Apology for the Ministry and its Maintenance, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The Cavills and Fallacies of the Anabaptists, Socinians, Swend…eldians, and Enthusiasts are blown away.
Obj. 1. THe first harbour of these Libertines Opinion in this thing is pretended to be in Ierem. 1. 34. They …hall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from …he l…ast of them, even to the greatest of them, saith the Lord; Therefore such a thing as the Ministry of the Word is needless under the New Testament.
Answ. 1. Words are not properly Scripture,, but the sense; neither does the Scripture properly consist in the leaves of words, but in the root of reason; the Word of God is not to be taken formally, as it is described by words and syllables, but materially, as it declares to us the minde and counsell of God; we must not stick in the bark, for that hath involved the …apist… and Anabaptists in many Errours.
2. If we must needs have so much regard to the letter of the Text, it rather takes away Private Instruction, then Publick Preaching; for God does not say, there shall be no publick Preachers, but They shall no more t…ach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother. But neither can we dis…ard private Instructions under the Gospell, if S… Paul be a Gospell-man, who presseth this duty, Coloss. 3. 16. 1 Thes. 5. 11.
3. The Text is a Promise: Now Promises must not shoulder out, nor overthrow Precepts; neither must the means be taken away, because the primary cause is laid down and asserted. God feeds all, it does not follow, therefore that tillag… is unnecessary, or bread needless, …or by these means God …eeds us. No more does it follow, that because God teacheth, therefore the ministry of his word is unnecessary, for God teacheth by the ministry of his Word.
4. The genuine scope of the Text is to shew us, that God teacheth his Elect▪ not onelyonly externally by the ministry of his Word, but internally▪ by the ministry of his Holy Spi…it. Neither does the Prophet speak absolutely, simply▪ and inclusively; but comparatively, as the Holy Ghost frequently speaks. Things spoken negatively in Scripture, are oft times to be understood comparatively, and are not to be expounded so much by (not) as by (not so much,) which is plain in Hos. 6. 6. Psal. 50. 8. Psal. 51. 16. Iohn 6. 38. Iohn 7. 16. and many other places: So that the sum of the Prophets words will easi…y be, There shall be a …uller and clearer knowledg of God in the times of the New Testament, then there was in the times of the Old. 1. Because under the Old Testame…t Christ was obscurely shadowed out in Types; but under the New he is plainly preach'd, and shewn openly; insomuch, that a very boy, w…ll ca…echised and instructed doth understand the Gospell concerning Christ, beter then many of the Priests of the Law did; which is the accomplishment of that Promise. Isa. 11. 9. The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. 2. Because there are farre more that are blessed with the saving knowledg of God in the times of the New Testament, than were in the times of the Old, the Preaching of the Word not being restrained to one Nation now, as it was then, but common to all. 3. By reason of the more plentifull Effusions of the grace of God, there shall not need so much pains and trouble to instruct the Elect now, as formerly there needed. This is plain from vers. 33. where it is said, I will write my Law in their hearts, not in their lips, not in tables of stones, not on the fringes of their garments (as it was sometimes among the Iews) but in their hearts, by giving them pious affections, and inclinations for the Law of God. That of Calvin upon the place gives the substance of the Interpretation; God, who had more darkly represented himself under the Law, promiseth a more glorious discovery under the Gospell; in so much, that the knowledg of God shall be then, as it were, familiar, and common: But it is by an Hyperbole that he commendeth this grace, when he saies, that no one shall need any Master or Teacher, but every one shall be sufficiently instructed: Neither yet does he say exactly, that they shall not teach every one his neighbour, but they shall not teach every one his neighbour, saying, Know the Lord; i. e. there shall be such a measure of knowledg, that men shall be no longer Abecedarians: For this phrase (know the Lord) seems to point at the first beginning, and rudiments of Religion. The minde of the Prephet in this place (which we willingly yield) can be nothing but this, that God will send out a greater light, and greater measures of knowledg in the times of the Go…pell, and will deale more freely and familiarly with his people then, than formerly.
