2. Canon of the Nicene Council the 18. Canon of the Council of Ancyra the 101. Canon of the Council called in Africk do speak as if those Fathers did either make those Canons or did inspire the pen of the Scribe or Register who wrote them And truly if I may joyn Historians to those Councils and those Fathers Eusebius in his 6. Book and 8. Chapter Socrates in his 7. Book and 41. Chapter do make the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last word in this Text bear the same sense and meaning with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies not a Presbytery of Elders but the very Office of an Elder ordained and made a Bishop Indeed this Text in Greek if we transpose the words a little doth seem to favor this Opinion and may be made to run thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Neglect not the gift of Eldership which is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of Hands Where it would not be hard to prove to you by the best primitive Records That the word Eldership where ere 't is used in the Writings of the New Testament signifies the dignity and office of a Bishop Nay if you will hear me quote a more authentick Author then all these not for his integrity for he was no friend to Bishops nor yet for his parts for St. Jerome sure had greater but for his authority which ought not to be question'd when the Enemy of a cause bears witness to the Truth Mr. Calvin himself was of this Opinion who in the 4. Book of his Institutions and the 3. Chapter hath translated this Greek Text into this modern Latine Fac ut gratia quam per manuum impositionem accepisti cum te Presbyterum crearem non sit irrita Take heed the grace or favour which was bestowed upon thee by the laying on of Hands when I made thee a Presbyter were not given thee in vain Where though he do mistake the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a grace or favour as the other doth a gift yet he did not erre when he made both words agree in this that in this place they signifie an Office given by the Church But what need I quote Authorities either ancient or more modern when I have a clear demonstration of Gods Spirit that by the gift here in this place is meant an Office given For doth not St. Paul remove all Clouds and lend a Sun-beam to this Text in the 4. Chapter of the Ephesians from the 8. to the 12. Verse Doth he not there strike one of the chief strings in Davids harp and say That Christ ascended up on high that he led captivity captive and that he gave gifts to men And what were those gifts The 11. Verse resolves you they were the several Offices and Orders in his Church He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and some Teachers as you may read in that place And all this for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the building of his Church as the End is exprest in the 12. Verse of that Chapter Onely by the way I cannot but observe That in the bestowing of those gifts those Church Offices and Functions as none were to partake them without commission from the Church so lest the Church should erre in the admission of the persons they still brought their Letters Testimonial from Gods Spirit He first by some Prophet designed and named them to their Office before the Church drew up their Patent by the Imposition of their Hands Which is the Conge D'Eslire or third part of this Text namely the Prophecies which markt out this Bishop for his See What Prophet 't was or whether one or many by whom the holy Ghost design'd this Bishop to his Office is wrapt up in a Cloud which affords no light to see by But sure 't was none of the old Prophets who though they were called Seers yet this person stood too distant to fall within their view And because the name of the new Prophet is not set down in particular the most we can do is to seek for him by conjecture In the 21. Chapter of the Acts at the 8 9. Verses 't is said that St. Paul in his Travels with this Disciple in his Train came to Caesarea where dwelt Philip the Evangelist Into whose house they entered and abode there many dayes And that Philip had four daughters Virgins which did prophesie Again 't is said at the 10 11. Verses of that Chapter that Whilest they staid there a certain Prophet named Agabus came down from Judaea who prophesied against Pauls going to Jerusalem Now the circumstances of Persons Time and Place thus laid together have made it probable to some that some one of these She-prophetesses conversing daily with him or that Agabus who forewarned St. Paul of his imprisonment and bonds were opportunely moved by Gods Spirit in that place to nominate this Timothy to his Bishoprick and Charge of which St. Paul no longer could be an Over-seer And great reason there was why the Prophets should have a hand in all such sacred Nominations who standing next to the Apostles in the Bill and Catalogue of Honour for there were first Apostles then Prophets then Evangelists then Pastors As an Evangelist was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Fellow-labourer or Assistant to a travelling Apostle in the dispersion of the Gospel so when he was to fix and settle in some one certain place and from an itinerant Preacher or Evangelist was to pass into a Bishop for order sake