meane season I answer by distinguishing of that tearme the Servants of God For by it you may vnderstand either all those holy men of God who haue beene since the creation downe vnto this present instant or onely those few Saints of God whom the Scripture maketh mention of If you take it in the former sense the Assumption is manifestly false that none of the Servants of God vsed lots in gaming at any time but only in weightie matters For I thinke there is no man so vncharitable as to say that all those who haue or doe sometime play at Cards Tables are vnregenerate and no seruants of God If you take it in the latter sense then is the Major false that what those few mentioned in scripture never did we may not doe For as their actions without a precept binde vs not to imitation so their omissions without a prohibition lay not vpon vs an obligation of forbearance If they did then might we not play at Chesse or the Philosophers game or bowles or the like because those Servants of God for ought we knowe neuer vsed any of them But let vs see how you proue that Gods Seruants neuer vsed lots but in serious matters Thus you proue it They vsed lots in serious matters Ergo they vsed them only in serious matters A sillie Consequence and neere a kin to that protrite Enthymeme The sunne shines in heauen Ergo the staffe stands in the bench corner But to satisfie the reader more fully I answere three things First where to proue your Antecedent you affirme among other things that Priests were chosen by lot you are fouly mistaken For Aaron and his posterity without intervention of a lot by the immediate voice of God were perpetually appointed to the Priesthood Secondly these lots here mentioned were all of them Extraordinary whence if your reason be good it would follow that none but Extraordinary lots may be vsed or rather that now adaies no lots at all may be vsed considering that God hauing not promised the like Extraordinary assistance it would be but tempting of God to expect an Extraordinary working from him in a lot Thirdly lastly it followeth not Wee read not in scripture that the Saints vsed lots in light matters Ergo they vsed them only in weightie For it is a meere Fallacie to dispute from authority negatiuely in a case of Fact In a question of Faith the sequele is good We read it not in scripture Ergo it is not a matter of Faith the reason because scripture containeth all matters of Faith But in questions of Fact it is not so because it was not the purpose of the holy Ghost to register downe in the Scripture all whatsoeuer his Servants had done much lesse their sports and recreations Had it beene his purpose so to doe hee would neuer haue said so often in the booke of Kings The rest of the acts of such or such a King are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah For to vnderstand these words of those two bookes of Chronicles written as it is thought so long time after by Ezra were in the iudgement of learned Iunius very ridiculous N. N. But it may be obiected some matters of small moment haue beene determined by Lots as for example who should be dore keepers of the Temple of Ierusalem I answere that was no light matter First it was Gods command expresly in his word which is neuer light or meane to Gods seruāts Secondly Dauid belike had a reverend respect of this office when he said that hee had rather bee a dore-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse And is it nothing to be one of the King of Englands Porters Many a man if it should be tried had rather haue that office then twenty pounds by the yeare and that is a matter if it were of much lesse weight in which we may lawfully vse a Lot Now much more might the dore-keepers of Gods house be warranted from reason suppose they had no speciall command to cast Lots or to haue Lots cast vpon them to determine who should supply that worthy office DEFENCE As a pound compared to a scruple is weightie but light compared to a talent so the Porters office in regard of the Nethinims hewers of wood and drawers of water might be of some reckning but very meane in respect of the Priesthood So that a man may safely say the Porters office was but a low place and the lots were vsed in no very high matter But whether high or low it is not greatly materiall seeing the sinewes of your Argument are cut already Yet let vs heare what you say First it was Gods command and his command is neuer light True yet this letteth not but God may giue command touching light things as he did when he tooke order for every petty and small matter that the hearing and determining of them should bee referred vnto the inferiour officers And if his Providence reach euen to the smallest matters what impeachment can it be to his honour to giue commandment touching them also The Pins of the Tabernacle and the beesoms of the Temple were no great matters yet God disdained not to giue order for them And as in a building 