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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00623	The peoples plea for the exercise of prophesie. Against Mr. Iohn Yates his monopolie. / By Iohn Robinson.	Robinson, John, 1575?-1625.; Yates, John, d. ca. 1660.; Brewster, William, 1566 or 7-1644, printer, attributed name.	1618 (1618)	STC 21115A; ESTC S94919	38,827	88

very disease in the Church of Corinth wherein he that spake first vvould take up all the time himselfe vvhereas he should in modesty haue conceived that a second or third especially seeming provided to speake by seating themselues in the same place vvith him might haue something revealed further or othervvise then hee had VVhich Revelation the Apostle doth not oppose to fore-going study as M. Yates thinketh but unto emulation and study of contradiction teaching that the spirit alone must be heard in the Church speaking by whose mouth soever And that there is in the Church an ordinary spirit of revelation besides comfortable experience these places amongst many other do clearly proue Math. 11.28 16.17 Eph. 1.17 Phil. 3.17 Mr. Yates ARG. 9. FRom vocation v. 29 32.37 these spiritual men are called Prophets and to imagine a Prophet without a calling is that which the Scripture will not endure therefore all these Prophets either had immediate calling from God or mediate from men or else they tooke it up themselues the two first we grant lawfull callings but this intollerable Numb 11.28 The servant of Moses sayes Forbid Eldad and Medad to prophesie his reason was because he thought they had no calling which had been true if they had taken it up without immediate inspiration But Moses knowing that it was from God wished that the like gift might be upon all Gods people so that those were true Prophets for the instant by an immediate call from God and the text sayes They added no further shewing that as the gift ceased so did they I. Rob. ANSWER IT is true that Spirituall men are called Prophets or rather Prophets Spirituall men what is it then that makes a spirituall man but a gift of the spirit and what a prophet ordinary or extraordinary but the gift of prophesie ordinary or extraordinary vvhereupon it followeth undeniably that so many vvith us or elsevvhere as haue the ordinary gift or ability to prophesie are prophets though out of office In this Argument he hath made a snare vvherewith himselfe is taken unavoydably Secondly vve affirme that our prophets haue a calling which I haue declared formerly not to make them prophets by condition or estate for that they are by their gift but for the use or exercise of the same gift before bestowed uppon them by the Lord through their labour and industry Of Eldads and Medads prophesying we shall speake hereafter onely note vve in the meane vvhile how M. Yates and rightly apportioneth their prophesying to their gift as wee doe also ours according to that of the Apostle Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith or a ministery let us wayt on the ministery Rom. 12.6.7 They then that haue a gift must prophesie according to their proportion M. Yates ARG. 10. FRom distinction v. 37. the Apostle from the whole Church turnes himselfe to their Prophets and spirituall men shewing plainly that these had some particular place aboue the rest and he giues them speciall charge to obserue the things he writes to the Church therefore those were in some calling aboue others and to imagine the contrary is to run wide of the current of the whole Scripture to set men in publike place without calling is the same with confusion and disorder I. Rob. ANSVV. THIS Argument is founded upon the groundlesse presumption with the former viz. that there is in the Church no lawful calling for men able to prophesy but by officing them And for Pauls turning his speach to the Prophets v. 37. it shewes indeed that they were aboue the rest after a sort and so they are with us rightly preferred before others which want that endowment of the spirit by which they are enabled to speake to the edification of the Church The Confirmation of the Scriptures and reasons brought in my book to proue publick prophesying out of office by an ordinary gift AND before wee come to examine M. Yates his Answers to the Scriptures by me produced I desire the Reader to obserue with mee these two things First that I do not affirme in my book that all the there alleadged Scriptures are meant of ordinary prophesy but that the same is proved by them Neither will he I presume deny but that many things are sufficiently proved from a scripture by necessary consequence and iust proportion besides the particular properly intended in it 2. That M. Yates so puts the question as that it is hard to say whether he do mee or himselfe the more iniury namely whether the places prove an ordinary gift of prophesy out of office For as I do not say that they proue the gift but the use and exercise of the gift bestowed by God whether ordinary or extraordinary so neither would he haue denied had he not leaped before hee had lookt but that others besides ministers haue an