by Divine Inspiration and none to diminish ought of what he bid them speak for though they enjoyed under Christ the greatest preheminence imaginable in Relious affairs yet they durst not detract from or add to the will of God by Preaching up their own fancies and the imaginations of their own Brains this St. Paul professeth of himself 1 Cor. 2.1 to 7. And both the Evangelists and Apostles do seriously protest that whatever they delivered to the World as to all the main and necessary parts of Doctrine they received it from Christ in Person or by Revelation from the Holy Ghost as we may well believe considering those miraculous gifts and graces which were communicated to them which was an irrefragable demonstration of the Spirit and Power of God by which they spake 't is highly absurd to imagine that their Successors should have greater liberty in the Church of Christ and especially at such a vast distance of time from the propagation of the Gospel and the cessation of Miracles indeed it might be deservedly accounted a Miracle not the least if we should be Soveraign Lords over mens Consciences or have absolute dominion in matters of Faith if our Ambassage should be of an unlimited Nature like the command which Tiberius gave Drusus upon a certain expedition Nullis certis mandatis exre consulturum that every man might have the power of a Plenipotentiary and deliver what seems good in his own eyes when every tittle of our Errand is comprized by God ratiâ—ed and confirmed fâ—om Heaven and explicitely contained in the grand Charter of our Commission the Records of the Gospel So that as the Civil Law adjudgeth those Ambassadors guilty of High Treason who transcend the bounds and limits of their Commission and both Modern and Ancient Histories Record that such presumption hath received a just recompence of reward the Apostles always accounted it a Sacrilege most horrid and inexcusable in the sight of their Master and loaded that Person with a most dreadful Anathema who should presume to broach his own Inventions and to intermingle them with the Doctrine of the Gospel Gal. 1.8 9. If we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Doctrine then that ye have already received let him be accursed which Apâ—stoâ—ical Constitution is of equal Authority in the Church to this very day for in reference to that Text is that gloss of St. Austin Maledictus est qui quidpiam praedicat praeterquam quod in Scripturis Legis and Evangelii recepimus And if these things be true what just indignation may the Master of our Religion conceive against the presumption and boldness of the Church of Rome which advanceth the Pope into His Tribunal and ascribes a like power might and dominion to him as to the eternal Son of God! For though Christ alone can instruct us in the Laws and Ordinances of his Kingdom and by the influence of his Spirit direct us in the way of life though that pretended Vicar of Christ be styled the Minister of our Lord and in his Canons and Decrees subscribe himself Episcopus servus Servorum Dei yet dares he proudly usurp the most proper Offices of his Master and boldly assume the Title of Head of the Church For he as they confidently boast hath received full Authority from Christ to deliver the whole will of God to the World and to decide all Controversies in Religion who according to them is certainly infallible when he acts as Head of the Church whom the Holy Ghost doth continually attend in Council lawfully Summon'd and in his Consistory assists him to Judge infallibly of Spiritual affairs he hath Supremacy over the Souls of Men can dispense with Divine Laws dissolve mens Obligation of obedience to them and secure their Persons from the wrath of God which for their disobedience they justly deserve he can constitute new Articles of Faith and impose his definitions on the whole World as Credentials necessary to mans Salvation the Keys of Heaven are delivered to him for though Chritst alone opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens Rev. 3.7 Yet by Succession to St. Peter he dares Sit and Reign as Universal Soveraign by his Papal Authority determining the Conditions of Life and Death and according to mens observation of them adjudging them to the one or other as if he that Reigns in Heaven above and Rules on Earth beneath had ceased to execute his Kingly Office over the Church and had derived it to St. Peter as his immediate Successor and to the Pope as Universal Vicar That these are indeed the Principles of the Church of Rome and not the slanderous suggestion of Protestants is apparently manifest not only from the Writings of their private Doctors but from the decretals of their general Councils and the most solemn Bulls of several Popes in which they have acted so directly opposite to the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Gospel that they have exercised Authority over Christ himself and by their Traditions made the Gospel of Christ of no effect Witness that Decree concerning the Canon of Scripture in the Fourth Session of the Council of Trent Celebrated under Paul the Third wherein it was declared that the Books of Apocrypha and all