Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	able_a	commit_v	restriction_n	12	3	16.8057	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90932	The preacher sent: or, A vindication of the liberty of publick preaching, by some men not ordained. In answer to two books: 1. Jus divinum ministerii euengelici. By the Provincial Assembly of London. 2. Vindiciæ ministerii euangelici. By Mr. John Collings of Norwich. / Published by Iohn Martin, minister of the Gospel at Edgfield in Norfolk. Sam. Petto, minister of the Gospel at Sand-croft in Suffolk. Frederick Woodal, minister of the Gospel at Woodbridge in Suffolk.	Martin, John, 1595 or 6-1659.; Petto, Samuel, 1624?-1711.	1658 (1658)	Wing P3197; Thomason E1592_2; ESTC R208851	240,824	381

were unfaithful that they might learn to be faithful not only to such as were able to teach others but to such as were to be taught therfore it must follow that it is the other committing that is meant Ans 1. It is not said commit them to such as are able but who shall be able it is the committing these Gospel truths to them that maketh them able and therefore it is in a doctrinal way onely 2. That Restriction is necessary as well to shew that unfaithful unconverted ones are not fit to be Preachers as also to shew that more then faithfulness is necessary to fit a man to teach others viz. gifts or abilities as the following words shew they must be able as well as faithful Many faithful men are not able to teach others and so though they be faithful yet they need to have Gospel truths committed to them in a doctrinal way to render them able for that work and therefore this doth not make it follow that the other committing is meant Ans 2. Suppose the other committing be meant then it may be understood of Preachers by Office and it is not exclusive as Mr. Shepherd observeth but private men gifted may do it other Scriptures allow them that liberty Though the Apostle speaketh de re teach others and not expressely de modo of the manner of performance authoritatively office-wise c. yet the manner must necessarily be understood else it will not help him at all For some teaching of others he cannot deny to be allowed to ordinary believers to whom the Gospel is not committed in that sence he pleadeth for He will grant that a private Christian may privately teach others it is the teaching publikely by persons gifted unordained which he opposeth And the Text speaketh no more of that then of preaching office-wise we may as safely read it thus Who shall be able to teach others office-wise as he may read it thus Who shall be able to teach others publikely Arg. 5. Whosoever may lawfully preach the Gospel and interpret Scriptures may warrantably require a maintenance competent for them of the Church to which they so preach 1 Tim. 5. 18. Mat. 10. 10. All Gospel labourers are worthy of their hire but they are Gospel labourers Ergo Gal. 6. 6. But all those members in a Church that are gifted cannot require a competent maintenance of the Church in which they are according to Scripture rules Therefore they cannot lawfully preach the Gospel ordinarily Ans The Scriptures alleaged speak of a constant preaching so as to make it a mans work or calling to preach Mat. 10. 10. the Apostles were to make it their employment and 1 Tim. 5. 18. he speaketh of Officers whose work and calling it was v. 17. The elders c. Gal 6. 6. he that is constantly taught is to communicate to such as do constantly teach him and if by ordinarily he intendeth thus much then we grant his Major That whosoever may lawfully make it their work and calling constantly to preach the Gospel to a Church may warrantably require a maintenance of the Church to which they so preach But his Minor is very faulty both in the matter and form There is in it Fallacia tertii argumenti the third argument is changed it is not assumed in the Assumption as it is in the Proposition but there is a change not onely in the sence but even in the tearms His Major saith they may require a maintenance of the Church to which they so pre●ch and his Minor saith they cannot require it of the Church in which they are We say they may warrantably by Scriptures he alleageth require a maintenance of the Church to which they so preach i. e. to which they constantly preach making it their work and calling so to do and this is all that his Minor can deny from that Major and in that sence we deny his Minor None of the places quoted do prove that they may require a maintenance of the Church in which they are but they may prove that they may require it of the Church to which they so preach But then 1. It concludeth not that they may require a maintenance when they preach but occasionally and not constantly which is often the cause where many gifted men are in a Church They cannot all constantly preach to the Church in which they are as members there cannot be time or opportunity for them all to speak or for others to hear constantly There were many brethren gifted in the primitive Churches as Corinth 1 Cor. 14. yet it will hardly be proved that they might all require a maintenance of that Church 2. If a Church hath many gifted men and they be desired to preach constantly to other Churches or to the world they may require a maintenance of those that are constantly taught by them though they cannot require it of the Church in which they are as members And thus it doth not tie ungifted brethren to maintain all those that are gifted but onely such as constantly preach to them which is a duty they may be able to perform If men preach occasionally at Lectures may they require a maintenance competent for this or might those Disciples Act. 15. 