The Dippers Dipped, Article 4
ARTIC. 4.
Concerning the calling of Pastours.
ANABAPTIST.
THat there ought to be no distinction by the Word of God,Gustius l. de Anabap. exord. p 35. Catabaptistae sumunt sibi omnes praedicandi officium. See the confession of the Anap. art. 41, 45. between the Clergie and the Laitie; but that all who are gifted may preach the Word, and administer the Sacraments.
THE REFUTATION.
This prodigious errour, which may be easily convinced not onelyonly by the cleare light of Scripture, and the practise of the Christian Church from the beginning to this day: but also by the glimmering light of Reason and Custome of all Nations, a mungrill sect of late betweene Brownists and Anabaptists have set abroach, and thereby after a sort justified the scandall laid upon some in the Reformed Churches, by Card: Bellarmine, that Protestants have no order at all among them, but confusion; that among them all sorts of Tradesmen and Artificers handle the Word and Sacraments with foul and unwashed hands, to the great dishonour of God, and prophanation of his holy Ordinances. But let the Cardinall and all Papists know, that we owne none of these russet Rabbies, or Apron Levites, but detest and abominate them as much as we doe that great Patriarch of the Anabaptists Cuiperdolin, Sleid. com. l. 10 Cuiperdolingus manibus pedibus que reptans per homines confertim stantes in sublimi discurrit, & ino sillis inhalans, Pater (inquit ad singulos) te sanctificavit, accipe Spiritum sanct.who in Munster at the Coronation of their Taylor King, creeps upon all foure, and passing through a great throng of people, breathed into all their mouthes, saying to every one in particular, The Father hath sanctified thee, receive the holy Ghost. This Heresie may be felled downe at three blowes of the axe (Saint Iohn Baptist speaks of) laid to the root of the tree, after this manner:
ARGUMENT I.
No man may conjoyne or confound them whom God hath severad and distinguished:
But God in his Word hath severed the Clergie from the Laity; & distinguished the Priests from the people, Nem. 18, 20. Hos. 4. 4, 9. Mal. 2. 7.
Ergo, None ought to confound them.
ANABAP. ANSWER.
By the Leviticall Law the Priests were distinguished from the people, but that distinction is now taken away, and by the Gospel any who hath the gift of Prayer, and Interpretation of Scripture, may both expound, and dip and doe all such things as the Clergie of late have appropriated to themselves.
REPLY.
1. The distinction of Priest and People is more ancient then the Leviticall Law, and founded in the very Law of nature; for the Indians have their Brackmans, the Turks their Mufie…s, the Heathen Romans had their Flamines and Arch-Flamines, the Britaines and Galls their Druides. Before the Law given, we reade of Priests in Egypt, and in Canaan, and in Midian. Melchizedech was a Priest to the most high God, Gen. 14. 18. The Priests in Egypt had a portion by themselves, Gen. 47. 22. OnelyOnly the land of the Priests, Pharaoh bought not, for the Priests had a portion assigned them, and they did eat their portion which he gave them. And Exod. 2. 16. there is mention of a Priest of Midian which had seven daughters.
2. In the New Testament, though the Leviticall Priesthood be taken away, yet there still remaineth a distinction betweene the Clergie and Laitie; for Christ Mat. 28. 19. giveth commission to his Apostles, and their successors, to teach all nations, and baptize them, and Iohn 20. 22. to remit and retaine sins; and the Apostle evidently distinguisheth the Flock from their Pastours, Act. 20. 28. Take heed to your selves, and all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers. And Gal. 66. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate to him that teacheth in all good things. And Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your selves, for they watch over your soules, as they that must give account, that they may doe it with joy, and not with grief.
ARGUMENT II.
That for which God inflicted most severe punishments in the Law, ought not to be attempted by any that feare God:
But God inflicted severe punishments upon Lay persons for usurping upon, and intermedling with the Priests function▪ as namely, upon Corah, Da…han, and Abiram, Num. 16. 31. and upon Vzza, 2 Sam. 6. 7. and upon Vzziah, 2 Chron 26. 21.
Ergo, None that feare God, ought to attempt any such thing.
ANABAP. ANSWER.
These plagues and judgements fell upon the persons above named for other crimes, namely upon Corah and his complices for their conspiracie against Moses and Aaron; Uzza for his presumption; and Uzziah for his pride; not simply for those acts done by them, which seemed to trench upon the Priests and Levites office.
