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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96865	Church-members set in joynt. Or, A discovery of the unwarrantable and disorderly practice of private Christians, in usurping the peculiar office and work of Christs own pastours, namely publike preaching. In way of answer to a book printed under the name of Lieutenant Edmund Chillenden (but indeed none of his) entituled Preaching without ordination. Wherein all the arguments by him produced, are fully answered and disproved, the truth of the contrary evidenced, and the office forementioned, thereby returned into the hands of the right owners. / By Filodexter Transilvanus.	Woodbridge, Benjamin, 1622-1684.	1648 (1648)	Wing W3423; Thomason E422_3; ESTC R204785	29,729	41

seeing you are divided into Sects according to the names and number of them that Baptized you I am glad that I Baptized no more of you then I did because I would not be the Captaine and Ring-leader of a Sect. This I say seemes to be the plain meaning of the words which cleerely holds forth to me that Apollo Baptized as well as Paul or Peter and therefore was a Minister in Office as well as they Let us heare what Chillenden hath to the contrary Chill 1 Saith he The Scripture is altogether silent in it Answ Not altogether for what I have spoken for it I have spoken from Scripture And if the Scripture had been altogether silent yet were it nothing to the purpose for there were many Elders of whose ordination the Scripture speaks not a word but leaves us to infer they were ordained because they did the works of Elders As Crispus Tychicus Titus Demas and others Chill 2 Saith he We only find this of him in Scripture that he was instructed in the way of the Lord c. Answ Whether this be true or no let the Reader judge from what I have spoken of him Chill 3 Saith he He could be no Officer in the Jewish Church because he imbraced Jesus Christ nor in the Gentile Church because he knew only the Baptisme of John Answ Bables as if first there were no Church of the Jewes yet that embraced Christ and beleeved 2. As if he might not be a Minister of the Gentiles though he knew only the Baptisme of John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expertus He experienced onely the Baptisme of John That is he was Baptized onely with Johns Baptisme and the Holy Ghost had not fallen upon him in such sort as upon the Apostles and other Ministers of the Gospell in those dayes which is spoken to his commendation and the magnifying of the Grace of God in him that he should be so knowing in the way of God and fervent in the work of God though he had been Baptized only with water into the Name of Christ which was Johns Baptisme Act. 19. 4. and had not received the Holy Ghost as it was then dispenced which was Christs Baptisme in distinction from Johns Matth. 3. 11. He shall Baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire 3. As if he might not be an Evangelist as Timothy was and so no setled Officer in any Church but an itenerant Preacher to every Church where he came which for my part I think is the truth because he travelled up and down with the Apostles And so much for his third Argument Chill Act. 8. 4. therfore that they were scattered a road went every where Preaching the word And Act 11. 19 20. It was the Church that were scattered therefore it was the Church that Preached and all the Church at Jerusalem were not ordained Officers Answ The most that can be made out from this Argument is this That to Preach some times upon occasion when by reason of persecution we may not enjoy our own Teachers and have no other helpe but our own gifts is lawfull But with what appearance of consequence doth it follow from hence that it is not onely lawfull but necessary for so Chillenden makes it for a private gifted man though not ordained to preach in a Church already constituted and under the order of the Gospell where Ministers may be and are ordained in a regular way and their people may have free accesse to them Necessity sometimes is instead of a Call These that were scattered grant that they were private Christians did not therefore preach because they were gifted for then they should have preached before persecution had scattered them But the present necessity was instead of an Ordination at least it was a Call of God for them to preach without Ordination when by reason of disturbances Ordination could not be had 2. But the Text sayes not that the Church was scattered abroad but they all were scattered abroad which particular they refers not to the whole Church but unto those who kept company with Christ while he lived and with his Apostles at Jerusalem after he was ascended even the 70 Disciples Act. 1. 15 21. who were all or most Evangelists 1. From the very beginning of the Book the Evangelist sets himselfe to relate the Acts of the Apostles together with the 70 Disciples though he instanceth most in Peter declaring how the spirit promised to be given them after Christs ascention did work effectually in their Ministery Therefore here he observes the same method 2. This is the more probable because he instanceth so suddainly and immediately in Philip ver 5. thereby shewing whom he meaneth-by they all vers 4. For had he spoken of a man that had pertained to a new company of whom he had made no mention before he would then have said a certain man named Philip or some such expression to give notice that he was directing his speech to another and a new subject But speaking so immediately of Philip it argues he is still upon the same company I meane the 70 Disciples who abode with the Apostles and received their commission from Christ as well as the Apostles upon whom also the Holy Ghost was powred down together with the Apostles Act. 2. they were therefore men ordained by Christ himselfe John 15. 