A poor laic instructed

the learned Taulerus.

Proof 1.

God's

alone doth

lawful

teacher.

more frequently it is hurtful than helpful, as appeared in the example of Taulerus, who being a learned man, and who could make an eloquent preaching, needed nevertheless to be instructed in the way of the Lord by a poor laic. I shall first speak of the necessity of grace, and then proceed to say something of that literature which they judge so needful.

First then, as we said in the call, so may we much more here, if the grace of God be a necessary qualification to make one a true Christian, it must be a qualification much more necessary to constitute a true minister of Christianity. That grace is necessary to make one a true Christian I think will not be questioned, since it is by grace we are saved, Eph. ii. grace 8. It is the grace of God that teacheth us to deny unconstitute godliness, and the lusts of this world, and to live godlily and righteously, Tit. ii. 11. Yea, Christ saith expressly, That without him we can do nothing, John xv. 5. and the way whereby Christ helpeth, assisteth, and worketh with us is by his grace: hence he saith to Paul, My grace is sufficient for thee. A Christian without grace is indeed no Christian, but an hypocrite, and a false pretender. Then I say, If grace be necessary to a private Christian, far more to a teacher among Christians, who must be as a father and instructer of others, seeing this dignity is bestowed upon such as have attained a greater measure than their brethren. Even nature itself may teach us that there is more required in a teacher than in those that are taught, and that the master must be above and before the scholar in that art or science which he teacheth others. Since then

Pr. II. Christianity cannot be truly enjoyed, neither any man Arg. denominated a Christian without the true grace of God, must be a therefore neither can any man be a true and lawful member of teacher of Christianity without it.

Who first

the body,

and then

life is re

Secondly, No man can be a minister of the church of Christ, which is his body, unless he be a memvirtue from ber of the body, and receive of the virtue and life of the head. the head:

ceived, &

But he that hath not true grace can neither be a member of the body, neither receive of that life and nourishment which comes from the head:

Therefore far less can he be a minister to edify the body.

That he cannot be a minister who is not a member is evident; because he who is not a member is shut out and cut off, and hath no place in the body; whereas the ministers are counted among the most eminent members of the body. But no man can be a member unless he receive of the virtue, life, and nourishment of the head; for the members that receive not this life and nourishment decay and wither, and then are cut off. And that every true member doth thus receive nourishment and life from the head, the apostle expressly affirmeth, Eph. iv. 16. From whom the whole body being fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the -edifying of itself in love. Now this that thus is communicated, and which thus uniteth the whole, is no other than the grace of God; and therefore the apostle in the same chapter, ver. 7. saith, But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ; and ver. 11. he showeth how that by this grace and gift both apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given for the work of the ministry, and edifying of the body of Christ. And certainly then no man destitute of grace is fit for this work, seeing that all that Christ gives are so qualified; and these that are not so qualified, are not given nor sent of Christ, are not to be heard, nor received, nor acknowledged as ministers of the gospel, because his sheep neither ought nor will hear the voice of a stranger. This is also clear neither from 1 Cor. xii. throughout; for the apostle in ought nor that chapter, treating of the diversity of gifts and the stranmembers of the body, showeth how by the workings ger's voice.

The sheep

of Christ

will hear

of the same Spirit in different manifestations or measures in the several members of the body the whole body is edified, saying, ver. 13. That we are all baptized by the one Spirit into one body; and then, ver. 28. he numbers up the several dispensations thereof, which by God are set in the church through the various workings of his Spirit for the edification of the whole. Then if there be no true member of the body which is not thus baptized by the Spirit, neither any thing that worketh to the edifying of it, but according to a measure of grace received from the Spirit, surely without grace none ought to be admitted to work or labour in the body, because their labour and work, without this grace and Spirit, would be but ineffectual.

