A Vindication of the Preacher Sent, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Wherein a brief anſwer is given to the exceptions againſt our two firſt arguments for the preaching of gifted perſons without ordination.
DR. Collings in his ſecond Chapter chiefly telleth us what he underſtandeth by authoritative preaching. He ſaith the authority of the preacher, 1. Obligeth him to preach, 2. Obligeth people to hear.
Our arguments for the preaching of gifted men being built upon a command of Chriſt, a Goſpel promiſe, &c. will evidence that they are obliged to preach, and that ſouls ſin in neglecting to hear them, & that there is an authoritative preaching in that ſencewhereas (pag. 45.) he oppoſeth it to precarious preaching, in which the preacher may beg, but cannot command either auditory, or attention.
We anſwer, His colonel which he mentioneth (Vin. pag. 15.) may beat his drum and none are bound to follow him; So that a Colonel is no officer, or this inſtance ſheweth it to be no ſin not to hear an ordained man, as well as not to hear a gifted brother.
We would know whether a man who hath ſubmitted to the Ordination which Dr. Collings pleadeth for, can command either Auditory or attention when none have deſired him to Preach to them, or no particular Church hath by Election made him their Miniſter? or, whether the Miniſter of one Church, can command another Church to be his Auditory, and to give attention to him without or againſt the conſent of the Paſtor thereof?
If he will ſay, he cannot in ſuch caſes command Auditory or attention, then it followeth that it is not Authoritative Preaching out of a mans own Congregation, or to any but thoſe that call him; and ſo it is Preaching ex dono, not ex officio to others, and then it is election or the deſire of the people, and not Ordination that maketh it Authoritative Preaching in that ſence; for a man is ordained and yet is not obliged to preach to any, nor any people obliged to hear him. If they be under a general obligation to Preach when opportunity or a call is offered, ſo are gifted men.
If he will ſay they can command it, let him prove it, & whom they may require to hear, when Churches are full of Paſtors. We urged diverſe Arguments for the Preaching of ſome men without Ordination.
Argu. 1. From the Antecedaneouſneſs of Election to Ordination, Preacher Sent. p. 29.
Obj. Dr. Collings knoweth no need of any Preaching in order to election, but onelyonly twice or thrice to try a mans utterance, and denyeth the election of a particular Church as neceſsary to precede Ordination, &c. Vind. Revind. pag. 45. 46.
Anſw. A tryal what gifts a man hath for Scripture interpretation, and of the ſutableneſs of a mans gifts to ſuch a people, &c. maketh ordinary Preaching neceſſary in order to election, as well as the tryal of utterance.
2. Election did precede Ordination, Act. 6. verſ. 5. they choſe Stephen, verſ. 6. And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. Dr. Collings asketh whether we think that the election there was by the whole multitude?
We anſwer yes, for it is expreſſely ſaid▪ v. 5 the ſaying pleaſed [the whole multitude] and [they] choſe Stephen, &c. [they] who choſe the Text anſwereth the whole multitude. Their being divided becauſe ſome widows were neglected in the daily miniſtration, did not hinder their agreeing together in the chuſing of Deacons, which was propounded as a means purpoſely for the healing of thoſe diviſions, neither doth the number (if it were ſo great) forbid it, for more have met.
We expected his attempting to give ſome Text to prove Ordination antecedent to or without Election, but he waveth that altogether.
Argu. 2. From Goſpel commands, 1 Pet. 4 ver. 10. 11. Hebr. 10. 25. Preach. ſent. p. 32.
Obj. Dr. Collings his chief exceptions againſt this are. 1. If any one, who hath ability, may diſpenſe the the gift, then gifted brethren may adminiſter baptiſme and the Lords Supper too by vertue of this Text. Vind. p. 50. 2. The context ſpeaketh of the good things of this world, pag. 50. 3. If the ability to Preach be the gift only meant, he that never had the Oracles of God committed to him, cannot ſpeak them as the Oracles of God; And however this was when the Church was in a ſcattered ſtate, pag. 51.
4. He inclineth to take it in the latitude, for any communicable gift, but it muſt be miniſtered in a due way and order, and upon a regular C…l…, Vind. Revind. pag. 55.
