they may because the generalitie of their duty is to be assistant but here lies the question whether one member can performe the office of another which is perticularly appropriated to him and none other or as you had it before can the eye performe the office of the hand or the hand of the eye for as you say though in respect of congregated bodies the more part are out of office yet as we are one body in Christ members one of another first all members may be generally assistant to the service of the whole but can every member performe that which is specially affirmed of and attributed to one if you grant it then factum est it is done Anabaptisme and Anarchie and all we shall have come tumbling into the Church for tell me are not you he that said a little before from the Apostle that the chiefest members cannot say to the least I have no need of thee now if every member can performe that which is specially affirmed of another then how can you justifie your speech from the Apostle who saith the one hath need of the other and if the one have need of the other it followes that hee wants that in another which hee cannot performe himselfe if one have no need of another then he cannot onely doe that which properly is this but that also which is specially attributed to another and so you have falsified the Apostle and beaten your selfe with your owne weapon To the next t is true that in the worke of Reformation it is necessary that all errours should be discovered and all truths imbraced but you have very slenderly proved that your universall practice is a truth and if you bring no better reason then you have here in your booke published to the world I am not afraid to tell you that in stead of being truth it is a most notorious untruth and such a one that you going about to prove true you have both exposed your selfe to abundance of censure from godly Divines but also shewed the ignorance in resting upon such broken Reeds that will never hold in the tryall and besides are there not abundance of faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ that notwithstanding they have had their admission into their publike offices from the Prelates yet doe preach Christ in his puritie and doe not you here shew your pride that dare take acception of their allowance by the Prelates for (u) Sâ—y a man have been trained up in the Schols of learning and have never so great gifts and fitnesse to exercise a publike office in the Church yet he may not take upon him to Minister till he first be approved 1. Tim. 3.10 that would open a gap to dangerous Schismes in the Church good therefore it is to hearken to the advice of the Apostle Rom. 12.3 Hildersham on Joh. pag. 248. they would not preach the Word publikely nor take upon them any publike function in the Church unlesse they were externally allowed thereunto and although there be imperfections in the same yet Sir the substance of it is conteined in their ordination being onely this that Ministers should be examined and proved for their abilitie to be apt to teach 1 Tim. 3.2 and by sound doctrine to exhort and convince the gainesayers now can every man that pretends the spirit be able to convince nay are they able to speake a word to a learned adversary and is it sit now that such should have any publike office in the Church In the 1 King 12.31 it is noted by the holy Ghost as a fault in Jeroboam that hee made Priests of the (x) You know they meane the basest of the people such as gave but one leap out of the Shop into the Church as suddenly are changed from a Serving mans Coat into a Ministers Cloak making for the most part the Ministery their last Refuge Cart. 1. rep to Whitgift pag. 26. lowest of the people which was a great prophanation to the Ministry and that he tooke them not out of the Tribe of Levi which were men fitted and qualified for the Ministery and if this were a fault in Jeroboam because he chused such as he should not chuse why shall it not be a fault and a great presumption in you to take that function upon you without a call by the Church and I am afraid that in stead of expecting a glorious Reformation we may rather expect a hinderance of the same occasioned by your practise use your gifts you may in a private way and it were to be wished that you did not so tumultuously draw such a number of people after you the reason is because it doth open the mouths of the adversaries of a thorough Reformation which if it were otherwise might lesse offend good Christians and upon the right performing of the same might have good warrant from the Word of God FINIS