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great stones can never bee well laid without the lesse so also in the gouernment of the world for the better ordering of the greatest things God takes care of the smallest also Secondly say you David so honoured the Office that he had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of God then to dwel in the tents of wickednesse But what if David in that place spake not of Dore-keepers What then is become of your argument The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I could wish rather to threshold it Iunius translates it limen frequent are often to passe ouer the threshold of Gods house and to be conversant in the Church which may belong vnto any other of the people of God aswell as the Porters But be it that he meane them inasmuch as the Psalme is inscribed to the Korhites who were Dore-keepers yet doth it not argue such dignitie in the office If a man should say I had rather be a Sexten or Dog-whipper in the poorest parish in England then the great Caliph of Egypt or Pope of Rome would any therevpon say hee spake reverendly of a Sextens or Dog-whippers place Nay verily but that he doth the more abase the Caliphat or Popedome Even so Dauid preferring a Porters place vnto the tents of wickednesse doth not so much intend to honour that as to avile these And hence is it that the Septuagint renders it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be laid as an abiect at the threshold and the vulgar translation Elegi abjectus esse in domo deimei I haue chosen to bee an abject in the house of my God and Calvin
in such ascantling of time there could bee no expounding In the dayes of good King Iosiah the booke of the law which Hilkiah had found in the house of the Lord was read in the eares of all the people but of exposition not a word Ezra also the Priest read the law before the congregation from morning till midday but that his reading was interrupted by interpretation is not so cleare as you are borne in hand For first if any did interpret it was the Levites but that Ezra the Priest and a Scribe so learned should be put to the inferior and baser office of reading and the Levites but pettie ones in comparison advanced vnto the higher and worthier of interpreting seemes altogether improbable Secondly where it is said the Levites caused the people to vnderstand the law that it seemes was done not by way of expounding but by causing the people to stand still in their places and to giue due attention As for that which followes they gaue the sense and caused them to vnderstand the reading it is in the originall thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may fitly be rendred they made attention and vnderstood the reading referring the distinct reading of the law vnto Ezra making of attention to the Levites vnderstanding to the people And thus doe sundry worthy Divines conceiue of this place All which not withstanding because diverse other great clarkes amongst the rest our late translators are of another mind I may not be too peremptorie herein Yet will I be bold to inferre that vnlesse they can proue that sermons were every Sabbath made in evey Synagogue which I thinke they will neuer proue Preaching in this place will be all one with Reading So will it be also vnlesse they can shew that whatsoever was read was expounded for it seemes by the text that whatsoever was read was preached But as with vs the Psalmes and Lessons and Epistles and Gospells with other parcells of Scripture read every Lords day in our Churches are not nor cannot all at once be expounded but only some small portion so the Petaroths or Sections of the law and the Prophets ordained by Ezra of old to be read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day are as they are set downe by the sonne of Maimonie so large that they could not possibly at leastwise conveniently bee interpreted at one time I presume therefore all was not interpreted which was read yet all was preached which was read wherefore Preaching cannot in this place bee interpreted but only Reading Besides these reasons least any should thinke I stand single and by my selfe alone it may please you to know that I am backed with the authority of sundry graue Divines of whom I will name two onlie with either of whom that one to whom we are referred is no way to be compared The one is reverend Whitgift late Archbishop of the See of Canterbury in his defence against Cartwright the other is learned and profound Hooker the hammer of our Schismatickes whose bookes they are afraid to looke vpon least they be confounded in his Ecclesiasticall Politie These both affirme Preaching in this place to be no other then Reading Whitgift addes that all expositors he could meet withall were of the same mind so that in effect I am warranted with a cloud of witnesses Against all which besides confident asseveration I find nothing opposed saue one only passage out of the second tome of