what shaddow of a consequence is here Yet if Christs mission doth justifie any it must be his disciples baptizing for Christ himself baptized not Christ commanded the disciples to baptize though that be not here mentioned and they baptized into Christs Name and thence it may be said that Christ baptized though in his own person he baptized not and suppose Christs mission did here justifie this yet how would this prove that mission is required in him that will be an Administrator of such an Ordinance because it was required in Christ who was the Institutor of and Appointer to such Administrations 2. Secondly we cannot finde Christs mission mentioned at all in that place much less is it alledged to justifie his baptizing or undertaking to baptize Joh. 3. 27 28 John answered and said A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven ye your selves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ but that I am sent before him Here Iohns mission is mentioned but not a word of Christs Saith Iohn I am sent before him i. e. before Christ But if Iohns mission justified Christs Disciples in undertaking to baptize still this would prove that one mans mission may justifie other men in baptizing and so it is far from proving that mission is required to the person himself that will baptize it rather proves that anothers mission may serve the turn without one of his own If they would fetch it from those words A man can receive nothing unless it be given him These words may refer to Iohn as well as to Christ Johns Disciples murmur because Christs Disciples baptized so many v. 26. John answereth v. 27. A man can c. as if he had said I have nothing but by Gods gift and therefore have cause to be thankful for what I have rather then to be ambitious of more honor or envious against Christ because more is given to him then to me It is not given to me saith John to be the Messias as vers 28. Ye your selves bear me witness that I said I am not to Christ It is not given to me to increase as it is to Christ ver 30. Or if it doth refer to Christ then it may found thus It is given to Christ to be a Soveraign else he could not by his Disciples baptize so many into his Name But take it either of these ways yet it speaketh nothing about mission or its being required in him that will administer such Ordinances for in the former sense there is no shadow of it admit it be taken in the latter sense yet he doth not speak here whatever may be said in other places of any Office which was given to the Disciples who were the baptizers but of what was given to Christ into whose Name they baptized Object 2. When the chief Priests and Scribes with the Elders asked Christ Luke 20. 2. Tell us by what authority dost thou these things or who gave thee this authority Christ makes answer by demanding another question The baptism of John was it from Heaven or of men which teacheth us that none ought to preach without being authorized and sent Answ 1. How so general a conclusion can be enforced thence we see not neither have they made it out If one should ask a Colonel or a Captain of an Army by what authority he fighteth and he should alledge anothers testimony who is credible to evidence that he hath authority will it hence follow that no common Souldier may fight without being authorized and sent Surely no. 2. If they speak of a being authorized and sent by men there is not any thing in the Text to favour it for Christ was not sent or authorized by man Johns baptism did not authorize Christ to preach Because Christ alledgeth Johns baptism to shew that he had authority from God to preach therefore none ought to preach without being authorized and sent by men this followeth not 3. If by authority and mission to preach they intend onely this A lawful right or warrant to preach then we have proved that gifted men have that though they be not ordained Christ hath warranted them by his Word thereunto without mens sending Gifted men may alledge the Word of Christ to defend their preaching as Christ did Johns baptism to justifie his preaching Argum. 8. We argue thus That work may not be performed by any which cannot Jus Divin Min. p. 91. by him be performed in faith but preaching by a brother gifted but not called or ordained cannot be done in faith Therefore a gifted unordained brother may not preach Answ We deny their Minor and we affirme that preaching by a Brother gifted but not ordained may be done in faith As for the word called it is not in their position and if we should gtant that such as are not called cannot preach in faith yet we may say gifted men not ordained may do it in faith for they are called Object 1. The truth of the Minor they say appears in that there is no warrant in Scripture which is the ground of faith for such a practise Answ We refer the Reader to our Arguments before urged for the preaching of gifted men which do evidence that they have warrant in Scripture which is the ground of faith for such a practise and may serve as a full answer to this Argument we proved there that gifted men have Scripture-precepts promise and example to warrant their preaching and therefore they may in faith do it Object 2. If there were a precept it was then a necessary duty that every gifted person ought to perform it was a sin if any gifted person should not preach c. Answ So it is a duty and a sin to neglect it but in some cases a not preaching is no sinful neglect This Objection we had before and the Reader may find the full answer to it in our reply to their second Argument Object 3. There is no precept that any should hear them or obey them in the Lord or maintaine them these duties of the people are appropriated to those that are preachers by Office Mal. 2. 7. Luke 10. 16. The hearing of them is the hearing of Christ It is not so said of any that preach without mission but contrarily there is a strict charge not to hearken to such Jer. 17. 14. and a complaint of them that heap to themselves teachers 2 Tim. 4. Thus the Apostle Heb. 13. 7 17. So 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be accounted worthy of double honour c. Nothing of this is spoken of gifted Brethren yet if they may lawfully preach all this may they challenge and all that hear and plead for them are bound in conscience to yield because all this is due for the works sake 1 Thes 5. 12. Answ 1. The Lord hath warranted gifted men to preach as we have proved and that doth necessarily imply a precept to hear and obey the word of
taking the care of and in watching ever one another so that the Church neglecting duty herein is guilty of the sin of every member as the Church of Corinth of the sin of the incestuons persons 1 Cor. 5. and the seven Churches of Asia of the sin of their several members respectively and not otherwise 2. That members of a particular Church ought by the institution of Christ to walk together in Ordinances and that walking in Ordinances with another Church and not with the same Church is sinful separation 3. The obligation upon a member to walk with a particular Church cannot be dissolved by the private will of that member nor by the consent of any other Church but that of which he is a member according to the known Rule Ejusdem est destituere cujus constituere onely in this they are contrary unto us That they judge the removing of an habitation a disanulling of former relation but if cohabitation gives not member-hood though that cease member-hood is not taken away but co-habitation giveth not member-hood no although joyned with profession and baptism the incestuous Corinth excommunicate had all these but no member-hood until by consent received again into the Church These things considered we plead but the way of coming under an acknowledged institution whereby members in their private personal capacites altogether free become engaged to fellow members which we apprehend to be by mutual Combination Consociation Consent or Covenant and know not what rock of offence is herein for any to stumble at bâ— believe as white Wine put into a blew-coloured Glass is in appearance blew and not white so the innocent Truth observed in a glass of Prejudice appeareth prejudicial and not Truth 5. A company united unto fellowship in means of worship appointed by Jesus Christ all worship is either natural i. e. founded in the nature of God and knowable by the light of Nature as Faith Love c. which are invisible and hearing what God doth speak calling upon God Singing praises unto God which are visible parts of worship Or instituted i. e. founded in the will of God and knowable by the Scriptures as Baptism by Water breaking of Bread in the Lords Supper c. No worship is founded in the will of man but Will-Worship The Papists whose Church is so full of power as to make Decrees of equal authority with the ten Commandments yet are modest in the reason of this power which they plead because say they The Church hath the Spirit to guide her and the Decrees thereof are from the same Spirit whence the ten Commands were but we are satisfied concerning Revelations and shall expect none regard none in nova materia in new matters to be revealed yet shall plead them and pray for them in novo actu in new acts of discoverie of that which in Scripture is revealed being perswaded that hee which hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his work as God did from his from his Priestly work in bearing iniquity Heb. 4. 10. his Regal work in destroying Satan Death and the Grave from his Prophetical work in giving Laws and Ordinances to his holy Church the Sabbath-work of the Son as the Fathers also being another kind of work then that which was antecedent to his Sabbath But we shall say no more of this our Brethren being not baptized into a belief of the same truth asserting Presbyterial Government to be from heaven in the Jus Divinum of Church-Government although the confidence of our late Assembly could speak no more but this The Scripture doth hold forth that many particular Congregations The third Proposition in the Assemb presented to the Parliament may be under one Pesbyterial Government may be they would have said Must be had they seen the stamp of Jus Divinum upon it 6. The end of this fellowship is the glory of God Edification of members good of others in this also we are agreed and truly Brethren we desire to end in agreement but we are jealous lest the displeasure of some may be provoked against us not onely for our judgment but for our pâ—actice declaring it in contradiction to men of such eminency engaged against it As therefore we have gaven an account of the reason of our Judgement suffer us also in a few words to give an account of our practise which is this A pit hath been diged layes uncovered some time divers have fallen thereinto crying up the Arguments to which we reply as unanswerable probably because not answered whilst others cry down the Congregational men for their silence as more Papistico because they now cease replying unto Books extant against their practice the pit must be filled up or covered in which attempt let us not be smitten for speaking and also for holding of our peace But why do we come so late into this service Ans We waited to have seen it done by others before this time supposing the next of the kin viz. some principal man would have espoused this truth and raised up a seed to his elder Brether We acknowledge our selves in the relation if none else will we must raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance Ruth 4. 4 6. We are threatned as We hear with an Answer we fear it not onely let it be the answer of a good Conscience and let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away Brethren Grase be with your spirits So pray the unworthiest of the Lords Servants who yet desire to love Christ in his and his in him To the judicious Reader Reader IT 's matter of Lamentation that Errors and erroneous Opinions do so abound in our days which being baptized into the name of Truth and coming with specious pretences obtain get entrance and take possession of the Heads and Hearts of many who being influenced thereby become unfriendly unto Truth making her a sufferer like Princes Children who oft-times smart because they are of the Blood Royal. But however Truth appears to the purblinde eyes of men and be oppressed yet she is lovely beautiful glorious and shall not always lie amongst the pots Truth is of such esteem with the Lord that he magnifies it above all his Name and loveth Truth more then all his Saints for it's Truth which sanctifies them and makes them lovely and in case they make Truth to suffer he will make them sufferers for it There is nothing in this World more dear unto Iehovah then his Truth Hence these injunctions are laid upon men Buy Pro. 23. 23. 2 Tim. 1. 19. Jude 3. the Truth and sell it not hold fast the form of sound words and contend for the Faith Thus should the Children of Truth do but such is the unhappiness of our times that some deny Truth others corrupt Truth many question Truth and most are so contentious against Truth that if the Lord did not raise up some Worthies to plead for and
Rev. 2. and 3. 3. The efficient causes The principal efficient cause is the Lord he instituted and appointed officers to be in the Churches It is the Lord that giveth qualifications sutable to office It is the Lord that giveth in his word rules and directions to be observed in the constitution of officers 1 Tim. 3. ver 1 2 3. c. Act. 6. And when there is a due observation of those Divine rules then the Lord maketh the officer Act. 20. 28. The instrumental causes are the flock or Church and the person qualified It is by the intervention that the relation is introduced The Lord maketh use of them in the making officers or the Lord doth make officers by some acts put forth by these Act. 6. 5. Act. 14. 23. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 4. The formal cause of office a special and regular call or the Lords committing of a flock or Church of Christ to a mans charge and setting him over by election on the Churches part and acceptation on his part who is elected We term it a special call to difference it from the call which officers may have to lay out their gifts occasionally amongst those that are no Church or they no officers to and to distinguish it from the call that gifted Brethren may have to preach which cals are common we term it a regular call because it is to be made according to Gospel-rules The external or outward call which is to be so regulated consisteth in election with acceptation A Church is to chuse its officers Act. 6. ver 5. They chose Stephen An inferior officer a Deacon must be chosen much more is a free choyce necessary to a higher officer who is to take care of Souls Act. 14. 23. In every Church they chose them Elders Let any prove that the Gospel alloweth any man to take the charge of a Church by compulsion or whether the people will or no. And a Church cannot compel or force a man to be over it or to be a Pastor to it without his free consent and therefore acceptation on his part is necessary to the introduction of the Relation 1 Tim. 3. 1. If a man desire the Office of a Bishop An inclination or disposition to the office is to accompany an entrance upon it The doing the work of office would be by constraint and not willingly contrary to 1 Pet. 5. 2. if the undertaking that work were not with free consent By election the Church offereth to commit it self unto his charge who is elected By his acceptation he actually taketh the charge of that Church I Gospel-rules be observed in both then the Lord doth set him over it The Lords committing of a flock or Church to a mans charge or setting him over it for the work of the Ministry is the formal cause of office or that which giveth being to it this is the specificating distinguishing thing of an officer from no officer For duty is commanded from a man upon such a setting over a flock as from an officer he is to feed and take heed to all the flock or Church that he is over Act. 20. 28. Take heed to all the flock over the which the Holy-Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God c. And that Church is commanded duty towards him that is over it as towards an officer Hebr. 13 ver 7 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account c. That which is not committed to a mans charge he is not to give an account for and therefore it is here intimated that he which is over a flock hath the charge of it committed to him the flock ought to obey and submit to him as an officer which could not be if setting over or giving the charge of a flock did not give being to the Relation or office That the setting over is by Election with acceptation we shall afterwards demonstrate more fully 5. The final cause or the end of office the work of the Gospel or imployment of the Ministry i. e. in that Church he is set over for he doth not act as an officer to any other The Apostle giveth this as the end of office-gifts Ephes 4. ver 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for what end ver 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edisying of the body of Christ c. And thus we have shewn what office is From what hath been already cleared we might draw many conclusions take two Conclus 1. Hence it followeth That there is no difference between that which maketh a man a Minister a Pastor a Shepheard and that which makes a man their Minister their Pastor their Shepherd and so that distinction so often repeated by our Brethren and so often called in for their relief will lend them no help at all being a distinction without a difference For we have proved that a man is an officer to a particular Church only and therefore that which maketh him an officer a Pastor maketh him their Officer their Pastor as the same that maketh a man an husband or a woman a wife doth make him her husband and make her his wife We would not overstretch the similitude to say that the Relation between an officer and a Church doth in all things agree to that between man and wife but in this it may agree and doth illustrate very fitly Conclus 2. Hence it followeth undenyably That the distinction between preaching and office and ex dono by office and by gift is Scriptural or founded on Scripture for if a man be a Pastor or officer only to a particular Church then if he preacheth to any other Church but that he is an officer to or to any other persons but of that Church he preacheth to them but ex dono by gift not as an officer to them Now our Brethren cannot deny the lawfulness of preaching to those that are not of a mans particular Church preaching is a special means for the conversion of Heathens and Indians c. 1 Corin. 14. 24. If all Prophesie and there come in one that beleeveth not So that unbeleevers and such as are no Church-Members may be permitted to come into Church-meetings to hear the Gospel preached And it is lawful in some cases to go and Preach to unbeleevers when they do not come to Church-meetings Act 16. 13 16. 11. ver 19 20 21. Yet they are no officers to such unbeleevers they have not the charge of such unbeleevers souls committed to them they are not over them in the Lord they cannot as officers exercise Church-Government towards unbeleevers that are no Church-Members they are not their flock for then they might do it and therefore in preaching to Heathens Indians they do not act as officers but meerly as in the capacity of gifted brethren