some Prophet who stood next in rank above him was to recommend him to the Consecration of the Church to point him out his Diocese where he was to reside with the full power of an Apostle fixt and seated to his charge So that the business of those Prophets was partly to foretell the contingent future accidents which were to happen in the Church partly to provide fit Guides and Rulers for it But whoe're the Prophet was for 't is but Curiosity to search the same holy Spirit which did consecrate our Saviour to be the Head of the Church and to publish his own Gospel in the 4. Chapter of St. Luke at the 18. Verse where he sayes and quotes the Prophet Esay for it The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel and the same holy Spirit who commissioned the Apostles to go and plant a Church in all Nations of the World the same holy Spirit I say did direct and guide the Church in the choice of the persons who were to follow and succeed them For here if I may draw waters from the same Fountains and Spring-heads from whence others have poured forth their Discourses on this subject In the first Age of the Church when 't was but yet a tender plant the first businesse of the Apostles was
in their Travels through the World to convert it from Idolatrie and to gain Proselytes to Christ. When the number of Believers was every where increast and the name of Christian which at first began at Antioch was every where disperst as far as Words were Names of persons the next business of the Apostles whose commission like the Sun 's was never to stand still or settle in one place but still to move like him from one Countrey to another was to mould their new Believers into well-form'd and govern'd Churches especially in great Cities such as Ephesus and Corinth and to appoint them Over-seers who should both teach and rule the Flock lest being left like Sheep without a Shepherd to o'relook them they either should be swallowed up by their own Heresies and Schisms or should break out of the Fold and relapse back again to Heathens These Overseers or as the Scripture calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Bishops of the Flock they were compelled to chuse out of their new Converts and Disciples who in that infancy of time that famine of great Parts were generally men whose Faith was far greater then their Knowledge men not bred in Schools unskilled in Tongues and Arts especially the Art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Art of Ruling well Indeed they were such men as St. Paul describes in that mean and humble Map which he drew of those Times in the first Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians at the 26. and 27. Verses where he sayes Ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and weak things of the World to confound the mighty and base things and things despised and things that are not hath God chosen to annihilate and bring to nought the things that are To supply this great Defect the holy Ghost was fain to assist the very Apostles in the making of their choices and to furnish men with gifts and parts which might fit them for Elections Nay the persons generally were so ungifted raw unlearned in all kinds so unfit to rule or govern in the Church that he was fain to qualifie them in a way of new creation to make Things which were not bring to nought the things that were to give form to shapelesse matter to change their Ignorance to Knowledge to make unwise men wise and to raise their Wisdom out of nothing to call Light out of Darknesse and then divide it into Stars to make those learned Shepherds who were but lately Sheep able to defend their Flocks from the most fierce and learned Wolves In short to call a Church out of a Chaos and give a beauty to confusion to dispose the several parts into well-tuned Orbes and Spheres to place great Lights in this new Firmament which were to rule the Day and lesser Lights to drive and chace away the Night was a Work which required the Illumination of Gods Spirit to hold a Torch to those who had else stood in the dark And this is that which St. Chrysostom Oecumenius Theodoret Theophylact and many other ancient Writers have very well observed For St. Chrysostom in his Comment upon this very Text sayes that in this childhood this nonage of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That nothing was done as Mans Wisdome did direct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by the direction of Gods Spirit whose business 't was not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to foretell things to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to reveal things present too especially in the choice of fit Rulers in the Church Clemens Romanus speaking of those Rulers sayes That the first Bishops which were made were made by the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having tryed them by the Spirit Oecumenius also speaks as if the other held his pen and sayes almost in the same form of words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first Bishops were made Bishops by the appointment of Gods Spirit Thus St. Paul and Barnabas were of Preachers made Apostles Act. 13. 2. thus Titus was made Metropolitane of Creet Tit. 1. 