I. I begin with the firſt, The ſeveral Orders, &c. where it may be needful (1) to ſhew that there was a Diſparity in theſe Orders, as to their Office, and a Subordination in their Miniſtery. (2) To conſider what they were, wherein they differ'd, and what were the pe⯑culiar Employments and Powers of each Of⯑fice; and (3) to reflect upon the Goodneſs and Providence of God, by which they have all been continued down to the preſent time, and eſtabliſh'd in this our Church.

1. That there was a Subordination in the Office of the ſeveral Orders in the Chriſtian Church. Now this appears from St. Paul's Reaſoning and Alluſions, both here, and in the other Epiſtle to the Corinthians. At the 4th Verſe of this Chapter he tells the Epheſians, [4] that the Church of Chriſt is one Body, that there is one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſm, and one God and Father of all; and yet he adds at the 7th verſe, But unto every one of us is given Grace, according to the meaſure of the gift of Chriſt. i. e. agreeably to the true meaning of the Original word [...] in this and other places, to every one of us is given his Office or employment in the Church, different ac⯑cording to the different gifts, which it has pleaſed our Lord to beſtow upon us.

And this he exemplifies in the following Verſe, by repreſenting our Saviour diſtribu⯑ting theſe Gifts, as Conquerors uſed to do, when they made triumphal Entries into their Capital Cities, after ſome notable Victories over their Enemies; when we know it was uſual to diſperſe among the People Medals of different Bigneſs and different Metal, and other Gifts, ſome of greater and ſome of leſſer price. Thus our Lord Jeſus when he had conquered Satan and Sin, and Hell and Death, and made his Triumphant Entry into Heaven, diſtributed the different Gifts of his holy Spirit, in ſuch kinds and ſuch proportions as the Perſons and Offices required to which [5] they were conveyed. v. 8. Wherefore he ſaith when he aſcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, ſome Apo⯑ſtles, ſome Prophets, &c.

But leaſt the Subordination of the different Orders ſhould not ſufficiently appear from this diſparity of their Gifts, our Apoſtle ren⯑ders it yet more evident 1 Cor. 12. by com⯑paring them to the ſeveral parts of the Body of man; where he not only tells us at the 4. v. &c. that there are diverſities of Gifts, dif⯑ferences of Adminiſtrations and diverſities of Operations; but that theſe have a relation to, and a dependance upon one another, as the Head, and Hands, and Feet have in mans Bo⯑dy, v. 12. For as the Body is one and hath many Members, and all the Members of that one Bo⯑dy, being many, are one Body, ſo alſo is Chriſt, that is, in his Body the Church. Now we know in our Bodies, the Head and Hands and Feet, &c. are not only different, but ſubordinate; the Feet muſt walk by the di⯑rection of the Eye and the Hands act at the command of the Head, otherwiſe the Acti⯑ons will be diſorderly, and the whole Body muſt ſuffer. And if there be not the like [6] regard in the Inferior Officers in the Church toward the Superior; but all affect to di⯑rect them ſelves, and to be the Head; there can be nothing elſe but Schiſm and Confuſion in it, for if all will be one Member, where then is the Body? v. 19.

