Israel and going unto Tarshish a strange Country Neither could God get him to go on his message to Nineveh till hee had given him a second call unto it Jonah 3.1 and yee know how hee was fain to bee prepared too to the entertainment of that second call it was a bitter pill that hee was enforced to take for a preparative before the Physick would kindly work upon him as the two first Chapters of his Prophesy shews hee was fain to have a terrible storm at Sea about his ears the lot falls upon him to bee cast overboard to appease it a Whale comes and swallows him up into her belly and when he had been once throughly schooled for three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly in the belly of hell as himself calls it then upon the Whales disgorging of him upon dry land he begins to listen to the second call of God and not before And as yee have thus seen it in three great Prophets two whereof were two of the greatest that ever were so ye may behold it also in the greatest Apostle that ever was even St. Paul himself for was not hee brought up at the feet of a learned Gamaliel that great Rabbi doth hee not say of himself that hee was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles and that though hee was rude in speech yet not in knowledge 2 Cor. 11.5 6. nay hee was so farre from being rude in speech too though the false Apostles gave out so of him that there is most admirable Eloquence in all his Epistles which made that golden mouthed Father St. Chrysostome so to admire him and which made St. Augustine put it for one of his three great wishes that hee might but once have heard him preach out of a pulpit and was hee not the great Doctor of the Gentiles destined peculiarly unto them above all the rest of the Apostles And yet for all these his great abilities and great sufficiency ye may hear him crying out in his own name and in the name of all the Ministers of the Gospel who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 And if thou wert not O holy and great Apostle who ever was or shall be sufficient And as the ablest of all the Apostles felt his shoulders aking under the burden of it so the greatest of all the Ancient Fathers was as sensible of it before hee entred upon it even St. Augustine himself who hath been always accounted the most learned of all the Fathers whether of the Greek or Latine Church and yet hee could not abstain from weeping as I said before at the time of his Ordination to the Ministery out of an apprehension of the weightiness of the function which hee was then to take upon him as himself writes in his Epistle to Valerius Hin◠erant lacrymae illae quas me fundere in Civitate Ordinationis meae tempore nonnulli fratres animadverterunt And when the same Valerius would have him become his Collegue and Copartner with him in his Episcopal office at Hippo hee was so farre from an hasty accepting of it that he weilds it off and expostulates the matter with him what hee meant to lay such an insupportable burthen upon his shoulders Jubes er go ut peream Pater Valeri ubi est charitas tua And I would wish all young Schollers and Students in Divinity next unto the two Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy and that to Titus to read over this Epistle of St. Augustine to Valerius Where they shall finde how difficult a task the Ministerial function is and how unwilling that great Light of the Church was to undertake it Besides all these choice and pregnant instances it will many other ways appear what a weighty Calling the Ministery is and how great the burden of it True it is that there are many honourable titles given to the Ministers of God in Scripture as that they are Men of God Gods Embassadours Gods Stewards that they are Rulers Elders spiritual Fathers the Angels of the Churches the Starres of the Churches and the like but all these do as well include their Duty as their dignity and are as much for the Onus of the Ministery as the Honos of it Is it not a weighty Calling that requires so much Learning and Knowledge so much wisdome and Prudence so much labour and pains for to manage it and that hath so many dangers attending it and so many enemies to grapple with Is not a cure of souls an heavy burden I fear me the heaviest under heaven Surely Saint Paul would never have written two large Epistles to Timothy upon this subject if there had not been great need of a thorough instruction in this so weighty a function For is it an easy matter to perform those duties which in those Epistles hee enjoyns him in the name of all Ministers of the Gospel I will select some of them for a taste as that 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth For though to study to approve our selves to God and to become workmen that need not to bee ashamed bee both of them duties of a very large extent yet even that one alone of rightly dividing the word of truth what a great deal is there in it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly to divide the word is not so much to divide a Text as wee use to say but to give every one his portion of the Word according as hee stands in need Comfort to him to whom comfort belongs Reproof to him to whom reproof belongs conviction to him to whom conviction belongs instruction to him to whom instruction belongs and the like This is rightly to divide the word of God and what a great deal of skill and a great deal of wisdome is there requisite to the doing of it Our Saviour himself tells us so in the parable in the Gospel Mat. 24.45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season or as St. Luke hath it more explicitly to give them their portion of meat in due season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is his word every one his demensum that is most agreeable for him Luke 12.42 such a one must be a faithful and wise servant that can do this saith our Saviour here or a faithful and wise Steward as he other Evangelist expresseth it It is a point of wisdome then and requires much dexterity to know when to play the Boanerges and when to play the Barnabas when to be a Son of thunder and when to be a son of Consolation when to thunder out the terrour of the Law against men and when to beseech them in the mild and still voyce of the Gospel for both these must bee done by the minister of Gods word but when and how to do them hic labor hoc opus est
