Beams of Former Light, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. What directions there are in the Scripture for the inſtructing of others, in reſpect both of matter, method, means, &c.
NOw that there is no ſuch peculiar way or means (as is mentioned in the Caſe) for the inſtructing of the ignorant, either from promiſe, or precept, or example, warranted in the Word will appear, if we conſider what direction we have in the Scripture about this part of Miniſterial Service and Worſhip of God, namely, the inſtructing our people.
§. 1.
1 The matter to bee taught, Whatſoever Chriſt hath commanded, Mat. 28.20. the Word of the Lord, 2 Tim. 4.2. the whole Counſel of God, Act. 20.27, &c.
2 Method or way. Taking ſome text of Scripture, and ſo preaching upon it, as Luke 4.17.21. or expounding the Scripture all along as we read it, Neh. 8.8. or occaſionally diſcourſing as Providence offereth matter, Joh. 15.1. Acts 10.3, 4. & 13.16, 17. or by Parables, as in the Goſpels; or by reaſoning and diſputing, as Acts 9.29. Mar. 9.34. Acts 17.17. or by reſolving Caſes or Queſtions propoſed by our Children, and ſuch as are deſirous to learn, 1 Cor. 10.25. Exo. 12.26, 27. Joſh. 4.6. Matth. 19.16, 17.
3 The end, to give knowledge of Salvation, to worke converſion to ſave our ſelves, and thoſe that hear us, Jer. 23.23. Acts 26.18. 1 Tim. 4.16.
4 For the Geſture and Poſture, ſtanding, or ſitting, wee have examples of both, Nehemiah 8.4. Matth. 23.2. higher than the reſt of the people in a Pulpit, Nehem. 8.4, 5. a chair, or ſeat, Matthew 23.2.
§. 2.
But that wee may come yet neerer to our preſent Caſe, we have direction alſo in the Word about the
5 Manner. Our inſtructions ought to be,
1 Plaine, and to the loweſt capacity, Neh. 8.8. 1 Cor. 14.
2 With authority and command, Tit. 2.15. 1 Tim. 4.11. In demonſtration of the Spirit, and not with the inticing words of mans wiſdome, 1 Cor. 2.4.
3 With dexterity and skilfulneſs, 2 Tim. 2.15. which ſtandeth much in dividing the word, and reſpective application to each ſoul.
¶ There is a variety in the capacity and frame of ſpirit found in thoſe under our charge, as ſimple ones, Babes, weake in faith; others more knowing, eſtabliſhed, of full age, perfect; there are unruly and ſcandalous, erroneous, and gainſayers, Hereticks, and Apoſtates, Hypocrites, and Diſſemblers; there are alſo ſuch who are found in the faith, ſincere, and upright ſpirits without guile, &c. ſo alſo certaine ſorts of truth, Principles, Fundamentals, milk, ſtrong meat, and certaine methods and wayes of applying our ſelves and truths to ſuch perſons reſpectively; there are Doctrines, Reproofs, Corrections, Conſolations, Rebukes, Diſputings, &c.
4 With quick and ſuitable affections, ſome ſave with fear, others with boldneſſe and courage, others to bee treated with in tenderneſs, compaſſion, love, meekneſs, &c.
It is a work requires more than ordinary abilities and watchfulneſs, to diſtinguiſh the Spiritual ſtate of ſouls in their great variety, to collect and gather fit and ſutable matter, dividing and cutting out truths to each ſtate, and to get hearts and affections ſutable. In the laſt place, therefore let it be conſidered, the
§ 3.
6 Means, or the helps and proviſion Chriſt hath made for his Miniſters, and what he requires of them that they may bee ſufficiently furniſhed to this great work.
1 The Bible, a book put into our hands by the Lord himſelf, that hath in it up and down all materials and furniture neceſſary to this great work, 1 Tim. 3.6. holding faſt the faithful word that hee may bee able by ſound Doctrin both to exhort and convince the gainſayers, and 2 Tim. 3.16. All Scriptures are given — 17. that the man of God (the Miniſter) may be perfect, throughly furniſhed to all good (Miniſterial) works.
2 Gifts given by Chriſt upon his aſcention to this end, Eph. 4.10.12. knowledge and utterance not onelyonly able but apt to teach, having a ſtock or treaſure, they have a gift alſo to communicate it. Nature giveth Nipples as well as milk to the breaſts. And none to be taken into this bleſſed work (according to Chriſts Directory) but ſuch as are ſo qualified.
3 Induſtry and diligence, ſearch the Scriptures, attend to reading, a giving our ſelves wholly to the work. Truths are delivered in the Scriptures, not in ſuch a ſorted or methodial way, that you may finde the concernments of each Doctrin or each mans condition, all together in one place, but are let fall here and there in an occaſional way: as in an Epiſtle or ſtory, or Prophecy, or ſong, &c. and not onelyonly in gathering together fit and ſutable matter, but it muſt bee put into a method and order. The Preacher Eccl: 12.9. did not only ſeek out but ſet in order many Proverbs, as the Prieſts, Lev. 24.4. were to order their lamps. Peter did not onelyonly ſearch out matter, but its ſaid Act. 11.4. he expounded it in order unto them, Luk. 1.3It muſt bee a part of our induſtry alſo to improve our gift of utterance by ſearching after fit and ſignificant expreſſions, that the Trumpet may give a certain ſound, that is intelligent and diſtinct, ſweet and pleaſant.
3 The bleſſed ſpirit of God; that ſheweth us the things of Chriſt and of God, and hath its fruit in words or utterance, as well as in knowledge and matter as in that antitheſis,1 Cor. 2.4 my ſpeech was not — but in, &c.
