afterwards be called to minister And that M. Yates may haue for the caling of our prophets wheron to insist thus we practise After the exeercise of the publick Ministery ended the rulers in the Chur. do publikly exhort and require that such of their own or other Church as haue a gift to speake to the edificatiō of the hearers should use the same this according to that which is written Act. 13.14 c. where Paul and Barnabas comming into the Synagogue the Rulers after the work of the ordinary ministery was ended considering them not as Apostles which they acknowledged not but onely as men having gifts sent unto them that if they had any word of exhortation to the people they should say on M. Yates ARG. 3. FRom the true causes of prophesy in the new testament which are two either immediate revelatiō or imposition of hands the first is Act. 2.17 10.44 the second Act. 8.17 19.6 third cause of publick prophesy cannot be giuen therefore ordinary prophesy in publick out of office being neyther by immediate revelation nor imposition of hands is vnlawfull You may say the contrary but it will be without all warrant of the word ANSWER IN this Arg. are sundry errors Logicall Theologicall And first why doth he not make Christs breathing vpon the Apostles Ioh. 20. and the descending and sitting of the cloven fiery tongues vpon them Act. ◅ causes of prophesy as well as imposition of hands Secondly imposition of hands is no cause at all of prophesy to speake properly as M. yates should doe affecting the name of a Logitian It is no naturall cause for to imagine that men tooke the holy Ghost in their hands and reached it to others were ridiculous neyther is it a morall cause as in which there are propounded no Arguments and motiues of perswasion It is ineeed no more then a signe denoteing the person not a cause effecting the thing Thirdly if it were a cause yet should it not be made the member of a division opposed to revelation but a cause or means subordinate vnto it as vnto the end since it serued to the conveing of the spirit by which spirit all reuelation is and by revelation all prophesy extraordinary by immediate revelation ordinary by mediate both which thē were in the Church as is the latter now euen in men out of office by meanes of their study and Gods blessing upon the same else could there never be lawfull office Pastor or Teacher chosen in the Church to the worlds end The gift of prophesy comes not by the office but being found in persons before makes them capable of the office by due means ARG. 4. M. Yates FRO Modistinction of spirituall gifts 1. Cor. 12.4.5.6 verse gifts administrations and operations All these are to be referred to that general vers 1. Gifts therefore in this place must be but one kinde of spirituall gifts and be distinguished from the other two The first then are meerly gifts the second gifts offices together the third rather the effect of a gift then the gift it selfe and therefore the Holy Gost knowing how to speak aptly gives more to the effect then the cause the worke then the worker for in truth miraculous workes exceede all the vertue that possibly can be imagined to be in a mere creature and therfore it is only a passiue beliefe or faith whereby man is rather a patient then an agent in the worke These 3. generall heads are deuided again or rather exemplified by many particulars first verse 8.9.10 all lay downe a kinde of spirituall gifts first a word of wisdome 2. a word of knowledge 3. of miraclous faith 4. of healeing 5. operations of great works 6. prophesying 7. discerning of spirits 8. of tongues 9. of interpretation That some of these gifts are extraordinary no wise man will deny yet that I may proue them all extraordinary cōsider 3 things First the cause secondly the effect thirdly the subiect The cause without al doubt is the spirit yet question may be of the maner measure For maner whether the spirit alone or the spirit assisting our industry and pains I say alone because all these effects depend equally vpon the same cause and I haue no reason to say that prophesy should be more by my pains and industry then strange tongues or any other gift for then I should magnifie the Holy Ghost in one gift more then another That which is geuen by the sole operation of the spirit is more then that which is come by through ordinary paynes I Blesse God for his ordinary prouidence where my hand goes with the Lord in my ordinary affayres But wherin I find the Lord do for me where I had no hand there I ought to magnifie him much more so in these gifts if some were ordinary some extraordinary then the spirit should not haue equal praise in thē all The orator prouing Caesar to deserue more prayse for his clemency towards Marcellus then all his famous victories vseth the maner of the cause to shew it In thy warrs O Emperour thou hadst Captains and souldiers vertue and valour weapons and munition c. but sparing Marcellus thou alone didst it to thee alone it belongs and all the glory of it so if prophesy in this place aboue all the rest must come in for an ordinary gift then may I say O blessed Spirit Prophesy is thy gift yet do I acknowledge thy ordinary blessing upon my labours in this but as for strange tongues and the rest I acknowledge they are thy meere gift without all paine and labour of mine therefore the greater praise I giue thee