May aLay.man PreaciJ ~ Of the Forum imerius andexterius. , QJ.!efl:. 59· May aLay man preach or expound tbe Scripwres ~ Or what of this u proper to the Paflors office ~ Anfw. r. NO doubt but thereis(ome Preaching or 1t~ching and Expo~ending which a Lay ma" may ~fe. So d1d Or~gen; fod1d Conj!anl<nt ; fo may aKJHg or ]udgt on the Bench: fo may a Parent to lps Cluldren, and a Mafter to his family, and a Schoolmafttr or Tutor ro his Scholars. 2. It is not any one Method or Sermon-fafoionwhich is proper to a Minifier and forbidden to a L~y man : "That Method which is moll meet to the Matter and btarert, may be ufed by one as well as by the other. 3• It is not themeer publick,.nt{s of the Teaching; which mull tell us what is unlawful for a Lay man. For Writing and Printing are the moll publick wayes of Teaching; And thefe no man rakerh to be forbidden the Laity. Scaliger, Cau{abon, Grotiut, Era[miH, Conjlantine, King Jamu, the Lord Bacan and abundance more Lay men have done the Church great fervice by their Writings. And Judges~. the B<nch fpeak oft Theologically to many. ' ··: Bur that '"::_hich is proper to the Minillers or l'aftors of theChur is, 1. To make a jlattd offict of .if; and tO be {tparated, flt apart, dtvottd, Or confecrated and approprUted tO this facred WOik; tnd not to do it occafionally only, or fomttimes, or on tbe by ; but as their CaUing and the Employment of their lives. ~ ~ · •· 2; Th do it as CaUt~l and Commlf!i'oil~d Minifler~- of 'Chrijl, who have a fpecial nunciatlve and Teach– ing 4ut/;ority commilt~d to them ; And thercfore'arc in a fpccial manner to be he~rd, according to their fpecial Authority. . , ,, n; j• To be theftattd'/uchmo}particztlarCburchtt, as their Paftors and Guidu ;· (Though they may fometime permit a Lay man when there is caufe to Teach thempro ;npore) Thefe three are proper to the ll;iinillerial and.,Pallors office. , ffut for the r;gulat?llgof Liy mens Teaching, r. They mu!lllatodly keep in their families or with· in thCir proper bound!. 2· They mull not prcfurpe to go l>cyond their 4bilities; cfpccially in matters dark and diffi<ult. 3· They mull notthiull themfelves without a jufi call and need into publici<. or numerou1 meeting• as TrachtrJ, nor do th,tr )¥bich favoureth of Pridt Or Ofttntation, or which tcndeth to cherifl> thofe iiCesiq ·otherS'. 4· They mull not live, or Preach, as from under the Government of the Church Paj/ors : But being members of their flocks, mull do all as uwler their lawful overfight and guidance : much lcfs mull /\Et. >o. 30. they proudly and fchifmatically fct up themfelvcs againll their lawful Pallors, and bring them into Heb. 1 J· 7, contempt ro get t.hemfelves reputation, and todrawaway Difciplc:s after them. Th [';• ;;·. 5· Times and places mull be greatly dillinguithed. In Infidel or gr1fy ignorant Countreys, where 1 e· · 1 ~: through the want of Preachers there is a true nectJFty, men may go much further than in Countrc:ys J Tim. 5· 17. where Teachers and knowledge do abound. ~ Q!_dl:. 6o~ W!Jatuthetrue fenfeof tiJe diflinftiOil of Paftoral po1ver, in foro in: ' teriore&:exteriore, rigl!tly t{ed ~ Anfrr. z. NOt as if the Pafiors had any power of ihe [word or outJPard force, or of mens Botliti or Eftaw immediately: For all the Palloral power is Immediatelp on the foul, and but fecondarily on the body, fo far as the perfwaded foul will move it. Reafon andLove and the Autho· rity of a mrffengrr of Chrijf,are all the power by whi~h Bithops or PaOors as fuch can work, in foro iuteriore vel exteriore; They Rule the body but by Rulmg the foul. >- But rhetrue ufe of the dillincbon is only to ferve inllead of the ufual difiinction of Publici{, and perfonal obligation. It is one thing to fatisfie a mans private Confciencc about his own perfo... nal cafe or matters : And anothei thing to oblige the whole Church, or a particular perfon, of his duty as a member of the [ociety to the refi. When the Pafior Abfolvcth a penitent perfon, in foro inJcriort, that is, in his own Confcic:ncc,he delivercth himadifcharge in the: name of Chrill on Condition he be truly penitent : Elfe not.But in foro txteriore he actually and abfolutely relloreth him to his vifible fiate of Church Communion. The rcft of the members perhaps may jufily think this man unlike to prove a true pt:nitem : And then in {fJro interiore they are not bound to believe him .certainly penitent or pardoned by God : But in foro exteriort that he is rcflored to Chu;c:h Commumon, and that. for order fake they are bound to bold Communion with him, thc:y arc bound (internally) to believe. So that it comes neer the fenfe of the dillinctio~ of the jicret Judgemtnt (of God and Confcience) and Churchjudgement. Q._uoll.
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