5. If having given the naturall sense, & genuine scope of the text, we may use an answer ad hominem, I would fain know why the Anabaptists and Quakers, that stand up for this litterall meaning, and apply the promise to our days, can make themselves these new lights, and the heirs of this promise, and yet goe about saying know the Lord. Certainly if this be the meaning of the promise, these be the times of the accomplishment of it, and they the persons to whom it belongs, they contradict their interpretation, and even break the neck of the promise, in going from town to town, from street to street, from house to house, teaching men to repent, to turn to the Lord, to know the Lord, and a great deal more of this, and so take Gods work out of his hands, for they should be all taught of the Lord. And if they say, true men shall be taught of the Lord, but it shall be by the means of men, then why are not we as fit to teach as they? This now brings to my mind their
2. Obj. Which they build upon, Is. 54. 13. where God promiseth that all the faithfull shall be taught of the Lord. Therefore the Ministry of the word is needlesse.
Ans. 1. This rather raiseth up then razeth out the Ministry of the word, of which there shall be need in the New-Testament, no lesse then in the old. All know that Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture. Now Christ reacheth us what it is to be taught of God. Ioh. 6. 45. God teacheth us two ways, by the outward preaching of his word and by the inward revelations of his spirits. God here promiseth that his elect shall be taught, not only by the teachers of the Church from without, but by the Holy Spirit from within. Christians in this text of the Prophet seem to be put in opposition to the lews, whose teachings under the old Testament were more externall then internall. And it is here promised that the spirit of God shall be mightily efficacious by the Ministery of the word, and that it shall be more free and liberall in distributing its gifts and graces under the New Testament. So that these two kinds of teachings are rather united in this text than divided. To be taught of God is duplicate page duplicate page not to be taught of him immediately, but mediately by the preaching of the word, as appears from Luk 10. 16. Act 10. 33. But further if this text of the prophet be interpreted for the overthrow of the Ministry of the word, how will it agree with Ier. 3. 15. Mat. 28. 20. Rom. 10. …4.? And agree it must, unlesse you will have the spirit of truth to give himself the lye. Cal… speaks appositely. It is evident how miserably they dote, who abuse this text, for the overthrow of the ministry of the Word, so much used by, and usefull …o the Church. They cannot be owned for the Children of the Church, that reject her education. And it is in vain to boast the revelations of the spirit; for the spirit teaches none, save those who submit themselves to the ministry of the Word. Account we them therefore the brats of the Devill, not the genuine begotten of God, who reject this holy ordinance of his own institution. For we see these two, (the Children of the Chu…ch) and (the taught of God) are so much the same, that they cannot be the taught of God, who will not be taught in the Chu…ch.
2. If we may make an answer ad hominem, It little becomes the Anabaptists to decrye a Ministry, and forbid prophesying who otherwise bid all to do it, plead the cause of the gifted brethren so stiffly, and give them a licence for prophesying at their pleasure. No wonder if they would set Scripture together by the ears, and make contradictions in them, who themselves do contradict themselves, and whose latter opinions do fall out and quarrell with their former.
3. Obj. Is grounded upon 1. Ioh. 2. 20, 27. Ye have an unction from the holy one, and ye know all things; And ye need not that any man teach you. The Objection fram'd for the purpose of our Libertines and New lights, will be of this form, who ever hath the spirit of God, understandeth the Scriptures without a teacher, But we have this spirit of God. Therefore we understand them without any teacher.
Ans. 1. The Major proposition is false. For whom the spirit of God teacheth, it teacheth by teachers, Eph▪ 4. 11. and not immediately, as was made to appear before. This anointing teacheth you all things, that is, The spirit of God is efficacious and powerfull by the preaching of the word, to enlighten the minds of the faithfull in all things necessary to Salvation. These elect persons knew all things, and so St. Paul could do all things he sayes, and yet I dare say there were many things▪ that they did not know, nor he could not doe: what shall we say then? Why not that these elect persons were so many Gods, which they must be, if they know all things. Ioh. 21. 17▪ Not that Paul was Omnipotent, not that these were Omniscient; But Paul's Omnipotence, and their Omniscience must be limited. The one could do all things belonging to his calling, the other knew all things necessary to Salvation, at least in some good measure▪ they knew all things which might serve for the discovering of Anti-Christ, and the avoyding of his snares, which is there the subject of the Apostles discourse. Concerning these things, or concerning the fundamentalls of religion, ye need not that any man teach you; which words else are spoken comparatively not absolutely, and come to this meaning. The spirit of God teacheth you so plainly and powerfully, that no one needs to bestow much pains to perswade you concerning heavenly truths. The Major proposition being pull'd down, the Minor, staggars, and the conclusion appears to be a mere delusion.
