publick Teaching be a proper office may any enter it without Admission To do this were an absurdity against the very light of nature and Law of Nations which will have no man to admit himself into office but he must receive his admission from some intrusted with power and authority and in this case of publick Teaching the power and authority is intrusted with those who admit not but by Imposition of hands in Ordination Object 2 But it may be further objected That the Brethren dispersed upon the persecution raised about Stephen Acts 8.4 11.19 they are said To go about preaching the Word To this I give a twofold answer Answ and either of them full and satisfactory 1 I say they were such as had received the Holy Ghost Chap. 3 31. and so their call as well as their work was extraordinary and this witnessed by their gift of healing intimated in Chap. 11. 21. where it is said The hand of the Lord was with them to which some Copies adde says learned Diodate for to heal them Or 2 observe What is here said of these scattered Brethren extends not to publick Teaching in the Church which publick Teaching is peculiarly Ministerial but to publish declare divulge the Gospel where Christ was not yet known no Church yet gathered no Disciples yet made And this we deny not to be lawful to any man yea we acknowledge it a duty where God so gives the opportunity To declare the Gospel then to unbelievers is common to all as Christians but to make Disciples by Baptism and to instruct the discipled and baptized by publick Doctrine is proper to the Minister of the Word by vertue of his Mission and Commission from Christ the same which he gave here to his Apostles Go ye disciple all Nations Baptising them c. Again one Objection more there is which appears big Object 3 but its strengths but small 1 Cor. 14.31 viz. The Apostle seems to tell the whole Corinthian Congregation That they may all prophesie one by one I answer True indeed all may prophesie Answ yet can it not then be understood but of those that were Prophets Vers 6. as he instanceth in himself that he speaks in the Church as by knowledge so by prophesying Knowledge that is doctrine obtained by premeditation Prophesying here is doctrine delivered by sudden inspiration as appears Vers 30. Prophesying was of old Preaching moved by divine rapture now Preaching is prophesying attained by diligent study Even by attending unto reading and to meditation 1 Tim. 4.13 15. as St. Paul exhorts Timothy These Prophets St. Paul speaks of were a peculiar office in the Church so reckoned with Apostles and Evangelists Eph 4.11 and of those there were many at Corinth as we finde many at Antioch Acts 13.2 and these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too Ministring unto the Lord. Now to these Prophets saith the Apostle to preserve order in the Church Ye may all prophecy one by one And thus is the Giant slain the great Argument and Objection cleared from what some would pretend to a liberty of prophesying to all in the publick Congregation 3. To admit into the Ministry By Imposition of hands in Ordination was never in the power of any meer Presbyter Our Lord and Saviour did constitute Twelve Apostles Matth. 10.1 2. Luke 10 1. in degree and office above the Seventy Disciâ—les Which holy Apostles that they were to have their Successors is evident from the promise here of Christ Behold I am with you unto the end of the World Which promise extends to the whole Ministry of the Church the Apostles having all authority Ecclesiastical and every office Ministerial virtually and eminently in themselves Most certain and plain it is our Saviours promise could not be meant of the Apostles persons it must be then interpreted of their Function And of their Function not in its extraordinary priviledges but its ordinary Ministrations not in its extraordinary Priviledges as that their Mission was immediate from Christ their operations miraculous by the Spirit and their jurisdiction unlimitted as to place These were all temporary expiring with their persons being necessary onely to the planting not the perpetuating of the Church But the sacred Apostleship in its ordinary Ministrations as Preaching the Word Discipling by Baptism Consecrating the Eucharist Excommunicating the Scandalous Absolving the Penitent Governing by Discipline and Ordaining to the Priesthood These even all these received by Commission from Christ were to be continued by Succession in the Church as without which the welbeing of the Church in its Ministry and Government could not stand Successors then there must be to the Apostles invested with the Authority and Office of the foregoing Ministrations Now our inquiry then is who these Successors are And for this we finde in Scripture Acts 12.17 15.13 21.28 1 Tim. 1.3 3.15 2 Tim. 1.6 Tit. 1.5 Rev. 2. 