indubiè Indubiâ— si idem symbelum rire administraretur adhuc hodie in Electionibus non minus quam oliâ—n effet efficax si max me externa insolita ratione sese non execeret spiritus Sanctus Aret Com. ad Text. And without doubt saith hee If the sâ—â—e rite were in a due manner still abserved in the Blection of Ministers it would bee found to bee no less effectual than heretofore however the Holy Ghost may not shew himself in such external operations as then Here is another use of this Rite this Ceremony and that a Principal one 4. Hereby a charge is imposed Thus Moses laying his hands upon Joshua Illo ipso etiam ritu tanquaÌ„m solemni voto obligatione is qui vocatus est obligatus corâ— Deo sub testimonio Ecclesiae ad eam fidelitatem in Ministerio prestandam quam Dominus in dispensationibus suis requirit 1 Cor. 4.2 Chemnit Ioc. de Ecclesia p. 137. hee is said to give him a charge before all the people Numb 27.23 And in like manner the Ministers of God laying their hands upon the persons ordained they do thereby in the name of God impose a charge upon them even the same that Paul doth here upon Timothy not to neglect the gift which thereby they receive but seriously with their Heads and Hearts to intend that Ministration committed to them lest otherwise the hand of the Lord go out against them and fall heavy upon them 5. To name no more Hereby a blessing is assured A threefold blessing Divine Protection Direction Assistance Thus is the hand of the Lord said to have been upon his servant Ezra Ezra 7.6.9 According to the good hand of his God upon him God was pleased to exercise a gracious providence towards and upon him in protecting directing and prospering him in his undertakings And thus shall the hand of the Lord bee upon his faithfull servants his Ministers going about his work in his name which is represented and assured to them by this Rite this Ceremony in their Ordination the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Ceremoniam pro ipso actu Ordinationis posuit Calv. ad Text. Of such excellent use then is this Ceremony And hence is it that it is here as elsewhere put for the whole work of Ordination Not but that therein there are other actions of special import such are the word and prayer The two ordinary means whereby every Creature of God is sanctified as our Apostle tells us in the fifth verse of this Chapter Sanctified in a general way so as they may bee comfortably used with expectation of a blessing upon them And by these means the persons ordeined come to bee sanctified in a special manner in a peculiar way by the word and prayer which are the essential parts of this Ordinance as might bee shewed if need were But in as much as this Ceremony is most obvious and observable to the eye therefore the whole action taketh the denomination from it being called the laying on of hands And thus have I with what brevity might bee Applicat paraphrased upon this former part of the Text. From whence I might now deduce or rather take up divers doctrinal informations touching the business which wee are here met about this day the ordinance of Ordination 1. So I call it let that bee the first of them and that not without good warrant from my Text the Ordinance of Ordination And that not a humane but a divine Ordinance and so of perpetual use unto the Church of God which were it but beleeved surely it would not bee so sleighted as by many it is at this day Pauls charge to Timothy here is that hee should not neglect the Gift which hee had received in and by his Ordination How is it that so many among us so sleight this gift as that they will not receive it in this way No if they have but a Call as they call it an Election by two or three and can by any means procure a formal Approbation or yet a Toleration it is enough for them A Gift they have already at least as they think and they look out for no more Now they let upon the work and that not as Probationers for tryal sake in order to Ordination which being done with the Allowance of those who have power to lay on hands and that for some competent time untill Ordination can bee obtained I have nothing to say against it but in a fixed way as their setled imployment Taking upon them not only to preach which properly they cannot bee said to do without Ordination Teach they may but preach they cannot How shall they preach except they bee sent Rom. 10.15 Preach as Embassadors Officers in an authoritative way this they cannot do without an authoritative mission but also to administer the Sacraments and that not only Baptisme which upon what account I know not hath heretofore been looked upon as of an inferiour nature and so permitted in some cases to bee dispensed by secular hands but also the Lords Supper wherein what do they but abuse the Ordinances of God and abuse his people gulling and deceiving them by giving them shels for kernels shadows for