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rent fuffrage of (a)Zanchius, (b) Aretius, (c) Marlorate, (d) a in 4 prac. Fulk, (e) Pifcator, (f) Bucanus, and (g) Whitaker. And doth it treat of Church-work? and mention what hands are to be imloc. f. loc. com. loc. de mini- ployed in that fervice? must not each officer abide in his apflerio g. 2 pointed ftation? how elfe can the work go forward? or if it Tom. controu do go forward, how can it agree with the holy Pattern? or pag. 530 fect. fhall we charge the Apostle with a flippery memory, forgetting fecundo reSpondes Gene- when he comes among men, though he had been in the Mount with God, the form, and fashion of that Tabernacle ya. 1610. which the Divine Majefty intends to pitch among them? what is, if this be not an injurious reflection upon the bleffed Spirit who moduled the plat-form? as charging him with neglect, and carelefnefs, in the choife of his imployed inftrument, to prepare and fort the materials, he laying third for fecond, and fecond for third. Briefly, will it not be fo far from carrying on the Apoftles defigned ends of peace and unity, as at once to distract the then prefent Church, whofe officers were otherwise marfhalled, and to perpetuate future difquiet and vexation unto all fucceeding enquirers, after the work, and office of the Prophets and Evangelifts: Besides, if those Prophets and Evangelifts, were not throughly mortified from their corrupt affections, and had a felf-denying Spirit, which they could, from time to time, entayle upon their Succeffors, what a prefent and dangerous occafion of emulation, and jeloufie, did this miflocation infinuate into their Spirits. Which to whatever their gifts or graces were, could not be eafily overcome and mastered, fince fome of the Apoftles ftrived for fuperiority, or who should be greateft; Mar. 9. 34. When they were all of one crder, and when they had no fuch plea for it, as God hath fet fome Apostles by fuch a name, others by another in the Church.

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First Obj. Scripture terms are not

alwaies exa&ly marthalled.

Aní, by a diftinction.

What hath been faid is lyable to many objections; we must answer them, ere we can proceed to the remaining exceptions. The Objections are four in number.

Obj. 1. Scripture terms are not alwaies exactly marshalled, what goes firft in the nature of things, comes behind in the or der of story, and contrariwise.

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Lanfwer, Scripture although it be undivided in its Author, is yet capable of diftinction, according to the feveral matters, or things whereof it treateth,in reference unto fome of which, the objections of force; unto others,it is cfno validity, for inftance:

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Firft, It hiftorically registers, civil or mixt actions, and tran- First where fiently obferves, or occafionally exhorts unto remote acts of the objection lyes. Faith in particular converts. In which cafes the holy Ghoft directed his Pen-men to use a running ftile,either because thofe matters are not treated of profeffedly, but relatively to fome other fubject; or their exact knowledge is not of abfolute neceffity to falvation: or they do not concern the Church in any effential part; or other Scriptures deducing them from their firft causes, obferve the proper order.

Secondly, It directs in things abfolutely neceffary to falvatiSecondly on, and for the regular, and peaceable Government of the where not. Church in her, proper, and abstracted nature. Of this latter kind, is the inftanced Text, Or it is not the great Charter of the Ministry, and doth not entirely defcribe Church Government, and

the Ministry, according to the forecited opinions of the London Mini- Particularfters, Calvin and Amefius. But being fo, (we argue from their ly not in Eph. conceffions in this Paragraph) the objection cannot be allowed 4. II. to take place against the exactness of its order. Because, First, First beIf the difpofition of the ranks of Church-officers, were left to cause it would uncertain, and fallible conjecture (and they must be fo unless difturb the Scripture afcertain them) it were impoffible for the feveral or- Churches ders of Minifters, to fatisfie their confciences in the orderly dif- peace. charge of their offices; or for private Chriftians to reap any certain, or durable comfort by their Miniftry, fince variety of doubts, or diftreffes might arise in their confciences, when they might not know to whom to apply themselves for redress. Befides Sathan, and feducers, could never want a gap, through which they would bring dreadful, and endless confufions into Chriftian focieties; for could loose profeffors once compass this point, that Scripture hurls together matters of Faith, and order fo confufedly, as what is firft, what fecond, could not be diftinctly, and determinately refolved; they would weather all oppofition against their turning Scepticks, or Seekers(a favourable term bestowed by this complemental age upon wan drers from the true Religion) and never fet down, under any Ministry, or close with any Religion, till they have found one exactly complying with their wild and irregular fancies. So that the wideft divifions among pretended Chriftians (though all profeffe and are called by Chrift unto unity) could be no matter of admiration, and amazement unto fober men, rather it were a wonder they are no more, nor more gaping, fince each crazed brain, is left to the conduct of F 2