32 33. require a maintenance for their occasional preaching Where there are many gifted men in a Church they cannot all exercise constantly but only occasionally to that Church and so cannot require a maintenance His sixth Argument about Mission we answered before His seventh Argument That the Churches of Christ in all ages have rejected this opinion and practice we deny But we are to follow Churches no further then they follow Christ and the primitive Churches we have shewn practised what we have pleaded for Thus we have answered objections against the preaching of gifted men un-ordained CHAP. XI Concerning Election as belonging to a particular Church HAving shewed That Office is a Relation to a particular Church and that some men who are not ordained Officers may preach we shall now proceed to speak something concerning the requisites to an Officer about which the opinions of men are various some place the essence of the call to Office in Election others in Ordination We shall pass over what our brethren in their Jus Divinum Minist Evang. lay down concerning an immediate call to the Ministery and shall reply onely to what they say about a mediate call Many Arguments here they level against the Congregational way which we cannot but account a way of Christ and this hath been a great provocation to us to this undertaking The main thing they drive at is to prove 1. That the essence of a call to office doth not consist in Election but in Ordination 2. That it belongeth to a Presbytery to Ordain We shall proceed to their Propositions concerning Election Proposit 1. That the Election of a Minister doth not by Divine right belong wholly and solely to the Major part of every Jus Divin Minist

will it follow thence that there is no need that any particular persons should be by God appointed as Deacons to do it If the inhabitants in a Town may give to the poor yet it is not reckoned needless for Overseers to be appointed to the work If some friends or Relations may provide for an Orphanous child will it follow that therefore there is no need that any should be put in trust as Guardian for it Surely this doth not follow So neither doth it follow that if gifted men may Preach then it is un-needful or un-necessary that any should be put in trust with or have the charge of the flock committed to them to feed it with the Word and doctrine Arg. 4. The truths of the Gospel are such as according to Scripture warrant are onely to be communicated to others by such as being faithful and able to teach others and have those things committed to them by Timothies and private persons are not such to whom such things are committed Ergo It is unlawful for such to communicate them in that manner He endeavoureth to prove the proposition by that place 2 Tim. 2. 2. And the things that thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others Hence he taketh notice of several things Obj. 1. According to Gospel-order in Gospel-Churches there should be some to teach and others to be taught so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 29 A●e all Teachers now according to this principle it is possible that all may be Teachers in a Church it all be gifted Ans 1. It is as possible that all in a Church may be Officers for it they be faithful and able by what rule can any Presbytery refuse to ordain them this is as much against himself as against us 2. If all were Teachers yet whilst one Teaches the rest that hear are taught 1 Cor. 14. 29 31. 3. If all the Church should be Teachers yet others who are unconverted would need to be taught though the Church did not and the Text only saith who shall be able to teach others whether in or of the Church Obj. 2. It is plain from that place that those that teach others must be able to teach and faithful not unlearned and unstable men Ans That none but those who are faithfull and able to teach others are to preach we grant and if by unlearned he meaneth men un-instructed in Gospel mysteries we grant they are to be learned and no other learning doth this Text require unto preaching for the things to be committed to them that they might be able to preach were the doctrines of the Gospel which he had heard of Paul the things thou hast heard of me c. Obj 3. These able and faithful men before they teach others must have a Timothy or Timothies commit the Gospel to them it is not enough that they are gifted faithfull c. The word for commit he saith signifies 1. Sometimes meerly to propound a thing to others and set it before them thus often Mat. 13. 