in their Travels through the World to convert it from Idolatrie and to gain Proselytes to Christ. When the number of Believers was every where increast and the name of Christian which at first began at Antioch was every where disperst as far as Words were Names of persons the next business of the Apostles whose commission like the Sun 's was never to stand still or settle in one place but still to move like him from one Countrey to another was to mould their new Believers into well-form'd and govern'd Churches especially in great Cities such as Ephesus and Corinth and to appoint them Over-seers who should both teach and rule the Flock lest being left like Sheep without a Shepherd to o'relook them they either should be swallowed up by their own Heresies and Schisms or should break out of the Fold and relapse back again to Heathens These Overseers or as the Scripture calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Bishops of the Flock they were compelled to chuse out of their new Converts and Disciples who in that infancy of time that famine of great Parts were generally men whose Faith was far greater then their Knowledge men not bred in Schools unskilled in Tongues and Arts especially the Art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Art of Ruling well Indeed they were such men as St. Paul describes in that mean and humble Map which he drew of those Times in the first Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians at the 26. and 27. Verses where he sayes Ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and weak things of the World to confound the mighty and base things and things despised and things that are not hath God chosen to annihilate and bring to nought the things that are To supply this great Defect the holy Ghost was fain to assist the very Apostles in the making of their choices and to furnish men with gifts and parts which might fit them for Elections Nay the persons generally were so ungifted raw unlearned in all kinds so unfit to rule or govern in the Church that he was fain to qualifie them in a way of new creation to make Things which were not bring to nought the things that were to give form to shapelesse matter to change their Ignorance to Knowledge to make unwise men wise and to raise their Wisdom out of nothing to call Light out of Darknesse and then divide it into Stars to make those learned Shepherds who were but lately Sheep able to defend their Flocks from the most fierce and learned Wolves In short to call a Church out of a Chaos and give a beauty to confusion to dispose the several parts into well-tuned Orbes and Spheres to place great Lights in this new Firmament which were to rule the Day and lesser Lights to drive and chace away the Night was a Work which required the Illumination of Gods Spirit to hold a Torch to those who had else stood in the dark And this is that which St. Chrysostom Oecumenius Theodoret Theophylact and many other ancient Writers have very well observed For St. Chrysostom in his Comment upon this very Text sayes that in this childhood this nonage of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That nothing was done as Mans Wisdome did direct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by the direction of Gods Spirit whose business 't was not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to foretell things to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to reveal things present too especially in the choice of fit Rulers in the Church Clemens Romanus speaking of those Rulers sayes That the first Bishops which were made were made by the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having tryed them by the Spirit Oecumenius also speaks as if the other held his pen and sayes almost in the same form of words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first Bishops were made Bishops by the appointment of Gods Spirit Thus St. Paul and Barnabas were of Preachers made Apostles Act. 13. 2. thus Titus was made Metropolitane of Creet Tit. 1. 5. and thus Timothy in this Text was made the first Ephesian Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Spirit of God designing of him by the Prophets Nay Eusebius in the third Book of his Ecclesiastical History taking Clemens of Alexandria for his Chronologer and Warrant sayes That this way of making Bishops by the Appointment of Gods Spirit was observed in the Church till the death of St. John who after his return from his banishment to Ephesus being intreated by the Church there to provide for succession went through all the Regions near in a holy Visitation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ordained such a Clergie as the holy Ghost revealed So that they who have been curious to compute St. Johns return which was in the Reign of Nerva the 98. year of Christ 30. years after St. Pauls martyrdom do reckon That from the day of Pentecost in which the holy Ghost descended on the Apostles in cloven Tongues of fire to the time of St. John's death which was in the 100. year of Christ this way of making Bishops by the designation of Gods Spirit continued in the Church 66. years complete At which time the Church having taken general root and from a grain of Mustard-seed being become a spacious Tree able to diffuse it self without Miracles and Wonders those