office in preaching the Gospel Reason 4 is in Scripture mentioned and not condemned The practises of men mentioned in Scripture and not condemned there may be patterns to us 1 Cor. 10.11 but we have in Scripture a mention not condemnation of the practice of men out of office in using their gifts in Gospel-preaching The Jewes allowed men who were not their Church-officers publikely to teach and preach amongst them Luke 4.16 17 18. Acts 13. ver 14 15. chap. 28.22 23. Whence it was that the Rulers of Israel did never as I remember condemne the Messengers of Christ Jesus being none of their Church-Officers for the worke of preaching but for the matter or doctrine they taught The Primative Christians made no scruple to hear those preach who were none of their Church-Officers Acts 18.24 25 26. And it was the practice of the Saints to publish or preach both to the world and their Brethren the mysteries of the Gospel made out to them Acts 8.4 1 Cor. 14. 1 Thes 5.10 Paul tels us Phil. 1. That he rejoyced that Christ was preached though by men out of Office for so they were in all probability and that through envy This fourth Reason leaves the Reader to make the conclusion giving way by its silence to the next witnesse which is the fift Reason Reason 5 Because good effects do naturally flow from the use of private mens gifts None make a scruple to believe that which naturally produces good effects to be good in its own nature But whether private mens preaching may be taken into the number of things producing naturally good effects is the thing in question If you will hear the Scripture speaking it will informe you that the bringing forth of private mens gifts doth bring forth to the Church and World no small commodity Acts 11.21 1 Cor. 14.3 24 25. Now shall experience which teacheth much truth be hearde in giving out her sentence Thus she utters her voice I have found by much observation that as heretofore so now men gifted for preaching using their guifts though out of office are very advantagious instruments both to the Church and World Notwithstanding I must saith experience freely confesse that some have by this practice been instruments of mischiefe but heerin they differ not from many of our licensed Preachers Thus far experience The common opinion hath another byas and speakes in opposition to the fore-going affirmations But t is no wonder to see errour and the common opinion companions together Thus the fift Reason takes leave to be silent And the last for present intended appeares to confirme what its fellowes have endeavoured to prove and being inforced to be some-what large in opening it selfe the rest through courtisie to it have spent the lesse time in uttering their speech Because the deniall of the use of private mens gifts in preaching Reason 6 the Gospel hath an inseparable retinue of ill and bad consequences waiting upon it Its is a truth without controversie that the thing is not nick-nam'd when cal'd evill that naturally drawes after it ill and bad consequences for as wee Gather not Grapes of Thornes or Figs of Thistles so we enjoy not salt streames from a fresh Fountain But that the denyall of private mens preaching doth engender such a generation is a truth to which many and almost all the Clergie will not put to their seales Wherefore I shall a little for the satisfaction of such open the Book of its generation The first born of the deniall of private mens preaching is the shuting Conseque 1 up of that way which the Scripture opens for the only right way into office Election and ordination the Churches worke is the way which the Scripture hath chalked out by which men may come into office But the Church must bring none into office without proving their fitnesse for the office 1 Tim. 3.10 But they cannot know mens sufficiency for the worke of preaching without hearing them preach Now if they must preach before they are made Church-officers then some private persons may preach But if it be affirmed that none may lawfully preach being out of office then Gods way is denyed of bringing men into office Conseque 2 The second ill consequence which cals the former brother is the shutting up or making narrow the way to hear the Gospel For if none may lawfully preach but Church-officers then none may be heard by us but those who are or who are known to us to be lawfull Church-officers and so the way of hearing the Gospell will be exceeding straite and narrow for First They that preach must first convince the people that they are lawfull Church-officers before they lawfully can preach amongst them For the people wanting conviction of their being lawfull church-officers cannot be lawfully imployed in hearing But how must they prove themselves to be lawfull church-officers Not from abilities for that 's the thing denied not from habits or garments which we may not allow to carry with them sufficient power of conviction although many looke on black and canonicall Coates as markes of Ministers By what then most they prove their calling Without doubt it must be by their election and ordination But what if any doubt of the lawfulnesse of their electiâ—n and ordination They may not thâ—n lawfully heare them although they be lawfull Church-officers For what 's not of faith is sin And how the World then may be brought lawfully to hear the Word I wot not seeing they usually are ignorant of and enemies to the waies and orders of Châ—ist's visible Churches Secondly If none may be heard but Church-officers as none may if none but they may preach then none may be heard that are strangers till they