The Preacher Sent, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Wherein the Queſtion is ſtated about the Preaching of Gifted-men, and ſeveral things propounded for the clearing the ſtate of it.
The Queſtion is this,
WHether ſome men who are not ordained Queſt.Officers may preach? Or, whether perſons who have preaching gifts and graces, or are apt to teach, may ordinarily exerciſe thoſe gifts in Publick Aſſemblies, though they be not ordained Officers?
Before we come to the determination of this queſtion, we ſhall premiſe four things.
1. That the queſtion is not, Whether every Chriſtian may publickly preach? But, whether ſome not in office, who have ſuch eminent gifts and graces, as render them apt to teach, may not exerciſe thoſe gifts in a way of Preaching? That objection which our Brethren bring from 1 Corin. 12. 29. toucheth not us; for many Chriſtians have not ſuch gifts, and ſo all are not Prophets, all are not Teachers: Our inquiry is not, whether every beleever, but whether thoſe beleevers who have ſuch gifts and qualifications as the Goſpel (1 Tim. 3. ver. 1, 2, 3.) requireth preachers ſhould have, may preach?
2. Neither is the queſtion, Whether Ordination be neceſſary for an officer. We grant that when a man undertaketh to be an officer to, or taketh the charge of a Church of Chriſt, there ought to be ordination, before the exerciſe of his Office. Act. 6. 6.
Our queſtion is, Whether a man who hath grace and ſuch gifts as render him apt to teach, may exerciſe thoſe gifts ordinarily or frequently without Ordination, he being no Officer to any Church of Chriſt?
3. Neither is the queſtion, Whether any man that thinketh himſelf gifted may preach? If ſome think themſelves gifted who are not, and thereupon preach, we plead not for them. But if a man be really gifted as the Lord requireth officers ſhould be, 1 Tim. 3. ver. 1, 2, 3. If really he be apt to teach, &c. Our queſtion is, Whether he may not publickly do it, though he be not ordained?
It is another queſtion, Who ſhall judge of his gifts? Yet if a man be judged able by thoſe who are able to judge, or by thoſe that are appointed by Chriſt to judg of his gifts, we apprehend he may preach. And the Apoſtles referred it to the Church to judge of their gifts and qualifications who were to be Deacons, Act. 6. ver. 3. Look yee out among you ſeven men of honeſt report, full of the Holy-Ghoſt and wiſdom. There is not a fillable about any other proving of them after; & the Church was required to look out men ſo qualified; and therefore a Church of Chriſt is to judge of the gifts of its Members. Deacons are to be proved, 1 Tim. 3. ver. 10. and it is by the Church, Act. 6. ver. 2, 3. And though one that is really gifted for ſuch a work (for ought we know) may lawfully (eſpecially in ſome caſes) preach without ſuch approbation from a Church, or others who are able to judge of gifts; yet it may be inexpedient, and ſometimes it proveth of ill conſequence to others, and uncomfortable to himſelf.
4. By preaching we underſtand, any publiſhing or declaring, opening or applying Goſpel truths to any perſons for the uſes and ends they ſerve to. Sometimes the word for preaching is, foreign, which ſignifies to tell good news, or bring or publiſh glad tidings. Luk. 16. ver. 16. The Kingdom of God [is preached, foreign] Heb. 4. 2. Unto us was the Goſpel preached.—1 Cor. 9. ver. 16. Though [I preach the Goſpel] foreign. And the ſame word is uſed for preaching in many other Scriptures, and denoteth a declaring or publiſhing Goſpel-truths; and hence it is ſo tranſlated often, and that neceſſarily. Act. 13. ver. 32. We declare unto you glad tidings. The word for [declare, is foreign. Rom. 10. ver. 15. How beautiful are the feet [of them that preach the Goſpel] foreign, and bring glad tidings of good, foreign. Here the ſame word is uſed, and ſignifieth to bring glad tidings. In the beginning of that verſe another word is uſed for preaching. Rom. 10. ver. 15. How ſhall they preach, foreign; and this word ſignifieth, to publiſh as Heralds or cryers do; it is explained twice in the latter end of the ſame verſe, why he is called a herald or cryer, becauſe he publiſheth or telleth glad tidings. So that to preach, is to declare or publiſh, to open or apply Goſpel-truths to any perſons, whether publickly or privately. Though a Herald or cryer doth deliver a matter in an open place, yet that Metaphor may be uuſed, becauſe preaching is by lively voyce, and frequently in a publick place; yet it may be properly called preaching, though it be in private. Act. 5. ver 42. Daily in the Temple, and in every houſe they ceaſed not to teach and preach Jeſus Chriſt. Here is preaching not only publickly in the Temple, but alſo privately in every houſe. Yea, Philip is ſaid to preach to one man. Act. 8. ver. 35. So that it is preaching, if the Scriptures be opened or expounded to a particular perſon, as well as if it be to a publick Aſſembly. And therefore our Brethrens deſcription of preaching is faulty: They ſay, (Jus Divinum page 77.) By preaching they underſtand an authoritative explication and application of Scripture, for exhortation, edification and comfort, to a Congregation met together for the ſolemn worſhip of God, in the ſtead and place of Chriſt. They ſay, The ſubject is the word, the work the explication and application of this word. Nehem. 8. 8. 2 Tim. 2. 15. The end is, the exhortation, edification and comfort of the Church; for which they alledge, 1 Corin. 14. 3. 2 Tim. 3. 16. The object, a Congregation met together for the ſolemn worſhip of God; for which they alledge, 1 Corin. 14. ver. 23. They ſay, The word is to be preached to infidels. Matth. 28. Mar. 16. But the principal object of this work is the Church. 1 Corin. 14. 22. 1 Corin. 12. 28. Epheſ. 4. 12. The manner of doing this work,
1. Authoritatively, not Magiſterially, as lords of faith; but Miniſterially, as being over the Church in the Lord. 1 Theſ. 5. 12. Tit. 2. 15.
