Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	book_n	church_n	minister_n	2,564	5	6.5894	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87825	A modest plea for private mens preaching. Or An answer to a booke intituled, Private men no pulpit men; composed by Master Giles Workman. Wherein the thing in controversie is briefly debated; the examination of private mens preaching examined; also certain accusations wip'd away and removed. / By John Knowles a preacher of the gospel, formerly in and neer Glocester, now belonging to the life-guard of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax.	Knowles, John, fl. 1646-1668.	1648 (1648)	Wing K730; Thomason E434_8; ESTC R206223	32,543	41

calling be sufficient to make lawfull preachers then there are at Rome lawfull Church-officers in that both ours and theirs arise from the same fountain but at a further distance in that our first ordainers received from Rome their holy orders from whom by way of succession ordination hath descended even to this generation Thus you may easily see how obnoxious the doctrine I oppose is to the hearing of the Gospel Conseque 3 The third consequent which is of the same discent with those fore-going is That the Saints when there is no necessity must be restrained from enjoying the preaching of of the Gospel As if in case there may be first some-times in some places where Saints are a cessation of visible Churches Or secondly If where visible Churches are some Saints are not convinc'd of their order Or thirdly If they are in order and want Church-officers Or fourthly If their Officers be through sicknesse persecution c. absent from them in all which cases though they have amongst them persons of great abilities for Gospel-preaching yet they must be exposed at least to scarcity of the Word because none but Church-officers may lawfully preach I shal not farther increase the number of the children of the forementioned Father but shal leave it to the diligent searcher Thus I have done with the first sort of testimonies which are divine and shall now come to the second which are probable being humane testimonies which are either the speeches or practices of men that are godly Of the speeches of men that professedly speake with me that I may not overburthen this Booke I shall instance but in a few An Apol. of the exiles p. 45. 1. The english Christians who were Exiles in the low Countries witnesse to the truth of the doctrine heare pleaded for their fourth position being this That discreet faithfull and able men though not yet in office of ministry may preach the Gospel and whole truth of God c. 2. I shall bring in the Elders of the severall Churches of new-New-England speaking fully to my mind in this particular in their answer to the twenty seventh question sent over to them from certaine Ministers of Old England which I have not hear inserted for brevities sake but it may be found at large in a Book intituled Church Government and Church Covenant discussed p. 77. published by Master Peters De conscientiâ et ejus jure vel casibus p. 229. 3. You shall have the testimony of that learned man Doctor Ames whose workes praise him in the Gate Thus he speakes That for the preaching and teaching of the Gospel a singular calling is not required For proofe whereof he brings these Scriptures Acts 8.4 c. 11.19 21. c. 18.24 and adds to them these Reasons 1. Because this is the duty of all Christians that they Promote as much as they can the Kingdome of God and therefore that they teach others the doctrine of God 2. Because t is some time necessary that men be convinced of errors and instructed in truth before a calling can be rightly instituted 3. Because the People being some-times destitute of a Minister cannot without the losse of edification be holpen unlesse they allow those to instruct them who as yet are not rightly called to the ministry Further he affirmes That not only private but also publike preaching may be exercised without a singular calling first in a Church to be constituted Secondly in a Church already constituted with the approbation of that Church if confusion be avoided and order observed 1 Cor. 14.23 Acts 13.15 For it belongs saith he to the Churches edification that they who excell others in gifts exercise those gifts before others to help and stirr them up Also P. 245. he speakes to the same effect affirming 1. That there was in the primative Church a certain propheticall exercise distinct from sermons 1 Cor. 14.31.32 c. 2. That not only Ministers were permitted to use this exercise but also among the brethren the ch●efe and most expert for tho●e gifts which they had conferred to them ibid. 3. That it was also lawfull for other men of the Church for the sake of learning to propose their doubts that they might be taught of those who were more skilfull ibid. v. 35. 4. That where this exercise may conveniently be brought into Churches it ought not to be contemned 1 Thes 5.20 1. Because it is most agreeing to the order of the primative Church approved by the Apostles Secondly Because it singularly healpeth to stirre up cherish and increase spirituall gifts in severall Believers Thirdly Because it taketh away negligence and envy and nourisheth charity Thus far Amesius 4. Hear the judgement of M. Thomas Goodwin and M. Nye men of no small eminency their very enemies being Judges They in their Epistle to M. Cottons Booke of the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven thus speake Wee humbly conceive Prophesying as the Scripture tearmes or speaking to edification of the whole Church may sometime be performed by brethren gifted though not in office as the Elders 5. I might add to the number dear M. Burrowes M. Peters M. John Ellis junior with many others who affirme That men out of Office may preach the Gospel but I forbeare to cite their expressions having spoken enough of this particular Wherefore I come to the next sort of humane testimonies to wit godly mens practices carrying a kind of testimony with them what did the Martyrs of whom our Cronicles make a glorious relation who were not Church-officers lesse then preach publickly when they did before multitudes of people open and apply the Scriptures which men now call preaching If it may be said that the congregationall Churches both in Old and New England doe consist of believers men that are Godly then it may bee affirmed that Godly men out of Office doe preach the Gospel for private mens Preaching is not a rare practice amongst them Who is there acquainted with Godlinesse that dares call those ungodly who in the Army City and Country do Preach the Gospel though out of Office What if I should call writing in Divinity Preaching And so put the stile of Preachers upon those of the Layety who are writers in matters of Divinity I might then bring in Mr. Prynne and Doctor Bastwicke the one a Lawyer the other a Physitian both busie writers in matters of Divinity to justifie the practice of Private mens Preaching But if that liberty may be deny'd me yet I may boldly affirm that there is such a neernesse between the writing and Preaching of men out of Office that the Arguments which justifie the one will plead for the other Thus having dispatch the confirmation of the thing in controversie I shall returne briefe answers to some common Queries for somes satisfaction Quest 1 Whether men out of Office may be fitted for Gospel Preaching Answ Men may said Sir Richard Baker have Sacrae dotes though they are not Sacerdotes Abilities and holy