Part 1 — Chapter 5: The Third Argument Taken from Romans 12:8

Our third Argument is grounded upon (Romans 12:8). The Apostle has declared before that, as there are many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office, for the office of the eye is to see, of the eare to heare, &c. So are their gifts given to the severall office-bearers of the Church, wherewith every one in his owne office may glorifie God and edifie the Church, vers. 4. with vers. 5.6. These gifts he says are differing, according to the grace given to us; that is, according to the holy charge and office given to us by the grace and favor of God: so vers. 3. Through the grace given to me, says Paul: that is through the authority of my Apostleship, which by grace I have obtained. Now whiles he exhorteth every one to the faithfull and humble use of his gift which he has received for the discharge of his office, he illustrateth his exhortation by the enumeration of the ordinary ecclesiasticall offices vers. 6.7.8. And as Beza, Piscator, and Iunius doe well resolve the text. First, he maketh a generall division of functions in the Church, making two sorts of the same Prophesie, whereby is meant the faculty of expounding Scripture: and Ministerie comprehending all other imployments in the Church. Prophecying the Apostle subdivideth into Teaching, which is the Doctors part, and Exhortation which is the Pastors. Ministery he subdivideth in Giving, which is the Deacons part, Ruling which is the ruling Elders part, and Shewing mercy, which pertained to them who had care of the sicke. Against this commentary which we have made upon the Apostles words, Sutcliffe objecteth a double injury which we doe to Pastors. First, if these our Elders be the Rulers here spoken of, then Pastors ought not to rule: as if (forsooth) Elders could not rule except they rule alone. Next hee says wee make these Elders as necessary to the Church as Pastors; so that a Church cannot be where there are not ruling Elders, even as there is not a Church where there are not Word and Sacraments. Surely, a Church may happen to want Pastors, and so to want both the preaching of the Word, and the use of the Sacraments for that time: and so may it want Elders, and still remaine a Church, but defective and maimed. Howbeit the Pastors are more necessary then the Elders, because they doe not onely rule, but preach beside.

But to passe this, there are other things which better deserve an answer: for one might object, 1. That the Apostle seemeth to speake of severall gifts onely, not of severall offices. 2. If hee speake of Offices, by what reason make we Prophesie and Ministery generall kindes, and all the rest particular offices. 3. Why would the Apostle put the Deacon before the Elder. 4. Bishop Andrewes in his Sermon of the worshipping of Imaginations, maketh a fourth objection, that by our interpretation of this place, wee make Qui miseretur to be Latine for a widow.

To the first of these we answer, The Apostles Protasis speaketh of severall offices, not in the same, but in severall members: how then should we make his Apodosis to speak of severall gifts in the same, and not in severall office-bearers of the Church: therefore, as seeing, hearing, tasting, &c. doe differ subjectively in respect of the members, which doe see, heare, &c. So speaketh the Apostle of teaching, exhorting, ruling, &c. as they are in different office-bearers. It is least of all credible which Bilson says de Eccles. gubern. c. 10. p. 186.187. that the Apostle speaks not of the gifts of office-bearers, but of gifts distributed to all the members of Christs mysticall body, even to women. Hee had shewed us a great secret, if hee could have made it appeare, that all who are in the Church, women and all, may both prophesie and rule. In this hee shall have the praise of out-stripping the Separatists. We know that private Christians may teach and exhort one another; but they doe not so devote themselves thereto, as altogether to wait upon teaching and exhorting, which is the case the Apostle speaketh of.

To the second wee say, that Prophesie and Ministery are put in abstracto, and joined with a plurall [in non-Latin alphabet]; but teaching, exhorting, giving, ruling, and shewing mercie, are put in concreto, and to each of them the single article prefixed; which is a sufficient warrant to expound Prophesie and Ministery, as Genera, and the rest as Species, Chrysostome considering the word Ministery, says, Rem hic generalem ponit.

To the third we answer, He which is first named, has not alwayes some prerogative or dignity above him which is last named — else doe the Papists rightly argue, that Peter was the chiefe of all the Apostles, because they finde him named before all the rest (Matthew 10:2; Acts 1:13). The Apostle intended to reckon out all ordinary offices in the Church; but he intended not the precise order. Chrysostome upon this same place says: Vide quomodo ista indifferenter ponat quod minutum est primo: quod magnum est posteriore loco. Ephesians 4:11. hee putteth Pastors before Teachers: here to the Romans he putteth Teachers before Pastors.

To the fourth wee answer, That though it be ordinarily most convenient, that the office of attending the sicke bee committed to women, yet it is not essentially necessary to the office: and as Aretius noteth upon the place, wee may under [in non-Latin alphabet] comprehend not onely widowes appointed to attend the sicke, but old men appointed to receive and entertaine strangers: which is also judiciously observed by Martyr. Besides, when the Apostle, (1 Timothy 5) teacheth what is required in widowes, who should bee made Diaconesses; this hee requireth among other things, that they be not such as live in pleasures and idlenesse, and take not care to provide for their owne houses, verse 6.8. [in non-Latin alphabet]; which though Erasmus and Beza turne in the feminine, quod si qua, yet our English Translators, and many good Interpreters, turne it in the masculine. And surely it shall have more weight if it agree to men as well as women, says Calvin upon that place. Now they who read in the masculine, that which the Apostle says there of widowes, will not, wee suppose, blame us for reading, (Romans 12:8) in the masculine also, He that sheweth mercie. Wee conclude our third Argument thus:

Whatever office-bearer in the Church is different from Pastors and Teachers, and yet ruleth the Church, he must needs bee a ruling Elder.

But [in non-Latin alphabet] mentioned, (Romans 12:8) is different from Pastors and Teachers, and yet ruleth the Church. Ergo.