substances So necessary is Ordination I mean for the substance of it as that in an ordinary way none can perform any ministerial act without it But I must but touch upon things only giving you a hint of what might have been inlarged 2. In the second place as Ordination it self is necessarie so this Ceremony used in it of imposition of hands is more than indifferent Mark it I do not say absolutely necessary so essential unto this Ordinance as that it should bee null and void without it I shall herein bee as tender as I may But more than indifferent an adjunct which ought not to bee severed from it For this besides the constant and almost universal practice of the Church in all times in all places which ought to bear more than a little sway with those that live in the bosome and acknowledge themselves members of it Scripture evidence mee thinks should bee clear and convincing enough For practice how is it that Paul and Barnabas though persons extraordinarily qualified and dignified were thus set a part by laying on of hands Act. 13.3 And here Timothy in like manner And so all the Elders the Ministers of those times a thing so apparent that it cannot bee denyed And whence is it that the whole action as I have shewn you was denominated from this Ceremony commonly known by this name of imposition of hands a plain evidence that this was alwayes a part of it never omitted Object Why but it may bee said though wee have President for it Licet autem nullum extet certum precep tum de manuum impositione quiaÌ„ tamen fuiffe in perpetuo usu Apostolis videmus illa tam acurata corum observatio praeceptive nobis esse debet Cal.
they are known This is one of the characters that the Apostle giveth of a Bishop a Gospel Minister 1 Tim. 3.7 Hee must bee one that hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good Testimonial a good report yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of those that are without without the Church no members of it much more of them that are within such must the conversation of a meet Candidate bee not onely unblameable but laudable And withall hee ought to be such a one as upon whom a humane and conjectural prophesy hath passed one whom others look upon for his parts and gifts as a hopeful instrument of doing service in the Church of God 2 And besides this humane let them look for somewhat of a divine Testimony though not in an extraordinary way as Timothy had that is not now to bee expected yet in an ordinary that they be such persons as in whom in the judgement of a well regulated charity they themselves may see somewhat of God of his grace and spirit sanctifying of them and so fitting them for this so weighty a service And now these two concurring they may comfortably go on in ordaining and setting apart such a one thereunto which how it is to bee done the next clause will inform you With the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Where again wee must make further enquiry what is here meant by the Presbytery what by Laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Quest 1. For the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hereby some would understand the office of a Presbyter So Erasmus here transsates it Authoritate sacerdotis To which sense I finde what I wonder at Mr. Calvin here not wholly averse yea Omuibus expensis diversum sensum non male quadrare fateor ut sit nomen officii Calvin ad Text. Quod de Impositione manuum Presbyterii dicitur non it a accipio quasi Paulus de seniorum collegi◠loquatur sed hoc nomine Ordinationem ipsam intelligo Calvin Instit lib. 4. Cap. 3. Sect. 16. Cameron Praelect in Mat. 18.15 elsewhere wholly for it but by the favour of so judicious an Expositor then whom I know none more we may take notice first that the word here used is never taken in scripture in this sense Neither can it well bear it True indeed as the learned Cameron notes upon it were it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it might be so construed Presbyteratus the office or dignity of a Presbyter but not so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And secondly If the word would bear it yet the scope of the place will not For should we so read it with the laying on of the hands of the office or dignity of a Presbyter I must professe with the same Authour I should not know what sense to make of it And therefore letting that passe enquire we how this word is elsewhere used That wee may soon see there being but two other Texts where it is to bee found The one Luke 22.66 where wee read of the Elders of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other Act. 22.5 where wee meet with the estate of the Elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In both places thereby meaning the great Councel of the Sanhedrim a Colledge or company of officers to whom the Government of the Church was committed Here is the Original both of the name and thing from whence it was derived as most other things concerning Ecclesiastical Government were unto the Christian Church which in like manner had its Presbyteries Societies and Companies of Church officers to whom the Government of the Church was in like manner committed And in this sense without question are wee to look upon the word here in the text as denoting Caetum seu Collegium Presbyterorum a Company of Presbyters Herein the generality of Expositors both Ancient and Modern Presbyterium qui hic collectivum nomen esse putant pro Collegio Presbyterorum positum recte sentiunt meo judicio Calvin ad Text. both Protestant and Romish do fully accord Mr. Calvin also among the rest upon second thoughts yeilding