Part 12 (2/2)

2. Thus learned divines[67] and accurate Grecians[68] use the word to denote authority: so that the Holy Ghost here calling them ruling elders, implies they are vested with rule: and those that deny this place to hold out two sorts of elders, yet confess it holds out two sorts of acts, ruling and preaching.

3. These ruling elders are here approved of G.o.d in their rule; and that two ways, viz: 1. In that G.o.d's Spirit here commends their ruling, being duly discharged, _ruling well, excellently_, &c. Did no rule in the Church belong to them for matter, G.o.d would never command or approve them for the matter. He cannot be accounted with G.o.d to do any thing well, that hath no right to do it at all. 2. In that G.o.d's Spirit here commands their well ruling to be honorably rewarded. _Let them be counted worthy of double honor:_ or, _Let them be dignified with double honor_. Here is not only reward, but an eminent reward appointed them, and that urged from Scripture, ver. 18. Where G.o.d thus appoints rewards, he approves that for which he rewards; and what G.o.d thus approves is of divine right. See part 1, chap. V.

4. Yet, finally, These elders, vested with rule in the Church, and divinely approved in their rule, are distinct from all them that labor in the word and doctrine. This may thus he evidenced from the text, as some[69] have well observed: For, 1. Here is a general, under which the several kinds of officers here spoken of are comprehended, _elders_; all here mentioned are elders. 2. Here are two distinct kinds of elders, viz: _those that rule well_, there is one kind; and _they that labor in the word_ (as the pastors) _and doctrine_, (as the doctors and teachers,) here is the other kind. 3. Here are two participles expressing these two species or kinds of elders--_ruling_, and _laboring_: those only rule, that is all their work, and therefore here are called ruling elders; not because _they_ alone rule, but because their only work is to rule: but these not only rule, but, over and besides, _they_ labor in the word and doctrine. 4. Here are two distinct articles distinctly annexed to these two participles--_they that rule; they that labor_. 5. Finally, here is an eminent disjunctive particle set betwixt these two kinds of elders, these two participles, these two articles, evidently distinguis.h.i.+ng one from the other, viz.

especially _they that labor in the word_, &c., intimating, that as there were some ruling elders that did labor in the word and doctrine, so there were others that did rule, and not labor in the word: both were worthy of double honor, but especially they that both ruled and labored in the word also. And wheresoever this word, here translated _especially_, is used in all the New Testament, it is used to distinguish thing from thing, person from person, that are spoken of; as, ”Let us do good to all, but especially to those of the household of faith,” Gal. vi. 10: therefore there were some of the household of faith, and some that were not; and accordingly we must put a difference in doing good to them. ”All the saints salute you, especially those of Caesar's household;” some saints not of his household: all saluted them, but especially those of Caesar's household. ”He that provides not for his own, especially for them of his own house, he hath denied the faith,” 1 Tim. v. 8. A believer is to provide for his friends and kindred, but especially _for those of his own house_, wife and children.

See also 1 Tim. iv. 10; t.i.t. i. 11; 2 Tim. iv. 13; 2 Pet. ii. 10; Acts xx. 38, and xxvi. 3; in all which places the word _especially_ is used as a disjunctive particle, to distinguish one thing from another, without which distinction we shall but make nonsense in interpreting those places. And generally the best interpreters[70] do from this text conclude, that there were two sorts of elders, viz: the ruling elder, that only ruled; the preaching elder, that besides his ruling, labored in the word and doctrine also.

Now, therefore, seeing the officers here mentioned are, 1. According to the word of Christ, (for this is the word of Christ,) styled elders; 2.

Vested with rule; 3. Approved of G.o.d in their rule; and yet, 4. Distinct from all that labor in the word and doctrine, as hath been particularly proved; we may conclude, that,

_Conclusion_. Therefore the officers here mentioned are the ruling elders in the Church which we inquire after, and that by divine right.

But against this place of 1 Tim. i. 17, and the argument from it, divers cavils and exceptions are made; let them have a brief solution.