are known by those that heare to be lawfull Church-officers But how difficult a thing it would prove to prove al strangers to be lawfull Church-officers all that know any thing may easily judge Many of the greatest maintainers of the doctrine I oppose are found to be frequent transgressors of it For not a few Ministers have admitted such to preach in their pulpits whom they know not and who indeed are no Church-officers or none of theirs Also many of the people of the same opinion do with their Ministers take hands in the same transgression in that they heare many preach of whom they are wholly ignorant Thirdly None may be heard who are suspected as before or are known to be false Church-officers be they never so eminent in parts or godly in life of which paradventure not a few may be found For mine own part were I perswaded that none are lawfull Preachers but lawfull Church-officers many who have me now being of another opinion some times in their auditory should altogether misse of my company Some imbracing with them the same opinion have made from their publike meetings a totall seperation being perswaded that Parish-preaching Ministers were false Church-officers For say they if their ordination from which they prove their
the same calling wherein he was called Therefore a Lay person ought not to preach the Word To the First we Answer That the Authors bare literall expression of those words though not his intention in the expressing of them is good and Lawfull His expression's good because 't is the Apostles his intention evill because not consonant but repugnant to the meaning of the Holy Ghost in that place Wherein it seemes that hee laid it down either from grosse ignorance or with purpose to deceive and beguile unstable Souls His drift in the allegation of that Text was to prove that Lay men as they call them having trades c. ought to continue in them and not to depart from them But how contrary this is to the meaning of the Apostle these considerations will plainely shew First consider to whom the Apostle directs the words to wit to believing Husbands Wives and Servants Secondly consider the end for which they were spoken which was the satisfaction of the Corinthians in this scruple whether to instance in an Husband the believing Husband should continue with his unbelieving Wife and not leave her he being called to the Faith The Apostle denyes it and commands him to continue in that calling to wit of an Husband in which he was when called to the Faith Thirdly If that be the meaning then the Apostle as I suppose must needs be contrary to himselfe For in vers the 21. he exhorts Servants the persons to whom the exortation in verse the 20. was directed that if they be called being Servants that they should not care but if they might be free that they should use it rather Now according to the Authors exposition I cannot see how these two places can agree together Fourthly consider the ill consequence of that exposition Then Christs Disciples did sin in departing from their first callings and in setting upon another And if they did sin in it then Christ was the causer of it for he commanded them so to doe which to affirme is no lesse then blasphemy Now you may see that the proposition for the end which he useth it is vaine and idle But suppose it were granted that it is unlawfull to leave one calling for another What should wee then say to those English Priests who at a Prelates prohibition will câ—ase to be preachers and will become Physitians And what will it make against private mens preaching Nothing surely as we shall presently by our Answer to the Minor proposition clearly prove Now for the Assumption where the Author tâ—lls us that a Lay man that takes upon him the preaching of the Word departs from that calling wherein he was called To which I Answer First That if his words be rightly understood as being the words of the Apostle he speaketh non-sence For this is the meaning of the Apostles words That every one ought to continue in his calling as that of an Husband c. wherein hee was when called to the Faith although as being an Husband he hath an unbelieving Wife This being the Apostles minde the Assumption will thus runne Every Lay person that preacheth the Word being called to bee an Husband or Servant departs from being an Husband or Servant Secondly Although we should take his meaning and leave his words yet here is nothing but bare affirmations without any probation and therefore of Christians it deserves no better then rejection The man had said something to purpose if he had proved that every lay man departs from his calling by taking on him the preaching of the Word as heer he hath affirmed Thirdly I Answer That his assumption is most false and untrue 1. Because they doe not depart from their callings who use them But those who preach as lay persons use their callings therfore c. Secondly Because they depart not from their callings who live by them But they who preach as Lay persons live not by their preaching but by their callings Fourthly I Answer That dangerous consequences doe follow from it As First That all those Christians in the Primative time who were scattered abroad by reason of the persecution that arose about Steven departed from their callings for it is written that they went about preaching Acts 8.4 Secondly That Paul departed from his preaching because hee used the occupation of Tent-making Acts 18.3 Thirdly That God commands all who have the gift of prophesie to depart from their lawfull callings For he hath commanded all that have the gift to use it