The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 2 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Making way for that Doctrine we mean to handle.
ITs ſaid of Paul and his Companions (o)Act. 17. 6., that they had turned the world upſide down, yet had no Archimedes to make an Engine, nor other way for to effect it, but by their Doctrine: they that will turn muſt teach, they that will form, and alter mens perſwaſions, muſt overturn them by demonſtrations, and grounds of reaſon; homines duci volunt non cogi, they may be cudgeld into a Treaty, but not into a tenet; love for to look and ſee their way, before they leap; may be eaſily drawn, hardly driven into a reſolution and perſwaſion: mens wills are not the fore-horſe in the gang, that bears away the bells; but yet are capable of intimations and directions from him; are in the opinion of the Schools, participes rationis, capable of rational and underſtanding influences, can tell what reaſon dictates to them, and determines. Our buſineſs therefore now, is for to guide men, and give them grounds for what we offer and propound unto them. The former point, that ſome are neceſſary, we have aſſerted, with the more aſſurance, becauſe the harmony therein is more apparent and undoubted; here we are willing to be wary, and well adviſed: all will acknowledge, ſome muſt be ſet apart; but how this ſhall be done, is not ſo evident. When the Gaoler was awakened with the Earth-quake, and ſaw all the doors open, and every ones bonds were looſed, he firſt reſolved for to make away himſelf; but being hindered from that by Paul, he calls for a light, & then goes down to ſee the Priſoners (p)Act. 16. 29.: the concuſſions and Earth-quakes of the Nation, have at the laſt awakened and rowſed us up, and we ſoon ſee, the doors are opened, and every mans bonds are looſed, the ſacred offices of miniſterial adminiſtrations invaded and uſurped, all men allowed and admitted to undertake and execute that holy function, no porters at the gates to keep them out, nor out-cries raiſed to expel them: when they ſuppoſed Paul had brought a Greek into the Temple, and had polluted that holy place, the City preſently was moved, and the people ran together (q)Act. 21. 30; but we ſee no ſuch zeal amongſt our people; our Saviour Chriſt hath ſaid, he that entreth not by the door, into the ſheep-fold, but climeth up ſome other way, the ſame is a Theef and a Robber (r)Joh. 10. 1.: if this be true (as nothing can be truer) what troops of robbers have we ſeen, (as the (s)Hoſ. 6. 9.Prophet ſpeaks) within theſe few years, in the houſe of God? yet are not willing to go rudely and boldly in, without a light. When men finde that their houſes are broken open in the night, and know not certainly but ſome of the Theeves may ſtill lie lurking, or be hidden in the houſe, they do not uſe to ruſh in in the dark, at all adventures, unarmed, and unfurniſhed to make reſiſtance and defence; but call for a light, as we ſee the Jaylor did, and take their ſeconds and aſsiſtants with them, and then go in; this is our caſe, certain we are, our houſe is broken up, nay, its the houſe of God, as the Apoſtle calls it (t)1 Tim. 3. 15., and all the holy things are ranſacked and rifled; we are not willing to go in rudely, to conſider what we have loſt, becauſe we know not whether all the Theeves are gone, ſome may be lurking ſtill there, for ought we know, and ſuch are alwayes deſperate, will rather die then be diſcovered, they know, omnis jujuria eſt gravitate tutior; therefore we think it fit to take a light with us, and make our applications by degrees and ſteps; and though this truth may lie below ſome mens opinions and perſwaſions for the preſent, this gold and ſilver Oare may be at preſent, out of ſome mens view, yet we ingage, that if they will but follow us down theſe few ſtairs and ſteps, that we have hewen out, we doubt not, but they will diſcover it, and finde it out.