gifts of Gods Spirit which had brought it to this Growth and had every where furnisht it with Rulers sent from Heaven like the Manna in the Scripture ceast to fall on those who had now the Promised Land given to them in possession But yet though all this be true we are not to suppose that Gods Spirit did so wholly ingrosse this businesse to himself as to obtrude those new Rulers on the Church without their Allowance and Approbation too He onely did direct and name and recommend them 't was left to the Church to admit them to their Cures he but designed the Persons the Church gave them Ordination by the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery Which describes to us the Forme of this Bishops Consecration and comes in the fourth place to be considered and examined 'T is observed that the Spirit of God who in the Jewish Church spoke by the several sparklings of those precious stones or Jewels which shined in the Brest-plate of Aaron the High-priest where a Diamond and Amethyst gave Oracles and Answers and an Agate might be reckoned into the number of the Prophets removed those precious stones into the twelve Apostles and made them twelve Foundation stones in the new Building of Christs Church as you may read in the 21. Chapter of the Revelation at the 18 19. Verses Certainly whatever in that Church conduced to Piety and Order whatever might be made a patterne for religious Imitation the Christian
the chief Corner-stone and great Master-builder too all the Powers of Heaven did help to carry on the Work I think I need not tell you that the Gospel like the Law was at first proclaimed by the Ministry of Angels that Jacobs dream and vision was made by them true story a Ladder was set up which reach'd from Earth to Heaven and they ascending and descending with sacred Messages to Men. Nay the Holy Ghost himself who foretold this in the old Testament was most busily imployed to fulfill it in the new every Sermon preach'd was attended with a miracle and the Doctrine signed and ratified with holy prodigies and wonders the Preachers all inspired with gifts proportion'd to their Work and enabled by those gifts to go and teach all Nations Nay so sollicitous and careful was this holy Spirit of God to provide fit Successors to those inspired and gifted Teachers that for many years after the first plantation of the Gospel not a Bishop was installed or admitted to his Chair not a Pastor to his Charge not a Deacon to his Table which was not first designed and named and qualified by him And this I might prove to you by several places of the Scripture but none more clear then this which I have chosen for my Text where St. Paul sayes to one of those new consecrated Bishops Neglect not the Gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery IN which words you have these considerable Parts First the Person here consecrated to the sacred Office of a Bishop that was Timothy exprest in this word Thee Next his Qualification for that divine and sacred Office he was a Gifted man a man fitted for that Honour exprest in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gift that is in thee Thirdly his Conge D'Eslire or Designation to that Office by the Holy Ghost Author of that Gift 't was given him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the prediction of the Prophets Fourthly the Forme of his Consecration to that Office the holy Ghost designed him but the Church gave him Ordination 't was done by the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery Lastly St. Pauls fatherly Advice to him for his Deportment in that Office in these words Neglect not the Gift which was thus bestowed upon thee Of these in this order and first of the Person that was Timothy exprest in this word Thee As the distance between God and Man was so great that none but one who was compounded of both Natures was fit to reconcile them or to be a Mediator so in reconciling the Jews to the Gentiles to make them piece and joyn in one united Church none was so fit to procure a good liking and agreement as one in whom both parties had an equal Interest claim Now of all the men designed by God to accomplish that great Work I know none in all kinds so well fitted and proportion'd as this holy man the Bishop in this Text whose very birth disposed him to break down Partition-walls and to be a Reconciler of both parties from the womb For if we enquire into his Original or Birth as 't is set down in the Church-book Acts 16. his Mother was a Jewess but a Jewess made a Christian and his Father was a Greek but well-affected to the Jews as you may read in the first Verse of that Chapter not a Greek Hellenist or Jew bred in Greece called so from the Grecian Language which he spoke nor a Greek in the Grecian sense a man opposed to a Barbarian but a Greek in the general acception of the Scripture which divides the whole World of men into two Members Jews and Greeks For if we may give credit to the Syriack Translator he was Aramaeus that is no Greek but Syrian or as the Latine Interpreter more largely hath described him he was Homo Gentilis that is no Jew but Gentile And as his Birth did thus prepare him to preach the Gospel to all Nations so St. Paul who well knew the advantage of this mixture and how readily a Jew would hearken to a Jew and a Gentile be perswaded by