Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	apostle_n	peter_n	successor_n	2,335	5	9.6117	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96932	Private-men no pulpit-men: or, A modest examination of lay-mens preaching. Discovering it to be neither warranted by the Word of God; nor allowed by the judgement, or practise, of the Churches of Christ in New-England. / Written by Giles Workman, M.A. and master of the Colledge School in Gloucester. In answer to a writing published by John Knowls.	Workman, Giles, 1604 or 5-1665.	1646 (1646)	Wing W3583; Thomason E354_9; ESTC R201096	26,327	32

among them to preach for by this he distinguisheth preaching and ruling Elders that preaching and administring the Sacraments Keys of the Kingd of heaven c. 5. Ibid. p. 22. is that Key of Authority that is peculiar to preaching Elders The Ruling Elders have not received power to preach but to charge any of the people in private that none of them live inordinately without a Calling or idly in their Calling or scandalously in any sort So that the practise of the Churches of Christ in New-England alloweth not private mens preaching and therefore not their Judgement unlesse their practise be not according to their judgement 2. What approbation these two books of Mr. Cotton cited in this Discourse have in Old-England we may learn from the publishers of them 1. N. H. and J. H. the publishers of the one viz. The Way of the Churches of Christ in New-England calling it A Full Declaration of the Church-way in all particulars measured and examined by the golden reed of the Sanctuary have in their Epistle to the Reader these words with seconds of frequent intimations that we hold with the Churches of New-England And again With much adoo we have say they presented you with a fuller Declaration of All Our Way according to the Scriptures in this learned yet modest Treatise of The way of the Churches of Christ in New-England And we do in this our Epistle certifie Our assent thereunto saving that we do not yet fully close with some expressions passim in the book before some of which we minded it to note a* in the Margin And we finde not this star before any of the testimonies which we have cited against private persons preaching And therefore we have for us in this Controversie the judgement as of Mr. Cotton and the Churches in New-England so of all those Churches and persons in Old-England which are contained in those publishers ALL OVR and WE And who and how many they are they best know who made that Manifesto Their We and All Our with the drift of the Epistle seem to imply an unanimous consent And the Reverend publishers of the other book viz. The M. Tho. M. Goodwin M. Phil. Nye Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven albeit they seem to dissent from Mr. Cotton in this point of prophesying yet are expresse I am sure against that which is practised among us defended by John Knowls and oppugned by me in this Discourse For take their cautions in their own words it must be say they sometimes To the Reader onely 1. Occasionally not in an ordinary course 2. By such men as are fit for office And 3 not assuming this of themselves but judged such by those that have the power and so allowed and designed to it c. Thus and thus onely they conceive gifted Brethren may preach and had these cautions been observed we had not had this controversie a foot and how unsuitable the practise of our private Preachers hath been to these limitations is so manifest that I need not nor will speak it were to speak rather ad personas which I meddle not with than ad rem which is that I seek the clearing of the truth And as I said though these learned men seem to dissent from Mr. Catton yet wherein the difference lies having considered their cautions and his writings I confesse I see not unlesse it be in the word Occasionally For Mr. Cotten permits none though gifted men and Ecclesiasticall Officers unlesse Pastors or Teachers to preach Mr. Peters Colleague hath himself Mr. Norice held up all the ordinances in the whole work of the Ministery all the time of Mr. Peters residing here in this Kingdom in a letter to his friend for which he blesseth God for Divine assistance considering the greatnesse of the Congregation and the weaknesse of his body formerly I shall conclude with that patheticall passage of Mr. Cottons which I wish them to observe who make so small a matter of this businesse We saith he be far from allowing that sacrilegious Keys of the Kingd of heav c. 2. usurpation of the Ministers Office which we hear of to our grief to be practised in some places that private Christians ordinarily take upon them to preach the Gospel publiquely and to minister the Sacraments And if his eye could have helped his ear it would have affected his heart with more grief to see it done with that contempt of the ordinance of Christ Why he cals it sacrilegious usurpation he gives not his reasons but we may gather them to be such as these That 't is usurpation 1. It appears from that of the Apostle I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence And 1 Tim. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 14. 34. the same Apostle Let your women keep silence in the congregations for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience In which places it is evident that power to preach is to have authority and this being not given by God to women if they take it they do usurp authority and are not under Obedience and so do others if they take it How is this Authority given From Mr. Cotton we have an Answer and a 2 Reason 2. The Lord Jesus Christ the Head of his Church is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first proper subject of the soveraigne power of the Keyes He Isa 9. 