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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	prophet_n	write_v	2,679	5	6.0117	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77253	The preachers plea. By David Bramley, a preacher of the Gospel.	Bramley, David.	1647 (1647)	Wing B4240; Thomason E374_2	16,799	26

THE PREACHERS PLEA BY DAVJD BRAMLEY a Preacher of the Gospel 1 Cor. 14.36 What came the Word of God out from you or came it unto you only 2 Cor. 4.2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftinesse nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God Col. 2.8 Beware least any man spoyle you through Philosophie and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the World and not after Christ 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust avoiding prophane and vain bablings and oppositions of science falsty so called Printed Anno Dom. 1647. The Epistle to the READER Courteous Friend and Reader THou knowest or mayest know how this truth I here present thee with hath been and yet is disapproved of by the most yet is most true and approved by God in his own Word by which I have proved it and also by sound natural reason with which two invincible Weapons of the Holy Ghost I have put to flight all Objections that may be made against this Truth So that I conceive hee must needs declare himself an Enemy to Christs Kingdome voyd of both grace and good reason that is against it And whereas men in our dayes are divers and different touching the Preachers of the Gospel some being of opinion that some of the Saints only may preach it that is to say such only as are Vniversity-Scholers others that none at all may or can preach it Wheras I according to my small talent do hold have declared in this tract that all every of the Saints are called to preach the Gospel according to what they have received and do conceive of Jesus Christ And for the better resolving and satisfying of my disscenting Brethren of each side I will declare first the nature of the promising I here mean and that in the Treatise following I do speak of Secondly I will shew the necessity that there is of such preaching and both of them by the Word of God 1 The nature of the promising or preaching of the Gospel I here mean is no other thing then a holding out to others by the Word that light or knowledge that any one apprehends from the Word to be of Christ according to that Exhortation 1 Pet. 4.10 II. As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God If any man speake let him speak as the Oracles of God If any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen But there is an ordinary but an unmercinary objection made by many against this Doctrine and it is this The Gospel is preached by such as were sent to preach it And therfore as there are none sent so by Christ now so there is no need nor no ability in men to preach now Rom. 10.15 Now that I may answer this the clearer I will shew 1 what preaching meaneth 2 how manifold the preaching of the Gospel is and both of them by the Word of God 1. Preaching is as much as to say publishing to others what they know not according to that of our Saviour Mat. 10.27 What I tell you in darknesse that speak ye in light and what ye hear in the ear that preach ye on the house tops or publish ye abroad So that to declare to others what they know not is in the Gospels account preaching 2 There is a two-fold preaching of the Gospel 1. There was a preaching of the Gospel by inspiration from God 2 Tim. 3.16 which preaching is now ceased Ro 10.15 2. There is a preaching of that which is preached already Acts 15.21 Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him that is to say that preach his works or what he from God had preached before Luk. 16.29 They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them that is they have the Prophesies of Moses the Prophets For Moses and the Prophets were dead before Christ spake this and before he was born Therefore it was Moses his Prophesies that of old time had in every City them that preach them being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day So that to read the Scriptures and to expound them to others is preaching in the phrase of Scripture and thus they preached Neh. 8.8 So they read in the book of the Law of God distinctly gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading thus our Saviour preached Luke 4.16 21. and 24.7 32. And thus the Gospel that hath been preached by inspiration from God is to be preached still by the Saints till all be perfected Ephes 4.11 12 13. and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers what to do for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ for how long til we all come in the Vnity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man no member wanting in the body unto the measure of the stature or age of the fulnesse of Christ every member being perfected in grace for glory Now 2. the necessity that there is of the preaching of this Gospel appeares to be great as by what hath been said already So likewise by this that followes they that live now did not hear the Apostles Prophets c. when they preached the Gospel Neither canall that are now alive read what they have preached and written some having never learned Letters others being born blind and could not learn to read a third sort could read but now cannot visited with blindnesse all which shewes the necessity of preaching the Gospel now to be great either by reading it or by speaking from it by comparing spiritual things with spirituall things to wit the Scripture with it self text with text 1 Cor. 2.13 Ro 7.14 Joh. 6.63 Thus you have seen both the nature and the necessity of the prophesying or preaching of which I speak and mean in the tract ensuing Wherein I have both by Scripture and Argument cleared up this truth that to speak with tongues is not essential to the being of a Prophet or that divine prophesying is not restrained to humane learning and so consequently that all the Saints are Prophets to preach the Gospel one to another for which cause I call my book The Preachers Plea which I have written according to the measure of my talent to informe the Reader And I do advise thee also to declare it and thy selfe for it for the information of others with whom thou hast to doe which being performed by any though by illiterate or unlearned men be you so far from despising