REPLY.
1. It is true, that the former delinquents were guilty of other crimes. For as Angels often appeare single, but Devils by legions; so eminent vertues are for the most part single and rare in men, but enourmous vices are seldome alone. Yet this no way dulleth the point of the argument: For the Text is expresse, that the particular punishments above mentioned were laid upon them for those illegall acts done by them, to the wrong and prejudice of the Sacerdotall function. For what saith the Text? Corah and his company said to Moses and Aaron, You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them. Ver. 18. They took very man his censer, and put fire on them: and that hereby they encroached upon the Priests office, it is evident by Moses reproofe, ver. 9, 10. Is it a small thing that God hath appointed you to stand before the congregation to minister unto them, and he hath brought thee neere unto him, and seek ye the Priesthood also? Likewise it is said of Vzza, that he put his hand to the Ark of God, and that therefore the Lord was wroth with him, and smote him in the same place. And for Vzziah, the case is yet clearer, for the Priests withstood him, and said unto him, 2 Chron. 26. 18, 19. It pertaineth not unto thee, Vzziah, to burne incense to the Lord, but to the Priests, the sonnes of Aaron: yet Vzziah will be medling with the censer, and be burning incense contrary to the Law, and thereby he incensed the wrath of God against himselfe, and immediately the leprosie rose up in his forehead before the Priests in the house of the Lord, besides the Incense Altar.
2. I grant Corah and his complices couspired against Moses and Aaron, but the cause was, Moses and Aaron withstood his ambition, and would not suffer him to arrogate to himselfe the Priests f…tion. Vzza was presumptuous, but for ought appeares in the Text, he shewed it in nothing but this, that he without any calling from God presumed to touch his Arke, and doe the office of a Priest. Vzziah was proud, and it was the height of his pride which moved him to burne incense, and not content with his Scepter, to meddle with the Censer. I shall adde no more to enforce this Reason then the Application of the words of the Oratour to Mark Anthonie; I wonder Anthonie that thou art not frighted at their ends, Cic. Phil. sec. Miror te Antoni quorum facta imitaris, corum exitus non per…orrescere.whose courses thou followest: So I very much marvaile that they who doe such things as Corah, Vzza, and Vzziah smarted for, feare not that they shall suffer in the like kind, or a worse, without repentance. For although the earth open not her mouth and swallow them up as she did Dathan, and his fellow Conspiratours; yet Hell will open her mouth, and swallow them body and soule: And though God smite them not with temporall death, as he did Vzza, yet he will with eternall: And though their flesh be not infected with leprosie, as Vzziah's was, yet their consciences are most foule and leprous in the sight of God.
ARGUMENT III.
All that take upon them to execute the office of a Priest or Minister of the Gospel, ought to have a calling thereunto, Heb. 5. 4. 1 Tim. 4. 14.
But Lay persons, whether Merchants, or Artizans, or Husbandmen, or any the like, have no calling to execute the office of a Priest, or Minister of the Gospel.
Ergo, they may not assume, or arrogate it to themselves.
ANABAP: ANSWER.
Gods conferring gifts upon any man, is a sufficient calling; as for the imposition of Episcopall hands, it is an Antichristian rite, and giveth the partie ordained no power at all.
REPLY.
