y t he retaineth it among the ordinary gifts secondly in that he tyeth and lymitteth it to be moderated and ruled by the proportion of faith thirdly in that he commaundeth the Prophet to abyde in that calling fourthly in that immediately after he diuideth it into the office of the Doctour and Pastour all which can not agree with the giftes of foretelling things to come For that is not ordinary not alwayes limitted not alwayes to be retayned neither is it common to the Doctour and the Pastour therefore it must needes be thus expounded in this place as we haue sayde so that the meaning is hee whom God hath called sincerely to interpret his worde to the profit of his people let him abyde in that function For albeit that worde is wanting in the Greek text yet either that or some other of the like force must necessarily be vnderstood as the Greeke Scholiast and other writers doe well note But what is ment here by The proportion of faith To omit the opinions of men I take it to be the same which the Apostle before named The measure of faith and the meaning to be as if he shoulde saye he that is lawfully called by the church truly and purely to expound the Scriptures to the edification of the hearer let him abide therein according to the proportiō or measure of his gifts which are giuen him to occupie and exercise in faith for God hath giuen to some more to some lesse yea and somtimes blesseth him that hath lesse more than him that hath more Therefore euery man being called must abide therin and occupy his proper talent and gift with all diligence and faith to the edification of his owne flock Whereby we may plainly see what a Prophet is A Prophet is a member or minister of the Word of God which abideth in the true sincere interpretation thereof to the edification of his own peculier flock So Paul chargeth y e bishops at Ephesus to do Act. 20. The word trāslated office signifieth here all other ordinary functions besides the Pastor and Doctor In deede it is sometimes taken in scripture generally for all Ecclesiasticall functions sometime applyed to the ciuill Magistrate but that it is not so taken here it is manifest by the disiunctiue proposition either of whose partes cannot by any rule of reason comprehend both Wherefore as the Prophet hath to handle the Word so y e officer hath to handle not it but other necessary dueties wherein he must also continue with diligence and fidelity Let vs proceed to the seueral branches Or he that teacheth on teaching These wordes as they shewe the office of the Doctor wherein he must bee continually occupied not breaking in vpon any other ciuill or Ecclesiasticall calling so they may teach vs together what a true Doctor and Teacher is howe to define and distinguish him from all other ministers in the Church A Doctor or Teacher is a Prophet which truely soundly and reuetently expounding the Canonicall Scriptures continueth in teaching true doctrin to his own people for the establishing of their minds in the truth If any doubt of y e trueth hereof he may as well doubt of the Scriptures them selues out of the which euery part hereof is drawne For the Apostle here calleth the Doctor a Prophet that he must interpret y e canonical scriptures it appeareth first by the fourth of the 1. of Pet. Let him that speaketh speake as the words of God Secondly because who knoweth not that the Scriptures are giuen of the holy ghost and are sufficient to teach all trueth and that the Churche is built vpon this doctrine Lastly Christe sendeth vs to the Scriptures which witnesse of him and teacheth by them the trueth and confuteth errors Therfore the Doctours must onely expounde the canonicall Scriptures not the Apocripha or any mans writinges For the Lord will haue nothing brought into his holy assembly but that which he hath appointed And therefore albeit there were greate corruption in the Synagogues of the Iewes yet the histories of the Acts of the Apostles declare that nothing was read and expounded in them but the Law and the Prophetes not so much as the Caldie paraphrast For as the Prophetes might not in calling the people together blow any trumpets but those which were made and set apart for that purpose by the commaundement of God Numb 10. 28 so ought not the Ministers of God to expound or read openly in the congregation any writings but onely the Canonicall Scriptures which the Lorde hath set apart and sanctified for that vse That he must doe it properly purely and reuerently appeareth by Peter before cited hee must speak as the wordes of God Paule testifieth y t he spake as concerning Christ as of sincerity as of God as in the sight presēce of God 2. Cor. 2. 