6 Keys of the Kingd of Hea. c. 7. p. 29 30. hath the Key of David He openeth and no man shutteth c. And himself declareth the same to his Apostles as the ground of his granting to them Apostolicall power Matth. 28. 18. And it is from the same soveraigne power that all the Offices or Ministeries in the Church are ordained by him 1 Cor. 12. 5 yea and all the members are set in the body by him c. And again speaking of the Key of Order or Authority he hath these words This Key when it was promised to Peter Matth. 16. 19. Ibid. c 2. p. 20. and given to him with the rest of the Apostles Joh. 20. 23. they thereby had power to binde and loose and it is the same Authority which is given to their Successors the Elders whereby they are called to feed and rule the Church of God as the Apostles had done before them Act. 20. 28. And afterwards saith he By vertue of this Key as they viz. the Elders the Apostles successors as before preach with all Authority not onely the Doctrine of the Law but also the Covenant of the Gospel so they administer the Seals thereof Baptisme and the Lords Supper And this is peculiar to Preaching Elders viz. to preach and administer the Sacraments as before is cited out of the same Author So the summe of all this comes to thus much That Christ Heb. 5. 4 5. took not this power and authority in the Church unto Himself but it was given unto him All power in heaven and in Matt 28. 18. earth is given unto Him And he hath set this Order in the Church that some should be officers to preach and rule Other Si nem● honorem sibi ritè in Ecclesiâ usurpat nisi qui vocatus est ut Aaron Heb 5 4. Quisquis sine legitimâ vocatione baptizat eum temere in alienam functionem involare d●co Quid enim Cum ne Dei quidem Filius se ingerere voluer it an sibi nescio quis Terrae fil●us se publicum tanti mysterii dispensatorem nullâ authoritate creabit Calvin Tract Theol. p. 350. Members he hath set in the body in their places to do their own businesse so the Apostle 1 Thes 4. 11. as in the naturall body so in the Church 1 Cor. 12. 18. And they to whom Christ hath given the Authority Power or Key to preach and administer the Sacraments they must do it And the Key or Authority Christ hath given not to private members but to Preaching Elders i. e. such as are Ministers called to the Office of the Ministery So then private members taking on them to preach or administer the Seals do take to themselves that Key Power and Authority which Christ hath given to another and so they usurp and their preaching is usurpation and matter of grief to see Christs followers violate his Ordinance and break His Order and the more where it is done with contempt The Lord Jesus is our Lord and King under whose feet the Father hath put all things and given Him to be the Head over Ephes 1. 22. all things to the Church let us sincerely and ingenuously endeavour to know and keep his Orders as we have received Col. 2. 6. Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Prove all things and hold fast that which is good And the Lord root out of our hearts the 1 Thes 5. 21. spirit of Contradiction that we read not books rather to confute them then to throw down our selves humbly under the Cott. Way Epist power of Truth Amen FINIS

have the gift of prophesie to use it Answ This is true but no proof of his Doctrine the truth is this Scripture concludes against him The A … le requires that they who have these gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Prophesie and Ministery or Deaconship exercise them in humilitie and fidelitie He that hath the gift of Prophesie must prophesie and he that hath the gift of Ministery or Deaconship must do the duty of a Minister or Deacon Now who be they who have these gifts They that are by office Prophets and Ministers or Deacons or they that have abilities onely If you say the former the sense is they that are by office Preachers must preach which is most true but not to his purpose If you say the latter then the sense is Preach he that can and it will follow baptize he that can and rule he that can too Now to prove that the Apostle doth not take gifts here for abilities onely as you do these Reasons I propose to consideration 1. The word Gift is used in Scripture as I expound for the Office it self or gifted calling So Ephes 4. 8. He gave gifts unto men what were those gifts See ver 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers The office of an Apostle that is a gift the office of a Prophet that is a gift and so of the rest And so Mr. Cotton expounds The way of the Churches of Christ in New-England c. 2. Sect. 2. this place his words are That they were gifts we willingly acknowledge because all the Offices and Officers of the Church were given to the Church as well as the spirituall gifts and graces whereby they do execute those offices for so saith the Ap●stle when Christ ascended up on high he gave gifts to men What gifts Some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists c. So ●e His Testimony I gladly use not onely as he is a learned and godly man but because in this and all other particulars wherin I shall use him as a witnesse he is not singularis testis but carries with him the voice of the Churches of Christ in New England and of many in Old-England too as we shall see anon So again Ephes 3. 8. Vnto me is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles c. q. d. God of his grace without any merit in me hath given me the gift to preach to the Gentiles And what was this gift See Rom. 11. 