necessary that Pastours l Gal. 6.2 bear with one another burdens that is to say to beare with the infirmityes of one another and so fulfill the Law of Christ to support them redresse and restore them with the spirit of meeknesse In the time of the reformation of the Church of God God stirred up two excellent and eminent persons but of contrary constitutions and dispositions Luther and Melancton Luther was hot Melancton cold Luther was of a cholerick inclination but Melancton was of a temperat and sweet disposition Luther was couragious and bold Melancton was timorous Luther was as oyle and fire to warme his coldnesse Melancton was as water to temper the heat of Luther Melancton was as a bridle to Luther Luther was as a spurre to Melancton by these means so contrary and tones so diverse there was by Gods providence a holy harmony and faire corespondence between these two great instruments of God and restorers of Gods Church being happily joyned together and bearing with one anothers infirmities But if enmities continue between Pastours and that there is an apparent danger of a schisme by their divisions Let us observe what Constantine the great Emperour did who having received divers letters from the Bishops full of defamatory invectives of the one against the others and seeing that the Bishops were more inconsed to wrangle one with another than carefull to unite themselves and fight against the errour of Arrius He cast all their papers into the fire without reading any of them exhorting them to a mutuall peace and brotherly concord one with another and therefore let the Ministers of the word of God preach the word of God purely let them live holily let them love one another cordially O then they will edifie the Church of God more and more and having finished their course they shall receive their Crown of glory Enter ye faithfull servants into the joy of your Lord and as they have been m Rev. 1.20 stars in Christs right hand in the sphere of this militant Church n Dan. 12.3 having turned many to righteousnesse they shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for ever and ever in the sphere of the Triumphant Church in heaven o Rev. 22.9 20. as they are fellow servants with the angels yea stiled angels here on earth they shall be like the angels in glory in heaven Now as we that are Ministers have heard our lesson ye also my brethren have here your lesson too for if wo is unto Saint Paul and unto the Ministers of Gods word if they preach not the Gospel it followeth that wo is unto the Corinthians and unto you if they hear not if you hear not the preaching of the Gospel for if a necessity is laid upon Saint Paul and upon Pâ—stors to preach there is also a necessity laid upon the Corinthians and upon the people of God to hear the Gospel It is that necessity whereof Christ Jesus speaks p Luke 10.41 42. Martha Martha thou art carefull and troubled about many things but one thing is needfull and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her He speaks of the necessity of the word of God q Rom. 10.17 For faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God and as he is of God that preacheth the word of God r John 8.47 So he is of God that heareth Gods word The same God that requires of the one the preaching requires of the other the hearing and therefore the same curse that is pronounced and threatned against dumb Pastors is pronounced against deaf hearers Wo unto them that preach not the Gospel but also Å¿ Mar. 11.23 thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven thou shalt be brought to hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodome it would have remained untill this day In Sodome there was a Lot in Capernaum a Jesus Lot was a man Christ God and man Lot was a sinner Christ innocent Lot did no miracles among the Sodomites Christ did miracles in Capernaum Sodom saw not any Judgements on Jerusalem as Jerusalem saw those fearfull and terrible Judgements on Sodom written in characters from heaven of fire and Brimstone so that one might as it were read them in running The Lake Asphaltites or dead sea is a fearfull testimony of Gods wrath upon them and therefore it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgement than for them verse 29. according to that the Apostle teacheth us t Heb. 2.2 3 That if the word spoken by angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord was confirmed unto us by them that heard him And therefore a necessity is laid upon the people of God to hear his holy word The second duty of Gods people is to pray for their Pastors the people think that it is the Pastors Office and duty to pray for them and that is true for the Minister of God is Gods mouth to the People and the peoples mouth to God it is he that makes intercession between God and the people u 1 Sam. 12 23. God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you saith Samuel and truly Moses interceding for the Jews Samuel and Daniel in like manner have been powerfull intercessors and their prayers have been of great force towards God for the good of the people of God in the name and intercession of the Messias to come namely Jesus Christ but you must know it is also the duty of the people to pray for their Pastors and teachers for so great an Apostle as Saint Paul had need of the prayers of the