In loc. Hoc autem precatione.br ftles, as well as Mathias, St. Paul, Sylas, Timothy, &c. afcended from one ecclefiaftical order to another; but let the Reader judge of this, and confider, 2. Their defignation in these words he named them Apofles. This text is parallel, and contemporary with Mark 314. Sebaftian Barradius, a Lightfoot a Fanfenius and Calvin joyntly agree. Upon which Text of St. Marks, Calvin faith nonnulli, or fome (he might have faid quamplurimi, or very many) understand the recording of our Saviovrs ordination of his Apoftles. All whofe opinions, and expofitions he turns off peremptorily with an Hallucinati funt, or, they made a wrong conjecture, and were deceived; which notwithstanding, in the words immediatly following he allows, that Chrift in his prayexemplum no- er, antecedent to their vocation, gives a standing rule oblerbis perperua vable by the Church, in her subsequent ordination of Ministers; regula inftar his words are: But this example ought with us to have the force of effe debet, ut a a perpetual rule, that we begin with prayer fo.often as the Paftors of the Church are to be elected, otherwise what we attempt, will be imeligendi profprous, for in truth the Lord did not pray fo much upon his own ac funt ecclefia count,as to preferibe a law unto us. Whence is as evident as light at paftores. Ali- high noon, that he makes this paffage a pattern to the Church in oqui in aufpi- her ordinations, which can never handfomely be drawn, unless quicquid ten- the original treat of the fame matter. I readily acknowledge, tabimus. Net that our Saviour in feveral other (and perhaps pofteriour) Jane dominus paffages of his Gofpel, gives feveral commands to his Apoftles, tam fua caufa and from thence, and the undoubted conformity of the Apostles precatus eft, quam ut le unto them, feveral official acts are colligible. But if the Apogem nobis pre- ftles were not Church-officers, till he gave thofe fubfequent fcriberet. commands, thofe obfervations of St Luke, and St. Mark will Calv. ad mar, contain nothing but what was needlefs to be mentioned'; and 3.17. in the other Scriptures, our Saviour must be understood to diamur quoti es catum erit command his Apoftles upon office work,ere they were in orders; whereas that the Apostles were appointed to that high calling by the ordination, mentioned by St. Luke, and St. Mark, St. Chryfoftom and Theophylact reft affured. And St. Luke, and St. Mark fay enough to refolve any one, who is not refolved to give no credit to their teftimony, that he not only defigned them to that Office, but actually admitted them unto it; that he defigned them to it; over and beside what hath been inftanced of St. Lukes, St. Mark faith, Mar. 3. 13. He called unto him whom he would; which phrafe cannot import any thing elfe, then the felection of fome in the rejection of others 0 others; that he admitted them to Office! St. Luke faith he named them Apostles i. e. gave them a title, and office diftinct, and diftinctive from others. St. Mark faith he conferred upon them both a faculty to do acts of office, and to receive ex traordinary gifts, Mar. 3. 14. 15. And be ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might find them forth to preacb, and to have power to heal fickneffes, and to caft but devils: The fors mality of this ordination no doubt occafioned St. Peter to fay of himself, and the rest of the twelve Apostles, that they were más vives or witnesses chofen before of God,Act. 10. 41. a decompounded word formed as it were of purposeto filence the popular notion of laical fuffrages, as effential to the ordi nation of Church-officers, whofe chief bafis is its compound e when used in the writings of heathen Authors, whe lie ved in popular, or democratical ftates, for our Saviour acted fingle in the ordination of his Apoftles, without the peoples fuffraging by holding up of hands, or balleting with pebbles, if he had not the foundation of Church-government beareth not upon the unction of a divine Legiflator; but upon the plea fure of Jewith, or Heathenith people; who as they might have refufed the firft ecclefiaftical Government, fo alfo might they have altered it after their acceptance, by their own new choice and fanction, or their fucceffors may now do it; and intros duce another,and different form of Church Government, when and fo often as they please. This shall terminate our fecond Affertion. men telliq beds 2s579dw ProfinkM vodio le cost Third Affert. Chrift confirmed the Apoftolick office, at, and Third Af after his afcenfion, asa ftanding office to be continued with his fert. Chrift Church. This if we examin modern