he could come near Acts 9.14 Now besides these more general distributions of a Church the Church as Visible is capable of several states from whence arise 3 other notions of it 1. There is a more imperfect state of it as considered without Officers this Divines call an Entitive or Material Church which is nothing else but any particular number any part of that company before mentioned who are found in any Nation Province City Parish so called out of the paganish world agreeing in the profession of the Gospel In this sense I allwaies thought that we and our brethren of the congregational perswasion had been agreed that there are National Provincial and Parochial Churches 2. There is a second notion of the Church resulting from the consideration of this body as having some set over it clothed with the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ authorized as his embassadours to preach the Gospel and to Baptize c. To open this notion a little We consider that it seemed good to the wisdome of God to commissionate certain persons to preach the gospel that by it the people of God might be gathered together in one Hence Christ when hee ascended up on high gave gifts unto men Eph. 4.11 12. He gave some Apostles these were to lay the foundation and then Prophets these were to be Instrumental in the building And by the Apostles he constituted Evangelists who were as to power little less than Provincial Apostles and by these Pastors and teachers Hence the Apostles created Evangelists Philip Timothy Titus and both the Apostles and these Evangelists ordained Pastors and Teachers Acts 14.23 1 Tim. 4.14 by fasting prayer and imposition of hands and in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus containing the standing rules for the settling of Churchs in their permanent state Apostles Prophets and Evangelists being shortly to cease rules are given for the constitution of these officers to the end of the world now when in any place God hath called a people from Paganism to the profession of his Gospel and set over that people any of these persons set apart for the preaching of the Gospell we say there is in such a Nation Province City Parish a Ministerial Church which is a state of of the Church more perfect than the former and differing from it we I say for distinction sake call it a Ministerial Church That is a Company of people called out of the Pagan world to an owning of the Gospel of Christ among whom also are some clothed with the authority of Jesus Christ for the preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments According to that commission Go Preach and Baptize Indeed as to the administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in regard that none are to be admitted to it but such as can examine themselves and the steward of Christs mysteries must be faithfull in order to which there must be an act of Judgment pass upon the Receiver which is jurisdiction and Ecclesiastical jurisdiction is no where committed to a â—ingle person it seems that in such a Church according to perfect rules it cannot be administred except there be more than one officer nay I think there should be some Ruling Elders or a Ruling Elder at least concurr in this judgment yet Number making a Church in case Ruling Elders cannot be had I conceive in case there be more than one Teaching Elder in a Church who allso are ruling or in case 2 or 3 such particular churches can in such extraordinary cases unite they may also ordinarily administer that Ordinance Nay farther in such an extraordinary case which is the present case of many in England this day I think an extraordinary power may be by one assumed rather than people should want that Ordinance as in Hezekiah's passeover the Levites for every one not clean killed the passeover which else had been against Gods order 2 Chron. 30.17 Exod. 12.3 4 5 6. 3. But lastly the most perfect notion of a particular Church is when it is perfectly Organized A particular â—hurch considered in relation to the Universal is any â—â—râ— of it whether that in a Nation Province Parish or â—he like each of these is but a particular because no more than a part of the wh le But we usually take particular in a more restrained notion For that part of this universal company which can or may or doth ordinarily meet together in one place at the same numerical administrations or who have by an explicit or implicit consent chosen or submitted to the same officers as those whom God hath set over their souls and this is a Church perfectly Organized and the most perfect notion of a particular Church This Church either without officers or with is the onely Church our Brethren can see wee hope the fault is in their eyes Now the question is whether he that is a preaching Elder in such a particular Church or indeed rather whether all the preaching Elders in all the particular Churches in the world have any farther relation or be in any office to any but that particular company over which they are respectively more especially set because they cannot watch over all c. We affirm they have and in this sense we assert not onely a Church Catholike Visible but a Church Catholike Visible Organical too By which we mean not what our brethren dream of viz. An Vniversal visible society of Christians actually subjected to one or more Vniversal Pastors or guides from whom subordinates must derive their office and power and with whom they must sometimes meet and communicate in some general sacred things which may make them as the Jewes one Church and which same general acts or sacred services can only be performed by that Vniversal head or those Vniversal officers No Nor that all the whole Church should be subject to one Grand senate of officers erected and constantly sitting Mr. Hudson hath in our names long since disowned this same Abominable thing Our Brethren indeed dress up some in this dress to the world and shew them for Presbyterians But we defie their notion of a Church Catholike in this sense and say that it is but an odious representation nothing corresponding to our principles Our Brethren do or may know we are equally with themselves engaged against Popes Patriarchs Arch-Bishops Bishops with all the rest of those Antichristian Derivatives And learned Mr. Hudson hath long since told our Brethren that by Church Catholick visible Organical we mean no other than An habitual Politico-Ecclesiastical society body flock in one and the same sheepfold of the Militant Church in uniform subjection to the same Lord the same lawes united in the same Faith and under the same Baptism performing the same worship and service Mr. Hudsons vindication c. p. 127. c. in kind concerning which body we say that although the members of it be dispersed far and wide and divided into several parts places societies and secondary
