A Vindication of the Preacher Sent, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Wherein our first and ſecond Arguments for gifted mens Preaching are vindicated from the exceptions which Mr. Poole laid againſt them.
HIs fourth chapter hath little in it worth taking notice of. That we do not plead for all that conceit themſelves gifted; he may ſee in what we ſay about a Rule of Regulation; in our Advertiſement to the Reader.
He findeth fault with our deſcription of the work of Preaching, yet he hath not replyed any thing to our proofes of it, which may be ſeen, Preacher Sent. pag. 20, 21, 22.
Its not proved that the end of their meeting, Act. 17. ver. 16. 17. 22. was to hear Paul Preach to them, but he did it when they were met for other ends, and that it is Preaching, though in private, and but to a ſingle perſon, is undeniably proved, Act. 5. 42. and Act. 8. 35. and therefore neither a congregation Sacred, nor the publikeneſs of the act, doth make it Preaching. The end of the work cannot but be ſacred, whoever be the workers; and if this be all they intend, they ſay juſt nothing.
We cannot but wonder that Mr. Poole (pag. 41. 42.) ſhould uſe theſe words, The end of the actor or ſpeak er is purely & ſolely the ſalvation of their ſouls, and ſo it is truely and may properly be called Preaching. Surely if this be enough to denominate it properly Preaching, then our deſcription of Preaching is good; and we may as well ſay to him, as he doth to us (p. 40.) then we are all Preachers, bond and free, Male and Female; for any of theſe or any gifted men that we plead for, may make the ſalvation of ſouls the end of their ſpeaking; ſo that if he will blame us, he must blame himſelf alſo.
He ſaith, it is publike Preaching that they diſpute againſt; and it is that we diſpute for; and ſo we come to the main queſtion.
Queſt. Whether ſome men, who are not ordained Officers may Preach? or, whether perſons who have Preaching gifts and graces, or are apt to teach, may ordinarily exerciſe thoſe gifts in publike Aſſemblies, though they be not ordained Officers?
Anſ. We anſwer affirmatively, they may Preach.
Arg. 1. From the Antecedaneouſneſs of Election to Ordination.
The major of our Argument he ſaith is not beyond exception; yet he doth not flatly deny it, or reply any thing to our proofes of it, or of the other propoſition. The minor he ſaith, if true, is for the tryal of gifts, and that they diſpute not about, but whether out of a caſe of neceſſity, &c.
Anſ. That our minor is true, we fully proved; and that they may Preach for tryals ſake undeniably evidenceth that the Goſpel owneth a Preaching by gift, as well as by Office, or elſe neither Election nor Ordination do conſtitute Officers, for they have neither of theſe.
And if he will grant that gifted men may Preach, untill they have Election from a Church, which they can accept of, we can grant that then they are to ſubmit unto Ordination.
There is not a ſyllable in Scripture for Ordination, before Election, and therefore a man may Preach many years without Ordination, if he wanteth Election all that time; and may plead a caſe of neceſſity as well as he that Preacheth meerly for tryals ſake; for its neceſſary a man ſhould remain un-ordained, until he can take up Ordination in a Goſpel way and order.
Argu. 2. OUr ſecond Argument is taken, from Goſpel Commands, 1 Pet. 4. 10. 11.
Obj. 1. It may look backward and relate to hoſpitality; it may look forward and relate to ſpeaking and Miniſtring, and the words will bear either ſence, but both ſences it (it ſhould be, they) cannot bear, that being an undoubted truth, that ſenſus unius loci literalis non eſt niſi unicus, &c. Mr. Poole, pag. 44.
Anſw. 1. Let the Reader obſerve that the Provin. Aſſem. in their Jus Divin. Min pag. 101. tels us expreſſely, that they do not limit the word gift in the Text (as ſome do) onelyonly to the gift of liberality,—but extend it—to all endowments of nature,—yea to all ſpiritual gifts, &c.
And it is not fair for Mr. Poole to undertake the pleading of their caſe, without owning their conceſſions. He ſhould not put us upon the trouble of proving hoſpitality not to be the gift, when they had granted that it did extend to [all ſpiritual gifts:] and this conceſſion aſſured us that they could not fairly deny that the indefinite expreſſion [a gift] was to be taken Univerſally.