sutable and so like to be very profitable and advantageous to their souls which chose him A knowledge of their having sutable qualifications is pre-required unto a Churches chusing of Deacons Act. 6. v. 3. much more is it necessary unto a Churches chusing one unto a higher Office to take care of and feed their souls And because many that are otherwise eminently gifted yet are not found able to speak publickly unto edification hence it is impossible to gain a knowledge of a mans being endued with sutable qualifications without a frequent and ordinary exercise of gifts in a way of preaching a little time will not discover it Therefore an ordinary preaching is pre-requisite unto Election and so if Election must go before Ordination then it necessarily followeth that some men not ordained may preach The Minor is proved Act. 6. ver 5 6. They chose Stephen ver 6. Whom they set before the Apostles and when they had prayed they layd their hands on them The Church first chuseth before they are ordained Now it is Mr. Collings Argument Vind. pag. 77. As the Apostles ordained Gospel-preachers so they ought to be ordained But they used ordination after Election and therefore so it must be used And it 's granted by Mr. Collings and others Vind. pag. 18 that Ordination is but Actus ultimus the last and perfective Act. And we desire one Scripture to prove Ordination to Office as antecedent to Election or without it If in any case Ordination might go before Election then either a man might be an Officer to some particular Church without their chusing him whereas themselves grant pag. 155. that it is their choice that maketh one their Minister their Pastor their Shepherd Or else he might be an Officer and yet have no particular Church that he beareth Office to and how absurd is it to say that a man is a Church-Officer to no Church Or that a man is an Officer to an Universal Church when yet he is no Officer to any particular Church Neither will their distinction of habitual and actual Officers salve this sore for if a man preacheth to the Heathen people as now in New-England which case themselves put Jus Divin pag. 149. either he preacheth not as an Officer but as a gifted Brother impowred by Christ to doe such a work or else he must be an actual Officer to no Church for he actually preacheth to them though they remain all of them unconverted and no Church Argum. 2. From Gospel-Commands All that are required by Gospel-commands to Preach they may and ought to preach because else they sin in breaking those Gospel-Commands that require it of them But some men who are not ordained Officers are required by Gospel-Commands to preach Ergo Some men who are not ordained Officers may and ought to preach The Major is undenyable for no man may sin or disobey any Gospel-Commands The Minor we prove thus All that have preaching gifts and Graces or are apt to teach are required by Gospel-commands to preach But some men who are not ordained Officers have preaching gifts and graces or are apt to Teach Ergo Some men who are not ordained Officers are required by Gospel-Commands to preach The Minor is undenyable viz. That some men who are not ordained Officers have preaching gifts or are apt to Teach For it is a qualification pre-required to a mans being an Officer that he be apt to Teach 1 Tim. 3. ver 2. A Bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behavior given to hospitality apt to Teach Tit. 1. ver 9. None have a ground to Elect and Ordain any unless they be apt to Teach before they chuse or ordain them and therefore many not ordained have preaching gifts And for Grace it 's as unquestionable The Major viz. That all who have preaching gifts and Graces or are apt to teach are required by Gospel-Commands to preach we shall prove from 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. Heb. 10. ver 25. The former we shall insist upon most viz. 1 Pet. 4. ver 10 11. As every man hath received a gift even so Minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God If any man Minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth c. Where observe 1. Gods communication of gifts to the Saints As every man hath received a gift i. e. any spiritual gift he speaketh indefinitely and so it may include every gift whether publick or private It is not limited to one gift though it be expressed in the singular number but may extend to all those gifts which the Lord conferreth on his people as 1 Corin. 11. ver 28. it 's spoken in the singular number Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread A man i. e. every man who approacheth to God in that Ordinance let him examine himself So a gift i. e. any spiritual gift which he hath received from above let him use it 2. There is particularizing of that special gift of speaking to others edification in the things of Christ 1 Pet. 4. ver 11. If any man speaketh i. e. hath a gift to speak a word of exhortation unto others to edification Let him speak as the Oracles of God i. e. with reverence zeal faithfulness humility as it becometh the word of the Lord to be spoken The nature of this direction how to speak viz. as the Oracles of God and the reference this hath to the foregoing verse doe argue that it is not common speaking but some special gift of Scripture-interpretation that is intended and so it is usually carryed by Interpreters And this aptness to teach being so suddenly mentioned or following immediately after and agreeing so sutably to what is expressed ver 10. hence this 11. verse cannot rationally be denyed to have a special relation to and dependance upon verse 10. but must be concluded to be an explication how one particular gift is to be layd out which is included in that general viz. how those that have a preaching gift ought to use it 3. There is a Divine Command to exercise such gifts as are received As every man hath received a gift so Minister the same one to another Every beleever hath some gift or other and that gift which the Lord hath bestowed in an eminent way that is he under a special obligation to lay out for the Lord. Rom. 12. 6 7. There are different Gifts one man excelleth in one gift another excelleth in another gift and that way which a mans gifts especially lyeth he is especially to endeavor the promoting of the interest of Christ in the good of others in that degree that any gift is afforded in that measure is he to lay it out As he hath received so he is to Minister he that hath received much of him will much be required Such as a mans gift
duty may not be neglected or that command broken Our Brethren grant that men ordained have not power to administer the Ordinances of Christ without a special call Jus Divin pag. 144. Gifted persons have power to preach and the Churches calling or desiring them to exercise their gifts may be sufficient to give an opportunity to preach yea the desire of a particular person sometimes may be enough Act. 8. 34 35. And the Eunuch answered Philip and said I pray thee of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himself or of some other man Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached unto him Jesus The Eunuchs request I pray thee was sufficient to give Philip an opportunity to preach Yea the desire even of an unbeleeving Magistrate in some cases may give opportunity to exercise ones gifts in a way of preaching Act. 13. ver 7. The Deputy of the Country Sergius Paulus a prudent man called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the word of God and ver 12. Then the Deputy beleeved being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. So Act. 13. ver 15 16. The rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them saying Ye men and Brethren if ye have any word of exhortation for the people say on Then Paul stood up c. The desire or call of a Magistrate or Minister yea the desire of the people as Act. 13. ver 42 44. may be call sufficient in some cases to exercise a mans gifts in a way of preaching But when a gifted person hath no such call to exercise his gifts he doth not sin in not preaching though possibly others may sin in not desiring him to preach 3. In such cases there ought to be a waiting in the use of means to satisfie the Church before the exercise of gifts though it be a duty in it self and a Church may sin in hindring a man from preaching either in the Church or elsewhere yet at this or that time it may not be his duty to doe it until other duties be done It is his duty to use means to satisfie the Church that he may act in it without offence to that and until this be done we conceive it is not immediately his duty in case of a Churches dissatisfaction about his ability to preach Obj. 3. This will prove that women may preach if every one that hath gifts may Mr. Collings Ans A particular exception is enough to restrain any general rule Women are expresly forbidden and that is one limitation of this general rule 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. But let it be shewn where all men not ordained are forbidden preaching without such a particular exception every gifted man may preach and find a warrant for it from that general rule It 's said Gen. 2. 16. The Lord God commanded the man saying Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat But will Mr. Collings say That this will prove that Adam might i. e. lawfully eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because it is said Of every tree doth not the particular exception v. 17. limit that general rule v. 16 It 's said 1 Cor. 14. v. 31. Ye may all prophesie will he therefore say Women may prophesie in the Churches and doth not all bring them in here as much as it doth 1 Pet. 4. 10. Every gifted man not excepted by some particular rule may preach Obj. 4. If all that have gifts and abilities to preach may do it then those who are fitted with abilities to be Generals of an Army or Captains or Parliament-men or Pleaders at the Bar may do the work of Generals Captains and Parliament-men and plead at the Bar. Answ 1. Those that have abilities for civil or military imployments may exercise those abilities if a King or Supream Governour doth command them to do it He that hath abilities to be a Captain may do the work of a Captain if the General biddeth him He may do the work of a General of an Army or a Parliament-man or a Pleader at the Bar being fitted with abilities if the King or those who are to appoint unto such works do impower him thereunto Now Christ the King of Saints and the great Captain-General of our Salvation who had all power in Heaven and Earth given unto him he hath commanded every man that hath grace and is gifted to preach and therefore every man who hath Grace and is gifted may Preach 2. He that doth the work of a General of an Army assumeth an office in the Army the General is the chief Officer there And he that doth the work of a Parliament-man assumeth the office of a Magistrate and so the Argument is impertinent We grant that Election and Ordination both are necessary in Order before the exercise of gifts Office-wise 3. Our Argument is not taken from a general Rule onely but from a particularizing of Preaching gifts therewith when a general Command is given to every man who hath a gift to minister with it unto others and one gift is particularly mentioned then it is undouted that every man who hath that particular gift ought to minister with it unless he falleth under some special prohibition and let our Brethren shew any such prohibition else their consequence is not good And let this alwayes be observed it is not Gifts but Christ by Gospel-Rules that warranteth and giveth the Authority or power to gifted persons to preach Gifts do qualifie and enable a person to the Act. Christ by Gospel Rules warranteth the acting in that way Gifts with graces are declarative that the person is warranted or authorized to Preach Charity bindeth to follow Gospel-Rules in the exercise of gifts for the good of others Obj. 5. Every one is to use his gift with respect to the gift it self and to his place and calling and no otherwise These spiritual gifts are to be exercised by every one in his own Sphere Jus Divinum pag. 102. by private persons privately by those that are in Office publickly and in the Congregation Aquila and Priscilla private persons yet of eminent gifts insomuch as they knew the way of Christ more perfectly then Apollos himself kept their own place they as gifted Christians did not undertake to preach publickly but took him to them and privately expounded to him the way of God more perfectly Act. 18. This is a notable pattern for private Christians even of the highest form to walk by in this way that they may find imployment for all their gifts Those women whom the Apostle honours with the Title of Labourers with him in the Gospel Phil. 4. 3. they laboured not by publick preaching for this the Apostle permits not to women 1 Tim. 2. but by private Advertisements and Admonitions as opportunities were administrd Therefore it follows not that because all gifts are to be improved therefore a gifted Brother may preach for first there are other ways of making use of our most excellent