his free assent thereunto Quest Only the question remains what kinde of Presbyters were these Answ To this shall wee give the Doctors of the Church of Rome leave to return the Answer most of them will roundly tell us that they were Bishops Bishops as distinct from Presbyters wherein they plead the consent of some of the Ancients Such was the office say they to which Timothy was ordained not of a Presbyter but of a Bishop Now it was never the custome for Presbyters to ordain Bishops No The lesse is blessed of the better the greater faith the Apostle speaking of the Priestly office Heb. 7.7 Not the greater of the lesse Presbyters are ordained by Bishops not Bishops by Presbyters And herein we finde them seconded by some of our own of late times who contend that the office to which Timothy was ordained was the office of a Bishop an Arch-Bishop a Metropolitane And consequently the Presbytery here spoken of must bee a company of Bishops at least not of ordinary Presbyters In pursuit whereof some there are who spare not to affirm that in Pauls time there was no such order in the Church No Presbyters properly so called True indeed in a large sense say they the Apostles some of them sometimes stile themselves so as Peter and John who write themselves Presbyters 1 Pet. 5.1 2 Epist Joh. 1. and 3. Epist 1. But strictly and properly there was then none of this order None at least till St. Johns time the last of the Apostles Then indeed say they was this order introduced as a middle office betwixt Bishops and Deacons But before that there were no other ordinary offices in the Church but these two taking the word Bishops in a strict acception and consequently the Presbytery here spoken of could bee no other So high are some flowne in these distracted times being as they say of some Meteors set on fire by an Antiperistasis But as for this opinion as it is but novel newly hatched and singular so I suppose it is not like to be long lived it being such as the best friends to Episcopacy which the moderate party are I presume will not bee willing to own Neither indeed is there any reason they should in as much as it runnes so directly crosse as to clear evidence of Scripture so to the general if not universal consent of all divines both Ancient and Modern who look upon the office of a Presbyter as in Order and Time precedent to that of a Bishop Yea so necessarily preceding it that who ever shall be ordained a Bishop per saltum not having first a Presbyter they pronounce his Ordination invalid a meer nullity So it is agreed both by Protestants Papists Yea by the moderate on both these parts it is also yeilded that Presbyiery is the highest order of ordinary Gospel ministery Episcopacy not being a different Order from it but onely
a different degree in the same Order a dignity conferred upon some one of the Presbyters and that for orders sake to prevent division and confusion So then leaving these forced senses take wee the word as it sounds understanding by it a Combination or company of Presbyters properly so called ordinary Ministers of the word Pastors and Teachers such as labored in the word and doctrin whether the Ministers of one Church or more a Congregational or Classical Presbytery as they are now distinguished is uncertain M. Beza is for the former nominating the place where Timothy was elected and as hee supposeth ordained Lystris ascitum fuisse constat ex Act. 16.2 c. Beza Gr. Anno. ad Loc. viz. at Lystra and that hee conceives by the Presbyters the Ministers of that Church taking the conjecture from that forecited Text Act. 16.2 whether so or no as it is but conjectural so is it not materiall A company of Presbyters there were which made up this Presbytery And from or rather through their hands did Timothy receive this Gift Sorunnes the Text The Gift which was given thee by Prophesy with the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery Quest 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imposition of hands a Rite or Ceremony of very ancient use and that in diverse cases Four or five of which wee meet with in the Old Testament 1 In Benediction and blessing Thus the story tells us Gen. 48.14 how the Patriarch Jacob laid his hands upon the heads of Ephraim and Manasse which hee did for the blessing of them as the 20 verse explains the mystery of it 2 In Oblation in offering sacrifices to God So you finde it Exod. 29. where Aaron and his Sonnes are ordered to lay their hands upon the head of the Bullock which was to bee sacrificed vers 10. and so in like manner upon the two Rams vers 15.19 thereby dedicating and consecrating of them unto God 3 In Attestation in giving evidence against a Capital offender of this you read Lev. 24.14 where the Law for punishing the Blasphemer requires that his accusers should lay their hands upon his head for the confirmation of their Testimony 4. In Resignation Thus wee finde the Children of Israel some chief among them in the name of the rest laying their hands upon the Levites which they did not to ordain them to their office no that was done by Aaron by whom they were offered up unto the Lord as the next verse hath it but that thereby they might declare and testify both their Resignation and Approbation of them how that they did for their parts give up all the carnal and worldly interests which they had in them and did approve of that office which was then to bee conferred upon them 5 In Designation in designing and appointing one to an office Thus Moses designing Joshua to bee his successour hee doth it with this Ceremony by laying on his hands upon him Numb 27.18 Of such use