Churches extraordinary helpes were necessary for the giving a knowledge of that Gospel order which Christ would have observed in his Churches and as Physical rules may be known in the Theoretical part and yet it is needful to have direction in and about the practical part so when the Apostles had converted people to the faith it was needful that they or Evangelists c. should give them a knowledge of Church order what Officers they should have and also direct them how to put in practice such Gospel Rules as are left about the attaining of Gospel Officers and although Paul and Barnabas and Titus had not acted at all in the Ordination yet their going from place to place had not been unnecessary because their guidance and direction was advantageous in coming up to Gospel order 2. We might as well say to what end and purpose should the people ordain in those dayes when there were Apostles and Evangelists who might by their office go from place to place and ordain many works that men lawfully may do yet if others be put in trust to do such things they say to what purpose should we act in them when they need no help we will not take the works out of their hands yet this hindreth not acting in them when help is wanting which is the case when a Church is without Officers 3. It is not proved that the principal or chief end of Christs appointing Officers either extraordinary or ordinary or of Paul and Barnabas in going from place to place or of Titus in staying at Crete was to ordain Elders that was but a little parcel of their work whereas our brethren speak of it as if it were the chief intendment of their journeyings too and fro And unless it were their main business which cannot be proved what colour of reason is there in it against the peoples ordaining because Paul and Barnabas went about confirming the souls of Saints c. Act. 14. 22 23. and ordained Elders in some Churches in their journeyings and because Titus was left at Crete to set in order things wanting Tit. 1. 5. and where they were without officers did ordain elders therefore it was to no end and purpose that they went from place to place or that Titus stayed at Crete if the people themselves might ordain Who will not discern the weakness of such an Argument it may easily be answered that if they had not ordained one elder or if the people had ordained all in their presence yet there were other necessary ends and purposes that they were sent from place to place about viz. to Preach the Gospel and confirm the Saints c. 4. Christ hath appointed officers to do some works which others may do who are no officers yet it was not in vain or to no end and purpose that officers were appointed to do them officers are appointed to visit sick the Jam. 5. 14. Is any sick among you let him call for the elders of the Church c. and yet will any say to what end and purpose are elders appointed to visit the sick if others may be called for and may visit them will our brethren say here frustra fit per plura c. There might be some officers its like in some of those Churches where they ordained elders and Paul and Barnabas Preached where they went but will any say to what purpose did they Preach if the officers that were before in those Churches did Preach frustra fit per plura c. This Argument would be as strong against Apostles and Evangelists Preaching where officers were who might Preach as against the peoples ordaining without officers The Apostles and other officers might be appointed to do it and yet the people might have liberty to ordain in a Church without officers and we can find no Scripure that this will be against Object 3. All that is written in the Jus Divin Min pag. 186. Epistles concerning the Ordainers and the qualification of the ordained c. is all written in the Epistles unto Timothy and Titus who were Church-officers In the other Epistles which were written unto the Churches there is no mention made of these things which doth abundantly prove unto us that the work of Ordination is a work belonging to Ministers and not to the people Ans 1. It is usual to direct charges unto officers when yet the duties required are to be performed by the people at least when their concurrence with the offices is called for in coming up to the duties so Rev. 2. the Epistles are dedicated to the Angels of those Churches and yet our brethren grant that they are to be understood as meant of the whole Churches as appears Revel 1. 11. Revel 2 ver 7. 11 17. So although those charges be directed to Timothy and Titus yet as Master Hooker observeth It never was intended they should act them alone c. Either these things were to be acted by Timothy and Titus with company and then why not by the people as well as by officers there is as little mention made of the concurrence of officers as of the people and if we fetch the Rule for it from other Scriptures then the qualifications of officers being laid down in those Epistles as they were before the people to regulate their Election Acts 6. ver 3. hence we may safely conclude that the people are intended and are to be acters in following these charges as well as officers If Timothy and Titus were to act them alone then they are written to them as Evangelists or else it must be granted that it belongeth not to a Presbytery only to ordain one Presbyter may do it and if to them as Evangelists then they are no Presidents unto us 2. All may aptly be written to Timothy and Titus although they acted not at all in the Ordinations because they were to give directions unto others how to act in them They might be directed to them because they were to see the things done although many of them were to be done not by themselves but by others hands as Titus 1. 5. Surely Titus himself was not alone nor with officers to set in order all things that were wanting If Deacons were wanting was Titus and other officers onely to act herein surely the people were to chuse them according to Acts 6. ver 3 5. and therefore the things written about were not to be acted onely by Church-officers but some of them by the people with the guidance and direction of these officers which they had So 1 Tim. 2. ver 1 2. I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority c. will any say that onely Church officers are to pray for Magistrates and those in Authority surely such Subjects as are no Church-officers may pray for their Governours as well as for other men and yet this charge is given
is such his Ministration ought to be Of what nature soever the gifts be such the use of them must be private gifts are to be used privately and publick gifts i. e. such as are fit for publick use publickly else a man doth not Minister a gift as he hath received it which this Text commandeth If publick gifts be exercised only in a private way that man doth not give as he hath received others are without that benefit which they might have by them 4. This command is Universal i. e. to all that have such gifts 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every man hath received a gift and the gift of preaching is instanced in ver 11. and therefore every man that hath that gift of Scripture-interpretation is required to Minister unto others We do not say that every Christian is to preach this Text limiteth the note of Universality unto such as have a gift that way many Christians have not a gift to speak publickly unto edification but we say it holdeth out thus much that every man who hath that gift is to Minister with it If a Father commandeth every childe who hath ability to work and then directeth how to doe some particular work it is undoubted he intendeth that every childe who hath ability to doe that work should act in it and that childe which is able and doth not set about that work disobeyeth his father unless his father giveth him a particular dispensation or prohibition which the other have not Now the Lord commandeth that every Saint or Steward of his manifold grace who hath received a gift should Minister with it unto others ver 10. and particularly directeth how they which have a gift to speak profitably unto others should use that gift ver 11. He that speaketh as the Oracles of God and therefore it is to be concluded he intendeth that every one who is a Steward of his manifold Grace and hath received such a gift should Minister with it unto others and he sinneth if he doth not unless a particular prohibition or dispensation be given him which others have not Here is a general rule requiring every gifted man to preach and therefore unless some particular Scriptures can be shewn which give a prohibition or doe forbid all un-ordained mens preaching every gifted man ought to preach We doe not say barely thus The preaching of gifted men is nowhere forbidden in the word of God Ergo It is lawful But we say By a general command of God every gifted man is required to preach Ergo Every gifted man who is not forbidden preaching by some particular word of God ought to preach because else he sinneth in breaking that general command And in regard the command is not here annexed to Office but to gifts it is not said every man that hath received an Office but every man that hath received a gift let him Minister and this preaching gift is particularized ver 11. and seeing there are many men who are no Officers nor in an immediate capacity to be ordained unto Office-work because they are not chosen to it by any Church who yet are eminently gifted and apt to teach hence many not ordained to Office may and ought to Preach Object 1. Is not this Text chiefly to be understood of giving of Almes and is not the Mr. Collings p. 57. gift spoken of this worlds goods Answ 1. If it be meant chiefly of Almes then not chiefly of Office if this worlds goods be the gift then Office is not the gift and then it is the calling of any Christian who hath the gift to Minister with it and so the objector fighteth with himself 2. Then any Christian who hath this worlds goods may properly be called a Steward and so that it must be administred as Stewards is no Argument that Office is intended as he would make it 3. The Ministring of that gift is to be as Stewards not of this worlds goods but of the Grace of God yea as Stewards not of one Grace only viz. Charity but of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet. 4. 10. The Ministration is to be of the gift which they are Stewards of and that is said to be manifold In giving of Almes they may shew themselves to be good Stewards of this worlds goods but not of the manifold grace of God and therefore giving of Almes cannot be chiefly intended 4. It is added ver 11. If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God And therefore it cannot be meant chiefly of Almes but the gift of preaching is declared to be one of those manifold gifts which every man that hath is to Minister unto others Object 2. But here is not only a liberty granted but a duty enjoyned so that by this Text if it were to the purpose gifted persons were Mr. Collings pa. 57. bound to preach and that without Election and calling for the Churches neglect of their duty must not make him neglect his Answ 1. We grant it is the duty of gifted persons to preach and that this Text holdeth out so much Yet 2. It is not here determined either when or where gifted persons ought to preach Here is power given to gifted persons to Preach and therefore it is lawful for them to doe it yea it is commanded and so they sin if they will not doe it But other things must concur before the exercise of this power at this time or in that place This distinction our Brethren Jus Divin Minist pag. 144. give us and so we shall pay them with such coyn as they would have us take We distinguish say they between a Minister of Christ and a Minister of Christ in such a place between the Office it self and the ordinary exercise of it to such or such a people so we distinguish betwixt the preaching of a gifted person in such a place between his power to exrcise his gifts and his power to exercise his gifts to such or such a people or at such a time Suppose ordination did make an Officer or a Minister then all those Gospel-Commands that require it of Officers that they diligently and constantly preach they not onely give a man who is ordained liberty but injoyn it as a duty that he preacheth in this manner But if this man either by banishment or the unjust rejection of a people be put out of imployment and be cast into some place where his gifts are not desired none giveth him a special call to exercise his gifts for a great while together in such cases our Brethren will not say that he hath sinned or broken those Commands when he would have preached if others would have heard So gifted persons are enjoyned to preach yet if they be not called out or desired to exercise their gifts a great while together they may not sin and if other things do not concur to open a door or give an opportun y to preach at this time or in this or that place their
