V E R.I. Ephefran.f,Chap.i. 3 degreeof him, who bringeth the Doetrine of this Epiftle to vs ; He is anApoflle, one of the highett degree, an Embaffador of State, feat fromChrift, for fo the word fignifieth.Lookëas Kings haue their fuperiour and inferiour Magiftrates, from the Chancellor, to theCon(table;fo Chrift,the gloriousKingofhis Church, hath diners ordersof Minihers; the order ofApoftles being fupreame, and molt excellent aboue any other,Ephcf4. Andlooke as Kings difpatch Lords Embafadours into other Countries, concerning impor- tant bufineffe; fo the Lord Iefàs, now about to afcend, did fend forth his twelue Apoftles,topublifh the Charter ofthe world,euen forgiueneffeof finnes, and freeacceptance to life eternal', to all fuch as would take their pardon forth, by a lively beleefe Many werethe priuiledges of thefe Apofties. r, They were immediately, no perfon P,i"aedsa of comming betweene,delgned by Chrifi. z. Theywere infallibly au. a"Apu4te,s. filed, fo that intheir officeof teaching,whether by wordof-mouth, or writing, they could not cue. 3. Their commiffion was vniuer- fall,throughout all Nations, though the vfuall exercife thereof, was Gal.:; limited and determined by Chrift, doubtleffe for the greater edifi- cationof the Church. 4.Theycould giueby impofition of hands, the giftsof the holy Ghoft, which Simon 1Vlelf,us would haue re- deemed.. 5 . They were eye witneffesofChritt, and faw him ordina- rily, and miraculoully in the ftefh,asPaal. Tbat therefore a perfon of fuch quality, doth bring vs thefe things; muff ('cirre VS V to lecke into ',them, and entertaine them accordingly. Should the King fend his minde by the meaneft meffenger,we would receiueit dutifully; but ifmy Lord Chancellour, or form great ftatefman fhould haper- fonpublilh his plealure, we would attend itmore reverently. The Atheifine ofthefe times is much tobelamented:Our fuperifitious an- ce flors,ifthePopes Nuncioor Legate camearnongl them,bringing the Popesbleffi ag,indulgences,reliques,fuch waresas were the mock oftheworld;Oia howwere they received, how were their cömodties (ifI may fo call them)entertainedrBut our Atheifme is fuch,thatwe let thefe things lyeby;manyofvs not askingafter,norvouchfafing to readewith deuotion thefe things which the true Legates of Iefus Chrift hauebrought vntovs, and left publifhed for our fakes. Secondly. We fee hence the firmeneffe ofall thofe thingsdeli- uered in thisEpiftle; for, it was not fo much the Apoftle, as God in him,who inditedthefe things : Aswhen a lefron is founded forth uponan initrument, it is not fo much the inftrument, as his who playeth vponit: So here, I Preach not my felfe, but Chrift the Lord; an Apoffle ofChrifl, that is, an Apoftie, whoiwChrifl cloth take and owneas his Apaftle;who is irnployedabout him,z Cor4. And indeede, this phrafe dotti import his beingmade by Chrift, rather then includeit; and therefore, t 7tm.r..verft. he is faid an Apoftleof Chrift,by the commandement of Chrift ; where an A- poflle of Chrift is anApofttle pertaining to Chrifi,now poffefled of him, and imployed about him ,hauing beene aduanced to this place by the ordinationof Godand Chrift. NowPaulsfa6ì holdingout thisas his glory, that hewas Chrifis Apoftle,dothteach vs ; that we are toaccout it our greatefi dignity, vj. DoEf.3:
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