matter for every singer to meditate upon for his edification and also they approved of their use in meeter with Musical accents and cadencies and in that the Apostle saith If any man be merry let him sing Psalmes it is evident that the world of men as well as the Church of Saints are enjoyned by the outward melody of their voice to expresse the inward musick of their glad hearts and that in the using Psalmes for expressing that they shall be inabled to mix some spiritual comfort with the lawful cause of natural merriment which will be sanctified to them by the word and prayers of those Scriptural Psalmes which were composed by the Spirit of God for all men to make use of to tune their spirits into heavenly well tempered affections in all conditions Enough is said to thy thirteenth Head of Demands CHAP. XIV Thy fourteenth Head of Demands is as followeth IS the Priesthood changed that took tithes Is the Law changed by which they were made Is the Commandment disanulled that gave them tythes Did Abraham pay tythes to Melchizedeck of his substance or of the spoiles Did he ever do it to him any more then once Was it a standing thing to be done after him Is the Sonne of God come the end of all similitudes and likenesses Now if thou say that they that preach the Gospel must live of the Gospel and have I not power to eat and power to drink yea when Christ sent forth his Disciples he bad them inquire who was worthy and what they set before them they might eat But did he that said have I not power to eat say have I not power to take Stipends Augmentations Tythes Glebe-lands great summes of money or Parsonage Houses Now if thou come to my House who sayes thou art a Minister of the Gospel and minister unto me spiritual things I shall set before thee of my carnal things if thou hast enquired and found my House worthy so said Christ what they set before thee eat so said the Apostle have not I power to eat and to drink but said I have not written this nor spoken this that it should be so done unto me for I have not used my power But if thou come to a Town or come to an House and enquire for Tythes and Augmentations and tythe Wool Hay Pigs Bees Gardens and money for smoak passing up Chimneys Foales Egges Geese Chickens Calves Lambs and other creatures and thou cannot shew me by Scripture where the Apostles did so I must say thou art one of those evill beasts that minde earthly things and thy own belly if thou cannot prove to the contrary Answ Many words are here mustered together containing several questions about tythes and thy conceit touching what kinde of maintenance thou deemes to be only allowed to the preachers of the Gosoel and here thy promise is expressed after what manner thou will entertain me if I shall come to thy house and also thou relates what manner of language thou must use in case I come to demand things tithable To all which I shall returne an orderly Answer Thy Questions are seven to which answers shall be returned to them all in their order 1. Thou asks Is the Priesthood changed that took tythes Answ The Aaronical Priesthood which took tythes is changed but the Melchizedochian Priesthood which took tythes before tythes were took by any of Aarons order and which since the change of Aarons Priesthood doth still continue that Priesthood of Melchizedecks order is not changed but abides for ever and to it tythes are due and at this day and to the end of the world ought to be paid unto it for the fuller clearing this understand that God had but two orders of Priests in the world which we read of the first was after the order of Melchizedeck who is the first Priest of the most high God mentioned in holy Scripture This order was for a time discontinued during that time wherein the Jewes was only known to be a visible Nation upon the Earth which were Gods people But this order is now restored again by our Lord Jesus Christ who hath broken down the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles and hath made the Centiles also to become obedient to the faith and to be sonnes and daughters of the living God And now Christ is a Priest after Melchizedecks order continuing for ever He is confirmed in that Priesthood by Gods Oath which is never to be repealed For the Lord hath sworne and will never repent it thou art a Priest Psal 110. 1 for ever after the order of Melchizedeck and tithes continue due to be duly paid unto this Priesthood He receiveth them Heb. 7. 8. of whom it is witnessed that he liveth for ever The other order of Priests which God had was the order of Levi or Aaron whose Priesthood was typical to continue but until Christ unto whom the Priesthood did properly appertaine came and had taken upon him the everlasting Priesthood He was made Heb. 7. 21. a Priest with Oath whereas the Leviticel Priests were made without an Oath they were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death but this man Jesus Christ because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Heb. 7. 