c. and therefore a ministerial power of Government is granted to them by Jesus Christ and in respect of this their place they are set in not under but over the flock the Church is in relation to its officers a Governed body and they are stiled Governours because a special charge of oversight and Government is committed to them as a work and business which they are to give a special attendance to Yet all the members of the Church are to have an oversight each of other and of the Officers themselves Col. 4. 17. Say to Archippus take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it the Colossians are exhorted to admonish their Officer Archippus and so were to Oversee his conversation else how could they know what to admonish him for and if any brother offend the offended though no Officer is to admonish and if he doth not hear him or one or two not the Officers onely but the Church is to admonish Mat. 18. vers 15. 16 17. tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to â—ear the Church c. therefore the Church is to admonish else how can he hear it and this admonition is a part of Government for if the Church be not heard Communion with him is to be avoided let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a Publican And therefore the sole power of Government is not in the officers the Church hath a power to put forth some acts of it The officers are in a special sense Governors as being and or a more especial designation to take cognizance of and go before the Church in the ordering its affairs then any other particular members No other members can rightly challenge it as their place to be over the Church as they may But yet a power of Government is granted to the Church over its particular members though its actings therein be not under the Relation of office Under the Relation of a whole it putteth forth acts towards its parts as a boly it acteth sometimes to the cutting off particular members for the preservation of the body If a Church hath Officers they by their place are to go before the Church in directing and executing determinations according to the will of Christ but the power under Christ of determination admonition and excommunication resideth in the Church Mat. 18. 17. the acts are not of the Officers only but of the Church If a Church censureth an offender when it hath officers the officer acts towards that offender as one set over him in the Lord who hath taken a soecial charge and oversight of his soâ—â— and urgeth duty upon him because else he shall sinfully break the Law of that Relation which is between them in crossing still the will of Christ but the Church urgeth duty upon the same offender because he shall else not onely sin against Christ but break the Law of his Relation to the body which as a member he ought to keep If a Church hath no officers it censureth offenders as a free people or spiritual corporation invested by Christ with such a power under the general Relation as a body it is to seek the preservation of it self and if possible the healing of its diseased members For it is a Church stâ—â—â— though it wanteth officers and so the Rule of Christ runneth to it Mat. 18. 17. No Church of Christ can be exemped from that Rule Communion is to be avoided with such persons as will not hear any Church of Christ when it doth admonish for such a cause as deserveth admonition Office-power where it is afforded is but the superaddition of another Relation to adde more chains to the offender if he proveth obstinate and to prevail the more with him towards submission but the power of the censure is in the Church not in the officers onely The officers are useful for the better management of censures but have not the sole power of censuring They are to Govern in censuring but the Church hath a power to censure Yet the Church doth not act under such a Relation in cenâ—uring as an office doth as in acts of Government in a Corporation the Bayliffes by their place and office are over the whole Corporation yet the Free-men may have power for Admission or ejection of members into or out of the freedom of the place and many by vote carry it without or against the Bayliffes but when they concur they act under one Relation and the Freemen under another and this different Relation makes a vast difference between the Bayliffes and the Freemen in their actings though the matter of the acts be the same 2. No distinctive Acts are necessary by our brethrens principles for some officers They assert-Ruling elders to be of Divine institution and yet these have no distinctive acts which they onely may perform the main argument that Ruling is that which is accounted their most proper work and yet that is not accounted incommunicable for they grant a Ruling power to the Preaching elders as well as to them If a ruling power may be communicable without making the Ruling elders function frustraneous as to its main Act why should the Preaching of gifted men render the Preaching elders office frustraneous though Preaching be his chief Act. And indeed this is it which we deny in Master Collings Argument viz. That the ministrial function or office is uselesse as to this Act of Preaching of every gifted person may do it And now we expected some Scripture proof of this the Argument being of no force if this be not proved and all that we can find he saith to it is this Object What need any particuliar persons be by the Ordinance of God appointed to do that which all may do Answ 1. We do not say that all may do it but onely that those who are really gifted may do it all Christians are not gifted 2. If there be Scripture warrant for the Preaching of gifted men then it is needful whether our reason can see it so to be or not for none of Christs institutions are needless 3. The granting liberty unto gifted men to Preach doth not render it needlesse for particular persons to be by the Ordinance of God appointed to do it in the Primitive times the Preaching of Apostles Evangelists and Prophets did not render it needlesse for Pastors and Teachers to be by an Ordinance of God appointed to do it nor did the appointing of Pastors and Teachers render Apostles c. un-necessary It helpeth not to say they were all officers who by divine appointment were to do the work for we say gifted brethren are also by divine appointment to preach and besides the argument is built upon this principle That what others may do there is no need that any particular persons should be appointed by God to do and so it will strike at those as well as others If every Church-member of ability may distribute to the poor
bread nor drink this cup. 2. Whether be truly repent c. 3. Whether he be truly united by love to Jesus Christ his members c. Vind. p 52. 53. They further say that such as are grosly ignorant and such they intimate them to be that cannot examine themselves their faith repentance c. should be kept from the Sacrament by Church-Officers upon diverse reason else 1. Church-Governors should be very unfaithful Stewards 2. They should be guilty of polluting and prophaning the Sacrament 3. They should express much cruelty to the Soul of him to whom they give the Sacrament because they give it to one who will eat and drink his own damnation 4. They make themselves accessary to his sin of unworthy receiving 5. They grieve the Godly members of the same congregation and as much as in them lieth defile the whole Congregation For know you not saith the Apostle that a little leaven doth leaven the whole lump 6. They bring down the judgments of God upon the Congregation pag. 54 55. 56. Upon this they build a third proposition viz. It is the will of Christ that Church-Governors have some way sufficient to discover who are ignorant c. page 57. What they would do at the table we would do at the door and entrance into the house receiving thereinto all those whom the Lord hath received to the best of our discerning and no more knowing no rule for an ordinary suspension of compleat and owned members of the body from the priviledges given and by our Lord bequeathed thereunto Let not any stumble at the corruption found in some of the Gospel-Churches an incestuous person was a member in that of Corinth and more disorder may be found in it to which we say filthy matter may be found in a Church rightly constituted which is not fit matter in the constitution thereof It were absurd to affirm an unclean person may de jure be a Church-member because a Church-member de facto was unclean As for the National body of the Jewes we respect it as a typical president purge out the leaven remove the leper him that hath an issue that is unclean by touching of the dead c. and we are satisfied concerning the matter of the Church 4. It 's an united Company A Company however qualified are not a Church except an united Company Member-hood speaks relation relation if Political is founded in consent my brother indeed is my brother whether I will or no this relation is natural so beleevers are brethren without consent but my companion not so the mutual relation found in Companies and Societies of men is not so We would not quarrel about a word expressing the meaning of union may we obtain a grant of the thing it self call it consent agreement covenant or joyning Act. 5. 13. Thus we argue That whereby a number of fit persons are joyned together to walk and worship God together in the same Ordinances is the form of a particular Church But by Covenant consent or agreement a number of fit persons are so joyned Ergo. The Minor we prove thus That which giveth being of Member-hood distinction of Churches and power of Ecclesiastical operation is that by which a number of fit persons are joyned together c. But Covenant consent or agreement giveth being of member-hood in a particular Church distinction of Churches and power of operation Ergo. 1. The being of Member-hood is conveyed in Covenant not in profession or baptism Ergo in Covenant the excommunicate Corinthian was a visible beleever and also under baptism before he was received into the Church again by consent yet till then he was no member 2. The distinction of every member and so of the whole Church from other members and other Churches is by Covenant The members of Smyrna are not members of Ephesus nor è contra the distinction is not in place Phebe is a member and servant of the Church at Cenchrea when she is at Rome Did the Church of Smyrna convene at Ephesus and do an act there it were the act of the Church of Smyrne asmuch as if it had been done in Smyrna where ordinarily they meet and walk together nor is the destinction from profession what is common to the Members of every Church cannot be the form of any Church but the destenction is from mutual ingagement The power of acting as Members one towards another is hereby when a way is solitary work solitary a man may walk alone work alone not so where social how can two walk together except they be agreed The Associated Pastors and Churches in Worcestershire upon their debate about consent conclude We have reason to require as things now stand a more express signification of our peoples consent to our Ministery and Ministerial actions and their Membership of our particular Churches Christian Concore pag 11. Which conclusion is strengthned with many reasons wherein they urge Antiquity Reason 11. Conveniency Reason 12. and speaking of the Primitive Churches to that Question Whether express consent were required then among other things they or M. Bâ—xter for them affirm that without the peoples express consent none could then have ruled them by meet Ecclesiastical rule pag. 15. Who have therefore the form of a covenant drawn up and added to the profession of faith to be taken by the Members of every particular Church respectively And the late Assembly in their answer to the reasons of the dissenting Brethren against the instance of the Church of Jerusalem attribute so much to consent in a Church organical that although they say Elders receive their power and commission for the whole Church of Christ yet they may not exercise that without a Call and the mutual assent and agreement of the persons among whom and to whom they should exercise it is proximum fundamentum exercitii pag. 10. So it is of every act of special duty by one man in reference to another according to Mat. 18. 15. that should a man proceed upon that rule in dealing with one not in special covenant ingaged he would soon see his error and that he had no call because no consent Our Brethren need not be so much offended that we make consent the form of a congregational Church when themselves as it seemeth unto us make it the form of a Presbyterial For granting that the Elders of a bordering Presbytery though Neighbors may not intermeddle with the congregations under another Presbytery they say They take themselves bound in a special relation to those Congregations who are associated in that Presbytery in those things for which they are asscciated and their mutual consent and agreement Assemblies Answer gives them that relation and calling to those things pag. 11. Moreover considering how far our Brethren are agreed in this matter we much wonder at their offence at our Covenant or Agreement for they will grant 1. That the members of particular Churches are under special engagement to special duty in
