sure and certaine hope both of a place to teach in and also of liberall entertainement Therefore when Iohn Ficinus Chauncelor to our most noble prince a man for his notable vertue worthy of eternal memory was returned from the CommissioÌ„ or parliament of Rentzburgh Nouiomagus labored with him as touchinge Hyperius Nouiomagus affyrmed that since the méeting was at Henaulde Anno 40 â–ª where he beinge sent froÌ„ our prince was present he could neuer haue his health neither was he able to endure those paines in teachinge which before he had suffered And therfore required that Hyperius might be appointed in his roome who for somuch as he through his infyrmitie was not of power sufficient might take vpon him to reade Ficinus mislyked not the good counsell of Nouiomagus but incontinently calleth Hyperius vnto him exhorteth him to abide still at Marpurge and to shewe forth some token and triall of his learninge For it would come to passe that in case he gaue foorth any notable testimony of his learninge an honest stripend should be appoynted him for his paines Hyperius being with these other such like reasons perswaded abode stil at Marpurge within a smal time after dieth master Nouiomagus the x. of Ianuarie in the yere following in whose place next by thauthority of the masters of the profissioÌ„ succeeded Hyperius and looke what Epistles of S. Paule Nouiomagus had vsed before to interprete the same began he also to expounde And when he had by the space of two yeres and more single as he was trauayled in this trade and function of teachinge he resolued with himselfe to marrye for somuch as he suppose that 〈◊〉 coulde not conueniently pâ—sse his dayes without a wife and the rather bycause he was not greatly sounde as touchinge bodily health Hée tooke to wise therfore in the yere 1544. the xxvii daye of Februarye Katherine Orthia Daughter of Lodowick Orthius somtimes Treasorer of Marpurge whom Iohn Happelius an honest Citizen had left a widowe with two children Of this his wife whom hée alwayes loued most derely he begat sixe sonnes and sower daughters whereof onely two sonnes and thrée daughters doe still remaine aliue But how and in what order he hath nowe by the space of these xxii yeres behaued himselfe amoÌ„gest vs as wel in teaching publikely the holy Scriptures as also priuately the liberall Sciences wée haue now next of all to consider In which office and function of teachinge there séeme vnto mée these fower thinges chiefely to be required First a singuler learninge ioyned with much readinge and experience of thinges next a substanciall power and faculty of teachinge then fidelitie and diligence and last of all grauitie and constancye of life and conuersation And that learninge is required in a Teacher and the vse of many thinges there is no man that doubteth For who is he that euer could well bée taught and reape any fruite of learning of an vnlearned man No more truely can a man perceyue anye thinge that good is of one that is vnlearned than of a stone he can learne to flye But as learning is very requisite and necessary so it is in no wise alone sufficient for a man that is occupied in the Scoles vnlesse the power also of teachinge be ioyned with it Thou maist finde many men very well learned and cunning in the knowledge of thinges which neuerthelesse forsomuch as they are destitute of this power in teaching yeelde no fruit at all neither to Scholes nor Churches Wherevpon the Apostle also requireth such a one to be the Bishop of a Church as is Didacticos that is to say indued with the gift and faculty of Teachinge Neither must fidelitie and diligence bée sundered from these twayne which if it bée absent neither then also wil any fruite redounde to the hearers though the man bée otherwise both learned and eloquent And in him especially that wil professe the holy Scriptures is this faithfulnes which wée speake off of necessitie required Wherevpon likewise Thapostle to the Corinthians as touching the ministers of the worde speaketh in this wise Let a man so esteeme of vs as of the ministers of Christ and disposers of the misteries of God amonge whom this especially is required that they bee founde faithful But no lesse necessary also is this last poynte namely that to doctrine and erudition the life and maners may bée agréeable A fowle shame it is For him that doth teach When the thing he findes fault with Against himselfe doth preach And our beloued Paule requireth a Bishop to bée vnreproueable not stubborne not wrathful not giuen to wine no fighter not giuen to filthy lucre but a keeper of hospitalitie a louer of vertue modest vpright holy sober For what doe those Teachers profyte their herers that do pluck down by their naughty liuing that which they builded vp by their wel teaching that by their liues dayly maners shewe theÌ„ selues to dislike greatly of those things which they prescribe vnto others to bée folowed With what I wil not say authoritie but with what face can the teacher reproue vices in the Schole as dronkennes riotousnes couetousnes incontinency such like which is himselfe I will not say oft times drâ—nke but alwayes druncke not onely giuen to riot but also lyues so wickedly in all superfluitie that he supposeth gods maiestie to be of no power at all which is so couetous that of euery fylthy occasion he gapeth after vnsatiable gaine who finally hath so wallowed in scurrilitie and vncleanes al his life long that he doubteth also whither he may account these heinous sinnes and enormities for sinnes and vices or no All the pointed therefore which we haue spoken off are required in a Teacher which if we shall diligeÌ„tly consider in what measure they haue bene in this our Hyperius we shall find to haue bene very great And first verily as touchinge the singular learning of this man what shall I saye I may speake the more fréely most excellent fathers of the dead forsomuch as I shall not now séeme to flatter him béeing dead that I neuer fawned vppon béeinge aliue Great was the knowledge that this man had of the tongues more great of the liberall artes and of philosophy but of the holy Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall histories and of all the olde and auncient Church most great of all That which I speake to be true you your selues know most learned fathers and can very well testifye who haue heard him publikely teachinge who haue heard him disputinge with great commendation who haue heard him familiarly talkinge with his friendes Many other witnesses there be thoroughout all Germanye and other nations men famously learned which either resorted to his Scoles or other wise were more familiarly acquainted with him His bookes are witnesses that he wrote and published which are of great learned men esteemed and read amonge the workes of the best learned writers as those short Scolies vppon the Epistle to the Romaynes as the
two bookes Of framing of Diuine Sermons as the fower bookes touching a Diuine as the two bookes Of reading and daily meditation of the holy Scriptures as that Cathechisme or Shorte Instruction which he last put foorth Many other bookes of his are witnesses also penned and written by him with great laboures and watchinges which we are sory could not of him be ouerséene and recognized that so which would haue turned to the great profit of all studious Diuines they might haue come abrode For he had written as well in Philosophye some thinges as Touching the order of Studye Of Logicke Rhetoricke Arithmetick Geometry Cosmography The ScieÌ„ce perspectiue some things of Astronomy and likewise of Naturall causes and Scolies to the ten bookes of Aristotles Ethickes as also in Diuinitie many notable matters as touching The not forsaking of the studies of holy Scripture thrée bookes Of Diuine places fower bookes ObseruatioÌ„s of places vpon those parcels of the Gospels which are vsually read in Churches euery Sonday Againe Of the life and maners of students Of publicke liberalitie towards the poore Of ecclesiasticall Scholes Of the mariage of Ministers of the Church How a man ought to proue himselfe Of the prouidence of God Moreouer vppon all the Epistles of Saint Paule certaine peculiar formes of speaking and the Method of Diuinitie of which hauing appointed six bookes he had not yet finished thrée He had beguÌ„ likewise to write 12. bookes entituled of Scolasticall vacations as touching the Ordering of the Church 6. bookes Which bookes if he him selfe might haue corrected fully accomplished then should haue appered sufficiently out of them his diuine wit theÌ„ should haue shined foorth sufficiently his notable learning theÌ„ would haue bene séene sufficiently his wonderfull knowledge of the auncient histories of the Church theÌ„ would haue bene apparant sufficiently his grounded practise experience of manifolde things togither with his déepe excellent wisdom But euen out of those notwithstanding which he hath already put foorth may all these thinges also be sufficiently perceyued though I should holde my peace We haue maruayled forsooth often times whensoeuer any thinge was propounded in familiar talke as touching Ecclesiasticall matters to heare that he had alwaies in a readines out of auncieÌ„t histories some thing that made for the mater in questioÌ„ how he did so promptly illustrate determine the same But there was no lesse power in the man of teaching and arguing then ther was furniture of learning and erudition With what force and facilitye be taught the selfe same can testify that are witnesses before of his other gifts what dexteritie in disputing what sharpenes of witte he alwayes vsed his bearers doe remember He would not as many are wont to do dally and scoffe at the argumentes proposed neyther handeled he the matter with clamoures and outcryes whereby no profit could redound to the hearers but hée so openly and grauely discussed all thinges that the diligent hearers might receyue thereby most ample fruite And in this his maner as well of teaching as of reasoning he was alwaies from time to time of so great modestye and of so great constancye that neyther woulde he vnaduisedly moue idle questions neyther alter or interrupt the order of teaching that he had once with iudgement taken in hande As touching which thing you remember I am sure right learned Master Chunrade Mathew my very worshipfull kinseman what he sayd the selfe same daye he let his lyfe either of vs both you and I being present with him I sayeth he haue alwayes bene carefull of this in the Schole that I might propound profitable doctrine to my hearers and auoyde idle and superfluous questions I haue taken diligent heede leaste I should giue anye occasion of contentions and haue euermore reteyned one vniforme order of teaching and so long as I liue will reteyne These in a maner were his wordes which when we had heard not without teares we affirmed that we were witnesses of that matter and how that we lykewise had alwaies hitherto kept the fame order of teaching and would kéepe also hereafter But as touching that which perteyneth to his fidelitie and diligence in the office of teaching there is no cause why I shoulde saye much I appeale to the felfe same to testifie of his diligence that were witnesses euen now of his learning and abilitye in teaching This is certaine he was rauished with so great zeale and feruencie in promoting the studies of holy Scriptures that ouer and besides the laboures the were enioyned him he would also ofteÌ„ times â—hoose to himselfe vacant houres wherin he might teach something extraordinarily He diligeÌ„ly procured and set forward the exercises of disputations and declamations wherein as he alone by the space of certaine yeres was alwaies with great trauayle the chiefe so afterward when other of vs also his coÌ„panions kept our course in the order he was both willingly and commonly present As for the forme maner of preaching in the Schole with what great laboure I pray you with what great paynfulnes did he order it He prescribed common places which he thought most néedeful to be handeled he corrected the Sermons written by Studentes before they were recited he hearde also them that were appoynted to preach before they should openly come into the Church to the intent that if any thinge were amisse either in their voyce or in their gestures that also might be ameÌ„ded He praised those that had wel behaued themselues in these exercises he reproued and pricked forwarde the negligent and slouthfull vnto diligence He had adioyned to these kindes of exercises besides an Examining in matters of Diuinitie which he appointed once commonly in two yeres a certain order also of Diuine Consultation where some question béeing propofided either of Doctrine or of rites and matters Ecclesiasticall he would bid euery one in order to put foorth his opinion in a full continewed forme of speaking to the intent that so by diuers sundrye sentences on either side giuen it might be perceyued out of many what was true what false what made for the pourpose and what might be sayd against it All which labours be so willingly tooke vpon him that hauing also no rewarde appointed for his paynes he neuerthelesse most diligently prosecuted the same I omit his priuate studies of which I will now say nothing more then that which I may truely auouch namely that he was neuer at home alone but that he either wrote something or read something or meditated something so far foorth that bée séemed vnto me euen to weaken and debilitate the strength of his body and eueÌ„ to consume him selfe with ouer great studies and laboures There was in him besides all these thinges a most diligent meditation touching the reforming of Churches wherein he was occupied day and night For he coueted greatly to reuoke the people of our Nation to the paterne of the primityue Church he coueted to remoue many
