The Duty of Pastors and People Distinguished, Preface · Chapter 4 – Chapter 5
CAP. 4.
Of the duty of Gods people in caſes extraordinary concerning his Worſhip.
THis being thus determined, I returne againe to the maine foreign, concerning the duty and priviledge of the common people of Chriſtianity, in ſacred things: and firſt in caſes extraordinary, in which perhaps it may be affirmed, that every one (of thoſe I meane before named) is ſo farre a Miniſter of the Goſpell as to teach and declare the faith to others, although he have no outward calling thereunto; and yet in this caſe every one for ſuch an undertaking muſt have a Warrant by an immediate cal from God, and when God calls there muſt be no oppoſition, the thing it ſelfe he ſends us upon, becomes lawfull by his misſion, what God hath cleanſed, that call not thou common, Act. 10. 13. never feare the equity of what Cod ſets thee upon; no excuſes of diſability or any other impediment, ought to take place, the Lord can and will ſupply all ſuch defects: This was Moſes caſe, Exod. 10. 14. Oh Lord (ſaith hee) I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor ſince thou haſt ſpoken to thy ſervant, but of a ſlow ſpeech, and a ſlow tongue; And the Lord ſaid unto him, who hath made mans mouth, have not I the Lord? So alſo was it with the Prophet Jeremy, when God told him, that hee had ordained him a Prophet unto the Nations, he replyes, Ah Lord God, behold I cannot ſpeake, for I am a Child; But the Lord (ſaith hee) ſaid unto me, ſay not I am a Child, for thou ſhalt goe to all that I ſhall ſend thee, and whatſoever I command thee, thou ſhalt ſpeak, Jer. 1. 6. Nothing can excuſe any from going on his meſſage, who can perfect his praiſe, out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings. This the Prophet Amos reſted upon, when he was queſtioned, although he were unfit for that heavenly employment, either by education or courſe of life: I was no Prophet, neither was I a prophets ſonne; but I was an heardman, and a gatherer of Sycamore fruit; and the Lord tooke me as I followed the flock, and ſaid unto me, go Prophecy to my people Iſrael Amos 7. 14, 15. So on the contrary, St. Paul, a man of ſtrong parts, great learning, and endowments, of indefatigable induſtry, and large abilities, yet affirmes of himſelfe, that when God called him to preach his word, he conferred not with fleſh and bloud, but went on preſently with his work. Gal. 1. 16, 17.
CAP. V.
Of the ſeverall wayes of extraordinary calling to the teaching of others; the firſt way.
NOw three wayes may a man receive, and be aſſured that hee hath received this divine miſsion, or know that he is called of God, to the preaching of the Word: I meane not that perſwaſion of divine concurrence, which is neceſſary alſo for them, …hat are partakers of an ordinary vocation, (but which is required in extraordinary caſes to them, in whom all outward calling is wanting.
