assigned to certaine Churches and furnished with episco­pall power, they became Bishoppes. For as Zuinglius In Ecclesi­aste. hath well obserued, Philippe the [Page 79] Euangelist, who had beene one of the Dea­cons, was afterwardes Bishoppe of Caesarea. Iames the Apostle was Bishoppe of Ierusalem, and diuerse of the Apostles (which also may bee verefied of theSo was Marke of A­lexandria. Euangelists) when they ceased from their peregrination, became Bishops of certaine Churches, as by the ancient histories is manifest. Hereof we may conclude thus: The supposed Euangelisticall function of Timo­the and Titus, was to ende with their persons, and admitted no succession, being (as thēselues [...]each) both extrordinarie and temporarie. but the function and Authoritie which they had, as being assigned to certaine Churches, viz. of Ephesus and Creete, (consisting spe­cially in the power of ordination and ju­risdiction) was not to ende with their per­sons, but to bee continued in their successours; as being ordinarie, and perpetually ne­cessarie, not onelie for the well beeing, but also for the verie beeing of the visi­ble Churches: (For, if whiles the Apo­stles themselues liued, it was necessarie, that they should substitute in the Chur­ches alreadie planted, such as Timothe, and Titus, furnished with episcopall power: [Page 80] then much more, after their decease, haue the Churches need of such gouernours.) There­fore the function and authoritie, which Timo­the and Titus had, as being assigned to Ephe­sus and Creet, was not extraordinarie and E­uangelisticall; but, as I will further proue, E­piscopall. For, that Timothe was Bishoppe of Ephesus, and Titus of Creet, it appeareth not onely by the subscriptions, annexed to the ende of the Epistle to Titus, and second to Timothe: but also by the generall consent of the auncient fathers, and histories of the Church. Eusebius reporteth out of the ec­clesiasticall histories which were before his time,Euseb. lib. 3. c. [...]. that Timothe first had the Bishopricke of the Church at Ephesus, and Titus of the Churches in Creet. The Author of the book, which goeth vnder the name of Dionysius Areopagita, dedicating his treati [...]e de diuinis nominib. to Timothe the Bishoppe of Ephesus, doth at the least signifie, that in his time it was a thing confessed, that Timothe was Bi­shoppe of Ephesus. The Catalogue of Ec­clesiasticall writers, which is in Ierome, re­porteth, that Timothe was ordained of bles­sed Paul Bishoppe of the Ephesians, and that [Page 81] Titus was Bishoppe of Creete. The same is testified by Ambrose, praefat. in. 1. Tim. & prae­fat. in Tit. by Dorotheus in Synopsi. by Theo­doret in 1. Tim. 3. by Chrysostome in argum. 1. Tim. & in Epist. ad Philipp. homil. 1. by E­piphanius, haeres. 75. by Gregorie the great, Pastoral. part. 2. cap. 11. by Polycrates apud Antoninum part. 1. tit. 6. cap. 28. §. 6. by Oecumenius in Ephes. 4. & in 1. Tim. 1. & [...]. & in Titum. 1. by Primasius praefat. in 1. Tim. & in 2. Tim. 1. by Nicephorus, lib. 2. c. 34. by Isidorus, de vita & morte sancto­rum 87. 88.

To these two mentioned in the Scrip­tures, wee may adde others out of other the most auncient recordes of the Church, wher­of some were made by Peter and Paul, some by Iohn the Euangelist, some by diuerse of the Apostles.

Anticch, (where the professours of the Christian faith were first called Christians) had the first Bishoppe, after Ierusalem, or­dained by the Apostles, Peter and Paul, about the yeare of our Lord 45. (asChronie. Euseb. anno 45. Eusebius sayth) viz. Euodius, whomEuseb. l. 3. c. 22. Ignatius succee­ded. Hee, in his Epistle to them of Antioch, [Page 82] hath these words;Ignat, ad Antioch. You were the disciples of Paul and Peter, lose not that which was com­mitted to your trust. [...]. Remember Euodius your most blessed pastor, to whom the gouernment of you was first committed by the Apostles.

