CHAP.I.5. So He faith not Tel Mora ,bitt s» asimorrs. Cornices Apo - ftolorum. A vifible Church not to becontemned or vilified for Comedcfeas in it. Ex ijs qeæ in Eceleta Chri- ftiana tequirun- rur vt partibus fuis omnibus confler,folam do&rinamvide - ri nobis ablolu- te& finevlla execprione ne. celfariam.Bezr de Priesb,& or. Coln. ' tACom>mntarie vpon the owne dominions, where they are ouely vnder God. And here firfl maybee noted, that after the Apofflehad taken great paines in theplanting of this Church of Creta : yet were many things wanting and defeétlue Rill :for Titus is left behind , to redreffe things defeuttiue, which mull not beconceiued,as that theApofules either tho- rough ignorance,fogetfulnes,or carelefnes,omírted any thing;but be- caufe they were tail into ttraights of time,and could not euery where fi- nif$euery thing, at leaft effectually and executionally, but only by way ofdireétion.Which is a ground offundrie conuderations: Firlt, it noteth what was the fpeciall workeofanEuangelifi;natnely, that beeing the companions ofthe Apofiles, they were to bring on the work ofthe Lord to perfecìió,both by efiablifhing that foundatió they had laid,&buildingon furtherby their diredtion,where they leftoff.The office was middle betweene the Apotlle'and thePallor, the calling was immediate from the Apoflles,as the Apoflles was immediate fró Chrifi. Where by the name EuAngelflr, are not meant thofe,who in a firaighter fenfe are fo called,as whole helps the Lord vied, towrite the hiflorie of Chrift, andbeginnings of Chritiian religion ; two ofwhich were Apo- tiles,and other two their companions, as Marke, and Luke-rbut thofe whom we call vice-apoflles, or paftors fore-runners , who were in prea- ching the Gofpel , planting the minitlerie, and adminifiration ofholy things,to be (as hands and teem ) wholly at the Apofiles appointment, to call andrecall, whether and when they would: fuchas Titnothie, Ti- tus, Marke,Tychichus,feruingnow in one Cuurch,now in an other, as the Apo filespleafed to vie them; whofeoffice becaufe theircalling was from the Apottles, and their worke feruing the founding and rearing of the fitti Chrillian Churches, and that by the direôtionof the Apotlles, mutt needs allo ceafe with the Apoflles. Secondly, nocwithfiandingmany defects and wants in this Church, and thofe great ones,and that in conliitution,for we fee their cities were deflituteofelders,and Church gouernours:yet was it neither neglected by Paul,nor Ceparated from by Titus, as a cage of vncleanebirds : tea- chingvs,not prefently to condemne,a number and fociety ofinen(much leffe ofChurches) for want of fome laves , or gouernment ( for no Church is not wanting in Come) ifthey ioyne together in theprofefliion oftruth of doeiriue,and worfhip:for fo manyofthe Churches , planted by the Apottles themfelues, might haue been refufed forwanting Come offices for a time, although they were after fupplied. How muchbetter were it that the fpirit ofineekenes fhould lead into a patient expectati- on, whenGod will further beautifiehis Sion , to make her become the praife ofthe world ; then that the fpirit ofpride should hurrie vs into a rafh
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