46.6 Church.HOory of BiJhopr [Obey them that have the rule over you, and fubmit your Ryes, for they watch for your fouls as they that mutt give account; that they may do it with joy, and not with grief ; for that is unprofitable for you.] And Heb. 13. 7. Remember them which have the ruleover you, who bave fpoken to you the Wordof God.] And fo ver. 24. And r Tim. 5. 1°7. The Elders that rule well are worthy of doable honour, &c.] with abundance more filch paffages as thefe ? Do not you feel thefe fly in your faces whenyou oppofe the Minifters of Chrift ? Doth a. Thief or Murderer finagainft plainer light than you ?° 15. Thefe Malignants fin againft the coafent and experience ofthe Uni.. verfal Church of Chrift till this day. The. whole Church hathbeen for the Miniftry, and inffrudted by them ; and as the Child doch feek the Breaft, fo did new-boraChriflians, in all. Ages, feek the Word from the Minifters; that they might live and grow. thereby. And all the Nations of theChri- thanWorld are for the Miniflry to this day ! Or elfe they could' not be for Chrift, and for the Church, and Gofpe!. Is it not plain therefore that-thefe Malignants are dead branches, cut off from the Church, that are fo let-a- gainll the Spirit and interefl of the Church ? 16. Moreover they fin againfi the experience of all, or almoll all the true Chriflians in the world. For they have all experience , that Minifters are either their Fathers; or Nurfes in the Lord : And that by their means they have had their life, and ftrength, and comforts ; their finskilled, their graces quickned , their doubts- refolved ;. the tafle of the good Word of God, and of the powersofthe world to come.? May wenot challenge-you as Paodoftdoth his Flock, Whether you did- not receive the illuminating fanciifying Spirit by the Miniftry,, if ever you received it ? I tell you, it is as much againft the new and holy natureof the Saints to defpife the Mini- tiers of Chrift, as it is unnatural for a Child to fpit in the face ofhis Father or Mother.. And the experience of found Chriflians will keep -them clo- fer,andhelp them much againft this inhumanity, what ever Hypocrites may do. 17. And if.thefe Malignants had not Pharaohs s heart, they would fore have confidered, that the experienceofall Ages tells them, that Rill the . moll wicked have been the Enemies of the Miniflry, and the moll godly have moli obeyed and honoured them in. the Lord ; and that this Enmity bath been the common Brand of the rebellious, and the fore-runner of the heavyywrath of God ; and that it bath gone werft with the Enemies, and beft with the Friends-of a. godly Miniliry. Do I need to prove this,. which is fomuchof the. fubftance of the. Old Tcftatnent, and the New ?, Was it.the Friends or Enemies of all the Prophets, Apofiles and Minifers- of Chrift, that Scripture and all good Writers do commend ? Do not the names of all Malignantsagainff the godly Minifiry flink above ground,- as the fhame of mankind, except thofe that are buried out of hearing,- or thofe that were converted ? - r8, Nay fuch as are noted forthehigheft,fort of the wicked upon Earth; worfe thanDxt nkards,Whorem?ngrrs, and tuck filthyBealts!-'The Rife cutors.
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