The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Containing the firſt Objection, with its Anſwer.
HAving now finiſhed our Arguments, we come unto the next thing, and that is, to anſwer ſuch objections as uſually are brought againſt this truth.
Obj. 1. To attend and act in holy things, is Gods work, for its an attendance upon the things of God, as we have ſhewed before, and we ſhould let God do his own work, and not think we can do it better, unleſſe we could imagine he wanted ſtrength, or were himſelf unwilling for to do it; but he hath promiſed, and is ingaged himſelf to do it (y)Iſa. 54. 13, and hath forbidden us to meddle, ſaying, they ſhall teach no more, every man his Neighbour, and every man his Brother, ſaying, know the Lord (z)Jer. 31. 34; and till he is pleaſed to conſider (at the leaſt) and to co-operate, it is not done; for no man (ſayes Chriſt) (a)Joh. 6. 44, 45.can come unto me, unleſſe my Father which hath ſent me draw him; and converſion is a new Creation; for if any man be in Chriſt, he is a new Creature, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks (b)2 Cor. 5. 17.; and it is not good for to preoccupate and intercept Gods purpoſes.
Sol. 1. The work (no doubt) is Gods work, and he is the efficient and over-ruling agent in it, yet in this, as in other acts and operations, admits of inſtruments; he is, we do acknowledge, the firſt, principal, omnipotent, and all-ſufficient cauſe of all things here below, but is not willing alwayes to be alone, but doth aſſociate and entertain created cauſes, where and when he pleaſeth, even in thoſe effects and operations that are wholly in the Scripture aſcribed to him, (c)Exod. 20. 2.I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the houſe of bondage, yet how many Creatures was he pleaſed to imploy in that great work? and Moſes was ſo inſtrumental in it, that the effect is by God himſelf as much aſcribed unto him, (d)Exod. 32. 7.thy people whom thou broughteſt out of the Land of Egypt; as if God had not medled in the work at all: ſo (e)Deut. 4. 33did ever people hear the voice of God, ſpeaking out of the midſt of the fire, as we have done, and live? and yet it was an Angels voice, that God upon that occaſion was pleaſed to imploy (f)Gal 3. 19.; for it was ordained by Angels: ſo in the holy things of God, the bringing of us home to God (g)Jam. 1. 18., of his own good will begat he us, with the word of truth; yet Paul expreſly ſayes, (h)1 Cor. 4. 15.though you have ten thouſand inſtructors in Chriſt Jeſus, yet have ye not many Fathers; for in Jeſus Chriſt I have begotten you through the Goſpel. For though there is but one ſupreme director and overſeer of the work, yet there may be many labourers; (i)1 Cor. 3. 9.for we are labourers together with God, ye are Gods husbandry, ye are Gods building.
2. It is not only Gods work, but a creation, (we do acknowledge and believe;) but ſuch an one, as doth admit of inſtruments, (k)Gen. 2. 7.the Lord God formed man of the duſt of the ground, and breathed into his noſtrils the breath of life: may we not well think, that here ſome Angel was imployed, to foule his fingers in contriving of this duſt into a body, fit for ſo great a gueſt, as afterwards the ſoul was; for it was enough for God to add the laſt perfection, to raiſe and elevate this duſt, to a capacity nature gave not: ſo in the raiſing and creating of the new man, the Miniſter may be imployed to faſhion and prepare the ſoul for ſuch a glorious gueſt, as grace, which only God can put in and infuſe, and ſo it ſeems he doth; (l)2 Cor. 4. 6.for God, who commanded the light to ſhine out of darkneſſe, hath ſhined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. For the dulneſſe and bluntneſſe of the tool or Engine doth illuſtrate and advance the skill and power of the architect and principal efficient, as Eliahs throwing water upon the wood and ſacrifice, did much illuſtrate and inflame the fire, that fell at laſt upon it, and conſumed it (m)1 King. 18. 38, 39.: it is indeed a very vigorous and precious liquor, that is able to recover men that are dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, that can open their eyes, and turn them from darkneſſe to light, from the power of Satan unto God; but we have this treaſure in earthen veſſels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (n)2 Cor. 4. 7: we are made uſe of in the work; but it is God alone that adds the ultimate and laſt perfection and completion; (o)1 Cor. 3. 5.who then is Paul, or who is Apollo, but Miniſters by whom ye believed, as God gave to every man. When we have acted as fellow Creatures with them, and wound them up, as far as reaſon, and morall Arguments and motives will allow us, God poure… that living principle into …h…ir ſouls, that never was in our poſſeſſion and Dominion; for neither is he …hat planteth any thing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth the increaſe (p)1 Cor. 3. 7.
3. Do we do any thing herein without a call? do we obtrude and thruſt our ſelves upon him in the work? come we to counſel before we be called? God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf, not imputing their ſins unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (q)2 Cor. 5. 19, 20.: we are therefore Officers, and not obtruders in the work, foreign, we bring this Embaſſy, or offer, to the world from Chriſt, as though God did beſeech you by us, who hath made us able Miniſters of the new Teſtament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the ſpirit giveth life (r)2 Cor. 3. 6.. When God reſolved for to convert the Eunuch, he ſendeth Philip on the Embaſſage to him (s)Act. 8. 26. &c., ſo likewiſe Ananias unto Paul, and Peter to Cornelius, and we believe, that we are likewiſe put into Commiſſion and Authority, by proper delegates, and act by his direction and appointment, that is ſupreme and principal, as we have ſhewed before, & therefore may & do expect allowance and concurrence from him in the work. Were we mechanick perſons, not allowed, ingaged and verſed in ſome other courſe of life, we might well doubt our own Authority, and fear we were more bold then welcome; but being called, we are and may be confident.
4. As for that prohibition of the Prophet, we ſay it is comparative, not poſitive: namely, that in the Goſpel-times, the truths of Chriſt, and knowledge of the Son of God, ſhould be ſo evident, that men might get more of themſelves, without a teacher, then with one, in the legal adminiſtrations: as the Apoſtle plainly ſhews (t)1 Cor. 3.; for had the prohibition been expreſſe and poſitive, Chriſt had done ill to be ſo ſedulous in teaching, and inſtructing us, as he was (u)Luk. 21. 37, 38., and the Apoſtle to preſs the ſame with ſo much eagerneſs and importunity, upon his willing and obedient Timothy (w)2 Tim. 4. 1, 2, 3.: nay, why do our Brethren that object, preach ſo much as they do? turpe eſt doctori cum culpa redarguit ipſum, when the Arrow falls upon the head of him that ſhot it: we poor men think we are obliged, and woe is to us if we preach not, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks (x)1 Cor. 9. 16.; but they believe they are at liberty, and all they do is but a free-will-offering; we have been trained up to this imployment from our youth, and have nothing elſe to do; but they may ſay, as he doth in the Prophet, (y)Zach. 13. …5I am no Prophet, I am an Husband-man; for man taught me to keep Cattle from my youth. We think we cannot leave, unleſſe we be reſtrained, and forbidden by Authority, and not to do it, would be to us a ſin againſt our preſent judgement & perſwaſion, as the Apoſtle ſhews (z)Rom. 14. 23.; they do not think ſo, and ſo may better obey the prohibition of the Prophet.