minifterial Ordination, is the Scripture way of making and continuing the miniftry.

Object. It is further demanded, How we know that these gifts Object. did defign them for Office?

Sol. I answer, It was the Apoftles practice, both before, A&t. Sol. 8. 14, 15€ 16, 17. and afterwards, Act. 14. 23. where-ever they baptized Converts, to ordain and fet Officers over them, to feed and preferve them in the faith. Nor may we think S. Peter had lefs care of thofe Cefareans, then of other Believers, when God had fo wonderfully prepared them Officers, ere they were a, Church: But if he did ordain Officers among them, they were either,

1.The Receivers of these gifts, and if fo,As who more fit to do the works of Apostles, then those who had received gifts as Apostles then fuch largition of gifts antedating their private membership, proves (as was noted before) Gods recommending them at once unto that Church both for membership and office. Befides, we may further learn, That to beftow thofe Gifts was fo far from being limited to the miniftration of the twelve Apoftles, as io, was not annexed to the Apoftolical, or any other humane administration, though the Apostles were prefent at their effufion. But the fame God who gave them to the Apoftles, did alfo at his own will and pleasure, beftow them upon others. Sometimes after ordination, as upon the Apostles; Jometimes before it, as on Gornelius and his friends fometimes at it, as on S. Paul and Times cils A tby. ok

2. They were others. If which be true, and Cornelius and his friends, after the receipt of thofe gifts, continued private members, then their rejection was not onely injurious to Gods previous fignation, but the conftitution of this Church was divers from all other Churches Gifts being feparated as well as Office, from the Community, and privat brethren diftinguished from gifted brethren in the Catholick Church, of which this Church at Cæfarea must be a member, or she could be no Church at all: Thus S. Paul, 1 Cor 14.30 puts Rails betwixt the Speaker with tongues, and I, or the unlearned. Beza faith, Thefe Hos Idiots unlearned were private brethren distinct from Ministers; and Cal- vocat quafi vin upon the place calls them Plebei, or the common people. Be- privatos ut in fides, we read, 1 Cm 12.29. Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets ? Pponantur Are all Teachers? Are all Workers of miracles? Have all the gift bant. Beza in qui miniftraof Healing? Do all Speak with Tongues? Whence we may loc.

note,

1

Ee

1. The

19.6.

4.The Apostle as well diftinguisheth the gift of tongues from the community, as the Apostleship, Prophetship, or Doctorate, laying, All do not speak with Tongues, no more then all are Apostles, Prophets, or Teachers.

2. This text limits the univerfal term all in 1 Cor. 14. 31. Te may all prophecie, toall, and onely all Prophets; for all of all forts were not prophets; neither could they prophefie. Besides, as if the holy Ghoft confulted the infirmity of fome, and would confront the impudencie of others, who otherwife might loose themselves or others, in the wide term all, in the laft mentioned text, he encloseth it either way, with the exprefs mention of Prophets, in the precedent and fubfequent verfes, thus; verf.29, 30. Let the prophets speak, two or three, and let others judge for verf. 31. ye may all prophefie; and why may they all prophefie? be caufe verf. 32. The Spirits of the prophets are fubject to the prophets. Thus hath the Reader my fenfe of the defcent of the holy Ghost upon Cornelius and his friends, before their baptifm. And this fhall conclude our fecend Reafon why the twelve prophets or dained by S. Paul a Ephesus, Acts 19. 6. were Church-Officers.

Thirdly, We have the Authority of the most noted Presby3.Reaf.Because terian Commentators, countenancing our opinion, concerning Presbyterian Commentators the twelve prophets. Beza runs as faft as words can carry him to allow it. our fide; he faith, Of neceffity we must confefs, that this text treats Neceffe eft fa- of the Original of the Ephefine Church. And again: The Apostles teri hic agi de demanding whether they had received the gift of the holy Ghost, would EcclefiaEphe fine primordi- thereby learn of them, whether they had received thofe gifts whereBeza adA&. with God was then wont peculiarly to adorn Church-Officers. Moreover he adds, They were called by God to the facred Miniftry, to wit, Perinde percontari de do- by the gift of tongues and prophecie. And finally he faith, without nis quibus illos all doubt, they were constituted the Guides and Governours of that peculiariter Church. Calvin calls them felect men chofen out of a greater num folebat Deus ber. And this his opinion is very probable, becaufe S. Paul himfelf, and Apollos had before taught at Epbefus (which was the gubernaculin Ecclefiarum place of the ordination of the twelve Prophets with much eloadmovebantur quence, power, and conviction upon his Auditors, Act. 18 25. Id. ibid Our Affembly agree with thefe Authors, upon this occafion; They Illa's Divinitus made the Church of Ephesus one of the platforms for the Presbyterian ad facrum mis nifterium van Government: Bue the Independents feoffingly tell them, There cani,ueluti da- was not room nor number sufficient for their Confiftories, Claffes, Preno linguarum,

ornare, qui

!

prophetia Id. ibid. Proculdubio iftius Ecclefia duces, & gubernatores. Id.ibid.

