A Vindication of the Preacher Sent, Title page – To the reader
A VINDICATION OF THE PREACHER SENT, OR A VVarrant for publick Preaching without Ordination. Wherein is further diſcovered. 1. That ſome Gifted men unordained, are Goſpel Preachers. 2. That Officers ſuſtain not a relation (as Officers) to the Univerſal Church; and other weighty queſtions concerning Election and Ordination, are opened and cleared. In anſwer to two Books. 1. Ʋindiciae Miniſtrij Evangelici Revindicatae or the Preacher (pretendly) Sent, ſent back again. By Dr Colling of Norwich 2 Q. warrante, or a Moderate enquiry into the warrantableneſs of the Preaching of gifted and unordained perſons. By Mr. Pool, at the deſire and appointment of the Provincial Aſſembly of London. WITH A Reply to the exceptions of Mr. Hudſon and D. Collings againſt the Epiſtle to the Preacher Sent.
Published By Frederick Woodal, Miniſter of the Goſpel at Woodbridge in Suffolk. Samuel Petto Miniſter of the Goſpel at Sandcraft in Suffolk.
LONDON. Printed by J. T. Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head Alley, 1659.
An Advertiſement to the Reader.
IT is Recorded of the moſt holy that when the cry of the ſin of Sodom, and Gomorrah came up unto him, he went down to ſee whether they had done altogether according to the cry thereof, before he executed judgment upon them; and this is written for our inſtruction, that where indictments are drawn up againſt perſons or things, we may not proceed to ſentence upon the charg, untill wee ſee the proof thereof.
We are not ignorant of cries, even outcries, againſt the liberty of Prophſying we contend about, and we fear notwithſtanding our former and preſent defence, if the queſtion be moved about it, what evil hath it done? the anſwer will be returned unto it, away with it, cruciſie it. Our brethren are preparing Spirits unto this, while they repreſent it an Idol, the City of Jericho which was not to be built, a Trojan horſe full of Error, nonſenſe and blaſphemy, A Pandoras box whence all ſorts of miſcheivous & ſoulpoyſoning opinions fly out, &c. See their Epiſtles. And here ſuffer us a little to expoſtulate with them; Is ordination indeed as a Veniceglaſs that can hold no poyſon? are you not partial, who can finde Errors, Hereſies, impertinencyes among perſons not ordained, but among the ordayned omnia bene? Alas what learned non-ſenſe, amongſt many of them? what empty notions? What Aiery ſpeculations? how often are people ſerved with bones inſtead of bread? How oft have they froth for drink? They that condemn too much Lead in a window, becauſe it hinders light, might be offended with painted glaſſe.
We confeſſe and deny not, we have ſeen Theeves and murtherers, going out, and in, at this door (as alſo in the other way) who deſerve indeed that their mouthes ſhould be ſtopped; but their evil, flowes not from our principle, but from the abuſe thereof; not from the principle as ſtated by us, although Mr. Pool in his Epiſtle thinks it done very looſly, becauſe though we aſſert it inexpedient, miſcheivous, and uncomfortable to preach without approbation from others; yet we ſay (in ſome caſes for ought we know) it may be ſo done, Preacher Sent. pag. 20. wherein we might promiſe our ſelves favour for them whoſe principle it is, that in ſome caſes it may be lawful to preach without Ordination, Mr. Pool pag. 68. 102. If they put Ordination in the place of Aprobation, & yet ſay, in ſome caſes a man may preach without ordination; where is the offence?
But Dr. Collings doth judge that no rule of Regulation can, or will be fixed by us upon this liberty, ſo that it differs not from licentiouſneſſe, but is a very ſtrumpet, harlot, Mother of abominations, &c. We anſwer,
1. If by this rule of Regulation he mean the form or patern to which all doctrine muſt conform, which therefore is called regula regulans, the Rule is fixed. viz. the ſacred Scriptures. 2. If he mean the meaſure or ſtandard for qualification, the Rule needs not be fixed by us; where it is fixed (as in Rules of examination unto Ordination) it is rarely obſerved, and a man may be qualified for one place or people, not for another.
