82 A DISCOURSE ON THE HOLY SPIRIT, the ministry may beperformed, and the endof the min- istry attained, shall be farther declared immediately. The endsof the ministry here mentioned, called its work, are the perfecting of the saints, and the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all come unto a perfect man. Hereof nothing at all can be done without these spiri- tual gifts. And therefore a ministry devoid of them, is a mock-ministry, and no ordinance of Christ. 8. 5thly, The eminency of this gift appears in the va- riety and diversityof the offices and officers which Christ gave in giving of the ministry. He knew there would, and had appointed there should be a twofold estate of the church, ver. 10. (1.) Of its first election and foun- dation. (2.) Ofits building and edification; and both different offices and gifts were necessary unto these different states: For, (1.) Two things were extraordi- nay in the first erection of his church. (1.) An extra- ordinary aggression was to be made upon the kingdom of Satan in the world, as upheld by all the potentates of the earth, the concurrent suffrageof mankind, with the interest of sin, and prejudices in them. (2.) The casting of men into a new order, under a new rule and law, for the worship of God, that is, the planting and erecting ofchurches all the world over. With respect unto theseends extraordinaryofficers with extraordinary authority, power, and abilities wererequisite. Unto this end therefore hegave some apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists, of the nature of whose offices and their gifts we have spoken before. I shall here only add, that it was necessary that these officers should have their im- mediate call and authority from Christ, antecedent unto all order and power in the church: for the very being of the church depended on their power of office; but this without such an immediate power from Christ no man can pretend unto. And what was done originally by their persons, is nowdone by their wordand doctrine: for the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being thechief corner- stone, Eph. ii. 20. (2dly,) There was a state of the church in its edification, which was to be carried on according to the rules and laws given by Christ in the ordinary ad- ministration of all the ordinances and institutions of the gospel. To this end Christ gives ordinary officers, pas- tors, and teachers, who, by his direction, were ordain- ed in every church, Acts xiv. 23, 24. And these are all the teaching officers that he bath given unto his church. Or, ifany shall think, that in the enumeration of them in this place, as also, I Cor. xii. our apostle forgot popes anddiocesanbishops, with some others, who certainly can- not but laugh to themselves, that they should be admitted in the world as church -officers, he must speak for himself. 9. But whereas the other sort of officers was given by Christ, by his immediate call and communication of power unto them, it cloth not appear how he gives these ordinary officers or ministers unto it. I answer, he did it originally, and continueth to do it by the ways and means ensuing: (I.) He doth it by the law and rule of the gospel, wherein he bath appointed this office of the ministry in his church, and so always to be conti- nued. Were there not such a standingordinance and in- stitution of his, it were not in the power of all the churches in the world to appoint any such among them, whatever appearance there may be of a necessity there- of. And ifany should have attempted any such thing, no blessing from God would have accompanied their en- deavour, so that they would but set up an idol of their own. Hereon we lay the continuance of the ministry in thechurch. If there be not an ordinance and institution of Christ unto this purpose: or if such being granted, yet the force of it be now expired, we must and will readily confess, that the whole office is a mere usurpa- tion. But if he has given pastors and teachers unto his church tocontinue until all his saints in all ages come un- to a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness ofChrist, Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13. and hath promised to be with them, as such, unto theconsummation of all things, Matlh. xxviii. 18, 19, 20. If theapostles, by his authority, ordained elders in every church and city, Acts xiv. 23. Titus i. 5. and who therein were made o- verseers of the flocks by the Holy Ghost, Acts xx. 28. having the charge of feeding and overseeing the flock that is among them always, until the _ chief Shepherd shall appear, 1 Peter v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If believers, or the disciples of Christ, are obliged by him always, to yield obedience unto them, Heb. xiii. 7, 17. with other such plain declarations of the will ofthe Lord Christ in the constitution and continuance of thisoffice, this foun- dation stendeth firm and unshaken, as the ordinances of heaven that shall not be changed. And whereas there is not in the scripture the least intimation ofany such time, state, or condition ofthe church, as wherein the disciples of Christ may or ought to live from under the orderly
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