the second that the priesthode of Christ is farre more excellent then the priesthod of Aron or Leuiticus the thyrde that by the priesthod of Christ the Aaronicall priesthod is abolished the fourth that by the priesthod of Christ the olde ceremonies sacrifices and euen the lawe it selfe doe take an ende In déede I must nedes confesse that the sayde Epistles are not writen in the popular kinde of teaching but it is vndoubtedly to be graunted that in them maye be noted such a trade and maner of collectinge argumentes and proufes and likewise such a disposition of thinges as is to be founde in no other bookes of scripture beside Therfore euen for this cause do we here worthily coÌ„mend and set foorthe the examples conteyned in them where we haue appointed to entreate of inuention and disposition As for the Sermons of Christ and the prophetes we haue out of them shewed some examples already in the seconde Chapter of this present booke Out of Chrisostom Tome 5. may be added these sermons entituled thus that Christian ought to leade a holy and vertuous life That we must doe well in the least thinges That a Christian man ought with great endeuour to tender Gods glory That it behoueth euery man to be carefull for his owne saluation That their trespasses are to be remitted that haue offended vs That the remembraunce of sinnes past doth much profit How we should communicate the sacred misteries That we ought with all kinde of duties to giue thankes vnto god That loue doth direct and accomplishe all thinges That we ought to loue euen our enemies that persecute vs. But it behoueth not the younge beginners for whom we haue writen these thinges to be accombred and ouercharged with the multitude of examples Hitherto haue we procéeded touching the diuers formes of Sermons in one and the same kinde Didascalick in the tractation whereof like as with singuler fidelitye so also with great diligence and industrie haue we specified those thinges which we supposed were most profitable for our purpose We haue in déede bene the longer herein partely that we might make all thinges plaine and easye and partely least we shoulde of necessitie be compelled to our great griefe to repeate againe the same thinges in the discourses following For certes that in euery kinde of Sermons so ofte as the cace requireth one while the partes and manifold readinges of the sacred bookes an other while some sentence or certaine place out of the Scriptures moreouer somwhile simple theames somtimes theames compounde are expouÌ„ded declared there is no man that is ignorant And whosoeuer he be that hath now already rightly conceyued what ought to bée done in euery forme of sermon in the kinde didascalick he shall easely vnderstande what is likewise to be done in the other kindes of Sermons of which we will nowe take in hande to speake For in case thou doest except the palces of inuention and also the cantions proper to euery kinde the order and proportion of all the kindes will in a maner be all one ¶ With what great care and industry it is to be prouyded that those things which are alleadged in the sermon out of the fountaines of the scriptures or from any other place may skilfully accordingely be applied to the matters present cap. x. THat which shall now bée spoken off will profit much as well vnto the thinges that haue bene hitherto touched as also vnto those thinges that remaine may worthily be accounted amonge the chiefe and principall vertues of a faithfull teacher That is this that all those to whom it appertayneth to enstructe the multitude doe with great care and diligence endeuoure themselues cunningely and aptely to aplie those thinges which they in their Sermon produce out of the fountaines of the Scriptures or from anye other where either for proofe or illustratinge of their cause to the present state of things and matters incident For verily that it is by all meanes to be prouided and foreséene that nothinge harde wrested or in any wise far fet be alledged out of the scriptures when we intend to stablish the doctrine of faith or a principle of our religion I suppose there is no man that knoweth not And certes our desire is not onely to admonish the godly sorte of this but we aduertise theÌ„ also the a speciall diligence ought to be emploied in this the the testimony which is founde now fully â—o agrée with the busines in hande be with an apte forme of wordes declared to be as fitte and correspondent therevnto as if the diuine author out of whom it is borrowed had first purposely spoken of the very same matter And doubtles we sée some wheÌ„ as they vtter a prophesie a promise threatening graue sentence or a notable example out of the canonicall scriptures to expresse it with such comelines and decencye of speache and so to apply it to the present state of thinges and euen present it as ye would saye to the eyes and senses that the hearers are compelled to iudge and not vnwillingly to confesse that the same thing was longe agoe spoken or writen for their sakes and especially of their times neither can it be tolde how greatly good men are delighted in their mindes if at any time they chaunce to here some one excelling in this craft And in déed all Preachers for the most part doe after one and the same manar goe about to apply the places of scripture to the peculiar affaires of their owne church but they do it not in any cace w like successe Wherfore if we sée any in this behalfe to surmount the reside we we must needes interprete it to come to passe by the singuler gift of the holy ghost Which thing séeing it is so we with very good right exhort all the ministers of gods word that they would with all their power enforcement apply themselues vnto this point and craue of god their heauenly father that he would vouchsafe to giue theÌ„ his holy spirite which may enstruct theÌ„ in all thinges There are found in the sacred scriptures some formes of such applications if not described with many wordes yet right worthy to be of vs exactly obserued and studiously followed For they enforced me by their grauitye importauÌ„ce that I should thinke it expedient to put those that will teache in the church in remeÌ„braunce of them Our sauiour Christ the prince of all preachers entred accordinge to his custome on the sabboth day into the sinagog and stoode vp to reade And there was deliuered vnto him the boke of the prophet Esay And when he had vnfoulded the booke he found the place where it was writen The spirite of the Lorde is vppon me and therefore he hath annointed mee c. Wherevpon he began to say vnto them This day is this scripture fulfilled in your eares In which place Christ vndoubtedly did with manye wordes apply the oracle of the prophet vnto that time as
Pray vnto our heauenly father that he would vouchsasafe to preserue his Church amongest vs that he would gouerne it and sanctifie it by his holy Spirite praye ye that in stead of this our Hyperius now taken from vs he would giue vnto vs many godly Teachers learned peasible constant For your partes also giue your diligent attendaunce vnto the holy Scriptures read them study theÌ„ meditate vpon them learne out of them a cartaine forme of Christian doctrine and to this ende alone apply all the force of your wittes that many of you may come foorth so furnished with knowledg and vnderstanding that you may one day he placed in the roomes of those notable Capitaines called foorth of their stations to the Lord to the great profit coÌ„moditie of the Church And we all praye thée O almightie Father which in so short a space takest out of the vnthanckfull world so many famous Teachers and leauest behind many troublers of the peace and enimies of the Church rayse vp in the steads of these notable ministers of CHRIST many other which may teach and gouerne thy Church Nourish and defend the studies of good men which laboure to this ende that they may serue thy Church Furnish our minds O father we beséech thée with the loue of true religion and vertue that when thy sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ shall come at the last day to Iudgement be may at the least finde some remnantes of faith and sinceritie amongest vs. FINIS ¶ Of framing of Diuine Sermons or popular interpretation of the Scriptures the first Booke ¶ What the common and popular order of interpreting the Scriptures is and howe excellent a function they haue that teach the people in the Churche Cap. I. NO man doubteth but that there bee two maner of wayes of interpreting the scriptures vsed of skilfull diuines the one Scholastical peculyer to the scholes the other Popular pertayning to the people That one is apt for the assembles of learned men and young studients some deale profited in good letters This other is altogether applied to instructe the confused multitude wherin are very many rude ignoraunt and vnlearned The first is exercised within the narrowe compasse of the Scholes The seconde taketh place in the large and spacious temples The one strict and straight laced sauoring Philosophicall solytarinesse and seueritie The other stretched forth franck and at lybertie yea and delightinge in the light and as ye would say in the court of Orators In that are mani things exacted after the rule of Logical breuitie and simplicitie In this Rhetoricall bountie and furniture ministreth much grace and decencie Wherefore if a place out of the holy Scriptures bee offered at any time to a teacher in the scholes to be explaned and interpreted hee by and by sticketh wholy therein as one shut vp in a streight prison vinfolde enclosure and not only discusseth dilygently the thinges themselues in general and al the partes of them but also in a maner euery worde and sillable thinkinge it vnlawfull to omit any thinge or so much as a litle to wrench aside But he that instructeâ— the people sercheth and selecteth out of an argument â—â—â—posed some certaine common places and such as he perceiueth aboue the residew to be most congruent to the time place and persons in discoursing whereof at large hée bestoweth his time and to the intent the more large and ample a scope may be opened vnto hym now and then he ouerskippeth some thinges in the text of the holye Scripture or toucheth only eche thing slightly by the way as it were mindinge some other matter Agayne he that readeth in the Schoole heapeth together proofes and foundations with as great iudgement and dexterity as he can and coueteth to vse those in especiall in whiche he perceyueth most pithe and strength to remaine But he that vndertaketh to speake vnto the people is not so carefull or anxious but scrapeth together argumentes of all sortes and armeth himselfe with probable reasons euen such as are heard commonly among the meaner sort of men as he that directeth all thinges to the capacitie of his common auditory He that teacheth in the schole wittingly willingly neglecteth those thinges that pertaine to the procuring of beneuolence to the mouing of affections moreouer digressions tedious descriptions whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hypotyposes amplificatioÌ„s artificial elegancye of wordes many and diuers figuers to be shorte all the furniture and ornamentes of an oration and affecteth not so much as to séeme once studious of bountifulnesse in speakynge but as one astricted to that lawe whereby the cryer proclaymed in Areopagus to speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without proeme and affections he is contented with a simple yet pure and perspicious kynde of speach On the other side he to whom it appertaineth to speake before the multitude séeketh and prouideth dilygently with wonderfull circumspection al the said stuffe furniture so far forth as it auayleth to teach refel exhort reprooue