A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

and next to the Apostles too, and that with an order, of first, second, third, is to me utterly improbable and uncredible. 3. The Apostle mentioneth Prophets with a note of singularity, as not common, but more special, 1 Cor: 12. 29, 30. Are all Apostles? are all Prophets? are all Teachers? are all Workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all Interpret? Here the Apostle maketh a second enumeration of such administrations as were more rare; singular, special, dignified, and privileged, and not competent to all Church officers, much less to all Church-members: Therefore here he omitteth the ruling Elder and Deacon; He saith not are all helps? are all governments? As if he had said; There are some officers appointed only for ruling, some appointed only for helping and overseeing the poor; These officers are neither Apostles nor Prophets, &c. And if prophesying be not a privilege of all Church-officers, how much less of all Church-members: I might add here, 'tis most agreeable to the native signification of the word Prophecy, that we understand it to be an extraordinary and rare thing; For if you consider the very notation of the word Prophecy is prediction, and [Greek or Hebrew] is from [Greek or Hebrew], I foretell, of which more hereafter. 4. One of the Prophets of that time, is plainly described to have been inspired with extraordinary revelations, Acts 21. 10, 11. There came down from Judea a certain Prophet, named Agabus, and when he was come unto us, he took Pauls girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said; Thus saith the holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that oweth this girdle, and shall ⟨p. 68⟩deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. There were other Prophets of the same kind with Agabus, for so runs the Text, Acts 11. 27, 28. And in those days came Prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch, and there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit, that there should be great dearth in all the world. 5. That these Prophets spake in the Church from extraordinary revelation and inspiration, appeareth by 1 Cor: 14. 26. When they came together, they had a Psalm, a Doctrine, a Tongue, a Revelation, an Interpretation, not only a Doctrine, and an Interpretation, but a Revelation, and vers. 30. after he hath said, let the Prophets speak, two or three;