23 24 Priesthood He was made a Priest after the power of an endlesse life but the Levitical Priests was made after the Law of a carnal Commandment they were made Priests by a Ceremonial Heb. 7. 16. Law which commanded carnal and outward observations which were not to continue alwayes but to have an end Wherefore the Levitical Priests were to cease from exercising the Priestly office when Christ the true Priest should come and for ever continue to make perfect the faith of Gods people he being both the Authour and sinisher of their faith Heb. 12 â— which thing those carnal Commandments or Ceremonial Ordinances belonging properly to the Levitical Priests and service of the Jews could not perfect Therefore I say though the Levitical Priesthood which took tythe be changed yet seeing there is another Priesthood after Melchizedecks order now continuing tythes become payable as they were first to that order of Priesthood and they are to be paid unto Christ who is of that order now a Priest for ever To him tythes are duly to be paid as an acknowledgement of his Soveraign Priesthood and they are received by him when they are paid according to his appointment 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. 1 Cor. 4. 1. for their maintenance to his Stewards his Ministers who serve in his service 2. Thou asks Is the Law changed by which they were made Answ The Apostle plainly saith that the Priesthood being Heb. 7. 12 charged there is made of necessity a change of the Law The Priesthood which was changed was the Levitical Priesthood and the Law which with it was changed was the Law of Ordinances ritual observations or ceremonies which properly concerned that
their peoples sins and errors 46 Their words in preaching tends not to cause divisions and offences 70 Faithfull Ministers will not desist from the work of the Ministry though tithes be took and detained from them 66 67 A Minister is not to cease from his labors ministerial though he find that his people continue unreformed 102 103 The fruites of faithfull Ministers will not wither 104 Faithfull Ministers are no self seekers but self-wasters for the peoples spiritual good 73 74 The established faithful Ministers of the English Church are no false Prophets and false Apostles and false Teachers and Hirelings 131 Peoples believing or not believing that one is a Minister doth not make or unmake him one 6 Ministers may justly require tithes from those people under their charge who come not to enjoy their labors but withdraw from their publick Assemblies 141 142 Ministers are no wranglers in demanding their due maintenance of Tithes and other dues 2 3 Ministers are not covetous for demanding their dues 76 Mockers and Scoffers who they are which the Apostle said should come 93 94 95 Money Who divine for money and teach for hire 43 Ministers do not divine for money 43 44 Preaching for money is a sin 48 N NOvice who is and who is not a Novice 91 92 A Congregation being out of order doth not prove that the Minister thereof is a Novice 92 O OBstinate people are usually those that have eyes and see not and ears and hear not 41 P PArdon of Offendors is easie to God but not so to man 29 30 Parsonage houses may lawfully be enjoyed and possessed by the Gospel 123 Perfection whither attainable by men on earth and what perfection men may and to what they cannoâ— come while they are on earth 149 150 Pharisees condemned for affecting a magnifying of themselves 9 10 Places of holy Assemblies for divine service and holy purposes are lawfully called Churches 145 146 Popes by sacrilegious acts in alienating tithes from Ministers to Monks and others have proved themselves to be therein Anti-christs 7 Popery the sink of Heresies in the Western parts of the world 160 161 Preaching of the word doth not profit many people the causes whereof is not in the Preachers but in the people and what these causes are 98 99 100 Priesthood of Aarons changed but Melchizedecks is not 108 Priesthood of Christs and Aarons differ'd 109 The Law of Aarons Priests is changed 109 Priests of Aarons order had a Law to take tithes which is disanulled to them and yet the Law of taking tithes is not disanulled to Ministers 110 Priests who were in Jeremiahs time had their lawfull rule setled on their order by divine Authority 34 Romish Priests are the Priests in our dayes wâ—o divine for money and teach for hire 50 Prey twofold ibid. How the people was preyed on in the dark and cloudy day 59 60 Price what it is 20 Prophets false are threatned and with what 47 Prophecying sons and daughters at this age who are not 144 145 146 Prophecying or preaching daughters are disclaimed 145 How sons and daughters are said to prophecy 156 Psalms of David are injoyned to be sung 105 106 Singing Psalms is injoyned to worldly men as to sanctified men 106 Q QVakers are no such commers to Christ and professors of his Truth as they pretend 