A Dissuasive from the Errors of the time, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Concerning the right of Prophecying.
The ſtate of the queſtion.THe ſecond queſtion I propounded, concerneth the dogmatick power, ſo to call it, of their Church-members. They teach that the power of propheſie or publike preaching both within and without the Congregation, belongeth to every man in their Church who hath ability to ſpeak in publike to edification. The Reformed Churches give this power only to Paſtors and Doctors who are called by God and the Church to labour in the Word. They do not deny to every Chriſtian all true liberty in private as God gives them occaſion, in an orderly way to edifie one another, nor do they deny to the ſons of the Prophets who are fitting themſelves for the paſtorall charge, to exerciſe their gifts in publike for their preparation and triall; but publike preaching they do not permit to any who are not either actually in the Miniſtry or in the way unto it.
The firſt authors of this queſtion.The Socinians and Arminians, the better to advance their deſign of everting the publike Miniſtry, do put it in the hand of any able man to preach the Word and celebrate the Sacraments. The Browniſts upon the miſtake of ſome Scriptures, give liberty to any of their members whom their Church thinks able to preach.
The Independents difference among themſelves here anent.Mr Cotton and his Brethren in New-England, did follow for a long time the Browniſts in this practiſe; yet of late feeling as it would ſeem, the great inconveniency of this liberty of prophecying, they are either gone or going from it; for in their two laſt books, The way of their Churches, and the Keyes, they not only paſſe this popular Propheſying in ſilence, but alſo do evert the chiefe grounds whereupon before they did build it; our Brethren here of Holland and London, ſeem not yet to be accorded about it; theſe of Arnhem did to the laſt day of their Churches ſtanding maintaine it; their gentlemen preaching ordinarily in the abſence of their Miniſters; but at Roterdam, Mr Bridge would never permit it; yet Mr Simpſon thought it ſo neceſſary an ordinance, that the neglect of it was the cheife cauſe of his ſeceſſion from Mr Bridge, and erecting a new Church; neither ever could theſe two Churches be united till after both Mr Bridges and Mr Simpſons removall; their Succeſſor did find a temper in this queſtion, permitting the exerciſe of propheſie, not in the meeting place of the Congregation, but in a private place on a week day; our Brethren at London are for this exerciſe, not only upon the former grounds, but eſpecially to hold a doore open for themſelves to preach in the Pariſh-Churches where they neither are nor ever intend to be Paſtors, only they preach as gifted men and Prophets, for the converſion of theſe who are to be made members of their new Congregations.
The reaſons we bring for our tenet, are theſe. Firſt, Who ever have power to preach the word ordinarily, have alſo power to baptiſe.That none but Miniſters may ordinarily prophecy, wee prove, it firſt by Chriſts joyning together the power of baptiſm and the power of preaching. But only Miniſters have power to baptiſe: Ergo, only Miniſters have power to preach the Word ordinarily. The Minor how ever the Arminians and ſome few of the late Browniſts deny, yet all the Independents grant it; but they deny the Major, which we prove by two Scripturall reaſons; firſt, Chriſt conjoyns the power of baptiſm with the power of preaching; Ergo, who have the power of preaching have alſo the power of baptiſing, which Chriſt hath anexed to it, Matth. 28.19. Go and teach all Nations, baptiſing them. Their Reply that Chriſt ſpeaks here of Apoſtles and not of ordinary Miniſters, is not ſatisfactory; for he ſpeaks both of Apoſtles and ordinary Miniſters becauſe of ſuch officers who were to remain in the Church unto the end of the world, and with whoſe Miniſtry he was alwayes and ever to be preſent as it followeth in verſe 20. But the Church from that time to the worlds end, was not to be ſerved by Apoſtles only, who ſoon after were removed, but by ordinary Paſtors alſo, the Apoſtles Succeſſors. Moreover, there is no reaſon for the connexion of baptiſm and Preaching in the perſon of the Apoſtles that will not hold as well if not better in the perſon of ordinary Miniſters.
Our other proofe of the major, is this. The power of preaching is more then the power of baptiſme; Ergo, who have the firſt, have the ſecond alſo. The antecedent is manifeſt from 1 Cor. 1.17. Chriſt ſent me not to baptiſe but to preach; to intimate the excellency of the one above the other; the Apoſtle declares not only his ſeldome practice of the one,Secondly, theſe that preach, muſt be ſent to that work. but denyeth his commiſſion for it in compariſon of the other.