taking the care of and in watching ever one another so that the Church neglecting duty herein is guilty of the sin of every member as the Church of Corinth of the sin of the incestuons persons 1 Cor. 5. and the seven Churches of Asia of the sin of their several members respectively and not otherwise 2. That members of a particular Church ought by the institution of Christ to walk together in Ordinances and that walking in Ordinances with another Church and not with the same Church is sinful separation 3. The obligation upon a member to walk with a particular Church cannot be dissolved by the private will of that member nor by the consent of any other Church but that of which he is a member according to the known Rule Ejusdem est destituere cujus constituere onely in this they are contrary unto us That they judge the removing of an habitation a disanulling of former relation but if cohabitation gives not member-hood though that cease member-hood is not taken away but co-habitation giveth not member-hood no although joyned with profession and baptism the incestuous Corinth excommunicate had all these but no member-hood until by consent received again into the Church These things considered we plead but the way of coming under an acknowledged institution whereby members in their private personal capacites altogether free become engaged to fellow members which we apprehend to be by mutual Combination Consociation Consent or Covenant and know not what rock of offence is herein for any to stumble at bâ— believe as white Wine put into a blew-coloured Glass is in appearance blew and not white so the innocent Truth observed in a glass of Prejudice appeareth prejudicial and not Truth 5. A company united unto fellowship in means of worship appointed by Jesus Christ all worship is either natural i. e. founded in the nature of God and knowable by the light of Nature as Faith Love c. which are invisible and hearing what God doth speak calling upon God Singing praises unto God which are visible parts of worship Or instituted i. e. founded in the will of God and knowable by the Scriptures as Baptism by Water breaking of Bread in the Lords Supper c. No worship is founded in the will of man but Will-Worship The Papists whose Church is so full of power as to make Decrees of equal authority with the ten Commandments yet are modest in the reason of this power which they plead because say they The Church hath the Spirit to guide her and the Decrees thereof are from the same Spirit whence the ten Commands were but we are satisfied concerning Revelations and shall expect none regard none in nova materia in new matters to be revealed yet shall plead them and pray for them in novo actu in new acts of discoverie of that which in Scripture is revealed being perswaded that hee which hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his work as God did from his from his Priestly work in bearing iniquity Heb. 4. 10. his Regal work in destroying Satan Death and the Grave from his Prophetical work in giving Laws and Ordinances to his holy Church the Sabbath-work of the Son as the Fathers also being another kind of work then that which was antecedent to his Sabbath But we shall say no more of this our Brethren being not baptized into a belief of the same truth asserting Presbyterial Government to be from heaven in the Jus Divinum of Church-Government although the confidence of our late Assembly could speak no more but this The Scripture doth hold forth that many particular Congregations The third Proposition in the Assemb presented to the Parliament may be under one Pesbyterial Government may be they would have said Must be had they seen the stamp of Jus Divinum upon it 6. The end of this fellowship is the glory of God Edification of members good of others in this also we are agreed and truly Brethren we desire to end in agreement but we are jealous lest the displeasure of some may be provoked against us not onely for our judgment but for our pâ—actice declaring it in contradiction to men of such eminency engaged against it As therefore we have gaven an account of the reason of our Judgement suffer us also in a few words to give an account of our practise which is this A pit hath been diged layes uncovered some time divers have fallen thereinto crying up the Arguments to which we reply as unanswerable probably because not answered whilst others cry down the Congregational men for their silence as more Papistico because they now cease replying unto Books extant against their practice the pit must be filled up or covered in which attempt let us not be smitten for speaking and also for holding of our peace But why do we come so late into this service Ans We waited to have seen it done by others before this time supposing the next of the kin viz. some principal man would have espoused this truth and raised up a seed to his elder Brether We acknowledge our selves in the relation if none else will we must raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance Ruth 4. 4 6. We are threatned as We hear with an Answer we fear it not onely let it be the answer of a good Conscience and let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away Brethren Grase be with your spirits So pray the unworthiest of the Lords Servants who yet desire to love Christ in his and his in him To the judicious Reader Reader IT 's matter of Lamentation that Errors and erroneous Opinions do so abound in our days which being baptized into the name of Truth and coming with specious pretences obtain get entrance and take possession of the Heads and Hearts of many who being influenced thereby become unfriendly unto Truth making her a sufferer like Princes Children who oft-times smart because they are of the Blood Royal. But however Truth appears to the purblinde eyes of men and be oppressed yet she is lovely beautiful glorious and shall not always lie amongst the pots Truth is of such esteem with the Lord that he magnifies it above all his Name and loveth Truth more then all his Saints for it's Truth which sanctifies them and makes them lovely and in case they make Truth to suffer he will make them sufferers for it There is nothing in this World more dear unto Iehovah then his Truth Hence these injunctions are laid upon men Buy Pro. 23. 23. 2 Tim. 1. 19. Jude 3. the Truth and sell it not hold fast the form of sound words and contend for the Faith Thus should the Children of Truth do but such is the unhappiness of our times that some deny Truth others corrupt Truth many question Truth and most are so contentious against Truth that if the Lord did not raise up some Worthies to plead for and
Rev. 2. and 3. 3. The efficient causes The principal efficient cause is the Lord he instituted and appointed officers to be in the Churches It is the Lord that giveth qualifications sutable to office It is the Lord that giveth in his word rules and directions to be observed in the constitution of officers 1 Tim. 3. ver 1 2 3. c. Act. 6. And when there is a due observation of those Divine rules then the Lord maketh the officer Act. 20. 28. The instrumental causes are the flock or Church and the person qualified It is by the intervention that the relation is introduced The Lord maketh use of them in the making officers or the Lord doth make officers by some acts put forth by these Act. 6. 5. Act. 14. 23. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 4. The formal cause of office a special and regular call or the Lords committing of a flock or Church of Christ to a mans charge and setting him over by election on the Churches part and acceptation on his part who is elected We term it a special call to difference it from the call which officers may have to lay out their gifts occasionally amongst those that are no Church or they no officers to and to distinguish it from the call that gifted Brethren may have to preach which cals are common we term it a regular call because it is to be made according to Gospel-rules The external or outward call which is to be so regulated consisteth in election with acceptation A Church is to chuse its officers Act. 6. ver 5. They chose Stephen An inferior officer a Deacon must be chosen much more is a free choyce necessary to a higher officer who is to take care of Souls Act. 14. 23. In every Church they chose them Elders Let any prove that the Gospel alloweth any man to take the charge of a Church by compulsion or whether the people will or no. And a Church cannot compel or force a man to be over it or to be a Pastor to it without his free consent and therefore acceptation on his part is necessary to the introduction of the Relation 1 Tim. 3. 1. If a man desire the Office of a Bishop An inclination or disposition to the office is to accompany an entrance upon it The doing the work of office would be by constraint and not willingly contrary to 1 Pet. 5. 2. if the undertaking that work were not with free consent By election the Church offereth to commit it self unto his charge who is elected By his acceptation he actually taketh the charge of that Church I Gospel-rules be observed in both then the Lord doth set him over it The Lords committing of a flock or Church to a mans charge or setting him over it for the work of the Ministry is the formal cause of office or that which giveth being to it this is the specificating distinguishing thing of an officer from no officer For duty is commanded from a man upon such a setting over a flock as from an officer he is to feed and take heed to all the flock or Church that he is over Act. 20. 28. Take heed to all the flock over the which the Holy-Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God c. And that Church is commanded duty towards him that is over it as towards an officer Hebr. 13 ver 7 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account c. That which is not committed to a mans charge he is not to give an account for and therefore it is here intimated that he which is over a flock hath the charge of it committed to him the flock ought to obey and submit to him as an officer which could not be if setting over or giving the charge of a flock did not give being to the Relation or office That the setting over is by Election with acceptation we shall afterwards demonstrate more fully 5. The final cause or the end of office the work of the Gospel or imployment of the Ministry i. e. in that Church he is set over for he doth not act as an officer to any other The Apostle giveth this as the end of office-gifts Ephes 4. ver 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for what end ver 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edisying of the body of Christ c. And thus we have shewn what office is From what hath been already cleared we might draw many conclusions take two Conclus 1. Hence it followeth That there is no difference between that which maketh a man a Minister a Pastor a Shepheard and that which makes a man their Minister their Pastor their Shepherd and so that distinction so often repeated by our Brethren and so often called in for their relief will lend them no help at all being a distinction without a difference For we have proved that a man is an officer to a particular Church only and therefore that which maketh him an officer a Pastor maketh him their Officer their Pastor as the same that maketh a man an husband or a woman a wife doth make him her husband and make her his wife We would not overstretch the similitude to say that the Relation between an officer and a Church doth in all things agree to that between man and wife but in this it may agree and doth illustrate very fitly Conclus 2. Hence it followeth undenyably That the distinction between preaching and office and ex dono by office and by gift is Scriptural or founded on Scripture for if a man be a Pastor or officer only to a particular Church then if he preacheth to any other Church but that he is an officer to or to any other persons but of that Church he preacheth to them but ex dono by gift not as an officer to them Now our Brethren cannot deny the lawfulness of preaching to those that are not of a mans particular Church preaching is a special means for the conversion of Heathens and Indians c. 1 Corin. 14. 24. If all Prophesie and there come in one that beleeveth not So that unbeleevers and such as are no Church-Members may be permitted to come into Church-meetings to hear the Gospel preached And it is lawful in some cases to go and Preach to unbeleevers when they do not come to Church-meetings Act 16. 13 16. 11. ver 19 20 21. Yet they are no officers to such unbeleevers they have not the charge of such unbeleevers souls committed to them they are not over them in the Lord they cannot as officers exercise Church-Government towards unbeleevers that are no Church-Members they are not their flock for then they might do it and therefore in preaching to Heathens Indians they do not act as officers but meerly as in the capacity of gifted brethren
lawful power to preach We conclude therefore that this is not that which they intend by Authoritative teaching 2. Authority is taken for that Majesty gravity fervor and efficacy that is to attend the dispensation of the Gospel in him that speaketh as Mark 1. ver 22. He taught them as one that had authority and not as the Scribes Here the manner of Christs teaching is set forth it was with authority i. e. with such gravity life and zeal as it did penetrate and come home to the consciences of the hearers and not as the Scribes i. e. not coldly slightly or doubtingly That place which they alledge for authoritative teaching partly intendeth this Tit. 2. ver 15. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority or command i. e. such as are refractory rebuke them with such severity gravity zeal and fervency as if it be possible may render the word convincing to their consciences We suppose our Brethren do not take authoritative-teaching in this sense neither for undoubtedly all that preach are to doe it with life and zeal and to use utmost endeavors that the Gospel may come in power to the hearts of those they speak to that so they may not labor in vain They will not allow gifted Brethren to Preach in a contrary manner to this 3. But Authority is taken by some for that power which an Officer hath over those that he beareth Office to and because our Brethren in their aforementioned distinctions do oppose it unto and difference it from Brotherly Charitative Teaching therefore we judge that they take Authoritative teaching in this sense viz. for the preaching as Officers and the exercise of Office-power therein And those two Scriptures which they alledge to prove Authoritative teaching do both of them speak of preaching Office-wise as 1 Thes 5. 12. Only Officers were over the Church of the Thessalonians in the Lord and therefore none but Officers could so admonish the Church but we assert that gifted Members may admonish a Church in a Brotherly way though not as over it in the Lord. So Titus 2. 15. This is not only a direction given to Titus an Officer but also about a special act wherein he was to put forth Office-power viz. in the case of rebukes When any Church-members were obstinate he is directed how to exercise his Office then Rebuke not only in a Brotherly way but as over them in the Lord with command yea with all command Church-members are obliged to hearken unto admonitions or just rebukes from the mouth of any brother Matth. 18. 15. But they are under special and double obligations to hearken unto admonition and just rebukes from the mouth of their Officers because else they are guilty of contemning another Ordinance of Christ viz. Office-relation it becometh a sin not only against him as a Brother but as an Officer it is an offence not only against the relation of Brotherhood but against a higher relation of Office There is a breaking of their own engagements which they made in committing themselves to his charge it 's against that command Hebr. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves So that Officers may give special Commands in the name of Christ to those they bear Office unto that they obey the will of Christ and may rebuke them with all command for disobedience An Officer of one Congregation cannot by any Gospel-rule that yet we finde either give such commands or rebukes to the Members of another Church He may in a Brotherly way or Charitatively preach on Lecture-dayes or Lords dayes to another Congregation and tell the Members of it what Christ hath commanded from them and urge duty upon the penalty of sinning against God tell them of the danger of neglecting duty or rebuke them in a Brotherly way but not with all command not Office-wise because he is not over them in the Lord for he cannot orderly be an Officer to many Churches as a man may tell his neighbors childe of its disobedience to the parents or his servant of disobedience to his Master and a gifted man may for a time upon request or charitatively teach all the Scholars in the School-Masters absence yet not as being over the childe or servant or Schoole not as having the charge of them only the Parents or Master or Schoolmaster doe command or rebuke authoritatively as being set over them Now if our Brethren take Authoritative Preaching in the sense of the Scriptures they alledge to prove it by as we suppose they doe then their third Proposition viz. That none may take upon him the Office of the Ministry without a call and that none may do the work of the Ministry authoritatively i. e. Office-wise without Ordination and all their Arguments to prove it if they prove no more then they bring them for may be granted and yet they have gained nothing against the preaching of gifted men without Ordination For we may say though gifted men may not preach in publick Assemblies or Churches authoritatively i. e. Office-wise as being over them in the Lord yet they have authority i. e. a right and lawful power from Christ Charitatively to preach in publick Assemblies In a Brotherly way they may with life fervor and zeal exhort to duty and shew the danger of neglecting it and rebuke for sin not as being over them but as being desirous of their eternal good and Officers out of their own Churches can do no more Yet because our Brethren would as by some expressions we gather be understood to speak against all preaching of gifted men in ordinary cases without Ordination therefore we shall give some grounds for it and answer such Arguments as they bring against it CHAP. V. Wherein two Arguments are urged proving the lawfulness of the Preaching of Gifted Brethren though not ordained Our assertion is THat some men who are not Ordained Officers may preach Or That persons who have Preaching gifts and Graces or are apt to teach may ordinarily exercise those gifts in publick Assemblies though they be not ordained Officers This appears by these Arguments Argum. 1. From the Antecedaneousness of Election to Ordination If Election from a Church ought by Gospel-order to precede or go before Ordination of Officers then persons not ordained may ordinarily preach But Election ought by Gospel-order to precede or go before Ordination of Officers Ergo Persons not ordained may ordinarily preach The consequence of the Major is cleared thus Because good experience that a man is gifted for Office and that his gifts are sutable to that Church is so necessary as antecedent to Election that it cannot be grounded or regular without it A Church cannot in faith elect or chuse a man and commit their souls to his charge for teaching and oversight if they have not grounds to perswade them that he is gifted and qualified as Christ requireth Officers should be 1 Tim. 3. 1 2 c. and that his gifts are
duty may not be neglected or that command broken Our Brethren grant that men ordained have not power to administer the Ordinances of Christ without a special call Jus Divin pag. 144. Gifted persons have power to preach and the Churches calling or desiring them to exercise their gifts may be sufficient to give an opportunity to preach yea the desire of a particular person sometimes may be enough Act. 8. 34 35. And the Eunuch answered Philip and said I pray thee of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himself or of some other man Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached unto him Jesus The Eunuchs request I pray thee was sufficient to give Philip an opportunity to preach Yea the desire even of an unbeleeving Magistrate in some cases may give opportunity to exercise ones gifts in a way of preaching Act. 13. ver 7. The Deputy of the Country Sergius Paulus a prudent man called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the word of God and ver 12. Then the Deputy beleeved being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. So Act. 13. ver 15 16. The rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them saying Ye men and Brethren if ye have any word of exhortation for the people say on Then Paul stood up c. The desire or call of a Magistrate or Minister yea the desire of the people as Act. 13. ver 42 44. may be call sufficient in some cases to exercise a mans gifts in a way of preaching But when a gifted person hath no such call to exercise his gifts he doth not sin in not preaching though possibly others may sin in not desiring him to preach 3. In such cases there ought to be a waiting in the use of means to satisfie the Church before the exercise of gifts though it be a duty in it self and a Church may sin in hindring a man from preaching either in the Church or elsewhere yet at this or that time it may not be his duty to doe it until other duties be done It is his duty to use means to satisfie the Church that he may act in it without offence to that and until this be done we conceive it is not immediately his duty in case of a Churches dissatisfaction about his ability to preach Obj. 3. This will prove that women may preach if every one that hath gifts may Mr. Collings Ans A particular exception is enough to restrain any general rule Women are expresly forbidden and that is one limitation of this general rule 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. But let it be shewn where all men not ordained are forbidden preaching without such a particular exception every gifted man may preach and find a warrant for it from that general rule It 's said Gen. 2. 16. The Lord God commanded the man saying Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat But will Mr. Collings say That this will prove that Adam might i. e. lawfully eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because it is said Of every tree doth not the particular exception v. 17. limit that general rule v. 16 It 's said 1 Cor. 14. v. 31. Ye may all prophesie will he therefore say Women may prophesie in the Churches and doth not all bring them in here as much as it doth 1 Pet. 4. 10. Every gifted man not excepted by some particular rule may preach Obj. 4. If all that have gifts and abilities to preach may do it then those who are fitted with abilities to be Generals of an Army or Captains or Parliament-men or Pleaders at the Bar may do the work of Generals Captains and Parliament-men and plead at the Bar. Answ 1. Those that have abilities for civil or military imployments may exercise those abilities if a King or Supream Governour doth command them to do it He that hath abilities to be a Captain may do the work of a Captain if the General biddeth him He may do the work of a General of an Army or a Parliament-man or a Pleader at the Bar being fitted with abilities if the King or those who are to appoint unto such works do impower him thereunto Now Christ the King of Saints and the great Captain-General of our Salvation who had all power in Heaven and Earth given unto him he hath commanded every man that hath grace and is gifted to preach and therefore every man who hath Grace and is gifted may Preach 2. He that doth the work of a General of an Army assumeth an office in the Army the General is the chief Officer there And he that doth the work of a Parliament-man assumeth the office of a Magistrate and so the Argument is impertinent We grant that Election and Ordination both are necessary in Order before the exercise of gifts Office-wise 3. Our Argument is not taken from a general Rule onely but from a particularizing of Preaching gifts therewith when a general Command is given to every man who hath a gift to minister with it unto others and one gift is particularly mentioned then it is undouted that every man who hath that particular gift ought to minister with it unless he falleth under some special prohibition and let our Brethren shew any such prohibition else their consequence is not good And let this alwayes be observed it is not Gifts but Christ by Gospel-Rules that warranteth and giveth the Authority or power to gifted persons to preach Gifts do qualifie and enable a person to the Act. Christ by Gospel Rules warranteth the acting in that way Gifts with graces are declarative that the person is warranted or authorized to Preach Charity bindeth to follow Gospel-Rules in the exercise of gifts for the good of others Obj. 5. Every one is to use his gift with respect to the gift it self and to his place and calling and no otherwise These spiritual gifts are to be exercised by every one in his own Sphere Jus Divinum pag. 102. by private persons privately by those that are in Office publickly and in the Congregation Aquila and Priscilla private persons yet of eminent gifts insomuch as they knew the way of Christ more perfectly then Apollos himself kept their own place they as gifted Christians did not undertake to preach publickly but took him to them and privately expounded to him the way of God more perfectly Act. 18. This is a notable pattern for private Christians even of the highest form to walk by in this way that they may find imployment for all their gifts Those women whom the Apostle honours with the Title of Labourers with him in the Gospel Phil. 4. 3. they laboured not by publick preaching for this the Apostle permits not to women 1 Tim. 2. but by private Advertisements and Admonitions as opportunities were administrd Therefore it follows not that because all gifts are to be improved therefore a gifted Brother may preach for first there are other ways of making use of our most excellent
gifts then by preaching onely and secondly it is required in him that will preach warrantably not onely that he be fitted for the work but that he be appointed to the Office of the ministry c. Answ 1. The third Answer to the foregoing Objection may serve here also if it will not follow that because all gifts are to be improved therefore a gifted Brother may preach yet it will follow that because every man is to minister unto others that gift he hath received and the gift of preaching is particularized therefore every man who hath that gift is to minister with it i. e. is to preach and that is our Argument from 1 Pet. 4. v. 10 11. 2. The Examples of Aquila and Priscilla do not at all deny the lawfulness of any gifted mans preaching publickly Because they did this privately therefore they might not preach publickly it doth not follow The Apostles preached privated in every house Act. 5. v. 42. but it did not follow that therefore they might not preach publickly for in the same verse they are said to teach in the Temple also And as to the case alledged 1. It is not determined whether Aquila had preaching gifts or were apt to teach publickly or not it is frequently found in our experience that persons eminently qualified for the giving private Advertisements and Admonitions yet are not gifted to speak publickly unto Edification Our question is Whether such as have publick gifts may not use them in a publick way of preaching It is not proved that Aquila had such gifts 2. It was a particular person Apollo that was by Aquila and Priscilla at this time to be instructed and therefore rules of expediency require that it should be in a private way If Aquila and Priscilla had been Ecclesiastical Officers it had been expedient to instruct Apollo privately If an Officer heareth another preach and perceiveth by his speaking that he is much unacquainted with some way of Christ were it according to Gospel-order for that Officer to tell him publickly and before all the Congregation that he doth not understand the way of the Lord and to direct him into it Because one man viz. Apollo was instructed more perfectly in the way of the Lord by Aquila and Priscilla in a private way for any to say Therefore Christians who have publick gifts may not preach in a publick way when many desire instruction from them how feeble is this Consequence 3. Though private instruction be one way of improving eminent gifts yet it doth not follow that this is the chief much less the onely way wherein the Lord would have any man be always improving publick gifts i. e. gifts fit for publick use If Aquila had publick gifts because at this time he used them in a private way it doth not follow that he always did so and therefore this single act can be no warrant to any that have publick gifts to find imployment for all their gifts alwayes privately Those women Phil. 4. 3. if they laboured in the Gospel by private Advertisements and Admonitions seeing such a particular exception as 1 Cor. 14. 34. cannot be found forbidding gifted mens preaching and seeing it is not expressed what gifts those women had hence it s far short of proving that publick or preaching gifts may always be made use of in a private way 3. We apprehend that it will necessarily follow that because all gifts i. e. spiritual gifts are to be improved therefore a gifted Brother may preach Or rather in the words of that text Because every man that hath received a gift is to minister with it therefore every gifted Brother may preach Abilities to preach are called gifts Rom. 12. v. 6. Having then gifts differing and v. 7 8. Teaching and Exhorting are put amongst those gifts So 1 Cor. 12. v. 4 8. And our Brethren Jus Divinum p. 102. grant that 1 Pet. 4. 