AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST LAY-PREACHING OR THE PREACHERS PLEA In a Discourse answering such Objections which were given to a conscientious friend who for his satisfaction requested a resolution In which Discourse is proved that preaching of the Word is a peculiar Calling to be undertaken by none without a speciall Call and that more is required in such who undertake it than abilities in which likewise other incidentall Questions and Cases concerning the Profession of Preachers are discussed The Lord gave the Word great was the company of those that published it Psal. 68. 11. No man taketh this honour unto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5. 4. LONDON Printed for Andrew Crook Anno 1642. The VVriting occasioning the ensuing Discourse THe places of Scripture underwritten which some doe bring to prove That a man who hath the gift of the spirit and can preach may preach the Gospel of what calling soever he be To prove it lawfull they quote 2 Acts 17 18. from which place they understand that not only they that have been at the University and have gotten learning that they only should be Teachers but they also to whom is given the gift Ergo if I can teach and edifie my breathren and my brethren can teach to edifie me it is lawfull although we be but Tradesmen for the Apostle did labour with his hands and yet a Teacher and many others besides 2 Thes. 3. 8. By way of Reason thus 1. A Teacher is knowne to be called of God by those qualifications and gifts which hee hath received but many of Gods people have the gift to teach and resolve doubts Ergo they are called and therefore bound to teach 2. Every man who hath a gift which is spirituall it is his talent and he who useth not his talent God will take it from him and cloath him with shame and a curse Ergo men are bound to use their gifts And this is the way which we have prescribed 2. Joel 28. 44 Isaiah 3. 1 Cor. 14. 29. 1 Cor. 14. 31 and 33 ver. The Reason is given God is not the author of confusion but of peace which doth prove as they understand that when men can prophesie and doe not it causeth confusion and not peace 11 Numb. 29. Would God all could prophesie 8 Acts 1. compared with the third and fourth verses of that Chapter From which places they understand that any one poore or rich weak or strong if they could teach they became Dispensers The same times are now for the want of publick meanes they were scattered so are we Therefore if God enable us we will take a course in private If men send us to prison God will send prison-comforts 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. As every man hath received a gift so let them administer the same one to another In this thing I desire to be resolved being of my selfe but weak and not able fully to answer it An Answer to the former VVriting I Have seriously pondered the paper and according to your desire have returned an Answer to help you to a satisfaction in those things wherein some have sought to scruple you All which by the assistance of God I have throughly sifted and I hope shall discover what bran was presented by the Objectors in stead of the pure manchet of Gods word The maine assertion in the paper is this A man that hath the gift of the Spirit and can preach may preach the Gospel of what calling soever we be The proofs alledged seeme to prove two things First That any of any Profession may preach being enabled And Secondly That such ought to doe so especially in the want of publique meanes I conceive that the Affirmers of these things doe not understand by this word Preaching and Teaching preaching as it is largely taken for any kinde of notifying and making known the Gospel of Christ or the Oracles of God for then what need this controversie since it is well knowne that there are many wayes thus to doe as namely by Conference so Aquila and Priscilla expounded to Apollos the way of God more perfectly Or by Catechising so Theophilus was instructed that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been catechised so is the originall though in our English transion it is rendred instructed Or by Writing in which respect Solomon is called a Preacher because by his writings he published those truths wherewith the Spirit inspired him Or by reading and so the Prophecy of Ieremiah and the minde of the Lord was made knowne to the Jewes by Barucks reading Yea any other meanes by which the truth is made knowne may in a sense be called Preaching but I think they meane not this generall kinde of Preaching but by Preaching they meane as it is in a restricted sense taken An expounding of Scripture by doctrinall deducing of instructions and conscientiall applications of them to the Hearers by way of dilating or enlargement Or more briefly by Preaching they mean A speaking unto men for exhortation edification and comfort I beleeve they meane this by the word Preaching for so their proofs seeme to prove And therefore I will propose against their phancy of the lawfulnesse for any of any calling being able to preach five Propositions as an Antidote which when I have discussed I will punctually answer the paper The Propositions considerable are these 1 Preaching or dispensing of the word is a peculiar calling distinct from other callings 2 Not any of another calling ought to dispense the word preachingly till they are thereunto called 3 In the Call to preach more things are required than endowments to preach without which things no man hath a Call to that function 4 Men of other Professions though enabled with spirituall gifts yet are not to undertake preaching till they are thereunto lawfully called 5 Such as take on them that calling after lawfull