It is ftill farther certain, that the apostle being about to depart from thence, left this excellent perfon, who had by this time acquired great knowledge and experience, in Crete, to fuperintend the affairs of the church; to regulate things there, and particularly to ordain elders, or paftors, in all the cities wherein it fhould be needful. "For this caufe left I thee in Crete," fays he," that thou shouldeft set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in 66 every city, as I had appointed thee". From whence it appears that the church, or churches of Crete, were not hitherto reduced to due form, rule, or order; most, if not all the cities being deftitute of regular, fixed pastors, or overfeers. AND here, by the way, it is natural to take notice of a groundless conceit of a modern fect; to the people of which, however, God knoweth, I bear no ill will; and who, in fome other refpects, are rather to be commended, than blamed. The people ufually called Quakers, affert that it was never the intention of Chrift the "chief fhepherd", or of his infpired apofties, that there fhould be a certain order of men feparated to the gofpel-miniftry; or regularly fettled and ordained as paftors, elders, or by whatever other name they are called, in particular cities and churches. Upon which fuppofition let them, if they can, give a plain and direct anfwer to the queftion, For what end it was, that the apoftle Paul left Titus at Crete? This notion of the Quakers is, in fhort, diametrically repugnant ↑ Chap. i. 6. B 2 repugnant to many paffages of fcripture; and contrary to the known cufiom in the apostles days, under their own eye and direction, as well as to the fentiments and practice of all Chriflians in general from that time to the profunt, the Quakers themfelves being excepted, who are but a novel fest. The fuppofed novelty of this feet would, however, be no folid objection against it, if its tenets and practices were truly apoftolic. For whatever bears this ftamp and character, has really the moft venerable antiquity on its fide; in comparifon of which, no other, however gloried in, is of any confideration. But one need not fcruple to fay, that our modern Quaker-focieties, meetings or affemblies, wherein there are neither any ftated paftors, nor facraments, bear, in that refpect, no refemblance of the churches planted by the apostles, their companions, or their immediate followers. In all which churches in general, there were both regular paftors, clders (or bishops) and deacons: And, in them, the facraments of baptifm and the Lord's fupper were adminiftred; all nearly according to the prefent mode and practice of our churches in New-England; tho' I will not prefume to fay, exactly fo in every circumftance. ST. PAUL wrote this cpiftle to Titus very foon after he left him at Crete. As is commonly fuppofed, it was written by him from Macedonia, about the year of our Lord 65 or 66. He tho't proper, it feems, at once to fhew his regard for Titus, and his care for the yet-unformed, unregulated churches of Crete, to fend him him this letter; containing more particular counfels and directions, probably, than he had given him verbally before; that, by having thefe in his hands in writing, to read, and to communicate to others, they might be the more ftrictly observed both by him and the churches there, as they were refpectively concerned herein. And haying reminded Titus, as was before obferved, of the general defign with which he left him at Crete; he immediately proceeds to give him directions refpecting the qualifications which he was to regard in the elders or paftors, to be ordained by him. " If any be blamelefs,"* &c. From whence fome have imagined that Titus himfelf was conftituted by the apoftle, a bishop, and the firft, of Crete, in that fenfe of the word, in which a bishop is now diftinguished from a paftor, elder or prefbyter. Others, who fuppofe that in the new teftament, there is no fuch diftinction of order or office, made betwixt them, which is an undeniable and manifeft truth; yet fuppofe that Titus was actually ordained and fixed by the apoftle in that office, by whatever name it be called. The firft of thefe opinions is certainly an ill-grounded one; and the latter, met probably, a mistake alfo. For Titus was, in all probability, a bishop of Crete, neither in one nor the other of thefe fenfes; but was what, in feripture, is called an evange "lift"; an officer quite diftinct from a prefbyter, paftor or bifhop; which were then the fame.. • Chap. i. 6. B 3 46 Do 66 66 66 ઘર Do you afk then, What is meant by an evangelift I will anfwer in the words of a divine, very learned in matters relative to the apoftolic times, churches and cuftoms. "The "evangelifts were a fort of fecondary apostles, "who received their doctrine and authority im"mediately from the apoftles of our Lord Jefus "Chrift: They were not fixed bishops, or paftors, of particular churches, but watered the churches which the apoftles had planted, per"fected what they had left deficient, planted (6 churches by their orders, or rectified abuses ; "carried and brought back letters and messages" [of importance], "and did all they could to fupply the place of an apoftle, when he was ne"ceffarily engaged elsewhere". The account which we have of Titus in the new teftament, correfponds extremely well with this description of an evangelift; and he was, in all probability, an officer of that fuperior rank, betwixt an apostle and a bishop, or prefbyter. And as the apoftolic office, in the higheft and propereft sense of it, was discontinued when the apoftles perfonally died fo, according to the defcription of an evangelift before given, the latter office muft have also been difcontinued with the other; i. e. in fuch fort, that no evangelift, in the highest and strictest fenfe, could be appointed, when there was no apoftle furviving to appoint him. But, this notwithstanding, there is no reafon to doubt but that the bishops, paftors or prefbyters, who furvived the apoftles, had fufficient authority, not only ; * Dr. GEORGE BENSON, the Author's learned friend and corref pondent, lately deceased. only to preach themselves, but to ordain others, for the defence and propagation of the gospel. And the ministers of the gospel at this day, by whatever name or title they are called, have ftill ) both these powers united in them; unless, perhaps, some of them have renounced one of them, by putting themselves into a ftate of fervile de pendence upon, and subjection to, those who have no right to "lord it over God's heritage", or them. Be that as it may, the church of Chrift, which is his body,never was, nor will be, fo forfaken of its head, as not to have within itfelf,as derived from him, fufficient power, fufficient authority, for appointing all officers neceffary for its fupport; and alfo for "making increase of the body, by that which every joint fupplieth,to the edifying of itfelf in love". § THE remaining part of the first chapter of this epiftle, is taken up with the proper qualifications for an elder, or chriftian bishop; with hints at fome vain talkers and deceivers, efpecially thofe of the circumcifion; and with remarks on the general character of the Cretians, which was probably much better known to the apostle than to Titus; and yet very needful for the latter, who was to refide among them for a time, to be well apprised of. BUT, whether Titus were left at Crete as an evangelift, or as a prefbyter of prime distinction ; or even tho' it were in the capacity of a bishop in the more modern and unfcriptural fenfe; yet it muft ftill be remembered, that he was to be a 1 Pct. v 3. B 4 PREACHING |