13. I am the Apostle of the Gentiles I magnifie mine office His office of Apostleship to the Gentiles with answerable abilities that 's implyed was his gift to preach to the Gentiles So you see Gift is taken in Scripture as well for the office as abilities And so Mr. Cotton doth expound this place Rom. 12. 6. which John Knowles urges his words are citing this Text Having then different gifts c. gifts Ibid. c. 2. S. 1. saith he comprehending both offices and grace Now John Knowles must prove 't is not so taken here or he proves nothing hence 2. If we take gift in his sense for abilities onely then these absurdities will follow 1. We may then proceed from abilities to the exercise of other callings for if ability to preach be sufficient to authorize one to preach without any more adoo then also ability to baptize and to rule and govern is sufficient to authorize any to baptize and to take on them to rule govern and judge as Rulers Magistrates and Judges do For there is the same reason for this in other Callings as in Preaching And the Apostle in this place speaks generally of other Callings as well as of Preaching Whether prophesie let us prophesie c. ver 6. He that ruleth let him do it with diligence v. 8. So then he that concludes hence That whosoever hath ability to preach may preach must conclude also that he that hath ability to rule may rule of which the former is usurpation the latter Sedition We say gifts are but the foundation of a Calling they do not warrant any to do the works of that Calling without any more ado To a Calling two things are required 1. Gifts or endowments 2. Authority This is plain in Joh. 20. 21. As my Father hath sent me so send I you There Christ gives his Apostles Authority v. 22. He breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the holy Ghost There he gives them their gifts as we commonly call them viz. abilities for their Calling So Jesus before his Ascension gives the Apostles their Authority Matth. 28 19 20. Go ye therefore c. But for the plenitude of Apostolicall gifts they must wait at Jerusalem till after his Ascension Act. 1. 4. Wait for the promise from the Father which ye have heard of me Where Luk. 24. 49. where this promise is expounded to be endued with power from on high And that was when they were all filled with the holy Ghost Act. 2. 4. Now gifts and abilities are not enough without Authority Christ we see gives these distinctly and the Apostles went not with one without the other If gifts without Authority or Calling were sufficient Vzzah might have carried the Ark as well as the Priests he and others had as able bodies and as good shoulders as the Priests if abilities were enough And there had been more Apostles then ever Christ made there were Preachers at Corinth who thought themselves and others thought them too in abilities before Paul whom they looked on and bade others look on him as one in respect of them base in presence and in speech contemptible And have not private persons Gifts to baptize as well as to Preach since Scripture and Reason shew that Baptisme is also in respect of Gifts a businesse inferiour to Preaching And have not Lawyers and some other private men Gifts to do those things that belong to the Judges and Magistrates office And by this Doctrine every such one may ay and must step up into the Judges and Magistrates seats of Justice Must I say because they teach that Gifts are their warrant sufficient and that ●od requires the exercise of them All then who have gifts to be Judges and Magistrates are sent of God to the Bench and Sword What bloodie confusions would this breed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a confusion as is inconsistent with and would soon subvert the Offices And will it not be the same in Ecclesiasticall Offices Yes 't is of Church matters Paul there speaks 1 Cor. 14. and saith God is not the Author of confusion but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints Yet extraordinary gifts that is miraculous we will grant bring authority with them therefore as these men take on them to prophesie which was an extraordinary and Temporary office of which anon as appears Ephes 4. 11. so could they speak with Tongues too we

diseases of the body by which it comes to passe that there are more Phisitians then Patients So every one is wont to think himself fitter to teach then to learn So he 3. Where be gifts indeed fit for the Ministery such must desire the office and the exercise thereof Hear the Apostle to all such This is a true saying if a man desire the office of a Bishop he desireth 1 Tim. 3. 1. a good work God doth and the Church must encourage and receive such into the Ministery as are fit for it and encourage them to desire and undertake it For the charge is so great as the great Apostle felt that some sensible of it need incouragement and drawing a spurre as much as some others do a bit a barre What means e●se that phrase of our Saviour Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrust Matth 9. or cast out Labourers into his Vineyard We in our dayes may with compassion look upon as great a Harvest in the three Kingdoms as our Lord Jesus did in Judea As He commands we must pray the Lord of the Harvest to Gift and send more out where they are wanting The Church and such as are intrusted in this businesse must call and they must enter into office and then be Preachers This is Christs order to be called to the office of the Ministery then preach they that do not this do for ought I know crosse Christs order preach unwarrantably and walk disorderly in this particular We come to the second place alledged for Lay-mens preaching and that is Act. 8. 