20 Church-Hiftouÿ ofBifhops and Writings of fuch men as Gerfon, and Gerhardus Zulpbanienfrs, and Thaule_ rus, Thomas áKempis, Ferus, and many fuch others, will fee that Gods fpï_ rit was hill illuminating and fan&ifying fouls. And he that readeth fuch Lives as PhilipNerius, perfecuted by the Bithop asen ambitious Hypocrite, for fetting up more ferious Exercifes of Religion than had been ordina_ rily ufed among the Formalifts, (to fay nothing of fuch privater men as M. deRemyand many others) will feethat it isnot all Church-tyranny and corruption, though veryheinous, that will prove that Chrift bath not Holy Generation whomhe will fave. 4, 46. Yea among the very corrupted fort of the Clergy, many that are overcome with temptations in that point, and take ufurpation and tyranny, and worldly pomp and violence for Order , Government, and the intereft of the Church, have yet much good in other refpeéts: Even amongthe Cardinals there have been fuch men as Charles Boromaus, Ba_ renias (Nerius's companion) Bellarmine, and others, that would Preach and pra&ife the common Do&rines of ferious piety: Yea, among the Jefuits therehave been divers that have Preacht, Written, and lived very #tridly; much more among their Fryars : and fuchBifhops as Sales : And though their times and corruptions blemiíhed their piety, I dare not think theynullified it. 4. 47- And it fheweth the excellency ofthe Sacred Office, t. That Chrift did firítmake it as the nobleOrgànical part of hisChurch, to form the refl. a. That he endued the firth Officers with the molt noble and ex cellent gifts of his fpirit. 3. That he founded and built his Church by them at firth. 4. Yea, that hehimfeif preached the Gofpel, and is called The Minifterof the Circumcifion, the chief Shepherd, and the Bifhop of our Souls. 5. That hebath ufed them toenlarge, confirm, preferve, and edefiehis Church to thisday. 6. That he maketh thebelt of them to be thebeltof men. 7.. That he putteth into the hearts of all good Chrifti. ans a fpecial love and honour of them. 8. That he ufeth even the worfer fort to do good, while they do hurt; efpecially fome of them. 9. That Satan thrived] fohard to corrupt them and get them onhis fide. to. That Religion ordinarily dyeth away, or decayeth, when they fail and prove unable and unfaithful. a a. That Chrift commandeth men fo much to hear, receive and obey them, and bath committed his Word and Keys to them, as his Stewards. r 2. And bath promifed them a fpecial reward for their faithfulnefs : and commanded all to pray for them and their prefervation and fuccefs. And the natureof thethings tells us, that as knowledge in lower things is not propagated to mankind, but by Teachers ( man be- ing not born wife;) fo much lefs is heavenly wifdòm. And therefore it is, that God is fo regardful of the due qualification ofMinifters, thatthey be not blind guides, nor novices, nor proud, nor carelefs fluggards, nor felf-feeking worldlings, but skilful in the word, of truth, and lovers of God and thefouls of men, and Zealous,and diligent, unwearied, and patient-in their holy work. And when they prove bads-he maketh them mot
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