16. to go and preach the Gospell Chillenden grants that Philip was ordained but it was saith he to be a Deacon an Office that did not bind him to preach Not remembring that the same man is expresly called an Evangelist Act. 21. 8. and that after he was chosen a Deacon and such as he was such seeme all the rest to be even Evangelists 3. It is said they went every where as Evangelists were wont to do preaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t is in the Greek a word that is never used but for preachers by function and though the word be a participle denoting an act and not a faculty yet it alwayes notes such an act as is performed by vertue of an Office 4. They did not only preach but it should seem they did Baptize too Act. 8. 12. 16. 38. and though Philip be the man whois there onely mentioned yet it is most probable that the rest who were scattered abroad Baptized also For Act 11. 21. a great number beleeved and turned to the Lord. Now the manner in those dayes vvas to Baptize men so soone as ever they made profession of Faith Act. 22. 16. and Act. 2. c. And therefore vve are to think the same of these at Antioch that they also were Baptized nay the rather because there is no other time mentioned vvhen nor person by vvhom they vvere Baptized Some of the Apostles vvere aftervvards sent dovvn to themfrom Jerusalem not to Baptize them but rather to confirm give the holy Ghost to them being already Baptized for that I find to be the end of their undertaking many other journeyes of the

notice of many places of Scripture written in the margin but of those onely to which he doth expressely referre his Reader partly because they are very unequally ascribed not paralell to the line to which they refer and partly because most of them are places from which he borrows words or phrases occasionally mentioned nothing at all pertaining to the maine scope many other things of lesse consequence I have passed over but nothing of moment as I know of Farewell F. T. Imprimatur Edm. Calamy An Answer to a Book entituled Preaching without Ordination THe Lieutenant before he comes to speak a word to the Question by himselfe propounded in the fore-front of his Book viz. Whether men may Preach except they be Ordained premiseth many things to consideration which are neither of any necessary dependance upon each other nor of any use imaginable either to the cleering and well stating of the Question or to the confirmation of his own opinion touching the Question For which reason I shall not now retreat so farre from the businesse in hand as to make an incursion upon his praecognita things which neither of us are concerned in as to this present controversie but shall there begin to answer where hee begins to make good his undertaking after hee hath brought about the Question as it were by countermarch into its former place and applyes himselfe to the proofe of the affirmative namely that it is lawfull for a person not ordained to Preach Thus farre onely I shall follow him as to make use of his method in premising some few Positions for the better stating of the Question between him and mee First then I cannot but take notice that every one of his stolen Arguments whereby hee labours to evince the lawfulnesse of preaching without Ordination are of equall force to prove the lawfulnesse of preaching without the Churches choyce and approbation the thing wherein himselfe and others of his way doe place the very essentials and vitals of a minister as to any outward call as may be seen in his positions Pag. 2 and 3. and then to what purpose is a Liberty of Choosing their Minister given to every particular congregationall Church as the thing whereby he is made a minister seeing every private gifted Christian eo ipso because gifted may take upon him to preach publikely though neither ordained nor yet Chosen by the Chruch for such an intrinsicall connexion doth this Author make between gifts and preaching that if his Arguments be sound there neede not intervene so much as the Chruches Election nay farther not so much as a tryall of those ministeriall gifts qualifications which himself acknowledgeth to be requisites before a person be ordained Thes 6. 2. I desire the Reader to take notice that when we preach for Ordination as a thing requisite to a Preacher we are to be understood according to the Analogy of these following advertisemntes 1. That by Ordination we mean an act of the Church whereby a person is solemnly set apart for the dispensation of the word Seales and Censures by way of peculiar office we doe therefore at this time wave all disputes about the persons ordaining and all other rites and circumstances pertaining to Ordination 2 Preaching we take in the strictest sense for an explication and application of the Word of God with all authority to the information exhortation reproof or comfort of them that hear 3 We acknowledge it a duty incombent upon all Christians whether eminently gifted or no even the least and meanest to reprove exhort in struct and comfort one another as occasion