lvation from God; if here it were not a note of distinction,
according to this gloss, we should thus read the place, "Who is the
Saviour of all men, greatly believing;" but this were cold comfort to
weak Christians of little faith. So here _especially_, though _but_ be
wanting, distinguished them that labor in the word and doctrine, from
them that labor not therein, and yet rule well.

_Except_. 7. It is one thing to preach, another thing to labor in the
word and doctrine. If there be here any distinction of elders it is
between those that labor more abundantly and painfully, and between
those that labor not so much. This objection takes much with some.[81]
B. Bilson much presses this objection from the emphasis of the word
_laboring_; signifying endeavoring any thing with greater striving and
contention, &c., to this sense, "Let the elders that rule well be
counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor and sweat,
&c., in the word--who give themselves even to be tired and broken with
labors;" and this, saith he, is the genuine signification of the word
translated laboring, when it is borrowed from the labor of the body, to
denote the contention or striving of the mind, &c.[82]

_Ans_. 1. This gloss takes it for granted, that this text speaks only of
preaching, or the ministry of the word, and therein of the lesser or
greater pains taken: which (besides that it begs the thing in question)
makes the ministry of the word common to both sorts here distinctly
spoken of, whereas rather the plain current of the text makes ruling
common to both, over and beyond which the preaching elder _labors in the
word_. 2. Doth not this interpretation allow a double honor to ministers
that labor not so much as others in the word? And can we think that the
laborious Paul intended to dignify, patronize, or encourage idle drones,
lazy, sluggish, seldom preachers? Ministers must be exceeding instant
and laborious in their ministry, 2 Tim. iv. 1-3. If this were the sense
only to prefer the greater before the less labor in the ministry, the
apostle would have used this order of words, "Let the elders that rule
well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor," &c.,
take upon themselves more weighty cares. For those words (in the word
and doctrine) should either have been quite omitted, as now was
expressed, or should have been inserted immediately after them that rule
well, and before the word especially, to this eff