17. That he must be diligent continue in teaching the generall law prooueth it Last of al y t he must do it to his owne people the word it selfe prooueth for there is a necessary relation betweene y e Teacher and the learner the Doctor and the disciple Howe can hee teach except hee haue disciples howe can those be his Disciples which doe neither heare him nor learne of him The reason why he must doe it diligently to plant and establish his disciples mindes in the truth is because we are very dull to conceiue and learne and although lecture be vpon lecture doctrine vpon doctrine here a little and there a little yet we shal remaine ignorant and proceede slowly if the truth be not soundly beaten into our heades Againe because by this meanes the Pastor shall haue more time in exhorting and applying his exhortation to the present necessity of his people But if any say is this al to teach y e truth to his people by expounding y e scriptures must he not also confute errors stop the mouth of the aduersary No doubt he must But we must acknowledge here the wisedome of the holy ghost which meaneth heere by teaching the trueth the confutation also of errour for the rule of trueth is also the rule of falshood For as light expesseth darknesse so truth falshoode and who is better able to confute errors then hee that knoweth the true meaning of the word Thus you see what a true Teacher is and wherein his whole function consisteth There remaineth nothing but to giue him his schollers and to set him on worke for as the Doctor must continue in true sound and pure doctrine so his schollers must search diligently according to the example of the noble men in the Actes 17 whether his doctrine be true or not whether it bee soundly and purely gathered oute of the word or not As he is reuerently to handle the Word so they must reuerently receiue it as from the mouth of God The next braunche or speciall which Christe hath giuen to his Church is the gift of exhortation else-where called the Pastor who as
therein that hee may distribute with knowledge wisdom iustice fidelity simplicity and without respect of persons All men can not do this it is necessary y t some should do it therfore least the children of God should in bestowing their liberalitie almes behaue them selues disorderedly spilling where they ought to spare and holding backe their handes where they ought to bestowe it pleased our merciful father to ease a great many and to lay the burden vpon a fewe faithfull wise men full of the holy ghoste that all thinges in the Church might bee done orderly and vprightly in the sight of God Thus we see the necessity of these officers by whose labour and godly care the sicke the strangers or other saints vnable to earn their own liuings by y e sweat of their browes might bee honestly maintained by the liberality and bountifulnes of their brethren vnto whome God hath giuen aboundaunce for the supply of their want in such sort y t there shoulde be as it was foretold by y e Prophet to be seene in the primitiue Church no begger in Israel He that ruleth with deligence By the ruler hee meaneth all those that gouerned the Church wherof some labour both in word and gouernment as the Pastours Doctors some onely in gouernement as the Elders called by the common name as Paule in the 1. Tim. 5. 17. These Elders are Churche-officers or censors of manners whoe by correcting and admonishing the vnruly and incouraging the good preuented offences and continued in ruling gouerning y e church which depēded vpon thē Their office was chiefly in assisting the Pastors Doctors in admonishing y e vnruly seuerally by comforting the feeble minded by preuenting of offences which otherwise might arise in suspending y e vnworthy from y e Sacraments in excommunicating of the obstinate in absoluing the repentant in ordaining and remouing church officers finally in handling deciding all such matters controuersies in doctrine or manners as belong appertain to ecclesiasticall gouernment The proofe of al which particular duties I cannot for lack of time stand vpon only I wil quote the places of scripture Math. the 22. chapiter the 24. 25. verses Mat. 18. chap. the 17. verse 1. Timoth. the 4. chap. and the 14. verse Act. the 15. chap. 6. 22. verses Act. the 16. chap. the 4. vers Act. the 21. 18. 