1. In the ſtead and place of Chriſt. 2 Corin. 5. 20. Luk. 10. 16.
From this deſcription, they give us five diſtinctions, wherein they grant us ſeveral things. We ſay,
1. That place, 1 Corin. 14. will ſerve for us to prove a gift of propheſying to be ſtill continuing, as well as it wil ſerve to prove their deſcription of preaching. If propheſying were an extraordinary gift, as they ſay (pag. 97. 98.) it was, why then doe they alledge it to prove the way of that ſtanding ordinance of preaching?
2. It is properly preaching, to publiſh, declare, and open Goſpel-truths, though there be not a Church or congregation for the object of it; or though the congregation be not met for the ſolemn worſhip of God. Act. 8. ver. 35. Philip preached unto [him] Jeſus. Here is preaching, and yet no congregation, but only a ſingle perſon for the object of it. So Act. 5. ver. 42. And it is properly preaching, when Goſpel-truths are publiſhed, opened, and declared to a Congregation, though it be not met for the ſolemn worſhip of God, but for other, even contrary ends. Act. 14. 15. We alſo are men of like paſſions with you, [and preach unto you] that ye ſhould turn from theſe vanities unto the living God. Paul and Barnabas are ſaid to preach unto thoſe that met for Idolatrous ends, not for the ſolemn worſhip of God. So Act. 17. ver. 16, 18, 22, 23, &c. While Paul waited—at Athens, his ſpirit was ſtirred in him, when he ſaw the City wholly given to idolatry. & v. 18. [He preached] unto them Jeſus.—And his ſermon we have epitomized, ver. 22, 23, &c. Here was preaching, and yet it was to an idolatrous Aſſembly; ſo that if the work be performed (which our Brethren ſay, is the explication and application of the word) whoever be the objects of it, yet it is preaching; and therefore their third, fourth, and fifth diſtinctions (Jus Divin. page 79.) will make againſt them. They grant that a General may give an exhortation in the head of an Army, and a Judg on a Bench, from the examples of Joab, 2 Sam. 10. Of Abijah, 2 Chron. 13. Of Jehoſaphat, 2 Chron. 19. 20. Joſhua, Chap. 23. 24. But they ſay, there is a vaſt difference between this action and the work of the Miniſtry; for neither is the object of it a Congregation ſacred, but meerly civil; neither is the authority Eccleſiaſtical and from Chriſt, but meerly political. We have proved, that it is properly preaching, if the work be done for its proper end, though it be not a congregation that is the object of it, nor a congregation ſacred, but profane and idolatrous. A Church is a proper object of preaching, but not the peculiar or only object thereof: for by their own grant, Infidels are to be preached to, Matth. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15. And ſuch a good end of meeting together, viz. ſolemnly to worſhip God, may help to render the action of the hearer good; but it doth not make the action of the Speaker, Preaching. As for a Judge on a Bench, it is but a political-civil action that he is about; and if he mentioneth ſome Scriptures, it is but to qualify a natural or civil action Chriſtianly; and this may hinder that from being preached, not the objects being a congregation meerly civil. But if a General of an Army or any other man doth take an opportunity to open and apply Scriptures, or declare Goſpeltruths, not for a civil end chiefly, but for the inſtruction and edification of thoſe he ſpeaketh to, or to acquaint them with the mind and wil of Chriſt; and this not in an intermixed way, to qualify civil actions; how this can be denyed to be preaching, we know not: And therefore let our Brethren conſider, whether their own grant from thoſe Scriptures, will not ſpeak for the preaching of gifted men?
