Com. 3 8 Chap.6. OfSchools and Vniverflie.t. whom he Cent forth, but with lets power than the Apofiles , ( for the twelve an t the feventy two were diflind orders ) and in choofing them Chrifi (hewed he ne- ver intended to have equality in his Church, but that there (hould be different de- grees, according to the diverfity cf gifts and abilities and that thofe of the bell gifts fhould be fet firfl : and hence the Church afterwards had divers Offices in the Church, as fo many leverai tteps, as the Leelores, Acoluthi,&c. By which their gifts and abilities being tryed they might afeend, and be chofen to higher Employments. As under the Law among the Levites who were under the Priefts, there were fe- veral orders and ranks, as the Netopbatbites, Korathites, Merarites, be. Now in the choice which our Saviour made, he looked partly at the Indoles and nstural aptitude of his Scholars, for the employments which he intended for them : as. ,we fee in Saint Peter, whom he made chief among the Apofiles, there were in him three figns by which the Brethren would have wits to be chofen : as fiat, John t: 42. Confiancy and unweariednefs in taking pains, whereupon Chrift when he beheld him, raid, he fhould be called Cephas a flow ; fetondly; love to his Mailer, as ap. pears both by his connfel he gave him, to Cave himfelf; which argued his affeelien, Match. 26. 35 and his offeringhimfelf to die for him; and lafily, his indoles manfeeta, his gent,: Gal . a. u. tradable nature; being willing to hear of his faults , though it were by his Info- riour,as when he was reproved by Paul. So in thechoice of the Sons ofZebedee. Luke 9.34 he confidered their fervent andhot difpofition, whereupon they were named Sons . of Thunder; upon which Cbrypfiom obferved that thofe whom Chrift chofe Mark 3. 17. were like precious Stones which that skilful Lapidary knew how to difeern;, and though they were then unpoiifht, yet by his in(truEtion and difcipline he po- lifht them afterwards. So that we fee Difciples fit for thofe Callings, ale not to be promifcuoufly taken, but a choicemull be made with judgment , efpecially Job 33. 23. he that mull be fit for the facred Calling, mull be unus inter mile, one of a thou- fand. As there mull be a choice in the Teacher, fo the Duty liés upon him that offers himfelf to be taught, if he know himfelfnaturally unfit, he ought not tooffer him- felt for thofe high Callings, nor afpire to them, when he is naturally fitted only for inferiour Employments. The Prophet faith that though in his time many that were unfit would needs be irophets, yet in the times of the Gofpel he foretells, they fhould acknowledg their infirmities, and fay, /am no Prophet, but anhusband- man, and therein have been brought upfrommy youth, intimating, that filch as were fitted and brought up for other Callings, should not leek to be Prophets, &c. The VIM .r7: t6. Wife-man asketh the queftion, whyfools fhouldhave a price in their bands togetwif- dom, firing they have no heart to it. It is but time and money fpent invain. And in Prev. 26. 7. another place he compareth a parable in a fools mouth,to a man with lame legs,fet him on his feet andhe falleth down. And as nodoOrine will enter intohint, fo neither will any difcipline work upon him ; for as he (heweth further, if he be filver, the 27,21,22 fining, ifgold, the Furnace will do him good, if there be any mettal in him, he is like to prove well: But ifhe be a fool orunfit,bray him ina Mortar,and it will be to no purpofe. And the Prophet complains ofthofe that hehad to do with r they were Jer. 6. aB, s9. brats or iron, refufemettal, infomuch as he had burnt his bellows, and wearied his arms to no purpofe. Therefore Plato infifts upon this,that thofe that are to be trai- ned up in learning, mull have gold in them or Giver at leafs, they muff not be plum- Efa.zB.is,i3: beia ingenia, leadenheavy wits. And Efayasketh the quefton , &uemdocebit fcienti- am; whom thanbe teachknowledg? It is not thofe thatmuff becontinually fucking, that mull have precept upon precept, line upon line , tell it now and tell it again to morrow , but filch as are weaned, and'can take meal after meal, and are apt to take Heb, 5. 14. inftrud ion, which is prong meat. As theTeacher thenmutt examinethe difpofition of the Scholars, fo the Scholars mull interrogare feipfos, arktbemfelves, whether they be able to undertake this, and if not, to take another courfe of life. It was the opinion of the Fathers of the Pri- mitive Church, that in making this choice ofmen in their Schools, that were an- nexed to their principal Churches, that a; manought rather to be too ftridt, than too look r and their reafon was, It were better that a Wife-man fhould be in a Cal- ling without the Church, than afool within it; betterto fpare the onethan to take the other. The:
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