2. What he ſaith for its relating to ſpeaking and Miniſtering, may ſerve as a full anſwer to what he ſaith for its relating to hoſpitality; in regard he confeſſeth it cannot bear both ſences.
3. That every gifted man is under a command of God to uſe or exerciſe his gift as he hath received, is fully proved, ver. 10. If we infer from thence, Ergo, every man that hath Preaching gifts, is under a command of God to uſe them; how will this concluſion be avoyded? indeed, verſe 11. doth much ſtrengthen it.
4. That every man ſhould be commanded to uſe his gift, & immediately ſome gifts ſhould be partiticularly mentioned, and a direction be given how rightly to uſe thoſe gifts, and yet theſe gifts particularized ſhould not relate to the general exhortation, cannot rationally be imagined; yet here is the caſe, there is a general command to uſe gifts, ver. 10. and ſome particular gifts are mentioned, ver. 11. with a direction how to uſe them, and let Mr. Poole ſhew inſtances of a like nature, where the verſes have no dependance on each other. Nay as we have foreign ver. 10. ſo we have foreign verſ. 11. and a miniſtration of gifts being required in both verſes, what impartial Reader can think them without a connexion?
If the miniſtering, v. 11. be of any gifts intended, v. 10. that is it we plead for; if it be the miniſtring of this worlds goods, then it referreth to hoſpitality, and its relation to the for egoing verſes is proved either way; and the ſpeaking as the oracles of God cannot be denyed to relate unto verſe 10. as well miniſtring. So that our argument is firme, viz. That every man who hath graces and gifts is commanded to uſe them, and the gift of ſpeaking or Scripture-interpretation is particular zed; Therefore every man who hath preaching gifts and graces ought to preach.
We ſaid it was (a gift indefinitely) and ſo may extend to all gifts.
Ob. 2. As he is called to it and in his own ſpear. And indefinite expreſſions are limited pro ſubjecta materia, according to the matter in hand, Mr. Pool. p. 45.
Anſw. 1. Concerning the call to preach, and the indefiniteneſſe of the expreſſion, we have ſpoken in anſwer to Dr. Collings. chap. 3. and that gifted men do not act out of their ſpear in preaching, we ſhall ſhew more fully, by it ſelfe, once for all.
2. An indefinite expreſſion we granted (Preacher Sent. pag. 59.) may admit of limitations where ſome ſpecial reaſons enforceth i…; but in this Text there is none or in other Scriptures to reſtrain it.
3. A gift of ſpeaking as the oracles of God is mentioned, v. 11. and that is enough to our purpoſe.
That v. 10. cannot be reſtrained to hoſpitality, and doth relate to v. 11. we have already proved; and that Miniſters and Deacons are not onelyonly intended in the latter verſe, we have further ſhewn in its place, and this anſwereth what he ſaith, (p. 45) to our ſecond reaſon.
He addeth (page 46.) preaching gifts are to beuſed, as far as God doth call him forth to the uſe of them, but no further. We anſwer Gods command to exerciſe a gift, is mans call to uſe it, as in …he gift of prayer, &c.
There is a difference made by himſelfe, (pag. 6.) between power and exerciſe; and he that is commanded to exerciſe a power (by one that hath authority to command) he cannot be denyed to have the power; now every man that hath a gift of Scripture-interpretation, is commanded to miniſter his gift, 1 Pet. 4. 10, 11. and miniſtration being the exerciſe, it proveth that they have power, or are called of God to preach.
As to what followeth (pag. 46.) he cannot but know that the ordinary ſignification of foreign is (even as, or as) Eph. 5. 25. 1 Corin. 13. v. 12. and it being confeſſed by himſelfe that gifts are to be uſed in a proportionable way to the gift afforded, we wonder he ſhould ſeek to draw it to an other ſenſe, we have proved from 1 Pet. 4. 10. 11. That every man who hath grace and publike gifts, is required to preach, and this is a poſitive warrant for their doing of it; and therefore thoſe who will affirm, that there is an exception from that general command, muſt ſhew it, elſe the plea is in the ſame Court ſtill.
Obj. 3. Here is not onelyonly a liberty granted, but a duty enjoyned, &c.