according to the proportion of Faith Rom. 12.6 Thus farre the Answer Sir if you would judge with impartiality you would notwithstanding your high accusation bee inforc'd to pronounce me non-guilty If you will not yet I hope the reader will who is ingenious and impartiall Wherefore I might in equity draw my selfe as innocent out of the accusation and bring you in as being guilty of to use your owne words a fowle aspertion and unchristian slander against me Before I passe over the accusation have patience to heare a few of mine observations from it First I observe but this by the bye your great oversight in your very Grammaticals 1. In mis-understanding common plaine English which a man below the degree of a Master of Arts might have easily perceived 2. In taking Priests Preachers and Physitians to be words of the singular number Fourthly I cannot but note I wish you may seriously take notice of it your willingnesse to expose me to publike disgrace My name hath heretofore amongst some been somewhat infamous in the Citie by your occasion But as therewith being unsatisfied you have raised a rumour throughout the Country by your printed papers that I am guilty of a fowle aspersion and unchristian slander And all this notwithstanding I was publiquely cleared before the Magistrate For I was being at the Tolsy accused by one of your party and clear'd by a Minister of your owne after I had made for my selfe a briefe Apologie in the audience of the whole Assembly hee professing that I was only faulty in calling them Priests a disgraceful title To whom I replyed after this manner That the name in it selfe is not disgracefull And although it belongs not now to men as Church-Officers yet 't was a wonder that men retaining Episcopall Ordination should be offended with it â—â—th by that name they were Ordained Ministers and frequently so call'd by their Book of Common Prayers What Sir is this a carriage fit for a Christian to a Christian Or am I not a Christian because not a dependant but Independant Presbyâ—erian Were I a Turk you might not wrong me for the Gospel doth not allow a Saint to hate of unâ—ustly to disgrace his enemy Well Sir take heed least the same bread by some other be broken to you and the same measure rendred which you have meted out to me in fall measure pressed downe and running over Thirdly I have observed your straying from the rules of common equity in that you have
matter of the Law or that doctrine which was ordain'd by Angels of which world to come we that are Ministers of the Gospel speake All doe Prophesie who preach the Gospel for they fore-tell what shall be the everlasting estate and condition of every man that they shall enjoy life that believe that they shall meet with death who have not faith to lay hold on eternall life Secondly By comparing Scriptures where divers words and such that condescend to the weakest capacity are used to expresse the same worke of Gospel-preaching Amongst twenty and ten take one or two which will be sufficient Compare the first verse of Acts 14. with the second of the same chapter where you shall find that to preach the Gospel is To speake or teach it to the People Ephes 3. ver 8. with the 9. will be alike usefull Thus being come to the period of the Answer to the first question I hasten to the second for throughout I intend to be brief Questi 2 Who are gifted for Gospel-preaching Answer Rom. 10. They are gifted for it who have necessary and sufficient abilities to discharge it For no man can preach except he be sent i. e. except he hath abilities to performe it Knowledge and utterance are as needfull for this worke as counsell and strength for the war And when God puts his words into men and gives words to them to make discoveries of Gospel mysteries he then sufficiently fits them to preach the Gospel He that hath knowledge and wants utterance cannot preach but he that hath both is put in a posture fit to preach preaching being nothing else but a promulgation or speaking of our apprehensions unto others Questi 3 Who are men out of Office Answer They who are neither extraordinary nor ordinary Church-Officers Apostles were extraordinary but Pastors and Teachers were ordinary Church-officers Therefore when we speake in this controversie of men out of office we mean such who are neither Pastors nor Teachers in visible Churches Having thus commented take a more large and plaine expression of mine assertion thus That men who know the Gospel and are able to declare it may qua tales as such being neither Pastors nor Teachers in visible Churches make known in any company the mysteries of the Gospel revealed to them Having thus done with the explication I shall advance next to the proofe of the Assertion mine Antagonist requiring the performance of it by his affirmantis est probare and method challenging this place as due unto it I shall bring forth testimonies of two sorts viz. divine and humane The first as infallible the second only as probable waies to prove it The divine testimonies which I shall alledge are reasons drawne from Scripture that just desider of all controversies and discoverer of all doctrins Before the proposall of the reasons let this one thing as needfull be premised That men gifted for preaching are no where in Scripture restrained in using their guifts either in respect of place or company Reason 1 Because they who enjoy gifts lie under a divine command to use them and not to suffer their gifts to rust by them or to lay them up in the Earth in a Napkin Divine commands are to the creature of a binding nature from the force