May they be remembred how in the words immediately preceding, he affirms this Text contains the onely mention in the fcri pture of the time and place of their ordination, and names and qualities of their ordainers; but here is nothing faid of the Apoftles, but of Lucius, &c. Befides in the following words he quotes Oecumenius, and Lyranus, afferting S. Paul's ordination by Lucius, Manaen, &c. impowered thereunto by being themfelves previously ordained by the Apoftles, which their opinion he neither cenfures, or rejects, as falfe or improbable.

I know not what entertainment this truth fhall meet in the world, this I know, that I fhall neither stand nor fall alone with it; and that there is but one material objection against it, unto Obj. S. Paul which I fhall endeavour to frame an anfwer. was an Apoftle

not of man,

Object. S. Paul faith, Gal.1.1. He was an Apostle not of man, nor by the will nor by the will of man.

of man.

of his Do

Anf. 1. This phrase may refer to the Divine Institution of Anfw. 1. This the Apoftolical Office, Luc. 6. 12. And it came to pass that he phrafe may refer to the in-went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer ftitution of the with God; and when it was day he called unto him bis Difciples, and Apoftolical of out of them he chose twelve,whom he named Apftles or it may refer fice, or to the to the defignation of S. Paul's perfon, A&.9.15. Go thy ways, for defignation of S. Paul's perbe is a chofen veffel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and fon, or to the kings, and the children of Ifrael. Or it may relate to his receivmanner of his ing of Evangelical Doctrine, Gal. 1.11,12. For I certifie you Brereceiving thren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man, neiarine, not to ther was I taught it but by the revelation of Jefus Chrift. In all his ordination these fenfes S. Paul was an Apoftle not of man, nor by the will of man. And why may not the objected text be explicated by all or fome of them, fince they are fo obviously proveable by Scripture, rather then have an interpretation affixed to it, manifeftly repugnant to other portions of holy Writ, and fome of them directly concerning S. Paul; for was he formally admitted to the exercife of his Apoftolical Office, not of, or by man, becaufe humane ordination was incompatible with that facred Function; then why doth S. Luke record Mathias his election and ordination by men, A.1.23. ad fin. capitis? And why are not the feveral forementioned impofitions of hands upon S. Paul expunged out of the holy Cauon? and why doth S. Paul in the fame Epiftle to the Galatians, fo unwarily and vainly fet down his receiving of the right hand of fellowship from S. James, Cephas and John, and their acknowledging him to be the Apoftle of the Gentiles, Gal.2.9.

Se

Secondly,

h's emiffion

by Lucius,&c.

Secondly, A. 13. 4. expounds the objected Text,and gives it this fenfe; S. Paul was made an Apoftle not by man fingly, or of mans invention, but by man pursuant to a previous direction of the holy Ghoft, according to the Rules of Golpel Order, is faid to be hence in the forementioned Act. 13. 4. it is written, And they be- an emiffion ing fent forth by the holy Ghft, departed nto Selucia,& fayled thence by the holy into Cyprus. But how did the holy Ghoft fend them forth? Ghoft. In the preceding verfe, or ver. 3. And when they had fafted, and prayed, and laid their hands upon them, they fent them away. The they fpoken of in this verfe, I fuppo e none will deny to be Lucius and his Collegues. Befides, whoever fhall obferve St. Pauls writings, they will find him ufually in thofe things, or actions, wherein God directed (though they were done by men) to fix the whole upon God: Whereby he doth not utterly exclude men from having any hand in those things, or actions that were injurious to truth, but only he gives the preeminence unto God,that beft befitting his majefty, and prime motion in al actions. Thus be faith he went up to Jerufalem by Revelation; Gal. 2. 2. This journey all Expofitors whom I have seen (except Beza) interpret of his fecond, or third going up to Je- In loc. rufalem after his Converfion; Take we it of either, as well humane appointment, as divine Revelation defigned him unto that fervice. Calvin expounds it of the former journey, mentioned Act. 11. 29. 30 Thenth Difciples every man according to his ability determined(pigav limited, defigned) to fend reliefunto the brethren, which dwelt in Judea, which they alfo did, and fent it by the hands of Barnabas, and Saul; The common opinion interprets it of the latter recorded. A&t. 15. 2. When therefore Paul, and Barnabas had no fmall diffention with them, they determined(traža ordered, conftituted) that Paul, and Barnabas, and certain other of them should go up to the Apostles, and Elders about that question. Thus alfo he (St. Paul) exhorts the Ephefine elders to take heed to themfelves, and to the whole flock over which the holy Ghost had made them overfeers. Act. 20. 28. when without all doubt, he the Apoftle had ordained thofe Elders. A&t. 19. 6. Thus Archippus is enjoyned to fulfil his Miniftry in the Church of Coloffe, which he had received in the Lord, Col. 4. 17, And Thirdly,the yet I never read any antient, or modern writer, who fuf- phrafe may be equally verifipected him to be an extraordinary Officer, or to be made a Mi-ed, and in the nifter any other way then by minifterial ordination. And this fame sense of leads on a third anfwer to the objection.

