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
THE Sacred Ordinance OF ORDINATION By Imposition of the Hands of the PRESBYTERY As it was lately held forth in a Sermon Preached at the solemn Ordination of Ministers in the City of Norwich June 11. 1656. By John Brinsley Minister of the Gospel at Great Yarmouth VVhereunto is also affixed the Word of Exhortation given to the Persons then and there Ordained being usefull to all others of the same Tribe By Nic. Ganning B. D. Minister of the Gospel at Barnham-Broom LONDON Printed by Rob. Ibbitson for Tho. Newberry at the Sign of the three Lyons in Cornhill 1656. To the deservedly honoured the faithful Dispensers of the Mysteries of Christ in the County of Norfolk Especially such as were Assistant or present at the late solemn Ordination of Ministers in the City of Norwich June 11. 1656. Much esteemed in the Lord WHat was lately at the request of some of you Preached is now with some small Additaments upon the like score Published Wherein you have a breif account of a Gospel-Ordinance a leading and take it in a qualified sense a Fundamental Ordinance upon which all other publick Ordinances as to the right manner of dispensing them have a dependance Touching which we may say that it is no small comfort to us and wee presume the like to you that so many so fitted and qualified for the work of the Ministery have in these dissolute and discouraging times appeared willing to put themselves 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 that in Gods way A hopeful intimation that God hath yet a gracious purpose towards this poor Church of his that hee hath a Harvest yet to bee gathered in this field whereunto hee is pleased to send forth such a succession of Labourers Hereunto you have also at the same intreatie affixed the latter service of that day the word of Exhortation which giveth the like account of what is required at the hands of such servants of the Lord as are thus dedicated unto him and so fitly serving as an Applicatory supplement to the aforesaid Doctrin May both these conduce to the furthering of that good work for which they were and now are intended wee have what wee aimed at and shall 〈◊〉 that God who maketh us in the least degree Instrumental in any service to him and his Church In the desires and hopes whereof we sit down and rest Your unworthy Brethren and Fellow Labourers in the Lord. J.B. N.G. THE Sacred Ordinance OF ORDINATION BY Imposition of the Hands of the Presbytery As it was lately held forth in a Sermon Preached at the solemn Ordination of Ministers in the City of Norwich June 11. Anno. 1656. By John Brinsley Minister of the Gospel at Great Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Newberry at the Sign of the three Lyons in Cornhill over against the Great-Conduit 1656. THE SACRED ORDINANCE OF ORDINATION BY Imposition of the hands of the PRESBYTERY 1 TIM 4.14 Neglect not the Gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophesy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery IN this Text which I have now singled forth as being very suitable to the present Occasion wee have an Apostolical charge directed by Saint Paul to his Son Timothy therein to break in upon the words abruptly we may take notice of two things The Object and the matter The object or thing whereabout this charge is given which in the general is here said to be a Gift the gift that is in thee then more particularly described and set forth by the manner or means of collating and conferring it which is partly Extraordinary partly Ordinary Extraordinary and occasional which was given thee by prophesy Ordinary and Instrumental with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery The Matter what it is that he here giveth him in charge concerning this gift viz. that hee should not neglect it neglect not the Gift which is in thee which was given thee by Prophesy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery These are the particulars which here offer themselves to our consideration which through divine assistance I shall touch upon severally but very briefly rather glancing at each of them than insisting upon any of them I begin with the first the object of this Charge The Gift which is in thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gift or grace or gift of grace for so the word properly signifieth Quest But what gift what grace Answ For Answer wee may take notice of two sorts of gifts or graces spoken of in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non tantum gratiam gratis datam sed etiam gratiam gratum facientem significat C. A. Lapide ad Text. In the Schools commonly known and differenced by those obvious tearms of gratiae gratum facientes gratiae gratis datae which tearms though being exactly scanned they are not so proper but liable to just exception yet in as much as they have been long received and being warily understood they may be safely and profitably retained graces rendring acceptable and graces rendring serviceable The former the graces of sanctification wherewith a man being indued being first justified by the blood of Christ commeth to do that which is acceptable to God the latter graces of edification wherby a man is inabled to do service unto others Now of this latter kind is the gift or grace which here we meet with a gift given unto Timothy for the benefit of others That is agreed upon at all hands Quest But yet the question goeth on what gift was this Answ Here I finde Expositors not agreeed Some understanding it of an extraordinary gift as of Tongues or Miracles which kinde of gifts were in those Primitive times conferred upon divers and that sometimes by Imposition of hands Puto agi de dono linguarum Grotius ad Text as I shall shew you anon And so Grotius as some others before him taken notice of by Aquinas here looketh upon this gift But that Timothy was the owner of any such gift Scripture hath not acquainted us And if hee were yet this cannot so properly bee said to have been conferred upon him by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery which being but ordinary hands were not so fit for the conveying of extraordinary grace Others and that the generality understand it rather of an ordinary gift yet with some difference Some expounding it of a ministerial gift whereby he was fitted for the work of the ministery to teach and exhort and rebuke c. This say they was the gift which was in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others of the Ministerial Office and Function with the Power and Authority belonging thereunto so divers both antient and modern Now to whether of these two to incline my self I am somewhat dubious And therefore that I may be sure not to misse the sense I shall do what I suppose I safely and fitly may and what Aretius Aretius Loc. Com. de manuum impositione Loc.