Were not this to diminish prophesy in regard of the rest which the H. Ghost prefers before them all and therefore did shew as great power in that gift as in any other The manner thē being all one in giving the second question is whether they were given in the same measure I answer No Rom. 12.6 and hereupon the Apostle commanded that one Prophet should be subiect to another willingly yeeld place to him that had the greater measure I leaue the cause come to the effects which learned men cannot distinguish I will shew you my iudgement follow it as you please To the two first gifts is given a word by words we expresse our meanings therfore the spirit doth not onely giue a gift but an ability power to utter that gift for the greatest good of the hearers Brother it is the part of a divine to study for apt and fit words and indeed when God hath given us learning by exceeding great paines yet wee find great imperfection for want of words Now here I learne that the Spirit of God did extraordinarily supply this want by giving unto men excellent utterance of heavenly things The first two gifts are wisdom knowledge wisdom is a holy understanding of heavenly things with a prudent application of them to their severall vses Knowledge or
then upon some in some cases sometimes ordinarily as both then and now on all such as had and haue more Christian discretion then other men That interpretation of tongues was as difficult as strange tongues immediatly inspired is not true They who Acts 2. â— heard the Apostles speake in their own tongue and were able to speake the Iewes language then in use might interpret these strange tongues unto the Iewes without any extraord gift as M. Yates hearing a glorious Formalist speak much Latin in his Sermon can interpret that strange tongue of his unto the people without any extraordinary gift of interpretation and so might it well be in the Church of Corinth with some though the tongue were given extraordinarily Lastly it doth not shew plainly that prophesie was more difficult then strange tongues though all were true which he speakes of the difficulty thereof For by all reason and experience a man then might and now may become an ordinary Prophet for ability by ordinary helpes but so neither could nor can hee speake a strange tongue as there meant but by extraordinary inspiration That simple necessity of Commentaries and Interpretations which he requireth for a mans becomming an ordinary Prophet I dare not acknowledge of great use they are but not of simple necessity that prerogatiue royall of simply necessary I would challenge as peculiar to the holy Scriptures which are able to make the man of God perfect fully furnished to every good worke 2. Tim. 3.16.17 But where he addes that the Primitiue Church had not the originall tongues translated it is something for his yea and for the Popes purpose also if it bee true and that the Church especially some good space after her constitution might be without the Scriptures in a knowne tongue But how unadvised and unskilfull is he in so saying how detracting from Gods gracious providence towards his Church and how partiall on the Clergies part and against the Commonalty of Gods inheritance For the thing then The old Testament was wholy translated by the 70. Interpreters at the instance of Ptolemy Philadelphus King of Egipt Ioseph Ant. l. 12. c. 2. Iren. l. 3. c. 24.25 into Greeke the mother tongue of the Corinthians Corinth being in Achaia and Achaia in Greece in which the same tongue they had also every part of the new Testament then written as the most was VVhich language was also so universally known throughout the whole world by reason partly of the Greeke Monarchy under Alexander and partly of the Greeke learning at Athens as that the Apostle could write his Epistle in Greek to the Romans though in Europe as understanding the tongue sufficiently Besides the Corinthians had had Pauls and other Apostolicall mens preachings and conferences amongst them a long time which were uncomparably better then all the commentaries in the world And for the Corinthians ability for this worke it is but reason we respect this Apostles testimony of them which is that they were enriched in all utterance and in all knowledge 1. Cor. 1.4 In which two gifts as the ability for ordinary prophesie doth properly consist so to appropriate them unto extraordinary Prophets considering the generality of the Apostles speech and drift with other circumstances else-where observed were to fetter them in uniust bonds of restraint And having thus wiped off his colours of reason that the Apostle 1. Cor. 12. speakes onely of extraordinary gifts I will by the grace of God plainly shew the contrary and that he speakes of ordinary also And first in teaching v. 3. that no man can call Iesus the Lord but by the Holy Ghost he poynts out a gift and grace of the spirit ordinary and common to all Christians Secondly v. 5 he speakes of diversities that is of all the divers and severall ministeries ordinary and extraordinary in the Church under Christ the Lord and v. 4. of the severall gifts for the same and so necessarily of the ordinary gifts for the ordinary ministeries then and now Thirdly from v. 8. where mention is made of the word of wisedom and the word of knowledge ordinary gifts of ordinary persons both in and out of office