whereof men cannot and Saints would not be free And as nature so the God of nature gives nothing in vaine Where he bestowes gifts there he requires the use of them The truth of this doctrine Christ teacheth us in the Parable Luke 19.23 where he tels us That a certain noble man when he went into a far Country East called his ten servants and delivered unto them tenne pounds and said Occupy till I come Peter is a teacher of the same doctrine 1 Pet. 4.10 11. where he saith As every man hath received a gift so minister one to another as â—ood Stewards of the manifold grace of God Ro. 14.19 1 Thes 5.10 Heb. 10.25 If any man speake let him speake as the oracles of God Paul also immitates Christ and joynes hands with Peter in requiring from Saints the same duty for he exhorts them to study after peace and things wherewith they may edify one another In another place To comfort and edify one another Else-wher To exhort one another Which duties may be performed by the use of gifts and so the use of gifts required Now to the Second Reason Reason 2 Because they who have gifts ought to increase them and not to content themselves with that statute their gifts whereof when they first received them Acquired gifts whether common or speciall are not compleate at first entrance but doe by degrees grow to perfection Now men that enjoy gifts ought by increasing them to presse to the marke i. the perfection of them They that received Talents and increased them were commended and as therein doing their duty Matth. 25. were called Good and faithfull servants But he who added not to his Talent was condemned and as a neglector of his duty term'd an evill and slothfull servant And will any who hath made Scripture reason and experience of his Counsell doubt whether the use of gifts be a direct way to increase them If any should the Parable above mentioned will resolve him reason also and experience wil contribute to his satisfaction Vsus perficit artem is a received maxime Now I hasten to the third Reason which joynes hands with the former in the same testimony Because Gods end in bestowing gifts cannot be answered without Reason 3 the use and exercise of them Every manifestation of the Spirit saith the Apostle is given for profit 1 Cor. 12.7 not only of him who doth enjoy it but of him also who is interested in it All the enjoyments of Saints as Saints are common amongst Saints for they all make up but one body in Christ Jesus and are members one of another in particular and so what every one enjoyes as a part of the body t is enjoyed for the good of the whole A Believer that hath received gifts 1 Pet. 4.10 that are usefull for the edification of his Brethren is but Gods Steward for them and cannot appeare faithfull a dispensation being commiteed unto him if he imparts not when need requires his gifts to those for whose good he enjoyes them Now he that hath knowledge and utterance can no more profit others by them without the use of them Matth. 5. than a Candle can give light to those in the house when t is under a Bushell As James once said in respect of outward things so may I say of inward gifts if thou dost not communicate What do they profit If the Saints want instruction exhortation or comfort and we have wherewith to supply them How may wee advantage them with out a communication of our abilities to them Thus the third Reason having spoken its mind hear what evidence the fourth brings with it Because the practice of men out of
God bee suffer'd Spirare ubi vult to breath where it will Or must his breathings be contemned if they are found in Babes and Suckling Surely if the Doctors in the Temple had been of that judgement Christ Jesus whil'st a Child had not been suffer'd to dispute amongst them Saul thought David unfit and unable for meeting with and conquering of that great Goliah because Puer erat he was but a Child Thou art saith he not able to fight with this Philistin for thou art but a youth and he a man of warre from his youth Or is it because I am not of the Cleargie Truly Sir though I am not of the Lord Bishops yet I am of the Lord Jesus his Cleargie to wit his heritage But why doe I act so much folly as to wipe away disgracefull speeches of this nature Esteeme of me how you will By the Grace of God I am what I am Secondly I a little marvaile at your liberality and freenesse in granting that Tongues are not necessary Ad esse sed ad bene esse to the being but to the well being of a Pastor or Preacher Sir by this affirmation you have neither answered mine expectation nor gratified the Minister in supporting his Reasons whereof one hath received a deaths wound from it For his third Reason is this Private men saith he may not Preach because they are not fit for the worke so â—â—â—ugh Lay-persons have a good measure of the knowledge of Divinity yet they are not presently fit to Preach the Word for a Preacher there is required the knowledge of the Arts and Tongues of which lay men are most commonly ignorant Thus have you befriended your friend though paradventure unwittingly and fairely vindicated his third Reason For hereby you although mine Antagonist have holpen me against him who you call mine adversary and have joyned hands with me to pull downe his building For Te ipso judice his third Reason will proove uselesse to harme the opinion of those who hold it lawfull for men out of Office to Preach the Gospel Thirdly another object of mine admiration is your great partiality in that you deny that liberty to others which you so frequently make use of and that in a lavishing manner Your wholl Booke is little