The Shepherds Wanderings Discovered, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. In which Mr. Sheppards fourth poſition is examined, and his proofe of it ſcanned.
YOur next, and in order your fourth poſition is this, That the people as well as the preachers are to abound in the knowledge of the Scriptures. This you prove, 1. Becauſe it is commanded, Col. 3.16. 2 It is commended, Ro. 15.14. 3 It was prophecyed and promiſed it ſhould be ſo.
This doctrine ſhould have been expounded a little too before it had been proved: that term [as well as] upon which the whole ſtrength of your deſigne lies, is not proved by any one Scripture, nor can I well tell what you mean by it. For if you mean,
That not only the Preachers, but the people are to abound in the knowledge of the Scriptures, I grant it you, and that you have proved it, though to very little purpoſe, in order to the deſigne of your book.
But if you mean, that it lies upon the people in point of duty, to be as much buſied and verſed in the Scriptures, as the Preacher is bound to be, I cannot yield you that: For that God hath no where ſaid to them as to Timothy, foreign. Theophylact. ad loc.1 Tim. 4.15. Meditate upon theſe things, give thy ſelf wholly to them. I ſuppoſe you believe a Preacher ſhall not ſin againſt God, if he ſpend his whole time in order to his abounding in the knowledge of the Scriptures; but, I ſuppoſe thoſe who are not in that Function ſhould. But I eaſily grant you, that every Chriſtian ought to abound in the knowledge of the Scriptures; and that becauſe, as you ſay, God hath both commanded and commended it. I grant you alſo, that a fuller meaſure of knowledge is promiſed and prophecied,Joel 2.18. Dan. 12.4. Iſ. 11.9 Iſ. 33 6 and poſſibly that place in Ioel may be a proofe in ſome part for you, viz that under the Goſpell God would poure out his Spirit in a larger meaſure then before. Here you frame an Objection that ſome make, viz.
Ob That ſome ſay, that text in Joel is to be referred onelyonly to the very time of the Apoſtles, and to the miraculous guifts of that time. To this you anſwer,
1. This reſtrained ſenſe is againſt the coherence of the Text.
2. The words themſelves import a further matter and time.
3. The guift hath been given to ſome in all times under the Goſpell.
4. The ſame and like words are uſed in other places in the larger ſenſe, Lu. 4.17, 18, 19, 20. Matth. 8.21.
5. Some ſound and learned interpreters take it in this larger ſence, &c.
6. There are other paralell Scriptures ſpeak the ſame thing.
Concerning this text, I have already noted to you in my Ʋindiciae, p. 49. that if this text proves, that perſons not ordained may preach,All fleſh. it proves 1. That all have the guift, and may doe it. 2. That women may doe it, v. 28. 3. That they may preach by dreams and viſions too. That according to this place there need no election or probation: or any ſuch thing.
For the reſtraining of it to the daies of Pentecoſt, the Apoſtle hath warranted it, Act. 2.16. This is that which was ſpoken, &c.
Whereas you ſay, it is againſt the coherence of the words, you ſhall doe well to ſhew it us, and then we ſhall reply to it.
Whereas you ſay, the words doe import ſomething further, I cannot finde it out in reſpect of time, there is no term but afterwards; what you can make of that I cannot tell. Whereas you ſay, that the guift hath been given to ſome in all times, it is but petitio principii, a begging of the queſtion. Fourthly, you ſay the ſame and like words are uſed, Luke 4 17, 18, 19, 20. I have ſearched that place, and finde it a prophecy fu…filled in Chriſt, and applyed by himſelfe to himſelfe; neither are there any ſuch words there, as I will poure out my Spirit upon all fleſh. And your ſons and your daughters ſhall prophecy. Your other place is, Matth. 8.17. the words are theſe, That it might be fulfilled which was ſpoken by Iſaias the Prophet; Himſelfe tooke our infirmities, and bare our ſickneſſes. Now, where are the ſame or like words in the text? I thinke there is not one word the ſame in the text, nor any like. Indeed the two places in the margent are ſomething neerer, Iſ. 43 3. Zach. 12.10. Both thoſe ſpeak of a powring out of the Spirit, but neither of them ſpeake of the Spirit of prophecy, nor of ſons and daughters prophecying. The latter ſpeaks of the Spirit of grace and ſupplication. But what is that to the ſpirit of prophecy? But in the fifth place you tell us, Some ſound and learned Interpreters ſo underſtand it, but who thoſe are you ſpare mentioning I anſwer firſt, who ever they be St. Peter is to be preferred before them, and how it is to be underſtood he hath told us, Act. 2.16. Let us heare a little what Expoſiters ſay: Oecolampadius upon the place hath theſe words.
