A Christian Plea, Treatise 3 · Chapter 7
CHAPTER VII. Touching the Teachers office more particularly, and the Miniſters of the word in generall.
VVHether there be not tvvo ſorts of Teachers or Prophets (which the Lord hath giuen for the work of the miniſterie) or at leaſt a two fold duty, and divers function or miniſtration thereof. One of ſuch as are peculiarly appointed to the teaching of particular churches: Of whō ſee here before, in the fift Queſtion pag, 259. The other of ſuch, as doe either†1 Sam. 19, 20. 2 King. 2, 3, 5 7, 15. and 4, 1. and 6, 1. and 9, 1. with Amos 7, 14. Luc. 2, 46. and Act. 5, 34. vvith 22.3. in the Schooles and univerſities interpret the Scriptures, & train up the ſtudents in Theologie; or doe‡Deut. 33, 8, 10. Nehem. 8, 1 — 8. 2 Chron. 17, 7, 8, 9. Prov. 1, 20, 21. and 8, 1, 2, 3. and 29, 18. Eſa. 30, 10, 20, 21. and 57, 19. and 59, 21. Ier. 18, 18. Hoſ. 5, 9. and 7, 12. Amos 2, 12. and 7, 12, 13. Mic. 3, 11. Ezech. 22, 25, 28. and 13, and 14 chap. Jer. 14.13. Mat. 5, 1, 2. and 9, 37, 38. and 13, 1, 2, 52. and 22, 35. and 23, 34. Luke 5, 17. Act. 13, 1, 15. and 15, 35. Rev. 11, 3. and 18, 24. vvith Act. 11, 19 — 24. Rom. 10, 14, 15, 17. 1 Cor. 12, 28, 29. and Epheſ. 4, 11, 12. othervvhere privately and publikly, in houſes, ſtreets, ships, armies, garriſons, or other aſſemblies, any where, inſtruct the people in Religion, and al duties of godlines, commō or ſpeciall, as there is juſt occaſion.
Alſo, vvhether theſe Teachers should miniſter the Lords ſupper, is vvithal to be conſidered and examined by the Scriptures: Seeing the Levites in Iſraell vvere not ſuffered to come to the Altar or holy things of God, no nor to flay the ſacrifices, unleſſe in a ſpeciall caſe, when there were not Prieſts ynough. Num. 18, 3. and 3, 10. and Levit. 1, 6. vvith 2 Chron. 29, 34. Which is the more to be noted, becauſe the Levites vvere by the ordinance of God, joyned to the Prieſts, in the Miniſterie of the Lords houſe, and for teaching Iſraell the Lavv of God, &c. who yet notwithſtanding might not doe all things perteyning to the Prieſts office, Numb. 18, 2, 3. and Ezech. 44, 13, 14, 15, 16. with Num. 3, 5 — 10. &c. and 16 chap. By vvhichwhich alſo appeareth, that ſome Miniſters may be imployed in ſome works of the Miniſterie: vvho yet notwithſtanding may not lavvfully do all things that perteine to the holy miniſtration, and to ſome other Offices appointed thereunto. And that the Paſtors & Teachers now are anſvverable to the Prieſts and Levites in Iſraell, vvas noted before out of Eſa. 66, 21. compared vvith Epheſ. 4, 11, 12.
As touching the election or calling of theſe Teachers: I ſpake here before of the calling of thoſe which are of the former ſort, as touching their choiſe to particular congregations: as may be ſeen in the third Queſtion, pag. 252, &c. Now touching the calling of the Teachers of the latter ſort, whether they be ſuch as are Profeſſors in Vniverſities, or others that are not tyed to any particular churches, I leaue it to be conſidered & diſcuſſed by the vvord of God, vvhether ſuch be not ſometimes raiſed up of God extraordinarily; or having an ordinarie calling may (upon ſpeciall occaſion) be ſent out by Princes (as of old was done by Iehoshaphat king of Iudah;) or be called and allovved to teach by the Vniverſities and Governors thereof, or deſigned by particular churches; or approved by the Paſtors and Presbyteries of one or moe churches; or by ſome other good and lawfull meanes be admitted & appointed, to the performance of the duties aforeſaid, according to the rules and examples had in the vvord of God. 1 King. 19, 16. Amos 7, 14, 15. Mat. 9, 36, 37, 38. and 21, 23, 25, 34, 36. Luke 1.17. 2 Chron. 17.7.8.9. Sal. Song 8.1.2. or 8.9. Acts 8.4.14.26 and 11.19.22. and 13.1.2.3. 1 Tim. 4.14. with 2 Tim. 1.6. and 2.2. Revel. 11.3.4.10. and 18.24.