The ſame we ſay to their fourth diſtinction; (Jus Divin. page 79.) they diſtinguiſh between Divinity-exerciſes in the Schooles and Univerſity, and the preaching of the word: they ſay, theſe are not performed to a congregation met together for the ſolemn worſhip of God, they are rather reducible to the work of Schoolmaſters inſtructing their Scholars, and Scholars rendring account to their Maſters, then Miniſterial preaching.
We have proved that if ſuch a ſolemn action, as the declaring, opening and applying of Goſpel-truths be performed for its proper ends; it is preaching, though the congregation be met together for irreligious and wicked ends, and did not meet for the ſolemn worſhip of God. Act. 14. 15. Act. 17. ver. 16, 18, &c. and therefore it muſt needs be preaching, when the object is, an aſſembly met for lawful ends; and though the tryal of gifts, and the perſons rendring an account of their proficiency in ſuch ſtudies, may be ſubordinate ends of ſuch actions in the Univerſity, yet the edification of the hearers ought to be the main and principal end of Divinity-Lectutes, or common placing. We know no Goſpel-rule for ſuch actions, without this as the chief end.
3. By our Brethrens grant (we ſuppoſe) it will be lawful for gifted men to preach charitatively. They diſtinguiſh (Jus Divin. page 78, 80.) between a private brotherly teaching, admonition, exhortation of one another; and an authoritative publick teaching. The firſt (they ſay) is grounded on charity, and is the common duty of all Chriſtians, by the royal Law of Love, and preſcribed to all, even to women, by the law of God, under pain of ſin.—Alſo they diſtinguiſh between the teaching of Parents and Maſters in their families, and Schoolmaſters, and Miniſterial Preaching; the former they exhort even Mothers unto; but the Miniſterial teaching they deny them. They alſo diſtinguiſh between the act of Members in any ſacred or civil Aſſembly, debating, counſelling, and admoniſhing one another out of the word of God; and the preaching of the word: becauſe (they ſay) this action of theirs towords one another is not authoritative, but meerly brotherly; is rather foreign, a Chriſtian conference, then Preaching, and no other then private Chriſtians met together by mutual conſent may perform.
By all this it appeareth, that it is only an authoritative publick Miniſterial teaching that their arguments are brought to deny unto men not ordained: for (Jus Divinum, page 78.) they uſe theſe words, [It is authoritative teaching only which we deny.] Miniſterial actings, themſelves oppoſe to Magiſterial; Miniſtry is no more but ſervice: but here they ſeem to oppoſe Miniſterial teaching, unto parental domeſtical teaching; and yet they know there is Miniſtration in a parents teaching his children, or a Maſter his ſervants; this is ſervice to Chriſt, as well as more publick preaching. But take Miniſterial teaching in a ſpecial ſenſe, for the publick diſpenſation of the word. The Queſtion is, What they intend by Authoritative Teaching?
1 [Authority] is taken ſomtimes for a right or lawful power, enabling to doe ſome publick work; as Luk. 20. ver. 2. Tell us by what [authority] do'ſt thou theſe things? or, who is he that gave thee this [Authority;] i. e. by what right, or lawful power, do'ſt thou theſe things? In this ſenſe we think they cannot take it here, becauſe in their deſcription, they reduce it unto the manner of performing the work, and that preſuppoſeth a perſon authorized, and ſo doth the Scripture they alledge for it. Tit. 2. 15. The perſon was impowred before he was injoyned to rebuke in this manner; viz. with all command, or as they call it Authoritatively. And they need not prove it; for it's granted, that none may preach, but thoſe that have a right and lawful power to doe it; but then the queſtion is, Who hath that right and lawful power to preach? We conclude therefore, that this is not that which they intend by Authoritative teaching.
2. [Authority] is taken for that Majeſty, gravity, fervor, and efficacy that is to attend the diſpenſation of the Goſpel in him that ſpeaketh; as Mark 1. ver. 22. He taught them as one that had [authority] and not as the Scribes. Here the manner of Chriſts teaching is ſet forth, it was with [authority] i. e. with ſuch gravity, life, and zeal, as it did penetrate and come home to the conſciences of the hearers: and [not as the Scribes] i. e. not coldly, ſlightly, or doubtingly. That place which they alledge for authoritative teaching, partly intendeth this. Tit. 2. ver. 15. Theſe things ſpeak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority, or command, i. e. ſuch as are refractory, rebuke them with ſuch ſeverity, gravity, zeal and fervency, as if it be poſſible may render the word convincing to their conſciences. We ſuppoſe our Brethren do not take [authoritative-teaching] in this ſenſe neither; for undoubtedly all that preach, are to doe it with life and zeal, and to uſe utmoſt endeavors that the Goſpel may come in power to the hearts of thoſe they ſpeak to, that ſo they may not labor in vain. They will not allow gifted Brethren to Preach in a contrary manner to this.
