The Duty of Pastors and People Distinguished, Preface · Chapter 7
CHAP. 7.
The ſecond way whereby a man may be called extraordinarily.
SEcondly, a man may be extraordinarily called to the preaching and publiſhing of Gods word by a concurrence of Scripture rules, directory for ſuch occaſions, occurrences, and opportunities of time, place, and perſons, as he liveth in, and under. Rules in this kinde, may be drawn either from expreſſe precept, or approved practiſe: Some of theſe I ſhall intimate, and leave it to the indifferent Reader, to judge, whether or no they hold in the application; and all that in this kinde I ſhall propoſe, I did with ſubmiſſion to better judgements.
Conſider then,
1. That of our Saviour to Saint Peter, Luke 22. 32. When thou art converted, ſtrengthen the Brethren, which containing nothing but an application of one of the prime dictates of the Law of nature, cannot, ought not to be reſtrained unto men of any peculiar calling as ſuch: not to multiply many of this kinde, (whereof in the Scripture is plenty) adde only that of Saint James, Brethren, if any of you do erre from the truth, and one convert him, let him know, that he which converteth the ſinner from the error of his way, ſhall ſave a ſoule from death, &c. from theſe and the like places it appeares to me, that
1. There is a generall obligation on all Chriſtians, to promote the converſion and inſtruction of ſinners, and man erring from the right way:
Againe, conſider that of our Saviour, Mat. 5. 15. Men d… not light a Candle and put it under a Ruſhell, but on a Candleſticke, and it giveth light unto all that are in the houſe: to which adde that of the Apoſtle, If any thing be revealed to another that ſitteth by, let the firſt hold his peace, 1 Cor. 14. 30. which words, although primarily they intend extraordinary immediate revelations, yet I ſee no reaſon why in their equity and extent, they may not be directory for the uſe of things revealed unto us by Scripture light; at leaſt we may deduce from them, by the way of Analogie, that
2. Whatſoever neceſſary truth is revealed to any out of the word of God, not before known, he ought to have an uncontradicted liberty of declaring that truth, provided that he uſe ſuch regulated wayes for that his declaration, as the Church wherein he liveth (if a right Church) doth allow.
Further ſee Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared, who will not feare? The Lord God hath ſpoken, who can but propheſie? And Jer. 20. 9. Then ſaid I, I will not make mention of his name, but his word was in mine heart, as a burning fire ſhut up in my bones, I was weary with forbearing, and I could not ſtay: With the anſwer of Peter and John, to the Rulers of the Jews, Acts 14. 19, 20. Whether it be right in the ſight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God, judge yee, for we cannot but ſpeake the things that we have ſeen and heard.
Whence it appeares, that
3. Truth revealed unto any, carries along with it an unmoveable perſwaſion of Conſcience (which is powerfully obligatory) that it ought to be publiſhed and ſpoken to others.
That none may take advantage of this to introduce confuſion into our Congregations, I gave a ſufficient caution in the ſecond Rule.
Many other obſervations giving light to the buſineſſe in hand, might be taken from the common dictates of nature, concurring with the many generall precepts we have in the Scripture, but omitting them, the next thing I propoſe is the practiſe, &c.
1. Of our Saviour Chriſt himſelfe, who did not only poſe the Doctors when he was but twelve years old, Luke 2. 46. but alſo afterwards preached in the Synagogue of Nazareth, Luke 4. 18. being neither Doctor, nor Scribe, nor Levite, but of the Tribe of Juda (concerning which Tribe it is evident that Moſes ſpake nothing concerning the prieſthood.)
2. Againe, in the eight of the Acts, great perſecution ariſing againſt the Church, after the death of Stephen, they were all ſcattered abroad from Jeruſalem, ver. 1. that is, all the faithfull members of the Church, who being thus diſperſed, went every where, preaching the word, ver. 4. and to this their publiſhing of the Goſpell (having no warrant, but the generall engagement of all Chriſtians, to further the propagation of Chriſts Kingdome) occaſioned by their own perſecution, the Lord gave ſuch a bleſſing, that they were thereby the firſt planters of a ſetled Congregation among the Gentiles, they, and their converts being the firſt that were honoured by the name of Chriſtians, Acts 11. 21. and 26. Neither 3. is the example of Saint Paul altogether impertinent, who with his companions repaired into the Synagogues of the Jews, taught them publikely, yea, upon their own requeſt, Acts 13. 15. Apollos alſo ſpake boldly, and preached fervently, when he knew only the baptiſme of John, and needed himſelfe further inſtruction, Acts 18. 24. it ſhould ſeeme then, in that juncture of time, he that was inſtructed in any truth, not ordinarily known, might publikely acquaint others with it, though he himſelfe were ignorant in other points of high concernment; yet perhaps now it is not poſſible that any occurrences ſhould require a preciſe imitation, of what was not only lawfull, but alſo expedient, in that dawning towards the cleare day of the laſt unchangeable revelation of Gods will. Now in theſe and the like, there is ſo much variety, ſuch ſeverall grounds, and circumſtances, that no direct rule can from them be drawn, only they may give ſtrength to what from the former ſhall be concluded.