20. vers 2. And therefore these being set ouer vs in matters pertaining to God we must acknowledge obey them with singular loue reuerence because they watch for our souls 1. Thes. 5. I haue much to say of the office necessitie of these offices how needeful they are for y e suppressing of errors schismes sects heresies for the brideling of the lust pride of life for the correcting of the vnruly the preferring of the worthy in all wisdome grauitie vprightnes as lights to shine vnto the Church that they may y e clearer see how to walk in the waies of y e iust But a long treatise is scarcely sufficiēt for this discourse my time is almost spent I cannot stande here to shew the difference betweene all these offices certain it is that they are diuerse giftes distinguished one frō another Let men beware howe they confounde those thinges which God hath distinguished For the Elder Deacon because y t will more shewe their offices they differ thus the Deacon he is occupied only about the pore the Elder about all the Deacon distributeth the Elder admonisheth the Deacon obserueth y e pouertie of the saints in bodily things the Elder noteth manners and conuersation the Deacon searcheth howe the Churche goods receiued are spent the Elder noteth howe euery one laboreth in his owne calling Whereby it commeth to passe y t as the Deacons can make true report to the Church of the state of the pore so the Elders of the state of all By which wise gouernment it woulde in part come to passe which the Prophets foretell y t the polluted should haue no passage into the churche that no noisom beast shold be found there that the redeemer of the Lord may walk in peace Finally the Deacons take heed that no idle person be nourished in y e company of the poore the Elders care is to see that no vnclean person remaine in the bosom of y e church wherof redoundeth no small commodity both to the Church and Common-wealth The last gift is the Shewing of mercie with cheerfulnes This was the proper office of those which beeing relieued by the Church were appointed to looke vnto the poore which were weake sicke and the poore stranger So y t a Shewer of mercy is he or rather she for the cōpanies of such as executed this duty consisted especially of widowes which by the gouernors of y e Church consent of the people was appointed to help y e pore impotēt pore strāgers in those duties wherin they could not wel help thēselues hauing neither friends nor kinsfolk to help them A very necessary functiō especially in time of persecutiō or greeuous sickenesse when the Church hath many impotent persons in which time such order is to be taken that none of the members of Christe for whome hee hath shed his pretious bloud perishe for lacke of looking vnto nor want any attending which they may haue and it is meet they should These ministers of the poore their age qualities office and conditions are declared of Paul in the 1. Tim. 5. By the deligent continuall and cheerefull performaunce of those offices these whom the Lord seemeth to haue a speciall and singular care of namely the widows fatherlesse and all impotent persons shoulde be moste charitably and godly prouided for The want of these officers and mercifull companies is the cause of the death and perishing of many a poore fatherlesse childe impotent persons and sick ones who are ready often euen to dye in the streetes as I my selfe haue seene and heard credibly reported and that as to my greefe so to the great infamy of all Christian professours of the Gospell a matter therefore of those that bee in authority to bee looked vnto I graunt there bee many good lawes and statutes enacted for the prouision of the poore but wee see by experience that the Lord will not blesse and giue good successe there vnto For notwithstanding these statutes wee haue swarms of beggers pore impotent till we haue by authority established in euery congregation these eternall decrees of Christ touching the gouernment of his Church For the want of this gouernmēt as I take in hand to prooue is the cheefe principall cause of all the euils that are perpetually in our Church For if it be demanded why ther is in the land such grose ignorance of God the answere is at hand we want Doctors Teachers Whence come such swarms of Athiests Idolaters Papistes erronious hereticall sectaries of the Family of
loue such like ther are no Doctours to teach nor Pastors to exhort Nowe commeth it to passe that in a Christian Church professing newnesse of life and the doctrine of regeneration ther should be such a huge masse of old and detestable workes of coniuring witchcraft sorcery charming blaspheming the holy name of God swearing and forswearing prophaning of the Lords sabboths disobedience to superiors contempt of inferiors murther manslaughter robberies adultery fornication couenaunt-breakers false-witnesse bearing lyars w t all other kindes of vnmercifull dealing one with another Is not the cause euident we lack Elders and Gouernors of euery congregation to admonish correct suspende and excommunicate such noisome hurtfull monstrous beastes out of the house of God without respect of persons Why haue we so many poore so many feeble and weake ready to die amongst vs we want Deacons and mercifull men which should faithfully distribute to the necessity of the Saints and willingly and cheerefully attend vpon the impotent which are vnable to helpe them selues O what fruite might be reaped by these