one who was a Gentile to make his Capacity more passable and currant thought fit to circumcise him though he were before a Christian as you may read at the fourth Verse of that Chapter That by imploying one to preach who was a baptised Jew and one who withall was a circumcised Believer all prejudices might be stopt and no objection left to hinder or obstruct the free passage of his Sermons For that this was the reason why he circumcised him namely not to oblige him to observe and keep the Law but to remove obstructions from his preaching of the Gospel is evident from the end and close of that Verse which sayes that St. Paul in a holy prudence did it because They all knew that his Father was a Greek And certainly as St. Paul by this action this politick design gained justly to himself the reputation of that style which he bestows upon himself of being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A wise Master-builder in the third Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians at the tenth Verse one who knew how to fit his Tools to his Matter to hew rude Subjects to his Ends and to give them shape and form so as to work upon the tempers of disagreeing Minds so no passage more confirms that rare Description of his Art which he makes in the 9. Chapter of that Epistle at the 20. Verse and forwards where he sayes That he became all things to all men as a Jew to the Jews and as a Gentile to the Gentiles to them under the Law as a man lock'd up in shackles to them without Law as at perfect liberty and freedom And all this to compass his great Catholick Design which was to bring if possible both parties to salvation Next then as his Birth did much contribute to his Function so his Education contributed much more He was bred in a Family upon which Religion seem'd entail'd where Piety ran in a bloud and lineally descended like Vertue of Inheritance from the Parents to the Child St. Paul speaking of his Mother Eunice and his Grandmother Lois in the 1. Chapter of his 2. Epistle to him at the 5. Verse sayes It very much rejoyced him to find the same unfeigned Faith in him which in a holy Pedegree he received and took from them And certainly as ill Example hath the power to convey hereditary Vices to infect by being seen and to corrupt by imitation nay as Vice in the Parent hath such an influence on the Child as to think it disobedience where the Parent is a sinner not to be as wicked and as great a sinner too As the young Virgin in the Poet seeing her unchast lascivious Mother write Letters to her loose Adulterer and Servant thought her self obliged to think Chastity a sin and so
learnt in time to write such Letters too or as the young Gentleman whose Father was a Gamester learnt to handle Dice and stake whole Mannors at a Throw So good Example hath the like power to infect by being seen and Vertues may like Vices be made hereditary too But besides those seeds of Vertue sown in him by his Parents St. Paul himself had been his Tutor and had the forming of his manners he was bred up in his School to that ripeness and perfection that he superscribes this Epistle to him as to one begotten by him To Timothy my Son sayes he nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Timothy my own Son sayes our English Translation But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek if we may believe St. Jerome is a word to which no other Tongue can find a word to match it a word which in all kinds signifies the Son to have such a near resemblance to the Father as almost to confirm the Opinion of Andreas Dudithius who in his book De Conjugio Presbyterorum maintains that St. Paul was married and had children like St. Peter Of which but that we know his Father was a Greek the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might perswade us that this Timothy was one Indeed the resemblance between them was so great that as in other births and natural generations the marks to distinguish the true-born from the spurious are the likeness of the child in shape and visage to the parent Sic oculos sic ille manus sic or a ferebat If he have his Fathers eyes and cheeks looks hands and gestures too we may conclude him genuine and the Parent twice the same So St. Jerome in his close Interpretation of that word proceeds by a distinction which holds comparatively true St. Paul had many Sons sayes he whom he converted to the Faith as the Corinthians and Ephesians whom he vouchsafes to call his Sons But the style of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Filius germanus the style of true-born Son so in all things like himself as not to be more the Son of the Parents that begot him then he was his morum filius the Off-spring of his Mind so furnisht with his vertues so accomplish'd with his gifts so zealous in his preaching so valiant in afflictions so active in his spreading the Gospel through the World was a style bestowed on none but this Timothy and Titus As if all others were his Bastard-sons begot upon some Hagar and onely these two were legitimate It is St. Jerome sayes so In short as likeness in manners begets a dearness in affections and as a friendship in affections begets a likeness in engagements so St. Paul made him his Fellow-labourer and Associate When the Decrees of the Apostles were to be disperst made in their