Mark 9.38.39 of John that he told our Saviour that they saw one casting out Divels in his Name and because he did not follow them they forbad him But Jesus said forbid him not for he that is not against us is on our part Luk. 9.49 the Apostles did then as many would do now though they see that Gods work is done and that the power of the Devil is daily weakned yet because there are some gifted by Gods blessed Spirit who Preach down sin and follow not the Presbyterian Way they are presently offended at them and in all hast they do what they can to hinder and forbid them in that great work of preaching the Apostles might say when they saw him casting out Divels Why do you exercise this Aughority where is your power given you from Christ shew your Orders where did ever you receive such commission We are the onely true Preachers we are sent by our Master Jesus Christ 't is not fitting you should Preach or Practice such things except you had a Warrant or Calling from Christ and therefore we forbid you and so say our Presbyters too even to such men who are gifted with the Spirit Why take you upon you to Teach and Preach where were you ordained how came you into the holy Ministry what Classis or Synodal Convention authorized you What degrees in Schools or Vniversities have you taken and if not allowed by us who are the successors of the Apostles and can but not as yet have nor ever will be able to prove our Ordination Divine Why dare you not being in holy Orders undertake to Preach at all but what reply made our Saviour Forbid him not for he that is not against us is for us Luke 9.49 50. So it may be replied to our Apostolical conceited Rabbies who judge none Able or fit but themselves for the Ministry forbid not these men they do Christs work they are for Christ and overthrow the works of the Devil rather help such men forward but by no means forbid them Take heed you Quench not the Spirit in these men 1 Thes 5. though perhaps but tradesmen and the meanest too Despise not Prophesying not any and resist not the Holy Ghost Act. 7. Can you be justly angry that Christs Gospel is propagated What is it to you what Instruments God pleaseth to use or Imploy What if it please God to send these out to the Hedges Highwaies and Lanes whither your stateliness will not vouchsafe to go to call in the Halt the Lame and the Blinde to whom you will scorn to Preach or with whom you do disdain to converse if by this means Gods house be filled and so the Saints gathered up together have you any cause of Anger for their Compassion Pains and Charity And to shut up this Argument What reason have you to disable them whom God hath enabled or to debar them whom God hath set up or did the Gospel come onely from you or is it onely resideing in your Classes or are you angry that the Sun of Righteousness shines into these mens shops more then into your Pulpits or Studies or are you offended that the sweet dew of the Spirit of Grace is shed abroad and Communicated to poor Tradesmen as wel as to others He hath given gifts unto men Psal 68. not onely to your selves but to other men also since therefore all are allowed by Moses to Preach and none forbidden by Christ who do his work Cease any longer to cry up your selves for the onely men and let others have liberty to hold out Christ in his word as well as your selves Freely ye have received freely give How can these men give freely when you do all you can to stop their mouths beware this Envy mines you not There were four sins that cast our the Bishops the first was their Secular Offices and intermedling in State Affairs The second was their Pride of life and Ambition The third was their Covetousness The fourth was their suppressing Godly men and as much as in them lay the very Power of Godliness Look to it if these be your sins they will cast you down and out of Moses Chair ere long make not your Pulpits Chairs of State and your selves Councellors of State Fourthly It is a great sin for any man to hide his Talent Mat. 25.28 29. and a heavy punishment will they suffer that do not imploy Gods Gifts and Graces in the highest degree and measure and a great reward is promised by Christ to any and all such who are faithfull and carefull to do the Lords work We know how weak his excuse was that pleaded he was afraid to put out his Masters mony I was afraid and went and hid it here is thine own his fear of loosing it or having it stole or diminished made him hide it yet none of these nor all these were a satisfactory answer to his Master Thou oughest to put it out Mat. 25.27 You should not have feared loss God will so bless and guide and prosper his own work that however if his word should return empty which is impossible yet the labourer shall not lose his reward or recompence And see how God complains of this Servant that did not imploy his Talent Thou wicked and sloathfull Servant