The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The generall Objection anſwered.
BUt perhaps it will be ſaid, we are miſtaken, and miſapply what's meant well: if we conclude, that godly Miniſters are laid aſide, becauſe ſome others are incouraged to exerciſe thoſe gifts and graces God hath given them that are not counted and eſteemed Miniſters by all: that is, that are not educated in the Univerſities▪ nor ſolemnly ordained and ſet apart to that imployment; but take oc▪caſion, as its offered to them, to ſpeak unto men, to edification, and exhortation and comfort, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, (q)1 Cor. 14. 3.and as they have received the gift, ſo to miniſter the ſame to another, as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God, (r)1 Pet 4. 10that becauſe the beſt are bad enough, and need be quickened and ſtirred up, all may have liberty to do it, if they will and can: and becauſe many places are exceeding ignorant, and deſtitute of the knowledge of God, thoſe that are able, and willing to inſtruct them, may have liberty to do it, and not be curbed and diſcouraged therein: and if Gods ſpirit have breathed upon any one, and put him on to do good, he may be allowed to do all the good he can, (s)Gal. 6. 10.and that great work of teaching and inſtructing others, may not be ſtraitned and confined unto ſome few that muſt be trained up, and fitted by a tedious and long-winded education, or elſe be ſilenced, and ſhut out; but that any one may trade in ſpirituall things, and no imbargo or reſtraint be laid upon them: in a word, we wiſh that all the Lords people did prophecie, and that the Lord would poure out his ſpirit upon them, as Moſes did: (t)Numb. 11. 29.and why this ſhould occaſion feare and jealouſie, we do not know.
The Lord forbid that we ſhould go about to hinder any body from doing good: or to ſtraiten and confine the doing of it unto any kind of men; for we think all bound to do all the good they can, (u)1 Tim. 6. 18, 19.but becauſe there may be much deceit in univerſals, we humbly crave, that our anſwer may be taken in theſe particulars.
1. That all good cannot be done by all: in a Ship, all cannot ſteere: in an Army, all cannot rule: in a Family, all cannot be the Steward. (w)Mat. 24. 45.who then is a faithful and wiſe Servant, whom his Lord ſhall make ruler over his houſhold, to give them their portion of meat in due ſeaſon. Some muſt do one thing, ſome another, and no man chuſe his work, but take that work that is aſſigned him, though it be not that which he deſires, or thinks himſelf fit for: Adonijah ſayes, I will be King, x1 King. 1. 5.yet was not fit for it, I have not ſent theſe Prophets, (ſayes God) yet they ran, I have not ſpoken to them, yet they prophecied (y)Jer. 23. 21 Luk. 10. 17.its not enough to have the general calling of Chriſtianity; for exerciſing a particular jurisdiction or imployment in the Church or State; but we muſt have Orders and Commiſſions in particular: neither is the beſt and nobleſt imployment alwayes fitteſt: what office is more noble then to be Embaſſador unto his Prince, yet none are ſuch, till they be choſen and deputed, nor entertained and allowed, till their Letters of credence be produced and peruſed: it is an excellent work, to caſt the Devil out, and when Chriſt gave Commiſſions for it, they fell before them and were ſubject; (y) but when ſome undertook it without Commiſſion, the Devil would not obey their Warrants; (z)Act. 19. 15, 16.but got the better, thoſe in theſe late Warres, that took mens goods, and were not in Commiſſion, have been forced ſince, for to reſtore them: let men therefore conſider, that the work be theirs, as well as good, elſe they may ſuffer, as foreign, as buſie bodies in other mens matters, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks.(a)1 Pet. 4. 15.
