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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	according_a	prove_v	scripture_n	2,684	5	5.5487	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96865	Church-members set in joynt. Or, A discovery of the unwarrantable and disorderly practice of private Christians, in usurping the peculiar office and work of Christs own pastours, namely publike preaching. In way of answer to a book printed under the name of Lieutenant Edmund Chillenden (but indeed none of his) entituled Preaching without ordination. Wherein all the arguments by him produced, are fully answered and disproved, the truth of the contrary evidenced, and the office forementioned, thereby returned into the hands of the right owners. / By Filodexter Transilvanus.	Woodbridge, Benjamin, 1622-1684.	1648 (1648)	Wing W3423; Thomason E422_3; ESTC R204785	29,729	41

Church-Members SET IN JOYNT OR A Discovery of the unwarrantable and disorderly practice of private christians in usurping the peculiar Office and work of Christs own Pastours namely PUBLIKE PREACHING In way of Answer to a Book printed under the name of Lieutenant Edmund Chillenden but indeed none of his entituled Preaching without Ordination Wherein all the Arguments by him produced are fully Answered and disproved the truth of the contrary evidenced and the Office forementioned thereby returned into the hands of the right owners By Filodexter Transilvanus Heb. 5. 4. No man taketh this honour to himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Jer. 23. 21. I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied Matth. 7. 15. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps clothing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves London Printed for EDMUND PAXTON and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls chain over against the Castle Tavern neer to the Doctors Commons 1648. To all the faithfull in Christ Jesus and all other my Country-men who may chance at any time to be Readers of this Book BRETHREN MY hearts desire and prayer to God for you all is that you may be saved and that you may bee rooted and established in the faith of that Christ and Gospel which you have received and by which also you are saved if you continue stedfast unto the end be not removed from him that hath called you into the grace of Christ to give ear to seducers and false prophets who pervert the Gospel of Christ and subvert the faith of many Questionlesse the dayes are come upon us of which our Saviour hath foretold us long ago that many false prophets shall arise and deceive many yea if it were possible the very elect themseles who may therefore the more abundantly rejoyce in this confidence that God will keep them by his owne power through faith unto salvation when they shall perceive themselves planted upon a rock that is higher then the gates of hell stronger then the raine and tempests that assault them by the power of which they are enabled to stand even in such times as these which are the worst of times when so many hundreds fall on the right hand and on the left Amongst many other meanes which God J doubt not will teach you to make use of for your continuance in the faith the matter of this ensuing Treatise gives me occasion to speak of one which is a high prising of and diligent attendance upon the ministry ●he word that word I meane which is preached by those who are sent of God and this Church for the same purpose In my short experience I have observed that the Divells grand designe for the raising of his own Kingdome hath beene in all ages to hinder the efficacie and authority of the publik Ministry In the daies of Antichristian darknesse there was either no preaching at all or none but that which was delivered in a strange language by which the people received no benefit In latter dayes under the Prelates tyranny here in England what stone was left unrolled to discourage and undermine the most saithsull holy and learned ministers either by withholding from them a competent maintenance whiles many a prophane superstitious dotard and dumbe dogge had more then enough or by injoyning an ungodly compliance to humane and antichristian inventions Ceremonies Oathes Subscriptions c. which their consciences could not away with Hence many professors made it the greatest part of their religion and made this their rest even to goe up and downe to heare Sermons and speak against those persons or things that were the occasion of muzling the mouthes of so many of Gods messengers In these dayes the doore is opened so wide that who so will may now take upon him that high and holy calling and under pretence of preaching the Gospel vent privately and publikely all manner of untruths and because they cannot raise themselves to that high pitch of preferment which they aime at as long as godly Ministers beare witnesse against them both in Pulpits and Presses therefore they possesse their Proselites with all the prejudice they can against their Ministers either their calling is Antichristian or they are men of an Old Testament spirit or at best they are Black-coats Hence many who have acknowledged often with much comfort that God had made their Minister instrumental not onely to turne them first unto God but to build them up in faith and knowledge and all grace and have formeriy loved them so dearly that they could even have pulled out their eyes to have done them good yet now they disfrequent their company and their Ministry and lay themselves open thereby to all manner of Temptations and delusions and the farther they fall away the higher they raise up themselves in their owne esteeme giving forth that they are all taught of God and hence they take upon them desperatly to broach all manner of proud Atheistical conceits one questions whether there be any Heaven or Hell or any Resurrection from the dead another thinks himselfe to be as good a Christ as Christ the Lord and doth not fear to say that the God-head is as much in him as it was in Christ c. whose distemper is the more despreate because the nature of it is to admit of no remedy In the middest of this confusion whether shall we fly The Land is become like some deepe pit in a wildernesse into which are fallen Toades Mice Frogs Serpents and all manner of vermin and there they bite and devoure one another Religion is turned into a very gallimafra of errours and heresies and each heresy brands all other doctrines with the name of Heresie besides it selfe The wise and eternall God which made the world out of a Chaos and brought light out of darknesse in his rich mercy bring light and order out of this dismall hellish confusion and let all that love the Truth say Amen In order to which end I have under-taken in this ensuing Treatise according to the ability I have received to make forth this truth against Chillenden and all his followers that there is no ground either in reason or Scripture for private persons though never so well gifted to preach publickly unlesse they be thereto caled by the Church intending shortly if God permit to prove positively from the Scriptures that preaching is a work peculiar to Church-officers And before the Reader peruse the Treatise it selfe I shall desire him to take notice of these two particulars 1. That al the arguments which I have here undertaken to answer are stolen out of a Booke of Robinsons the famous Separatist entituled The peoples plea for prophesying I believe Chillenden would be content that the child should be divided for if it be wholly given to the right father upon my credit Chillenden must have no part in it 2. I have not taken

notice of many places of Scripture written in the margin but of those onely to which he doth expressely referre his Reader partly because they are very unequally ascribed not paralell to the line to which they refer and partly because most of them are places from which he borrows words or phrases occasionally mentioned nothing at all pertaining to the maine scope many other things of lesse consequence I have passed over but nothing of moment as I know of Farewell F. T. Imprimatur Edm. Calamy An Answer to a Book entituled Preaching without Ordination THe Lieutenant before he comes to speak a word to the Question by himselfe propounded in the fore-front of his Book viz. Whether men may Preach except they be Ordained premiseth many things to consideration which are neither of any necessary dependance upon each other nor of any use imaginable either to the cleering and well stating of the Question or to the confirmation of his own opinion touching the Question For which reason I shall not now retreat so farre from the businesse in hand as to make an incursion upon his praecognita things which neither of us are concerned in as to this present controversie but shall there begin to answer where hee begins to make good his undertaking after hee hath brought about the Question as it were by countermarch into its former place and applyes himselfe to the proofe of the affirmative namely that it is lawfull for a person not ordained to Preach Thus farre onely I shall follow him as to make use of his method in premising some few Positions for the better stating of the Question between him and mee First then I cannot but take notice that every one of his stolen Arguments whereby hee labours to evince the lawfulnesse of preaching without Ordination are of equall force to prove the lawfulnesse of preaching without the Churches choyce and approbation the thing wherein himselfe and others of his way doe place the very essentials and vitals of a minister as to any outward call as may be seen in his positions Pag. 2 and 3. and then to what purpose is a Liberty of Choosing their Minister given to every particular congregationall Church as the thing whereby he is made a minister seeing every private gifted Christian eo ipso because gifted may take upon him to preach publikely though neither ordained nor yet Chosen by the Chruch for such an intrinsicall connexion doth this Author make between gifts and preaching that if his Arguments be sound there neede not intervene so much as the Chruches Election nay farther not so much as a tryall of those ministeriall gifts qualifications which himself acknowledgeth to be requisites before a person be ordained Thes 6. 