The Peoples Plea for the Exercise of Prophecy, Part 1
ARG. 1. Mr. I. Yates.
FROM the Commiſſion of Chriſt Ioh. 20, v. 21, 22, 23 all Propheſie in publick is to remit, & retain ſins: & Chr. grants this power to none but ſuch as he ſends. v. 21. & ordains thereunto v. 22. But men out of office are neither ſent nor ordayned thereunto, therefore in publick ought not to meddle with the power of the keyes. I know the exception will bee this, that many out of office hauehave propheſied, the Scripture approving it. I anſwer, An ordinary rule is never infringed by an extraordinary example, but ever by an ordinary. To marry my ſiſter is inceſt; yet in Cain it was no inceſt, becauſe the example was extraordinary. I may not ſteale, and yet it was lawfull for the Iewes to rob the Egiptians, becauſe that was Gods extraordinary permiſſion. Extraordinary examples, as they make no rules; ſo they breake none: but ordinary examples muſt ever follow the rule: and if they doe not, they breake it. Chriſt therefore laying down a perpetuall rule of binding and looſing to all ſuch as are ſent and ordained either by himſelfe immediatly, or by ſuch as he ſhall poynt thereunto, it muſt neceſſarily follow, that any ordinary example will breake this rule if it bee not framed accordingly: therefore I conſtantly affirme, that no ordinary propheſie ought to be out of office. As for extraordinary, that cannot oppoſe this rule, becauſe it is of another nature, and therefore is not to be limited within the compaſſe of an ordinary rule. Secondly, I anſwer, That all the propheſies out of office, were by the ſecret motion of the ſpirit, which was warrant for all ſuch as had no calling by office thereunto.
ANSW. I. Robinſon.
THat all propheſie in publicke (and in private alſo) is for the remitting and retaining of ſinnes, I acknowledge: but that Chriſt grants this power to none but to ſuch as he ſends and ordaines by the Commiſſion given Iohn. 20.21, &c. I plainly deny, and require his proofe. He ſhould then grant it to none but to Apoſtles; for the commiſſion there given, is peculiar to ſuch, conveyed to them immediatly from Chriſt, confirmed, by the miraculous inbreathing of the H. Ghoſt, & by them to be exerciſed & diſpenſed principally towards unbeleevers; of all which nothing is common to ordinary officers. As Chriſt then giues power of binding & looſing ſins to the Apoſtles there, ſo elſe where, to ordinary P…ſtors. Epheſ. 4.8. Elſe where to the whole Church gathered together in one, Math. 15.17.18. 1. Cor. 5. 2. Cor. 6.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. And laſtly in other places to every faithfull brother confeſſing Ieſus Chriſt, Matth. 16.18.19. &c. & cap. 18.15. Luk. 17.3. And ſince the power of binding and looſing ſinnes is onelyonly by way of manifeſtation, and declaration of the word of God, the law, and the Goſpell look unto whom the word of God is given, unto him the power of binding and looſing ſinnes is given, though to be uſed by divers ſtates of perſons, after a diverſe order: vvhichwhich order doth in no ſort aboliſh the being of the thing, but onelyonly preſerues it from confuſion.
And where he takes it for granted th… that the examples for propheſying out of office in the Scriptures, were extraordinary, as Cains marrying of his Siſter, and the Iewes (the Iſraelites he ſhould ſay) ſtealing from the Egiptians his compariſons are without compaſſe, & his affirmation without trueth. Theſe their practiſes were againſt the light of nature, and morall law (then vvritten in the tables of mens hearts, and afterwards written in the tables of ſtone) ſaue as there was an extraordinary diſpenſation by the Lord of the Law, and God of nature: But what like is there in this, that a man (out of office) having received a gift of God, whether extraordinary, or ordinary) by which he is inabled to propheſy, that is to ſpeak to edification, exhortation, and comfort of of the Church, ſhould ſo uſe the ſame good gift of God, in his time, and order? VVhat Eclipſe is here, of the light of nature, or violation of naturall honeſty? If M. Yates had remembred the law vvhichwhich forbad men to plough with an oxe and aſſe together Deu. 22.10. hee would not thus hauehave yoked together things of ſo unlike kinde.
And for the ſecret motion of the ſpirit by vvhichwhich in his ſecond anſwer he affirmeth that all propheſies out of office were, he ſpeaketh both that wch is true, & againſt himſelfe. For vvhat vvere theſe ſecret motions of the ſpirit, but the Prophets zeal for Gods glory, and mans good? vvhichwhich alſo vvere ſufficient on their part, for the uſe of the gift vvhether ordinary, or extraordinary; whether in men in office or out, it was not material. So that, for the uſe evē of an extraordinary gift there vvas required (at leaſt at all times) no extraordinary motion of the ſpirit, but onelyonly that vvhichwhich vvas, and is ordinary to them, and us. God therefore, for his own glory, & the good of his people, giving the gift, vvhether extraordinarily or ordinarily unto a man; hee hath vvarrant ſufficient from his zeale to Gods glory, & mans ſalvation, to uſe the ſame gift in his time, place, and order. Of vvhichwhich hereafter.