1If Jesus Christ who is now passed into the heavens be the great Prophet, and Teacher of the Church; hence we Justly infer the continual necessity of a standing Ministry in the Church. For by his Ministers he now teacheth us, and to that intent hath fixed them in the Church, by a firm constitution, there to remain to the end of the world, Matth. 28. ult. He teacheth men no more personally, but Ministerially. His Ministers supply the want of his personal presence, 2 Cor. 5.20. We pray you in Christs stead. These offices he gave the Church at his Ascension, (i. e.) when he ceased to teach them any longer with ⟨p. 105⟩his own lips. And so set them in the Church that their succession shall never totally fail. For so that word [Greek or Hebrew] he hath set, 1 Cor. 12.28. Plainly implies. They are set by a sure establishment, a firm and unalterable constitution, even as the times and seasons, which the Father hath put [Greek or Hebrew] in his own power. It's the same word. And it's well they are so firmly set and fixed there, for how many adversaries in all ages have endeavoured to shake the very office it self: Pretending that it's needless to be taught by men, and wresting such Scriptures as these to countenance their error, Joel. 2.28, 29. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your Sons and Daughters shall Prophecy, &c. And Jer. 31.34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them, to the greatest of them. As to that of Joel it is answered, that if an Old Testament Prophecy, may be understood according to a New Testament interpretation, then that Prophecy doth no way oppose, but confirm the Gospel Ministry. How the Apostle understood the Prophet in that his Prophecy may be seen in Acts 2.16. When the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost upon the Apostles. And surely he must be a confident person indeed, that thinks not an Apostle to be as good an Expositor of the Prophet as himself. And for that in Jer. 31. we say,
First, that if it conclude against ministerial teachings, it must equally conclude against Christian Conferences.
Secondly, We say that cannot be the sense of one Scripture, which contradicts the same sense of other Scriptures. But so would this, Eph. 4.11, 12. 1 Cor. 12.28.
1If Jesus Christ who is now passed into the heavens be the great Prophet, and Teacher of the Church; hence we Justly infer the continual necessity of a standing Ministry in the Church. For by his Ministers he now teacheth us, and to that intent hath fixed them in the Church, by a firm constitution, there to remain to the end of the world, Matth. 28. ult. He teacheth men no more personally, but Ministerially. His Ministers supply the want of his personal presence, 2 Cor. 5.20. We pray you in Christs stead. These offices he gave the Church at his Ascention, (i. e.) when he ceased to teach them any longer with ⟨p. 105⟩his own lips. And so set them in the Church that their succession shall never totally fail. For so that word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 he hath set, 1 Cor. 12.28. Plainly implyes. They are set by a sure establishment, a firm and unalterable constitution, even as the times and seasons, which the Father hath put 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 in his own power. It's the same word. And it's well they are so firmly set and fixed there, for how many adversaries in all ages have endeavoured to shake the very office it self: Pretending that it's needless to be taught by men, and wresting such Scriptures as these to countenance their errour, Ioel. 2.28, 29. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your Sons and Daughters shall Prophesie, &c. And Ier. 31.34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them, to the greatest of them. As to that of Ioel it is answered, that if an Old Testament Prophesie, may be understood according to a New Testament interpretation, then that Prophesie doth no way oppose, but confirm the Gospel Ministry. How the Apostle understood the Prophet in that his Prophesie may be seen in Acts 2.16. When the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost upon the Apostles. And surely he must be a confident person indeed, that thinks not an Apostle to be as good an Expositer of the Prophet as himself. And for that in
- 1Infer. 1.