writers, is a bold and un confirmed th ufual Affertion, but most approved and ordinary, if we fiib Apoftolate a mit either to the teftimonies of Scripture, or of Antiquity aftanding of The latter hath been briefly evidenced already, and its larger afcenfion. certificate is referred to be produced in another tract, to which (withing our Reader to confider what hath been faid, and pas two inftances. tiently to expect what may be added) we refer it. The former, or the reftimony of Scripture unto this truth, we fhall demonstrate by two inftances. A me I tot m fice, after his Proved by Firft Chrfts Firft, Our Savicurs promife made, and given after his Re promife and furrection, is to be with the Apoftles unto the worlds end in St. Pauls exthe discharge of those works, without which the Church can pofition of it. neither be (as Baptifme, which is the initial feal of the Gospel Covenant) or continue (as teaching, which equally regards the confervation P t C ex1 confervation, as the contitution of a Church. This is evi dent by she famous, land oft inftanced Text, Mat 28 19 RA Lknow the phrase of going to all Nations, to teach them is there used, but that will not evince the temporariness of the Apoftolick Office, becaufe this work is performable unto this day, and will continue fohenceforward every day unto the end of the World Take we the nations fpoken of in the Text, either for Chriftfang 20 Infidel. All the former need it for their com firmation in the Faith. All the latter want it for their con verfion to it. This Scripture is plain, and full enough to prove this first inftances but leaft any fhould expect that a Gof af peltrath, as well as a law matter, ought to be confirmed in the mouth of two witneffes. St. Paul to But the bufiiess out off dispute, faith Cbrift both defcended, and afcended,, gave the Apriftles to the Church, For the perfecting of the Saints, work of the Minifiry, and edifying of the body of Chrifi: Till we all come Os. Ephef. 4, 11, 12, 13. And moreover. God bath set (in the Church) fire Apaftles, fecondarily Prophets where the woldarendned set, nou both ordination, Tim, 27, whereanta I by ordained a preacher sar i xique and fixation. Act 2028, in Take hied therefore unto your felver, and to the whole flock on which the holy Ghost my bath made you guerfeers And here (with the Readers patience) I cannot but enter a diffent gainft that opinion which maketh the Apoftles fight of Christ in the flesh, to be an undeniable character differencing them from all other Minifters, whereas the Apoffles commiffion, at be giving whereof they not only faw, but received their authority, and office from Chrift includes Succeffors. Andwhereas fuch vifion of the incarnate Meffiah was no office-work; loto A idbeing no where inferted in, or required by the commiflion actifs of the Apatties, or of any other Minifters. Much leis was it a less nooi operofficework peculiar to the twelve Apostles, fince mul Savonl Ainades of other perfons, both men and women, fick and found, Moonului ows friends and foes, Jers, Samaritanes, and Heathens, Magirates Heathensano and Subjects, Minifters and private Chriftians, were made partakers of that benent, Neither have thole Interrogatorie 1 Cor. 9. 1. Am not I an Apoftle? Am not I free? I Mid our Seen Felus Christ, qus Lordi. Are not you my work inthe Lord? ta bihord Any reference, what ever others may think) to the marks dif Hammondi tinguishing the Apples from other Minifters. The fecond Efithius, A Lapide in lo- Ghich the sugar, and Syriack Interpreter read first ovlam not 1 free |? If, as 18 is thought by fome Interpreters *it I 122 cum. P d have for relateth ΤΟ ΠΑΓΙΟΣ Pifcator, in relatech to St. Pauls liberty to receive a maintenance from the Churches of his own plantation, as the other Apostles did from theirs,although he did not take it from the Corinthian Church. It cannot be a characteristical mark of an Apoftlein a proper fenfe; for then St Paul by that phrafe acknowledgeth a diver fity in office betwixt him, and the other Apostles. If as oCONTEST Aretius,Beza thers thinks it relates to a freedom from Jewish ceremonies the which the Corinthians abufed to the grievance of weaker. litter brethren, not becoming according to his example all things to all men, that they might win, fome. Neither in that fenfe can it be a proper mark of an Apostles fince it was occafionally practicable by all private Chriftians, and is accordingly recom mended to the Churches both at Rome, and Corinth. Concer ning the third phrafe, or have I not feen Chrift, &c. we hall add no more then what hath been faid already: The fourth or laft phrafe, or Are not se my