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ness in their own deportment, and to earnest and constant labours, in imitation of the apostle, who, during the three years of his stay among them, had been "serving God with all humility of mind, with many tears and temptations;* and had not ceased to warn every one both night and day with tears; and had taught them publicly, and from house to house."† Upon which he leaves them, calling them all to witness that "he was pure from the blood of all men." There has been great disputing concerning the persons to whom these words were addressed; but if all parties had studied more to follow the example here proposed, and the charge that is here given, which are plain and easy to be understood, than to be contending about things that are more doubtful; the good lives and the faithful labours of apostolical bishops would have contributed more, both to the edifying and healing of the church, than all their arguments or reasonings will ever be able to do.

St. Paul, reckoning up to the Romans the several obligations of Christians of all ranks to assiduity and diligence in their callings and labours, among others he numbers these: "Ministers, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teaches, on teaching; he that ruleth, with diligence."§ In his epistle to the Corinthians, as he states the dignity of the clergy in this, that they ought to be accounted of "as the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God;" he adds, "that it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful." In that epistle he sets down the perpetual law, which is the foundation of all the provision that + Ver. 20. Ver. 26. || 1 Cor. iv. 2.

* Acts xx. 19. § Rom. xii. 7.

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has been made for the clergy, "That the Lord hath ordained, that they which preach the gospel, should live of the gospel."* But if upon that, the laity have looked on themselves as bound to appoint so plentiful a supply, that the clergy might have whereon to live at their ease and in abundance, then certainly this was intended, that they, being freed from the troubles and cares of this world, might attend continually on the ministry of the word of God, and on prayer.”+ Those who do that work negligently, provoke the laity to repent of their bounty, and to defraud them of it. For certainly there are no such enemies to the patrimony and rights of the church, as those who "eat the fat, but do not preach the gospel, nor feed the flock." Happy, on the other hand, are they to whom that character, which the apostle assumes to himself and to Timothy, does belong: "Therefore, seeing we have received this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but, by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." In the epistle to the Ephesians, we have the ends of the institution of all the ranks of clergymen set forth in these words: "He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying 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 * 1 Cor. ix. 14. † Acts vi. 4.

2 Cor. iv. 1, 2.

fulness of Christ."* In these words we see something that is so vast and noble, so far above these slight and poor performances, in which the far greater part do too easily satisfy themselves, that in charity to them we ought to suppose, that they have not reflected sufficiently on the importance of them; otherwise they would have in some sort proportioned their labours to those great designs for which they are ordained; and would remember the charge given to the Colossians to say to Archippus, who it seems was remiss in the discharge of his duty, "Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it."+

The epistles to Timothy and Titus are the foundation of all the canons of the church. In these we have the characters of bishops and deacons, as well as the duties belonging to those functions, so particularly set forth, that from thence alone every one who will weigh them well, may find sufficient instruction "how he ought to behave himself in the house of God." In these we see what patterns those of the clergy ought to "be in word (or doctrine), in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity; they ought to give attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine ;" t that is, both to the instructing and exhorting of their people. "They ought not to neglect the gift that was given to them by the laying on of hands; they ought to meditate on these things, to give themselves wholly to them, that so their profiting may appear unto all, and to take heed to themselves and their doctrine, and to continue in them; for in so doing they shall both save themselves and those that hear them." Those that govern the church are more particularly charged, “be* Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13. + Col. iv. 17. 1 Tim. iv. 12-16.

fore God, the Lord Jesus, and the holy angels, that they observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality,"

by domestic regards, the considerations of friendship, intercessions, or importunity; and, "above all, that they lay hands suddenly on no man :" to which are added words of great terror, "neither be thou partaker of other men's sins; keep thyself pure." Which ought to make great impression on all those with whom the power of ordination is lodged, since they do plainly import, that such as do ordain any rashly, without due inquiry and a strict examination, entitle themselves to all the scandal they give, and become partners of their guilt; which, if well considered, must needs make all such as are not past feeling, use great care and caution in this sacred trust. Bishops are the depositories of the faith, which they are to keep pure, and to hand down faithfully according to these words, "and the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who may be able to teach others also.”† Upon this he prepares the bishops for difficulties, "to endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." And according to that figure, since those that go to war do not carry unnecessary burthens with them, which may encumber or retard their march, he adds, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him for a soldier." Upon this it is that all those canons, which have been made in so many ages of the church against churchmen's meddling with secular af fairs, have been founded; than which we find nothing more frequently provided against, both in the apostolical * 1 Tim. v. 21, 22. † 2 Tim. ii. 2, 3, 4.

canons, in those of Antioch, in those made by the general council of Chalcedon, and in divers of the councils of Carthage: but this abuse had too deep a root in the nature of man to be easily cured. St. Paul does also in this place carry on the metaphor, to express the earnestness and indefatigableness of clergymen's zeal; that as officers in an army were satisfied with nothing under victory, which brought them the honours of a triumph; so we ought to fight, not only so as to earn our pay, but for mastery, to spoil and overcome the powers of darkness: yet even this "must be done lawfully," * not by deceiving the people with pious frauds, hoping that our good intentions will atone for our taking bad methods: war has its laws as well as peace, and those who manage this spiritual warface, ought to keep themselves within the instructions and commands that are given them. Then the apostle, changing the figure from the soldier to the workman and steward, says, "Study to show thyself approved unto God," (not to seek the vain applause of men, but to prefer to all other things the witness of a good conscience, and that in simplicity and godly sincerity he may walk and labour as in the sight of God,) " a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." This is, according to the figure of a steward, giving every one his due portion; and a little after comes a noble admonition, relating to the meekness of the clergy towards those that divide from them: "The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if peradventure God will give them repentance, to the acknowledging the truth." This is the passage

* 2 Tim. ii. 5.

† Ver 15.

Ver. 24, 25, 26.

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