The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. The thirteenth Argument.
THat ought to be in every ſetled, well-ordered Arg. 13 Church, which the holy Ghoſt hath ordered and appointed to it; for the holy Ghoſt is equal in authority and intereſt, being God as well as they, and in the ordering Church-affairs, though laſt (i)Mat. 28. 19, is not the leaſt: we acknowledge creation was the foundation and ground of all, and that for orders ſake is commonly aſcribed to the Father; Redemption followed as the ſupport and ſupplement of that, and that we give unto the Sonne; but there was need of Conſolation and incouragement to compleat and carry on the ſame, and that Chriſt leaves unto the holy Ghoſt. Its true, it was not fit, that Chriſt ſhould much appear, (after that great affront was put upon him by the Jews) in his worſt Clothes, that were tottered and torn by them, nam minuit praeſentia famam, preſence impaires opinion and admiration; Nor that they ſhould be Orphans, as Chriſt ſpeaks (k)Joh. 14. 18deprived and deſtitute of conduct and direction for ſo great an undertaking: the holy Ghoſt is therefore ſent and ſubſtituted, as the Oeconomus and Overſeer of the work (l)Joh. …4. 16, 17.; for the completion, conſummation and perfection of it. And there was ſomething of fitneſſe and conveniency; for the holy Ghoſt could act inviſibly, could ſee and not be ſeen, as Aeneas and Achates in the Cloud, convey himſelf into their meetings, and diſcover all hypocriſies and double dealing, as he doth in the caſe of Ananias and Saphira (m)Act. 5. 3, 4; for had the holy Ghoſt been ſeen as well as Peter was in that Aſſembly, they had not framed ſo great a lie, and made ſo notable and manifeſt diſcoveries of themſelves. Their mindes and memories were frail and brittle, and might be eaſily inſnared and over-reached; Chriſt therefore promiſeth the holy Ghoſt to make ſupply of that defect (n)Joh. 14, 15. They were to introduce among the Gentiles a new Religion, and muſt look for oppoſitions, and counter actings; a winged Mercury was therefore needful, that could and would be here and there, and every where, to finde out and diſcover plots (o)Joh. 16. 13, 14., as we finde he did, before that dreadful famine in the dayes of Claudius (p)Act. 1…. 28, and when Paul was to be bound and troubled, the holy Ghoſt gives warning of it to him, in every City as he goes along (q)Act. 20. 23.; at every turn and alteration, the holy Ghoſt is at one end. As Merchants that have great ſtocks, and drive on great Trades, have partners every where, and perſons intereſted to drive it on; ſo God in this great work, divides himſelf, (as we may ſay) and hath ſome of the perſons every where to further it.
But the holy Ghoſt hath ordered and appointed ſome in every Church to attend and act in holy things. That this may be the better made out, we may obſerve it in theſe particulars.
1. Furniſhing of them with proper gifts, for every ſeaſon, and condition of the Church; as in the firſt age, with gifts miraculous and extraordinary (r)Heb. 2. 4., God himſelf bearing them witneſs, both with ſignes and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghoſt: theſe were not given unto every member of the Chriſtian Congregation; for we finde believers that heard not whether there were an holy Ghoſt or no (s)Act. 19. ….; but unto ſuch as were to be the guides and overſeers of them; for to one is given by the Spirit, the word of wiſdom, to another the word of knowledge by the ſame Spirit, to another faith by the ſame Spirit, and ſo on as the Apoſtle ſpeaks (t)1 Cor. 12. 8, 9, 10, 11.: the next age needed courage, reſolution, patience, ſelf-deniall, that they might not cowardly betray what they knew was the truth; and accordingly the holy Ghoſt ſupplies them with it: its true, ſome other ſects have had their ſufferers, there have been Martyrs and Confeſſors in all ages and eſtates; but never ſuch as theſe, who by their ſilence, patience, ſuffering, ſelf-denial, grew Conquerers, and Maſters of their perſecutors; for they overcame in the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their teſtimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death (u)Rev. 12. 11; and ſo in all ſucceeding ages of the Church, unto this day, ſome have been qualified, and fitted for imployment, to attend and act in holy things, in their ſeverall reſpective Churches and Aſſemblies.
2. Gives them diſtinguiſhing and proper names; not only Chriſtians and believers, not only Saints and Sonnes of God, but names of Office and Authority, as Pharaoh unto Joſeph, when he raiſed and preferred him (w)Gen. 41. 45., ſo Nebuchadnezer to Daniel and his three aſſociates (x)Dan. 1. 7., whereby they did appropriate and make them theirs; and ſo the holy Ghoſt gives other names peculiar and proper unto them, as men of God (y)1 Tim. 6. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 17.; others are called Gods Sonnes, Gods ſervants, Gods people, but only Miniſters are called Gods men.
So Stewards; one may have many men, but one Steward, Eliezer of Damaſeus, Abrahams Steward (z)Gen. 15. 2.; a name of jurisdiction and Authority; yet given commonly to Miniſters (a)1 Cor. 4. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 7.; Ambaſſadors, a name of honour (b)2 Cor. 5. 20., and given unto none without Commiſſions and inſtructions, for the mannaging and ordering of it.
So Shepheards, a name of Office and Authority, not taken up by any of the ſervants, but conferred upon ſome experienced confiding men, that had a ſpecial over-ſight and intereſt in them (c)Eph. 4. 2.: ſo likewiſe they are called Angels (d)Rev. 1. 20., and that by Chriſt, when he was in the higheſt Heavens, and had a clear conception of every thing, better then Adam, when he gave names to all the Creatures, yet Adam erred not.