Call thereunto ought not to intangle themselves in worldly emploiments and follow their wordly calling Of all these I will say something and then come to answer the paper CHAP. I. The first Proposition Preaching of the word that is an expounding or interpreting it thence drawing out Doctrines of instruction and applying them to severall sorts of Hearers gathered together to heare is a peculiar calling distinct from other callings A Calling is a certaine kinde of life ordained and imposed on man by God for the common good Now it is certaine that God hath constituted and appointed some men to spend their dayes in finding out acceptable words even the words of truth that they may the better publish the word of God and fasten it as Masters of the assemblies according to the command given from one shepherd Goe and teach all Nations This truth is evident from two Scriptures to name no more The first place is 10 Rom. 14. How shall they heare without a Preacher And how shall they preach except they be
Call Hee counted me faithfull putting mee into the Ministry And this is requisite in every ones call to it because God is the Lord of the harvest and must bee prayed unto to thrust out labourers into the harvest The word signifies to cast them out as it were by a strong hand So then God must put them into this work and thrust them into it And this Divine Position into the Ministeriall calling is styled in Scripture The opening of the door Now God opens two doors to every one whom hee puts into the office of teaching 1. Hee opens the door of gifts Wee are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament This Ability by our Saviour is called a mouth of wisedome and by S. Paul a door of utterance By opening the door of utterance we are to understand not only opportunities to preach as it is sometimes taken but likewise abilities and endowments to prech an internall faculty fitting for the Ministry God first furnishes the mind with knowledge of divine things hee first gives abilities to manifest them before one have opportunity therefore hee is said to commit to us the Ministry of reconciliation hee first teaches what wee shall say before hee sends us on his message Till God hath opened the door of gifts there is no sending from him on his Embassage 2. Hee opens the door of the heart to desire this office and to be willing to spend its gifts and be sent in it every one truly called by God to preach hath a work of God on his spirit bending and framing it to addict it selfe to this call Such a work had the house of Stephanas on them and such a work was wrought on Isaiah his tongue was touched God gave him gifts and then made him exceeding willing to employ them and such a work was on S. Paul whereby so much as in him was hee was ready to preach the Gospel and such a work is wrought on all their hearts whom God sirs up to feed his flock willingly So that when God hath bent the strong delights of the mind on such kind of learning which are most proper and conducent to the Ministry and when a man finds his gifts and parts more sutable to this than any other learned calling and when the desire of his soul is to serve in the Church then doubtlesse God hath called such an one to preach because hereunto hee hath opened his heart which opening containes the desires of the soul to enter into this calling and also the willingnesse of the heart to embrace the worke of it They then are by God put into the Ministry to whom hee hath given both ability and an heart to teach Many have gifts but no heart these God doth not call for hee first gives the preparations of the heart Againe many affect this calling but want gifts neither are they hereunto called by God for hee rejects such from teaching But such are undoubtedly put into the Ministry by God in whom ability to teach and a will to teach concurres A man who as Elihu is full of matter hath abilities and the spirit within him constraines him whose spirit the Lord hath stirred up as hee did the Temples Builders hee surely is a spirituall Builder one who is called by God to preach This is the first Requisite 2. The second Requisite is Personall Qualifications He is not a Teacher sent of God who wants the essentiall qualities of a Teacher And these are two 1. Abilities to teach 2. Fidelity in that function Both these the Apostle mentions in one verse The things which thou hast heard also among many witnesses the same commit to faithfull men who shall be able to teach Ability then and fidelity is required The key of knowledge is committed to them who are called to preach that they may faithfully open the whole councell of God to his people First Ability and skill above ordinary beleevers must be in a Preacher The man of God must bee throughly furnished unto every good work and particularly hee must have 1. Ability to expound Scripture being a work-man who needs not to bee ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth like Apollos being one eloquent and mighty in Scripture Therefore hee is called an Interpreter Hee must be one like John who hath taken Gods book and in some measure hath eaten it Hee must also have 2. Ability to instruct Hee must be a store-house of knowledge The Priests lips shall keep knowledge and they shall seek the law at his mouth for hee is the messenger of the Lord of Hoasts Every Scribe saith our blessed Saviour which is instructed unto the Kingdome of God is like an householder which brings forth out of his treasury things old and new Hee must have 3. Ability seasonably to apply the truth Hee must have the tongue of the Learned that hee may know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary He must be Gods Steward knowing how to give