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ordained Elders, Presbyters or Prefts (z) in every, City, to feed the Church of God which he hath purchafed with his own Blood (a). Thefe Elders or Presbyters (for that is the Word in the Original) are alfo called Bihops, for fo (b) St. Paul called the Elders or Presbyters of Ephefus when he fent for them to come to his Epifcopal or Apoftolical Vifitation at Miletus, faying, Take heed therefore to your felves, and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghoft hath made yon Bishops, our Tranflation reads it Overfeers, but the Original is Bibeps. Thus after the Refurrection, as well as before, do we find Three Orders of Minifters in the Church. First the Apostles, who were chief Officers or Governors of the Church, who stood in the Place of Chrift, being fent by hm as he was fent by the Father; then the Bishops or Presbyters, who were next unto them, ftanding in the Place which they had whilft Christ was here on Earth; and laftly, the Deacons, anfwering to the lower Order of the Seventy Difciples.

SIX. And that thefe Three Orders of Apoftles, Bishops or Presbyters, and Deacons, were every one intituled to be perpetually continued in the Church, is alfo to be proved from the Scriptures and ancient Authors. That the Apoftolical or highest Order, which was appointed to fupply the Place of Christ himself after his Afcenfion, was intended by him not for a Temporary, but a perpetual Inftitution, is evident from the Commiffion he gave them after his Refurrection. For (c) having fingled out the Eleven Apoftles, (d) out of above Five Hundred, to whom he appeared at

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once after his Refurrection, and appointed them alone to meet him at a Mountain in Galilee, he spake untó them, faying, All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth. And having thus declared his own Power, he commits it to them, and fays, Go ye therefore, as my Deputies and Vicegerents, and difciple all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo I am with you alway, even unto the End of the World, Amen. In which laft Words he plainly fhews that their Office was intended to be continued alway, even unto the End of the World, and he confirms this Promife with an Amen, thereby teftifying that he would verily and indeed fulfil it. Now it was plainly the Apoftolical Office which our Saviour here promifed he would be alway prefent with, to ratify and confirm their Miniftratioss. For it was only the Eleven Disciples or Apoftles, whom he had before fent, as he was fent by the Father, to whom he made the Promife. And that the Promife was made to the Office or Order with which he had vefted them, and not to their Perfons, is evident, because otherwife his Promise must have failed at their Deaths, and confequently he was fo far from continuing with them to the End of the World in the Discharge of this Office, that he did not continue with them an Hundred Years, for all thefe Eleven Apoftles were dead in lefs than that Time. But fome pretend that the Words which we here tranflate the End of the World, fignify no more than the End of that Age. But if they are understood to fignify no more, then the Commiffion to difciple by Baptifm, and to teach what Chrift had commanded, muft end with that Age alfo, and then Chriftianity muft have ceafed with that Age, fo that ever fince our

Preach

Preaching has been vain, and your Faith alfo vain; for it has fince had no Promife of Chrift to depend upon, if this Promise is to be extended to no longer Time; and that is not Faith, but Prefumption, which is not founded upon any Promife. But if the Promife is to be extended to the End of the World, and that it must be, or there can be no Chriftianity in the World, then muft the Office, the Apoftolical Office or Order, to which it was made, continue fo long. For Chrift did not fay, I am alway prefent to ratify and confirm thefe Miniftrations by whomfoever performed, but I am with you alway; with you whom I have fent, as I was fent by the Father, with you whom I have appointed to difciple all Nations by Baptifm, with you whom I have appointed to teach all Things which I have commanded, and will ratify and confirm what you do in thefe Miniftrations, that is, you who are commiffioned for that Purpose. Therefore the Office, the Apoftolical Office, to which this Commiffion was given, muft continue for the Ministry of these Ordinances, or there is no Promife that thefe Ordinances fhall be effectual to any after the Death of those Perfons to whom this Commiffion was particularly given. But if the Ordinances continue then the Commiffion alfo is continued, for the Promife is not made to the Ordinances, but to the Commiffioners in the Miniftration of those Ordinances: And therefore if those who have not the Commiffion undertake to adminifter them, there is no Word of Promife to make fuch Miniftrations effectual,

§ X. That the Office of Presbyters or Elders, called alfo Bishops in the Scripture, was intended to continue always in the Church, is evident from

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their

their (e) being ordained in EVERY Church; for an occafional Temporary Officer needed not to be ordained xal' enxanolav, throughout the Church. But there being (I think) none who hold the Neceffity of any Minifters at all, but who allow the Order of Presbyters to have been inftituted for a perpetual ftanding Office in the Church, I need not give my felf the Trouble to prove it very particularly. The fame may be faid alfo of the Order of Deacons, whom (f) we likewife find in the severa! Churches founded by the Apoftles.

§ XI. Thus have we Three Orders of Minifers in the Scripture, appointed and fettled by Chrift and his Apofties, for the perpetual Government of Chrift's Church, and to minifter his Word and Sacraments unto the People committed to their Charge. Whilft Chrift was here on Earth, there was he himself the Supreme Head and Governour of his Church, and under him the Twelve Apoftles and Seventy Difciples, to affift him in the Miniftration of the Divine Ordinances, in fuch manner as he was pleafed to appoint and direct them. And neither the Apoftles nor the Seventy Difciples, whilft he was here with them, had any Power or Authority to fend others to minifter in Sacred Offices, but if they found the Work too much for them, were directed to apply to him who was the Lord of the Harveft, and intreat him to fend more Labourers into his Harveft. But when he afcended into Heaven, then the Apostles being made his Vicegerents, and fent by him as he was fent by the Father, ordained Presbyters and Deacons to affift them in their Miniftry, as they and the Seventy

(e) Acts xiv. 23. (f) Philip. i. 1. 1 Tim. iii. 8.

affifted

affifted Christ himself whilft he was here on Earth. And as they did nothing whilft Chrift was with them on Earth but by his Direction and Appointment, so after his Afcenfion the Presbyters and Deacons did nothing but as under them, and according to their Direction and Appointment. And as they and the Seventy, fo long as Chrift was with them in this World, did not take upon them to commiffion others to affift them in the Ministry; fo neither after the Afcenfion did the Presbyters or Deacons take upon them to commiffion others, but that was done by the Apostles only, or by fuch as they appointed to fucceed them in the Apoftolical Office; whom they ordained, not to minifter under them, as the Pres byters and Deacons did, but to labour with them, as their Affociates or Equals. Such an one was Titus, whom (g) St. Paul calls his Partner and Fellow-helper. Such were (h) Softhenes, (i) Timothy, and (k) Silvanus, whom St. Paul joins with himself in the Infcription of feveral of his Epiftles, which would have been very abfurd in an authoritative Epiftle (and all St. Paul's are fuch) if their Authority had not been equal to his own. Such alfo was (1) Epaphroditus, whom he exprefly calls an Apoftle tho', as I have before obferved, our Tranflation renders it Menger) as well as his Brother and Companion in Labour, and Fellow Soldier, Titles which he gives not to (m) the Bishops or Presbyters, and Deacons of Philippi, but only to him who was their Apoftle or chief Paftor. Now when St. Paul wrote to any Churches in general, or particularly to the Bishops, or Presbyters, and

(g) 2 Cor. viii. 23. (b) 1 Cor i. 1. (i) 2 Cor. i 1. Philip. i. 1. Col. i. 1. Philem. 1. (k) 1 Theff. i. 1. 2 Theff, (1) Philip, ii. 25. (m) Philip. i. 1.

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