1. That to attend and act in holy things, is a work of much exactneſs, tenderneſs and curioſity, wherein temerity and rude approaches are not ſafe. When Promethens firſt brought down the fire, the Satyre ran with both his arms for to imbrace and welcom it; but was bidden to ſtand off, and keep his diſtance, unleſs he meant for to be findged. God doth not love unmannerly and rude approaches, (u)Eccleſ. 5. 1keep thy foot, when thou goeſt to the houſe of God, and be more ready to hear, then to give the ſacrifice of fools; for they conſider not that they do evill: as the Judges in the Terme time, will not admit of any one to plead, but ſuch as by their induſtry and education, are inabled to ſpeak unto the point, though there be a barre beſides, to keep them at a comly diſtance; but God takes ſtate upon him, and will not be approached rudely, (w)Exod. 3. 4, 5.put off thy ſhoos (ſayes God) from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou ſtandeſt is holy ground; and though he condeſcended for to come down among them, yet he ſets bounds, and makes a circle round about him, that they might not paſſe (x)Exod. 19. 21, 22.: its true, the Sons of Aaron came a little nearer, but if any ſtranger were incouraged thereby to be uncivil, he loſt his life for it (y)Numb. 18. 7.: nay, even Aarons ſons, if they preſumed beyond their limits ſcaped not; the firſt fault uſeth to be pardoned, eſpecially in young men, that are by nature apt to make adventures, yet Nadab and Abihu periſh for their firſt fault (z)Numb. 10. 1, 2.; and though God may be thought to be more facile now, and eaſier of acceſs, in Goſpel-times, yet the Apoſtle doth aſſure us, that our God is a conſuming fire (a)Heb. 12. 29; it was no great fault, that Ananias and his Wife committed, yet both are ſtrucken dead (b)Act. 5. 11.. Ʋzzah thought no hurt, when he toucht the Ark, nor the men of Bethſhemiſh, when they looked in, and yet there were fifty thouſand of them ſmitten (c)1 Sam. 6. 19, Scilicet in ſuperis etiam furtiva luenda eſt, Nec veniam laeſo minime caſus habet.
2. It is, and muſt be the work of man; the attendance is not to ſupply and furniſh God, but to ſecure and ſave man, we ſerve God in it, but our ſelves more; we ſerve him, not becauſe he wants men, but becauſe we want Maſters; God is attended with better Servants, (d)Pſal. 103, 20, 21.bleſſe the Lord, yea his Angels that excel in ſtrength, that do his Commandement, hearkning to the voice of his words, bleſſe the Lord, all ye his Hoſts, ye Miniſters of his, that do his pleaſure: it is not therefore for want of Servants that men muſt be imployed, but for his ſervants wants, that cannot otherwiſe be relieved. Great men take Phyſick when they need it, becauſe their ſervants cannot take it for them. The greateſt Queen muſt be in labour of her own Children; the King writes Letters in behalf of Naaman, but Naaman himſelf muſt waſh ſeven times in Jordan, if he will be clean (e)2 King. 5. 14.. Man marr'd all, and man muſt mend all; for ſince by man came death, by man came alſo the Reſurrection of the dead (f)1 Cor. 15. 21., that as in the fall it was homo homini lupus, ſo in the riſe, it muſt be homo homini Deus: the fall was ſuch, as could not be recovered but by God, yet ſuch as God could not recover, but by man: Chriſt therefore, God-man, was the reſtorer and reconciler of man to God; (g)2 Cor. 5. 19.for God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf; the Angels are imployed to carry tydings of a Saviour, but the Sav…our himſelf was God (h)Luk. 2. 11.: our attendance therefore upon holy thing…, is neceſſary, non ſolum neceſſitate praecepti, ſed etiam medii, not only in regard of Gods inju…ction, Order and Command; but alſo of our indigency. If God were pleaſed now to ſpeak to us from Heaven, as he did unto the Jews, yet we could not hear, his ſtilleſt Rhetorick would be too loud for us, as they profeſs that had experience of it (i)Deut. 5. 27, 28.: whereupon, God promiſed to raiſe them up a Prophet like to Moſes (k)Deut. 18. 15, 16, 7., which was made good to them in Jeſus Chriſt, a… a very good Interpreter expounds it (l)Act. 3. 22, …3., and Chriſt hath ordered men unto this work, until he come again, (m)Joh 20. 21, 22, 23.as my Father ſent me, ſo I ſend you; gives ſome Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, and ſome Evangeliſts, and ſome Paſtors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, the work of the Miniſtry, and the edification of the body of Chriſt, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the ſon of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſſe of Chriſt (n)Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13.; and this is the ſecond ſtep, that leads unto the Doctrine we deſigne, and purpoſe to propoſe.
