The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

Ninthly, Why also is there so much difference between the Pastors reputations and their labours when they are dead? Why is the name and works of an Augustine, a Hierome, a Basil, a Nazianzen, more honourable than of any other Pastor, who had as true ordination and office as they?

Tenthly, Why should the Kingdom be at so much cost upon the Ministry? And why should one have more maintenance than another? If the Office alone be all that's necessary, one Ab•na may serve for ordination in all the Empire of Abyssinia, and a few Priests may be had for ten pounds a year, who have the same ordination as the ablest men. But having sufficiently shamed this error I dismiss it.

Tenthly, Why should the Kingdome be at so much cost upon the Ministery? And why should one have more maintainance than another? If the Office alone be all thats necessary, one Ab•na may serve for ordination in all the Empire of Abassia, and a few Priests may be had for ten pounds a year, who have the same ordination as the ablest men. But having sufficiently shamed this errour I dismiss it.

If the reverence due to the Office be once lost, the labours of all the Ministry will be obstructed: And if only the Person lose the reverence of his place, his own labours will be hindered: The ⟨p. 327⟩contempt of the Office, and so the whole Ministry tendeth to Infidelity or Atheism: And the contempt of particular Ministers, tendeth to Schism, and to the ignorance and corruption of their flocks. And though the contempt of the person is bad enough of it self, yet if it fall on many, and there remain not a considerable number who preserve their necessary reputation, it turneth to the contempt of the Office it self, and consequently of the Gospel.