ordinary gift of prophesie Where the Apostle requires of him that desires the office of a Bishop that he be apt to teach 1. Tim. 3.1.2 and able to exhort with sound doctrine Tit. 1.9 doth he not therein most evidently teach that the gift and ability to teach preach and prophesy not onely may but must both be and appeare to be in the person to be called to the office of ministery He that is not a prophet or hath not the gift of prophesying or preaching for by his gift he is a Prophet by the use of it he occupies the place of a Prophet before he be appointed a Pastor is an Idol sheepheard set up in the temple of God neither doth the office either giue of so much indeed as encrease the gift but onely giues solemne commission charge to use it The first Scripture by mee brought is Numb 11.29 where Moses the man of God wisheth that the whole people of the Lord were Prophets the Lord putting his spirit upon them This place saith M. Yates in his Ans speaks of the powring out of the Spirit in an extraordinary manner as may apear by the occasion of the speech v. 24. c. Where also in a tedious manner as his manner is hee proveth the gift of prophesying given to the 70. Elders to haue been extraordinary which as I deny not so neither needed he to haue proved But this I affirm that hence is proved the lawfulnesse of ordinary prophesying out of office by men enabled thereunto And first as Moyses wisheth that all the Lords people were Prophets the Lord giving his spirit unto them so the minister may and ought to wish that the Lord would so blesse the ordinary endeavours of his people now by his spirit as that they all might bee Prophets that is able for gifts to speak to edification The minister which desireth not this envieth for his own and the Clergies sake which Moses would not that Ioshua should do for his Secondly Moses makes it all one to be a Prophet

wherof himself is in his first argument to wit that his cōmission Apostolick was actually conferred upon him ioyntly with the rest Iohn 20.22.23 1. Now if the Commission Apostolike were but then given they were but then and not before actually Apostles except he will say they were Apostles before they had commission that is calling frō Christ so to bee I would now see how hee can salue the wound which he hath giuen himselfe 2. After that the Lord Iesus had Mat. 11.11 preferred Iohn Baptist aboue all the Prophets which were before him he yet ads in the same place that the least in the Kingdom of heauen is greater then hee The least i. the least Minister In the kingdom of heauen i. in the Church of the new testament properly called which began not till after the death of Christ who liued and dyed a member of the Iewish Church The Apostles then being officers of the Church of the new testament and Kingdome of heauen and not of the old or Iewish Church it cannot bee that they were Apostles in act before Christs death except an adiunct can be before the subiect and an officer before the corporation in and of which he is an officer 3. Considering the ignorance of these disciples at that time in the main misteries of Christ of the nature of his kingdom his death and resurrection Math 20.21 Luke 24.20.21 c. Iohn 20.9 Mark 16.14 as also how vtterly vnfurnished they were of gifts befitting Apostolicall teaching for which as being an extraordinary dispensation that in the highest degree extraordinary and infallible reuelation and direction of the spirit was requisite wherewith they were but first as it seemeth sprinckled Iohn 20.22 and afterwards more plentifully filled at the day of Pentecost they were as fit for an Apostleship as Dauid was for Sauls armour which he could not weild nor go with 4. Besides if they had the office of Apostleship committed to them Math. 10. how was it that they continued not their ministration in that office but returneing after a few dayes to their master Christ continued with him as his disciples till his death Christ Iesus did not keepe a company of non-residents about him for his Chaplins as M. Yates insinuates against him Lastly we are expresly taught Eph. 4.8 11. When Christ ascended on high hee gaue gifts unto men Apostles Prophets c. The Apostles then were first given actually at the Lords ascension and vvere before onely designed to become Apostles or Apostles elect but not ordained nor possessed of any office and therefore preached and that vvith warrant from Christ without office The next Scripture is Luk. 8.39 by M. Yates thus opened Christ having delivered the man possessed bids him go and shew what great things God had done for him and it is sayd he went and preached that is if it be to their purpose by ordinary pains and study he preached the Gospel And with pitty upon us poore soules that cannot distinguish the publishing of a miracle and the gift hee should say the worke if hee distinguished as he ought of preaching he addeth that if Christ had minded to haue made him a publike preacher hee would first haue taken him with him and instructed him and then haue sent him abroad First let it be obserued that the word used by Mark for his preaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same word which is commonly used for the most solemne preaching that is by the Apostles and Evangelists Secondly Christ bids him Mark 5.19 Goe home and declare how great things the Lord had done for him and had had compassion on him and v. 20. he is said to haue published in Decapolis Luke hath it throughout the whole Citty how great things Iesus had done for him VVhich he doing what else did hee but preach publish and declare the great loue and mercy of God in and by Iesus Christ towards miserable sinners for the curing of their bodily and spiritual maladies Thirdly where he makes the publishing of this miracle and the preaching of the Gospell divers things and pitties us poore soules that we cannot distinguish between them as Christ bad the women of Ierusalem not to weep for him but for themselues so surely had he need to pitty not us herein but himselfe in his so great mistaking Are not the miracles of Christ storied in the Scriptures a maine part of the Gospell and the publishing of them a part of the preaching of the Gospell And when M. Yates opens and publishes a miracle of Christs as this man did doth he not as well and as truely preach the Gospell as at any other time Let the wise iudge who is to be pittied To shut up this poynt it is sayd Ioh. 20.30 that Iesus did many other signes c. and v. 31. But these are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that beleeving yee might haue life through his name The publishing then of the signes and miracles which Christ did is the preaching of faith in his name to salvation which this man therefore did especially amongst them which were not ignorant of the Law of Moses and promise of the Messiah to come which by his glorious miracles done by his own power and in his owne name he both declared and proved himselfe to be Ioh. 5.36 10.37.38 And where he ads that Christ gaue this man commission to doe that which he did but he admires who gaue ours any such authority I answer even the same Christ as then immediatly so now mediatly by those unto whom he hath given authority under himselfe for the ordering of the gifts of his spirit in his Church And sufficient it is for the question between him and me if it appeare as in this person that Christ hath given commission to men out of office by an ordinary gift to publish and preach in publick the the Gospel of salvation I doe quote next in my booke Luk. 10.1 9. which for that W.E. omitteth and leaues out M. Yates thanketh God but in truth hee hath more cause to thanke him for sparing him in a place which so pregnantly proveth the preaching of the kingdom of God by men out of office except hee can assigne some new found office and the same but of two or three dayes lasting as v. 17. to those 70 there sent VVe are in the next place to come unto Ioh. 4.28.29.39 which hee openeth and answereth with admiration as the former place withpitty and compassion on this manner O simplicity with contradiction to his own writing Simplicity that cannot see bttween preaching of the Gospell and carrying tydings of a man that told her to wit the woman of Samaria of al things that ever she did is not this sayth she the Christ But besides simplicity here is contradiction for sayes M. Robinson and that truely a woman is not suffered to exercise an ordinary gift of prophesie in the Church and shall

the rest what wether this wind will bring who seeth not Moreouer whereas vvee propound such interpretations and doctrines as we gather from the Scriptures by discourse of reason and so may erre they on the contrary every one of them delivered doctrine by immediate inspiration of the spirit in which by reason of the divine impression which it made in their hearts differencing it from all both humane collection and Diabolicall suggestion they could not erre or be mistaken but knew infallibly when and wherein they were moved by the H. Ghost Befides there is not like reason of strange tongues and prophesie for the consideration in hand since the Church is not built upon the foundation of strange tongues as upon the foundation of prophesie neither was the matter of the speech inspired but the language onely except the same persons were Prophets also Lastly if there were the like reason of tongues and prophesie yet except men might erre in a tongue and deem themselues inspired extraordinarily when they were not which were absurd to affirme it could not evince any possibility of erring in doctrine by extraordinary Prophets The last Argument in my booke I take from v. 37. 