but whither there be prophefies they fall fail,whither there be tongues -they shall ceafe. But the fame Ordinances, fpiritual graces, and neceffary gifts ftill continue,and whofoever receive them, whether in Confir mation or Ordination, receive the fame Spirit in the fame O.dinance in as effectual, thongh after a divers manner: And are as trulyMinifters and Christians, as if they were ordained, or confirmed by the twelve Apoftles, or by any one of them; otherwife we fhall not only have extraordinary Minifters, but extraordinary Ordinances and Chriftians. And the prefent Church will be altogether divers from the primitive. Obfervable it is. How the Apoftles received the holy Ghoft Joh. 20. 22. i.e. were Saints and minifters, ere they received the extraordinary gift of fiery tongues, A&t. 2. 3, 4. Whence no doubt the Church in all ages took her warrant to use the form of words there ufed by our Saviour, or Receive ye the buly Gheft, in the Ordination of her Minifters, thereby at once intimating her right unto that inftitution, and fteady belief of the fame fpirits accompanying it in her administration. Calvins note Deinde cum upon the Text is obfervable, he faith, Furthermore fince the one, unicus ecclefi and only Paftor of the Church yet continues, he must exp the vir- & paftor matue, and efficacy of the spirits his employed Minifters. Pifcator neat, necesse faith, We may not doubt but he performeth the fame thing towards eft ut in miniprefent Ministers and their hearers. Chemnitius faith, God addeth ris quorum the words, receive ye the holy Ghost, as his promife to give grace and fpiritus fui gifts to all lawfully called Minifters, whereby they may rightly, virtutem profaithfully, and profitably perform their Ministry: He adds. Thefe ferat. Calv. ad Job.20.22. things are neceffarily to be confidered in ecclefiaftical vocations, that the Church, and Ministry may certainly determine, that God is prefent and efficacious in their Ministry, according as he faith, Receive Apoftolos ad ye the holy Ghoft. Cum Chriftus pradicandum evangelium mittens, afflatu teftatus eft,&c. ne dubitemus eum iftud adbuc bodie præftare. Pifcat. ad, Job. 20. 22. Addita eft promiffio Deum daturum gratiam, & dona quibus eaqua ad minifterium pertinent, rede fideliter, dr utiliter, exequi poffint, qui legitime vocati funt. Joh. 20.accipite fpiritum fan&tum. Chemnit.exam. Concil. Trident par. 2. exam. 3. 4, & 5. Canon de facramento ordinis. Hac neceffario confideranda funt in vocatione ecclefiaftica, ut certo ftatuere poffint, & miniftri, & ipfa ecclefia, Deum huic minifterio adeffe, & per illum efficacem effe. Sicut inquit Feb. 20. accipite fpiritum fan&tum. Exam 6.7, 8. Can. de facr. ordinis. I will shut up this point with the Judgment of moft accom- Ecclef. Pol. plifted Hocker; he faith, Knowing therefore that when we take libs Sea. 77. ordination, Church of ordination, we alfo receive the prefence of the boly Ghost, partly to guide, direct, and ftrengthen us in all our waies, and partly to affume unto its felf for the more authority, thofe actions which appertain to our place and calling. Can our ears admit fuch a speech (as receive ye the boly Ghost)uttered in the reverend performance of that solemnity? or can we at any time renew the memory, or enter into * Ironically a ferious confideration thereof, without much admiration and joy? fpoken to the Remove what these foolish words do imply, and what bath the Presbyterian impugners of Miniftry of God befides wherein to glory? Whereas now for as much the way of the as the holy Ghost, which our Saviour in bis first Ordination gave, doth no lefs concur with spiritual vocations in all ages, then the fpirit which God derived from Mofes to them that affifted him in his government, did defcend from them to their fucceffors, in like authority dently affirm and place: We have for the least, and meanest duties performed by that the ufage virtue of ministerial power, that to grace,dignifie, and authorize them which no other Officers on earth can challenge. Whether we preach, words, or receive ye the pray,baptize, communicate, condemn, give abfolution, or whatever as holy Ghof is a difpenfers of Gods mysteries we do; our words, judgments, acts and papiftical rite deeds are not ours, but the holy Ghofts. Suffice this for this difoolishly and greffion about the Apoftles fuppofed extraordinary ability in injudicioufly retained with giving of the holy Ghoft, and for the explication of the second part of Philips work. England in ordination; who impu of these her. 3. work. In loc. Obj. 3. He fettles at Cafarea, where as yet no Apostle had been, and whence we are not warranted by Scripture to remove him: That he entered Cefarea before any of the Apoftles, the order of St. Lukes hiftory perfwades; he came thither, A&. 