Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	answer_v	spirit_n	word_n	2,516	5	4.3057	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79512	Preaching vvithout ordination or, A treatise proving the lawfulnesse of all persons, of what degree, ranke, or trade soever, being inabled with sufficient guifts and qualifications from God by his spirit, to preach and set forth the Gospel, though no minister nor any other officer in the church of God. By Edmond Chillinden.	Chillenden, Edmund, fl. 1656.	1647 (1647)	Wing C3879; Thomason E405_10; ESTC R201879	25,344	34

indeavour to cleare them from those false glosses which have been put on them which have hindred the appearing of this truth I shall also answer such objections as seemingly may lye in the way 1. The first Scripture to prove the thing in hand is written in Numbers 11 26 to the 30 the words are these at the 26 verse but there remained two of the men in the camp the name of the one was Eldad the name of the other was Medad and the spirit rested one them and they were of them that were written but went not out unto the Tabernacle and they Profied in the Camp and in the 29 verse Mosen said would God that all the Lords people were Prophets the Lord will put his spirit on them Reader take notice Moses here wishes that all the Lords people were Prophets the Lord putting his spirit on them I h●pe none will say that he wished that all the Lords people were Priests or Levits I meane ordained officiall men but they were all Prophets 1 Cor. 14.3.21 Rom. 12.6 to 9. Teachers or Preachers of Gods will and minde one to another for their good and edification that which Moses wisheth here is that all the Lords people were such as Eldad and Medad were and they were no Officers neither Priests nor Levites and yet we finde they prophesied in the Campe by reason of the Spirit of God resting on them and not because they were ordained Officers for then I conceive Iosuah would not have complayned of them as may appeare in the 27.28 verse but Moses maketh it all one to be a Prophet and the Lord putting his spirit on a man Mat. 25.14 to 29. Luke 19.12 to 24. Mat. 5.15.16 Marke 4.21 Luke 8.16.17 Ephes 4.7 to 17. 1 Tim. 5.17 Act. 10.34.35 Iam. 2.1 to 10. 1 Cor. 1.19.20.27.28 Iohn 3.5 to 9. Mat. 13.11.16.17 and Mat. 11.25.26 then why should not men now to whom God hath given of his spirit with guifts of utterance and knowledge be a Prophet and Preacher and that of the Lords owne making for Moses doth wish the use or exercise of Gods spirit and graces in men as the having and possessing of them for the guifts of God are not given to be hidden under a Bushell or to be kept in a napkin but to be made use of to the prayse and glory of God that is the giver of them who hath given guifts unto men for the workes of the Ministery for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of his body which is his Church and people so then I thus argue if any man now that is a Member of the Church of Christ though not ordained unto whom God hath given sufficient guifts and qualifications by his Spirit whereby he is made able to preach he is not onely to possesse it but to imploy it for the perfecting of the Saints labouring in the word and doctrine of Jesus Christ 2. And seeing God is no respecter of persons but gives his guifts by his spirit to whom he pleaseth where by all men that partake of those guifts are inabled to prophesie or preach though not ordained what should hinder them from being Prophets and Preachers ●nd that of the Lords own making by the free guift of his spirit seeing it bloweth where it lifteth assoone upon a Cobl●r Tinker Chimneysweeper Plowman or any other Tradseman as to the greatest learnedst Doctors in the world Then I here demand the reason why he namely the Cobler Tincker c. may not be permitted to manifest the gifts and graces of God in him by Preaching and declaring the Gospel as the other to wit the Learned man I confesse my self ignorant of any reason against it in the whole word of God but greatly for it and layes it on all men that have received the gift so to administer 1 Pet. 4.10 11. so to use it as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God Obj. But some object and say that this spirit here that those to wit Eldad and Medad had was not the spirit of prophesie but of Government Answ I answer I shall not deny but they had the spirit of Government but that they had not besides it the spirit of prophesie I leave by the wise to be judged for looke into the text the 26 verse of Numb 11. and if we will not be willfully blind we cannot but see and know they had also the spirit of prophesie For saith the text Eldad and Medad propesied or preached in the Campe Now if they had done nothing but concerning Government without question Ioshuah would not haue desired Moses to forbid them in regard that God had made known that he would take off the spirit that was on Moses and give it unto the seaventy and this Joshuah could not but know For the Lord saith to Moses in the 