There is a double calling necessary to a dispenser of the mysteries of salvation; Inward, and Outward: The Inward enableth them, the Outward authorizeth them to discharge their sacred function. Where thers are gifts, if God encline the heart of the party to enter into the Ministery, there is an inward calling: yet this alone sufficeth not without*Helvetica posterior c. 18. Nemo honorem ministerii Ecclesiastici usurpari sibi, id est, arbitrio propri rapere, debeat: vocentur & eligantur electione Eccle…siastica & legitima ministri Ecclessiae. Et post, Nu… cupant Apostoli omnes in Christum credentes sacerda…tes, sed non ratioone ministerii, &c. Bohemica confes. c. 9. Nulli apud nos permittitur ministerii muner f…ngi, aut ullum sacrum Domini munus administrare nisi hic primae Ecclesiae more at que divinitus constitu…to o…dine ad eam functionem, pervenerit, vacatus que … & constitutus. Anglica confes. art 6. Ministrum d… cemus legitime voca i oportere, & recte at que ordin praefici Ecclesiae Dei…quo major nobis ab istis fit inj… ria, quibus nihil saepius in ore est, quam apud nos omne esse sacerdotes, omnes doctores, omnes interpretes Belgica confes. art. 31. Credimus ministros debere a functiones illas suas vocari & promoveri legitim… Ecclesiae electione. Augustana confes. art. 14. De ordine Ecclesiastico docent, quod nemo debet in Ecclesia publice docere, aut sacramenta administrare, nirite vocatus, sicut & Paulus praecipit Tito ut in … vitatibus presbyteros constituat. Wittenberg. confes. art. 20. Nec permittendum est cuivis, quamv… spirituali sacerdoti, ut sine legitima vocatione usurp… publicum ministerium in Ecclesia. an outward calling, either ordinary or extraordinary; Extraordinary callings (sith Miracles are ceased) we are not now to expect; nor if any pretend, easily beleeve, or give way thereunto: and therefore wee must stick to the ordinary calling, by the imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie; for none may prophesie or preach except he be sent. Ier. 14. 14. The Prophets prophesie in my name, and I sent them not. Jer. 27. 15. I have not sent them, yet they prophesie. Rom. 10. 15. How shall they preach, except they be sent? And the Christian Church now knoweth no other sending, then by laying on of hands by the successours of the Apostles, and commending them to particular charges; And if such Episcopall Ordination be an Antichristian Rite, we desire to learne from them what is the Christian forme or manner of admitting men into holy Orders; for no other Ordination was heard of for 1500. yeeres, or at least approved of, and more: during which time, if there were no lawfull Calling, there were no Pastors feeding, and governing the flocks; if no lawfull Pastors, no visible Churches.
2. As the Anabaptists have no outward Calling, so neither inward; for whatsoever overweaning conceit they may have of themselves, yet certain it is, they who take upon them to be their leaders and teachers, are such as S. Ierome complaineth of in his 8. Epistle, Who become Masters of the unlearned, before they were scholars of the learned. And S. Bern. Nimium multi imperitorum magistri fiunt, priu… quam fuerint doctorum discipuli. In Cant. Canales multos hodie habemus in Ecclesia, conchas paucas; tantae charitatis sunt, per qu… nobis fluenta coelestia dimanant, ut prius effunde… quam infundi velint, loqui quam audire parati… res, prompti docere quod nunquam didicerunt.We have many cocks in the Church, but few cesterns; they who derive to us the heavenly waters, are so charitable, that they poure out rather then stay to have any thing poured into them; more ready to speak then to heare; and apt to teach that they never learned. Though they can very phrases, and out of broken notes hold out a discourse upon some passages of Scripture for an houre or more; yet they are no wayes furnished with gifts requisite to a faithful Shepherd, and able Minister of the Gospel: for they understand not the Scripture in the Originall Languages, they cannot expound without Grammar, nor perswade without Rhetorick, nor divide without Logick, nor sound the depth of any Controversie without Philosophie, and Schoole Divinity. Neither may they fly to immediate Inspirations of the holy Ghost, and the miraculous gifts of Tongues, and Prophesie, for such have ceased in the Church for these many hundred yeeres.
The Anabaptists Objections answered.
You have heard how strong our Arguments are for the truth: now ye shall heare in briefe how weake the Adversaries Objections are against it.
First,Obj. 1. they alledge out of Ioel 2. 28. I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dreame dreames: That though under the Law the people were ordinarily to heare the interpretation of the Law of God from the Priests; yet that under the Gospel God so plentifully powreth his Spirit upon all congregations, that all Beleevers are enabled to Prophesie, and to speak to instruction, to edification and comfort.
But we answer,Sol. 1. That the Prophet there speaketh not of any ghostly power to open the Kingdome of Heaven, and remit and retaine sins given by Christ to his Apostles and their successors, but of an extraordinary measure of enlightning graces, as also of extraordinary gifts of Tongues and Miracles, as the Apostle Saint Peter himselfe expoundeth the Text, Act. 2. 15, 16, 17.
As there is a greater measure of knowledge given to the people under the Gospel, then under the Law, and a more copious effusion of the Spirit; so also to the Pastours: and to whom more is given, more shall be required. This Text therefore proveth not that all Sheep should be Pastours, and all Scholars, Teachers; but that both Teachers and Disciples should have a greater measure of knowledge then before they had under the Law.