3. James Bishop of Jerusalem Timothy of Ephesus Titus of Creet yea the seven Angels Presidents and Bishops of the seven Churches spoken of in the Revelations Besides these we finde in the undoubted History of the Church Mark Bishop of Alexandria Epaphroditus of Philippi Archippus of Coloss Clemens of Rome Ignatius of Antioch these and others too in the Apostles times and ordained by the Apostles hands were the received Successors in the ordinary Ministry of the Apostleship And that this was so Theodor. in Phil. 2â—25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is evident from that which is given us by Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those very persons were called Apostles whom by usage of speech the Church now calls Bishops And why was this but because they were generally owned by the Church as the Apostles Successors in the ordinary Ministrations of their Apostleship But now Time the great mint and master of words least community of names should beget a confusion in things Time I say did appropriate the name of Apostle to the immediate Apostles of Christ and the name of Bishop to their Successors whose particular Succession in their full Ministry and Office incommunicable to any meer Presbyters though of never so eminent abilities and high esteems is upon undeniable record in the Churches Histories And though I might heap up the unquestionable testimonies of the Ancients yet that one full witness and quaint expression of Tertullian may be here sufficient Who writing within one hundred years after St. John and so the Succession of Ministry not very long setled in the Church after the Apostles he tells us Tert. de Praescript c. 32. speaking of some Metropolitan Churches Exhibent quos ab Apostolis in Episcopatum constitutos Apostolici seminis traduces habent They exhibite and produce those persons constituted by the Apostles to be Bishops who by vertue of an Apostolical Seed do transmit a Succession of Ministry in the Church And thus Episcopacy becomes what Epiphanius elegantly stiles it Epiph Haeres 75. cont
and such is the end of the Apostolical Presidency even the preventing Schism and the preserving Order and Unity in the Church A Prudential Experience doth tell us it is with Christs Church as with Davids Harp in all a parity of office is as far from peace as the unison of strings is from harmony subordination in some and superiority in others is as requisit to Ecclesiastical as Civil Polity without which Schism becomes as fatal to the Church as Rebellion is to the State So that we must subscribe to the grave sentence and judgment of St. Hierome unless the Episcopal pre-eminence of Authority and Office be preserved Hieron Dialog Adv. Luciferian Tot in Ecclesiis efficientur Schismata quot Sacerdotes There will be as many Schisms in the Church as there are Presbyters especially if every Presbyter hath power of Ordination intrinsecal to his Office by the Divine Right of Apostolical Institution For what then would be the use of Ordination but chiefly to propagate Schism But some may say to prevent this Though the power of Ordination be common to all yet the act of ordaining is restrained to a few Presbyters But I ask by what Authority of Scripture they do it and what Primitive patteâ—n they have for their practise Besides to exclude their Brethren from the exercise of what they acknowledge is proper and intrinsecal to their office is a manifest injury and violation and if all should exercise what is their right of office and cannot be taken from them this would be a strange disorder and confusion Wherefore Beloved in what we have asserted the Apostolick Constitution and the Churches practise doth engage our consent of judgment and conformity of obedience upon a double tye of Reason and of Religion So that if we be either prudent men or pious Christians we must submit to the truth of this assertition That by imposition of hands to ordain into the Ministry is not in the power nor belongs to the office of any meer Presbyter Acts 20.17 28. Phil. 1.1 But what do we not finde that frequently in sacred Scripture Presbyters are called Bishops and are they not therefore one in office being one in name and not to be differenced in the Church not being distinguished in the Scripture To this so specious an Argument we answer our adversaries That as we are not so ignorant as from the name to prove the office of Bishop so nor should they be so erroneous as from the community of name to prove the identity of office in Bishop and Presbyter We finde in the Acts and Epistles those sacred Records which give us the first path of Ecclesiastical Government not so obvious to the eye as when Church practise had trod it out into a beaten road we finde I say in the Acts and Epistles the same persons sometimes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops so that by the signification of name it is clear we have not the distinction of office 1 Pet. 5.1 2 John 1. And therefore Presbyter being spoken of the Apostles as well as Bishop of Presbyters As from hence That the Apostles were called Presbyters we may not conclude That Presbyters are no less then Apostles so nor from this That Presbyters were called Bishops may we conclude That Bishops are no more then Presbyters It is easie to