Mat. 25.26 and take therefore the Talent from him v. 28. and Cast ye that unprofitable Servant into utter darkness v. 29. Blessed is that Servant whom when his Master shall come he shall finde so doing Why not Preaching The Apostles indeed according to our Saviour Christs Promise made to them staid at Jerusalem till they were endued with power from above till they were filled with the Holy Ghost but presently after they went about all places Preaching and Teaching Jesus Christ to Jews and Gentiles According as ye have received the gift says the Apostle and therefore all men when once they have received the hidden Manna that comfortable tincture of Gods Spirit they cannot but speak as the Apostle Peter Acts 2.5 6. For the love of Christ constraineth them Now God as he knows what number to imploy so he gives divers gifts to divers men but there is none can prove that he does not enable any with the Spirit of Prophesie but Schollers For the Apostle Paul says plainly writing to the Corinthians What came the word of God out from you or came it onely unto you 1 Cor. 14.38 Unto you only O Rabbies and Presbyters surely not so and he wishes them wherefore Brethren covet to Prophesie and yet these were not of the Presbyterie but of the Believers and if they might Prophesie why not ours now Why that debarred to believers now more then it was in the Apostles times Nay why enjoyned as an excellent thing to Christians to learn to Preach then and why prohibited or thought unfitting to believers and gifted men in our days They cannot say but that God doth now enable with gifts and graces as he did then his arm is not shortned
The Freedom of PREACHING OR Spiritual Gifts defended PROVING That all men endowed with Gifts and Abilities may Teach and Preach the Word of God Numb 11. 29. Enviest thou for this Would God all the Lords People were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them Mar. 9. 38 39 40. We saw one casting out Devils in thy Name and we forbad him because be followeth not us But Jesus said forbid him not for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name can lightly speak cvil of me for he that is not against us is on our side 1 Cor. 14. 5. I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye Prophesied By D. Lupton Servant of Jesus Christ in the work of the GOSPEL London Printed by R.W. for R. Harford at the Bible and States Arms in Little-Brittain 1652. The Freedom of Preaching or Spirituall Gifts defended 1 Cor. 14.1 Covet Spiritual Gifts but rather that ye may Prophesie or Preach SOme occasions of business forcing my stay in London for awhile I did as opportunity would give leave hear some teachers of Gods Word at present reputed and adjuged famous Divines but certain it is that fame and common report overvalues them for even in their pulpits they could not forbear to set forth their spleen and envy even against such persons as deserve a better esteem if it be but for their rare and excellent gifts and spiritual abilities with which it hath pleased God to entrust and enrich them and what is more In a great Congregation viz. Sepulchers upon a Lords day in the Afternoon it was publickly preached that gifts were not to be regarded that they puffed men up that it was a sure sign of an Hypocrite and of a withering professor to shew his gifts and to stand upon his ability of gifts and yet himself was then exercising his gifts and as 't is known well he did strive to set forth his able gift of preaching to the full and would be very angry if any should tell him that he wants gifts and parts and yet to undervalue men of gifts he made an opposition betwixt Graces and gifts which though they may sometime in some persons be separated yet usually they go together and may very well be both in one and the same person at once as he conceivs they are in himself but thinks not possible to be in others Upon hearing this I enquired of a friend upon what occasion the Presbyterian Rabbies did so violently express their spleen and indignation and against whom it was He told me that there were divers Tradesmen and Artists in and about London who Preach'd and Teached the word and yet never were in any Vniversity nor were ever made Ministers by the Assembly of Divines and such men they could not abide nor endure that they should have liberty to preach and that of late they were more countenanced by some great Personages to the great scandal as they say of the publike Ministery and to the ruine and destruction of many that hear them and their Pernicious Doctrines and to the venting of sects and damnable Heresies and as they would make men believe to the destruction and Confusion of the Church and Common-Wealth Being thus informed by a friend I did resolve with my self to set forth my own judgment and satisfie others in this particular hereupon set pen to paper to cleer and vindicate