15 14 The Saints are Christs friends and therefore do they whatsoever Christ commandeth them and they that so do are perfect 3 The Saints are Gods workmanship Eph 2 10 But the workmanship of God perfect Deut 32 9 4 He that neither sinneth nor can sin is perfect But such are they that are born of God 1 Joh 3 9 1 Joh 5 18 5 He Christ gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists c. for the perfecting of the Saints Eph 4 12 13 Did not those Apostles Prophets c. attain the end for which they were given Or else did their Ministery suspend its operation and effect until the last day 6 It 's possible for the Saints to come unto a perfect man to the measure of the stature of Christs fulness Eph 4 13,14 And they that be here be surely perfect Now that these things are all attainable in this life and that also many years before the hour of death is evident by what is immediately subjoyned viz. That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men c. It 's said that henceforth that is From the time of their being a perfect man and of being come to the measure of the stature of Christs fulness else will the sense be broken jarring and altogether incoherent And surely all those things that follow Henceforth do imply a much larger time than the last day Had Paul here been of the Querents mind That perfection comes not till the last day would he have said That henceforth that is That after the Saints be perfect and be come to the measure of Christs stature They be no more children tossed too and fro c. For what space time or danger or possibility could he then have conceived of their being tossed too and fro with every winde of Doctrine c. This is after the last day on which day the querents supposes that the Saints are to be made perfect and not before 7. If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man Iam 3 2 Now it 's impossible that there should be such men as Iames here describeth Or did he here only propose the Idaea or Patern of a perfect man which never yet had nor never was to have actuall being This were rather to make him a Platonick Philosopher then one of Christs faithful Ministers and a nugatory speculator rather then a teacher of things to be done 8. Now the God of peace make you perfect in good works to do his will Heb 13 20 21 If we be not made perfect till the last day what space of time then remaineth wherein after one is perfect he may do the will of God Think ye that this prayer regardeth only the last day Was it needful to pray that believers might be made perfect in good works to do Gods will on the last day Would you not have Gods will to be done before that day See 2 Cor 13.1 Finally brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace c Are all these things not attainable before the last day Or are some before and some or one not till then 9 Mark the perfect man behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psalm 37 37. Do these words so sound as if David held no man perfect untill the last day Is not the peaceable end here spoken of the effect or concomitant of perfection But if no man be perfect till the last day what sense can be gathered from these words What end is the perfect man to have at or after the last day And who is then to mark it 10. Heb 7.19 For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did c He doth not say shall that at the last day Again Heb. 10.14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified They therefore that are sanctified are likewise Perfected But men are sanctified before the last day Also Heb. 12.22.23 But ye are come unto Mount Sion c. and to the spirits of just men made perfect c. Now how could the Saints be then come to the spirits of just men made perfect If it be true that none be made perfect till the last day 11. Let us therefore as many as be Prefect be thus minded Phil. 3.15 Now if neither Paul himselfe nor any other were at this time perfect this exhortation were void of all sense and reason For if none were then perfect whom did he then exhort 12. Howbeit we speak Wisdom among them that are perfect 1. Cor. 2.6 Now if none can be perfect till the last day then will it necessarily follow that either Paul spake Wisdom among them that were not perfect or else among none at all But both these are false Objection Paul himselfe professes that he was not made perfect Philip. 3.12.13 Ans The perfection there spoken of is to be understood of a certain degree or measure of perfection which Paul at that time had not attained unto and not of perfection simply considered Otherwise this place should contradict other both many evident Scriptures yet doth the same Paul say in the following words But I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ and in Vers 14. He saith I presse toward the mark c. Now did he follow after and presse towards this degree of perfection in faith or not in faith If in faith then did he believe it possible to be attained unto See more of this point hereafter 13. Finally the Scriptures give this testimony of Noah Job and others that they were perfect men Gen. 6.9 Job 1.8 and this was long time ago section 50 T. L. Whether can you rationally expect that our hearers should be more perfect then the eleven Apostles Answ I grant indeed 't were very absurd to expect your Hearers should be perfect while they are under such imperfect Teachers Those stars of the highest magnitude in the Church Answ And yet the Priests Scribes and Pharisees could not abide them but sought to pluck them out of their Firmament Whom yet Christ upbraideth with unbelief and hardnesse of heart Answ There is a childhood in grace they had not as yet received the Promise of the Father which was the gift of the Spirit neither were their understandings yet opened c. Ioh. 15 26. 20.22 Luk. 24 45,49 Act. 2.1,2,3,4 section 51 Ob. Eccles 7.20 James 3.2 1 Joh. 1.8 Answ I do not deny but he that is a Saint may commit sin but ye the that abideth in Christ sinneth not Resist the Devil and he will flye Here I demand whether it be possible to resist the devil and all other temptations to sin If thou say it 's possible at all times so to resist then it follows That a Saint may forbear at all times from
