hell from whence there is no redemption Oh that our Patrons and Bishops likewise did enter into the due consideration of this point then should not so many symonaicall and vnworthy worldlings be presented and admitted nor so many godly and painefull pastors be dismissed as ther are to the great woe and sorrowe of many poore soules that haue receiued most sweete comfort from their blessed ministerie and painefull endeuours in the Lord. But now it is time to enter combate and encounter with our aduersaries the Papists nay the aduersaries of Christ and his church about this point who wold beare the world in hand that Ignorance is the mother of deuotion and that there is no necessitie of the scriptures for the common people but that euery one must beleeue as the church beleeueth without any further triall or examination had of the matter by the word of God Which bloudy doctrine and vncomfortable assertion we shall see by Gods grace to fall downe and breake his necke at the sight of the trueth as Dagon the idoll of the Philistimes did at the presence of the Arke Ignorance say the Papists is the mother of Deuotion And Ignorance say the Protestants is the mother of dānation Now ther is great oddes between Deuotion and Damnation as much as is betweene ignorance and knowledge or between light and darknesse Indeede of Popish deuotion whose fruites are idolatrie and superstition and sacrilege and blasphemie and pride and ambition and couetousnesse and treason and all abhominations and in the ende eternall damnation Ignoraunce is the mother but not of true deuotion which pleaseth God Knowledge and Ignorance be contrarie one to another and as they be contrarie causes so their effects must needes be contrary and that by the rule of contraries for Contrariorum contraria est ratio Now if knowledge be the roote of faith and of loue and of zeale and of obedience and of all vertue and goodnesse as it is then is not ignorance the roote of faith but of vnbeleefe not of loue but of hatred not of zeale but of rashnesse and coldnesse not of obedience but of rebellion not of goodnesse but of mischiefe and therefore not of deuotion neyther but of damnation In the ninetie fiue Psalme the Lorde accuseth the Iewes of hardnes of heart tempting of God and continuall rebellion against the Lorde for the space of fortie yeeres and addeth this withall as a reason of all their wickednesse that they knew not the waies of the Lorde for which cause the Lorde sware in his wrath that they shoulde neuer enter into his rest to shew vs what bee the fruites of ignoraunce which if it bee the mother of deuotion it is of such deuotion as bringeth foorth all manner of iniquitie and shutteth men out of eternall felicitie In the fourth Chapiter of the Prophet Hosea in the first second third and fourth verses the Lord hath a controuersy with the inhabitants of Israel because there was no trueth nor mercie nor knowledge of God amongst them but swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring and oppression for which things the Lord telleth them that the land shall mourne and euerie one shall be cut off to shew what is to bee looked for where the knowledge of God is wanting When the Prophet Esay reproued the Israelites idolatrie and hypocrisie hee saide Knowest thou nothing as if he should say these are the fruits of ignorance In Philip. the first chapter and the ninth verse the Apostle prayeth God that the church might abound in knowledge and iudgement which hee woulde not haue doone if ignoraunce were the mother of deuotion Our Sauiour Christ commaundeth his church to search the Scriptures adding this as a reason that they beare witnesse of him Ioh. 5.39 and shewe the way to eternall life to shew that ignorance is not the mother of deuotion By this may we see how much we are beholding to the papists for shutting vp the doores of knowledge against the church of God They are like the Philistines that put out the eies of Sampson 〈◊〉 16.21 that so they might the better make sport with him and when the Papists had put out the right eye of knowledge in the church they might then make them doe what they list themselues They are like the cruell Nahash the Ammonite that would make no couenaunt with the Israelites 〈◊〉 11.2 but vppon condition that euerie man woulde put out his right eye The rauen when hee falleth vppon a sheepe the first thing hee doth is to picke out his eies that so he may the more easily deuoure the body so when the Papists fall vpon the sheepe of Christ the first thing they labour to effect is to put out their eies of knowledge that so they may the more easily prey vpon their bodie and goodes too They tell vs forsooth that the searching of the scripture is the cause of errour And