Instit l. 4. cap. 3. Sect. 16. yet no precept So as though it may bee done yet there is no necessity that it should bee so Answ 1. Suppose it that wee have not yet as Calvin concludes inasmuch as wee finde it in such constant use among the Apostles and their next successors their so exact observing of it may well bee instead of a Precept unto us 2. But secondly if wee have not an express precept for it yet an implicite one wee have which is tantamount what else meaneth that of Paul to Timothy where hee chargeth him not to lay on hands suddenly on any man 1 Tim. 50.22 surely that Caution implyeth an injunction whilest he prohibits the manner hee requireth the thing whilest hee forbids him to lay on hands suddenly hee intimates it as his duty to do it regularly Obj. But it may bee said However this was then used yet there is no necessity it should now bee continued in as much as this Gâ—â—â—â—ny hath lost the vertue which then it had Even as it is with â—utream unction the annointing of the sick it was then practised with an Apostolical warrant Jam. 5.14 but having since lost that efficacy which then it had it hath from those times been laid aside A. But so hath not Imposition of hands in Ordination which that ever it was miraculous wee read not however not the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery The same use which then it had it still retaineth and so as it hath been so still it ought to bee continued in the Church But I come not here to dispute this point Vide jus divinum Ministerii Evangelici Part 1. Cap. 12. and M. Laz. Seamans Answer to Chillenden Hoe postremô habendum est non universam multitudinem manuâ— impoâ—uisse saiâ— manistris sed solos Pastores Calv. Instit ubi supra which hath been sufficiently done by the pens of others of late times Passe wee on In the third place As hands are to bee imposed in Ordination so see what or whose hands Not the Peoples They indeed may with some colour lay claim to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not so to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a lifting up of their hands as the manner anciently was in the electing or approving of their Ministers but not a laying on their hands in ordaining them Surely as this findes no warrant from scripture so neither is it consonant to Religion or right reason that they who are not invested with any such power themselves should derive it unto others so giving that which they have not whether formally or vertually And if so what needed Paul to have left Titus in Crete to ordain Elders in every City which he did Tit. 1.5 if the people might have done it Surely this must be the Presbyters work 4 And that not of one single Presbyter however qualified however dignified Scripture speaking of this Imposition it still speaketh of hands in the plural number not singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Text The laying on of hands And that not of one single person but more not of one Presbyter but of the Presbytery Thus was Timothy here ordained Obj. But here a stone lyeth in my way which must bee removed was not Timothy ordained by Pauls hands and his alone The Text is expresse 2 Tim. 1.6 where giving him the like charge concerning this gift hee minds him that hee hath received it by the putting on of his hands How then by the hands of the Presbytery Answ To this it is answered by some that the Gift there spoken of is not the same with this in the Text but some miraculous gift So Diodate conceives of it Diodate in 2 Tim. 1.6 It should seem saith he that by the Imposition of Saint Pauls hands Timothy received the miraculous gifts and by the Imposition of the Colledge of Elders hands hee was installed in the Ministery But in as much as wee do not finde either from Scripture or any sure record of Antiquity that Timothy had any such miraculous gifts therefore wee wave that conjecture 2 More probably and genuinely it is conceived by others and that by the generality of Expositors that Paul and the Presbytery did joyn in the same Ordination in ordaining Timothy to his Ministerial office they laid on hands together Nullus est dubitandi locus quin Timotheus a seniorum collegio electus fuerit qui toti Collegio praeesset Cameron Praelect in Mat. 18. 