combinations of vicinities or Parishes for actual constant enjoyment of Ordinances as particular Corporations in a Kingdom are yet still those Ordinances administrations admissions ejections have influence upon and into the whole body as it is a polity and the members of any part indefinitely may of right communicate one with another yea any company of Christians may though every person so meeting and that but occasionally may be of a several particular Church and the Minister dispensing a particular Pastor to none of them all yea though none of them all be fixed members to any particular Congregation nor the Minister dispensing fixed in any particular congregation And this by vertue of their general membership and of the habitual indefiniteness of the Ministers office And the common donation of the ordinances to Christs whole visible Kingdom Ibid. Now the truâ—h is there is no Civil Society or Kingdom that in every thing correspondeth with this but there use in the Kingdoms of the world to be some general officers and offices And some officers inferiour and subordinate receiving from them power and authority by derivation and subordination And the inferiour are of less extent as to place and power than the superior As the Lord Chief Justice of England is above other inferiour Justices And this is it as Mr. Hudson hath noted which hath made so many stumble at the notion of a Church Catholick Organical and upon this stone our Brethren have stumbled in their Epistle First making a man of Clouts and then writing over his head This is the Presbyterians Catholick Church and then crucifying him with Arguments which we are not concerned in But as Mr. Hudson proceedeth as in other things Christs Kingdom is not of this world nor like unto worldly polities so neither in this But every Minister of the Church in his particular place serveth the Church Catholick admitting of members into a general freedom in it ejecting from general communion with it he prayeth publickly for the whole body and manageth his particular charge in reference to so as may stand with the good of the whole body of which his Congregation is but a member The Ordinances there administred are the Ordinances given to the whole not as a genus which is but a notion and can have no Ordinances given to it but as unto a spiritual kind of an habitual body and Organical polity As to a sort of men so and so qualified bound up in an union and unity of the same head laws seals worship communion Thus had we discovered our minds before our Brethren published this Boook and it had been fair for them to have disputed against this not to deceive their Readers with fallacies Ex ignoratione Elenchi as Logicians speak disputing against what their adversaries do not say In this sense we say the office of the Ministry correlateth to the Vniversal Church And what ever our Brethren say in practice they will own this for 1. I would fain know of our Brethren whether one Church may according to Gospel rules receive into her bosome one whiom another Church hath cast out if not the officers that cast out do not only eject from the communion of that particular Church but of all particular Churches and so consequently from the universal Church which is but a whole made up of those parts 2. While our Bretheren baptize into their particular Church I wonder whether they do not also Baptize into any other particular Church if not when any person so baptized is translated into another Church why is he not again Baptized his relation to the former Church ceasing 3. I would fain know with what consistency of principles our Brethren say a minister or pastor is in office only to a particular Church and yet say he that is in office to this Church may administer the Sacrament of the Supper to the members of another Church Oh but they do this they tell us by a communion of Churches by a communion of membership only or of offices and officers only the first alone may give the member a right to take but not the officer a right to give except there be also a mutual communication or communion of offices and officers and Acts of office 4. Although these 2 or 3 Brethren some-where indeed say that when the pastors of our Brethrens churches preach out of their particular Church they preach but as gifted men yet I am sure others of our Brethren and those to speak modestly no way inferior to our Brethren will own no such thing for who should be then obliged to hear them or who could go to hear them as to an ordinance a publike ordinance of Christ I am yet to learn So that in practice our brethren do every day own what in words they deny But to come close to the question stated by our Brethren thus p. 8. What Church office hath relation to Preacher sent eap 2. p. 8. whether officers stand in relation to a particular Church only or whether they be officers of an universal Church I observe our Brethren in the same page altering their phrase instead of saying We deny office to be a correlate to the Vniversal Church they say We deny Pastors and Teachers to be officers of an Vniversal Church We hope our brethren have no design to play at so small a game with us as that must be which is only won by the homonomy of a term however we will indeavour to prevent it For those new terms Pastors and Teachers in ecclesiastical use they have obtained a double signification 1. In Scripture the terms are taken more largely for any such as have authority to feed people with spiritual food whether it be occasionally or constantly so pastors is to be understood Eph. 4.11 the only place where it is used in all the New Testament so also Jer. 3.15 so Paul is called a Teacher of the Gentiles and 1 Tim. 2.7 so Teachers is used Isa 30.20 and Acts 13.1 1 Cor. 12.28 29. yea that term is used sometimes to express the Private duties of private persons Heb. 5.12 2. By a modern usage these terms are used to express persons chosen or accepted by particular churches for the work of the ministry amongst them and restrained to that sense by what warrant I cannot tell If our Brethren state the question in the latter sense concerning Pastors and Teachers qua tales as such they have no adversaries for he that is pastor or teacher of a particular Church as he is such a pastor or teacher undoutedly hath not the Church universal for his correlate But our Brethren of the Province of London say truely that a Regular Pastor or Teacher of a particular Church hath besides a particular relation to them as their pastor and teacher which their election or submission to him or both have made them a relation also to the Church Universal as he is the minister of Jesus Christ set apart and ordained for the