16 ver Gather unto me seaventy men of the Elders of Israel whom thou knowest to be the Elders of people and Officers over them Now from hence it is plaine that Ioshuah knew they were Officers that is Magistrates and if in point of Government it was that which they did then I conceive Ioshuah would not have said Moses forbid them Secondly The Lord saies I will come down and talke with thee and I will take of the Spirit that is one thee and will put it on them Now it is cleere in the Scriptures that Moses had not onely a spirit of Government but a spirit of Prophecy or preaching of prayer and supplication Exod. 14.15 Deut. 18.15 Act. 7.37 Therefore if God tooke of that spirit that was upon Moses and gave it to the seauenty whereof Eldad Medad were then it cannot be restrained only to Government but it must extend to all the rest of operations and workes of it as to prophecie or preach the great matters of Gods law to his people Obj. But some may further object and say these were Officers and such as Moses knew to be so therefore it will not follow from hence that all may preach though guifted except they be Officers as these were Answ I grant they were Officers in the Common-wealth of Israel to wit Magistrates but what is this to the thing in hand to wit Preaching without Ordination for there is no mention that they were either Priests or Levites or any Officers of the Church neither did their Office bind them to prophesie I leave it to be judged whether it was any principall end in their Office binding them to preach neither can it be gathered from the Scriptures because they were Officers therefore they preached no but because God had powred on them Iob. 32.18.19.20 Ioel. 2.28 Esa 44.3 Act. 2.17 end filled them with the spirit as Elihu like new bottles and as wine that hath no vent therefore they must speake and open their lips that they might be refreshed and this was the cause of their prophesying or Preaching because of the powerfull worke and operation of the spirit of

it lyes in common to all and every of the Saints members of the Churches of Christ joyntly together to choose them Officers as namely Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons being the whole number of Officers I finde mentioned in the Scrip●ures and to act in all other things given them in charge as Prayer-Preaching receiving into fellowship judging of offenders and administration of the other Ordinances this power doth not lye nor ever was given to the Officers Ministers or Presbytery onely that I can finde in the Scriptures but to the severall Congregations I finde that they had power to chuse from amongst themselves men fitted and inabled by God to supply the severall Offices in his house and Sanctuary to invest and ordaine them 5. If the Church have power it must be supposed or granted that first there must be a Church having this power before there can be any Officers rightly and orderly ordained except it can be maintained from the Scriptues that there is Apostles still or men having an Apostolicall function which I conceive no where in Scripture is to be found therefore if men may not preach before they be ordained then how men should be ordinarily converted to the faith and order of the Gospel I see not because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preached and if this be not granted how and which way Churches can be gathered and Officers ordained I cannot see except the Popes Ordination will serve which for my part I am loath to allow 6. Againe for to chuse one into Office presupposes an aptnesse and fitnesse in the parties for the sufficient discharge of that place unto which he is so called chosen or ordained and it is granted of all sides that the Officers of the Churches are so and so to be qualified as the Scripture sets forth as namely that they be men of wisdome knowledge grave modest of good report both of them without as well as with them within full of the holy Ghost apt to teach well learned in Christ no novice or youngling in the Schoole of Christ to be instant in season and out of season alwayes ready to convince the gaynsayers by sound Doctrine as he hath been taught the truth in Iesus these quallifications are required in the teaching Elders or Bishops before they be ordained therefore it is cleare that the guift of utterance sound knowledge by which a man is inabled to pray preach teach declare set forth Christ in the Gospel not onely may but must both be and appeare to be in any men before they be chosen into the office of the ministery 1 Tim. 3.1 to 22. Tit. 1.5 Esa 56.10.11 Act. 20.28 Act. 6.3.6 14.23 Iob. 13.17 Thes 1.4.20 Luke 4.16 Mat. 13.54 Act. 13.15.16 Ephes 4.11 12 13. compaire 2 Tim. 3.17 Heb. 3.3 to 6. 