Secondly,Obj. 2. they alledge out of Colos. 3. 16. and the 1 Pet. 4. 10. that all Christians ought to communicate their knowledge and other gifts of the Spirit one to another, and thereby to teach and instruct, and edifie one another. Therefore all Lay persons who have the gift of Supplication and Interpretation of Scripture, ought to make use of them for the benefit of others, as the Ministers of the Gospel doe.
But we answer,Sol. 1. that as the clouds when they are full, drop, and the eares shed, and the fountaines flow; so all who abound in knowledge, ought in such way as they are able, according to their calling, derive it to others: but hence it will not follow, that all men have ghostly power to dispense the mysteries of …alvation, and administer the Sacraments, and remit and retaine sins, which peculiarly appertaine to the Pastorall calling.
There is a double teaching and admonishing, Publique and Private; Publique, by expounding the holy Oracles of God, and revealing to Gods people his whole counsell for their salvation: Private, by Catechizing a mans family, or conferring with his Christian Brethren, and rehearsing in some particular what he hath learned from the Scripture, and other holy Books, or the mouth of his Pastour, or by giving good advice, and shewing him his errours, or encouraging him in a good course, ministring unto him a word of comfort, or advise, or admonition in due season: And of this latter kind of teaching and admonishing, the Apostle speaketh, as appeareth by the words following, Admonishing one another in Psalms, and Hymnes, and spirituall songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Thirdly,Obj. 3. they alledge, that Eldad, and Medad, Numb. 11. 27. and Saul, 1 Sam. 10. 11. and Philips daughters, Act. 21. 9. prophesied, that the Prophet Amos was a Herds-man, Peter, and other of the twelve, Fishermen, and S. Paul a Tent-maker: Why then may not Tradesmen, and the like, if God bestowes gifts upon them, preach the Word, and administer the Sacraments?
But we answer,Sol. 1. that extraordinary instances ought not to be taken for presidents, or drawne into ordinary practise; else false Prophets might now expect to be admonished of their errours by brute beasts, because once God opened the mouth of the Asse, and by it reproved the madnesse of the Prophet Balaam; and all Souldiers that fight the Lords battaile, blow rams horns in stead of trumpets, because once with them the walls of Iericho were blowne downe; or arme themselves with lamps and broken pitchers, because Gideons souldiers with such weapons discomfited and routed the Midianites.
All these had a calling from God, and proved this their calling by strange and wondrous effects, as by certainly fore-telling things future, or speaking with tongues, which they never had learned, or by miraculous cures, or the like. Let our new Enthusiasts and Brownists prove their extraordinary calling in like manner, and we will not deny them the exercise of the Ministeriall function.
It is to be noted, that none are now borne in holy Orders, or may challenge the Priesthood by birth; but before they take holy Orders upon them, given them by the Church, they are meere Lay persons. Neither doe we find fault with any simply, hoc nomine, because they have been before of other professions, or trades, (though it were to be wished that there were no necessity of admitting such into the Ministery, whose education or former course of life hath not been corresponding to so holy a Calling) but that we blame them for, is, that they take upon them the honour and office of the Priesthood, not being called thereunto, as was Aaron; that they despise the Churches Ordination, by Imposition of hands; that they handle the holy Scripture and Sacraments with black, foule, and unwashed hands; that they presume that they have those gifts and graces of the Spirit, which indeed they have not; that they usurp upon the place and function of the Ministers of the Gospel, and too much undervalue the cure of souls, which as Saint Gregory rightly defineth it, is Ars artium, the Art of all arts; And S. Paul, by the question he propoundeth, resolveth as much, saying, *… …reg. de cura …astorali, l. 1. 1. Ab imperi…s pastorale agisterium …ta temeritate …scipitur, …ando ars ar…um est regi…en animarum. 2 Cor. 2 16.Who is sufficient for these things? But now, as the practise is, and the common estimation of the vulgar, we may crosse S. Pauls question, with a contrary Interrogatorie, Who is not sufficient for these things? sith Coach-men, Weavers, Felt-makers, and other base Mechanicks, are now (by some) thought able Ministers, and profound Doctors of the Church, and Exercise, as they tearme it, not onelyonly in private Conventicles, but also per famam & populum in great Churches, and publique Assemblies, to the great dishonour of God, prophanation of his Ordinances, and scandall of the Reformed Churches.