for all the particular Churches in the world make up the universal Church Though the office of a Justice of Peace as it resides in this or that particular person is limited by his Commission to such a County is only a Correlate to the people of such a County Yet surely the office of a Justice of Peace as it resides in the whole number of Justices of the Peace in England is a relation to the whole Nation as a Correlate because the whole Nation is made up of those Counties and the office residing in some or other of them as to every County must needs relate to the whole It is true this is not all which we assert for we say that in Gods Commonwealth Ministers though ordinarily charged more especially as to some part with the feeding care and oversight of that part yet as to some ministerial acts are authorized also to the whole or to act in any part not that they must act in all cases but that they may act at lest in some cases But there was enough said before to the Argument this only to fault the phrasing of it to impose a fallacy upon us I find nothing more in their 10 11 12 and 13. pages to prove their minor save only one Text Acts 20.28 Where the Apostle speaking to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus bids them to take heed unto themselves Nor is it granted that the Church of Ephesus was a particular Church See the Assemblies Propos and Reasons c. and unto all the flock of which Christ had made them overseers This Text indeed proves what none denies viz. that every Minister is to take care of every soul over whom God hath given him a special charge but I cannot see how this Text proves that the people of the Church of Ephesus were those only to whom the Ministers were set in relation If God should say to a Minister as in effect he doth in his word Take heed to every soul in this Parish which is thy flock would it follow that he need not take heed to any other The words do not import that the Church of Ephesus were all the flock they were to feed but that it was their duto feed all them as being more specially committed to them If the words indeed had been thus The people of Ephesus are all the flock of which God hath given you any oversight they had been something to our Brethrens purpose This is all our Brethren have argumentative in this case Let me now try in a few words if I cannot by better Arguments prove that the office of the Ministry relates not only to the particular Church but to the Catholick Church viz. That they may do acts of office and authority beyond the bounds of that particular Church over which they are more especially set Those whom God hath given for the edifying of the body Arg. 1 of Christ are related to the Vniversal Church But God hath given Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of the body of Christ Eph. 4.12 13. The minor is the letter of Scripture the major I prove If the Vniversal Church be the body of Christ and those who are given for the edifying of it are related to it Then those whom God hath given for the edifying of the body of Christ are related to the Vniversal Church But the Vniversal Church is the body of Christ and those who are of God given for it are related to it Ergo. The Consequence is unquestionable The Assumption consists of two assertions one I suppose that none who knows the definition of relata will deny viz. Those whom God hath given for his Church are related to it If any deny That the Vniversal Church is the Body of Christ there meant I prove it Either the Vniversal Church or the particular Church is there meant But not the particular Church Ergo. I prove the assumption If Christ hath but one mystical body then particular Churches which are many cannot be there meant But Christ hath but one mystical body I prove the minor If the Scripture speaks but of one mystical body of Christ and sayes Christ is not divided then we ought not to assert that he hath more bodies than one or that he is divided But the Scripture mentions but one body of Christ and saith Christ is not divided Ergo. Those who deny the minor must produce those Scriptures which ascert Christ to have more than one body Besides it is plain from this argument that the Apostle speaks in Eph. 4. of the Universal Church From this argument That Church for which God gave Apostles and Prophet for he also gave pastors and teachers for Eph. 4.12 But he gave Apostles and Prophets for the Catholike Church Ergo. I think none will be so absurd as to say that Apostles and Prophets were given for a particular Church for then according to our Brethrens principles their work must have been terminated there Arg. 2 A second argument is this Those whom God hath commissioned to preach and Baptize all Nations are not related only to a particular Church but to the Catholike Church yea to the whole world But God hath commissionated his ministers to go preach and Baptize all Nations Ergo. The major is Evident for all Nations signifies more than a particular Church The minor only can be denied In proof of which we bring that known text Matth. 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations c. I am with you to the End of the world If our Brethren shall say this was a commission only to the Apostles they shake hands with Socinus Smalcius and Theophilus Nicolaides who indeed tell us that the Apostles were fundamentum Ecclesia and could have no successors and desert all protestant writers and are confuted by the promise annexed for Christ would not have promised a perpetual presence to a temporary employment What else our Brtheren say to this text shall in due place be considered A third Argument I shall draw ab absurdo That opinion which dischargeth all people from a duty in attending upon the word publikely preached by a Minister out of his particular Church makes it impossible for any people not of that Ministers Church to go in faith to hear any such Sermon and makes it sinfull for any Christian to receive the Sacrament otherwhere than in his own Church or of his own pastor and dischargeth all people save members of particular formed Churches from hearing the word publikely preached and makes private reading equivalent to it as to any institution and denies publike ordinances to any people but such as are fixed members of particular Churches that opinion is absurd schismatical and false But this opinion that a Minister is only in office to his particular Church doth all this Ergo I presume our Brethren will easily grant the Major I will prove the Minor Ergo. The proof of the Minor depends upon these two principles 1. That the authority of him
