i.e.
maintained; why might he not use this general proposition, that all
rulers, whether public or domestic, whether civil or ecclesiastical, are
to be honored? And when the apostle speaketh of the qualifications of
deacons, he requires them to be such as have ruled their own houses
well.[83]

_Ans_. 1. This slight gloss might have appeared more tolerable and
plausible, were it not, partly, that the grand scope of the apostle in
this chapter and epistle is to direct about church officers and church
affairs, as both the context, and 1 Tim. iii. 14, 15, clearly evidence;
and partly, had the word rulers been expressed alone in the text, and
the word elders left out: but seeing that the apostle speaks not
generally of them that rule well, but particularly of the elders that
rule well in the Church; here is no place for this poor faint gloss. 2.
Had the apostle here intended such a lax and general proposition for all
sorts of rulers, then had he also meant that an honorable maintenance is
due from the Church to domestic as well as public, yea, to civil as well
as ecclesiastical rulers: then the Church should have charge enough:
yea, and then should ministers of the word (according to this
interpretation) have more honor and maintenance than any other rulers,
domestic or public, civil or ecclesiastical. Magistrates will never
thank him for this gloss. 3. Though some kind of skill to rule and
govern be required in deacons, yet that is no public rule in the Church,
but a private rule in their own houses only, which the apostle mentions,
1 Tim. iii. 12.

_Except_. 9. But these Well-ruling presbyters may be referred to these
pastors and teachers which were resident in every church, who therefore
are properly said to have care and inspection of the faithful, as being
affixed to that place for that end; but the word _laboring_, or _they
that labor_, may be referred to them who travelled up and down for the
visiting and confirming of the churches.[84] "There were some that
remained in some certain places, for the guiding and governing of such
as were already won by the preaching of the gospel: others that
travelled with great labor and pains from place to place to spread the
knowledge of God into all parts, and to preach Christ crucified to such
as never heard of him before. Both these were worthy of double honor,
but the latter that builded not upon another man's foundation, more
especially than the former, that did but keep that