- 48t Church- Hiflory of Ir3i/hopr have all that is effential to trueMiniilers : But the former is true, as I (h all prove in thethree feveral parts. i. That the Office it felf is of Gods ap- pointment , is proved fully before, and confeffed by all Chriflians that ever I knew, Aar i4.23. Tim. 3. Tit. r. iPet. 5.i,z. iThef.5.i2.Heb.r3.7r. 17, 24. A%,2o. 28. 2. For Sualifrcations, they haver. competent Know- ledge, 2. and Vtterance, 3.and..6odlinfr : and thefe are the Qualifications that God accepteth. z.Cor. r2.8. z Tim. 2. 15. z Tim. 5. 17. Mark the Ca- nonsof theft olyGhofl, 2 Tim. 2.2. They muff be a. Faithful men, 2. Able to teach others: But fuch arc thofe in queflion, z Tim, 3. ABifhop muff be blamelefe (that is, not fcandalous) the husbandof one Wife, vigilant, fober, of good behaviour, given to hofpitàlity, apt to teach, not given to Wine, no lfriker, not greedy offilthy lucre, but patient, not abrawler, not covetous, one that ruleth zrell his own hoofe having his children in fubjet'tion, with all gravity.] To which is added, lit. i. 8,9. A lover of good men, fober, juff, holy tem crate,. holding faff the faithful word as he path been taught, that be may be able by found Do£trine both to exhort, and to convince the gain-fayers.] Let all here note : t. That here is not_only the mention of the Vertues neceffary to the Being, but to 'the well-being alfo ofa Minileer: 2. And yet through the great mercyof God, all theft are the qualifications of multitudes of the Pallors of the Reformed Churches, as malice it felf mutt be forced to confefs: But if any deny it of any particular men, as that is nothing to the reft ; fo an unpro- ved accufation is' not by honeft mento bebelieved. The world knows that the Ad for rejecting fcandalous, infufficient, negligent Miniilers is very (hid, and'Commiflioners in each County forward to execute it, and Mini - tiers have enemies enough to fearch out their faults, and yet none are more forward than Miniiters themfelves to have the Ac`} put in execution ; fo that their llanding juftifies them before the world : Or, ifany will yet deny . them the neceffary Qualifications, I here challenge and provoke them to accufe all that are guilty, and call them out ; orelfe to confefs themfelves meer flanderers, and back-biters, and learn more truth and modefty here- after. 3. And for the third point, their entrance into the Office: They :have all that God bath madeneceffary to a juff entrance, as I prove : They that have a true Ordination, and the Peoples confnt, and the MagJrates allowance, have all that Godbath made neceffary to ajitff entrance, andmore than all : But thefaid Pa- fforsof the Reformed Churches have trueOrdination, and the Peoples confent, and the Magiftratesallowance : That they have true Ordination, I (hall thew anone in anfwering all thatcan be faid againfl it. The Peoples confent, by Electing, or .Accepting, is known, by the fait ; and Co . is the Magiffrates by Law and fail : Iput in all this, though more than neeefary, thatall Objedions may, befatisfied at once :. So that the Enumerations being unqueflionable, the Conclufioni is fo to. In !hors ; All thofé are true Miniffers, that are in an Of- ficeof Gods own Inititution, andare competently fitted for that Office by Know - ledge, Godlinefs, and 'Utterance, and have all, and more than all that God bath made neeefary to aright entrance or admiffion, even true Ordination, confent of the Rloc&, and the Magiftrates allowance. But; fach are the faid Paffors of the Re. formedChurches, thereforeyby are true Miniffers.of Gbriff.. Argo.
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