The Minifterial. Office opened il1 fifteen parti.:ulars. CHAP. VI. 1)ireflions to the IPeople concerniug their Internal and Private Duty to their Pa• itors, and the· impro1Jement of their Minifteriai Office and Guifts. THe Prnpln Internal and Private duty to their Pafiors ( which I may treat of wirhour an a~ pearance of encroachment upon rhe wotk of the Canons, Rubricks and D JOClfans) 1 £hall open to you in thefc v;rtlliont following. Piretl. r. §.I· Dire(l. I· Vnderflandfirfl the tme Ground, andNaturt, .:Jnd Rta{.mJ nf the fr[i;zi{lerial DifPut. 2. of Offict, or elfi you tl'i0 Hot u~d~rjfa~d the.Grotmds, a1td N~turt1 ~Jnd Keafont of ymr duty t J 1 bc 111, The ~~~~~~~o- ~ature ~nd Wo~k.s of the MmlltcnaJ Office: I h~vc fo plaml~ opened already rhar ~ lh,dl rden you ro cb. 1 . And It to avm? ~cp~tJtton. Here are two fo_ns ofRtafons to be gwcn you: 1: The Rtaf(Jns of rhe ntcdfhy u 11 ivtrfal c 0;1• of the MmiftcrJal work,.: 2· Why cc:rtam perfons mufi be jfparattd ro th1s work, and it mutt not be wJ. l~ft to all in common. 9· 2. I· The Nectffity of the work it fdf appeareth in the very N.uurt of it, and em~meration of Of the diflethe part1 of ir. Two foru of Mi11ijfer1 Chrifi: hath made ufe of for his Church: The firji [ rt was !or r~nce between the Revelation of fomeNew Law or Doctrine, to be the Churches RHlt of FcJitb or Lift: And rhcfe ~;~~~fni~;rs were to prove their authority and credibility by fome Uivi11e audla1ion; which v. as cfprclally by Mi– fee my Dif}.1.. racles; and fo lvlofu revealed the Law to rbe Jews, and ( Chrifi: and) the.: Apoll Its r.. vtal~d the Go· & 3·~fcbTrrch- fpd. The fecond fort of MiHijftrJ are appointed wGuide the Church to (.;;lvlllion by tJptniltf, ar.d ..zp– Gov r.tmtlt) plying the Rule thus already foaled and ddiverul: And thefe as they are ro brin~ m mw Rev 1 /atf.. ft:~.(:~~~:~ on I or Doctrines of faith, t~r Rule of life, fo thc:y need n~ bring a;ry Miracle t.o prove their call or i.t Milfioi1ib 1 u. authority to the Church: for they have no power to deliver any new DuChme or Gofpel to rhc Church, but only that which is confirmed by M1racles alread)'. And it is impu,dc:ncy to d"mand that the fame Gofpd be proved by new Miracles by cve.y Miniiler that fiull expound or preach it: That would make MirJcks to be no Maacles. The Work of 9· 3· The work of the ordinary Mmiihy ( fuch as the Pri,jiJ and Teacher1 were under rh~ Law, theMini!lry. and ordinary PaHors and Teachtrs are undtr the Gofpel) bting only toGar!Jer :md Govern the · Churches, their work lay in Explaining and Applying the Word of God, and ddivcri1'g his SJcra.- Rom.to.,,l4· ments, and now containcth thcfe particulars following: I• To Preach theGofpd for the Converlion Mar. 16• 1 ~· of the unbelieving and ungodly world. And thar is done, partly by expounding the w~rd1 by a h s 'tr.zn.flatiun ihto a tongue which the hearers or readers undnlh:nd; and pntly by op ... ning 1 hc fenfe Mm ' 1 • :~: and matter. 2. In this they are not only TtachrrJ, but MdTcr.gers fcnt from God the 'Fr.:thcr, Son Jnd 2. Cor. ;. 19, Holy Ghojl to charge, and command, and imreat men in his NJtne to Repent, and believe, and be re1o, 1 1. conc1led to God ; .tnd in his Name to offer them a fcaltd pardon of all their fins, and ride to eternal A~n6· 1 7)tg, life. 3· Thofc that become tht Difciplcs ofChrilt, they are (M bis Stew.zrdt) to receive into his !~; 1~'11 ~~8, houfr, as fcUtwCi1izuu Pf rhe Saint.J, and of the H''JifhvldofGod; and as his Commiflioncd Officers, 3~, 4o. to iOiemnize by Baptilm their enterance into the holy Covenlnt, a.nd to receive their engagement to God, and to be the Mdftngus of Gods Engagement unto them, and by lHtJtftiture.to ddivtr them by that Sacrament, the pardon of all their fin,and .their tide by Adoption to eternal hfe: As a hN1fe i!i- de– livered by <he ddivery of a Key, or Land, by a T..-ig and Tu,ft, or KniJ!,hthood by a Sword or CarTit. 1• 7 • ter, 6--c. 4· Thefe Minificrs are togather rlu:fe ConvertJ mto iolemn Afftmblu:s, and ordered Churches 1 Cor. 4· T, 1.. for their tolernn wo1Chipping of God, and mutual edification, communion and fare proceeding in Matth. 1 $. 19 ' their Chrif\:ian courfe. 5· They are to be the Hated Tr4cbtrJof the A.ffunblifl, by tXpnundmg and Afn 20 • F:o· applying that Word w~ich is fir ro build them up. .6. The~ ar~ to~" t·he GHi~r~ of the Congrega1 Cor. ~· u, tion in publick WorOnp, and to fla;1d between thtm omd Chrijl m thmgs pertammg to God, as fubu. fervienr eo Chrifl: in his Pridlly Office: And fo both for the: people, and allo i1t tluir u.tmn, to pc.t A~~ 14 ' l3· up the publick Prayer/ and Prai{t1 of the Church to G(1d, 7· It is their dury to Adminilier to them ~~~11;3~~~· & as in the Name and }lead of Chrill, his B dy and Blood a~ broke~ and. fht~ tor .them, ;a~d fv in rhe 2.41 ,41.& 6,1 frequent renewals of the holy Covenants 10 [ubfervc Chr1H tfptclally m h1s Pndlly Office, to otfcr Ad~ 10. 7, 1 8. and ddiver Chrill and his benetits to them, and to be, tbcir Agem in olfct ing tbemfclvu ro God. 1 !,m. 5·l7· 8. They are appoir.ttd to Overflc and Govern rhc Church, in the publick Or1cring ot the folemn ~{t~'1~'15~,p. Worfhip ofGod, and in nbuking any that arc there diforderly, and l(<::ing that all rhings b.: don.: fQ (o!. 1, 28. edification. 9· They arc appoimcd as 'teacher! for tv.ery particular ~ember of tht: Church ro h,avc Eph. 4 rt,u. privarc and pcrfonal rccourfe w ( as far as may be ) 1 for the nfolving of rhc:ir wci~hry doubts, ~nd Mal: 2 • 7· infiruction in cafes of difficulty and nccctfity, ai'!d for the fctling of thc:ir peace and comtorr. 1 Ttm. ~· 17 ' 10• They are appointed, as Phy{icions under ChriH, w watch ovtr all the .individual Mcmbets of their charge, and take care that they be not infected with Htrdie, or corrupted ~y vic,c; and to ad~o-ni{h the offenders> and reduce rhcm unto the way of Truth aud Holincfs, ;md if they continue tin– penitent
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