comfort of nothing maketh more account then that he may draw and stir vp the mindes of his auditors â—nto what part he will after the maner quality of things 〈◊〉 â—ident Neither were it hard to bring forth examples in which the selfe fame argumentes or â—heames out of the scriptures are handled one way after the maner of Scholastical interpretation an other way after the coÌ„mon or Popular And surely out of the writinges of the auncient fathers may be taken not a few and those most learnedlye explaned and set forth For after the Popular interpretatioÌ„ al the Sermons for the most part of the prophetes and of Christ are expounded and many also of the exhortations corrections consolations of the apostle Paule Furthermore those thinges that are read vnder the titles of Homelies Sermons or OratioÌ„s in the holy fathers Origen Chrisostom Basyl Nazianzene Augustine Maximus Leo after these Gregory Beda Bernard and such like Whervnto may be added the explanations of Augustine vpon the Gospell of Iohn some certaine of the Psalmes But to Scholasticall interpretation doe appertaine certaine more graue and subtile disputations of S. Paule namely that touching mans iustification in his epistle to the Romaynes in whiche yet notwithstanding the apostle breketh foorth successiuely into exhortations and consolations peculier to another kind of interpreting and to the Galathyans with some in the fyrst to the Corinthyans twaine also in the Epistle to the Hebrues the one of the two natures in Christe the other concerning the abrogation of the Leuiticall priesthood and the euerlasting priesthoode of Christ To the same order may iustly be ascribed all the commentaries of Sainct Ierom vppon the prophets of Sainct Ambrose vppon the Epistles of S. Paule also the epistles and disputations of S. August Bréefelye whosoeuer is indued with any iudgement at al being furthered with those things that we haue alreadye touched may esely discerne
to forsweare themselues But I cease to make any further annotations vppon that place furnyshed with all kynde of conninge and conueigâ—aunce By these thinges it may sufficientlye bee perceyued that amplyfications are ofte times gathered out of those places whiche Diuinitye challengeth as proper to it selfe The same Chrysostom in his homilie 46. vpon Genesis with wonderfull prudence and dexteritye amplyfieth like as did Origen also before him the fayth of Abraham and his obedience deriued of faith being readye to offer vp his onely sonne Isaac the discourse wherof whosoeuer will attentiuely reade he shall hardly I am sure refrayne hym selfe from teares Agayne in his homilie 14. touching the temerarious othe of Saule wherein he swore that who so euer dyd taste any bread before the euening should dye the death it is an easy matter to obserue many mo amplifications deriued out of diuers and sondry places of Diuinitie I cannot choose but that I must néedes adde this also by the way and as ye would say minding of some other matter Some there be that propounde vnto the youth in Scholes arguments in which thei may exercise their stile and make a tryall of the towardnes of their wit but those for the most parte are taken out of fables or certes things vayne and friuolous that I say not somtimes filthy or otherwise huâ—â—fillâ— But how muche better should the Scolemasters doe if they woulde oftentymes prescribe vnto their Scollers committed to their charge to those inespecially that are enformed to the study of diuine letters argumentes taken out of the holy Scriptures and woulde commande them to explicate and in explicating to adorne the same one while by amplifications an other while by other formes of exercises accordinge to the imitation of Chrysostom or some other excellent diuines Of mouinge of affections Cap. XVI THe Preacher shall not employe his least care in mouinge of affections forsomuch as all the learned sorte doe confesse that he staÌ„deth of no one thing more in néede then he doth of this one onely faculty They that teache no otherwyse in the temple then professors are accustomed in the Scoles it cannot be that they shoulde be the authors of any greate spirituall fruites and very fewe or none are séene to bee induced with such Sermons to repentaunce and amendement of lyfe Wherefore whosoeuer he be that hath once taken vppon him the office of teaching in the church must with great industry apply himself vnto this that he may at the lengthe féele himselfe able to performe somewhat worthy of commendation in this behalfe Wée in the meane tyme will add to some thinges that serue vnto this ende and firste verily wee will declare when and what tyme it is conuenient to moue affections then next where or in what parte of the Sermon lastly in what places or with what practise it may be done It is well knowen out of the bookes of the Rhetoritians that the common affections are accounted to be fower Gladnesse Hope Feare Griefe And vnder gladnesse are ordinarily placed deletation vaunting or bosting vnder hope desire indigeÌ„ce or néede Vnder feare slouthfulnesse shamfastnes terrour timorousnes trembling preturbatioÌ„ Vnder griefe are enuy ire euill will hatred emulatioÌ„ pitie sorrowe lamentation carefulnesse paynefulnesse desperation c. Now the Preachers doe not accustomably vse to excite the myndes of their hearers to euery of the kyndes of affections nowe reherced but vnto those moste chiefely which euery man at the first sight may knowe distinctly to be most conuenient and as it were destinate to diuine affayres that is to say to thinges perteyninge to the eternall saluation of mankinde They induce therfore their hearers most specially to the care of obteyning saluation to sorrowe or indignation for offences committed to the lothsomnesse and hatred of sinnes to the loue of vertue to the feare of gods iudgement and of punishment to the hope of mercy to be obteyned with God to compassion and loue towardes our neighbour and vnto those affections besides that are vnto these moste semblable but scarcely to any other Wherefore the mener of mouinge of affections assigned vnto Preachers in the Church is not altogither lyke vnto that that the Orators vse in their Forum or Consistory To the intent therefore thou mayest knowe when and at what tyme it is méete and conuenient that affections be moued of the Preacher before all thinges the partes of the whole Sermon and the principall places which are specially to be touched therein ought effectually to be comprised in the mynde and reduced to a perfect order For the tractation of what place soeuer thou shalt iudge to be most profitable and necessary either to the state of the Church or to the tyme and causes incident in the illustration thereof chiefely beyonde the rest thou shalt employ thy dilligent labour and also endeuour thy selfe to moue the affections of the hearers The effecte of our meaninge is this Thou expoundest some entier booke of Scripture or some parte of a booke in the wordes that come nexte to hande are founde peraduenture touched diuers and sondry profitable places wherof some doe conteyne manifold doctrine othersome redargutions other institucions other corrections or consolations And in these one there is most apte to styrre vpp the myndes of menne vnto vertue verye requisite in the lyfe of man and chiefely in respecte of present considerations therefore thou shalte vnderstande that this same place is in suche sorte to bée declared of thée that thou mayste endeuoure thy selfe to moue the affections either more vehement or moderate according as thou shalte sée it expedient At what tyme therefore thou shalte perceyue men to be giuen to drounkennesse and excesse if there happen any wher in the Sermon a place of sobrietie and temperance or agaynst superfluitie in this verily thou shalte longest tary and through exhortation or reprehension so styrre vp the affections of the hearers that they may both couet sobrietie and abandon excesse Moreouer wher many of the common sort are oppressed with pouerty and that there is euery where greate scarcitie of vittayle and yet in the meane tyme charitie very colde and vnneath any where to bée founde if then a conuenient place offer it selfe touchinge liberalitie thou shalte wyth all thy power goe aboute to explayne it at large and wyth as greate industry as thou canst induce the myndes of the hearers to bountifulnesse and compassion towardes the poore Furthermore there happeneth peraduenture a place wherby it is signified that God woulde haue littell children to come vnto him Héere very fitly shall bee entreated of the loue of parentes towardes their childrne yea and with some vehemence also and prouocation of myndes shall the parentes bee vrged to sende their childrne to Scole in tyme conuenient and prouide that they maye rightely bee enstructed in the principles of godlynesse To be short if at any tyme an history or precepte or sentence be purposed
Yee were called into libertie my brethren onely that yee should not giue libertie by occasion to the fleshe but serue yee one an other through loue XI Neither is this truely to be pretermitted It falleth out somtimes that the teacher of the people in the explication of some one sentence doth erre somwhat from the scope of truth and exhibiteth for things certayne and true things vncertayne and false For what if he that entreth the sacred Pulpit be not as yet sufficioutlye exercised hymselfe in the contemplation and tractation of diuine affayrers Or followeth peraduenturs some one onely writer which he hath redd hauing not heard the iudgemeÌ„tes of other or to be short whiles certayne questions sometyme in the Church especially such as are called in controuersy be in processe of tyme more fully manifestly discussed then to fore they were what if he coulde not as yet come to the sight of the later and sounder opinions And who is able to rehearce al the causes and occasions of error Therefore let not him whome it shall fortune by any meanes to fayle in his teachinge be ashamed to confesse and acknowledge in tyme conuenient that hée was of late intangeled in error and the offence which he committed by not teachinge of sounde doctrine or by vnaduised speakinge hée will nowe make amendes for by bringinge a more sounde interpretation That hee hath since that tyme somdeale profited as one daye teacheth an other and the later cogitations accordinge to the prouerbe are wonte to be wiser then the first Hée that became a guyde vnto others whereby they fell into the ditche the same shall worthily shewe the waye howe they may againe recouer and escape Neither ought the hearers to bée offended greatly in this behalfe For it behoueth all men to remember that they are men which are placed in the ecclesiasticall function therefore that nothinge humayne is estraunged from them And it is the propertie of mannes nature to errre Of malyce or madnesse to persist in error but of the singuler goodnesse and grace of God after the fall to be againe erected Wherefore if any of the hearers doe stomacke the matter and disdayne that they were a littell before seduced it is méete the same doe now againe reioyce and as ye woulde say congratulate both with themselues and their teacher and especially to giue vnto God most harty thankes wheÌ„ they perceyue themselues to bée brought agayne out of the darkenesse of error into the lighte of truth As touchinge this Cantion Augusine hath somwhat in his boke de Catechizandis Rudibus cap. 11. in his boke de verbis Apostoli sermon 22. But many moe thinges that may make the Preachers wise circumspect in this behalfe erperieÌ„ce it selfe will teach and the longe exercise of preachinge Neither is it possible that all thinges shoulde bée comprehended in rules and preceptes And at all tymes lightly there chaunceth some thinge vnloked for which compelleth digression to bée made from the order of preceptes and purposed aduertisementes Nowe it is requisite that wée put forth some examples of Sermons of the kynde didascalick It is alwayes méete and in déede for many causes expedient that all men with sharpe and intentiue mynde looke vppon the notable examples of Sermons which the Prophetes Christ and Apostles haue had For to followe and imitate these in all poyntes so far as may bée as it is a thing most semely so is it also most sure Next whome it may bée lawfull to commende the more famous Preachers and especially the auncient fathers which to haue excelled in the giftes of the holy Ghoste there is no man that knoweth not Wherfore that all good things doe happen vnto men by the onely goodnesse of God Moyses teacheth in a iuste Sermon Deut. 9. and 10. almoste throughout Esay Cap. 1. briefely declareth that eternall worshipping without the affectioÌ„ of the hart integritie of lyfe is vnprofitable The sane Cap. 25.26.27 