undertaken me the second time in the defence of the Preaching of gifted mens Preaching I shall only give thee a true account why I have said nothing to the three other Answerers nor have any thoughts to do it As for John Timson had he fallen upon me but with his Cart-whip I think I should have turnd again but falling so fouly upon me with his plow-staff upon a maxime I have learned from some Gentlemen that a Rapier is no weapon fit to engage a Carter upon the Road I thought it prudence to runaway Besides that perceiving he had got the Art to answer himself by more then one manifest contradiction I thought it pity any one else should be put to the trouble especially considering that after I had drawn seven or eight sheets of an Answer my Stationer assured me he had not sold above one of his Books and it was pity by an Answer to commend his Book to the worlds Enquiry Mr. Humfry indeed discovers a reverend opinion of his Book I suppose for the Notion he in the main drives not for his way of handling of it which I think scarce deserves such a character As for Mr. Humfry I perceived him sailing in his last Book at a lower rate and I was loth by an answer to serve him with a wind which might have tempted him to have spread his sails to their former wideness I remember the ill influence learned Spanhemius his Answer to Amiraldus had upon him to this purpose Besides that I saw I must have differed with him in more momentous matter then that of the Sacrament if I had given him a strist answer and I was not willing to raise more dust of Controversie then is already raised in the world As for Theoph. Brabourne as I could finde nothing in his Book besides error and non-sense so I perceive the world had no better opinion of it the Stationer returning him his Printed Copies for New-years-gifts for his Friends because he could sell none of them or but exceeding few and though I have often met the Books at my Friends Houses where he had given them yet that I know of I never found any of them made fit to read or otherwise used than to kindle Tobacco Besides that immediatly after his publication of that Rapsody of impertinence I saw some Papers he had scattered up and down this City to prove there were three distinct Gods and to the will of which of them he had calculated his Book I could not tell The GOD whom I serve is but one he that can blaspheme the Living GOD may be excused for that crime towards his Truths and Servants and deserves not to be mentioned in a Christians mouth As for this last Book called The Preacher Sent I finde it written by grave and sober persons with a good shew of Argument indeed as much as their Cause would bear I think and dictated by a sober composed and gentle Spirit and the concernment of the Book to be of exceeding Moment especially in relation to this County which I believe hath more of that sort of Preachers then any three Counties in England have I have therefore thought it worth the while to examine their Book so far as I am concerned in it with what success Reader thou must be Judge and the Lord guide thee in Judgement both as to this and every truth So prays Thy Faithfull Servant in the Lord Jesus J. C. The Printer to the Reader READER I Would desire thee by reason of the Authors dwelling so far off that he could not Correct his Book himself that thou wouldst mend with thy Pen the Errors of the Press Farewell CHAP. I. Containing an answer to the three first Chapters of our Brethrens Book Concerning Preaching without Ordination In which the terms Minister Ministry and Office are considered and explaned and three Questions discussed 1. Whether gifted men not ordained can be called Ministers and in what sense 2. Whether the Office of the Ministry be a relation to the work or no. 3. Whether the Office of the Ministry be a relation to the Universal Church The Negative part of the first The Affirmative part of the two latter is defended And whatsoever our Brethren have offered on the contrary is fully answered and proved fallacies their description of Office proved faulty c. 1. THat two of the Books lately Published against the Preaching of persons meerly gifted and for Ordination as that which gives the call unto the work of the Ministry should as our Brethren say contain the substance of all the rest is no great wonder considering that I trust they were all wrote by the same Spirit and for the most part made use of the same Scripture for the Sedes of their Arguments But that our Brethren should take my Vindiciae ministerii Evangelioi to be one of them either speaks their too much respect for me or their policy to magnifie that Enemy whom they conceive they have conquered 2. For my Pamphlet it was written seven years since commanded almost to the Press by an holy and eminent servant of God now with God Mr. Jeremy Whitaker who was with me when I was writing and arguing the need or expedience of such a Pamphlet he told me he was of Augustine's mind who would have every body write against Pelagius It was occasioned at first by the troublesomness of a gifted man as himself judged in communion with me who had a great ambition to be expounding Scripture and in a teach because we would not allow it afterwards left us and joynd himself with a Congregational Church who had no better opinion of his gifts than we had before restrained his lust in that ambition too and in a like teach he left them and turned Quaker For the satisfaction of those Christians in communion with me upon the trouble given us by this person I first at private meetings of Christians in communion with me discoursed the things in my Book afterwards Printed them It pleased God so far to bless my indeavours that since that time none of those committed to my charge have presumed to attempt any such practice and it hath pleased God so far to give my Printed Book success that I think it hath been twice Printed and several persons some of quality have returned me thanks for my poor labours in it And our Brethren having singled me out for a combatant once more in this quarrel I shall indeavour to discharge the duty they have imposed upon me and to do it with the same moderation and spirit of meekness which they profess and for ought I observe yet have practised 3. Our Brethren in the first Chapter do two things 1. They Open the term Ministry 2. The term Office 3. They raise two Questions 1. Whether the Office of the Ministry doth correlate to the work or to the Church If our Brethren would have been content that it should have been in its relation divided we should