Et nunc in ſequenti verſu eximium illud donum quod eſt conceſſum diſcipulis in Pentecoſtes die praedicit, Oecolamp. ad loc.& Actorum ſe cundo Petrus ipſe teſtatur haec per prophetam Joelem eſſe dicta, unde nemo verba iſta in alienum ſenſum rapere conetu… quam ab Apoſtolo adducta ſunt & interpretata. — Spiritum promittit omni carni ſed non propterea prophetiam omni carni— Hoc omnibus fidelibus concedit ut pio corde ferantur in Deum non quod propterea promittit omnibus ſcientiam omnem & Scripturae ſenſum.
That is, And now in the following verſe he foretels that excellent guift which was given to the Diſciples in the daies of Pentecoſt. Peter himſelfe ſaies that that was foretold by the Prophet Ioel, whence (ſaith he) let no man goe about to wreſt the words to any other ſence then that to which the Apoſtle brings them, and in which he interprets them. — He promiſeth the Spirit to all fleſh, but not prophecying to all fleſh. This God giveth to all to have their hearts made heavenly, & carried up to him. But he doth not promiſe to all, that they ſhal underſtand all knowledge, and the ſence of Scripture.
In the next place let us heare what learned Mercer ſaith. Nunc prophetia de Spiritu Sancto quam die Pentecoſtes fide dignus teſtis Petrus impletam dicit miſſo Spiritu Sancto, Mercerus ad loc.qui fecit ut Apoſtoli magna virtute teſtimonium darent reſurrectioni Chriſti, qui antea id docere immo ne in publicum quidem prodire audebant. De ſententiae ergo tempore, & modo impletae prophetiae conſtat.
This prophecy, ſaith he, is concerning the Holy Ghoſt and Peter, who may be believed, applies it to the day of Pentecoſt, when the Holy Ghoſt was ſent, the Apoſtles by his great power gave teſtimony of the reſurrection of Chriſt, who before durſt not teach it, nor come out in publique. Concerning therefore the meaning of the prophecy, the time and manner of fulfilling it is plaine.
But let us enquire a little further, (for I would faine know that man that would pretend to a better judgement in expounding Scripture then St. Peter had; or after he had ſaid, This is that was ſpoken of by Joel, would preſume to ſay, No, it is another thing.) Let us heare what Gualther upon the place ſaith.
Gualtherus. ad loc.Initio de Spiritus Sancti miſſione vaticinatur.—Poſt haec effectus Spiritus Sancti Joel commemorat, — Prophetiam nimirum; ſub qua donum linguarum quoque comprehendi ex Petri interpretatione patet. Prophetare antem dicuntur qui de arcana dei voluntate, & de rebus futuris differunt, Paulus verbi hujus ſignificationem latius extendens, eos quoque prophet…re dicit, qui vel Scripturas ipſi exponunt, vel aliorum interpretationes attenti audiunt. In praeſente tamen ac vaticinandi dono & penitiori myſteriorum Scripturae cognitione Ioel loquitur. Prophetabunt, inquit, filii veſtri & filia veſtrae, id eſt, ex illis paſſim orientur qui futura praevideant, quique Scripturae arcana eruendo illa commune omnium inſtitutioni & conſolationi accomodent. —At quae hic promittuntur mox poſt aſcenſionem Chriſti praeſtari caeperunt, quando Spiritus Sanctus ſuper Apoſtolos delapſus viſibili ſpecie illos & Scripturae ſacrae & linguarum cognitione ita illuſtravit, ut hoſtibus quoque admirationi eſſent qui illos homines idietas & illiteratos eſſe ſciebant. Eoſdem quoque viſiones vidiſſe, & in ſomniis de rebus gravibus & neceſsariis admonitos fuiſſe Petri & Pauli exempla ſatis teſtantur. Iidem quoque futura praedixerunt, quales nimirum noviſſimi ſaeculi mores futuri ſint, utque Antichriſti tyrannis Eccleſiam horribili modo ſit vaſtatura quo totus Apocalypſeos liber referri debeat, quid quod Philippo quatuor filias pr phetantes fuiſſe Lucas tradit? Nec Apoſtolorum modo tempore prophetandi donum floruit, verum etiam aliquot ſaeculis deinceps ſicuti hiſtoriae teſtantur & Theodoretus Epiſcopus ſuo tempore aliquos fuiſſe ſcribit qui ſingulari Spiritus dono inſtructi futura praedicerent. Quia vero donum hoc ſingulare fuit, & ea Scripturis abunde jam tradita ſunt quae nos ſcire neceſſe eſt donum hoc ut & alia pleraque ceſſavit.