Anſ. 1. We do not limit it to the gift of Preaching, but ſay, that is one ſpecial gift intended, 1 Pet. 4. v. 11. If any man ſpeak, &c. and ſo it cannot be reſtained to this worlds goods.
And the foregoing and following exhortations being left in general amongſt the Saints, and a note of univerſality being uſed here, v. 10. [as every man &c.] hence the generality of thoſe that have grace and the gift of Scripture interpretation are commanded to Miſter that gift; and hence gift cannot be reſtrained to Office, ſeeing many are ſo gifted who are no Officers.
And the gift of Preaching being a publike gift (i. e. ſuch as fitteth for, and is moſtly laid out in a publike way) hence it is very probable that an uſe of it in publike Aſſemblies is that which the Apoſtle driveth at, eſpecially ſeeing other Texts do warrant gifted men in ſuch publike actings, as Hebr. 10. 25. Act. 18 26. 28.
2. Neither may every one that is gifted adminiſter Baptiſme and the Supper, by vertue of this Text. For,
1. The gift of Preaching is particularized, 1 Pet. 4. 11. the adminiſtration of Sacraments not ſo.
2. Some Preaching is an act of meer charity, no miniſtering of Seals is ſo. Every friend of the bridegroome according to his ability may ſerve the Bridegroome in acts of charity, but none can ſerve him in thoſe rites wherein mutual engagement is Sealed, but one appointed eſpecially thereunto.
3. Dr. Collings is at liberty to Preach many Sermons without the knowledge or expreſſe conſent of his elderſhip, but not to ſuſpend one member from the Supper, or admit one thereto; there is then ſome difference between the diſpenſation of the word, and the adminiſtration of Sacraments.
4. Baptiſme and the Lords S…pperare act ſo purely of inſtitution, that they would never have been duties, nor could have been known to be ſo, without Scripture-light; and ſo are not to be diſpenſed by any (though gifted) without an allowance thereunto by the inſtitution, which is the onelyonly determining rule about the Adminſtrator and Adminiſtration.
But as prayer is a natural duty, though commanded over in the Goſpel, and many rules laid down to regulate & direct in the performance of it; So Preaching in it ſelf, is an act of natural worſhip, if there had been no Scripture rules laid down about it, yet man by natures light might have learned it to be a duty to publiſh the will God his Creator unto others according to ability and opportunity, and therefore the Law of nature doth firſtly lay gifted men under obligations to Preach, and this is ſeconded by Goſpel rules, as in the Text alledged.
3. It is nothing to his purpoſe, if gift be underſtood of Alms or Office, unleſſe it be excluſive, and that it cannot be limited to them onelyonly, we proved in our former book, and he inclineth to take it for any communicable gift (Vind. Revind. pag. 55.) and ſo he cannot reſtrain it unto Alms or Office.
But if his Arguments did prove it very probable that by gift is meant Office (which they do not) they were equally ſtrong to prove that Alms are not the gift chiefly intended. It might then be ſaid, the gift is to be adminiſtered as Stewards, and to acts of Office are inſtanced in ver 11. and therefore it is meant only of Office, not of Alms, which many men out of Office may give; and when ſome of his Arguments will ſerve as anſwers unto others, or when he is found anſwering himſelf, let the Reader judge, whether that childiſhneſs which he mentioned (Vind. Revind. p. 49.) be to be found in our replies, or in his Arguments?
4. The Church was not in ſuch a ſcattered ſtate, but that it had Officers in it, for its ſaid, 1 Pet. 5. 1. The Elders which are [among you] I exhort, &c. If gifted men may Preach in Churches that have Elders in them, much more may they do it elſewhere.
5. The main ſtreſs is upon the Call.
Queſt. What gives a Call to Preach?
Anſ. 1. That which maketh an habitual Prophet, Preacher, &c. (although we allow not actual and habitual in relations, yet otherwiſe we allow it) juſtifies the actual, except the hearers be incapacitated as to that priviledge. If men be Prophets in the collation of grace, and a gift through the uſe of means, who will forbid them prophecy? but rather wiſh as Moſes, Num. 11. 29.