seuerall vocations if they were set vp and established in euery congregation Without all controuersies the benefites that would redound to vs and this land hereby are innumerable no tongue can expresse them For hereby her gratious Maiestie and her honourable Counsell might truely knowe within a short time by name who howe many enimies there are a very few subtile hipocrites excepted to religion the common-wealth How many obstinate malitious and traiterous Papists how many Annabaptists Libertines how many of the Family of loue how many Atheists how many vnruly inordinate walkers which thē might bee punished according to their faultes wheras now Archbyshops Bishops Archdeacons Commissaries Officialls hauing contrarie to y e word of God pulled y e rains of gouernment from y e Elders ruine destruction is feared but not auoyded Not one enimy of an hundreth is known of y e greater part yet there be moe secret enimies then y e wisest most prouident can thinck of Hereby al the secrete mischieuous deuises against her Maiesties royall person against religion the whole state might easily be tried searched out by the diligent wise search of y e Elders in euery Church whereas now did not y e Lord somtimes most wonderfully for the singular care he hath ouer her Counsel bring thē to light we should haue bene often eare now swalowed vp by these secret vnderminings of the common peace and state Hereby we should knowe certainly who be those y t so prodigally maintain suche as haue beene blouddy butchers murtherers of Gods people remaining as yet enemies to the Gospell and false harted to her Maiestie where as nowe some of them haue securely boasted as I am able to iustifie iudge you of the rest that they haue had greater reuenews being Prisoners in the Tower and other places then when they were Abbots and riche Prelates in the lande and yet no man knoweth howe they come by them nor of whome they receyue them Howe muche then thinke you is all that is bestowed this waye in one yeare you maye gesse by this annuall receypte of some one man Hereby might easily in time be preuented all secret conspiracies For whatsoeuer conspiracie were begun in any Towne or Citie it would easily in the beginning long before the flame therof bee espied of such wise and graue men as now in some congregations may and after teaching and exhorting might in many moe bee appointed and such attemptes either by ecclesiasticall censure or ciuil correction of the Magistrate bee altogether quenched so that our gracious Prince her honorable Counsel the whol land might liue in much more safety and security then now they do and haue greater assuraunce of the mercifull protection of the almighty then nowe they haue Hereby all godly lawes ecclesiastical and ciuill should either vniuersally be kept of all or else the breakers come vnder such ciuill and Ecclesiasticall punishments as they should deserue which were a singuler meane to breede in the harts of the Subiectes a pure feare loue to their Prince and other Magistrates Whereas now good lawes are transgressed and no man accused the Lorde is not truely worshipped the Prince of some not in vnfained simplicie reuerenced nor with good will from the hart beloued of them Finallye heereby the Pastours and Doctors shoulde hauing a true relation from their Seniors touching y e estate of their flocke be much more fruitfully occupied in teaching and exhorting for they might with al knowledge and wisedome deliuer vnto euery one that which were fit most to draw him to God his eternal saluation Seeing therfore that the establishing of this gratious gouernment of God will bannishe chase a way all noysome beasts out of the Lords vineyearde seeing it wil be such a singular meane to preserue and maintaine the peace and securitie of the Common-wealth all estates therin finally seeing it maketh very much both for religion and godly pollicie is a most deare friend to both for the loue of your Common-wealth and the Church I beseech you all to enterteine this Christian gouernment of y e church of Christ wherof he himselfe is the authour and no man Two things remaine which I purpose to determine First that this gouernement is perpetuall secondly that it is only sufficient wherin I cannot for lack of time be long and therfore wil briefly set down the reasons of both For the first I proue thus First this speciall commaundement touching the practize exercise of these giftes besides that it is the commaundement of God drawne out of the generall law it chargeth al these officers to abide in their offices therefore they are perpetuall Secondly all these officers are called here the true members of the body of the Church therefore the Church beeing to endure to the comming of Christ these also must be of the same continuance except you will say y t Christe is pleased better with a maimed body then a perfect one Thirdly Paule commaundeth Timothie to keepe this gouernment vnto the comming of Christ. 