4 Stirring affections, (as before) a great help to utterance and elocution, where clearneſs of knowledge, a gift of expreſſion in the general, matter choſen out and ſorted to ſuch and ſuch perſons, and then affections ſutable, there will bee a tongue as the pen of a ready writer: there will be ſuch a ſtirring emphaſis even in the very words,Interior affectus quaſi naturali impetu movet linguam. and ſo much of the ſimilitude and likeneſs of our affectionate hearts; as tis impoſſible in any form of words compoſed by another, or (it may bee) by our ſelves at another time, or in a cold deliberation, to ſpeak in any meaſure anſwerable, or ſo edifying; who could have taught Paul, ſo wel as his ſanctified paſſion taught him to expreſs himſelf, Phil. 3.18.
§. 4.
Now for any man to go further, that is, in any of thoſe particulars to bee more particular. When Chriſt hath ſufficiently inſtructed his ſcribe and taken off his hand, as being able now to form his own work, for the Magiſtrate, or a Synod, to take him into tutorage, to adde more ſafe and particular rules and Laws for the direction of the Miniſters of Chriſt in their Miniſterial imployment, what is this but to doe worke after the King, Eccleſ. 2.12. wee impoſe theſe Lawes, upon Miniſters, ſuch as are approved both for their grace and gifts, for their Doctrin and Life, as perſons fit and able for this work.
After Chriſt hath given his Miniſters a Book (as before) the Scriptures, and given it to this end that they may be perfect,1 Tim. 3.16, 17. and thorowly furniſhed to all imployments; yet others are not ſatisfied, he muſt have another Book, a Prayer book, and another Book, an inſtructing or preaching Book, a Catechiſme book; and to the ſame end, that hee may bee better furniſhed for his work, that by this means it may bee done more perfectly, more to edification, as the Common Prayer-book formerly. There is a preciſe appointment with what words and ſentences Gods Name ſhall be called upon, ſaith Mr. Hooker, that the endleſs and ſenſleſſe effuſions of indigeſted Prayers may not bee, Pol. p. 239. and another of them, The end of theſe formes is to bee a meanes to baniſh utterly out of Chriſts Church all extemporal invention of unſound prayer, Covel againſt Burgis.p. 70, 71. So for the other part of our Miniſterial work, wee have beene furniſhed with a Homily Book, and now a Catechiſme Book, which ſome would have impoſed upon Miniſters, utterly to baniſh out of Chriſts Church all other Catechiſmes, as alſo a more particular help and means then any Chriſt hath furniſhed his Miniſters with, for the better underſtanding of the Principles, and for the better propagating the Goſpel, and preſerving men ſound in their knowledge, which is to like ends as was thoſe ſet formes formerly impoſed.
§ 5.
To conclude this Argument, our demand is of thoſe that have ſo zealouſly ſtickled for ſuch an impoſition, and have a mind to bring Miniſters to their Books againe, from whoſe necks this yoak hath been (and that by a mighty hand of God) ſo lately taken off, I demand, whether any thing in thoſe reaſonings of our ſuffering Brethren againſt Apocrypha, Common Prayer-books, and Homily-books, he of any conſequence, from this topick: the bringing of other books into the ſolemne Service of God, beſides thoſe of Divine Authority? Neither the Levites (ſaith many of our Brethren together in the Abridgement) nor Chriſt, Abrid p. 6.nor his Apoſtles did ever read, preach, or interpret any other writing for the inſtruction of the Church, but only the Canonical Scripture; Againe in the ſame place, It is the proper Office of Chriſt to be the Teacher of his Church, and therefore no writings may bee appointed to bee read in the Congregation for inſtruction, but only ſuch as have been indited by his Spirit. Mr. Cartw. in Cat. maketh it a breach of the Second Commandement, and againſt Doctor Whitg. about reading of Homilies in the Church hee writeth thus; Neither the Homilies, nor the Apocripha are to bee read at all in the Church. It is good to conſider the order which God kept with his people in times paſt, when hee commanded that no Veſſel, nor inſtrument, either Beeſome, or Fleſh-hook, &c. ſhould come into the Temple, but thoſe only which were ſanctified, and ſet apart for that uſe. And hee will have no other Trumpets to call the people together, but thoſe only which were ſet apart for that purpoſe, what ſhould the meaning of this Law bee? The matter of other common Veſſels and Trumpets was the ſame oftentimes which theirs was; the ſame forme alſo and Trumpets, able to ſerve for the uſes of ſounding, &c. as well as thoſe of the Temple, and as thoſe which were ſet apart, wherefore might not theſe as well be uſed in the Temple as others? forſooth, becauſe the Lord would by theſe Rudiments teach that he would have nothing brought into the Church but that which hee had appointed, no not although they ſeemed in the judgement of men as good; the Homilies, be they ever ſo learned and pithy, &c. ſee Parker on the Croſs, 1 part. Doctor Chadderton on Rom. 12. and divers others to the ſame purpoſe.
I demand againe, what ſhew of Scripture there is for any ſuch method, or way, as preſcribed by Chriſt, or Authority left (by him) to any other perſon, to preſcribe any ſuch Utenſile or Inſtrument. What warrant hath any man to carry on the Directory for inſtruction, further, and more particularly than Chriſt himſelf hath thought fit to doe, and thus to eſtabliſh a Humane forme in a ſetled, ſtated, Sabbath-ſervice without Scripture warrant. And whether he may not as lawfully collect matter, and put it in a ſet method, and forme of words, and furniſh the Miniſter with a Booke, as a help or means for the better edification of the people in any other, or in all other the works and parts of the Miniſterial Function, as in this, and as lawfully impoſe ſuch Books to bee uſed by him and no other, nor any other thing done by him but what is done by Book. If hee may bee by ſuch meanes better enabled for one part of his Miniſtry, he may likewiſe for another; and if for all, why ſhould it not be rather choſen.