preacheth of the rewardes of the godly and of the punishement of the wicked Agayne Cap. 66. of the true worshippinge of god Christ Math. 5. preacheth of the true blessednes of the right vse of the lawe Cap. 6. of confidence in God or if thou wilt of the prouidence of GOD cap. 11. of the punishement of those the dispise the gospell cap. 13. of the dilligent hearinge of the worde of God of theffectes of the worde cap. 16. of the confession of fayth and of the knowen truth Cap. 17 of obedience and honor due vnto Magistrates Cap. 19. hée teacheth what greate rewarde remayneth for them that constantely cleaue vnto the Gospell Cap. 20. how it commeth to passe by the frée mercy of God alone that the beléeuers are called iustified and glorified Cap. 24. and 25. of the ende and consummation of the worlde and of the comminge of Christ vnto iudgement Ioan. 14.15.16 of fortitude and pacience in persecution for religious sake of Charitie and perfect loue c. Act. 13. Sainct Paule declareth what the gospell is In his epistle to the Ro. the one disputatioÌ„ touching iustificatioÌ„ by faith without the workes of the law the other likewise cap. 9.10.11 as coÌ„cerning the reiection of the Iewes and callinge of the Gentiles mighte bée propounded in steade of examples but that they are written rather after the Scolasticall maner of teachinge then after the popular albeit the laste doe approch most néere vnto the popular The same is to bée iudged of the disputation to the Galath 3. which in all poyntes agréeth with the former to the Romaynes aforesayde excepte that it serueth more for the people But moste fitte and proper to this presente busynesse is the assertion of the reâ—urrection of the dead 1. Corinth 15 Also to the Heb. 1. and 2. touchinge the two natures in Christ Againe cap. 5.6.7.8.9.10 of the abrogatioÌ„ of the Leuiticall priesthood legal sacrifices and of the succession of ths eternall priesthod and the onely sacrifice of Christe In Chrisostome are extant many Sermons of this kinde especially in his enarratioÌ„ of the Gospels of Mathew and Iohn Notable is the Homily 60. vpon Mathew where hée disputeth of the cause of sinne Likewyse in his fift Tome Homilye 48 touchinge the fearefull iudgenent of god Homilye 71. that fastinge profiteth nothinge if innocency of lyfe bee away Homily 77. that a sinner after his fall ougthe not to dispayre Lastely his 6. Sermons and 3. bookes of the prouidence of GOD For these also to bee written popularly no man denieth ¶ Whensoeuer any parte of the holy Scripture is to be expounded in the Kinde didascalik that many and diuerse common places may be noted therein out of which it shall bee conuenient ot chose and declare some more exactely and at large Cap. III. ALbeit ther cannot a more absolute order of Preachinge be set forth to be followed then that which shyneth in the examples of Sermons which partely the Prophetes Apostles and Christe himselfe and partely certayne of the
wherevpon also it pleased Chrysostom to touch them only in few words and as it were beside the purpose These thinges therfore being duly considered it wyll be very easy to giue a right iudgement as touchinge the interpretations which wee haue vsed in this present Chapter First is briefely playnly expounded in passing through all the partes whatsoeuer belongeth to the sacred narration Then to euery parte is ioyned an interpretation in which appéereth nothing hard wrested or farre fet but out of the aduised consideration of the words and senteÌ„ces are those thinges deduced which ingender holesome institutions or instructions of lyfe And to make the matter more cléere and lightsom euery thing is in such sort disposed that all thinges are directed to the nature and true vse of one common place In which respect no doubt the hearers capacitie is better prouided for then if many thinges and the same diuers and not euident should be obtruded Who therefore will deny this maner of interpretinge with great fruit to be exercised and to be both godly and profytably produced to the people in the Church And as I admonished in the beginninge to those that in the partes of the historycall narration can not by obseruing a certayne course and order of causes effectes contingents and suche lyke places it is no harde matter to make and adorne these kindes of interpretations But from allegories such inespecially as very necessitie it selfe doth not extort in those places of Scripture which of themselues sygnifye otherwise some inconuenience euery man shall by mine aduice so far forth as may be absteine We sée in so great a worke of the propheticall and apostolycall bookes how fewe are vsed It is playne that they are more apt to delight with then to teach and that none but very slender proofes are deriued out of them therfore that place is to be giuen vnto them onelye after other arguments whiche haue in them more pithe and strength They haue very litle or no graâ—e at all if they be diffused through all the partes of an oration yea the sacred SermoÌ„ which is on euery side powdred with allegories is iudged verye slender and barren And in a matter little fruitfull to tâ—uet to séeme witty and to spend much time no man will iudge it to be the part of a wise man and of one that séeketh the profyt of his hearers Wherefore I purpose not to adioyne vnto this our work any Chapter at al touching allegorycall sermons These thinges that we should in this maner somwhat more proâ—ixly theÌ„ we thought for prosecute and discourse we were by the temeritie that we speake nothing more bitterly of some mens iudgement vehemently compelled That somtime the whole reading of the sacred Scripture is briefely runne ouer to the intente some one common place may afterwarde more at large be declared Cap. VI. WE finde commonly in the sacred Sarmons of the holy fathers had vnto the people the whole reading of scripture euen so muche as had bene recited to be discoursed with a compendious paraphrase or some other lyke apte forme of enarration and that parte which remaineth whole and principal to be consumed in the explication of one common place And that commeth to passe not onely when an historycall narration but also when a tretise of doctrine taken out of the holy scriptures is in hand Examples almost infinit are extant in Iohn Chrisostom especially in his expositions vppon the sacred bookes as Genesis the Gospel of Mathew Iohn and the epistles of S. Paule For in his homilie 3. vpon Genesis whilest his intent is briefly to reproue y Gentiles which supposed that al things created were gouerned by chaunce fortune he handeleth a common place at large as touching the reducinge of those that erre into the right way whence lastlye he falleth to the commendation of almes Againe in his homiles 7. 8. he entreateth of reclayminge the Gentiles from their error albeit in the later some thinges are added as concerning fasting In his 4. homilie after the partes of scripture before read declared he toucheth the right vse maner of fastinge and the restraynt of wicked lusts A good part of his 26. homilie is spent in stirring vp the hearers to render thanks vnto God for hys benefits receyued Homilie 27. hee reasoneth al large touching the remitting of wrongs and that not coueting of reuâ—gment In the greater part of his homilie 30. he intreateth of fasting and praier Vpon the Gospell of Math. homilie 4. ChrisostoÌ„ declareth in many words what maner of people that people of god is that should be deliuered from their sins 〈◊〉 Christ withal admonisheth euery man to study â—o shew hiÌ„selfe faithfull to be one of the nuÌ„ber of Gods people We might out of the gospel of Math. which conceiueth hystorycall narrations out of Paules epistles in which is plainly exhibited the handling of manifold doctrine produce and bring forth no few example 〈◊〉 séeing euery man sufficiently perceiueth vnto what ende our discourse tendeth no man will think it needful Onely therfore héere we wil admonishe how it commeth to passe two maner of waies that a commoÌ„ place after the scriptures expounded may be declared at large I Somtime occasion is taken of those things that in the in self text of the scriptures read are spoken or touched In the homilie vpon Gene. 26. to speak of thanks to be giuen vnto God after his benefyts receiued he is moued by the example of the gratitude which he saw in Noe. Homilie 4. vpon Mathew is in good time prosecuted the long discourse touching the people of God forasmuche as the angell had sayd that Christ should saue his people from theyr sinnes Homilie 67. vppon Mathewe it is reported in the texte that the disciples put their clothes vpon the beast whereon their Lorde shoulde be caried Herevppon therefore taketh Chrisostome occasyon to speake at large of clothing and reléeuing euery way the poore II Again somtimes a common place is handeled in the seconde parte of the Sermon not for that in the Scripture read beefore there happeneth any mencion thereof but bycause the order of time and the state of the Churche doe greatly require it Wherfore when Chrisostome in the time of a publyke fast tooke in hande the interpretation of the booke of Genesis hee diuers times with verye good cause breaketh forth into a common place of fasting So in an other place also in the chiefe and greatest part of his Oration he reproueth certayne vices or doth some other thinge not vnlyke But howsoeuer it shall séeme good to deale it behoueth wise deliberation to be had at all times as touchinge the choice of the places that are in this sorte to be handeled For other thinges serue for other times places persons which also is a thing commonlye knowen Howe and after what sorte one place of Scripture or some certaine sentence ought conueniently to be handeled Cap. VII NOt
thinge we then also made mention when as we heaped together some thinges as touchinge the places of the kinde didascalick in the seconde Chapter of this present booke But to come to examples where a full furnyshed explanatioÌ„ of one place or sentence is to be seene we haue none uâ—ore famous in the whole bodye of the holy Scriptures then in the Epistles and Thapostle Paule Which albeit they be rather writen in a scolasticall then in a popular kinde of speaking yet doe they import vnto vs no small helpe to the due framinge of Sermons to the people The first example very notable thou shalt finde in the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans where this short sentence or place out of Genesis 15. Abraham beleeued god and it was imputed vnto him for rightuousnes is with wonderfull prudence and dexteritye expounded at large The wordes truely are very fewe if thou respectest the nomber but if thou lookest into the sense thou shalt perceyue in them to be most strongely proued that men are iustified by fayth and that great plentye of argumentes are ingendered therein The state of the whole disputation the Aposte had prefixed before in the 3. Chapter saying We suppose that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe To the confirmatioÌ„ therfore of this state he iudgeth the noble example of the iustification of Abraham to bée most fitte and conuenient to the intent he might gather by order of reasoninge that all other men also are in like maner iustified by fayth Which his pourpose he himselfe doth not obscurly declare when a litell after he sayth that it is not so written for him onely that it was imputed vnto him for rightuousnes but also for vs to whom it shal be imputed if we beleeue in him that raysed vp our Lorde Iesus from the deade c. Howbeit not contented to haue showed in this wise that the said sentence agreeth wondrously well to his enterprised busines he deuideth it into partes and out of euery parte draweth forth newe argumentes Wherefore forasmuch as in that sentence wherein it is sayde that Abraham beléeued and in beleeuinge was iustified by and by out of the worde beleeue is this argumente subtelly contriued If Abraham be iustified for that he beléeued it followeth of necessitie the he was not iustified by workes In asmuch as faith and workes are after a sorte repugaunte the one to the other Now the Apostle rendreth this argument thus If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to glory but not with god For what saith the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was conuted vnto him for rightuousnes From hence the Apostle bendeth the ernest contemplation of his minde to the signification of the word Impute out of which he produceth the seconde proofe to this effect To him also that worketh not but beleeueth in God that iustifieth his faith is by grace counted for rightuousnes But it shoulde not bee sayde to bee counted by grace for rightuousnes if he had deserued it by workes for then it shoulde rather bee called wages or debte Iustification therfore coÌ„meth not by workes but freely by grace Like as in the former argument consideration is had of the antithetons to worke and beleeue so here wages or debte is set against imputation Thirdly the Apostle exactly noteth the forme of speaking To count or impute for rightuousnes For it commeth to his remembraunce howe in the Psal. 31. that man is called blessed holy and rightuous to whom the lorde impueth not sinne Wherefore he determineth that to impute vnto rightuousnes is euen all one with not to impute sins For to remit or not to impute sinnes is as much as frely to pardon theÌ„ or to iudge one eightuous without desert Iustification therefore commeth by grace and not by workes And this is it that the apostle so studiously saith That God imputeth vnto man rightuousnes without workes Wherefore out of euery worde we sée notable reasons to be drawen Howbeit the apostle procéedeth yet further and as we admonished in the 2. obseruation he diligently enquireth what time faith was imputed vnto Abraham for rightuousnes Nowe he findeth that thinge to be done about fourtene yeres before Circumcision Of this circumstance therefore of time he gathereth in the fourth place well néere after this maner If Abraham had bene iustified by workes then chiefely by circumcision But by this he was not iustified forasmuch as rightuousnes was imputed vnto him longe time before he was circumcised Therfore in no wise commeth rightuousnes by workes The wordes of the Apostle as they stande in the text are playne Furthermore Thapostle interlaceth foorth with the fifte argument taken of the vse and signification of circumcision Abraham receyued the signe of circumcision as a seale of the rightuousnes of the saith which he had when he was vnsircumcised Which we maye take euen as if he had sayde Circumcision is not therefore receyued to the intent any man shoulde be iustified thereby but that it might be a seale of the assuraunce of rightuousnes nowe before receyued by fayth For a man must alwayes first beleeue and confesse his faith or euer he can rightly vse any sacrament instituted of god and vnlesse a man alredye indued with faith doe receyue the sacramentes there is no cause whye he should hope that they will become holesome vnto him There is no man that knoweth not the sacramentes to be signs of the couenaunt made before with God and that they are added as seales of our reconciliatioÌ„ with God like as after the bargainers are agreed betwixt them selues writings and seales are accustomed to be made The sixt argument followeth of that the we shewed to be digested in the fourth place Seeing nowe it appereth that faith was imputed vnto Abraham for rightuousnes before he was circumcised whilest he was yet vncircuÌ„cised it is a plaine cace that the Gentiles also which are not as yet circumcised neyther dare chalendge to themselues any good worke may be iustified by fayth and generally that vnto all men whether they be circumcised or vncircumcised rightuousnes shal be imputed so that by the example of Abraham which is indifferently the common parent and prince of all beléeuers as well of the circumcised as hauing vncircumcision they repose their faith and confidence in God. Hee receiued saith he he scale of the rightuousnes of the fayth which he had when he was vncircumcised that hee shoulde bee the father of all them that beleeue not beinge circumcised that rightuousnes might bee imputed to them also And the father of circumcision not vnto them onely which are of the circumcision but vnto them also that walk in the steppes of the fayth of our father Abraham which he had when hee was vncircumcised Moreouer in the seauenth argumente he declareth that rightuousnes before god happeneth by faith forasmuch as it can not be that rightuousnes shoulde be
An Oration as touching the lyfe and death of the famous and worthy man D. Andrewe Hyperius penned and pronounced 〈…〉 assemblie of all the States of the Citie of Marpurge by Wygandus Orthius And done into English by Iohn LVDâ—Aâ— 1577. ¶ Hominis vita varijs fortune vicibus assidue rotatur ¶ To the right worshipfull Master Alexander Nowell Deane of the Cathedrall Church of Sainct Paule in London Continuance of health all things prosperous in Christ Iesus HAuing accomplished gone through with all things apperteyning to the edition of this former Booke right worshipful It was my hap to light vpon this OratioÌ„ pÌ„ened in good pure Latine by Wigandus Orthius as concerning the life death of the famous and worthy man D. Andrew Hyperius author coÌ„poser of the same Booke Which wheÌ„ I had once reade ouer and finding it to be both pleasaunt profitable by reason as wel of the varietie of mater as also of the aptnes of the phrase holesoÌ„nes of the argumeÌ„t perceyuing againe that it might minister no small occasion to the Reader whereby the better to like not onely of this but of all other the workes of this most excelleÌ„t writer I could by no meanes satisfie my selfe till such time as I had turned the same into our English tongue and placed it as a thing seuerall by it selfe in the later ende of this volume The thing it selfe I grauÌ„t is smal but if the substance of the mater be considered it may seeme peraduenture to be I will not say great but such as neither the Reader shall haue cause to repent him off in reading nor I cause to forethincke mee off in writing Sed vino vendibili non est opus suspensa haedera Howbeit why I haue bene so bolde to put it foorth vnder the title of your name as you purchaÌ„ce may maruaile so haue I to render some reason First I was moued vnto it by the example of the penner of this Oration who causing it to be fixed in the later ende of a worke begon not finished by the Author thereof D. Andrewe Hyperius entituled The Method of Diuinitie dedicateth the same to his very friende and Scholemaster Master Iohn Princierus Secondly I was induced so to do by the likenes resemblaÌ„ce of the persons that is to say of D. Andrew Hyperius and D. Alexander Nowell the one a famous Superintendente in Marpurge a Citie of high Almayne the other a most worthy Deane of the Cathedrall Church of S. Paule in LondoÌ„ the one renowmed after his death for his rare gifts of learning godlines of life the other yet liuing with no lesse commedatioÌ„ as well as for his manifold knowledge in thinges diuine and humayne as also for his singuler ornaments of Curtesye Affabilitie Modesty c. The one a Mirrour of his time for his notable frugalitie sobriety the other a spectacle of our age for his bouÌ„tifulnes and good hospitalitie But I cannot prosecute this point so far as I iustly might considering thaâ— neither is it any part of my purpose to set foorth your praises otherwise then by occasion neither I am sure conceyue you any pleasure at all in hearinge of them seeing you are wont to ascribe al praise glory vnto god alone vnto maÌ„ nothing but shame confusion The third thing that alured me to the doing of it was the consideration of the neere friendship familiaritie that remaineth betwene your worship that Reuerend father my Lord of LondoÌ„ wherby I thought it not amisse coÌ„sidering my dutie to both to ioyne and lincke you together as in one bande of amitie so in one littell volume Fourthly and lastly I was stirred or rather coÌ„pelled herevnto as well by the certaine report of your rare benignitie towardes all men and especially poore Scollers ministers of the Church as also by infallible experience of that bountifull Curtesy which naturally is ingenerate in you floweth as a man would say euen vnto those with whom you are smally acquainted For which causes as you cannot be but greatly beloued of all in general of mee in speciall so couet I againe by some meanes to testifie the gratefull signification of my good meaning in this behalfe which I cannot otherwise doe then by this simple demonstration of my good will and ready obseruance toward you This only remayneth that you according to the goodnes of your nature accept my doinges in good part esteeming rather by this litle what a great deale more meaneth then by the smalnes of the gift to misconstrue the mind of the giuer Vale Integerime vir et Deus opt Max. Dominationem tuam quam dintissime incolumem seruet domisque suis eximijs eandem indies augea locupletet diteseat From Wethersselde the .xxviii. of May. 1577. ¶ Your worships alwayes most humble in the Lorde Iohn Ludham ¶ An Oration as touchinge the lyfe and death of the famous and worthy man Andrew Hyperius penned and pronounced by Wygandus Orthius professor of Diuinitie in the citie of Marpurge the xxvii of Februarij 1564. IF I should euen in the very fyrst beginninge of my Oration breake forth into teares and fall to wéeping right honorable Lord Gouernour right worshipful graue Fathers I suppose there is none that would not willingly pardoÌ„ my dolour and griefe so iustly conceyued For why we haue lost as you sée the most graue Diuine â–ª D. Andrew Hyperius Wée haue all forgone a most worthy coÌ„panion many are depriued of a most excellent Scholemaster But I for my part haue lost not onely a companioÌ„ scholemaster but also a most swéete and comfortable kinseman who was fyrst vnto me the author and beginner of my study in Diuinitie who became alwayes afterwarde a helper and furtherer in it whom I vsed as a councellor in all my affairs and dealinges without whose counsayle and aduice I attempted nothing priuately at home nothing publickely in the schole with whom I was accustomed to conferre my studyes by reason as ye knowe of the domesticall acquaintaunce and familiaritie betwixt vs. Such a maÌ„ such a coÌ„panion such a master such a friend such a kinseman haue I lost Therefore amiddest the publicke and common mournynge and lamentation of all good men there is also happened vnto mée a priuate and peculiar cause of sorowing For neither can I now looke vpon mine Aunt bereft of a most excelleÌ„t husbande nor vpon my Cousyns depriued of a most worthy parent in the middest of their so great heauines griefe without the sheadding of my teares But yet as for this my priuate sorow either time might mitigate it or the consideratioÌ„ of our common mortality might asswage it if so be a greater that is to say an vniuersal and publick calamitie encresed not our heuines which through the deth of this most excelleÌ„t man is come not onely to our schole and to the Churches of Hassia but also to all Germany and euen to all the
peculiar vices in some one citie reigne diuers enormities which to an other citie are scarce lye knowen Moreouer among some be stirred vp contencions and varieties touching the doctrine of religion againe amongst other some all thinges are quiet Therfore in â—ace thou speakest of crimes and errours to the people in whom those crimes or errours are not to be founde truly thou doest not wisely For it is to be feared least thy sharpe and tedious reprehension bréede offence amonge those that be weake whiche will now beginne to learne some euill of thée that before they were ignoraunt off They that minister medicines to the whole doe rather hurt them then confirme thei health But on the other side if in any place sinnes or straunge heresies doe budde forth thou doest not eftsoones and before they take déepe roote méete with them and endeuour to roote them out all the blame of the euill shall be imputed vnto thée and if wher it behooued thée stoutly to speake thou filthily holdest thy peace thou shalt worthily be reported off according to the sayiÌ„g of the prophet Esay A dumbe dog not daring to barke Furthermore it so chaunceth oft times that diuers and sondrye affaires happen of which it standeth the preacher vppon to frame Orations of diuers kindes as when the common wealth is oppressed with famine pestilence or warre when the fruits of the field lie beaten downe with hayle or intemperature of the ayre when sedition tumults or other daungers are to be feared Againe it is the part of a teacher to comforte the dismayed multitude to induce them to the knowledge of their sinnes to stir them vp to implore and call vpon the mercy of God. To be short how many and sundry soeuer the euentes in humane matters be so many and sundrye Sermons may and ought to be had yea and necessitie it selfe doeth from time to time teach vs to vse now one forme of speaking and now and then another By these thinges therfore it may appeare vnto all men what kinde of matter ought openly to be handled of the ministers of the church Neyther is it to be doubled but the the holy fathers as many as were euer occupied in this most excellent function of preaching had a right dilygent care consideration of these things For vndoubtedly to thintent the auncient Doctors of the Church might at all times propose the like matter that we haue spoken of to the people in sacred