I ſhall crave leave only to add to this Head, that this ſubordination of Miniſters in the Church of Chriſt, is agreeable to what was practis'd both under the Law of Nature, and that of Moſes; I need not take notice of the Heathen World, who were left to bare Reaſon in this matter; among whom we every where find a diſtinction of dignity in the Orders of their Prieſts; the thing being evi⯑dent among the Worſhippers of the True God, who were not without ſome light of Revelation even under the Law of Nature, long before the Moſaical diſpenſation; Abra⯑ham himſelf paid Tithes to Melchizedec, and was bleſſed by him, and without all contra⯑diction the Leſs is bleſſed of the Greater, as the Author to the Heb. argues c. 7. v. 7. The Prieſthood was a natural right of Primogeni⯑ture at firſt, and God by a particular Com⯑mand order'd the Firſt-Born to be Sancti⯑fied [7] to his Service; and 'tis no queſtion but theſe are the Prieſts which we read of before the giving of the Law. Exodus, 19. 21, 22. The Lord ſaid unto Moſes go down, charge the People leaſt they break through unto the Lord, to gaze and many of them periſh; and let the Prieſts alſo which come near to the Lord, Sancti⯑fy themſelves, leaſt the Lord break forth among them. And yet theſe firſt Born, thus honour'd with the Prieſthood, were ſubject to the Heads of their Families, and commanded by them. Thus Moſes, and under him the Twelve Heads of Tribes, and the Seventy Fathers of Families, governed the Church, till it pleaſed God to take to himſelf the Tribe of Levi inſtead of the Firſt-Born; and then the High-Prieſt, Prieſts, and Levites mi⯑niſter'd in the Service of God, in an undeni⯑able Subordination. From all which I think it is very plain, that a Co-ordinate miniſtery, or a Parity among all ſuch as are employed about holy things, is a Scheme that never was found in any Nation, or Age of the World; it was never either Commanded of God, or Invented by Men, till the confuſi⯑ons of Late times brought it forth, and [8] let the Enemies of our Church have the honour of it.

2. The Subordination of theſe Offices be⯑ing Eſtabliſh'd, we are now to conſider what they were, wherein they differ'd, and what were the peculiar Employments and Powers of each Office. Now in order to find out this, we muſt compare the Catalogue of them in this place, with the other in 1 Cor. 12. 28. Here it is, he gave ſome Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, and ſome Evangeliſts, and ſome Paſtors and Teachers. There it is thus, God hath ſet ſome in the Church, firſt Apoſtles, ſecon⯑darily Prophets, thirdly Teachers; after which no more Orders are named, but only thoſe Powers that attended them in their work; Mi⯑racles, Gifts of Healing, &c. and at v. 29. the Apoſtle asks, Are all Apoſtles? are all Prophets? are all Teachers? and without enquiring after more Orders, asks only of the Exerciſe of ſuch Powers as are before mentioned. Are all workers of Miracles? Have all the gift of Healing? Do all ſpeak with Tongues? Do all Interpret? Whence it ſeems very reaſonable to infer, that Apoſtles, Prophets and Evange⯑liſts in the one place, muſt be the ſame with [9] Apoſtles, Prophets and Teachers in the other, and that Paſtors and Teachers which are ad⯑ded over and above in my Text, muſt not be different Officers from thoſe before named, but other Words for the ſame Officers, rela⯑ting to the different manner of receiving their Commiſſion, or the different parts of their Employments. And therefore it is the Judgment of very Learned men that Prophets and Evangeliſts and Prophets and Teachers are the very ſame Miniſters, with Paſtors and Teachers, with this only difference, that the former were ſuch as out of the Firſt-Fruits of the Believers were ſet apart and conſecrated to their Office by the Manifeſtation of the Spirit, or by a Supernatural effuſion of Gifts proper to their Employments. The latter were ſuch as were Ordained and Conſtitu⯑ted by Impoſition of Hands, as ſtated Gover⯑nours of the Churches allotted to their Charge. However this be, it is plain that Evangeliſts in the one place are called Teach⯑ers in the other, from their Teaching and In⯑ſtructing their Converts, and it ſeems as rea⯑ſonable that Chriſtian Prophets may be called Paſtors from their Feeding and Governing their Flocks; ſo that whether theſe are dif⯑ferent [10] Names for the very ſame Perſons, or whether they ſignify the ſame Office, but with this difference, that the one reſpects it, as gi⯑ven immediately by the Holy Ghoſt, and the other by the Impoſition of the Hands of the Apoſtles, the reſult will be the ſame; that there are only Three Orders properly here in⯑tended, and that it is of their Office and Em⯑ployments that we are to enquire.

