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Show 20 ' -··' ,'\"! "\. ;:; ,..- Ruling elders, Sea. 2· the Church. In the former cafe, if it fall out that we Deacons be in nece!lity, they may be fitpplicd with Come maintenance from the Church,as well as any other of the poore brethren ; an? fo,though this Text f.~y nothing concerning them, yet otl~er :;cnptures. take care for them : for the Deacons,by the very inlhtuuon o~ their of· ficc, were to take up the funB:ion which the Apo!Hes laid. do~ne (as over troublcfome, and incomp.ttible to their MinHl:ena~ Imployment,) now that which they laid down, was the fe:vmg of tables, and dill:ributing to every brother according to his nec;d, Afh 6. 2. with 4· 35· ifthen theirownneedrequire,they maywnh the Churches allowance, take them( elves of that fupply which they difpofe to others. But in refpeCl: of their office, there is little cau(e they lhould expeCt maintenance froHl the Churchei charge ; for their office takts them very little off from attendance to the maintena. nce of their own family. Seeing by the Ordinance of Chrill: they fpend no time to go in and out to colleCt monies, but only receive what is brought to them, as an oblation to the Lord, hid down before them every Lords day in the face of the Church, or e!(c what is brought home to their own houfes, according to the bills they put in on the Lords day ; and look what time they may fpendinkeeping a jull: accompt of what they lay out, or in vi fit-; ing any fick or poore brethren, their time and labour fpent herein is fufficiently recompenced by the ufe of the Churches flock, or treafury lying in their hands. Secondly, befides this Text calleth for maintenance to thofe Elders in refpcCl: of their office of mlin" w~1l,bu~ neit~er a~;e Deac\)ns ll:iled Elders i~ any place of Scripture~ nett her IS thetr office a place of rule, but of fervice to T abies; fo that this Text will by no force be racked to bear this interpretation. 2. Another interpretation is fetched fi·om that which is f.~id to be the proper and ufuall force of the word .,.,;;:,, which is more to then limply labour, even to weary a mans felf with labour· fo "that this fenfe they make of the Apoflles words, the Pall:ors' or "Elders that difcharge their places well, arc worthy of double "honour, chiefly they which weary themfelvcs with labour and "' care to teach and admonilh. . Anfw. KMT'"' in ~he Apoll:lcs language~doth not note out any mtenuon or labom Ill fome above ot~ers, but Gmply fuch pains,in a placefomewhatparallel to this, 1 'Ibef 5· 12. where the Apoll:le. exhorteth Chap. 2. exhortcth the 'Iheffalolliqni to acknowledge their Minill:ers-and Rulers with lingular love for their works fake, he callcth all their Minill:ers T .. r ,...,.,,.,..,,r, and maketh their x!or@-, the common work and labour of them all, not any intenfivc or eminent hbour of fome above others; and in Rom.I6. 6. I 2. when the Apoll:le fpeaketh of fame &odly women, that either took pain$ about him, or about other fpirituall work, when bee fpeaketh of intenfivc or eminent pains and labour, he addetb another word to =a., that ' may exprdfe fo much; but if he fpeakc fimply and pofitively oflabour, hee ufeth the word .,,.,:;:,alone, Salme (f.~lth hee) Tryphena and 'Irypbofo, ""'' .,,.,Mm., iv x~pfr,>, which is tranilated limply, n>ho l.tbot~r i~t tbe Lord; bm when be fpeaketh of others, tlut took more painful! labour, Jalu:e MJ;y, veri. 6. (C1ith be) ~m oroM!t.' ixo.-lcl71' <u nfUt>, which bell: owed much labom upon us,and ver.I 2. falute tbe beloved, ifn, mMd. ;,_,,;'"''" ' ' >UJpf.,, which is tranilated >vho laboured mucb in the Lord ; and therefore in this Text in 'Iimot by, if we flrain not P au!, .words beyond his wonted meaning, he means no more by Elders c1 "'"'''"'' <v 11i:w '!]J'IA•u~l~,tbeu fuch who labour in word & doCtrine, and then he dilli ngnifheth the Elders rh ar r ule well, from the Elders that hbour in word & doCtrine fituply,by their,dilferent acts, abont diffcre!lt objeCt~, fome Elders being conver( a~t about the wellrulin~; of the lives & manners of the people, others being convcrlant in labours about the word and doftrinc. 3· A third interpretation is given of thcfe words, Tbat by Elders ruling well fhonld be meant Pall:ors, and Teachers, fi1ch as were refidcnt, and abiding in the Church, affixed to the place for the rule of it," and by """'~'7i'' thofe that travelled from place to place, to vifit and to confirm the Churches. To confirm this fenfe of.,,.,;;--,, the place, 1 Cor. I)· Io. is quoted, where P aut f.~ith of himfelf, ""'e"''mpo• .:~7;;, ,..;,.,.., ;.,,.lone, which if bee had meant of labour in Word and DoEl:rine, it might have feemed arro· gancy in him to preferre himfelf betore the rell: of the Apoll:les in that work, and it would have imruted fome afperfion of negligence to them; but if it be mcanto hislabom and travel! through many countreys and nations, for the fpreading of the Gofpel, fo hee might fpcak truly, and Coberly, that hee bad laboured more abundantly then them all:tothe fame purpofe,Mariu .,,.,;;,,and the labour of'Irypbe~ta,Trypbofa&Perjii are alledgcdoutofRom.x6.6.I2. ~ s |