10. extendeth to all spiritual gifts Now all gifts include these preaching gifts and how will the Consequence be avoided Every man that hath preaching gifts is to improve them Ergo every gifted Brother i. e. with those preaching gifts is to preach For preaching gifts are not to be improved unless there be preaching Neither the examples of Aquila and Priscilla Act. 18. nor of those women Phil. 4. do intimate that there are ways of making use of preaching gifts which will excuse from sin if they preach not There cannot be an improvement of any gifts without an use of them Mat. 25. 25 27. There is not an using of preaching gifts or not for their proper end if there be no preaching and therefore if all that have preaching gifts do not preach then all gifts are not improved or every man doth not minister that gift which he hath received 4. It belongeth to his place and calling who hath preaching gifts to exercise those gifts in a way of Preaching and that publickly as opportunity is offered The chief weight of the Objection lieth here Our Brethren suppose that it is a going out of their Sphere out of their place and calling for any that are not in Office to exercise their gifts in a way of preaching especially if it be publickly Whereas that place 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. determineth it to belong unto his place and calling who hath received such a gift to minister with it The commanding every man to use that gift he hath is a determining it to be every mans place and calling to preach who hath that gift Those men which do not use their gifts do disobey this Command which extendeth to every man But we shall adde several other Considerations which taken together may serve for the evincing this that it appertaineth to their Sphere place and calling who have such gifts to preach and that publickly 1. It belongeth to the place and calling of persons gifted though not in Office to do the same work for substance that Officers do in their preaching Our Brethren in their Discription of preaching say Ius Divinum p. 72. The Subject of preaching is the Word of God and the work of preaching is the Explication and Application of this Word And persons gifted who are not in Office may lawfully do all this and for the proper end of it viz. the Edification and comfort of those they speak to a privite Brotherly teaching Admonishing and Exhorting they grant pag. 78. to be duty and they exhort and charge their people not to neglect it Persons gifted though not in Office may exhort others Hebr. 3. v. 13. But exhort one another dayly They may rebuke others Lev. 19. v. 17. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him They may teach and admonish others Collos 3. v. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another These last recited words may be referred to the foregoing as well as the following words The Apostle would have the Word of Christ
so dwell in Christians as they may teach and admonish one another and the following words may properly be read thus Singing in psalmes and hymns and spiritual songs with grace in your hearts to the Lord The Grammatical construction of the words doth not at all enforce it that the teaching Zanch. Colos 3. and admonishing should be in or by singing of Psalmes From this place Zanchy observeth that Christians are bound to reach and exhort one another privately yea persons gifted though not in Office may expound the way of God to others Aquila and Priscilla took Apollo unto them and Acts 18. v. 26. expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly That all the forementioned places hold out the duties of porsons out of Office may easily be perceived by any judicious Reader for the exhortations are directed generally to believers and even those that most stiffly oppose the preaching of men out of Office acknowledge so much and therefore we shall not insist on the proof of that the very Objection we are answering asserteth Aquila and Priscilla to be private persons That those acts of Exhorting Rebuking Teaching Admonishing Expounding are the same for substance with Preaching is also clear for these acts cannot be performed without an Explication and Application of the Word of God Aquila could not expound the way of God to Apollo without an opening and applying of the Word to him and Colos 3. 16. It is in and by the opening and applying that Word of Christ unto others which is within them that they are t teach and admonish one another And the work of Officers when they preach is expressed by the same words that are used in these places to express the acts of men not in Office and therefore the works are the same though we do not say That the way and manner of acting is the same in all respects Officers preaching is exhorting Tit. 2. 15. These things speak and exhort It is admonishing 1 Thes 5. 12. are over you in the Lord and admonish you And thus it appeareth that persons gifted not in Office may do the same work that is called preaching and yet in this they do not act out of their Sphere place or calling And we cannot see how it can be denyed the name or title of preaching when the subject is the Word of God the Work the Explication and Application of the Word the End the Edification and Comfort of others as it is in the preaching of Officers Our Brethren do grant that all this may be done by men not in Office but they deny That they may do it Authoritatively and this we may grant them also if by Authoritative they mean Office-wise It is enough to our purpose if they may do it charitatively 2. They deny that it is the place and calling of gifted men not in Office to perform these acts publickly they grant they may in private we have proved that they may do the work of preaching and if we can prove that it belongeth to their place and calling to do this work publickly it is as much as we contend for and divers of the ensuing Considerations shall be chiefly to evince that 1. Every Church-member sustaineth a relation to the whole Church he is fixed in and it belongeth to the place and calling of every gifted brother to teach exhort admonish every member thereof as occasion is offered there is some duty that every member oweth to the whole Church those that are most eminently gifted yet have need of the helps assistances experiences prayers of the weakest and meanest Members in gifts and abilities 1 Cor. 12. ver 21 22. The head cannot say to the feet I have no need of you those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary and that those duties of teaching and exhorting which are the same for substance with preaching Office-wise are required from every gifted person towards all fellow members the aforementioned Scriptures will evidence Hebr. 3. ver 13. Coloss 3. 16. They are urged amongst the general directions which were given to those Churches not amongst domestical or family-family-duties And Levit. 19. ver 17. Rebuke thy Neighbor Not only those in a mans own house but neighbors And seeing a gifted Brother may exhort and admonish all the Members of the Church severally why may he not doe it when they are together 3. A publick gift cannot be fully improved nor Gods end in giving it be fully answered if it be used only in a private way the nature of the gift sheweth that the chief use of it should be in a publick way A talent is hidden when it is not used in some way of proportion to the talent it self as well as when it is not used at all and they are unfaithful servants that hide their Talents Matth. 25. ver 18 25 26. Unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Luk. 12. ver 48. And if the Lord hath bestowed a gift fit for publick use and it hath been cooped up and used onely privately there much is given and little in comparison of what might be if it were used in a publick way is returned A gift might in a publick use of it reach many that in a private use of it can reap no advantage by it and so there is a hiding a Talent A man doth not Minister his gift or not as he hath received if he useth a publick gift onely in a private way And Gods end in affording a publick gift is not onely a mans own private advantage or the benefit of his family but the publick advantage of the whole Church 1 Cor. 12. ver 7. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal He speaketh of profiting the Church and not a mans family onely for all the gifts particularized ver 8 9 10. were to be layd out for the profit of the Church and the scope of the Chapter sheweth that a publick profiting with gifts is intended And the manifestation of the Spirit is given not to Officers only but to every man for this end that he may profit withal Every man that enjoyeth those eminent manifestations of the Spirit those eminent gifts of the Spirit to whom is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom or the word of knowledge as ver 3. i. e. to whomsoever the Spirit hath afforded a gift either wisely to speak and apply Gospel-truths to the souls of others for the uses and ends they serve to according to the various conditions streights exigencies necessities temptations which they are in that are spoken to or understandingly to give an exposition of the Scriptures every man that hath such gifts it belongeth to his place and calling to use those gifts for the common good of the Church or for the best advantage and profit thereof else he crosseth the end of the Spirit in bestowing those gifts which is that he might profit with them 4. Publick actings are
This implyeth that those Christians who are not Teachers and so are of other Callings for Christians are not to live without Callings may afterwards being gifted become Teachers and so may change their Callings or else preach and hold other Callings too Yea it importeth that it is the duty of Christians to endeavour after such a growth in grace and experience as they may become Teachers As the Apostle exhorreth the Corinthians to covet that they might prophesie 1 Cor. 14. 39. so here he exhorteth the Hebrews to covet to teach or to be Teachers And it 's not like that private teaching is only or chiefly intended for though these Hebrews were believers yet he denyeth them to be Teachers in the sense he intended for verse 12. he blameth them that they were not Teachers but needed milk and therefore he meaneth such Teachings as babes in Christ do not attain unto and such as is reached unto by long time or much experience for the time i. e. considering how long it is since your first conversion to Christ ye ought to be Teachers Whereas all Christians even babes in Christ are Teachers in that private brotherly way as themselves grant Jus Divinum p. 78. it 's the common duty of all Christians and prescribed to all even to women by the Law of God under pain of sin Onely grown Christians of long time or much experience are the Teachers the Apostle here intendeth v. 12 13 14. And therefore more then teaching in a private brotherly way is intended and either they must hold two Callings or else leave their worldly Calling to give up themselves to teaching Some do alledge against the preaching of men that have followed other Callings 1 Cor. 7. verse 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called Whereas this Text doth neither forbid an occasional doing the work of anothers nor the changing of ones own Calling The meaning is Let him abide with God in his Calling and so it is interpreted v. 24. Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God He doth not forbid changing or leaving the Calling but the leaving or forsaking God the thing blamed is a not abiding with God in a mans Calling The occasion of this Exhortation appeareth to be this The Corinthians questioned the lawfulness of a believers Co-habitation with an unbelieving Yoke-fellow and the lawfulness of that the Apostle asserted in the former part of the Chapter and proceedeth to lay down a general rule which reacheth other relations v. 24. Let every man abide in the same calling i. e. it 's lawful for him to continue in the same condition or course of life that he was in when he was called or converted his being called doth not free him from or destroy his relation to Infidels and unbelievers many temptations will be met withal from the Infidels or unbelievers to whom the relation is to a leaving the Lord and his wayes but this doth not break the relation or free from keeping Covenant with the unbeliever and therefore let him abide in the same Calling onely let him be careful to abide with God therein If one be not in relation to Infidels or unbelievers it 's best as much as may be to keep free but if when one is called or converted he be in relation to such let him abide in that Calling yet so as to abide with God He instanceth in the relation of a servant v. 21. Art thou called being a servant i. e. if thou be'st a servant to an unbelieving master when thou art called care not for it i. e. distract not thy self about do not scruple or question the lawfulness of thy continuance or Co-habitation with him but if thou mayest be made free use it rather i. e. if the unbeliever will release thee of thy service and of thy promise to dwell with him thou had'st better be free it 's better to have Communion with relation to believers then to unbelievers So that seeing the Apostle instanceth in servants v. 21. biddeth them continue or abide in that Calling i. e. course of life they were in when called as one particular included in that general v. 20. hence he doth not forbid here the changing of ones Calling or condition of life for he that is now a servant may lawfully marry and become a master of servants As well may they assert from v. 20 21. that he who is a servant must abide always a servant as that he who is now of some worldly Calling must abide in that and not preach 7. Gifted men have a Divine allowance to teach and exhort publickly and therefore they go not out of their Sphere Place or Calling therein There is a command for it Heb. 10. v. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another Here is a command to keep up Christian meetings or Church-assemblies not forsaking the assembling of our selves together And there is a duty commanded to be performed in these publick assemblies but exhorting one another The particle but argueth that this hath reference unto the foregoing words he telleth us that the manner of some was to forsake the assemblings of themselves together and in Opposition to them it 's added but exhorting i. e. but do you assemble to exhort one another And it is not limited or restrained to Officers that they onely should give Exhortations in these publick assemblies but it 's left upon the Christians in general to exhort one another the same persons that are to provoke one another unto love and good works v. 24. and the same persons that are to assemble together v. 25. it 's left amongst them as a duty in their assemblings together to exhort one another and therefore it cannot be limited to Officers Any men that had abilities to exhort unto Edification here had a liberty granted to give Exhortations in these publick assemblies here is no exception of any that all might be provoked to cover gifts which enable to the duty Yet we do not think that every individual Christian did give Exhortations in those assemblies but only such as were gifted because they onely were able to exhort unto Edification which was the end of the meeting It was not unlawful for any that we can finde if they were able to do the work they that cannot do it cannot be supposed to be required to do it As for Women they are excepted elsewhere It 's certain that more then Officers are intended for not Officers onely but all in the Church are to beware of forsaking the assembling of themselves together and the duty of exhorting one another lieth in general amongst those that are to assemble and is not limited to Officers more then the duty of assembling If a Father doth bid his Children meet together and do such a work as it is supposed he doth not require a Child in the Cradle to meet with the rest or to
is a Gift not an Office 2. That some men have the gift of prophesie or that prophesying is a gift still continuing 3. That some men who are not ordained Officers have that gift of prophesie This last position is proved thus 1. Because there is no Scripture-warrant for the ordaining prophets and without a Scripture-warrant they may not be ordained Let any be produced 2. Because they cannot warrantably be ordained Prophets until they be discerned to have the gift of prophesie they must have the gift first and therefore some men not ordained have the gift of prophesie if it be a continuing gift 3. Because there are some who have the gift of prophesie who are no officers as will appear in what followeth and Ordination according to our Brethrens Judgment is the essential constitutive thing of an Officer He that is ordained say they is an Officer Many of these Prophets are no Officers and therefore not ordained For we suppose they will not say that a man may be lawfully ordained and yet be no Church-Officer Our greatest difficulty therefore is to prove the former Propositions Prop. 1. That the prophesying spoken of 1 Cor. 14. is a Gift not an Office Argum. 1. Because all who have the gift of prophesie are Prophets Our two first Arguments before given prove this we shall not here repeat them The Consequence is clear because all who have the gift of Prophesie are not Officers they must first have the gift before they can be made Prophets by Office If they be Prophets so soon as they have the gift then they are Prophets who are no Officers for if there had been such an Office the gift must have been before the Office Argum. 2. That which ought in duty and might warrantably in faith be coveted by every man who was a Member of the Church at Corinth that was a gift onely not an Office But the prophesying spoken of 1 Cor. 14. was such as ought in duty and might warrantably in faith be coveted by every man who was a Member of the Church at Corinth Ergo The prophesying spoken of 1 Cor. 14. was a gift onely not an Office The Major we prove thus 1. That which the Lord had no where promised to accomplish that could not in duty nor warrantably in faith be coveted for it is a humane faith that hath not a Divine promise to bottom upon But the Lord had no where promised to make every man who was a Member of the Church at Corinth or any other Church a Church-Officer Let them shew a promise of it that will assert it Ergo Every man who was a Member of the Church at Corinth could not in duty nor warrantably in faith covet to be a Church-Officer Ergo That which ought in duty and might warrantably in faith be coveted by every man who was a Member of the Church at Corinth that was a Gift onely not an Office 2. That which was impossible to be attained that could not in duty nor warrantably in faith be coveted It 's in vain to covet that which can never be had or which is unattainable But for every man who was a Member of the Church at Corinth to covet to become an Officer had been to covet that which was impossible to be attained 1 Cor. 12. v. 17. If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing v. 19 29 30. Ergo It could not in duty nor warrantably in faith be coveted 3. To say that the Prophets were extraordinary Officers as they must be if they were Officers at all else being ordinary Officers they must be still continuing and so there is still another Order of preaching Officers in the Church besides and distinct from Pastors and Teachers which they will not assert is more absurd If they were extraordinary Officers that maketh the case worse Can it be imagined that every man who was a member of the Church at Corinth ought in duty and might warrantably in faith covet to be an extraordinary Officer when it doth not appear that he might covet the ordinary Office of a Pastor or Teacher Doth it not sound harsh to say that every man in a Church ought to covet to be an Officer in the Church Can our Brethren exhort all the men that walk with them in Ordinances to covet that they may be Pastors or Teachers or do they unfeignedly desire it If they did surely they would not lay so much discouragement before gifted men to hinder their preaching And can they imagine that the Apostle should exhort the generality of men in the Church of Corinth to covet to be extraordinary Officers when themselves cannot exhort the generality of Christians to covet to be ordinary Officers Thus we have proved the Major of our second Argument for the evincing that the prophesying spoken of 1 Cor. 14 is a Gift onely not an Office The Minor viz. That the prophesying spoken of 1 Cor. 14. was such as ought in duty and might warrantably in faith be coveted by every man who was a member of the Church at Corinth we prove from vers 1 5 39. There is a command for it vers 1. Follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts but rather that ye may prophesie Vers 5. I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied Here he wisheth that not some onely but all prophesied the gift of prophecie then may lawfully be wished to all men that are members of a Church and he addeth a reason of his wish for greater is he that prophesieth then he that speaketh with tongues except he interpret that the Church may receive edifying because prophecie tendeth more to the edification of the Church then speaking with tongues without interpretation v. 39. Wherefore brethren covet to prophesie Here is an exhortation left in general among the Corinthians whereby he layeth it upon them as a duty and therefore it was that which any man amongst them might warrantably in faith covet to attain unto All had not attained to it but every man might covet to prophesie Ergo It was no Office Obj. Prophets are enumerated amongst Officers of the Church 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. God hath set in his Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers Ephes 4 11 12. Yea they are set next Apostles Mr. collings above Evangelists and Pastors and Teachers Apostles and Teachers were Officers set by God in his Church so also were Jus Divin the Prophets Answ 1. The placing of Prophets before Evangelists Pastors and Teachers cannot prove them to be in dignity above Pastors or Teachers Our Brethren themselves use these words Priority of Order is no infallible Argument Jus Divinum Regim pag. 133. of priority of worth and dignity we finde say they Priscilla a woman named before Aquila a man and her husband Act. 18. 18. Rom. 16. 3. 1 Tim. 4. 19. is therefore the woman preferred before the man the wife before the husband And in another place Ib. p.
speaketh of are called Watchmen vers 8. And the prophet himself is mentioned as one of them Rom. 10. 10. Answ 1 The prophet declareth what acceptation such should have amongst the people who brought good tidings who published peace and salvation but what mission they had whether ministerial or providential the prophet doth not there determine To use their own similitude If a private person should report a pardon to a condemned malefactor how beautiful would his feet be though the same applied under the broad-Seal by a person delegated from the Supream Magistrate differeth from that If persons had onely a providential sending yet all this might be said How beautiful are their feet when they bring good tidings of peace and salvation But we assert that the King of Saints hath commanded persons gifted to go and publish these good tidings and this may make the news double welcome 2. It is promised that their Watchmen shall lift up their voice and sing vers 8. But that all who are said to bring the good tidings vers 7. are called Watchmen vers 8. is not proved Some think that by Watchmen there are understood onely Apostles and those that were eye-witnesses of what Christ did and suffered for the redemption of sinners because it is said For they shall see eye to eye which is like that 1 Joh. 1. v. 1. Which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes and then there are more preachers spoken of ver 7. then there are ver 8. 3. If all of them be called Watchmen it is a figurative term taken from those that stand in Watch-Towers who foreseeing dangers forewarn of them and foreseeing approaching-mercies give notice of them And why gifted men may not do this we know not though Officers are put in trust in an especial manner to do it in which respect though all preachers of the Gospel be Watchmen yet the term may be appropriated to Officers in a special sense Ojb. 2. If providential sending were sufficient then women-preachers are as much sent of God yea a tyrant robber or murtherer may justifie himself in his wickedness as being sent by God providentially Answ 1. For women we have answered the Objection often 2. More then a providential sending is asserted viz. a command of Christ 3. The consequence is feeble to say If a providential sending be enough to allow a man to preach then it may justifie men in stealing murthering for preaching is a lawful work but robbing and murthering are acts in themselves sinful When by an ordering hand of providence Christians do meet together they may exhort one another and pray one with another Mal. 3. 16. Hebr. 3. 13. But it will not follow that they may rob and murther one another Obj. 3. They are called preachers or heralds the participle in the Original Rom. 10. 14. notiâ—… the Office as Rom. 12. 7 8. 1 Thes 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17 c. and the people are blamed for not hearing them Rom. 10. 16 21. but the not hearing of such as are not sent is no fault but a vertue Joh. 10. v. 5 8. and by this they would prove it to be an Authoritative mission not providential Answ 1. The words in the Original in those places Rom. 12. 7 8. 1 Thes 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17. are not the same with that Rom. 10. 14. which we note lest the unlearned Reader should think those places a proof that the word used Rom. 10. 14. should necessarily connote Office whereas other words are used there and therefore they prove nothing to the case in hand 2. For the participle in the Original Rom. 10. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that doth not denote Office necessarily for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used Mar. 1. 45. He went out and began to publish it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet he was no Officer nor had mission to preach or publish this for Christ forbad him publishing of it vers 44. See thou say nothing to any man So Mark. 7. 36. Luk. 8. 39. Which sheweth that nothing can be concluded from the Original word to prove them to be Officers because it is applyed to such as were no Officers 3. They may be called Heralds who preach the Gospel because they usually do publish it openly as Heralds do their messages Similitudes must not be stretched beyond the scope nor be made to agree in all things Let it be proved that preachers are called Heralds to connote their being authorized to publish the Gospel 4. We apprehend that people are to be blamed for not hearing gifted men as Rom. 10. v. 16 21. If it be their duty to preach then it is a peoples sin not to hear As for Joh. 10. v. 5 8. Christ asserts himself to be the true Shepherd and the door by which men enter into life and attain salvation vers 9. I am the door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved And if he intendeth there to assert himself to be the door by which men must enter into the work of preaching or any Office in the Church gifted men enter in by the door of his command Christ saith vers 5. And a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers Such as preach false doctrine or have wicked lives are not of Christs flock but are strangers and it is a vertue not to hear such And Christ saith vers 7 8. I am the door of the sheep all that ever came before me are theeves and robbers but the sheep did not hear them All that in their teaching deny Christ to be the door or who shew any other door to life and salvation besides Christ they are not to be heard Ante Christum venire non est tempore Christum praecedere sed aliam Ferus quà m Christi Doctrinam docere It may be expounded of those which teach false Doctrine and not of those which enter without sending Here is mention made of mission or of a Presbytery to give mission and therefore it doth not prove that it is a vertue not to hear such as are not sent by a presbytery Men might be blamed if it were but a providential sending as men are often for not hearing Gods voyce in other providences Amos 4. ver 6 7 8 9 10 11. And thus they may be called Heralds because they publish the Gospel openly and people may be blamed for not hearing and yet no authoritative mission from a presbytery may be intended Object 4. All that have gifts are not sent of God there are many gifted blasphemers and hereticks Answ 1. Some men ordained may and do prove such and so if Ordination were mission they might be such and yet be sent this will fall as heavy upon such a sending as upon the other 2. By turning such I suppose it will bâ—â—â—â—id ordained men lose their commission and so do gifted men forfeit their power and mission Matth. 7. 15 to