now and then Fourthly v. 12. he compares the Church of Corinth to a body having Christ the head and each of them members for their parts of whom one had this gift another that given of God for their mutuall good but by them abused otherwise whereupon I conclude except there were in Corinth no ordinary gifts in Pastors Teachers or others of God given and by them abused that he speakes not of extraordinary gifts onely Fifthly v. 28. after Apostles and Prophets he mentioneth Teachers which were ordinary officers and therefore speakes of ordinary gifts and teaching as also Helpers and Governours who what were they but Deacons and Elders or take the words as they are Helpes and Governments then which what is now or vvas then more ordinary both in respect of ministery and gift VVhereupon I conclude vvith good assuâ—ance that the Apostle 1. Cor. 12. treats of the gifts of the spirit both extraordinary and ordinary Mr. Yates ARG. 5. FRom comparison of prophesie strange tongues which are laid together through all the 1. Cor. 14. Vers 1. prophesie is preferred before all other spirituall gifts which cannot be ordinary for no ordinary and common gift is to be preferred before all extraordinary and spirituall gifts But you will say though it be not more excellent yet it is more profitable I answer it is both more excellent and more profitable for the Apostle intends both extolling it for the end which shewes how good and excellent it is as likewise for the use making known the profit and benefit of it That which is the best obiect of our desire must needs be the best but of spirituall gifts prophesie is the best obiect of our desire 1. Cor. 12.31 Desire the best gifts chap. 14.1 Covet spirituall gifts but rather that yee may prophesie Secondly as it is the best to our selues so is it the best to others as may appeare by the whole chapter Thirdly all other gifts are given for the good of prophesie and not prophesie for them As it is the best gift so it is the most profitable as being especially for edification exhortation and comfort But it may be you will obiect Is not an ordinary gift of prophesie better then the extraordinary gift of tongues or at least more profitable I answer No for the tongues Actes 2.3.4 were more profitable to the Church then ever was the ordinary gift of any man but compare ordinary with ordinary and extraordinary with extraordinary and wee grant prophesie the priviledge I. Rob. ANSWER TO this Argument he himself giues a sufficient answer in our name onely he sets it down something lamely where if it came in the full strength it would easily with stand the force of his Argument For where hee should say for us if he spake out that ordinary prophesy
science is an insight into divers heavenly truths yet wāting that prudent application these two gifts with a fruitful uttrance of them could be no ordinary gifts studied out by their own pains but such as the H. Ghost did immediately inspire into them I should be very glad to heare that your Congregations were full of these wise and understanding men then I doubt not but you would the sooner recall your selues The three next gifts of faith healing and great workes are undoubtedly extraordinary and were never to bee obtained by any study of ours For the foure last I doubt not but you will grant three of them extraordinary Discerning of spirits was not by ordinary means but extraordinary as you may see in Ananias and Saphira Simon Magus and others which were seene by an extraordinary Spirit For strange tongues I hope you will not stand in granting it if you consider but the first originall of them Act. 2.2 ◠and for interpretation of these tongues that was as difficult as the other why should you now stick at prophesy which I will plainely shew was more difficult then both the rest For how should either you or I come to be able to prophesy except there were some skilfull in the originall tongues as likewise the helpes of commentaries and interpretations You see God appointed these as means to helpe us to prophesy and where they are wanting it is simply impossible for any man to become an ordinary Prophet Indeed the H. Ghost can supply the want of both these therefore will you nill you it must be granted that this prophesy was extraordinary For take way the ordinary means of prophesy and then the thing it selfe will cease Now you may plainly understād that the Primitiue Chur. had not these means of prophesy that you see we haue they had not the originall tongues translated and therefore God gaue men extraordinary gifts in speaking and interpreting them see then I entreat you how these two means being extraordinary inforce you to yeeld the other of the same nature Were it possible for you to become a Prophet wanting the translation of the new and old Testament as likewise all interpretations with which now through Gods blessing the whole world is replenished I know you will answer and say no then say Prophesy in the Primitiue Church was extraordinary because the Gentiles had not ordinary translations and interpretations of them ANSWER IF I should follow M. Yates in his course I should rather write one Sermon against an other then bring an Answer to an Argument Briefly then as I can omitting other things to that which concerns directly our present purpose His affirmation that the gifts mentioned 