was this Rite under the old Testament from whence it was transferred unto the New where we shall also finde it used in an equal number of Cases First In Benediction Thus our Saviour is said to have blessed those children which were brought unto him by putting his hands on them Mark 10.16 Secondly In Miraculous operations in healing of bodily diseases Thus our Saviour is said to have wrought that cure upon that infirm woman Luk. 13.13 by laying his hands upon her and the like power he gave to his Apostles after his departure as also to some others in those primitive times They shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover Mark 16.18 An experiment whereof Ananias made upon Saul who recovered his sight by his laying on his hands upon him Act. 9.17 Thirdly In Extraordinary Collations in conveying of miraculous gifts Thus did Saul also receive the Holy Ghost as it there followeth And the like did many others by laying on of the hands of the Apostles as you finde it in the Chapter foregoing Act. 8. vers 17.18 Fourthly In that Apostolical institution of Confirmation an Ordinance which the Church of God after some foul depravations of it hath now unhappily lost the restoring whereof according to the * Talem maâ— nuum impositionem quae simpliciter loco benedictionis fiâ—t laudo restitutam hodie in purum usum velim Calv. Instit lib. 4. Cap. 19 Primitive pattern is much to be desired as being very useful to the Church and that as at all times so especially in these times whereinto wee are fallen whereof I have * Doctrin and Practice of Paedobatisme p. 76 77 78 79 Printed Anno. 1645. elsewhere given a publick account to the world of which after many of the Ancients Mr. Calvin and Beza Hic unus locus abunde testatur hujus Ceremoniae originem fluxisse ab Apostolis Calv. Com. ad Loc. Piscator Chemnitius Hemingius Ursinus ' D. Fulk D. Willer c. Vide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I. H. B. N. Manuum impositionem cum Baptismo conjungit quia ut duo erant Catechumenorum ordines ita duplex erat Ceremonia c. Vide Calvin Com. ad loc with diverse others of our modern divines eminent both for learning and pietie do understand the Apostle to speak Heb. 6.2 where among his six Principles of Christian Religion he reckons this for one the laying on of hands which being joyned unto Baptism and coupled with it it seemeth to import some reference and relation that the one should have to the other as Calvin also observes upon it and so cannot so fitly bee understood of any other thing as of Confirmation wherein the Children of Beleevers having been baptized in their Infancy after that they had been competently instructed in the doctrin of that faith whereinto they had been baptized were confirmed by the Imposition of hands and so received for compleat members of the Church Fifthly and most usually in Ordination of Church-officers Thus did Timothy receive this Gift his Ministerial office by or with the Imposition of the hands of the Presbytery Imposition of hands a Mystical Ceremony and that very significative Being used in ordination of Ministers diverse things may bee conceived to bee represented and signified by it Letting passe what the Church of Rome will tell us Hac impositione manuum sistitur Ecclesiae ut haec quoque admoneatur Deum per hanc personam ejus ministerium velle ipsos docere c. Chemnit loc de Ecclesia p. 159. that hereby an indelible Character is imprinted upon the person ordeined and that Grace yea Gratia gratum faciens is conferred by it Certe utile est ejusmodi symbolo cum ministerii dignitatom populo commensari tum eum qui ordinatur admoneri ipsum jam non esse sui juris sed Deo Ecclesiae in servitutem addictum Calvin Instir lib. 4. cap. 3. Sect. 16. and that ex opere operato so as the person is
are not reduced to such extremities as Paul was who tells us of his hunger and thirst and cold and nakednesse 2 Cor. 11.27 yet they are dieted with a mean and scanted competency far inferiour to what others injoy But what of this Let it bee enough to them the right hand of their God is upon them assuring their interest in the best of blessings which right hand blessings are 3. Against opposition affronts troubles persecutions which they are subject to meet withall in and from the World These in some kinde or other they must make account of But let them not bee disanimated therby let them in nothing fear their adversaries So long as the good hand the right hand of their God is upon them they are safe enough that is a strong hand Thou hast a mighty arme strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand Psal 89.13 This hand being upon their heads they shall need no other helmet this will bee to them a helmet of salvation Only let it bee their care to do the work of the Lord faithfully and then let them quietly repose themselves under the covert of his hand being assured of a gracious protection from that God whom they serve in the Gospel of his Son 4. I might yet go on Let this bee to them a Catholicon a comfort and incouragement in all their straits all their doubts and difficulties when they know not what to do which way to look now let their eyes bee unto their God whose hand is still with them If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost part of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead mee and thy right hand shall hold mee saith the Psalmist Psal 139.8 9. Such a gracious providence doth God exercise as towards all his servants in general so towards his Ministers in special In all places in all conditions hee will bee with them to support them to conduct them But I am