A39669:1883
The Method of Grace
The method of grace, in bringing home the eternal redemption contrived by the Father, and accomplished by the Son through the effectual application of the spirit unto God's elect, being the second part of Gospel redemption : wherein the great mystery of our union and communion with Christ is opened and applied, unbelievers invited, false pretenders convicted, every mans claim to Christ examined, and the misery of Christless persons discovered and bewailed / by John Flavell ...The method of grace, in bringing home the eternal redemption contrived by the Father, and accomplished by the Son through the effectual application of the spirit unto God's elect, being the second part of Gospel redemption : wherein the great mysterie of our union and communion with Christ is opened and applied, unbelievers invited, false pretenders convicted, every mans claim to Christ examined, and the misery of Christless persons discovered and bewailed / by John Flavell ...
London: printed by M. White for Francis Tyton, 1681
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, The teachings of God are not to be understood as opposite unto, or exclusive of the teachings of men. Divine teachings do not render Ministerial teachings vain or useless. Paul was taught of God, Gal. 1. 12. and his Conversion had something extraordinary in it, yet the Ministry of Ananias was used, and honoured in that work, Acts 9. 4, 17. compared. Divine teachings do indeed excel, but not exclude humane teachings. I know that Scripture, Jer. 31. 24. to which Christ here refers, is objected against the necessity of a standing Ministry in the Church, they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother, &c. but if those words should be understood absolutely, they would not only overthrow all public Ordinances of Gods own institution, 1 Cor. 12. 28. and deprive us of a principal fruit of Christs Ascension, Eph. 4. 11, 12. but for the same reason would destroy all private instructions, and fraternal admonitions also. Such a sense would make the Prophet to contradict the Apostle; and spoil the consent and harmony of the Scriptures: the sense therefore cannot be negative but comparative: it shows the excellency of Divine, but doth not destroy the usefulness of humane ⟨p. 377⟩teachings. Subordinata non pugnant: the teachings of men are made effectual by the teachings of the Spirit, and the Spirit in his teachings will use and honour the Ministry of man.
Secondly, The teachings of God are not to be understood as opposite unto, or exclusive of the teachings of men. Divine teachings do not render Ministeral teachings vain or useless. Paul was taught of God, Gal. 1. 12. and his Conversion had something extraordinary in it, yet the Ministry of Ananias was used, and honoured in that work, Acts 9. 4, 17