The Shepherds Wanderings Discovered, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Containing an Examination of the ſixth and ſeventh poſitions: and a ſcanning of Mr. Sheppards proofe of them.
YOur ſixth point is this,Page 14. That the people may as well uſe the guift of expounding Scriptures as the preachers.
This you prove, 1. Becauſe the uſe of this guift is no where confined to any certaine men …fficers of the Church nor others, But to every one as the Spirit willeth, 1 Cor. 17.7. Rom. 12.6. Act. 17.11
2. The people have the ſame guift of the Spirit in ſome degree as the Preachers have, 1 Jo. 2.27. Acts 17.11. Ro. 12.5, 6. and by this they did interpret in the primitive times, 1 Cor. 14.26. Acts 18 26. Acts 8.4. Acts 11.19.
3. All men that have this guift are commanded to uſe it to Gods glory and the Churches good, 1 Pet. 4.10, 11.
It is reaſonable you ſay they ſhould uſe it, for they have occaſion to uſe it as the Preachers have, &c.
2. They are given and directed to the people to be uſed by them.
"3. The Scriptures expoſition is as of great concernment to the people as to Preachers.
This terme as well troubles me again, if you mean by it as publiquely, and as often and ordinarily, and as warrantably; I deny it.
To your firſt reaſon I anſwer, that the publique uſe of this guift is confined. Chriſt did not ſay to all the Diſciples, but to the Apoſtles and their Succeſſors onelyonly, Goe preach and baptize, Matth 28, &c. and what though the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 12 7. that the manifeſtation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall; Datur unicuique ergo nema ſolus habet ūniverſa. Pareus ad loc.he opens himſelfe v. 7.8 and ſhews that he means not, that the ſeverall guifts of the Spirit are given to every one, but one to this Chriſtian, another to another; ſomething to all, v. 29 Are all Prophets, are all Teachers, are all workers of miracles? That very Text, 1 Cor. 12.7, 8. is witneſſe enough againſt you. Nor doth Rom. 12.6. prove that the uſe of this guift is not confined: for it is confined to them that have it, and thoſe are onelyonly ſuch as are Officers, (if you mean by prophecying ordinary preaching, which I perceive you take for granted, though I ſhall ſhew you anon you have no reaſon to doe ſo.) For your third place, Acts 17.11. that onelyonly proves that ſearching the Scriptu…es is not confined to officers but people alſo may doe it, and this none denies.
Your ſecond reaſon to prove that they may uſe the guift is, becauſe they have the ſame guift the Preachers have. The Argument is thus:
Thoſe that have the ſame guift with others, may uſe it as well as others.
But the people have the ſame guift.
Your Minor is undoubtedly falſe of the moſt Saints. But ſuppoſe it were true, you Major is fallacious. If you mean uſing it in their places, and relations, none denies it; if otherwiſe, your Major is falſe. For by ſuch an argument, I would prove that every one that hath the guift of a Souldier may exerciſe the Office of a Colonell or a Generall. For the Scriptures you bring to prove they have the ſame guift, I have anſwered them before. But you ſay, by this guift they did interpret in the Primitive times, and for this you quote, 1 Cor. 14.26. Acts 18.16. Acts 8.4. Acts 11.19. Here, Sir, you beg a queſtion, which is ſo great a piece of truth that I cannot give it you upon alms; you muſt purchaſe it by a ſolid proofe, if you have it, viz. that the Prophecy ſpoken of in the New teſtament was not an extraordinary, but an ordinary guift. That they did preach, I deny you not, but what their guift was, whether ordinary, or extraordinary, we will argue anon.
But thirdly, you tell us that reaſonably they ſhould uſe the guift, becauſe they have occaſion to uſe it, to reprove, exhort, teach, comfort. This you told us before p. 9. I told you then this proves a private uſe, but not a publique uſe of their guifts.
But you tell us fourthly, that God hath commanded them to uſe this guift, 1 Pet. 4.10.11. I have fully anſwered this place, I mean this falſe gloſſe put upon it, in my Vindiciae p. 57. to which I refer you.
You tell us, That ſome ſay, Page 15.none but thoſe that are skilled in the Tongues can interpret Scriptures, ſome places in it are ſo difficult.
To this you anſwer: 1. That Preachers grant, that ſuch as want School-learning, being duely called, may be publique Preachers.
2. You agree that ſomethings in Scripture are very hard to be underſtood, but others eaſie.
3. You take it, that the knowledge of the truths of Gods Word is a guift of God, attainable by the Spirit onelyonly, and not by any humane power and ſtrength: and this you promiſed after to ſhew.
This is to ſet up a man of Straw, and then to ſpend time in undreſſing him. I know none ſay that none can interpret, or rather know the meaning of any place of Scripture, but ſuch as have skill in the Tongues.In omni copid Scripturarum ſanctarum paſcimur appertis exercemur obſcuris, illic fames pellitur, hic faſtidium, Aug. t. 1. p. 16. E.