15 Onely hee as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leader and fore-man in that service which well hee might bee being an extraordinary person they joyning with him as ordinary officers Thus did Timothy and Titus afterwards ordaine not alone but with others onely themselves being as leaders in the work A pattern which was afterwards followed by the Church Ex Dei ordinatione perpetua necesse fuit est erit ut in Presbyterio quispiam loco dignitate Primuâ— actioni gubernandae presit Beza de Ministr Evang. Grad Cap. 23. Tales Episcopos divinitus quasi ipsiâ—s Christi voce constitutós absit ut unquam simus inficianti Idem ibid. Cap. 21. which in her ordinations was wont to have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Primus Presbyter one first to whom after ages appropriated the name of a Bishop which in the Apostles time was alike common to all Presbyters who for orders sake lead the way having the first hand in services of this nature So as these two may well stand together Timothy was ordained by the laying on of Pauls hands and yet by the hands of the Presbytery Quest But here falls in a question which some may think to bee pinching to us who are here met together about this service this day Where there is not the same order observed is the ordination valid May the Presbytery without such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a Bishop lay on hands Answ In Answer to this I shall not much regard either what they of the Church of Rome or any over-heated spirits among our selves have determined who in the want of this order make a nullity of the Ordinance pronounce the ordination invalid and void by which harsh censure of theirs what do they but most uncharitably and even unchristianly degrade though not all yet the greatest and most considerable part of the Ministers of Christ in the reformed Churches throughout the world making them no Ministers and so unchurching their Churches Leaving them As for the more moderate spirits among our selves with whom I desire onely to deal and for whose sakes it is that I speak what I do how ever they look upon this as the more regular way more agreeable to the practice of Antiquity and the Scripture pattern yet they freely yeild it that where this is not to bee had where either there are no such Bishops or those not fit or not willing to ordain any but of their own faction themselves being not Orthodox
65. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 officium scil cum gratia buic officio muncri necessaria C. A. Lapide ad Text. and some others have done before mee put them both together hereby understanding to use his tearms both Munus and Habilitas the Ministerial office and ability Both these wee finde sometimes set forth by this word called gifts So the word is used Rom. 12.6 Having then gifts what gifts why whether prophesy let us prophesy or ministery let us wait on our ministring so it there followeth by the one as some conceive denoting the gift of teaching by the other the office both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gifts So again Ephes 4.8 It is said of Christ that when he ascended up on high he gave gifts unto men I confesse the word there is not the same yet of the same import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dona gifts meaning thereby not onely ministerial gifts and abilities but offices also So the eleventh verse explains it He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers And not unsitly may both these being put together bee thus called a gift To the making of a thing to bee a gift there are two things requisite It must be gratuitum commodum freely given and somewhat that is worth the giving And such is the ministerial office being accompanied with suitable qualifications It is a gift freely given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely given to the Church and freely given to the Person on whom they are conferred and that to the great benefit and advantage of the Church the end thereof being for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ as the Apostle there setteth it out Eph. 4.12 which if duly weighed and serioussy considered might serve to conciliate and gain more respect to this office than at this day it meeteth with at many hands in the world But I may not turn aside Wee have found out what gift this was Come wee in the next place to take notice of the way and means whereby this gift was conferred upon or rather conveyed to Timothy Where wee shall first begin with that which was occasionall which was given thee by prophesy Quest Where we must again make the like enquiry what is hereby meant Answ To this I finde divers Answers returned divers senses being put upon the word Prophesy Some whereof I confess are scarce worth the taking notice of Prophetia est forma Sacramenti Ordinis Lapid ad Text. As that of Lapide for which yet hee alledgeth some of the learned with whom himself chooseth to concurre who hereby understandeth the mystical words used in Ordination which he interpreteth to be the form in this Sacrament of order as hee calleth it as Imposition of hands is the matter Hec coactum videtur Lapid ad Ibid. And no better is that of Vatablus taken notice of and censured by him who here turns the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per into ad The Gift which thou hast received by Prophesy that is saith hee ad Prophetiam to the end that thou maiest prophesy teach and instruct the people Leaving these more genuinely Consult wee the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophetia Prophesy it properly signifieth a prediction a foretelling of a thing to come now this is twofold Ordinary and Extraordinary