on of hands. A&t. 13.2. As they miniftred unto the Lord, and fafted, the holy Ghost Jaid, feparate me Barnabas, and Paul, unto the work whereunto I have called them. This fingle teftimony extorted a confeffion from Beza, that Barnabas in fome fort ought to be reckoned among the Apostles.

Secondly, that they were both Apoftles. Act. 14. 14. Which when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of, they rent their clothes and ran in among the people, crying out. They were now at Lyftra, where fuch a Majefty of the divine power attended their joynt Miniftry, and Barnabas's in particular as the amazed people reckoned him for Jupiter, and St. Paul for Mercury ver. Who knows not but that these amazed Heathens did miftake the true quality of the Apostles, however from their act is colligible, that they were fo far from obferving any inferiority in Barnabas to St. Paul, as contrariwife they accounted him the father of St. Paul (had he been Mercury) and of all other their, mifconceived deities.

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Thirdly, they acted joyntly in Apoftolick works. A&. 14. 23. And when they (St. Paul and Barnabas; fee ver. 22.) bad or dained them elders in every Church, and had prayed, with fasting they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed. The diffenting brethren infer from this act of St. Paul & Barnabas that there remains a power of ordination in any two elders at this day. 1648. Whereunto the Affembly answer; For ought our brethren have Shewed to the contrary, fome of thofe elders might be ordained by Paul, fome by Barnabas, and not all by both joyntly. Whereby they grant, that the faculty to do this work was diftinct, and infeparable in either of them, whether affociate, or alunder; confequently Barnabas did not derive his power from St. Paul, neither was he inferiour to him.

Cap. 14. Se&. Fourthly, at their parting Barnabas affumes Mark into the iftis autem fame partnership of his work, as St. Paul took Sylas; Act. 15. adjunétis. 39. 40. which is a further demonftration that St. Paul had no Videmus bic coercive power over him, and that he was no fuch Evangelift qualiter feas Bucanus in his Definition, and before Beza in 4 his Trea- cundum oratife against Saravia, dreams of; to wit, One who continued no culum officia longer in imployment then till recalled by the Apostles. Suffice this inter fe diftri for St. Lukes teftimonyin this matter, St. Paul witneffeth that, pe ut Paulus, Fifthly St. James, Cephas,and St. John acknowledge the joynt & Barnabas Apoftolate of him, and Barnabas, and gave them the right gentium essent hand of fellowship, as to the Apostles of the Gentils. Gal.2. Apoftoli, alit 9. And when James, Cephas, and John who seemed to be pillars. autem Judeo perceived lot.

K 3

buerunt, nem

rum. Calv.in

perceived the grace which was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the righthand of fellowship, that we should go unto the beathen, they unto the Circumcifion. Calvin upon the place deferves attention, he faith, We fee bere how according to the Oracle, they parted offices among them; to wit, that Paul, and Barnabas, Should be the Apoftles of the Gentiles, the others of the Jews. But if the Oracle defigned Paul, and Barnabas to be the Apoftles of the Gentiles, Calvin never confulted it, when he said Barnabas was no Apoftle, but an Evangelift.

Sixthly, Barnabas had (as St. Paul) a power to abstain from working, and to expect a maintainance from the Churches, as the other Apoftles did, 1 Cor. 9. 4, 5, 6. Have we not power to eat, and to drink; have we not power to lead about a fifter, a wife, as well as other Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Ćephas? or I only, and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working?

Barnabas is therefore an Apoftle, no Evangelift,and he, and St. Paul are to be reckoned among thofe Apoftolick paires, who travailed, and wrought together as fellow labourers. And that we may at laft put a period unto this exception, I repeat, and again fay; No one while affociate in the works of ordination, cenfures, &c, with Apoftles, is in reference to fuch affociation called in Scripture, or can thence be proved to be an Evangelift. Be it granted, that none after Barnabas is called an Apoftle, (which perhaps 2 Cor. 8. 23. Rev. 2. 2. and several other places will deny) yet fince we have fo oft before received an account of Chrifts Inftitution, and the Churches practise in this cafe; reafon wills us to efteem fuch affociates of the fame order, and office, and give them the fame apellation, or title, with those who affociated with them; wherein we fhall not weaken the authority of holy Writ, or add any thing to the mind of its author, but evince the felf confiftency of Scripture, and the Apostles uniformity in their Church-proceedings. Befides, after fo many express inftances of Apostles, affociating with Apostles, Presbyters with Presbyters, to question the order of the one, when both wrought the fame work, is all one as to doubt whether St. Paul, St. Peter, or St. John, or any other Apostles more frequently mentioned, in Scripture, do continue Apofles, if in any place we meet their name without that title, when to another making fo fond an inference, our felves would reply, Scripture doth it to avoid tautologies: Suffice this for the fecond Exception.`

