s Some that are puffed up or ſeduced, will, it may be, deny thatIam an Apoſtle , a Preacher ofthe Goſpel of the greateſt emi. nency , immediately fent out by Chriſt to preach his Goſpel , bur will any of you deny ic? 6b Have not I the ſame liberty that any of you have-in things wherein the Law of God hath no more determined me than you? What Charter of liberty hath God gi- ven to any of you more than he hath to me? c Have I not ſcen Jeſus Chriſt > 4#s 10. 41. Did not I ſee Chrift in my going to Damaſcus ? Afi9g.5. And when I was in my extalie ? 4&; 22. 13,14. When TI was wrapt into the third Heavens? 2 Cor. 12.1, 2. In priſon? 4#s 23. 11. He was the only Apoſtle we read of, who ſaw Chriſt after his Aſcenſion. & If others willnot lock upon me as an Apoſtle, God having wrought nothing upon their Souls by my Miniſtry, yet you whoſe Faith is my work, though inthe Lord, as the principal efficient Cauſe, yet by me as God's inſtrument, cannot deny me to be ſo; if my having ſeen Jeſus Chriſt, and being immediately ſent out by him , be not enough to prove me ſo to you, yer the effteQs of my Miniſtry upon you puts it paſt your denial.
in the Lord f.
e Hehadw.1. told them they were his work in the Lord, from whence he concludes here, That he was an Apoſtle, that is, one ſent of Chriſt tothem for the good of their Souls, whatever he was to others. f You, ſaith he, asto your ſelves at leaſt are the Seal of my Apoſtolical Office; it hath a confirmation in you by the effeQ, as the writing is confirmed by the ſeal. For how can you think, that the bletiing of the Lord ſhould go along with my preaching, to turn you from Pagan Idolatry, and your lewd cour. ſ6s of life ro the true Chriſtian Religion, and to an holy life and converſation, if God had not ſent me. There is no ſuch Argument to prove a Miniſter ſent of Chriſt, as the ſucceſs of his Miniſtry in the converſion ofSouls unto God. Ir is True, we cannot conclude, That a Miniſter is no true Miniſter, if he be able ro produce no ſuch ſeals of his calling. For the ſpiritual ſeed may for a time lie under the clods, and changes may be wrought in hearts, which are not publiſhed to the world : and even 1/s:ah may be ſent to
pln, though they be rhemſelves never ſo well ſatisfied as to the wfulneſs of their ation (provided the aCtion be only lawful, not Keeſſary, and what by the Law of God they are bound rodo, or daroid.) But here two grave Queſtions ariſe : 1 Wh:ther the com- i of Superiors doth not here alter the caſe? Admit a thing be in
t elf by usjudged lawful, what by God's Law we may do, or let Me;and our Superiours command us to do,or to avoid chat thing : onthe other ſide ſee, that if we do ir, or avoid it, we ſhall probably be occaſion to make our brethren ſin, who doubt fthe lawfulneſs of the thing, The Queſtion is, What is to be Me in this caſe > That the Law of God commanding love to t brethren, equally concerneth high and low, is out of doubr , that no Superior ought more to command any to do, whar ir
make the hzarrs of people far. But where thoſe ſeals can be produced, It is a moſt certain ſign, that the Miniſter is a true Miniſter, thar is, one ſent of God ; for he could be no inſtrument to do fuch works, if God were not with him : and if God had nor ſent him, he would not be with him ſo bleſſing his Miniſtry ; yerit is poſlible the Man may have his perſonal errours: For though ſome men doubr, whether an inſtance can be given of one openly and feandalouſly wicked, whom God ever honoured to be his inſtrument to convert Souls, yet it would be raſhly affirmed by any to ſay, that Fudas ( though a ſon of perdition, but not ſcandalous till the laſt) was an inſtrymenr to convert none. ; 3 Mine anſwer to them that examine me is this pg.
Z Theſe words may beunderſtood in a double reference: eicher
dent, he cannot do without making his brother to offend , | what went before ; then the ſenſe 15 this; To thoſe chat exa- the inferiour oughr to do it: bur the queſtion is, Whar is the| Mine me about my Apoſtleſhip, this is my anfwer, Thar 1 have
Merors duty if commanded. A ſecond queſtion 1s, Suppoſe that
ſeen the Lord', That yeu are my work in the Lord , and the Seal of
ſach do whas 1 iudze 1 may lawfully| 7} miniſtry. Or with reference to the words that follow, then ps OT hp, by ans pee to args the ſenſe isthis : If any man examineme, how I my ſelf praQtiſz
| tle command of men 1 am obliged to do it, or to ruine my ſelf and Ml? What is my duty in this caſe ? In both theſe caſes there Sto be a Colliſion of Precepts. In the firſt caſe the Precept wving our Neighbours, ſeems to daſh againſt the many Precepts Oezing Superiors. In the other Caſe, it ſeems to daſh againft ecept for providing for our ſelves and families; ſo as the Aon 15, Which Precepts lay here the greateſt obligation, ere both cannor be obeyed ? But we leave theſe queſtions ro its, The determination of what is the Will of God in ei-
che Dorine which I preach to others, and determine my ſelf as to my liberty for the good and profir of others? I givethem the following anſwer. ;
4 * Have we not power to eat andto drink? 4.
h Could I not eat and drink of ſuch things off-red to Idols as -_
2 Theff.3.
kere ſhortly expreſs'd, and more fully opened afterward, yet the 9:
well as you ? Have notI as great a knowledge, and as much liber, ty ? Yer you ſee forbear. Burt the generality of Iaterpreters ra- ther incline rointerprer it by what followeth ; Then, cthough ir be
frof them, will require a great many more words , than whar | 117 ber Ant ations with,eſpecially conſidering that neither | 014,
ſenſe is : Have not I power to ask a maintenance of vou, by which I ſhould be inabled to eat and drink. {B bbbb2] 5. Have
2 If I be not an apoſtle unto others, yet doubtleſs, I am co you e: for the * ſeal of my apoſtleſhip are ye **-
Chap. IX
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