2. Chriſts command concerning a work, is mans Call to do it, as in hearing, praying, faſting, &c. Dr. Collings doth ſuppoſe in ſome time the bare command of Chriſt may make an Officer, Vind. Revind. pag. 63. We ſuppoſe at all times a preacher▪
The commanding every man that hath preaching gifts and graces to miniſter with them, doth determine that the Oracles of God are committed to them, and that it is Gods way and order that they ſhould be exerciſed in the work of preaching.
As to what he ſaith, pag. 52. 53. we anſwer, the command of Chriſt being a Call, it warrants their preaching on the Sabbath or Lords day, as well as at other times; and whether gifted perſons preaching be a publike Ordinance for ſaving of ſouls, let the Reader judge by our Arguments.
It was allowed of and deſired by the Reformers of Scotland; for, in their Petition to the Queen they did ask. 1. That they might have prayers publikely in their vulgar Tongue. 2. That if any hard place of Scripture were read in their meetings, it might be lawful to any qualified perſons in knowledge, being preſent, to interpret and open, &c. Hiſt. of Reform. of Scot. pag. 128. which practice was of uſe in the Jewiſh Congregations Grot. in Mat. 4. 23.
The inſtance of a Magiſtrate is not paralel. 1. Gifts make not powers. 2. This inſtance will deſtroy private preachers, none may do the Act of a Magiſtrate privately, but a Magiſtrate. That the Adminiſtration of publike Ordinances is peculiar to publike Officers; and that thoſe who have publike gifts and imployments are meerly private perſons, let him prove; will he deny Synodical determinations to be adminſtrations of publike Ordinances? it is certain that thoſe who were no Officers, even the multitude did publikely act in that Synod, Act. 15. ſee verſ. 12. 22. 23. Surely no judicious Reader will think that there is weight in theſe exceptions. As to Heb. 10. v. 25. who can queſtion its being a warrant for ordinary Church Aſſemblies? was it not a Church or Churches that the Epiſtle is written to? will he deny Church Aſſemblies to be publike meetings? is not exhortation the work enjoyned in them? are Officers onelyonly put upon this work? what ſyllable of proof is there in the Text for any ſuch aſſertion? where do we alleadge this place for private meetings?
It is aſſerted by ſome, that by gift probably is meant Office; after ſhewing the improbillity of it diverſe waves, we add theſe words (Preach. ſent. p. 59.)
[The Apoſtle ſpeaketh indefinitely [a gift] and an indefinite propoſition is equipollent uſually to an Univerſal, and ſo it may be extended to all gifts in general, and therefore cannot without ſome ſpecial reaſon be reſtrained to one particular gift, viz. Office.]
Dr. Collings ſeemeth to be much diſturbed at this, he bringeth it up, Vind Revind. pag. 55 and 87. and after miſplacing [uſually] and adding [moſt] he cryeth out, it is no Logick.
Let him again look into Keckerman. Syst. Log. l. 2. c. …. who ſaith, A Univerſal propoſition, is either definite or indefinite.
Indefinitae eſt quae habet ſubjectum univerſale ſine nota; and he giveth this Canon about….
Eſt & indefinitarum uſus ad ſignificandum quod praedicatum ſubjecto inſit, non quidem ſemper, ſed plermunque. Seu ut graeci loquuntur foreign ut matres ſunt indulgentes …imium liberis: cretenſes ſunt mendaces. Interdum ſignificatur non maxim… quidem ex parte, ſed multis tamen convenire praedicatum ut Heroum filij noxae: Hiſpani ſuperſtitio & inſolentes, &c.
We did not ſay, that an indefinite propoſition is [alwayes] equipollent to a Univerſal, but [uſually;] and whether Keckermans [plerunque & foreign] do amount to as much as [uſually] let the Reader judge. Is not the Scripture full of ſuch Logick? 1 Tim. 3. 2. A Biſhop muſt be blameleſs. i. e. every Biſhop, 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himſelf. i. e. every man who partaketh of the Supper.
If the rule holdeth onelyonly in materia neceſsaria, that is enough to prove that it is frequently [uſually] or often of ſuch a general importance, and ſo gift cannot (without ſpecial reaſon) be limited here to one gift, viz. Office.