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
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
Altar and of a Beast became the Expiation of a Sinne. The Stones in the Quarrey are but vulgar common stones indifferent to be wrought into a Kitchin or a Temple But being fetcht from thence and made a consecrated Building that which was a common heap becomes a house of Prayer Once more The Waters running in the Streame or drawne out of the Well are but a common Element no holier then the Streame But being poured into the Font and there applied to Baptisme that which was common Water puts on the nature of a Sacrament And I might say as much of the Lords Supper too The bread in the common lump is indifferent for all Tables no holier then the Sheafe or Corne ungathered in the Field But being made into a Loafe and set upon the holy Table and there being touched and hallowed by the Priest that which was a Loafe becomes the body of our Saviour In short as Holinesse in the best and strictest Definition of it is nothing but the separation or apartment of a thing from a common use to a religious and divine as the Sabbath was called holy because a common part of Time was divided from the rest and allotted to Gods service so a man thus ordained by the laying on of hands became a person separated from the common heap of Men a person hallowed for a Work whose Institution was divine Thirdly how shall men preach except they be sent sayes Saint Paul in the 10. Chapter of the Romans at the 15. Verse Where the Question is not put as if it were physically impossible for men to preach to others without Authority or Licence from the Church In our late licencious Times where Men inspired themselves the Cobler Weaver Tinker and Lay-preaching Souldier did it and went up into the Pulpit with a Sword by their Side or with an Awle or Shuttle or Trowel in their Hand But Quo Jure Where was their Warrant or Commission to do so Who signed and sealed their Patent by the laying on of hands Certainly if Men have not power to preach without this Authorizing Forme I am not Erastian enough to believe that they may assume the power and usage of the Keyes Excommunicate Ordaine Confirme Deliver up to Satan and judicially passe Censures upon Schismes Heresies and Scandals This then being clear the next thing to be enquired is who the Persons were who were commissioned to do this If we may believe Irenaeus Eusebius and Tertullian the Apostles singly did it by their laying on of hands Thus Polycarp at Smyrna was made a Bishop by Saint John thus Euodius at Antioch was made a Bishop by Saint Peter and thus by the same hands were Linus Cletus Clemens Romanus made at Rome Nay in the first Chapter of the second Epistle to Timothy at the sixth Verse 't is said That by Saint Paul's hands alone this Bishop was ordained Stir up the Gift of God which is in thee sayes the Apostle in that place which was given thee by the putting on of my hands Why is there mention made then in this Text of a Presbytery What means this Presbytery with their laying on of hands Do you not wonder holy Fathers that the same Master Calvin who took this Word Presbytery for the Office of an Elder should from the same Word set up his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his compounded mixt Presbytery of Spiritual and Lay-Elders A thing of which Aërius the Heretick never dreamt nor did Iscbyras or Colluthus ever receive into their Fancy Certainly those famous Lights and Fathers of the Church Saint Chrysostome Theodoret Theophylact and others were so far from allowing of Lay-Elders in this Work that they would not allow a Presbyter to lay hands upon a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inferiour Priests assisted not at this higher Consecration 'T was still done by an Apostle or by some other Bishops at least by two or three say the Canons called Apostolick Which cleares the seeming contradiction between this Text which sayes That Timothy was ordained by the hands of the Presbytery and that other Text 2 Tim. 6. which sayes That Saint Paul ordained him by his laying on of hands Both Texts joyned together are thus fairly reconciled he was ordained by Saint Paul assisted by the Bishops called here the Presbytery or Elders on the place And now holy Fathers if you will heare me draw your Pedigree from the Spring-head downe the Streame your Order and the Christian Church with its Religion too had the same divine Original and derives it self from Heaven God sent his Sonne his Sonne sent Apostles the Apostles made Bishops and those Bishops made their Successors And all this by one and the same authentick Patent As my Father sent me so send I you sayes Christ in the 20. Chapter of Saint John at the 21. Verse An Order which hath stood out all the Injuries of Time Persecutions of the Heathens Opposition of Philosophers Contradiction of Hereticks even all the Powers of Hell which have strived to shake it by their violence and stormes An Order which hath filled our Calendars with Saints our Histories with Fathers Holy Confessours and Martyrs An Order which is promised to be as