A Defense of Sundry Positions of the Congregational Way, Position 14 – Position 15
POSITION XIV.
The great Mountain burning with fire caſt into the Sea, upon the ſounding of the ſecond Trumpet, Rev. 8.8, 9. is applied by ſome good Writers to thoſe times in which Conſtantine brought ſettled endowments into the Church.
If it be ſo applyed by ſome good Writers, Anſwer. who poſſibly bad in their eyes the Lordly, and almoſt regall riches and pomp of Prelates; it is by as many, and as good writers applyed otherwiſe.
Our brethren ſpeak modeſtly and moderately: Reply. they tell us, it is applied ſo by ſome good Writers; It is not therefore their own novell expoſition; they preſent it as probable, they force the interpretation upon no man. But what are your exceptions againſt it?
For my part, Anſwer. as I ſinde that Conſtantines donation, the foundation of this expoſition, is but a fiction, accounted by Gratian himſelf to be but palea (and what is the chaffe to the wheat?) So I finde in the Prophecies, that Kings and States are called Mountains, Zach. 4.7. Caſting of Mountains into the Sea, implyeth great commotions, Pſal. 46.2. Their burning with ſire, ſignifieth their oppoſition and fierceneſſe, whereby they become deſtroying Mountains, Jer. 51.25.
1. Reply. We are not at a little want of books; and therefore are not able to make an exact ſearch either after the truth or falſhood of this matter; But let Conſtantines donation of the Popes patrimony, be a Fiction and Palea; yet we ſuppoſe it may be cleerly evidenced from credible Authors, that Conſtantine brought in great riches and pomp, ſetled endowments to the Clergie of the Church, and that is all that is affirmed in the Poſition.
2. If Kings and States be called Mountains, ſo is proſperity in riches and honours, Pſal. 30. Thou haſt made my Mountain ſo ſtrong, (that is) my condition ſo proſperous: And Sea in Scripture is the Church ſometimes, or the Religion of the Church, Rev. 13.1. & 15.2. therefore caſting of a Mountain into the ſea, may be bringing proſperity, and caſting riches and honours upon the Church: and though Mountains ſhould be taken in your ſenſe for Kings, when almoſt regall riches and honours were caſt upon Prelates of the Church, may it not be ſaid, a mountain was caſt into the Sea? And may it not well be ſaid to be a burning Mountain, when the ambition of Prelates after Church indowments and honours, almoſt ſet the Chriſtian world on fire? and the hot conteſtations of Eccleſiaſticall perſons for Church-livings do teſtifie, that if proſperity in wealth and honour be a mountain, then it was a burning mountain; and had ſuch effects following it, as the Prophecies in the Revelations ſpeak of: But you go on and ſay,
I finde not that it is unlawfull, either for a yeer, as in New-England, Anſwer. (u)…. to …. R. p. 19. Reply.or for certain yeers, or for term of life; much leſſe do I finde that it is lawfull for one, and not for a yeer & a quarter, or two, or three, or four yeers.
Though T. W. ſpeak of maintenance from yeer to yeer, yet it is not to be underſtood that there is any compact betwixt Miniſters and the Church, how much the Miniſters muſt have before the work be begun; but it is the conſultation of the Church after the work hath been performed, or a conſideration for the yeer paſt, when they all agree; that if there be not enough in the ſlock of the Church to raiſe it up to an honourable allowance, by the voluntary gift of each; yet, according as God hath bleſſed them, Otherwiſe were it an agreement aforehand it would be as lawfull for two or three yeers as for one. But how you will anſwer your miſ-interpreting and miſ-reporting of T. W. in the page you cite wherein he doth expreſſe himſelf as we have ſhewed, we underſtand not.
POSITION XV.
There muſt be in the Church Teachers, This for ſubſtance is alledged by Anſw to 32. q. p. 75. and many others.diſtinct from Paſtors, as Apoſtles are diſtinct from Euangeliſts, Epheſ. 4.11.
That Text proves not the ſame diſtinction between them; for he ſaith, Anſwer. Some Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, &c. but not ſome Paſtors, and ſome Teachers; but ſome Paſtors and Teachers; or rather, theſe Apoſtles, theſe Prophets, theſe Euangeliſts, theſe Shepheards and Teachers, which words ſeeme but to explicate one another; as Shepheard and Biſhop do, 1 Pet. 2.25. duplicate page duplicate page
You croſſe the opinion of many Orthodox modern Writers, Reply. while you ſpeak contradictorily to us; for it is not our tenent alone, but the judgement of many learned ones, that they are diſtinct Offices. Whether you tranſlate ſome Apoſtles, or theſe Apoſtles, the matter is not weighty, nor are you advantaged by it.
The greater queſtion is, who theſe Teachers be, and what their work is; whether they be School Doctors, as Junius *Jun. Eccleſ. lib. 2. cap. 5. p 1955thinks, and ſo their work to train up the youth of the Church in the knowledge of Arts and Sciences, eſpecially of Divinity for the ſervice of the Church; or whether they be Teachers of the whole Church, and their work to doctrinate the Church by words of knowledge. The latter ſeems to be more conſonant to the Scripture then the former, Rom. 12.7, 8. 1 Cor. 12.8. And Zanchy, Pareus, Bucer, and many others, are of this judgement. Zanchy's words are theſe: There are only five orders of Miniſters in the Church, Zanc. de Feel. milit. gubernatione, tom. 8. p. …4….inſtituted by Chriſt; and then under this Poſition are theſe words, We acknowledge not more kindes of Miniſters then the Apoſtle expreſſeth in Epheſ. 4.11. Apoſtles, Euangeliſts, Prophets, Paſtors, Teachers. The three firſt were not tied to places, but were ſometimes here, and ſometimes there, either to gather Churches, or to govern them, to plant, or to water them: The two latter, viz. Paſtors and Teachers, he would have to be ſet apart for the conſervation and government of particular Churches: as alſo for the augmentation and propagation of them. Pareus upon Rom. 12.7. hath theſe words: Now he under puts two kindes of prophecies; the gift of teaching, which is proper to the Doctor or Teacher; the gift of exhorting, which is proper to the Paſtor of the Church: for Paul, in Epheſ. 4. diſtinguiſheth Paſtors and Teachers, and the gifts of the Spirit were diſtinct; for to ſome were given a moſt cleere revelation and underſtanding of doctrine; theſe did attend to the explication of the heads of Religion, and did form the faith of the Church: to others was given a faculty of exhorting. Bucer alſo upon Rom. 12.7. ſaith thus: One man hath the gift of propecie, another hath the gift of miniſtring; ſo the perſon that teacheth, having the gift of teaching, in doctrine, ſo the perſon that exhorteth (the perſon that teacheth, he makes diſtinct from the perſon that exhorteth) endued with the gift of exhortation; and then he mentions the Deacon and Ruling Elder, as diſtinct with their gift from the reſt. So that if we do put any falſe gloſſe upon the Scriptures, by miſ-interpreting of Epheſ. 4.11. yet more modeſt language had becomed you, (brother) ſeeing ſuch Reverend, Learned men, whom your ſelf ſo much honour, have gone before us in the expoſition.