The Shepherds Wanderings Discovered, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Wherein the 47, 48, 49, 50 p. of Mr. Sheppards book are examined, and his two laſt Arguments found—Non ſequiturs.
THe ſubſtance of it brought into form, is this: Thoſe men that are fitted and furniſhed with abilities from God to open and apply Scriptures in a conſtituted Church publiquely, thoſe may doe it. For you ſay, God hath done nothing in vaine.
But there are many private perſons whom God hath fitted and furniſhed with abilities to this worke, who are not called and ſet apart: Ergo they may doe it.
Heark a little, and tell me how this kind of arguing ſounds in your eares: Thoſe who are fitted with abilities to be Generals of an Army, or Parliament men, or pleaders at the bar, may doe the work of Generals and Parliament men, and plead at the bar:
But many Colonels in the Army are fitted with abilities to execute the office of a Generall: And there be many Gentlemen have abilities to doe the work of Parliament men; and many Lawyers have the abilities to doe the work of Iudges; and many that are not called to the bar have abilities to plead: Ergo they may doe all theſe.
In earneſt (Sir) if my Lord Generall hath you to diſpute for him, or the honourable houſe of Parliament ſet you to diſpute for them, or the Judges or Lawyers for them, I will undertake in an houre you will diſpute them all out of their places; Iohn Lilburne could not make a better argument againſt them.
To anſwer you directly: Preaching (Sir) is an office, and he that may do it, muſt beſides inward abilities have an outward call, and ſetting apart; as Paul and Barnabas had, as Timothy had, &c.
I will proceed to your ninth Argument. You ſay, There have been, and are many learned and godly men who have held the lawfulneſſe of the thing. You inſtance in Dr. Ames, Mr. Cotton, and the five Apologiſts.
Logically thus, What ſome learned and godly men "have held lawfull, that is lawfull:
But ſome learned and godly men have held it lawfull for perſons meerly gifted, not called and ſet apart to the work of the Miniſtry, nor intending it, to expound and apply Scripture ordinarily; Ergo it is lawfull.
1. I deny your major. Surely we doe not deny infallibility to the Church of Rome, and give it ſome few ſingle perſons.
2. I will retort your argument:
What ſome learned and godly men have judged unlawfull, that is ſo.
Aſſerimus.) Nec parentum nec majorum errorem ſequendum eſſe ſed authoritatem Scripturae & verbum Dei docent…s. Tertul. Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus. Cyp…in ep. 63. ad Caecilium.But ſome learned and godly men, as Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Gilleſpy, Mr. Ferriby, Mr. Hall, Dr. Seaman, &c. have judged it unlawfull, Ergo.
I believe you will not grant my argument: yet I take ſome of theſe to be as learned and holy as thoſe you inſtance in.
(Sir) Dr. Ames and Mr. Cotton, and the five Apologiſts are learned and reverent men, but not without their miſtakes; and they are all parties in that caſe; we are as ready to argue it againſt them as you: their placet is nothing to us. Cyprian ſaith right, that it is onelyonly to be conſidered, Quid Chriſtus qui ante omnes fuit faciendum putavit, what Chriſt who is before and above all ſaith.
Your laſt Argument is this, That which may have very good ends and fruits is lawfull.
But this practice may have very good ends and fruits, Ergo.
I deny your major. We muſt not doe evill (ſaith the Apoſtle) that good may come of it. The meanes muſt be good, as well as the end.
An Argument is as good againſt you thus:
P. 48, 49. Quemadmodum inauſpicatus eſt medicus qui occidendo homines diſcit mederi, ita non eſt optanda prudentia quae laedendo diſcit prodeſſe. Eraſm.That which may have very ill and pernicious ends, is unlawfull.
But this practice may have ſo, 2 Pet. 3.16.
Yea, how many are led into errours, and hereſies, and blaſphemies thus, let this age witneſſe. You reckon eight good ends and fruits of this: I doe not think it a probable means to any one of them ends.
1. You ſay the Church may be edified by it, and unbelievers converted. And (Sir) may not the Church be thus deſtroyed and perverted? Conſider experience a little: ſhew us where God hath laid this prophecying (as you call it) under a divine appointment to this end.
2. You ſay hereby men may be fitted and tried for the Miniſtery. How (Sir) by preaching publiquely and ordinarily; or rather by ſtudying the Scriptures, and preaching once or twice, or more, before Timothy, who is able to judge.
3. You ſay hereby the Doctrine of the Goſpell will be kept pure, contrary to 2 Pet. 3.16.
In ſhort, it were eaſie to anſwer all you pretend to ſay in this thing: But, 1. Experience anſwers it ſufficiently that it would have no ſuch fruit. 2. If in reaſon we might hope for ſuch an iſſue, yet Gods ends muſt be proſecuted and attained by his owne waies.
You ſhut up this Chapter, by telling us what Arguments you doe not ſtand upon: I hope I have ſhewed you as much reaſon (Sir) to quit theſe you have inſiſted upon, which I am ſure conclude not what you would have, any more then thoſe Arguments you have quitted doe.
I come now to ſee if you be better at anſwering our Arguments, then making any for your ſelfe.