The Shepherds Wanderings Discovered, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. In which the 16 and 17 pages of Mr. Sheppards book, containing his eighth and ninth poſitions are examined, and his proofe of them ſcann'd, &c.
Page 16.I Am now come to your eighth poſition, viz.
That all Gods people, as well as the Preachers, may and ought to expound Scripture to themſelves, and one to another.
This you prove by ſix Reaſons, which I will examine apart. foreign, ſaith the Proverb. We have had this ſaid over and over again; it was the ſubſtance of the ſeventh propoſition. Let us ſee if it be better proved here.
1. Your firſt reaſon is, becauſe the Se…ure by expoſition is made more uſefull and profitable. This doth not prove (ſir) that therefore they ought to expound it to themſelves, or one to another. This proves indeed that it ought to be expounded to them.
2. Your ſecond reaſon, becauſe they are to be alwaies teaching, reproving, & comforting one another: and this cannot be done without expounding, &c. How often ſhall I anſwer this crambe? 1. This may be done by applying to themſelves and others plaine and eaſie Scriptures, for which there needs no expounding. 2. By applying to themſelves and others the ſound interpretation of thoſe that God hath call'd to that office to interpret his will.
3. Thirdly, you ſay, Every private Chriſtian hath in him a guift more or leſſe, and this is not to be hid. To prove that they have a guift of Scripture interpretation you bring again, 1 Cor. 12 17. I am ſick of this tautologizing, this is the third time I have met with this, but I muſt look I ſee inſtead of ſtrength of arguments, for to be ſerved with a flood of words, I anſwer again you have not proved they have all a guift. 2. If they had they muſt be called to the exerciſe, or elſe, every Souldier that hath the gift of warlike prudence might be a Colonell.
4. They ſhould covet more then this (you ſay) viz. to prophecy, 1 Cor. 14.1, 5. and to ſpeak with Tongues too v. 5. They are as much bound to one as the other. But (Sir) it was their duty to covet thoſe gifts, becauſe then they were not ceaſed, but not ours alike now: the like may be ſaid to that place, Num. 11 29. Prophecy was an extraordinary gift of God then in date, now ceaſed, Moſes did not wiſh they were all Prieſts.
5. Your fifth reaſon is the ſame with the fourth you ſay: All the people of God as well as the Preachers, are commanded to labour for the higheſt degree of this guift, and wherfore are they to labour for it if not to uſe it when attain'd, 1 Cor. 14.1, 39. 1 C r. 12:31. 1 Cor. 14.20.
1. The ſubſtance of this was anſwered before. 2. The ſecond as wel as, upon which all your ſtrength lieth, is not proved (but I perceive you take great paines to prove that which none denies. You ſay Io. 4 39.Page 16. foreign I ſuppoſe you meane Io. 5.39. We are commanded to ſearch the Scripturet, and Mr. Loigh te's you it is a metaphor taken from them that dig in mines, and if ſo, it noteth foure things. 1. The breaking in pieces of the earth. 2. The taking out the precious matter. 3. The carefull laying of it up. 4. The employing it to the uſe to which it ſerveth, whence you infer p. 17. That it is the duty of all Chriſtians induſtriouſly to ſtudy the word of God, to breake it in pieces in his meditations, draw and take out the ſpirituall ſenſe and truths thereof. carefully to lay up theſe in his ſoule, and then bring them forth upon occaſion for the profit of others, and ſo no doubt it is, Pſal. 1.2. Col. 3.16. Acts 17.11. Deut. 6.7. Mat. 13.51 Pſal. 119.11.
Nihil neceſſe eſt ut ſimilitudo aut Analogia quadret per omnia. Eraſmus de rat. conc. 428.To your foure particulars and your inference, I anſwer ſhortly.
1. I perceive you are good at making ſimilitudes run on foure feet contrary to the knowne maxime, I ſhall minde you of a rule in Divinity. Theologia parabolica non eſt argumentativa, and a Latin Proverb, Similia ad pompam, non ad pugnam.
2. You are out in your metaphor, for uſually thoſe that dig in the Mine are neither they that lay up the oare, nor Mint it, nor employ it.