Ordinary humane and conjectural extraordinary divine and infallible Now of which of these shall wee understand the word in the Text why take it which way wee will wee cannot take it amisse Both these had passed upon this our Candidate Timothy before his ordination to the ministery 1 There was an ordinary Prophesy and prediction concerning him which was humane and conjectural His younger years had put forth many early buds and blossomes such as gave all that knew him comfortable hopes of a plentiful aftercrop They saw him to bee so qualified both with gifes and graces Graces of sanctification and Gifts of edification that they voted him fit for the ministerial office looking upon him as a very hopefull instrument likely to do much service in the Church of God Thus was hee both thought and reported of by those that knew him so you finde it Act. 16.2 where you have this testimouy given of him Hee was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium Prophetiam bi accipio pro piorum omine faelici conjectura Aretius ad Loc. Here was a conjectural prophesy which went of him of which Aretius understandeth the Apostle at least in part here to speak 2 But this was not all Besides this there was a prophesy of a higher nature that had given Testimony concerning him a divine prophesy Of this speaks this our Apostle himself Chap. 1. vers 18. of this Epistle This charge I commit unto thee son Timothy according to the Prophesies which went before of thee meaning divine revelations inspiring some of the Prophets of those times directing them to point out some choice and singular persons for the work of the ministery Thus was Paul himself with Barnabaas singled forth Act. 13.2 As they ministred unto the Lord and fasted the holy Ghost said viz. by a prophetical inspiration to some one or more there present Separate me Barnabas and Saul to the work of the Ministery And in such a way was Timothy here called forth to the undertaking of this his ministerial office not onely by the common vote and approbation of those to whom hee was known but by a special direction from God intimating and making known his mind and will concerning him And this our Apostle here taketh notice of Meminit hujus Prophetiae Pauius tùm ad commendationem Timothei tùm ad sui ex cusationem Esti ad loc Hoc disertè hic commemorare videtur Apostolus ne remere juvenis ad Evangelistae munus ascirus vidererur Beza Annot. ad loc mentioning it as being both the occasion of and warrant for Timothies ordination and calling to that office which hee doth the rather as Beza and Estius note upon it as for Timothies commendation so for his own vindication that none might censure him for what he had done judging that he had done rashly and unwarrantably in imposing hands upon a person so young as Timothy was Applic. Wherein let Paul be propounded as a Pattern to all those who shal at any time have any hand in this great and weighty businesse of Ordination Let them learn from him to bee cautious and wary on whom they lay on hands Lay hands suddenly on no man it is Pauls charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.22 especially if they bee young Let them see that they have good warrant for what they do To which end let them have an eye to these two things to this double Testimonial 1 The first Humane that they be such persons as are well reported of by those amongst whom they live and to whom
5.10 for that was the place where the Prophets used to denounce woes Now it is the very office of the blessed Spirit in the mouths of his Ministers to reprove the world as Christ himself says of him John 6.8 When hee is come hee will reprove the Wirâ—â— of sâ—râ—e c. There is no zealous preacher that comes in the Spirit and Power of Elias as John Baptist did but hee hath the many neaded Hidra of sinne to conflict withall and the more zealous hee is against it the more doth the world hate him the more enemys doth he get amongst them Do yee not think that wee are like to have opposition enough on all hands when wee have both the opinions of men and the vices of men to speak against both errours in Doctrin and errours in life to deal withall There are ever and anon errours and heresies springing up in the Church but especially in these our days how many strange and prodigious opinions have been broached among us all which wee that are Ministers must oppose it is our duty to defend the Truth against all encroaching errour whatsoever wee above all others must earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints as St. Jude speaks for it is that which is committed to our keeping wee are betrusted with it by God according to that of the great Apostle unto his Timothy and it is the very farewell clause of his whole Epistle 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothy Keep that which is committed to thy trust and that is the pretious treasure of truth as both the context shews it and Expositours interpret it Custodi Depositum id