braine and at length produces many exorbitant and giddy deviations from the sobriety and analogy of true Religion M. Bolton as a Learned Divine speakes this is that zeale which requires just censure and sound conviction What shall I say I onely wish that the God of heaven who hath all power in his hands and knowes the hearts of all men would bridle the outragiousnesse of his enemies and cure the errors of his owne people that we might all with one heait and one soule willingly submit to the Scepter of his deare Sonne endeavouring to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace c. AN ANSVVER TO A BOOK LATELY SET forth by IOHN SPENCER SPENCER THat there is no private gifts nor private Christians that we reade of in Scripture ANSVVER THat this is otherwise may easily appeare for some actions are private and some are also publique and againe some persons are private and some are publique and so it followeth that some actions proceeding from men as private their actions are private also private actions have reference to private men and men are private in respect of their conditions and callings God hath set them in and private men may sometimes performe publique actions being by authority called thereunto and this may not only hold in the Civill State but in the Ecclesiastique for Jesus Christ hath lest Offices and Officers in his Church and those designed to particular places This appeares manifestly as may bee seene in Scripture To set downe one instance in Acts 6. ver 1 2. The Grecians complaining that their Widdowes were neglected the Apostles to remedy it called the multitude together and wished them to looke out so many men full of the holy Glasts to be apponted for this businesse Now there is no man will deny but that this act was divine if so and that none could performe these actions but those who were publiquely ordained to that purpose then it follows That those men who were full of the holy Ghrst by a divine ordinance were appointed to doe such Offices in the Church not onely as they were Christians and so had a spirituall sufficiency to performs those duties but beene private men were now publikely ordained to execute that which they were called to But it is worth while to consider what you understand by pivate Christians and private Spirits for if you meane that every Christians gifts are not for private use but publike and in that respect to doe service to the whole and so generally to be assistant according to those gifts given him then your speech is true and so there is no Christian whatsoever that is a true member of Jesus Christ but hath a duty lying upon them to help to edifie the body in his place but if by private Christians and private gifts you understand that there are none such because that every one that hath gifts from the head may doe and performe 〈◊〉 Office in the Church which is onely properly and peculiatly attributed to some and so not to be differenced out of any particular Office from him that is specially called to a certaine Office then your speech is untrue and tends the high-way to Anabaptisme besides your selfe tells us that in respect of Congregated bodies the more part are out of office now if the more part in this respect be out of office then they that are out of office cannot performe the duties of them that are in office for what doth the word Office import but onely a calling to and a performing of certaine duties that pertain either to the civill State or the Church and none can perform these duties but only those that are designed thereunto and if there be these differences in those that are in office and those that are out of office I would know of you upon what ground you can affirme that there are no private gifts nor private Christians if in the first sense you acknowledge it it is granted to you if in the second sence which you must assent to or else you do but dally then shew us better proofes then these or else coase to be so universall in your conclusions untill the premisses be better for every member that is out of office may be sayd to have private gifts and private spirits because they are not to execute and performe those actions in a publike way which others may but in private as Vrsinus writes Furthermore in things pertaining to the Church and as every member stands in relation one to another and are members of that head from whom they receive life so there is distinctions of these members in their severall operations The Apostle in 1 Cor. 12.4 sayes that there are diversities of gifts flowing from one and the same spirit and although he doth diffuse severall gifts to those members for a mutuall benefit and to profit withall vers 7. yet these gifts that are thus given and the persons to whom they are given are to be differenced in their proper operations for the gifts make the members and not the members the gifts and to this purpose the Apostle speakes very pertinently are all Apostles are all Prophets have all the gift of tongues doe all prophesie c. Hence then it followes that as some gifts consist in the performance of some things and some of other things so also those persons in whom those gifts are are to be differenced likewise and this the Apostle doth clearely intimate in 1 Cor. 12. for speaking of the gifts of the Spirit and their diversities of operations vers 6. he proceeds by way of comparison that as in naturall bodies one member cannot performe the office of another and the distinctions of their operations in the body so also Christ Jesus being the head of the spirituall body hee hath communicated severall gifts to severall members and hath designed certaine peculiar offices to some of those members now not onely the severall gifts but also the severall functions in the body Ecclesiastick proceed from Jesus Christ and therefore the Apostle sayes vers 28. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers c. and although in the generall the gifts may concurre in one man yet there are some particulars affirmed of one which cannot be spoken of another and therefore the Apostle againe vers 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. but you say these (a) For as a man a beast being both living things are severed one from another by their several properties and speciall differences as they be called of the Logicians even so Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Doctors being all Preachers of the Gospell are severed by that wherein they differ one from another and as he can be no man which have none of these differences wherby a man is severed from living things so he cannot be Prophet or Apostle which hath nothing whereby hee may differ from a Pastor Doctor or
was not so convincing till they had beene with Christ themselves now what is all this to preaching or to ones being sent that he might preach you know Saint Paul saies how shall they preach except they be sent and sending is either ordinary or extraordinary and if you will needs have this woman to be a Preacher shew us her Commission You will say she preached but how is that proved well suppose she did preach for we will grant nothing where is her sending mentioned you will say it is not expressed her fact is sufficient I tell you that if she preached and was not ordinarily called it followes it was extraordinary and so unimitable and shew me if you can any instance in the Scripture that ever any person tooke upon him to preach publikely but they were called thereunto not onely inwardly by God but outwardly by the Church and that expressed in the Scripture unlesse in some cases extraordinary so even the Apostles themselves who were extraordinary called for their manner yet their calling is set downe both inward and outward also and now if the Apostles who were extraordinarily called for manner and yet is set downe for all that how comes it to passe that the womans fact which you would have ordinary is not set downe seeing ordinary callings and ordinary actions which the succeeding Churches was to walke by for directions are not regestred the Apostles as was sayd were extraordinary in the manner of their calling and in the manner of the exemption of that to which they were called but the substance of their dutie which they exempted to wit preaching was communicated to posterity else how hath God provided for his Church but as for these allegations of yours out of the Acts and of this woman of Samaria if you will have her a Preacher they were extraordinary both in circumstance and substance the reason of the first because of the persecution at Jerusalem there were none now to preach the Gospell but such as God had extraordinarily raised up and you should doe well to shew us when here was ever any such practise of preaching by lay men in the times of the Apostles libertie and when they were freed from the stops and hinderances of persecution then the cause could not possibly but winne credit to judicious understanders but when you can alleadge no examples then the woman of Samaria and these Christians in the Acts I must needs conclude to you as Christ did to the woman vers 22. yee worship you know not what no more doe you of what you affirme of the second for the reason before alleadged The next argument is taken from the 8. of Luk. 39. the man in whom Christ wrought the Miracle being possessed with divels after the divels were gone from him Christ bids him to goe to his owne house and tell what great things the Lord had done for him ergo a lay man may publikely preach the Gospell this inference is like the former well but how prove you hee was a preacher Marry because the Text saith hee went and preached some copies read it Published but it seemes where ever you finde the Word preached or prophesied in the Scripture though God he knowes the meaning is farre otherwise where in this case the holy Ghost onely by way of Narration hath set downe this miracle and how the person in whom it was wrought published it for the joy that possessed him and why doe not you as well conclude that because those two blind men in Matth. 9.31 that had received their sight were Preachers too for the Text saith they spread abroad his fame in all that countrey and you may better so conclude from these two then from the other because these two proclaime his fame Why although it be a generall expression yet containes more in it then that and may as well have relation to Christs doctrine as to that particular miracle he did to them in this there was but a dispossession of those divels and this proclaiming of what Jesus had done for him now if you will needs have this man to be a Preacher too and so a warrant for you you may be pleased to know that although he had no extraordinary spirit yet the fact may and was (l) For some things are extraordinary besides the penning of Scripture and working of Miracles as we see in Timothy and Titus for they went up and down and performed the offices â—f Vice-Apostles when yet they were mediatly called by the Church extraordinary because that hee in so doing had the command of Christ (m) Christ purposely commandeth him to shew forth the worke of God so that he being accounted for a true Prophet and Minister of God might so get the more credit to his doctrine Calvin on the place and that from his owne mouth which I thinke you will confesse to be extraordinary doe you thinke or suppose if the ordinary way as Christ prescribes in Matth. 