assemblies they one while explaned the holy canonicall bookes entirely from the beginning to the ende an other while some parte of the holy Bible nowe and then some certaine chapter or place excerpted out of the same againe somtime they framed their oration of any matter offred and insident by occasion And lest they should be thought not to haue so dilligent regarde and consideration of the publique vtilytie edifying of the whole congregation as was méete and expedient their custome was which custom in many places dothe yet still endure and where it is abolished ought woorthily to bee restored agayne that in euery Churche the pastor with the residewe of the priestes or elders labouryng together as well in the word as in gouernment should méete and assemble themselues and then maturely delyberate and define accordyng to the state of the churche and maner of the time present what books or what parts thereof what places out of the same fynally what matter or what chapters were most expedyent to be handled and illustrated to the people Therefore the ministers of the worde like as the affayres of the faithfull required in euery place after the aduice and determination of the Colledge of Elders were eyther occupied in the interpretation of certen of the scriptures or dyd inculke more exactly frequently then they were accustomed some certayne sounde principles of religion or by reason of rauening wolues that is to say hereticks and hipocrits they impugned and subuerted their absurde opinions or reproued the vices of certain brethrne lyuing rather after the flesh then after the spirit and excited them to diuers and sundry vertues or els they vsed apt consolations for some publique calamitie that had lately happened Neither thought they yt sufficient if an argument proposed were once or twice of one onely speaker entreated off but as many as were there placed in the ministrie prosecuted in many sermoÌ„s the selfe same cause with great and wonderfull consent And of this custome of the more ancient and purer church we finde written by Tertulian Cap. 39. Apologetici Wee came together sayth he to commemorate the diuine scriptures if the qualiti of the times preseÌ„t doth compel vs ether to premonish or to reknowlege any thing certes with holy communication we feede our faith we arest our hope wee fix our affiaunce and with ofte repetitions and suggestions we confirme the discipline of precepts More cleare is that which S. August explaninge the 34 and 139. Psal as he hymselfe counteth them also in his second Sermon vpon the 36. Psalme about the beginning sayth that he was commaunded of his brethrne and companions to interpret those Psalmes Moreouer as touching entier whole bokes of scripture expounded to the people examples ther be nothing obscure Origen opened and interpreted to the people certaine bookes of the olde testament as well out of the law as out of the prophets namly Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numbers Iosua c. albeit some parcelles thereof are wanting But Chrisostom hath more grace in his homylies vpon Gensis vpon the gospell of Mathew Iohn and on the Epistles of S. Puele S. August also in the beginninge of his exposition of S. Iohns epistle sheweth that he had explaned in order at the whole gospel of S. Iohn when as by reson of feastful daies falling in the meane time necessitie requâ—rod certaine readings out of the gospel to be recited declared he would procéede those daies being past in the traâ—tation of the sayd epistle of S. Iohn Neither want their sermons wherein are opened and expounded certaine partes of the sacred scriptures Basill in eleuen homilies vttered apparauntly the beginning of Genesis touching the creation of thinges and some certayne Psalmes There be extant also certayne percels of Esay Ieremy and Ezechiel in lyke order illustred of Origen We may reade in like maner the most learned homilies of Chrisostom vpon some of the Psalmes If a man require Sermons compacted and applyed to the explication of some one place out of the Scriptures he shall finde euery where inowe In Chrisostom thou shalt sée homilies coÌ„cerning those wordes in Genesis I will put enmitie discord betwixt thee the womaÌ„ also touching the faith of Abraham and offeringe vp of Isaac of Ioseph solde by hys bretherne of the continency of Ioseph of that whiche is written Iudicum 1. Iephthe went forth to battell vowed a vow c. of Anna Elcano of the education of Samuel 4.
reduced to the kynde comfortatiue vnlesse some had lyuer haue it of the kynde instructiue Howebeit to a SermoÌ„ of mixt kinde no one certain state may bée assigned but accordinge to the varietie of partes it is requisite that diuers states also bée alotted out Moreouer the sentence wherein the State of euery Sermon is expressed they haue accustomed to call the Theme Where if the State be rendred in one worde then is it called a simple Theme as if thou determinest to speake of Faith of works of death of patience these will be simple Themes Faith workes death patience But if the State do consist of many wordes and euen of a iust propositioÌ„ they call that Theme compound as when it is sayde that Faith doth iustify good workes doe obteyne with God the benefit and rewarde as well of the lyfe present as of the lyfe to come the death of the godly is not to be bewayled patience for rigtuousnes sake or coÌ„fession of the truth maketh men happy And when as either a booke of holy Scripture or a part or some place out of the boke is taken in hand to be declared openly it is no harde matter after the words be recited to expresse the State by some Theme especially compound Hitherto concerning the diuers kinds of Sermons States and Themes ¶ That Sermons of euerye kinde ought to be deuided into certian parts and how many those are then of readinge of the sacred Scripture Cap. viii NOw in what kinde soeuer a Sermon shal be instituted it is firste of all to be prouyded that like as it is sayde when we entreated of the forme of diuine sermons it be deuided into certayn parts The parts commonly receiued are in nuÌ„ber seuen that is to say reding of the sacred scripture InuocatioÌ„ ExordiuÌ„ propositioÌ„ or diuisioÌ„ Confirmation Confutation coÌ„clusioÌ„ But when after what sort these ought to be applied and generally to be haÌ„deleâ— we wil in oâ—der oftsoones declare As touching therfore the reading of holy scripture we finde that this was the custome of the auncient Churche Some one to whom the office was appoynted â—â—citod 〈◊〉 â—â—lye and distinctly some parcell out of the holy Scripture and by and by some other learned mâ—n wâ—nt vp into the pulpit to declare those thinges that were read We read Actes 13 when Paule with his companyons were entred into the sinagoge on the sabboth day at Antioche in Pisidia that after the reading of the 〈◊〉 and the prophetes the Rulers of the Sinagoge sent vnto them saying Men and brethren if there be any among you that can speake wordes of exhortation to the people say on Christ Luke 4. went vp hymselfe and reade and then sitting downe interpreted the same to the great admiration of all men Of this laudable custom therfore of the synagog our forefathers learned to appoynt Readers in euery church which should publikely rehearce the bookes of the sacred scripture Socrates lib. 10. cap. 3. of his Tripartite history witnesseth that Iohn Chrysostom dyd for a certayne time supply the office of a reader Epiphanius also in his Summary of the catholike faith maketh mencion of the same order and the maner of ordeyning them is read in the eight cannon of the fourth counsell of Carthage Further out of Augustine touching the words of the Lord in the Gospell of Iohn Sermon 45. may be gathered that the scriptures were first recited of the Reader and then that the elder or Byshop folowed immediatly to expounde them But now for the most part he in the beginninge of the Sermon readeth the Scriptures that declareth them also more at large which thing verily is theÌ„ most conuenieÌ„t to be done when a man taketh in hand to explane some entire booke of the olde or new Testament Albeit thou maist oft times sée also one to reade the scriptures and an other to interprete the same But we suppose it to make no matter at all Howbeit whereas vpon occasion offered the sermon is ordayned there the readinge of the scripture is not accustomed to go before but he that teacheth either choseth out a few woordes onely or some shorte sentence freely out of the scriptures which namly he iudgeth to be most agréeable to his purpose or els making no mention at all of any place out of the Scriptures he beginneth forthwith to speake whereof that very séeldome this very often hath bene frequented of the fathers Examples of the former kinde are these Nazianzenus in his Sermon to the subiectes stricken with feare by reson of the wrath of the Emperour Theodosius the firste vsurpeth the wordes out of Ieremy 4. Ah my belly ah my bowels and the inwarde partes of my body I am sore greued my hart panteth within mee The same Author framing his oration of the holy feast of Easter premiseth the words of Habacuc 2. I will stande vpon my watch Chrysostome entreatinge of the troubled common wealth of Antioche and of his returne out of exile doth ofte tymes inculke in the beginning of hys Sermon that sayinge of Iob Blessed be god Basill beynge desyrous to perswade the people to pacifye the wrath of GOD alledgeth these words out of Amos. 3. The Lyon hath roared who wyll not be afrayde the Lorde God hath spoken and who will not prophesy Agayne where he exhorteth them to fast Blow vp the Trumpet in Sion vpon our solemne feaste day out of the 81. Psalme and Ioel. 2. Of the later kinde that is so say where no words of the sacred Scripture are put before there be examples in them very frequente and common Now let vs ad herevnto this also Namely that no other bookes ought to be read and expouÌ„ded in sacred assemblies but those onely that are accounted to be canonicall concerning which thinge we may reade it established by the 59. canon of the counsell of Laodicia The Preacher must also take héede in any wyfe that when he reciteth the holy scripture out of the Pulpet in hys Countrye language hâ—â— vseth the best and most allowable translation that may be and such a one as is knowne and common to the people For truely a proper and exact translation bringeth so great light vnto thinges that it deserueth to be estéemed in stéede of a commentary Neither shal the preacher vnaduisedly alter or innouate any thing therin least that whilest he is thought of the learned to speake affectiuely and curiouslye of the vnlearned fondly and folshly he so prouoke the offence of many against himsefe Spiridion Byshoppe of Cypres in thassembly of many byshops and in the presence of all the people durst openly rebuke Tryphillus bishop of Ledres who being puffed vp in pryde with the visor of his eloquence when he came to these words of the euangelycall hystory Take vp thy bedde and walke for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he planted in an other to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a course or simple bed Then saith