straitned 2. A word for the people and but a word Let them own this Ordinance of God and that by owning them that are put under it Wee beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5.12 The Officers of Jesus Christ such as are set apart unto his service and come in his name with his authority Know them and that so as to yeeld unto them such respects as are due unto them upon that account Esteeming them very highly for their works sake as it there followeth vers 13. not grudging them that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that double honour of Reverence and maintenance which our Apostle in this Epistle avoucheth the faithful Ministers of Christ to bee worthy of 1 Tim. 5.17 with all obeying them Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves saith the Apostle to the Hebrews speaking there not of Magistrates but of Ministers such as watch for the souls of men as it there followeth Heb. 13.17 obey their Doctrin and submit to their Government so far as they teach from God and command for God So doing you shall not feel of that hand which being laid upon them is ready to go forth against those who will not hearken unto them But I may not give way to further inlargements being also prevented in what I should have done in speaking somewhat of the latter part of the Text wherein wee have the matter of this charge which wee meet with in the first word Neglect not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which word wee have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more intended than said Neglect not that is with care and conscience attend thy ministerial office laying out that Talent which God hath committed unto thee stirring up the Gift which thou hast received So hee elsewhere explains and inforceth this charge 2 Tim. 1.6 whereof I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Metaphor taken from fire which is ready to go out unless it bee stirred up Even so are Ministerial gifts unless they bee exercised And therefore as the Priests under the Law had a care of that holy and heavenly fire upon the Altar to preserve and cherish it by adding fewel to it and stirring of it up so ought Gospel Ministers to have of their gifts which they have received from God maintain cherish them seeking to increase them by the constant exercise of them laying them out for the glory of God good of his Church Appli 1 A seasonable charge for you my Brethren who are this day to enter upon this Ministerial office you are here to receive the like Gift that Timothy did and that in the like way Now to every of you bee this word spoken and I wish it may bee ingraven upon each of your hearts so as you may have it in a continual remembrance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neglect not this gift You know how it fared with the servant in the Gospel who hid his Talent in a Napkin It turned to a bad account to him in the end And so will Gifts to their owners where they are not improved And therefore what you have received or shall receive see that you lay it out for your masters advantage therein seeking the glory of God and good of his Church So doing be you comfortably assured of what you have heard that the good hand of your God shall be with you and upon you to protect direct assist and bless you Whereof take the Imposition of hands this day as a pledge But I shall not here anticipate what you shall anon receive more fully from another hand To which referring you beg wee a blessing from God upon what hath been spoken FINIS AN Exhortation given to the late ordained Ministers after the Ordination in the close of the day thereof Norwich June 11. 1656. IT is no part of my task to intermeddle at all with any controversies about the Ordination of Ministers either to enter into the question of what necessity it is to bee an ordained Minister or into that other in whose power it is to ordain and to whom properly it belongeth This was the task of that Reverend Divine who preached the Sermon to you who very dexterously and judiciously hath acquitted himself therein mine is only to speak to you who are now ordained to put you in mind of your duty as ye are Ministers And all which I shall speak in this matter both for the help of your memories and mine own too I will reduce to these three summary heads First To shew you the great burthen of your Office and what a weighty calling ye have taken upon you to discharge Secondly To shew you the great peril and hazzard ye run in the not discharging of it aright And Lastly On the contrary the great reward which remains for every faithful Minister for every one that conscientiously and in some good
Other places of the same Apostle unto Timothy I will but mention only for brevity sake as that of his 2 Tim. 4.2 Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrin That also of his 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed to thy self and to the doctrin continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee And what a great deal is there in either of both these And so likewise in that which he hath unto Titus Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful word as hee hath been taught that hee may bee able by sound doctrin both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he may be able to confute the adversaries as the original word properly signifies now what a great deal of skil and ability is required to the doing of that ye al easily understand for every one that is able to exhort is not presently able to confute and yet every Minister of the Gospel ought as well to be able to confute as to exhort as hee ought