The Due Right of Presbyteries, Chapter 10 · Section 15 · Objection 11 – Objection 12
Object. 11. Though the Apostles in this Synod proceed by way of disputing and borrow light one from another, it followeth not th… they goe not on here as Apostles, yea though Peter and Paul d…e not say all the truth, nor fall upon that which is the conclusion of the Assembly, as I ames doth, it doth not hinder but they are led in all these Synodicull deba…e… by the infallible and Apostolick spirit, because some things are revealed to one Evangelist and to one Prophet, which is not revealed to another; Iohn the Divine saw visions and heavenly mysteries which none of the rest of the Apostles saw, nor could write in their writings and Canonicall Epistles, yet it doth not hence follow that James, Peter, Jude and Paul in their canonicall writings and Epistles were not immediatly inspired. It is enough to make the Apostles in their writings infallible Apostles and immediatly inspired, if that which they write bee the infallible truth and canonick Scripture, though every Apostle write not all canonick truth; now what the Apostles setteth down in this Synod is Scripture, and the object of our faith, and written for our instruction; so something was revealed to James which was not revealed to Peter and Paul in this dispute, but it followeth not, Ergo, what Peter and Paul spake, they spake it not by immediate revelation, and what they spake is not Scripture.
Answ. 1. The strength of my argument is close mistaken, for I did not argue simply from the Apostles borrowing light one from another, to prove they act not here as Apostles but as Elders, neither did I argue simply from this, James saith more then Peter doth, Ergo, Peter is not immediatly inspired in what hee saith: for I grant the Apostles borrow …ight from the Prophets, and their writings, one saith and writeth what another saith not, and cannot write, and yet all are immediatly inspired, in what they write. But I argued thus; when ever the Apostles are consulted with to resolve a question as Apostles & do conveen… Synodically & intend to resorve the question if the Apostles in that case, or any one of them come short of the resolution, & do not see the conclusion they intend to see, but in so sarre as they are helped on by another in a way of disputation, in that they doe not act as Apostles, but the case is so here; 1. all were consulted with, Act. 15. 2. (2) all intended to resolve the question, and did meet together for that end to resolve it fully, v. 6. (3) yet divers of the Apostles, as Peter, Paul and Barnabas see not the resolution fully that they aimed at, but determine the question imperfectly, and so, as if Iames had beene absent, or if hee had seene no more in resolving the question, then Paul and Barnabas and Peter said, which was onelyonly that the Law of Moses was not to bee kept by either Iew or Gentile, upon the Necessitie of salvation, but that both Jewes and Gentiles are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ; if James (I say) had seene no more then this, the consciences of both sides had not beene satisfied, and the question not resolved, but the Jewes should have gone on in a totall abstinence from all ceremonies, which because of the indifference of the ceremonies, was then dangerously scandalous, and spirituall homicide, and the Gentiles should freely have eaten blood, meates offered to idols, and things strangled, which also was scandalous in a high measure to the weake Jewes, and so the matter should have beene worse after this Synod, and the controversie hotter, the fire bolder, and the scandall more dangerous then it was before the Synod, which I cannot beleeve that the Apostles as Apostles could have done; So wee know Nathan to have spoken as a man, and not as a Prophet, when being consulted with by David anent the building of the Temple, and purposing and intending fully to resolve the question, yet resolved it amisse and quite contrary to the mind of God; now what the penmen of holy Scripture intended to write as Scripture, that they fully wrote and no more, and what they wrote not, that they intended not to write, but leave it to others of the penmen of the holy Ghost, because the immediatly inspiring holy Ghost consulted with and intending to resolve such a canonick truth, cannot misse in his blessed intention. And also the Elders at Jerusalem were consulted with to resolve the question as well as the Apostles, as is cleare Act. 15. 2. Now if the Church of Antiech had beene minded to referre the resolution to the Apostles as infallibles Apostle, they would never have referred it to the Elders, whom they knew could erre as well as themselves, nor would the Elders have joyned as fellow-disputers with the Apostles as Apostles, as they expresly doe, v. 6. for that is as you would say, some countrey men of ordinary spirit destitute of all propheticall light concurred with Esaiah to see the visions of God; And it is as if David as king counsell at God, whether the men of Keilah would deliver him up to Saul, had consulted with God and with Abiathar, and some foure or five Elders of Keilah voyd of all propheticall spirit, whether the men of Keilah should deliver him up to Saul, or no: for these Elders of Jerusalem and Antioch and other brethren were as voyd of an Apostolick spirit as the Elders of Keilah were of a Propheticall spirit. It were a vaine action for the Elders to joyne themselves as joynt-disputers and fellow-resolvers of the controversie with the Apostles, for the fellow-resolvers were to seeke resolution at the Apostles, who could as Apostles infallibly resolve them.