as it is required of vs that we should expound a parte of an holy boke or also some certaine place taken out of the holy Scripture it is by all meanes very requisite that we expresse the state or summe of those thinges whereof wée will entreate in one theame compounde And that the like thinge happeneth somtimes when entreatie is made of an entier booke of Scripture wée haue already by examples brought as touchinge Ecclesiastes Cantica Salomonis and the Gospell after Iohn aboue declared Besides when any thinge falleth out by occasion to be talked off in the pulpit it is necessary that the same be propounded in a theame compounde Of this sorte it is if I say Honger or drouth is paciently and quietly of vs to be endured God by his iust iudgement sent the calamitie that fell through haile Of the one Theame Basilius Magnus most grauely entreateth of the other Gregorius Nazianzenus Now hereby it maye plainely appeare that the vse of those thinges which are to bée touched in this Chapter is of very great importance in the Church of god In the meane time it shall be lawfull briefely to absolue these thinges forasmuch as very many pointes doe accorde herevnto which are sufficiently at large discussed in the former Chapters I. Where if so bée therefore thou be determined to handle a theame compounde when a whole booke is taken in hande to be declared or a part out of any booke of scripture is proposed to the multitude there is no man that seeth not the very text of the diuine wordes which are recited in the sacred assembly to minister and suggest by it selfe many and diuers things which may both godly and relygiousely be vttered and through euery part thereof be aptly dilated and amplified It shall then therefore be best to imitate followe some one of those orders of expoūding which we haue comprised in the 3.4.5.6 chapters of this present boke II. But where as no reading or lecture of holy Scripture ouer longe shall goe before but onely either a briefe sentence or a place out of some sacred booke shall be taken in hande or els no wordes at all be premised out of the scriptures thē truely it shall be expedient thoroughly and exactly to consider all those thinges in order which we haue in certaine obseruations comprehended noted in the seauenth Chapter as touchinge the maner of handelinge one place or sentence of scripture For it is conuenient that the same consideration be had as well of a sentence as of a theame compounde A proufe hereof is this that oftentimes those that are purposed to declare a theame compound doe gladly borrowe some sentence out of the scriptures which may be agreable to their purpose doe prefixe it before their Sermon or in any wise insert it The Apostle to the Romaynes 4. intendinge to proue that man is iustified by faith taketh that sentence out of Gene. 15. Abrahā beleeued god it was imputed vnto him for rightuousnes In the Epistle to the Galathians handeling the same matter he produceth out of Geneses 22 the promise of god made vnto Abraham In thee or in thy seede shal al the nations of the earth be blessed Moreouer in the two sayd Epistles in that to the Hebrues is prefixed a theame compounde or briefe sentence out of the prophet Abacuc 2. The iust man shall liue by fayth That the same craft or cunning therfore is aptly to be applied to the tractatiō of a theame cōpound which a litell before we shewed to be requisit to the discussing of a sētence or place of holy scripture ther is no cause why any man should doubte III. And forasmuch as wée then also admonished that it is somtime very necessary in case a resolution of a sentence or place taken out of the Scriptures be had and all the partes therof examined a parte it shall be profitable also to vse the like experience in the tractation of a theame compounde When this thinge is to be done it shall be conuenient not onely to goe that waye to worke which we haue shewed to bee open vnto vs in the holy Scriptures and that truely very excellent but also wée shall gette furniture of teachinge both substanciall and plentious out of those thinges whiche in the former Chapter bée of vs declared as touchinge the explanation of simple theames For certes the places which deuided into two formes or orders we shewd to be attributed to the kinde didascalicke doe giue occasion of deuising and finding out great and weightie thinges of euery theame that is offered Wherfore wee shall not without cause require ayde and succoure of them As touching all which thinges here to repeate againe with many wordes that which hath bene already sayd would bée very superfluous IIII. And surely séeinge the multitude and varyetie of thinges is infinite that are treated off in the Church so ofte as the vse and order of time doe require there can no better counsaile or aduice be giuen then that euery man haue a speciall regarde vnto their Sermons which haue most aptely and holily handeled theames compound and that he endeuour so far forth as lieth in him to render and expresse in his sermons that which he perceyueth to haue most force and grace in them Such Sermons are with great care and exacte iudgement to be pervsed to the intente thou maist examaine euery thinge occurrent in them and that which is best to bee liked choycely digest and put in order as things to be adioyned to thy household stuffe to be vsurped as thine owne when time and occasion shall serue To make any futher declaration it is not necessary But examples wherein theames compounde of the kinde didascalick are most learnedly explaned these inespecially be commended in the sacred Scriptures In the Epistle to the Romaynes the Apostle declareth at large that men are iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Againe cap. 9.10.11 That the Iewes are reiected of god and the Gentiles called to be the people or Church of god In the first Epistle to the Corinthes cap. 15. it is proued by stronge argumentes that the deade doe all rise or reuiue againe In the Epistle to the Galathyans it is againe confirmed that men are iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe in the last part of the second Chapter and also in the 3.4 and some parte of the 5. Chapters In the Epistle to the Ephesians Thapostle teacheth in thrée Chapters that men by the onely grace of God in Christ are elected called iustified and glorified The author of the Epistle to the Hebrues in two Chapters declareth with wonderfull perspicuitye that Christ is true God and true man. In the same Epistle cap. 7.8.9.10 out of one sentence of scripture are drawen fower distinct theames compounde and euery one of thē is with certaine and assured reasons established and explaned whereof the first is that Christ is a preist after the order of Melchisedec
well the wordes as matters be agréeable and correspondent to our purpose â–ª For thou séeste how the prophisies and promises of the prophetes are of Christ Peter expounded of those things that then came to passe in Iudea thou séest Rom. 4. a very shorte sentence touchinge the maner whereby Abraham was iustified to be applied to the interprised disputation thou séest Rom. 10.1 Corinth 10. Gal. 4. historicall examples to be added to And in the place where the apostle 1. Corinth 9. goeth about to proue that to the ministers of the Gospell all thinges necessary for this lyfe are duly to be ministred of the hearers he taketh out of Duet 25. a certaine precept and showeth it to agrée very well with the cause that he hath in hande Speake I these thinges after the maner of men Saith not the lawe the same also For it is writen in the lawe of Moses Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the Corne. Doth god care for oxen Sayth he not this altogether for our sakes Yea for our sake is this writen that he which eareth might eare in hope and he which soweh in hope might be partaker of his hope It is no harde case to note in readinge many moe examples in which diuers things that are spoken off may aptlye be ioyned together and may aunswere accordingly to the purposed matter For like as the Prophets doe take and apply those their sayinges out of the law Christ and the Apostles both out of the lawe and the Prophets So haue we frée lyberty to borrow all maner of sentences whatsoeuer out of the law prophets and apostles And not onely olde and auncient matters out of the holy Scriptures but also late and new not much past our memory or the memory of our fathers yea and such daily as styll come to passe adde also thinges taken out of other writers as Poets Historiographers and such like may somtimes fittely and opportunly be adioyned to the confirmation of any thing belonging to the present state of thinges For Christ when he laboured to moue all men alyke to repentaunce to the entent they might so with feare and trembling looke for the comming of the Lorde and some were then present that shewed hym of the Galilaeans whose bloud Pilate had mingeled with their sacrifices he aunswering them that told him such newes sayth Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners aboue all other Galilaeans bicause they suffered such thinges I say vnto you no for except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Either els suppose ye that those eighteene persons vpon whom the towre in Siloe fell and slew them were detters more then al the inhabitaunts of HierusaleÌ„ I say vnto you no but except ye repent ye shal al likewise perish And Mat. 11. Luk. 7. Christ speaking of the stiffenecked Iewes which would neither admit his preaching nor the preaching of Iohn Baptist To whom shal I resemble saith he the men of this generation whoÌ„ are they like They are like vnto childreÌ„ sitting in the market place crying one to an other saying we haue piped vnto you ye haue not dauÌ„ced we haue song vnto you a mournful song and ye haue not wept For Iohn Baptist came neihter eating bread nor drincking wine and ye saye he hath the diuell The sonne of man came eating and drincking and ye say Behold a great eater and drincker of wine a friend of Publicans and sinners And wisedome is iustified of all hir children Likewise the interpretations of the parables as they are of Christ hymselfe made and put forth be replenished with this kinde of craft and workmanship of applyinge And how the Apostle in his most graue Sermons and Epistles hath vsed the testimonies or sayinges of the Poets to witte of Aratus Act. 17. of Menander 1. Cor. 7.15 of Epimenides Titus 1. it is better knowne then that it shall be needefull to reherce the places themselues But out of this admonition touching the heaping together of proofes or argumentes to be skilfully and conueniently applyed to the businesse of which intreaty is made or to the present state of the Church floweth an other exhortation as holesome and necessary as any other That is that all men would wisely weigh and consider with themselues how farre forth it shall be expedient to vse the holy sermons whiche other haue made and setle forth The causes of this exhortation when thou shalt heare whosoeuer thou art I knowe thou wilt pronounce theÌ„ to bée iust and lawfull Wée se which is greatly to bée marueled at the minysters of Churches euery where to be so tied and fastened wholly to the bookes that conteyne the diuine sermons coÌ„piled with no litle study by others that by reason therof they neglecte to reade the sacred Byble there wanted litle but I had sayd plainely contemne it But it can not be dissembled that the authors of those sermons doe ofte times adnixe long and tedious digressions also interlace without order reasons and argumeÌ„tes somwhat discrepant from the scriptures openly recited namely forasmuch as they iudged them in especially to be méete and conuenient for the place and time Now it can not be that those selfe same thinges shoulde be apt and correspondent to the present state of the church wherein thou supplyest the office of teaching Howbeit let vs admit that there be no digressions at all and that the holy scriptures are simply and sincerely expounded in them but what maketh that to thy purpose I praye thée if the whole explanation as it lyeth be directed most chifely to those poyntes of Christian doctrine whiche in those places and times were in déede very aptely and with great grace handeled of the Preachers and fauourablye receiued of the hearers where as nowe in these dayes and with thy audienâ—es they will all bee out of season To what ende serueth the explication of that portion of Scripture wherein are confuted the mayntayners and defenders of two contray beginninges the Manichees or other hereticks whose assertions haue now no where any place What shall it profyt to inueigh against those that gad to the Lystes or Theater to beholde playes and games before that people whiche is vtterly ignoraunt what those termes meane Moreouer it is no poynt of wisdome nor conuenient to vtter straight wayes euery thinge openlye especially in diuine matters that is gathered together by the labour and iudgement of other men For they doe alledge in déede out of the Scriptures sentences examples proofes and probations of all sorts but forasmuch as some of them doe note the same very briefly and onely as ye would saye by poyntes or titles some also doe scrape them together at all aduentures out of others whiche haue lykewise lately published and put forth Sermons it is very requisite except thou wilt cast as well thy selfe as thy hearers into open daunger that thou shouldest diligently examine euery thing takynge a narrow new of the
