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…

He addeth, If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace: Upon which Text Gualther, Salmeron, and others who understand by prophesying in that Chap: the ordinary Ministerial Teaching, are yet made to acknowledge, that this revealing of somewhat to another, was extemporary and extraordinary, and that it is no president for our¹ times. P. Martyr, puts this difference between Teachers and Prophets, that Teachers were educated and instructed by Masters: Prophets, without all humane help; spake as they were on a sudden moved by the inspiration of the holy Ghost; Yea, although he takes the office and functions of Prophets and Teachers, to have been one and the same; yet he thus distinguisheth between them. So Aretius, speaking of those that bare office in the primitive Church, distinguisheth the Prophets from the Pastors and Teachers in this, that the Prophets had not only greater gifts for opening hard Scriptures, but that they did interpret Scripture with the same prophetical spirit, by which it was dictate and written, and likewise ⟨p. 69⟩foretell things to come. 6. It hath been observed by Mr. Bath on Ephes: 4. 11. and others that these degrees are capacious and comprehensive one of another downwards, not upwards, that is; An Apostle might prophesy, and do the work of an Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher: a Prophet might do the work of an Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher: the Evangelist might do the work of a Pastor and Teacher. But every Pastor and Teacher could not do the work of an Evangelist, or of a Prophet, &c. If this observation hold, which hath pleased many, then we cannot understand those Prophets to have been no more but Pastors and Teachers, much less to have been any thing less than Pastors and Teachers, viz. Church-members, well gifted for expounding Scripture edifyingly, Chrysostome de divers: N. T. locis serm: 50. leaneth very much toward that same notion, for he calls Apostles the root, which was comprehensive of all the rest; a Prophet (saith he)² might not be an Apostle, but an Apostle was a Prophet, Evangelist, &c. To prove that an Apostle did prophesy, he cites these prophetical predictions, 2 Tim: 3. 1. 1 Thess. 4. 15. Whereby 'tis manifest that he understands the prophecy mentioned by Paul to be extraordinary. 7. Unless we understand those prophets which Christ gave to the Church,