To answer to all this Those who preach in such Cases of necessity where people can have no ordained Ministers to hear may be said to Preach by an extraordinary authority which the word of the Lord hath in such cases given them which may be called a Mission and they may be Officers as to that time and state yet it will not follow but in another state of the Church Ordination is essential to an ordinary Minister that is to one who according to the Rule of Christ in ordinary cases ought to preach All this arguing is nothing to the purpose for our brethren are to prove that Gifted men may ordinarily preach in a tranquil and setled state of the Church where are Ministers Ordained enough to supply the place or at least to ordain and authorize them Their Argument à pari here is no Argument because of the disparity of the Churches State If our brethren can bring us any Texts out of the Epistles wrote to setled Churches requiring commanding or allowing such a practice for persons not in office nor furnished with extraordinary gifts to preach publickly and ordinarily they say something all this is no better than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or go round about the bush but never strike one blow at it I come therefore to their fifth Argument p. 88. All that are Prophets may publickly they should have put in ordinarily too preach But some men they should have said some such Gifted men as we have now who are not ordained Officers are Prophets Ergo. If our Brethren will not allow my correction of their Propositions I will deny the Conclusion because the question is not in it If they will allow my corrections I deny their Assumption and say No such Gifted men as now live for whom our Brethren must plead are Prophets They prove it p. 89. All that have the gifts of prophecie are Prophets But some such Gifted men as are now to be found have the gift of prophecie Ergo. The Major I grant The Minor I deny Three things our Brethren undertake to prove p. 90. 1. That prophecie is a Gift not an Office 2. That some have the gift of prophecie and that gift still continueth 3. That some persons not ordained have it I shall only premise this that I hope our Brethren understand by prophecie such prophecie as the Apostle speaks of in the first Epistle to the Corinthians otherwise they deceive their Reader with an equivocal word and then I deny all three of their Positions and shall proceed to examine their proof of them 1. That prophecie is a gift not an office they prove 1. Because there is no Scripture-warrant to ordain prophets 2. Because they cannot be ordained till they be discerned to have the gift of prophecie 3. Because some have this gift who are no officers This last I deny they pretend to prove it hereafter As to the two first our Brethren dispute ex ignoratione Elenchi against what none deny who ever said those Prophets were ordinary Officers We say they were extraordinary Officers who were furnished with an extraordinary Gift either to foretell things to come or else to interpret Scripture by an infallible Spirit without the use of such means as we now must use and being thus furnished were made Officers at that time by an immediate Mission to which Ordination was not necessary So then two things we insist upon 1. That Prophets were extraordinary Officers 2. That their gift was an extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost The first is enough for this place That they were officers appears from 1 Cor. 12.28 Eph. 4.11 12. Acts 13.1 2. And that they were extraordinary appears in that they are set before Evangelists Eph. 4.11 12. and from their extraordinary gifts Acts 11.27 28. 1 Cor. 12.9 10 11. and from 1 Cor. 14.26 from which text it is plain that they spake from revelation this hath been told our Brethren both by our reverend Brethren of London Jus Divinum pag. 97 98. Vindiciae ministeâ—ii p. 50 51 c. by my self Now for our Brethren to argue against this because they were not ordained is a pitifull Non sequitur for none ever said Ordination was necessary to the constitution of an Apostle or any extraordinary Officer But our Brethren judge that they can prove that prophecying was not an office but a gift p. 90. And this they endeavour by two Arguments p. 91. c. Their first Argument in form is this If all who have the gift of prophecie are Prophets then prophecie is a gift not an office But all who have the gift of prophecie are Prophets Ergo. We deny the Consequence and say our Brethren have not proved it for this it all they say They must first have the gift before they can be made Prophets We deny that God in the same moment clothed them with an extraordinary Authority furnished them with an extraordinary gift So he did Jeremy Amos and all the Prophets of old I wonder which of them could be said to have the Gift of prophecie one moment before they were Prophets by Office too this is still a fallacy ab ignoratione Elenchi to extraordinary Officers no such thing was needfull Our brethrens second Argument is this That which ought in duty and might in faith be coveted by every member of the Church in Corinth was a gift only not an office But Prophecying might so be coveted Ergo. Before I give a direct answer to the Argument I conceive prophecying to speak properly to be neither a gift nor office but an act by which either is exercised which act we say none could exercise but he who had the gift for it and also the extraordinary authority which impowred him to it and that prophecying is in no sense to be called a gift but as an office is a gift being constituted for the good of the Church and an honour to them that have it But to speak to their Argument In the first place I deny the Major That which ought in those times to be coveted and might in faith have been coveted by every member of the Church of Corinth might be an extraordinary office But say our Brethren The Lord had no where promised to make every member of the Church of Corinth a Church officer therefore it could not be an office 1. Our Brethren did not consider that the same Argument will prove it was no gift except they can shew us where the Lord had promised to give every member of the Church the gift of prophecie 1 Cor. 12.29 Are all Prophets The Lord no where promised to give all Christians a power to work miracles or to speak with tongues yet surely they might covet it as it is plain from the next words where though prophecying be preferred before tongues yet that is left upon record as one of those gifts might be coveted 2. God hath no where promised that John a Stiles should recover of his sickness doth it