their unwritten Traditions are equally the Dictates of Gods Spirit with the most Canonical Scripture Synodus Libros Scriptos sine sc traditiones tanquam velore tenus a Christo vel a Spiritu Sancto dictatas pari Pietatis affectu ac reverentiâ suscipit ac veneratur Si quis autem sciens prudens contempscrit Anathema sit and as necessary to confirm any Article of Faith and to prescribe Rules for the regulating of manners and therefore to be embraced with the like affection of Piety and received with the same religious Reverence under peril of the most dreadfull Anathema And now I appeal to the judgment of and sober considerate man whether such Doctrines as these are agreeable to the Tenor of the Gospel and becoming the Ministers of Christ or not rather highly derogatory to the dignity and honour of his Majesty as being palpably erroneous and horridly blasphemous if tried by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament which are the only Canon of Faith and good manners We have hitherto considered the Doctrine of the Text which was naturally contained in the two former Particulars that the Apostles and all other Persons lawfully Consecrated into their Spiritual Office are the Ministers of Christ and the Stewards of the Mysteries of God Now both the Nature of the precedeing Discourse and the Order of the Method propounded require our consideration concerning the last Particular which contains Two practical Inferences deduced from the truth of the Apostles Assertion One respecting the men to whom these Persons are employed as Ministers and Stewards Let a man so account of Us The other relating to the Persons themselves to whom this Office is committed Moreover 't is required in Stewards
Persons spoken of whom St. Paul did directly and immediately respect are those mentioned Chap. 3. vers 22. Paul Apollos and Cephas who were separated by the Lord for the work of the Ministry and appointed as subservient to the Faith and Salvation of the Corinthians but that this particular direction to the Church of Corinth may be of larger use and service to the Church of Christ in general 't is most rational and consentaneous to the whole scope and tenure of the Gospel to affirm that all those who according to the Canons of Christ and the Apostles are consecrated to the same imployment are invested with the same Authority and Office implicitely included in the expression of the Apostle and therefore as justly styled Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Gospel as Paul or Apollos or Cephas were And if particular Commission be necessary to constitute the Offices of the holy Order the Negative holds as infallibly true as the Affirmative that no person may presume to administer any Office appropriate to this sacred Function but those who are Legally called to and Canonically invested with it for the Gospel almost as oft as occasion is offered to make mention of the Ministers and dispensers of it plainly intimates that the Master of our Religion designs a separation of persons from secular employments to officiate in the Ministry and Preaching of the Gospel as in 1 Cor. 12. The Apostle resembles the Church to a Body which is constituted of several Members and every one designed to serve in its proper place for the benefit and advantage of the whole that the foot cannot usurp the Office of the Head nor the Arm exercise the Authority of the Brain but every one discharge its proper Function that there be no Schism nor Division in the body in proportion to which similitude the state of Christ's mystical body is to be understood in which every the meanest Christian is a Member in particular but every Member cannot dispose and regulate the affairs of the whole For are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers do all speak with Tongues do all Interpret Vers 29.30 Shall the foot say Unless I am head I will not be of the Body Or the ear say Because I am not the eye I am not sufficiently honored If the whole Body were an eye where were the hearing And if every Member were the Head where were the Body But God hath set the Members every one in the Body as it hath pleased him Vers 16 17 18. First Apostles Secondarily Prophets Thirdly Teachers Vers 28. And that this distinction should remain in the Church to the end of the World is confidently conffirmed by the Apostle Ephes 4.11 12 13. Wherein he declares that the Officers of the Church therein mentioned to be given for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the Body of Christ c. Which Phrases must of necessity denote their continuance in the Church till the number of Gods Elect are accomplished and the state of Christs mystical Body perfectly compleated and for this reason St. Paul justifies his special designation to the Apostleship 1 Tim. 2.7 And St. Peter exhorts his Presbyters to continual diligence in their imployment as their proper and necessary duty 1 Pet. 5.1 2. And inded if we search into the ancient Records of the World or consider the account which Modern Historians have privately collected and publickly presented to us the most learned and faithfull among them do confidently assure us