17.21 if doing Miracles were performed by some Ministers to restore a man from some soare disease or to dispossesse him from Satan by Prayer and Fasting would not you if such a one should disperse that act through a whole Citie when he was wished onely to goe to his owne house and to declare what great things the Lord hath done for him conclude him that so did to be a Preacher I know you would else what can you make of this example certainely these be very strange collections to say that because such a one reeceived such a perticular mercy by Prayer and Fasting and proclaimed it to his friends or neare neighbours and to those of his neere acquaintance he was therefore a Preacher so here the Act on Christs part was suddaine and so no doubt but extraordinary and upon the suddaine performance of the same the man proclaimed what Christ had so done being full of great joy that if he could he would as the Text saith have continued with Christ and may not you as well conclude that those two blind men were Preachers for they did the same that this man did in spreading abroad his fame if you say that these two were not sent but the other were then let mee aske you this question where is it said that the woman of Samaria was sent and yet you will have her a Preacher and besides upon the same ground that you take her to be a Preacher upon the same will I prove the two blind men to be so too for the woman she called her Citizens to come to Christ the other which was dispossessed of the divels went and preached what things God had done for him and these two blind men that Christ cured went and spread his fame abroad now if it be a sufficient proofe to make a dissent in these actions because the one Text saith the one preached and the other hath it not and so to make a difference upon the word Preaching which in the sence is all one
I leave all men to judge Furthermore if the uttermost that you can gather from this place be granted you that this man did preach yet you cannot hence prove your calling to wit that a Lay man may publikely preach being not called by the Church when there is the meanes that may be afforded for that end because Christ sent this man out by his voyce and command and so must needs be extraordinary and that not because he wanted an extraordinary spirit but because he being no Church officer nor was mediatly called or sent but immediatly for as was said before some things were extraordinary besides penning of Scripture and the workes of Miracles as those actions performed by Timothy and Titus they were extraordinary persons c did and performed acts and offices that were extraordinary for their manner and their performances made them extraordiry men whence they are called Ewangelists and although they were mediatly called by the Church yet the execution of that to which they were called made them extraordinary but here this man was not onely extraordinary in what he did but also was extraordinarily sent from Christs owne vocall commission now if Timothy and Titus were extraordinary because they did actions extraordinary for their manner why is not this man extraordinary when he was not onely extraordinarily sent but did execute that also in an extraordinary manner to which purpose he was sent neither was a Church officer likewise it behoves you to prove that these actions performed by the scattered Christians and the woman and this man were perpetually so done by them and not once or twice which you cannot prove for there was good reason for them now to doe that but not as Church officers and so left imitable to posteritie but as the Christians for the necessitie that then was the woman and the man for the great joy that did then possesse them when Christ did those things for them To that other allegation of yours from that speech of Moses Numb 11.29 where he wishes that all the Lords people were Prophets is very impertinent to this purpose do you not know to what end this speech of Moses was or is your skill in comparing spirituall things with spirituall so weake that you know not how to apply them when they are compared or else in comparing them not right you apply them to a wrong end for according to your manner of reasoning the argument runs thus Moses wished that all the Lords people were Prophets therefore a Lay man or he that is no Church officer may out of extraordinary times preach the word publikely which is as farre from true reasoning as Jerusalem from Amsterdaâ—â— but you cannot bee so ignorant as you make your selfe that the meaning may be this that they were Prophets that is that they had a spirit of prophecie to sound forth the praises of God and to expresse the same by Timbrels and other Musicall Instruments as Elisha did in the