24. v. 31. Mark 8. 6 7. Luke 9. 16. 10. ch 8. Luke 11. 6. Acts 16. 34. Acts 17. 3. 1 Cor. 10. 27. 2. Sometimes to commit a thing as in trust when a thing is commited to some and not to others so Luke 12. 48. Luk. 23. 46. and so Acts 14. 23. Acts 20. 32. So Paul committed the charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 18 so 1 Pet. 4. 19 c. Either Timothy was to lay open doctrines such things as be had heard from Paul viz. the truths of the Gospel of Christ or else he was to commit them to some that is to appoint some to whom he might intrust those truths with as publike Treasurers to dispense them out Ans 1. We conceive that a committing the truths of the Gospel which he had heard from Paul doctrinally is intended in this place 1. The word is often used only for a committing things doctrinally to others as Mr. Collings granteth and seeing it will bear this sense there must be some speciall reason in the Text to restain it unto the other sense else an argument from the word taken in the other sense cannot be cogent 2. That the word is in this place to be taken onely for a committing Gospel truths to them doctrinally appeareth 1. Because the end of this committing Gospel truths to them is to make them able to teach others suppose there were any such act to be performed in ordination as a committing the Gospell by the Ordainers to the ordained yet this committing of it to them could not make them able to teach others unless they will say that the gifts of the Holy Ghost are conferred in ordination which cannot be proved Nay they cannot warrantably ordain any but such as before were able to teach others and therefore the ability is not conferred by ordination But this committing is to make men able to teach others as the words do plainly shew 2 Tim. 2. 2. The same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others He doth not say commit them to men that are able at present to teach others as if the ability were to be antecedent to this committing the things to them but who shall be able in future time or for the time to come so that this committing is to make them able Many that are faithful are not sufficiently instructed to teach others and therefore he bids Timothy teach them the way of God more perfectly as they did Apollo Act. 18. 26. that they may be able to teach others And so this proveth an argument against him Those that are faithful and so well instructed in Gospel truths that they are able to teach others may and ought to lay forth their abilities that way But many un-ordained men are such Ergo 2 Because it doth not appear from other Scriptures that any such committing of Gospel truths as he speaketh of by men is required unto a call no not to a call to office Election and Ordination are both compleat without it We read not a word of it Act. 6. Act. 13. 14. The Lord doth commit the Gospel to Officers and make them Trustees thereof for such a Church as a man by his last Will and Testament doth commit his child and an Estate to maintain it with to some faithful friend but we find nothing in the Scripture of mans committing the Gospel to man but doctrinally Paul in a doctrinal way committed that charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 18. for Timothy was a Minister before and therefore this committing it to him could not authorize him to preach Obj. If Timothy were onely to commit them to some that is to declare them to some and set them before their eyes what means the resurrection of faithful men men able to teach others Surely Timothy was to preach those truths not only to such as were faithful but to such as

and this leadeth us unto that great question about the preaching of gifted Brethren CHAP. IV. Wherein the Question is stated about the Preaching of Gifted-men and several things propounded for the clearing the state of it The Question is this WHether some men who are not ordained Quest Officers may preach Or whether persons who have preaching gifts and graces or are apt to teach may ordinarily exercise those gifts in Publick Assemblies though they be not ordained Officers Before we come to the determination of this question we shall premise four things 1. That the question is not Whether every Christian may publickly preach But whether some not in office who have such eminent gifts and graces as render them apt to teach may not exercise those gifts in a way of Preaching That objection which our Brethren bring from 1 Corin. 12. 29. toucheth not us for many Christians have not such gifts and so all are not Prophets all are not Teachers Our inquiry is not whether every beleever but whether those beleevers who have such gifts and qualifications as the Gospel 1 Tim. 3. ver 1 2 3. requireth preachers should have may preach 2. Neither is the question Whether Ordination be necessary for an officer We grant that when a man undertaketh to be an officer to or taketh the charge of a Church of Christ there ought to be ordination before the exercise of his Office Act. 6. 