MINISTER DIVINE.

I. THE imposition of hands upon the minister, when all is done, will be nothing but a designation of a person to this or that office or employment in the church. It is a ridiculous phrase that of the Canonists, Conferre Ordines, it is Coaptare aliquem in Ordinem, to make a man one of us, one of our number, one of our order. So Cicero would understand what I said, it being a phrase borrowed from the Latins, and to be understood proportionably to what was amongst them.

II. Those words you now use in making a minister, receive the Holy Ghost," were used amongst the Jews in making of a lawyer; from thence we have them, which is a villainous key to something, as if you would have some other kind of præfecture than a mayoralty, and yet keep the same ceremony that was used in making the mayor.

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III. A priest has no such thing as an indelible character; what difference do you find betwixt him and another man after ordination? Only he is made a priest, as I said, by desig nation; as a lawyer is called to the bar, then made a serjeant all men that would get power over others, make themselves as unlike them as they can, upon the same ground the priests made themselves unlike the laiety. IV. A minister, when he is made, is ma

teria

teria prima, apt for any form the state will put upon him, but of himself he can do nothing. Like a doctor of law in the university, he hath a great deal of law in him, but cannot use it till he be made somebody's chancellor; or, like a physician, before he be received into a house, he can give nobody phy-sie; indeed after the master of the house hath given him charge of his servants, then he may: or, like a suffragan, that could do nothing but give orders, and yet he was no bishop.

V. A minister should preach according to the articles of religion established in the church where he is. To be a civil lawyer, let a man read Justinian and the Body of the Law, to confirm his brain to that way, but when he comes to practise, he must make use of it so far as it concerns the law received in his own country. To be a physician, let a man read : Galen and Hippocrates; but when he prac tises, he must apply his medicines according to the temper of those men's bodies with whom he lives, and have respect to the heat and cold of climes, otherwise that which in Pergamus, where Galen lived, was physic, in our cold climate may be poison. So, to be a divine, let him read the whole body of divinity, the fathers, and the schoolmen; but when he comes to practise, he must use it and apply it according to those grounds and articles of religion

religion that are established in the church, and this with sense.

VI. There be four things a minister should beat: the conscionary part, ecclesiastical story, school divinity, and the casuists.

I. In the conscionary part, he must read all the chief fathers, both Latin and Greek, wholly. St. Austin, St. Ambrose, St. Chrysostome, both the Gregories, &c. Tertullian, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Epiphanius; which last have more learning in them than all the rest, and writ freely.

2. For ecclesiastical story, let him read Ba ronius, with the Magdeburgenses, and be his own judge, the one being extremely for the papists, the other extremely against them.

3. For school divinity, let him get Javellus's edition of Scotus or Major, where there be quotations that direct you to every schoolman, where such and such questions are handled. Without school divinity, a divine knows nothing logically, nor will he be able to satisfy a rational man out of the pulpit.

4. The study of the casuists must follow the study of the schoolmen, because the division of their cases is according to their di❤ vinity; otherwise he that begins with them will know little. As he that begins with the study of the reports and cases in the common law, will thereby know little of the law. Casuists may be of admirable use, if discreetly dealt with, though among them you shall

have

have many leaves together very impertinent A case well decided would stick by a man, they will remember it whether they will or no; whereas a quaint position dieth in the birth. The main thing is to know where to search; for talk what they will of vast memo ries, no man will presume upon his own me mory for any thing he means to write or speak in public.

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VII. Go and teach all nations." was said to all Christians that then were, be fore the distinction of clergy and laity, there have been since men designed to preach only by the state, as some men are designed to study the law, others to study physic. When the Lord's Supper was instituted, there were none present but the disciples; shall none then but ministers receive?

VIII. There is all the reason you should believe your minister, unless you have,studied divinity as well as he, or more than he

IX. It is a foolish thing to say a minister must not meddle with secular matters, because his own profeffion will take up the whole man; may he not eat, or drink, or walk, or learn to sing the meaning of, that is, he must seriously attend his calling...

X. Ministers with the Papists, that is, their priests, have, much respect; with the Puritans they have much, and that, upon, the same ground, they pretend both of them to come immediately from Christ; but with the Pre

testants

testants they have very little; the reason whereof is, in the beginning of the reformation they were glad to get such to take livings as they could procure by any invitations, things of pitiful condition. The nobility and gentry would not suffer their sons or kindred to meddle with the church, and therefore at this day, when they see a parson' they think him to be such a thing still, and there they will keep him, and use him accordingly; if he be a gentleman, that is singled out, and he is used the more respectfully.

XI. The protestant minister is least regarded, appears by the old story of the keeper of the Clink. He had priests of several sorts sent unto him; as they came in, he asked them who they were! Who are you? to the first: I am a priest of the church of Rome. You are welcome, quoth the keeper, there are those will take care of you. And who are you? A silenced minister. You are welcome too, I shall fare the better for you. And who are you? A minister of the church of England. O God help me, quoth the keeper, I shall get nothing by you, I am sure you may lie and starve and rot, before any body will look after you.

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XII. Methinks it is an ignorant thing for a churchman, to call himself the minister of Christ, because St. Paul, or the Apostles called themselves so. If one of them had a voice from heaven, as St. Paul had, I will grant he is a minister of Christ, I will call

him