shall be offered in away of love and of equall and mutuall interest as members spiritually of one another and heyres together of the kingdome of life 4 In a Church that hath not its compleat constitution and organization which Chillenden Calls a Church not perfectly brought under Gospel order or in other Cases of absolute necessity we admit in reason of a liberty for private gifted Christians to preach the word though the Scripture hath neither any particular precept for it nor clear patterne of it as I know of Yet in no case can it be allowed that any private Christian though never so well gifted shall take upon him to preach to any Church unlesse he have at least the election and approbation of that Church which we suppose to be a sufficient outward call when the Churches condition is as it may be such as that it is morally impossible to have a better Jus divinum positivum cedit juri divino naturali when they are inconsistent each with other 5 If any Christian hath others in subjection under him he hath thereby authority to instruct reprove and exhort them out of the word of God Men were made immediatly for God immediatly for one another or for one another in the Lord. Religion hath the command of all mens faculties conditions and actions to referre and order them immediatly to Gods glory that the whole man may live wholly unto God He must therfore live unto God in respect of his power over others that is his power over others must be ordered and improved to Gods glory else he lives not wholly to God Hence we grant that a father or master in his family may instruct exhort and command his children and his household to doe justice and judgment A King or Magistrate in the Common-wealth may exhort and command his subjects to the generall dutyes of Religion For Religion refers all power to a Spirituall end But some power is immediatly Spirituall as the power of the Ministers of the Gospel the immediate end or object whereof is the Spitituall good of their people Other power is more remotely Spirituall which though it ames at Spirituall good yet it attaines it not but by the intervention of that power which is immediately Spirituall v. 8. The Magistrate ought to looke to the spirituall good of his people therefore he may command them to give diligent attendance to the Word preached and to practise according to what is taught and may make use of many perswasives and dissuasives as he thinks fit which is as much as any of the Kings of Israel ever did in any of their instructions or publique exhortations to their people The like may bee said of all other power domestique or military These things being premised the truth I shall undertake to defend against Mr. Chillenden is this That it is utterly unlawfull for any Christian whatsoever gifted or not gifted to take upon him ordinarily to Preach the Word in the name of the Lord with all authority before the Church publiquely assembled unlesse he be called and set apart thereto by the Church Hereof I might bring proofe sufficient but my warre is at this time defensive not offensive Let us therefore try what strength our adversary is of Having therefore first supposed that Churches have power to choose yea and to Ordain which is false their own Officers he inferres thus

A Candle is lighted to be set in a Candlestick The Candlestick in the Reddition must be the Church as Rev. 1. 12 13. They that are set in a Candlestick proportionably are the Ministers of the Gospel who shine forth more eminently as Lights in the Church They must therefore first be set in the Candlestick before they can give light to them that are round about And how is that done By being gifted and doubtlesse not so onely Act. 13. 47. So hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles c. Cor. 12. 28. God hath sent in his Church not gifted men but Officers Apostles c. And our Saviour speaking the same parable Luke 11. does put an accurate distinction between the light of his Ministers and the light of eminent gifted Christians of the former he sayes that they are set in the Church or Candlestick that they may give light unto others ver 33. And of them that receive this light he saith they are thereby enlightned not so much to enlighten others though that also they ought to do in their place as to make themselves lightsome and glorious in the Church ver 36. Chill Talents must not be hid in a Napkin Answ What then Therefore every man may improve his Talent in a disorderly way This is fine reasoning peradventure a subject in some kingdome may be every way better qualified for the well managing of the Scepter then the King himselfe may he therefore take upon him to dethrone his lawfull King and set up himself in his place A woman may possibly have more wisdom then her husband in the family or more knowledge grace then a Minister in the Church may she therfore usurp authority over her husband in the family or over her Pastor in the Church the truth is this excellent principle miserably perverted hath been the darke Cellar wherin that powder hath been hid which hath almost blown up all Government both in the State and Church and Army and hurld all things into black confusion And I am sorry that any of my Country-men especially such as pretend to Religion and the feare of God should border so neere upon the Spirit of Corah as to be of the same mind and to speak the same language Numb 16. 