They who are by vertue of a divine precept to preach the Goſpel, are to do it neceſsarily, neceſſity is laid upon me, yea wo, &c. to give themſelves wholly to theſe things, &c. But all that have preaching gifts are not under ſuch obligations, Ergo, they are not obliged to preach the Goſpel, Mr. Pool pag. 47.
Anſw. 1. We grant it is the duty of gifted men to preach, and this text proveth it.
2. The ſcripture expreſſions which the major of his argument is made up of, refer to ſuch as were undoubtedly Officers, 1 Corin. 9. 16. Acts 6. 2. 1 Tim. 4. 15. and 2 Tim. 4. 2. And becauſe a neceſſity is laid upon officers, and woe is unto them if they preach not the Goſpel, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, becauſe officers are to give themſelves wholly to theſe things, and not to leave the word of God to ſerve tables, for any to ſay, Ergo, All preachers are under ſuch obligations; who ſeeth not the weakeneſſe of this argument?
If Paul or other Church-officers were not free from a neceſſity of preaching, by being where they were not deſired to preach, or if they ought to do it, were there but any that would hear them, as he intimateth, (pag. 48, 49.) yet there may be other preachers, not to obliged, they having no flock or Church committed to their charge as officers have who may command their Church to hear, but if a man hath no particular Church, from whom can he command audience?
3. There are caſes wherein officers may allowably not preach, and yet not ſin, though preaching be their duty; and in ſuch and (we ſuppoſe) in other caſes alſo gifted men ſin not, in not preaching; as for inſtance, a Paſtor going a long journy, upon lawfull occaſions, may on diverſe Lords dayes ceaſe from preaching, if he be in ſuch places where Churches are ſupplyed with officers of their own, denying their conſent to his exerciſing among them, without whoſe conſent he cannot lawfully preach there, Mr. Pool himſelfe being judge, pag. 6. Here no ſin ariſeth upon his not preaching, or their not hearing. This manifeſteth that they who are by divine precept to preach, may and muſt preach, all due circumſtances concurring, not otherwiſe, and therefore his Major (pag. 47.) is not univerſally true.
Nor his major (pag. 49.) for preaching is a duty, which ſuch a Paſtor may lawfully do, yet in ſuch caſes he is not bound to do it.
The like we may ſay for gifted men; the Prophets, 1 Corin. 14. were under an obligation by divine precept to Propheſie, yet not onelyonly upon the peoples refuſing to heal, but upon divers other accounts are commanded ſilence, as
1. Firſt in the want of an interpreter, 1 Corin. 14. ver. 28.
2. For giving away to others Propheſying, 1. Cor. 14. ve. 29. let the Prophets ſpeak two or three, and let the other judge, ſo ve, 30. 31. There being many prophets in this Church, and but two or three of them being permitted to ſpeak at one time, or in one day of meeting, hence thoſe Prophets, (and ſo gifted men in our dayes) may (without ſin) frequently or commonly forbear preaching. Propheſying was their duty; yet they were not conſtantly, or in every meeting bound to do it, and ſo, Mr Pools argument. pag. 47. 49. cannot be true.
And gifted men not preaching conſtantly, may (in many caſes) be warranted as well upon other accounts, as the giving way to, or not hindring of others exerciſing the ſame gifts.
His ſecond and third difficulties (pa. 49.) that then women muſt preach, and he that hath a gift to be a general Magiſtrate, &c. may undertake thoſe places, have been ſo fully anſwered, that we wonder he is not aſhamed to mention them any more.
Ob. 4. Every one is to exerciſe his gift, but in his own Sphear, publike perſons publikely, private perſons privately, and ſo did Aquila and Priſcilla, Acts 18. &c. Mr. Pool pag. 50.
Anſ. 1. The act of Aquila and Priſcilla, Acts 18. doth not in the leaſt prove, that ſuch as have publick gifts go out of their Sphear, if they (without undertaking office) exerciſe them publickly: Church-Officers may give private advertiſements, and yet it doth not follow, that they may not act publikely. If Mr. Pool by hearing one eminently gifted, ſhould perceive him to be un-inſtructed in the way of the Lord, and ſhould inſtruct him in private, would this be any proof that Mr. Pool ſhould act out of his ſphear, if he preached in publick?