Church and said Pray for me that the door of utterance may be given unto me that I may speak boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel Eph. 6.19 and and you also helping together by prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us c. 2 Cor. 1.11 how much more we that are inferiours to so great an Apostle have need of your prayers x Acts 12.5 Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for Peter And certes we fear that by reason of the want of the prayes of Gods people for their Pastors God takes away sometimes the Ministers of his holy word as God hath taken away to himself out of your Church three Pastors in nine moneths Mr. Marmet Mr. Mary Mr. Primrose Anno 1642. And God suffers sometimes Ministers to fall into strange and irregular opinions into heresies or into some scandalous sin because the Church prayeth not with that zeal and fervour for their Pastors as they ought if therefore you desire that God continue his Ministry among you and preserve your
the word and by good example For otherwise the Pastor will ruine the Church of God more by his bad life than he will edifie it by his wholesome Doctrine He will destroy that which he hath built and will pluck up with one hand that which he hath planted with the other for the people look as much or more to his life and conversation than to his preaching He that preacheth well and lives ill is like the statue of Mercury who shews the way unto others but doth not bow one step he resembles the Scribes and Pharisees that sent the wise men of the East that came to adore Jesus Christ to Bethlehem but stirred not from their houses they are like unto the Comedian who crying with a loud voice O heaven shewed with his finger the earth which the principall Magistrate beholding could not fit longer in his place but rose and withdrew himself from the company in a fury saying this man hath made a solecisme with his hand So they that have Heaven at their tongues end and the earth at their fingers end speak false and bad Divinity whereas they might avoid such an incongruous irregularity and make a congruity between the tongue and the hand if they did as they speak and lived as they preach They are like to those that built the Ark of Noah but did not enter into it and were not saved so that those who build the Church of God by their preaching but are not of the Church by faith which worketh by good deeds shall not be saved They will say in the last day of Judgement to Jesus Christ the Soveraign Judge i Mat. 7.22 23 Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name done many wonderfull works but the Judge will say unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity k Psal 50.16 18. k Ps 50 16 18 What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing when thou sawest a thief thou consendest with him and hast been partaker with adulterers Origen being excommunicated for offering Incense on the altar and so denying covertly Jesus Christ requested by some to expound unto the people a a passage of Scripture fell by Gods providence on these 16 17 18 verses of this 50. Psalm shut up the book not able not willing to expound that place and wept and all the people wept with him l Rom. 2.21 22 23 24. Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery thou that abhorest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God for the name of the Lord is blasphemed amomg the Gentiles through you And therefore let us endeavour to marry our preaching with our life lest that by any means having preached to others we our selves should be cast away and reprobates 1 Cor. 9.27 Let us build the Church of God with the one and the other hand m 1 Tim. 4-13 12.14 Let us give attendance to reading to exhortation to Doctrine and be also patterns of the believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity and that in consideration of the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery as it is in the 19. verse of that same Chapter We intend not to discourse here of the Imposition or of the laying on of the hands upon the sacrifices upon particular persons in blessing them or in healing them and such like things But we say that the Imposition or the laying on of the hands is not a naked ceremony as some suppose as if it were of no efficacy or on the other side as if it did imprint an indelible character which cannot be blotted out as the Papists say or in breathing on persons as the Bishops do and saying to them Receive ye the Holy Ghost they received the Holy Ghost as Christ in breathing on the Apostles and saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost they received the Holy Ghost or as the Apostles in laying the hands on some who received the extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost as it was in the time of the Primitive Church when God did inrich his Church with that miraculous gift when those that had received the Imposition of hands did speak strange languages c. No such matter but the laying on of the hands which we that are Ministers have received and which our dear brother here present is to receive doth signifie other things For it signifies that the Minister is not sent by himself no man imposeth hands on himself Aaron himself hath been chosen n Heb. 5.4 For no man taketh this Honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himself but was called and truly o Rom. 10.17 14 15. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent p Jer. 23.21 I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied The laying on of hands therefore signifies a sending The Holy Ghost said q Acts 13.2 3. separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away So Moses r Num. 27.22 23. laid his hands upon his servant and successour Joshua before all the Congregation and gave him a charge as the Lord commanded him Besides it signifies the power and authority given unto him to preach that receives the laying on of hands authority according to the power that is given by Jesus Christ not to destruction but to edification the laying on of the hands doth also signifie that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights Jam. 1.17 that God gives necessary and convenient gifts to the discharge of the Minister in his Ministry Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers c. The laying on of the hands therefore doth shew that God governs the Ministry and guides his Ministers by his hand and his Church by the hand of his Ministers t Ps 77.20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron It declares the hand of God and his help that he will be with his servants in all things and every where will preserve them in all dangers and against all kind of evils u 1 Kin. 18 46. The hand of the Lord was on Elijah he girded up his
the which you are called preaching truly the word of God to edifie the Church and that you will not abuse the Doctrine to serve your carnall affections or to please any man living but that you will use it in a sound conscience to serve to his glory and the benefit of his people you do promise also that you will keep the Ecclesiasticall ordinances and the Discipline received in this Church and as your charge is admonish those that fail to acquit your self faithfully without giving any place to hatred favour vengeance or any other carnall affection and in general do that which belongs to a good and faithfull Minister Item you promise to keep and maintain as far as lyeth in you the good and preservation of this estate procure in what possible you can the peace and union thereof and not to consent any manner of way to that which may be contrary and hurtfull to it The brother Mr. Stouppe by his gesture signified his promise and answered yea The Minister said to him God give you the grace to accomplish your promise The Minister being descended from the Pulpit and the brother Stouppe kneeling on a cushion within the inclosure where Ministers and Elders siâ— accompanied with Mr. Calendrin Minister of the Dutch Church of London and with Mr. Cismer minister of the French Church of London having all three their hands on his head his back turned towards the people and his face towards the ministers The minister made this prayer as followeth ALmighty God heavenly Father who after the fall of our first Parents was the first preacher of the Gospel in Paradise unto our said Parents and our Lord Jesus Christ being descended from heaven on earth for our sakes honoured and sanctified the holy ministry in his own person and ascending up into heaven to give gifts to man he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ seeing it hath pleased thee to call our dear brother and thine humble servant prostrated here on his knees before thee to be ordinated and ordained Minister of thy holy word We beseech thee to give him sufficient graces that he may thereby acquit himself vertuously and duly of his charge in this his Ministry and denounce the secret of thy Son that he may manifest it as he ought create in him a new heart in changing his heart into another as thou didst unto Saul being anointed King transform him by the renewing of his mind that he may prove what is that good that acceptable that perfect wil of thine enlighten his understanding from above with the rayes and beams of thy divine light warm him and fill him with the true zeal of thy glory and sincere intention to thy Service open his lips and his mouth shall set forth thy praise guide him in all truth that be walk not deceitfully nor falsifie thy word but that he hold fast the faithfull word which is according to instruction let him not have the spirit of fear and timerousnes but the spirit of strength and of courage let the word be given to him with a doore of utterance and with a covenient boldnesse that he may speak freely as he ought and fear not those that can kill the body and not the soul but rather that he fear thee O God that canst destroy body and soul in hell Let the Tummims and Urims to wit perfection and light be upon him give him grace that in any part of his calling he be not moved nor carried away with ambition or covetousnesse but as a man of God not as he is to thee such an one by creation or redemption onely but as he is a man of God by this particular calling he flee these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith love patience meeknesse dispel from him the desires of the world which may interlace in his thought and traverse his holy resolution permit not O good God that the world by his allurements and baits or his own flesh by its infirmities have the upper hand but strengthen him by thy holy Spirit that he may be victorious in the midst