Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A77293
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Gospel advice to godly builders: for the pulling down of Babel, and the building up of Sion. For the most part written in three letters, to be communicated to the Reverend Assembly of Ministers in Westminster. By the unworthiest of all the Gospel ministers, John Brayne.
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Brayne, John.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing B4325; Thomason E475_37; ESTC R205459
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16,503
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25
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of yours contained in the Doctors Section In which you say 1. That the differing gifs may meet in and accordingly be exercised by one and the same Minister 2. That where is but one Minister in a particular congregation he is to perform as he is able the whole Ministry All which are onely to hold up Parochiall Congregations against the way of God and I dare affirm that while they stand the way of God can never be set up among us according to the Gospel of God nor to edification 1. I desire you to try if ever any Apostle singly and ordinarily in any one Church whatsoever did the whole work of the Ministry alone Which if they had done it by an extraordinary call were no warrant for us without some expresse command 2. Where the Scriptures naming fellow-labourers co-workers and the like with the Apostles joyning of others with them in their Epistles prove not the contrary 3. The Apostles as in Peter Act. 10.48 he commanded them to be baptised which shews the Apostles did not baptise when a Doctor was present that ordinarily wrought with him in the ministry of the Gospel and if at any time he should have done it in the presence of his fellow helpers it would be now that the holy Ghost fell on them and that it was to baptise the first converted Gentiles but all these move him not to do irregularly in the Church This appears in Paul also 1 Cor. 1.14.17 v. 14. I baptised none of you but Crispus and Gaius 1. The Apostle was at Corinth the time of gathering that Church 2. In the gathering of it he baptised few onely of that famous Church now without Baptisme they could not be of the Church which clearly proves Paul had some other ministring with him to the constituting of the Church there unlesse we say âââe were baptiseâ ãâã these ãâã or three families in that City 3. Ver. 17. ââewe Paul had his ministry there but plainly tels us it was not baptâââng but evangelizinâ as a work distinct from it 4. Should not we now in ââing all do âore then ever any Apostle did do in the Câurch ordinarily Are we more able then they shall we exceed our pattern or âo ãâã we walk by an other rule then the Gospel And if so it were good to cââsider whose Râle we walk by and what warrant we have for it Compare 2 Cor. 1.19 2 Cor. 2.15 16. the Son of God Jesus Christ who was preached amongst you by us even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we ãâã to God a sweet savour ver 16. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1. It may be applyed to a particular man what one man is fit for these things which we three do is there any dares do that alone that Paul himself dares not But I rather do conceive the Apostle means of every particular ministry no man is fit for it or else the aggravation were not so considerable Conclusion hence is that ãâã ân since the Apostles had any call to officiate all the severall Church offices together and therefore none do or may officiate them by any warrant from the Gospel We come to the Scriptures set down in the Doctors Section brought to prove a single ministry c. Rom. 12.6 7 8. twice quoted 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. Ephes 4.11 1 Cor. 12.28 1 Pet. 4.10 These Scriptures make clear against your single Ministry as after all I shall the Lord assisting me shew you how Others there are set down which seem to prove it but I suppose rightly understood prove nothing lesse 1. Scrip. 1 Tit. â0 Holding fast the faithfull word as he hath been taught that he may be ablâây souââ doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers This text twice cited in this Section and proves little it respects not the ministry as exercised in the Church among beleevers but shews what sufficiency is required to be in a Minister having to do with adversariââ of the truth âithâ ãâã that he must hold the truth against those âould take iâârom him and be able maintain it against those gainsay it be sound doctrine that is by the Word or sound and ândeny able conclusââây nâ there from by which he may be able to convince ãâã oppâââ ãâã truth 2. Scripture is 1 Tim. 6. â In this Epistle I suppose Timothy was wrote tâ as to a âeaâââ onely which place âe supplyed ministring to the Thessalonians Paul Silvanus Timothy working togâther 1 Thes 1.1 compared with 2 cap. 1. ye know our entrance in unto you 1 Tim. 6.2 And they that have beleeving masters lââ them not despise them because they are brethren but rather do them service âe ãâã they are faithfull and beloved partakers of the benefit These things ãâã and ââhort That that is brought hence to prove a single Ministry is this that it is said These things teach and exhort and that Teachââg the Doctors office and Exhorting the Pastors ministry are joyned both together and are injoyned one man Resp 1. Here is exhortation indeed added to teaching but is commanded onely in a particular case 2. It is limited to these things and proves it was not proper to the Teacher in other cases and things to usurp the Pastors office in using the publick ministeriall exhortation of the Pastor A particularibus non datur conclusio So that if in a particular case as this we conclude with the Philosopher we must conclude against the Proposition 3. It was not such as the Pastors exhortation was the Pastors was to exhort good men to be better as 2 Pet. 1.4.8 to a growth and increase of godlinesse this was to take men from evill to good and consisted in matter of morality and so rightly fitted the Doctors ministery it pertaining to work repentance from dead works Heb. 6. 4. The defect was in the Teachers society and may be God stirred him up to this who thought it the Pastors duty onely to exhort in this as in all other cases 3. Scripture brought to prove a single Ministery 2. Tim. 4.2 twice quoted Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all or in all long-suffering and doctrine 1. This Epistle I suppose to be written to him as Pastor who I suppose ministred that part of ministery with Paul at Ephesus Act. 19.22 which was another time then that 1 Tim. 1.3 speaks of there Paul bids him stay here he sends him forth and its clear was the last Epistle be wrote and immediatly going before his death 2. Timâthy himself had not exercised the full Ministery for ver 5. following Timothy is bid do the work of an Evangelist and bear the full ministery Now it is to be observed that the Pastor assuming the Evangelists place of ministery the Doctor was chosen Pastor and the Evangelist did no more the work of a Pastor 3. He then exercised the Pastors part of the Ministery onely the words before are but an