He ſaith (pag. 50) it is not in the leaſt intimated that they were not gifted to ſpeak in publick.
Anſ. Nor is it intimated that they had publick gifts, the excellency of them doth not prove it. The weakneſſe of this objection we have fully evidenced, Preach. Sent. pag. 41, 42, 43.
2. That Text 1 Peter 4. 10, 11. commandeth everyman that hath the publick gift of Scripture-interpretation, to exerciſe it, and ſo determineth… it to belong to their place and calling to preach, and proveth that they act not out of their Sphear in preaching, and that publickly.
This we cleared in our former book by ſix particulars. Mr. Pool granteth, that they may do the work of preaching, open and apply Scriptures, exhort, rebuke, but not publickly, pag. 51.
So that the Reader may obſerve, that a gifted man may lawfully preach many Sermons privately, it is his publick preaching onelyonly which Mr. Pool oppoſeth; we prove that they m…y preach publickly, firſt becauſe a publick gift cannot be fully improved, if it be not uſed publickly; this we proved, Preacher Sent. pag. 47, 48. Mr. Pool replyeth not to the proofs of it, but ſaith (pag. 51.) let them not inter-lope betwixt two callings, and enquireth whether we will ſay, that the Rule is true in general, if ſo, he would infer, that women gi… ted to teach, and men gifted to Rule, judge, lead an Army, &c. ought publickly to exerciſe ſuch gifts, &c.
Anſw. The Rule is true in this particular caſe, for, this gift is particularized, 1 Pet. 4. 10, 11. and a general command annexed to exerciſe it.
But we ſay the Rule is true in all other caſes, unleſſe where ſome particular exceptions do limit that geneneral Rule, or where a gift cannot be exerciſed without aſſuming an office; women are excepted; ruling and judging gifts cannot authoritatively be exerciſed without aſſuming office; but a preaching gift may, as is clear in the caſe of Probationers; Whether they may inter-lope betwixt two callings, is an other queſtion nothing to the preſent purpoſe.
Secondly, becauſe publickneſſe doth not make an act to be an act of Office, nor privateneſſe hinder it from being ſo, it neither maketh it preaching nor authoritative preaching, &c.
Ob. Though bare publickneſſe of ſpeaking maketh it not preaching, yet that is a property of authoritative preahing. &c. 1 Corin. 14. 34. and 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. conclude beyond contradiction, that to preach pubickly is an act of authority, and inconſiſtent with a ſtate of ſubjection, &c. Mr. Pool. pag. 52, 53.
Anſ. 1. His diſallowing gifted mens preaching publickly, when yet he granteth (pag. 53.) that private men may ſpeak publickly in divers caſes, as at Synods &c. argueth him to be (at he cauſleſly ſaith pag. 51,) meerly in the defence of a pre-conceived opinion. For he granteth, publickneſſe doth not make authoritative acts in other caſes, and yet in this particular caſe, aſſerteth it to be a property of authoritative preaching.
But we proved before, that it may be authoritative preaching, though in private; and as well it may be in publick, and yet not be preaching office-wiſe.
2. Thoſe Texts do not at all prove, (muchleſſe beyond contradiction) that to preach publickly is an act of authority, and inconſiſtent with a ſtate of ſubjection.
As to, 1 Cor. 14. 34. All in a ſtate of ſubjection are not forbidden Preaching by that reaſon, but onelyonly women; no man was in ſuch a ſtate of ſubjection as women, hence the Apoſtle, comparing Sex with Sex, preferreth the man before the women, 1 Cor. 11. ver. 3. 9. and by a covering, ver. 5. 6. ſignifieth the ſubjection of women, and ver. 3. 7. denyeth men to be in ſuch ſubjection. Miniſters or Paſtors ſtate of ſubjection to Magiſtrates doth as much forbid their Preaching publickly, as womens ſubjection doth forbid gifted mens doing of it.
And the Text he alleadeth ſpeaketh not a word of mens, but onelyonly of womens being in a ſtate of ſubjection. Womens being under obedience, may be a reaſon againſt their Preaching publikely, and yet Preaching be no authoritative act, in his ſence: the unſutableneſs of it to ſuch a ſtate, may make that a reaſon againſt it, and unſutable it may be, though Preaching be no act of authority. i. e. no act of Office.