.i

vincial

1

Annotat. ad

vincial and General Assemblies, because the whole Church confifted but of twelve perfons. The Affembly wand the blow, and defend the Čaufe under the Buckler of Besa's Opinion; whereupon they make this glofs. Which way that paffage verf. 6. of Paul's Answer to diffent. pag.103.impofing hands upon them, and their thereupon (peaking with mongues and prophecying, feems fomething to propend: now if it be so, it will be no found reafoning of our Brethren,that because they were about twelve, whom the Apostles ordained for Officers, that there should be.. no more Difciples. I confefs this glofs doth not carry an acknowledgement in the plaineft words, but confidering how, and to what end the Affembly urge Beza's Opinion, and what a breakneck to their Caufe it would have been to profecute it further, fince it abfolutely deftroys Timothy's Evangelizate at Epbefus, the prudent and impartial Reader will foon refolve, that the A fembly faw no caufe to diffallow it, and that to defend themselves fromaffaults of Independencie, they muft pull down their own houfe, with their own hands. This they warily decline in this place, but in their Annotations upon the Text, they fall roundly and luftily about it, there they fay, The twelve preached and A&.19.6. expounded, as able Minifters of Chrift. 1! 14. Learned Fourthly, This is not onely a Prefbyterian notion, for learn- men of the Eed men of the Epifcopal Judgement, do not alittle favour it. pifcopal judgDoctor Heylia arguing for Apoftolical Ordination, without the gain-fay it. concurrence of any others, makes this text a proof of it, and HeylinsHift.of faith, Which if it were an act of Ordination, as Beza thinks, and it Epifcopacie is likely fo to be, because the text faith, that they spake with tongues, part. I. cap.4. Se&. 3. and prophefied; then have we more Presbyters created by laying on of S. Paul's bands onely, without the help of others, Unto Doctor Presbyterian Heylin, I could adde feveral others, but his reafon to prove the reasons for Timothy's Evantwelve prophets to be Church-Officers, because they did Office- gelizate exaworks, or prophefied,is one of the most principal reasons which mined. can be alleadged in that matter, and for one man to fay the fame They are thing which Scripture doth, is of equal force as if a thousand faid it, because the fame reafon which weakens a Scripture truely Calvinism,&c. Calvinists, afferted by one man, would in like manner invalidate it, if it fometime ufed were maintained by the whole creation.

ment do not

* The terms

of diftin&tion

are intended Thus have we inftanced in what must be faid against Timothy's only for terms Evangelizate at Ephefus, more might be added, but we are wil and to avoid a ling to give Calvinifts a fair hearing of what they can alledge, more tedious in favour of their Opinion, and if we fhall discover a weakness way of Exand insufficiencie in their arguments, we doubt not but enough preffion, not will be faid to prove that Timothy was no Evangelift, in a Pres-difg: ice, or byterian contempt.

Ee 2

as marks of

Anfw. 1. The

byterian fenfe, or a temporary and wandring vice-Apostle, dining This abode at Ephesus confequently that the works he was enjoyned to do, and did at that place, were not the proper works of the formal Evangeliftande vardiola V

All that on Opponents fay, may be reduced to two heads. 1. He is called. He is called an Evangelisti dio) malgries, la an Evangelift. 18 2. His Office was temporary to pin just be? & adhies 2. His Office was temporary3 ad WhOf these two in order: And first of the fistes das tres ObjeЯ. 1. Ti-Object.1: Timothy was an Evangelift fordo he is called by S.Paul mothy is called 2 Tim. 4.5. it cod 10. is misure popul an Evangelist. Lanfwer, 1. The word Evangelift is there ufed, but makes name proves nothing to the refolution of the question truely stated, which nothing, un- is, or who is called, but who is formally and properly an Evanlefs it be with- gelift. Philip is called an Evangelift, (but as hath been proved) al proved in he did other works then Timatby did at Ephefus,works fo divers, is called an E- as both the workmen cannot be of one Order. The ufage therevangelift. fore of the name, will leave it a perpetual queftion, whether to LA Timothy or Philip were the formal Evangelift. Besides, admit

