Plaine euidences The Church of England is apostolicall, the separation schismaticall. Directed against Mr. Ainsworth the Separatist, and Mr. Smith the Se-baptist: both of them seuerally opposing the booke called the Separatists schisme. By Richard Bernard, preacher of the word of God at Worsop. ... Set out by authoritie. Anno. 1610.

Obiections for the three sorts of Elders answered.

1. Obiection.

IN this place, the Apostle maketh two sorts of Elders, viz. first, those that rule onely: secondly, those that teach and rule, and Eph. 4. 11. the Apostle maketh two kindes of those that teach. Pastours and Doctors: therefore there are three kindes of Elders, formally differing each from other.

Answ. 1. The Apostle to Timothie teacheth, that Elders are to be honoured for two workes: well ruling, and laborious or painefull teaching. And the place doth not import a distribu∣tion of officers, but a commendation of seuerall workes of one office, and the speciality consisteth not in the works of ruling and teaching, which are common to all Elders, but in the qualitie, viz. well ruling & painfull teaching; as if the Apostle should say, Elders are to be had in double honour, for wise gouernment;

but much more are they to be honoured for their laborious and painfull teaching. That this is so, see Tit. 1. 9. 1. Thes. 5. 12. 13. compared with, 1. Tim. 3. 1. 4.

2 In Timothie, the Apostle saith, euery Bishop must be didacticos and proaistamenos, and therfore that some Elders are onely Didacticoi, and not Proaistamenoi, is contrary to the Apostles intent.

3 In Titus, the Apostle expoundeth Didacticos, to be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine, and to conuince the gaine∣sayers: how then shall some of the Elders be Rulers onely?

4 To the place of the Ephesians; the Apostle in it speaketh copulatiuely of one office, and exegetically of the principall work of the Pastour, which is teaching: he doth not say, some Pastors, some Teachers; but hee saith Pastours and Teachers: expoun∣ding the former by the latter, viz. feeding, by teaching, which is the principall part of feeding, and for which Pastours are principally commended. 1. Tim. 5. 17. if they labour therein painfully.

Obiection. 2.

THe Apostle 1. Cor. 12. 5. 8. 28. saith, there are diuersitie of Ministers; namely, one that hath the word of wisdome, another the word of knowledge, another that hath gouernment, ver. 28. therefore the Eldership consists of three sorts of Elders, viz. of the Pastor that hath the word of wisedome; of the Teach∣er, that hath the word of knowledge; of the Ruler, that hath the qualitie of gouernment.

Answ. 1. It is granted that there are diuersitie of Mini∣steries, as Ephes. 4. 11. 1. Tim. 3. 1. 8. Phil. 1. 1. namely, A∣postles, Prophets, Euangelists, Pastors, Deacons, yet it follow∣eth not hereupon, that Elders are of diuers sorts as is pleaded. See verse. 28.

2 The word Diaconia, signifieth sometime, any spirituall worke, proceeding from any member or officer of the Church: as 2. Cor. 4. 8. Almes is called Diaconia, 1. Pet. 4. 10. Dia∣conein signifieth any work that proceedeth from any gift, so it

may signifie here, and all the workes that follow almost may be referred thither, onely there are certaine Energemata menti∣oned. verse 10.

Obiection. 3.

THe Apostle Rom. 12. 6. 8. maketh an opposition be∣tweene Prophecie and an office, and maketh fiue kindes of officers, Pastors, Teachers, Rulers, Deacons, Widowes.

Answ. 1. That is denied to be the true resolution of the place of the Romaines; for although there be fiue seuerall actions repeated, yet it doth not follow, that there are fiue seuerall Of∣ficers to performe those actions; for one person may performe them all, and yet be no Officer, viz. teach, exhort, rule, distri∣bute, shew mercy. 1. Cor. 14. 3. 26. 31. Rom. 12. 13. 1. Cor. 5. 5.

2 The distributiue particle (eite) foure times repeated in pro∣phecie, Diaconia, exhorting and teaching, importeth thus much, that the Apostles intention is not to subordinate, teaching and exhorting to Diaconia, but to oppose each of these foure parti∣culers to other, as thus: Prophecie is the manifestation of a gift: 1. Cor. 14. 3. Diaconia, is the office, and there are diuers kindes thereof. 1. Cor. 12. 5. Teaching is one action or worke of the Pro∣phets or Officers. 1. Cor. 14. 26. Exhorting is another action or worke of them. 1. Cor. 14. 3. Hence it followes that teaching and exhorting are as well subordinate to Prophecie, as to Diaconia.

3 If Diaconia be the genus to these fiue species following, then I say, that Diaconia signifieth not an office, but a worke, and of workes there are those fiue kindes: that Diaconia doth some∣time signifie a worke is plaine. 1. Cor. 8. 4. 1. Pet. 4. 10.

4 And lastly, the Apostle that knew how to speake, would ne∣uer haue made Teaching and Exhorting members distributiue, with Prophecie and Diaconia, if hee had intended to haue made them species subordinate to Diaconia. Therefore questi∣onlesse that is not his intention.