And I the rather encline to this Concluſi⯑on, becauſe it is agreeable to the Promiſe and Prediction of our Saviour himſelf, while he was upon Earth. Mat. 23. 34. Behold I ſend to you Prophets, and Wiſe men, and Scribes, and ſome of them you ſhall kill and crucify, &c. Where there are only theſe Three Orders promis'd; the Second of which though here firſt placed, are called by the ſame name as in the Text, Prophets. The Apoſtles are called Wiſe men, agreeably to their diſtinguiſhing Gift, which we ſhall ſee by and by was the Word of Wiſdom; and therefore St. Luke, who was St. Paul's Evangeliſt, calls them by the ſame Name which St. Paul himſelf gives them, that of Apoſtles c. 11. v. 49. Therefore alſo ſaid the Wiſdom of God, I will ſend them Prophets [11] and Apoſtles, and ſome of them ſhall they Slay and Perſecute, &c. and for the Third ſort, our Saviour calls them Scribes from the nature of their Office; for the Office of the Scribes was to Teach the Law, and for this reaſon they are in the Goſpels frequently call'd by the name of Doctors or Teachers of the Law. So that Evangeliſts or Teachers under the Goſ⯑pel whoſe Office was parallel to theirs, might very properly bear the ſame Name, for to Teach and Preach the Goſpel; teaching and preaching Jeſus Chriſt are the ſame things in Scripture. Luk. 20. 1. Acts 5. 42. Thus our Savi⯑our built the Chriſtian Church upon the Model of the Jewiſh, and in condeſcenſion to that people, and in purſuanee of the Types that preceded, was pleaſed as it were to Copy their High-Prieſt, Prieſts, and Levites, in the Orders of the Miniſtery, which he eſtabliſh'd under the Goſpel.

We are then in the next place to conſider the different Employments of theſe Three Or⯑ders, and the different Powers that enabled them to diſcharge the ſame. And becauſe the Higher always included the Lower, it may not be amiſs to begin with the Loweſt [12] firſt, and ſo to aſcend to what was peculiar to the reſt.

1. The Evangeliſts or Teachers: their buſi⯑neſs was properly to preach the Goſpel to Ʋnbelievers, to convince them of its Truth by working Miracles, and to Baptize them upon their Converſion. An account of which we have in the 8th c. of the Acts, where we are taught that the Apoſtles remaining at Je⯑ruſalem, the reſt were diſperſed into Judea and Samaria preaching the Word. And that parti⯑cularly Philip, who was one of the Seven Deacons, and is called the Evangeliſt, went down to Samaria, and preached Chriſt to them. v. 5. And that notwithſtanding the Oppoſi⯑tion of Simon the Sorcerer, they believed Phi⯑lip, preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jeſus Chriſt, beholding the Miracles and Signs which were done, and were Baptized both Men and Women, v. 12.

2. The Prophets beſides this, were to pre⯑ſide in the Aſſemblies of the faithful, to per⯑form Divine Offices, Adminiſter the Lords Supper, and Inſtruct their Flocks in the Scrip⯑tures, and in the fuller knowledge of the Truths of the Goſpel; and of this St. Paul [13] gives us a large Account in the 14. c. o 1 Cor. where he exhorts them to deſire the gift of Prophecy, rather than that of Tongues, ſhewing, that Tongues were a Sign to them that believe not, but Propheſying ſerveth not for them that believe not, but for them that believe v. 22. and he ocaſionally mentions all the parts of the Chriſtian Prophets Office in that Chapter; his Preaching v. 3. He that Prophe⯑ſieth ſpeaketh unto men to Edification, and Ex⯑hortation and comfort. His Praying and Sing⯑ing Praiſes v. 15. I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the Ʋnderſtanding alſo: I will Sing with the Spirit, and Sing with the Ʋnderſtanding alſo. Which Praying and Singing are likewiſe in the Old Teſtament called Propheſying. 1 Kin. 18. 29. 1 Sam. 10. 5. 1 Chr. 25. 1. And laſt of all his Celebrating of the Euchariſt. v. 16. which is there called Bleſſing and giving of Thanks [...] by all which he ſhews, that the Prophets Office was peculiarly directed to the Edification of Believers, and for this reaſon he tells them v. 4. He that ſpeaketh in an unknown Tongue edifieth himſelf, but he that Propheſieth edifieth the Church.