3. They gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron saying you take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them and the Lord is amongst them wherefore then lift you up your selves against the Congregation of the Lord The same answer therefore which Moses gives to them may I returne to Chillenden and all others that make use of this Argument ver 9 10. Seemeth it but a small thing to you that the God of Israel hath separated you And hath brought you neere to him and seeke you the Priesthood also Surely he that hath a Talent and employes it not shall be esteemed an unprofitable servant Every gift hath its 〈◊〉 yet every Christian must remember that he hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12 4. his own proper work in the performance of which he ought to abide with God 1 Cor. 7. 24. Can the hand do no service in the body because it is not the head In Fine if there be any man in the Church that hath the spirit of Grace government wisdome and utterance whereby he is fitted to preach the Gospel though he hath not that measure of knowledge in languages and other Arts as were desireable yet if he be sound in Faith in Doctrine and in manners he shall do a work acceptable to God and the whole Church will thank him if he shall desire the Office of a Bishop 1 Tim. 3. 1. suffer himselfe to be proved ver 10. and being approved to be ordained by the laying on of hands chap. 5. 22. And I am apt to think that no man who doth sincerely intend to preach the word of truth as it is in Jesus and affects not an unwarrantable liberty of preaching when he list and desisting when he list which being ordained he may not doe I say I am apt to think hee cannot really stick at that order of admission and entrance into the Ministery to which the Scripture gives such a cleere and abundant Testimony And thus much for the first Argument and for all the pieces of Arguments which are here and there immethodically scattered up and down which are neither sufficient to prove the whole scope of the Author nor yet have any dependance on any proposition of the grand Arguments As for the two objections which Chillenden proposeth to himselfe and answereth let him that ownes them make them good for my part I would be loath to defend a truth of GOD with such objections though in the latter of the two I conceive there is more strength then Chillenden is aware of if it be well pointed I shall say nothing to it now because I shall have occasion to make it good anon onely this I cannot but observe once for all that this Lieutenant is very good at making Jack a Lents and then insulting over them with drawn sword here I could have thee and there I could have thee I presume no judicious man could ever have it in his mind to make such slender objections as I often meet with in this little Pamphlet and therefore I suppose they are egges of his own hatching But let us passe them over and come on to the next Argument Chillend 2 Chron. 17. 7 8 9. The Princes of Judah who were no ordained Ministers Preached the Law to the people Answ I cannot beleive our Lieutenant read this Scripture over twice The text saies expressely that the Priests and Levites preached For thus runs the words v. 8 9. with them he sent Levites even Shemaiah c. and with them Elisham and Iehoram Priests And they taught in Iudah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them Here is not one word of the Princes preaching It is said indeed ver 7. that the King sent to his Princes to teach in the Cityes of Iudah The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in pyhell ad faciendumdiscere to make them to learne or to see them taught to wit by others as Ashpenaz is commanded togather some of the children of Israel together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach them the Language of Caldea Is it imaginable that Ashpenaz the chiefe of all the Noble men in the kingdom did teach them himselfe doubtlesse he did it by others as these Princes also did and so Rabbi Solomon Iarchi expounds it It was proper saith he to the Priests and Levites to teach and instruct but the Princes went with them least they should have rebelled against their words that they might compell them to obey c. what a monstrous abuse of Scripture is this to interpret it against the very Letter of the text Chill It is evident by the

like nature Act. 8. 14 15 16 17. Act. 19. 3 4 c. 5. If these preachers had been private Christians dwellers at Jerusalem and had fled only for safety because the persecutio was hot in the City and when they were abroad took occasion to preach the Gospell is it not altogether probable that they vvould have returned home again to their families as soone as the persecution was ended No man can deny this Now I shall make it appeare that they staied forth above twice as long as the persecution lasted For the persecution began the ninth yeere of Tiberius Anno Christi 34. and it lasted till the time of Pauls coming to Jerusalem Acts 9. 31. Then had the Churches rest which was about three yeere and a halfe after the persecution began in the yeere of Tiherius 12. and of Christ 37. Yet they that were scattered did not returne home though they might with safety for three or foure yeeres after this time Acts 11. 19. we read that they were got out of Canaan into Phenicia Cyprus and Syria preaching yet to the Jewes only This was in the fourth yeere of Cajus Caligula Anno Christi 41. For in that yeere did Antioch receive the Gospel and then was Barnabas sent thither from Jerusalem and thither he brought Paul after he had found him out and there did they two spend a whole yeere in preaching which was the next yeere after this I am speaking of for then came Agabus from Jerusalem and prophesied of a great dearth Acts 11. 