132 Bodily Quakers are no absolute evidence of salvation wrought with fear and trembling 144 R REligion The first principle of true Religion what 144 Rvelations now a dayes of saving Truths unrevealed in the revelations and inspirations which Prophets and Apostles had in penning of holy Scripture are all of them utterly disowned and disclaimed 144 154 Long robes not condemned but the ambitioas seeking to be clad therewith 14 15 Romish Teachers and Sectarians are they who with faigned words and covetousness make merchandize of Gods people 81 Bearing Rule by means what is thereby meant in Jeremiah 35 38 39 S SAcrament that word is lawfully used by Christians 148 Salvation wrought with fear and trembling in the Apostles sense what 153 Holy Scripture was not indited to be an history to relate every particular act done by those holy men whom it mentions 114 Seducers their fruit will wither what it is and how it will wither 103 104 Seducers are guilty of filthy Lucre 8 Self-love what lawfull and unlawfull 72 73 Shepherds against whom Ezekiah complains what is meant by wicked Shepherds eating the fat 52 What by their cloathing with the wool 52 53 What by their killing of the fllock that were fed 53 54 The particular neglect of wicked Shepherds in not exercising their Calling 55 56 The faults of evil Shepherds 57 Sheep Gods promise to seek his sheep doth not warrant any of the flock to have wandring sheep and to turn away from the Shepherds set over them 63 Gods promise to deliver his sheep doth not allow the sheep to detain tithes and dues from their Shepherds ibid. Gods promise to feed his sâ—eep on the mountains is no warrant unto his sheep to forsake the publick Assemblies or Congregations of his true Church 64 Singing Psalâ—s injoyned 106 Sin The particular sins for which God threatned by Jeremiah to visit the people 37 38 Wicked mens sins are fruits which proceed from themselves and not from their faithful teaching Ministers 96 97 98 101 No man can so put off the body of sin while he is on earth that he shall be free from sin 151 152 Souldiers are bound to pay a tenth of their spoils 112 Son of God is come to end all similitudes and liknesses 118 Spirit The Spirits pouring out doth not make all Preachers 145 156 Spirits pouring out of all flesh how 145 The Spirits extraordinary inspirations and donations are now ceased 156 Sprinkling of Infants is allowed 146 147 T TEaching lies errors and incouragements in sin and security is a ruining in sin 47 They do not teach for money and lucre who take tithes 49 The duty of one who hath more understanding then his Teachers 27 False Teachers are in the way of Cain and Balaam 79 80 81 82 83 False Teachers are wells without water 87 88 And inwardly ravening wolves 100 They are known by their fruites 100 101 They are called wicked 101 Thorns Briars Thistles what t s said of them according to Scripture 95 96 False Teachers are not by the name of Briars Thorns and Thistles described to be false Teachers but thereby to be wicked men 94 95 Tithes are Gods Rent to be paid as acknowleâ—gment of his Soveraignty over all 22 23 Tithes Christs right 23 And how Ministers are appointed to receive his right ibid. They demand from people only Christs right in demanding Tithes 23 24 Tithes are for ever to be paid to Christ by paying them to his Ministers 109 The fundamental reasons of paying Tithes of all 112 Tithes are not the price of Ministers preaching unto people spirituals 21 Tithes and money are no ends of Ministers teaching 45 Tithes were paid to Melchizepeck more then once 113 114 Paying Tithes is a standing duty to be paid by all ever after Abrahams time 115 116 117 Tithes are to be paid by all though they come to Christ 129 130 Denyers of paying Tithes is a renouncing of Gods Soveraignty over them Refusing of paying of Tithes to Ministers are in that act of theirs followers of the Pope but no Disciples of God and Christ 6 7 Taking Tithes is no making of Prey upon people 59 Christ biding his Disciples and Apostles to eat what is before them doth not inhibit the the taking of Tithes 121 122 It is no unrighteous thing to demand Tithes 137 Faithfull Priests Levites and Prophets of the Jewish Church are not blamed by any holy Prophet for taking Tithes or ministerial maintenance 17 18 Tithes were not disallowed and condemned by Jeremiah 32 33 Tithes and taking Tithes are in no place condemned or reproved by Ezekiel neither dirst he do so 57 Tithes are none of the Figures similitudes and liknesses to which Christ by his comming put an end 118 U UNcontentedness which God and the Law of the Land allows is a sin 48 Voice The immediate voce of God is not heard by Ministers and yet they communicate unto people the voice and word of God 149 W WElls without water who 88 What is meant by using good words and fair speeches 69 71 Wrangling demanding and inquiring after dues is no wrangling 2 3 FINIS