else than an heap of inconsequentiall consequences Notwithstanding in p. 23. the weapon of consequences must not by me and some others be handled if you might have the ordering of us But why must we not enjoy this liberty with you Seeing as you say arguing by consequences is good and to be allowed What must we have no liberty to use that which may harme you But you would informe us what the reason why you deny us consequenciall reasoning is because it is denyed say you to us by many amongst us in point of Paedobaptisme and some higher matters Sir by your favour I cannot believe that any amongst us either have or will deny in Paedobaptisme c. consequentiall Arguments because consequentiall though they cannot allow and that peradventure on ground sufficient your consequentiall Arguments because they at least conceive that they are inconsequentiall But if there be any who with their wits keep so little company as to deny arguing from consequences may it by consequence be gath'red in reason that I am of the same opinion And If I am not guilty as indeed I am not of the same transgression what equity is there that I should suffer with them the punishment of it As for other things you have in the page forementioned I rather smile at than answer to them Fourthly But the greatest object of my wonder and that which mainly mov'd me to put pen to Paper is your fained charity and uncharitable curtesie You tel your Reader in the end of your Epistle that you have as if you were made up of Charrity left out of your Booke the slander whereof I was as you suppose guilty being of more private concernment Sir 't is true the accusation hath not enter'd within the Treatise 't was your pleasure to leave it at the portall that the very passers by might behold me guilty For in the Epistle by Capital and bloudy Letters you give notice to your Readâ—r that I was guilty of laying a fowle aspertion and unchristian slander upon a Minister neare in relation to you Your owne words are these shewing one end of your writing and for the Vindication of a painfull Minister neare in relation to me from a fowle aspersion and unchristian slander laid upon him in that writing Sir if I heer Apologize for my selfe I hope I shall not be blam'd for it sith there is no man so carelesse but hath some care of his credit and nothing more lawfull than for a man when his good name is unjustly taken from him to endeavour by just meanes to regaine it to him The wise man tells us That a good name is more desirable than ample riches and better than the best ointment The expression in my writing on which the accusation laies it's foundation is this What shall we then say to our English Priests who at a Prelates proâ—ibition will cease to be Preachers and turn Physitians Sir by your owne confession this is the only speech whence you gather that I am guilty of a fowle aspersion and unchristian slander Where you have learn'd this art of Deduction to draw that out of mine interrogation which was not in it I could informe you But that the Reader and you if you please may understand how unjustly you have drawne such an accusation from that expression I shall â—â—â—ate the occasion of it by setting downe the Ministers first Reason and part of mine answer to it wherein the expression so offensive and sinfull in your conceit is contained The Ministers First Reason against private mens preaching is word for word this The reason saith he is the saying of the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called Now when a lay man doth take upon him the preaching of the Word he doth not abide in the same calling wherein he was called he doth not keepe himselfe within the compasse of his owne calling but he doth passe the bounds and limits of it And doth not the same Apostle will the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4.11 To studdy to be quiet and to doe their owne businesse to worke with their owne hands as he commanded them Now when a Lay-person doth undertake the preaching of the Word he doth not doe his owne businesse his proper worke but doth meddle with a businesse that concernes him not Thus far the Ministers Reason mine answers followes The Answer That we may the better give an answer to this reason wee will draw it up into two Sillogismes The First whereof is this Every one ought to continue in that calling wherein he was called 1 Cor. 7 2â— But a Lay-person that takes upon him the Preaching of the Word doth not continue in
countenance on mine opinion The first place mentioned is Rom. 12.6 Having therefore gifts c. whether Prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of Faith In replying to mine Antagonist I shall present you first with a brief Exposition of that Scripture then with a short yet full confutation of his Answer For the first of these thus From the beginning of the third to the ninth verse of this Chapter the Apostle gives exhortations concerning those who have gifts for or Offices in the Church In which we may in generall take notice of those particulars as the manner ground and matter of them How he exhorts them you have laid downe in these words I say to or charge every man that is amongst you Wherein you may observe the extent and authority that his exhortations carry with them Now the ground on which hee builds his charge is exprest in these words By the Grace given to me i. e. By that ability and authority which God through his Grace towards me hath bestow'd on me to instruct and exhort you Now the matter of the exhortation is laid downe more generally in the 3 4 5. verses and more particularly