a portion of meat in due season to his houshold ministring milk to babes and strong meat to riper Christians He must have skill to feed Christs lambs and Christs sheep Hee must have 4. Ability to refute and convince the adversaries of sacred truth These abilities at least in some competency above ordinary Christians are requisite in a Teacher All which requires store of learning both humane and divine that the man of God may have dexterity both in diving into the Scripture and in refuting the adversaries And therefore They are very bold intruders into the calling of teaching others who both are unlearned themselves and likewise have given no attendance to reading especially to such kinds of learning which are subservient to the Ministry and without which one of necessity can be but meanly qualified for that calling and will be very lame in the discharge of it Secondly Fidelity is another essentiall quality required in a Teacher Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Moreover it is required in Stewards that a man may be found faithfull A Teacher is a Dispenser of the pretious blood of Christ of the pretious promises of the Gospel of the word of God and of the unsearchable riches of Christ and therefore hee must faithfully dispense these concealing no necessary truths being no way negligent but instant in season and out of season to exhort rebuke instruct to doe the work of an Evangelist and to make full proofe of his Ministry These are the personall endowments required in a Preacher And this is the second Requisite Thirdly The third Requisite is Ecclesiasticall Authorization As God opens the door of gifts and of the heart which is
Professions yet affirm joyntly that they would give themselves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the word neither would they meddle with a businesse which in its own nature might well have stood with their Ministeriall Function because of some inconveniences in it It is no reason say they that wee should leave the word of God and serve tables S. Paul would have Timothy and in him all Ministers wholly to inure themselves to the paines and whatsoever other hardship accompanies or followes their Ministry and not be busie in secular negotiations Hee takes a similitude from a Souldier who having undertaken military service doth wholly addict himselfe to his Commanders service even so such who undertake Christs service must seek to please Christ by doing his work and therefore must not frame themselves to those employments in which they were enwrapt before Christ chose them to his pecular service The words are very plain Thou therefore endure hardnesse as a good souldier of Christ And again No man that warreth entangleth himselfe with the affairs of this life that hee may please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier And there is good reason why Ministers should wholly intend the Ministeriall employment and no other both because other employments make them unfit to discharge this freely and fully He who enters into this Calling and will secularly be employed is unfit for this Calling even as hee who layes his hand on the Plough and looks back is unfit for the kingdome of God and likewise because any one work which is enjoyned the Ministry is sufficient alone to take up the whole man and his whole time As to name but that one mentioned by S Paul hee is to give attendance to reading and meditation and to give himself wholly to these that his profiting may appear unto all Now this is work enough for a man yea it is set out in Scripture to bee a toylsome and tiresome work much study is a wearinesse to the flesh God compares it to the work of Husbandmen who are in continuall employment either breaking up the fallow or sowing or harrowing or manuring or reaping or gathering into barnes and then renewing again their labours And hee compares the service of the Ministry to Fishing a trade in which is no loitering but labouring not meanly but toughly sometimes all day oft all night and many times for nothing Such yea greater is a Ministers work it is a constant continuall labour he prayes he reads hee marks hee meditates hee writes hee utters the meditation of his heart and when hee hath done hee must return to his daily task and weekly spending being every moment employed save at the times of due intermission till hee hath fully finished his course and the time of departure approaches Preaching is a toylfull work and greater than to speak by an hour-glasse Again it is set out in Scripture to bee an enfeebling work So the Prophet found it I have saith hee spent my strength for nought and in vain And so our blessed Saviour found it who in the prime of his years little past thirty was reckoned by the Jewes to be towards fifty It is supposed by Divines and probably too that hee so spent himselfe in preaching and winning soules that hee seemed to the Jewes to bee much elder than hee was The Ministeriall work well followed makes one weak in strength and old in youth it consumes the lungs wasts the spirits both animall and naturall parches the radicall moisture draines the blood looses the joynts rivells the face and wears the brain They who speak other mens labours and such it seemes there were in the Apostles times count Preaching nothing because they know not experimentally what it means but such who labour in the word and doctrine as the Apostle did will with him acknowledge that in Preaching they spend and are spent and that they sacrifice themselves for their people Lay all this together and seeing the Ministeriall Calling hath in it employment for the whole man and for his whole time and seeing other Callings will distract in fulfilling the Ministery therefore it must be granted That they who undertake this Calling ought not save in the cases mentioned in the Answers to divert from the employments of this Calling being busie in worldly employments and so I conclude this fifth Proposition to be very true namely Such who take on them that Calling after lawfull call thereunto ought not to entangle themselves in worldly employments and follow their worldly Calling CHAP. VI I Now come to discusse the Contents in the Paper Wherein To prove that a man who hath the Gift of the Spirit may preach the Gospel of what Calling soever hee be is quoted Acts 2. 