Veneer on Article XXVI: Of the Unworthiness of the Ministers, which hinders not the effect of the Sacrament

;@ H E Miniilcrs of the Gospel do not miniflier their own, but Christ’s Sa- craments ; and the Church in receiv- ing them, hath Refped to Christ himfeif5and not to them, and therefore receives them not fo much from the Ministers as from ChriiV, by their Hands. For the Virtue and Efficacy of them cannot, fmce it depends on Chrifl alone, be hindered by the Wickednefs of a Miniiler, how wicked fbever he may be. So likewise in hearing the Word of God, it is the Duty of a good Christ ian to regard not fo much the Life and Conversation of the Person that Ipeaketh, as the Truth and Reafonablenefs of what is ipoken by him. IVho then is Faul and who is Apollos faith St. Faul hut Ministers by ‘whom ye helieved even as the Lordga’ve to e’very Man ? I ha’ve planted A’pollos watered hut God gave the Increase. So then neither is he that plant eth any things neither he that watereth j hut God that giveth the Increase i Cor. iii. 5, 6, 7. And Alatth, xxiii. 2, 3. our Saviour ob- serves, that the Scribes and Fh art fees fat in Moses\s Seat. ylU therefore whatsoever they bid you observe continues he, that observe and do ; hut do not ye after their IVcrks ; for they fay and do not. Some indeed laith St. Faul preach Christ even of Envy and Strife ; andfome also of Good- IVtlL ihe one preach Christ of Contention not sincerely ftippofing to add Afbion to my Bonds : But the ether of Love knowing that lam fetfor

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Thirty^ Nhie Articles, 645

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A Minister, faith S. Attgnftine^ that is, a Difpenfer of the Word and Sacraments of the Gospel ; if he be a good Man, is a Companion of the Gospel’s, if a bad Man, he is not there- fore no Difpenfer of the Gospel. Peter and other good Men preached it -, Judas did the fame, though unwillingly ; notwithilanding be- ing fent with them, he preached it. They have their Reward, to him a Dilpenfation was com- mitted. *

Nevertheless, the Church hath a Power to depofe such Ministers as are Icandaloufly wicked. ylgai7tft an Elder faith St. Paul to Sjmothy receive ?tot an Accufaticn hut before two or three IVitnejfes. Which proves that El- ders or Presbyters were fubjedt to S’imothy’s Jurif3i6bion j and to no Purpose was I’imothy invested with Power over them, if he could not by Virtue of it force them to do their Duty, or remove such’ as brought a Scandal upon Religion from the Exerciie of the Mini- fterial Fundion ; it being certain, that many times nothing less than this is a sufficient Re- medy f:r fo great and lamentable an Evil. St. John likewise, in his Third Epiftle, ver. lo. threatens to rememher the Deeds of Diotrephes,

S f 3 What-

64^ ^^ Exposition on the

Apt. XXVI. WHATEVER is wanting in thefc Places of VON* Scripture, which might serve to make the Point we are upon very clear, is abundantly supplyd by the Fradbice of the Primitive Church 5 .which is, as I have observed before more than once, the best of Commentaries. Thus S. Cy- prian speaking of FeUciJJimus a Deacon, hath these Words — Lt him know that he is cast out from among us , inafmuch as over and above his Frauds and Thefts, of which we are very certain that he is guilty, he is alfb charged with Adultery, which fbme of our Brethren, who are grave Men, declare they have caught him in, and have engaged thcmfelves, to make good the Charge.

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A&TXCLS

Thirty-Nme Articles.

Article XXVU.

Notes

• Contra Lit. Petiliani, lib. 3 . c. fj: