Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	divine_a	reason_n	revelation_n	1,589	5	9.4988	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

these Spirituall men Certainly those Christians who did abound more then others of their Brethren in the graces and gifts of the spirit For so is the word taken Gal. 6. 1. You that are spirituall restore such a man And more expresly in this very Epistle 1 Cor. 3. 1. And I Brethren could not speak to you as unto spirituall but as unto carnall even as unto babes in Christ Here is an expresse opposition between a Carnall Christian and a Spirituall Christian the weaker sort of Christians being called Carnall and the stronger and more able Christians who were men in understanding being called spirituall To returne then to the place in hand The Apostle opposeth the Prophet and spirituall man that is the gifted Christian as our Saviour opposeth the Prophet and the righteous man Matth. 10. 41. Therefore when he spake before of Prophets or unto Phrophets he spake not to the private believers or Church-members in Corinth though never so well gifted but unto Prophets strictly and distinctly so called who were a ranke or order of men in the Church that was above the most eminent gifted Christians in respect of outward state and condition And this is the more probable because the Apostle doth seeme expresly to divert his speech from the Church unto the Prophets and other gifted men in the Church Chap. 12. 1. Now concerning spirituall gifts Brethren c. 2. Prophesy was a gift of the same nature and continuance with the gift of tongues as appeares by the Apostles perpetuall comparing of them together in this chapter But that the gift of tongues is ceased now and that it was an extraordinary gift while it was in the world I suppose Chillenden himselfe cannot deny Therefore how he can affirme the gift of Prophesy ●o be an ordinary and an abiding gift let himselfe judge 3 Prophesy was an interpretation of the deep mysteries of Scripture by inspirationor immediate revelation vers 30. If any thing be revealed to another and Ephes 3. 3 5. The mystery which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed 1 Cor. 13. ● unto his holy Apostles and Prophets Whence they that believe the doctrine of the Gospell are said to be built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2. 20. And hereby is Prophesy distinguished from Doctrine 1 Cor. 14. 26. Prophesy being there signifyed by Revelation Doctrine noting an explication of the word by comparing Scripture with Scripture and by the Analysis of a Scripture into its simple Arguments which is the way of exposition now in use in the Church So vers 6. unlesse I come speaking to you either by Revelation or by knowledge or by Prophesy or by Doctrine That is unlesse I speak a Revelation which is Prophesy or knowledge which is Doctrine For what is Prophesy but the uttering of a Revelation And what is Doctrine but an uttering of knowledge That knowledge I meane which is attained by a studious search and enquiry into the meaning of Scripture Wherefore it must needs be that Prophesy was no ordinary but an extraordinary gift extraordinary in those dayes being given but to a few but much more extraordinary in our dayes being given to none 4 From the same place it is manifest that Prophesy was not a gift residing in the mind by way of habit but it was an impression transiently made upon the mind by the Holy Ghost like lightning in the ayre If any thing be revealed to another saith the Apostle Cleerely holding forth thereby that one Prophet might have the understanding of some spiritual gifted mystery given him while another was Prophesying and that not by the help and operation of any faculty of his own as his fancy judgement or memory but by Revelation or divine inspiration Now I would aske of those who call themselves Prophets in our dayes whether their fancy judgement and memory do not help them to all the glorious sublimated conceits which they so much boast of notions so transcendent that they many times leave all reason sense and truth many thousand leagues below them If they grant it then they can no longer plead this practice of prophesying in the Corinthians for their patterne it being of a more noble descent even immediately from heaven without the help and obstetrication of any naturall abilities If they deny it and have the face to affirm that they receive it by immediate Revelation then must I sound a retreate to all that are men in understanding and are not apt childishly to be tossed too and fro with every wind of Doctrine to the Law and the Testimonies if any man adde to the words of this book let him be accursed 5. The Prophets in the Church of Corinth were not private gifted Christians but such as had the power of the government of the Church as ordinary Pastors and Teachers Yea and those very Prophets and the rest of the gifted persons as I conceive were the Pastors and Rulers pertaining to the Church of Corinth For that Prophets had a Pastorall care seemes undenyable to me because Act. 13. ● Paul and Barnabas who were no private unordained men are called Prophets and it is a rule received without contradiction that every superiour order of Ministers did conteine the inferiour As for example an Apostle was a Prophet Evangelist Pastor Teacher Ruler and Deacon 1 Cor. 14. 36. 1 Cor. 9. 5 1 Pet 5. 1. Act. 6. 2. c. A Prophet in like manner was a Pastor Teacher Ruler and Deacon for Prophets were second in place to Apostles 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. And that these Prophets and other gifted persons did exercise pastorall Offices is cleere in this very Chapter First the whole Church came together to heare them vers 23. When they were come together one of them prayed in the name of the Congregation vers 16. To which they all consented by saying Amen They did also Preach the word and apply it to edification exhortation and comfort vers 3. of them that believed and the conversion of the unbelievers vers 24 25. Moreover they had a Power of rule and government to keep order and decorum in the Congregation As for example to enjoyne women silence in the Churches ver 34. Let your women keep silence in the Churches The Apostle saith not simply let women keep silence but let your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5. 2. women that is the women of your Church which are within the verge of your authority For do not ye judge them that are within 1 Cor. 5 12. they had also power to make way for a Prophet to speak when he hath any thing revealed to him vers 30 31 32. an act properly pertaining to the Ruler of the Congregation Act. 13. 15. Qu. If you aske then wherein did Apostles and Prophets differ Ans I answer in this The Apostles spake what they heard and saw 1 John 1. 1. It being essentiall to an Apostle to have