17 18. The words are these It shall come to passe in the last dayes saith God I will poure out my Spirit on all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreams And on my servants and on my handmaids I will poure out in those dayes of my Spirit and they shall prophesie From which place they understand That not only they that have been at University and have gotten learning that they only should Teach but they also to whom is given the Gift Therefore If I can teach and edifie my Brethren and my brethren can teach to edifie Me It is lawfull although wee be but Tradesmen For the Apostle did labour with his hands and yet a Teacher and many others besides 2. Thess. 3. 8. I answer to all This Though the distinction of learning gotten and learning given or as Scholars speak touching learning obtained by study pains industry and investigation either at University or any other place and learning conferred by inspiration or by any other immediate way of divine donation may be admitted yet the inference thereupon that any of any Calling whatsoever having given learning may preach is unsound Because the very having of learning either acquiredly or inspiredly is not sufficient to authorize preaching without a speciall Call Which as I have proved so this History in the second of Acts confirms for they of whom it speaks had abilities to preach they had been with Christ and hee had breathed on them the holy Ghost yet would they not preach till they had a speciall Call and were authorized thereunto by power from on high according to Christs command The pouring out of the Spirit on them as the History relates was a speciall and publike declaration of their Call that God had chosen them to teach the whole councell of God to plant the Gospel in all Nations and therefore God accordingly endued them extraordinarily with all languages and all infallible sacred knowledge Such then who propose these as a president for Layteachers should doe well to consider these Particulars 1 That inspiration Apostolicall served only for
the planting of the Gospel since God inspires so none and therefore the pretence of having learning given not gotten is a boast of things without their measure and a vaunt of the distribution of gifts on them which God never granted to any but to the first Planters of his Church 2 That they should consider That though any were endued with abilities Apostolicall which I suppose none will arrogate to themselves but such who have no other knowledge than that which puffs up yet such ought not to assume the divine Function untill hee have also with these here the Apostolicall Call If hee should without that Call doe so hee were but an intruder and a false Apostle And therefore Though Thou be able to teach thy Brother and thy Brother Thee yet neither of you ought Ministerially to doe so till thereunto you have as these Apostles a speciall Call So then this History gives no countenance to any though gifted to undertake Preaching uncalled 3 They should ponder That these Apostolike men did nothing in a corner They had no private undertakings for the whole multitude came together saw and heard therefore such who resolve on a private close course of Preaching in secret cannot justifie themselves by these Apostles here Neither yet follow they our Saviours example who spake openly to the world and ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Jewes alwayes resort and in secret said nothing 4 They should consider That these Apostolicall men having by this extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit on them their complete Commission to preach gave themselves wholly to Prayer and to the Ministry of the word And therefore hence cannot be raised a justification for any Lay-men continuing so to preach the word The History affords these irrefutable collections Butthe Objectors inference no wayes results out of the quoted words namely That any of any Calling who hath gifts may preach My reason is Because they mention the gifts of the Spirit poured on some whom God prohibits to preach as on women Your daughters and my handmaids saith the Text shall prophesie and yet God permits not such to teach Therefore for the clearing of this place from the absurd collection wee must explaine these words And they shall prophesie Know then These were Joels words but are here alledged by S. Peter to satisfie the multitude who were confounded seeing the cloven tongues like fire sitting on the Disciples heads and hearing them speak in their own tongues the wonderfull works of God Hee tells them that now Joels Prophesie is fulfilled namely I will poure out c. After hee tells them that Jesus Christ being exalted to Gods right hand hath shed forth this which they now saw and heard which they saw in the tongues and their speaking of Gods wonderfull works This is the briefe relation of the Story which makes much for the understanding of the quoted Scripture Wherein we may observe 1. That in the day of Pentecost God poured out of his Spirit in great measure both on men and women who were with one accord in one place 2. That these were thereby enabled to prophesie And 3. Their prophesying was no more but both a cleare understanding of former Prophesies as appears by S. Peters applying this and two more and also a praising Gods as his and the others speaking of Gods wonderfull works shewes So then these words Your sons and your daughters shall prophesie and again My servants and my handmaids shall prophesie imply only thus much These your sons and your daughters which are my servants and my handmaids shall have of my Spirit bestowed on them whereby they shall understand the former Prophesies touching the Kingdome of God and the Mystery of Salvation Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit I take this Paraphrase is the genuine meaning both of Joel and Peter and best shewes how both the sons and daughters of God are said to prophesie in the last dayes It would be therefore shewed plainly and without wresting the words how the conceit that any of any Calling having gifts may preach can bee grounded on them The words speak of such a kind of prophesying wherein both men and women may have a part and that is no other than either a clear understanding of Gods mysteries formerly vailed in dark Prophesies but now explained and known since the Spirits descent according to these Prophesies of the Gospels time Isai. 11. 9 Jerem. 31. 34. Joh. 6. 45. or else it is a lauding and praising of God for his wonderfull works One of these or rather both is the prophesying meant in this place and so both sons and daughters may prophesie But that kind of prophesying which consists in interpreting Scripture thence deducing Doctrinall and Practicall Conclusions for the instruction of others I am sure cannot bee meant in this place because in that kind of prophesying the daughters of God have no part nor fellowship with the sons of God for God hath excluded them as hath been shewed Let this suffice for answer to the quotation in Acts 2. 17. 18. CHAP. VII TO that which is added That Trade smen may preach because the Apostle did labour with his hands and yet a Teacher and many others besides 2 Thes. 3. 8. I answer 1. It followes not because the Apostle or any other having a Call to teach did in some cases labour with their hands therefore that such who are Tradesmen having no calling thereunto should preach I think this consequence cannot possibly be made good 2 I answer All which can be collected for imitation from the Apostles labouring with his hands is That a Minister in some cases there being thereby no impediment to his preaching or other Ministeriall duties may voluntarily use any lawfull Art or Calling manuall or mentall to supply his necessities The causes why S. Paul laboured with his hands are recorded in Scripture to be these First Hee would not be burdensome The penury of the Thessalonians was such they being poor Artificers that they could not conveniently contribute towards S. Pauls reliefe Besides that little which they had was liable to be preyed upon by their Persecuters therefore the Apostle in compassion remitted his right and rather than hee would burthen them hee wrought with his hands And for this cause the Ministers of the Waldenses did work to sustaine themselves because they found that the exacting of due maintenance which yet they might have took was burthensome to the Church being for their poverty termed the poor men of Lions which men yet professed that they were sorry that they had not sufficient staied livings for their Ministers whereby they might have more time to their studies and greater opportunity to instruct them with necessary doctrine and knowledge Secondly S. Paul wrought with his hands because hee would avoyd appearing
in Authority admit not then ought they to think that notwithstanding their gifts God hath not designed them to this function Once for all Know that gifts to teach and resolve doubts cannot justifie any in their undertakings to preach unlesse withall they have the other qualifications required hereunto Till the Objectors prove the contrary they say nothing to the purpose CHAP. IX The second Reason of the Objectors is this Every man who hath a gift which is spirituall it is his talent and hee who useth not his talent God will take it from him and cloath him with shame and a curse Ergo Men are bound to use their gifts Answer It is true that every Spirituall gift is a talent and must be used lest shame confusion and a just ablation of it otherwise succeed and yet it is as true that talents are no otherwise to be used than according to the Call to use them Some have talents conferred on them to be publikely employed for the good of others and accordingly these talents must be improved Others have talents given them only for their own private use and the private use of some others and accordingly such must employ their talents If any Lay-man have abilities to preach hee must use that ability only according to those ends for which God gave him such a talent First thereby to teach his wife and bring up his children and family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Secondly That thereby with greater prudence hee may discerne what is publikely taught by his Pastor and so retain that which is good and that which will arme him against a time of tryall and affliction wherewith perhaps God intends to exercise him more than others of his rank and vocation and accordingly aforehand fits him by extraordinary abilities giving him for the better preparation against extraordinary troubles in his own Calling but not for ostentation of parts by an extravagant intrusion into anothers Calling Such therefore need not feare cloathing with shame and a curse for not using their talent