3. That the accuteſt, ableſt, and moſt accompliſht, and improved man, is much below this work, I have ſeen (ſayes David) an end of all perfection, but thy Commandement is exceeding broad (o)Pſal. 119. 96.. All other Arts may be compriſed and brought within ſome bounds; but Divinity is (like the Authour of it) infinite. Hypocrates and Galen may be read and learned, Juſtinian bound up in a volume; but the Bible can never be fully underſtood: what he ſaid of another, is only true of this, ars longa, vita brevis, periculum anceps, occaſio praeceps, &c. No man did ever ſee ſo much, but more was unſeen to him; and here it was truly verified, that the greateſt part of that we know, is the leaſt of that we know not: let us inſtance but in one epitome, or comprehenſive ſhort compendium, and body of Divinity, (p)1 Tim. 3. 16.God was manifeſted in the fleſh, juſtified in the ſpirit, ſeen of Angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. The Apoſtle had given Timothy in that Chapter, a charge to trie ſuch, as intended miniſterial imployments, and he gives this reaſon for it, that Divinity was a very large, profound, myſterious, and abſtruſe abyſs of matter, whereof in thoſe words he gives an inſtance; and therefore we have ſeen the greateſt Lamps for to have needed ſnuffers. Moſes, a man made up of excellencies, Sir Walter Rawley ſayes, he was the beſt Commander, and leader of an Army, that ever was, yet that was not much taken notice of, yet for his unadviſed ſpeaking, was ſhut out of the Land of Canan (q)Pſal. 106. 32.. Paul was a choſen Veſſel (r)Act. 9. 15, yet was in Corinth, in weakneſs and in fear, and in much trembling (s)1 Cor. 2. 3.: therefore asks, who is ſufficient for theſe things (t)2 Cor. 2. 16.? ſome mens acumens are not ſharp enough to enter and enucleate theſe difficult abſtruſe myſterious labyrinths. The Apoſtles in their times, had only that to argue and evince, that Jeſus Chriſt was the Meſſias, and great Redeemer and Saviour of the world, and to evince it, had all the Creatures at command, were able to controle, and contradict the Lawes of nature, give Rules and limits to the ſtouteſt powers of the world: (u)Mark 16. 17, 18.theſe ſignes ſhall follow them that believe in my name, they ſhall caſt out Devils, they ſhall ſpeak with new tongues, they ſhall take up Serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it ſhall not hurt them; they ſhall lay hands on the ſick, and they ſhall recover: we have no ſuch powerfull, omnipotent, convincing Arguments, what we ſay, muſt be argued from meaner topicks, and though its truly ſaid, that poſterior Dies, eſt prioris diſcipulus, that day unto day uttereth ſpeech, and night unto night ſheweth knowledge (w)Pſal. 19. 2.; that the longer we live, the wiſer and more knowing we may and ought to be; yet withall, conſidering the exactneſſe and ambition of every age, that thinks it needful to out-doe what ever went before, we are as much to ſeek as thoſe that went before us: the Scripture-times, made but a very little progreſs in dilating and expatiating of the truths propoſed in the word of God; and the next three ages after, were wholly entertained and exerciſed in bearing witneſs to the truths propounded to us in the firſt. The fourth was a laborious and learned age, wherein thoſe great lights ſhone unto the world, Ambroſe, Auſtin, Chryſoſtom, Jerome, the Gregories, and Athanaſius; but were imployed and taken up for the moſt part, in encountering, and repelling of the Arrian, Neſtorian, Eutichian and Pelagian Hereſies, their worth and pi…h ſo buried in voluminous and vaſt replies unto thoſe enemies, that the ſucceeding ages from that unto the eleventh, were wholly drowned in monaſtick contemplations and devotions: in the eleventh, the Schoolmen roſe, and put the Fathers ſenſe and ſayings into a method, and body of divinity; but that Text of Lumbards, who began, and was acknowledged their School-maſter, was by his Scholars that ſucceeded, ſo dilated, beaten thin, and wire-drawn, that diſtinctionum minutiis ſenteniarum frangebant pondera, by the ſubtilty and ſmallneſs of the thred they wrought with, they buried the beauty of the work, as one obſerves.