1 Cor. 21.13.14 Chap. Rom. 22.6 7 Ephes 1.7 to 17. Col. 3 16. Heb. 10.23 to 26. Heb. 3.3 to 6. Ephes 1.21.22.23 1 Cor. 44.33.40 Act. 1.14 to end Act. 6.1 to 7 for he that is not a Prop●●● or hath not the guift of preaching before he be chosen 〈…〉 the ministery is a dumb dogg and an idel Shephard for the Office doth not give nor indeed cannot any whit increase the guifts or convey by the same any spirituall qualification or ability onely gives a solemn charge and Commission to use their guifts by vertue of their office they have received This I suppose granted on all sides 7. Then it will easily be granted that except men before they be chosen and ordained may be suffered and permitted to declare their guifts in Doctrine and Prayer which are the maine things that which is chiefly to be looked on that the Pastor or teacher is specially to be qualified with how shall the Church that is to chuse them take knowledge of their sufficiency that they may both with faith and good conscience call them and submit to them And otherwise for tryall of mens guifts whereby they may be judged fit to be chosen into the Ministery but onely by the way of preaching before Ordination by vertue of their guifts I finde none the the Scriptures are silent in it But the other that is prophesying or preaching by vertue of the gifts and grace of God before ordination or office thus the Scriptures are very plentifull in manifesting and declaring which God hath instituted for that end that his Church may grow up thereby a compleate habitation compleatly furnished with all her officers or servants to supply all her severall offices to the prayse honour of Jesus Christ her head who hath instituted all things in order he being the God of order hath left nothing in disorder but alwayes hath been carefull to provide for his house not onely Officers to supply her in her severall Offices but also hath prescribed a way and a rule for them in the chusing them in their severall Offices as is partly before specified Obj. But here some may say that a man that is a good Scoller having been at the Vniversity and studied Divini●y may be permitted as it is usually practised in their Vniversities to preach a Sermon two or three for approbation or tryall of his sufficiency before he be ordained Answ 1. To this I answer that it is not his learning 1 Cor. 2.10 to end Rom. 8.7 1 Cor. 1.19.20 and 2.1 to end 1 Cor. 1.5 Col. 4.3 Col. 2.4.8 nor any humane art that will be sufficient to inable him to be a Minister of the Gospel because by that no man can understand the minde and will of God in the Scriptures 2. Because no man by his studying or labour in humane things can procure the gift of utterance whereby he may be inabled to set forth and declare Jesus Christ in the Gospel Answ 2. It is granted in the latter part of the objection that it is lawfull and so practised by our adversaries to preach before ordination therefore I do wonder why they should condemne that in others which they practice themselves for if a man may preach one Sermon why not two then why not twenty and if one moneth why not twelve moneths and so I conceive if it be lawfull thus to preach as they themselves grant then the great controversie about this poynt is betweene them and mee at an end 3. But I further say that it will not be sufficient to preach a Sermon or two whereby to judge of a mans fitnesse because it is impossible that his gifts and qualification can be judged off by any in so short a space and so the Church to be mistaken in their choyce and instead of an able and painfull Minister set up a lying Idoll dumb dogg as it hath often fallen out in many of the Parishes of England 4. Now I shall come to examine the severall Scriptures that do hold forth the lawfulnesse of all the Servants of God preaching before Ordination I shall take them in order as they lye and I shall

way of the Lord being fervent in the Spirit spake and taught boldly mightily convincing the Jews Acts 18 2● and that publikely shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ 3. He knew the Baptisme of John he was so far taught in the way of the Lord to imbrace Christ as that he went beyond the Jewes and so could be no officer in the Church of the Jewes 4. He could not be any officer in the Christian Church because he knew onely the Baptism of John he was not yet come far enough in the knowledge of the Gospel for that These reasons I conceive are sufficient to evidence to all men that are not guided by a partiall Spirit that Apollos here preached not by vertue of any office or ordination but by the vertue and power of the Spirit of Gods operation in him But some may say this man was extraordinarily guifted by God and so by his extraordinary gift preached Object I answer that some things especially above other man is recorded of him as that namely he was a very eloquent man Answ Acts 18.24 and that he was mighty in the Scriptures and that he boldly taught and that by his teaching he mightily convinced the Jewes but that this did prove that he was extraordinarily indued with guifts from God I cannot see but do beleeve the contrary and for that I shall offer the Reader these reasons first because if God had extraordinarily inspired him he could not have been ignorant of the revealed will way and Councell of God declared in the Gospel and onely to have knowne the Baptisme of Iohn Acts 20.26.27 for none that God did so inspire but did know the whole Councel of God revealed as witnesse Paul and all the oiher Apostles Iohn 14.28 and 16.13 to 16. 