Similitudo legitur proverbiorum. 11. Monile aureum in naribus porci eſt mulier formoſa—magnum ſane diſc…imen inter porcū & mulierem. Hyperius de rat. ſtudii Theol. l. 2. c. 19. Ob. 5.3. The care is to be purified in the furnace too, and to receive a ſtampe before it be currant, but Gods word is purified ſeven times.
4. I grant all you ſay to be a Chriſtians duty, but what Chriſtians? and when, and how, this is the Queſtion, he that digs in the Mine muſt have a ſpade, Chriſtians muſt have gifts to doe it with; and doe it by meanes, and then imploy it according to the rule, as the righteous man, Pſal. 1.2. as the Coloſſians ch. 3.16, and the Bereans, Acts 17.11. in their families, Deut. 6.7.
6. You adde: By this meanes eſpecially Chriſtians may as ſalt ſeaſon themſelves and others, keepe them from corruption and deſtruction, and they and their workes made ſavoury to God and good men, and as a candle they will give light to all the family of God about them, Math. 5.13, 14, 15.
By this meanes? what meanes by unlearned mens expoſitions of Scripture? Saint Peter thought otherwiſe, for he ſayes they wil wreſt them to their own deſtruction, 1 Pet. 3.16. there is no ſpeaking againſt experience (Sir) we have ſeen this a meanes to corrupt and pervert others to draw men off from Ordinances and duties, and to a contempt of the meſſengers of the Goſpell and meanes of grace, inſtead of giving light they have beene like thieves in the candle, eclipſing the light of truth and holineſſe, a little more time will convince you Sir of your miſtake; in this ſurely a diligent attendance upon the preaching of the Goſpell by Chriſts commiſſion officers, were a better meanes to theſe ends.
I am now come to your ninth poſition:
That thoſe that have received any ſpeciall gift of prophecy or Scripture expoſition are to exerciſe and uſe it ſo as may be of moſt advantage to the Church.Primò termi ni axiomatis explicandiſunt— Chappell in Meth. conc. 133.
Your not opening your propoſition, makes you ſpeak very darkly, and puts me to much trouble, you ſhould have told us.
1. What you meane by gift of prophecy.
2. Who are thoſe that have that ſame ſpeciall gift.
1. If you meane by gift, office, as the Apoſtle hath it, 1 Tim. 4.14. it is granted, but then it makes nothing to your purpoſe.
2. For the guift of prophecy, none hath it now.
3. For the gift of expounding Scripture, thoſe that have it are bound to exerciſe it in their place and calling, otherwiſe it cannot be for Gods glory or the Churches good.
But I ſuppoſe your meaning is, That there are ſome not in office that have an ability to expound Scripture, and they are bound to uſe it as ſhall be moſt advantagious to the Church Keeping the rules of Gods word and the bounds of their callings, I grant it you. You ſay, 1. It is given them for this purpoſe: Right.
2. God requires it (you ſay) 1 Pet. 4.10, 11.
You are afraid we ſhould ſay that that Text is onelyonly to be underſtood of gifts given to men in office only, and to prevent it, you tell us, it is improbable; for,
1. You ſay the Epiſtle was written to the Jewes amongſt whom were as you thinke few regular Churches.
2. The words are generall, and ſo not to be reſtrained.
I know none ſayes that the gift there ſpoken of is to be reſtrained to gifts given men in office, but it may much be queſtioned whether the gift there meant, be not …ffice, foreign.it is the ſame word there uſed that is uſed. 1 Tim. 4.14. and there office is plainely meant, and then it followeth, as ſtewards of the manifold grace of God; now ſtewards is a name of office, applyed to Miniſters and officers. 1 Cor. 4.1. Tit. 1.7. and no where in Scripture applyed to private perſons not in office. But you thinke there were no regular Churches amongſt the Jewes, and ſo no officers, what thinke you (Sir) of the Elders mentioned, 1 Pet. 5.1.2. that are commanded to feed the flocke of God amongſt them, taking the overſight thereof not by conſtraint, &c. Was not that flock of God under the overſight of Elders a Church thinke you?
But the words are generall, and therefore to be underſtood of all Chriſtians and all gifts? Truth (Sir) if there were no other Scriptures to limit them, nor are the words generall neither, if Chriſtians have not foreign, there ſpoken of. I paſſe over your other five reaſons as proving nothing that I have denied, nor any thing to your purpoſe.