3. If he mean the order of reducement in caſe Error or hereſie be preached, or the liberty any way abuſed, the Rule is fixed Mat. 18. 15, 16. The Church hath power over preachers and over Paſtors, Coloſſ. 4. 17. 1 Corin. 5. 12. Rev. 2. ver. 2. Thou haſt tried them which ſay they are Apoſtles, and are not, and haſt found them lyers. That Church and the Angel thereof, are commended for trying of Preachers; Thoſe that may, and diſapprove, may approve where there is cauſe: here is a Scripture rule for approbation of Preachers, and that not ſo much as in order to Ordination.
Courteous Reader, we deſire thee to take notice of theſe few following particulars.
1. That we do not repeat all the words of Dr. Collings or Mr. Pool, but what is moſt material, in their Arguments, which liberty they have taken to themſelves, in replying to us.
2. That although we have cauſe to complain, that many Arguments in our former book, yet remain untouched, and ſome but ſlightly wounded, are buried alive, with too much of the duſt and aſhes of reproach caſt upon them; yet hoping and expecting that the determining Reader will examine and compare Arguments and anſwers impartially, we ſhall be ſilent.
3. That very many of Mr. Pools Arguments and replies, are drawn from the Apoſtles, and that in matters wherein they acted as extraordinary Officers.
Alſo neceſſity is often urged againſt us; whereas neceſſity cannot juſtly be pleaded to juſtifie actings, unleſs it be in natural duties; Their inſtance of the Shew-bread reacheth no further; it was a natural duty to eat that, for the preſervation of life: to kill a man in ſelf-defence is a natural duty, which may further anſwer what Mr. Pool ſaith, pag. 102. about neceſſity; we ſay, to defend the life of a man, or to take away the life of a murderer, is not a peculiar work to a Magiſtrate; but to command perſons to the one and the other, is the Magiſtrats work, and this a private man may not do in a caſe of neceſſity; and if they will grant preaching to be a natural duty, how can they deny gifted men liberty for doing of it?
4. That thou art to expect this the laſt thou ſhalt receive from us in this controverſie we cannot abſolutely promiſe it, becauſe the righteous, and the wiſe, and their works are in the hand of God, Eccleſ. 9. 1. but are very much inclined unto it, amongſt others, upon theſe grounds; becauſe we have ſpoken fully to the matter in our former, and this book, and there is no end of words; neither do we love alwayes to be wading in a controverſie, which diverteth from more practical things at preſent, and at the laſt muſt be left to the Reader to judge; and we would not by multiplying replies, carry thee away from thoſe Arguments we uſed in the firſt Book, which they have left behind without any thingof anſwer offered to them, whereby it would come to paſſe, that the cauſe would appear more weak, when it wanteth no ſtrength to ſupport it. And as there is liberty of ſpirit or vanity, bewrayed even in the Drs. Title page ſo we meet with inſulting language here and there, in both their books; all which conſidered, we deſire thou wouldſt not think their books unanſwerable, if they reply to us, and we do not anſwer aga…n.
5. If th… requireſt after that man of God, Mr. Iohn Martin, whoſe name is in the title page of our former book, but not in this, know, be… gone to God, and by a paſſage, through the g…t…s of death, hath obtained reſt from all his labours; who owned this cauſe (in which he was ingaged with us) to the laſt, and witneſſed his approbation, and (to uſe his owne expreſſion when in his laſt ſickneſſe) free concurrence with us, in ſo much of his book as was prepared, and came under his eve.
6. That whereas Mr Charke of Waldron in Suſsex, in the latter end of his book, hath pretended to anſwer ſix arguments, which are found in the latter end of our book; the reaſon why we gave him no reply is, partly becauſe of his book, we apprehend him to be of ſuch a ſpirit, that an anſwer would only exaſperate his corruption, partly becauſe his replyes are very weak, and need no anſwer, nor are worth the anſwering.
This is all at preſent, onelyonly, That the Lord who gives the light without, may annoint their eyes with eye-ſalve, and make thee ſee, is the prayer of.
Thine to ſerve thee in the work of the Goſpel. Frederick Woodal. Sam. Petto. Mon. 1. day. 27. 1659.