Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A69570
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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.
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Bewick, John.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing B2192; ESTC R22339
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30,236
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47
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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
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