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his own conjecture, in what order to beleeve and obey.

The rule therefore which conftitutes this objection, and is fo common in mens mouths upon fundry occafions, is not generall nor frequently, and without evident neceffity (fuch as contradictions to other Scriptures, reason, sense,hiftorical verity, &c.) to be at all ufed. But on the contrary, this muft obtain the repute of an undoubted axiome in Theology, that Should the recital of the aforesaid Ecclefiaftical matters, be preposterous in one Scripture, fome other text must be extant, whence the Church affifted by the holy Ghoft, may certainly and unerringly determine their due location, and reiglement. But there is no neceffity of recurrence to this rule in this cafe, fince no text puts the Evangelift in other order, then third from the Apostle, Secondly it and next to the Prophet. And fince, Secondly, St. Paul elfecontradi&s where profeffedly treating of the Effence, Unity, and Governanother Text. ment of the Church, adjoyns Prophets, not Evangelifts to the Apoftles. His words are. 1 Cor. 12. 28. And God bath fet in the Church firft Apofiles, fecundarily Prophets,&e. In this Text the holy Ghoft (as it were foreseeing the froward oppofition of unruly men, against Chrifts inftituted orders of Ministers) interpofeth his Authority, and infallibility, fo exprefly, as they would beleeve any difcreet man fpake orderly, who upon the leaft deliberation ufed the like form of expreffions, and that it were the rafheft act of most infolent immodesty to question it, for to what purpose ferve these numeral diftinctions, firft, fecondarily, thirdly, if not to give each officer his due rank and difference? what would the Holy Ghoft have us to remember where, and in what he forgets himself? Be it as far from any fober mind to think it, as it is from the holy Ghost to do it. Befides were the Presbyterian location of the Evangelift juftifiable by fome hitherto unalledged Text; yet to a diligent confiderer of the Apoftles earneftnefs, and particularity of expreffion in these two Texts (Eph. 4. 11. 1 Cor. 12. 28.) the one mark he levels at in both; to wit, Church unity and edification, (the ableft marshals to array her Officers) and whether any other Scriptural order, or recital of things in the fame or a like manner, as in these Texts, is adjudged by godly and learned expofitors, or can be proved by any other judicious perfons to be prepofterous and alterable, the difficulty will be infuperable, let his will be never fo forward, convincedly to perfwade his own Judgment, (much less other mens) that the Apoftles or