3. Characters, brands and diſtinctions to know them by; names may be arrogated and uſurped, Jacob takes Eſaus name, but had much adoe to frame and counterfeit his Character. The holy Ghoſt deſcribes them therefore by their Characters and nature, as well as names (e)1 Tim 3. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.; if the place and Office had not been peculiar, what need ſo much adoe? could not he have ſaid, ſee they be honeſt godly men, and that's enough: ſo when he orders Titus to take on him the jurisdiction of that Iſland, he gives him Characters to know ſuch as he was to uſe (f)Tit. 1. 6, 7, 8, 9., and thoſe not common unto every Chriſtian, but proper and peculiar to the Guides and Governours.
4. Calls and contrivements to their proper places; deſigns them, & affixeth them unto their work (g)Act. 13. 2, 3, 4., gives them their miſſions, as well as Commiſſions: there is no doubt but men may preach, that are not ſent; but ſeldom or never ſavingly; if God ſend them not, they ſeldom turn men from their wicked wayes, as the Prophet intimates (h)Jer. 23. 21, 21.: though inſtruments are uſed and implied in the work, yet the holy Ghoſt doth fix them, and conclude them in it (i)Act. 20. 28, take heed unto your ſelves, and all the flock over whom the holy Ghoſt hath made you Biſhops: no doubt in placing and diſplacing Miniſters, the holy Ghoſt preſides and over-rules.
5. Convenient maintenance. Gods ſpirit knowes, that Miniſters are men, and are ſupported by food and rayment; Angels indeed they are by Office and imployment, but not Spirits, ſeeing they carry about them fleſh and bones, which Spirits do not (k)Luk. 24. 39.; and for the moſt part, craſie and weakly fleſh, that need more coſt and care then any other men; their ſedentary lives and ſerious thoughts weaken their ſtomacks for the moſt part, and expoſe them unto often and great infirmities, as we may ſee in Tmothy (l)1 Tim. 5. 23., who is not only permitted and allowed, but commanded and enjoyned to keep a wholſom diet; and whereas other men may truck and barter in the world, plot and contrive wayes of advancement, and improvement of their Eſtates, only they cannot; as Souldiers will have free quarter if pay be wanting, becauſe they are commanded upon duty as the men of Judah, ſet every tenth man apart, to fetch in victuals for their fellow Souldiers (m)Jud. 20. 10; for no man that warreth intangleth himſelf with the affairs of this life, that he may pleaſe him that hath called him to be a Souldier (n)2 Tim. 2. 3, 4.: now this would not be, if there were not uſe and need of Souldiers; for who goeth to warfare at his own coſt (o)1 Cor. 9. 7.? it is not to be ſpoken, what thoſe Nations and Kingdoms ſave, that need not Arms; and certainly, the holy Ghoſt were a bad husband, if it impoſed an unneceſſary charge, if it ſhould enjoyne a chargeable and coſtly Calling and imployment, that might be executed by men of Trade; but knowing how laborious and ſequeſtred the labours of a painful Paſtor are, it takes care for their livelihood, that he that is taught in the word, communicate with him that teacheth in all good things (p)Gal. 6. 6., that whilſt the Miniſter is plotting and contriving how to do their ſouls good, they ſhould provide for his corporeal ſuſtenance; the very Oxes mouth, that treadeth out the corn, muſt not be muſled (q)1 Tim. 5. 18.: thoſe that have ſlaves bought with their money, yet give them food and rayment, becauſe they know they cannot work without it; and ſhall the Miniſter be put to ſeek his bread at night, when he hath ſtarved and laboured all the day? great care is taken by God himſelf, for a clear and cumberleſſe proviſion for the Prieſts and Levites, and that not only in their month of waiting, but all the time of their retirement in the Countrey; and though that preſident ſhould be ſufficient, yet there is an exact and proper Ordinance, (r)1 Cor. 9. 13, 14.as they that miniſter about holy things, live of them, ſo they that preach the Goſpel, ſhould live of that: the holy things, and that adminiſtration, was meat and drink, and the Prieſts, upon the matter, were but holy Cooks, and he is an ill Cook that cannot lick his own fingers: yet God takes ſpecial care they ſhould be richly and liberally provided for; for he knew thoſe that payd them, would have intereſt in them. As in this Land the ſoveraign power did many acts of grace for ſubjects and inferiour perſons, but never gave them ayd and ſubſidies, that way they had to oblige and gratifie their Prince: ſo Miniſters have many wayes to gratifie their people; but God hath not appointed they ſhould give them money, that way the people have to oblige and gratifie their Paſtors, and thoſe that pay beſt, profit moſt; for he that receives ſpiritual things from his teacher, will not think much to give him carnall things; for it is a great deal leſſe then he receives. If a man ſowe wheat, and is at all the coſt and care to mannage and manure the ground for ſuch a crop, it would be no great matter for him to reap fitches: it is the Apoſtles ſimilitude (s)1 Cor. 9. 11, its known, the Apoſtles and their aſſociates, had gifts and powers freely given them, were at no coſt to gain and purchaſe their abilities; Paul with one impoſition of his hands, gave more then we can get in many years (t)2 Tim. 1. 6, our youth, and pretious time, and ſtrength, and a great part of our Patrimony, goes to purchaſe fitneſſe for this great work, yet all is not enough, without Gods bleſſing in a ſpeciall manner on our labours, venduntur laboribus dona, in the ſweat of our brains and breaſt we eat our bread. The arts indeed are called liberall, but its to thoſe that work and wait upon them: if therefore we ſowe not only ſpiritual, but alſo carnal things, is it not reaſon we ſhould reap ſomething?