As touching the first Bishoppe of Rome, though I finde great varietie of opinions, yet this I take to bee the truth; that Peter and Paule being bothPeter came to Rome to op pugne Simon Magus in the second of Ne­ro. Paule short­ly after, vpon the occasion of his appeale; frō whence, after two years they departed; Paule being dismis­sed and set at libertie, Peter driuen thence by Nero. Prudēt. peristeph. passio. Petti & Pauli. viuis vtrun­que dies, ple [...]o tamen innou [...]tus anno vid [...]e superba morte laureatum. Peter crucified Iun. 29. anno Neronis. 12. Paule behea­ded sun. 29. anno Neronis. 13. not. 14. for Nero himselfe died on the 10. of Iune in the 14. yeare of his Empire. at Rome (where they staid either of them somewhat aboue two yeares, but neither of them professing themselues Bishop of Rome) about the year of our Lord 56, ordayned Linus the bishoppe of Rome; who continued Bishoppe there ten years be­fore the death of Paul, and twelue yeares af­ter. And this is that which Irenaeus one of the most auncient writers doth testifie: namely, that the Irenaeus, lib. 3. cap. 3. blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, the founders and instructors of the Church of Rome, Lino episcopatum administrandae ecclesiae tradi­derunt, committed the Bishopricke and admini­stration of that Church to Linus: after whom followed, successiuely, Anacletus, and then Clemens; as not onelyIren. 3. 3. Irenaeus, and [Page 83] Euseb. l. 3. c. 22. Eusebius (who saith, that he was the third af­ter Paule and Peter: for Linus, saith he, was the first, and after him [...]. Anacletus) butIgnat. ep. ad Martam Cassobolit. Ignatius also (who liued at the same time) doe witnesse.

I come to Alexandria, where Marke the Euangelist was the first bishoppe, by the ap­pointment of Peter. For although this be not certainely knowen, whither Peter leauing Rome, did take Marke with him into Egypt, and ordayned him there, (asNiceph. lib. 14. c. 39. Nicephorus writeth, and as wee may well thinke, if by Ba­bylon where Marke was with him, 1. Pet. 5. 13. we vnderstand Babylon in Egypt,) or whether he did send him thither from other parts, as Gregor. lib. 6. Epist. 37. others testifie; yet this is confessed, that he was by Peter apointed bishop there. And sure­ly if he were bishop there, we need not doubt, but it was by Peters assignemēt. For being his disciple, & perpetual follower, it may not bee thought, that he separated himself frō Peter, & bestowed himself, whiles Peter liued, without his direction. But that hee was bishoppe there, whiles Peter liued, we haue certain euidēce. In the eight year of Nero his reigne, saithEuseb. l. 2. c. 24. Eusebius (that is 4. or 5. years before Pet. death) Anianus succeeded Marke the Euangelist in the Church [Page 84] of Alexandria, being a religious man and euery way admirable. Hierome saith,Prooem. in Matth. that the se­cond Euangelist is Mark, interpres Apostoli Pe­tri, & Alexandrinae Ecclesiae primus episcopus, the interpreter of Peter the Apostle, and the first Bishoppe of the Church at Alexandria. And againe,In Catalog. script. that Marke hauing established the Church at Alexandria, died in the eight yeare of Nero, and was buried at Alexandria, Ania­nus succeeding him: & in another place, that Ad Euagr. at Alexandria, euen from Marke the Euan­gelist, there had alwayes Bishops beene elec­ted &c. Dorotheus also sayeth, that MarkeDoroth. synops. was the first Bishoppe of Alexandria, and that hee was martyred and buryed there.

From Alexandria I returne againe to Ieru­salē for after Iames the iust was put to death, the Euseb. lib. 3. c. 11. apostles and disciples, and kinsmen of our Sauiour Christ, which yet were remaining, assē ­bled themselues from al parts, and hauing consul­ted among themselues, whom they should think worthy to succeed Iames; with one consent made choyse of Symeon the son of Cleophas, of whome there is mention in the Gospell, because hee also was our Sauiours cousin: For Cleophas, as Hege­sippus reporteth, was Iosephs brother.