5. and thus Timothy in this Text was made the first Ephesian Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Spirit of God designing of him by the Prophets Nay Eusebius in the third Book of his Ecclesiastical History taking Clemens of Alexandria for his Chronologer and Warrant sayes That this way of making Bishops by the Appointment of Gods Spirit was observed in the Church till the death of St. John who after his return from his banishment to Ephesus being intreated by the Church there to provide for succession went through all the Regions near in a holy Visitation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ordained such a Clergie as the holy Ghost revealed So that they who have been curious to compute St. Johns return which was in the Reign of Nerva the 98. year of Christ 30. years after St. Pauls martyrdom do reckon That from the day of Pentecost in which the holy Ghost descended on the Apostles in cloven Tongues of fire to the time of St. John's death which was in the 100. year of Christ this way of making Bishops by the designation of Gods Spirit continued in the Church 66. years complete At which time the Church having taken general root and from a grain of Mustard-seed being become a spacious Tree able to diffuse it self without Miracles and Wonders those gifts of Gods Spirit which had brought it to this Growth and had every where furnisht it with Rulers sent from Heaven like the Manna in the Scripture ceast to fall on those who had now the Promised Land given to them in possession But yet though all this be true we are not to suppose that Gods Spirit did so wholly ingrosse this businesse to himself as to obtrude those new Rulers on the Church without their Allowance and Approbation too He onely did direct and name and recommend them 't was left to the Church to admit them to their Cures he but designed the Persons the Church gave them Ordination by the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery Which describes to us the Forme of this Bishops Consecration and comes in the fourth place to be considered and examined 'T is observed that the Spirit of God who in the Jewish Church spoke by the several sparklings of those precious stones or Jewels which shined in the Brest-plate of Aaron the High-priest where a Diamond and Amethyst gave Oracles and Answers and an Agate might be reckoned into the number of the Prophets removed those precious stones into the twelve Apostles and made them twelve Foundation stones in the new Building of Christs Church as you may read in the 21. Chapter of the Revelation at the 18 19. Verses Certainly whatever in that Church conduced to Piety and Order whatever might be made a patterne for religious Imitation the Christian
learnt in time to write such Letters too or as the young Gentleman whose Father was a Gamester learnt to handle Dice and stake whole Mannors at a Throw So good Example hath the like power to infect by being seen and Vertues may like Vices be made hereditary too But besides those seeds of Vertue sown in him by his Parents St. Paul himself had been his Tutor and had the forming of his manners he was bred up in his School to that ripeness and perfection that he superscribes this Epistle to him as to one begotten by him To Timothy my Son sayes he nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Timothy my own Son sayes our English Translation But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek if we may believe St. Jerome is a word to which no other Tongue can find a word to match it a word which in all kinds signifies the Son to have such a near resemblance to the Father as almost to confirm the Opinion of Andreas Dudithius who in his book De Conjugio Presbyterorum maintains that St. Paul was married and had children like St. Peter Of which but that we know his Father was a Greek the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might perswade us that this Timothy was one Indeed the resemblance between them was so great that as in other births and natural generations the marks to distinguish the true-born from the spurious are the likeness of the child in shape and visage to the parent Sic oculos sic ille manus sic or a ferebat If he have his Fathers eyes and cheeks looks hands and gestures too we may conclude him genuine and the Parent twice the same So St. Jerome in his close Interpretation of that word proceeds by a distinction which holds comparatively true St. Paul had many Sons sayes he whom he converted to the Faith as the Corinthians and Ephesians whom he vouchsafes to call his Sons But the style of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Filius germanus the style of true-born Son so in all things like himself as not to be more the Son of the Parents that begot him then he was his morum filius the Off-spring of his Mind so furnisht with his vertues so accomplish'd with his gifts so zealous in his preaching so valiant in afflictions so active in his spreading the Gospel through the World was a style bestowed on none but this Timothy and Titus As if all others were his Bastard-sons begot upon some Hagar and onely these two were legitimate It is St. Jerome sayes so In short as likeness in manners begets a dearness in affections and as a friendship in affections begets a likeness in engagements so St. Paul