Obiection. 4.

THe Apostle by the commandement of Christ writeth to the Angels of the seauen Churches of Asia. Reu. 1. & 2. & 3. that is, to the Pastours which are but one in eue∣ry particular Church; for so the words are, to the Angell of the Church of Ephesus, &c.

Answ. 1. It can neuer be proued by the Scriptures, that there was but one Pastor in a Church. It is plaine, Act. 20. 28. that there were many in the Church of Ephesus, (which was one of these seauen Churches) who did perform the work of the pastor, which is Poimainein, to feed, euen all the Elders of Ephesus. Act. 20. 17. compared with verse 28. And therefore there were many Pastours, in the Church of Ephesus, in Paules time.

2 All Churches had Officers of one sort, and one kind of Pres∣biterie, and therefore as all the Elders of Ephesus were Pastors, so were all the Elders of the sixe Churches of Asia, and of all o∣ther Churches wheresoeuer in the world, if they had many Elders.

3 The Angell of euery one of these Churches doth not signi∣fie one Pastor onely, in euery Church; but eyther the Colledge of Pastors, if they were many, or the company of the most sin∣cere and holy men, that most opposed the corruptions of the Church, or were most holy and zealous in life and doctrine. And that an Angel doth signifie a company of men, is plaine. Reu. 14. 6. 8. 9. & 18. 4. And why not a principall Pastor of chiefest note among the Colledge of Pastors in Cities?

4 And lastly, in all likelihood there were some extraordinary men yet liuing in the Churches, eyther Prophets or Euangelists, that had extraordinary gifts: whose zeale and holinesse might win vnto them speciall estimation in the Churches: in regard whereof it might be, that the holy Ghost intending his Epistles to the whole Church, chiefely directeth them to those persons so qualified, as men best able to preuaile with the Church, and cal∣leth them Angels, whether one or moe, as Iohn the Baptist is called an Angell. Mark. 1. 2.

After all this saith M^r. Smith: Seeing all the Prophets of the Church must haue gifts for edification, exhortation, and con∣solation; the Pastors of the Church must haue gifts for the per∣formance of the same workes, Katexochen, after an excellent manner, and in a greater measure.

The Pastors excelling the Prophets of the Church in the gifts of doctrine, exhortation, consolation, may also excell one another in gifts: for all the Elders haue not the same measure, or de∣grees of gifts.

In respect of the measure of gifts in Elders, some excelling in one gift, some in another, the holy Ghost may giue seuerall titles to the Elders or Pastours.

Although some Elders excell in one gift, some in an other, yet it followeth not that therefore they are seuerall Officers; for∣mally differing one from another: for not the degree, measure, or excellency of a gift or gifts, but the seuerall kinde and nature of gifts & works, make seueral kinds of Officers. 1. Cor. 12. 4. 5. 6

The Elder that excelleth in gouernment most properly may be called a ruler or gouernour, although hee haue the gifts and power to teach, exhort, comfort, apply, and that by vertue of his Office. Tit. 1. 9. Heb. 13. 17.

The Elder that excelleth in doctrine, and conuinceth gain∣sayers, may most properly be called a Teacher or Doctor, though by vertue of his office, he may performe all other pastoral duties. Act. 18. 28. & 19. 1. 1. Cor. 3. 4. 6. compared with Tit. 1. 9. Eph. 4. 11. 1. Pet. 5. 2.

The Elder that excelleth in exhortation, consolation, and ap∣plication, may most properly be called a Pastour or Shepheard, though by vertue of his Office, he is to teach, conuince and go∣uerne. Act. 20. 28. Tit. 1. 9. Eph. 4. 11. 1. Pet. 5. 2.

And thus M^r. Ainsworth, may see if M^r. Smith say the truth herein, that they themselues doe practise humaine inuentions, and haue an Antichristian Ministerie and go∣uernment: and therefore hee that speaketh against their way, or vseth disswasions from the same, neyther speaketh nor disswadeth from the practise of the Gospel, as he would make his Reader beleeue, that I haue so done by my

former Booke. The argument from all that is said, to cleere me in this point, may be thus framed.

Disswasions from Schisme, from humane inuentions, from a Ministery and Gouernment Antichristian, are not disswasions from the practise of the Gospell. This cannot be denyed, be∣ing an argument from the contrary.

But the disswasions which I haue sent forth, are disswasions from Schisme, from humane Inuentions, from a Ministerie and Gouerment Antichristian. That their way is Schisme, I haue proued in my former Booke, which in this reply I also a∣gaine iustifie against M^r. Ainsworth, and against M^r. Smith. The rest of this Minor M^r. Smith, as is here before shewed, goeth about to proue at large.

Notes

• 2. Tim. 5. 17.
• See Doctor Downehams Sermon, for this point.
• Q. What seue∣rall kind of gift had Timothy an Euangelist, from an Apo∣stle?