of assaults by faith that may be his victory that overcometh the world Give him thy grace to preach thy holy word purely to live holily and religiously and marry his holy life with his preaching that he ruine not that with one that which he builds with the other but that he may be an example to the faithfull in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity lest by any means having preached to others he himself should be a cast-away Govern him by thy holy spirit that he attribute nothing to himself but to the vertue of thy holy spirit and acknowledge that it is not Paul that planteth nor Apollo that watereth but it is thou O God that givest the increase give him grace that he may have prudence in his guiding efficacy in his preaching that he admonish the unruly comfort those that are of a low spirit and feeble heart chear up the weak ones that he be of a mild spirit towards all and that he walk in his calling as it is fitting to the glory of thy great name to the advancement of the Kingdome of thy Son our Lord to the edification and consolation of this Church and to the salvation of his own Soul Amen After the Prayer ended the Minister added and said in ordaining and consecrating him the two other Ministers continuing their hands on his head with him IN the name and by the authority of the Almighty God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost at the request of the Consistory of this Church and according to the Commission and charge which hath been given us and we have accepted of We Ministers of Gods word do institute thee John Baptista Stouppe do consecrate thee and confirm thee Minister of the word of God in the Church of God and particularly of this Church we give thee power and authority to preach the word of God to distribute the Sacraments to exercise the Ecclesiasticall discipline conformable to Gods word and to do all the functions that appertain to the man of God and Minister of Gods word And to the end that God ratifie in heaven that which we do here on earth we beseech him who is the God of peace who through the blood of the everlasting covenant hath brought again from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep Heb. 13.20 21. who is our Lord Jesus Christ make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Paranymphi Then the two Ministers brought back the Minister newly ordained and confirmed to the seat of the Ministers who sat between them both And the Minister ascended the Pulpit made the ordinary prayer but there where it concerned Pastors he interlaced a prayer for the Minister confirmed and among other things concerning the laying on of the hands on his person The prayer ended he caused the Psalm 133. to be sung O how happy a thing it is and joyfull for to see brethren together fast to hold the band of amity c. and that according to the subject concerning the consecration of Aaron and concord then afterward he blessed the people in the prescribed form in the 6. chap. of Numbers The Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee c. Afterwards the Pastours and Elders entred into the Consistory and as James Cephas and John gave the right hand of fellowship to Paul and Barnabas Gal. 2.9 so the three Pastors gave the right hand of fellowship to Mr. Stouppe their fellow brother with convenient congratulations and holy wishes then the brethren Elders one after another did the like unto him So this Action ended to the contentment of the Church Amen
I send thee And therefore m Amos 3.8 The Lion hath roared who will not fear The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie Amaziah the Prief of Bethel said n Amos 7.12 13 14 15. unto Amos O thou Seer go flee thee away into the Land of Judah and there eat bread and prophesie there but prophesie not again any more at Bethel for it is the Kings Chappel and it is the Kings Court Then answered Amos and said to Amaziah I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets son but I was an herdman and a gatherer of Sycomore fruit and the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said unto me go prophesie unto my people Israel As if Amos had said I did not heretofore prophesie but now I do prophesie for there is a necessity laid upon me to prophesie So Saint Paul was neither an Apostle nor an Apostles son but a Pharisee and a persecutor of the Apostles and disciples of Christ and of his Church but after he received a Commandement from Christ Go I do ordain thee a minister of the Gentiles this necessity was laid upon him to preach the Gospel This necessity of Gods command did make Moses to teach the people of the Jews although he was adopted son of the daughter of Pharaoh It was this that induced the Prophet Isaiah to prophesie although rich and noble being the uncle unto the King Manasses according to the opinion of the Hebrews So likewise Paul though an Hebrew of the Hebrews of the tribe of Benjamin a Pharisee as touching the Law brought up at the feet of Gamaliel did preach for the necessity of Gods Command occasioned the necessity of obligation Saint Paul was obliged by the Commandment of God to preach the Gospel without any glorying therein o Luke 17.10 When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do saith Christ the Saviour of the world unto his Disciples 2. Saint Paul was bound to preach the Gospel