what shaddow of a consequence is here Yet if Christs mission doth justifie any it must be his disciples baptizing for Christ himself baptized not Christ commanded the disciples to baptize though that be not here mentioned and they baptized into Christs Name and thence it may be said that Christ baptized though in his own person he baptized not and suppose Christs mission did here justifie this yet how would this prove that mission is required in him that will be an Administrator of such an Ordinance because it was required in Christ who was the Institutor of and Appointer to such Administrations 2. Secondly we cannot finde Christs mission mentioned at all in that place much less is it alledged to justifie his baptizing or undertaking to baptize Joh. 3. 27 28 John answered and said A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven ye your selves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ but that I am sent before him Here Iohns mission is mentioned but not a word of Christs Saith Iohn I am sent before him i. e. before Christ But if Iohns mission justified Christs Disciples in undertaking to baptize still this would prove that one mans mission may justifie other men in baptizing and so it is far from proving that mission is required to the person himself that will baptize it rather proves that anothers mission may serve the turn without one of his own If they would fetch it from those words A man can receive nothing unless it be given him These words may refer to Iohn as well as to Christ Johns Disciples murmur because Christs Disciples baptized so many v. 26. John answereth v. 27. A man can c. as if he had said I have nothing but by Gods gift and therefore have cause to be thankful for what I have rather then to be ambitious of more honor or envious against Christ because more is given to him then to me It is not given to me saith John to be the Messias as vers 28. Ye your selves bear me witness that I said I am not to Christ It is not given to me to increase as it is to Christ ver 30. Or if it doth refer to Christ then it may found thus It is given to Christ to be a Soveraign else he could not by his Disciples baptize so many into his Name But take it either of these ways yet it speaketh nothing about mission or its being required in him that will administer such Ordinances for in the former sense there is no shadow of it admit it be taken in the latter sense yet he doth not speak here whatever may be said in other places of any Office which was given to the Disciples who were the baptizers but of what was given to Christ into whose Name they baptized Object 2. When the chief Priests and Scribes with the Elders asked Christ Luke 20. 2. Tell us by what authority dost thou these things or who gave thee this authority Christ makes answer by demanding another question The baptism of John was it from Heaven or of men which teacheth us that none ought to preach without being authorized and sent Answ 1. How so general a conclusion can be enforced thence we see not neither have they made it out If one should ask a Colonel or a Captain of an Army by what authority he fighteth and he should alledge anothers testimony who is credible to evidence that he hath authority will it hence follow that no common Souldier may fight without being authorized and sent Surely no. 2. If they speak of a being authorized and sent by men there is not any thing in the Text to favour it for Christ was not sent or authorized by man Johns baptism did not authorize Christ to preach Because Christ alledgeth Johns baptism to shew that he had authority from God to preach therefore none ought to preach without being authorized and sent by men this followeth not 3. If by authority and mission to preach they intend onely this A lawful right or warrant to preach then we have proved that gifted men have that though they be not ordained Christ hath warranted them by his Word thereunto without mens sending Gifted men may alledge the Word of Christ to defend their preaching as Christ did Johns baptism to justifie his preaching Argum. 8. We argue thus That work may not be performed by any which cannot Jus Divin Min. p. 91. by him be performed in faith but preaching by a brother gifted but not called or ordained cannot be done in faith Therefore a gifted unordained brother may not preach Answ We deny their Minor and we affirme that preaching by a Brother gifted but not ordained may be done in faith As for the word called it is not in their position and if we should gtant that such as are not called cannot preach in faith yet we may say gifted men not ordained may do it in faith for they are called Object 1. The truth of the Minor they say appears in that there is no warrant in Scripture which is the ground of faith for such a practise Answ We refer the Reader to our Arguments before urged for the preaching of gifted men which do evidence that they have warrant in Scripture which is the ground of faith for such a practise and may serve as a full answer to this Argument we proved there that gifted men have Scripture-precepts promise and example to warrant their preaching and therefore they may in faith do it Object 2. If there were a precept it was then a necessary duty that every gifted person ought to perform it was a sin if any gifted person should not preach c. Answ So it is a duty and a sin to neglect it but in some cases a not preaching is no sinful neglect This Objection we had before and the Reader may find the full answer to it in our reply to their second Argument Object 3. There is no precept that any should hear them or obey them in the Lord or maintaine them these duties of the people are appropriated to those that are preachers by Office Mal. 2. 7. Luke 10. 16. The hearing of them is the hearing of Christ It is not so said of any that preach without mission but contrarily there is a strict charge not to hearken to such Jer. 17. 14. and a complaint of them that heap to themselves teachers 2 Tim. 4. Thus the Apostle Heb. 13. 7 17. So 1 Tim. 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be accounted worthy of double honour c. Nothing of this is spoken of gifted Brethren yet if they may lawfully preach all this may they challenge and all that hear and plead for them are bound in conscience to yield because all this is due for the works sake 1 Thes 5. 12. Answ 1. The Lord hath warranted gifted men to preach as we have proved and that doth necessarily imply a precept to hear and obey the word of
were unfaithful that they might learn to be faithful not only to such as were able to teach others but to such as were to be taught therfore it must follow that it is the other committing that is meant Ans 1. It is not said commit them to such as are able but who shall be able it is the committing these Gospel truths to them that maketh them able and therefore it is in a doctrinal way onely 2. That Restriction is necessary as well to shew that unfaithful unconverted ones are not fit to be Preachers as also to shew that more then faithfulness is necessary to fit a man to teach others viz. gifts or abilities as the following words shew they must be able as well as faithful Many faithful men are not able to teach others and so though they be faithful yet they need to have Gospel truths committed to them in a doctrinal way to render them able for that work and therefore this doth not make it follow that the other committing is meant Ans 2. Suppose the other committing be meant then it may be understood of Preachers by Office and it is not exclusive as Mr. Shepherd observeth but private men gifted may do it other Scriptures allow them that liberty Though the Apostle speaketh de re teach others and not expressely de modo of the manner of performance authoritatively office-wise c. yet the manner must necessarily be understood else it will not help him at all For some teaching of others he cannot deny to be allowed to ordinary believers to whom the Gospel is not committed in that sence he pleadeth for He will grant that a private Christian may privately teach others it is the teaching publikely by persons gifted unordained which he opposeth And the Text speaketh no more of that then of preaching office-wise we may as safely read it thus Who shall be able to teach others office-wise as he may read it thus Who shall be able to teach others publikely Arg. 5. Whosoever may lawfully preach the Gospel and interpret Scriptures may warrantably require a maintenance competent for them of the Church to which they so preach 1 Tim. 5. 18. Mat. 10. 10. All Gospel labourers are worthy of their hire but they are Gospel labourers Ergo Gal. 6. 6. But all those members in a Church that are gifted cannot require a competent maintenance of the Church in which they are according to Scripture rules Therefore they cannot lawfully preach the Gospel ordinarily Ans The Scriptures alleaged speak of a constant preaching so as to make it a mans work or calling to preach Mat. 10. 10. the Apostles were to make it their employment and 1 Tim. 5. 18. he speaketh of Officers whose work and calling it was v. 17. The elders c. Gal 6. 6. he that is constantly taught is to communicate to such as do constantly teach him and if by ordinarily he intendeth thus much then we grant his Major That whosoever may lawfully make it their work and calling constantly to preach the Gospel to a Church may warrantably require a maintenance of the Church to which they so preach But his Minor is very faulty both in the matter and form There is in it Fallacia tertii argumenti the third argument is changed it is not assumed in the Assumption as it is in the Proposition but there is a change not onely in the sence but even in the tearms His Major saith they may require a maintenance of the Church to which they so preâ—ch and his Minor saith they cannot require it of the Church in which they are We say they may warrantably by Scriptures he alleageth require a maintenance of the Church to which they so preach i. e. to which they constantly preach making it their work and calling so to do and this is all that his Minor can deny from that Major and in that sence we deny his Minor None of the places quoted do prove that they may require a maintenance of the Church in which they are but they may prove that they may require it of the Church to which they so preach But then 1. It concludeth not that they may require a maintenance when they preach but occasionally and not constantly which is often the cause where many gifted men are in a Church They cannot all constantly preach to the Church in which they are as members there cannot be time or opportunity for them all to speak or for others to hear constantly There were many brethren gifted in the primitive Churches as Corinth 1 Cor. 14. yet it will hardly be proved that they might all require a maintenance of that Church 2. If a Church hath many gifted men and they be desired to preach constantly to other Churches or to the world they may require a maintenance of those that are constantly taught by them though they cannot require it of the Church in which they are as members And thus it doth not tie ungifted brethren to maintain all those that are gifted but onely such as constantly preach to them which is a duty they may be able to perform If men preach occasionally at Lectures may they require a maintenance competent for this or might those Disciples Act. 15. 32 33. require a maintenance for their occasional preaching Where there are many gifted men in a Church they cannot all exercise constantly but only occasionally to that Church and so cannot require a maintenance His sixth Argument about Mission we answered before His seventh Argument That the Churches of Christ in all ages have rejected this opinion and practice we deny But we are to follow Churches no further then they follow Christ and the primitive Churches we have shewn practised what we have pleaded for Thus we have answered objections against the preaching of gifted men un-ordained CHAP. XI Concerning Election as belonging to a particular Church HAving shewed That Office is a Relation to a particular Church and that some men who are not ordained Officers may preach we shall now proceed to speak something concerning the requisites to an Officer about which the opinions of men are various some place the essence of the call to Office in Election others in Ordination We shall pass over what our brethren in their Jus Divinum Minist Evang. lay down concerning an immediate call to the Ministery and shall reply onely to what they say about a mediate call Many Arguments here they level against the Congregational way which we cannot but account a way of Christ and this hath been a great provocation to us to this undertaking The main thing they drive at is to prove 1. That the essence of a call to office doth not consist in Election but in Ordination 2. That it belongeth to a Presbytery to Ordain We shall proceed to their Propositions concerning Election Proposit 1. That the Election of a Minister doth not by Divine right belong wholly and solely to the Major part of every Jus Divin Minist
