The due right of presbyteries, or, A peaceable plea for the government of the…

Object, 9. 1 Tim. 3. 9. The Deacon must hold the mystery of the faith; Ergo, he must be able to preach.

Answ. It followeth not, for there is a twofold holding of the mystery of faith: one for the preaching of sound doctrine recommended to Timothy, of this Paul doth not speak; there is another holding of faith for steadfast believers, and for an holy and blameless conversation; and therefore it is not said simply, holding the mystery of faith, but, holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. In which sense Christ saith to the Church of Pergamus, Rev. 2. 13. Thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith. And Paul saith of himself, 2 Tim. 4. 7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. He meaneth not, that he kept so much of the knowledge of the sound doctrine of faith as made him fit for the ministry, and qualified him to teach, and 1 Tim. 1. 19. holding faith and a good conscience, which is meant of the grace of saving faith. But that the Deacon is not to preach is, clear, 1. because Paul clearly differenceth the Deacon from the preaching Elder, 1 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 12, 13. and requireth that the preaching Elder be apt to teach, but requireth not this of the Deacon, and Act. 6. they are made two Offices not consistent in one man; for if the Deacon must be a Teacher, he must either be a Teacher as a gifted man, or he must be a Teacher in Office; he cannot ex officio, by his Office, be a Teacher as a gifted man, for the authors of that opinion hold that men are Preachers that way as Christians, and so the Deacon though he were not a Deacon, he might be a teacher in that sense, though he were only a gifted Christian: Ergo, he cannot be such a teacher by his Office: but neither can he be an official teacher as a Deacon, for he who doth teach that way must also pray, for the one cannot be granted, and the other denied; if then the Deacon, ex officio, by his office must pray and preach; he must pray and preach [Greek or Hebrew] in season and out of season, and give himself to it. But if he must give himself to praying and preaching by his office, then by his office he must give over the serving of Tables, as is said,