[Page 85] Thus haue you heard, that the Bishops of the foure principall churches, Rome, Alexan­dria, Antioch, and Ierusalem, were all orday­ned of th' apostles. To these I will adde Smyr­na, because thereof there is most euident proofe: namely, that S. Iohn th' apostle, or­dayned Polycarpe the bishop of that church. That he was bishop there, the church of Smyr­na, as you heard before, which liued vnder him, did by their Letters professe: and Igna­tius, who was well acquainted with him, doth Igna. epi. 7 ad Smyrn. et 8. ad Poly [...]. episc. S [...]yrnens. witnesse. That he was made bishop by the Apostles, Irenaeus, who was his scholler, doth plainly testifie. Polycarpus, saith he,Ire. l. 3. c. 3. was not onely taught of the Apostles, and had conversed with many of them, who had seene our Lord; but also he was, by the Apostles, ordained Bishop in Asia, in that church which is at Smyrna. The like hath Eusebius, Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 35. [...]. And more particularly, that he was ordayned by Saint Iohn, not only Tertullian De prae­scr [...]p. doth ac­knowledge: (for, hauing saide that the chur­ches were able to shew, that their first bishop was ordained by some of the Apostles; hee [Page 86] addeth, Sicut Smyrnaeorum ecclesia Polycarpum ab Ioanne conlocatum refert, as the church of Smyrna recounteth Polycarpe placed by Iohn:) But Ierome also doth confesse. Polycarpus Io­annis Apostoli discipulus, et ab eo Smyrnae epis­copus ordinatus: Catalog. scriptor. Polycarpe, Iohn th' apo­stles scholler, and by him ordained Bishoppe of Smyrna.

And not to mention any more particulars, the most ancient Writers, who liued next the Apostles times, doe witnesse, that Iohn, after his returne from exile, ordained Bishops in diuers places, according to the direction of the holy Ghost. So saithEuseb. ex Clem. lib. 3. cap. 23. Clemens. Irenaeus saith,Iren. lib. 4. cap. 63. th' apostles cōmitted the church, which is in euery place to bishops; AndLib. 3. c. 3. that th' apo­stles left them their successors, sunm ipsorū lo­cum magisterij tradentes. And againe,Ibid. habe­mus annumerare, &c. We are able to reckē those who were by th' apostles ordained Bb. and their successors vnto our time. Likewise Tertulliā Tertul. de praescrip. ad­vers, haeretic. professeth, that th' apostolick churches could shew the order of their bishops, so running along by successions from the beginning, that their first Bishop had for their founder and ancecessor, one of the Apostles, or apostolicke men, who had con­tinued [Page 87] with the Apostles.

Against all this, which hath beene saide to proue that th' episcopal function is of aposto­licall institution, the authoritie of Ierome is obiected. First, where he saith,In Tit. 1. vntill fac­tions did arise in the church, some saying, I am of Paule, I am of Apollo, &c. the churches were gouerned by the common counsell of the Presby­ters: But when they began to draw disciples af­ter them, namely, such as themselues had bap­tized, it was agreed in the whole world, &c.

I answere, first, that this speech of Ierome, in respect of the church at Ierus. is vntrue: which was first gouerned by th' apostles in common, and after, committed to Iames in particular, before we read of any presbyters there ordai­ned. Catalog. Ierome himselfe hath tolde vs, that Iames straight-waies after the passion of our Lord, was by the Apostles ordained Bishoppe of Ierusalē. Secondly, in respect of other chur­ches; that which he saith, neither proueth that the office of Bb. & presbyters were cōfoūded (which notwithstanding seemeth to haue bin his scope by that which followeth in the same place) neither doth it hinder, but that the di­stinct office of Bb. is of apostolicall institutiō.

[Page 88] It is true, that for a time the Presbyters by common counsell gouerned the churches, but as vnder the Apostles, who kept in their owne hands the Episcopall authoritie; they, I meane the Presbyters, hauing neither the right of ordination, nor the power of out­ward iurisdiction. This therefore doth not prooue, that the offices of Bishops and Pres­byters were confounded. The name of Bi­shop was confounded with Presbyter: but the office and authoritie of the Bishop, was as yet in the Apostles; The Presbyters beeing such then vnder the Apostles, as they were after­wards, vnder the Bishop.

But when th' apostles were to discontinue from those churches, which they had planted, then were Bishops substituted: wher-vnto the factious behauiour of the Presbyters (wherof Ierome speaketh) might be some inducement. For, parity indeede breedeth faction & con­fusion. For the avoyding whereof in the ab­sence of the Apostles, Bishops were institu­ted; but when, and where, and by whom, and to what end, let Ierome himselfe testifie. Whē? when factions began to spring in the church, saith In Tit. 1. Ierome, some saying I am of Paule, I am of [Page 89] Apollo, I am of Cephas, which was in the A­postles time, 1. Corin. 1. and it were fonde to imagine, that factions did not begin till after their time.

