Further Discovery of the Quakers, Reply · Position 17
Poſition 17. That there is no mediate Call to the Miniſtry.
He denyes not our proofe, and in ſtead of anſwering the many Scripture arguments we gave in our Perfect Phariſee, pag. 32. for a mediate call to the Miniſtry, he falls to a downe-right rayling; though we have nothing we need to add to the arguments we there layd down againſt this Poſition, meeting with no anſwer to what we have written; yet we ſhall obſerve in the midſt of his raylings theſe things.
Naylers contradictions.1. How flatly he contradicts himſelfe, when he tells the Reader, pag. 19. l. 8. the Apoſtles when they had gathered Churches out of the world, they ordained them Elders of themſelves? yet after ſayes, l. 10. 11. theſe were ordained not by man; and after, l. 13. 14. this ordination was not by man, nor by the Churches, &c. the Apoſtles ordained them Elders; and yet thoſe Elders were not ordained by man: were not the Apoſtles men? And was not this a mediate call, wherein the Apoſtles ordained them Elders in every City, Acts 14.23.
2. Though he lab…urs with abundance of bitterneſſe to cry downe any mediate call; yet as he anſwers nothing to our Scriptures; ſo we cannot but … …ve how he is forced in the midſt of his rayling to confeſſe the truth, ſaying, pag. 19. l. 8. the Apoſtles ordained them Elders, which is that mediate call we contended for.
Laſtly, The ſubſtance of his rayling is to tell us, that we are inveſted in the Miniſtry by Magiſtrates Townes, and Pariſhes; when as, we doe profeſſe we doe not know a Miniſter in England that is ordained, or profeſſeth to receive his ordination from a Magiſtrate, Towne, or Pariſh.
2. All that the Magiſtrate, Towne, or Pariſh doe, is to provide maintenance for th…ſe that labour in the Goſpel; nay, the late Commiſſion (which perhaps Nayler drives at) never pretended to put any in the Office of a Miniſter, but onelyonly provided maintenance for him in the propogation of the Goſpel; ſo that notwithſtanding what he hath ſaid, we are ſtill fully convinced of the cleareneſſe of a mediate call to the worke of publique Miniſtry of the Word.
And thu… we have followed him in every materiall expreſſion, though …e anſwers nothing to our Scriptures, or Arguments: And though his great cavill be at our teſtimonies, and upon this cryes out … we publiſhed filthy lyes; yet the Reader will now clearely ſee, that of 55. proofes we layd downe, he onelyonly denyes the truth of ſeven, which are yet fully cleared, and proved either by the teſtimony of theſe that were the witneſſes, under their Hands and Seales; or by the demonſtration out of their owne Books, however Nayler labours to evade and ſhuffle them. How unjuſtly we have been charged with lyes, will now appeare; and we muſt ſeriouſly profeſſe, that had it not been to cleare up thoſe truths, which he chargeth with falſehood, and vindicating Scripture from his groſſe perverting of them, his Booke is ſo meerely compoſed of rayling, and abuſing us, and ſo beyond expectation ſottiſh and ſenſeleſſe, that we ſhould not have thought it at all worth our anſwer or obſervation.
Were we not ready according to that rule, 1 Pet. 3.15. to give a reaſon of the hope that is in us; and that Tit. 1.9.10.11. to convince gaineſayers, (whoſe mouthes muſt be ſtopped) we ſhould not have troubled thee, or our ſelves, with anſwering ſuch triviall exceptions as doe hereafter follow, againſt what we have proved ſo plainely from Scripture, againſt the Principles of the Quakers; But that we may not ſeem to leave any ſtone unturned that may cleare up the truth to the ſpirits of the people of God; we ſhall proceed to the conſideration of that which followes in Naylers anſwer.