For a further light to this diſcourſe, conſider what deſolate eſtate the Church of God, hath been, may be, and at this preſent, in divers places is reduced to: Her ſilver may become droſſe, and her wine be mixt with water, the faithfull City becomming an Harlot, her Shepheards may be turned into dumb ſleeping dogs, and devouring wolves, her watchmen may be turned ſmiters, her prophets to propheſie falſely, and her prieſts to beare rule by lies, the Commandements of God being made void by the traditions of men, ſuperſtition, humane inventions, will-worſhip, may defile and contaminate the ſervice of God;Ezek. 22. 27, 28. &c. 8. 13. yea, and greater abominations may men poſſeſſing Moſes Chaire by ſucceſſion doe: Now that the Temple of God hath been thus made a den of theeves, that the abomination of deſolation hath been ſet up in the holy place, is evident from the Jewiſh and Chriſtian Church: for in the one it was clearly ſo, when the government of it was devolved to the Scribes and Phariſees, and in the other, when the man of ſin had exalted himſelfe in the midſt thereof. Now ſuppoſe a man, living in the midſt and height of ſuch a ſad Apoſtacy, when an univerſall darkneſſe had ſpread it ſelfe over the face of the Church, if the Lord be pleaſed to reveale unto him out of his word ſome points of faith, then either not at all known, or generally disbelieved, yet a right beliefe whereof is neceſſary to ſalvation; and further out of the ſame word ſhall diſcover unto him the wickedneſſe of that Apoſtacy, and the meanes to remove it, I demand, Whether that man without expecting any call from the fomenters and maintainers of thoſe errors, with which the Church at that time, is only not deſtroyed, may not preach, publiſh, and publikely declare the ſaid truths to others (the knowledge of them being ſo neceſſary for the good of their ſoules) and conclude himſelfe thereunto called of God, by vertue of the forenamed, and other the like Rules? Truly for my part (under correction) I conceive he may, nay he ought, neither is any other outward call requiſite to conſtitute him a Preacher of the Goſpell, then the conſent of Gods people to be inſtructed by him; for inſtance, ſuppoſe that God ſhould reveale the truth of the Goſpel, to a meere lay man (as they ſay) in Italy, ſo that he be fully convinced thereof; what ſhall he now do? abſtaine from publiſhing it, though he be perſwaded in conſcience, that a great doore of utterance might be granted unto him, onelyonly becauſe ſome hereticall, ſymonaicall, wicked Antichriſtian Prelate, hath not ordained him Miniſter; who yet would not do it, unleſſe he will ſubſcribe to thoſe errors and hereſies which he is perſwaded to be ſuch: truly I think by ſo abſtaining, he ſhould ſin againſt the law of charity, in ſeeing (not the Oxe or Aſſe of his brother falling into the pit, but) their precious ſoules, ſinking to everlaſting damnation, and not preventing it, when he might? and were he indeed truly angry with his whole Nation, he might have the advantage of an Italian revenge.
Moreover, he ſhould ſin againſt the precept of Chriſt, by hiding his light under a buſhell▪ and napkining up his talent, an increaſe whereof will be required of him at the laſt day: Now with this I was alwayes ſo well ſatisfied, that I ever deemed all curious diſquiſition after the outward vocation of our firſt reformers, Luther, Calvin, &c. altogether needleſſe; the caſe in their dayes being exactly that, which I have laid downe.
Come we now to the third and laſt way, The third way.whereby men not partakers of any outward ordinary vocation, may yet receive a ſufficient warrant for the preaching and publiſhing of the Goſpell, and that by ſome outward act of providence guiding them thereunto; For example, put caſe a Chriſtian man, ſhould by any chance of providence, be caſt by ſhipwrack or otherwiſe, upon the Country of ſome barbarous people, that never heard of the name of Chriſt, and there by hs goodneſſe that brought him thither, be received amongſt them, into civill humane ſociety; may he not, nay, ought he not to preach Chriſt unto them? and if God give a bleſſing to his endeavours, may hee not become a Paſtor to the converted ſoules? none I hope makes any doubt of it; and in the Primitive times, nothing was more frequent then ſuch examples; thus were the Indians and the Moores turned to the faith, as you may ſee in Euſebius: yea great was the liberty which in the firſt Church was uſed in this kinde, preſently after the ſupernaturall gift of tongues ceaſed amongſt men.