and of his exceeding great bounty towards them he claims it as his All the tithe of the Land is the Lords it is wholly to the Lord. Lev. 27. 30 Therefore whoseover covets the tenth part of the increase which is Gods and detains it from him whose Mercy hath bountifully allowed them nine parts they in that act proclaim that they renounce Gods Soveraignty over them that they will have no dependency on him that they are not beholden to him for what they are and have that they stand at defiance with him they covet an evil Covetousness unto their house bringing themselves under Gods curse by their robbing of him and they defraud themselves of a double blessing even of the promises of this life and that which is to come God reserved to himself the tithe which is his annual Rent and holy Tribute that out of his own proper goods wherein no Creature hath interest but such to whom he hath given it his Ministers who do him spiritual publick service should have maintenance from himself and not be at the curtesie of men to be provided for for he knew that men would commonly hate and use mercilesly them who sought their spiritual good We find moreover that God saith I have given the Children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their service Num. 2â— 21 which they serve even the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation God here conveyed the tithes to the Levites in a term of an inheritance for their service because he the Law-giver would thereby let all know that tithes are to be perpetual and to descend from Ministry to Ministry to all generations for the service which they do to the Lords congregation And it is further to be taken notice of that Christ who is a Priest after Melchisedeck's order of which more anon which was before Aarons and received tithes before tithes were assigned to those of Aarons order I say the Lord Jesus Christ succeeding Aarons Priest-hood and being to continne a Priest for ever had all tithes which are Gods inheritance and rent they of right became his both because he is the heir of all things and among other things the inheritor of God the Fathers inheritance or revenue and because also all power in heaven and earth is given unto him he is Lord therefore of all persons and their Estates to him they owe and are to pay their yearly rent of tithe The Lord Christ hath appointed his Ministers Mat. 28. 28 to receive this his rent of tithe from those in whose hands it is so saith the Apostle As they who minister about holy things 2 Cor. 13 14. do live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel The tithes which they had who of old Ministered before the Lord are translated by the Lords ordaining to be the maintenance of his Ministers who preach the Gospel that they may live upon it As Gods portion was given by God to be the Levites portion because they were taken to minister before him so the same portion is now become Christs because he continues a priest for ever ministring at the right hand of God and Christ the Lord hath ordained that the Ministers of the Gospel should have and receive that his portion of tithes for their maintenance To shut up then briefly this discourse Thou may understand that Tithes are no price for preaching but they are Gods reâ—t at last setled on Christ and by his ordinance established to be the maintenance of the Preachers of his Gospel to the end of the world So then when I and other his Ministers demand of men tithes we demand not from them any price no not one penny of that which is theirs but that they would divide between the parts which God hath given them and the tenth part which he hath given us and if they either detain it from us or defraud us of any part thereof they rob not us but God and Christ of their due rent and homage and as God threatens a curse to such rebellious unthankfull sacrilegious God-robbers so his curse except they prevent it by a speedy amendment will overtake them may be in this world not with a consumption Mat. 3. 8. 9 upon their live-lihoods and comforts for the flying rowle of his curse is out to consume the very houses of thieves who steal from him and others however everlasting confusion in the world to come will be the portion of such who repent not their robbing God of his portion Thou asks Whether must I go to thee who hast a price or hearken diligently that my soul may live that I may witness the sure mercies of David and outstrip all my teachers as he did and come into the everlasting Covenant and own the Prophets words Isaiah 55. 5 8. Answer This question seems to imply that they cannot hearken diligently that their soul may live neither that they can partake of those other spiritual mercies which the question mentions who come for instruction to me or to any one that receive tithes which thou dost most falsly as hath been proved call a having a price But I answer thee The receiving Tithes by a Instructer from the instructed doth not hinder the instructeds profiting in any of those spiritual mercies which are spoken of in this question This Truth is clear Abraham paid Tithes to Melchizedeck yet his soul was not Heb 11. 