2. All is not good, that is ſo called, conveniunt rebus nomina ſaepe ſuis, non ſemper, good is a nickname ſometimes, and not ſet where it ſhould be: oum rem non poteris, (ſayes the Polititian) da verba, if you cannot do whats good, yet call that good you do: let the voice be Jacobs voice, though the hands be the hands of Eſau: (b)Gen. 27. 22your Brethren that hated you, (ſayes the Prophet) that caſt you cut for my names ſake, ſaid, let the Lord be glorified, (good words) and yet they ſometimes think it too, as well as ſpeak it, (c)Joh. 16. 2.the time ſhall come, that they that kill you ſhall think they do God ſervice: the Phariſees appeal unto our Saviour, whether they ſaid not well, that he was a Samaritan, and had a Devil: we muſt not (d) Joh. 8. 48therefore take mens bare word, but b…ing it to the touchſtone; for all is not gold that gliſters, bonum non oritur niſi ex cauſis integris, malum ex quolibet defectu: miſs▪ but in another matter, manner, end, and all is marr'd: Church-work and Clock-work, are much alike, if but one wheele be out of tune, it will not go well: if Saul may be the Judge of his own acts, he had performed Gods Commandement, when he had ſinned grievouſly againſt him; (e)1 Sam. 15. 13.for which fact, he was for ever laid aſide.(f)v. 26, 27, 28
3. If it were proved never ſo good, yet we are ſure, its new: we acknowledge, men may edifie themſelves, (g)Jud. 20. 1.and one another, (h)1 Theſ. 5. 11.yea, teach and inſtruct, ſuch as are under them, and appertain unto them: (i)Tit. 2. 4, 5.ſo it be things themſelves have learned, and practiſed before, and be done in an humble, modeſt, private, ſelf-denying way, and this is not new; but if they will be publick teachers of the Law, not knowing what they ſpeak, nor whereof they affirm: (k)1 Tim. 1. 7or will uſurp the places and powers of another: (l)1 Tim. 2. 12then it is new: not ſeen nor practiſed in any Church or State, till about an hundred years agoe; and whoever reads that ſtory, will hardly be perſwaded there was good work. And what is new, muſt be examined: in rebus novandis, evidens debet eſſe utilitas: there is no queſtion, but there may be changes, but they alwayes muſt be for the better: and it muſt be very good, that is thought better in a change; for cuſtom in a courſe, doth flatter and facilitate the ſame exceedingly, elige vitam optimam, conſuetudo faciet jucundiſſimam: no man (ſayes Chriſt,) (m)Luk. 5. 39having drunk old wine, preſently deſires new; for he ſaith, the old is better, old way, and good way in the Prophets are Synonyma▪s: (n)Jer. 6. 16.The Theſſalonians, (as we have ſeen) are allowed for to edifie and comfort one another, and the aged women to teach the younger; but are bidden notwithſtanding that, to know them that labour among them, and are over them in the Lord, and admoniſh them, (o)1 Theſ. 5. 12, 13.and to eſteem them very highly in love, for their work ſake, and the Women are commanded ſilence in the Churches, (p)1 Cor. 14.though allowed to teach in private, and upon occaſion, what men have bin accuſtomed unto, they are the better able to diſtinguiſh & give judgement of: it was good Armour, doubtleſs) Saul puts on David, (q)1 Sam. 17. 39.but David had not bin uſed to them, what the ſenſes have bin exerciſed & verſed in, they will be better able for to judge as he ſpeaks, (r)Heb. 4. 14.and therefore the Apoſtle doubts not, to make that the guid and rule of tryal, (s)Rom. 16, 17, 18.mark thoſe that cauſe diviſions and offences, contrary to the Doctrine that ye have learned, and avoid them: he would not have their palat again diſtaſted with the new devices of falſe and erroneous teachers; but would have them ſtick and cleave unto the truth they had been verſed in, and accuſtomed unto: as he likewiſe adviſeth his dearly beloved Timothy, (t)2 Tim. 1. 13. chap. 3. 10.to hold faſt the form of ſound words which thou haſt heard of me, and doubts not, but that would ſecure him in the worſt times; but thou haſt fully known my Doctrine, manner of life, purpoſe, faith, long ſuffering, charity, patience.
4. In all great changes, there ſhould be allowed a taſte: as Moſes ſent men into the Land of Canaan, for to diſcover and propoſe unto the people, ſome experiment, and tryal of the worth and goodneſſe of the fruits that grew therein: (t)Numb. 13. 20.ſo in theſe great alterations, in the Churches, its good to mark well, what the firſt fruits be, ut prima ceſſerunt, erant univerſa: (u)Rom. 11. 16.if the firſt-fruits be holy, ſo is the lump alſo: the beſt liquor is that which runneth firſt; worſe it may after be, ſeldom better, as in the broaching of the Goſpel firſt, three thouſand were converted; (w)Act. 2. 41.but after, Sermons did not work ſuch wonders: now if we may know, ex ungue Leonem, or, ex pede, Herculem: a Lyon by his paw, or a Giant by his toe: we have no reaſon to be over-much in love with this new way: when we conſider, how many daring errors it hath produced, how many Monſters this Lethaean Doctrine hath ingendered: at firſt, men ſtood amazed, and knew not what to think, the newnes was a garniſh, that did much invite, but time hath ſhewed the unwholſomneſſe thereof, how empty, airy, windy, thoſe things are, that in theſe late years, have been propoſed and ſet to ſale, by theſe late gameſters: whether ſinners have not been found under the notion and name of Saints? Wolves in the cloathing and garbs of ſheep, fleſh under the name of ſpirit, ranting laſciviouſneſſe under the profeſſion of exact and rigid abſtinence: now if the firſt fruits be thus unholy, what will the lump be, if the root be impure? what will the fruit and branches be? it was Gods goodneſſe, that theſe Cockatrices were not cruſhed in the Egge, but were ſuffered thus to break forth into a Viper, (x)Iſa. 59. 5.for men would have been apt to think, ſome good had been ſuppreſt and ſtifled, and that the ſpirit had been quenched and reſtrained: whereas now they have had time and elbow-room enough, to ſhew themſelves, and will not be ſo pittied as they would have been, if they had been perſecuted, and cruſhed in their Cradles, as Chriſt had like to have been: though they were not altogether new to us: the inſurrections, tumults, confuſions, and diſorders that grew in Germany, upon the ſame grounds, might have admoniſhed us; and had not theſe excreſcencies bin mannaged, and maſtered by ſome more cunning, well advized heads and hands, that have nouriſhed and bred them up, as men do Tygers and Bears, to make a gain and an advantage of them in the end: they would have worried and devoured one another long before this, as the falſe Apoſtles did in Pauls time: (y)Gal. 5. 16.and if at any time, they break their Chains, and get looſe from their Keepers, we may have cauſe to wiſh they had not grown ſo luſty.