The ſecond Argument; Who ever have power to preach are ſent of God to preach. But, theſe who have no office in the Church are not ſent of God to preach, Ergo: They that have no office in the Church have no power to preach. The major is grounded on Rom. 10.15. How ſhall they preach except they be ſent? The minor may bee proved, not only from the nature of the thing, the calling of God to preach, and a mans ordinary preaching on Gods call importing an office and charge to do ſuch a work: but alſo from the place in hand compared with its fountaine, whence it is derived Iſay 52.8. Thy watchmen ſhall lift up the voyce, where it is cleare that theſe whom the Lord ſends to preach are watchmen, from whoſe hand the blood of them, that die without warning will be required, Ezeck. 33.6. Who watch for the peoples ſoules as they who muſt give an account, Heb. 12.17. which is not true of any man who hath no charge.
Thirdly, every ordinary preacher labo…rs in the Word and Doctrine.Every ordinary preacher labours in the word and doctrine; no man out of office labours in the word and doctrine; for labouring in the word and doctrine, is the character and ſpecifick difference of the Paſtor and Doctor, whereby they are diſtinguiſhed from the ruling Elder, 1 Tim. 5.17. This character and form of the prime Officers cannot be given to men out of all office. The major is proved from the very terms of the propoſition, for no man can acquire an ability to preach ordinarily the Word in the Congregation and to exerciſe that gift for the Churches edification without great and conſtant labouring in that Word.
Fourthly, none out of office have the gift of preaching▪ for all who have that gi…t are either Apoſtl…s, Evangel…ſts, Prophets, Paſtors, or Doctors, and all theſe are officers.Fourthly, Every Preacher of the Word hath gotten a gift from Chriſt for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt; but, no man out of office hath gotten ſuch a gift; Ergo. The major they do not deny, for they make the ground of their Prophets preaching to be their gift to edifie the Church. The minor thus we prove, Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, Prophets, Paſtors and Doctors, are not out of office. But, all who have received ſuch gifts, are Apoſtles, &c. Ergo, none who have received ſuch gifts are out of office. The major none will deny; the minor is grounded on Epheſ. 4.8. & 11. where there is a perfect enumeration of all the teaching gifts which Chriſt gave to the Church for edification; of theſe are reckoned up only five, Apoſtles, &c. and to Gods perfect numbers men may not adde.
Fifthly, no man out of office might ſacrifice.Fifthly, It was unlawfull for men out of office to ſacrifice; Ergo, it is unlawfull for men out of office to preach. The conſequence lieth in the parity of preaching to ſacrificing, the one being as great an honour if not a greater then the other; for I ſuppoſe it will be granted that the Sacraments of the New Teſtament are in many reſpects more excellent then the Sacrifices of the old. Now preaching as we have proved before, is more excellent then baptiſm, a Sacrament of the New Teſtament. The antecedent is proved from Heb. chap. 5. v 3.4, 5. No man taketh this honour to himſelfe, viz. to offer up Sacrifices, but he that is called of God as was Aaron; ſo alſo Chriſt glorified not himſelfe to be made an High Prieſt; Here it is made unlawfull both for Aaron and Chriſt to offer up Sacrifices before they had a calling to be Prieſts.
Sixthly,Sixthly, all who have from God the gift of preaching are obliged to lay aſide all other occupations and attend that work alone. Whoever have gotten of God a calling or a gift to preach the Goſpel, they are obliged to keep & encreaſe their gift, & to improve that calling by giving themſelves wholy to reading, by laying aſide all worldly occupations, & not intangling themſelves with the things of this life; but, no man out of office is thus obliged. Ergo. The minor they grant, for they will not have their Prophets to be ſo much in reading as may diſtract them from their worldly Trade and civill occupation: The major is proved from 1 Tim. cha. 4. ver. 13.14, 15. where Timothy is commanded to keep his gift of preaching by the meanes named. The reaſon is alike to all that have that gift, whether they have it by Propheſie, & laying on of the hands of the Presbytery as Timothy had it, or any otherwayes: for the gifts of God however gotten, muſt not bee neglected, and the meanes preſcribed of God for the entertaining of theſe gifts may not bee ſlighted, leaſt of all by them in whom the gift is but mean and ſmall; they of all others have moſt need of the ſtrongeſt meanes to make their ſmoking flax to burn: beſide, publick preaching is a faculty of that nature, that all the reading and attendance which any man can beſtow upon it, will have enough ado to ſupport and entertaine it in any uſefull and edifying condition.