Divin Min. pag. 129 130. of Authors where the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for discerning appointing constituting and that without lifting up of hands Whether it was with or without lifting up of hands is not material in this Argument that the appointing constituting act is expressed by that word themselves clearly grant Junius Trem renders it thus Et constituerunt eis in omni caetu Seniores Some thus Quumque ipsis per suffragia creassent per singulas Ecclesias Presbyteros When they had created them by suffrages Elders in every Church From all which we gather that they which did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did create make constitute or appoint those Elders 2. That not Paul and Barnabas onely but the people did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this we proved before The word cannot be denyed to signifie Electing or chusing so it is taken Act. 10. 41. unto witnesses chosen before of God c. 2 Cor 8. 19. chosen of the Churches c. it denoteth such a chusing as is a constituting creating act and let our brethren shew any Scripture that will prove that Paul and Barnabas or any of the Apostles did or might warrantably assume the power of Election or chusing ordinary Officers for any Gospel Churches without this can be evinced what shadow of reason is there to limit Election or chusing to Paul and Barnabas in this place if our former reasons be considered Especially seeing the words of the Text do not necessarily restrain it to them but rather give it to the several Churches for if the question be asked who were the persons that did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Text doth plainly answer they in every Church It runneth thus without any wresting of the sence In every Church they chose or created Elders by suffrages And the phrase is frequent in our ordinary speech we usually say They chuse them Majors Bayliffs Burgesses by voyces in every Corporation or they chuse them Parliament men by suffrages in every County or Shire and yet we understand by such expressions that the people or Free-men themselves in the Corporations and the people themselves in the Counties or Shires are the chusers and not others for them The people in the Corporations Counties or Shires are the they that answer to the question So every Church doth aptly answer to the question in this place So that the Text seemeth to us to determine every Church to be the they that did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not Paul and Barnabas onely There is no need that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be trassanted according to the Church to further this interpretation the present translation in every Church will serve as well and better to this sence Neither wil its being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak against this for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth himself as John 4. 2. Jesus himself baptized not c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2. 14. Luke 24. 39. and therefore in the plural number it is aptly rendred themselves and therefore it is not improper to read it thus And they chose or created to themselves Elders by suffrages in every Church And so Election by a Church i. e. being compleated by the parties acceptation who is chosen is that which maketh a man an Elder who was none before and therefore gives the whole Essence of the call to Office without Ordination Arg. 2. If Ordination doth not give the essentials of the Ministerial Office then Election doth for our brethren say it is agreed on all sides that the outward call of a Minister doth consist onely in his Election or Ordination See Jus Divin Minist pag. 164. But Ordination doth not give the essentials of the Ministerial Office Ergo Election doth That Ordination doth not give the essentials of the Ministerial Office we shall prove by three Arguments Arg. 1. That which doth not set a man over a Church of Christ or commit it to his charge that doth not give the essentials of the Ministerial office or of the outward call to Office But ordination doth not set a man over a church of Christ nor commit it to his charge Ergo Ordination doth not give the essentials of the ministerial Office or of the outward call to office The Major is evident 1. Because committing of a Church to ones charge or setting him over it is the formal cause of office and so the relation of office cannot have a beeing without it for forma dat esse He that is not set over some Church of Christ is no officer of Christ this is the specificating distinguishing character of Offiers which differenceth them from such as are no Officers 1 Thess 5. v. 12. Wee beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord c. 1 Tim. 3. v. 5. If a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God In these places being over and taking care of the Church of God expresse the nature of Office 2. Because If Ordination doth not set a man over a Church or commit it to his charge then it doth not lay him under obligation to the work of Office neither are any people under obligations to duty towards him by ordination as they are towards an Officer for a being over them is that which putteth under such mutual obligations Acts 20 28. They are commanded to take heed to the flock or Church over which they are made overseers Heb. 13. v 7. Remember them that have the rule over you c. v. 17. obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves c. No flock or Church may groundedly challenge such ordinary and constant feedings from any other but those that are over it and onely those that are over the flock can groundedly challenge this obedience and submission from it for the mutual duties are required expressesly under that notion All in it that are not over it are required to obey those that are over it and therefore if Election setteth over and giveth the charge of a Church then election layeth the person elected under obligations to act as an officer and layeth the Church electing under obligations to the performance of duties towards him as towards an officer All which may fully demonstrate that if ordination doth not set over a Church then it doth not give the essentials of the ministerial office or of the outward call to office The Lord would not command duty towards those that are over a Church as towards officers if they might be over it and yet be no officers or not have the essentials of an outward call to office upon them which they might if election setteth over because that may yea accoring to gospel order ought to precede or go before ordination Act 6. vers 5 first The Church did chuse and then vers 6. They were ordained Jus Divinum Our
to prove that Ordination ought to be with imposition of hands And because we have spoken briefly to that already and shewed that it is like laying on of hands was of extraordinary use for the conveyance of gifts or onely an indifferent significant Ceremony to declare who the party was that was solemnly ordained and so may without sin be omitted or the end of it may be attained without its use by some other sign it may be declared who the person is also because themselves do not assert it to be any more then an inseparable Adjunct to Ordination therefore we shall not spend time about this onely take a Rule which may serve as part of an answer to most if not all their Arguments for imposition of hands viz. That it is usual in Scripture to expresse things by that which is neither necessary nor of constant use about them So Chain is put for bondage and suffering Act. 28. 20. I am bound with this chain Jud. ver 6. Key is put for power authority Government Isai 22 ver 21 22. Rod is put for correction 1 Cor. 4. 21. Prov. 13. 24. The crosse is put for suffering and persecution Mat. 16. 24. A chain is not necessarily or constantly used in bondage nor a key in the exercise of power or Government nor a rod in correction nor a crosse in persecution yet because sometimes such instruments were used in such cases therefore the Holy-Ghost expresseth those things by them So though imposition of hands be neither of necessary nor of constant use about Ordination yet the whole of Ordination may be expressed by it hence Pauls forbidding Timothy to lay hands suddenly doth not imply that it was his duty to lay on hands or that he must necessarily and constantly use that ceremony but that it was duty to ordain men which they assert to be the thing notified by laying n of hands which answers their second Argument so the whole work of Ordination may be comprehended under the ceremony of imposition of hands 1 Tim. 5. 22. and yet it may not be of necessary and constant use about it any more then in the former instances the putting a chain for bondage and key for the whole of Government and rod for all correction and crosse for all afflictions c. will imply that they necessarily and constantly belong to them which answers their third and fourth Arguments It is sufficient that imposition of hands was sometimes used about Ordination to render the whole of it expressed thereby but it doth not prove the constant use of the ceremony to be necessary but only of Ordination which is the thing signified by that ceremony We proceed to their fourth Assertion viz. That Ordination of Ministers ought to be by the laying on of the hands of Jus Divin Min. p. 181. the Presbytery After a brief explication of the word Presbytery c. they come to that which as they tell us they especially aim at in this fourth Assertion and they give it under this following Proposition Propos That Ordination of Ministers doth belong to Church officers and not to a Church without officers And that Ordination by people without Ministers is a perverting of the Ordinance and of no more force then baptisme by a midwife or consecration of the Lords Supper by a person out of the office We shall give some Arguments to prove the lawfulness and validity of the peoples Ordination and then answer their arguments against it Our Proposition is this Pro. That in a Church which hath no officer or officers in it some believers may lawfully or warrantably ordain without officers We say in a Church that hath no officers for if a Church hath officers in it they may go before the Church in Ordination as well as in Praying on other occasions and Preaching c. that onely officers must act in it in such a case is not clear to us as suppose a Church hath but two officers in it we do not see any necessity that the whole work of the day must lie upon them onely but some believers i. e. such as have most of the spirit of Prayer being desired may lend assistance but whether that may be or not it is sufficient to our present purpose and to any case that necessarily falleth out in the congregational way if it can be proved that when a Church hath no officers of its own then some believers being deputed or chosen thereunto by the Church may ordain without the necessary concurrence of any officers And we say some believers may ordain without officers not must for we do not reckon Ordination an act of Government and therefore Churches may for ought we yet see hold communion each with other in it as well as in solemn prayer upon upon any other occasion and so officers of other Churches may act in it yet not qua officers but qua gifted and men gifted may without any officers ordain for it is a matter wherein the Church hath its liberty who it will depute thereunto when it wanteth officers and it is not necessarily confined to officers as if none else might act in it If a Church hath officers the Law of their relation to the Church putteth them under obligations to go before the Church in Ordination as well as in other duties as Preaching administring of the Sacraments c. and therefore where officers are in a Church they act as officers in Ordination as well as they do in prayer upon other solemn occasions wherein undoubtedly other Christians eminently gisted may act in Prayer yet do it not as officers This is our sense of the question yet because our brethren do account Ordination to be an act of Government yea an eminent act of jurisdiction therefore if in some of our Arguments may seem to speak of Ordination as an act of Government of officers as officers yet we do not grant it but rather prove our sense of it by denying it in that sense which they plead for it in This being premised we proceed to our Arguments Argu. 1. Whatsoever would necessarily and unavoidably infer Ordination to be unattainable that is contrary to sound doctrine and is not to be asserted But that some believers may not lawfully or warrantably ordain without officers in a Church that hath no officers in it that would necessarily and unavoidably infer Ordination to be unattainable Ergo That some believers may not lawfully or warrantably ordain without officers in a Church that hath no officers in it is contrary to sound Doctrine and is not to be asserted The major none can deny who plead for Ordination as an ordinance of Christ still continuing for if it be of Christs appointment doubtless he hath provided a way wherein it is attainable The Minor we prove thus Because there are no officers on earth authorized or appointed by Christ to ordain in case a Church hath no officers in it any more then believers without officers and therefore