38. If any man think himself to be a prophet or spirituall let him acknowledg that the things that I write unto you are the commandements of the Lord But if any be ignorant let him be ignorant M. Yates taxeth mee for making a Prophet and spirituall man all one since by a spirituall man is meant such as excelled in any spirituall gift prophesie or other But without cause since I neither mean more nor need more for my purpose then that a Prophet bee included in the generall of a spirituall man But wherefore doth he not answer the Argument or minde where the force thereof lieth which is in the words following let him acknowledge that the things that I write are the commandements of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant let him be ignorant The extraordinary prophets were guided as immediately infallibly by the revelation of Gods spirit as Paul himself might as wel haue required of him to acknowledg that the things which they speak were the commandements of the Lord a● hee of them neither was it possible that they or any of them should bee ignorant that the things which hee spake were the commandements of the Lord. Which Argument is also much strengthened and made in my iudgement unanswerable by that which we finde v. 36. Came the word of God out from you or came it unto you onely which words the Apostle doth not direct unto the women as M. Yates misconceaveth with great errour and contrary both unto reason and to the expresse Greek text which will not beare it but to the Prophets with whom hee dealeth and that by way of comparison with himself frō whom to wit by immediate revelation the word of God came after a sort to the Corinthians VVhich plainly proues that they could not bee extraordinary Prophets from whom the word of God came unto the Church as well as frō himselfe they being inspired immediately by the Holy Ghost as well as he The Christian Reader may finde besides these other reasons from this Scripture laid down by our worthy countryman M. Cartwright in his Confutation of the Rhemists Sect. 5. for the iustification of this exercise as ordinary and continuall The other Arguments in the same place of my booke to the same purpose though M. Yates could not but take knowledge of yet hath he not thought good to meddle vvith One of them only I will annex in this place word for word as there I haue set it downe It is the commandement of the Lord by the Apostle that a Bishop must be apt to teach and that such Elders or Bishops bee called as are able to exhort with sound doctrine and to conuince the gain-sayers 1. Tim. 3.2 Tit. 1.9 Now except men before they bee in office may bee permitted to manifest their gifts in doctrine and so in prayer which are the two maine works requiring speciall qualifications in the teaching Elders Acts 6.4 how shall the Church which is to choose them take knowledge of their sufficiency that with faith and good conscience they may call them and submit unto them for their guides If it be sayd that upon such occasion triall may be taken of mens gifts he that so saith grants the question but must know besides first that mens gifts and abilities should be knowne in some measure before they be once thought on for officers and secondly that there is none other use or triall of gifts to wit in and by the Church but in prophesying for every thing in the Lords house is to bee performed in some ordinance there is nothing thrown about the house or out of order in it and other ordinance in the Church saue this of prophesie is there none wherein men out of office are to pray and teach c. Lastly M. Yates in denying this liberty besides other evils reproveth the practise of all reformed Churches and of the Church of England with them It is not onely permitted as lawfull but required as necessary where liue that such as haue bent their thoughts towards the ministery should before hand use their gifts publickly in the Church and intollerable bondage it would bee thought by them to haue pastors ordained for them as all there are unto the places in which they are to minister of whose ability in teaching they had not taken former experience And not onely so but it hath been further decreed in solemne Synod that in all Churches whether springing up or grown to perfection the order of prophesie should be observed according to Pauls institution and that into that fellowship to wit of Prophets should be admitted not onely the ministers but also the Teachers and of the Elders and Deacons and even of the very common people exipsa plebe if there were any which would confer their gifts received of the Lord to the common benefit of the Church c. Harmon Synod Belg. de prophetica Ex Synodo Embdana Can. 1.2 And for England it selfe what will M. Yates say to the Common Places as they are called or Sermons as indeed they are in the Colledges not onely permitted unto but imposed upon divers who never receved order of Priesthood VVhat to such as Preach by the Bishops licence without any such order yea to all such as are ordained and called ministers but haue not actuall charge and so are like the Popish accidents in the Sacrament without a subiect Lastly it might be shewed if need were that greater liberty then he alloweth is used by divers in the Romish Church the Spirituall Egipt and house of bondage for Gods people so as the bondage of the very Hagar of Rome is not so great in this case as he would bring upon Sarah her selfe The Lord giue unto his people courage to stand for this liberty amongst the rest wherewith Christ hath made them free and unto us who enioy it grace to use the same unto his glory in our mutuall edification Amen FINIS