8 9. Rom. 4. 19. 20. Luke 13. 28. thereby hindred from living by faith nor from acting in faith nor from inheriting the fruit of the everlasting Covenant the end of his faith the salvation of his soul for he shall be seen in the Kingdom of God nor from obeying diligently Gods commandment God gave him this testimony I know him that he will command his Children and houshold after him and they shall Gen 18. 19. keep the way of the Lord. Likewise David was a man who injoyed sure mercies and out-stript his Teachers and had an everlasting Covenant made with him and yet his carefulness for setling the Priests and Levites 1 Cor. 23. V. 24 25. ad finâ—m in their managements and maintenance after the dissolution of the Tabernacle service no ways prejudiced his obtaining the forenamed spiritual mercies Moreover I am perswaded that thou thy self art not so uncharitable as to think that the many thousands of Israel and of Judah who rejoyced for the Priests and for rhe Levites in the days of Zorobabel and of Nehemiah were all cut off Neh 12. 44 47. from partaking of these spiritual mercies by their paying unto them their Tithes and by sanctifying holy things unto the Levites And I do no think that thou or any wise man pondering things seriously can with modesty affirm that the paying Tithes now in the days of the Gospel
things pertaining to the service of God in his house They appointed their brethren the Priests and Levites to their service and directed them in their courses besides their was ordinary Priests and Levites to serve in meaner services and to assist the Priests in Rule and Governing This order of ruling and governing among the Priests setled by God did continue throughout several generations of the Jewish Nation and remained unaltered though the Priests had contracted much corruption in the time of Jeremiah He prophecied in the dayes of Josiah and of Jehoiakin and of Zedekiah in which time Hilkiah was high Priest and so was Azariah and so was Seraiah who was put to death by the King of Babylon at Riblah This Prophet also makes mention of Pashur Ier. 52. 24 27. Ier. 1. 20. Ier. 33. 15 16 17 18 19 26 21 2â— the son of Immer the Priest who was a chief Governour in the house of the Lord and of Maaseiah and other ordinary Priests And tells us from God that al time should come wherein God would multiply the Levites that minister to him This was that true rule observed among the Priests in the time of Jeremiah which was established by divine Authority and was not as thou and others suppose obtained by their maintenance or means Thirdly Touching that horrible filthy thing which the Prophet saith was committed in the Land The Prophets words Ier. 5. 31. are very plain A powerfull and horrible thing is committed in the Land the Prophets prophecy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so That wonderfull horrible thing was the conspiracy or agreement of Prophets Priests and people in evil and thus it was the Prophets prophecied lyes the Priests upheld them in their lyes and the people did wondrous well like of such lies so it is exprest 1. The Prophets prophecied falsly Some of them prophecied Ier. 2. 8. by Baal they were Idolaters and they taught people to worship the Idol Baal they taught a lye to worship an Idol for the true God and though some others of them professed the worship of Jehovah the true God yet they uttered lyes in his name promising to the despisers of the Lord and to wicked Ier. 23. 16 17. Ier 8. 11. Livers peace and safety and so they hardened people in their wickedness The sinne of the Prophets was they prophecied falsly 2. The Priests saith Jeremiah bear rule by their Means so the words are rendred in our English Bibles whereas in the original language in which the Prophecy of Jeremiah was writ the words are the Priests take upon or by the hand of them The sin of these Priests then was this 1. They ruled upon or over the hand of them that is they took on them to protect these false Prophets in their unlawfull deeds when according to the Law they should have been put to death for speaking falshood to thrust people out of the way which the Lord their God commanded them to walk in and the Lord threatens that these false Prophets shall be consumed because they prophecied lyes 2. They ruled or took by the hand of them that is they by the help or instigation of these false Prophets whom they countenanced and with whom they had combined took a tyrannical course to suppress the true Prophets of the Lord. An Deut 13. 5. Ier. 14. 14. 