[14] 3. The Apoſtles beſides all this, had the Su⯑preme care of all the Churches upon them; they were to give Orders and Rules for their eſtabliſhment, to Confirm Converts, Ordain Church Officers, and Govern and Direct them when Ordain'd; and by this means to preſerve that Peace and Order which became the Church of Chriſt. Thus we find in the forementioned 8th of the Acts. v. 14. that when the Apoſtles had heard that Samaria had receiv'd the Word of God, by Philip the Evangeliſt, they ſent unto them Pe⯑ter and John, the Apoſtles, who when they were come down, prayed for them that they might rec⯑eive the Holy Ghoſt. For as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jeſus; then laid they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghoſt. That is, the Powers and Gifts of the Holy Ghoſt which fitted them for the ſeveral parts of the Miniſtery: for ſo we ſee it. Acts, 19. 6. when Paul hah laid his hands upon thoſe Converts at Epheſus, the Holy Ghoſt came upon them, and they ſpake with Tongues and Prophecyed. i. e. had the Power of Miracles, and particularly that of Tongues given them to convert Ʋn⯑believers, and that of Prophecy to direct the [15] Faithful. And beſides this we find the ſame Apoſtle c. 14. 21. going over the ſeveral Churches, Confirming the Souls of the Diſciples, exhorting them to continue in the Faith, ordain⯑ing them Elders or Church Officers in every Church, and then commending them to the Lord on whom they believed.

Such was the Subordination of Officers in the Church of Chriſt. And it pleaſed our Lord to accommodate his Gifts to the Na⯑ture of their ſeveral Employments, and theſe we have likewiſe laid down, 1 Cor. 12. 8. &c. To one is given by the Spirit the word of Wiſdom, to another knowledge by the ſame Spirit, to ano⯑ther Faith by the ſame Spirit. Where the Gifts of Wiſdom, Knowledge and Faith, Anſwer to the Three ſorts of Miniſters. v. 28, 29. Apoſtles, Prophets and Teachers.

1. By Faith, the gift of Evangeliſts or Teachers, is meant the Faith of Miracles, ac⯑cording to what our Saviour ſays to his Diſ⯑ciples Mark 11. 22. Have Faith in God, for verily I ſay unto you whoſoever ſhall ſay to this Mountain, be thou remov'd and be thou caſt into the Sea, and ſhall not doubt in his heart, but ſhall believe that thoſe things which he ſaith ſhall [16] come to paſs, he ſhall have whatſoever he ſaith. And from this, Stephen is ſaid Acts 6. 8. to be full of Faith and Power, and to do great won⯑ders and Miracles among the People. And that this is the Faith here mentioned is evident from what follows, which is an enumerati⯑on of ſome of the great Powers of this Faith. To one the gifts of Healing, to another the work⯑ing of Miracles, [...], properly the caſting out Devils, to another Prophecy, or foretelling things to come, to another diſcerning of Spirits, to another divers kinds of Tongues, to another the interpretation of Tongues, all Supernatural Powers for the convincing of Unbelievers, and neceſſary for the firſt Preachers of Chriſtiani⯑ty, who were unlearn'd and plain men, and therefore preached Chriſt not by the Strength of human Eloquence and Perſuaſion, but by the Teſtimony of Miracles and the demon⯑ſtration of the Power of God.

2. By Knowledge, the gift of Chriſtian Pro⯑phets, ſeems to be meant the Underſtanding of the Scripture and the Myſteries of the Go⯑ſpel; how they were foretold in the Prophe⯑cies of old, and how accompliſh'd in our Saviour Jeſus; and therefore St. Paul joyns [17] theſe things together 1 Cor. 13. 2. Though I have the gift of Prophecy and underſtand all Myſte⯑ries and all Knowledge, and though I have all Faith, ſo that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity, I am nothing. And this Gift alſo was a neceſſary qualification for thoſe who were to Inſtruct Believers, and preach to the Aſſemblies of Perſons converted; whoſe knowledge was to be improv'd, whoſe Faith was to be confirmed, and whoſe Growth in the underſtanding of the Goſpel, was to be promoted, by theſe Labourers in the Vine⯑yard of Chriſt.