general Council assembled at Jerusalem this Timothy was chosen to assist him in his Travels as you may read in the 16. Chapter of the Acts at the 4. Verse When an Evangelist was to be sent to confirm those distant Churches which St. Paul himself had planted but was not able to re-visit this Timothy was sent as his Deputy-Lieutenant as you may read in several Epistles to those Churches To all this such a holy prudence shined forth in all his actions his Morals were so good and so seasoned with Religion that his Name was like that precious Oyntment in the Scripture still breathing forth perfumes in all places where he came For he was well reported of he was above all reproch and scandal as you may read at the 3. Verse of that Chapter And of such Instruments as this did the Holy Ghost make choice to be Preachers of the Gospel and Rulers in the Church Men whose Life as well as Doctrine was still Sermon to the People men who confuted Vice not more by argument and reason then by their blameless carriage and vertuous conversation 'T was against the Oeconomy and Discipline of Heaven to send men into Gods Vineyard who went drunk into the Field and who minded not the vine but the vintage grape and wine And the Holy Ghost himself had erred had he given his Pearls to Swine to the sensual or intemperate still wallowing in the mire or had he taken his holy things and cast them unto Dogs no sooner eased of one distemper but returning to another No cloven Tongues of fire did sit upon their heads whose tempers were still cloven still kindling Flames and Factions still breaking of Gods people into divisions rents and schisms The gift of Knowledge was not dropt upon the ambitious proud high-minded their Bladder swelled too much and was too much puft up before To him that hath shall be given was the Rule Gods Spirit went by and more gifts were given to him who had well imployed the former Which leads me on to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gift here in this Text and comes in the next place to crave a room in your Attentions The Saying of our Saviour Christ when he spoke it was so true in the 10. Chapter of St. Luke at the 2. Verse The Harvest truly is great but the Labourers are few that to increase their number and to fit them for the work the Holy Ghost was fain to interest himself in the choice of workmen and the qualifying of them too His work and business 't was to send men into the Field and to teach them how to manage and use their Sickle too The Men already chosen if their number had been greater where a World was to be converted were too disproportion'd for the Harvest Besides they wanted parts for so great an undertaking unless they could have done like the man in Eunapius a Greek Historian who tells us of one Aedesius who had so much the Spirit of Divination in his power that he would but clap a Wreath of Lawrel on his head and straight speak by Inspiration straight put himself in Raptures and utter learned Oracles to the great amazement of the Hearers The Apostles were not all bred at the feet of Gamaliel but were as yet unlearned men called from mending Nets fitter to deal with Fishes and to put forth a Boat to Sea then to cast their Nets on Land and there catch men in the Inclosure Besides being Jews they were hardly fit to preach to Jews for where was their gift of Miracles to work upon the Jews who were onely to be gained by Miracles and Wonders Had they preacht to the Gentiles where was their gift of Tongues to preach to all Nations who could speak no Tongues but one Had Christ sent to Athens to stock himself with Preachers he might have found great Scholars there but hard to be perswaded to forsake their own Schools and to list themselves in his Nay these for some Ages were the greatest Enemies of the Faith men who measured Truth by Aristotles Precepts and would believe no more then what some Plato taught Nay men who like Porphyrius called the
Christian Religion Barbaram philosophiam A barbarous Philosophy A new Doctrine creeping forth into the World by the foolishness of Preaching affraid to enter combate with any rational Dispute or to endure a tryal where right Reason was opponent According to that which St. Paul hath delivered in the first Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians at 22 23. Verses where he sayes The Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom That is the Jews would believe no more of the Gospel then they saw confirmed by miracle and proved by signs and wonders And the learned Greeks or Gentiles would admit no more then they saw confirmed by Syllogisme and proved by Demonstration In this scarcity of Preachers then to win upon all parties and to captivate both Jews and Gentiles to the obedience of the Gospel the Holy Ghost pour'd forth his gifts proportion'd to the work which each man was to do as Time Place and Countrey needed To one was given the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge to another Prophecy to another the gift of Healing to another the gift of Miracles to another the gift to discern true Prophets from the false to another the gift of Tongues to another the gift to interpret the sense and meaning of those Tongues And all these wrought that one and self-same Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the building of the Church as you may read in the 12. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians the 11. first Verses Now in the distribution and imparting of those gifts unless it were our Saviour Christ the Son of God himself in whom this holy Spirit had no limit bound or measure he never did pour forth himself in such overflowing gifts as he did on the Apostles the first Preachers of the Gospel The old Prophets had him sparingly more sprinkled then poured forth he was to them a little Brook to these a full-tide Sea he fell in single drops on them on these in full-grown showres Besides they had him but sometimes these to themselves and heirs they were able like a firm Estate to bequeath him in their Wills and to make him their gift to others as he was his own gift to them for whereever they laid their Hands the holy Ghost still followed The gift of Tongues of Prophecy of Miracles and Healing were as naturally diffused by them as the Sun sheds light and beams And now I speak of Miracles methinks the persons were the greatest upon whom this holy Spirit did thus pour forth his gifts That men not bred to Letters should suddenly grow wise and be every one a School and Athens to himself to be able to maintain Disputes with great Scholars of all Sects to make a Sadducee confess there was a Resurrection and to make a Pharisee recant his false glosses on the Law nay to make Aristotles school send forth Disciples unto Christ and to erect a new Church in Plato's Commonwealth to see a Zeno or Chrysippus surrender up his Chair and sit at the feet of a poor Fisherman inspired to hear an Apollos so eloquent in Preaching as if some Tully or Demosthenes were got up into the Pulpit to hear men speak all Languages who had learned no Tongue but one so as to be thought Natives in all Countries where they came and who travelled through the World yet never went from home lastly to see a plain unskilful man who never heard of Galen and to whom Hippocrates was utterly unknown without the help of medicines do Cures beyond the power of Physick to cure Palsies Fevers Dropsies Gouts by the bare virtue of a Word to make blind men see and lame men walk by virtue of a Touch nay to make their shadows do the business of Physicians and to cure all Diseases by their bare shadows passing by These these indeed were gifts which bore down the World before them these changed the face of Empires and gave new form to States converted Heathens into Christians and Idolaters to Saints Now whether all these gifts or any one of these were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gift here given to this Bishop because this Text is silent I cannot well determine Grotius thinks it was the gift of Tongues and perhaps his reason was because being an Evangelist and Co-adjutor to St. Paul whose task and business 't was to preach the Gospel to all Nations this could not well be done without the Language of all Nations Others think it was the gift of Wisdom by which without the help of Books he was inspired with Knowledge But then why did St. Paul in the Verse next before this Text bid him improve himself by study and addict himself to reading and exhortation till he came Where by Reading sure is meant the Theory of Knowledge by Exhortation the exercise and reduction of it into practice Others therefore think that here is meant the gift of Healing But then St. Chrysostoms dispute in his Homily on that Text Drink no longer Water but use a little Wine for thy Stomachs sake and often Infirmities will deserve to be considered and to have the Question askt Why if he had the gift of Healing did he not heal himself unless this may be an Answer That being but a Novice or young man endued with the gifts and parts of old God would not give him leave to cure this weaknesse in himself lest his gift of Knowledge should swell and puff him up Since the gifts of the holy Ghost are not so secure from danger but that they may degenerate into high-mindednesse and pride Nay this it seems was St. Pauls very case who though he had the gift of healing to that miraculous degree as to be able to raise men from the dead yet after his strange Rapture up into the third Heaven after all the glorious Visions and Revelations of that place lest he should be exalted above the measure of a man A thorn in the flesh called the Messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him and to humble him again in the 12. Chapter of the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians at the 7. Verse Where some too injuriously and too unchastely too by that thorn in the flesh conceive some concupiscence or lust but he himself calls it an infirmity or weaknesse for which his gift of Healing could not contrive a cure as you may gather from the 8 9. Verses of that Chapter But now after all this which I hitherto have said what if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gift here mentioned in this Text were none of all these but the very Office of a Bishop here given him by Prophecy with the laying on of hands Certainly if those ancient Fathers and great Lights of the Church who living near the Spring-head did see the stream run clear wrote not by a false light which deceived themselves and others St. Jerome Ambrose Haymo Primasius and some others in which number was Lyranus were of this Opinion Nay the