not take on themselves alone the entire government of the Church without incurring suspicion of tyranny; and accordingly they have been compelled to unite with themselves pious men chosen from the whole body of the Church, for without such aid from their brethren they could not withstand and check the bad.

order to account for the existence in those Churches of the class of Elders which he rejects from the Order of Presbyters. [Trans.]

AN EXPOSITION OF I TIM. V. 17. ON THE SENSE

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AND DOCTRINE."

No one ought to infer from the Apostle's saying, "Let the Elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine," that there were in the Church Presbyters who did not teach; for labouring in the word and doctrine does not mean one and the same thing, seeing that none were ordained Presbyters by the Apostles who were not fit to teach: but, there being an inequality in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, (for some have

received five talents, and will have to give account to the Lord of five, whilst others have received only two.) to whom much has been given, of the same will much be required. If the sufferings endured by St. Paul in preaching the Gospel, be compared with those of other preachers of the Gospel, we shall perceive of how much greater honour he was worthy than those who laboured less than he. The same will hold good of Presbyters and Bishops, whose toils in the same work of the Lord are by no means all equal. There are some who discharge their duties in ease and peace, instruct the people committed to their care at home, suffer no adversity, and confine their teaching within the limits of their own Church. Others, however, teach not only one flock, but the whole Church, by their learned labours; and not only during the mere span of their own lives, but for many ages after their death, sparing, that they may so do, neither toils, nor watchings, nor their bodily health, nay, nor their very life. Others there are who think the loss of

friends, honours, and worldly substance, a light thing for the Gospel's sake: who encounter dangers innumerable, and endure all shame in order to defend and teach the Gospel of Christ. And these are the persons whom the Apostle appears to me to have had in mind, and not any distinct order of the teachers ruling the Church, and teaching the people of God. The Greek word xoziv, which he here and repeatedly employs, is properly used of great and painful toils, and it is a mistake to imagine that St. Paul meant nothing more by this word than preaching the word of God; or to think that the distinction between Presbyters was in primitive times only this, that some taught the people, whilst others only governed it for a time, and assisted the Ministers of the word in so doing. It is more consistent with the history of those times, and with the import of the word xoay, to understand those Presbyters to be meant, who, like Timotheus, Titus, Tychicus, Mark, Luke, and the other companions of the Apostle Paul, and partners in his toils,

shunned no danger, spared no labour for the propagation of the Gospel. Concerning Timothy, St. Paul writes thus in his first Epistle to the Corinthians: "Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do1;" whence we perceive, that Timothy was no stranger either to fear or danger. Shortly afterwards, in speaking of Stephanus, Achaicus, and Fortunatus, who had addicted" themselves to the ministry of the saints," he adds, "I beseech you that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth"." I interpret in like manner, we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you"." In these passages St. Paul has used the word xxiv, meaning not ordinary but painful and difficult labour. The Apostle's sense therefore is, that the greater and more distressing the troubles b 1 Cor. xvi. 15, &c.

a 1 Cor. xvi. 10. c 1 Thess. v. 12.