3. But the principal Gift was that of Wiſ⯑dom, communicated to the Apoſtles the Su⯑pream Governours of the Chriſtian Church, to ſupport them in the greateſt and moſt difficult Task, that of Government; Wiſdom to direct even the Preachers and Prophets themſelves in their ſeveral Functions, to con⯑trive the moſt proper Methods for the Plan⯑ting of Chriſtianity, and the moſt prudent Rules, for the nouriſhing and preſerving it; and to find out the fitteſt Inſtruments for both; Wiſdom to Inſtruct them when to bear with [18] Patience, when to condeſcend with Meekneſs, and when to reſiſt with Courage and puniſh with Vigor. A gift infinitely beyond any of the reſt here mentioned, though not appear⯑ing in the ſame pomp with the Miraculous operations of the Spirit, which the Corinthi⯑ans were for that reaſon too fond of. With⯑out this the Preachers might have been un⯑ruly, the Prophets diſorderly, and the zealous themſelves indiſcreet: and therefore it pleaſed the Wiſdom of God to conſult the Strength, and Order, and Peace of his Church, by placing therein an Authority that might preſide over the Subordinate Officers in it, that might direct the Imprudent, reſtrain the Diſorderly, encou⯑rage the Laborious, and take care that all things might be done in that Order and De⯑cency which becomes the Body of Chriſt.

(3) Thus does the Wiſdom of God ap⯑pear in ſettling the Oeconomy of his Church: But we muſt in the Third place Adore his Goodneſs in having preſerved this excellent Order to us, however unworthy of ſo great a Bleſſing. We have, thanks be to the Divine Providence, not only our Prieſts and Deacons [19] anſwerable to the Prophets and Evangeliſts in my Text, but we have the Apoſtolical Authority derived to us by a continued Succeſſion of our Biſhops from the Apoſtles themſelves. Such as theſe the Scripture tells us the Apo⯑ſtles committed their Authority to, ſuch have all ages of the Church acknowledged for the Succeſſors of the Apoſtles, and it has been by the Care and Conduct of ſuch, that He⯑reſies have been conquer'd, Schiſms prevented or repair'd; and the purity of the Chriſtian Faith and Diſcipline handed down to our pre⯑ſent times; and therefore we have a great deal of reaſon to be thankful to Almighty God, that among all the Confuſions of this latter Age, he has been pleaſed to pre⯑ſerve to us this ineſtimable advantage.

Nor ought we to overlook the Grace and Mercy of God, who in theſe times of diffi⯑culty, has been pleaſed to give to the preſent Governours of our poor Church, ſo plenti⯑ful an effuſion of that Spirit of Wiſdom which attended the Apoſtles their Predeceſſors, and who conſtantly directs them in ſupplying the places of thoſe whom their Lord calls away from their Labours, with perſons diſtinguiſh'd [20] with the viſible Characters of the ſame Spi⯑rit; with that Wiſdom which is from above, firſt pure, then peaceable, gentle and eaſy to be en⯑treated, full of Mercy and good Fruits, without Partiality and without Hypocriſy. And may God every day make us more ſenſible of the Greatneſs of this Bleſſing, more fruitful un⯑der it, and more thankful for it, that he may be prevail'd upon to continue it down to our Poſterity, and to preſerve his own Inſti⯑tution to the end of the World. And this leads me to my Second General, where I am to enquire after,