2. I desire the Reader to take notice that when we preach for Ordination as a thing requisite to a Preacher we are to be understood according to the Analogy of these following advertisemntes 1. That by Ordination we mean an act of the Church whereby a person is solemnly set apart for the dispensation of the word Seales and Censures by way of peculiar office we doe therefore at this time wave all disputes about the persons ordaining and all other rites and circumstances pertaining to Ordination 2 Preaching we take in the strictest sense for an explication and application of the Word of God with all authority to the information exhortation reproof or comfort of them that hear 3 We acknowledge it a duty incombent upon all Christians whether eminently gifted or no even the least and meanest to reprove exhort in struct and comfort one another as occasion shall be offered in away of love and of equall and mutuall interest as members spiritually of one another and heyres together of the kingdome of life 4 In a Church that hath not its compleat constitution and organization which Chillenden Calls a Church not perfectly brought under Gospel order or in other Cases of absolute necessity we admit in reason of a liberty for private gifted Christians to preach the word though the Scripture hath neither any particular precept for it nor clear patterne of it as I know of Yet in no case can it be allowed that any private Christian though never so well gifted shall take upon him to preach to any Church unlesse he have at least the election and approbation of that Church which we suppose to be a sufficient outward call when the Churches condition is as it may be such as that it is morally impossible to have a better Jus divinum positivum cedit juri divino naturali when they are inconsistent each with other 5 If any Christian hath others in subjection under him he hath thereby authority to instruct reprove and exhort them out of the word of God Men were made immediatly for God immediatly for one another or for one another in the Lord. Religion hath the command of all mens faculties conditions and actions to referre and order them immediatly to Gods glory that the whole man may live wholly unto God He must therfore live unto God in respect of his power over others that is his power over others must be ordered and improved to Gods glory else he lives not wholly to God Hence we grant that a father or master in his family may instruct exhort and command his children and his household to doe justice and judgment A King or Magistrate in the Common-wealth may exhort and command his subjects to the generall dutyes of Religion For Religion refers all power to a Spirituall end But some power is immediatly Spirituall as the power of the Ministers of the Gospel the immediate end or object whereof is the Spitituall good of their people Other power is more remotely Spirituall which though it ames at Spirituall good yet it attaines it not but by the intervention of that power which is immediately Spirituall v. 8. The Magistrate ought to looke to the spirituall good of his people therefore he may command them to give diligent attendance to the Word preached and to practise according to what is taught and may make use of many perswasives and dissuasives as he thinks fit which is as much as any of the Kings of Israel ever did in any of their instructions or publique exhortations to their people The like may bee said of all other power domestique or military These things being premised the truth I shall undertake to defend against Mr. Chillenden is this That it is utterly unlawfull for any Christian whatsoever gifted or not gifted to take upon him ordinarily to Preach the Word in the name of the Lord with all authority before the Church publiquely assembled unlesse he be called and set apart thereto by the Church Hereof I might bring proofe sufficient but my warre is at this time defensive not offensive Let us therefore try what strength our adversary is of Having therefore first supposed that Churches have power to choose yea and to Ordain which is false their own Officers he inferres thus

like nature Act. 8. 14 15 16 17. Act. 19. 3 4 c. 5. If these preachers had been private Christians dwellers at Jerusalem and had fled only for safety because the persecutio was hot in the City and when they were abroad took occasion to preach the Gospell is it not altogether probable that they vvould have returned home again to their families as soone as the persecution was ended No man can deny this Now I shall make it appeare that they staied forth above twice as long as the persecution lasted For the persecution began the ninth yeere of Tiberius Anno Christi 34. and it lasted till the time of Pauls coming to Jerusalem Acts 9. 31. Then had the Churches rest which was about three yeere and a halfe after the persecution began in the yeere of Tiherius 12. and of Christ 37. Yet they that were scattered did not returne home though they might with safety for three or foure yeeres after this time Acts 11. 19. we read that they were got out of Canaan into Phenicia Cyprus and Syria preaching yet to the Jewes only This was in the fourth yeere of Cajus Caligula Anno Christi 41. For in that yeere did Antioch receive the Gospel and then was Barnabas sent thither from Jerusalem and thither he brought Paul after he had found him out and there did they two spend a whole yeere in preaching which was the next yeere after this I am speaking of for then came Agabus from Jerusalem and prophesied of a great dearth Acts 11. 