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The ninth. Then euery pastor (x) 1.1 had his flocke.
To proue this you alleage the. 20. of the Acts, the. 4. to the Ephe. the first to Titus, the. 5. chapter of the. 1. of Peter: which places de∣clare
that there were Pastors whiche had flockes: but they proue not that euery Pastor had a flocke: neuerthelesse howe so euer you proue it, true it is that if he be a Pastor, he must haue a certain flock, for therein doth a Pastor differ from the rest of the degrees of mini∣sters in Christes Churche, mentioned in the fourth chapter to the E∣phes. But you muste learne, that there bee not onely Pastors in the Churche, but also Apostles, Prophetes, Euangelistes, Doctors, Ephes. 4. 1. Cor. 12. who all are called ministers, and haue their place in the Churche of Christe, as it shall be proued if you denie it.
This passeth all the diuinitie that euer I redde, that there are nowe Apostles, and Euange∣listes, and Prophetes. You shall assuredly doe maruels, if you proue that, as you saye you wil, if any denie it: I denye it, proue you it.
Then haue you not redde muche diuinitie: for if it be true that the Apostle Saincte Paule in the fourth to the Ephesians dothe make a perfecte platforme of a Churche, and a full rehersall of the offices therein conteyned (as you say he dothe) then can I not vnderstande howe you can make those offices rather temporall, than the office of the Pastors and Doctors. And forasmuche as you so greatly contemne authori∣tie, and woulde haue all thinges proued by Scripture, lette mée heare one worde of the same, that dothe but insinuate these offices to be temporall. The place it selfe séemeth to importe a continuance of these functions, vntill the comming of* 1.3 Christe. For he sayeth: He therfore gaue some to be Apostles, and some Prophetes, and some Euangelistes, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the gatheryng together of the Sainctes, for the woorke of the ministerie. &c. vntill wee all meete together in the v∣nitie of faithe and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfecte man, and vnto the measure of the age and fulnesse of Christe. &c. I am perswaded that you can not shew any lyke place, whiche dothe so playnely importe the abrogatyng of them, as thys* 1.4 dothe make for their continuaunce. I haue besyde that place to the Ephesians, the twelfth of the firste to the Corinth. and the. 14. where he speaketh of Prophets, as of perpetuall ministers in the Churche of Christe.
I knowe that there were certayne thynges in the Apostles, whiche were pro∣per vnto themselues, as theyr callyng, whyche was immediatly from God, their commission to goe into the whole worlde, the power of woorkyng miracles, to bée witnesses of the Resurrection and of the Ascention. &c. but to preache the woorde of God in places where néede requireth, (though the same be not peculiarly commit∣ted to them) or to gouerne Churches alreadie planted, I sée no cause why it shoulde not be perpetuall.* 1.5
Lykewise the office of the Euangelist, if it be taken for the writing of the gospell, then it is ceased. But if it be taken for preaching to the people playnely and simply, as (a) 1.6 Bullinger thinketh: or generally, for preaching the gospell: as (b) 1.7 Musculus suppo∣seth, in whiche sense also Paule sayde to Timothie. 2. Timo. 4. doo the worke of an Euangelist: Or for preaching more feruently and zealously than other, as (c) 1.8 Bucer say∣eth: then I see no cause at all why it may not still remaine in the Church.
Moreouer Prophetes, if they be taken for suche as haue the gifte of foreshe∣wyng things to come, then be they not in all tymes of the Churche: but if they be* 1.9 suche as Saincte Paule speaketh of. 1. Corin. 14. such (I saye) as haue an especiall gyfte in interpretyng the Scriptures, whether it bée in expoundyng the myste∣ries thereof to the learned, or in declaryng the true sense thereof to the people: I vnderstande not why it is not as perpetuall as the Pastor or Doctor.
Thus you sée that I haue bothe Scripture and reason on my syde: and to the ende you maye perceyue that I am not destitute of the consent also of learned* 1.10 men in thys matter, I will sette downe the opinions of one or two. Ambrose vpon these wordes Ad Ephes. 4. Et ipse dedit quosdam quidem Apostolos. &c. sayeth thus: The Apostles are Bishops: Prophets be interpreters of the Scriptures, althoughe in the begin∣ning there were Prophetes, as Agabus, and the foure Virgins Prophetesses, as it is in the Actes of the Apostles. &c. yet nowe interpreters bee called Prophets, Euangelistes bee* 1.11 Deacons, as Philip: for althoughe they bee no Priestes, yet maye they preache the Go∣spell without a chaire, as both Stephanus and Philippe before named. Bucer vppon the* 1.12 same place sayth that there bée Euangelistes nowe, and you your selfe fol. 42. confesse, that Hus, Ierome of Prage, Luther, Zuinglius. &c. were Euangelistes. Peter Martyr in his* 1.13 Commentaries vpon the. 12. to the Romaines sayth, that the Apostle there describeth those functions and giftes, whyche are at all tymes necessarie for the Churche: And in that place the Apostle mentioneth Prophecying. M. Caluine in his Institut.* 1.14 cap. 8. doth confesse, that God hath stirred vp Apostles or Euangelistes since that tyme of the Primitiue Churche, and that hee hathe doone so lykewyse euen nowe in thys tyme.
M. Bullinger vpon the place of the fourth to the Ephe. sayeth, that the woordes* 1.15 bee confounded, and that an Apostle is also called a Prophete: a Doctor, an Euange∣liste, a minister, and a Bishoppe: and a Bishoppe, an Euangeliste, and a Prophete. &c. To bée shorte, it is thus written in the Confession of the Churches in Heluetia,* 1.16 The ministers of the newe Testament bee called by sundrie names: for they are called Apostles, Prophetes, Euangelistes, Byshoppes. &c. And (speakyng of Prophetes) it sayeth: The Prophetes in tyme paste, foreseeyng thynges to come, were called Seers, who were expounders of the Scriptures also, as some bee euen nowe a dayes. Euan∣gelistes were wryters of the historie of the Gospell, and Preachers also of the gladde tydings of Christe his Gospell: As Paule bidde Timothie doe the woorke of an Euan∣geliste. &c. So that to saye, that there is in the Churche Apostles, Prophetes, and E∣uangelistes in suche sense as I haue declared, is no straunge diuinitie, to suche as bée diuines in déede. But let vs heare your reasons.
Act. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉0. 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉8. Eph. 4. 11. Titus. 1. 5. 1. Pet. 5. 1.
Apostles.
Ephes. 4.
1. Cor. 12. &. 14.
Euangelists.
Bull. in. 4. ad Ephes.
Musc. Tit. de ver minist. in locis com.
Bucer in. 4. Ephes.
Prophets, 1. Cor. 14.
Ambrose.
Bucerin. 4. Ephe.
Fol. 42. sect. vlt.
P. Martyr.
Caluine.
Bullinger.
Confess. Hel∣uetica.