so dwell in Christians as they may teach and admonish one another and the following words may properly be read thus Singing in psalmes and hymns and spiritual songs with grace in your hearts to the Lord The Grammatical construction of the words doth not at all enforce it that the teaching Zanch. Colos 3. and admonishing should be in or by singing of Psalmes From this place Zanchy observeth that Christians are bound to reach and exhort one another privately yea persons gifted though not in Office may expound the way of God to others Aquila and Priscilla took Apollo unto them and Acts 18. v. 26. expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly That all the forementioned places hold out the duties of porsons out of Office may easily be perceived by any judicious Reader for the exhortations are directed generally to believers and even those that most stiffly oppose the preaching of men out of Office acknowledge so much and therefore we shall not insist on the proof of that the very Objection we are answering asserteth Aquila and Priscilla to be private persons That those acts of Exhorting Rebuking Teaching Admonishing Expounding are the same for substance with Preaching is also clear for these acts cannot be performed without an Explication and Application of the Word of God Aquila could not expound the way of God to Apollo without an opening and applying of the Word to him and Colos 3. 16. It is in and by the opening and applying that Word of Christ unto others which is within them that they are t teach and admonish one another And the work of Officers when they preach is expressed by the same words that are used in these places to express the acts of men not in Office and therefore the works are the same though we do not say That the way and manner of acting is the same in all respects Officers preaching is exhorting Tit. 2. 15. These things speak and exhort It is admonishing 1 Thes 5. 12. are over you in the Lord and admonish you And thus it appeareth that persons gifted not in Office may do the same work that is called preaching and yet in this they do not act out of their Sphere place or calling And we cannot see how it can be denyed the name or title of preaching when the subject is the Word of God the Work the Explication and Application of the Word the End the Edification and Comfort of others as it is in the preaching of Officers Our Brethren do grant that all this may be done by men not in Office but they deny That they may do it Authoritatively and this we may grant them also if by Authoritative they mean Office-wise It is enough to our purpose if they may do it charitatively 2. They deny that it is the place and calling of gifted men not in Office to perform these acts publickly they grant they may in private we have proved that they may do the work of preaching and if we can prove that it belongeth to their place and calling to do this work publickly it is as much as we contend for and divers of the ensuing Considerations shall be chiefly to evince that 1. Every Church-member sustaineth a relation to the whole Church he is fixed in and it belongeth to the place and calling of every gifted brother to teach exhort admonish every member thereof as occasion is offered there is some duty that every member oweth to the whole Church those that are most eminently gifted yet have need of the helps assistances experiences prayers of the weakest and meanest Members in gifts and abilities 1 Cor. 12. ver 21 22. The head cannot say to the feet I have no need of you those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary and that those duties of teaching and exhorting which are the same for substance with preaching Office-wise are required from every gifted person towards all fellow members the aforementioned Scriptures will evidence Hebr. 3. ver 13. Coloss 3. 16. They are urged amongst the general directions which were given to those Churches not amongst domestical or family-duties And Levit. 19. ver 17. Rebuke thy Neighbor Not only those in a mans own house but neighbors And seeing a gifted Brother may exhort and admonish all the Members of the Church severally why may he not doe it when they are together 3. A publick gift cannot be fully improved nor Gods end in giving it be fully answered if it be used only in a private way the nature of the gift sheweth that the chief use of it should be in a publick way A talent is hidden when it is not used in some way of proportion to the talent it self as well as when it is not used at all and they are unfaithful servants that hide their Talents Matth. 25. ver 18 25 26. Unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Luk. 12. ver 48. And if the Lord hath bestowed a gift fit for publick use and it hath been cooped up and used onely privately there much is given and little in comparison of what might be if it were used in a publick way is returned A gift might in a publick use of it reach many that in a private use of it can reap no advantage by it and so there is a hiding a Talent A man doth not Minister his gift or not as he hath received if he useth a publick gift onely in a private way And Gods end in affording a publick gift is not onely a mans own private advantage or the benefit of his family but the publick advantage of the whole Church 1 Cor. 12. ver 7. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal He speaketh of profiting the Church and not a mans family onely for all the gifts particularized ver 8 9 10. were to be layd out for the profit of the Church and the scope of the Chapter sheweth that a publick profiting with gifts is intended And the manifestation of the Spirit is given not to Officers only but to every man for this end that he may profit withal Every man that enjoyeth those eminent manifestations of the Spirit those eminent gifts of the Spirit to whom is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom or the word of knowledge as ver 3. i. e. to whomsoever the Spirit hath afforded a gift either wisely to speak and apply Gospel-truths to the souls of others for the uses and ends they serve to according to the various conditions streights exigencies necessities temptations which they are in that are spoken to or understandingly to give an exposition of the Scriptures every man that hath such gifts it belongeth to his place and calling to use those gifts for the common good of the Church or for the best advantage and profit thereof else he crosseth the end of the Spirit in bestowing those gifts which is that he might profit with them 4. Publick actings are
it is enough to us that these are included neither doe we say that every Christian ought publickly to preach many have not the Talent of preaching gifts But whatseover Talents any man who is a professed Servant of Jesus Christ hath as vers 14. Who called his own servants he falleth under this promise in the improvement of them that to him shall be given He that hath private gifts if he useth them to him shall be given he that hath publick gifts if he useth them to him shall be given Now none can deny that many un-ordained men have preaching gifts i. e. gifts that render them apt to teach for a knowledge of their having such gifts is pre-required unto ordination And here is a promise annexed unto the use of any Talents that any professed servant of Christ hath and therefore they that have preaching gifts whether they be ordained or not do fall under this promise in the use of their gifts Object 1. There is no great trust to Arguments for positive truths from parabolical expressions what Talents are there meant is not exprest Answ 1. Parables are proofs of some positive truths else of what use are they To strain parables beyond the scope of Christ in them is unsafe But that by Talents are meant gifts by trading a using or improving those gifts by Servants not onely Officers but visible Saints professing subjection unto Christ as their Master c. it is not to be denyed with any colour of reason So that Arguments drawn from the parable this way would be strong 2. Our Argument is not from the parable but from a general rule that hath a promise included in it Indeed it is applyed to the parable as a reason of that proceeding ver 28. but also it is applyed unto other things as Mark. 4. 24 25. Take heed what you hear and unto you that hear shall more be given for he that hath to him shall be given If they improve Gospel-opportunities if they keep the word themselves which they hear and measure out or communicate unto others what they have heard they shall not miss of their reward more shall be given them So that it is no parabolical-argumentation but from a clear rule that saith whatsoever gifts the Lord hath bestowed upon his servants in the Church they are in a way to enjoy the promise of encrease if they be in the improvement of them Object 2. This will prove that women may preach too Answ It is denyed because women are excepted It is sayd Josh 5. ver 5. All the People that came out i. e. out of Egypt were circumcised will any conclude therefore women were circumcised All includeth women in that case as much as all that have gifts or Talents doe include women in this case Object 3. But may it not be meant of Ministerial Talent and a called Ministry ver 14 15. his servants Answ Though the parable of the Talents might be understood of them yet this general rule and promise cannot be restrained to them because it is applyed even to hearers Mark 4. 24 25. Unto you that hear shall be given For and because the rule is so general 2. Neither can the parable be restrained to them seeing others besides Officers are in the Kingdome of Heaven are servants have their Lords goods and must give an account Obj. 4. But they must do it orderly first be ordained and then preach and is there no way of improving gifts but in publick preaching he that that hath them must improve them in his Sphere Answ 1. It is granted that he must be ordained when he undertaketh to be an Officer but Election or a Call from a Church must precede that let it be proved that a man may have ordination to Office-work before he hath Election from a Church or that he may suspend the exercise of his gifts until he hath such a Call from a Church It is possible that a man may have gifts which render him apt to teach divers Yeares before any Church may elect him to Office but he would be in danger of losing the benefit of this Promise to him that hath shall be given and of falling under that dreadful threatning from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath if all this time he should not exercise his gifts 2. It belongeth to his Calling who hath gifts fit for publick use to improve them publickly the very end of the Lords affording such gifts is That they might be laid forth in such a way 1 Cor. 12. 7. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal If one ordained to Office-work should use his gifts in a private and not in publick he would be called to an account for not using or improving his gifts and not barely because being ordained he did not use them publickly Men shall not be called to an account barely for the not using gifts but for the not using them in that way wherein they might most have promoted the Lords glory and the publick good Argum. 5. From Gospel-presidents or examples That which is holden forth by Gospel-presidents or examples with Divine allowance that may lawfully be practised But the ordinary exercise of preaching gifts in publick Assemblies by persons who are not ordained Officers is holden forth by Gospel-presidents or examples with Divine allowance Ergo The ordinary exercise of preaching gifts in publick Assemblies by persons who are not ordained Officers may lawfully be practised The Major we suppose will not be denyed It is our duty to walk as we have Christ the Apostles and primitive Saints for a pattern Phil. 3. 17. Brethren be followers together of me and mark those that walk so as ye have us for an ensample There was the same rule of obedience then as now viz. The Gospel and therefore what those Saints did unless by an extraordinary Call with Divine approbation must needs be our duty as well as it was theirs the Lord would not then give allowance to any sinful practise The Minor that the ordinary exercise of preaching gifts in publick Assemblies by persons not ordained Officers is holden forth by Gospel-presidents or examples with Divine allowance we prove 1. From the preaching of Apollo Act. 18. 2. From the preaching of the scattered Saints Act. 8. v. 11. 1. From the preaching of Apollo Act. 18. v. 24. And a certain Jew named Apollos born at Alexandria an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures came to ephesus ver 25. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord and being fervent in spirit he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord knowing onely the baptism of John ver 26. And he began to speak boldly in the Synagogue ver 28. He mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ From these verses we observe these things 1. That Apollos preached v. 25. He spake and taught diligently 2. That he preached in
Jews and ordinary Saints are commanded to be fervent in Spirit Rom. 12. 11. Therefore these will not prove an extraordinary Call 2. His being so uninstructed in the way of the Lord as Aquila and Priscilla excelled him in knowledge therein v. 26. strongly argueth his not being extraordinarily gifted 3. The people at Ephesus where he preached v. 24. 25. were after his departure from them ignorant of those extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost Acts 19. v. 1 2. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost If Apollos who before preached to them had been indued with those extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost surely they should have heard of it Obj. 2. But how will it be proved that Apollos being one of Johns Disciples had no commission from John to preach Answ 1. Let those that can prove that he had such a commission from John the Gospel is silent about it we read that he was gifted v. 24. Might in the Scriptures and that he had a zealous disposition to exercise those gifts and that put him upon preaching v. 25. Being fervent in Spirit he spake and taught This seemeth to hold out that persons really gifted being fervent in spirit may speak and teach where opportunity is offered 2. We cannot find that John gave commission to any of his Disciples to preach the Objection is built upon this Supposition and this being denyed it is altogether groundless we ask how it will be proved that John gave a commission to any to preach if it cannot be proved that he did the Objection is vain Obj. 3. Apollos abilities were eminent he was eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures and he preached where there was no Church and therefore this will not warrant their preaching who have not such gifts in places where Christ is known Answ 1. It matters not how eminent his gifts were the Question is not whether persons not eminently gifted may preach but the Question is whether persons so eminently gifted as according to Gospel-Rules Preachers ought to be may exercise those gifts in publick Assemblies though they be not ordained to Office-work If they will grant that men of like abilities with Apollo may preach without Ordination then they cannot with any colour of reason deny a like liberty to others to preach without Ordination if their gifts be so eminent as according to Gospel-Rules Preachers ought to be though far inferiour to Apollos 2. The Objection supposeth that gifted men without Ordination may preach where no Church is we wish that liberty were not denyed them But let it be proved that it is more unwarrantable to preach where a Church is then where no Church is 3. If it be said that because there was no Church therefore Ordination could not be had and so he might lawfully preach without it which otherwise he might not have done if there had been a Church to give Ordination We answer Though Ordination could not be had there if there were no Church yet it might have been had else-where at Jerusalem Obj. 4. Apollos seems to be more then a gifted Brother for he is ranked with Paul and Peter 1 Cor. 1. 12. he is called a Minister 1 Cor. 3. 5. Answ That was afterward when he was at Corinth he might be an Officer for ought we know and be ordained but his preaching at Ephesus Act. 18. 24 25. was before his going to Corinth v. 27. when he was disposed to pass into Achaia the Brethren wrote exhorting the Disciples to receive him Act. 19. 1. And it came to pass that while Apollos was at Corinth This intimateth that Apollos going to Corinth which was in Achaia was after his preaching at Ephesus his being an Officer afterward at Corinth doth no more prove that he was an Officer before at Ephesus then his knowing the baptism of Christ at Corinth doth prove his knowing of it at his first coming to Ephesus when he is said to know onely the baptisme of John And those who are now but gifted Brethren may afterwards become Officers 2. From the preaching of the scattered Saints Act. 8. 11. we infer the lawfulness of gifted mens preaching though not ordained It is said Act 8. 1. And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad thorow out the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles v. 3. As for Saul he made havock of the Church entring into every house and haling men and women committed them to prison v. 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word Act. 1. 1. v 19 20 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. From hence we observe 1. That these scattered Saints preached publickly Act. 8. 4. they went every where preaching the Word 2. That they had Divine allowance in this their preaching Act. 11. v. 21. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed the Lord eminently owned their labours with his blessing which argues his approbation of them in their work 3. That these scattered Saints who preached were many of them at least unordained This may appear from Act. 8. v. 1 4. The persons who preached are said to be the scattered Saints v. 4. They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching and who were scattered is declared v. 1. There was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad We argue thus Those who were scattered abroad upon the persecution they preached the word with Divine allowance But many men un-ordained were scattered abroad upon the persecution Ergo Many men un-ordained did preach the word with Divine allowance The Major is proved Act. 8. 4. The scattering abroad is the very Character which the Holy-Ghost doth set out these preachers by neither is it said some of those that were scattered but they that were scattered therefore very very many a very great if not the greatest part of those who were scattered they preached otherwise if but a few of them had preached it had been improper to set out who were preachers by the scattering Those that had not abilities could not doe it but all that were scattered who had gifts did it else the phrase were improper The Minor is proved Act. 8. ver 1. If it was the Church at Jerusalem that was scattered abroad upon the persecution then many men un-ordained were scattered abroad for surely none will say that the Church was ordained Church according to the usual acceptation of it must imply the generality of the members and surely our Brethren will not say that the generality of Church-Members were ordained or were Officers But it was the Church at Jerusalem that was scattered abroad upon the persecution Ergo many men un-ordained were scattered abroad The Minor is plain Act. 8. ver 1. There was a great persecution against the