This indeed we ſay, that none are ſo accompliſhed by means to doe it, as they; nay further, that there are ſome Scriptures, to the right interpretation, and full interpretation of which a knowledge in the Tongues is neceſſary. Other Scriptures there are which need no interpreter, he that runneth may read them; and the coherence is evident enough.
But you ſay we grant, That ſuch as are not skild in the Tongues,Nam quan…o Scriptura, non habet vivam vocem, quam audiamus, utendum eſt quibuſ dam medus quibus inveſtigemus quis ſit ſenſus, quae mens Scripturararum: ſi enim Chriſtus ipſe nobiſcum ageret: ſi Apoſtoli, & prophetae inter nos viverent, eos adire poſſemus ut ſenſum illorum quae ab iis, ſcripta ſunt nobis indicarent: ſed cum illi abierint, & libros tantùm ſuos reliquerunt, videndum eſt quibus medits ut verum Scripturae verborumque divinorum ſenſum inveniamus. Eccleſia enim ſemper mediis quibuſdam uſa eſt. Whitaker. de Scrip. l. 5. c. 9. if duely call'd to it, may be publique Preachers. If there be ſuch a neceſſity that the Church cannot be otherwiſe ſupplied, and theſe be otherwiſe qualified, we grant it.
To your ſecond, it is granted that there are ſome places of Scripture eaſie, and theſe need no Interpreter.
But for your third, viz. That the knowledge of the truths of Gods Word, is a guift attainable by the Spirit of God onelyonly, and not by any humane power or ſtrength; You have delivered it ambiguouſly. I know not whether you mean a practicall reflex knowledge, or a notionall direct knowledge. If you mean the firſt, we grant it you; but it makes nothing to your purpoſe. If you mean a notionall knowledge, we deny not but that the Spirit can and doth teach us that: but it is (Sir) in the uſe of means, of which the knowledge of the Tongues is one. If your meaning be, that an enlightning our minds in the knowledge of our Scriptures, upon our ſearching of them, meditating, ſtudying of them, and uſing all other means is a guift of the Spirit, none denies it; but this is nothing to your purpoſe. But if you mean, that the Spirit by a work of ſpeciall grace enlightens the minds of his Saints onelyonly in the underſtanding of Scriptures; and that (I know not which way) without the uſe of thoſe means he hath allowed us, in order to that end: As it is a pernicious opinion, ſo it is as falſe and ſimple. For how many have been able to expound Scripture, that never had the Spirit of grace? what think you of Iudas? And what ſtrange nonſenſicall erroneous interpretations doe many make of Scriptures, that think, and others think too, that they have much of the Spirit in them. But you promiſe to prove your aſſertion hereafter. You had need open it too.
I am now come to your ſeventh point: That it is the duty of all Gods people, as well as Preachers, to expound Scripture. This you endeavour to prove, ſaying,
1. It is their duty to doe many things which cannot be done without this.
2. They have the guift of Scripture expoſition given them. 1 Cor. 2.12, 16. 1 Cor. 12.7.
3 It is their duty to make the beſt uſe of Scripture they ean, but this they cannot doe but by expounding it.
"4. It hath been commended in them that have done it. Act. 17.11. 2 Pet. 1.19. Rom. 15 14.Tardior eſt ſtultorum (ut ait ille) Magiſtra experientia, & quemadmodum mauſpicatus eſt medicus; qui occidendo homines diſcit mederi, ita non eſt optanda prudentia quae laedendo diſcit prodeſſe, ſi quis in negotiis privatis multum putet tribuendum experimentis cum hoc non admodum pugnabo. Caeterum in functionibus publicis in quibus levis error haud levem perniciem populo affert, non oportet ſaepius audire vocem illam non putâram. Eraſ. de rat. concion. l. 2. 203. edit. Frob. 8.
"5. It is in effect commanded to all the people of God. Jo. 5 39. Deut. 6.7. 1 Pet. 4.10. Col 3.16.
What you mean by expounding Scripture I cannot tell. If you mean by it ſearching the Scripture, to finde out the will of God in it, for the advantage of their own ſoules, and to furniſh them to the duties of their relations and callings, it is granted you. But if you mean by expounding, undertaking to deliver to Congregations, this to be the meaning of the Scripture, you have neither proved it is commanded nor commended.
Your five reaſons which have ſerved almoſt all your Doctrines prove it not. To the firſt I anſwer: What ever duty lies upon private Chriſtians to doe, may be done by them to their brethren, without ſpeaking to them out of Moſes chaire.
To your ſecond I anſwer: You have not proved that they have the guift of Scripture expoſition; if they have the guift, yet they muſt have the Office too. Thoſe two places, 1 Cor. 2.12, 16. 1 Cor. 12.7. I anſwered before.
