Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	church_n	keep_v	silence_n	2,518	5	9.9816	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

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

these Spirituall men Certainly those Christians who did abound more then others of their Brethren in the graces and gifts of the spirit For so is the word taken Gal. 6. 1. You that are spirituall restore such a man And more expresly in this very Epistle 1 Cor. 3. 1. And I Brethren could not speak to you as unto spirituall but as unto carnall even as unto babes in Christ Here is an expresse opposition between a Carnall Christian and a Spirituall Christian the weaker sort of Christians being called Carnall and the stronger and more able Christians who were men in understanding being called spirituall To returne then to the place in hand The Apostle opposeth the Prophet and spirituall man that is the gifted Christian as our Saviour opposeth the Prophet and the righteous man Matth. 10. 41. Therefore when he spake before of Prophets or unto Phrophets he spake not to the private believers or Church-members in Corinth though never so well gifted but unto Prophets strictly and distinctly so called who were a ranke or order of men in the Church that was above the most eminent gifted Christians in respect of outward state and condition And this is the more probable because the Apostle doth seeme expresly to divert his speech from the Church unto the Prophets and other gifted men in the Church Chap. 12. 1. Now concerning spirituall gifts Brethren c. 2. Prophesy was a gift of the same nature and continuance with the gift of tongues as appeares by the Apostles perpetuall comparing of them together in this chapter But that the gift of tongues is ceased now and that it was an extraordinary gift while it was in the world I suppose Chillenden himselfe cannot deny Therefore how he can affirme the gift of Prophesy ●o be an ordinary and an abiding gift let himselfe judge 3 Prophesy was an interpretation of the deep mysteries of Scripture by inspirationor immediate revelation vers 30. If any thing be revealed to another and Ephes 3. 3 5. The mystery which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed 1 Cor. 13. ● unto his holy Apostles and Prophets Whence they that believe the doctrine of the Gospell are said to be built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2. 20. And hereby is Prophesy distinguished from Doctrine 1 Cor. 14. 26. Prophesy being there signifyed by Revelation Doctrine noting an explication of the word by comparing Scripture with Scripture and by the Analysis of a Scripture into its simple Arguments which is the way of exposition now in use in the Church So vers 6. unlesse I come speaking to you either by Revelation or by knowledge or by Prophesy or by Doctrine That is unlesse I speak a Revelation which is Prophesy or knowledge which is Doctrine For what is Prophesy but the uttering of a Revelation And what is Doctrine but an uttering of knowledge That knowledge I meane which is attained by a studious search and enquiry into the meaning of Scripture Wherefore it must needs be that Prophesy was no ordinary but an extraordinary gift extraordinary in those dayes being given but to a few but much more extraordinary in our dayes being given to none 4 From the same place it is manifest that Prophesy was not a gift residing in the mind by way of habit but it was an impression transiently made upon the mind by the Holy Ghost like lightning in the ayre If any thing be revealed to another saith the Apostle Cleerely holding forth thereby that one Prophet might have the understanding of some spiritual gifted mystery given him while another was Prophesying and that not by the help and operation of any faculty of his own as his fancy judgement or memory but by Revelation or divine inspiration Now I would aske of those who call themselves Prophets in our dayes whether their fancy judgement and memory do not help them to all the glorious sublimated conceits which they so much boast of notions so transcendent that they many times leave all reason sense and truth many thousand leagues below them If they grant it then they can no longer plead this practice of prophesying in the Corinthians for their patterne it being of a more noble descent even immediately from heaven without the help and obstetrication of any naturall abilities If they deny it and have the face to affirm that they receive it by immediate Revelation then must I sound a retreate to all that are men in understanding and are not apt childishly to be tossed too and fro with every wind of Doctrine to the Law and the Testimonies if any man adde to the words of this book let him be accursed 5. The Prophets in the Church of Corinth were not private gifted Christians but such as had the power of the government of the Church as ordinary Pastors and Teachers Yea and those very Prophets and the rest of the gifted persons as I conceive were the Pastors and Rulers pertaining to the Church of Corinth For that Prophets had a Pastorall care seemes undenyable to me because Act. 13. ● Paul and Barnabas who were no private unordained men are called Prophets and it is a rule received without contradiction that every superiour order of Ministers did conteine the inferiour As for example an Apostle was a Prophet Evangelist Pastor Teacher Ruler and Deacon 1 Cor. 14. 