Third Exception. We deny Calvins warrant, from Eph: 4 1. Luk. 10. 1. or either of them to faffen an Evangelizateup- Third Ex on Luke, Timothy, and Titus, for but in one of thofe Texts, cept. Luke, the word Evangelift is barely ufed, in the other neither words tus no EvanTimothy, Tinor matter agreable to Calvins Definition of the Evangelift; and gelifts. in neither of them is the leaft mention of this Triumvirate,or of any one of them; Befides, Eph. 4. 11. which mentions Evangelifts, alfo mentioneth Apostles, Prophets, Paftors, and Teachers. And any one of equal confidence with Calvin, may fay Luke Timothy, and Titus, were as truly Apoftles, or Prophets, or Pastors, or Teachers, as Evangelifts. Befides if thofe three perfons who neither there, nor elsewhere are called Evangelifts, be notwithftanding Evangelifts; because the name Evangelifts is ufed in that Text, then may we affirm what we lift, of whomfoever, or whatfoever, whofe bare name we find in Scripture, and be it true or falle, out-face gain-fayers with a pretended Scriptureauthority, but in the mean time prove nothing but our felves to be ridiculous, or if common fame mount us up to a higher fphear, make our beleevers to be fo; we in the mean time bafely employing the excellencie of our parts,and fplendour of our reputation to make a Pack-horse of our brethrens modesty and credulity, wherewith afterwards we will break their backs, if galled they wince, and will not ftand ftill under every arbitrary, and most importable load; I confefs Timothy is once bid to. do the work of an Evangelift, in what fenfe we forbear to enquire in this place, and turn over its confideration to the eight Ex ception, and our feparation of the Equivocal fenfes of the word Evangelift, but admit it any sense; at the liking of the impofer; what doth that concern Luke or Titus? of whom the word is no where used, or if it were, it could not concern all of them, in one fenfe, St. Luke was a Pen-man of holy Writ, fo were neither Timothy nor Titus; Timothy, and Titus conftituted new, or conferved old Churches, and exercifed Apoftolical authority, in the administration of the feveral powers of ordination, and cenfures, but what Scripture proves the like of St. Luke? Suffice this for the third Exception. Fourth Exception. Sylas, Timotheus, Titus, were no Evan- cept. Sylas, gelifts, though Spanhemius fay it, neither dare we take his Timothens Titus no Eword for it,leaft we incur a note of partiality,for excufing in him vangelifts. what we accufe in Calvin; because he proves it as Calvin doth, by bare, and impertinent quotations, viz. Eph. 4. 11. 1 Cor. 12. 9, 10. But in good time our Affembly fteps forth to Spanhemi