irradiation of the spirit of God stirinrg up a man at certain times to Prophesie Ier. 42. 7. Hence it was not in the power of man who had the power of Ordination in other cases to Ordaine a man to be a Prophet as in the time of the New Testament it was not in the power of men no not of the Apostles themselves to Ordaine another to the Office of an Apostle but all that were chosen to be Apostles were appointed immediately by Christ as the 11 Disciples and Paul Gal. 1. 1. and Matthias Act. 1. 24 25 26. This observation therefore is a nullity Had Moses spoken of a Function unto which Ordination had been applycable no doubt he would have wished that they might have been ordained before they had exercised it habitually but speaking of such a work unto which nothing was requisite but the powring out of the Spirit what need he speak more then he did 2. Let us apply it to the thing in hand grant that he had wished it to Christians now living I aske doth he wish a Spirit of extraordinary Prophesy such as theirs was as I shall prove anon or of ordinary Prophesy such as is common in these dayes of the New Testament if extraordinary then he had wished that which no Christian could have taken hold of for a spirit of extraordinary Prophesy hath not been in the world since the Scriptures were perfected if ordinary then it makes for us for then he wishes such a Spirit as doth not exclude but include Ordination the Scripture acknowledging no Prophets in our dayes but Ordained Preachers unlesse it be those false Prophets and false Teachers which the Apostle speakes of 2 Pet. 2. 1. 1 Iohn 4 1. For my part I judge he speakes of such a spirit which himselfe had and which was then powred down upon Eldad and Medad which was extraordinary and therefore not applicable to us 3. The speech it selfe is to be understood as it is uttered not indicatively but optatively For Moses doth not wish absolutely that all the Lords people were Prophets but quantum adse as for his part he envyed no man that had the Spirit as well as himselfe nor would he have his servant Joshua or any man else to envy for his sake but he wisheth all good to all men as it might be expedient for them This is the plain meaning of the place as he that reads may quickly understand The like speech hath Paul 1 Cor. 14. 5. I would that yee all spake with Tongues yet he saies before Chap. 12. 29 30. Are all Prophets Doe all speak with Tongues His meaning is the same with Moses he wo●●d not that the dignity of his person should stand in the way or bee any hinderance of others from partaking in the like gift q. d. As for my part I can easily beare yea I wish that that gift of Prophesy which is in me were common unto all nor will I have any man forbid for my sake and this I am perswaded is the sincere desire of every faithfull Minister even of the most eminent that your selfe Mr. Chillenden and all Christians might have the same spirituall gifts which they have if it might stand with the will of God and order in the Church But what then Is this any ground for a man to run before hee is sent Jer. 23. 21. But Chillenden it seemes doth judge the giving of the Spirit a sufficient sending For thus it followeth Chill That which made them Prophets was the Lords putting his spirit on them Why then should not men now to whom God hath given of his spirit with gifts utterance and knowledge be Prophets and Preachers The gifts of God are not given to be hidden under a Bushell or to be kept in a Napkin c. Answ Doubtlesse the Lords putting of his Spirit on them made them Prophets but this powring out of the Spirit did eminently include Ordination or that which was equivalent or transcendent to it even an impulsive command from the Spirit which they could nor resist Amos 3. 8. The Lord hath spoken who can but Prophesy Yea I conceive that the Spirit so over-powred them as that they were not masters of their own words and gestures but were acted by a secret Spirituall violence even above themselves to an high and extraordinary sublimity of speech and insolency of gesture to the astonishment of those that beheld and heard Of Saul it is said that when a Spirit of Prophesy came upon him he stript off his cloathes and lay down naked all that day and all that night 1 Sam 19. 24. And in respect of those insolent expressions and gestures which they were carryed forth to that did they receive the Spirit of Prophesy suddainly falling upon them it became an ordinary speech in Israel if they saw any strange and insolent carriage in a man yea though it came from an evil Spirit to say that he Prophesyed 1 Sam 18. 10. And we know that the Spirit falling upon an ungodly man so overmastered him that he spake what he never intended nor had any mind to speak Balaam I mean Num 23. 24 These Prophets therfore w●●● rather passive then active in their Prophesyings which I conceive to be the reason why the Hebrewes for Prophesying use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Niphal the passive voyce Prophetaties est there being no Hebrew word of the active signification to expresse it by intimating that men were rather passive then active in Prophesying Hence they could not use those expressions and gestures which are naturally most perswasive as men in Preaching doe but such as they were acted too by the Spirit yea and what they spake they spake from the Spirit even divine misteries immediately inspired wherein it was impossible for them to erre though such they might bee as they themselves understood them not whereas our Preaching consists in an explication and application of the Word which the simple and unlearned may wrest through their ignorance either to a wrong sense in explication or to a wrong subject in Application And lastly the end of this spirit of Prophesy was to bee as a sensible signe of confirmation to them that received it that God had called them in particular to some great and eminent imployment Numb 11. 16 17. Hence t is said verse 25. They Prophesyed and ceased not so the Chaldee translateth it but the Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they added not viz. to Prophesy any more as D●ut 5. 22. These words hee spake and hee added no more intimating that then indeed they Prophesyed but not from thenceforth continually because the Spirit was given them but as a temporary gift and miracle for confirmation of their Office As unto Saul 1 Sam. 10. 6. and Caiaphas the High Priest John 11. 50 51 52. Now lay all these together and it will appeare that in efficient matter forme and end the Prophesying spoken of Num. 11. was extraordinary and