Seventhly,Seventhly, the Apoſtles appointed none to preach but Elders. None may lawfully preach but ſuch as the Apoſtles appointed to preach. But, the Apoſtles appointed no man out of office to preach. The minor alone is queſtionable; which thus we prove. The Apoſtles appointed no others to preach but Elders; Ergo, none out of office. The antecedent we have from Titus 1.5.Eighthly, the preaching of men out of office is a means of confuſion and errour. That thou ſhouldeſt ordaine Elders in every City as I had appointed thee.
Eightly, the permitting of private men out of office to preach, is a great meanes of confuſion in the Church and breeding of errors and ſtrife; Ergo, its not of God. The antecedent is made too cleare by daily experience; the conſequence is builded upon the nature of God who is a God and Author of truth and order; what is from him, is conduceable to theſe ends, not to the contrary.
The contrary Arguments which Mr Cotton in his Catechiſm and Anſwer to the 32 Queſtions, borrows from Robinſon, are; Firſt, in the Church of Corinth men out of office did Prophecie. Anſ. theſe men were officers or their preaching was extraordinary.The oppoſite Arguments are many. Robinſon while yet he was, as I ſuppoſe, in the height of his Separation, did fill a whole book with them; the beſt of theſe Arguments whereupon our Brethren are pleaſed to pitch, be theſe following. Firſt, in the Church of Corinth, men out of office did ordinarily preach in the Congregation; Ergo, it is lawfull to doe ſo ſtill. Anſw. We may either deny, or diſtinguiſh the antecedent: They that preached in the place alledged, were Prophets, and ſo not out of off…ce. Secondly, they who preached there, were men endued with extraordinary gifts, whoſe practice can be no pattern to the Churches now a dayes, where theſe gifts are ceaſed. That it is ſo, verſ. 30. makes cleare, where the Prophets doe preach extemporary Revelations.
Alſo Mr Cotton himſelfe in his laſt book of the Keyes, p. 20. doth grant this, and expreſly recals what himſelfe in his Catechiſm, and both he and his Brethren in their Anſwer to the 32 Articles, had delivered about propheſying. This ingenuity is amiable, and if it might pleaſe God to bring our Brethren off the other points of Browniſme as fairely, there might be hope quickly of an happy Accommodation.
Secondly, Iehoſhaphat and his Princes did preach; Anſw. The Kings exhorting of the Levites to doe their duty and the Princes c…untenancing of them therein was not properly preaching.Their ſecond Argument. Iehoſhaphat and his Princes did preach the word. But, Iehoſhaphat & his Princes were not Church-officers; Ergo, ſome who are no Church-officers, may preach the Word. Anſ. We deny the major; for that which is recorded of Iehoſhaphat, Chro. 2.19. was nothing but the Kings exhortation to his ſubjects, to ſtirre up the Levites and Iudges to a faithfull diſcharge of their office; this was no expoſition of the Law, nor any diſpenſing of that knowledge which the Prieſts lips were appointed by God to preſerve; What is ſpoken of his Princes preaching, Chron. 2.17, 6. beſide that it was but once in the time of an extraordinary Reformation, the way of that teaching is expounded in the following words, not to have been by themſelves, but by the Levites who carried the Book of the Law, they only did preach; the Princes accompanied them, and by their Civill authority countenanced and aſſiſted them in their preaching. That thus it was, Mr Cotton confeſſeth in the above-mentioned place of his Keys, avowing that in the Church of Iſrael none did preach either in the Synagogue or Temple, but Prieſts and Levites, except they had an extraordinary call to Propheſy.
Thirdly. What we are commanded to regard is lawfull. But,Thirdly, w…e muſt not deſpiſe prophecy. Anſ. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of the preaching of men in office. the preaching of men out of office we are commanded to regard 1 Theſ. 5. Deſpiſe not prophecying. Anſw. We deny the proofe of the minor; for the prophecying ſpoken of by the Apoſtle is not the preaching of men out of office, but either of ſuch extraordinary Prophets as were in the Church of the Corinthians and other Churches in thoſe primitive times, or elſe of ordinary paſtors who oft in Scripture are called prophets, Mat. 11.9. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, ſhall receive a Prophets reward; a Prophet is not without honour but in his owne Countrey. A Pagan poet by the Apoſtle is called a Prophet. Rev. 18.24. In her was found the blood of the Prophets and Saints; and 22.9. I am thy fellow-ſervant, and of thy brethren the Prophets.