therefore follow he cannot pray in Faith We use to teach our People that our prayers for things not necessary to salvation should be prayed for with submission to Gods will and the prayer is in Faith while he that prays believes God will do that which is most good for him so might every member of the Church of Corinth pray for a gift that he might be able to prophesie but he ought to regulate his desires with a submission to the will and wisdom of God and doing so he might pray in faith though there were no such particular promise Object But say our Brethren this was impossible to be obtained 1 Cor. 12.17 If the whole body were an eye where would hearing be If I should tell our Brethren here To God nothing is impossible they would think I equivocated with them yet it is the coyn they have much used in payment to me but where lyes the impossibility in respect of Gods revealed will they instance in 1 Cor. 22.17 If the whole body were an eye where would hearing be That Text indeed proves that all the Members of a particular Church cannot be officers to that Church and we wish our Brethren would think of that Text who gave leave to any of their members to be tongues to speak the word ears to hear and heads to govern whiles they order all affairs by common suffrage But surely it will not follow but that all those who are members in this particular Church may yet be in time Officers to other Churches there is no impossibility in this at all yea and they ought to labour after such a perfection Besides universal holiness our Brethren know may and ought to be laboured for yet it is not promised nor can be attained We allow also that Text to prove that all the Members of the universal Church should not be ordinary Officers But it doth not prove an impossibility of their being extraordinary officers Much less doth any thing they have said prove that all Christians in that Church might not labour for such gifts as might make them fit to do an act of office when God should set them in such relations Neither can I understand the harshness of the sound which our Brethren hint pag. 92. That it should be the duty of every private Christian to pray for such a proportion of gifts as if God pleased so to imploy him he might also be able to interpret Scriptures by an unerring Spirit and speak with tongues or be able to heal the sick provided his End were right in desiring For these were peculiar favours that God had promised by Joel and was giving out in that Age. Surely what the Apostle might wish for them they might pray for but 1 Cor. 14.5 I would that you all spake with tongues They proceed to the proof of the Minor viz. That the prophecying spoken of ought in duty and might in faith be coveted by every man in the Church of Corinth this they prove from the terms ye and all v. 1. v. 5. To which I answer 1. Having denyed the Major and made good our denial of it I need not trouble my self with denying this 2. Our Brethren also know the term all doth not include every individual always Are all Prophets 1 Cor. 12.29 Let us hear what they say to our Arguments to prove that these prophets were Officers 1. We argued from two Texts of Scriptures 1 Cor. 12.28 29. Eph. 4.11 12. Where they stand distinguished from the people and enumerated amongst officers placed before Evangelists and next to the Apostles To this they answer p. 93 94 95. 1. That priority of order is no infallible Argument 2. That some not Officers are enumerated 1 Cor. 12.28 and prophecie is called a gift Rom. 12.6 3. Those texts might be meant of extraordinary Prophets such as Acts 11.27 28. To all which I shall give a short answer 1. We grant priority of order is no infallible Argumen where there is any other Scripture or any sound reason to evince it no intention of the holy Pen-men to express the Order but we say our brethren have no such Text nor reason neither and that the Apostle in that Text Eph. 4.11 12. seems to rank Preaching Officers according to their dignity beginning with Apostles then reckoning Evangelists Thirdly Prophets Fourthly Pastors Fifthly Teachers And verse 12. To distinguish them from ordinary Saints and the common Members of the Body of Christ 2. We say there are none but Officers mentioned Eph. 4.11 12. Nor any 1 Cor. 12.28 29. But such as were either officers or gifted with extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost from whence we conclude That Prophets were either extraordinary officers or ordinary officers or gifted with extraordinary gifts peculiar to that state of the Church Now it is indifferent to us as to the present controversie of which it be understood So our Brethren will grant that one of them must be meant and so much that Text will evince If Gifted men be meant I wonder who are the Church in which they are set ver 29. Our Brethren say prophecie is called a Gift Rom. 12.6 but there is nothing plainer than that by gift is meant office to him that readeth ver 7.8 3. Whereas our Brethren say those Texts 1 Cor. 12.28 Eph. 4.11 12. may be meant of extraordinary prophets Pag. 96. we take them at their word and say it is all we have been contending for only then it lies upon our brethren to prove that the prophets spoken of 1 Cor. 14. are not the same spoken of 1 Cor. 12.28 we appeal to every judicious Christian to judge in the Case In the next place our Brethren undertake to prove it a gift still continuing in the Church 1. Because there is no Gospel Rule for the ceasing of it So say the Prelates for Arch-bishops and Bishops where is the rule for the ceasing of their Office We say the Apostles giving Rules for the ordaining Pastors and Teachers in Churches and committing government to them was enough and the cessation of their extraordinary Mission was enough So we say for these Prophets the cessation of the Gift manifested by obvious experience is a demonstration to us that prophecie is ceased where is there any now that can without study and meditation infallibly give the sense of Scriptures from revelation or can foretell things to come we have pitifull experience every day that those pleaded for cannot do the first and the year 1657. being come and gone and the Jews not converted proves that John Tillinghast though as famous and able as any our Brethren plead for prove they cannot do the later As we say to the Prelatical party so we say to our Brethren St. Pauls charging Timothy to study and meditate c. was a certain proof that this prophecying is ceased Secondly Our Brethren say it was an ordinary gift and therefore it continues the gift of tongues and healing in those days were ordinary yet