28. which fell out in the second yeere of Claudius Anno Christi 43. according to the consent of Scripture and best Historians Therfore from the yeere of our Lord 34. till 41. were those Disciples a preaching that is some sixe or seven yeeres whereas the persecution ceased at three yeeres end more or lesse And yet we heare no newes of their returne but that they went on preaching in Phenicia Cyprus and Syria which to me I confesse is a very strong argument that they were not private Christians fled from Jerusalem for safety by reason of the persecution and so preached occasionally and accidentally but that they were Ministers sent abroad on purpose by the Apostles and at that time the rather because they would not adventure the surprisall of all their persons in one place lest the work of the Gospel should be retarded 6. They all that were scattered cannot be understood of the whole Church that is of all the beleevers in Jerusalem for the Text saith expressely that the Church that is beleevers staid at Jerusalem yea good store many housholds of them vers 3 and that when they all of whom the Evangelist speaketh were scattered abroad vers 1. And the truth i● it is a senslesse thing to imagine otherwise for if all the beleevers in Jerusalem were fled where could the Apostles be entertained where could they find harbour and protection that they should be able to lie couchant when ordinary private Christians could not yea and to what end and purpose should they stay when the Church for whose edification encouragement increase and government they there abode were all fled 7. Would not persecution much sooner take hold of the Heads and Ringleaders of a faction such as Christianisme wa● then esteemed then of their followers Is it not probable that the Shepherd should be smitten before ●he Sheep were scattered can any man then think that the Church was fled and yet the Apostl●s continued quiet 8. That phrase Acts 11. 19. They preached to the Jewes only and that other Acts 8. 1. That they preached in the Regions of Judaea and Samaria seeme secretly to intimate what manner of men they were even such to whom Christ had spoken Acts 1. 8. Yee shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and in Samaria and Acts 13. 46. It was necessary that the Word of God should first be preached to you For which reasons I conceive that they who are here said to be scattered and to preach were not private gifted Christians but Ministers lawfully called and sent sorth to preach Let us here what Chillenden hath to the contrary Foure things hee sales whereof the three first are upon the point but one and therefore to them all I may returne one single Answer For whereas he saies 1. The Scripture gives no hint of it this appeares to be notoriously false from what I have proved by Scripture concerning them 2. Saith he They are onely called the Church at Jerusalem which is also false for they are not so called and if they were called so onely yet as long as the Scriptures are clear that by Church we are to understand the persons forementioned what matter is it for the name 3. saith he They preached onely upon occasion of the persecution Neither is this true for why then did they not returne home when the persecution was ended The persecution was the occasion why they were sent forth at that time rather then at another and if it were true then say we they did not preach meerely as guifted B●ethren for then why preacht they not before persecution scattered them but as men called by th● present extraordinary necessity 4. Saith he Barnabas w● sent over to confirme them A●sw So was Paul sent into Macedonia to help Acts 16. 9. They that were scattered went every where Acts 8. and therefore Barnabas was sent to carry some time amongst them for their confirmation which he also did even a whole yeere and upward Acts 11. 26. Some other objections there are men of straw which the Lieutenant sets up to buffet which we scorne to owne Chill Arg. Come we therefore to the next Argument and that is drawn from 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold graces of God If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God c. Answ To which we answer leaving the Lieutenants Dandiprats for himselfe to play with first That it is indeed every mans duty to improve the gifts of God in him for the benefit of others provided that he minister the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hee hath received it that is in that way which is suitable to the condition of the guift he has received But withal we assum that no man in these dayes hath received the gift of ordinary publique preaching but he that is called and that his very calling is a principall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or guift which he receives from the grace of God Rom. 12. 6. Having then guifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differing according to the grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is given to us which guifts in the words following he clearly interprets to be those offices to which they were called Is there no way of communicating guifts but in a way of preaching Is there not as exhorting one another Heb. 3. 13 a