that never any Nation in the World made a publick profession of Religion but the Governours thereof solemnly appointed a separation of Persons whose constant employment it should be to Solemnize and Celebrate the Mysteries thereof and Moses in transcribing the History of the Church of God both before and after the Floud and under the admistration of the Law hath recorded the observation of the same custom in those several forms of Church-government thus Enoch and Noah were Preachers of Righteousness to the old World Abraham and the succeeding Patriarchs were Kings and Priests in their respective Families and duly administred the affairs of Religion to their several charges And when God erected his Theocratical Government over the Jews whom he had chosen for his own People he commanded Aaron and his Sons to be set apart for the Priests Office that they might wait at the Altar of the Lord and Minister to the People in Holy things which was appointed a Statute unto him and to his Seed after him for evermore Exod. 28.1 43. And if the Christian Religion must be denyed this honour and no such Custom observed in the Church of Christ this strange innovation must be grounded upon one or both of these reasons either that it contains matters of less value and concernment to Christians than the Religion of other Nations to the Proselytes of it Or else that they are so plain easie in all and every particular Doctrine that the meanest understanding can comprehend their most intimous sence and meaning and 't is impossible for the most illiterate to be deceived in his judgment concerning them These are the fairest pretences that can be alledged against the necessary distinction of the Ministerial Office yet their weakness is apparent at the first view and their absurdity so gross that it may palpably be felt For the Gospel of Christ is so far from deserving this reproach and contempt that it contains matters of the greatest moment and importance for Man to know such as are the excellency of the Divine Nature the state and condition of mans Soul and that incomparable Method contrived by the Divine Wisdom for mans eternal happiness comprehends matters of the most universal Satisfaction to the minds of men and propounds the duties of a Practical Religion which are most agreeable to the Divine Nature to require and most reasonable for Mankind to observe in all which respects it infinitely transcends all the Platforms of Religion entertain'd in the World and even the worship of the Jews themselves and though those Practical points which are essentially necessary to mans Salvation are extremely suitable to the dictates of right reason and delivered with the greatest perspicuity and clearness imaginable yet it discourseth concerning points of Faith of the greatest depth and mysteriousness which are altogether inconceiveable and incomprehensible and do exceed the apprehensions of any created Being such are the Eternal purposes and decrees of God the Doctrine of the Trinity the Incarnation of the Son of God with other Doctrines of like affinity scattered up and down the Gospel for so St. Peter tell us That in the Epistles of St. Paul are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable so wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 What can be spoken of such infinite importance What can be delivered of so tremendous consequence as the Christian Religion And shall not the
this accout those publick Offices were composed in the Primitive Church and Hours of Prayer appointed that the Priests might almost continually be praying for the People according to which practice 't is commanded by our Church that the Ministers of Religion offer up a Morning and Evening Sacrifice to the Throne of Grace in the publick Service and Liturgy of our Church which in all Cathedral Churches and Collegiate Chapels is duly observed or as Ambassadors to treat with the People in the business of Religion and reveal the Will of their Maker to them faithfully explaining the Gospel in its true and prosper sence and framing their discourses according to the qualities and capacities of their Auditors that their understandings may be well informed in the Principles of Religion and their hearts strongly confirmed in the Faith to warn sinners of the evil of their ways and to Preach up the duties of a Practical Religion to present them with the most convincing Reasons and powerfull Exhortations to a good Life if by any means the hearts of men may be inclined to the love and their lives to the practice of as universal Piety Hitherto may be referred that necessary Office of Catechizing the Christian youth by some short and familiar Questions concerning the Essential parts of Religion which if duly performed by the Ministers of Religion would in a great measure prevent that infidelity and profaneness so scandalous and offensive in the Christian Church even by those which are arrived to the use of Reason and the exercise of their understanding For this purpose that admirable Compendium of the Christian Religion the Catechism of our Church is commanded to be learned by every Baptized Person before he be confirmed