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der in fuch concealed Text is to be preferred to it in the two other. Furthermore, Thirdly, St. Paul in this Epiftle to the Thirdly it Corinthians, takes juft occafion to reprove the pride and haugh- makes the Atinefs of the Prophet, and gives rules for the avoidance of thofe poftle loofe crimes and prevention of like checks for the future, 1 Cor. 14. ranking of per tot. And in the aforementioned Text, 1 Cor. 12. 28. As thofe officers. it were of fet purpose to humble, and moderate the Prophets Spirit, he placeth his charifma, or the gift of Tongues in the lowest claffe of extraordinary donations, faying after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diverfities of tongues. In the arrogant abufe of this gift, fubferving it to private oftentation, not publick edification, the Prophet was moft grievously peccant, he fpeaking with tongues, that his parts might be magnified, not that the confciences of the people might be inftru&ted; wherefore as I faid the Apostle to humble him, placeth his admired gift, upon the loweft feat in the Church, as upon a Stool of repentance. Wherein did St. Paul act (not to fay fpiritually, and fpecially directed by the holy Ghoft, which notwithstanding was moft true) but rationally, and out of a prudent intention, to bring the Prophet to the knowledge of himself and duty, how weakly doth he defeat his defign of the expected fuccefs, if while humbling the gift, he exalt the receiver to an undue place, and preheminency. For was it a fin in the Prophet to be proud of a real gift And was this a fit way to correct him, by perching him upon a place affigned to another, and his fuperiour officer? would he abufe Gods gift, to pride and vain glory, and would not he make the fame mifimprovement of the Apostles mistake? But why do I fay miftake, who could know the Evangelifts proper place if St. Paul did not? Is it not he? who fent forth, or took with him more who are accounted Evangelifts by modern Divines, (and they have drawn the Catalogue far larger then any of the Antients) then all the rest of the Apoftles? And who only of all the Apostles, ufeth the word Evangelift in his writings: Neither doth any other Scripture writer ufe it except St. Luke, who in once gives Philip that title. A&t. 21. 8. but even then (and he never ufeth it in any other place) he brings St. Paul unto, and leaves him at Philips honfe; confequently he could not chufe but be very well acquainted with his office, and order in the Church. Moreover in this Epiftle to the Corinthians St. Paul calls himself, a wife mafter builder, 1 Cor. 3. 10. but wherein did his skill, or care anfwer that title, if in laying the founda

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tion ftones where ought to be, and he feemingly ufeth moft diligence, he heedlefly, mufplaces two of the firft three. We hope the ingenuous Reader is fatisfied (if not by what we have faid, because the Apoftle hath afferted it twice) in the exactnels of the Apoftles order, and location of Prophets, not Evangelifts next to the Apoftles; neither need any more be added, but (if it be poffible) to ftop the mouth of gainfayers, we add; Fourthly Fourthly the generality of learned men, Presbyters and others Presbyters ac- acknowledge it. The major part of the Definers, as Calvin, knowledg the Beza,, Faius, Zanchius, Bucanus, Wollebius, Spanhemius, and to be exact. Maretins, define Church-officers in the Scripture order, first Immediat- Apostles, Jecondly Prophets, thirdly Evangelifts. Indeed to make ly preceding way for the Evangelifts vice-Apoftolate, either they affign the Prophet no ordinary office-work, or what is by far inferiour, to what they allow to the Evangelifts, but with how little reafon they do it, we doubt not to render evident, ere we conclude all our exceptions against their Definitions. Others of the Definers (out of an undoubted confcioufnefs of the weak reasons for, and the ftrong teftimony exhibited by the forea. b. c. e. fame mentioned Texts, against the Evangelifts nextnefs to the Apage with postles) take no notice of the Textual order, but upon their own Authority, fome thruft the Prophet before the Apostles, fo (a) Urfinus, and (b) Pareus,; others place him in the rear of the Evangelifts, fo (c) Polanus, and (d) our Affembly; AnoParliament a ther makes him lag behind Teachers,fo (e) Aretius, Henderson, bout Church though none of the Definers, yet a famous Presbyter, and the Government more illuftrious by the reflection of the bright beams of his ficers of the royal Antagonist, allows all thereft of the officers mentioned, Eph, 4. 11, to be duely ranked, but strikes the Prophet quite Firft Paper out of the Catalogue: he faith. In the Miniftry of the new paffing be- Teftament, there is a comely, beautiful, and divine order, and fuband Mr. Hen- ordination, one kind of Minifter being placed in degree and dignity before another, as the Apostles first, the Evangelifts, Paftors, and Doctors in their own ranks. Thus he. But proceed we to fome to the argu- clofer proof, Beza faith. The Prophetick order is joyned to the Ament brought by your Mapoftolick in Church Government. Our Sakatia, ours by profession jefty. though not by birth, in his tract of the diverfs degrees of MiOrdinem nifters, placeth the Prophet third from the Apostles. Beza never adjun&tum A- Thanks him for countenancing the Presbyterian notion about poftolico in ec- the Evangelifts fo far, but checks him roughly, and tells him, clefiis adminiftrandis Bez I do not affign the Prophet the third degree, as thou doft, but the Sead Eph. 4.11. cond degree as the Apostle doth. biɔw &

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