our sauiour Christ saith therefore you erre because you knowe not the scriptures 〈◊〉 12.24 which of these must we beleeue the Papists or our Sauiour Christ They tel vs that the scriptures are hard to bee vnderstoode but the Lorde saith Al the words of my mouth are righteous there is no lewdnesse 〈◊〉 8 8 9. nor frowardnesse in them They are all plaine to him that will vnderstand and straight to them that would find knowledge The papists say they are hard and the Lord saith they are plaine and straight which of these now shal we beleeue the papists or the Lord Indeede saint Peter saith that in the writings of his brother Paul there are some things hard to be vnderstoode 2. Pet. 3.1 6 which ignoraunt and vnstable men doe peruert as they doe all other scriptures to their condemnation now if they be hard we see to whome they are hard to the ignorant and vnstable but not to those that desire knowledge to them they are made easie by the Lorde Therefore it must stand vs in hande to bee well repaired and sanctified by fayth and prayer when wee deale with the scriptures and bee truely resolued to bee reformed thereby or else wee may fall into errour as a iust recompence of our pride presumption Exo. 19. VVhen the Israelites shoulde come before the Lord they must be sanctified to day and to morrow saith the Lord when we come to the handling of the scriptures wee come before the Lorde and therefore wee must bee throughly sanctified and with Moses wee must put off the shooes of our carnall affections when wee come to deale with the booke of GOD for the scriptures are the mount from which God doth shew himselfe and the bush out of which goeth a flame of fire In them the Lord speaketh to vs and wee heare the words of euerlasting life wee must therefore strip off all our affections and fall downe before the Lorde with feare and knowe who it is that speaketh His worde is holy let vs take heede therefore into
Ieremy in the first words of his text sheweth that we must turne from our disobedience to true obedience for the reprouing of the one is the approuing of the other and the forbidding of the one is the coÌ„manding of the other And to say the truth they are truely turned vnto God who are truely obedient to the word of God and they are indeed disobedient persons which disobey the word of God And therfore let vs make what shewes of holines we can if wee obey not the word in al things that concerne vs we are vnholy wee are not truely conuerted The word of God forbids vs to follow the fashions of the world 〈◊〉 12.2 〈◊〉 11.14 〈◊〉 3.3 it forbids men the wearing of long haire womeÌ„ the laying out of their haire both men women to disguise themselues in strange attire now if al this notwithstanding we shal practise the contrary what doe wee else but turne from the Lord vnto Sathan who is our terminus ad quem The Lord in his word forbids all lying and false dealing to deceiue and all deceit to liue if any man in his shop or else-where shall vse both they may well be hearers of the worde but God will note them for monstrous rebels and hypocrites And thus wee are to examine our selues for euery other thing For the wickedest man that liueth may heare the word of god gladly reuerence the preacher Mar. 6. in many things obey the word as Herod did but Herod would stil haue his brothers wife and so many will loue one sin or other as their dearling And surely the deuill can draw a man to hell aswell with one bait as with a thousand Gods children must therefore striue against all sinne and in euery thing labour to obey the word or else as God did allowe the good things and euer had somewhat to say for the euill that hee found in the seauen Churches of Asia Apoc. â— so will his maiestie reckon with vs for all our sinnes not onelie of omission but commission although he doe finde some yea many good things amongst vs. Many vnder pretence of obedience to Princes would giue entertainement to any religion forgetting that god must be obeied before men but such men are most disobedient to the King of al kings but truely obedient to none Many againe crie obedience obedience as though they were compounded of nothing but of obedience and yet all is not gold that shineth and flattering Iudas is not the faithfullest disciple ex vnguibus leonem ex fructibus arborem the lyon shall be knowen by his clawes and the tree by his fruit For let a man looke well vpon many of them and he shall see that there are not any generally to all lawes more disobedient in their liues none more dissolute and scandalous in their worshipping of god none more superstitious in the principles of true religion none more ignorant in their dealing none more vniust and deceitfull where aduantage is giuen them none more cruell