5. But perhaps it will be ſaid, no body ſuckles ſuch Imps as theſe, good honeſt people are intended to be countenanced and incouraged: whoſe holineſſe and graces do bear witneſſe unto their gifts that have been tryed and found blameleſſe, and well deſerving: we think that many ſuch, think it unlawful to be thus imployed, or if they have been tempted and ſeduced unto any ſuch extravagancies and intemperance: yet now they are awakened and taken off, and are willing to acknowledge with him in the Prophet, (z)Zach. 13. 5I am no Prophet, I am an Husband-man; for man taught me to keep Cattle from my youth, do finde the work is not ſo eaſie, as they thought it had been; for howſoever popular applauſe, may blow men at the firſt, into a Pulpit: yet when the winde fails, or turns, they will come down: no Trade is driven long, or unto Profit, without a ſtock, gaudeo quod ſpectant oculi, me mitte loquentem, was at the firſt a fine thing; but when for want of ſtore & plenty, the ſame Colewort is ſerved up again, it will be nauſeous: thoſe that without wit at firſt, ran to them; at laſt, without fear, will run from them; and thoſe that came into into the Pulpit, to be admired and wondred at, will not be willing to be rejected and unde…valued, quem tulit ad ſcaenan ventoſo gloria curru, Examinat ſenſus ſpectator: a careleſſe hearer kills; but a Miniſter that hath a Calling, and is furniſhed, will bear it well enough, and aſſure himſelf, the Seas will flow again, as well as now they ebbe: as Chriſt preached his hearers all away; but the Apoſtle (a)Joh, 6, 66, 67.yet gave not over, but incouraged himſelf again: now if we ſet by theſe conſcientious ſcrupulous men, the reſt wil be too few, to do this great work; for its as true as ever, that the Harveſt is great, and the labourers are few; (b)Mat. 9, 37for thoſe that have pretended to aſſiſt and aid, have greatly added to our labours, and have put us to begin our work a new: to lay again, the foundations of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the Doctrine of baptiſmes, and of laying on of hands, and of the Reſurrection of the dead, & of eternal judgement, (c)Heb. 6. 1, 2.inſtead of propagating, they have plundered and depopulated many precious truths, or at leaſt, endeavoured to do it: ſo that there is need of many hands to carry it on again, and ſet it forward: and we think there will not be good, humble, modeſt, private Chriſtians enow to do it, though the incouragements were greater.
6. But finally, we anſwer, that we think, there will be work enough for them and us; no doubt it may be truly ſaid, to the honour and renown of Engliſh Miniſters, that many godly private Chriſtians have attained unto, and gotten very great abilities, by hearing, writing, and repeating good Sermons: by frequent and aſſiduous reading of the Scriptures, by learning Engliſh Catechiſmes, and ſuch little eaſie bodies, and compendiums of Divinity, by much diſcourſe and frequent conferences, about matters of their Eſtates and ſouls, and reading good Engliſh Books: unto all which, they have been frequently and ſeriouſly exhorted, by the Miniſters; and theſe abilities, (doubtleſſe) they may and ought to uſe; but it muſt be in a ſubordinate and ſober way, not in a tumult and confuſion, as thoſe Babyloniſh Brick-layers, that underſtood not what another ſaid; (d)Gen. 11. 9.but mannaged and kept within their banks and bounds, by Miniſters, who may charge them, and look unto them, that in their meetings and conventions, they vent no other Doctrine, neither give heed to fables, and ſuch things, as Miniſter queſtions, rather then godly edifying, which is in faith: (e)1 Tim. 1. 3, 4.as in the building of the Temple, there were many Labourers that furthered the work; but not that gave out patterns for the direction of it (f)1 Chron. 28. 11, 12, 13.ſo private Chriſtians may help forward the work of God exceeding much, if they will act by order and direction from the Miniſters, and Paſtors of the place; but muſt not be for that, ſet up and ſubſtituted in the Office, place and power of the Miniſter and Paſtor, may help the building very much, yet muſt not be eſteemed, Maſter-builders, as the Apoſtle calls himſelf, (g)1 Cor. 3: 10.though they perhaps do underſtand, the model of the work, and will offer, and may afford their ſervice at a cheaper rate; but notwithſtanding theſe aſſiſtants, and ſubordinated Labourers, there muſt be ſome ordained Paſtors to attend, & wait upon every flock or Congregation, and take the cuſtody and care of them upon him, and be accountable to the chief Shepheard for them.