Mat. 11. 9 10 11. c. By all which it appeareth even from their own mouths that as Miracles and the gift of Tongues were for a signe so also was the extraordinary gift of prophesie or foretelling things to come for a signe to evidence that they were no Impostors or Sadduces Now the prophesying spoken of 1 Cor. 14. was not for a signe vers 22. wherefore strange Tongues are for a Signe not to them that believe but to them that believe not but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them which believe The Antithesis or opposition between the gift of tongues and prophesying intimated in the particle but doth evidence that the thing which is predicated of tongues viz. that they are for a signe cannot be predicated of the prophesying there spoken of that it is for a signe also Were this prophesying for a signe then it should serve for those that believe not as the gift of tongues doth which the Apostle expresly denieth and therefore the prophesying spoken of cannot be the extraordinary gift of foretelling things to come which was a signe and so it is an ordinary gift of prophesie 4. Women Prophetesses are forbidden this prophesying in the Church 1 Cor. 14. v. 34. Let your women keep silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the Law But women Prophetesses might have prophesied publickly if they had received the extraordinary gifts of prophesie Luk. 2. v. 36. And there was one Anna a Prophetesse the daughter of Phanuel v. 38. And she coming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem Here a woman Prophetesse did with Divine allowance speak publickly to all and therefore in Gospel-days it was permitred to women who had an extraordinary gift of prophesie to speak publickly That publick prophesying which was not permitted unto women by the Word of God was ordinary for extraordinary prophesying was permitted unto women Luk. 2. 36 38. But the publick prophesying 1 Cor. 14. was not permitted unto women by the Word of God v. 34. Ergo The publick prophesying 1 Cor. 14. was ordinary Ergo it is still continuing Neither can it be said that before they had this liberty but now the Apostle taketh it a way for he urgeth their silence upon such grounds as would before the promulgation of the Gospel have made it unlawful for extraordinary prophetesses to have taught publickly as much as now 1 Cor. 14. v. 34. but to be under obedience as also saith the Law intimating that they should transgress the Law if they did not keep silence in the Churches therefore it was no new but an ancient prohibition fetched from the Law and from nature there is another Argument against it v. 35. For it is a shame for women to speak in the Church All laid together will speak it to be an ordinary gift of prophesying and so still continuing Obj. 2. It is evident by the series of this Chapter that the Prophets her spoken of and their prophesying was extraordinary v. 26. When Jus Divinum Minist page 97. you are come together every one of you hath a psalm hath a tongue hath a revelation hath an interpretation tongues interpretation revelation are joyned together v. 30. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace by which it appears that the prophets here spoken of were inspired by the Holy Ghost and that this gift of prophesie was an extraordinary Dispensation of God given to the primitive Church but now ceased Answ 1. The series of the Chapter as hath been shewn speaketh the prophets and their prophesying to be ordinary as for v. 26. if our Brethren would have recited all the words it wonld have been evident enough that an ordinary gift may be intended the words run thus Every one of you hath a psalm hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a revelation hath an interpretation our Brethren have left out those words hath a doctrine and then it seemeth as if none but extraordinary gifts were mentioned Such as have but ordinary gifts have a doctrine as well as persons extraordinarily gifted Ordinary Elders labor in the word and doctrine 1 Tim. 5. 17. And ought to be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers Tit. 1. 9. And therefore the joyning together of tongues interpretation and revelation doth not at all evidence that prophesying is an extra ordinary gift or Office for doctrine is joyned with them which is ordinary Their Argument must run thus That which is joyned with or reckoned up amongst extraordinary gifts is extraordinary But prophesying is so v. 26. Ergo. And then the Major is easily denyed for it is a common thing to joyn and reckon up extraordinary and ordinary gifts together And a like Argument we might use against them that which is joyned with or reckoned up amongst ordinary gifts is ordinary But prophesying is so 1 Cor. 12. 28. Rom. 12. 6 7 8. Ergo prophesying is ordinary Yea prophesying if mentioned at all 1 Cor. 14. 26. is joyned with or expressed by what is ordinary viz. doctrine 2. It is hard to determine that by revelation is meant prophesying v. 26. for revelation is distinguished from prophesying v. 6. except I shall speak to you either by revelation or by knowledge or by prophesying or by doctrine Here revelation and prophesying seem not to be the same and how will it be proved that by revelation is meant prophesying v. 26 if not their Argument falleth for it may be replyed Prophesying is neither of those three gifts which are joyned together v. 26. If prophesying be spoken of it is questionable whether it be expressed by doctrine which is ordinary or by revelation which is supposed to be extraordinary 3. There is ordinary revelation as well as extra ordinary if by revelation be meant prophesying v. 26. yet there is no necessity that it should be understood of immediate revelation and if not then it is not extraordinary As there is an immediate revelation by the Spirit so there is a mediate revelation by the written Word The Spirit useth the Word as a means whereby it giveth forth discoveries of the Will of God Ephes 1. v. 16 17 18. making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling c. He speaketh here of such revelations as are common to the Saints When by the Gospel they reach unto a knowledge of Christ and the hope of his Calling then they enjoy revelations Phil. 3. 15. If in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you
have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they Prophesied ver 22. But if they had stood in my Counsel and had caused my people to hear my words then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evill of their doings By Counsel may be understood Doctrine as Act. 20. 27. I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel i. e. the Doctrine of God And then it runneth thus If they had stood in my Doctrines c. if they had prophesied pure Doctrines of Gods word then they should have profited the people but because they prophesied false dreams therefore he declareth that he sent them not By all this it is evident that these were Prophets rightly called by the Lord for would the Lord entayl his blessing upon the labors of false Prophets as it was upon theirs if they had declared his words ver 22 Surely they that might have such an assurance of success in preaching might lawfully preach the word of God And therefore how impertinently is this place alleadged against the preaching of gifted men these Prophets by Gods own testimony had allowance to preach Gods word they are not blamed for prophesying without a call but for venting false Doctrine and when those who are rightly ordained to Office-work do speak the vision of their own hearts this is as applicable to them as it was to these Prophets If Pastors or Teachers rightly called do in these days preach lies in stead of truth to the people the Lord saith the same to them ' they ran and I sent them not i. e. sent them not with that message The Lord doth send them to preach the Gospel when they swerve from that they are not sent though the same persons before and after may properly be said to be sent when they preach the Gospel 5. What is the work offending viz. commanding or assigning to go Isai 6. 8. Whom shall I send and who will go for us then I said here am I send me And how doth he send him see ver 9. And he said Go and tell this people So that for God to send is for him to command to do such a work So Jerem. 14. ver 14 15. I sent them not What is that neither have I commanded them Jerem. 23. v. 21. I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them Matth. 10. v. 5. These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying Go not v. 6. But go So that undenyable sending of Preachers is Christs commanding of them to go and preach to such a people And they are not sent who are not warranted by some command of Christ to publish the Gospel unto such persons Indeed they that have not a command or warrant from the Gospel of Christ to preach they may be said to run without being sent yet not as if mission or sending were that which did authorize to Preach or made it lawful for a man to preach who else might not lawfully do it but because that man cannot have a command from Christ to preach to such or such persons which is the work of sending or that wherein the essence of mission doth consist without he hath a command or warrant to preach Christ never saith to any man Go preach to such persons until he hath first commanded him to preach He that is not commanded to do the work of preaching cannot rationally be supposed to be commanded to preach to such persons and so he may be said to be unsent because he wanteth the prerequisites unto sending And whereas some object from Jerem. 14. That he is a false Prophet not onely that teacheth lies but who is not sent The Prophet telleth them plainly v. 14 15. That his not commanding them to prophesie to that people what they did was his not sending of them The same things might have been prophesied to another people at Gods command and might have been no lies but truths Had they prophesied what God commanded they had been sent 6. How or by what means Christ doth command to go and preach viz. by his word Not by a presbytery but by the written word It is not an immediate mission but mediate by the word As Gods command in his word would be a mediate call to hear the word preached to pray to be baptized to receive the Lords Supper and to perform other Religious services though no Presbyters should exhort to these duties so Christs command in the Gospel to goe and Preach is a mediate mission to all lawful Preachers though no presbyters should urge it upon them And how a Presbytery can send but by exhorting to follow this command of Christ we know not And in such a Doctrinal way for ought we see a private Christian may exhort to go and teach yea any Minister of Christ may say to another Minister long after his being constituted an Officer especially in case of sloath and negligence Go and teach that people committed to thy charge We finde Gospel-commands directed by Christ unto Preachers which have the nature and form of a mission in them as Matth. 28. 19. Go Disciple all Nations c. 1 Pet. 4. 10 c. That such a mission belongeth to a Presbytery let them prove that can we can find no sillable of Scripture-proof for it And thus we have cleared the parts of this Description of mission And if mission be taken in this sense Rom. 10. v. 15 viz. For Christs commanding preachers to publish the Gospel to such persons and such a people Then a moral impossibility is intended by the interrogation and it amounteth to thus much How shall they groundedly warrantably or orderly preach except they have a command from Christ to go The Jews would have ingrossed this priviledge they laid claim to preaching as peculiar to them and denyed that the Gentiles were commanded to be preached to In answer possibly unto them the Apostle may speak thus It is promised that in Gospel-days the Gentiles should believe and they cannot believe without hearing nor hear without preaching nor can any warrantably preach to them or so as to justifie their act or expect a blessing from God except they be sent i. e. except the Lord doth command to go and preach to them If they must be preached to it must be concluded that some are commanded to go to them with the Gospel And if the words be taken in this sense the dint of many Objections is avoided which are levelled against a bare providential sending We say Providences alone do not express the nature of mission but there is a command of Christ also to go and preach wherein especially this sending doth consist Obj. 1. This sending is not barely providential but a ministerial sending as appeareth by the next words As it is written How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel which words are taken out of Isai 52. and the Ministers he
mens praying or giving themselves to prayer as against their preaching thus if no man may do the work of a Magistrate in the civil or of a Deacon in the Ecclesiastical state but he that is called to the Office of a Magistrate or of a Deacon then much less may any man give himself to prayer which is a work of a Minister but he that is called to the Office of the Ministry But will our Brethren say that no man may pray or give himself to prayer but he that is in Office yet prayer is a work that Officers perform as well as preaching If they say that prayer is not peculiar to Office we say no more is preaching Object The reason of the connexion is evident for by how much the work of the ministry is of greater consequence difficulty and danger then either of these by so much the greater care and circumspection is to be taken that it be not performed promiscuously Answ This doth not make the consequence evident 1. Because this care and circumspection may be taken and yet men who are allowed to preach may not be called to Office a man may have approbation and yet not have Ordination If we should grant that none might preach until they be approved and upon tryal be found to have those qualifications which by Gospel-rules preachers ought to have yet how will it follow none may preach unless they be called and to Office 2. Because men may warrantably perform some works of greater consequence difficulty and danger who yet may not perform works of less consequence and importance as for example every Christian may beleeve and exercise himself to meditation of the word which are works of higher consequence because the salvation of the soul is so neerly concerned in them and yet every Christian may not doe the work of Magistrates or Deacons which are of an inferior nature relating more to the good of the Body Neither will it help to say that mediatating and beleeving are not acts of Office unless they can prove that preaching is an incommunicable act of Office the example is brought only to shew that God doth not allow some works of an inferior nature to be done by men unappointed to Office and yet doth approve of their adventuring on works of higher consequence difficulty and danger without their being called to Office If the Lord hath warranted by his word and allowed gifted men to preach without a call to Office then they may do it though it be a work of higher consequence then the work of a Magistrate which they may not do without a call to the Office of a Magistrate We know not any that plead for preaching without a Commission but we say a written word is Commission enough to preach without ordination to Office The Lord can limit a lesser work to Office and not so limit a greater work and what is man that he should gainsay it 2. The Minor may be denyed in part For some men may doe the work which a Deacon doth who is not called to the Office of a Deacon distributing to the necessities of the Saints is a work of a Deacon Act. 6. and yet as we shewed in the answer to their first argument men out of Office may distribute for the same end Rom. 12. 