2. Because if he had been so inspired then he would had no neede of Aquillaes and Priscillaes teaching or more perfect learning him the way of God for then he might better have taught them but we finde that when they had heard him they tooke him unto them and expounded or shewed him the way of God more perfectly and therefore for these reasons is it that I beleeve he was not extraordinari●y guifted of God and so much may serve to evidence the truth from those false glosses and misinterpretations that some have indeavoured to put upon this Scripture to hinder the Saints from following the rule and example of Christ and his faithfull Servants set forth to us in the Scriptures in preaching and declaring the Gospel without Office or Ordination 1 Cor. 11.1 I come now to Acts 8 1 4. compared with Acts 11.19 20 24. Where it is thus written And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church that was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles and in the 4. ver it is said thus therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word and in Acts 11.19 20 ver Thus now they that were scattered abroad upon the persecution that rose about Stephen travailed as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to none but the Jewes onely some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyreene which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecian preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord here Reader consider seriously what God by his Spirit hath recorded in these places of Scripture for our learning if it be well minded God doth as it were point out to us his foreseeing the errour and evill that men in this point would run into and therefore saith that all the Church except the Apostles were scattered so that I conceive that God doth point out here that the officers staid behinde and those that were scattered and went preaching the Gospel were no ordained men to that end And I conceive it cannot be thought nor gathered from what is in the Scripture related that these that were scattered this whole Church were ministers ordained men namely Pastours teachers or Elders it seems somewhat strange to me that the whole body of a Church should be ordained Ministers for that were to make the body monstrous and disorderly because as the Apostle saith 1. Corinth 12 17 ver If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing if the whole were hearing where were the smelling but now hath God set the members every one of of them in the body as it hath pleased him so that it is cleare that if God be the God of Order and doth all things orderly it cannot be thought that the whole body of this Church being at Jerusalem with the Apostles were all ordained Ministers Acts 8.1.3 they consisting at least of three thousand persons such a thing was never heard of nor yet never any Scripture produced holding forth or hinting any such thing for in these Scriptures here is onely thus much said the whole Church at Jerusalem except the Apostles were scattered and they being scattered went preaching every where Jesus Christ and this is all that is in the Scripture mentioned of them and no office nor ordination at this time minded But though they had no office all of them yet some of them had Object and the rest were extraordinarily by God inspired and guifted by his Spirit I confesse there is mention of Philip who was an ord●ined officer as you may see in Acts the 6. and the 5. ver Answ But what office is it that he had not an office binding him to preach his being ordained into that office was to no such and as you may see in Acts 6.1 2. There it is declared that Philipe office was to serve tables to look to the daily administration for the poor to wit a Deacon and not to preach the Gospel for that was besides his office and no and of being ordained this I leave by the wise to be judged That they were extraordinarily inspired to mē seems unreasonable and that for these reasons First Because there is not the least tittle in the text than giveth any hint that way Secondly Because the onely titles given them are all the Church that was at Jerusalem except the Apostles were scattered and they were some of them men of Cyprus and Cyrene and nothing minded in the least of extraordinary gift or endowment Thirdly Onely their preaching here and there is noted and spoken of ●and that by reason of their persecution they became so scattered and not by reason of any extraordinary gift bestowed on them Acts 8.3 and 11 19 20. 4. Because that if so be they had had any Apostolicall function or ordination or extraordinary gift of the Spirit then in my understanding there had not been any need of so suddain nay not at all of a sending of Barnabas from Jerusalem to Antioch Acts 11.22 23.29 though