6. Our question is Whether a man who hath grace and such gifts as render him apt to teach may exercise those gifts ordinarily or frequently without Ordination he being no Officer to any Church of Christ 3. Neither is the question Whether any man that thinketh himself gifted may preach If some think themselves gifted who are not and thereupon preach we plead not for them But if a man be really gifted as the Lord requireth officers should be 1 Tim. 3. ver 1 2 3. If really he be apt to teach c. Our question is Whether he may not publickly do it though he be not ordained It is another question Who shall judge of his gifts Yet if a man be judged able by those who are able to judge or by those that are appointed by Christ to judg of his gifts we apprehend he may preach And the Apostles referred it to the Church to judge of their gifts and qualifications who were to be Deacons Act. 6. ver 3. Look yee out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy-Ghost and wisdom There is not a fillable about any other proving of them after the Church was required to look out men so qualified and therefore a Church of Christ is to judge of the gifts of its Members Deacons are to be proved 1 Tim. 3. ver 10. and it is by the Church Act. 6. ver 2 3. And though one that is really gifted for such a work for ought we know may lawfully especially in some cases preach without such approbation from a Church or others who are able to judge of gifts yet it may be inexpedient and sometimes it proveth of ill consequence to others and uncomfortable to himself 4. By preaching we understand any publishing or declaring opening or applying Gospel truths to any persons for the uses and ends they serve to Sometimes the word for preaching is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to tell good news or bring or publish glad tidings Luk. 16. ver 16. The Kingdom of God is preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 4. 2. Unto us was the Gospel preached 1 Cor. 9. ver 16. Though I preach the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the same word is used for preaching in many other Scriptures and denoteth a declaring or publishing Gospel-truths and hence it is so translated often and that necessarily Act. 13. ver 32. We declare unto you glad tidings The word for declare is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10. ver 15. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and bring glad tidings of good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here the same word is used and signifieth to bring glad tidings In the beginning of that verse another word is used for preaching Rom. 10. ver 15. How shall they preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this word signifieth to publish as Heralds or cryers do it is explained twice in the latter end of the same verse why he is called a herald or cryer because he publisheth or telleth glad tidings So that to preach is to declare or publish to open or apply Gospel-truths to any persons whether publickly or privately Though a Herald or cryer doth deliver a matter in an open place yet that Metaphor may be uused because preaching is by lively voyce and frequently in a publick place yet it may be properly called preaching though it be in private Act. 5. ver 42. Daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Here is preaching not only publickly in the Temple but also privately in every house Yea Philip is said to preach to one man Act. 8. ver 35. So that it is preaching if the Scriptures be opened or expounded to a particular person as well as if it be to a publick Assembly And therefore our Brethrens description of preaching is faulty They say Jus Divinum page 77. By preaching they understand an authoritative explication and application of Scripture for exhortation edification and comfort to a Congregation met together for the solemn worship of God in the stead and place of Christ They say The subject is the word the work the explication and application of this word Nehem. 8. 8. 2 Tim. 2. 15. The end is the exhortation edification and comfort of the Church for which they alledge 1 Corin. 14. 3. 2 Tim. 3. 16. The object a Congregation met together for the solemn worship of God for which they alledge 1 Corin. 14. ver 23. They say The word is to be preached to infidels Matth. 28. Mar. 16. But the principal object of this work is the Church 1 Corin. 14. 22. 1 Corin. 12. 28. Ephes 4. 12. The manner of doing this work 1. Authoritatively not Magisterially as lords of faith but Ministerially as being over the Church in the Lord. 1 Thes 5. 12. Tit. 2. 15. 1. In the stead and place of Christ 2 Corin. 5. 20. Luk. 10. 16. From this description they give us five distinctions wherein they grant us several things We say 1. That place 1 Corin. 14. will serve for us to prove a gift of prophesying to be still continuing as well as it wil serve to prove their description of preaching If prophesying were an extraordinary gift as they say pag. 97. 98. it was why then doe they alledge it to prove the way of that standing ordinance of preaching 2. It is properly preaching to publish declare and open Gospel-truths though there be not a Church or congregation for the object of it