II. The Author of this Eſtabliſhment. And in this I need be but very ſhort, ſince he ap⯑pears ſo viſible in the Diſcourſe of our Apo⯑ſtle in both the places I have mention'd; 'Tis our Lord Jeſus, whom he declares to be the Original of theſe Orders, and 'tis to his Holy Spirit that he tells us the Church is in⯑debted for thoſe ſeveral Gifts that accom⯑pany them. v. 7, 8. of this Chapter. To every one of us is given Grace or Office accor⯑ding to the meaſure of the gift of Chriſt. When he led Captivity Captive, He gave Gifts unto [21] men. By Chriſt the whole Body is fitly joyned together and compacted by theſe ſeveral Joynts. v. 16. and 1 Cor. 12, 5. There are diverſities of Operations, but the ſame Lord; and God hath ſet ſome in the Church, firſt Apoſtles, ſe⯑condly Prophets, &c. v. 28. and he adds, that their Gifts are the manifeſtation of the Spirit, that though there be diverſities of them, yet they all proceed from that one Spirit. And that all theſe worketh that one and the ſame Spi⯑rit dividing to every man ſeverally as he will. v. 11. So that whatever men may ſay, out of an itch of Novelty, or out of a deſign to weaken or aboliſh the Eſtabliſhment, to prove this Order to have been the effect of Choice and the reſult of human Deliberation, muſt all vaniſh before the clear light of the word of God, and we muſt ſee the Divine Origi⯑nal of our Church Government, in ſpite of all the Labour that is taken to reduce it to the Inventions of Men. Our Lord himſelf has raiſed his Spiritual Temple according to his own method, and his Church is built upon the Foundation of the Apoſtles and Chriſtian Prophets, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf being the chief corner Stone.

III. We muſt therefore haſten to the Third thing to be conſidered, the end and deſign of this Diſpenſation, in theſe Words. For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry, for the edifying of the Body of Chriſt.

Now here are Three Excellent ends of this Order, to which we muſt briefly give a diſtinct Conſideration.

1. The firſt is The perfecting of the Saints, Or the Uniting the ſeveral Members of Chriſt's Church to one another, and to himſelf their Head, that by the Miniſtery of the different Parts his Grace and Spirit might be orderly conveyed to the whole Body for its Spiritual improvement and Perfection; for ſo it fol⯑lows v. 13. Till we all come in the Ʋnity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man, unto the meaſure of the Stature of the fulneſs of Chriſt. And this is conſonant to what the Apoſtle ſays upon the ſame occaſion, 1 Cor. 12. 25. All this was done, That there ſhould be no Schiſm in the Body, but that the Members ſhould have the ſame care one of another.

[23] 2. The Second end is The work of the Mi⯑niſtery, that it might be regular, and decent and ſucceſsful to that great end for which it was Ordained; that all who are employed in it, might be confin'd to their proper Poſts and proper Work, and not obſtruct the pro⯑greſs of the Goſpel by wandring out of their due Ranks and Stations, that the Feet might not affect the work or place of the Hands, and neither of them that of the Head; but that they might remember that 'tis God who hath ſet the Members every one in the Body, as it has pleaſed him, and that if they were all one Member, there would be no Body. 1 Cor. 12. 18. 'Tis in purſuance of this, that St. Paul c. 14. commands that all things in the Chriſtian Aſ⯑ſemblies be done decently and in Order, and that the Prophets themſelves obſerve the Rules preſcribed them, telling them v. 32. that the Spirits of the Prophets are Subject to the Prophets, for God is not the Author of confuſion but of peace, as in all Churches of the Saints.

3. The third end is what follows from the bleſſing of God upon the work of the Miniſtery, and that is, the Edifying of the Body of [24] of Chriſt, the confirming Believers in a ſound Faith and a holy Life; the former St. Paul inſtances in at the 14th. v. That we henceforth be no more Children toſſed to and fro, and car⯑ried about with every wind of Doctrine, by the ſlight of men, and cunning craftineſs whereby they lie in wait to deceive. And the latter at v. 17. this I ſay therefore and teſtifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gen⯑tiles walk in the vanity of their minds. And he joins both together at v. 15. but ſpeaking the truth in Love ye may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Chriſt.