15. instance whereof is in the 26. Chapter where the Priests as principal Actors with the false Prophets their seconds did speak to the Princes and people that Jeremiah was worthy to die because he had prophecied against the City And moreover the Priests by the hand or help of the false Prophets flatteringly magnifying them and their rule notwithstanding the corruptions therein reproved by the true Prophets contained to rule the people without amending in themselves what was amiss and they boldly confirmed the plausible lyes of the false Prophets by teaching also the people the same falshoods and not to believe the true Prophets who had threatned that eminent dangers should befall them for continuing in their sins and therefore this Prophet Jeremiah complains that from the Prophet unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly and that they healed the hurt of the people steightly Ier. 6. 14 Falshood in teaching began by these false Prophets and was continued by the Priests For from the Prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the Land they handed first their lying Prophecies which wrought profaneness and Ier. 23 24. the Priests took at or by their hands these lyes and in teaching handed them over to the people who imbraced and hugged them from them both The sin of the Priests then in brief was their protecting the false Prophets and combining with them to destroy the true Prophets and to delude the people by lyes and falshoods 3. It is said that the people love to have it so The sin of the people was their despising the holy Counsel and divine Alarms to Repentance which was given unto them by the holy Prophets of God they counted their words as wind vain Ier. 5. 13. and of none effect and they loved the flatteries of the false Prophets and loved to have them and their Priests to sooth them in their sins by telling them falshoods pleasing and sutable to their liking and especially this That evil shall not come unto them Ier. 5. 12. Thou may now understand that that horrible filthy thing which the Prophet saith was committed in the Land was not the Priests bearing true rule nor their having maintenance or Means nor the peoples paying unto them their due maintenance or Means for in no one place in his Prophecy the Prophet mentions these in a condemnatory way But it was the Prophets Priests and peoples agreeing in evil The Prophets prophecying lyes and the Priests upholding them in their Lyes and seeking the destruction of the true Prophets who gain-said their Lyes and closing with these false ones inventing lyes to the people and the people being well pleased with their Lyes Fourthly Consider for what the Lord doth threaten to visit this people he saith twice in one Chapter Shall I not visit Ier. 5. 9 29 for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this is and we are plainly told in the same Chapter for what sinnes the Lord would do so Namely 1. For their deficiency toward judgement in not executing it and towards truth in not seeking it ver 1. 2. For their hypocrisie under a pretence of piety committing perjury ver 2. 3. For their obstinacy and not amending under their sufferings and corrections ver 3. 4. For their Apostasie Idolatry and impudent common Adulteries verse 7. for these God threatens to visit them vers 8. 5. For the infidelity in not believing Gods threatnings 6. For their security though threatned 7. For their slighting the true Prophets who
before that time or since or that there shall be the like in any of the succeeding ages This I do not believe because I have no ground from holy Scripture on which I can establish a belief that their shall be such a thing And therefore as I disowne any of the Sons of men in this age who pretend that they are Prophets by an extraordinary mission and 2. Cor. 14. 34. 25. 1. Tâ—m 4. 2. 11 12. inabling inspiration unlesse they confirm both these by ungainsayable proofes and evidences or by true and reall miraculous operations as they in the old and new Testament did who had extraordinary mission and commission to prophecy or preach so also because the holy Scriptures hath plainly prohibited women to preach therefore I disowne all preaching Daughters of men which are in this age both the Jesuitisses among the Papists and the Prophetesses in imitation of them late sprung up among deluded Protestants notwithstanding their great pretentions to extraordinary abilities and their extraordinary immodest impudency in delivering as they prate messages from the Lord. I disowne these because the Scripture disowne Isâ— 27. 11. them an hath told us that God will neither have mercy on them nor shew them any favour who are the fiery zealous auditors and followers of these feminine predicants 2. I do not owne or acknowledge that their is or will be in this or succeeâ—ing ages of the Church any such pouring out of the Spirit on the sonnes and daughters of men who are the Eph. 4. 8. 