Thirdly, Paftors, and Teachers, yea every fingle and ordi

Paftors and Teachers, as of Apostles.

nary

Sunt qui

nary Presbyter may use the phrafe, not of men, nor by the will of man, &c. concerning their office, they being as well as Apoftles, made by the holy Ghoft, fince the fame Christ who gave, and confirmed the Apoftolate gave alfo, and confirmed the Paftorate. Ephef. 4. 9, 10, 11. Two things are confiderable in every Church-officer. Firft the inftitution of his Office. Secondly his admiflion to it. In the first notion, every Churchofficer, is an Officer not of man, nor by the will of man, but by Jefus Chrift, and God the Father who raised him up from the dead. In the latter men have a hand, but they do not act fingly, for Officers are ordained by Officers, in virtue of a divine appointment, and promife of the contiuance of a fucceffive Miniftry. This I hope will be a fufficient anfwer to the objection, and alfo for our proof of one Officer defignned by Revelation for an Office, but not Ecclefiaftically invested therein, neither exercising the trufts thereof, till ordained, and admitted thereunto by former Officers. Confequently the Revelation was fo farr from conftituting a new Office, as that it did not place a new Officer in an old Office, but pointed him out into the Church to receive it from her. Obfervable for this purpofe is what Chemnitius faith concerning Lucius,Simeon, and Manaen, their impofition of hands upon St. Paul, viz. Chriftiani fa- All Chriftians are Priests, 1 Pet. 2. Apoc. 1. But yet every Chriftian Pet. 2. Apoc. ought not to take, and arrogate to himself the publick Ministry of the 1. non tamen Word and Sacraments: for all are not Apoftles. All are not quivis Chri- Teachers 1 Cor. 12. But those who are divinely feparated by a pecuftianus publi- liar and lawful vocation unto this Ministry. Act. 13. He adds, For cum verbi, & the holy Ghost would have Paul although immediatly called, to be rum minifteri-pronounced, and declared by a publick and ecclefiafiical teftimony, um fibi fumere to be the Apofile of the Gentiles. By this publick teftimony he un& arrogare derftands impofition of bands, for the ufage whereof he affigns debet, non e- two reafons, Firft, that fuck perfons should thereby be pubfunt Apoftoli, lickly designed and propofed to the Church, as lawfully elected and non omnes do- called. Secondly that being fo called they might be affured of their Etores. Cor. lawful and divine calling, and witbal admonished that they were 12. fed qui peculiari, & thereby deftinated, addicted, and devoted to the Ministry, and ferlegitima vocatione a deo ad hoc minifterium fegregati funt. Chem. exam. con. Trid. 2 part de Sacr. ord. Can. 1. Nam & Paulum immediate vocatum. Ppublica ecclefia teftificatione renunciari, & defignari voluit quod effer gentium Apoftolus, &c. 1. Ut perfona illa ecclefia publica defignaretur, & renunciaretur legitime effe electa, do vocata. 2. Ut hoc ritu ille qui vocatus erat, de legitima, divina fua vocatione, confirmaretur, & fimul admoneretur, fe deftinari, addici, & devoveri ad minifterium,& cultum deil Fit, itd. Yam

dem omnes

cerdotes, 1

facramento

nim omnes

can:3.4 vice

vice of God. Finally learned Calovius faith, Paftors, and Teachers are given by Chrift from heaven, for the work of the Miniftry Ephef. 4. 11. wherefore also they who receive their call from dicuntur doA Chrifto the Church, are divinely given by Chrift, and mediately fent by her nari cœlitus, because Chrift is alwaies prefent with, and governs his Church. Paftores & Mat. 28. 20. But leaving the first proceed we to the doctores Eph. propter etiam illi qui ab eccefia vocantur, a Chrifto cœlitus donantur, & mediate per eccle4. II. Qua fiam mittuntur, quum Chriftus ecclefia fue præfto fit eamg, cybernet, Mat. 28. 20. Calov. Socin. profligat. loc. de Ecclef. contro eünister antoi

cer. But he

him.

