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A27034 A second sheet for the ministry iustifying our calling against Quakers, seekers, and papists and all that deny us to be the ministers of Christ by Richard Baxter. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1657 (1657) Wing B1404; ESTC R17263 18,288 16

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bent against the Ministers Argument 6. If besides all this God own us by such a blessing on our labours that he maketh us the means of propogating and continuing his Gospel and Church and brings most of his chosen to Vnion with Christ Reconciliation Holiness and to Heaven by our Ministry then certainly we are his true Ministers But experience assureth us of the former therefore so much for Argument Proposition 9. If a Minister be in quiet possession of the place and fit for it the people are bound to obey him as a Minister wi●hout knowing that he was justly ordained or called Argum. 1. We must obey a Magistrate without assurance of his call and title Rom. 13. therefore a Minister 2. Christ commanded hearing and obeying them that were not called as God appointed because they were Priests or sat in Moses Chair and taught the truth Luke 16.29 Matth. 23.2 Luke 5.14 Matth. 8.4 Mark 1.44 3. Else the people are put upon Impossibilities Can all the poor people tell before they submit to Minister what is essential to his call and whether he have all that is so and whether his Orders be true or forged and whether they that ordained him were truly ordained or chosen themselves Not one of twenty thousand knows all this by their Pastors Proposition 10. The Ordinances are valid to the people when the Minister is uncalled and unordained if they know it not He that hath no just call shall answer for what he doth as an Intruder but the people shall have for all that the fruit of his ministration and Preaching and Baptism and other acts shall not be Null to them 1. The Papists themselves confess this 2. Else scarce a man could tell whether he be baptized or may use any Ordinance because he cannot have an exact account of the Ministers call no nor know that he is indeed a Christian I knew divers in the Bishops daies that forged themselves Orders and acted long before it was discovered 3. It is the Office which is Gods Ordinance that is blest and valid to the people and not his call only 4. It is he that sinneth that must suffer and not the Innocent therefore his sin depriveth them not of their due 5. As an usurping Magistrate oweth us protection though he shall answer for his usurpation so an usurping Minister oweth us his labour so that the people are bound to hear and obey men when they are uncertain of their due call if they possess the place and shall have the blessing of such Administrations For we are sure the Office and work is of God Proposition 11. The truth of our doctrine depends not on our calling Were we no Ministers we can prove the Gospel true which we deliver And any man must be believed that brings a truth that concerneth our peace Therefore let Quakers and Seekers and Papists first disprove our Doctrine if they can and not cheat the people by perswading them that our calling must first be proved as a Prophets must be Object But you have your learning only from Books and Vniversities and so have not true Ministers Answ We have it from God in the Use of his means even by Prayer Reading study learning his works word of our Teachers whether at Universities or elswhere And we are commanded to study and meditate on these things and give our selves wholly to them and to meditate on Gods Law day and night Psal. 1.2 2 Tim 2.15 1 Tim. 4.13 15. Christs Ministers must be Teachers or Tutors to others and commit the things which they have heard to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also 2 Tim. 2.2 Good Ministers of Christ are nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine and so attain to it 1 Tim. 4.6 All should learn according to their time of teaching Heb. 5.11 12 14. We study nothing but the Word and works of God and is not that a wretch and not a man that will reproach us as no Ministers for doing that which we have our Reason for and which must be the work of our lives Poor Christians as you love God and your souls and would not cast off Christ and Heaven let not Deceivers draw you to cast off the Ministry Scripture or the Ordinances of God Octob. 23. 1657. FINIS
A Second Sheet for the MINISTRY Iustifying our CALLING Against Quakers Seekers and Papists and all that deny us to be the Ministers of Christ By Richard Baxter LONDON Printed by R. White for Nevil Simmons Bookseller in Kederminster 1657. A second Sheet for the MINISTRY Justifying our Calling against Quakers Seekers and Papists and all that deny us to be the Ministers of Christ THe corruption of the Romish Church being most in the errors and vices of the Priests which made men abhor the offering of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.17 the Reproach which they brought upon themselves did much prepare men to hearken to the Reformers The observing of this and of the necessary dependance of the people on their Pastors hath caused the Papists to bend their force against the Ministers of the Reformed Churches and to use all their wit to defame their persons and callings and make them seem ignorant unworthy or no Ministers to the people On this errand they send abroad their agents