To the third, I deny that they muſt be able to expound them themſelves, to enable them to make the beſt advantage of them. The beſt uſe they can make of …m, is to ſearch their hearts, and order their lives by them; And this they may doe upon the hearing of others expound them. 2. For their own uſs they ought to apply them.
To your fourth, I ſay, that this was never commended by God. Indeed ſearching the Scriptures, to ſee if it be true that Preachers ſay, is in that place Act. 17.11. commended: but for that other place which you quote, 2 Pet. 1.19. I admire at your application of it. The words are theſe, We have alſo a more ſure word of prophecy, to which ye ſhall doe well if ye take heed, Exhortatio eſt ad legendas Scripturas propheticas. Eſtius ad loc.as to a light that ſhineth in a dark place, till &c. The words are in themſelves a precept, indeed they carry in them a commendation of them that Take heed to the word of prophecy. But (Sir) what doe you think is meant there by the word of prophecy? Private brethrens expounding Scripture? Doubtleſſe the Apoſtle never call'd this a light ſhining in a dark place. No, no, the Apoſtle means the Prophets, V. Calv. ad loc. Beza ad loc. Deodat. ad loc. Lorinus ad loc.and word of prophecy in the Old Teſtament. See Calvin, Deodate, our late Annotations. Beza, he call's this a more ſure word, foreign. More ſure, not in reſpect of it ſelfe, but becauſe the Jewes, to whom he wrote, had it in a very high eſtimation. So Beda, Aquinas, Hugo, Eraſmus, &c. yea, and St. Auguſtine ſo underſtands it, De verbis Apoſtoli, Ser. 27. Quis enim noſtrum non miretur delata voce de coelo certiorem propheticum ſermonem ab Apoſtolo dictum eſſe, &c.
Who would not wonder (ſaith he) that the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, Aug. ſer. 27. de verbis Apoſtoli.that the words of the Prophet are more ſure then the voice from Heaven. He ſaies indeed it is more certain, but he doth not ſay it is better or more true, for that word from Heaven was as true and good and profitable as the word of prophecy. What therefore doth he mean by more certaine, but that the hearers would not undoubtedly believe: and why ſo? becauſe men were unbelievers, and detracted from Chriſt, ſaying, that what he did he did by Magick; therefore unbelievers might refer the voice that came from Heaven to Magick arts by their humane conjectures, and unwarra…ble curioſities. Thus that holy man. And further to the ſame purpoſe, T. 9 tract. 35. in Joan.T. 9. tract. 35. in Johannem. So that this place, Sir, is nothing to your purpoſe.
Your third place to prove it is commended, is Rom. 15.14. where the Apoſtle ſaith, that he was perſwaded they were full of goodneſſe, full of all knowledge, able to admoniſh one another. Here he commends them, that they were full of all knowledge; but how doth he commend them here for expounding Scripture, that is a piece of practice. Nor doth the Apoſtle mean,Scilicet eorum quae ad fidem pietatem & ſalutem ſicat piis neceſſaria. Pareus ad loc. they were fill'd with all knowledge in all kinds and degrees, for 1 Cor. 13 12. he ſaies, that himſelfe knew but in part: he meanes therefore all neceſſary knowledge.
Laſtly, you tell us, they are commanded to expound Scriptures: but where, ſir? You tell us, Jo. 5.39. Deut. 6.7. 1 Pet. 4 10. Col. 3.16. For that place, Io. 5.39. they are indeed commanded to ſearch the Scriptures; but what is that to a practicall expounding of them?
In Deut. 6.7. we are commanded to teach our children the Law of God, and to talk of it in our houſe: but doe you think (ſir) every Jewiſh houſholder was to expound the Law, or that there have not been many old Chriſtians have taught their children and families more of the Law of God heretofore, then profeſſors uſually doe now, and yet never expounded the Law to them. But ſuppoſe they may hint to their families ſome obvious obſervations from the Scrip…es they read (though I doe not think that is commanded there) yet neither is this an expounding Scriptures, nor that which you plead for.
For the third place, 1 Pet. 4.10. I ſpake to it before: There is nothing but a generall command to Chriſtians, to uſe the guift of God beſtowed on them; which generall muſt be reſtrained by other Scriptures, to manner, time, and place. Your laſt proofe is 3. Col. 16.
There indeed Chriſtians are commanded to let the word of God dwell in them richly, to teach, and admoniſh one another. But (ſir) all this may be done without expounding Scripture: ſo that this place proves nothing to your purpoſe. And thus I have ſhewed you the inſufficiency of the proofe of this propoſition, though if you mean no more, Then that it is the duty of Chriſtians privately to read, ſearch, and ſtudy the Scriptures, to endeavour to finde out Gods will in them, I grant it you. But then this ſeventh propoſition amounts to no more then your fourth, and you might have ſpared your ſelfe and me this trouble.