lasting as the Sun for Lo I am with you to the end of the World sayes our Saviour Christ the Founder of your Order in the 28. Chapter of Saint Matthew at the last Verse Lastly an Order in our English Church recovered out of Ruines made glorious after Shipwreck victorious over the Rage and Sacrilege of those who raised a Storme in hope to enrich themselves with Spoyles In short an Order which nothing can eclipse endanger or expose to the Malice or Designs of those who would destroy it but the Negligence or want of care in those whose Order ' t is Which should be the last part of this Text exprest to us in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not neglect your Gift But this being a piece of holy Counsel much fitter for Saint Paul to preach out of this Pulpit to Men so like himself then for me so much inferiour in Gifts and Station to you For me to teach a Bishop how to over-look his Charge to prescribe him Rules of Government or to hold a Candle to him in his laying on of hands or Work of Ordination for me to instruct him how to admit fit Pastors to their Cures fit Shepherds to their Flocks where to let loose his holy Thunders and to call them back againe where to use the Rod and where to poure in Oyle lastly how to deport himself with all Gravity in publick and how to demeane himself with all Piety at home would be an undertaking like the foolish Orator's in Tully who in a Speech to Hannibal taught him the Art of War for which by that great Souldier he was accounted mad Having therefore Reverend Fathers profest my Submission and Obedience to those Rules and Orders which you shall prescribe to me but my very great unfitnesse to preach Lawes and Rules to you I hope my Modesty will gain me your pardon and excuse if I here put a period and conclusion to this Sermon FINIS The Division The Person His Qualification His Designation The form of his Consecration The Conclusion
PErlegi hanc Concionem eámque dignissimam judico quae publicam lucem aspiciat Geo. Stradling S. Th. D. Reverendi in Christo Patris Gilberti Episc. Lond. Sacellanus domest Feb. 24. Anno Salut 1661. A SERMON Preached at the CONSECRATION OF The Right Reverend Father in God Herbert Lord Bishop of Hereford By JASPER MAYNE D. D. Canon of christ-Christ-Church and one of His Majesties Chaplains in Ordinary JOHN 20. 21. As my Father sent Me so send I You. LONDON Printed for R. Royston Bookseller to the Kings most Excellent Majesty at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1662. To the Right Reverend Father in God BRIAN Lord Bishop of Winchester Prelate of the Honourable Order of the Garter and Almoner to His Majesty My Honoured Lord THose learned Jews and Christians who have been curious to find out the reason of some Visions in the Scripture do affirme That the Bush which Moses saw unburnt in the midst of fire was an Embleme of the Israelites then in bondage to the Aegyptians who were not onely preserved in the midst of Persecutions but thrived under their Oppressions hard Tasks and heavy Burthens and grew more numerous from the politick Arts which strived to lessen and destroy them till at length God contrived them a miraculous Deliverance which with their Calamitios concluded in a Song When I look back upon our late suffering Times the saddest which I think any History hath recorded where Oppression backt with Power made the Ruine of our Church the horrid step and ladder to the Usurpation of the Crown and where the name of a Bishop was so criminal and odious as to verifie Tertullian's sad complaint of his brutish Times Nominis vocabuli rei fuimus We were made guilty of a Word and condemned for being Christians and the style was punisht with publick Sales and Sequestrations and when withall I do consider by what unlookt-for way of Providence your Order and Religion like a Treasure snatcht from shipwreck were stupendiously restored after many years Confusion Methinks that Bush which Moses saw was the Embleme of our Church kept safe by Miracle in the midst of hungry fire and the Ship in the Gospel was presented to my eyes where Christ and his Apostles were tost in an hideous Storm but he waked and stilled the Winds and put a calmness to the Sea In these dayes of publick Calamity I was curious to observe how several men behaved themselves in strugling with their dangers I saw some take for their patern the Prophet Jonas in a storm who slept securely and untroubled when his Shipwreck rolled about him I saw others so much Cowards that to preserve their wretched Fortunes they compounded with the Tempest and made a League and Friendship with the Winds nay Servilely revived the Religion of those base timorous Heathens who worshipt every thing they fear'd and sacrificed to Furies and built Altars to their Plagues I saw others of a nobler and more stout and Christian Temper whose just reward is now to shine like Stars of Honour in the Church immovably resolute to maintain their Loyalty and Conscience with the loss of their Lives as they had already with their Fortunes Yet I hope it will be no diminution of their Vertues if I say That your Lordships Carriage