he should fight a good fight 1 Tim. i. 18. and a prophecy that forbad him to Preach with Saint Paul the Gospel in Asia Acts xvi so by the laying on of the hands of Prophets he might at first be called to the Ministery so Primasius Oecumenius upon the place say expressly and say not onely that he was called to the Ministery by the Prophets but that he himself was a Prophet For the thing it self Theodâ—ret in Tim. â— â— is clear that Timothy received that order by Divine Revelation and Saint Chrysostome Hom. 5. in 1 Tim. c. 1. saith that as the Holy Ghost said Separate me Paul and Barnabas so was Timothy chosen yea he saith it was a common custome or raâ—her a general Blessing that in the infancy of the Church the Prophets named what Ministers should be choseâ— Tunc quia niâ—il fiâ—bat humanum Sacerdotes ex Prophetia veniâ—bant Quid â—st â—x Prophâ—…ia ex Spiritu Sancto And Eusebius l. 3. c. 23. sâ—iâ—h baâ—…aâ— nâ— John at Ephesus and thereabout made many Ministers so somewhere supplying the Clergy with such as the â—piâ—it mâ—…d â—…drawing lots for such as the Spirit signified Seeing 〈◊〉 so many Expositions are given of this intricate Place and that by â—he 〈◊〉 learned which ever wrote Presbytery which in these days is asserted can scarce finde in Scripture a root from whence it should branch No as the lay Presbyter from 1 Tim. v. 17. may say I was never here grafted so the Spiritual Presbyter from the 1. Tim. iiii 14. may say I was never here planted yea they may be fellow-Mourners and sob together saying We that would have all things attested by Scripture have not a clear Scripture either for the one's Binding of hands or for the other's laying on of hands for these onely places are nonely places neither pregnant nor perspicuous But to leave the Lay Presbyter as one saluted by the way and to talk a little more freely to the Spiritual Presbyter as the person to whom this conference is intended Can Presbytery of it self create a Ministery Scripture doth not affirm it will Antiquity avouch it I doubt not or without doubt it will nor Epiphanius saith that Aerius the Arian was the first which gave Presbyters power to ordain Ministers but saith he this cannot be for the order of Bishops doth beget Fathers to the Church but Presbyters do but onely beget Chidren by the laver of regeneration and not Fathers or Doctours Episcoporum enim ordo Patres generat Ecclesiae Presbyterorum vero non potens generare patres per lavaâ—cri regenerationem generat filios Ecclesiae non tamen Patres aut Doctores Et quomodo posâ—ibile erat Presbyterum constituere non habentem manuum impositionem aequalem Episcopo Epiphan Haer. 75. how is it then possible that a Presbyter which hath not the power of imposition of hands should be equal to a Bishop Oecumenius in c. 5.1 ad Tim. saith that where Saint Paul commandeth Timothy to lay hands rashly on no man he treateth of imposing hands because he wrote to a Bishop as if it were peculiar to him Saint Chrysostome saith that onely in laying on hands Bishops go beyond Presbyters and have that onely thingmore then the Presbyter Chrysostom Hom. in c. v. 1. ad Tim. Saint Jerome saith the self same in his Epistle to Evagrius The Councel of Antioch saith that the Bishop shall have power within his own Diocess to ordain Presbyters and Deacons C. Antioch can 2. The Councel of Nice saith the Ministers of the Paulianists must receive imposition of hands from the Bishop of the Catholick Church C. Nicen. c. 19. And is there not reason for this when Bishops are the direct Successours of Apostles for if Christ said that I will be with you to the end of the World Matthew xxviii 20. the Apostles being dead where is Christ's perpetual Providence if there be not a perpetual succession the Ministery in General cannot prove this for the Apostle's were superiour to the seventy Disciples so there must be some to represent the Apostles which must be superiour to other Ministers and that the Bishops are those persons it may appear because they have often the honourable title of Apostles James the Bishop of Jerusalem who was not James the son of Zebedee for he was one of the twelve Apostles but James the Just who is usually called the brother of the Lord being no immediate Apostle but a Bishop Com. in Es for his very office sake is called an Apostle 1 Gal. xix and by Saint Jerome called the thirteenth Apostle Theodor. in 1 Tim. 3.1 Theodoret doth call Timothy the Bishop of Ephesus an Apostle Ruffin de adult lib. Orig. Clemens is said by Ruffin to be almost an Apostle and by Clemens Alexandrinus he is expressly called Clement the Apostle Ignatius by Saint Chrys encom Ignat. is stiled both Bishop and Apostle Rab. Ms in Tim 4. Rabanus Maurus saith that Bishops ruled whole Provinces being call Apostles Theodor. in 1 Tim. 3. And Theodoret saith that those which they now call Bishops they did formerly name Apostles I know it is Objected that the Apostolical Order being extroardinary it is not perpetual but that is not so for the calling of Aaron was extraordinary at first yet it was perpetuated in the succession so likewise the calling of the Apostles for though it be not perpetual in respect of that which was extraordinary as the gift of tongues healing and discerning of Spirits yet it is in respect of the ordinary offices else I cannot see how any Minister could at this day Preach or administer the Sacraments For as inferiour Ministers do derive from the Apostles the use of Preaching and Sacraments so do Bishops both these and Jurisdiction and the power of Discipline But it will be said that a Presbyter and a Bishop in Scripture is all one and so a Presbyter hath as much power in the Church both for ordaining and exteriour regiment as the best Bishop parcius istis Credat Judaeus Apella If it were so I am but a Presbyter and no Bishop and would faine be at work next to the creating of a race of Penitents I would be creating a race of Preachers and next to wrastling with Principalities and Powers would be delivering up men to Sathan I do not know but my heart might be as Ambitious and my hands as Pragmatical and my tongue as Devouring as any others but I read that we must not stretch our selves beyond our line nor be many Masters lest we receive the greater condemnation James iii. 1. The Lord will be sanctified in them that come near Him Levit. x. 3. No man must take this Office upon him but he that was called as Aaron was Heb. v. 4. I finde no calling for these things therefore I have no comfort in them nor courage towards them Pride is odious in a Lay-man it is execrable in a Clergy-man all men must