Where? in toto orbe, saith Ierome, it was de­creed in the whole world. Which could not be in the Apostles times, without their con­sent; nor neere the Apostles times, without a generall Councill, which was not.

By whom? Ierome Vide. supra. hath told vs, when, and by whom, Iames was made bishop of Ie­rusalem, Marke of Alexandria, Timothe of E­phesus, Polycarpe of Smyrna, &c. To what end? to avoyde schisme, saith Ierome: And ther­fore,Aduers. Luci­ferian. for the same end to be retained, as hee doth also acknowledge. For, the safety of the church, dependeth on the dignity of the Bishop; to whō if a peerelesse power & eminent aboue all be not giuen, there will be as many schismes in the churches as there be Priests.

Secondly, they vrge Ieromes inference in that place: Presbyters, at the first, ruled the church by common counsell; therefore the bishops, and they, ought to rule the church in common still. I an­swer, it followes not in respect of the Presby­ters themselues. Before titles were distingui­shed, [Page 90] and presbyters assigned to their seuerall cures, they attended the whole flock in com­mon; which after the parishes were distingui­shed, and they seuered to their seuerall cures, they did not: Onely the Bishop, and the pres­byters which remained still about him, had the like care, which th' apostles and presby­ters had, at the first; The Bishop vsing the ad­vise of the Presbyters (though not to bee o­ver-ruled by them) vntill their advise and as­sistance, to themselues seeming troublesome, and to the Bishop (by reason of the frequent Synodes, and synodall constitutions) need­lesse, grew out of vse.

Thirdly, they alledge out of Ierome, Epist. ad Oceanū, item ad Evagrium. in Tit. 1. that Bishop & Presbyter is all one: & therfore Bb. are to know, that they be greater thē Presbyters, ra­ther by the custome of the church, thē by the truth of divine disposition. I answere: where Ie­rome saith Episcopus and Presbyter is all one, he is to be vnderstood in respect of the names, which he proueth, byPhil. 1. 1. Act. 20. 17. 28. Tit. 1. 5. 7. 1. Pet. 5. many testimonies, to be confounded in the writings of th' apo­stles. And in this sense it is true, that whereas now Episcopus is more then Presbyter, it is to be ascribed to the custome of the Church; as [Page 91] before I haue noted out of Theod. And in the same sense, Augustine Epist. 19. ad Hieronym. is to be vnderstood, when he saith, according to the names of ho­nour, in which the vse of the church hath pre­vailed, Episcopatus est maior Presbyterio; that is, Episcopatus, Bishop-ship, is a name of grea­ter honour then Presbyterium, Priesthood. But if you think that Ierome, in affection towards his owne degree, (which hee sought to set as high aboue the deacons as he could, whoAd Evagr. at that time beganne to compare with the Presbyters) did meane, that the functions, as well as the names, were confounded, or that it is not an Apostolicall ordinance, that Bi­shoppes should be set ouer the Presbyters: you shall make him, not onely to striue a­gainst the streame of all Antiquitie, but also to be contrary to himselfe: as appeareth by all those allegations, which I haue alreadie cited out of his writings.

