calling, ought to follow teaching and exhorting as a calling, or so as
compose themselves, and attend as hearers. When private Christians take it upon themselves in private meetings, to act like the masters or presidents of the assembly,73 and accordingly, from time to time to teach and exhort the rest, this has the appearance of authoritative teaching.
When private Christians, who are no more than mere brethren, exhort and admonish one another, it ought to be in a humble manner, by way of entreaty rather than with authority; and even more if the station of people is lower. Thus it ordinarily becomes women, and those who are young, to be at a greater distance than others, from any appearance of authority in speaking. This much at least is made evident by 1Tim 2.9-12.
It is a general rule that lay people should not exhort one another as if clothed with authority; but it cannot justly be supposed to extend to heads of families in their own families. Every Christian family is a little church, and the heads of it are its authoritative teachers and governors. Nor can it extend to schoolmasters among their scholars. Some other cases might perhaps be mentioned, that ordinary discretion will distinguish, where a man's circumstances properly clothe him with authority, and render it fit and suitable for him to counsel and admonish others in an authoritative manner.
2. No man except a minister who is duly appointed to that sacred calling, ought to follow teaching and exhorting as a calling, or so as to neglect that which is his proper calling.74 Occupying the office of a teacher in the church of God implies two things:
(1) Being invested with the authority of a teacher; and, (2) Being called to the business of a teacher, to make it the business of his life.
Therefore, that man who is not a minister, who takes either of these upon himself, invades the office of a minister. I have already spoken about assuming the authority of a minister. But if a layman does not assume authority in his teaching, yet he forsakes his proper calling, or does so at least in a great measure, and spends his time going about from house to house to counsel and exhort, he crosses the line,