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us his aid, and with much confidence fay, 'Tis plain Sylas as HT an Evangelift: And not content with that, they add, 'tis a plain of Judas; Sylas his Evangelizate they prove by Act. 15. 40. A&t. 16. 19. A&t. 17. 4. ver. 14. 15. Act. 18. 5. Judas his, by Act. 15.22. ver. 32. Seriously did I not know at what rate thefe Captains levy and mufter Scriptures, we should be Judas his daunted at their numbers, here arrayed against truth; but Evangelizate whether they be brought into the field for pomp, or fight, will appear by the enfuing examination. Leaft is faid of Judas, we will rid our hands of him firft. We read A&t. 1. 21. of one who as this Judas, was firnamed Barfabas, he was candidate for the Apoftolate when the lot fell upon Mathias. In their pre nomina they differ, that was Jofeph Barfabas, this Judas Barfabas, but whether they were diftinct perfons, and this the brother of the other (as A Lapide will have it) or whether they were the binomina of one perfon (Scripture affording many inftances of like kind) we cannot determine. This is certain, they were either diftin&t perfons, or one perfon. If they were one perfon, his order is plainly feparated from the Apoftolical Act. 1.23. And they appointed two, Jofeph called Barfabas, who was firnamed Juftus, and Mathias. They appointed; but to what purpofe did they appoint two, even that out of one of them a Succeffor might be chofen into Judas his office, and place; but neither of thefe two could now be appointed to it, had they been of the fanie order before: Therefore Antiquity conftantly accounts both the Eligees (while ftanding in election) to be Presbyters. And fo farr as concerns that Barfabas, no work of his recorded in that Chapter, or elsewhere, doth exalt him above that order. Indeed Beza makes him to be the fame with Barnabas, mentioned A&t. 4. 36. But he affignes no other reafon for it, then videri poffit, it may Jeem Jo. But what ever it feem to Beza: Firft it did not fo feem to (a) St. Chryfoftome, nor to (b) Camerarius, nor to (c) ALapide. Secondly, it rather feems by St. Lukes exact defcription of Barnabas, by his Name, Profeffion, and Country (in all which is fomewhat fingular) that he rather defignes a perfon formerly unmentioned in his Hiftory; note his words A&t. 4.36. And Joles, who by the Apostles us firmamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the fon of confolation, a Levite, and of the Country of Cyprus. If the Barfabas's were diftinct, the latter enters the Hiftory, A&t. 15. 22. where he is ftyled which our Tranflators render cheif, but the word fignifies fo much,

Bez. ad A&.1.23.

a Citat.

per a lap. ad 48. 4.36.

b ad AЯ.

4.36.11 ced A. .23.21

and

gentes. Bez.

and somewhat more; to wit, a particular kind of eminency, or Primarios official prelation. So Heb. 13. 7. Luk. 22. 26. Bez upon i. e. in exiftithe place interprets it by principal men of high repute, being matione habiChurch-officers. Now if they were Churchofficers (as indeed ros. Ut pothey were, because they did the work of Church-officers ver, te ecclefiaftico 32.) then either they were Apoftles, or Presbyters, not Dea- munere funcons diftin&t from Apoftles, and Presbyters, because they Pro- ad 48.15 22. phefied, which was none of the Deacons work, as he was diftin&t from the other two orders: But if they were Apoftles, or Presbyters, then were they not Evangelifts in the fenfe of the Definers. Our enquiry therefore is after their order; The Reader who watcheth for my halting, fuppofeth he hath now gotten his advantage, and may demand with what face, or colour of modefty,I who fo lately faid Apoftles,affociated with Apoftles, Presbyters with Presbyters, can question Judas his order, when he travailed in company with the Apoftles, St. Paul and Barnabas ; But I feel my legs fteady under me, and the flip is in the questioners memory; for I have diftinguished betwixt Apoftles companions of feveral forts, and affixed a parity, only to joynt labourers, and performers of the fame, diftinct works; now if Judas, and Sylas did fuch special works, and were thus affociate with St. Paul, and Barnabas, upon their emiffion from Jerufalem, the difpute is at an end, I yeild my felf caught in a contradiction, but many reafons evince the negative, none prove the affirmative, for, Firft the exprefs errand upon which Judas, and Sylas are fent forth, is not to conftitute Churches, ordain Officers, or adminifter the Cenfures (what Jurisdiction had the Apoftles at Ierufalem,much less could they derive to others, within St. Pauls, or Barnabas's line) but to give an account of the decrees of the Church at Jerufalem, about the queftion then agitated about Circumcifion &c.by falfe. brethren among the beleeving Gentiles. So that Iudas, and Sylas may more properly be termed the Meffengers, or Minifters of the Apoftles, and Church at Ierufalem, then the afforiates of St. Paul and Barnabas, A&t. 15. 25. It seemed good unto us being assembled with one accord to fend chefen men unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. Secondly, thofe decrees being on promulgated in many places, one of the Meffengers Indas, res turned back again to Ierufalem. Act. 15.33. And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren, to the Apoftles. This verfe difmiffeth both Indas and Sylas, but itis to be interpreted only of leave given unto them by the Gentile L

Churches