the Ministerial office and that Text 1 Cor. 1.17 doth evidently prove it So doth that Rom. 12.7 8. Take from those two Texts these two Arguments Arg. 1. That piece of the Ministerial work for the discharge of which God especially designs his Ministers when he sends them that is their chief work But Preaching is such 1 Cor. 1.17 Ergo. Arg. 2. That piece of the Ministerial working upon which the Minister is most especially to wait and rather to neglect other parts than that that is their chief work But Preaching is that piece of the Ministerial work upon which Ministers of the Gospel are especially to wait Rom. 12.7 8. to which they are especially ordained 1 Tim. 2.7 1 Tim. 1.11 to which they are in special manner to give attendance both to be prepared for it and to do it 1 Tim. 4.13 14 15 16. and to do it well 2 Tim. 2.15 2 Tim. 4.2 they are rather to neglect others than that as Paul did Baptizing 1 Cor. 1.14 15 16 17. And the Apostles judged it not meet they should leave the word of God to serve Tables Acts 6.2 Ergo. Therefore I think our Brethren have but done themselves right in judging Preaching the chief and main work of the Ministerial Office p. 203. But say they Pag. 203. Yet we do not finde any Scripture Rule to evidence that Preaching in it self is either an act of Office or peculiar to the distinctive act of Office to make it so there is required a being over them in the Lord who are preached to 1 Thes 5.12 and this they conceive doth make Preaehing an act of Office c. What this serveth for more than to blinde the Reader that he may not see the strength of our Argument I cannot tell Our Argument was this That which is the main Act of the Ministerial Office for the performance of which God especially designed it that is not lawfully to be performed by such as are in no Office for it is the peculiar act of Office But Preaching is the main and chief act for the performance of which God hath set up an Office of the Ministry and designed it c. Ergo. The Minor our Brethren have granted so that they must deny the Major or nothing we prove it God doth nothing in vain But in case he had set up an Office in his Church chiefly for the performance of an act which many out of Office might do he had as to that act set it up in vain Ergo It is false that any other may do it The Minor is evident to common sense or reason were it not a vain thing for a Prince to establish an Order of Officers suppose Justices of the Peace Colonels and Captains of Armies Constables in Parishes if by the Law every man though in no such office might do the main work that belonged to such an Office Hence we say that the Lords establishing a standing office of Pastors and Teachers and declaring in his Word that the main end of his establishing them is for the Preaching of the Gospel doth clearly reveal his will that this should not be the work of any but such Officers Now what say our Brethren The Preaching of a man in Office is an act peculiar to Office This is the sum of what they say If it be sense I am sure it is nothing to the question which is plainly begged in the answer For what is the Question but this Whether any but such as are in Office may ordinarily Preach We say no because Preaching is an act peculiar to Office this we prove because it is the main and chief act and end for which God set up the Office Our Brethren grant it to be the main and chief act for the exercise of which God set up the Office and yet tell us by and by that Preaching is not so But the Preaching of one in Office is so Reader if thou canst pick out the sense of this I cannot Our Brethten should have done well to have given us the difference between simple Preaching as it is an Ordinance of Christ and Office-Preaching as they call it If they mean by Preaching An act of a person clothed with the authority of Jesus Christ by which in obedience to his Command the Agent openeth and applyeth Scriptures in order to the conversion and edification of souls and that in the publick Assemblies and to which people ought to attend We say this must be an act of Office and all such Preaching is Office-Preaching his authority puts him in Office If they mean by Preaching Any persons discoursing of the Scripture either privately or publickly in such a way as that none is by Gods command obliged to hear him nor can hear him looking upon what he does as the publick appointment of Christ for the salvation of his soul we allow gifted men may Preach in this sense But we say that strictly this is no Preaching it is no more than a private persons reading a good Book to whom people are not bound to resort to hear nor ought they so to do upon the Lords days which should be spent in the duties of publick worship Our Brethren p. 203. justly think that in the hearts of some serious Christians there may be some such workings as these If this Doctrine be true that all gifted men may by the command of Christ Preach ordinarily as well as Pastors and Teachers and all the Brethren have as much to do in ruling tne Church as ruling Elders surely both Preaching and Ruling Elders are useless for to what purpose are they set a part for a work which they might do without such a setting apart or any others do as well as they when made Officers And therefore surely these principles have too much absurdity in them and bear too much contradiction to the revealed will of God to be true But say our Brethren If all acts which Officers might put forth Pag. 204. might be performed by members not in Office yet there would be enough to speak Officers necessary and of great use 1. Though they put forth the same Acts yet it is not under the same relation A man provideth for his children as a Father for the poor under another notion A Christian friend occasionally gives wholsom instructions to the children of his acquaintance so doth the Parent of these children yet the manner is different the one is under a standing Obligation the other not The Bayliffs are needfull in Corporations where the major part carry it without the Bayliffs sometimes pag. 205. Church-Officers have a special oversight over the flock pag. 206. they are under a special designation If a Church hath Officers they by their place are to go before the Church in directing and executing determinations But the Church may censure without Officers p. 207. 2. They say that we allow such an Office as hath no act peculiar to it viz. Ruling Elders 3. They do not say all may