1. At that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad thorowout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word Here he supposes that these who preached here were private persons in the same condition as Lay-men with us And therefore our Lay-men may preach so as they do even as these Primitive Christians did 1. We will examine his proof that these Preachers were private men and if he makes not this good he proves nothing 2. We will shew that if it could be proved that these were private men this example will no way help to prove the lawfulnesse of that practise which our Lay-preachers use and plead for 1. How doth he prove them private men this is all this proof which is nothing satisfactory Kno. They were not the Apostles as it is apparent v. 1. and at this time there were no Offi●ers in the Church save the Apostles and Deacons as we read of Answ We grant they were not the Apostles for they stayed at Jerusalem v. 1. and he grants there were Deacons and they were more then Lay-men for he cals them Officers and the Scripture shews that they had imposition of hands Act. 6. 6. so they were not all private persons But grant it was not a Deacons office to preach how doth he prove there were no other officers at this time He must prove out of Gods Word that before this persecution there were no other Officers and if these were all private persons at Jerusalem he must prove that the Apostles gave them no Commission to preach when they went thence and supposing this then that God did not give them commission by immediate Revelation till he prove this there is nothing hence to satisfie them that seek Scripture-warrant but onely to beguil inconfiderate people All that is said for this is there were none as we read of He may read of them if he will as others do But by this time doth he mean before this scattering by this persecution or after If before I answer two things 1. A very learned man saith that the seventy Disciples Rutherf Due Right of Presbyt c. 5. S. 1. p. 292. Id. ibid. p. 293. were Pastors in office v. 1. The Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them not onely to preach but to work miracles and this makes them more then private persons And the same man tels us that learned Divines think that these of the scattered Church who preached were the seventy Disciples 2. Grant that the first commission of these seventy Disciples was but temporary and that all these before this dispersion were at Jerusalem but private persons No need of other Preachers at Jerusalem whilest all the Apostles were there and Deacons were not made till need required them Act. 6. But after this dispersion he may read of others if he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophets and Evangelists the Apostles fellow-labourers in the work of the Ministery That there were such see Act. 13. 1. chap. 15. 32. and often And Act. 21. 8. we shall finde that Philip one of the seven Deacons and one of these that were scattered abroad is now an Evangelist And that these Prophets and Evangelists were Officers is plain Ephes 4. 11. Now can this Writer finde the time when they were put into office He will have Philip and all the rest of the scattered Christians to go from Jerusalem private persons Philip but a Deacon at most afterwards we finde some of them Prophets some Evangelists can it be proved they were not appointed to these Functions when they left Jerusalem It will be hard to prove it yet that and more then that must be proved as we shall see anon or his Argument and Cause fals for any help it can have from this place Wherefore I oppose these three considerations against what is said to prove that these Preachers were private persons 1. The Apostles had a charge from the Lord Jesus to preach the Gospel to every creature and herewith they had power as to preach themselves so to authorize and send forth other men to that work And this they did practise every where as opportunity offered and necessity required witnesse the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles sending forth Prophets and Evangelists the Apostles Assistants in their extraordinary work to plant and gather Churches or to confirm them that were planted and to ordain Pastors and Teachers in setled Churches And how will it be proved that the Apostles did not give Authority to these men to preach the Gospel as they went Was there not need when the Apostles themselves must stay at Jerusalem v. 1. and the Gospel must be preached abroad at the sametime And is it probable nay is it not to question the Apostles care that they being trusted with the spreading of the Gospel should let these men go and give them no order to preach it which if they did it's enough especially since this persecution came by Gods Providence for this very end that they whom peace held together in comfortable fellowship at Jerusalem being dispersed might spread the Gospel as they went Is there any Scripture Reason or sense to the contrary And if the Apostles gave them order to preach then