_Except_. 1. There were two sorts of elders, some laboring in the word and doctrine, some taking care of the poor, viz. deacons; both were worthy of double honor, especially they that labored in the word, &c.[71]

_Ans_. 1. This is a new distinction of elders without warrant of Scripture. Deacons are nowhere in all the New Testament styled elders;[72] nay, they are contradistinguished from elders, both teaching and ruling. ”He that giveth _let him do it_ with simplicity: he that ruleth, with diligence,” Rom. xii. 8. ”Helps, governments,” 1 Cor. xii.

28. Compare also t.i.t. i. 5, 6, &c., 1 Tim. iii. 2, &c., with 1 Tim. iii.

8, &c. 2. As deacons are not elders, so deacons have no rule in the church. It is true, they are to ”rule their children and their own houses well,” 1 Tim. iii. 12; this is only family rule: but as for the church, their office therein is to be _helps_, 1 Cor. xii. 28; _to distribute_, Rom. xii. 8; _to serve tables_, Acts vi. 2, 3; but no rule is ascribed to them.

_Except_. 2. But by ruling well, some understand living well, leading a holy, exemplary life. The apostle would have ministers not only to live well themselves, but also to feed others by the word and doctrine; they that live well are to be double honored, especially they who labor in the word, &c., as 1 Thess. v. 12, 13.[73]

_Ans_. 1. The apostle here speaks rather of officers than of acts of office: of persons rather than of duties, if his phrase be observed. 2.

Living well is not ruling well here in the apostle's sense, who intends the rule of elders over others; he that lives well rules well over himself; not over others: else all that live well were church rulers; they conduct by example, do not govern by authority, Altar. Damasc. c.

xii. 8. If well ruling be well living, then double honor, double maintenance from the church is due for well living, (1 Tim. v. 17, 18,) consequently all that live well deserve this double honor. 4. This seems to intimate that ministers deserve double honor for living well, though they preach not. _How absurd_! 5. D. Downham, once pleased with this gloss, after confessed it was not safe.

_Except_. 3. Those that rule well may be meant of aged, infirm, superannuated bishops, who cannot labor in the word and doctrine.[74]

_Ans_. 1. Here is no speech of prelatical bishops, but of ruling and preaching elders in this text. 2. How shall old, decrepit bishops rule well, when they cannot labor in the word and doctrine? 3. By this gloss, the preaching elders that labor in the word and doctrine, should be preferred before the most ancient bishop in double honor; such doctrine would not long since have been very odious and apocryphal to our late prelates. 4. Those preachers that have faithfully and constantly spent their strength, and worn out themselves with ministerial labor, that they cannot rule nor preach any longer, are yet worthy of double honor for all their former travels in the service of Christ and his Church.

_Except_. 4. Among ministers some did preach, others only administered the sacraments; so Paul showeth that he preached and ”labored more than all the apostles,” 1 Cor. xv. 10; but baptized few or none, 1 Cor i. 14, leaving that to be performed by others; and when Paul and Barnabas were companions, and their travels were equal, yet Paul is noted to have been the chief speaker, (Acts xiv. 12:) all were worthy of double honor, but especially they who labored in the word and doctrine.[75]

_Ans_. 1. This gloss imagineth such a ministry in the apostles' times as the prelates had erected of late in their days, viz: many dumb dogs that could not bark nor preach at all, yet could administer the sacraments by the old service-book. But the apostles, as Cartwright[76] observes, allowed no such ministers, will have every bishop or preaching elder to be both ”apt to teach, _and_ able to convince,” 1 Tim. iii. 2; t.i.t. i.

9. So that it was far from Paul to countenance a non-preaching or seldom-preaching ministry, by allowing any honor at all, much less a double honor, to such. Sure, preaching is one part, yea, a most princ.i.p.al part or duty of the minister's office, (as hath been evidenced before, Part 2, Chap. VII.,) and shall he be counted worthy of double honor that neglects a princ.i.p.al duty of his office? Nay, he deserves not the very name of such an officer in the church: why should he be called a pastor that doth not feed? or a teacher, that doth not teach his flock? &c., saith Chrysost. Hom. xv. in 1 Timothy. 2. Why should Paul's laboring be restrained here to his preaching only? when Paul speaks of his own labor elsewhere, he speaks of it in another sense, 2 Cor. xi.