13. We do not think but that if a man hath ability he may lawfully distribute of his own goods to all those Church-members that are in want though he be no Deacon by Office yea he may distribute to the same persons the same quantity being as yet no Deacon that afterward he doth being a Deacon and yet may not be blame-worthy and why may not a man as lawfully preach and that to all those persons being as yet no Officer to them which afterward he preacheth as an Officer to Therefore if by doing the work of Magistrates or Deacons they mean barely a doing the same work that they do and do not intend it of acts peculiar to their offices then their Minor is denyed some men may lawfully do such works who are not called to be Magistrates or Deacons But if by doing the work of a Magistrate they mean a work peculiar to a Magistrate and by the work of a Deacon a doing of it as under such a relation to the Church or in such a manner as Deacons by their office are to do it then we grant their Minor none may do works peculiar to a Magistrate or take the oversight of the Churches treasure or call for receive and dispose of the Churches goods as one that is a trustee and hath such a charge committed to him for the good of that Church unless he be called to the office of a Deacon These things partly express what the office of a Deacon is and what it is for Deacons to put forth acts of their office Act. 6. And then we deny their Major If none may do such works without a call to those offices in such a manner as is peculiar to those offices to say then much less may any man preach the word but he that is called to the office of the Ministry this consequence is feeble for preaching is not an act peculiar to office in it self but when performed by persons under a special relation to those that are preached to Because a man may not perform an act of office without a call to that Office therefore he may not exercise a gift in doing that which is no act peculiar to Office this doth not follow If none may administer the Sacrament but he that is lawfully called and ordained Argune 4 Jus Divin Min. p. 87. thereunto then neither may any preach but he that is lawfully called and ordained But none may administer the Sacraments but he that is lawfully called and ordained thereunto Therefore Answ We deny the consequence of the Major it doth not follow that if none may administer the Sacrament but he that is lawfully called and ordained thereunto then neither may any preach but he that is lawfully called and ordained By being lawfully called and ordained they must understand a being called and ordained to office as elsewhere they express it otherwise we may grant their whole argument and yet gifted Brethren may preach for the conclusion will be no more but this therefore none may preach but he that is lawfully called and ordained We have proved that gifted men are called and ordained or appointed by God in his word to preach and therefore in this sense it concludeth nothing against their preaching Yet neither way is the consequence good though it be true that none may preach without a lawful call yet it doth not follow that if gifted men may not administer the Sacraments then they may not preach for the administration of the Sacraments may be peculiar to Office and preaching not be so But let us hear their proof of it Object The connexion is clear because that these two works are joyntly in the same
a relation yet it doth not follow that it is so by whomsoever it be performed Obj. 2. Heb. 7. Without controversie the lesser is blessed of the greater Answ The Apostle asserteth Christ to be an High-priest after the Order of Melchisedec Heb. 6. ver 20. and giveth a reason of it Heb. 7. 1. and in the excellency and greatness of Melchisedec he setteth forth the excellency of Christ who is after has order ver 2 3 c. he proveth the greatness of Melchisedec and so of Christ because he blessed Abraham ver 6. and so must be greater then Abraham who received the blessing ver 7. without all contradiction the less is blessed of the greater But what is all this to prove that preaching is an act of authority Doe preachers succeed Melchisedec or Christ Can they bless with a High-priests blessing Are they greater then Abraham as he that gave this blessing was There is a blessing of reverence and worship so men bless God Psal 68. 19. Blessed be the Lord who dayly Dickson londeth us with his benefits There is a blessing of Charity so men bless one another by mutual prayer Rom. 12. 14. Bless them which persecute you bless and curse not It is required as a duty not of preachers only but of all Christians thus to bless yet neither of these kindes of blessing do imply superiority or authority or that he is greater who blesseth then he that is blessed He that blesseth by an Original inherent power as Christ doth he is greater then he that is blessed and of such blessing the Text speaketh but he that blesseth Ministerially and instrumentally is not alwayes greater then he that is blessed nor is the blessing alwayes an act of authority Object 3. The Apostle suffers not women to preach because they may not usurp authority over the man 1 Tim. 2. but is commanded to be in subjection upon which place Oecum The very act of teaching is to usurp authority over the man Answ There is a plain distinction and difference made in the very text alledged between teaching and usurping authority for the words are these But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence 1 Tim. 2. 12. That particle nor doth plainly intimate that two things are forbidden 1. Teaching 2. Usurping authority And a womans usurping authority over her husband seemeth to be the thing directly forbidden by the Apostle rather then the usurping of authority over the Church and hence the words are nor usurp authority over the man and the reasons inforcing it from the mans being first created ver 13. and from the womans being first deceived ver 14. speak it to be an usurping authority over her husband rather then over the Church that is forbidden However there is no such thing found in the Text as that the act of teaching is to usurp authority over the man Object 4. The publick work of the Ministry of the word is an authoritative administration like unto that of Cryers Heralds and Embassadors to be performed in the name of the Lord Jesus and therefore may not be performed by any but such as are authorized and immediately or mediately deputed by him 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. appears because in preaching the Key of the Kingdom of Heaven is used Answ 1. These titles we spake to in another place and thither we refer the Reader 2. A warrant from the written word to preach is authority enough and this we have shewn gifted men have If men who are not authorized by Christ to preach will do it and if this be an usurping of authority yet what is all this to prove either 1. That it is to usurp authority over the Church Or 2. That to preach without Ordination to the work is to usurp such authority over the Church These are the things which not being proved their Argument falleth 3. That there is a Key of Knowledge we grant Luk. 11. v. 52. which Christians who are not in Office may use 1 Cor. 12. ver 7 8. 1 Cor. 14. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. And in Discipline the power of 1. Excommunication is the binding Key that which shutteth the Kingdom of Heaven the Church against offendors 2. Re-admission is the loosing Key or that which openeth the Kingdom of Heaven the Church to such as repent Matth. 18 vers 17 18. If he neglecteth to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican Verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Here the binding Key and the loosing Key are used about Church-censures and if both these were given to the Officers onely which we deny yet gifted men might preach neither can they gain any thing from the Keyes to prove that preaching is an Act of Authority much less to prove their Proposition Argum. 6. That which the Scripture reproves may no man practise But the Scripture reproves uncalled men for preaching Therefore The Minor say they appears in that the false prophets are reproved Jerem. Jus Divin Minist p. 89. 23. 21 32. not onely for their false doctrine but also for running when they were not sent I am against them saith the Lord a fearful commination if God be against them who shall be with them The false prophets themselves accuse Jeremiah Jerem. 29. 27. for making himself a prophet which though it was a most unjust and false impuration yet it holds forth this truth That no man ought to make himself a prophet the false prophets themselves being witnesses The Apostles in the Synod of Jerusalem speak of certain men that went out from them They went out they were not sent out but they went out of their own accord and this is spoken of them by way of reproof And then it follows They troubled you with words subverting your soules He that preacheth unsent is not a builder but a subverter of souls Answ 1. We deny that the Scripture reproves the preaching of gifted men who are unordianed to Office This Argument if it were wholly granted yet it proves not at all what it is produced for Their proposition is That none may do the work of the Ministry without Ordination or being solemnly set apart thereunto Their Argument to prove this is The Scripture reproveth uncalled men for preaching therefore uncalled men may not preach We may grant that uncalled men may not preach and yet may assert that unordained men if gifted may preach For gifted men are called to preach though they be not ordained Let them prove that Ordination is the onely Call to preach if it were granted that Ordination is the Call to Office as elsewhere they endeavour to prove yet it would not follow that there is no Call to preach without that unless it can be proved that there is no preaching but by Office 2. The places alledged
will it follow thence that there is no need that any particular persons should be by God appointed as Deacons to do it If the inhabitants in a Town may give to the poor yet it is not reckoned needless for Overseers to be appointed to the work If some friends or Relations may provide for an Orphanous child will it follow that therefore there is no need that any should be put in trust as Guardian for it Surely this doth not follow So neither doth it follow that if gifted men may Preach then it is un-needful or un-necessary that any should be put in trust with or have the charge of the flock committed to them to feed it with the Word and doctrine Arg. 4. The truths of the Gospel are such as according to Scripture warrant are onely to be communicated to others by such as being faithful and able to teach others and have those things committed to them by Timothies and private persons are not such to whom such things are committed Ergo It is unlawful for such to communicate them in that manner He endeavoureth to prove the proposition by that place 2 Tim. 2. 2. And the things that thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others Hence he taketh notice of several things Obj. 1. According to Gospel-order in Gospel-Churches there should be some to teach and others to be taught so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 29 Aâ—e all Teachers now according to this principle it is possible that all may be Teachers in a Church it all be gifted Ans 1. It is as possible that all in a Church may be Officers for it they be faithful and able by what rule can any Presbytery refuse to ordain them this is as much against himself as against us 2. If all were Teachers yet whilst one Teaches the rest that hear are taught 1 Cor. 14. 29 31. 3. If all the Church should be Teachers yet others who are unconverted would need to be taught though the Church did not and the Text only saith who shall be able to teach others whether in or of the Church Obj. 2. It is plain from that place that those that teach others must be able to teach and faithful not unlearned and unstable men Ans That none but those who are faithfull and able to teach others are to preach we grant and if by unlearned he meaneth men un-instructed in Gospel mysteries we grant they are to be learned and no other learning doth this Text require unto preaching for the things to be committed to them that they might be able to preach were the doctrines of the Gospel which he had heard of Paul the things thou hast heard of me c. Obj 3. These able and faithful men before they teach others must have a Timothy or Timothies commit the Gospel to them it is not enough that they are gifted faithfull c. The word for commit he saith signifies 1. Sometimes meerly to propound a thing to others and set it before them thus often Mat. 13. 24. v. 31. Mark 8. 6 7. Luke 9. 16. 10. ch 8. Luke 11. 6. Acts 16. 34. Acts 17. 3. 1 Cor. 10. 27. 2. Sometimes to commit a thing as in trust when a thing is commited to some and not to others so Luke 12. 48. Luk. 23. 46. and so Acts 14. 23. Acts 20. 32. So Paul committed the charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 18 so 1 Pet. 4. 19 c. Either Timothy was to lay open doctrines such things as be had heard from Paul viz. the truths of the Gospel of Christ or else he was to commit them to some that is to appoint some to whom he might intrust those truths with as publike Treasurers to dispense them out Ans 1. We conceive that a committing the truths of the Gospel which he had heard from Paul doctrinally is intended in this place 1. The word is often used only for a committing things doctrinally to others as Mr. Collings granteth and seeing it will bear this sense there must be some speciall reason in the Text to restain it unto the other sense else an argument from the word taken in the other sense cannot be cogent 2. That the word is in this place to be taken onely for a committing Gospel truths to them doctrinally appeareth 1. Because the end of this committing Gospel truths to them is to make them able to teach others suppose there were any such act to be performed in ordination as a committing the Gospell by the Ordainers to the ordained yet this committing of it to them could not make them able to teach others unless they will say that the gifts of the Holy Ghost are conferred in ordination which cannot be proved Nay they cannot warrantably ordain any but such as before were able to teach others and therefore the ability is not conferred by ordination But this committing is to make men able to teach others as the words do plainly shew 2 Tim. 2. 2. The same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others He doth not say commit them to men that are able at present to teach others as if the ability were to be antecedent to this committing the things to them but who shall be able in future time or for the time to come so that this committing is to make them able Many that are faithful are not sufficiently instructed to teach others and therefore he bids Timothy teach them the way of God more perfectly as they did Apollo Act. 18. 26. that they may be able to teach others And so this proveth an argument against him Those that are faithful and so well instructed in Gospel truths that they are able to teach others may and ought to lay forth their abilities that way But many un-ordained men are such Ergo 2 Because it doth not appear from other Scriptures that any such committing of Gospel truths as he speaketh of by men is required unto a call no not to a call to office Election and Ordination are both compleat without it We read not a word of it Act. 6. Act. 13. 14. The Lord doth commit the Gospel to Officers and make them Trustees thereof for such a Church as a man by his last Will and Testament doth commit his child and an Estate to maintain it with to some faithful friend but we find nothing in the Scripture of mans committing the Gospel to man but doctrinally Paul in a doctrinal way committed that charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 18. for Timothy was a Minister before and therefore this committing it to him could not authorize him to preach Obj. If Timothy were onely to commit them to some that is to declare them to some and set them before their eyes what means the resurrection of faithful men men able to teach others Surely Timothy was to preach those truths not only to such as were faithful but to such as
