V E R.I. Ephean.f.Chap.I. 9 Obferue lirlt in Generali, that it is theduty ofa MinifferofChrit} tobletfe thefaithful! childrenof theChurch, as in the nameof God : Thisffr the fubftatiee(Mt wasnot proper to the Apoftle, no more then tobe a fpirituall Fatherwas appropriated to them, much leffe doth it belong to the Pope, asthe timesoffuperftition imagined, but toevery faithfull Miniífer,who is a fhepheard and inftrufter, and fo in theplace ofa fpirituall Father. Numb. 6. Aaron and bit fennel (hall bleffe thepeople inmyname. As God hathgiuen a power to the natural! pheats to canueigh good thingsto theirchildren; Home. thy Father Mat thy dayes maybe long,or that they mayprolong thy dayes by their bicding, deferuedly commingvpon thee; f God hath giuen fpiritu- all fathersa power ofblefïing,yea,and of anathematizing or turfing the childrenof theChurch, who fo deferue, and that effectually : So thatPant maketh good what they doe in this kind. This good Annah found, I Sam.t.17. when Thee had meekely anfwered !o bat fhand falle a fùfpition, TheGodofifraellgrant thyrepel', faith Elie,and (liceglad of the favour Thee had found in his fight, went a- way,and it was prefently granted. For more diftin& concciuing of the matter, I will briefly fhew,r.whatthisblelling is : 2. on whatit is grounded. It is a minifteriall a&,whichdothapply Gods bleffing to thewell deferuing childrenofthe Church, and entreththem into the affured poffcffion, through faith, of Gods blefling toward them : whichdothapply I laya for it differeth thusfrom a Prayer ;a Prayer feeketh to obtaine the things for vs, this doth in Gods name apply and affure our faith that the bleflingof God isvpon vs,and thall gra- tioufl followvs: When the Minifter intreateth forgiueneffeof finne, it isone thing ; when againe Ire doth affure a repentant heart that Godhath done away his finne, this is another thing : in the one lice feeketh to obtaine this benefit for the partie, in the other hee doth affure the party that it is now applied in him. The grounds are two. a. The fpirit of difcerning, I mean ordina- ry, not miraculous,which maketh them by fruits fee who are fuch members of theChurch, whom Goddothprornife to bleffe : The fécond is the authority which God bath put vpon them, who will hauethem to be his mouth and inftrument, whereby hewill both af- certaine his children of theirbleffedneffe fromhim, as likewifeexe- cute it in them. Nowfrom thefe two, that I difcerne a childeof the Church, towhombiding pertaineth,and knewmy felfe to bee his mouth to liignifie it,and inftrumentwithwhom beewill concurre to produce ir, fromthefe two it is ,that thisaft ofbleffrngfpringeth, be it a bkflirg in general! giuen,or fingularlyapplyed. Andhence you may fee adifference betwixt our biding, and the Patriarkes prophe- tical! blefti +'s ; for their blelfings were grounded vpon a Reuelati- on, in them made, of things which fhouldbefall their pofterity. The Vie ofthis is to rebuke the fooli(h cuflome ofrunning forth before the Minifters ofGod hauegiuenrheir bltfling : What amif- creant wouldhe beheld, that would not fuffer his Father to bleffe him, fo farre were he fromPeekingit at his hand ? It were not allowa- ble behaviour, if the Church were about to curie them, andmake them asutter execrations. De£t.I. oak; Pub1i@ Primate Primate likes Widf prpraier.
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