17, ”in labor and weariness”--compare it with the context; and in this place judicious Calvin seems rather to interpret it of other manner of labor, and Pareus extends it, besides preaching, to divers other labors which Paul did undergo. 3. What warrant doth this exception hold out for two sorts of ministers here pretended, some _preaching_, others _only administering the sacraments_? Thus, _Paul preached much, baptised but few_: therefore, _there were some that only administered the sacraments_: well concluded. Yet Paul baptized some, 1 Cor. i. 14, 16, distributed the Lord's supper to some, Acts xx. 7, 11; so that he both preached and dispensed the sacraments. Let any show where any person dispensed the sacraments that was not a preacher. Again, _Paul and Barnabas equally travelled together, but Paul was chief speaker_: what then? therefore _some labored in the word, others in the sacraments only_. This is woful logic. 4. To whomsoever the power of dispensing the sacraments was given by Christ, to them also the power of preaching was given; dispensing the word and sacraments are joined in the same commission, Matt, xxviii. 18-20: what Christ joins together let not man put asunder. 5. Touching the preaching elder there is mentioned only one act peculiar to his office, viz. _laboring in the word_, &c.; but, taking a part for the whole, we may understand his dispensing the sacraments also, and what else is peculiar to the preaching elder's office, though for brevity's sake it be not here named.[77]

_Except_. 5. By elders that rule well may be meant certain governors, or inferior magistrates, chosen to compose controversies or civil strifes.

Suitable hereunto is the late Erastian gloss, that by elders ruling well may be meant kings, parliament-men, and all civil governors.[78]

_Ans_. 1. It is well known that in the primitive times there was no Christian magistrate in the Church, and for the Church to choose heathen judges or magistrates to be arbitrators or daysmen in civil controversies, is a thing utterly condemned by the apostle, 1 Cor. vi.

1, &c. 2. The apostle speaks here of ecclesiastical, not of civil officers, as the latter phrase intimates. The main scope of this epistle was to instruct Timothy how to behave himself, not in the commonwealth, but in the Church of G.o.d, (1 Tim. iii. 15,) and here he speaks of such officers as were in being in the Church at that time. 3. If kings, parliament-men, and all civil governors be these ruling elders, then ministers have not only an equal share with them in government by this text, which the Erastians will not like well; but also are to have a superior honor or maintenance to kings, parliament-men, and all civil governors. Certainly the magistrates will never triumph in this gloss, nor thank them that devised it. 4. Sutlive seems to be against this opinion, (though no great friend to ruling elders,) saying Beza bestows many words to prove that the judges in 1 Cor. vi. were not of the number of presbyters: which truly I myself should easily grant him. For there were none such ever const.i.tuted. 5. This is a novel interpretation, as some observe,[79] unknown among ancient writers.

_Except_. 6. Those words [_especially they who labor in the word and doctrine_] are added to the former explanatively, to teach us who they are that rule well, viz. _they who labor much in the word and doctrine_, and not to distinguish them that labor in the word, from elders ruling well; as if Paul had said, ”Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, greatly laboring in the word,” &c. For the word translated _especially_ here more aptly signifies _much, greatly_, than especially. For though with the adversative _but_ along with it, it signifieth especially, yet alone (as it is here) it signifies _much, greatly_.[80]

_Ans_. 1. If this sentence [_especially they who labor_, &c.] were added only to explain who are well-ruling elders, viz. such as greatly labor in the word, &c., then few of the prelatical bishops were to be counted well-ruling elders, for very few, if any of them, were guilty of laboring greatly in the word and doctrine. 2. Then also the apostle would have said, either who especially labor, or simply without the article, especially laboring; then especially, they who labor, as here he doth, carrying his speech rather to distinct persons and officers, than to distinct duties or actions. 3. This word translated _especially_, hath been already in the minor proposition proved to be rather disjunctive, than explanatory; a term of distinction to point out a several sort of elders from only ruling elders, rather than a term of explication, signifying who are to be reputed these well-ruling elders.

4. The word _especially_ is used for a term of distinction, even in those places where the adversative _but_ is not joined to it, as in t.i.t.

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