estranged thereunto In these dayes did they make a Calf and offered sacrifice to the Idol and rejoyced in the works of their own hands section 62 T.L. VVhether those extraordinary Officers were not styled Prophets Eph. 4 11. 1 Cor. 12.28 Answ Though all in the Primitive Churches were not Prophets yet was it lawful in those true Churches though forbidden in yours for any man to Prophesie without exception or restraint For thus saith Paul Ye may all prophesie one by one 1. Cor. 14.31 and in Vers 1. he saith Follow after Charity and desire spirituall gifts but rather that ye may prophesy Also Vers 5. I would that ye spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesy Hence it is manifest that Paul permitted any one to prophesy and not only so but secondly also exhorteth them all indifferently to desire the gift of prophesy not the office And thirdly He declares his willingness that they * Declaring himselfe to be of the same mind with Moses who desired that all the Lords people were Prophets all might prophesy c. Now in Vers 3. he explaineth what he meaneth by prophesying namely A speaking unto men to edification exhortation and comfort and this by revelation of the spirit as may be gathered of Vers 30 Let us now erect a comparison between the speaking and order that were in the Churches of Christ of old time and the speaking and order such as it is that are in your meetings at this day 1. In those it was lawful and according to order for All to speak In yours only for One to speak 2. In those they did speak by revelation of God In yours they speak by imagination of their own brain 3. In those they did speak for edification exhortation and comfort of others In yours for Augmentation Decimation and benefit of themselves section 63 T. L. Whether when the Apostle saith that all may prophesy he doth yet suffer a woman to speak in the Church c Ans Ioel Chap. 2. Vers 28 prophesyed that not their sons only but also their daughters should prophesy c. Where To whom Doth not prophesying serve for them which believe 1. Cor 14 22 And if to one believer such prophetesses might rightly prophesy why not also to two to three or more If in a place where these beleivers did or do not usually meet why not likewise in a-place where they usually meet If out of a house why not as well in a house To a Church in a house Philemon 2 Or say ye that the number and place do make and give being to the Church of God Define unto us then how many persons be necessarily required to the making up of a Church and also what place it behoveth to be that with such number must concur to the so making up of a Church section 64 T. L. Whether he doth not also exclude private members from intruding on that great office of prophesying when he demands Are all Teachers c. Ans What private members doth Paul exclude from prophesying when speaking to the Church he saith Ye may all prophesy 1. Cor 14 31 Neither doth he only permitt or rather declare it to be lawfull that all may prophesy but desireth also that they all might have the gift of prophesy Vers 5. And finally exhorteth the whole Church indistinctly that they desire the gift of prophesy as is noted before Agreeable to this mind of Paul was also that of Moses I would saith he that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them Numb 11.29 Where also it is to be noted that though Eldad and Medad had never been counted or acknowledg'd as Prophets but were private members of the Iewish Church yet did they prophesy and that in the Camp not waiting for the triall or approbation of man nor for any Solmn Investiture into the office of Prophets It was sufficient authority to them to prophesy that the spirit of the Lord rested upon them Vers 26. Now Moses when he heard thereof yet not yet by what warrant they prophesied what did he do Verily he set not the rude multitude upon them to beat them pull them tear them neither charged he the civil Officers to apprehend them and carry them away for endlesse Imprisonment None of these things I say did Moses But saith he Enviest thou for my sake would God that all the Lords people were prophets c. It s plain therefore neither Paul nor Moses to have been of your Teachers mind to forbid any to prophesy but as far distant from you herein as in most other matters also as namely becomes the true servants of God with Satans Ministers compared section 65 T. L. How can they i. e. how can they lawfully and as to God acceptably preach except they be sent Rom. 10 15. Ans Apply this place unto your selves Ye Preach for hire and Divine for money ye are not the men that bring glad tidings who deny men may be perfect and free from sin in this life that publish peace who bring along with ye the black Threats of war and manifold miseries against all that will not put into your mouthes Neither do ye publish salvation but keep men ever learning that never come to the knowledge of the truth and the end of faith Understandeth not the Apostle in this place such a Sending as his also was who was not sent of men neither by men but by Jesus Christ And though the operations of the spirit be divers yet do they not all alike proceed from the spirit Did not the same spirit that made heretofore Apostles make Pastors also And dare you that call your selves Pastors of Churches pretend to have received such office and quality immediately of the spirit I have seldome known any of you so impudent Wherefore your operation is not by the same God neither is your gift by the same spirit neither your Administration by the same Lord Jesus 1. Cor. 12.4.5 6. And if no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost How then do you talk whole hours of Jesus without the Holy Ghost But if ye yet challenge to have the Holy Ghost then make it to appeare by shewing the fruits thereof such are love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance are these things in you or so much as the very shadowes or counterfits thereof rather bring you not forth such fruits as be clean contrary to these Let the spiritual man be judge section 66 T. L. Whether it be not usuall in our Churches to give liberty to severall Ministers to exercise their gifts and discharge their office successively one by one decentlie and in order Ans Ye seem to have propounded this your practice and order as having some resemblance and agreement with the practise and order which Paul did advise to be observed in the Church at Cornith But even in this point do ye greatly differ and swerve