such gifted men in their actions of Preaching Gods Word from these too virulent and violent Spirits of the Presbyterian Classis who vainly think that none have any Talents but themselves or that none having any Talents may imploy them publikely to the Exchangers without leave and Authority from their Elderships first had and obtained though the texts sayes plainly Thou oughtest to have put my mony to the Exchangers Mat. 25.27 Thou 't is not onely thou O Presbyterian alone but I and others too and ought to have done it urget singulos ab officio from every mans duty to put out his or their talent to the greatest augmentation of Gods glory and to the generall benefit and edification of mens souls To uphold this truth therefore which is so violently opposed but not possible to be everthrown no not by all the Company of those learned Rabbies whose Anger would not be so extream against spiritual gifted men but that they fear if these be followed or set up that they themselves and their places of profit will in short time be slighted and dissallowed off thinking as those wicked Priests did of our Saviour Christ if we let him alone all men will follow him To confirm this point therefore and to make it good to the world I lay down these following Arguments which I desire all that read them seriously to consider with themselves concerning them and let the Presbyterian benefic'd Rabbies as soon as they can answer them or else if their proud Spirits will permit it to embrace them and submit to them First That the publike preaching or teaching of Gods word is not restrained or confin'd nor committed to any one sort or condition of men onely but that any one of any calling if a Member of the Church of Christ though of the meanest sort if he or they be endowed with gifts proportionable by the Spirit of God to execute and undergoe the work may Preach or teach publickly as well as our great Schollers who stand so much upon their corrupted Ordination Thus proved First From the manner of Gods bestowing and giving his spiritual gifts Jam. 1.5 He doth not bestow all upon one servant and nothing upon another but he distributes to all as he pleaseth So that if any man the holy Apostle doth not say this man onely or that as the Presbyterian or Dr. in the Schools but if any man poor or rich learned or unlearned lack Wisdom Let him ask it of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbr aideth not as to say you are not in holy Orders the Bishops nor Presbyters have laid no hands upon you you are not fit or worthy or the like No be upbraideth not and said the text It i.e. Wisdom shall be given to him to any James 1.5 Now to summ up what is for our purpose we see that if any man Tradesman Artificer though never so mean if he or they pray to God in faith for wisdom which is the onely Ornament and necessary gift for a Preacher and it is not expressed what wisdom it may be Wisdom not onely to search but to expound and interpret the Scriptures why that shall be given and liberally too and to any one Here 's no confining or limiting or excepting or preferring of persons For God is no respecter of persons Nay further he many times fills the poor and hungry with good things with graces and gifts of his holy Spirit to enable them to confound the wise in their own conceit and learned too but sends the rich in
there he says All. Also to the Romans having then gifts that is as soon as God hath bestowed gifts upon any differing according to the Grace that is given to us whether Prophesie let us Prophesie according to the proportion of faith Rom. 12.6 Whatsoever the gift be it ought not to be concealed but Imployed there 's the End of it if it pleaseth God to give the gift of Prophesie presently to the work Preach in season and out of season 1 Tim. 4.2 3. And yet the Apostle doth not tye this Preaching to any one particular calling sect or person but to All that be in Rome beloved of God Rom. 1.7 and by consequence why may not All in London as well as All in Rome if gifted with Prophesie Preach the word of God and yet this done by Apostolical exhortation Away then with all such Sophisticated Presbyterian Maximes that would fain tye up the Dispensation of Christs Ordinances to their libits and as they did for gains pull the Bishops out of their chairs so for Envy and Lucre they would have none excercise the preaching of God Word but who should pass the censure of their Approbation as if Gods word was to be No where nor by any persons taught but where and by whom their ignorant zeal shall think fit Oh stupid ignorance Thirdly 'T is lawfull for any that is gifted to Preach from the Approbation consent and good liking of the best and holiest men that ever were We 'l begin with that story recorded by Moses's pen Num. 11.28 29 30. Moses found the stubbornness of the Children of Israel and he complained unto God that he was