Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	key_n	open_v	shut_v	4,285	5	9.4567	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33945	The pulpit-guard routed, in its twenty strong-holds, or, A brief answer to a large and lawless discourse, written by one Tho. Hall ... intituled, The pulpit-guarded, with twenty arguments, pretending to prove the unlawfulness and sinfulness of private mens preaching ... his six arguments to prove their ministry free from anti-Christianism, rased, and six more asserted, proving them to be anti-Christian / written by Tho. Collier.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1651 (1651)	Wing C5295; ESTC R9709	89,279	114

is that its your selves who are the intruders pretending your selves Ministers of the Gospel when you know not what it is but are in deed and truth the Peoples Lords and Masters You say the power of the keys is given to you and the power of remitting and retaining sins and not to the body of the Church I answer The power of the keys is given neither to Church nor Minister to retain and remit that is proper only to God to Christ who have the keys of Hell and Death and open and no man shuts and shut and no man opens You would fain dethrone the Pope and take the power of pardoning out of his hand if you could But it is the power of the Gospel that remits sins where it comes in power it brings pardon and peace where the Gospel comes in power and is believed and received it remits sins but where it is not received there sin is retained So that it s not the word or authority of a Priest but the power and grace of Christ that remits sins The twelfth Argument If the work of the Ministry be an exceeding weighty and laborious work then every private man though he have some gifts is not fit for it but the work of the Ministry is an exceeding weighty and laborious work c. Hence the Apostle puts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on it 2 Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient c. and every man is not fit to be a Carver to a King I answer You are still harping upon one string you love reiterations and tautologies many of your Arguments being one and the same in substance you only alter the terms that so you may make up the number I have often answered that though every gifted brother is not fit to be a Minister in office yet every gifted brother is fit to communicate according to the gift he hath received and notwithstanding it is both a laborious and weighty Calling yet neither of them in those who are Ministers indeed shall prevent but rather encourage that which you so much oppose So in Paul and in Peter who excelling in the work of the Ministry excelled likewise in this the encouraging of the Saints in the performance of their duty in this particular 1 Cor. 14. 1 Pet. 4. And were you what you profess your self to be you durst not to have done what you have in opposing this truth of Christ The thirteenth Argument That way which was first invented by Socinians Anabaptists Arminians the enemies of Gods grace to destroy the truth may not be practised by Christians c. but this toleration of all gifted brethren to preach was first invented by Socinians Anabaptists Arminians to destory the truth c. Answ Dare you be so impudent and bold as to belye the Saints with so much venome as 1. To give them such reproachfull terms for their owning and professing truth 2. To call them enemies to Gods grace when they hold it forth in its purity 3. That they were the first Inventers of this practise and that to destroy the truth when it was the Lord Jesus in and by his servants the Apostles did command it therefore in your next lay your blame where it is Call Christ and his Apostles Socinians Anabaptists c. because they both practised and commanded that for which you would hang if you could your Brethren that practice the like Believe it Sir you had need be disburden'd of this Book and your pretended Ministry too before you meet the Lord Jesus when he comes to Judg the Earth He will say then As for mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Luke 19. For Sir I would have you know that in substance you call Christ and his Apostles Socinians Anabaptists Arminians c. and enemies to Truth for they were the first Inventers of this practice you so much oppose Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 14. 1 Pet. 4. The fourteenth Argument They which have no promise from God of Divine assistance cannot comfortably or succesfully undertake a work but private persons turning Preachers without a Call have no promise of Divine assistance Ergo They cannot comfortably and succesfully undertake the work The Major granted the Minor grounded on Mat. 28. 20. Lo I am with you to the end c. The Promise is made to the Apostles and their Successors And who are they your selves think you Say you not there are no Apostles now how are you their Successors then or do you their work which was to Disciple first then Baptize Nay how then why Baptize or sprinkle first and hate reproach persecute the true Disciples everafter yet are you the Apostles successors or rather are you not of the Bastard brood of Rome whose name is changed but not the nature But to your Minor 1. Where are the Saints called private persons in Scripture or Lay-men This is but a trick of your own to make your selves the more publick but if the Saints viz. Gifted brethren are commanded to and commended for exercising according to their gift then they have a promise and may expect a blessing and success in that work but they have a command 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. and commendation 1 Cor. 14. 6. for exercising in that gift Ergo they may with comfort expect success and a blessing in it The promise Mat. 28. 20. is for them I will be with you c. so long as you are doing what I command you and what I commend unto you And I will never fail you nor forsake you Heb. 13. 5. while you do that I command you and commend unto you c. The fifteenth Argument That way which breeds Disorder Errour and Confusion is not the way of God but toleration of private persons out of Office to Expound and Interpret Scripture in publike is away that breeds Errour and Confusion Ergo 'T is not of God Answ 1. The Major you say is clear therefore to your Minor The toleration of such uncalled Preachers breeds Errour It s granted but this doth not hinder the preaching of Gifted Brethren who are called to exercise their Gifts but indeed it s the uncall'd Preachers viz. your selves that have bred the Errour and Confusion in this Nation 't is proved by woful experience You it is that have stirred up the Nation to the zeal of Persecution and you it is in all Ages that have been the cause of War and Blood and you it is that at present if mercy prevent not endeavour to kindle a fire in it that will devour it and you it is that bring in such ignorance darkness and errours as that there is not any one truth that can appear in its purity but you cry out against it giving it some contemptible Nick name or other that so it may not take with the people but you will have but little thank of Christ one day for it And 2. If some do Preach and practice things tending to

