To conclude this discourse-Let it be observed, that it is a sign of the decline of true religion, when men are ambitious of titles of pre-eminence in the church of Christ. When the teachers of religion aspire after honours and dignity, to recommend them to the esteem of common Christians, it argues a great want of the spirit of the gospel: for every one who knows the spirit and tendency of Christianity will expect no more honour than is due to them for their work's sake. The case is, however, much altered from what it was in ancient times: for those who are of least service in the church of Christ have the greatest honours conferred upon them; when one who labours in word and doctrine, and undergoes all the hard service in the church, must put up patiently with the humble station and character of curate: those who do nothing at all carry off both the profits and the honours.

If men are to be held in honour for their work's sake, the greatest number of Doctors in Divinity receive their titles very unjustly for if preaching the gospel, and administering the several ordinances of Christianity, be any branches of the business of a Christian Doctor, there are several who assume that character, who are seldom thus employed once a year. Those who live by the altar ought to serve at it. But such as do not work, when they are able, should not eat. So says the apostle and I say, Amen.

SERMON II,

MATTHEW xxiii. 8.

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

OUR Saviour well foreknew how men in after times would strive for pre-eminence over their brethren, and has, for that reason, by an express precept, guarded his disciples against this evil. It is manifest that Jesus was speaking at this time to the multitude as well as to his own disciples, which may be seen by reading the first verse of this chapter; and the precept in the text was delivered to all who were or should be his disciples at any time after. It was a reproof to the Jewish Doctors, whom he stigmatizes in this chapter with several severe epithets, on account of their pride, hypocrisy, and oppression.

Our text is a manifest hint, that the kingdom of the Messiah was to be very different from that of the Jewish church and the Mosaic legislation. The degrees of honour and preferment were to run now in a different channel, and be applied according to

the

the nature of that kingdom in which they were conferred: as the one Mediator was now come, and had taken upon him the whole right of legislation, and the power of bestowing favours and -honours upon Christians; so he shews that none had powers to give, nor right to bestow honours, but himself. When he gave testimony to the truth, and nature of his kingdom, he told that it was not of this world, and therefore could not share in the titles, honours, and preferments of the kingdoms thereof: all its honours and rewards are spiritual, and of a different nature from what this world can afford.

Men are naturally fond of power and praise, riches and preferment; and one would be ready to conclude those passions to be laudable, because they are so natural to the greatest part of mankind. But it must not a little surprise a diligent observer of the progress of nature in its present situation, when he reads the New Testament, to find that the commandments of our Saviour, and the natural bent of human inclinations, are contrary to one another, The passions of the human mind are, in their first state, no friends to moral and spiritual truths, for this reason-because the appetites have them brought over to their interest before moral objects can have access to address them. It is for this reason, that mankind, being first accustomed to follow appetite, imagine that those things which were first agreeable to them should make a party in every collection of objects which is afterwards presented to them. The passions and appetites first form a system of sensual inclinations, which require a total reformation before ever men are capable of pursuing true moral pleasures. This seems to be the reason why men, who are not truly reformed by the power of the gospel, are always for bringing into their religious systems those things that satisfy the passions, and gratify the appetites.

From this cause have proceeded many effects no way friendly to pure and undefiled religion; such as ambition for riches, power, and preferment, at the expence of true honour and public happiness; a selfish disposition for private happiness on the ruin of common weal and the general interest of mankind. Those who could not on every occasion attain to the gratification of their leading passion, have been disposed to pursue that which prevailed next to it, when they found opportunity for satisfying their desire. Hence some have changed the passion for power for that of gain, when they could attain the one and not the other; and have embraced the opportunity to be rich, when they could not find occasion to rule. Sometimes men, instead of changing the passion only, change the object thereof; like those who, because they cannot find preferment in the state, seek after it in the church, and, seeing they could not find an opportunity to rule over the bodies and civil interests of others, endeavour to rule over their consciences, and become religious dominators.

The Jews, in our Saviour's time, could not reach any considerable preferments in civil government, for they were under the Roman

Roman yoke; but they, nevertheless, had large pretensions to power of another sort" They could bind heavy burdens upon men's shoulders, and not touch them with one of their fingers :" and though they could not obtain dignities and titles of a civil kind, yet they assumed great prerogatives, and titles of a religious sort. They found means to be called of men Rabbi, by first assuming the title, and bringing it into custom, a signature of honour and pre-eminence. It is very likely those titles were conferred by the colleges, or schools of the Doctors, much in the same manner as degrees are conferred by our universities. Be this as it will, it matters not much; it is certain, our Saviour did forbid his disciples to assume any such titles. It seems evident, that the title Rabbi among the Jews had much the same signification as Doctors in Divinity now hath among modern Christians. It signifies a great one, , for the Rabbis loved to be accounted great; and it is pretty obvious, that our Doctors do not assume their titles to be thought any thing less of.

From this text I shall, 1st. endeavour to shew, That the title Doctor in Divinity is not a Christian title: 2dly. That the religion of Doctors is not the Christian religion: 3dly. I shall shew the modern qualifications of a modern Rabbi, or Doctor in Divinity: Then conclude with an advice to the Doctors.

I promised, first, to shew that the title Doctor in Divinity is not a Christian title.

