Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	england_n	write_v	3,090	5	5.8086	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

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

Point of the use of humane l●arning I send him for his learning to Mr. Tho Goodwins Sermon intituled The great Interest of States and Kingdoms would but smile at his ignorance because he knows they are all usefull in their time and for some businesse or other though perhaps he useth not some of them in a yeer together Our Writers scoffing at them is onely a proclaiming his ignorance of them For tongues 1. I wonder at this youths impudency to jumble the Greek and Hebrew tongues in a scoffe amongst the Welsh and Irish in a jeering manner to parallel the originall Languages in which the holy Ghost was pleased the Scriptures should be first written and in which for that cause no Preacher can be unskilled but he is ea parte claudus sensible thereof as a great defect with the Welsh and Irish tongues of least use and repute 2. Extraordinary Prophets such as they 1. Cor. 14. and such our Writer pleads for must have all tongues Welsh Irish Italian French Spanish Dutch S●lavonian Indian Latin Greek Hebrew all tongues which people understand amongst whom they come otherwise the Prophet shall be unto him that heareth a Barbarian if he know not the meaning of the voice saith Paul i. understandeth not his language Wherefore the Lord 1 Cor. 14 11. furnished the Apostles and Prophets with the gift of tongues that they were able to speak to every Nation in their own language 3. Ordinary Prophets Pastors and Doctors have need of the Originall tongues especially and the Latin for the many books sake which that language is priviledged with Kno. We see men to excell this way in preaching though not indued with the knowledge of the tongues Answ And we reverence those Preachers which excell in preaching though defective in the tongues and as much distaste those that despise thus the knowledge of the tongues speaking evil of those things they know not nor the use and worth of them And albeit I will not say as one Impudentes esse Theologos Erasm qui Graecarum Hebraicarum literarum imperiti c. i. They are impudent Divines who being ignorant of the Greek and Hebrew tongues c. Though I will not say thus unlesse we Qui docet major est eo qui exhortatur Hieronym in Rom. 12. apply it onely to professed Doctors or Teachers of whom we may boldly say with him they are impudent if ignorant of those tongues they undertake that function because tongues are necessary ad bene esse to the well being of a Pastor or Preacher yet we say they are impudent who speak thus slightly of tongues in a Preacher And they that are friends not to Barbarisme errours heresies and irreligion but to the truth of God must keep up in the Ministers of the Gospel the knowledge of the tongues and all good learning with all conscionable care Quantumcunque cedendum est necessitati temporum populi Whatsoever Dispensation the necessity of the times and people may plead for unto the judgement of the State and Church I submit therein I shall now dismisse John Knowls with this advise out of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And shall desire the Reader to take notice of the kinde of proof he useth which is not by expresse words of Scripture but all by consequence which kind of arguing we grant and maintain to be good but for as much as it is denyed to us by many among us in point of Paedobaptisme and some higher matters we will in like manner deny them the use of that weapon which they except against in us And so by their own tenent all John Knowls his arguments are nothing because onely consequentiall Therefore as such ask us where we read in Scripture that Infants were baptized So we ask them where they read in the Bible that a Lay-man a private person one out of Office did preach or is commanded so to do 'T is not ingenuous nor fair to deny Infants Baptisme and to question and deny farre greater matters saying we have not expresse words of Scripture for the same and they themselves in the mean time set up Lay-mens preaching and other things for which they have no expresse words in Scripture Therefore they must either grant Infants Baptisme and such other points contained in the Scripture by good consequence or they must lay down Lay-mens preaching and they must keep all women from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper untill they can find expresse words for it in the Bible and greater stones must they pull out of the building of faith But I dare not argue with these men ab absurdo with arguments taken from Absurdities that will and must follow because they are so ready to swallow the greatest absurdities as some have done already rather then by them to be driven to the truth Yet the holy Apostle useth this argument against the denyers of the Resurrection If saith he there be no resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 13 14. rection of the dead then Christ is not risen then is our preaching vain then your faith vain These were horrid consequences to drive them from that hereticall opinion to which those consequences were linked And it is said that any now should as they do swallow as horrid con●equences rather then vomit up again such morsels as they have taken to which these consequences are necssarily tyed Post-script I Shall now give the Reader an account why I single out Mr. Cotton to make so much use of his Testimony in this controversie and herein I shall make good what is said in the frontispice of this discourse viz. that Lay-mens preaching is not allowed by the Judgement or practise of the Churches of Christ in New-England And I choose out Mr. Cottons testimony not onely because he is a godly and learned Preacher and expounds the Scriptures alledged by J●hn Knowls for private persons preaching as I did and do against it as others also do but because in all things wherein I have made use of him as a witnesse he carries with him the Vote of the Churches of Christ in new-New-England and it should seem of all the Churches of the Separation in old-Old-England if N. H. and J. H. the publishers of one of these books of Mr. Cottons be not deceived To make this good 1. That Mr. Cottons vote carries with it the vote of the Churches of Christ in new-New-England we gather because the Title of one of these books wherein he speaks against Lay-mens preaching is this The Way of the Churches of Christ in new-New-England and the subject of the book is to shew and make good the practise of the Churches there in matter of Order and Discipline and Government Now in this book there is no such practise as private persons preaching mentioned nay Mr. Cotton expresses himself often and pathetically against it and shews us that they are so far from allowing meer Lay-men to preach that they do not allow all Ecclesiasticall Officers