Homilies wherein say they our church doth principallie fasten on this text to proue a distinction betweene Preaching and Reading Wherevnto I answere that the intent of the Homilie is to shew the right vse of Churches and that in them the word of God should be both read and interpreted and to this end are alledged sundry passages out of the Acts together with this text all which ioyntly but not severally conclude what was intended For Act. 13.5 speaketh only of Preaching this text only of Reading and Act. 13.14 of both But how soever the Homilie vnderstand this place sure I am both this booke and the Church of England account of Reading as an effectuall Preaching as shall anon in the due place be demonstrated In the meane season I hope I may be bold out of all these premises to inferre this conclusion that if any haue publikely said that whosoever collecteth out of this text Reading to be Preaching is no better then a seducing spirit giues the lye to his mother the Church of England yea to God himselfe and is mad with reason Hee himselfe at that time spake more out of Passion then reason For a seducing Spirit is not every one that erreth and delivereth what he conceiueth to be true but hee who out of the loue of errour endeavoureth to lead others astray from the truth And ô thou glorious Archangell of the Church of England Whitgift wert thou also a seducing Spirit Or was it true of our Church in thy time which the Prophet spake of his Doctores tui Seductores tui thy teachers are thy seducers And thou profound Hooker then whom never any man spake with more reason werst thou also mad with reason And yee both when yee vndertooke the defence of the Politie and government of your Mother did you vnder pretence thereof giue the lye vnto your Mother yea even to God your Father also What shall I say The Lord forgiue these intemperate speeches The best buckler to defend off such venimous arrowes is a good conscience and Christian patience And thus armed I passe to the second part The second Quere is whether Reading be a kinde of Preaching That Reading should be called or counted a kinde of Preaching there is a generation that at no hand can endure Such language they hold to be a foule Solecisme in divinity but the doctrine it selfe a great impeachment vnto Preaching What say they when our Saviour commanded his Apostles to goe into the World and to preach the Gospell vnto all creatures is it not a sottish thing to thinke hee meanes no more then this goe learne to read well then call the people together and read the word vnto them When St Paul saith to the Romans How can they preach except they bee sent doth not this imply that Preaching is more then bare Reading When the Prophet Esay said How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace c. Doe you thinke hee spake this of one that should come with a booke in his pocket and read vnto Sion Who saith S. Paul is sufficient for these things Now if Reading be Preaching who is not sufficient for these things Finally When S. Paul chargeth Timothy to preach the word to be instant in season out of season to reproue rebuke exhort withall long suffering and doctrine What meanes he no more then this goe take a care to read well These are their choicest objections out of
treated vpon yet the manner which is or should be vsed in Sermons by explaining that which is hard deducing of doctrines and applying them home vnto the conscience doth more speedily and easily informe the vnderstanding and beget Faith as he that is taught by one that is his crafts master shall sooner attaine to knowledge then he that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hath no other helpe then his owne industrie I adde farther that whosoever neglecteth or contemneth Sermons neglecteth and contemneth the ordinance of God and consequently God himselfe neither may such a one looke for a blessing from God vpon his Reading or whatsoever other meanes hee vseth So that my desire is by all meanes to encourage all and by no meanes to disharten any from the frequent hearing of Sermons Howbeit I may not so advance Sermons but that I must giue Reading the due also Never more need Among Papists the Stewes passe vnpunished but to read privately in the Bible is death their publike reading is in a tongue vnknowne whereby they make God a Barbarian to the people Smith a Puritan a Brownist an Anabaptist a Se-baptist what not saith that Reading is but a ceremonie and that our Saviour read indeed to fulfill all righteousnes but when he had done shut the book to put an end to the ceremonie Hee saith farther that Reading is the Ministerie of the letter so of death and that it is vnlawfull in worship to hold a booke before the eye Our brethren of the faction haue not only said it but also printed it that Reading is not feeding but as evill as playing on a stage and worse too And is it not the manner of many neglecting publike Service and Reading to send their servants