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time entered into their synagogues, they never questioned any thing but his abilities; if he had any word of exhortation to the people he might say on:" and the scribes, questioning the authority of our Saviour for his teaching, were moved to it, not because he taught, but because he taught so, and such things, with authority, and against their traditions; otherwise they rather troubled themselves, to think how he should become able to teach, Mark vi. 2, 3. than him, because he did. There are indeed many sharp reproofs in the Old Testament of those who undertook to be God's messengers without his warrant; as Jer. xxii. 21, 22. 'I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel,' &c. to which, and the like places it may satisfactorily be answered, that howsoever by the way of analogy, they may be drawn into rule for these times of the gospel, yet they were spoken only in reference to them who falsely pretended to extraordinary revelations, and a power of foretelling things to come; whom the Lord forewarned his people of, and appointed punishments for them, Deut. xiii. with which sort of pretenders that nation was ever replenished, for which the very heathen often derided them. He who makes it his employment to counterfeit God's dispensations, had then no more glorious work to imitate than that of prophecy, wherein he was not idle; yet notwithstanding all this, I do not conceive the former discourse to be punctually true in the latitude thereof; as though it were permitted to all men, or any men, besides the priests and prophets to teach publicly at all times, and in all estates of that church. Only I conceive that the usual answers given to the forecited places, when objected, are not sufficient: take an instance in one, 2 Chron. xvii. of the princes of Jehoshaphat teaching with the priests. The author of the book before intimated, conceives that neither priests nor princes taught at all in that way we now treat of; but only that the priests rode circuit to administer judgment, and had the princes with them to do execution: but this interpretation he borroweth only to confirm his πρῶτον ψευδος, that priests did not teach as such; the very circumstance of the place enforces a contrary sense; and in chap. xix.

h Acts xiii. 15.

there is express mention of appointing judges for the determination of civil causes in every city, which evidently was a distinct work, distinguished from that mentioned in this place; and upon the like ground I conceive it to be no intimation of a moveable sanhedrim, which although of such a mixed constitution, yet was not itinerant, and is mentioned in that other place: neither is that other ordinary gloss more probable, they were sent to teach, that is to countenance the teaching of the law; a duty which seldom implores the assistance of human countenance: and if for the present it did, the king's authority commanding it was of more value than the presence of the princes. Besides, there is nothing in the text, nor the circumstances thereof, which should hold out this sense unto us; neither do we find any other rule, precept, or practice, whose analogy might lead us to such an interpretation. That which to me seems to come nearest the truth is, that they taught also, not in a ministerial way, like the priests and Levites, but imperially and judicially declaring the sense of the law, the offences against it, and the punishments due to such offences, especially inasmuch as they had reference to the peace of the commonwealth; which differs not much from that which I rest upon, to wit, that in a collapsed and corrupted state of the church, when the ordinary teachers are either utterly ignorant and cannot, or negligent and will not, perform their duty; gifts in any one to be a teacher, and consent in others by him to be taught, are a sufficient warrant for the performance of it; and than this, the places cited out of the Old Testament prove no more. For the proceedings of St. Paul in the synagogues, their great want of teaching (being a people before forsaken of the Spirit and then withering) might be a warrant for them to desire it, and his apostolical mission for him to do it. It doth not then at all from hence appear, that there was then any liberty of teaching in public assemblies granted unto, or assumed by any in such an estate of the church, as wherein it ought to be: when indeed it is ruinously declining, every one of God's servants hath a sufficient warrant to help or prevent the fall; this latter being but a common duty of zeal and charity, the former an authoritative act of the keys, the minister whereof is only an instrumental agent, that

from whence it hath its efficacy residing in another, in whose stead, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. and under whose person it is done. Now whoever doth any thing in another's stead, not by express patent from him, is a plain impostor; and a grant of this nature made unto all in general doth not appear. I am bold to speak of these things under the notion of the keys, though in the time of the law; for I cannot assent to those schoolmen,' who will not allow that the keys in any sense were granted to the legal priests; their power of teaching, discerning, judging, receiving in, and casting out, import the thing, though the name (no more than that of 'regnum cœlorum,' as Jerome and Augustine observe), be not to be found in the Old Testament: and doubtless God ratified the execution of his own ordinances in heaven, then, as well as now. What the immediate effect of their services was, how far by their own force they reached, and what they typified, how in signification only, and not immediately they extended to an admission into, and exclusion from the heavenly tabernacle, and wherein lies the secret power of gospel commissions beyond theirs to attain the ultimate end, I have declared elsewhere.*

