The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. The fourth Objection, and Anſwer.
WE grant, that gifts are requiſite, as well as Obj. 4 grace, in ſetled publick teachers; men may be very intellectual and underſtanding, and yet not able to expreſſe themſelves, and communicate their gifts, as all ſuch ought (u)2 Tim. 2. 2., nam quo quiſque ingenioſior, eo difficilius docet: he muſt therefore be apt to teach, as well as to learn and underſtand, as the Apoſtle doth expreſly order (w)1 Tim. 3. 2.; but we ſay withall, God can, and ſometimes doth inable common men with gifts, not only of underſtanding and knowledge, but of utterance alſo, and elocution, to the wonder and aſtoniſhment of thoſe that hear, as Eldad and Medad in the very Camp, though they went not with the reſt unto the Tabernacle (x)Numb. 11, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29., yet propheſied in the Camp to admiration: the Spirit bloweth, when, and where it liſteth, not in the Univerſities, or Temples only, on the Doctors & Students in Divinity, but on the meaneſt Tradeſman, and mechanick, if he pleaſe, as the Apoſtle ſhews, (y)1 Cor. 12. 11.dividing to every man ſeverally as he will.
Sol. 1. There is no doubt, but God can tak… what Inſtruments he pleaſeth, & if he findes them not fit, can make them ſo; follow me, ſayes Chriſt (z)Mat. 4. 19, and I will make you fiſhers of men: but Eldad and Medad were not mean-conditioned men; for they were ſo far from being ſuch, that they were ſuch as Moſes knew to be Elders of the people, and Officers over them (a)Numb. 11. 16.; and therefore were able men, ſuch as feared God, men of truth, hating covetouſneſſe, or elſe they could not have been Officers (b)Exod. 18. 21.; ſuch as many would have thought already fit to go into the Pulpit, without any further inabling or aſſiſtance of the Spirit of God; and God is ſo curious in the charge to Moſes, as if he were ſparing of his Spirit, and ſought the ableſt and beſt-endowed men, by nature, education, induſtry, as Moſes here was, and David was (c)1 Sam. 16. 18.: ſo Paul had an extraordinary fitneſſe in his natural and unregenerate capacity, only he wanted grace and mannagement, as the Lord tells Ananias, when he articled againſt him (d)Act. 9. 13, 14, 15.. A gallant Horſe is ſooner tutored and fitted then a dullard: capacity makes room for great endowments, quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum recipientis.
2. Certain it is, theſe gifts were extraordinary, for they had ordinary gifts before, that made them Officers and Elders: their ordinary gifts made no ſuch noiſe, occaſioned no wonder in the Camp, nor no complaint, had not Gods Spirit in a more then ordinary manner ſeized on them, there had been no need of that prohibition that Joſua deſired (e)Numb. 11▪ 28.; their gifts were part of Moſes ſpirit, as appears (f)Numb. 11. 17., and that was extraordinary, as God ſayes (g)Numb. 1…. 6, 7.; now it will not follow, thoſe may preach that have extraordinary qualifications and abilities, therefore thoſe may that have but ordinary, as it will not follow, David may be preferred to wait upon the King, that was very skilful in playing on an Inſtrument, therefore any ordinary fellow may, that hath no skill: neither will Mr. Robinſons inference hold, extraordinary gifts fit one for extraordinary, therefore ordinary gifts for ordinary; for the preaching of mechanick mean perſons, is extraordinary, and if by ordinary gifts he means ſaving graces, we have ſhewed already, that's not enough; and had not their gifts been more then ordinary, there had been no objection from them, no more then is from others of Gods people: now let our preaching Brethren ſhew extraordinary gifts, we ſhall ſubmit; let them ſpeak languages ex tempore, which we are long in getting; let them foretel, what properly is futute and contingent, we ſhall acknowledge, God is in them of a truth, if not, let them forbear to preſſe us with ſuch inſtances as theſe; let not Eldad and Medads extraordinary abilities, be brought to countenance an ordinary Tradeſman.
3. Theſe extraordinary and ſpecial gifts, which Eldad and Medad had, were rather magiſtratical then miniſterial; for they were to bear a part of Moſes burden (h)Numb. 11. 17.: now Moſes was not burdened in teaching and preaching to the people, but in hearing and deciding their civil cauſes (i)Exod. 18. 13, 14, 26.: now it will not follow, a man hath good abilities to mannage and conduct affairs in warre and peace; therefore he is a Miniſter and Church-Officer; for Saul had ſuch (k)1 Sam. 11.; yet was it wondred at, when he was found among the Prophets (l)1 Sam. 10. 12.. Ʋzziah was a very able Governour and Ruler, as appears at large (m)2 Chron. 26.; yet was not a good Prieſt, nor Church-man, as appears (n)v. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.: thoſe Offices are diverſe and diſtinct, the matters of the Lord in one, & the matters of the King in another, as is ſhewed, (o)2▪ Chron. 19. 11.Amariah the chief …rieſt is over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah, the ſonne of Iſhmael, the Ruler of the houſe of Judah, for all the Kings matters.
4. The Jewiſh Magiſtrates were much more miniſteriall, and eccleſiaſtical then ours; for the Law of God was unto them municipal, the rule of juſtice upon all occaſions whatſoever (p)Deut. 17. 18, 19.; and Joſua the Captain General, is charged with the reading and ſtudy of it (q)Jeſ. …1. 8.▪ The ſeat and Court of Juſtice was the ſame, the Judge and Prieſt ſate both together on the ſame Tribunal (r)Deut 17. 9., and ſo they had a mixed jurisdiction; for Phineas puts the Law himſelf in execution, and is commended for it (s)Numb. 25. 7. 8.: ſo Samuel, a Judge and Prophet, Eli a Judge and Prieſt. It will not follow therefore, the Jewiſh Magiſtrates had Eccleſiaſtical jurisdiction and imployment, as well as civil; therefore the Chriſtian Magiſtrate may have the like. Yet though they were thus mingled and joyned in Commiſſion, their exerciſe and actings were diſtinct, and orderly, as before is ſhewed.