And though in theſe late Goſpel glorious times, Divinity is much recovered, and reſtored unto its force and purity, proportioned un…o the practices and lives of men, made vulgar and familiar; yet withall its ſtretched by the eloquence and ſtrains of Rhetorick, in popular and common auditories, unto ſuch exactneſſe, height and bravery, that it is not eaſie for to reach it, nor ſafe to fall ſhort of it, ſo that if men be not helped by education, art, and induſtry, they ſhall be ſure to meet with ſcorn, contempt, and contumely; if by their care and labour, they make their Sermons ſtrong, and well wrought, they are accounted Orators, and over-doers; if tune their Inſtruments, unto the plain ſong of their Auditors, that every body may conceive and carry all away, they are accounted vulgar, and contemptible, and every Cobler, Taylor, Tinker, thinks he can do as much and as well. So as it was wont to be in Cambridge, if a boy had been at Gog-Magog-hills, he was eſteemed a Rachel, if he had not, a freſh-man.
Yet all this art and excellency is not ſufficient, without a ſupernatural and efficacious influence of the holy Ghoſt, upon the powers and parts of men; (x)1 Cor. 2. 14.for the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſſe unto him, neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. Now who can come by all theſe excellencies and accompliſhments? have wit, and art, and elocution, and acumen enough for theſe things? yet thoſe will only ſpeak him an able Orator, a Tully, or Tertullus, make him facundus ſed malo publico; for if unto all theſe gifts he have not grace, he is become as ſounding braſſe, and as a tinkling Cymball, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks (y)1 Cor. 13. 1.: there is a wiſdom which the holy Ghoſt teacheth, a tincture and reliſh that is put upon it, by the Spirit of God, that makes it penetrate and prick, as Peters Sermon, when the holy Ghoſt was viſible upon him (z)Act. 2. 37.. Set all together, and it will appear, that the moſt able, eloquent, improved man, is much below the work and buſineſs of a Goſpel-Miniſter, which was the third ſtep or ſtayr in this enquiry; but we proceed unto a fourth.
4. That at every gate, avenue, entrance of the Temple or houſe of God, there be eſtabliſhed a ſolid, rigid, acurate, exact enquiry, ſcrutiny, and examination of ſuch as do attempt to go in, and attend theſe holy things. The Apoſtle hath reſtrained women, and enacted a kind of Salick Law, that this Scepter and the diſt…ff ſhould not be coupled, (a)1 Tim. 2. 11.I ſuffer not a woman to teach; but its not enough to be a man, for they muſtal ſo be ſo qualified as God would have them, not only men, but work-men; and not work-men only, but work-men that need not be aſhamed (b)2 Tim. 2. 15.. Hence it will follow, that there muſt be Porters at the doors, to whom the keyes muſt be committed, as they were unto Peter; for when Chriſt had told him, that he would build his Church upon that Rock, and the gates of hell ſhould not prevail againſt it, he adds, and I will give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven (c)Mat. 16. 