Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIX Robinson's Plea For Lay Preaching John Robinson was remembered by some of his old flock in Norwich and the neighbourhood long after he had left their midst. His books were circulated and read amongst them and had some influence upon their religious practice. They even ventured to hold meetings at which ordinary members exercised their gifts of preaching and expounding the " Word of God" to the edification of the assembled company. This was regarded as a grave irregularity by the ordained clergy. The Rev. John Yates was then minister of St. Andrew's, where Robinson had formerly laboured, and he undertook the task of reproving those who upheld what he regarded as a dangerous and disorderly practice. One of their number, whose initials only are given, justified their action by an appeal to the arguments in favour of lay preaching by ordinary Church members set out in Robinson's book on the Justification of Separation. This appears to have been one William Euring, who, to use his own words, had been brought up not "among the Muses, but Mariners." He subsequently engaged in religious controversy with Thomas Drakes, "preacher of the Word at Harwich and Dovercourt." Euring turned to Robinson's book for support in the practice of "prophesying," of which he was an ardent advocate. He abstracted Robinson's arguments, and the Scripture texts on which they were based, and sent them on to Yates.1 The matter was not allowed to rest there. Yates promptly laid down ten arguments 1 The People's Plea, 1618, p. 47. 1 Work*, vol. iii. p. 309. * The People's Plea, 1618, Preface. A CLERICAL MONOPOLY 205 "to prove ordinary prophecy in public out of office unlawful," and appended an answer to the reasons and texts brought forward by Robinson in his...