was the use and end of this Ordination as appeareth v. 2 3. If it be enquired what work they were called to we may see 1 Cor. 1. v. 17. Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel Paul telleth us that it was the preaching of the Gospel he was called to and therefore it was this work that he was Ordained to His Commission was larger and extended further in respect of the persons who were the objects of it then ordinary Officers Commissions now but that is not material in this case his Ordination was to the same work viz. preaching the Gospel Office-wise which ordinary Officers are still to be ordained to And v. 3. They sent them away i. e. freely let them go though they would gladly have enjoyed their labours still yet they consented to their departing We suppose none will think that this sending a way doth imply any such Mission to preach as they usually plead for from Rom. 10. 15. the word will not enforce any such sending it is used Mat. 27. 21. Whether of the twain will ye that I Release unto you Acts 26. 32. Luke 2. 29. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart So that according to the ordinary usage of the word it may be rendred thus They Released them or let them depart and therefore nothing can be gathered hence for the belonging of Mission to Ordination That fasting and prayer here served to any extraordinary ends which in ordinary Ordinations they availed not to cannot be proved and surely the praying was not in vain it was not a bare act of obedience to the will of God but they might expect a return of these prayers as well as in any other Ordinations As for Imposition of hands that it served to any other uses or ends then in Ordaining of Deacons Acts 6. 6. will hardly be proved Object But if this Ordination had ordinary uses and ends and so this example may be a binding rule as to Ordination it self yet how doth it prove it to have the force of a Rule in its being consequential to the call to Office Ans 1. When so many things are ordinary about an Act there must be some special reason to render it probable that other things are extraordinary 2. It proveth that the ordinary uses and ends of Ordination have their attainment after the call to office and therefore Ordination hath its place and order after the call to office also If separation to the work of Office appeareth by this Text to be the proximate end of those Acts which are called Ordination until a man be an officer he cannot orderly be separated to the work of office and because the separation must be consequential to the call to office therefore the Ordination by which a person is supposed to be separated to that work must needs be consequential also and so it is an ordinary order and therefore the example is a binding rule to us in the order as well as in the act of Ordination Ordination here was compleat in its acts and in its uses and ends and therefore the giving the essence to the call to office is not the proper use or ordinary end of Ordination The outward call to office and Ordination are separable one from the other for Ordination can attain its end when such a call to office is before it And if this will be granted we have what we contend for in this question Object 2. This Ordination might be used not for the proper end whereto it served when ordinary Officers were ordained but for an example to shew the necessity of Ordination and it is not said separate me Paul and Barnabas for the Office but for the work whereunto I have called them Acts 13. 2 3. Ans 1. Some end there must be of this ordination and that it served here onely for an example or for any other end then usually it served to is not proved 2. It cannot be an example of the necessity of Ordination for the giving the Essence to the call to Office which is the thing here contended about because that was not given by this Ordination If the main use of Ordination were to give the Essence to the Ministerial call then this example failed in the chief thing wherein it should have been exemplary How could the Church of Antioch take this as a pattern to shew the necessity of Ordination unto the giving the Essence to a call to Office when it was not used for any such end in the pattern it could not be an example of that which was not done by it If we grant it to be an example of Ordination to the work of office yet that will not prove that Ordination is essential to the call to office but rather that it is to come after that call 3. It is true it is not said separate them for the office but for the work let any prove from scripture that ordination doth separate to the office of the Ministry as Office is distinguished from the work What work was it that Paul and Barnabas were separated for Surely if it were to any it was to the work of their office and yet they had the whole Essence of their call to office before and therefore we may grant Ordination to the work of office and yet deny Ordination to office or deny it as essential to a call to office This may be an example of the one and not of the other 4. It is not like that the Church at Antioch was unacquainted with Ordination so as to need this for a first example thereof And who can think that Paul and Barnabas should be with the Church at Antioch a whole year before this as Act. 11. v. 25. 26 12. v. 27. 13. v. 1 2 3. and yet they be strangers to Ordination 5. May not we conclude more safely that it is an example binding to the use of Ordination after the declared call to office and onely to the work of the Ministery then they can conclude it to be an example of Ordination to office seeing no call to office was here given by it Object 3. But Paul and Barnabas were extraordinary Officers and so could not have an ordinary or mediate call to office by their Ordination and that may be a special reason why it had not the same use to them as it hath to ordinary Officers and besides this Ordination was by the immediate appointment of the Holy Ghost Acts 13. 2. 4. it was an extraordinary thing and therefore not sufficient to ground an ordinary practice upon Ans 1. We cannot yet see it proved that ordination served to any other uses and ends when ordinary officers were ordained then now it served to when these extraordinary Officers were ordained if it attained here all the ordinary ends that it was intended by Christ for then giving the essence to the call to office is none of the ordinary ends of Ordination for that was not attained here and
be hindred from doing all acts of that office for to be an officer compleat without an office or being compleat in his office yet according to rule to be hindred from doing any thing belonging to his office implies a contradiction for its all one to say a man is implies a contradiction for its all one to say a man is bound to a rule and yet by a rule he should not do it Forma dat operari effects depend upon the form not upon extrinsecal circumstances Ans We deny the consequence Although election gives the Essentials to a Minister yet it will not follow that a Minister elected may administer the Sacraments without Ordination for Christs will is to be our Law if Christ hath required the adding but of an Adjunct before the doing some special works without sin no man can do those works without that Adjunct If Christ hath pre-required Ordination before the administration of the Sacraments what is man that he should say one may administer them without Ordination though that be but an Adjunct to the call unto office That which Master Hooker speakes is onely this that he cannot justly be hindred from doing all acts of office if he hath the Essentials of office upon him and this may be granted for if Christ requireth Ordination as Antecedaneous to the administring of the Sacraments then he is unjustly hindred who either refuseth or is denyed Ordination He is not according to rule hindred from doing what belongeth to his office but by breaking that Rule which requireth his submitting to Ordination The reason serveth to Master Hookers purpose but not to our brethrens in this Argument And upon second thoughts we suppose they will not say that one may act in administrations without such Adjuncts as Christ hath pre-required unto acting in them especially seeing themselves durst not assert imposition of hands to be more then an Adjunct to Ordination and yet urge it as a duty to receive it and endeavour to prove it a sin to refuse or omit it Argu. 6. If the whole Essence of the Ministerial call consisteth in election Jus Divin Mini. p. 137. then it will follow that a Minister is only a Minister to that particular charge to which he is called and that he cannot act as a Minister in any other place That this consequence is necessary they endeavour to prove by its being confessed by Master Hooker and the new England Ministers in some of their books Answ If the whole Essence of the Ministerial call consisteth in Ordination as our brethren judge will it follow that a Minister is onely a Minister to the Universal Church to which he is as they suppose Ordained and that he cannot act as a Minister to any other If so how can he preach to Pagans and Indians who are no members of any Church when Preaching is a Pastoral act in their sense why may not we extend Pastoral acts to them that concur not in Election as well as they may extend them to such as concur not in Ordination But they proceed to the proof of their Minor and give many reasons against that That a Minister can perform no Pastoral act out of his own Congregation they say is an Assertion Unheard of in the Church of Christ before these late Jus Divin Min. p. 138. years Answ If the Gospel holdeth forth so much surely then it is an Assertion heard of many hundred years ago if it were taken for granted and not quâ—stioned in the Primitive times and through the overspreading of Popery the truth were hidden since it is a mercy that within these late years it or any other truth is come to light As many Authors may be cited who many hundred years ago asserted errors and yet this will not prove that we are to receive them as Gospel truths so if no antient Authors could be cited for this yet that will not prove it to be an error neither would the citation of many for it prove it to be a truth and therefore we must to the Law and to the Testimony for the clearing of it 2. Contrary to the practice of the brethren themselves with whom we Jus Divin Min. p. 138. dispute it is acknowledged by all of them that the administration of the Sacrament is a Ministerial act and cannot be done but by a Pastor or Teacher and yet it is ordinary both in Old England and in New England for members of one Congregation to receive in another Congregation If we may argue from our Brethrens practice we may safely conclude That a Minister may act as a Minister out of his own Congregation Answ 1. This is an Argument rather against our practice then against the assertion it is levelled at If we practice against our own principles that doth not prove that our principles are unsound 2. But we answer further Ministerial or Pastoral acts have for their Objects some things that are common some things that are special and proper Some things are common to men as men as the Word and Prayer which all men may join or have communion in unless in some particular case disinabled Some things are common to Church-members as such namely admission to the Lords Supper Rom. 16. 1. Church-councel and care to be acted towards such by a more especial obligation then towards other men seeing every new relation is a foundation to further Communion If the right of a man as a man be sufficient to claim the priviledge of hearing with a Church not considering whether he be of this or that place or Church then also may not the claim of a consederate with a particular Church be sufficient to a priviledge in breaking of bread not considering whether of this or another Church for his right is as confederate not as a member of this or that Church Some things are special and proper wherein the liberty and jurisdiction of the Church doth consist as admission of members excommunication Election of Officers c. Acts of power which issue necessarily from the gift or resignation of every one to another and to the whole whereby it is that common priviledges are by them injoyed after a special manner who have interest not onely in the good dispensed but in the power dispensing not in the objects of a Ministerial act onely but in the Ministery As suppose a Father at set times giveth instruction to his children who also is a Master and teacheth his Servants at which times the children and servants of the neighbour-hood attend upon him and receive instruction this man performeth the duty of a Father and of a Master to his own children and servants who have interest in him as so related the other partake in the good which is given forth yet not under those relations which are the grounds of those ministrations for the same man is under special obligations to give instructions to his children and to his servants by the Law of the relation of a
Ordination and if there were no Ordination it is far from proving that the Ministerial office is given thereby 2. It is to us clear that by Gift is not meant Office several reasons are given by Mr. Hooker to evidence this that by gift is meant those spiritual abilities by which he was fitted and furnished for his office 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth most commonly signifie such gifts and graces as the Lord bestoweth upon us not office and without special reason we may not recede or depart from the common signification of a word They have given us no reason to evince that it must be taken here for office and not in its usuall signification and therefore it is a feeble argument which hath no better proof 2. The nature of the Expressions forbid that by gift should be meant office for as Mr. Hooker observeth a man is not said to stir up his office that is in him but to stirre up the grace that is in him being put into office We are not wont to speak thus Forget not the â—ffice that is in you a man is not onely more properly but more truly said to be in his office nay the very nature and reality of the thing requires this also An Office is a relation adjoyned to a man not inherent in him c. 3. The person exhorted to stir up the gift 2 Tim. 1. 6. and not to neglect the gift 1 Tim. 4. 14. was Timothy who was an extraordinary Officer an Evangelist 2 Tim. 4. v. 5. Do the work of an Evangelist c. and therefore his office could not be collated upon him either by the people or by the Presbytery let it be proved that an extraordinary office could be conveyed by an ordinary Ordination if not then by Gift cannot be meant Office and therefore their Argument is altogether without proof for the Ministerial office is not there said to be given by Ordination And themselves interpret one of the Texts of extraordinary gifts using these words If Timothy had any extraordinary gift that was given by the imposition of the Apostles hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift that is in thee by the laying on of my hands as it was in those times usual for extraordinary gifts to be conveyed Why in one place of the same book they should understand by Gift extraordinary gifts and in another place Office in interpreting the same Text we know not And whereas they say there That imposition of hands now confers as much as the imposition of hands by the Presbytery did to Timothy viz. the office of a Presbytery It is not proved that an office was conferred upon Timothy by laying on of hands and if any were it must be the Office of an Evangelist for that was Timothies office and surely our brethren will not say that the extraordinary office of an Evangelist is conferred now by Ordination which must be if by the Gift were meant Office and that were conferred by imposition of hands and as much were conferred now for surely that which made him an Evangelist made him a Presbyter 3. If by Gift were meant Office yet it is onely said to be given with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery it is seldom that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth by and however it cannot be restrained to that signification and therefore no Argument can safely or forcibly be fetched thence for most properly it is rendred with and that doth not intimate any causal vertue but onely a connexion or concurrence such as a concomitantial adjunct may have If laying on of hands denoteth Ordination and be but a meer adjunct to the conferring of the gift yet it may properly be said to be given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4. 14. with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery and therefore it doth not prove that Ordination giveth the Ministerial office Their first Argument to prove that the essence of the Ministerial call doth consist in ordination is divided into three parts Ob. 1. The persons that are said in Scriture to Ordain are either Apostles Prophets Jus Divin Min. p. 169. Evangelists or Presbyters And this is a sufficient argument to us to prove that it is Ordination that constitutes the Minister and not Election For it is not likely that Christ would appoint his Apostles and his Apostles appoint extraordinary and ordinary Elders to convey onely an adjunct of the Ministerial call and leave the great work of conveying the office-power unto the common people Answ 1. Whether it belongeth so to Officers to ordain as none else may do it we shall shew afterward 2. If onely Officers might ordain yet that were no proof to us that Ordination constitutes the Minister for the office-relation which is introduced by the call or by that which constitutes a Minister is a relation to the people or to a Church and therefore the people or a Church must needs convey the office-power for one relate gives being and the essential constituting causes to another Relata mutuo se ponunt tellunt tam in essendo quam cognoscendo They are not made Officers over or to the Ministers that do ordain them the relation is not between Officers and Officers but between Officers and a Church Act. 20. 28. and therefore if Ministers onely may ordain yet they do not constitute the Minister thereby for then Relate should not give being to each other And although Ordination be but an Adjunct to the outward call yet that adjunct consisting chiefly if not onely in prayer and the blessing and success of the Officer in his work depending wholly upon the Lord who in Ordination is prayed to for it hence it is not unlikely that Christ would imploy Elders in adding such an adjunct and yet leave the great work of conveying the office-power as to the outward call unto the people Object 2 The solemnity used in Ordination is prayer fasting and imposition Jus Divin Min. p. 169. of hands we do not read the like Solemnitie expressed in Scripture in Election and therefore it is against reason to think that Election should constitute the Minister and give him all his Essentials and Ordination onely give him a ceremonial complement Ans 1 Ordination so far as man acted in it did consist in such Solemnitie and reason will rather give it that the call should consist in something else and that Ordination should be but the Solemnization of a call and not the call it self for it is improper to assert that a call consisteth onely in Solemnities and that any other acts concurred in Ordination in those dayes besides those which they mention cannot be proved 2. Prayer is the chief if not the onely act wherein Ordination doth consist and reason tells us that a call must go before praying for the blessing of God upon a man in a work which is the fruit and effect onely of the call Object 3. The blame laid upon
