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Show A {w That they were gifts we willingly acknowledge, becautC: 11 t:e ofnces and officers of the Church were given to the Church :swell as the fpirituall gifts and graces, wbereb~ they do execute thofe offices; for fo faith the Apo!He, When Chnfr afcended up on high, hee gave gifts to men. Wbtgifts? fome to be Apofrles,fome Prophets, fome Euange! ifrs fome Pafrors,and Teachers, Eph.4.8.11. but yet governments. anl all !'he refr there mentioned are fpirituall offices, as well as f~irituall gifts, as will appcare ~·om ~he context; for t~e. Apofr!e m this Chapter, putteth a mamfefl: differen£e betw~n fptrttuall, ( 1. Gift3 ~nd Graces, :x"'''f"'"','makmg the holy Gholl: ., the giver of them, verf. 6. 2. 1\dminifl:rations, or Minifl:ers or Officers, ol'utxorl~t~: _ making the Lord .Jefi.Is the giver and infritutor of them, "· verf. )· as he doth al~o. Ephef. 4· 8. 1 1. I 3. Operations, efficacies, or fucceffees of their ad mini· frrations,making the Father (the foundation of all power) Lthe giver of them, verf 6. Now having fpoken of the end for which fpirituall gifts are given, verf. 7. hee reckoneth up nine of thofe 1~verall fpiricual! gifts, verf.S, 9, 10. hee declareth them to be given to feverall members of the Church (not all to any one) that fo every member migl:t fl:apd in need of the help and gifts one of another; and thus having difcourfed of the variety of fpirituall gifts and theirufe, he cometh in ve~f. 28.to 31. to declare the variety offpi· rituaU adminifl:rations( that is, 1\Iinifl:eries or offices) which God hath fetin his Church, and reckoneth up eight. Firfl: Apofl:Ies, fecondarily Prophets, under whom your Euangelifl:s are,comprc· hended, as being of equall rank with them : thirdly Teachers, under whom he includeth Pafl:ors alfo, the office of both whom, was to teach or pra&ife in the Church; after that miracles, or as die word in the originall is, powers, to wit; to 'cafl: out Devils, or .co do the like works ; then gifts of healing, helps, ( opitu; lations) chat is, Deacons, governments (who elfe can they be but governing Elders ? for we heare of teaching Elders before;) lafl:Iy, the gifts ofcongues,tr ueit is indeed, the Apofl:!e reckoned up three of thefe before for fpi.ritua!I gifts, 'X."P""~'""" verf. 9, I 0. Miracles, or powers,gifts ofhealing,kinds of tongues; but here hereckoneth . them Sea. 2. them, not as fpirituall gifts,and graces, for that were a tautology, and unfiitable to the method ofhis difcourfe,but fpeaketh of them as feverall fun &ions or offices, wherein thcfc gifts were cxercifetl. " Objelf. 2. But if thefe Governments were Officers or fimCl:ion, "they were extraordinary, and fo are now cealed, as gifts of " tongues, and healing, and miracles be. Anfw. Not fo, for no offices are ceafed, but fnch as had their chiefe ufe, not for beleevers in the Church, but unbeleevers out of the Church; but governments are of pcrpecuall necefTary ufe in the Church, even as teachers and helpers, unlefTe wee fhall fay that Anarchy were fitter for a fetled Church-government. " Objelf. 3· But why may not thefe Governours be the Pafrors "in the Church, who have received an ordinary power of Go- " vernment in the Church ? . Anfw. The order in which the'Apofl:!e reckoneth chefe governments, will not futferthat; for here the ApofUe reckoneth five ieverall rankcs, the furn1er exprefly precedent in erder before the ocher; God (fa~th he) hath Jet in hi< Chterch-; Firfl:,ApoftleJ; fecondly, Prophm; thrrdly,Teachm; after that Mirades,which is a fourth ranke; then in the lift place, gifts of !Jeuling,and bel pes ,govermnems diverjitier of tongueJ. Now if by Govemment, had been meam P a~ flors,he would not have reckoned them in a lower order fo farre after Teachers, fceing they are of the fame rank with them'. " Objelf. Why, but here helpes or Deacons are fet before Go" vernments ; which argueth the Apofl:Ie did not regard to rank cc them in due order. Anfw. Itis.evident by th~ words of order, which the Apofl:!e ufech, that he tntendeth to reckon the foure lirfl: forts in their due order, and the life fort of them all in a latter order after the former, though in a promifcuous manner, without refpeCl: of order amongfr the.mfelves; for fo he f.1ith ; Firfl:, Apnftles; fecondarily, ~rophets; thtrdly, Teachers; after them Miracles; chen gift I of healmg, he/jUs, Governments, diverjitie of ton dues. As Apoft!eJ are before Prophet I, fo are Prophets before ordinary :eachers, the teacbeu before wor~erJ uf Miracle~, the Mir.ac!es before them that have , d~e gifts of healmg; for the gifts ofhealmg follow after work,[ ofmi,-ac/ey, with a note of order~ 'Ibm: But all thole lafl: foure',gifts./Jfbealing,hefpeJ:, Governments, dtverjitm of tortgms, are r~cl<oned without rdpeCl: of D order ... |