PREFACE. C THE glass of our lives seems to run and keep pace with the extremity of time: the end of those ends of the world' which began with the gospel is doubtless coming upon us; he that was instructed what should be till time should be no more,' said it was továrn wpa, the last hour in his time: much sand cannot be behind, and Christ shakes the glass; many minutes of that hour cannot remain: the next measure we are to expect, is but 'a moment, the twinkling of an eye, wherein we shall all be changed." Now as if the horoscope of the decaying age had some secret influence into the wills of men, to comply with the decrepit world, they generally delight to run into extremes; not that I would have the fate of the times to bear the faults of men, like him who cried, οὐκ ἐγὼ αἴτιος εἰμὶ ἀλλά ζεὺς καὶ μοῖρα, το free himself, entitling God and fate to his sins; but only to shew how the all-disposing providence of the Most High, works such a compliance of times and persons, as may jointly drive at his glorious aims, causing men to set out in such seasons as are fittest for their travel. This epidemical disease of the aged world, is the cause, why in that great diversity of contrary opinions, wherewith men's heads and hearts are now replenished, the truth pretended to be sought with so much earnestness, may be often gathered up, quite neg * 1 Cor. x. 11. τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων. c 1 John ii. 18. Matt. xxiv. 23. d 1 Cor. xv. 52. Zanch. de fine sec. Mol. acc. proph. b Rev. x. 6. e e Rom. ix. 19. lected, between the parties litigant: 'medio tutissimus’ is a sure rule, but that fiery spirits, Pyroeis, Eous, et Æthon, will be mounting. In the matter concerning which I propose my weak essay, some would have all Christians to be almost ministers; others, none but ministers to be God's clergy: those would give the people the keys, these use them, to lock them out of the church; the one ascribing to them primarily all ecclesiastical power for the ruling of the congregation, the other abridging them of the performance of spiritual duties, for the building of their own souls as though there were no habitable earth between the valley (I had almost said the pit) of democratical confusion, and the precipitous rock of hierarchical tyranny. When unskilful archers shoot, the safest place to avoid the arrow is the white: going as near as God shall direct me to the truth of this matter, I hope to avoid the strokes of the combatants on every side. And therefore will not handle it épuruks, with opposition to any man, or opinion, but doyμarik@ç briefly proposing mine own required judgment; the summary result whereof, is, that the sacred calling may retain its ancient diguity, though the people of God be not deprived of their Christian liberty; to clear which proposal, some things I shall briefly premise. THE DUTY OF PASTORS AND PEOPLE DISTINGUISHED. CHAP. I. Of the administration of holy things among the patriarchs before the law. 1. CONCERNING the ancient patriarchs: from these, some who would have Judaism to be but an intercision of Christianity,' derive the pedigree of Christians, affirming the difference between us and them to be solely in the name and not the thing itself: of this, thus much at least is true, that 'the law of commandments contained in ordinances,' did much more diversify the administration of the covenant, before and after Christ, than those plain moralities, wherewith in their days it was clothed: where the assertion is deficient, antiquity hath given its authors sanctuary from farther pursuit; their practice then, were it clear, can be no precedent for Christians. All light brought to the gospel, in comparison of those full and glorious beams that shine in itself, is but a candle set up in the sun: yet, for their sakes who found out the former unity, I will (not following the conceit of any, nor the comments of many) give you such a bare narration, as the Scripture will supply me withal, of their administration of the holy things and practice of their religion (as it seems Christianity, though not so called), and doubt you not of divine approbation and institution. For all prelacy, at least until Nimrod hunted for preferment, was de jure divino.' I find then, that before the giving of the law, the chief men among the servants of the true God, did every one in their own families, with their neighbours adjoining of the same persuasion, perform those things which they knew to be required by the law of nature, tradition, or spe'Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. 1. cap. Ambr. de Sacra. lib. 4. Eph. ii. 15. cial revelation (the unwritten word of those times) in the service of God, instructing their children and servants in the knowledge of their creed concerning the nature and goodness of God, the fall and sin of man, the use of sacrifices, and the promised seed (the sum of their religion); and moreover, performing rà Tρòs ròv Oɛòv things appertaining unto God. This we have delivered concerning Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, Jethro, Job, and others.h Now whether they did this as any way peculiarly designed unto it, as an office, or rather in obedient duty to the prime law of nature, in which, and to whose performance, many of them were instructed and encouraged by divine revelation (as seems most probable), is not necessary to be insisted on. To me truly it seems evident, that there were no determinate ministers of divine worship before the law; for where find we any such office instituted, where the duties of those officers prescribed? or were they of human invention? God would never allow, that in any regard, the will of the creature should be the measure of his honour and worship: but the right and exercise of the priesthood, say some, was in the first-born; but a proof of this will be for ever wanting. Abel was not Adam's eldest son, yet, if any thing were peculiar to such an office, it was by him performed; that both the brothers carried their sacrifices to their father, is a vain surmise. Who was priest then when Adam died? Neither can any order of descent be handsomely contrived. Noah had three sons, grant the eldest only a priest; were the eldest sons of his other sons priests or no? if not, how many men, fearing God, were scattered over the face of the earth, utterly deprived of the means of right worship? if so, there must be a new rule produced beyond the prescript of nature, whereby a man may be enabled by generation to convey that to others which he hath not in himself. I speak not of Melchisedec and his extraordinary priesthood: why should any speak where the Holy Ghost is silent? If we pretend to know him, we overthrow the whole mystery, and run cross to the apostle, affirming him to be aπaropa άuropa, without father, mother, or genealogy; for so long time, then, as the h Gen. iv. 26. v. 22. vi. 8, 9. &c. viii. 20. ix. 25–27. xviii. 18, 19. xix. 9. xxviii. 1, 2. xxxiv. 26. xxxv. 3-5. Exod. iii. 1. Job i. 5. xlii. 8—10. k Jacob Armin. de Sacerd. ch. orat. iTho. 22. æ. q. 87. ad 3. |