a Synod who may not ordain then they will make a Synod inferiour to a classical Presbytery Neither is it material that Officers acted in this Synod as well as Brethren for Apostles acted in it also and we may assert that the Brethren of Churches may act in a Synodical way without Elders when they want Elders as well as our brethren may say that Elders in these dayes may act in a Synodical way without Apostles Our Argument therefore may run thus Those that may act as our brethren phrase it in making decrees in a Synod they may ordain But some believers who are no Officers may act in making decrees in a Synod Ergo some believers who are no Officers may ordain That a Church may design fit persons to perform some special services we might evidence also from 2 Cor. 8. v. 18 19. Who was also chosen of the Churches v. 23. They are the Messengers of the Churches c. Let any shew any special reason why the Churches may not chuse and depute fit persons to ordain as well as to perform other special and publick services when occasion is offered Arg. 5. Those that give the essence of the call to office may also give the adjunct But some believers without Officers do give the essence of the call to Office Ergo some believers may give the Adjunct The Major our brethren grant these are their own words If Election give the essence to a Minister and Ordination onely Jus Divin Min. p. 188. an Adjunct we see no reason why they that give the essence should not also give the Adjunct It is in the Lords power to limit an Adjunct more then that which is essential but let any prove that in this case any such limitation is given if not then they that may do the greater act may do the lesser when it is about the same matter and for the same general end otherwise the disability to do the lesser might render the greater act in a great measure frustraneous as to its end The Minor we have proved before in showing that Election is that which giveth the essence to the outward call to office and that Election belongeth to a Church and if Election giveth the essence then Ordination must needs be but an Adjunct to that call Obj. As to what is objected that if this Argument be valid it would follow that people might ordain their own Ministers not onely when they want Elders but when they have Elders Ans 1. This doth not deny the Argument but strengthen it if our brethren will grant that it is more then we ask of them if the Argument will infer more then we produce it for that doth not hinder the validity of it unless it can be proved that it crosseth some Gospel Rule therein 2. We deny that such a consequence is necessary for such a duty is to be performed by the meetest and ablest persons in a Church because that tendeth most to edification and it is supposed that where a Church hath Officers they are meetest and ablest to go before the Church in prayer and therefore they cannot be excused though we know not but if that they want help they may be assisted by the ablest members Also where a Church hath officers they are chosen purposely to take the charge of the weighty concernments of the Church and to be chiefly active therein for the good of the Church and therefore by their place they are obliged to go before it in all its affairs which are not by some special word of institution limited unto others And even in family-relation a woman being without a husband or in his absence may go before the houshold in prayer and other family duties which having a husband it belongeth to his place to perform when she hath his presence Arg. 6. If Ordination consisteth in or be made up of such acts onely as believers may undoubtedly perform and these acts be not limited in their use upon this occasion to officers onely then in a Church which hath no Officers some believers may lawfully or warrantably ordain without Officers But Ordination consisteth in or is made up of such acts onely as believers may undoubtedly perform and these acts are not limited in their use upon this occasion to officers onely Ergo In a Church which hath no Officers some believers may lawfully or warrantably ordain without Officers The Major is undeniable if believers may perform all the acts that are used about Ordination upon other occasions none can with any shadow of reason confine those acts here onely to Officers unless they be limited to them on this occasion as they are not upon other occasions The first part of the Minor we shall prove by considering all the requisites unto Ordination There are but three things on the part of the person ordaining that can be proved to have been belonging to it 1. Fasting 2. Prayer 3. Imposition of hands And we suppose the second viz. Prayer is that which it doth consist in and is made up of so far as any man doth act in it yet we shall speak to all 1. That some believers may fast upon solemn occasions cannot be denyed Mat. 6. v. 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 7. 5. Nay that they may fast upon this very occasion of Ordaining officers will we suppose readily be granted and may probably be gathered from Act. 14. 23. Fasting then belongeth to believers and not to officers onely 2. That prayer is a duty which believers may yea ought dayly to perform is undenyable also Mat. 6. ver 6. 9. Jam. 5. 13. 1 Thes 5. 17. And that they may and ought to pray for officers is evident also 1 Thes 5. ver 25. Brethren pray for us The Apostles called upon the believing Thess alonians to pray for them pray for us 2 Thes 3 ver 1. Finally brethren pray for us c. This Epistle is directed to the Church Ch. 1. 1. and here the brethren are called upon to pray for officers yea for extraordinary officers pray for us and what should be the end of their Praying or what should they pray for that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified Surely this is the main the chief thing prayed for in the Ordination of Preaching officers that the Lord would make them very prosperous in the work they are called to that the word dispensed by them may have free passage Let any prove any greater end of prayer in Ordination then this is And if believers may pray for the same end that men do in ordaining officers what substantial difference is there between this and acting in Ordination indeed this is a dayly work and that a solemn set day for the same work that ushereth them into the work of their office this is constantly to be performed whilest they are in their work but why believers may not act in prayer for their officers upon a solomn set day as well as they may every day
pray for them for the very same ends that such a set day is intended for we find not And by this we see cause to think that the Apostles had no such low esteem or account of the prayers of the people as some have Heb. 13. ver 18. Pray for us hence one well observeth that the greatest Apostle hath need of the prayers of the meanest Christian and may be helped thereby Act. 12. ver 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him ver 12. many were gathered together praying Not the officers onely but the Church prayed and not distributively but collectively many prayed together here is publike prayer by the Church for an officer under persecution and why may not believers as well pray together for an officer at his Admission into his work By this it appeareth that the people may perform the substantial act of Ordination viz. Prayer and that for the very same end that it serveth to in Ordination 3. That imposition of hands if still continuing may be used by believers we might wave this because it is so questionable whether by the will of Christ it be still to continue or not but if it be of use about Ordination then believers may lay on hands also This appeareth 1. Because imposition of hands at the utmost can be but an Adjunct to Ordination our brethren in their Arguments for it yet do not assert it to be any more then an Adjunct neither is there any Scripture evidence that it was any more in the Primitive times And therefore the people may lay on hands for our brethren tell us that they see no reason why they that give the Essence should not also give the Adjunct The people as we have proved may give the Essence of Ordination viz. Prayer Ergo They may give the Adjunct viz. Imposition of hands 2. Because the people did with Gods allowance lay on hands in old Testament dayes Num 8. ver 10. And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites This Argument will be of the more weight because as our brethren assert imposition of hands is not a proper Gospel duty never used but in the new Testament but is a Rite and ceremony borrowed from the old Testament c. from hence we infer that we have more reason in this then in other matters to look to the old Testament for a warrant about the use of it especially in a case where the new Testament doth not clearly direct us as must needs be the case when a Church wanteth officers because it was borrowed from the old Testament neither can a National Church or other old Testament orders be inferred from our using this Argument because it cannot be proved that National Churches c. are by Christ made Gospel institutions as imposition of hands is if it be continuing Saith Master Mâ—â—ther An example in the old Testament of a Mr. Mather of the power of Synods p. 95. practice not abolished in the new as Ceremonial typical or of some peculiar reason specially concerning those time and 〈◊〉 but of moral equity and reason such an example we think a sufficient warrant unto us for the like practice upon the like occasion in these dayes c. And they that were appointed to say hands on the Levites were the children of Israel as the Text expressely saith And as Master Mather also observeth this term is used in the ninth verse immediately preceding and in the eleventh verse immediately following and fifteen or sixteen several times in this Chapter Num 8. and yet of all these not so much as one where it can be understood of the elders and officers as such but is used to signifie all the Congregation as he rightly thinketh The people might lay hands on officers in old Testament dayes from whence the Rite is borrowed Ergo The people may lay hands on officers in new Testament dayes if the Rite be still of use in case a Church hath no officers in it Our Brethren object several things against this which we shall briefly answer Objeb 1. Here Aaron and his sons were present and if it proves any thing it proves that the people may Ordain where there are elders Answ If it will prove that the people may impose hands when elders are present then much more when they are wanting This is not against our assertion but more for it and much against our brethrens principles Object 2. The children of Israel were commanded by God immediately to lay on hands upon the Levites But in the new Testament we meet with no such command laid upon the people We read that Timothy and Titus and the Presbytery are to lay on bands but not a word of command for the people Answ 1. The command was immediate to Moses but not immediate to the children of Israel Num. 8. ver 5 6. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying take the Levites c. vers 10. And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites The command was mediate to the children of Israel i. e. by Moses Thus whosoever the persons be whether officers or the people that in new Testament dayes are to ordain and lay on hands they are commanded by God to do it as immediately as the children of Israel were here to lay on hands upon the Levites for the Lord gave forth those commands immediately to the Apostles as he did this to Moses and therefore this objection will as much deny that officers may ordain or impose hands on officers as that the people may do it 2. If the children of Israel had been commanded by God immediately to lay on hands upon the Levites yet seeing this was the first institution of the Levites office it would not deny it to be a pattern For the institution of a new office must be given forth by the Lord immedediately to some persons or other 3. If imposition of hands was used in old Testament days by the people and in new Testament dayes there can be shewn no repeal of that Rule by which they did it then they may still use it Let any shew a repeal in the new Testament if they can We read that Timothy and Titus and the Presbytery laid on hands but at the utmost that can onely prove an enlargement of the power or that more persons may do it it doth not prove that the persons who formerly did it now may not do it It can onely shew that some officers may lay on hands it doth not shew that the people who formerly might now may not lay on hands Object 3. When it is said that the children of Israel laid on hands it is not imaginable that all the Israelites did put on hands but it was done by some chief of them in the name of rest c. Answ