18, 19.; for ſhould the doors ſtand open, there might get in ſo many enemies, that would be able to prevail againſt it. When the Theeves in China had reſolved to beſiege Peking the Metropolis, or royal City, their Captain ſent before hand, a great number of his Army, and gave them mony to buy Commodities, and ſo pretend occaſions to continue as ſojourners and ſtrangers; and when he had begirt, and did aſſault it, to make inſurrections and diſturbances within it, whereby he maſtered it, with much more caſe then otherwiſe he ſhould have done: this hath been often acted in the Church, (d)Gal. 2. 4, 5.becauſe of falſe Brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to ſpie out our liberty, that they might bring us into bondage. To prevent theſe, narrow Guards are to beplaced on all the entrances, that ſuch may be kept out; nam durius ejicitur quam non admittitur hoſpes, its eaſier to keep them, then thruſt them out. All men are very fearful of Witches, and very careful to keep them from their habitations, and places of abode, becauſe of the miſchief which they are able for to do: falſe Teachers, in the Apoſtles judgement, are no better; (e)Gal. …. 1.O fooliſh Galathians, who hath bewitched you? theſe venefici, or Witches, were wont to have their venom or hurting power in their eyes, as in the Poet, neſcio quis teneros oculos mihi faſcinat agnos; but now it is faln down into their tongues, and its all one to ſay, your Child is bewitched, and to ſay, he is under an evil tongue; and therefore we ſhould be very careful to keep ſuch out; for he that enters ill, will ha…dly act well, qui intravit ut vulpes, regnabit ut leo, as it was ſaid of Hildebrand; when the Apoſtle had ſuggeſted to them, that Wolves would enter, he bids them watch (f)Act. 20. 31, and the reaſon is given by our Saviour (g)Mat. 7. 15., bec…uſe they come in the habits and garbs of ſheep; till they are in, they do not, nor will ſhew their teeth.
There was never any body or ſociety of men, that gave immunities and liberties, but had ſome kinde of tryall and examination at their admiſſion. Plato writes on his Academy, foreign, no man might enter, that was not grounded in Geometry, that had not Euclides Elements ad unguem; others had on their Temples, procul hinc procul eſte prophani, none might approach, that were prophane; but none have ſo much need as Chriſtians, for there the cunning and ſlight of men is greater by the deceit of men, and cunning craftineſſe, whereby they lie in wait for to deceive (h)Eph. 4. 14., and the danger more pernicious and irrecoverable; for its the ſubverſion of the ſoul (i)Act. 15. 24., and what ſhall he get that loſeth that, though he win all the world beſide, or how ſhall he repair that loſſe (k)Mat. 16. 26? The Temple doors had therefore need to be well guarded, and the Pulpit doors have written on them, foreign, let no unworthy perſon enter. Ʋzziah was a King, yet when he ventured, he had his fault written by Gods own finger in his fore head (l)2 Chr…n. 26. 19, 20.. The Shepheard alwayes enters by the doore, and ſtayes until the Porter open to him, and the ſheep will hear his voice, and follow him, a ſtranger they will not hear, for they know not the voice of a ſtranger (m)Joh. 10. 3, 4, 5.. God ſets a Centry upon the Tree of life (n)Gen. 3. 24., yet here is life and death; for death and life are in the power of the tongue (o)Prov. 18. 21.: behold (ſayes Moſes,) I have ſet before you life and death, bleſſing and curſing (p)Deut. 32. 19., we ſhould be careful therefore of theſe avenues.