1. Cor. 12. are onely extraordinary I doe deny and answer his reasons as followeth And first that contrary to his unreasonable reason we both may ought to magnify the H. Ghost more in one gift then another since the same H. Ghost worketh more excellently and for our good in one gift then in another And secondly as a further truth and more contrary to his strange assertion that in some works of the Spirit though not here expressed in which the Lord useth our industry care he is infinitly more to be magnified then in any whatsoever the immediate and miraculous work of the same spirit wherein he useth it not For example in saving faith and repentance for the working of which by his spirit God useth our careful hearing and meditation of his word the Law and Gospell Thirdly compare we even extraordinary gifts with extraordinary we see that God used the industry and paines of the extraordinary Prophets for the reading and meditating in and of the a Dan. 9.13 Law and of the latter Prophets of the former Prophets b v. 2. writings As also of the Apostles in the c Rom. 4.10 4.3 c. reading knowledg and memory of them both yea even of the very heathen authors whose sayings they sometime quote in their prophesies or d Act. 17.28 1. Cor. 15.33 Tit. 1.12 2. Tim. 4.13 sermons the like industry or care not being required for the gift or use of strange tongues and yet did the Holy Ghost much more excellently utter it selfe in their Prophesies and sermons then in ther tongues as M. Yates oft and truly affirmeth Vpon verse 8. he rightly describeth wisdome a holy vnderstanding of heauenly things with a prudent application of them to their severall vses and knowledge an insight into divers heavenly things yet wanting that prudent application with the fruitfull utterance of them but that these could be no ordinary gifts studyed out by their own payns but such as the Holy Ghost did immediately inspyre into them he barely affirmeth and I thinke singularly but am sure vntruly I maruailed what he would say to these two gifts of wisdom knowledge to proue that they could not be ordinary and did expect some speciall reasons for his so fingular interpretation but behould a bare bone of affirmation brought by him without marrow flesh skin or colour of proofe VVherein he is also the more blame-worthy considering that he cannot be ignorant how the most iudicious both at home and abroad doe vnderstand these two gifts as meant of the two speciall qualifications of the Pastor and Teacher ordinary gifts of ordinary offices of which ministerius amongst the rest ordayned by Christ the one Lord of his Church the Apostle speaketh verse 5. as verse 4. of their gifts by that one spirit VVhich ordinary gifts all lawfull Pastors and Teachers ordinary offices then had and besides them many others not in office and by the grace of God some amongst vs and that by the help of nature study and prayer and the blessing of Gods spirit therevpon VVhich blessing of God I will not deny to haue then been for degree extraordinary vpon mens weaker indeuoures for their furnishing with these ordinary gifts which makes nothing against our purpose That the gift of faith is undoubtedly extraordinary is sayd by him but Doctors haue doubted of it See for one Beza in his great Annotations vpō the words both affirming and proueing that by faith is meant an assent vnto the doctrine propounded which is an ordinary gift of the spirit VVhere he makes no doubt but wee will grant that three of the foure last were extraordinary he but threaps kindnesse upon us as we use to say That Peters gift of discerning was extraordinary in the case of Ananias Act 〈…〉 we confesse but not so in the case of Simon Magus Acts. 8. of whom he iudgeth by his words as of the tree by the fruit in which he did notoriously bewray himselfe to be in the gall of bitternesse to the discerning of any ordinary Christian The gift of discerning both of doctrine and manners is in a measure required of every Christian Phil. 1.9.10 1. Ioh. 4.1 Heb. 5.14 but is bestowed by the giver thereof upon some more liberally sometimes extraordinarily as
of vvomens prophesying not extraordinary but ordinary In his third answer he dealeth vvorse then in any of the other in labouring to smother one truth under another For albeit the women of Corinth were become so mannish as that they would prophesie uncovered and without their veile the ensigne of their subjection yet doth not the Apostle meddle at all with that malady in this place but in the 11. chapter of the Epistle as himselfe noteth Here and in Tim. he simply forbids the thing there the manner of doing it Likewise for their being as forward to speake as their husbands and in their presence it may be true in part and in some But what then Doth the Apostle in these places onely forbid their speaking uncovered and permit them to teach so it be veiled or forbids he onely their being as forward as their husbands but giues them leaue to speake in the Church so it bee with good maners and after them which his answer insinuates Or is it not evident to all that will not shut their eyes that he simply and that severely inhibits them all speaking whatsoever in this exercise Are not the words plain enough Let the women keep silence in the Church for it is not permitted to them to speak but to be under obedience as the Law sayth