2. What the Apostles set downe is Scripture, and is the object of our faith, and written for our instruction, Ergo, the Apostles did give it forth in the Synod as Scripture, it followeth not: I may preach Scripture, and that which is the object of faith, and written for our instruction, Ergo, I preach it as an Apostle by an Apostolick spirit, it followeth not; for so if the Elders had spoken Scripture which is written for our instruction, the Elders should have spoken it by an Apostolick spirit, which is manifestly false; and so if the Elders of Corinth, 1 Cor. 5. should have proven in their Presbytery that the incestuous person should bee delivered to Satan, from Matth. 18. they should have spoken that in the presbytery by an Apostolick Spirit: all which are manifestly false. The holy Ghost by Luke did make it Scripture formally, but that the Apostles spake it as Scripture by an Apostolick spirit, because it is the object of our faith that Luke did insert it in the Canonicall history, is no more hence proven then one might inferre that Gamaliel by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit spake the oration that hee uttereth to the councell of Priests and Pharisees, Act. 5. 34, 35. & c. for that is formally made Scripture by Luke his inserting of it in the Register of Scripture; yea the words of Satan, Matth. 4. by that reason behoved to bee spoken by divine and immediate inspiration: but the truth is, wee are not to take what Peter speaketh from the Prophet Amos, Act. 15. v. 16. to bee Scripture, because Amos spake it in the Old Testament, but because Luke by immediate inspiration saith that Peter uttered these words from the Prophet Amos. Immediate inspiration maketh any saying Scripture, and not the Apostles historicall relating of it out of the writings of the Prophets, though the sayings of the Prophets as they are registred in the bookes of Old Testament bee formally Scripture, yet as cited by the Apostles they d…e not become Scripture, except these saying, bee cited, tali modo, that is, by the influence of the immediatly inspiring holy Ghost, which influence onelyonly maketh formally any saying to bee Scripture.
Object. 12. If the Apostles did not in a Synod, with the Elders dispute and voyce as Apostles, it should follow that as Apostles, they did plant Churches, but after the Churches were planted they ceased to bee Apostles, and did all as ordinary Elders, which is most incongr…o…s, for then should they descend from an infallible to a fallible spirit.
Answ. The Apostles did onelyonly use their Apostolick power, when there was need of it; as God worketh not miracles, but in some necessitating exigence of second causes: and what they could doe by an ordinary power, when the Churches were once constituted, they did not attempt to doe by their Apostolick power; and though their Apostolick power was in them as a habit, yet the exercise thereof was rather under the dominion of an extraordinary and immediate rapt and influence of God, then under the mastery of their owne freewill. I would aske why the Church of Antioch, no doubt most lawfully, Act. 15. 2. did send to seeke resolution at the fallible spirit of Elders, and also (as our brethren teach) at the infallible spirit of the Apostles? and why did they not from their infallible and Apostolick spirit seeke out and choose seven men to bee Deacons, but remitted to the fallible spirit of the multitude who are not infallible or Apostolick in their choise, both the nomination and election of these seven men; but the Apostles did much honour the Churches of Christ in cooperating with them, and in doing most things with their consent, that by example they might interdict dominion, and assert a ministeriall power, and make Christ most Monarch-like in the government of his spirituall Kingdome: nor did they put off, or interdict themselves, nor forfeit their Apostolick power, after Churches were constituted, but used their Apostolick power at the Commandement of that great King exalted Jesus Christ, whose Catholick Ambassadours they were, as God immediatly moved them.