Conclusion.  Therefore the officers here mentioned are the ruling elders in the Church which we inquire after, and that by divine right.

But against this place of 1 Tim. i. 17, and the argument from it, divers cavils and exceptions are made; let them have a brief solution.

Except. 1.  There were two sorts of elders, some laboring in the word and doctrine, some taking care of the poor, viz. deacons; both were worthy of double honor, especially they that labored in the word, &c.[71]

Ans. 1.  This is a new distinction of elders without warrant of Scripture.  Deacons are nowhere in all the New Testament styled elders;[72] nay, they are contradistinguished from elders, both teaching and ruling.  “He that giveth let him do it with simplicity:  he that ruleth, with diligence,” Rom. xii. 8.  “Helps, governments,” 1 Cor. xii. 28.  Compare also Tit. i. 5, 6, &c., 1 Tim. iii. 2, &c., with 1 Tim. iii. 8, &c. 2.  As deacons are not elders, so deacons have no rule in the church.  It is true, they are to “rule their children and their own houses well,” 1 Tim. iii. 12; this is only family rule:  but as for the church, their office therein is to be helps, 1 Cor. xii. 28; to distribute, Rom. xii. 8; to serve tables, Acts vi. 2, 3; but no rule is ascribed to them.

Except. 2.  But by ruling well, some understand living well, leading a holy, exemplary life.  The apostle would have ministers not only to live well themselves, but also to feed others by the word and doctrine; they that live well are to be double honored, especially they who labor in the word, &c., as 1 Thess. v. 12, 13.[73]

Ans. 1.  The apostle here speaks rather of officers than of acts of office:  of persons rather than of duties, if his phrase be observed. 2.  Living well is not ruling well here in the apostle’s sense, who intends the rule of elders over others; he that lives well rules well over himself; not over others:  else all that live well were church rulers; they conduct by example, do not govern by authority, Altar.  Damasc. c. xii. 8.  If well ruling be well living, then double honor, double maintenance from the church is due for well living, (1 Tim. v. 17, 18,) consequently all that live well deserve this double honor. 4.  This seems to intimate that ministers deserve double honor for living well, though they preach not. How absurd! 5.  D. Downham, once pleased with this gloss, after confessed it was not safe.

Except. 3.  Those that rule well may be meant of aged, infirm, superannuated bishops, who cannot labor in the word and doctrine.[74]

Ans. 1.  Here is no speech of prelatical bishops, but of ruling and preaching elders in this text. 2.  How shall old, decrepit bishops rule well, when they cannot labor in the word and doctrine? 3.  By this gloss, the preaching elders that labor in the word and doctrine, should be preferred before the most ancient bishop in double honor; such doctrine would not long since have been very odious and apocryphal to our late prelates. 4.  Those preachers that have faithfully and constantly spent their strength, and worn out themselves with ministerial labor, that they cannot rule nor preach any longer, are yet worthy of double honor for all their former travels in the service of Christ and his Church.