made him his Fellow-labourer and Associate When the Decrees of the Apostles were to be disperst made in their general Council assembled at Jerusalem this Timothy was chosen to assist him in his Travels as you may read in the 16. Chapter of the Acts at the 4. Verse When an Evangelist was to be sent to confirm those distant Churches which St. Paul himself had planted but was not able to re-visit this Timothy was sent as his Deputy-Lieutenant as you may read in several Epistles to those Churches To all this such a holy prudence shined forth in all his actions his Morals were so good and so seasoned with Religion that his Name was like that precious Oyntment in the Scripture still breathing forth perfumes in all places where he came For he was well reported of he was above all reproch and scandal as you may read at the 3. Verse of that Chapter And of such Instruments as this did the Holy Ghost make choice to be Preachers of the Gospel and Rulers in the Church Men whose Life as well as Doctrine was still Sermon to the People men who confuted Vice not more by argument and reason then by their blameless carriage and vertuous conversation 'T was against the Oeconomy and Discipline of Heaven to send men into Gods Vineyard who went drunk into the Field and who minded not the vine but the vintage grape and wine And the Holy Ghost himself had erred had he given his Pearls to Swine to the sensual or intemperate still wallowing in the mire or had he taken his holy things and cast them unto Dogs no sooner eased of one distemper but returning to another No cloven Tongues of fire did sit upon their heads whose tempers were still cloven still kindling Flames and Factions still breaking of Gods people into divisions rents and schisms The gift of Knowledge was not dropt upon the ambitious proud high-minded their Bladder swelled too much and was too much puft up before To him that hath shall be given was the Rule Gods Spirit went by and more gifts were given to him who had well imployed the former Which leads me on to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gift here in this Text and comes in the next place to crave a room in your Attentions The Saying of our Saviour Christ when he spoke it was so true in the 10. Chapter of St. Luke at the 2. Verse The Harvest truly is great but the Labourers are few that to increase their number and to fit them for the work the Holy Ghost was fain to interest himself in the choice of workmen and the qualifying of them too His work and business 't was to send men into the Field and to teach them how to manage and use their Sickle too The Men already chosen if their number had been greater where a World was to be converted were too disproportion'd for the Harvest Besides they wanted parts for so great an undertaking unless they could have done like the man in Eunapius a Greek Historian who tells us of one Aedesius who had so much the Spirit of Divination in his power that he would but clap a Wreath of Lawrel on his head and straight speak by Inspiration straight put himself in Raptures and utter learned Oracles to the great amazement of the Hearers The Apostles were not all bred at the feet of Gamaliel but were as yet unlearned men called from mending Nets fitter to deal with Fishes and to put forth a Boat to Sea then to cast their Nets on Land and there catch men in the Inclosure Besides being Jews they were hardly fit to preach to Jews for where was their gift of Miracles to work upon the Jews who were onely to be gained by Miracles and Wonders Had they preacht to the Gentiles where was their gift of Tongues to preach to all Nations who could speak no Tongues but one Had Christ sent to Athens to stock himself with Preachers he might have found great Scholars there but hard to be perswaded to forsake their own Schools and to list themselves in his Nay these for some Ages were the greatest Enemies of the Faith men who measured Truth by Aristotles Precepts and would believe no more then what some Plato taught Nay men who like Porphyrius called the
Church transcribed as holy Platformes of their building The Waters of Baptism the Bread and Wine in the other Sacrament the Distinction of their Hierarchie into Higher Priests and Lower and the Ordination of those Priests by the laying on of Hands were borrowed and translated from the old Temple to the new In the pursuit and handling of which last namely the laying on of Hands which is the proper Theme and Subject of this Text two things I will observe to you First the several Ends and Uses to which it was applied next who the Persons were who were commissioned to apply it First as for the several Ends and Uses of this Ceremony in the times of the Old Testament 't was sometimes made use of in a way or forme of Blessing Thus Jacob laid his hands upon the two sonnes of Joseph and blest them on his Death-bed in the 48. Chapter of Genesis at the 14. Verse Nay in this way of blessing if we may believe Lipsius in his Book De Cruce or several sorts of Crosses the same holy Spirit who revealed the Shiloh to him the promised Messias Christ who suffered on the Crosse did direct and guide his Hands to do something like a Christian for in laying his right hand on the younger Son and his left hand on the elder the