Fourthly,Fourthly, the ſons of the Prophets did preach. Anſw. Their deſignation to be Prophets gave them right to initiall and preparatory exerciſes towards that office. our Brethren of New-England bring no more arguments. The reſt of Robinſons ſtuffe is not ſo conſiderable: he reaſoneth thus; The ſons of the Prophets did preach, 1 Sam. 15.5. 2 Kings 2.7. alſo 4.1. But, the ſons of the Prophets were men out of office. Anſw. The major is not proved by the places alledged; for the firſt ſpeaks of the Prophets, but not of their ſons; the other two ſpeak of the ſons of the Prophets, but nothing of their preaching: yet we do not deny the major; for we think it may be proved from other Scriptures; but we deny the minor, That the ſons of the Prophets were men altogether out of office; for their call from God, and appointment by the Prophets to wait on that ſervice, did give them ſuch a begining and entrance into the office of a Prophet that made them capable of an initiall exerciſe of their begun gifts: ſo we deny not in the New Teſtament, to men who are deſtinate to the Miniſtry and in their preparations for it, a power to preach for attaining an habit of that gift wherunto initiall Sermons are a neceſſary means, without which neither the gift nor the calling can be obtained without a miracle.
Fifthly, Robinſon reaſons thus;Fifthly, Moſes wiſhed all the people to bee Prophets. Anſ. But not without Gods calling to that offi…e. All theſe whom we ought to wiſh to be Prophets, may lawfully preach. But, we ought to wiſh all the people of God to be Prophets, Num. 11.20. Would God that all the people of the Lord were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his ſpirit upon them. Anſ. We deny the major, becauſe our deſire for the enlargement of Gods honour and the propagation of his truth, that many more then are, were ſent out to preach and baptize giveth not to any man either a gift, or a power, or a calling to preach and baptize, till God and man give the calling. Moſes wiſh was, not that all the people ſhould prophecy, but that all might have the office of Prophets and the ſpirit of God to enable them for prophecying.
Sixthly, the Apoſtles before the Reſurrection did preach. Anſ. At that time they were true Apoſtles and did baptiſe.Sixthly, the Apoſtles before Chriſts reſurrection did preach. But, the Apoſtles before Chriſts reſurrection were not in the office of Apoſtleſhip. Anſw. The minor muſt carry that they were men out of all Church office, which is eviden…ly falſe; for beſide that Mat. 10.1. they are called expreſly Apoſtles at their firſt miſſion; and Iudas, Acts 1.25. is ſaid to have had the miniſtry and the Apoſtleſhip: they did celebrate the Sacrament of Baptiſm, which the adverſary will grant could not lawfully be done by men out of office.
Seventhly, Paul and Barnabas were invited to exhort. Anſ. they were men in office.Seventhly, Paul and Barnabas were invited to preach where they were in no office, and by thoſe who did not know them to be in office anywhere, Acts 13.15. Men and Brethren if yee have any word of exhortation for the Brethren, ſay on; Ergo, men out of office may lawfully preach. Anſw. The antecedent is falſe, for Paul and Barnabas were men in office, true Prophets and Apoſtles; their bounds were as large as all Nations. Beſide, a Paſtor in one Church, for the relation he hath to the Church univerſall, upon a lawfull call may preach in any Church. Alſo that the rulers of the Synagogue did not take Paul and Barnabas for Preachers, is as eaſily deny'd as affirmd: the ſame both of their preaching & miracles might eaſily have come before or with them from Cyprus into Pyſidia.
Eighthly, the Scribes and Phariſees did preach. Anſw. They were officers and ſate in Moſes chaireLaſtly, the Scribes and Phariſees did expound and preach the law; but, the Scribes and Phariſees were in no Church office; for all the offices of the Church under the old Teſtament, were in the hands of Levites alone: now the Scribes and Phariſees were not Levites but of other tribes. Anſ. The minor is falſe; for the Lord tels us that the Scribes and Phariſees were in Church office, that they ſate in Moſes chaire, and were doctors of the Law. The confirmation is not good; for how will they prove that in theſe times of great confuſion, the Levites alone had all Eccleſiaſtick offices, not only in the Temple about the ſacrifices, but in the Synagogue about the doctrine and diſcipline? Alſo though this were yeelded, yet how will they prove that the Scribes and Phariſees were of any other Tribe then of Levi?