to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so hee ought o bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 else what should become of such times as ours wherein there is so much need of Confutation of all manner of errours and heresies Besides the duty of Preaching what a great deal of skill doth it require for to Catechize what a great deal of dexterity to resolve scruples and cases of Conscience what a great deal of wisdome and experience to bind up broken hearts and wounded spirits what a great deal of watchfulness to know the state of the whole flock and what a great deal of wary circumspection in his carriage towards them all As for Catechizing to lay the foundation well that requires a wise Master-builder as the Apostle himself tells us 1 Cor. 3.10 And indeed the Master builders of the reformed Churches went this way to work at the first beginning of the reformation of Religion which they performed with such felicity of success that the Catechismes of the two chiefest reformers of the two great parties of protestants were accounted the usefullest of all their other writings for not onely great Luther said it himself that of all his own works none did please him but his Catechism and his book deservo arbitro as Sturmius relates that he read it in one of his Epistles but also great Calvins Catechism was inso high esteem in the Church of God that it was thought worthy to bee translated into all the three learned Languages both Hebrew Greek and Latine Tremellius putting it into the Hebrew and Henry Stephen into the Greek And herein the crafty Jesuits have learned to play the Apes of the Protestant writers as in studying the tongues and many other things so in this of Catechizing they knowing full well the great necessity of it and so may wee among our selves by the ignorant backsliding of so many from the truth in these days And as for resolving cases of conscience as it is a very necessary duty of a Minister so it needs a very skilful and able Divine and though he Popish writers have herein got the start of our Protestant Divines they having been always accounted the greatest Casuists although with abundance of dross in them yet ever since that godly-learned man Mr. Perkins did set Case-Divinity on foot by resolving so many cases of Conscience in his long continued preaching on that subject many eminent Divines have since betaken themselves unto it as Dr. Ames and Dr. Rivet upon the Decalogue and divers other in these dayes Dr. Ames confessing that his hearing Mr. Perkins preach thereupon when hee was a youth made him ever after in love with that part of Divinity in his preface to his Cases of Conscience And so for the binding up of broken hearts as it is a most soveraign part of the ministerial office so it requires a most knowing and experimental Divine for to do it a great deal of wisdome also and discretion must bee used towards such and they are very tenderly to bee handled And as many worthy Ministers are very excellent in this kind so Reverend Mr. Greenham had in his time a most singular faculty herein whose works remain yet behind for us And for the careful inspection over the whole flock the Minister as hee hath curam animarum so hee hath curam uniuscujusque animae hee hath the charge of every soul in his parish and must give an account for every one that belongs to his charge according to that of the Apostle Heb. 13.17 They watch for your Souls as they that must give account c. Which inspection over every one in particular of the Flock seems to bee intimated in that complaint which God makes of the Shepheards of Israel by his Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 33.4 The diseased have ye not strengthened neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have yee bound up that which was broken neither have yee brought agian that which was driven away neither have yee sought that which was lost c. Now how great and weighty a burthen this is and what a discerning spirit it requires in a Minister every one may easily perceive it is indeed the right Episcopal part of every Ministers office as the Original word properly imports even this oversight over the whole flock so as to take care of every one of them as much as may bee according as St. Paul hath it to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20.28 Take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the. Holy Ghost hath made you overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Greek runnes And as well St. Peter as St. Paul 1 Pet. 5.2 The Elders which are among you I exhort feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word again Hath hee not the sick to visit the ignorant to instruct the unruly to admonish the feeble minded to comfort and these as well privately and from house to house as publikely agreeable to that notable example of St. Paul Act. 20.20 I have shewed you and have taught you publikely and from house to house And adde to all these what an exemplary pattern he ought to be to the whole flock and how unblameable in his carriage to them all how he ought to preach unto them by his gracious life as well as by his zealous doctrin according to that observable passage of st Jerom in an Epistle of his to Fâ—biola Tanta debet effe eruditio Ministri Dei ut et gressus ejus et motus et universa vocalâ—a sint ut quicquid agit quicquid loquituâ— sit doctrina populorum in one word that in every thing which he doth he may alwayes teach thereby Which is no more than what both St. Paul and St. Peter give in charge to Ministers St. Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.12 Bee thou