1. Tim. 6. Fourthly all the thinges where-about they are occupied as the ignorances and errours of the minde the corruptions of the heart the vnrulinesse of men the pouertie of the saints and impotency of the poore are alwayes to be looked vnto and cared for Therfore the offices of God appointed and ordained for these purposes are perpetuall Fiftly Christe the King and gouernour of his Church must rule it till the comming of him selfe by his owne offices and lawes therefore this is perpetuall For the second First we are commaunded here to content our selues with these and to rest in them therefore these are only sufficient Secondly these doe make the man and church of God perfect to euery good work as it is in y e 4. to y e Ephesians else where therefore these onely are sufficient Thirdly if these bee insufficient then Christ can not be glorified as perfect gouernour of his Church neither his worde is such but that something may be added both which are absurd therefore they onely are sufficient if not who dare adde a member to that body which hee neither made nor can make Fourthly these functions onely are sufficient which haue all the gifts needefull for the ministery of the word and Sacramentes and for the gouernment of the Church but all these functions are sufficient for these ends therefore onely these are sufficient Fiftly if any erect new ministeries hee must either giue new gifts or assure men that they shall haue newe giftes of God but none can do thus therefore these only are sufficient Sixthly if men may adde they may detract but y e second is false therfore y e first Seeing then these things are so as hath bin set forth out of y e Word of God y t this is his order to which al ought to vow their backs euery one keeping his proper place none intruding vpon the right interest of another seing superfluous things ought to be cut off such offices as are frō Antichrist ought to be abandoned let vs euery one in our places pray to our good God that he wil pitty this his poore Church y t trueth and righteousnesse may kisse eche other that his scepter may flourish that the stiff-necks of the obstinate and the Iron siniews of the rebellious may be bowed and broken to the end these confusions that appeare euery where this pompous pride and curssed ambition enimy to all sincerity good order true religion may cease and onely the glory and victory of Christe our onely King Prophet and Priest may be established to whom with the Father and the holy ghost three persons and one eternall God be all prayse glory and honor now and for euer Amen Acts. 9. Num. 3. 38. Num. 3. 32. 4. 16. 1. Cron. 13. 9. Num. 16. 2. 1. Cor. 12. 3. Iohn 9. 1. Cor. 12. 12. 1. Cor. 12. 14. Cant. 5. 6. 1. Cor. 12. 4. 5 1. Cor. 12. 8. Ephe. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 13. 5. 1. Cor. 14. 5.
the Teacher is occupied about the reasonable part of the minde therin to plant true knowledge and sound doctrine so he is occupied about that part wherein the affections haue their abode to bring the heart and will to continuall obedience of the trueth which is so much more necessary then the other by howe much the Lord is more delighted with obedience then with naked and bare knowledge The discription of the Pastor and his office is this A Pastor is a Prophet that vpon sound doctrine grounded vppon the sincere interpretation of the Scripture continueth in exhortation wisely applied to the present vse necessitie and edification of his people and in the administration of the Sacraments all the partes wherof may appeare in this sort Doctrin is the ground euery exhortation not builded thereon is fruitlesse and weake and vanisheth away as smoke in the winde though it be zealous yet it is blinde aad without knowledge As the Scriptures are able to instruct the Doctor with all knowledge in teaching so the Pastor in exhorting improouing and correcting It is certaine that obedience is the end of exhortation and that faith is the mother of obedience and that faith leaneth only vpon the Worde Rom. 10. Hebrues 11. 4. 7. 8. 17. 27. 28. Moreouer the Stewarde of the Lords house must be not only faithfull Luk. 12. 41. but also wise to giue his seruaunts their portion in due time The Lords children are not all of one age and strength and therefore their spirituall father must feede some with milk and some with stronger meate according to their seuerall necessitie The diuider of the word must cut it aright 2. Timothy 2. 