Firſt (ſaith he) he prophecieth of the ſending of the Holy Ghoſt. — Then (ſaith he) he ſpeaketh of the effects of this Spirit, — to wit, prophecy; under which it is plain from St. Peters interpretation, that the guift of Tongues is comprehended. They are properly ſaid to prophecy, who diſcourſe concerning the ſecret will of God, and things to come. Paul doth extend the ſignification of this word further, and ſaies, that they prophecy that expound Scriptures, or attend diligently to others expoſitions. But here the Prophet Ioel ſpeaks concerning that guift of prophecy, in the more accurate knowledge of the myſteries of Scripture. — Thoſe things, which were here prophecied of, began to be fulfilled immediately upon the aſcenſion of Chriſt. When the Holy Ghoſt deſcended upon the Apoſtles in a viſible ſhape, and did enlighten them with the knowledge of Scripture and of the tongues, ſo that they were an admiration to their enemies, who knew them to be illiterate men, and ideots. The examples alſo of Peter and Paul witneſſe, that they ſaw viſions and were warned by God in dreams of things weighty and neceſſary to them. And they foretold things to come, as what ſhould be the manners of the laſt times; and how the tyranny of Antichriſt ſhould waſte the Church in a dreadfull manner—. And Philip had foure daughters propheteſſes.—Neither did this guift of prophecy only flouriſh in them very times, but ſome ages after, as Hiſtories witneſſe. V. Theodoret witneſſeth that there were ſome in his time who were furniſhed with this ſingular guift, and foretold things to come. But becauſe this guift was ſingular, and now thoſe things are delivered in Scripture which it is neceſſary for us to know, this guift as alſo many others is ceaſed.
Petrus ſecundo capite Actorum dicit hanc prophetiam amplectam fuiſſe quum miſſus eſt Spiritus.— Deinde hic prophetae non loquitur de publico munere docendi, &c. Calv. ad loc.Mr. Calvin upon the Text ſaies, that Peter witneſſes that this prophecy is fulfilled; and ſaies, that Joel doth not here ſpeak of the publique work of teaching, for he calls thoſe Prophets that were not call'd to that, but were enlightned with ſuch a degree of knowledge that they might be compared with Prophets.
Haec de Spiritu Sancto miſſo in Apoſtolos in die Pentecoſtes dicta dubitare non poſſumus, cum habeamus ipſorum Apoſtolorum principem expoſitorem. Ribera ad loc.
St. Hierome reſts upon that interpretation, that St. Peter makes, and ſpends his time only in proving the coherence of the words before and after, to that ſence.
Deodate reſtraines it to certaine times, and certain perſons, Acts 2 17.
Indeed I finde our own late Annotations, and one ſingle Pareus; the latter of which ſpeaketh it expreſly, the other in effect, That (they think) it is to be reſtrained to the day of Pentecoſt. But ſuppoſe thoſe two were two hundred, what were they to one Peter? who long ſince told us. This is that that was ſpoken of by the Prophet Joel For the former part of the verſe, I will poure out my Spirit, I will eaſily grant you a truth, that God under the Goſpel doth grant a larger meaſure of his Spirit, then he did under the Law, viz. his Spirit of grace, and ſupplication, and ſanctification: but for the prophecying ſpoken of, God hath fulfilled his word (ſaith Peter.) Whereas you ſay ſixthly, that other paralel Scriptures ſpeak the ſame in effect: you have quoted none that doth. You have indeed brought in many, but you have brought them in againſt their wils, ſo none of them ſpeake to prove what you would have them, viz. that it is any where prophecied, that the guift of prophecying and underſtanding the myſteries of Scripture, by an extraordinary inſpiration of the Spirit, ſhould abound under the Goſpel as a ſtanding guift to all the Saints. Indeed moſt of them prove an increaſe of ſaving knowledge, practicall experimentall knowledge of God, and of things neceſſary to ſalvation, and poſſibly of the knowledge we are ſpeaking of, to be acquired by ordinary means and waies; but none of them of ſuch an immediate inſpiration, to make them underſtand the Scriptures ſo as to be able to expound them where they are darke, and their ſenſe not obvious. Nor doth that place quoted by you Mat. 11.11. prove any thing at all, it being clearly to be underſtood of Chriſt, whom the Jews counted leaſt in the Kingdom of Heaven foreign. Theophyl. in loc. V. Dickſon in Matthaeum..
You bring another reaſon p. 9. to prove that the people are to abound in the knowledge of the Scriptures as well as the Preachers. Becauſe they have many uſes to put it to, viz. to teach, reprove, exhort, &c.
But all this they may doe, though they have not ſo full a knowledge of the Scriptures as Preachers are and ought to have. I grant you they are to labour for a knowledge in the Scriptures, but not that they are tied by duty to ſeek for ſuch a meaſure of knowledge as the Preacher is bound by duty to ſeek after. But I haſten to your fift propoſition, p. 9