28. which fell out in the second yeere of Claudius Anno Christi 43. according to the consent of Scripture and best Historians Therfore from the yeere of our Lord 34. till 41. were those Disciples a preaching that is some sixe or seven yeeres whereas the persecution ceased at three yeeres end more or lesse And yet we heare no newes of their returne but that they went on preaching in Phenicia Cyprus and Syria which to me I confesse is a very strong argument that they were not private Christians fled from Jerusalem for safety by reason of the persecution and so preached occasionally and accidentally but that they were Ministers sent abroad on purpose by the Apostles and at that time the rather because they would not adventure the surprisall of all their persons in one place lest the work of the Gospel should be retarded 6. They all that were scattered cannot be understood of the whole Church that is of all the beleevers in Jerusalem for the Text saith expressely that the Church that is beleevers staid at Jerusalem yea good store many housholds of them vers 3 and that when they all of whom the Evangelist speaketh were scattered abroad vers 1. And the truth i● it is a senslesse thing to imagine otherwise for if all the beleevers in Jerusalem were fled where could the Apostles be entertained where could they find harbour and protection that they should be able to lie couchant when ordinary private Christians could not yea and to what end and purpose should they stay when the Church for whose edification encouragement increase and government they there abode were all fled 7. Would not persecution much sooner take hold of the Heads and Ringleaders of a faction such as Christianisme wa● then esteemed then of their followers Is it not probable that the Shepherd should be smitten before ●he Sheep were scattered can any man then think that the Church was fled and yet the Apostl●s continued quiet 8. That phrase Acts 11. 19. They preached to the Jewes only and that other Acts 8. 1. That they preached in the Regions of Judaea and Samaria seeme secretly to intimate what manner of men they were even such to whom Christ had spoken Acts 1. 8. Yee shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and in Samaria and Acts 13. 46. It was necessary that the Word of God should first be preached to you For which reasons I conceive that they who are here said to be scattered and to preach were not private gifted Christians but Ministers lawfully called and sent sorth to preach Let us here what Chillenden hath to the contrary Foure things hee sales whereof the three first are upon the point but one and therefore to them all I may returne one single Answer For whereas he saies 1. The Scripture gives no hint of it this appeares to be notoriously false from what I have proved by Scripture concerning them 2. Saith he They are onely called the Church at Jerusalem which is also false for they are not so called and if they were called so onely yet as long as the Scriptures are clear that by Church we are to understand the persons forementioned what matter is it for the name 3. saith he They preached onely upon occasion of the persecution Neither is this true for why then did they not returne home when the persecution was ended The persecution was the occasion why they were sent forth at that time rather then at another and if it were true then say we they did not preach meerely as guifted B●ethren for then why preacht they not before persecution scattered them but as men called by th● present extraordinary necessity 4. Saith he Barnabas w● sent over to confirme them A●sw So was Paul sent into Macedonia to help Acts 16. 9. They that were scattered went every where Acts 8. and therefore Barnabas was sent to carry some time amongst them for their confirmation which he also did even a whole yeere and upward Acts 11. 26. Some other objections there are men of straw which the Lieutenant sets up to buffet which we scorne to owne Chill Arg. Come we therefore to the next Argument and that is drawn from 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold graces of God If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God c. Answ To which we answer leaving the Lieutenants Dandiprats for himselfe to play with first That it is indeed every mans duty to improve the gifts of God in him for the benefit of others provided that he minister the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hee hath received it that is in that way which is suitable to the condition of the guift he has received But withal we assum that no man in these dayes hath received the gift of ordinary publique preaching but he that is called and that his very calling is a principall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or guift which he receives from the grace of God Rom. 12. 6. Having then guifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differing according to the grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is given to us which guifts in the words following he clearly interprets to be those offices to which they were called Is there no way of communicating guifts but in a way of preaching Is there not as exhorting one another Heb. 3. 13 a