Ministerially it is sufficient to free them from feare of both if without arrogancy they onely employ it to their own and their families good If this satisfie not I am then sure that the Objectors are deluded And so thought blessed Martin Luther before me who upon that Verse in the Psalmist Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength or perfected praise answers the objection and his words shall be the conclusion of my answer His words are these * Hitherto also they belong who conscious to themselves of their great learning may dreame of some great danger to themselves if they instruct not others alledging that they hide in the earth the talent given them and doe expect with the evill servant the heavie doom of the Lord Satan doth so delude their fancies with ridiculous trifles Who by this verse instructed ought to know that it is not wee who teach neither is it our word which is taught but onely our mouth may doe service unto his word if hee will and call Thou hee saith hast perfected praise not they not we And so in the Gospel the Lord truly delivered talents to his servants but they were first called therefore doe thou also expect till thou be called In the mean time thou maist not desire it thou maist not voluntarily presse into it thy knowledge will not burst thee They ran saith the Lord in the Prophet but I spake not by them This temptation miserably vexes many that it grieves and repents them of their vocation The Devill doth this to disquiet them who have begus well and at length consume them with irkesomnesse Therefore hee who is called let him offer his mouth receive his word let him be an Instrument not the Author Hee who is not called let him pray to the Lord of the harvest that hee may send Labourers and perfect strength one of the mouth of infants CHAP. X. THe Objectors say that this is the way which is prescribed And they alledge sundry Scriptures for proofe Their first allegation is in Joel 2. 28. The words are I will poure out of my Spirit on all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie c. Answer These words of Joel prescribe nothing they only declare what God will doe in the last times Hee will say they poure out of his Spirit on all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie That is They shall apply the ancient prophesies seeing plainly that they are testimonies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome and they shall speak of Gods marvellous works This God shall doe saith Joel and this they did saith the story in the second of Acts and this is the prophesie which these words speak of but I think it passeth the skill of an understanding and judicious Divine to espy in them an injunction that Lay-men should preach Ministerially Till I see proofes naturally concluding that there is in these words such a prescription I shall repute the assertion of it to be but a groundlesse fancy The second Proofe is in Isaiah 44. 2. The words are these I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will poure my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine of spring Answer These words prescribe nothing they only promise an effusion of the word of Grace and the comforts of Grace and of the Spirit of Grace and blessing upon the Churches children both Jew and Gentile But I conceive it is a very hard task for the Objectors to prove that they prescribe Lay-men uncalled to teach For though the Lord bee pleased upon the Gentiles who were as a thirsty and dry ground to poure out his water that is make them partakers of the word of Grace according to the comparison by Moses and of the floods that is of the comforts of Grace these living springs as our Saviour calls them yet it is ridiculous to say That therefore Lay-men uncalled may prophesie and as inconsequentiall it is to say That because God will poure his Spirit on the seed of the Church and his blessing on her of-spring therefore Lay-men may preach Though God poure his Spirit on the seed yet the seed is not bound to poure out but must stay till God have sent and given a commission to goe and drop the word as hee did to the Prophet Besides the very next Verse in Isaiah 44. shewes That the pouring of water and floods and the Spirit on the seed is not a pouring that the seed should poure but that the seed should grow and encrease namely in piety and in the exercise of the severall graces of the Spirit This place therefore proves not the Objectors fancy Another Proofe they produce out of 1 Cor. 14. 29. Let the Prophets speak two or three and let the other judge And verse 31. Yee may all prophesie one by one that
all may learn and all may be comforted And the Reason is given Verse 33. For God is not the Author of confusion but of peace Which doth prove as they understand That when men can prophesie and doe not it causeth confusion and not peace Answer This allegation proves not that Lay-men may preach Here indeed the Prophets are commanded to dispense the word orderly but such who are no Prophets have hence no command for its dispensation The Apostle would have but two or three of the Prophets to speak in their meetings or Congregations A course much like to that in the Synagogues wherein one read Moses and another as it is thought read in the Prophets and when these had done another expounded and spake a word of exhortation This course the Apostle enjoynes and shewes in the 31. verse the conveniency of it Because hereby yee may saith hee all prophesie Hee meanes not all the promiscuous company of the godly for hee accounts it an absurdity to think all are Prophets but hee meanes all who are Prophets may prophesie And from the twelfth Chapter wee may gather that three things must concurre in the