Except. 4.  Among ministers some did preach, others only administered the sacraments; so Paul showeth that he preached and “labored more than all the apostles,” 1 Cor. xv. 10; but baptized few or none, 1 Cor i. 14, leaving that to be performed by others; and when Paul and Barnabas were companions, and their travels were equal, yet Paul is noted to have been the chief speaker, (Acts xiv. 12:) all were worthy of double honor, but especially they who labored in the word and doctrine.[75]

Ans. 1.  This gloss imagineth such a ministry in the apostles’ times as the prelates had erected of late in their days, viz:  many dumb dogs that could not bark nor preach at all, yet could administer the sacraments by the old service-book.  But the apostles, as Cartwright[76] observes, allowed no such ministers, will have every bishop or preaching elder to be both “apt to teach, and able to convince,” 1 Tim. iii. 2; Tit. i. 9.  So that it was far from Paul to countenance a non-preaching or seldom-preaching ministry, by allowing any honor at all, much less a double honor, to such.  Sure, preaching is one part, yea, a most principal part or duty of the minister’s office, (as hath been evidenced before, Part 2, Chap.  VII.,) and shall he be counted worthy of double honor that neglects a principal duty of his office?  Nay, he deserves not the very name of such an officer in the church:  why should he be called a pastor that doth not feed? or a teacher, that doth not teach his flock? &c., saith Chrysost.  Hom. xv. in 1 Timothy. 2.  Why should Paul’s laboring be restrained here to his preaching only? when Paul speaks of his own labor elsewhere, he speaks of it in another sense, 2 Cor. xi. 17, “in labor and weariness”—­compare it with the context; and in this place judicious Calvin seems rather to interpret it of other manner of labor, and Pareus extends it, besides preaching, to divers other labors which Paul did undergo. 3.  What warrant doth this exception hold out for two sorts of ministers here pretended, some preaching, others only administering the sacraments?  Thus, Paul preached much, baptised but few:  therefore, there were some that only administered the sacraments:  well concluded.  Yet Paul baptized some, 1 Cor. i. 14, 16, distributed the Lord’s supper to some, Acts xx. 7, 11; so that he both preached and dispensed the sacraments.  Let any show where any person dispensed the sacraments that was not a preacher.  Again, Paul and Barnabas equally travelled together, but Paul was chief speaker:  what then? therefore some labored in the word, others in the sacraments only.  This is woful logic. 4.  To whomsoever the power of dispensing the sacraments was given by Christ, to them also the power of preaching was given; dispensing the word and sacraments are joined in the same commission, Matt, xxviii. 18-20:  what Christ joins together let not man put asunder. 5.  Touching the preaching elder there is mentioned only one act peculiar to his office, viz. laboring in the word, &c.; but, taking a part for the whole, we may understand his dispensing the sacraments also, and what else is peculiar to the preaching elder’s office, though for brevity’s sake it be not here named.[77]