That is sufficient to our purpose for so some of the chief men in a Church some of the most eminent believers may lay hands on Officers in the name of the rest we do not say that every member in a Church must lay on hands Obj. 4. The Levites were taken by God in stead of the first-born as appears Numb 8. 16 17. and hence it was that the children of Israel that is the first born of Israel were to lay on hands upon them for the Levites gave an atonement for them and were offered up to the Lord in their stead and as the Rabbins say every first born laid on hands on the Levite that was for him which if it be so will afford us two other answers to this Text. 1. The children of Israel had not onely a special command but a special reason also for what they did And wherefore this example cannot be made a pattern for New Testament practice 2. That this laying on of hands upon the Levites was not for them to set them apart for the service of the Lord but rather a setting them apart for a sacrifice unto the Lord. It was the command of God that the children of Israel must put their hands upon the sacrifices they did offer unto the Lord c. Answ 1. That the first-born onely did lay hands on the Levites is not proved It is true they were taken instead of the first-born but it was the Lords command that warranted the persons to lay hands on the Levites Numb 8. 10. and that runs in general to the children of Israel and therefore did not authorize the first-born more then any other persons to do it Hence 2. If the first-born did lay hands on the Levites it was not by vertue of any office but in the name and by the appointment of the children of Israel for the command did run to them in general 3. If the children of Israel had laid their hands upon the Levites upon the account of that command of God which required their putting hands upon the sacrifices they did offer then every man of them must have laid hands on them for so that command injoyneth Levit. 1. v. 2. When any man of you shall offer c. V. 4. He shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering c. Not a substitute not another for him but he every one to whom the offering belonged ought to impose hands upon it himself and this would overthrow their third objection which saith It is not imaginable that all the Israelites did put on hands c. and also this denyeth that it was onely the first-born that did impose hands and so destroyeth a great part of this fourth objection 4. It is not proved that this laying on of hands upon the Levites was a setting them apart for a sacrifice unto the Lord and therefore the objection is altogether groundless we do not read that hands were to be imposed on all sacrifices or offerings no not on the first-born in whose stead the Lâ—vites were taken neither do we remember that the people were to impose hands on any but the burnt-offering Levit. 1. v. 4. He shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him other Sacrifices Aaron and his Sonnes or the Elders c. imposed hands on when that ceremony was used about them at all And that the Levites were not such a sacrifice the very name burnt offering will truly evidence Nay it is plain that the end of their offering before the Lord was that they might execute their office Numb 8. v. 11. And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering not of the first-born onely as our brethren would have it but of the children of Israel not as their propitiation and atonement or as a sacrifice but that they may execute the service of the Lord so v. 15 16. They were indeed to make atonement for the children of Israel but not by offering sacrifices for the peoples sins for that was done by the Priests onely nor by being a sacrifice to make atonement for them because no such end of Aarons offering them up is proved and another end is mentioned v. 13 14 15 16 21. but by their other service in the Text and this the words following do confirm That there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come nigh unto the Sanctuary Their making atonement was after they were offered not by being offered for an offering unto the Lord And by many verses it is plain that their setting apart was for the service of the Lord v. 11 15 19 21 22. and therefore the objection vanisheth Our brethren observe That notwithstanding this imposition of hands the Levites were not thereupon invested into their office it was Aarons waving of the Levites and separating them from among the children of Israel that did constitute and make them Church-officers If this be fully granted nothing is gained against us for we are far from thinking that Ordination doth constitute or make Church officers much less do we imagine that imposition of hands doth it But from hence we gather thus much That it was not the intendment of imposition of hands in Old Testament dayes to confer an office and therefore seeing the ceremony was borrowed thence it is very unlikely that in New Testament dayes it should be intended for such an end And thus we have proved the first part of the Minor of our sixth Argument viz. That believers may undoubtedly perform all the acts which Ordination so far as any man acteth in it doth confist in or is made up of The second part of the Minor viz. That these acts are not limited in their use upon the occasion of Ordination to Officers onely we prove thus because none of the Texts which speak of Ordination do limit it to Officers onely let our brethren prove any such limitation and unlesse they can do that which we suppose they never can it will necessarily follow That in a Church which hath no Officers some believers may lawfully or warrantably ordain without Officers If they may perform the same acts upon other occasions and they be not limited and confined to Officers upon this occasion then they may perform them here also And for the clearing of this that there is no such limitation we shall examine briefly our brethrens Arguments against Ordination by the people without Ministers They tell us That they might argue from what is recorded by Jewish Jus Divin Min. p. 184. Writers concerning the custom of creating men members of their great Council or Sanhedrin and they tell us That when a Successor was to be provided for Moses God commands him to take Joshua and lay his hands upon him c. and accordingly it was done Numb 27. 18. And so for those seventy Elders it is certain from the Jewish Writers that the succession
gifts then by preaching onely and secondly it is required in him that will preach warrantably not onely that he be fitted for the work but that he be appointed to the Office of the ministry c. Answ 1. The third Answer to the foregoing Objection may serve here also if it will not follow that because all gifts are to be improved therefore a gifted Brother may preach yet it will follow that because every man is to minister unto others that gift he hath received and the gift of preaching is particularized therefore every man who hath that gift is to minister with it i. e. is to preach and that is our Argument from 1 Pet. 4. v. 10 11. 2. The Examples of Aquila and Priscilla do not at all deny the lawfulness of any gifted mans preaching publickly Because they did this privately therefore they might not preach publickly it doth not follow The Apostles preached privated in every house Act. 5. v. 42. but it did not follow that therefore they might not preach publickly for in the same verse they are said to teach in the Temple also And as to the case alledged 1. It is not determined whether Aquila had preaching gifts or were apt to teach publickly or not it is frequently found in our experience that persons eminently qualified for the giving private Advertisements and Admonitions yet are not gifted to speak publickly unto Edification Our question is Whether such as have publick gifts may not use them in a publick way of preaching It is not proved that Aquila had such gifts 2. It was a particular person Apollo that was by Aquila and Priscilla at this time to be instructed and therefore rules of expediency require that it should be in a private way If Aquila and Priscilla had been Ecclesiastical Officers it had been expedient to instruct Apollo privately If an Officer heareth another preach and perceiveth by his speaking that he is much unacquainted with some way of Christ were it according to Gospel-order for that Officer to tell him publickly and before all the Congregation that he doth not understand the way of the Lord and to direct him into it Because one man viz. Apollo was instructed more perfectly in the way of the Lord by Aquila and Priscilla in a private way for any to say Therefore Christians who have publick gifts may not preach in a publick way when many desire instruction from them how feeble is this Consequence 3. Though private instruction be one way of improving eminent gifts yet it doth not follow that this is the chief much less the onely way wherein the Lord would have any man be always improving publick gifts i. e. gifts fit for publick use If Aquila had publick gifts because at this time he used them in a private way it doth not follow that he always did so and therefore this single act can be no warrant to any that have publick gifts to find imployment for all their gifts alwayes privately Those women Phil. 4. 3. if they laboured in the Gospel by private Advertisements and Admonitions seeing such a particular exception as 1 Cor. 14. 34. cannot be found forbidding gifted mens preaching and seeing it is not expressed what gifts those women had hence it s far short of proving that publick or preaching gifts may always be made use of in a private way 3. We apprehend that it will necessarily follow that because all gifts i. e. spiritual gifts are to be improved therefore a gifted Brother may preach Or rather in the words of that text Because every man that hath received a gift is to minister with it therefore every gifted Brother may preach Abilities to preach are called gifts Rom. 12. v. 6. Having then gifts differing and v. 7 8. Teaching and Exhorting are put amongst those gifts So 1 Cor. 12. v. 4 8. And our Brethren Jus Divinum p. 102. grant that 1 Pet. 4. 10. extendeth to all spiritual gifts Now all gifts include these preaching gifts and how will the Consequence be avoided Every man that hath preaching gifts is to improve them Ergo every gifted Brother i. e. with those preaching gifts is to preach For preaching gifts are not to be improved unless there be preaching Neither the examples of Aquila and Priscilla Act. 18. nor of those women Phil. 4. do intimate that there are ways of making use of preaching gifts which will excuse from sin if they preach not There cannot be an improvement of any gifts without an use of them Mat. 25. 25 27. There is not an using of preaching gifts or not for their proper end if there be no preaching and therefore if all that have preaching gifts do not preach then all gifts are not improved or every man doth not minister that gift which he hath received 4. It belongeth to his place and calling who hath preaching gifts to exercise those gifts in a way of Preaching and that publickly as opportunity is offered The chief weight of the Objection lieth here Our Brethren suppose that it is a going out of their Sphere out of their place and calling for any that are not in Office to exercise their gifts in a way of preaching especially if it be publickly Whereas that place 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. determineth it to belong unto his place and calling who hath received such a gift to minister with it The commanding every man to use that gift he hath is a determining it to be every mans place and calling to preach who hath that gift Those men which do not use their gifts do disobey this Command which extendeth to every man But we shall adde several other Considerations which taken together may serve for the evincing this that it appertaineth to their Sphere place and calling who have such gifts to preach and that publickly 1. It belongeth to the place and calling of persons gifted though not in Office to do the same work for substance that Officers do in their preaching Our Brethren in their Discription of preaching say Ius Divinum p. 72. The Subject of preaching is the Word of God and the work of preaching is the Explication and Application of this Word And persons gifted who are not in Office may lawfully do all this and for the proper end of it viz. the Edification and comfort of those they speak to a privite Brotherly teaching Admonishing and Exhorting they grant pag. 78. to be duty and they exhort and charge their people not to neglect it Persons gifted though not in Office may exhort others Hebr. 3. v. 13. But exhort one another dayly They may rebuke others Lev. 19. v. 17. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him They may teach and admonish others Collos 3. v. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another These last recited words may be referred to the foregoing as well as the following words The Apostle would have the Word of Christ
the Lord which is declared by them 2. Some of the places may speak of a more especial obligation between Officers and those they are Officers to then between others but do not deny that others may be heard or that the word is to be obeyed when such as are no Officers speak it because the Priests lips should preserve knowledge will any say that others lips who are no Officers are not to preserve knowledge or that people are not to enquire or seek the Law at the lips of any other are not the Saints to exhort one another Heb. 3. 13. Heb. 10. 25. and is no this a means to encrease knowledge and are they not to be heard when they do exhort and seeing Christ commandeth them to give exhortation do not they hear Christ that hear them when they declare the will of Christ at his command Those places Heb. 13. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 1 Thes 5. 12. do affirm that such as are Officers and do labour constantly amongst a people and make it their work to feed them are especially to be obeyed and highly esteemed by those they are over in the Lord and that for their works sake but this doth not deny that others may share in some good degree in that honour and esteem nor that they are to be obeyed who do the work but occasionally amongst them and are not Officers to them or over them in the Lord as if a Stranger who liveth a hundred miles off and is over a flock there cometh and preacheth several Sermons to a Church at such a distance upon request he is not an Officer to this Church or over it because he cannot without asserting a height of Episcopacy be said to be an Officer to two Churches a hundred miles distant and he may be an Officer to ten or twenty Churches by the same Rule for ought we know that he may be to two yet preaching thus occasionally to a Church which he is not over he is to be obeyed if he preacheth sound Doctrine and to be esteemed for his works sake as we suppose will not be denyed and why may there not as well be liberty for the preaching of gifted men without crossing those Scriptures There is a strict charge not to hearken to those Prophets Jer. 27. 14. we suppose that place they intend though it be printed Jer. 17. 14. because they preached false Doctrine for it is said vers 14. Therefore hearken not unto the words of the Prophets that speak unto you saying ye shall not serve the King of Babylon for they prophesie a lie unto you Such as prophesie a lie unto men are not to be hearkened unto though they be Ordained this is as much against hearing Ordained men as gifted men As for 2 Tim. 4. the words are these vers 3. For the time will come when they will not indure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers It is a matter indeed of complaint when men heap up to themselves such Teachers as are according to their own lusts and corruptions and when aversness to sound Doctrine puts them upon this for it is not like they will be preachers of sound Doctrine who in such a case are heaped up but this speaketh nothing against the heaping up Teachers out of a desire to hear sound Doctrine and to have grace promoted Object 4. There is no promise in Scripture made unto any that preach and are not thereunto lawfully Ordained we say no promise either of 1. Assistance 2. Protection 3. Success Answ We have proved that there is a promise made unto gifted men who preach though they be not ordained Mat. 25. vers 29. For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance i. e. if he useth exerciseth and improveth his talents he shall encrease them Act. 18. vers 28. He i. e. Apollo a gifted man mightily convinced the Jews Act. 11. vers 19 20 21. They that were scattered went about preaching and though as we have proved these were many of them not ordained yet vers 21. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. Here was great success in their preaching and therefore such as follow their example in preaching may expect success as they had There is a promise included in such presidents Malach. 3. vers 16 17. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Here are Christian-meetings for mutual Exhortation and the issue is 1. The Lord hearkned and heard it i. e. took special notice of it with approbation 2. A book of remembrance was written i. e. he kept it as it were upon record 3. He promiseth vers 17. And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels God will own them as his challenge an interest and propriety in them when others are rejected And I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him The Lord will overlook that in them which he will not in others Therefore gifted men have sweet promises for their encouragement in the exercise of their gifts for the edification one of another And thus we have finished our answer to the Arguments produced in the Book called Jus Divin Min. against the preaching of gifted men CHAP. X. Answering Several Arguments brought by Master Collings to prove gifted persons may not ordinarily Preach without a solemn setting apart to Office Argum. 1. MAster Collings his first Argument riseth to this Gospel precepts require and Gospel presidents hold forth that those that are to Preach the Gospel should not onely have inward gifts and graces and an outward call and Election but also that they should be solemnly set apart for that work Therefore inward Graces and gifts and the election and call of the people are not all the Gospel requires Answ If his proposition be not understood to be universal it may be granted and yet nothing is concluded by it against the Preaching of gifted brethren we may grant that such a setting apart by Gospel precepts is required and by Gospel Presidents is holden forth as necessary for some of those that are to Preach the Gospel viz. for Officers and yet may fairly deny it to be necessary for all that Preach Other Gospel Precepts and Presidents may allow gifted men to Preach without such a setting apart Because some who are to admonish and exhort others and convince gainsayers ought to be set apart Ergo all must or none may admonish or exhort others or convince gainsayers but such as are set apart Surely himself will not judge this a necessary consequence We suppose therefore he would have the proposition understood Universally and then none of the Scriptures he alledgeth do prove it We deny That Gospel Precepts require or that Gospel Presidents hold forth 〈◊〉 all those that are to Preach the Gospel should be solemnly set apart for that work We shall