call'd it, and Thieving and Coveteousness; the fame God forbad Lying, Perjury, Blafphemy, Murder and Disobedience to lawful Superiors and Rebellion; and all upon the fame Reafon and the fame Penalties. So that we had many Thousands driven into thofe Damning Sins, and dying impenitent in them, and confequently loft for ever; who, if thofe ugly Sins they were guilty of had been fairly laid before them by their pretended Teachers, would have abhor'd the Sins, and have abhor'd themselves for them in Duft and Ashes. Yet how many Souls did thofe wretched Impoftors pretend to have brought over to Christ? What numerous Converfions did they boast of What Armies of as good Saints as Judas, or Ananias and Sapphira of old; or our Beckets, Fauxs and Garnets of late did they crowd Heaven with, waxing every Day worfe and worfe deceiving and being deceiv'd?

But it cannot be expected, with any reafon, that God fhould really give his Bleffing either to those means or those Inftruments of Salvation to Mankind, which he himself never ap pointed. To expect any fuch Thing, would be to expect that God fhould act contrary to himfelf. I make no doubt but that many learned and pious Men may have the Gifts of God's Spirit fo plentifully beftow'd upon them, that Judge they may be able, with a great deal of eafe, to Hales, Mr. Compofe excellent Difcourfes upon Divine Lamb, Mr. Subjects; that they may argue clofely and Allen, &c. ftrongly in the Defence of Truth; nay, that they may be Mafters of such powerful Eloquence as may reach the Hearts as well as Ears of the attending Multitude: But none of these Qualifications can make a Man a lawful Paftor, or Church

E 4

Church Governour, till he has a lawful Authority conferr❜d on him by those who themselves had a lawful Authority before. There are few Armies take the Field which have not fome private Centinels in them, who could command them as well as any of the General Officers; yet if fuch private Centinels, without Commiffion, fhould take fuch Commands upon themselves, the best Army in the Universe would quickly be ruin'd.

Princes, generally, appoint Perfons of Honour and Valuable for their Conduct and Prudence, to reprefent their Perfons in foreign Courts: And no doubt but those Princes leave feveral of as confiderable Parts and Abilities for that Employment at Home, at the fame time: But would it not make mad Work if all thofe capable Perfons, being confcious of their own Abilities, fhould, without any Credentials from their Sovereign, take upon themselves the Character of his Ambaffadors? When Elisha order'd Naaman the Syrian General to wash himself feven times in the River Jordan, for the Cure of his Leprofy; Naaman's Queftion was, to appearance 2 King. 5.juft enough: Are not Abana and Pharpar, Rivers of Damafcus, better than all the Waters of Ifrael ? May I not wash in them and be clean? No doubt but Abana and Pharpar were purer and much more confiderable Streams than Jordan; but God had not appointed them for that purpose. Had Naaman been order'd to wash in them, the Cure had been made; but without fuch an Order, washing in them a Thoufand times would have done him no good. Those whom God, in his own Way, fends forth to labour in his Vineyard, he may and will blefs; but those who

12.

croud

croud themselves into it without Sending, bring nothing but Mifery and Deftruction upon themselves and upon their Hearers.

St. Paul forewarns his Son Timothy of fuch Perfons who fhould break out into the moft fcandalous Crimes, and yet fhould have a Form of Godliness, when they deny'd the Power of it: 2 Of which fort, fays he, are they who creep into Houfes and lead captive filly Women, laden with Sins, and led about with divers Lufts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth. Would to God we could not say as our Saviour did, in another Cafe, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in our Ears. But what Design can thofe Teachers have who affault fuch weak Antagonifts, but only that, as the Old Serpent attempted the Woman firft, and then, by her, prevail'd upon the Man, and ruin'd the World; fo these Deceivers would, by the fame mifchievous Arts, fhock the Refolutions of wife and good Men, and confound the whole Society of Chriftians?

It were easy now to add more Reasons to confirm the Truth of our Firft Propofition, viz. That none ought to take upon them the Inftruction or Government of the Church of God, but fuch as are lawfully call'd by Him to that Work. We might demonftrate how very reasonable it is, that the pureft Administrations should always be attended on by the moft venerable Miniftry that therefore God could not but take as ftrict a Care to defend the Chriftian Church from the Infults of Bears and Wolves, i.e. the fierceft and most blafphemous Heretics; and from the Foxes and little Foxes, i. e. Schifmatics, the inferior Seeds-men of Divifion, and

the

Tim. 3.

5, 6, 7.

the smaller Niblers at Doctrine and truefOrder; as ever He had taken of the Church of the Jews in former Ages.

We might fay farther, that this Method by which Men Ordain or Commiffion themselves as Teachers and Governours of the Church, muft of neceffity bring the Holy Word of God itself into Contempt and Derifion: And that, fince fuch Self-fent Men are not fo oft more Holy, as they are more Daring and Impudent, than other Men; Perfons of Thought and Confideration muft eafily fee thro' their well painted Vizors, and confequently laugh at and defpife them: Tho' Careless and Unthinking Men will proceed farther, and, from their Prefumption, who will run before they are fent, learn to ridicule all Religion whatsoever. And indeed, by the help of fuch Uncommiffion'd Preachers we have almoft turn'd all ferious Religion out of doors: Such Teachers, inftead of reforming and edifying the Church; have only introduced Pride, Selfconceit, Cenforiousness, Hypocrify, and truly Pittiable Ignorance: All which, I fear, in a little time, will give us too full an evidence, that a Penal Hardness and Infenfibility has feiz'd upon both fuch felf-ordain'd Preachers and their Followers. much may serve for clearing this first Propofition in the firft place. We come now to clear it by a fecond Enquiry propos'd to that End, and that Enquiry must be into Two Things;

viz.

And fo

1. What those Officers were who were Commiffion'd by our Saviour and his Apoftles to Teach and Govern his Church.

2. What

2. What Method our Saviour and his Apoftles took to commiffionate any Perfons to that Important Work.

CHA P. IV.

What Officers were appointed in the Chriftian Church originally by our Saviour and bis Apoftles. Bishops, and thofe of the fame Nature and Power with our prefent Diocefans, the first Governours of the Church. The Work of a Bishop. Some Objections to their Office confidered. Pref byters and Deacons appointed. Their Bufinefs. Both Subject to the Bishop. The Difference between Apoftolical Deacons and thofe called by that Name in fome of our Diffenting Congregations.

Acts 20. 28. Take beed therefore unto your felves, and to all the Flock, over the which the Holy Ghost bath made you Overfeers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own Bload.

UR original Propofition was, That none ought to take upon them to Teach or Govern the Church of God, but fuch as are Lawfully Call'd to that weighty Work: And having prov'd that Propofition already, by feveral Reasons, for a further Confirmation of the fame Truth, we muft enquire

Secondly,