8. 40. St. Peter who was the firft Apoftle that came thither, came not till A&t. 10. Lightfoot in his Harmony, placeth feen years diftance betwixt thefe Journeys, referring all paffages in A&t. 8. to Aft: 34. All in Act. 10, to A 40 Two Objections removed, will perhaps let in more light to this point. Obj. 1. Philip preached till he came to Cafarea, Is not that till exclufive of his preaching at that place? Ref. Unless Philips gift left him, and his commiffion expired upon his entrance of that City, 'tis most probable he did there what he had before done elsewhere. Befides the particle es rendred till, which is the main finew of that Objection,is as well inclufive in other Scriptures of what time follows, as of what precedes, fo Mat. 1. 25. Heb. 1. 13. Neither can any folid reafon be given, why it should not be fo fenfed here, contrariwise fo to interpret it makes moft for Gods glory, and Philips faithful difcharge of his Office. Obj. ad 1 Tim. 1.3. exhorted to abide at Epbefus at St. Pauls fecond going into Macedonia, mentioned Acts 20. 1. now that this proves bur in Calv. Proem. ftance, appears thus; St. Paul before his own journey fent Ti-in 1 Tim. mothy, and Eraftus into Macedonia immediatly upon, orra Toy Bez. Annor. ves at the time of the Epbifine tumult and infurrection, A&t.19.22. Aret. difpofit. When which was quieted, the Apoftle forthwith prepares to prioris epift. follow them: He purfues his refolutions, and having ftaid there ad Tim. a little while (three moneths, and a few odd dayes are only Baron. ad Ann. Chrifti. mentioned in Scripture, read Act. 20.) he returns from thence 57.numb. 53. unto Miletum, convenes the Ephefine Elder, and exhorteth them to vigilancy, and faithfulness in their several places: This exhortation he backs with many arguments, among others, with Oro his own example, and three years converfe among s converfe among them. Now fuppofing (according to the former Chronologers) that Timothy was returned out of Macedonia, and fettled at Ephefis upon the first day of St. Pauls removal from thence. It is certain St. Paul had been there above two years before, and one of the first acts he did after his coming thither was Ordination of thofe Prophets, A&t. 19.6 Hence Beza faith, Timaase thy was exhorted to abide in a conftinted Church, because St. Paul had been there two years before. Dr. Lightfoot computes Act. 19. 6. to A. C. 52. the Miffion of the first Epiftle to Timothy, to A. Sed ut in ec C55. This if we prove thofe twelve Prophets to be Church-clefia conftitu officers, will makent a more difficult work to prove Timothies tanam Epheft evangilizate, then it hath been accounted by thofe (warms of docuerat writers, who without any more a do afcribe it to him; where- Paulus Bez. fore our present bufinels is to prove that thefe Prophets were ad 1 Tim.1.3 Churck-officers, and this prepares matter for the, per biennium Harm in.loc. were Church of Second Inftance. Those twelve Prophets mentioned Act. 19.6. Secondly, the were Church-officers immediatlyfrom, and after St. Pauls, im-twelve mentio pofition of hands upon them. This is an affertion (confeffed) ned Act. 19.6. oppofed by the authority of many & worthy Expofitors, who lay it was ufed in Confirmation of their Faith, not in Ordination unto Office. But that it was used in Ordination (I will not fay fingle, and exclufive of Confirmation) is proved by feveral reafons. contains a 1. No Scripture treats more formally of a Church-officer, 1. The Text or comes nearer to his Definition; read the words, Act 19. 6. moft formal And when Paul had laid his bands upon them, the holy Ghost came ordination. upon them and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. Whence note. First, their ordination. Paul laid hands upon them. Secondly, their inward qualification and gift; the holy Ghoft came Dd 13 upon a Judais qui . thers cited by A Lapide the Jefuite, fay, Cornelius and his friends were in the state of grace ere St. Peters coming: And this A Lapide faith is a most true affirmation; he proves it alfo by Quare Corne many reafons, and concludes with his own Judgment, after lius ante ad- this manner. Wherefore Cornelius ere St. Peters coming had learuentum Perri, ned, and drawn from the Jews aming whom be lived, an explicite bufcum Cala- faith in one God, and an implicite faith in Christ the Mediator res verfaba- and worshipped the true God as Job did before him among the Hea tur, didicit, thens, &c. Beza upon Cornelius his getting his friends togebaufitq; fidem ther when he received St. Peter, hath this note. 