est deposiâ—um veritatis saith Beza And how many hornets then must the Minister needs have about his ears who stands out at the staves end against the errours of the times hee shall have a load of malice and a load of defamation and a load of undermining laid upon him from them that be contrary minded And do yet think hee can expect lesse when hee comes to reprove the sinnes of the time and to tell men of their faults O no! they cannot indure to have their beloved sinnes medled withal to have their bosome sinnes touched that is to touch the sore place men kick and fling when the Minister comes to that Herod was delighted with Johns preaching for a while hee heard him gladly Mark 6.20 but no sooner doth hee meddle with his Herodias his darling sinne but off goes his head Now every faithfull and zealous Minister knows hee cannot discharge a good Conscience unlesse hee boldly and impartially reprove sinne in men hee shall otherwise bee guilty of their bloud Ezek. 338. and therefore hee does his duty though hee procures himself never so many enemies by it and never so much danger follow upon it And thus ye have the first general head somewhat largely insisted upon to shew you what a weighty Calling it is to bee a Minister I shall be briefer in the other two The Second general Head which I propounded to you was the great perill and hazzard yee runne in the negligent performance and undue execution of this so high and weighty a function and that will appear in these two main branches First The Wrong which therein you do unto your selves And then the wrong ye do to others to those that are committed to your charge For the Wrong which hereby ye procurd to Your selves it is not small Ye become the unsavourest falt of the earth fit for nothing but the Dunghill which is our Saviours own expression Mat. 5.13 Ye are the salt of the earth but if the Salt hath lost his favour wherewith shall it be salted it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be troden under 〈◊〉 of men And when God begins to enquire into such unlavoury Salt hee doth not easily make an end as these dayes of ours are a sufficient evidence of it according as hee says by his Prophet Malachi of the Priests of those times Maâ— 2.9 I have made you contemptible and buse before all the people according as yee have not kept my wayes c. Besides God doth use to take away the gifts of such Ministers and deprive them of those excellent endowments of mind with which hee had richly furnished them so that afterwards they become men of no esteem for their parts he takes away their talent from them which was wrapt up in a Napkin or hid in the earth as it is in the Gospel Mat. 25.28 Take therefore the talent from him for use limbs and have limbs as wee use to say so use gifts and have them use gifts and increase them Habeâ—â—i dabitur to him that hath shall be given as it follows in the next vers But that which is the main of all such Ministers endanger theirown fouls and runne the hazzard of losing everlasting salvation and what a pittiful thing it is that any of us whose office it is to convert mens souls and to save the souls of others should fall short of saving our own souls that Judas who had once a place among the number of the twelve Apostles must yet at length go to his own place in hell as it is Act. 1.25 From which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place For I will not enter into that needless question whether on unconverted Minister can convert souls or no though I know nothing against it in scripture And yet this is not all for such Ministers do not only endanger their own salvation but they shall have an heavier punishment of damnation than others being such men as knew their Masters Will more as our Saviour informs us Luk. 12.47 That servant which knew his Lords will and did not according to it shall bee beaten with many stripes for hee speaks there of that faithful and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his houshold as appears out of vers 42. and those Stewards are his Ministers in the judgement of the best Expositors And as yee shall thus wrong your selves if yee bee not faithful Ministers of the Gospel so in the second place shall yee also wrong others in no small measure even those that are under your charge and to whomsoever yee relate as Ministers For instead of converting souls ye will pervert them instead of indeavouring the salvation of others yee will as much as in you lie procure their damnation whether by starving their souls in a negligent feeding of them or by infecting their souls with unwholesome and corrupt food or else adificando in gehennam by building them up into hell through an evil example and vitious life when that is built up with one hand is pulled down with another And what a fearful sinne is it to bee guilty of the bloud of souls as God himself calls it by his Prophet Ezekiel His bloud will I require at thine hands Ezek. 33.8 and yet how many ways may a Minister