Some write†M. Brou. on Rev. 11. p. 108. 109 that among the Ievves, ſuch as vvere taken to be Doctors (or Teachers) for to teach the people, were firſt held to be very learned: and that then ſome of the Sanedrin laid their hands upon ſuch a one, and ſaid, Rabbi, take thou authoritie to teach, what is bound, and vvhat is looſe. Maymon. in Sanedrin. And then might Chriſt vvell hauehave reference thereunto, Mat. 16, 19. and John 20, 23. Which point I thought good here to note downe, and to leaue it to further obſervation: As alſo, vvhether ſome like courſe may not or should not ſtill be uſed, for the orderly calling of Teachers and miniſters, to the office and work of the miniſterie, in the time of the Goſpell.
And finally, vvhat may be intended by thoſe words of the Prophet, vvhere Eſay prophecying of the time of the Goſpell, and calling of the Gentiles, bringeth in the Lord ſpeaking thus, And I will alſo take of them (of the Gentiles) for Prieſts and for Levites, ſaith the Lord. &c. Eſa. 66.21, 22. Where all the vvords are vvell to be obſerved, when he ſaith, And alſo; I will take ſaith the Lord, of the Gentiles; for Prieſts and for Levites. &c. For in deed the Lord himſelf took the Prieſts and Levites (out of the tribes of Iſrael) to be the miniſters of the Sanctuarie, and to miniſter therein ſtill on, age after age, one after another, untill the time of correction at Chriſts comming. Exod. 28 and 29. Lev. 8. and 9. Numb. 8. Deut. 10.8. and 33.8 — 11. 1 Chron. 15, 2, 3,— 24. 2 Chron. 29.4 — 11. with Heb. 9.6 — 10. &c. (Whereas the ruling Elders and Governors vvere then at firſt appointed to be choſen by the people. Deut. 1.9.13. and 16.18.) And vvhat alſo by the Apoſtles ſpeach, vvhen ſpeaking likevviſe of the miniſteriall offices of the Goſpell, he ſaith, that Chriſt aſcending up on high, gaue gifts unto men: And that he gaue ſome, Apoſtles; & ſome, Prophets; and ſome, Euangeliſts: and ſome Paſtors, and Teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the miniſterie, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt: till we all come into the unitie of the faith, and of the knovvledge of the Sonne of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulnes of Chriſt. Epheſ. 4.11.12.13. (Where likewiſe there is no mention of the ruling Elders, as not being appointed for the vvork of the miniſterie, and being alſo before plainly ynough and ſufficiently deſigned in the Elders of the church of Iſraell. But the ſpeach here, is onelyonly of the miniſters of the Goſpell:) vvhere again al the words are to be obſerved, both touching the giver (Chriſt himſelf) ver. 1, and 11. and the ſeverall offices of miniſterie giuen, ver. 11. & the uſe, ver. 12. vvith the durance and continuance of them. ver. 13. For although the offices of the Apoſtles, Prophets, and Euageliſts, be not novv in any particular mens perſons, as they were then: yet the fruit of them abideth ſtill, and is perpetuall, in their writings and labors, in the foundation layd once for all, and in the plantation of the churches, according to the ordinance of Chriſt. Mat. 28.18.19.20. John 15.16. 1 Cor. 3.10.11. and 4.9.10. Eph. 2, 20. and 3, 5, 6, 7. and 4, 8 — 13. 1 Tim. 3, 1 — 15. and 6, 13, 14. 2 Tim. 2, 2. Rev. 21, 14, 19, 20. And the offices of Paſtors and Teachers (anſwerable to the Prieſts and Levites in Iſraell, Eſa. 66, 21. Ier. 33, 18 — 22.) are ſtill to endure in the church, for the work of the miniſterie, age after age, to the end of the vvorld. And vvhether therefore the Lord hath not ſtill preſerved his miniſterie, though corrupted (as he hath alſo done his ſeale of Baptiſme) through the corrupteſt times: & that ordinarily ſuch a calling should alvvay be had thereunto of al Paſtors and Teachers, as we may be aſſured, it is derived from Chriſt himſelf, by the Apoſtles, Euangeliſts, and other miniſters of Chriſt, from the beginning, unto this day: and shall likewiſe ſtill be continued untill the appearing of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Epheſ. 4, 11, 12, 13. compared with Eſa. 66, 21, 22. and 59, 21. Jer. 33, 18 — 22. and vvith Mat. 28, 18, 19, 20. Act. 14, 23. and 20, 17, 28. 1 Tim. 3, 1 — 15. and 5, 22. and 6, 13, 14. 2 Tim. 2, 2. Tit. 1, 5. Heb. 12, 28. 1 Pet. 5, 1-4. Rev, 1, 4 — 11 — 19, 20. & 2, 1, 8. &c. and 7 — 16 ch. and 10, 7 — 11. and 11, 10, 11, 12. and 14, 6 — 18. and 18, 24. and 21 and 22 chap.