in these Times of Persecution was to me most remarkable who by your happy Restitution and addition of more Honour have been made a greater Bishop but not a greater Person then you were in your lowest ebbe of Fortune The payment of your Vow in your building of an Alms-house on the place where you your self so ofter sate not wanting of an Almes but weeping o're the Prospect not then pleasant to your Eye because your proper business there was to aske the passers by If ever there were sorrows like to the sorrows of this Nation Your large Bounty to the College of which I am a Member which if I should name the Summe would make the world believe you meant to found a new College and not complete an old Your dying Liberalities bequeathed to others in your Will even to your meanest Servants who were your servants in distress are things which do proclaim you a great and noble Benefactor But these are but the good deeds of your Fortune done by the Bishop of Winchester the Charities of one possest with plenty and abundance your Rents and Mannors here share with you as Co-founders and your new Almes-house might have it written on the Walls A poor Bishop vow'd this House but a great and wealthy built it That which made you truly great and reverend in my eyes was to look into your noble Heart your large and bounteous Mind where your Good Deeds now were then but Wishes and Designs You were truly great to me when I saw you in your Poverty anticipate your Almes-house and be liberal at your door and the poor people in your House now had then places at your Gate when being reduced to the last Cruse of Oyle you made the drops run to others and when there was but a handful of Meal left in the little Barrel you then dealt your Loaf to those who wanted daily bread In short when you had but two Coats left to give one to the naked when you had hardly more then one Dish to make the poor your Guests to see you walk up your Hill with not much money in your purse and return back with none but then to think of laying up Treasures in Heaven when you had so little left on Earth was a Charity which raised in me a religious Admiration and lookt something like the Miracle wrought by our Saviour in the Gospel where Multitudes were fed with two fishes and five loaves Nor may I without some Injustice to your Vertues forbear to let the world know That I never saw Afflictions born with a more serene and even temper then you did yours who in the worst of Times stood like a firme unshaken Rock in the midst of angry waves your Courage still the same unbroken or undisturbed with any sad Disasters not more publick then your owne The old Church of England still kept up in your House with all its Formes and Rites though publickly forbidden Prayers constantly and twice a day read by you for the King at a time when such Devotions were made Treason by the Tyrant and Weekly Sermons preacht before you filled with so much Loyalty and Truth as would any where else have cast the Preacher into Bonds if not sent him from his Pulpit to the place of Execution To all this your Lordships continued Kindnesses to me by which I can compute my self almost grown aged in your Favours your encouragement of my younger Studies which grew up under your Example your Rescue of me from a Shipwreck in the late undoing Times when being tost and stript of all you were the Plank to save me and threw me out a line which drew me safe to shore are Reasons sufficient to let the World
Christian Religion Barbaram philosophiam A barbarous Philosophy A new Doctrine creeping forth into the World by the foolishness of Preaching affraid to enter combate with any rational Dispute or to endure a tryal where right Reason was opponent According to that which St. Paul hath delivered in the first Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians at 22 23. Verses where he sayes The Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom That is the Jews would believe no more of the Gospel then they saw confirmed by miracle and proved by signs and wonders And the learned Greeks or Gentiles would admit no more then they saw confirmed by Syllogisme and proved by Demonstration In this scarcity of Preachers then to win upon all parties and to captivate both Jews and Gentiles to the obedience of the Gospel the Holy Ghost pour'd forth his gifts proportion'd to the work which each man was to do as Time Place and Countrey needed To one was given the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge to another Prophecy to another the gift of Healing to another the gift of Miracles to another the gift to discern true Prophets from the false to another the gift of Tongues to another the gift to interpret the sense and meaning of those Tongues And all these wrought that one and self-same Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the building of the Church as you may read in the 12. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians the 11. first Verses Now in the distribution and imparting of those gifts unless it were our Saviour Christ the Son of God himself in whom this holy Spirit had no limit bound or measure he never did pour forth himself in such overflowing gifts as he did on the Apostles the first Preachers of the Gospel The old Prophets had him sparingly more sprinkled then poured forth he was to them a little Brook to these a full-tide Sea he fell in single drops on them on these in full-grown showres Besides they had him but sometimes these to themselves and heirs they were able like a firm Estate to bequeath him in their Wills and to make him their gift to others as he was his own gift to them for whereever they laid their Hands the holy Ghost still followed The gift of Tongues of Prophecy of Miracles and Healing were as naturally diffused by them as the Sun sheds light and beams And now I speak of Miracles methinks the persons were the greatest upon whom this holy Spirit did thus pour forth his gifts That men not bred to Letters should suddenly grow wise and be every one a School and Athens to himself to be able to maintain Disputes with great Scholars of all Sects to make a Sadducee confess there was a Resurrection and to make a Pharisee recant his false glosses on the Law nay to make Aristotles school send forth Disciples unto Christ and to erect a new Church in Plato's Commonwealth to see a Zeno or Chrysippus surrender up his Chair and sit at the feet of a poor Fisherman inspired to hear an Apollos so eloquent in Preaching as if some Tully or Demosthenes were got up into the Pulpit to hear men speak all Languages who had learned no Tongue but one so as to be thought Natives in all Countries where they came and who travelled through the World yet never went from home lastly to see a plain unskilful man who never heard of Galen and to whom Hippocrates was utterly unknown without the help of medicines do Cures beyond the power of Physick to cure Palsies Fevers Dropsies Gouts by the bare virtue of a Word to make blind men see and lame men walk by virtue of a Touch nay to make their shadows do the business of Physicians and to cure all Diseases by their bare shadows passing by These these indeed were gifts which bore down the World before them these changed the face of Empires and gave new form to States converted Heathens into Christians and Idolaters to Saints Now whether all these gifts or any one of these were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gift here given to this Bishop because this Text is silent I cannot well determine Grotius thinks it was the gift of Tongues and perhaps his reason was because being an Evangelist and Co-adjutor to St. Paul whose task and business 't was to preach the Gospel to all Nations this could not well be done without the Language of all Nations Others think it was the gift of Wisdom by which without the help of Books he was inspired with Knowledge But then why did St. Paul in the Verse next before this Text bid him improve himself by study and addict himself to reading and exhortation till he came Where by Reading sure is meant the Theory of Knowledge by Exhortation the exercise and reduction of it into practice Others therefore think that here is meant the gift of Healing But then St. Chrysostoms dispute in his Homily on that Text Drink no longer Water but use a little Wine for thy Stomachs sake and often Infirmities will deserve to be considered and to have the Question askt Why if he had the gift of Healing did he not heal himself unless this may be an Answer That being but a Novice or young man endued with the gifts and parts of old God would not give him leave to cure this weaknesse in himself lest his gift of Knowledge should swell and puff him up Since the gifts of the holy Ghost are not so secure from danger but that they may degenerate into high-mindednesse and pride Nay this it seems was St. Pauls very case who though he had the gift of healing to that miraculous degree as to be able to raise men from the dead yet after his strange Rapture up into the third Heaven after all the glorious Visions and Revelations of that place lest he should be exalted above the measure of a man A thorn in the flesh called the Messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him and to humble him again in the 12. Chapter of the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians at the 7. Verse Where some too injuriously and too unchastely too by that thorn in the flesh conceive some concupiscence or lust but he himself calls it an infirmity or weaknesse for which his gift of Healing could not contrive a cure as you may gather from the 8 9. Verses of that Chapter But now after all this which I hitherto have said what if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gift here mentioned in this Text were none of all these but the very Office of a Bishop here given him by Prophecy with the laying on of hands Certainly if those ancient Fathers and great Lights of the Church who living near the Spring-head did see the stream run clear wrote not by a false light which deceived themselves and others St. Jerome Ambrose Haymo Primasius and some others in which number was Lyranus were of this Opinion Nay the
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