15 The Pastor being a learned Scribe is like the wise housholder which hath filled and furnished all his treasure houses with all store new and old Exhortation must be applyed to all estates high and lowe rich and poore bond and free learned and vnlearned The Pastor must not onely lead his sheepe into pleasant and holesom pastures but also to heal the sick to bring home the strayes to strengthen the weak Ezechiel 34. 4 that all these duties are to be done continually in his proper place whereunto the Lord hath called him it is manifest by the reason before vsed Wher shoulde the shephearde bee occupied but where his sheepe are where shoulde the watchman watch but where his Citie and Towne is the spirituall enimies of our soul are many strong mighty malitious vigilāt subtil ful of deceipt y e sheep of the great pasture fewe weake feeble simple dull vnwise therefore their keeper and defender had neede alwayes to bee among them to knowe their wayes to see their going out and their comming in That hee may the better going before them in all sounde Doctrine and godlinesse keepe them to Christe and defende them from their enimies hee must hearken vnto the voyce of Christ Feede feede feede Hee must bee instant in season and out of season and therefore continually abide with his flocke which to doe as it is a moste profitable duty both for the Pastor and the flock so to leaue y e flock as many do feed watch where they haue no flock is most hurtfull to both and therefore all such rouing Pastors are by cordes to be tied to their own people As before teaching contained the whol duty of y e Doctor so here exhorting by a figure signifieth al y e duties of a Pastor For hee exhorteth the weake ones to take comfort by the sweete mercies and promises of God the good hee exhorteth to proceede partly by the feare of Gods iudgementes and partly by the loue of his mercies The wicked he exhorteth to repentance by laying before them the eternall and seuere iudgements and curses of GOD and the multitude and greatnesse of their sinnes So that those are but meanes to whet his exhortation that it may pearce and enter in euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirite Nowe I beseech you consider first the wisdome and mercy of God in prouiding for the people Mans soul hath two parts reason or the minde the hart or the affection By the fall of Adam there is in the minde darknesse and ignorance of the will of God in the hart there is nothing but rebellion and enemity against him so that the Scripture hath iudged vs to be by nature the Children of darknesse and the sonnes of rebellion Nowe the Lorde in wisedome and mercy hath giuen to his Church remedies to cure these diseases First a Doctor who by heauenly wisedom in interpreting the Word is able the spirit working by his ministery to translate vs from the kingdome of darknesse to the kingdom of light and knowledge then the Pastor whom he hath ordained to subdue and tame the rebellious motions of our harts and make them obedient to the wil and truth of God O the vnspeakable wisdome mercyes of God who to cast down the strong holdes of ignorance and rebellion which by nature possessed our soules hath giuen the ministeries of the Pastor Doctor which being giuen of the king of kings prince of princes in the day of his coronation when he led his enimies in triumph to shew the glory of his kingdome his princely power can neither bee thoght to be smal neither lightly regarded without great dishonor vnto y e giuer who hath not left vs destitute as we see of any gift necessary for our soules health He that distributeth in distributing with simplicity From the Ministers of y e Word he commeth to other officers which haue charge either of a part of the congregatiō as Deacons Attenders vpon the sick or of the whol as Elders shewing y t these as they are diuers gifts from y e other so they are very necessary in their place roome The first is the Deacon called here y e distributer wherby appeareth his office and function what it is For a Deacon is an officer which continueth in distributing y e common liberality of y e Church according to the necessity of all the poore members therof The first part is plaine in this text y t he is a distributer of the Church goods appeareth in the 4. of the Arts 6. where many brought the price of their lands and houses which they had sold and layd the mony at the Apostles feete to be distributed to euery man as he had neede Nowe the Apostles that they might the better attend vnto preaching and praying were vpon necessary causes faine to giue ouer this charge vnto other called Deacons whome the Church elected as it is in Act. 6. Therefore this is the Deacons office herein he must be occupied to marke the necessity of the poore and accordingly to distribute Whereupon y t followeth y t hee must knowe therefore their estate their wealth their charges their custome of spending whither it be much or little or moderate their trade of life whether they be painfull or negligent