First, Pastors such as Paul describes, writing to Titus that they ought so to be qualified that they might exhort with wholesome doctrine, and convince those that gainsay it, which continuance of a learned ministry is commended 1by Justin Martyr in his Apology, where he writeth that the faithful in the primitive Church used on the Sunday to assemble themselves together, both they that dwelt within, and those that dwelt without the town, And after certain parts of scripture read, the pastor stood up, and taught and expounded ⟨p. 103⟩some piece of the scripture to the People; But now a•a••e abroad in our land, many of our Churches are destitute of Pastors and have only readers, wherein least we deceive our selves, though it be a great grace and blessing of God to have the Scriptures read in a vulgar tongue, yet our Saviour Christ Jesus, though the Jews had Moses law read in their Synagogues, and the Prophets also as may be gathered, Act. 13. grieved Mat. 9. to see the multitude wandering as sheep without a shepherd, thereby implying 2that the readers were no Pastors, for else the Jews having readers had not been without Pastors, as he grieved that they were, when he considered what was requisite for a minister, namely to bring back that which was gone astray, to preserve from danger, to heal the sore to bind up the wounded, an• all the other properties which the word requireth of a good Pastor, and therefore he sent the Apostle by preaching to perform that which by reading they could not. And if that to hear the law and the Prophets been enough, then had the Jews known Christ, for Moses wrote of him, and so likewise did the Prophets, and amongst them, the Prophet Isai so plainly, that S. 3Jerome sticks not to call him an Evangelist, and yet the nobleman when he read Isai the Prophet, could not understand him, but had need of Phillip to come and teach him, and preach unto him, and if this instruction did not need, but by reading the ignorant people might understand the meaning of the word, yet those of greatest knowledge may, and often be, so surprised with passions of infirmity, that they had not need of the help of others by applying of the word to heal their diseases, whether Moses were read in Davids time, we cannot certainly affirm, yet certain it is that David, whose whole delight and study was in the law of God, as may appear Psa.
First, Pastors such as Paul describes, writing to Titus that they ought so to be qualifyed that they might exhort with wholesome doctrine, and convince those that gainesay it, which continuance of a learned ministery is commended 1by Justin Martyr in his Apology, where he writeth that the faithfull in the primitive Church used on the Sunday to assemble themselves together, both they that dwelt within, and those that dwelt without the towne, And after certaine parts of scripture read, the pastor stood up, and taught and expounded ⟨p. 103⟩some peice of the scripture to the People; But now a•a••e abroad in our land, many of our Churches are destitute of Pastors and have onely readers, wherein least we deceive our selves, though it be a great grace and blessing of God to have the Scriptures read in a vulgar tongue, yet our Saviour Christ Jesus, though the Jewes had Moses law read in their Synagogues, and the Prophets also as may be gathered, Act. 13. greived Mat. 9. to see the multitude wandering as sheep without a sheepherd, thereby implying 2that the readers were no Pastors, for else the Jewes having readers had not beene without Pastors, as he grieved that they were, when he considered what was requisite for a minister, namely to bring back that which was gone astray, to preserve from danger, to heale the sore to binde up the wounded, an• all the other properties which the word requireth of a good Pastour, and therefore he sent the Apostle by preaching to perform that which by reading they could not. And if that to heare the law and the Prophets beene enough, then had the Jewes knowne Christ, for Moses wrote of him, and so likewiae did the Prophets, and amongst them, the Prophet Isai so plainely, that S. 3Jerome sticks not to call him an Evangelist, and yet the nobleman when he read Isai the Prophet, could not understand him, but had need of Phillip to come and teach him, and preach unto him, and if this instruction did not need, but by reading the ignorant people might understand the meaning of the word, yet those of greatest knowledg may, and often be, so surprised with passions of infirmity, that they had not need of the help of others by applying of the word to heale their diseases, whether Moses were read in Davids time, we cannot certainely affirme, yet certaine it is that David, whose whole delight and study was in the law of God, as may appeare Psa.
- 1Act. 14. 23 Titus 1. 9.
- 2Act. 15. 21. Mat 9. 36
- 3Joh. 5. 46. 47▪ Act. 3. 24. Act. 13. 27. Act 8. 30, 31.Ioh. 5. 46. 47▪ Act. 3. 24. Act. 13. 27. Act 8. 30, 31.