in the ensuing verses In the generall he discovereth their duty with the reason of it The duty is both negatively and affirmatively laid before them thus Not to thinke of himselfe more highly than he ought to thinke but to thinke soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith Which with the words foregoing is as much as if he had said I charge every one that amongst you by reason of that ability and authority bestow'd on me for exhortation not to desire in regard of gifts to seeme to have more gifts or more of any gift than he hath and in regard of Offices not to desire to doe more in his Office or Ministry than what belongs to it nor to go beyond his own calling into anothers Wherein the Apostle specially condemnes two evils first pride whereby men desire to seeme to have what they have not and to be what they are not lifting up themselves and despising others as uselesse in their gifts or Ministry Secondly discontentednesse whereby men are not contented with Gods distribution towards them and disposition of them in the body In like manner he commends to them the contrary vertues Now I come to the reason of the exhortation set downe in the 4. and 5. verses and drawne from the relation that is amongst Saints They though many being but one body in Christ Jesus and so members one of another have divers actions and therefore ought not to desire to doe the action of every member but to bee contented doing that for which God hath plac'd them in the body And also ought to looke upon others gifts and places as appointed by God for and tending to their profit and commodity This Reason is also illustrated by a similitude vers the 4. Now the Apostle goes on and makes application in particular of the exhortation he had in generall propos'd to them First he laies a ground to the thing intended in these words Having then gifts differing according to the Grace given to us that is seeing we have being one body divers actions and so divers gifts for the performance of them according to Gods gracious dispensation to us Next he sets the Exhortation on particular persons by dividing the praxin or action of the severall members of the body into Prophesie and Ministery I shall speake only of the first to wit Prophesie Whether Prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of Faith Instead of the words let us prophesie we are to understand the whole 3. vers and so the Apostles minde seemes to be this I charge every one that is amongst you having the gift of Prophesie whereby hee 's able to speake to others edification exhortation and comfort to behave himself humbly and contentedly in the exercise of that gift in the discovery of that measure of knowledge injoy'd by him So much by way of Exposition Now I shall according to promise fall upon the second thing the consultation of mine Antagonist's Answer He endeavours to make Rom. 12.6 to be an unfit foundation to beare up the opinion of the lawfulnesse of private mens preaching and not only so but also to speake against it And so it doth if he mistake not for thus he saith The truth is this Scripture concludes against him But what course doth he take to bring his purpose to passe Truly thus hee thought to effect it by putting on that Scripture an Exposition of his owne and by crossing that which I gave to it In replying to both I shall not spend time to gather up or Answer all that he there scatters knowing how to imploy my time better but shall only strike at the body which being downe will be sufficient His Exposition you have page the second the summe whereof is this The Apostle saith he requires that they who have these gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Prophesie and Ministery or as he translates it Deaconship exercise then in humility and fidelity Where by Prophesie hee would understand the gifted callings both of the Pastor and Teacher and by Ministery the Office of the Deacon only Answ Mine Antagonist by his Exposition doth as I suppose not a little straine that Scripture That you may perceive my supposall not to be groundlesse I shall put that Exposition in the ballance of the Sanctuary placing Truth in the scale opposite to it whereby you may easily discerne the lightnesse of it Although I cannot deny but that the Apostle doth in this Chapter require those to preach as mine Antagonist saith who are by Office Pastors and Teachers and those who have lying on them the Deacons Office to behave themselves in simplicity yet I cannot believe that we are by the word Prophesie to understand both the Pastors and Teachers Office or that by the word Ministery is signified the Office of those only who are intrusted with the Churches money for the supply of the poor's necessity whom we commonly call Deacons First I cannot be perswaded that the word Prophesie doth in Rom. 12.6 signifie the Offices or gifted callings of Pastors and Teachers 1. Because a contrary interpretation of that word Prophesie would agree with the Scripture If I should affirme that Prophesie doth there signifie gifts or abilities whereby men are fitted to be instruments for the World 's and Churches commodity I should not stray from it's common acceptation in the Scripture neither should I crosse Pauls intention in that Scripture 2. Because that interpretation which makes the word Prophesie to denote the Offices of Pastors and Teachers is contrary to the Scripture 1. Because 't is contrary to common speaking from which Scripture is not wont to vary by gifts to expresse Offices 2. In that Prophesie in Scripture phrase is a gift and commonly doth signifie