crosse postures of the Children on whom he laid his hands made his Imposition bear the figure of a Crosse. Next this laying on of hands was sometimes made use of in the making and creation of a great Minister of State Thus Moses did chuse Josuah to succeed him in his Power in the 27. Chapter of Numbers at the last Verse And thus Senators were admitted into the great Sanedrim or Council 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the laying on of the hands of some of the elder Senators as the Thalmudists report In the New Testament this Ceremony was as diversly applied Our Saviour Christ laid his hands upon the little children brought unto him and blest them sayes the Text of which this was the mark and signe in the 10. Chapter of St. Mark at the 16. Verse 'T was also made use of in the Visitation of the Sick in the 16. Chapter of St. Mark at the 18. Verse But it never was omitted in the Consecration of a Bishop Ordination of a Priest nay of a Deacon too Onely to make it the more solemne and effectuall the Church added usually their Prayers and Fastings too Thus Saint Paul was made a Preacher by the laying on of hands in the 9. Chapter of the Acts at the 12. Verse And thus Saint Paul and Barnabas were of Preachers made Apostles the Elders and Prophets which were at Antioch having fasted and prayed and laid their hands upon them sent them away in the 13. Chapter of the Acts at the 3. Verse And thus Timothy in this Text was made the first Bishop of Ephesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the laying on of Hands But why by the laying on of Hands some disputing men have ask'd Why by such a Forme such a Ceremony as this Why not by a Licence drawne up in Writing from the Church Nay sayes the Independent Preacher by a Licence from the State I must confesse the Question is not so hardly answered as his who askt what God did before he made the World what kind of Fruit 't was by which our first Parents fell where they had the Needle which stitch'd their Leaves together or where they had the Thred before the Art of Spinning was found out For here suppose I should reply and give this for an Answer That 't was Gods Will to have it so so directing by his Spirit Who then art thou O Man who darest dispute with God Must the Potter give a Reason of his Actions to his Clay But God who made the World in Number Weight and Measure who never did a thing superfluous or vaine but made Order to distinguish his Creation from a Chaos without which his six dayes Works had still lain in a confusion proceeded by a Reason nay a multitude of Reasons in this way of giving Order to his Church For First what would men have him do Issue forth commissions to the Rulers of his Church as he did to the Apostles in Miracles nad Wonders Had he gone no further he must have still wrought Wonders to perswade the doubting World that they were Rulers sent by him And so when such Miracles such Signes and Wonders ceast the Church for want of Miracles must have wanted Rulers and then for want of Rulers must have ceast to be a Church The Gifts of the Holy Ghost which I mentioned to you before though they made men fit and prepared them to be Rulers yet being invisible secret and unseen without some outward mark to make them own'd and knowne to those who knew them not would but have past for private Spirit not able to gain publick faith to the persons thus commission'd Some outward Mark was needful then to let the People know who the Persons were whom God designed to be their Guides As to let the Jews know that Christ was to be their Head the Holy Ghost descended on him in the figure of a Dove and to let all Nations know who were to be their Teachers in the sight of all Nations then assembled at Jerusalem the Holy Ghost fell on the Apostles in cloven Tongues of fire So to let after-Ages know who were to be their Leaders the same Holy Ghost appointed the laying on of Hands as the way and forme of issuing forth his commissions by the Church And the Reasons of this Ceremony were yet more clearly these There be two wayes sayes the Civil Law by which men take possession and so gaine a propriety in a thing which was not theirs If it be a thing immoveable as Lands Tenements or Houses by treading on the Soyle they take Possession by their Feet if it be a moveable as Goods Money Ware or Servant to gaine to themselves a property they take possession by their Hands So when God called a Man to be his Minister or Servant as to preach or beare some publick Office in his Church by the Hands of his Church he took possession of him and the person thus laid Hands on was no more his owne but Gods Next this laying on of Hands as it was a forme of Alienation by which the person thus ordained did quit all Interest in himself and past himself away to the Service of Gods Church so it was a forme of Hallowing and Consecration too The Case stood with men ordained as it did with other things made holy As for Example In the Old Testament a Beast in the herd was but a common creature of the Field indifferent for the Shambles or to be made a Sacrifice But being fetcht from thence and brought into the Temple when the Priests which waited there had laid their hands upon him he was no more one of the herd but an Oblation for the