This is the saving Gospel that the Seekers Quakers and their brethren preach that the Scripture is not the Gospel or word of God and that we are no true Ministers Whatever Doctrine we are preaching the Opposers work is to call us deceivers and ask How we prove our selves true Ministers My work therefore at this time for the sake of the ignorant in our Assemblies shall be to acquaint them with our answer to this demand And I shall give it you in order in certain Propositions Prop. 1. Both in the Old and New Testament there is mention of two distinct sort of Ministers of Gods appointment First such as received some new Revelation either a Law or a particular Message immediately from God so that the people could not be sure that their Doctrine was true till they were sure that the men were sent of God These were called Prophets in the Old Testament and Apostles Prophets c. in the New So Moses received the Law from God and the following Prophets their particular Messages So the Apostles received the Gospel from Christ and so did the seventy and other Disciples that conversed with him and other Prophets and Evangelists had it by immediate inspiration All these were Necessarily by Miracles or some infallible Evidence to prove their own call before the hearers could receive their Doctrine for this was their Message The Lord hath commanded me to say thus or thus to you or The word which the Lord spake to me is thus or thus This sort of Ministers the Papists and Seekers do confess But besides these there is a second sort of true Ministers whose Office is not to receive from God any new Doctrine Law or Message but to proclaim the Laws already delivered and teach men the doctrine already revealed and to Oversee and govern the Churches of Christ according to his Laws and to go before the people in the worship of God The Prophets and Apostles did both these both Reveal the doctrine which they received from Christ and teach and guide the Church by it when they had done but the latter sort of Ministers do but the later sort of the work The Papists and Seekers cheat men by jumbling all together as if there were no Ministers of Gods appointment but those of the former sort and therefore they call for miracles to prove our Ministry Here therefore I shall first prove that the second sort of Ministers are of Gods institution 2. That such need not prove their calling by miracles though yet God may work Miracles by them if he please 3. That we are true Ministers of Christ of this sort 1. Christ found such Ministers under the Law that were to teach and Rule by the Law before received and not to receive new Laws or Messages I mean the ordinary Priests and Levites as distinguished from Prophets These Priests were to keep the Law and teach it the people and the people were to seek it at their mouth and by it they were to judge mens causes and also they were to stand between the people and God in publique worship as is exprest Deut. 31.26 Josh. 23.6 Neh. 8.1 2 3 8 18. 9.3 Levit. 1. 2. 4. 5. 7. 13. 14. throughout Num. 5. 6. Deut. 17.12 Mal. 2.7 Ier. 18.18 The Prophet had visions but the Priest had the Law Ezek. 7.26 Isa 8.16 20. Hag. 2.11 12. Num. 1.50 1 Chron. 9.26 16.4 2 Chron. 19.11 20.19 30.17 22. He was called A Teaching Priest 2 Chron. 15.13 Lev. 10 10 11. Deut. 24.8 2 Chron. 17.7.9 Ezek. 44.23 2 Chron. 35.3 And Christ himself sends the cleansed to the Priest and commandeth them to hear the Pharises that sat in Moses Chair though they were no Prophets so that besides the Prophets that had their message immediately from God there were Priests that were called the Ministers of the Lord Joel 1.9.2.17 and Levites that were not to bring new Revelations but to Teach and Rule and worship according to the old For Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Acts 15.21 The Jews rejected Christ because they knew him not nor the voyce of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath day Acts 13.27 And even unto this day when Moses is read the Vail is on their heart 2 Cor. 3.15 And they that would not believe Moses and the Prophets thus read and preached neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Luke 16.29 31. 2. And as Priests and Levites were distinct from Prophets before Christ so Christ appointed besides the Apostles and Prophetical revealers of his Gospel a standing sort of Ministers to 1. Teach 2. Rule 3. And worship according to the Gospel which the former had Revealed and attested and proved to the world These were called Overseers or Bishops Presbyters or Elders Pastors and T●achers and also the Deacons were joyned to assist them Acts 14.23 They ordained them Elders not Prophets or Apostles in every Church Tit. 1.5 Titus was to ordain Elders in every City Timothy hath full direction for the Ordaining of Bishops or Elders and Deacons 1 Tim. 3. That their work was not to bring new Doctrine but to Teach Rule and worship according to that Received I now prove 2 Tim. 2.2 The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Mark that its the same and not a new Doctrine and that as heard from Paul among many witnesses and not as received immediately from God and others were thus to receive it down from Timothy And v. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth It is not to bring new Truths but rightly to divide the old And 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of words which thou hast heard of me not which thou