1. By immediate Revelation.
2. By a concurrence of Scripture rules, directory for ſuch occaſions.
3. By ſome outward acts of providence neceſſitating him thereunto.
For the firſt, not to ſpeak of light Propheticall, whither it conſiſts in a habit, or rather in a tranſient irradiating motion, nor to diſcourſe of the Species, whereby ſupernaturall things are conveyed to the naturall facultie, with the ſeverall wayes of divine Revelation, (for St. Paul affirmeth it to have been foreign as well as foreign) with the ſundry appellations it received, from the manner whereby it came; I ſhall onelyonly ſhew, what aſſurance ſuch a one as is thus called may have in himſelfe, that he is ſo called, and how he may manifeſt it unto others. That men receiving any revelation from God, had alwayes an aſſurance that ſuch it was, to me ſeemes moſt certain: Neither could I ever approve the note of Gregory on the 1. of Ezek. viz. That Prophets being accuſtomed to Prophecying, Sciendum eſt quod aliquando prophetae ſancti dum conſuluntur ex magno uſu prophetandi quaedam ex ſuo ſpiritu proſerunt, et ſe hoc ex prophetiae ſpiritu dicere ſuſpicantur. Gregor: Hom. 1. in Ezek.did oftentimes ſpeake of their own ſpirit, ſuppoſing that it proceeded from the ſpirit of Propheſie. What is this but to queſtion the truth of all propheticall revelations, and to ſhake the faith that is built upon it: Surely the Prophet Jeremiah had an infallible aſſurance of the author of his meſſage, when he pleaded for himſelf before the Princes, of a truth the Lord hath ſent me unto you, to ſpeake all theſe words in your eares. Chap. 26. 15. And Abraham certainly had neede of a good aſſurance whence that motion did proceed, which made him addreſſe himſelfe, to the ſacrificing the ſon of promiſe; And that all other Prophets had the like evidence of knowledge, concerning the divine verity of their revelations is unqueſtionable; hence are thoſe alluſions in the Scripture, whereby it is compared unto things whereof we may be moſt certaine by the aſſurance of ſenſe. So Amos 3. 8. The Lyon hath roared, who will not feare? The Lord God hath ſpoken, who can but Prophecy? And Jerem. 20. 9. His word was in my heart as a burning fire ſhut up in my bones, things ſenſible enough. Happily Satan may ſo far delude falſe Prophets, as to make them ſuppoſe their lying vanities are from above: whence they are ſaid to be Prophets of the deceit of their owne hear, Jerem. 23. 26. being deceived, as well deceivers; thinking in themſelves, as well as ſpeaking unto others, he ſaith, verſ. 31. but that any true Prophets ſhould not know a true Revelation, from a motion of their owne hearts, wants not much of blaſphemy. The Lord ſurely ſuppoſes that aſſurance of diſcerning, when he gives that command; the Prophet that hath a Dreame, let him tell a Dreame, and he that hath my Word, let him ſpeake my Word faithfully; what is the chaffe to the wheate? Ierem. 23. 28.Dicebat ſe diſcernere (neſcio quo ſapore quem verbis explicare non poterat) quid intereſſet interdeum revelantem, & animam ſuam ſomniantem. Aug. Confeſſ. He muſt be both blind and mad, that ſhall miſtake, wheat, for chaffe, and on the contrary, what ſome men ſpeak of an hidden inſtinct from God, moving the mindes of men, yet ſo, as they know not wither it be from him, or no, may better ſerve to illuſtrate Plutarchs diſcourſe of Socrates Daemon, then any paſſage in holy Writ. St. Auſtin ſaies, his Mother would affirme, that though ſhe could not expreſſe it, yet ſhe could diſcern the difference between Gods Revelation, and her own Dreames: In which relation, I doubt not but the learned Father tooke advantage from the good old womans words of what ſhe could do, to declare what might be done, of every one that had ſuch immediate revelations. Briefly then, the ſpirit of God, never ſo extraordinarily moveth the minde of man to apprehend any thing of this kinde whereof we ſpeake, but it alſo illuſtrateth it with a knowledge, and aſſurance, that it is divinely moved to this apprehenſion. Now becauſe it is agreed on all ſides, that light Propheticall is no permanent habit in the minde of the Prophets, but a tranſient impreſſion, of it ſelfe, not apt to give any ſuch aſſurance, it may be queſtioned from what other principle it doth proceed. But not to pry into things perhaps not fully revealed, and ſeeing St. Paul ſhewes us that in ſuch heavenly raptures, there are ſome things unutterable of them, and incomprehenſible of us, we may let this reſt, amongſt thoſe foreign, it apappeareth then from the preceding diſcourſe, that, a man pretending to extraordinary vocation, by immdiate revelation, in reſpect of ſelfe-perſwaſion, of the truth of his call, he muſt be, as aſcertained of it, as he could be, of a burning fire in his bones, if there ſhut up.