Except. 5.  By elders that rule well may be meant certain governors, or inferior magistrates, chosen to compose controversies or civil strifes.  Suitable hereunto is the late Erastian gloss, that by elders ruling well may be meant kings, parliament-men, and all civil governors.[78]

Ans. 1.  It is well known that in the primitive times there was no Christian magistrate in the Church, and for the Church to choose heathen judges or magistrates to be arbitrators or daysmen in civil controversies, is a thing utterly condemned by the apostle, 1 Cor. vi. 1, &c. 2.  The apostle speaks here of ecclesiastical, not of civil officers, as the latter phrase intimates.  The main scope of this epistle was to instruct Timothy how to behave himself, not in the commonwealth, but in the Church of God, (1 Tim. iii. 15,) and here he speaks of such officers as were in being in the Church at that time. 3.  If kings, parliament-men, and all civil governors be these ruling elders, then ministers have not only an equal share with them in government by this text, which the Erastians will not like well; but also are to have a superior honor or maintenance to kings, parliament-men, and all civil governors.  Certainly the magistrates will never triumph in this gloss, nor thank them that devised it. 4.  Sutlive seems to be against this opinion, (though no great friend to ruling elders,) saying Beza bestows many words to prove that the judges in 1 Cor. vi. were not of the number of presbyters:  which truly I myself should easily grant him.  For there were none such ever constituted. 5.  This is a novel interpretation, as some observe,[79] unknown among ancient writers.

Except. 6.  Those words [especially they who labor in the word and doctrine] are added to the former explanatively, to teach us who they are that rule well, viz. they who labor much in the word and doctrine, and not to distinguish them that labor in the word, from elders ruling well; as if Paul had said, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, greatly laboring in the word,” &c.  For the word translated especially here more aptly signifies much, greatly, than especially.  For though with the adversative but along with it, it signifieth especially, yet alone (as it is here) it signifies much, greatly.[80]

Ans. 1.  If this sentence [especially they who labor, &c.] were added only to explain who are well-ruling elders, viz. such as greatly labor in the word, &c., then few of the prelatical bishops were to be counted well-ruling elders, for very few, if any of them, were guilty of laboring greatly in the word and doctrine. 2.  Then also the apostle would have said, either who especially labor, or simply without the article, especially laboring; then especially, they who labor, as here he doth, carrying his speech rather to distinct persons and officers, than to distinct duties or actions. 3.