by his calling for his office and those excellent and eminent titles of his vocation did oblige him to do it the prophets the Apostles the Evangelists and Ministers of the word of God are stiled the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof Angels watchmen Bishops overseers superintendants fishers of men the light and salt of the earth workers and labourers yea labourers together with God builders vine-dressers Pastors spirituall Fathers Stewards of the mysteries of God saviours starres in the right hand of Christ and other such titles and admirable names that are attributed and appropriated unto them in holy scripture to shew and signifie their calling their charge their duty and their honour We read that Timotheus the Musician was so expert learned and admirable in his art that he made of men Lions or Lambs when he would for playing on his instrument he did so stir up and encourage Alexander the great that he did arm himself with all his armour animated and provoked with courage and force to go and fight against his enemies and then on a sudden changing the tune and notes he touched so sweetly on the strings of his instrument that he did pacifie and mollifie King Alexander he did calm him and made him as supple and quiet as a Lamb. The Ministers of God are intitled Boanerges which is the sons of thunder Mark 3.17 who animate and encourage the faithfull p Eph. 6 19 15 16 17. to take the whole armour of God having their loins girt about with tâ—ruth and having on the breast plate of righteousnesse their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace above all taking the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God By these heavenly weapons they fight against the Devil the world and the flesh and have the victory over them They are besides in another consideration stiled Boanerges the sons of thunder to thunder the Judgements of God against sinners and to draw them to repentance and humility and to reclaim them and make them as tame quiet as lambs The ministers are also named Barnabas which is being interpreted the son of consolation Act. 4.36 to comfort all that mourn q Isa 61.1 to preach good tidings unto the meek to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound They are stiled Barsabas Acts 1.23 to wit sons of Conversion converting sinnes to repentance yea and they are called Bar-jonas sons of the dove that is to say sons of peace and reconciliation So that these titles which are given them do shew their Office and duty their honor and charge for it is not an idle dignity but a work and honourable burden Thus in the Old Testament r Habbak 1 1. The burden which Habbakuck the Prophet did see and Saint Paul in the new Testament calls it Å¿ Rom. 1.5 grace and Apostleship or charge of Apostle Now these titles above mentioned did appertain unto Paul as an apostle and Evangelist to represent his vocation office obligation and therefore necessity was laid upon him to preach the Gospel But besides this twofold necessity there was another necessity that did presse and urge him namely the threatning and curse of the Lord in case he shewed himself refractory and disobedient and would not preach the Gospel and that is that which the Apostle propoundeth in the last place which he saith Yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Here we must observe that the word Wo is taken in holy Writ two manner of wayes 1. It doth signifie a corporall wo a temporall curse calamity and misery 2. A spirituall and everlasting wo and curse When Jesus Christ said u Mat. 24.19 Wo unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those dayes he speaks not there of a spirituall and eternall wo but of a temporall and corporall wo whereunto women that are with child and that give suck shall be subject in those times But when he saith x Luk. 6.25 Wo unto you that are rich for ye have received your consolation c. He speaks of a spirituall and everlasting wo so the rich man that had had here on earth his consolation was in eternall desolation and misery in hell For y Luk. 16.5 Abraham said unto him son remember that thou in thy life time received good things likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented And the Reprobates do feel in hell unspeakable torments which eye hath never seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man crying out uncessantly Wo wo unto us Now when the Apostle saith here wo is unto me he means it not in the first sense he speaks not of a temporall and corporall
loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel In a word the imposition of hands signifies that the Minister who is ordained of God is assured of his calling is not for himself but for God and his Church and that the Minister ought to preach and there is a necessity laid on him and therefore he ought to take care look diligently to his Commission for his office and Commission is great and heavy and hath need to pray to God to blesse him in his calling and mission On the other side the laying on of the hands doth declare the hand of God to be heavy on him not for good but for evil if he doth not his duty For as on the one side God saith x Ezech. 