36. 1 Cor. 9. 5 1 Pet 5. 1. Act. 6. 2. c. A Prophet in like manner was a Pastor Teacher Ruler and Deacon for Prophets were second in place to Apostles 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. And that these Prophets and other gifted persons did exercise pastorall Offices is cleere in this very Chapter First the whole Church came together to heare them vers 23. When they were come together one of them prayed in the name of the Congregation vers 16. To which they all consented by saying Amen They did also Preach the word and apply it to edification exhortation and comfort vers 3. of them that believed and the conversion of the unbelievers vers 24 25. Moreover they had a Power of rule and government to keep order and decorum in the Congregation As for example to enjoyne women silence in the Churches ver 34. Let your women keep silence in the Churches The Apostle saith not simply let women keep silence but let your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5. 2. women that is the women of your Church which are within the verge of your authority For do not ye judge them that are within 1 Cor. 5 12. they had also power to make way for a Prophet to speak when he hath any thing revealed to him vers 30 31 32. an act properly pertaining to the Ruler of the Congregation Act. 13. 15. Qu. If you aske then wherein did Apostles and Prophets differ Ans I answer in this The Apostles spake what they heard and saw 1 John 1. 1. It being essentiall to an Apostle to have

seen the Lord and many Revelations they had of things not conteined in the Scriptures of the Old Testament which the Prophets had not 6 But be they what they will be their practise cannot be brought down as a precedent for private Christians in our dayes to prophesy because the gift of prophesy perished in that age when the Scriptures of the Old and New-Testament were accomplished For prophets were both in time and dignity before Pastors and Teachers 1 Cor. 12. 28. But the most honourable Office in the Church from thenceforth to the end of the world 1 Tim. 6. 14. is the Office of Pastors and Teachers 1 Tim. 5. 17. therefore prophesy is ceased being an extraordinary gift peculiar to Prophets onely not to all gifted believers Let us now heare what Chillenden sayes to the contrary Chill First saith he the whole body of the Church of Corinth was not extraordinarily gifted Answ Very true For some were Prophets not all Therefore the particle all vers 31. is not to be understood of the whole Church Chill Secondly saith he The Apostle forbids women to Preach because they must be subject to their husbands therefore he gives all men that were gifted leave to Preach Answ If this Argument be good it will infer a liberty for all men to preach of what condition soever as for gifted men for may not I argue thus No woman may preach because she is a woman Therefore every man may preach as well as infer this therefore every gifted man may preach unlesse the prohibition made to women reacheth only to gifted women And by the same reason that Chillenden upon that supposition of womens not preaching infers a liberty of preaching to men with this restriction if they be gifted by the same reason will I infer the same liberty for men with this restriction if they be ordained But for my part I conceive the Apostles prohibition as it reacheth generally to all women so it is intended specially against women which had or pretended that they had a spirit of prophesy for such then were in those dayes Act. 21. 9. though there be none now And I am inclined the rather thus to think because the Apostle doth not say simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Ai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which particle Ai as Scaliger the great observes is evermore determinative in the Scripture pointing out some speciall or individuall So that the Apostle doth hereby strictly forbid women though Prophetesses to preach in the Church and that for a morall reason which a positive precept doth not supersede because they must not usurpe authority over the man And therfore is the Church of Thyatira blamed for suffering that woman Jezebel to preach notwithstanding she called her selfe a Prophetesse Rev. 2. 20. Chill But Chillenden saith that women Prophetesses might Preach and proves it from Luke 2. 36. Exod. 15. 20. Judges 4. 24. Answ Women though Prophetesses never took upon them publiquely to teach the Church The places alledged do not prove the contrary nor any thing like it As for Anna Luke 2. 