or children to see whether the Preacher be ready to goe into the pulpit For till then they list not come and so according to the Frenchiest turne all Gods worship into a meere preachment To say nothing that they tie your Faith vnto the Preachers mouth and deny vnto Reading all power to beget it the contrarie whereof you haue now heard sufficiently as I am perswaded demonstrated vnto you Behold therefore blessed bretheren behold the largenesse of Gods bountie and goodnesse in making the meanes of your saluation so facile and easie vnto you He hath made every one of you capable of reading there is none but may learne to read if he will It is as easie as to learne to play at tables or cardes and a little of the time which some spend in Alehouses and idle exercises would soone make them perfect schollers therein But were it difficult to read yet haue you eares and you may daily heare Gods word both publikely and privately read vnto you in your mother tongue if so you please It is hid from none but those that will not seeke it saith Chrysostome and it is exposed and made obvious to every one least any should perish for want of ability to finde it It is not so high aboue thee as Moses saith that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp for vs to heauen and bring it to vs Neither is it so farre from thee that thou shouldest say who shall goe ouer the Sea for vs and bring it vnto vs But the word is very nigh thee if thou wilt but open thy eyes thou maist read it at thy pleasure or if thou wilt but lend an eare thou maist when thou wilt heare it read vnto thee Let no man thinke himselfe abandond of God or destitute of all meanes as long as hee hath free liberty to read or heare the written word Neither yet let any man say vnto mee what need Sermons if reading be sufficient For it is as if he should say what need two eyes if a man may see with one No my brethren God is more bountifull and liberall then so and as he hath provided more kinde of stuffes for our backe then one and more kinde of meats for our belly then one so hath hee ordained more meanes of Faith and Salvation then one Among them if you will let Sermons bee the principall yet is it not the only meanes but reading is a meanes also For as St Hierome saith The Scriptures of God teach the people not only by the eares but by the eyes also and hee that sanctified sounds and words vnto the eares hath also sanctified letters and characters to the eye and blessed be the name of God for both Courage therefore Christian brethren courage buy you bibles and read them diligently and when they are publikely read vnto you listen vnto them carefully It can not be but so doeing yee shall reap wonderfull benefit Iosephus writeth of the Iewes that they were all generally very skilfull in the text of Scripture It is reported of Alphonsus the wise and learned King of Arragon that hee had read ouer the whole Bible fourteene times besides the Glosse and other commentaries vpon it Yea diverse women as Gorgonia sister to Gregory Nazianzen Paula Eustochium Salonia Celantia with others by frequent reading became marvelous ripe in Scripture And Gregory the great tells vs of a man vtterly vnlearned that could not so much as read who notwithstanding bought himselfe a bible and entertained one in his house to read vnto him whereby saith he iuxta modum suum plene didicit Scripturas according to his measure he perfectly learned the Scriptures though otherwise he were a man altogether vnlettered Courage therefore againe Christian brethren courage search the Scripture as our Saviour counselleth delight in the law of God meditate therein night and day with David and you shall vndoubtedly aspire to the same degree of sauing knowledge that they haue done before you Be you men be you women be you learned be you vnlearned be you of what trade or condition of life soever God will deny his gratious assistance to none of you vnlesse you bee defectiue to your selues Only as he that will reape true comfort by the holy communion must come with due preparation therevnto so must you also come to the reading of the word in praeparatione animi with a ready disposition to loue and embrace the truth when it shall be discouered vnto you For vnto those that receiue not the loue of the truth God will send strong delusions that they shall beleeue lies Wherevnto if you adde your humble and devout prayers vnto God according to Gregory Nazianzens counsell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray and search and shall say with David Aperi oculos Lord open mine eyes doce me iustificationes tuas teach me thy statutes then will the lambe of the tribe of Iudah come and open the booke that is sealed by it giue vs such a measure of sanctifying knowledge grace as may suffice to bring vs to the state of eternall blessednesse and glory which the Lord grant vs all for his Christs sake TESTIMONIES OF SVNDRY moderne writers touching the efficacy of