As to 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. it neither giveth this as a reaſon why they muſt not teach in publike, becauſe they muſt not uſurp authority, nor doth it aſſert Preaching to be an authoritative act; for the words are [but I ſuffer not a woman to teach, nor to uſurp authority over the man;] but more of theſe Texts afterward.
His grounds thus vaniſhing, what he addeth (p. 53.) about conſtant and occaſional Preaching, muſt needs vaniſh with them.
And as to that he ſaith about Alms, that a private man giveth his Alms publickly, is enough to prove that publickneſs maketh not an act of Office.
That the publick work of a Schoolmaſter may (as he confeſſeth) be managed by any men gifted for it, this ſpeaketh it to be a fit parallel: and as he ſaith (pag. 53.) that work is not reſtrained either by Divine or humane Law; ſo we ſay, the Preaching of gifted men is not reſtrained, but commanded by a Divine Law.
We grant that a mans ſelf-deſignation for the Miniſtry is not enough to juſtifie his doing acts of Office; but it is ſufficient (being duely qualified and approved) unto the exerciſe of Preaching gifts; and this anſwereth what he ſaith, pag. 54.
For, Heb. 5. 12. The Apoſtle denyeth the Hebrewes (they being but Babes in Chriſt) and aſſerteth, onelyonly Chriſtians of long time and much experience to be Teachers in the ſence be intendeth; ſtileth them foreign and there is nothing in the Text to limit or reſtrain it (as Mr. Pool doth) to private teaching of their families or heathens; all which argueth a publike Teaching to be intended, eſpecially ſeeing all Babes in Chriſt have ability in ſome meaſure privately to teach their families, yet have not ability for this Teaching.
The word foreign (without the addition of any other to it) frequently notifieth publike Teachers, as Act. 13. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 7. yet would this be a ſufficient anſwer to thoſe Texts, a genere ad ſpeciem non valet illutio affirmativa? Surely the uſual acceptation of the word for one ſpecies of Teachers, will deny it to be a genere ad ſpeciem.
And whereas the Apoſtle ſaith, they ought to be foreign Teachers, Mr. Pool would turn the Apoſtles word, and would have it onelyonly foreign, apt or fit to Teach; if ſuch interpretation of Scripture may be allowed him, he may turn the word of God which way he will; and this anſwereth what he ſaith. p. 54, 55. and let the Reader judge who wreſteth the Scripture, Mr. Pool or we.
Thirdly, For gifted mens Preaching in publick, we alleadge, Heb. 10. 25.
Object. If this place prove any thing to our brethrens purpoſe, it will prove that it was the duty of every one, gifted or not gifted, to Preach in the publick Aſſembly, &c. Their Aſſembling together is not the modification of the exhortation but the matter of it, they are to exhort one another even to this, that they would not forſake the Aſsembling, &c. pag. 56.
Anſw. 1. Thoſe that were not gifted, could not exhort in publike Aſſemblies, to publike edification; and therefore it cannot be ſuppoſed that they are required to do it; but this command being left in general amongſt the Hebrewes, hence none that were gifted, were exempted from doing of it.
2. Exhorting one another is a work for publick Aſſemblies, and is commanded from them, by way of oppoſition unto others ſinful forſaking ſuch Aſſemblies, and therefore it was to be done in publick Aſſemblies.
If a Corporation or any other ſociety were perſwaded to keep up meetings, and there ſhould be added immediately an excitation to a work uſually performed in ſuch meetings, none would deny that it was to be done there; and for Mr. Pool to make this the meaning, exhort one another, that they would not forſake the Aſſembling themſelves together; is ſuch a conceit as as deſerveth not anſwering.
That which he addeth (pag. 57. 58. 59.) about its being underſtood. 1. Of Office. 2. Of Alms, hath very little weight in it.
Let any indifferent Reader peruſe our former Book, and he may eaſily ſee that it cannot be meant of Office.
And we have proved in this. that there is a connexion between. ver. 10. and ver. 11. and therefore it cannot be reſtrained to Almes, and ſo all his pains (pag. 58. 59.) to prove that grace may ſometimes be taken for temporal effects of grace, is loſt.