what sense he

A Timothy did elfewhere Evangelize; yea grant he did Evangelize Jed at Ephesus, for no doubt there was Epbefus Ethnick, as well as Ephesus-Chriftian, both in one City, long after the settlement of the Ephefine Church, and Tim thy might Evangelize, or bring the firft tidings of Chrift unto them. I fay, Grant all this, Hasilew what is it to the purpose, or advantage of our Opponents, for

unless Timothy, of daining Minifters, and exercifing the cenfures in the Church of Ephesus, was an Evangelift ; all the former Definitions are loft: But if doing thofe works he was an Evangelift, Philip was none; and whoever fhall now lay claim to a title either of ordaining Minifters, or exercifing the Cenfures, he and it may be rejected, because they were stemporary works of Join the 'ceafed Evangelift. To affume therefore out of this propo position, That whoever is called an Evangelift, was formally an Evangelift: But Timothy is called an Evangelift; Ergo he was formally an Evangelift: concludes no more, then the begging of the queftion. But to give it its final Anfwer, we fay,

2. The term is

ufed of Timomothy in a gene ral fenfe.

2. The term is used of Timothy in a general fenfe, relatively to common works, or to works perforniable bothbyshim, and by tlie Evangelift The holy Ghoft upon that accompt usually calling both fuperiour and inferiour Officers, by one and the fame Title We will fingle out a few, out of many instances. The Apostles had common works with Presbyters (as hath been preved) refpecting which they often call themselves Presbyters. Thus

2

r.

1 Per. 5.1.2 Epift. Jahn 1 and 3 Epift. John 1. but the moft prefumptious ignorance cannot thence determine, the removal of the formal difference betwixt the Apostles and Presbyters, which were not onely distinct in Chrifts Inftitution of the twelve Apoftles, and feventy Difciples, but continued fo after the afcenfion in the conftitution of the Church at Jerufalem, in Apostles and Elders. Presbyter therefore when spoken of Apofties, muft admit of another and larger fignification, then when spoken of ordinary Presbyters. S. Paul often calls his whole Church-fervice a Diaconate, A&t. 20. 24. Ephef. 37. Col. 1. 23. not because he onely ferved Tables,and there was no difference betwixt him, and a Deacon, but because his and the Deacons work had fome agreement; and he was as painfully engaged about the fouls of the poor Saints, as they were imployed about their bodies. The fame Apostle, Ephef. 4. draws the circumference of all the labours of Church-Officers unto this one fmall point or centre, šis špjov dvæžovías, or for the work of the Ministry, furely not becaufe Apostles, Prophets, Evangelifts, Pastors and Teachers, were formally Deacons,but because in their feveral Stations they were to minifter unto Chrifts Body the Church; and their miniftrations (as the Deacons) were toylfome laborious, full of care, and requiring crcumfpection. In the objected Text, Timothy is not onely called an Evangelift, but alfo enjoyned to fulfil his Diaconate, in dasdostane nos or make full proof of thy Ministry, or Diaconate, where unless the former latitude of words be allowed, but Evangelist and Ministry, must be taken formally, then either the Evangelift was a Deacon, or the Apostle degraded Timothy with the fame ftreak of his Pen, wherewith he confe erated him an Evangelift. This fingle Argument procures learned Gerhards fubfcription to a Certificate in his own and Luther's name, against Timothy's Evangelizate, he faith, (and Luther faid it before him) Whereas Timothy was already conftituted Cum jam tum Bishop of the Ephefine Church, and did not any more accompany with Timotheus S. Paul, and whereas the general name of Diaconate, or Miniftry, conftitutus fuis added, therefore the word Evangelift is more conveniently to be taken generally,

551

erat Ecclefie Ephefina Epif co pus nec ulterius fuerat

61 304 Paulum comitatus, cuig; danovías nomen generale addatur, convenientius etiam nomen Evangelifta accipitur generaliter. Gerhard. loc. com. loc. de minifter. Sect.227. Geneva.1636.

3. The Apoftle in the fame chapter, exprefly limits the work 3. This chapof Timothy's Evangelizate, not to go about with him, from place ter & the forons do not limit his Evangelizate to the fame works.

Ee 3

to

mer Definiti