§. XVI. Thirdly, That this grace and gift is a necessary qualification to a minister, is clear from that of the apostle Peter, 1 Pet. iv, 10, 11. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ; to whom be praise and dominion forever, Amen. From which The min- it appears, that those that minister must minister according to the gift and grace received; but they that have not such a gift, cannot minister according thereunto. Secondly, As good stewards of the maniceived. fold grace of God: but how can a man be a good steward of that which he hath not? Can ungodly men, that are not gracious themselves, be good stewards of the manifold grace of God? And therefore in the following verses he makes an exclusive ing grace, limitation of such that are not thus furnished, the ability saying, If any man speak, let him speak as the ora and stew- cles of God; and if any man minister, let him do it ceived. as of the ability that God giveth: which is as much

istering must be

by the gift and

grace re

Good stewardship

of what?

Of God's abound

which is

ardship re

t

as if he had said, they that cannot thus speak, and thus minister, ought not to do it: for this [If] denotes a necessary condition. Now what this ability is, is manifest by the former words, to wit, the gift received, and the grace whereof they are stewards, as by the immediate context and dependency of the words doth appear. Neither can it be understood of a mere natural ability, because man in this condition is said not to know the things of God, and so he cannot minister them to others. And the following words show this also, in that he immediately subjoineth, that God in all things may be glorified; but surely God is not glorified, but greatly dishonoured, when natural men, from their mere natural ability, meddle in spiritual things, which they neither know nor understand.

Fourthly, That grace is a most necessary quali- Pr. IV. fication for a minister, appears by those qualifications which the apostle expressly requires, 1 Tim. iii. 2. Tit. i. &c. where he saith, A bishop must be blameless, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, apt to teach, patient, a lover of good men, just, holy, temperate, as the steward of God, holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught. Upon the other hand, He must neither be given to wine, nor a striker, nor covetous, nor proud, nor self-willed, nor soon angry. Now I ask if it be not impossible that a man can How can a bishop have all these above-named virtues, and be free have these of all these evils, without the grace of God? If virtues then these virtues, for the producing of which in the grace a man grace is absolutely necessary, be necessary to make a true minister of the church of Christ according to the apostle's judgment, surely grace must be necessary also.

Concerning this thing a learned man, and well skilled in antiquity, about the time of the reforma tion, writeth thus: "Whatsoever is done in the "church, either for ornament or edification of re"ligion, whether in choosing magistrates or insti

without

of God?

Whatsoever is done in

the church

without

God's Spi

& wicked.

das Iscari

"tuting ministers of the church, except it be done "by the ministry of God's Spirit, which is as it were

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the soul of the church, it is vain and wicked. For the minis-whoever hath not been called by the Spirit of try of "God to the great office of God and dignity of aposrit is vain "tleship, as Aaron was, and hath not entered in by "the door, which is Christ, but hath otherways risen "in the church by the window, by the favours of "men, &c. truly such a one is not the vicar of "Christ and his apostles, but a thief and robber, Who is Ju-and the vicar of Judas Iscariot and Simon the Saot's vicar? "maritan. Hence it was so strictly appointed con"cerning the election of prelates, which holy Dionysius calls the sacrament of nomination, that the bishops and apostles who should oversee the ser"vice of the church should be men of most entire "manners and life, powerful in sound doctrine, to give a reason for all things." So also another,* about the same time writeth thus: "Therefore it "can never be, that by the tongues or learning any "can give a sound judgment concerning the holy "scriptures, and the truth of God. Lastly," saith he, "the sheep of Christ seeks nothing but the voice "of Christ, which he knoweth by the Holy Spirit, "wherewith he is filled: he regards not learning,

Obj. 1.

Answ.

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tongues, or any outward thing, so as therefore to "believe this or that to be the voice ofChrist his true "shepherd; he knoweth that there is need of no "other thing but the testimony of the Spirit of God." XVII. Ågainst this absolute necessity of grace they object, That if all ministers had the saving grace of God, then all ministers should be saved, seeing none can fall away from or lose saving grace.

But this objection is built upon a false hypothesis, purely denied by us; and we have in the former proposition concerning perseverance already refuted it.

Franciscus Lambertus Avenionensis, in his book concerning Prophecy, Learning, Tongues, and the Spirit of Prophecy. Argent. excus, anno. 1516, de prov. cap. 24.