Thus much of what the ancient people of God distinguished from their priests might not do: now briefly of what they might, or rather of what they ought, and what their obedience and profession declared that they thought themselves obliged unto; private exhortations, rebukings, and such dictates of the law of nature being presupposed; we find them farther 'speaking often one to another,' of those things which concerned the fear and worship of the Lord; Mal. iii. 16. by their lips feeding many with wisdom;' Prov. x. 21. discoursing of God's laws upon all occasions; Deut. vi. 6-8. by multitudes encouraging each other to the service of God; Zech. viii. 20, 21. Isa. ii. 3. jointly praising God with cheerful hearts; Psal. xlii. 4. giving and receiving mutual consolation; Psal. lv. 14. and all this, with much more of the same nature, at their meetings, either occasional, or for that purpose indicted. Always provided, that they abstained from fingering the ark, or meddling with those things which were appropriated to the office of the priests and concerning them hitherto.

i

Aquin. Durand.

*Tractatu de sacerdotio Christi, contra Armin. Socini. et Papistas, nondum edito.

CHAP. III.

Containing a digression concerning the name of priests, the right of Christians thereunto by their interest in the priesthood of Christ, with the presumption of any particularly appropriating it to themselves.

AND now the transaction of these things in the Christian church presents itself to our consideration; in handling whereof, I shall not at all discourse concerning the several church officers instituted by Christ and his apostles, for the edification of his body; nor concerning the difference between them who were partakers at first of an extraordinary vocation, and those who since have been called to the same work in an ordinary manner, divinely appointed for the direction of the church: neither yet doth that diversity of the administration of government in the churches, then when they were under the plenitude of apostolical power, and now when they follow rules prescribed for their reiglement, come in my way.

Farther, Who are the subject of the keys, in whom all that secondary ecclesiastical power which is committed to men doth reside, after the determinations of so many learned men, by clear Scripture light, shall not by me be called in question: all these, though conducing to the business in hand, would require a large discussion, and such a scholastical handling, as would make it an inconsutilous piece of this popular discourse; my intent being only to shew, that seeing there are, as all acknowledge, some under the New Testament, as well as the Old, peculiarly set apart by God's own appointment for the administration of Christ's ordinances, especially teaching of others by preaching of the gospel, in the way of office and duty, what remaineth for the rest of God's people to do, for their own and others' edification.

But here, before I enter directly upon the matter, I must remove one stone of offence, concerning the common appellation of those who are set apart for the preaching of the gospel: that which is most frequently used for them in the New Testament is diákovou, so 1 Cor. iii. 5. 2 Cor. iii. 6. vi. 4. xi. 15. 23. 1 Tim. iv. 6. and in divers other places; to which add unρéral, 1 Cor. iv. 1. a word though of another

original, yet of the same signification with the former, and both rightly translated 'ministers.' The names of ambassadors, stewards, and the like, wherewith they are often honoured are figurative, and given unto them by allusion only: that the former belonged unto them, and were proper for them, none ever denied, but some Rabshakehs of antichrist. Another name there is, which some have assumed unto themselves as an honour, and others have imposed the same upon them for a reproach: viz. that of priest, which to the takers seemed to import a more mysterious employment, a greater advancement above the rest of their brethren, a nearer approach unto God, in the performances of their office, than that of ministers: wherefore they embraced it, either voluntarily alluding to the service of God and the administration thereof, amongst his ancient people the Jews, or thought that they ought necessarily to undergo it, as belonging properly to them who are to celebrate those mysteries and offer those sacrifices which they imagined were to them prescribed. The imposers, on the contrary, pretend divers reasons why now that name can signify none but men rejected from God's work, and given up to superstitious vanities; attending in their minds, the old priests of Baal, and the now shavelings of antichrist: it was a new etymology of this name, which that learned man cleaved unto, who unhappily was engaged into the defence of such errors as he could not but see, and did often confess to which also he had an entrance made by an archbishop; to wit, that it was but an abbreviation of presbyters; knowing full well, not only that the signification of these words is diverse amongst them to whom belongs 'jus et norma loquendi,' but also, that they are widely different in holy writ. Yea, farther, that those who first dignified themselves with this title, never called themselves presbyters, by way of distinction from the people, but only to have a note of distance among themselves: there being more than one sort of them that were sacrificers, and which 'eo nomine,' accounted themselves priests. Setting aside then all such evasions and distinctions as the people of God are not bound to take notice of, and taking the word in its ordinary acceptation, I shall briefly declare what I conceive of the use thereof, in the respect of them who are ministers, b Whitgift, Ans. to the Admon.

a Hook. Eccles. Polit. lib. 5.

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