same manner 2 King 3.15 but to put you out of all doubts because we will not use conjectures in so plaine a matter the true sence is this which doth best agree with the order of the story in this Numb 11.39 and in a plaine Narration you may be pleased to understand that these Israelites mentioned in the Chapter did murmure and complaine verse 1. Moses he being not able to beare this burthen desires the Lord in a possionate expression that be might die vers 14.15 But God moved with the complaint and griefe of his servant yeeldeth him helpers to beare his burden with him that so he might have the more comfort vers 16. these 70. men will he have furnished with his Spirit never placing any to doe a dutie to whem he gives not a measure of abilitie to doe the same and God did here extraordinarily call them to be assistant to Moses in this worke of government and to confirme this calling he did as he promised Moses tooke off the spirit that was on him and gave it to these Eldres vers 25. now so soone as this was done the Text saith they prophesied and did not cease which prophesie did consist in sounding forth Gods praises and also in ministring assistance to Moses in this worke of government now what Moses meant by wishing that all the Lords people were Prophets is easie to finde for his wish was spoken in relation to Eldad and Medads phophesying in the Campe peruse the Chapter well and you cannot but see in what sence Moses words are to be taken that had it not beene that those two Elders were in the Campe who were spoken against by Joshua Moses servant that expression had never beene uttered by him towards the people the two Elders being in the Campe a young man ran and told Moses and said Elad and Medad doe prophesie in the Campe and Joshua the servant of Moses said My Lord Moses forbad them Moses he answers him with a reproofe Enviest thou them for my sake saith he would God that the all Lords people were Prophets whereby it appeares that Moses his speech must needs carry a dependance and reference to those two Elders in the Camp or else it were very incongruous Now shall I aske you this question Had not Moses some ground for his wish and is not this wish spoken with reference to those two Elders I know you cannot deny it doth it not follow then by necessary consequence that as the Spirit that God took from Moses and put it upon these Elders and which Spirit Moses wished were in the Lords people was a spirit of Government which those Elders were to share in with Moses and which would have produced a happy effect in the people if they had had the same Will you see an example to illustrate this point Let the example of Saul then bee here brought forth and which comes next to be answered That as he was extraordinarily called by God to his Kingly office so was this his calling confirmed to him by the pouring of his Spirit on him 1 Sam. 10.6 Such an example we have likewise in Gideon in the 6. Judges 34. Who by this signe of prophecie and other things joyning with it had his place confirmed to him the Spirit it selfe was a Spirit of government and of courage and magnanimity to support them and to fill them with sufficiency for the performance of those places that God had designed them to The prophecying it selfe consisted in sounding out Gods praises by the instinct of that Spirit they now had with Psiltery Tabret and Pipe and in this very sence are those places to bee understood of Gideon 1 Sam. 10.5 and Saul and Elisha as also a pregnant place to his purpose of Joduthun in 1 Chron. 25.3 who is said to prophesie with a Hurpe and to give thankes and praise to the Lord by all which it may appeare what is the true revealed intent of the holy Ghost in Moses speech to wit That
the Lord would if hee so pleased poure upon these people who before did murmure a spirit of government Paraphrased that so they might know how to carry themselves towards their God and his servant Moses their governour and these 70. Elders whom hee had extraordinarily and specially designed for that purpose To that other objection of Saul in 1 Sam. 10.6 and you have it 1 Sam. 6.10 but it is no great matter wee will passe that by because the whole booke almost is full fraught with ill applications and misconstructions to the place of Samuel then I answer that the meaning of Sauls prophesying is as was sayd before to sound forth Gods praises by the instinct of that Spirit he now had with those Prophets in the fifth verse Or changed his spirit the whole story is this Foure things Samuel had prophesied concerning Saul after his annointing and departing from him and that when these things came to passe Saul might be assured of Gods calling of him to be King the signes were these 1. That when he was departed he should sinde two men by Rachels Sepulchre vers 3. 2. That after that hee should meets three men going to Bethel to the house of God vers 3. 