If his meaning should be, that the superio­ritie of Bishops ouer Presbyters, though it be an apostolicall tradition (asAd Evagr. him-selfe cal­leth it) yet notwithstanding, is not direct­lie of diuine institution; although there be [Page 92] smalThough in respect of the first institution, there is small difference between an apostolical & divine or­dinance, because what was ordai­ned by the Apostles, proceeded frō God, (in which sense & no other, I doe hold the episcopall function to bee a diuine ordinance:) yet in respect of perpetuity, difference by some is made betwixt those things which be divini, and those which be apostolici iuris: the former in their vnderstanding beeing gene­rally, perpetually, and immutably necessary; the latter, not so. difference between these two (as I vnderstand divine in­stitution) because what th' apo­stles did in the executiō of their apostolical function, they did by direction of the holy Ghost, so that they might truly say, both of their ordinances,Act. 15. it seemed good to the holy Ghost and vs; and of the parties by them ordained,Act. 20. 28 attend the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made you bishoppes: notwithstanding, for more eui­dence, I wil in the last place directly, yet brief­ly proue, that the episcopall functiō, is of di­vine institution, or, that bishops were ordai­ned of God. For, by whō was Timothe ordai­ned Bishop? By Paul, I confesse, as the instru­ment; but yet by the holy Ghost, as the author & director of his ordinatiō. For he was made bishop by prophecy,1. Tim. 4. 14. 1. Tim. 4. How is that? [...], thou wast made bishop saithChrisost. homil. 5. in 1. Tim. Chrysostome, not by humane suffrage, but by prophecy, that is, by divine reuelation, saithTheodoret. Theophylact. Oecumen. In 1. Tim. 4. See Calvin also in 1. Tim. 4. 14. Theodoret. That is, spiritu sancto iu­bente, by the cōmandemēt of the holy Ghost, saith Theophyl. [...], saith Oecumeni­us, [Page 93] [...], for by the appoint­ment of the holy Ghost, Bb. were made, & not at rādon. By whom was Archippus made Bishop of Colossa? Col. 4. 17. see Col. 4. 17. Where Paule vsing the same exhortation to him, which hee gaue to Timothe the Bishop of Ephesus 2. Tim 4. 5. 2. Tim. 4. namely that hee should fulfill his ministery, hee addeth, which thou hast receiued in the Lord; and therefore by Gods ordinance, and as it were at the Lords hands. And to con­clude, the same may euidently be proued out of this text, which I haue in hand. First, in that the Bishoppes of the seauen Churches are called Angels: which not onely sheweth the excellencie of their calling, but also pro­ueth, that they were authorized and sent of God. Secondly, that they are commended vnder the name of Starres; to signifie both the preeminence of dignitie which they haue in this life (for the Starres are theApoc. 12. 1 crowne of the Church, Apoc. 12.) and also the prero­gatiue of glorie which they shall haue in the world to come, when they hauing faithfully perfourmed their duetie shall shine asDan. 12. 3 Starres in the Firmament for euer. Dani­ell, 12.

[Page 94] Thirdly, that these bee the seauen Stars which our Sauiour Christ didApoc. 1. 16. [...] 20. hold in his right hand. Which plainely argueth, his, both approbation of their function, and gratious protection of their persons.

Thus hauing proued this doctrine arising out of the text, that the episcopall function is of apostolicall and diuine institution: it re­maineth, that we should from thence gather som vses to our selues, both for the informing of our iudgments & reforming of our liues. For the rectifying of our iudgements, the same doctrine which by way of explication of my text I proued; I doe now by way of application commend vnto you: that as the episcopall function hath beene manifestly prooued to bee lawfull and good, as being the ordinance of God; so you would bee perswaded to acknowledge it. But you will say; Some further matter, by your doctrine, may seeme to bee intended. For whereas it hath bin proued, that the gouernment of the Churches by Bishoppes, is an apostolicall and diuine ordinance: may not wee also in­ferre, that all Churches are so necessarilie and perpetually tied vnto it, as that no o­ther [Page 95] forme of gouernement is warrantable in the Church of GOD? and that not onely this gouernment is lawfull, but that it onely is lawfull? This inference I referre to their consideration who hauing fancied that the Presbyteriall plot-forme is com­mended vnto vs in the scriptures; doe ther­fore vrge the same vpon vs, as perpetually and vnchaungeably necessarie in all Chur­ches. As for others, who being of better temper, doe so commend their forme of dis­cipline, as that they doe not condemne all others, neither seeke to force other Chur­ches to their imitation; they are to ex­pect the like moderation from vs. For although wee bee well assured that the forme of gouernement by Bishoppes, is the best, as hauing not onely the warrant of Scrip­ture for the first institution, but also the perpetuall practice of the Church from the Apostles time to our age, for the conti­nuance of it: notwithstandinge, wee doubt not, but where this may not bee had, others may bee admitted; neither doe we denie, but that siluer is good, though gould be better.