out of the book of life and ãâã of the holy City and from the things written in this bââk yea in this is a taking away from the letter and from the sence of the Scripture which is all the taking away there meant as I conceive 2. In this all the Church Elders are reduced to one That so we may set up a government in the Church of our own by one and pull down Jesus Christs which is by a combination of Church Ministery by Evangelists Pastors Teachers 3. In particular the Pastoââ the Elâââ you invest wholly and alone with this ministeriall office ãâã by the expresse words of the Scripture one Church Minister iâ not more interessed in it then another but all joyntly and equally 4. The work cannot ââdoââ singly in a Gospel way the sick is commanded to send for more then one and more then one are commanded to pray for him The pâomise it annexââ to a duty when done onely according to Gods wây and in obedience âo his command if we fall and that wilââully of our part we depââ oââ selves wholly of the comfort of thâ ordinance and the grace oâ God added thereunto faith being not able to move an hair beyond the help it hath from the Word of God inabling him Oâject We have but one Elder that is the Pastor Resp Where is the Church then to which the sick are sent of God for this comfort in which are to be Elders in a Church combination Teaching the people in health and praying for them in sicknes To this next is considerable that in the Propositions it is said that to the Pastors Prayer especially is promised a blessing The Scripture saith Let them pray and after the prayer of faith shall save the sick that is their prayer made in faith I think it to be beyond the power of man to make a blessing thus promised to the whole Church Ministery or many ordinarily to belong to one nor do I think that ordinance as done by one to be done in a Church way or according to the rule of the Gospel in this place Object We intend the Teacher also to be here meant though the Pastor be onely named 1. Resp If that be granted I suppose you yet come short of the truth the word in the text for Elders and the verb for let them pray being both formed in the plurall and not in the duall number compared with the generall scope of the other Scriptures proves a plurality of Elders to be in the Church and not a duality 2. If the Doctor had been understood by you to be interessed herein you would have cited this Scripture of James in his Section as well as the Pastors and applyed the duty to him as you did 1 Tit. 9. Eph. 4.11 quoted and applyed by you to both Pastor and Teacher in both Sect. 3. I suppose you would not have so particularly invested the Pastor with it as your expressions used imply you to have done saying the Elder that is the Pastor And so the Pastor as if all but he had nothing to do with the duty but were excluded The Conclusion of this second Epistle was this God is my witnesse I write these things unto you onely as moved thereunto by love and fear fear towards God and love to you and the Gospel and not of contention for who am I that I should contend with the Learning Ability and Parts of the Assembly but in obedience to Gods command Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him and in what wiâe can it be more Christianly done then in private writing which I desire may be as Christianly taken that Christ Jesus in all may be glorified and the truth come to be discovered to the edifying of the Church in love and I shall gladly wait to do you all the serviââ I can in Christ and rest Yours John Brayne Sept. 5. 1648. We câme ãâã the third Gânârall and the Particulars of the third Letter 1. I desire you to consider where Catechââng as by you applyed to Hebr. 5. â2 and placed ãâã the Paââors Section be not the Teachers proper ministeriall work teaching the beginnings of Christ which together with Baptisme I suppose is that proper work which solely doth constitute thâ Teacher in the Church he being the first and the beginner of the Ministery Catechâsing by Qââstion and Answer was exercised without the Church among the Catecumeni onely but the preaching the beginnings of Christ in the Church to the ââfants as in this Hebr. 5.12 was onely the Dr. ministry 1. This appears in the Scriptures holding out the whole Gospel Administrators Ephes 4.11 beginning with the Apostles he is last beginning in the Minister ãâã is first 2 Tim. 3.16 Scripture is profitable for doctrine and reproof c. So that he begins with doctrine and ends with perfection As a man is first a childe and after a man so first the doctrine for children and then for men 2. Scripture 2 Col. 7. rooted built up in him and established in these are held out the divers of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 there is a diversity of gifts there is the spirits part In this again is intimated the diversity of ministrings ver 5. which the Lord Christ instituted in the Church and then the diversity of operations which God by these severall Ministers worketh v. 6. The first of which is Rooting which is done by preaching fuâdament ãâã children in grace and not age onely Much more may be pââsecuted you concerning this But thaâ of Rom. 2.20 clearâ it where the Apostle cals the Teacher ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is understood onely and done in a carnall manner âââng us and not according âo Christ For Antiâuity I now onâly trouble you with that of Ambrose on Ephes 1.1 who apprehâââing a necessity âo have all the Gospel Ministry in ãâã Church ââould have in some way though never so corrupâ which cannot be by ãâã means done ây us saith of the Doctor Magisââ ãâ¦ã istâ qiââââoâââ ãâã ââmposâânt verberant inquiâââ which is ãâ¦ã Teachââââre Exorcists because they quiet ãâ¦ã âyeâ But after to beââââ purpose Sive hi qui lectionibus imbuendi infantes solebant imbuere sicut mos Judeorum est quorum traditio transitum fecit ad nos quae per negligentiam obsolevit Or those saith he who were wont to initiate children initiated by reading as the custome of the Jews is whose tradition he hath caused to be passed over to us Gentiles which by negligence is grown out of use 1. This could not be meant of the Catechist that was not out of use in his time nor after 2. If the Doctors Ministry in Ambrose time were antiquated who can shew in whose time since it was restored to the Church again 4. Passing by the other lesser things in your Propositions I shall now onely trouble you with two generall Positions