learned Prophets that they be so far from endeavouring to seal up the mouthes and suppressing the graces of our Prophets which speak not the tongues that they do their diligence rather to open their mouths and unlose their tongues incourage thē in the holding forth of Iesus Christ who holds himself out to all that al that are gifted graced by his spirit might also hold him forth to others let it not be accounted any disgrace to any of the learned that poor illiterate men which should preach spread the glory of God our Saviour remember the modest words carriage of Moses that Prophet of the Lord in his answer to Ioshua and the young-man that brought tydings that Eldad Medad prophecied in the Campe bad Moses to forbid them Numb 11.26 27 29. Moses said unto him enviest thou for my sake would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them which teacheth us thus much that a true Prophet of the Lord will not for any by-ends envie the gifts of God in others nor desire the obscure but to discover them wishing all as well as some of the Lords people were Prophets not by putting Vniversity Arts but by putting the Apostles approbation in the New Testament is this 1 Cor. 14.31 Ye may prophesie all one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted all may prophesie that is all the Prophets to wit all that God hath endued with the Spirit of Prophecie for there is no restraint observing their time and order one by one Wherefore let none dare to forbid prophecie where God himself commands and his Word gives both freedome and allowance for further proof read Act. 8.4 Vse 3. It may serve now at length to call England to give God the glory of his grace by acknowledging and approving this that out of the mouthes of very Babes and Sucklings God hath founded strength as it is in the Hebrew Psalm 8.2 And saith the Apostle it is written I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent where is the wise wheris the Scribe where is the Disputer of this World For after that in the wisdome of God the world by wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe because the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men and God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught 2 Tim. 2 7. things that are consider what the Lord saith and the same Lord give you understanding in all things now the reason of all you haue at last that is that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.19 20 21 25 27 28 29. Vse 4. Is to confute the desperate folly of many men if not most men in making prophecie a humane thing and therfore haue appointed their sonnes unto it as unto a trade to live by as thus when their children are yet young they haue resolved what callings or trades to put them to the eldest happily to be a Lawyer the second to be a Physitian or a Chirurgion the third a Merchant or the like and commonly the youngest especially if hee were in any part deformed should be a Minister that should be his trade concluding it to be in his power to make him a Minister by putting him out for a time to the Vniversity and paying for his learning as if the gift of God might be bought with money a cursed thought indeed and a damnable ignorant conclusion and let such men look back and see the effect of it and tremble at the example of Simon Magus Act 8.20 21 22 23 v. But Peter said unto him Thy money perish with thee because thou thoughtest that the gift of God may be purchased with money thou hast neither part nor let in this businesse for thine heart is not right in the sight of God Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse pray God if it be possible if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitternesse in the bond of iniquity Vse 5. Is for encouragement of all those to whom the Lord hath given the spirit of Prophesie to improve their gifts for the best advantage of the Church of Christ and his glory Rom. 12.6 7 8. having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecie let us prophecie according to the proportion of faith or Ministry let us wait on our Ministry or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorts on exhortation Vse 6. It is a use of excellent comfort to all the people of God for though outward gifts and all meanes thereof may faile yet there is a spirit of Prophecie left to all the People of God by which they shall be made able to know so much of the mind of God as shall be sufficient to sanctifie them here and to make them eternally haypy hereafter So that to speak with tongues is not essentiall to the being of a Prophet nor is divine prophesie restrained to humane learning POSTSCRIPT Isaiah 29.11 12. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed which men deliver to one that is learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I cannot for it is sealed And the Book is delivered to him that is not learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I am not learned Rev. 5 1 2. And I saw in the right hand of him that sate on the Throne a Book written within and on the back-side sealed with seven seales And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voyce Who is worthy to open the Bookes and to lose the seales thereof FINIS