'Tis certain explicitam u- Cornelius did not rafhly, or promiscuously gather his friends together, implicitam but only Juch of them, who though uncircumcifed, he knew to be faChrifti medi- vourers of the true Religion; for divine providence caught to atoris coluitq; fpring out of darkness,bad already prepared many Gentiles who lived verum Deum, among the difperfed Jews, to renounce Idolatry, embrace the true Religion, and be ready to hear the Gospel. nius Dei, & ut Fob. &c. A Lap. ad A&t. 10.2. Cornelium certum eft, nullos advocaffe temere, fed folum eos quos ex fuis babebat,vera religioni affentientes quamvis incircumcifos. Cum jam tum divina providentia ex tenebris lucem erens effeciffet,ut permixti cum difperfis Fudmon pauci ex profanis gentibus per orbem terrarum Idololatria abdicata veram religionem amplexantes ad audiendum evangelium effent comparati. Bez. ad A&. 10. 24. Har. in loc. All these Authors grant, that Cornelius was fome way or other prepared to receive the Golpel, ere he fent for Peter; Indeed they do not name Philip to be employed in that fervice. But fince the Nation of the Jews were generally enemies to the Christ then manifefted, and fince the holy Ghost brings Philip too, and leaves him Evangelizing at Cæfarea, A&t. 8. 40. We do therefore (and we doubt not defervedly) afcribe it to his Miniftry. But we fhall not any longer infift upon it, what makes moft for our purpose is moft certain; namely, after Phi lip is. once fettled at Cafarea, we are not warranted by Scripture to remove him from thence. Contrariwife the laft mention it makes of him, is as there resident, A&t. 21. 8. This Lightfoot computes to fall in A. C. 56. which is two and twenty years after Philips firft coming thither: Were it granted that he was in his Chronology (to establish which, his conjecture is 'tis equally as ftrong, as any other mans to overthrow it) yet certain, that many acts which neceffarily muft take up much time,are inferted betwixt the eight and one and twentieth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Particularly, S. Pauls three years abode at Ephefus, and all the works he did after his 7 Converfion, elsewhere before he came to Cefarea and vifited Evangelift Timothy meets us often in feveral Scriptures,fome- Timothies times with (Act. 16. 3. A&t. 20. 4.) fometime without St. works. Paul, Act. 19. 22. but till we find him (by St. Pauls firft Epiftle to him) fettled at Ephefus, 'tis hard to faften any fpecial official works upon him, at least fuch as are not common with those before mentioned of Philip: Sure I am his works regiftred in that Epiftle, and the Definers imaginations of his removal from Ephesus when they think fit to continue him there no longer, are the foundations of their Definitions, and the pillars whereupon their whole caufe bears and fettles: Befides, if common works bring Timothy into one Definition with Philip, then the whole ftructure of his vice-Apoftolate, Ordination of Minifters, exercise of the Cenfures in and over many Churches, is forthwith overthrown and demolished, wherefore (or we fhall have no further bufinefs to do with Presbyterians) we must reckon Timothies works by those which were committed to him, or expected to be done by him, by the rules and directions given in that firft Epiftle, where we observe, 1. He was befought to abide at Ephesus, 1 Tim. 1.3. where St. Paul bad before been, and ordained Officers, or Prophets. A&. 19.6. I. work. 2. His principal works were Ordination of new Minifters by 2. work. Impofition of hands, 1 Tim. 5. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 2. And regulation and due ordering of old Minifters, by witneffing to the Apoftles doctrine against Hereticks, and Seducers, Tim. 1. 3. And by proceeding to Cenfures as against private Chriftians, fo againft Elders, who were erroneous in doctrine, 1 Tim. 1.6. or enormous in practice, 1 Tim. 5. 19. > 3. Most antient Tradition (not difprovable by any Scrip- 3. work. ture) there (or at Ephefus) continues him during his life, and buries him after his death, as fhall appear by and by. works. The two former of Philips & Timothies works are fo directly con- The diverfity trary, as both workmen cannot poffibly be of one order; Philip betwixt Phipreached toEthnicks,Timothy in a conftituted church; Philip could lips, and Tinot impofe hands,but Timothy is fpecially required,& impowred mothies to do that work: In their third and laft, or their fettlement, both Philip and Timothy agree. But this wounds all the former Definitions through the fifth rib, and lers out the heart blood of the cause, Philips fettlement hath been already evidenced Dd 2 |