11. servants and hâ—ndmaides also of God or the children of the Church to make them all Prophets or Preachers because the Apostle saith that when Christ ascended he gave gifts unto men He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and teachers He gave some therefore not all to bâ— teachers yet I do owne or acknowledge that there is now and in other ages of the Church such a pouring out of the Spirit which will make men holy and heavenly disposed wherefore though sonnes and daughters cannot in truth be said to Prophecy as Prophecying signifies the publick expounding 1 Cor. 14. 1 1 Cor. 13. 9 2 Thes 5. 20 1 Cor. 11. 5 the writings of the Prophets because they only do thus lawfully prophecy who are thereunto peculiarly called to waite on that service yet they may be said to prophecy according to such significations of the word Prophecy which the Scriptures allowes to any Professour though he be no Preacher of the gospell As namely they Prophecy when they attend diligently with their presence on the Ministeriall teaching which is the publick unfolding and applying of the Scriptures called the sure word of Prophecy whereby they are 1 Per. 1 19. Joh. 6. 45. taught of God And they are said to prophecy when from a clear understanding of holy Mysteryes which they have heard and learned they magnify and praise God either by singing or by holy discoursing for his wonderfull workes and saving mercyes And thus both men and women sonnes and daughters can bear a part in prophecying But God 1 Chro. 25 1 Psâ— 66. 10 hath excluded all women and the most of men from being his officers in prophecying as it signifiys the Preaching of his word officially 3. Though I do own and acknowledge that the Lord hath poured out his spirit on all flesh yet I cannot own or acknowledge that he doth in all times of his Church and upon all persons perteining to the Church power out such extraordinary gifts of his Spirit as he once did visibly miraculously and plentifully poure on his Disciples in the day of Pentecost Act. 2. 4. whereby they were filled with the Spirit and fitted for plantting the Church and for confirming at first the Gospell in all Nations For these extraordinary inspirations and donations of the Holy-Ghost have already obteined those ends in the primitive times of the Christian Church and are not further usefull seing Churches every wheâ—e are planted and Pastors are set over them and the Holy spirit is pleased now by the ordinary meanes only of reading meditâ—ting praying studying sifting searching finding out and setting in order Scriptural truth to blesse his servants with the treasures of that wisdom and truth comely order and free utterance whereby his Church is best benefited I do therefore account such men highly presumptuous who dare pretend in these dayes that such forerecited extraordinary effusions of the Spirit rests on them and in them yea and I am confident that they who beleive it of themselves are given up to a strong delusion 4. I own or acknowledge that in all and severall ages of the Church the Lord hath ordinarily poured out of his spirit on all â—oly good Christians men and women young and old sons 1 Pet. 4. 14 and dauâ—hters for their sanctification to make them Holy and fit them for glory But I do not own or acknowledg that the Lord doth ordinarily poure from his spirit the gift of interpreting Scripture on every one whom he sanctifyes by his Spirit neither do I own or acknowledge that any are therefore authorised to preach to others or are made vessells in the Pastorall function because by the gift of Sanctification they are made Holy vessells to receive full salvation in their glorification 10. Quest When Christ saith to his disciples Be ye not called Masters for ye have one Master and ye are all brethren Where dost thou read Mr. Paul Mr. Mathew Mr. Mark Mr. Luke Mr. John Mr. Peter Mr. James Mr. Timothy Mr. Titus that these transgressed the command of Christ Answ I have already in answering the second head of thy demands answered this There I proved that one of these here mentioned was named Master and I shewed in what respects Paul and Philip was named so and likewise how a Minister of the Gospel and any other Christian professing subjection to the Gospell many lawfully be called Master and yet none of these formerly did nor now doe therfore transgresse Christs command I shall not need to repeate my answer there given reade and ponder on it for it may give thee satisfacton if thou art not resolved against being satisfied 11. Quest Is not he Antichrist that transgresseth and the Deceiver and hath not God nor the Sonne and is not to bebid God speed read Johns second epistle and answer me Answ I have read both the second and also the first Epistle of John in which he speakes of an Antichrist who in his dayes was to come and who in our dayes is already to come He speakes also of many Antichrists who were in the world in his time And doubtlesse both the one and the other were transgressors and deceivers and neither had communion with God nor with the Son of God and Gods people are charged to shew unto them no tokens of communion or familiarity Surely they have most uncharitably transgressed and are grosly deceived who apply what the