[Page 96] But some will say, the protestants, which were the blessed instrumentes of GOD for the reformation of religion in this last age, are thought to haue preferred the other discipline by presbyteries, before this by Bi­shops: and therefore in thus magnifying the Bishoppes, you seeme to ioyne with the Papists against them. Whereunto I aunswere, that those godly and learned menSee the Suruey of the pretended dis­cipline. cap. 8. pag. 110. 111. &c. al­lowed the episcopal function, and simply de­sired the continuance thereof. Notwithstan­ding, when together with it they could not enioy the profession of the Gospell, (such was the obstinacie and tyranny of the Popish Prelates:) they were forced with the losse of the episcopall gouernement, to redeeme the most pretious iewell of the Gospell; which is to beeMat. 13. 45. 46. redeemed (if neede bee) with the losse of all outward things. Which losse, not­withstanding, they endeuoured to repaire in some places, by renewing the function of Bi­shoppes and Arch-bishoppes, vnder the names of superintendents, and generall su­perintendents, as in Germanie. In others, where that could not bee done, either be­cause the Popish Bishoppes were still coun­tenanced [Page 97] by the ciuil magistrate, as in France; or because the form of ciuil gouernment be­ing after the expulsion of the B. changed in­to a popular state, could no more endure the gouernment of a Bishop, then Rome after the expulsion of Tarquinius the regiment of a King, as at Geneua: they were forced to bring in that forme of gouernment, which is next the best, and by a Senate or Aristocratie of graue men, to supply the absence of a Bi­shoppe. But, as in those places, where ortho­doxall Bishoppes could not bee had, presby­ters were wisely brought in, (for any gouern­ment whatsoeuer, is better then none at all:) so are they verie inconsideratly obtruded on those Churches, where Bishops, most sound­ly professing the Gospell of Christ, are esta­blished; especially, considering that the go­uernment by Bishoppes, is not onely simplie good and lawfull; but also in comparison, to bee preferred before theirs, as hauing better warrant.

Now let vs consider, what practicall vses this doctrine doth afforde: first, to thē, whom God hath subiected to the authoritie of Bi­shops. For if their authority be the ordinance [Page 98] of God, and they in respect of their function are termed Angels, as sent frō God; & Stars, which Christ holdeth in his hand, as appro­uing their office, and protecting their persōs; then are we bound in cōscience, first, to reue­rence their persons, & as the Apostle exhor­teth thePhil. 2. 29. Philippians, to haue them in honour, as spirituall fathers; & as they are heer called, so to receiue them, as the Angels of God.

Secondly, to obey their authoritie, as be­ing the holy ordināce of God: It is the exhor­tatiō of the Apostle,Heb. 13. 17. Heb. 13. 17. as the Canons Canon. 40. Ignat. ad Trall. of the Apostles, and Ignatius doe ex­pound and apply it. And the rather we shuld make conscience of these three vses alreadie mentioned, because the schisme, which is in our Church, and all the euilles which arise from thence, (which are worthie to bee la­mented with aboundance of tears,) are to be ascribed to the neglect thereof; that is, to the not acknowledging of their lawfull func­tion, the contemning of their persons, & op­pugning their authoritie.

As for the reuerend Bishops themselues, they may reape comfort and encouragemēt from this text. For, seeing they bee Starres in [Page 99] Christs right hand, they may be assured whiles they receiuing their light frō him, who is the Sunne of righteousnes, do shine vnto his peo­ple in the light of doctrine, & of a godly life, they shall be protected frō euill (for who shal be able to pluckeIohn. 10. 28 them out of his right hand?) and also be preserued, both from fal­ling with the fallingApo. 12. 4. starres, & from erring with theIud. ver. 13. wandring starres. And seeing they be the Angels & Embassadors of God; whiles they perform their office & embassage faith­fully, they may expect, that he will blesse, de­fend, reuenge, and reward them.

And lastly, from these words they are to be put in minde of their dutie, that as they be heere honored with the titles of Angels and starres; so they would endeuour to be answe­rable to their names; that they would fulfill Colo. 4. 17 2. Tim. 4. 5. their ministerie, that they woulde keepe their1. Tim. 6. 20. depositum, or that which is commit­ted to their trust; that, as starres, they would shine before others in the light of pure doc­trine, 1. Tim. 3. 2. and of a godly conversation; that they acknowledging themselues as Angels, entrusted with thePsal. 91. custody and gardian­ship of Gods people, may faithfully, cheere­fully, [Page 100] vprightly, discharge the trust reposed in them; and as Angels sent frō God for the Heb. 1. 14. good of those who shal inherit saluation, they may faithfully and zealously seeke the glory of God, from whom they are sent, in the saluation of his chosen, for whom they are sent: that so hauing shined as starres vpon the earth, and demeaned themselues as Angels in the church militant; they may also shine as the starres in heauen, as Daniell Dan. 12. 3. hath pro­mised, and be like the electMath. 22. angels in the Church triumphant. Which the Lord grant for his Christs sake; to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, one eternall, all-suffici­ent, infinite, most gracious, and most glori­ous GOD, be all glory, honour and praise, both now and euer-more. Amen.

Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace.