way obliged to do more than he is able, with the regular preservation of his life; and the church is obliged to be satisfied with the conscientious discharge of what abilities a pastor hath; otherwise providing for itself in what is wanting.

2. It is not lawful, merely on a weariness of, and despondency under, opposition and reproaches; which a pastor is called and obliged to undergo for the good and edification of the flock, and not to faint in the warfare whereto he is called.

These two were the reasons of Eustathius at Perga, which were disallowed in the council at Ephesus. But,

3. It is lawful in such an incurable decay of intellectual abilities, as whereon a man can discharge no duty of the pastoral office unto the edification of the church.

4. It is lawful, in case of incurable divisions in the church constantly obstructing its edification, and which cannot be removed whilst such a one continues in his office, though he be no way the cause of them. This is the case wherein Clemens gives advice, and whereof Gregory gave an example in his own practice.

But this case and its determination will hold only where the divisions are incurable by any other ways and means. For if those who cause such divisions may be cast out of the church, or the church may withdraw communion from them; or if there be divisions in fixed parties and principles, opinions or practices, they may separate into distinct communion; in such cases this remedy, by the pastor's laying down his office, is not to be made use of; otherwise all things are to be done for edification.

5. It may be lawful, where the church is wholly negligent in its duty, and persists in that negligence after admonition, in providing, according to their abilities, for the outward necessity of their pastor and his family. But this case cannot be determined without the consideration of many particular circumstances.

6. Where all or many of these causes concur, so as that a man cannot cheerfully and comfortably go on in the discharge of his office, especially, if he be pressed in point of conscience through the church's noncompliance with their duty, with respect unto any of the institutions of Christ:

and if the edification of the church, which is at present obstructed, may be provided for in their own judgment after a due manner; there is no such grievous yoke laid by the Lord Christ on the necks of any of his servants, but that such a person may peaceably lay down his office in such a church, and either abide in a private station, or take the care of another church, wherein he may discharge his office (being yet of ability) unto his own comfort, and their edification.

CHAP. VI.

Of the office of teachers in the church, or an inquiry into the state, condition, and work of those called teachers in the Scripture.

THE Lord Christ hath given unto his church pastors and teachers; Eph. iv. 11. He hath 'set in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers;' 1 Cor. xii. 28. In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers; Acts xiii. 1, And their work is both described and assigned unto them, as we shall see afterward.

But the thoughts of learned men, about those who in the Scripture are called teachers, are very various; nor is the determination of their state and condition easy or obvious, as we shall find in our inquiry.

If there were originally a distinct office of teachers in the church, it was lost for many ages: but yet there was always a shadow or appearance of it retained; first in public catechists, and then in doctors or professors of theology in the schools belonging unto any church. But this, as unto the title of doctor or teacher, is but a late invention. For the occasion of it rose about the year of Christ, 1135. Lotharius the emperor having found in Italy a copy of the Roman civil law, and being greatly taken with it, he ordained that it should be publicly read and expounded in the schools. This he began, by the direction of Imerius his chancellor, at Bononia; and to give encouragement unto this employment, they ordained, that those who were the public professors of it should be solemnly created doctors, of whom Bulgarus Hugolinus, with others, were the first. Not long after, this

And

rite of creating doctors was borrowed of the lawyers by divines, who publicly taught divinity in their schools. this imitation first took place in Bononia, Paris, and Oxford. But this name is since grown a title of honour to sundry sorts of persons, whether unto any good use or purpose or no, I know not; but it is in use, and not worth contending about, especially if, as unto some of them, it be fairly reconcileable unto that of our Saviour, Matt. xxiii. 8.

But the custom of having in the church teachers that did publicly explain and vindicate the principles of religion, is far more ancient, and of known usage in the primitive churches. Such was the practice of the church of Alexandria in their school, wherein the famous Pantænus, Origen, and Clemens were teachers; an imitation whereof was continued in all ages of the church.

And indeed, the continuation of such a peculiar work and employment, to be discharged in manner of an office, is an evidence that originally there was such a distinct office in the church. For, although in the Roman church they had instituted sundry orders of sacred officers, borrowed from the Jews or Gentiles, which have no resemblance unto any thing mentioned in the Scripture; yet sundry things abased and corrupted by them in church-officers, took their occasional rise from what is so mentioned.

There are four opinions concerning those who are called by this name in the New Testament.

1. Some say, that no office at all is denoted by it; it being only a general appellation of those that taught others, whether constantly or occasionally. Such were the prophets in the church of Corinth, that spake occasionally and in their turns ; 1 Cor. xiv. which is that which all might do who had ability for it, ver. 5. 24, 25.

2. Some say, it is only another name for the same office with that of a pastor, and so not to denote any distinct office; of which mind Jerom seems to be, Eph. iv.

3. Others allow, that it was a distinct office, whereunto some were called and set apart in the church, but it was only to teach (and that in a peculiar manner) the principles of religion, but had no interest in the rule of the church or the administration of the sacred mysteries; so the pastor in the church was to rule and teach, and administer the sa

cred mysteries: the teacher to teach or instruct only, but not to rule, nor dispense the sacraments; and the ruling elder to rule only, and neither to preach nor administer sacraments; which hath the appearance of order, both useful and beautiful.

4. Some judge that it was a distinct office, but of the same nature and kind with that of the pastor, endowed with all the same powers, but differenced from it with respect unto gifts, and a peculiar kind of work allotted unto it: but this opinion hath this seeming disadvantage, that the difference between them is so small, as not to be sufficient to give a distinct denomination of officers, or to constitute a distinct office. And it may be, such a distinction in gifts will seldom appear, as that the church may be guided thereby in their choice of meet persons unto distinct offices. But Scripture testimony and rule must take place; and I shall briefly examine all these opinions.

1. The first is, that this is not the name of any officer, nor is a teacher, as such, any officer in the church; but it is used only as a general name for any that teach on any account the doctrine of the gospel. I do not indeed know of any who have in particular contended for this opinion; but I observe that very many expositors take no farther notice of them, but as such. This seems to me to be most remote from the truth.

It is true, that in the first churches not only some, but all who had received spiritual light in the gifts of knowledge and utterance, did teach and instruct others as they had opportunity; 1 Pet. v. 8-11. Hence, the heathen philosophers, as Celsus in particular, objected to the Christians of old, that they suffered suttlers, and weavers, and cobblers to teach among them, which, they who knew that Paul himself, their great apostle, wrought at a trade not much better, were not offended at. Of this sort were the disciples mentioned; Acts viii. 4. So was Aquila, Acts xviii. 26. and the many prophets in the church of Corinth; 2 Epist. i. 14. But,

1. The name Sidάokaλoç, is not used in the New Testament but for a teacher with authority. The apostle John tells us, that διδάσκαλος is the same with ῥαββουνί, chap. xx. 16. or as it is written, paßßovì, Mark x. 51. which in

their mixed dialect was the same with rabbi. And 2 and

of which ; מולה were then in use for the Hebrew רברבי

see Job xxxvi. 22. Isa. xxx. 20. Now the constant signification of these words is, 'a master in teaching,'' a teacher with authority.' Nor is didáσkados used in the New Testament, but for such a one. And therefore those who are called teachers, were such as were set apart unto the office of teaching, and not such as were so called from an occasional work or duty.

2. Teachers are numbered among the officers, which Christ hath given unto and set in the church, Eph. iv. 11. 1 Cor. xii. 28. So that originally church-officers were intended by them, is beyond contradiction.

3. They are mentioned as those, who with others did preside in the church, and join in the public ministrations of it, Acts xv. 1, 2.

4. They are charged to attend unto the work of teaching, which none can be, but they whose office it is to teach, Rom. xii. 7. It is therefore undeniable, that there is such an office as that of a teacher mentioned in the Scripture.

The second opinion is, that although a teacher be a church-officer, yet no distinct office is intended in that denomination. It is, say they, only another name for a pastor, the office being one and the same, the same persons being both pastors and teachers, or called by these several names, as they have other titles also ascribed unto them.

So it is fallen out, and so it is usual in things of this nature, that men run into extremes: truth pleaseth them not. In the first deviation of the church from its primitive institution, there were introduced sundry offices in the church that were not of divine institution, borrowed partly of the Jews, and partly of the Gentiles, which issued in the seven orders of the church of Rome. They did not utterly reject any that were of a divine original, but retained some kind of figure, shadow, or image of them. But they brought in others that were merely of their own invention. In the rejection of this exorbitancy, some are apt to run into the other extreme. They will deny and reject some of them that have a divine warranty for their original. Howbeit, they are not many, nor burdensome yea, they are all such, as without the continuation of them, the edification of the