Second inftance, of a perfon divinely defigned, but eccle- Second infiaftically admitted to Office in the Church, which is Timothy, ftance is Tiwhose eminency in the work of the Lord is revealed by prophe- abilities were mothy, whofe fie, ere he was made a Minister; 1 Tim. 1. 16. This charge I prophefied of, commit unto thee fon Timothy, according to the prophefie which ere he was went before on thee, that thou by them mighteft war a good warfare; made an offibut notwithstanding thofe foregoing Prophefies, he is after did not reward ordained, which ordination, not thofe Prophefies, gave ceive the gift him his Office-power; 2 Tim. 1. 6. Therefore put thee in re- or office till membrance, that you ftir up the gift of God that is in thee, by the S. Paul laid laying on of my hands. Do any object, 1 Tim. 4. 14. Neglect not hands upon the gift which is in thee,that was given thee by the Prophecy, with the laying on of the bands of the Presbytery. I anfwer: Although Prophefie, and laying on of hands be both of them named, yet the Text muft admit of the former Interpretation, Prophefie relating to the defignation of his perfon, laying on of hands to his actual admiffion unto Office; for if Prophefie had conferred the Office, laying on of hands had been fuperfluous. Expofitors fenfe Prophefie in this Text two waies. First fome refer it to the future time, fucceeding Timothies ordination. Sia popusias by prophefie, being put by an Heterofs (frequent in Scripture) for spontan unto prophefie: The holy Ghost thereby designing not what gave him his Office, but what he did after he received it. Thus Beza. Secondly, others refer it to the time paft,or preceding his ordination, expounding it by, 1 Tim.1.16.So St.Chrifoftom,Calvin, Aretius, Pifcator, Doctor Hammond,and A Lapide: Take we it in the firft fenfe, Prophefie is no kin to Revelation, nor doth it concern the point in hand; Accept we it in the latter (which I do with both hands) it gives moft clear evidence to Primitive Church-power and practice, namely to give the Office, though God himself defign the

fon, and extraordinarily fignify it unto the Church. per

Aretius therefore

In loc.

In loc.

rat munus, ut

Corollary.

Revelation

po rary.

Con ferunt therefore concerning Lucius, Simeon, &c. their Impofition of quod jam de- hands upon St. Paul, faith well, They confer the Office; which us ordinave- God had before ordained, to wit, that they should be ecclefiafiical fint dolores teachers among the Gentiles: This he faith,the fame fay we both of ecclefia inter that,and this of Timothy, neither hereby is Gods will fubjected gentes. Aret. to the Churches pleasureditves, but intimations of his will are ad A. 13.3. reconciled, and joyned hand in hand; Finally to conclude our Animadverfion upon Zanchyes firft Argument for the temporamakes all offi- rynefs of fome primitive Church-officers. We are bold not cers perpetu- only to conclude in a direct oppofition thereunto, that Revelaal, none tem- tion made no Officer temporary, but to affine that all Officers are therefore standing, and continuing in the Church, becaufe their Office is founded upon a divine Revelation; for if their order did not commence in a divine Revelation, it could not be the ordinance of God, fince there is no way to manifest Gods ordinances unto men,but by his own revelation. And fince, when once an ordinance is revealed,in virtue of that Revelation (if ever it be one)it becomes a divine,pofitive, and ftanding inftitution, not requiring a fucceffive Revelation, but ordination to perpetuate it unto the end of the difpenfation whereof it is an Ordinance; becaufe (to keep to the point before us) the primary Revelation fhines into all following ordinations, and declares each Minifter, from first to laft, to be a Minifter according to the revealed will of God. And let it be noted, that our clearer apprehenfions, applications of, and submissions unto foregoing Revelations, are equally called Revelations in Scripture, as Gods firft difcovery of new things. Ephef. 1. 17. That the God of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome, and Revelation in the knowledge of him. Do we doubt what is meant by Revelation in this verfe, the next verse will refolve us that thereby the Apostle means only the grace of illumination, and confirmation, in the truth, ver. 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightned, that you may know what is the hope of your calling, and what riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints. Whence cannot be imagined that God in every infufion of grace into the heart of a Chriftian, makes fome new, and before unheard of discovery of his will, but only by the fame fpirit, applies the fame word to their hearts, as unto others before; and at the fame time in the fame condition. But 'tis time to call our pen off, from a purfuit of this Thean, and having recollected our felves, let us paufe a while, and conclude our answer to Zanchyes first

Argument