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-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-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-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-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

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 Jer. 23. 21. I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they prophesie Rom. 10. 14. How shall they hear without a Preacher 15. And how shall they Preach except they be sent 1 Thes 4. 11. Study to be quiet and to do your own businesse and to work with your own hands as we commanded you LONDON Printed by F Neile for Tho Vnderhill at the Bible in Woodstreet 1646. To the READER Reader KNow the occasion of the first writing and now Printing this ensuing Discourse About the beginning of the yeer 1641. a namelesse writing justifying the practise of Lay-mens preaching was published in Answer to some Reasons written against it by a Minister for a young mans satisfaction To which I did offer a Reply if any of those who were thought to be the Authors of it would have owned it b●th for the mani●estation of the Truth to the undeceiving of people and for the Vindication of a painfull Minister deceased neer in relation to me from a foul Aspersion and unchristian slander laid upon him in that writing But none owning it I was contented for peace sake to let it lie and die And so had it done for me but in July 1644. one John Knowls of this City challenged me in the presence of Major Generall Massie then our Governor to Answer i● which I undertook when he had first ●wned and subscrib●d it and sent him in August following this ensuing Examination hoping either by ●nformation ●o have removed him and others from this unwarrantable practise or by an Answer from them to have received Information if I were in an Errour resolving to be for them if they ha● the Scripture on their side wh●ch I then did and now do conceive to be against them in this Point But I missed of my expectation in both I take not John Knowls as a meet Antagon●st in this Controversie but because he and others to●k the boldnesse publickly before the Magistrate to d●fend this practise with such co●temptu●us language against the godly and faithfull Ministers of this Kingdom as the five Reverend Apologists abhorre the thoughts of and D●filements in worship nor u●warranted power in Church Governors did n●ver work in any of us any other thought much lesse opinion but that multitudes of the Assemblies and Parochial congregations in England were the true Churches and body of Christ and the Ministery thereof a true Ministery Much lesse did it ever enter into our ●earts to iudge them Antichristian which to imagine or conceive is and hath been ever an horrour to our thoughts Apol. Nar. p. 6 because many people are deceived and unsetled in this Point I was willing in these few lines to give them a taste how little is said for it how much may be said against it And herein I have had an eye to what others have said for this practise that a common understanding may by that little help which is h●re l●nt unto him satisfie himself in whatsoever I have yet found said or written for it As for Printing but for a meer accident this Discourse as it was first written had without my privity been Printed by others that had Copies to prevent the same I am inforced to let this go wherein I have left out that which concerns the slander being of more private concernment and have taken in what I finde in learned Mr. Cottons Books which I had neither seen nor heard of when I first wrote this Examination In it I know no worth but the Scripture and in the publishing I desire nothing but the furthering of Truth and Order in the which I shall be glad for thy good to be Thy Servant G. W. Private-men no Pulpit-men OR An Examination of Lay-mens Preaching In Answer to a Writing published by JOHN KNOWLES It is needfull we premise FIrst that by a Lay-man both of us understand a private man or a man not in Office a man not a Preacher by office The term Lay-man I finde in John Knowles his writing and take it as we do in opposition not to Clergy but Ministery it is inoffensive for though we reject the Papists distinction of Clergie and Laity or people yet we embrace that of Ministers and people and a Lay-man is but one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the people 2. It is not my purpose to set down and make good the Ministers Arguments to which John Knowles his writing is an Answer we want not matter against it but proof for it affirmantis est probare they who practise or justifie such Preaching must make it good out of Scripture and that is our aime and work in this Examination to see whether they can do so Nor is it my purpose to answer any more of John Knowles his writing then what concerns the point in hand nor to omit any thing of that as for other things he there scatters I shall gratifie him with the omission of them 3. This Writer himself grants this to the Minister his Adversary that Lay-men preaching were guilty of Vzzah's sin had not God commanded them to preach therefore let us see where God commands this and they shall clear themselves and satisfie us and we shall have not a word against it God forbid we should If any doubt it is meet we give Reasons to satisfie as this Minister did but if any Lay-men will preach or justifie it in others he must produce his warrant out of Gods Word for it or by this Writers confession he is guilty of Vzzah's sin * Vzzah's sin was he put his hand to the Ark. 1 Chron. 13. 10. which ●●ne might ●ouch but the high ●riest and his sons Numb 4 15. David and the peoples sin was because it was not done after the due order 1 Chron. 15 13. because as Vzzah without warrant from God did that which by Gods ordinance belonged to another mans Office namely the Priests so private persons preaching do that which by Gods Ordinance be●ongs to anothers office namely the Ministers The Doctrine defended by J●hn Knowls i● this Kno. That it is lawfull for a Lay-man a 〈◊〉 being met together to preach the Word and that not onely in p … te 〈◊〉 also in pub●ique when the whole Church is met together And this is Gods ordinance and the Apostle commands it And for proof of this he produces three texts Rom. ●2 Act. 8. 1 Cor. 14. To these in order The first place is Rom. 12. 6. Having then gifts d●ffering according to the grace that is given unto us whether p●oph●sie let us prophesie c. What is hence concluded Kno. G●d hath commanded all that