And againe It is a shame for them to speake in the Church And in 1. Tim. Let the women learne in silence with all subiection And I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurpe authority ouer the man but to be in subjection For Adam was first formed c. Do not all and every one of the Reasons binde women to all peace and deepe silence in the Church yea to such and so absolute as that they may not so much as aske a question for learning any thing themselues vers 35. much lesse teach others any thing I therefore conclude this as a most certain and undeniable truth that the Apostle speaks here of such a gift and exercise as women are simply forbidden to use in the Church and therefore not of an extraordinary gift or exercise which they might use lawfully and did both before and a long time after the writing of this Epistle His last answer now comes in consideration which is that the consequence is ill women are forbidden and therefore men are permitted to prophesie in the Church by an ordinary gift If the consequence seem not good why doth he so strugle as before otherwise to make an escape from the Argument let us cōsider of the force of it which appeareth to me irresistable in these 3. things First the Apostle in and for this work opposeth the men to the women sex to sex so in prohibiting women he permits men VVhen the H. Ghost opposing faith and workes in the case of iustification denies that we are iustified by works is not the consequence good that therfore we are iustified by faith VVhere hee opposeth belevers vnbeleevers in the case of Salvation and teacheth that beleevers shall be saued doth he not teach consequently that vnbeleevers shall perish If these consequences be not good I must confesse my selfe farre to seeke both in logick and Divinity Secondly the reasons of the prohibition of women prove the consequēce which are all such as prefer the men before the women subiect the womē to the men in the Church in this very work of prophesy of which he treateth But now if in prohibiting women he gaue not liberty vnto men where were the prerogatiue of men aboue women which is the onely ground vpon which he buildeth his prohibition Thirdly where verse 34.35 It is not permitted for women to speak but if they will learn any thing to ask their husbands at home if their husbands might not speak neither nor any more then they what reason can be rendred of the Apostles so speaking Lastly M. Yates in denying this consequence sheweth that so he might deny something he tooke no great heed what it were The Apostle in this whole Chap. takes order for some to prophesy and debarring women therefrom either admits men to the vse of that liberty or els wee must haue some third kinde of persons thought of which are neither male nor female My fourth Argument is from v. 29. and 32. Let the prophets speak two or three and let the rest iudg and the spirit of the prophets are subiect to the prophets VVhence I affirm that the Apostle speaks not of extraordinary prophets or prophesying since they in their doctrines could not erre and so were not subiect to any such iudgment or censure of others He answereth roundly though breifly in this place that these prophets were not infallibly assisted and more largely in another place that such prophets as haue an infallible assistance are not subiect to this Rule but others that had but as the Apostle said Rom. 12.6 meaner gifts were to be examined according to the … portion of faith so that extraordinary prophets might mix some of their own with the extraordinary gifts of Gods spirit which was to be censured by such as had a greater measure for none are to think that all that had these extraordinary gifts were free from errour in their very doctrine We see the strange gift of tongues was abused and so might the rest be That one extraordinary Prophet had a greater measure and proportion of gifts then another I acknowledge but that any one of them could erre in doctrine or was not infallibly assisted therein by the spirit I deny as a most pernicious errour weakning the foundation of faith and truth of the word of God neither hath M. Yates so much as exterprized an Answ unto the Scriptures brought by me to prooue the contrary which were Eph. 2.20 where the Ephesians as the houshold or Church of God are said to bee built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets c. c. 3.5 where he speaks of the mistery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sonnes of men as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the spirit VVhence it apeares that the Church is as well built upō the foundatiō of the Prophets to wit extraordinary which then were for of them he speaketh as upon the doctrine of the Apostles and they as infalliby even for the very foundation inspired by the H. Ghost as the other So that if the Prophets could erre in doctrine then the Apostles if in doctrine taught why not written and if one alone why not more or all and if they might erre how know we that they did not erre If he say the meaner in gifts might erre but not the greater first the same followeth also touching the Apostles how much more touching the Prophets before Christ not comparable to those after him why then may there not be errors in the writings especialy of those of meaner gifts as without doubt some were in comparison of