or maners of the people doe require the same For at what time certaine vices and enormities begin to infect the multitude the ecclesiasticall Teacher shall in repressing of them duly and seasonably be altogether occupied First the sore is to be healed before it groweth to an incurable canker For To late is medicine sought When mischieues once by long delaies past all recure are brought And verily the Phisition of the soule shall first of all endeuoure himselfe to cut away the greater maladies then shall hée take in hande those that bée of lesser daunger IIII. And it is not to be passed ouer that Chrysostom sayde in his 4. homilie vppon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Philippians That then the Preacher ought to keepe silence when hee holdinge his peace and findinge fault with nothinge that is done there is sure and certaine hope that the euills which are committed may bee turned away but if the contrary commeth to passe so that he keepinge silence enormities are not onely not rooted vp but all thinges also become worse and worse then it is necessary that hee goe forwarde in reprouinge so much as hee may doe For hee that sharpely rebuketh sinners albeit he doth nothing els yet thus much bringeth he to passe that he suffereth not the mischiefe to growe any further And no lesse worthy to bée noted is that which Augustistine hath left writē in his booke 1. cap. 9. de ciuitate dei If therefore any man forbeareth to reproue and finde fault with wicked doers for that he awayteth a more conuenient time or feareth least by that meanes they should become worse or that other weaklinges which ought rather to bee enformed to a good and godly life should bee hindered and oppressed and turned from the faith this seemeth not to rise of any corrupte desire that hee hath but rather of the rule and aduice of charitie And after a fewe wordes in the same chapter They that are placed in the higher degrees of life prouiding for the most part for their fame safety whilest they feare the wiles inuasions of wicked men doe refraine themselues from reprouinge of them And although they stand not so greatly in doubt of them that they yelde through any their threateninges and impieties to perpetrate the like euils yet neuerthelesse the very same thinges which they commit not with them they will not commonly finde fault with when as peraduenture they might by reprouing correcte amend some least if they coulde not their owne safety and renoume should come into harsarde and decaye And this they doe not vppon that consideration whereby they see their credite and safety to be necessary for the profit of men to bee ēstructed but father thorough that infirmity wherby they are delighted with a fawninge and flattering tongue with a faire and calme day and whereby they feare the iudgement of the common sorte and vexation or destruction of the fleshe that is by reason of certaine bandes of couetousenes wherewith they are enwrapped and not for their duties sake of loue Thus much S. Augustine Wherefore by these thinges when and how far foorth it is lawful to intermit the reprehension of vices euery man may easely iudge Nowe what thinges remaine chiefely to be reproued V. There is no kinde of sinnes in which the Preacher ought to wincke and be tongue tied or that may be pretermitted without reproofe Therefore it is not inought egerly to inueigh and abandon such vices as are very great and heynous but euen those also shal be brought to the iudgement of the Church and called into question which the common people estéeme to be but trifles in respecte neither doe account them so great as in déede they are Prouided that those euills be spoken against with more diligence and vehemeny which are growne to be of greatest force with the multitude and by reason whereof greater inconuenyences are feared VI. In the meane time the godly Preacher must take heede least that beinge moued with the false reportes and surmises of some men hee fall to carpinge and comtrolling of certaine vices It is ouer often tried by experyence and that truely with the great offence of the whole Church but with the greatest perill of the estimation and good name of the preachers thmselues what masses of mischiefe the ouer hastines of some in beleeuinge euery one that commeth especially women and light persons haue brought in And AEneas Syluius reporteth in his booke de aulicorum miserijs that is touchinge the miseries of Courtiers how a certaine mā of Millaine in times past made a grieuous complaint to one Bernardinus a Preacher of all those that lent their money vppon vsury and that verely to this ende that when other shoulde ceasse and leaue off so to doe hee alone might reape huge gaines prayes by that trade Therefore neither those thinges that are noysed of the simple and ignorant nor those that be reported of subtill and craftye men shall the minister of the Gospell rashly admit forthwith to be declared out of the pulpit to the people The surest and saffest way is where at least be had lawefull méeting and consultations of the Elders of the Church to rebuke those crimes and enormities as touching which it shall be determined before in the selfe same assembly that they should openly be reproued and spoken against Now followe diuers thinges touching the maner of reproouing VII Whensoeuer it séemeth good to rebuke viees before all thinges it is necessary to premise certaine doctrine and reasons where out men though blunt and rude maye learne that those things which are of thée reprooued be very grieuous sinnes and such as deserue eternall damnation For very weake and slender is that reproofe or rebuke which is not grounded vppon Gods word and taketh strength therefrom And that is it that the apostle meaneth when after he had sayd improue rebuke exhort he wisely addeth that it must be don by applying of doctrine VIII And that all corrections ought not to be framed a like but one more bitter and vehement an other more milde and moderate is a things well knowen of it selfe partly by the kinde of crimes committed and partly by the state and condition of those men that are snarled and entangeled with the same crimes To the intent I saye not howe in the Sermons of the prophets and of Christ we may obserue the lyke trade looke what prudence and circumspection is requisite in driuing awaye the disseases of the body the same truely is required in expellinge the maladies of the minde And as touching this difference wisely to be made Chrisostom hath somwhat in the beginning of his Enarration of the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Galathians But it behoueth vs notwithstanding to declare where it shall be conuenient to giue place to the milder and where to the sharper sorte of rebukes First therefore of the milder sort IX There be certaine offences touching the amendement wherof it shall be
Preacher and vvhat I. Learning Vltera crepidare is a vvord taken prouerbially vvhwere a man vvyll take vpoÌ„ him further then his knovvlege vvyll serue Lucke 4. 1. Timoth 3. Tit. 1. Phellipp 1. 1. Timoth 5. III. Povver in teachinge Math. 7. Marc. 1. Luke 4. Ieremy 1. 2. Timoth. 1. Spirite or povver in teachinge vvhence it commeth and hovv it is encreased That God giueth the spirit in teching Ioan. 16. Math. 10. 2. Cor. 30. That the increasement of the spirite is obteined of God vvith 〈◊〉 prayer Ephe. 6. That the godly and earnest teachers shall haue good happy succes in their doctrine Esay 55 Luke 8 1. Timoth 4. The studye affection of a true Preacher by the discription of Sainct Pauleâ— The effect of S. Paules Sermons Act. â—0 Conclusioâ—â— The cause of the premisses hitherto touchinge those thinges that are necessarye to a preacher Ieremye 2â— â— Timo. 5. In vvhat thinges the Preacher ought to bestowe his labor The Gospell what â— Cor. 5. The ende limited to a Preacher â— Timo. 3. The markes of a true preacher That manye thinges are common to the preacher vvith the orator vvhat I. II. III. IIII Rhetorick 〈…〉 That the rhetoricall precepts of Pronounciation pertaine not to a Preacher That the preacher differeth in many thinges from the Orator and that chiefelye in Inuention Math. 13. 1. Cor. 4. What matter the Preacher shall chose I. Profitable Of matter ê“fitable three special places and vvhiche 2. Places of Loue. 3. Places of Hope II. Easye vvhy one easi matter ought to be chosen 1. Timo 1.6 2. Timo 2.3 Tit. 1.3 Trip. histor Lib. 7. Cap. 1â— Occupation Hovv a harde place is to be expounded 2. Thessal 2. A place of Paule touchinge the last comminge of Christ An other place of the same touching the reicetion of the Ievves callinge of the Gentiles III. Necessary Tit. 3. Necessarye matter vvhat Diuine places though profitable yet not al fit for euery place time Esay 56. The preacher must somtime vary his oration The order maner of the auncient doctors of the churche in their teching The pastor vvith the other ministers ought to consult as touching the matter of the Sermon accordinge to the manner and condicion of the time One and the same matter diuers times handeled of all the ministers to the people What fathers expounded to the people vvhole books Who they vvere that explaned certen partes or percels of the holy bookes to the people Sermons framed to the expositioÌ„ of soÌ„e one place out of the scriptures Sermons of thinges offered by occasion Orations made of vertues and-gainst vices A Cantion to be vsed in sermons Transition Sermon hovv and after what sorte it ought to bee I. Briefe II. Perspicious III. CoÌ„sisting of lavvfull partes The care and diligence of the auncient Doctors before the Sermon Marc. 16. 1. Timoth 4. The kyndes of Rhetorical cases not agreeing to diuine Sermons I. The signification of the vvorde doctrine II. Of Redargution III. Of Institution IIII. Of Correction V. Of consolation That all Sermons ought to be referred to these fiue kindes That al thinges are referred eyther vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philipp 1. Coloss 1 The seedplots of these fiue chapters That the Rhetorical kyndes of cases also are conteyned vnder these fiue orders of Sermons but not contraryvvise He passeth to the explicatioÌ„ of the kyndes of Sermons The names of the kyndes 1. Didascalick 2. redargutiue 3. Instructiue iiii correctiue v. Comfortatiue 2. Timoth 3. Rom. 15. PreoccupatioÌ„ An other particion of the â—â—des vi Mixt kinde Transition State vhat That the title of Sermons doe oftetimes conteyne the â—â—ate Theme what and hovv manyfolde That SermoÌ„s of euery kind are to be deuided into parts The partes of a Sermon I. Reading The maner of reading in the old churche That reading somtime goeth not before the Sermon What bookâ— ought to be read That the precher ought not rashlye to innouate any thing in the sacred scriptures Sozomenus Tripart histo lib. 1. cap. 10. The order of inuocation in the begining of Sermons of vvhoÌ„ firste set forth 1. Cor. 3 Diuers maners of prayinge I. Of the â—athers What the precher vvhat the people ought to prai for II. III. IIII. Inuocation vvhat it ought to be The maner of Exordinge moste conueniently shevved in examples Whether Exordiums be aâ—lvaries needfull The matter of exordium vvhence it is to be taken Obseruations of Exordium â—â—n thapplication of a vvhole booke 2. In thexplication of a part of the booke III The first wordes of Thexordium must as neere as may bee aunsvver to the matter Act. 2. Act. 7. 13. Exordium sometyme omitted Proposition vvhen it is to be vsed Diuision vvhen Proposition vvhere it is to be placed An example of Diuision Diuision vvhat and after vvhat sorte it ought to be Diuision vvhen needfull That all the members of Diuision are not alvvayes declared That many and diuers places are handled somtymes without any diuision goinge before Transitions exortacions other such lyke figures in diuision do oftetimes betoken a nevv argument That proposition diuision both are novv then neglected The place of ConfirmatioÌ„ ConfirmatioÌ„ can not one vvay be handeled The order of thinges to be said touching confirmation Chapters of obseruations A prayse of the said forme of deriuing collecting disposinge of proufes The maner of popular Teaching vvheÌ„ce it is deriued I. II Confutation hovv after what sorte it ought to bee Confutations vvhere to bee placed put Diuers formes of confutation Confutation must be voide of sophystry CoÌ„tumelious chidinges to be auoyded Conclusion Conclusion double of the parte and of the vvhole Oration which is called peroratioÌ„ What is to be repeated in the Conclusion Affections to be moued also in a peroration Exhorte Reproue Simply to pray and beeseech The herers to be admonished of the matter of the next Sermon Certayne meanes of finishinge sacred Sermons I II III What thinges the Preacher shall get to himselfe Of amplification what he vvill speake vvhy the Preacher must vse amplification AmplificatioÌ„ vvhen to be vsed Hebr 3.4 Whence the Preacher may take orders of amplyfiynge I. Out of the facultie of Orators II. Out of diuinitie it selfe Examples I III IIII 1. Reg. 14 What maner of arguments ought to bee ministred vnto children for thexercise of their stile Thar the maner of mouing of affections ought to bee knovven of the Preacher The order diuision of the thinges to be spoken touching mouing of affections I When affections are to be moued Diuision of affections 〈◊〉 affectiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 of the â—â—â—â—â—er Hovve to knovve vvhen affections are to be moued II Where or in vvhat parte of the Sermon affections are to be moued III With what skill cunning the affection are to be moued I. Meane Hovv we may stir vp affections in our selues Psal. 119. II. Meane De ciuita deâ— Lib. 15. Cap. 6 III.