2. If they that have the spirit of God and the Holy anointing, know all things, and need not that any one teach them any thing, in the sense which our Enthusiasts would interprete it, I wonder that the Apostle Iohn could so farr forget himself, as to write an Epistle for the instruction, & edification of such Omniscient persons as these were. This sense of the text, which our libertines will stitch to it, will not only render the Apostle contradictory to Christ Iesus his Master, Mat. 9. 38. to the Apostle Paul 1. Tim. 3. 1. and Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13. but to himself also. As though a man should goe and teach another, tha… he need not be taught. So that surely, ye know all things, must n…ds be meant but of some things, and ye need not that any one teach you, must be limited to some things only, wherein they were so well verst.
4. Obj. God can save the Elect without any Ministry, therefore he will.
Ans. This …oth not follow: An argument from Gods power to his will is not concluding. God could have saved Noah without an Arke, but he would not. He could have instructed the Iews without Levites, have propagated the Gospell without Apostles, but he would not. He could save us indeed without means, but it has pleased him to make use of means for the regenerating of us, and to prescribe those means to us. Rom. 10. 14. Where the Apostle in an elegant gradation sheweth us by what means, and in what order to faith and Salvation, We are fitted for glory.
5. Obj. Although the Ministry be usefull for regeneration, yet it is uselesse to the regenerate.
Ans. Why do ye not say also that meat is necessary for Children, but superfluous, and hurtfull to men of age; for we are …ure that the word of God is meat. The Apostle Paul appears …o be of another mind, Eph. 4. 11. The Ministry of the word …ust continue (not for a year or an age, not till we be regenerate, not till we have got a little strength, but) till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledg of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ. Not only till we be united to Christ by faith, but …ill all the elect come to a perfect knowledg in the beatificall vision, and to the full statute of Christ. These remain many scales yet to be strucken off from the most enlightned eyes in the world, and some cubits which may still be added to the highest stature in this world by the word of God. The word of God is not only the seed, of which the Christian babe is born▪ but the food also, by which the Christian man is sed, 1. Pet. 2. …. and is not only the instrument of regeneration, but of edification also▪ Act. 20. 32. 1. Tim. 3. 16, 17. Therefore the Apostle would not have believers to forsake the assembling of themselves together, by way of Christian congregations to handle, and hear Gods word. Heb. 10. 25. The word of God preacht, that principle of regeneration, is also the principle of nutrition. Ieremiah was regenerate, yet he eate the word of the Lord, and it was to him the joy and rejoycing of his heart. Ier. 15. 16. David was regenerate, yet the word of God, was more sweet to his taste then the most clarifyed honey, more desirable to his eyes, then the most refined gold, Ps. 19. 11. Iob was regenerate, yet he hid, or rather hoarded up the Commandements of God, as the best treasure, in his heart, as the best treasury; Nay, he esteemed the words of Gods mouth more then his necessary food. Iob. 23. 12.
Nay, since the best saints upon earth are by nature slow, s…cure, apt to loosen themselves from God, and obnoxious to many wandrings both in head, heart, and hand, (as is sadly exemplifyed in Sampson the strongest of men, David the most humbled of sinners, Solomon the wisest of Kings, Peter the bolbest of believers) since blindnesse in part happens even to the dest of Israel, and no man even was or will be upon earth, either so compleat in knowledg or grace, but that something will remain to be added to him, Phill. 3. 12. 2. Pet. 3. u…t. we have daily and hourly need for, and use of the word of God, whereby our ignorance may be instructed, our faintings refresh'd our weakness strengthned, our dullness quickned, our wanderings reduced, our waverings resolved, and we built up in grace▪ and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ.