Ans. 1.  It is true, pastors have the power both of ruling and preaching belonging to their office, as is intimated, 1 Thes. v. 12, 13, and Heb. xiii. 7, and in other places; but doth it therefore follow, that none have the power of ruling, but those that have the power of preaching? or that this text, or 1 Tim. v. 17, intends only those rulers that preach? 2.  Bilson, in this exception, confesseth that laboring belongs to ordinary fixed pastors, and therefore contradicts himself in his former objection, wherein he would have appropriated it to unfixed apostles and evangelists; yea, by this gloss it is granted, that preaching presbyters are to be more honored than non-preaching ruling prelates.  These are miserable shifts and evasions, whereby they are necessitated thus to wound their own friends, and to cross their own principles. 3.  According to this gloss, this should be the sense, “Let the ministers that rule well by good life, and skilful government, be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.”  Now doth not this tacitly insinuate, that some ministers may rule well, and be worthy of double honor, though they labor not in the word and doctrine? and how absurd were this?  But if the text be interpreted not of several acts of the same office, but of several sorts of officers, this absurdity is prevented, Let ruling elders be doubly honored, especially those that both rule and preach. 4.  The text evidently speaks not of duties, but of persons; not of acts, but of agents; not of offices, but of officers; for it is not said, “Let the elders be counted worthy of double honor, for well ruling; especially for laboring”—­but, Let the elders that rule well, especially they that labor in the word, &c. So that this gloss is vain, and against the plain letter of the text.

Except. 11.  Though the emphasis of the word, they that labor, be not to be neglected, yet the difference betwixt presbyters is not put by that word, but by those (in the word and doctrine.) This does not signify two kinds of presbyters, but two offices of ministers and pastors; one general, to rule well; another special, to labor in the word and doctrine.  To rule well, saith Hierom, is to fulfil his office; or, as the Syriac interpreter expounds it, “to behave themselves well in their place;” or as the Scripture speaks, To go in and out before God’s people as becomes them, going before them in good works in their private conversations, and also in their public administrations; whence the apostle makes here a comparison betwixt the duties of ministers thus, “All presbyters that generally discharge their office well are worthy of double honor; especially they who labor in the word, which is a primary part of their office."[88]