by the Bishop that he may be able to give an account of his Faith before he be admitted to the Holy Communion But the duty of a Minister is still of larger extent The Apostle tells us and experience too truly manifests what busie Agents the Emissaries of Satan are to disseminate the Doctrine of Devils and to spread abroad most damnable Errors of which sort are they that creep into private Houses and lead Captive silly Women laden with divers lusts and those false Teachers who being unruly and vain Talkers and Deceivers call in Question the most undeniable Principles of Religion and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness whose folly should be made manifest to all men and their mouths stopt that they proceed no further which is certainly the duty of those men to whom the word of God is committed that they may be able by sound Doctrine to convince and reclaim the gainsayer Tit. 1.5 9. For 't is absurd to conceive that the care and vigilance of Ministers whose employment is to watch over Souls and to endeavour their Salvation may without affront to their Lord and Master be inferiour to the pains and solicitude of those Seducers whose business is to tempt and intice men to sin and thereby to ascertain their eternal Damnation So that 't is undoubtedly their Office by Private instruction and admonition as well as by Publick to contend earnestly for the Faith of Christ against the clamorous and impertinent cavils of malicious Spirits and false Apostels to study the preservation of the Truth in the hearts of those unhappy Persons that are assaulted by them that they neither embrace the Errors of those men nor fall into a state of sin and Death and to wrestle with God by their most fervent and importunate prayers till their People are delivered from the snares of the Devil and their Souls confirmed in the way of life thus St. Paul when he had called together the Elders at Miletus committed to them the Flock of God and warned them of false Teachers that they faithfully watch against their Invasions least they draw away Disciples after them Acts. 20.28 29 30 31. Add to all this the gross Ignorance of many which cryes aloud for Personal instruction the open Prophaness of others which stands in need of the most serious Admonitions and seasonable Reprehensions from their Spiritual Guides and always the Visitation of the Sick is incumbent on them who according to thier various conditions require the most affectionate Exhortations and convincing Arguments to confirm their Patience to increase their Faith to quicken thier Hope to compleat their Repentance and to perfect their Charity All which the Apostle hath Ordained as a perpetual Office in the Church James 5.14 Is any man sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him and the prayer of Faith shall save the sick All which particulars are briefly recommended to the Care and endeavour of Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna by Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and comprehended in the Epistle of Polycarp to the Presbyters of Philippi as their necessary and indispensable Offices These are the several parts of the Ministers Office and are therefore necessary to be known by the Stewards of God that by these Spiritual Ministries they may faithfully discarge their duty in the Family and Houshold of Christ And so I proceed to the Second branch of the Apostles Exhortation to the Ministers of Christ viz. A good Conscience in the discharge and performance of their Office And if the Solemnity of our Ordination or the Injunction of our Lord and Master if the manifold Advantages which our faithfulness will infallibly effect or the severe Account we must render to God concerning our Stewardship if any or all of these have any weight and importance in them they lay the strictest Obligation upon us to engage our faithfulness in the work of the Ministry For in our Ordination we received Authority to preach the Gospel and explain the Scriptures to Administer the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies belonging to the Church and when we received Institution from our Diocesan were strictly enjoyned to watch over the Flock of Christ of which we were oppointed Overseers and if the Gospel of our blessed Saviour be of Divine Authority what variety of Precepts are then delivered by God himself There being neither an Evangelist nor an Apostle but from the Spirit of the Lord prescribes our Duty and requires our Fidelity Besides the Glory of God is extremely concerned the Salvation of our People lyes at Stake and our own everlasting Doom most certainly depends upon the faithful Discharge or wretched Neglect of our Office and Employment For by the strength of this Argument St. Paul exhorts Timothy to discharge his duty with the greatest care and a good Conscience I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom that thou observe these things 1 Tim. 5.21 2 Tim. 4.1 But because he that is unjust in his own affairs will scarce be faithfull in Administring the goods of others I mean if our Consciences be loose and treacherous in ordering our own lives we shall discover