33 9.8 Son of man if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it if he do not turn from his way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul but if thou doest not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand and so wo unto us if we preach not the Gospel And therefore the laying on of the hands doth admonish us that as on the one side y 1 Tim. 5.22 we lay hands suddenly on no man so on the other side z 1 Tim. 4.14 we neglect not the gift that is in us which was given by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And a 2 Tim. 1.6 Let us stir up the gift of God which is in us by the putting on of hands Let us hearken to that which Saint Paul saith to Archippus b Col 4.17 Take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it Let us here the summons of the Apostle Paul I c 2 Tim. 4.1 2. charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearance and his Kingdome preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine And elsewhere d 1 Tim. 5.21 I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality And again e 1 Tim. 6.13 19. I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickeneth all things and before Jesus Christ who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keed this Commandement without spot unrebukeable untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ And that thou fleest f 1 Tim. 6.10 Avarice the root of all evil Avarice which Bernard represents drawn by a Chariot with four wheels of vices The first is faint heartednesse The second Inhumanity The third the contempt of God The fourth the forgetfulnesse of death this Chariot is drawn by two horses coupled together the one forcible taking the other force to retain things taken the Coachman that guides this Chariot and commands it is Covetousnesse or the love of money who guiding the covetous man in such a dangerous Coach and with such furious horses leads him out of the true way makes him to erre from the faith to fall into temptation and snares and doth plunge him into destruction and perdition as the Apostle tells us in the 9. and 10. verses of this sixth Chapter Therefore he doth exhort his disciple Timothie in the 11. verse But thou O man of God flee these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith love patience meeknesse as thou art and as much as thou art a man of God not onely in regard of the Creation and of redemption but more particularly in regard of thy vocation a man of God a Minister of the word of God Which place of Scripture we expounded unto you in a Sermon last Wednesday as a preparative and forerunner to this action declaring what the Minister must flee what he must follow after before God and before men 3. We that are Ministers must learn that to preach the Gospel well and render our preaching fruitfull and of efficacy we ought to be united together g Psal 133.1 2 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity it is like precious ointment upon the head of Aaron when he was ordained and consecrated an high Priest that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments But alas Satan to hinder the course and progresse of the Ministry doth cast the apple of discord between the Apostles themselves and between the Ministers of the Gospel also One while for precedency h Luke 22 29. There was a strife among the Apostles which of them should be accounted the greatest Another while for a difference concerning a third person as between Paul and Barnabas concerning John surnamed Mark i Acts 15.37 38 39 40 41. Barnabas determined to take with them Mark but Paul thought it not good to take him with them and the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other So Barnabas took Mark and sailed unto Cyprus but Paul chose Silas and departed being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God and he went through Syria and Cilicia confirming the Churches Sometimes for the small respect which one bears another and by false reports We read that there was enmity between Chrysostome and Severian Bishops Serapion who wedded the quarrell of Chrysostome passed by Severian and did not salute him Severian provoked with the little respect Serapion shewed him gives way to his passion Socrates Ecclesiasticall history and said If Serapion die a Christian Christ was not made man Serapion reports the words of Severian at half and omits the first part of the Sentence and tells Chrysostome that Severian maintained that Christ was not made man thereupon Chrysostom chaseth Severian out of the City the Empresse Eudoxia puts her self between these two Bishops and endeavours to appease the choller of Chrysostome and brings her son Theodosius who falls at Chrysostoms feet to obtaine by intreatie a reconciliation which by much adoe he compassed If there had been no contention between these two Bishops this had not happened If Serapion who was Chrysostoms friend had prevented Severian with honour as the k Phil. 2.3 Apostle exhorts or at least had given him the honour that was due to him and in Lowlinesse of mind had esteemed him better then himself Severian had not uttered such terible and unchristian words if Serapion had not made a false report to Chrysostom concerning Severian and if Chrysostom had not been so light of beleef but had examined both the one and the other party and had reserved one eare for the other party as Alexander the great did he had not expelled Severian Hence we see what divisions among Pastours can do it is