observe how words common at the first became appropriate in their use and so in some process of time even within one Century of years after Christ the distinction of office became commonly known by distinction of name Bishop being appropriate unto him who had an Apostolical presidency of Ordination and Jurisdiction in the Church We close then with this sure inference from the premisses That this late Schism in our Church of meer Presbyters ordaining to the Ministry as it hath not any clear Text of Scripture to warrant it nor any allowed practise of the Church to approve it so nor hath it any argument of Reason to abet it as being contrary to that Mission constituted by our Saviour in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go ye disciple all Nations Baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of thy Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Applic. 1 Cor. 9.16 1. You see Beloved what is our Mission Christ hath bid us go and a necessity is laid upon us Wo unto us if we preach not the Gospel But then much more wo unto them who stop our mouths that we cannot preach or that binde our feet that we cannot go Let such dread Jeroboams judgment their arm withering 1 King 13.4 their power shrinking and wasting with a curse God did bear long with Judah but when they came to this That they mocked the Messengers of God 2 Chron 36.16 17 c. despised his words and misused his Prophets then there was no remedy his mercy had borne so long that his justice could bear no longer but wrath does arise against his people to captivity and to desolation Oh Beloved the Ministers souls lie at stake for the peoples if we warn you not your perishing through our default is a default whereby we perish Oh the blood of Souls how loud does it cry for vengeance when spilt by the hand of ignorance error slothfulness or cowardice in the Minister See in the course of our Ministry Christ gives us our Mission to go O let us not through your perversness and obstinacy in sin go upon thorns and bryars finde torture and trouble of Soul in our service but in your obedience of Faith to the Gospel of Christ O make beautiful our feet make pleasant our paths Sure there is no greater joy and blessed even thrice blessed be God I can call it much my joy there is no greater joy in the service of our Ministry then to preach the Gospel to a willing and reverent Auditory But oh Beloved and my dearly beloved in the Lord this this is too too much the disparagement of your profession and the discouragement of my Ministry that your holiness of life and righteousness in the world answers not your reverence in the Church your zeal for the Church O that he who gave me my Mission to preach would give you his Grace to practise 2 Cor. 3.3 that I might say of you what St. Paul says of his Corinthians Ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by us known and read of all men The Epistle of Christ such in whom he hath imprinted the truth and holiness of his Gospel which hath been preached unto you This this would very much seal the lawfulness of my Ministry even its efficacy in your lives which though it is not the most infallible yet is it the more comfortable seal of Christs Mission in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go ye disciple all Nations c. 2. As I have shewed
the Word of the most High God it alters not but as the Lord is gracious in his promise so will he be faithful in the performance Answ Answ General promises have their particular application and so become as the object of faith so the support of the soul in each particular condition Indeed it hath been the priviledge of some more devout souls and more divine tempers by an experienc'd communion with God in prayer to implore him for particular blessings with as firm an assurance as if they had had a particular promise Thus it is reported of good Latimer Bishop in the beginning of Reformation that he had frequent in his prayers and firm in his confidence these three things Queen Elizabeths obtaining the Crown His sealing the Truth with his blood and the third which he used to express with greatest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of devotion and vehemencey of zeal was this The Gospel restor'd once again once again in England All which God hath fulfilled But what said I all fulfilled No sure Upon perusing this passage of History I was affected in my thoughts observing the duplication of the good Fathers prayer that it was for the Gospels restoring once again and once again in England I hope the Spirit of prayer and of prophecie here went together and as the Gospel hath been already once again restor'd unto our fathers so it shall be once again restor'd unto us and unto our children as it hath been once restor'd from Romish Superstition so it shall be once again restor'd from Heretical Schismatical and Sacrilegious Profanation And this oh this do we further with our prayers our teares our deepest humiliations I call to mind the Historical tradition concerning S. Augustine That his mother