work in the Lord? is of all the reft the most unlikely to give a special mark of an Apoftle. Since the converfion of the Samaritanes (a like, work with that fpoken" of in this text) was The work of the Lord wrought by Philip the Evangelift? but he was no Apoftle; and fince there hath much (not to fay more then in the Apoftles lives) of that work been dene fince their deaths, The truth therefore is, that St. Paul doth not intend in this place to give the proper marks of the Apoftolate, but occurs to fome vulgar infinuations, tirged a gainst his Apoftleship. And endeavours to prove, that even in thofe things which they magnified in the other Apoftles, he was no whit their inferiour But to proceed fecondly, the Apoftles de Secondly lived their office unto others. This is provable by many Seri the Apoftles ptures, but we shall limit our fearch at this time, unto the office unto Angle indance of Mathias, recorded, A&t. 1. there we read, how others. hortly after Chrifts afcenfion, and before the miraculous effufion of extraordinary gifts, the Apostles met with the hundred 、 and twenty, and St. Peter ftanding up in the midd It,opens the labour reafons and grounds of that affembly; namely to put one into the Office of Apoftate Judas This he argeth upon them with fome vehemency, and among other expreffions faith, Act 9(1• 21 fi 1 it must be done, or it was by no means to be neglect- ANATO 211 ed: The moft probablereafon of which carneltnefs, feems to be the the nature of Judas his Office, which was liot perfonal Car bin him, but a lot, or part of the Churches patrimony, or inget ka -heritage; Lot, or inheritance being the proper fignification of that word, and accordingly 'tis conftantly ufed by the feventy 34 nce, derived their them an fo Clo farr as my obfervation ferves me) of the fetting forth, and allignation of the Land of Canaan, unto the Ifralites to be lotted forth, or parted by inheritance among them, according to their tribes. Thus 'tis ufed, Numb. 16. 55, 56. Numb. 33. 54. Numb.34. 13. Numb. 36 1, 2. Jofh. 13. 6. Josh. 14.12. But return we to St. Peter, and the hundred and twenty; he having told them that the vacancy made by Judas in the Apoftolick Office must be supplied, they fall upon it, two are chofen, whose merits being equal the Apoftles fubmit their title unto a lot, which falls upon Mathias. Out of which Hiftory I collect two obfervables. First, that the Apoftolical Office was derivable, and not perfonally fimited and fixed to the first twelve, for then Judas, which compleated the number could have no fucceffor; but Mathias ficceeded him into his whole Office; compare Act. 1. 17. where we read what Judas left behinde him; for he was numbered with us, and obtained part of this ministry. čπ »áTMgið úńmr in our iμir, by inage my pay dranorias Taas. With v. 25. 26. where we read what Matthias entered upon, vit. That he may take part of this Ministry and Apostleship, from which Judas by his tranfgreffion fell, and he was numbered aming the eleven Apostles. ARBELY TOY Rd. No & διακονίας ταύτης, ἐξ ἧς παρέβη τίδες, και συγκαταψηφίση μετα τῶν ἢ δικα Αποςόλων. I need put no favourable glofs upon this Text, an ordinary belief of the Divine Authority of Scripture, and a fniall (park of Reafon will foon convince any man of reafonable piety, or parts, how far this firft Obfervation is confirmed or infirmed by it. However, to leave no fcruple in any breft, Sit ordinatio which I am able to forefee or remove, let me adde the enfuing jufa legiti-expofition of S. Cyprian upon thefe Scriptures: He faith, That ma, que omni ordination is just and lawful which shall be examined by the judgeumfuffragio & ment and suffrage of all, (in this he hath reference to the Jewish judicio fuerit Ecclefiaftical Policy, ere the Incarnation) and after it he adds, quod poftea - Which afterwards according to the Divine Precept, is obferved in the cundum divi- Acts of the Apostles, when Peter Speaketh of ordaining a Bishop instead na magifteria of Judas, Whence note, examinata obfervatur in 303 Actibus. Apo- First, That Bishop and Apoftle, were terms convertible in S. Aolorum quan- Cyprian's time, and did fignifie one and the fome Officer of the do de ordinan- Apoftolical Order: for of that Order Matthis was, when he do in locum Jus was ordained Bifhop in the flead of Juda, for shr flomshT de Epifcopo Secondly, That in S. Cyprian's Judgement the Apoftolate was Bertus loqui 1ar: Cypr. lib. a derivable Office, and fixed in the Church, otherwife he would 1. Epift.4, E-never have faid Matthias was ordained Bifhop in the ftead of Jadas, much less would he have drawn that ordination into a pre pifti |