they were no longer private persons but authorized for the work and so no president for Lay-men to preach 2. Grant that these preaching Christians had no Commission from the Apostles to preach yet might they be put out of the condition of private persons by an Immediate Call from Jesus Christ such as the Apostles had Evangelists and Prophets as they were extraordinary Officers as the Apostles themselves and had extraordinary gifts so might their Call to the work be either in part or whole as the Apostles was Gal. 1. 1. not by man but by Jesus Christ though they were moved in an inferiour Orbe to and by the Apostles for they did go and come as the Apostles did send them And it is apparent that some men were thus called by the immediate voice of Christ Gal. 1. 23. from heaven Saul afterwards Paul was called to preach the faith when he was going to destroy the faith and this Call he had by the immediate voice of Christ from heaven when he was going on the high Priests cursed Arrand to Act 9 4. V. 1. 2. bring bound to Jerusalem the Disciples of the Lord. And this Paul often mentions as to exalt the grace of God towards him so to make good his Calling of Apostle-ship against those who questioned his Calling to preach that so they might work in people a light esteeme of that Doctrine he did preach His a Gal. 1. 16. calling to preach was by Revelation The b Gal. 1. 11 12 Eph. 3. 3. Gospel which he preached he had by Revelation he c Gal. 2. 2. went to Jerusalem by Revelation Thus was his Calling by Revelation from heaven And it is as apparent that some of these men in this very Chapter as Philip by name was ordered what to do by the immediate direction of the Lord himself by his Spirit and Angels who did speak to him and in a miraculous way carry Act. 8. 26. 29 39. him from place to place And can it be proved that the rest did not preach by the like direction And if so then none can argue for Lay-mens preaching from this place unlesse they have the like Call by immediate inspiration and by the voice of the holy Spirit and Angels as Philip had Simile Suppose all the Officers of this Garrison were to stay in and the common Souldiers to depart out of the Town and these we finde in the Countrey gathering Companies and doing those things that belong to a Captains or Colonels office and that in so doing they do well this we must suppose too for The hand of the Lord was with them Act. 11. 21. neither of us question but these primitive Christians did well and their duty in preaching what could hence be concluded one of these two things Either that these common Souldiers had Commission from the Governor at or from the Lord Generall after their leaving the Town to do what they did Or else that it is lawfull for common souldiers without any Commission of their own authority to raise Companies and do the offices of Captains and Colonels Would any conclude thus Yet thus our Writer concludes We find these primitive Christians preaching therefore say we they had authority from the Apostles or from God himself by immediate Revelation because preaching belongs to Officers which have their commission from Christ for this work Epbes 4. 11. But because we find these Christians preaching and they were not the Apostles therefore it is lawfull for private persons without any other authority than their own gifts to preach thus our Writer concludes And thus he produceth a new way of authorizing Preachers The old wayes the Apostle acquaints Tit. 1. 5. Act. 14. 23. us with Gal. 1. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Jesus Christ viz. immediately so the Apostles and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by man so ordinary Preachers are called This Writer adds a third way of making a Preacher and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by himself A way that Christ himself nor no man else may be called by as St. Paul saith Heb. 5. 4 5. Thirdly and lastly Tell me were all these dispersed Christians private persons or onely some If onely some then other some of them were out of the Condition of private persons and how then prove you that any did preach besides those that were out of the Condition of private persons He saith All of them did preach but the text saith not so And if all of them did preach and were all private persons then private persons may baptize too For some of these in this Chap. v. 12. 13. Philip by name did baptize the Samaritanes men and women and Simon Magus too And what here Philip did the rest did unlesse you will say that which I think you will not having taken notice what the Scripture saith of them Act. 11. 21. that the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number beleeved and turned to the Lord viz by their Ministery that they which had such power to preach and convert had not power to baptize beleevers converted And if they had power to baptize also then hence you may as well conclude that private persons may baptize as that they may preach One conclusion is as good as the other If you be of that opinion let us know And then by good consequence it will follow that women also Eliam soeminas in extremâ necessitate posse baptizare Bellar. de sacr bapt ca. 7. ●● 3. Midwives if need be may baptize And here Bellarmine will help in the proof For you hold Gifts a sufficient Call to preach yet deny a woman whatsoever gifts she hath to exercise them in preaching because she is forbidden but where is she forbidden to baptize And if you say a woman may not speak in the Church we may expound that as you do she may not preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not speak as Doctors Thus you had need you see take heed how you break the bounds Christ hath set otherwise no stay till you come on the shelves In this Point also hear Mr. Cotton We do beleeve that they to Way of the Chu of Christ in N. Engl. c. 4. S. 2. Certè eosdem constituit Evangelii praecones baptismi administros A Christo enim haec conjunct a esse ostendo Evangelii praedicationem baptizandi ministerium ex Mat. 28. 19. Cal Tract Theol. p. 350. whom the preaching or dispensing of the Gospet or Covenant of Grace unto the Church is committed to them also is committed the dispensing of the Seals of the Covenant He brings this as an argument to prove that Teachers may administer the Sacraments as well as Pastors because they have power to preach as well as the Pastors have So you say Lay-men have power to preach as well as Ministers therefore if Mr. Cottons argument be good they may baptize as well as Ministers In his judgement they may do