Monica frequently applying herself to S. Ambrose that famous Bishop with bitter mournings for her son then a blasphemous Maniche and of a dissolute life though after an Orthodox Father and of a religious conversation S. Ambrose observing her continual lamentations dismist her with these words of comfort and confidence that Tot lachrymarum filius c. The son of so many tears should not perish Oh! did the Sons of this Church for their Mother as Monica the Mother did for her Son Isa 62 6 7. Luk. 18 7. importune God with prayers and tears day and night giving him no rest I could with confidence make particular application of Christs general promise and tell them in the words of S. Ambrose a little chang'd Tot lachrymarum Mater The Mother of so many tears the Church of so many prayers shall not be ruin'd The gates of hell even the policie of men and devils shall not prevail against her But oh I fear I fear our prayers have been so long out of the Church that most men leave the Church out of their prayers However then it be a divine priviledge of Gods devoutest Saints to have a secret perswasion and impulse of the Spirit for the asking by prayer and believing through faith particular blessings as if given in particular promises yet that which is the pattern of our practice is an application of the general promises to our particular conditions with an humble submission unto God in the order of his providence to dispose of our distress and of our deliverance as shall make most for his own glory and his Churches good And though God set a long date of time to the performance of his promise yet let not our hearts faint nor faith fail seeing there is certainly no void and empty space no vacuum in his providence but the interval is that of preparing the seed to harvest the fitting his people for deliverance and as the sharper Winter makes the Spring more fruitful the harvest more plentiful so the sharper affliction makes our graces more pure our deliverance more glorious Obj. 2. I have long expected and could with patience have Obj. 2 longer waited for the the salvation of my God did not the blasting of my hopes make my faith to wither In stead of recovery behold a festering of my wound I expected a mitigation but I find and feel an aggravation of my distress I did hope for a deliverance but now am prest down with a greater trouble Answ Answ If God increase thy burden continue thou instant in prayer and he will doubtless either increase thy strength or else hasten thy deliverance That of S. Paul stands firm God is faithful who will not suffer those that are his to be tempted above what they are able 2 Cor. 10.13 Theoph. in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theophylact God proportions our burden to our strength or else gives strength propor ionable to our burden so that the force of Satans temptations shall not exceed the power of Gods grace Wherefore Thou relying upon the promise of thy God neither shall thine affl ction in its burden of weight nor in its length of continuance so damp thy faith or dead thy devotion as to destroy thy soul Further take this admonition That thou cherish an expectation of distresses happening and withall make good a preparation against the happening of distresses for nothing more discomposeth the frame of soul or disturbeth the peace of mind then when our troubles are sudden beyond expectation and our hearts unfenc'd without preparation We say Quae alii diu patiendo sapiens diu cogitando levia facit Those things which others make light by patience in long-suffering the wise man makes light by patience in long foreseeing Good it is then in afflictions still to expect the worst And thus what ill befalls us will be the lighter and what good happens to us it will be the sweeter Expect we the worst not in a distracting fear but in a wary prudence not in an ill presaging distrust but in a well resolved faith Neither may we fancie groundless troubles and thereby create crosses to our selves To fear shadows argues either guilt of Conscience or weakness of Judgment Neither may we yet anticipate Gods work by imposing a certainty of event upon probable afflictions For this were to double our cross if the evil happens and to create a cross if it happen not Thus O thou afflicted soul it remains firm as a sure Rule of Direction That whatsoever is the weight or continuance of thy trouble thou stay thy self upon the Promise waiting by prayer and patience for the salvation of thy God O Blessed JESVS the Lord of life Prince of glory and Captain of our salvation who hast vanquisht Satan and all the powers of darkness O give victory to all languishing Souls in their Spiritual Conflicts Guide them with thy councels sustain them with thy grace refresh them with thy comforts preserve them in thy love and crown them with thy glory Amen Amen Halleluiah THE Preacher's Tripartite BOOK III. TO Establish TRVTH and PEACE IN SEVERAL SERMONS Against the present Heresies and Schisms ESPECIALLY As to The Gospels Ministry Infants Baptism The Mystery of the Trinity