to defend you no it is thought that the Ghost of a Clergiman frighted him out of the world and was more fatal to him then the Flanders Prauncers Whether he went flying away in the ayre or a special Messenger from his old Master fetched him away in hast is uncertain Stat 2. Syl. but this we are sure that if he did not leave his skin he did leave his gantlet behind him Immensis urnam quatit Eacus umbris Ye must stand or fall then by your selves he is not able to protect you and indeed what can protect you no your outrages are in Gods eares and do cry night and day to make your Plagues wonderful and when he shall call you to account and ye shall see fury arising in his face and brimstone sprinkled upon your habitations ye shall see how soon these possessions gotten by violence will waste away Can ye read Is Scripture your infallible rule do ye beleeve that the Law it self is not more binding then the curses thereof will be confounding then lay to heart these evident places Behold I will judge between the fat sheep and the leane sheep Because ye have thrust with thigh and shoulder and pusht at the weake with their hornes till they be scattered therefore I will judge between sheep and sheep Ezech. 34.20,21,22 Forasmuch as your treading is upon the poor and ye have built houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vineyards but ye shall not drink of the Wine of them Amos 5.11 As the Patridge gathereth the young which she hath not brought forth so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a foole Jer. 17.11 yea and if ye will have a memorable place look with both your eyes upon that which is presented you in Job and be not blind in the viewing and reviewing of it Chap. 27. Vers 7. Mine Enemy shall be as the wicked and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous Vers 8. For what hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped up riches if God take away his soule Vers 9. Will God heare his cry when trouble cometh upon him Vers 10. Will he set his delight upon the Almighty will he call upon God at all times Vers 11. I will teach you what is the hand of God and I will not conceale that which is with the Almighty Vers 12. Behold ye your selves have all seen it why then do ye thus vanish in vanity Vers 13. This is the portion of a wicked man with God and the heritage of Tyrants which they shall receive from the Almighty Vers 14. If his Children be in great number the sword shall destroy them and his posterity shall not be satisfied with bread Vers 15. His remnant shall be buried in death and his widows shall not weep Vers 16. Though he should heap up silver as the dast and prepare rayment as the clay Vers 17. He may prepare it but the just shall put it on and the innocent shall divide the silver Vers 18. He buildeth his house as a moth and as a lodge which the watchman maketh Vers 19. When the rich man sleepeth he shall not be gathered to his fathers they opened their eyes and he was gone Vers 20. Terrors shall take him away as waters and a tempest shall carry him away by night Vers 21. The East-wind shall carry him away and he shall depart and it shall hurl him out of his place Vers 22. And God shall cast upon him and not spare though he would fain flee out of his hand Vers 23. Every man shall clap their hands at him and hiss him out of his place This is the Epilogue of Injury and Oppression thus goes tyranny off from the Stage Oh therefore let all hear and fear and with tingling ears and trembling hearts consider the dreadful Catastrophe of Estates gotten unjustly Beware how dost eat other mens fruits without money or dost grinde the faces of thy Neighbors to get Manchet to feed thy hungry appetite If thou wouldst have a lasting estate let it be a just estate not gotten by policy but equity not by craft and cruelty but by Conscience and Prudence for thou seest that it is the Wiseman that hath Felicity with Permanency it is the Man of Understanding and Prudeuce which hath the State which if prolonged But by a Man of Vnderstanding and Knowledge the State thereof shall be prolonged 4 This doth serve to shew that he is the happy King by whom a state is prolonged What have we to do with the Many Princes no we had enough too much of them they had Government after Government people were afflicted and amazed with such diversity of forms and fictions of new Dominations that it is anguish and astonishment to recount them they were so tossed and tortured with the several scruples of mens regulating brains Let these Many Princes therefore stand by with their many Conceptions and give us the Man that that One Man which by his Vnderstanding and Knowledge can frame up such a Government as may last to ages and by the discreet constitution of it may be prolonged Heaven hath its excellency because it is a Firmament and the Earth because it doth stand upon stable pillars and a Covenant bec use it is unchangeable and Marriage because it is indissoluble and an inheritance because it doth carry a succession with it and is a lasting possession which doth pâ—ss from the Father to thâ— Son that is the most blessâ—d Government which is firme and fixed That is a great abatement to the honour of a thing which is subject to Time and Chance Eccles 9.11 Nothing is eminent which is without a certainty Chrys hom 9. in Matth. Nihil potest sine radice florere Nothing can sprout and flourish without a root Casuall things are calamitous things because they are done preater intentionem agentis Arist 2. Phys beyond the intention of the Agent Those things are most pleasing to man which retain their motion and vertue and like true natural things have most force at the end As the excellency therefore to direct a thing is wisedome Eccles 10.10 So that is the truest wisedome which doth settle things with the longest duration In quietness and confidence is the strength Es 30.15 VVhen men need not fear any alterations declinations or abolitions therefore the Spirit of God speaking of a good Governour sâ—ith that he shall be a man of peace 1 Chron. 22 9. The Prophet Esay speaking of such a good Governour sâ—ith thâ—t the work of justice shall be peace and assurance for ever people shall dwâ—ll in the Tabernacle of peace and there shall be sure dwellings Es 32.17,18 For an heavy thing it is when Government is but like Summer fruit or a vision of the night or a rolling instrument A comfortable thing it is when people can say of their