not able to bear the burthen of them any longer and God bids him gather seventy of the Elders of Israel together and he would take of the Spirit from Moses and put it upon the Elders Observe how God gives the Spirit to whom and when he pleaseth 't is not tyed more to a Presbyterian Elder or Rabbi than 't is to a Porter or a Carman But when these seventy Elders did come up there were two that staid behind Eldad and Medad by name and whereas it might be thought a sin that they came not up and might have been suspected not fitting for to receive the Spirit yet God gave it not onely to the Elders who came up For they all prophesied ver 25. and ceased not but also to those two who came not up for they also did Prophesie in the Camp among the Soldiers and indeed their Practice was thought strange for there ran a yong man and told Moses that these two did Preach among the Soldiers and Jofhua out of his zeal presently did as out Presbyters would have done now fobid them by all means my Lord Moses says Joshua forbid them never suffer such a thing as this is they came not up at your summons and what this may come to if suffered cannot be imagined it cannot be good for sure they preach without the Spirit of God the other Elders we know have it but how these should have it I know not and to let such as they are prophesie and Preach in the Camp it may be very dangerous for they may perswade men to neglect coming up to the Publike Ordinances and so the Priests will be slighted and the Sacrifices not regarded and men will do as they please forbid them Oh my Lord as you tender the glory of the Priesthood and the Sacrisices and Oblations should be upheld for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites I pray forbid them forthwith and as Joshua so our Priests and others cry out against such as Preach in the Armies or without their Ordination and Imposition of hands Oh! would our Magistrates forbid them 't is a dishonor to Religion and in short time will make men not regard to come to Churches or to the Sacrament and Tythes hereupon will be denyed and we the Ministers The true Orthodox Godly able and onely Ministers shall be of no worth or esteem 't is not fitting they should Prophesie they have no such power from us Oh! Good Parliament of England forbid them or else our calling goes down Well but as Moses did answer Joshua so will I do our men enviest thou for this says Moses Num. 1.29 Would to God that al the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them To gather from hence Moses we see was so far from hindering that good work though be had power and Authority to have done it and though he was deeply and earnestly sollicited by Joshua to to put it in execution and though it had not been used before or practised in the Camp that he seems rather to check Joshua for his desiring to hinder them than any ways to molest them himself Enviest thou for this ver 28.29 What is this to you you should rather uphold and encourage the Preaching of Gods words than be against such as are willing to take pains to instruct others you or thou I had not thought you would ever have envied against a good work It doth not become thee to Envy at other mens good labours It is so far from being evil or nought as I wish heartily that all the people had the like gift I would to God that they all could Prophesie assure your self as you are my Servant you ought not to grudge or envy at them but rather to Countenance and encourage them for they do the Lords work and therefore let them alone Envy not at it Let them alone 't is Gods pleasure and his will and therefore let them alone and thus may it be said to all our Rigid Presbyters why do ye Envy that others as well as your selves preach is it fit for such as you profess to be should be envious angry men and for this that great are the company of of the Preachers Psal 68.5 Shake off such envy you should rather praise God for it there will be the less work for you to undergo are you stronger than Moses he was weary and not able to bear the burthen of all that people alone are not many too many of your Congregations too great for you though you think not the means too much nor yet enough yet 't is to be feard the people are too great and many for you to provide spiritual food for how contrary are you to the mind of Christ pray says he to my father that he would send forth Labourers into his Harvest the Harvest is great and the Labourers but few Mat. 9.37.38 Many hands make like work and therefore be thank full for it that God is pleased in the latter dayes to poure out his spirit upon all flesh and that the Spirit rests with others though mean and base in your opinion Shall Moses wish that all the Lords people were Prophets and Preachers and will you speak against it To the Confirmation of this yet a step or two further 'T is recorded in the Gospel written by