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V
E
R.I.
Ephefran.f,Chap.i.
3
degree
of
him, who bringeth the Doetrine
of
this
Epiftle to
vs
;
He
is
an
Apoflle, one
of
the highett degree,
an
Embaffador
of
State,
feat from
Chrift,
for
fo
the word fignifieth.Lookëas
Kings haue
their fuperiour
and inferiour
Magiftrates,
from
the Chancellor,
to
the
Con(table;fo Chrift,the glorious
King
of
his
Church,
hath diners
orders
of
Minihers; the order
of
Apoftles being fupreame,
and
molt
excellent
aboue
any
other,Ephcf4. Andlooke
as
Kings
difpatch
Lords
Embafadours into other
Countries,
concerning
impor-
tant
bufineffe;
fo
the Lord
Iefàs, now
about to afcend, did
fend
forth
his
twelue
Apoftles,to
publifh the
Charter of
the world,euen
forgiueneffe
of
finnes,
and freeacceptance
to
life
eternal',
to
all
fuch
as
would
take
their pardon
forth,
by
a
lively beleefe Many were
the
priuiledges
of
thefe Apofties.
r, They
were immediately, no perfon
P,i"aedsa of
comming betweene,delgned
by
Chrifi. z.
They
were infallibly
au.
a
"Apu4te,s.
filed,
fo
that
in
their
office
of
teaching,whether
by
word
of-mouth,
or
writing, they could not
cue.
3.
Their
commiffion was
vniuer-
fall,throughout
all
Nations, though the
vfuall exercife
thereof,
was
Gal.:;
limited
and
determined by
Chrift,
doubtleffe for
the greater
edifi-
cation
of
the Church.
4.Theycould giueby
impofition
of hands,
the
gifts
of
the
holy
Ghoft,
which
Simon
1Vl
elf,
us
would
haue
re-
deemed..
5 .
They were
eye witneffes
of
Chritt,
and faw him
ordina-
rily,
and miraculoully in the ftefh,asPaal.
Tbat
therefore
a
perfon
of
fuch
quality, doth bring
vs
thefe
things;
muff
('cirre
VS
V
to
lecke
into ',them,
and
entertaine them accordingly. Should the
King
fend
his
minde by the meaneft meffenger,we would
receiueit dutifully;
but
if
my
Lord Chancellour, or form great
ftatef
man fhould
ha
per-
fon
publilh
his plealure,
we would attend
it
more
reverently.
The
Atheifine
of
thefe times
is
much to
belamented:Our
fuperifitious an-
ce
flors,ifthe
Popes
Nuncio
or
Legate
came
arnongl
them,bringing
the Popes
bl
effi
ag,indulgences,reliques,fuch wares
as
were the mock
of
the
world;Oia how
were
they
received, how were their
cömodties
(if
I may
fo
call
them)entertainedrBut
our
Atheifme
is
fuch,thatwe
let thefe things lye
by;many
of
vs
not
asking
after,nor
vouchfafing
to
readewith deuotion
thefe things which
the true Legates
of
Iefus
Chrift
haue
brought vnto
vs, and
left publifhed
for our
fakes.
Secondly.
We
fee
hence
the
firmeneffe
ofall
thofe
thingsdeli-
uered
in
this
Epiftle; for, it
was not fo much the
Apoftle,
as
God
in
him,who indited
thefe things
:
As
when a lefron is
founded
forth
upon
an
initrument, it
is
not
fo
much
the inftrument,
as
his
who
playeth vpon
it:
So
here,
I Preach not
my
felfe, but Chrift the
Lord;
an
Apoffle
of
Chrifl,
that
is,
an
Apoftie, whoiwChrifl
cloth
take
and
owne
as
his
Apaftle;
who
is
irnployedabout him,z
Cor4.
And indeede,
this phrafe dotti
import
his
being
made by
Chrift,
rather then
include
it;
and therefore,
t
7tm.r..verft.
he
is faid an
Apoftleof Chrift,by
the commandement
of
Chrift
;
where
an
A-
poflle
of Chrift
is
anApofttle
pertaining
to Chrifi,now
poffe
fled
of
him,
and
imployed about him ,hauing beene
aduanced
to
this place
by the ordination
of
God
and
Chrift.
Now
Paulsfa6ì holding
out
this
as
his
glory, that
he
was
Chrifis
Apoftle,doth
teach
vs ;
that
we
are
to
accout
it
our greatefi
dignity,
vj.
DoEf.3: