Proof 2.Secondly, No Man can be a Minister of the Church of Christ, which is his Body, unless he be a Member of the Body, and receive of the Virtue and Life of the Head:
Arg.Who first must be a Member of the Body, and then Life is received, and Virtue from the Head. But he that hath not true Grace can neither be a Member of the Body, neither receive of that Life and Nourishment which comes from the Head:
Therefore far less can he be a Minister to edify the Body.
That he cannot be a Minister, who is not a Member, is evident; because he who is not a Member is shut out and cut off, and hath no Place in the Body; whereas the Ministers are counted among the most eminent Members of the Body. But no Man can be a Member unless he receive of the Virtue, Life, and Nourishment of the Head; for the Members that receive not this Life and Nourishment decay and wither, and then are cut off. And that every true Member doth thus receive Nourishment and Life from the Head, the Apostle expresly affirmeth, Ephes. iv. 16. From whom the whole Body being fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every Joint supplieth, according to the effectual Working in the Measure of every Part, makes Increase of the Body unto the Edifying of itself in Love. Now this that thus is communicated, and which thus uniteth the Whole, is no other than the Grace of God; and therefore the Apostle in the same Chapter, Ver. 7. saith, But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ; and Ver. 11. he sheweth how that by this Grace and Gift both Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers are given for the Work of the Ministry, and edifying of the Body of Christ. And certainly then no Man destitute of Grace is fit for this Work, seeing that all that Christ gives are so qualified; and these that are not so qualified, are not given nor sent of Christ, are not to be heard, nor received, nor acknowledged as Ministers of the Gospel, because his Sheep neither ought nor will hear the Voice of a Stranger. The Sheep of Christ, neither ought, nor will hear the Stranger’s Voice.This is also clear from 1 Cor. xii. throughout; for the Apostle in that Chapter, treating of the Diversity of Gifts and Members of the Body, sheweth how by the Workings of the same Spirit in different Manifestations or Measures in the several Members of the Body the whole Body is edified, saying, Ver. 13. That we are all baptized by the one Spirit into one Body; and then, Ver. 28. he numbers up the several Dispensations thereof, which by God are set in the Church through the various Workings of his Spirit for the Edification of the Whole. Then if there be no true Member of the Body which is not thus baptized by the Spirit, neither any Thing that worketh to the Edifying of it, but according to a Measure of Grace received from the Spirit, surely without Grace none ought to be admitted to work or labour in the Body, because their Labour and Work, without this Grace and Spirit, would be but ineffectual.
§. XVI.
Proof 4.Fourthly, That Grace is a most necessary Qualification for a Minister, appears by those Qualifications which the Apostle expresly requires, 1 Tim. iii. 2. Tit. i. &c. where he saith, A Bishop must be blameless, vigilant, sober, of good Behaviour, apt to teach, patient, a Lover of Good Men, just, holy, temperate, as the Steward of God, holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught. Upon the other Hand, He must neither be given to Wine, nor a Striker, nor covetous, nor proud, nor self-willed, nor soon angry. How can a Bishop have these Virtues without the Grace of God?Now I ask, If it be not impossible that a Man can have all these above-named Virtues, and be free of all these Evils, without the Grace of God? If then these Virtues, for the producing of which in a Man Grace is absolutely necessary, be necessary to make a true Minister of the Church of Christ according to the Apostle’s Judgment, surely Grace must be necessary also.
Whatsoever is done in the Church without the Ministry of God’s Spirit, is vain and wicked.Concerning this Thing a learned Man, and well skilled in Antiquity, about the Time of the Reformation, writeth thus: “Whatsoever is done in the Church, either for Ornament or Edification of Religion, whether in choosing Magistrates or instituting Ministers of the Church, except it be done by the Ministry of God’s Spirit, which is as it were the Soul of the Church, it is vain and wicked. For whoever hath not been called by the Spirit of God to the great Office of God and Dignity of Apostleship, as Aaron was, and hath not entered in by the Door, which is Christ, but hath otherways risen in the Church by the Window, by the Favours of Men, &c. truly such a one is not the Vicar of Christ and his Apostles, but a Thief and Robber, and the Vicar of Judas Iscariot and Simon the Samaritan. Who is Judas Iscariot’s Vicar?Hence it was so strictly appointed concerning the Election of Prelates, which holy Dionysius calls the Sacrament of Nomination, that the Bishops and Apostles who should oversee the Service of the Church should be Men of most intire Manners and Life, powerful in sound Doctrine, to give a Reason for all Things.” So also another,[87] about the same Time, writes thus: “Therefore it can never be, that by the Tongues or Learning any can give a sound Judgment concerning the holy Scriptures, and the Truth of God. Lastly,” saith he, “the Sheep of Christ seeks nothing but the Voice of Christ, which he knoweth by the Holy Spirit, wherewith he is filled: He regards not Learning, Tongues, or any outward Thing, so as therefore to believe this or that to be the Voice of Christ, his true Shepherd; he knoweth that there is Need of no other Thing but the Testimony of the Spirit of God.”
[87] Franciscus Lambertus Avenionensis, in his Book concerning Prophecy, Learning, Tongues, and the Spirit of Prophecy. Argent. excus. Anno 1516, de Prov. Cap. 24.