Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A36145
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A Dispute betwixt two clergie-men upon the roade in which is discovered how unhumanly the one set upon the other in his journey, and at last rejected his company, refusing to dispute with him / published bya friend of the respondents.
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1651
(1651)
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Wing D1679; ESTC R32789
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3,769
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8
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A DISPVTE BETWIXT Two Clergie-Men upon the Roade In which is discovered how unhumanly the one set upon the other in his Journey and at last Rejected his company refusing to dispute with him Published by a friend of the Respondents Try the Spirits whether they be of God 1 John 4.1 Printed for A. H. 1651. A Dispute betweene two Clergie-Men Question VVEll met Countryman whither are you travelling I pray you Ans Towards I. in H. Sir Q. Have you beene at London Sir A. Yes Q. By your habit you should be a Minister A. I am an unworthy Minister of Gods word at S. in E. Q. I shall be glad of your company I pray what Colledge were you of for I suppose you have beene either a Cambridge or an Oxford Scholar A. Sir I have not beene a Graduate Q. Then I feare the strange fire of preposterous zeale causes you as it doth many more in these times to run before you be sent What doe you thinke it 's lawfull for one who hath not beene a Graduate to enter into the Ministry Spondeo te nunquam studioso Scholastico damnum illaturum nisi eum libris privaveris A. Sir I am at the present somewhat unfit for disputation yet if you can convince me by cleare testimony out of Gods word that he that hath not been a graduate may not be a Minister of Gods word in case of necessity as well as a Graduate if therunto lawfully called I shall be sorry for my rashnesss and apply my selfe to something else for the futute Q. I pray where is there a necessity of such Preachers as have not been Graduates A. Where there is a want of Godly and learned men to teach the People and whether there be not a want of such to supply many a hundred congregations in England judge you I pray Q. And because you say if he be thereunto lawfully called I pray who is lawfully called to be a Minister A. He that is inwardly called of God and outwardly called by those the Scripture Authorize to call him is lawfully called to be a Minister Q. Inwardly called why ought none to preach except they bee inwardly called of God is not the outward calling sufficient A. No for how shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 I hope you will conclude the Apostle meant an inward call as well as an outward no man no though hee have beene a Graduate may take this honour to himselfe but he who is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 though a man be never such an Eminent Scholar he ought not to enter into the Ministry unlesse hee bee inwardly called of God it is not every Scholar may turne Preacher we reade in Dan. 1.17 of foure excellent Scholars but God powred the Spirit of Prophesie upon but one of them viz. Daniel Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel Acts 22.3 a place I feare too much abused by some Scholars for if wee compare that text with Acts 18.3 't is said that Pauls craft was to make tents but suppose it be a truth that Gamaliel was a Tutor and Paul a Student under him and that then and there hee became skilfull in all kinde of Languages Arts and Sciences which to prove will make a Scholar to sweat yet Paul had no warrant to turne Apostle untill hee had commission from Jesus Christ so though it be necessary that a Minister bee a Scholar yet no mans Scholarship makes him a Minister though you joyne to that the lord Popes call or the lord Bishops either for unlesse he bee inwardly called of God hee is not able to prove himselfe a true Minister and truly it were good that those Scholars that turne Ministers would make knowne their Commission they have received from God if they have received any as well as that they have received from a Lordbishop or some Patrone that when ever they reprove others for preaching without a call their owne consciences might not reply Medice cura teipsum Q. Ah sirrah I begin to smell a rat for any thing I can perceive you could beteem to conclude that Paul was no Scholar A. Sir I pray judge charitably I beleeve Paul was a better Scholar than your selfe he spake more languages than they all saith the Text in 1 Cor. 14.18 yet still it lyes upon you to prove that Paul attained his skill in languages by industry at Gamaliels Colledge or whether he had the extraordinary gift of tongues as those had in Acts the second Q. You must know that the call of Ministers is either ordinary or extraordinary Prophets and Apostles were extraordinarily called and therefore though then God imployed heardmen and fishermen yet now miracles are ceased and we are not to looke at any man as sent of God to preach the Gospell unlesse he have been a Graduate A. We are not to expect that God should now send either heardmen or fishermen with any other Gospel than wee have already received or that God should make them Prophets or Apostles yet it doth not follow but that God may call one to the worke of the ministry who for some short time hath wrought upon a trade or followed husbandry and give him such ordinary gifts as may be profitable for those congregations which want godly and learned Divines or else our English Presbyters sinne against light for they give their letters testimoniall in the behalfe of such and also ordaine them Q. I know no command in the word or example either that any tradesman should enter into the Ministry without an Immediate call from Jesus Christ by name and that such a one as makes others take notice of it as well as himselfe A. If thereon you conclude that it is unlawfull for a man that for some time hath wrought on a trade afterward to apply himselfe to the study of Divinity and enter into the Ministry if he be by godly and learned Divines found able to dispence the word of life for the good of the Church by the same rule what command or example have you in the word for Baptizing Infants payment of Tythes Ordination of Ministers by a Lord Bishop or for any Graduate to enter into the Ministry unlesse he have such an immediate call for the miracle will hold for the one as well as the other and I desire you to prove that either they Acts 8.4 or Appollos Acts 18. were Graduates or had this immediate call you speake of yet I hope you will conclude they were men in office and did not run before they were sent Q. I will not trouble my selfe about Appollo at this time but I answer your demand with another Quere ought not a man to abide in the same vocation wherein he is called for I am sure its the counsell of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in the same vocation whereunto hee is called A. Man and Wife ought not by unlawfull meanes to part nor Servants by unlawfull meanes to reject