3. After that he should meete a company of Prophets with Harpe Tabret Pipes c. 4. When he came thus farre and saw these Prophers then the Spirit of the Lord should come upon him and he should prophesie with them Now when all these came upon 〈◊〉 he might be assured in the accomplishment of these prophesies that God had called him to be the ruler of the people and that he should doe them is nocasion served for the hand verse 7. of thâ— Lord was with hime so that it seemes undeninbly that Sauls prophesying amongst these Prophets was such prophesying as theirs was for so the words with them doe clearely intimate the spirit it selfe was poured upon him for the consirmation of his calling and the effect of that Spirit filling of him with strength and valour and also to sound out Gods praises and besides the holy Ghost hath thought sit to expresse the manner thereof the Spirit of the Lord came upon him now God gives his spirit either visibly or else invisibly the one is extraordinary the other ordinary Now the holy Glibst came upon Saub in a visible manner not by any locall appearance (n) The holy Ghost comes visibly not by any locall motion but by the signes he workes onely the signes is taken for the thing it selfe Vrsin Cau but by those signes which were produced to the eyes senses of the by standers his operations not by any locall or visible sight of himselfe but by those effects which he wrought The holy Ghost is given invisibly when hee bestowes his gifts not so much with infallible outward externall restimonies as by an inward operation on the faculties of the soule in measures and so is given to wicked men and the elect to wicked men at the best speculatively regenerating them to the elect both speculatively and practically The spirit then was given to Saul in an extraordinary manner visibly by those effects he did produce The gifts of the Holy Ghost as Mirâ—cles and Tongues Prophesies were given in the Apostles times in an extraordinary manner ibid. so that it appeares that his example serves your turne not one whit for if the holy Ghost came upon Saul in an extraordinary manner and that this his prophesying consisted in praysing God with Tabret Pipe as the Prophets did in the sift verse and hee with them then what can this prove to your purpose as the holy Ghost was given to the Apostles in the primitive Church extraordinarily immediatly because of those effects they did produce why not upon Saul who had this spirit given him immediatly as appeares by the effects they wrought in him as making him another man and by his prophesying all which were confirmations extraordinary to confirme his calling of being King which was extraordinary also the like we see in David 1 Sam. 16.13 who had the Spirit poured upon him in the same manner as it was on Saul and all to fit him for those weightie duties of his kingly office and although David had not such visible conspiouous signes at his annointing as Saul had yet wee reade in 1 Sam. 16.18 that he was strong valiant a man of warre in so much that it is said 1 Sam. 18.14 15. that Saul was afraid of him all which things being laid together will evince this truth to wit that these were extraordinary Spirits in their manner of being given to certaine persons again if Saul were a Preacher as this allegation seemes to insinuate then a question would be asked to vvhom did he preach It is said indeed he prophesied but there is divers kinds of prophesie in Scripture onely the Text saith he prophesied with the rest of the Prophets but not that he preached to any for hee neither did as the Samaritan woman did nor as the man in whom the devils vvere and truly their actions and performance of them doe manifest a disparitie the woman went onely and told what things had passed betweene her selfe and Christ The man preached it but as for King Saul he prophesied by the instinct of that spirit he now had in praysing and singing with instruments of musicke to God which did confirme him in his extraordinary call of being King all which you could not chuse but know onely it seemes you are disposed to make the world merry To the next 1 Sam. 19.20 where Saul is said to send messengers to David and that they prophesied that is all one with the other 1 Sam. 10.6 and Sauls messengers here prophesied with the rest of the Prophets as Saul himselfe did there and their prophesying must needs have reference to the prophesying of the Prophets for so the words imply that when these messengers came and said the colledge or company of the Prophets then saith the Text they also prophesied and so also in the same manner did Saul himselfe prophesie Now what this prophesie was is expressed in 1 Sam. 10.6 as before was declared it consisted in sounding forth Gods praises with Tabret Pipe Harpe and as Jeduthun did 1 Chron. 25.3 and this was to declare the infinite power and mercy of God towards David whom Saul now had an intent to have slaine as appeares by the whole Chapter Saul sending his messengers and going himselfe yet all could not doe nor bring to a full period his wicked designes against David the like example wee have in 2 King 1. of those two Captaines and their fifties that came to apprehend the Prophet Eliah these men thinking to bring the Prophet to King Ahaziah their ends were frustrated and they themselves were consumed with fire from heaven wherein the power mercy of God was also manifested towards Eliah So that it appeares here it was the wonderful mercy of