5. Yet this exact and rigid ſcrutiny, muſt be no more exact and rigid, then the Scripture makes it; it becoms not Servants to ſhut thoſe doors their Maſters have ſet open. If he be willing to keep open houſe, we ſhould not envy and repine thereat, as Joſhua, when we heard that Eldad and Medad prophecied, but ſhould wiſh with Moſes, that all the Lords people were Prophets, and that the Lord would poure out his Spirit on them (q)Numb. 11. 28, 29.: were it in our power, not only to make this way broader, and this door wider, but even the way to Heaven alſo, we ſhould be cruel if we did it not; you are not (ſayes Poul) ſtraitned in us (r)2 Cor. 6. 12, nor ſhould not be by us: we are therefore willing in this, as in all things elſe▪ to ſtand to the judgement and determination of the Sc…iptures, ſit liber Judex, what they ſay, we are ready to ſubſcribe: yet we obſerve them to be very ſparing in giving liberty, and allowing any great or boundleſſe latitude, unto Gods deareſt and moſt faithful ſervants. Moſes was faithful in all the houſe of God (s)Numb. 12. 7. Heb. 3. 1., yet had not latitude or ſcope allowed him in theſe tranſactions, but patterns given him, and others iſſued, for every thing he did about the Tabernacle, (t)Exod. 25. ….according to all that I ſhew thee after the pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all the Inſtruments thereof; and this pattern, he is ſeverely charged to obſerve and imitate, (u)Exod. 25. 40.and look that thou make them after the pattern that was ſhewed thee in the Mount; it was much, God would not truſt him, to make boards and Curtains, or hooks and taches, which were plain things, yea would not venture any thing on his imagination and diſcretion, but gives him patterns: ſo David, a man after Gods minde and heart, exceeding prudent in matters (w)1 Sam. 16. 18., yet is not truſted in the parts and ſtructure of the Temple, though they had the Tabernacle to be their guide (x)1 Chron. 28. 11, 12, 13.; and though his ſon Solomon was an acurate and able Architect, yet David would not truſt him with this Church-work, but gives him patterns for every thing he had to do, and for the Officers; and when Ezekiah doth endeavour to reſtore the Temples Officers, yet he takes no liberty, but doth all; according to the Commandement of David, and of Gad the Kings ſeer, and of Nathan the Prophet (y)2 Chron. 29. 25.. Its much debated, and not fully yet agreed on, what kind of Officer Timothy was, whether an Evangeliſt only, (for that we are ſure of) (z)2 Tim. 4. 5, or whether beſides that, he were not a Biſhop; but it is out of doubt, that he was a confiding perſon, one of a thouſand, for his piety, and care in ſpiritual and Eccleſiaſtical affaires; (a)Phil. 2. 20, 21, 22.for I have no man like minded, that will naturally care for your affairs; for all ſeek their own, not the things which are Jeſus Chriſts; but yee know the proof of him, that as a ſon with the Father, he hath ſerved with me in the Goſpel: yet when Timothy was left at Epheſus, to give admiſſion to theſe attendants about holy things, he is not truſted very much, but hath orders and directions ſent him, whom to admit, and is ſeverely charged, not to be partial in it (b)1 Tim. 5▪ 21.. Titus was alſo a very truſty man, and had the Eccleſiaſtical keys of an hundred Cities hanging at his girdle (c)Tit. 1. 5., yet is not left to any prudence or diſcretion of his own, in this imployment, but hath Rules and Orders given him in the following verſes of that Chapter. But be it what it will be, the Scripture muſt be our Judge, and we are willing to be ordered, and judged by it; what liberty that gives, we cannot, we will not ſtraiten and confine, what that reſtrains, we cannot widen and inlarge.
6. The Scripture doth not handle any point of Doctrine, by way of common place or treatiſe, uſing a methodical and regular way of opening and explaining of it; but toucheth upon things occaſionally, as it relateth to the mainſcope, and purpoſe of the thing intended, leaving us for to pick and fiſh the truth out as we can; are called in the Apoſtle, and by him, oracles (d)Rom. 3. 2.; and oracles we know, were wont to be full of ſenſe, ſcant of ſayings. Kings uſe ſhort ſpeeches, as having more of majeſty and vigour in them, as he ſaid well, imperatoria uſus eſt brevitate; when God was pleaſed himſelf in perſon to ſpeak to men, he ſpake but ten words, as they are expreſly called by Moſes, that was witneſs to it (e)Deut. 10. 4; what one ſayes of Religion in the generall, is much more true of Scripture, that it is, medicina ſanabilium ingeniorum, a plaſter for wits that are not utterly incurable. We muſt fiſh out the meaning at our peril. God would not have us ſluggiſh and unactive, as the Poet ſayes of Husbandry, that it was left on purpoſe in the dark, to exerciſe and ſharpen the wits of men, curis acuens mortalia corda, Nec torpere gravi paſſus ſua regna veterno. We muſt therefore look narrowly and wiſely into the Scriptures, to ſee what we can finde concerning this enquiry and examen; for the truth lies often in the dark, and in a little room, as grains of gold and ſilver in the ſands and oare; and are allowed to weigh Gods actings in the Moſaical adminiſtrations, to compare and meaſure his determinations and deciſions in the like caſe, and to gather grounds and Rules from any Text, that doth but hint it, or hold it out obſcurely to us. He that ſhall read the ſixth verſe of the nineteenth Pſalm, his going out is from the end of the Heaven, and his Circuit unto the ends of it, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof, would hardly think, the preaching of the Goſpel unto the Gentiles, were there expreſly promiſed, and yet the Apoſtle doth aſſure us of it (f)Rom. 10. 18.: ſo he that ſhould read that Law of Moſes, (g)Deut. 25. 4.thou ſhalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn, would hardly think, that Miniſters maintenance were there eſtabliſhed, and yet a good Interpreter aſſures it (h)1 Cor 9. 9 1 Tim. 5. 18.. There are very many weighty points, upon which the eternal good and evil of men, doth much depend, that are but ſparingly ſet down in Scripture, as the Trinity of perſons in the God-head, the unity of two natures in one perſon: in the ſecond perſon, the ſubſiſtence of the ſoul, without the body, until the Reſurrection; the union of the perſon of Chriſt, with the Elements imployed in both the Sacraments; yet all theſe undoubtedly determined and expreſſed in the Scriptures: we muſt not think therefore to finde theſe pearls and precious ſtones above ground; but we muſt cry after knowledge, and lift up our voice for underſtanding: we muſt ſearch for her, as for ſilver, and ſeek for her, as for hidden treaſure: then we ſhall underſtand the fear of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God (i)Prov. 2: 3, 4, 5..
7. The beſt way for to finde out what the Scriptures have determined in Eccleſiaſtical affairs, is to obſerve the practiſe of the univerſal or Catholick Church of Chriſt, in all ſucceſſions and ages, from that time unto this; for no doubt the Apoſtles made known their minds to thoſe that lived with them, would not enjoyne what they themſelves had never practiſed; and we are ſure, that Timothy did know what was Pauls meaning in this particular, as he ſayes expreſly, (k)2 Tim. 3. 10, 11.thou haſt fully known my Doctrine, manner of life, purpoſe, faith, long ſuffering, charity, patience; and he enjoynes him to deliver that to others, that ſhould transfuſe and pro…agate the ſame unto poſterity (l)2 Tim. 2. 2.: we ſhould therefore in matters Eccleſiaſtical, be guided and directed very much, by the annals and actions of the Church, and thoſe believers that ſucceeded preſently in the Apoſtles rooms, and bequeathed their practice unto ſucceeding Generations: if doubt were made, how Engliſh Earls and Barons were created, what Ceremonies were to attend and uſher in their dignity and ſtate, Were not the Records of the Tower, and the practice of the Nation, good directions? ſo if we would know what kind of ſcrutiny the Scripture doth determine, for admitting Miniſters, the practice of ſucceeding ages, and Records of antiquity muſt be conſulted.
8. The only way that the Scripture intimates unto us, for admitting Miniſters to that honour, & execution of that Office, and attendance upon holy things, is ordination. We ſay intimates; for we muſt not look to finde in the Scripture, a treatiſe about this ſubject, that ſhall deſcribe it, and diſtribute it into the ſeveral parts and branches of it, but only hints and intimations, Rules and directions, patterns and preſidents, that are toucht on by the by, which by the care and induſtry of men, may be collected and digeſted, and ſo propoſed to impartial underſtandings to be conſidered and determined, as God ſhall guide and bleſſe them in the ſearch.