prophesying of which hee speaks in this place 1. The operation that is the act of prophesying 2. The administration that is the office or calling to prophesie 3. The gift or the enablement so the Apostles meaning here is All that is All who have not only the gift but likewise the calling from those Prophets to whom the spirit of the Prophets are subject may exercise themselves in prophesying by course or in their severall turnes And hee gives the reason of this course which hee prescribes because it is of Divine institution from God for two ends both that there may be no confusion in their meetings and likewise that peace may be maintained in them And he further tells the Corinthians that This course is observed in all the Churches of the Saints this then is that which the Apostle prescribes That the Prophets should exercise their gift of prophesying orderly but here hee enjoynes no Lay-men to become Prophets or Preachers I therefore exceedingly wonder how the Objectors can affirm and understand that these words prove That when men can prophesie and doe not it causeth confusion and not peace That which may be proved from them is That men in their owne Callings and particularly Preachers in theirs doing all thins orderly shall avoyd confusion and obtain peace in so doing But it is an idle conceit That these words teach that men able to preach and actually not doing so cause confusion Did our blessed Saviour being able never any abler to preach yet not doing so for thirty years cause any confusion in the Jewish Church all that time I think the Objectors dare not utter so blasphemous an affirmation Even so Gods people though able to preach yet cause no confusion though they are not Actors in so holy an employment Confusion would then be caused if what the Objectors plead for were admitted because an eversion of the distinction of Callings must needs succeed for the sacred would hereby be blended with others and every one upon his owne selfe-conceiteidnesse of parts and abilities might appoint himselfe a Teacher Which any may discern is near to confusion who have read both that God hath appointed Stewards over his houshold Watchmen and Leaders over his flock Labourers in his harvest divers Administrations as well for the preservation of peace in the Church as for the edification of it and likewise That none takes this honour on him but such who are thereunto called This quotation therefore will nothing advantage the Objectors The next place alledged is Numb. 11. 29. Would God all could prophesie Answer This Scripture doth not prove that Lay-men may preach 1. Because the prophesying here mentioned is not a Salvificall teaching others but a Politicall discoursing unto others it is an uttering wise and grave Apothegmes or Councells as Moses did concerning the publike affairs of Israel The Spirit of prophesie put on the Seventy was that they with Moses should beare the burthen of the people that is rule them and their prophesying therefore was no more but a prudentiall speaking of things appertaining to rule Moses his wish therefore is not That all were able to preach but that all were able to rule and so proves nothing for the Objectors 2. Moses his wish is That all could prophesie that is That they were called to prophesie and enabled thereunto as these Seventy in the history were called in that their names were writ to enter into the Tabernacle v. 26. and they were enabled from God hee put his Spirit on them therefore this wish doth not justifie the intrusion of any into anothers Office who is either uncalled or ungifted So that Moses his wish that all were Prophets yet imports also That till they are Prophets as well by Calling as enablement they must not prophesie 3. Moses doth not absolutely wish that all the people could prophesie but hereby hee only intimates that it would be no impeachment to him and his Authority though all the Camp if God thought fit could prophesie that is be able to governe His words are an answer to Joshuahs jealousie lest the prophesying of Eldad and Medad in the Camp should derogate from Moses his Authority Moses tells him that for his sake hee would have none prohibited from prophesying that is from ruling but hee wishes that all the people were fellowshelpers and able Assistants to him in governing This is the very true meaning of his wish Which teacheth pious men not to envy at the gifts and calling of others in the same Vocation with themselves but it no way prescribes men of other Callings to undertake without call thereunto the Office and Function of others Therefore from hence Lay-men can have no warrant for their undertaking to preach Another place alledged is Acts 8. 1. At that time there was a great persecution against the Church that was at Hierusalem and they were all scattered abroad thorowout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles Compared say the Objectors with verse 3. and 4. As for Saul hee made havock of the Church entring into every house and haling men and women committed them to prison Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word From which place the Objectors understand That any poor or rich weak or strong if they could teach they became Dispensers The same times say they are now for the want of publike meanes they were scattered so are wee Therefore if God enable us wee will take a course in private if men send us say they to prison God will send prison-comforts I perceive that the Objectors collect hence three things 1. That any of what condition soever may preach though they bee no Ministers This I conceive they prove from verse 1. All were scattered thorowout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles compared