must be distinct from prayer and fasting Act. 14.23 and when they had ordained or ordaining them Elders and had prayed with fasting That imposition of hands in ordination is distinct from praying and fasting we grant But that praying and fasting is without it ordination we deny the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All our Brethrens strength lies in the English Translation In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are both the same tense and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equally applicable to both According to our Brethrens principle the nomination of the person and prayer and fasting and then executing by suffrage are distinct acts yet all make but that one act of constituting an Officer Neither is it said that the praying and fasting here at all related to the constitution of the Elders it might relate to their taking their leave of them mentioned in the next words and I am very apt to believe it did I am sure our Brethren cannot prove the contrary so that it is but gratis dictum a thing said which our Brethren must ask us leave to believe that the prayer and fasting here spoken of was any thing relating to Ordination 4. In the last place our Brethren because they cannot prove fairly beg the question p. 233. Because the power of Election is no where given to Officers but to the people I think this Text should have proved this thing that it is given to the people On the contrary we say our Brethren neither have proved nor can prove that the Scripture hath given the power of choosing Pastors to the people The Texts produced as we have heard will prove no more than a may be hardly so much And this Text it seems must have those to help it or it will not prove Thus Reader thou seest how easie it is to assert what is found hard to prove Read and judge whether from Scripture it can be positively concluded that it is Gods will that every particular Church should choose all its own Officers and this choice be all thaâ— is necessary by Gods word to make them Officers See if either in the Epistles to Timothy or Titus which of all other Scriptures are most to be eyed as our Rule about Church Government because there are given directions for the setling of ordinary Churches in a permanent state see if there be one word in them for the peoples choice though Titus was left on purpose in Crete to ordain Officers Tit. 1.5 and several Rules be given in those Epistles for the setling of Gospel Churches In the mean time we grant to our Brethren 1. That there is nothing in Scripture forbidding their election 2. That in many cases yea in all it is very convenient and by no means to be neglected if they will choose such a one as is fit for a Pastor But that it is necessary to the making of a Minister in Office by any rule of Scripture or that in no case the election of a Pastor in the strictest notion by a particular Church may be denied or over-ruled this we deny because we say every particular Church is not able to judge of the abilities of a Minister and often doth make apparent errours in Judgement Our Brethren p. 236. Assert the abilities of a particular Church to judge of the abilities required in a Minister they say they are able to judgeâ— if he be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality We grant this in some measure but there are some other qualifications too He must be one 1. That holds fast the faithfull word 2. Able by sound Doctrine to exhort 3. Able to convince gain-sayers Titus 1.9 4. Apt to Teach Now we deny that every particular Church even of our Brethren is able to judge of these things According to our Brethrens principles any seven visible Saints may make a Church we say seven real Saints may not be able to judge of these things How can they judge if a Minister be able to convince a gain-saying Socinian or Arminian or Papist who know not what any of them hold And how many hundred private Christians are there who are ignorant of these things I dare assume that in no Church our Brethren have in this County there are seven men know what the Socinians hold much less do the major part know yet they are doubtless able to judge whether a Minister be able to convince them Is any one so sensless as to think any seven private Christians is able to judge whether a Minister holds the faithfull word Our Brethren know two sevens of their Brethren have judged that the Quakers and Anabaptists hold the faithfull word which I speak not to create an odium upon them for some of ours have done so too It doth not follow that because a good Christian must be sound in the Faith in things necessary to Salvation therefore he is able to judge of the abilities of a Minister who is to exhort by sound Doctrine for a Minister is to preach more sound Doctrine than what is absolutely necessary to salvation Object Oh! But say our Brethren The sheep of Christ know his voice and they will not follow a stranger this importeth their having ability and liberty to judge what Teachers they should elect Answ Doth it so What belongs to Christ sheep as Christs sheep belongs to every sheep But this doth not belong to every sheep of Christ Ergo. The Major is undoubtedly true the Text saith my sheep not my fold what is here made to belong to sheep belongs to every sheep I hope our Brethren will not say this belongs to the Women yet are they Christs sheep too nor will it serve the turn to say they must not speak in the Church for we are now speaking of choosing and judging lifting up of the hand is enough But surely our Brethren will not say that every man hath ability if they do and will give us leave we will â—ick them out twenty out of every hundred they shall bring us if not four times twenty whose knowledge concerning sound Doctrine and ability to convince gain-sayers they shall be ashamed to own as sufficient â—o judge of the abilities of a Minister The truth is every sheep of Christ that is so truly and really i. e. every Elect soul so far refuseth the vâ—ice of strangers as though he may for a time follow them yet he shall first or last reject them again Our Brethren know that some both of their and our Brethren within these seven years last past have followed Strangers and such Strangers too as the Christian World never heard of before yet we should be loth to say they are none of Christs sheep because they are gone astray The Lord in mercy make them to return If our Brethren say the Text is to be understood of Christs sheep as folded together in the Church We grant what they say but say it is meant of the one fold ver 16. consisting of all the Jews and Gentiles to be converted and that some of them are able so to judge or that all of them will not follow strangers we grant But this is nothing to our Brethrens purpose to prove that every individual sheep or every particular Church hath this ability FINIS