38. The Text saith she came in at that instant namely into the Temple and gave thankes unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for Redemption in Jerusalem What is this to the purpose Is a particular thanksgiving before three or foure people and in all probability there were not many more at least in hearing a publique preaching before the Church And whereas it is said she spake of him to all that looked for Redemption in Jerusalem it must needs be understood privatly and from house to house for all that looked for Redemption in Jerusalem which were many thousands were not then in the Temple to heare her speake And the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate comming in at that instant signifieth that it was by meere accident that she came to the Temple at that time and therefore I do not beleeve that any of Jerusalem came thither to meet her To Miriam Exod. 15. 20. I answer That all that is said of her is this that shee and her maydens sang praises together to God though shee brought up the chore being a prophetesse And what they sang was no more then the very same which the men had sang before them for the text saith shee answered them ver 21. compared with ver 1. But what is this to publike preaching before the Church Because we allow women to singe in the Church must wee therefore allow them to preach in the Church Singing is for the edification of the members of the Church in particular not of the whole Church collectively therefore to sing is not properly to speake in the Church for he that singeth speaketh to himselfe Eph. 5. 19. To Deborah Iudges 5. which I suppose is the place you meane I say the same Deborah and Barak sang which is no preaching nor yet is it recorded whether publikely before the Church or privately as Mary and Elizabeth each to other Though I conceive also that in her case there might be some peculiarity shee being extraordinarily raised up to be a Queen and Judge in Israel and in that respect superior to all the men in Israel nor subject to any and therefore not equally bound with other women to observe the Apostles rule Chill But saies Chillenden The Apostle exhorts that the Church should judge of the Doctrine ver 29. If they had beene extraordinary Prophets they could not erre and then there had beene no need of iudging Answ The Apostle doth not exhort that the Church should Judge but the other prophets for as some had the gift of tongues speaking suddainly in a language they understood not and therefore God gave to others a gift of interpretation of tongues 1. Cor. 14. 27. 18. so many might be suddainly inspired with a spirit of Prophesy and therefore others had a gift of discerning of spirits whereby they knew a Prophet of God speaking from the spirit of God from a minister of Satan transformed 1 Cor. 12. 10. into an Angell of light for in those dayes there were false Prophets gone abroad who called themselves the Prophets of God I hill The Apostle ver 37. 38. exhorteth them to acknowledge the things hee writes to be the commandments of God Could they be thus infallibly guided by the spirit and yet must Paul call on them to acknowledge the things he writes to be the commandments of the Lord Jesus Answ Boys play As if 1. something might not be revealed to an Apostle and not to a prophet seeing something might be revealed to one Prophet and not to another ver 30. As if 2ly the Apostle did not here put an apparent distinction between a Prophet and a spirituall man if any man think himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall saith he as also a Prophet is distinguished from a righteous man Matt. 10. 41. ascribing to both a spirit of judgement the one by a propheticall gift for prophets could judge ver 29. the other by a gift of wisdome whereby the spirituall man judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2. As for that phrase Let him acknowledge it doth not necessarily carry with it the force of an exhortation but of a simple affirmation as it were signifying who are the true Prophets of the Lord and who not as in the same phrase t is prophesyed that towards the latter end of the world good men shall grow better evill men worse Rev. 22. 11. Chill But vers 39. The Apostle puts them upon the use of meanes for this prophesying which argues the gift was not extraordinary Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T is in the Greek as vers 1. Be zealously affected towards or zealously desirous after spirituall gifts and what he meanes by it himselfe expounds vers 12 13 Even so yee for asmuch as yee are zealous of spirituall gifts seek that you may excell to the edifying of the Church Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret And this is all the meanes the Apostle prescribeth which is far from arguing that the gift was attaineable in a way of ordinary study and industry Though we also acknowledge that the spirit of prophesy might be quenched through the neglect and dissolutenesse of him who sometimes formerly had received it FINIS