Before I proceed to demonstrate this point, I must observe, that the words Doctors of Divinity signify teachers of Divinity in their original signification, but that they do not retain this meaning in modern practice. This will appear abundantly evident to any one, who shall please to inquire into the conduct of some of the B-ps, who are all Doctors of Divinity, but do not teach it above once in twelve months, and some of them not in double that time; and many of the dignified clergy, though they all profess to teach divinity, seldom or never practise teaching of it, when they can get honourably clear of the employment, but hire whom they can get cheapest to fulfil that duty. The curates in England, and the Dissenting teachers, are the real Doctors of Divinity, though but few of them assume that title. It will appear from this, that the title of Doctor is now understood as a title of honour, and does not signify any office, or duty, which men are obliged to fulfil. It has therefore the same signification among modern Christians, which the word Rabbi had among the Jews, and must be understood in the same sense, I now proceed to shew, that it is not a Christian title.

1st. It is expressly forbidden in the text, "Be not ye called Rabbi. If Jesus Christ have any authority over Christians, as the lawgiver to his church, then the Doctors are very presumptuous to pretend to be his disciples, and yet so openly break his commandments. The words would seem naturally to suggest

to

to an impartial reader, that Christians are forbidden, by their Lord and Master, to assume any prerogative over one another, and prohibited from assuming any honours, but those which are derived from a faithful discharge of their duty as servants. The aposties never considered themselves in any other light than servants. Hence we find Paul, and James, and Peter, styling themselves servants of Jesus Christ;and the first of these expresseth himself plainly on this point" For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake*." Notwithstanding that Paul was educated in the Jewish schools by Doctor Gamaliel, yet we do not find that, when he became Christian, he assumed the title of Rabbi, or affected any title of honour but what Jesus Christ gave him. It would appear, that all the apostles of Jesus Christ, and the primitive Christians, understood this commandment in our text; for we never hear of any of them affecting pre-eminence, except Diotrephes, who is not mentioned in Scripture with any approbation. Splendid titles were never known in the church till men began to corrupt religion, and then they were obliged to make up the want of Christian simplicity with honours borrowed from the kingdoms of this world. Pastor, or teacher, served for honourable enough titles, so long as Christ's ministers kept in mind his commandments; but when they once forgot these, they forgot what names and titles to take to themselves.

Perhaps it may be alleged, that this commandment of our Saviour had only a reference to the twelve apostles, and was not intended to come so far down as our modern times. Had this been the case, I cannot see any propriety in publishing it in the presence of so many, when he could have told the apostle in private what he meant by it, as he did in some other cases, But it looked very like an intention in our Saviour, to have all, who ever should believe on him, to take notice of this commandment, when he made it known in such a public manner. He was reproving the Pharisees for their pride and vanity, in loving to be called Rabbi, and tells his disciples, that they should not follow any such practice" Be ye not called Rabbi." And it is manifest, that all the New-Testament believers understood the meaning of this prohibition as our Saviour expressed it; their practice is therefore a good commentary upon the meaning of this precept. Since our Saviour has forbidden Christians to assume titles and degrees of dignity, and all his apostles were denied to such honours, it must follow as a fair consequence, that the title Rabbi is not a Christian epithet.

I think it may be made appear from Scripture, that the title of Doctor, as it was used among the Jews in our Saviour's time, and as it is now practised among modern believers, has no more relation to true religion than the title Devil. If we consider

* 2 Cor. iv. 5.

attentively

attentively the reason of both titles, they were first obtained through pride and inordinate ambition. It was pride which procured the title of Devil to one of the first principalities and powers, who was not satisfied with his first honours, in subor dination to his Maker, but aspired after some higher degree of dignity; yea, wanted to be equal to God, or to be above him. In like manner, the title of Rabbi has been obtained, through an ambitious desire of being equal to Jesus Christ; for our Lord says to his disciples, " One is your master, even Christ." Now, what else is the signification of desiring to be called Rabbi, but that the Doctors want to be equal to Christ in dignity? Hence as the Devil, through pride, attempted to rival his Maker; so the Doctors, from the same principle, attempt to rival their Saviour. It will therefore appear plain to a demonstration, that the title of Devil is as much Christian as the title of Doctor in Divinity. I must, however, here make some apology for the above sentiment, in exalting the Doctors so high; for our Saviour says, they are only the children of the Devil:-" Ye are of your father the Devil, and the works of your father ye will do." It is manifest, from these words of our Saviour, that he considered the Rabbis not the Devil's equals, but his children; for though. they in general bear the image of their father, yet there are but few of them possessed of his wisdom and sagacity. I hope my readers will now easily perceive, that the title of Rabbi, or Doc tor in Divinity, is not a Christian title.

2dly. It will appear, that the title of Doctor in Divinity is not a Christian one, when we consider that it is not to be found in our English translation of the Bible. I had some suspicion that my memory might have failed me, and for this reason have ked over Mr. Cruden's Concordance to find the word Doctor; but, after the strictest inquiry, I cannot find it:this appears to me the reason, that, though some of our translators were Doctors in Divinity, yet they did not believe the title to be Christian; otherwise they would have translated the Greek word ddoxaños, Doctor, and not Teacher, as it is in our English version of the New Testament. Indeed, they could not well have translated it otherwise than they have done, without perverting its signification; for it does not mean to point out a title but an office, and implies fitness to intruct others in doctrine, and a readiness to do it. The meaning of it may be explained by didantis, 1 Tim. iii. 2, which signifies a fitness and readiness to teach, or, as it is rendered in our version, apt to teach. The Vulgate renders it Doctor; but, as Beza says, "Sed multi sunt Doctores, qui aptiores essent ad stivam;" "There are many Doctors fitter for the plough." Musculus says, " Significant non simpliciter Doctorem, sed facul tate docendi præditum, et ad docendum appositum;" "It does not signify simply Doctor, or Teacher, but one endued with readiness of communication, and who is apt to teach."