might be an inferiour Church-officer or Deacon without a Call and Ordination from the Church then no man may be a Preacher a superiour Church-officer without a Call or Ordination The truth is granted though not by you understood there is a difference as I have already shewn and proved between the preaching of gifted brethren and Church-officers in relation to the manner of administring but not the matter the one waits upon it as his office the other as his gift You instance That if in the Common wealth none may intrude into anothers calling but must first serve an Apprentiship then much less may any intrude into the Ministry c. who do not first serve an Apprentiship That is the substance and the thing you drive at and indeed I knew before that you would turn Preaching into an Art and Trade that so you might be the true Merchants of Babylon And would Christ have the Scriptures to dwel in the Saints richly and abundantly and should they hide it there and not bring it forth for the good of others The tenth Argument If every man must study to be quiet do his own Work and keep the bounds of his proper calling then private men may not be Pulpit-men but the Apostle commands 1 Thes 4. 11. That every man study to be quiet c. Who are the unquiet men the gifted brethren or your selves who is it that casts out floods of contention and unquietness but your selves but you would have your brethren to be quiet and let you alone in your sin that so the blind leading the blind both might fall into the ditch this would be a sinfull quietness and silence But Sir may not a man follow his Calling preach and yet be quiet too May not the Nailer keep his Hammer the Husbandman his Plough c. and come into the Pulpit and yet be quiet too Is not preaching and prophesying one part of a Christians generall Calling if gifted unto it or may not a Christian come from his Hides his Shop his Arms his Blew Apron to the Pulpit without a Black Gown Is there so much vertue in that or doth all your office and divinity consist in it or rather doth not your colour manifest your nature Let every one abide in his calling 1 Cor. 7. 20. This I have answered already it relates to Servants not to leave their Masters after conversion c. and not to that end for which you learned Rhetoritians ignorantly apply it against the Lord and his Truth Your first and Second Query and Answer I wave as not material to my work in hand But the Objection you seem to Answer in it I shall a little touch If Paul had a double Calling why not We Your Answer is First There is a great difference between Paul and You He had much learning You no learning Stay Sir where is it said Paul had so much learning he had the gifts of the Spirit but what else This is Learning enough for Paul and mean Abilities yet according to the Ability let them minister Secondly He had an extraordinary measure of the Spirit had his Learning given him by Revelation Inspiration c. We by industry study c. Had Paul his by the Spirit and have You yours by another way No wonder if you make use of it to another End But have you indeed gotten another way to get the gifts of preaching have you Simon-like bought them for mony or have you Pharisee-like wrought hard for them oh the Lord will curse and blast all such gettings the Princes of Zoan and spiritual Egypt shall appear to be fools in the end I deny not reading of and meditation on the Scriptures But unless the Lord freely inspire and teach by his Spirit all your study and reading is nothing But your Art of studying and making Sermons I utterly protest against Thirdly you say The work of the Ministry is a distinct Calling c. Not so distinct but that they may make use of another as Paul Distinct Duties Not so distinct but that another may perform them but he is in a distinct manner to attend upon them and officiate in them The power of the Keys is not given to the Church but to Peter and his Successors c. To the Pope and his Ministers But the Keys of the Kingdom were not given to Peter more then to Paul but to Peters faith and to all that have obtained or shall obtain like precious faith Fourthly The Apostle labors 1. That he might not be burdensom to the Church which was poor 2. Thess 3. 8. But you will not labor but live upon the People though poor you will Lord it over them and have it from them if they have it without them 2. That he might stop the mouths of false Prophets Who would accuse him for making advantage of the Gospel But you will not labor let false and true Prophets say what they will of you but will make advantage of the Gospel you are so far from the Apostles temper that let what mouths will be open against you yet your mouths are still open for the gain 3. That he might be an Example of Industry But you are resolved notwithstanding to be Examples of Pride and Idleness you bind heavy burdens for others and cry out against their Idleness but will be sure not to touch them your selves with the least of your fingers But Fifthly you confess at last That a man may keep two Callings though your selves intend not to live lawfully in one but a Minister may teach School as Samuel had a School of yong Prophets Had a Lay Prophet as you call them said so much you would have been ready to cry out ignorance in tearing wresting and abusing Scripture to self Ends There is never a word of School or Colledge in the Text. But may a man a Minister have two Callings the one subordinate to the other and then why may he not bake and preach nayl and preach patch and preach and plow and preach too as well as fish and preach make tents and preach c. The eleventh Argument If the Calling of the Ministry be a distinct Calling have distinct offices and duties belonging to it c. then every private man though gifted may not intrude himself into it but so it is Mat. 16. 19. 18. 18. John 20. 21 23. The power of the keyes is not given to the whole body of the Church but to the Apostles and their Successors the Ministers of the Gospel to them belongs the power of remitting and retaining sins authoritatively in Christs name c. I answer 1. That I have already told you that there is difference between men ministring by office and by gift The Calling of the Minister is distinct yet not so distinct as to prevent the gifted brethren as you imagine and they may administer according to the measure they have received yet not intrude themselves into the office of the Ministry and the truth