3. But [Authority] is taken by ſome for that power which an Officer hath over thoſe that he beareth Office to; and becauſe our Brethren in their aforementioned diſtinctions do oppoſe it unto, and difference it from Brotherly Charitative Teaching, therefore we judge that they take Authoritative teaching, in this ſenſe, viz. for the preaching as Officers, and the exerciſe of Office-power therein. And thoſe two Scriptures which they alledge to prove Authoritative teaching, do both of them ſpeak of preaching Office-wiſe; as 1 Theſ. 5. 12. Only Officers were over the Church of the Theſſalonians in the Lord; and therefore none but Officers could ſo admoniſh the Church: but we aſſert that gifted Members may admoniſh a Church in a Brotherly way, though not as over it in the Lord. So Titus 2. 15. This is not only a direction given to Titus an Officer, but alſo about a ſpecial act, wherein he was to put forth Office-power, viz. in the caſe of rebukes, When any Church-members were obſtinate, he is directed how to exerciſe his Office then, [Rebuke] not only in a Brotherly way, but as over them in the Lord [with command] yea, [with all command.] Churchmembers are obliged to hearken unto admonitions or juſt rebukes from the mouth of any brother. Matth. 18. 15. But they are under ſpecial and double obligations to hearken unto admonition and juſt rebukes from the mouth of their Officers, becauſe elſe they are guilty of contemning another Ordinance of Chriſt, viz. Officerelation; it becometh a ſin, not only againſt him as a Brother, but as an Officer; it is an offence not only againſt the relation of Brotherhood, but againſt a higher relation, of Office. There is a breaking of their own engagements which they made in committing themſelves to his charge; it's againſt that command, Hebr. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you, and ſubmit your ſelves. So that Officers may give ſpecial Commands in the name of Chriſt, to thoſe they bear Office unto, that they obey the will of Chriſt; and may rebuke them with all command for diſobedience.
An Officer of one Congregation cannot (by any Goſpel-rule that yet we finde) either give ſuch commands or rebukes, to the Members of another Church. He may in a Brotherly way, or Charitatively preach on Lecture-dayes, or Lords dayes to another Congregation, and tell the Members of it, what Chriſt hath commanded from them, and urge duty upon the penalty of ſinning againſt God, tell them of the danger of neglecting duty, or rebuke them in a Brotherly way; but not with all command, not Office-wiſe, becauſe he is not over them in the Lord, for he cannot orderly be an Officer to many Churches: as a man may tell his neighbors childe of its diſobedience to the parents, or his ſervant of diſobedience to his Maſter; and a gifted man may for a time, upon requeſt, or charitatively, teach all the Scholars, in the School-Maſters abſence; yet not as being over the childe, or ſervant, or Schoole, not as having the charge of them; only the Parents, or Maſter, or Schoolmaſter doe command, or rebuke authoritatively, as being ſet over them.
Now, if our Brethren take Authoritative Preaching in the ſenſe of the Scriptures they alledge to prove it by, as we ſuppoſe they doe; then their third Propoſition, viz. That none may take upon him the Office of the Miniſtry without a call, and that none may do the work of the Miniſtry (authoritatively, i. e. Office-wiſe) without Ordination; and all their Arguments to prove it (if they prove no more then they bring them for) may be granted, and yet they have gained nothing againſt the preaching of gifted men without Ordination. For we may ſay, though gifted men may not preach in publick Aſſemblies, or Churches authoritatively, i. e. Officewiſe, as being over them in the Lord; yet they have authority, i. e. a right and lawful power from Chriſt, Charitatively to preach in publick Aſſemblies. In a Brotherly way, they may with life, fervor, and zeal exhort to duty, and ſhew the danger of neglecting it; and rebuke for ſin, not as being over them, but as being deſirous of their eternal good; and Officers out of their own Churches can do no more.
Yet becauſe our Brethren would (as by ſome expreſſions we gather) be underſtood to ſpeak againſt all preaching of gifted men (in ordinary caſes) without Ordination, therefore we ſhall give ſome grounds for it, and anſwer ſuch Arguments as they bring againſt it.