Warrantableness of the Preaching of Unordained Persons, Religious tract · Response to chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
THe second is taken from Heb. 5 4, 5. No man taketh this honour, &c. but he that is called of God—
To this they Answer two things.
1. If this prove a call, yet it proves not a call by imposition of hands, which is that they contend for.
Ans. We are not now medling with that particular kind of call, nor is this place alledged to prove it, but only to prove this in the general, that notwithstanding the highest gifts and qualifications fitting them for any Office, they must also have a call and designation to that Office, and that remains unshaken by all that they have said.
2. They say, he speaks not of Gospel Ministers, but of Priests, and of the high Priests only, which are an higher order than Ministers, and prefigured Christ, and it follows not, because a call was necessary to the highest order of Officers, therefore it must be necessary to an inferiour order.
Reply 1. Let me take the boldnesse to question whether the Gospel Ministers are an inferiour order to the high Priest or no? If it be affirmed upon this ground, because they are types of Christ, then upon that account the inferiour Priests were of an higher order. (That I say not, the goats, and sheep, and buls, &c. which also were types of Christ.) If this be the reason, because they expiated sin, they did it only Ministerially and Declaratively, and by typifying and applying the true expiatory sacrifice; and that also is the Office of a Gospel-Minister, Ioh. 20. 23. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted.— However it is, sure I am the Lord Jesus doubts not to preferre Iohn the Baptist before all the old Testament Officers, and that in regard of his work, and to preferre the meanest New Testament Minister before him.
2. If the work of the high Priest was higher, and that must be weighed on the one hand, then let it be weighed on the other hand, that the gifts of Christ were more glorious. And this assertion I may venture to lay down, that Jesus Christ had more warrant to undertake the highest Office in the Church without a call, than one who is but foreign a meer man hath to take the meanest Office without a call.
The third and fourth Arguments I shall omit, because there is nothing that I find in our Brethrens Answer, which will need a Reply.
The fifth Argument is taken from those rules laid down about the calling of men into the Ministry, and about the tryall of their qualifications, and one main reason of it was this, that false Doctrine might be prevented, 1 Tim. 1. 3, 4. Tit 1. 5, 9, 10.
To this they Answer, 1. This concludes for the ordaining of Officers only, not against the preaching of gifted brethren, who lay no claim to the Office.
Reply. The best clew for the guiding of us in the interpretation of every Law is the reason of the Law: Now if one great reason why the Apostle was so carefull to try and approve of Officers, &c. was this, to prevent false Doctrine; then upon the same account, he was obliged to be as careful to try all Preachers, for else he had made a hedge about the sheep, and yet left one gap open, which indeed was enough to frustrate the design of the hedge: What if none be allowed to be shepheards by Office, but such as are called, will it not be of as bad consequence, if the wolves be allowed to take upon them the exercise of the shepheards work? We see by experience, some gifted men preaching occasionally and disseminating their pernicious opinions, have done more to poison the people, than an able Minister by his instant and diligent labours could do to preserve and nourish them. What is the ground of the Apostles strictnesse in admitting men into the Ministry (Lay hands suddenly on no man) but this, the difficulty and importance of the work? And what work is more difficult and important than that of preaching, to do it as becomes the Gospel? Paul prefers it before the rest, 1 Cor. 1. And in regard of this work, it is that he cries out, Who is sufficient for these things? 2 Cor. 2. 16. So that it were a strange incongruity and self-contradiction for the Apostle to use so much care in the constitution of Office-Preachers, and yet to be wholly carelesse as to another sort of Preachers, who may preach frequently (yea as often as the other, according to our Brethrens Principles) without coming under such a harsh and ungratefull examination and ordination.
2. They say, There ought to be care to chuse Officers that are sound in the Faith, but this the people must look to in election.
Ans. But this relieves them not, for what care shall be taken as to their gift-Preachers, who may preach without the Churches election, nay are under a command to preach, as they are pleased to expound 1 Pet. 4. a command of God I say, which no man can dispense with: I know our Brethren say, that to a mans exercise of his gifts in this or that place, there is required a call from the people or the Magistrate, p. 149. But this will not help them; for I demand, whether in case the Apostles had neither been called by people nor Magistrate, Whether that had been a sufficient discharge to them from the execution of their Office? I trow not: Nay they preached when they were forbidden; and why? but for the reason now mentioned, to wit, that they were under a command of God, which no mortal man could dispense with: And therefore if gifted men are under a like command, pressed with the highest penalties, to preach (as our Brethren say) they may and must preach, though they have no call, neither from people nor Magistrate.
The sixth Argument I am sure will stand upon its own legs, taken from that confusion which will necessarily come into the Church by this means, which indeed the sad experience of our Church in these daies doth so unquestionably demonstrate, that I shall need to confute him that denies it, only as the Philosopher did confute him that said there was no motion by walking before him; so I shall only point him unto reall Arguments, and desire him to make use of his own eyes, reason and observation, and he will quickly be of the same opinion.
But these Arguments were not directly levied against our Brethren, (whom we acknowledge to be more sober) but against such as pleaded for a promiscuous assumption of the Office. The next Position laid down by the Provincial Assembly indeed doth more nearly concern them, which is this, That none may do the work of the Ministry without Ordination.