mercilesse and in all their sports pastimes none more profane and filthy and blasphemous which kinde of people are not much vnlike Caius Gracchus who tooke vpon him the defence of the treasurie wherof he himselfe was the spoiler So they crie obedience when none are more disobedient then they like theeues which hauing done a robberie can make hew and crie after the true man Some can hold one with a tale while they picke his purse but these are cunning theeues which can hold the world with a tale of obedience and conformitie while they in the meane time doe deceiue both Prince church and common wealth of their duties and themselues of Gods fauour if in time they take not a new course Such hallow hearted Ambo-dexters haue learned to serue the time but to serue their own turne looking when time will turne that they may turne with time but if carefull circumspection be had which the necessity of these times requireth the subtilties of these enimies craue it will be no hard matter to discerne the wolues though they wander in sheepes clothing by the noise of their howling and to descrie the asse though he iet in the lions skin by the length of his eares except by true repentance in time they turne againe which God grant if it be his will But heere ariseth a question and that is this Whether a man in turning to God must forsake the companie of the wicked or no If yea as they ought indeede why did these Iewes continue still among the Assirians which were idolatours and why went they not to Zion the place of gods worship Of if they could not because they were in captiuitie to what purpose then serued this exhortatioÌ„ The answer is not heard There is a turning in outward action and affection In outward action wheÌ„ a christian doth that which he ought to do and may lawfully conueniently do it In affection when a christian would doe that which hee ought to do but caÌ„not being letted outwardly by imprisonment sickenes banishment the lawe or such like or inwardly by some natural infirmity Examples we haue of both in the scripture 〈◊〉 6.1 〈◊〉 â— 8 〈◊〉 19.7 〈◊〉 137. â—2 They turned in outward action who with Dauid fetched home the arke so did the Niniuites which fasted praied at the kings coÌ„mandement so did likewise the Iewes and Grecians which burned their books In affection turned the Iewes in Babilon which mourned wept at the remembrance of Zion In affection turned Dauid in banishmeÌ„t wheÌ„ he desired to go to Gods house with the people 〈◊〉 2.4 but could not In affectioÌ„ also turned those men which mourned for all the abhominations that were done in the midst of Ierusalem And in affection also the Apostle turned 〈…〉 7. wheÌ„ he desired to do al that he ought to do but could not being led captiue to the law of sin So we in many things may turne both in outward action affection of heart as froÌ„ idolatry to the gospel from drunkeÌ„nes to sobriety from pride to humilitie and in many things more Som things are yet wanting which the church shuld haue if she had her right as a learned minister through the whole land and the prefection of that godly and ancient discipline which was in the primitiue church but as yet we cannot haue them in acte yet in affection we embrace them that is we pray for them we woulde gladly haue them if wee might lawfully come by them and this church doth allow in our booke of common prayer where in plaine words it is said Preface before Commination on Ashwednesday That there was a godly discipline in the primitiue church which is to be wished and much to be wished that is might be restored againe and therefore also when occasion serueth it may be taught and yet with great wisedome and discretion for shall it be prayed for and not be taught also
better bringing vp of men in this holy knowledge of God the Lorde hath giuen his statutes vnto Iacob and his ordinaunces vnto Israell which hee hath not vouchsafed vppon all nations for the heathen haue not the knoledge of his waies Psalme a hundred fortie and six And these statutes of God are contained in the bookes of the olde and new Testament called the holie Scriptures by the waie of excellencie which being rightly vnderstoode of vs doe bring vs directly to the true knowledge of God and of our selues And because there are in the scriptures som things that be hard and darke to our vnderstanding therefore the Lord hath ordained pastors doctors whome hee hath also furnished with giftes of knowledge and vtterance and learning and sanctification that they may teach the Lords people the true meaning of the scriptures and so traine them vp in the knowledge and obedience of the Lord. By this then it appeareth how necessarie it is for all Gods children to haue the knowledge of GOD the vnderstanding of the scriptures and the preaching of the word amongst them by a painefull faithfull and learned ministerie And on the other side it be wrayeth the pestilent daunger of ignorance and ignorant ministers and also the barrennesse of bare reading without the tillage of expounding of catechising of doctrine of exhortation and of application the which is the life of doctrine by which holy meanes as it were with the Lords ploughs the fallow groundes of mens hearts are broken vp 〈◊〉 4.4 whereas otherwise the seede is but cast amongst the thornes as Ieremy speakes When the Queen of Ethiopia her chamberlaine was reading the prophet Esay in his chariot â—8 30 Philip asked him if he vnderstoode what he read to shew that a man may reade and reade againe and bee neuer the nearer without an interpreter as that noble man confessed for how can I vnderstand saide he without a guide Therefore Ezra when he had read the scripture he also gaue the sence Nehem. â— 8 and caused the people to vnderstand the reading to shew that bare reading is not sufficient to bring men to vnderstanding And therefore our sauior Christ also when hee had read a place of Esay that concerned himselfe hee closed vp the booke Luke 4.20 and opened the text making application thereof to his hearers whereuppon it followeth in the same place that all that heard him bare him witnes and wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth to shewe that preaching giueth grace to reading And when the word read is opened and applied then men beare witnesse of the trueth that is they knowe what to holde and beleeue for trueth and not before This the apostle Paul knew very well and therefore hee did not onely teach the Ephesians openly but priuately also in euery house going from house to house warning Act. 20.20 3â— and exhorting euery one as hee had occasion to shewe what course those sheepeheardes must take that would bring their flocks vnto the green pastures of heauenly comforts and the liuing waters of eternall happinesse both growing and flouring out of the liuely fountaines of knowledge and vnderstanding in the holy word of God And further for the necessity of knowledge vnderstanding what could the lord say more to shew the greatnes therof then to call them by the name of foode or meate and drinke for so he doth I will giue you pastors which shal feed you with knowledge and vnderstanding as if knowledge and vnderstanding were foode of the soule and so they be to teach vs as there is nothing more necessary for the strengthning of the bodie then meate and drinke so there is nothing more necessarie for the sauing of the soule then knowledge and vnderstanding Take away from the bodie ordinary sustenance long and it starueth And take away knowledge and vnderstanding from the soule and it perisheth Therefore as Christ said when he raised vp Iairus daughter giue hir meate so the Lorde saieth when the soule is raised vp to the life of God giue it meate but that must be knowledge and vnderstanding Againe as knowledge and vnderstanding are here called food so pastors are called feeders as if they were nurses the people as babes children which neither know what is good for them nor howe to dresse their meat nor how to feed themselues And therfore many doe not vnfitly compare the bare reading of the scripture vnto a whole loafe set before children which must bee cutte in peeces and be dâ—uided before it can profite them The preachers are also called feeders to shew that they must be like nurses in abilitie in affection and discretion Some haue wherewith to feede their children but they are vnkind and vnnaturall like cruel harlots that kill their children that they may not be troubled with theÌ„ Some beare a good affection to their children but their breastes are drie and they haue no meate to giue them when they crie for it as in the great famine of Samaria Som haue wherwith to feed but for want of discretion to obserue the childes nature and constitution as also the weaknes or strongnes of the stomack the frowardnes tendernes of thinfant and the causes of al it happeneth that much is giuen and little digested great pain is taken to little purpose bicause the child is either misdieted or distempred or handled too tenderly or too rigorously Therefore in the feeders of the soule there ought to bee sufficient store of knowlege there ought to be a louing tender affection tempered with wisedome and discretion that euery one may haue his due portion faithfully distributed vnto him and that in due time and season It is a lamenble hearing to heare the children crie for bread and it shal be answered againe by the Nurse I haue none for thee thou must starue for I haue none to giue thee But it is a thousand times more lameÌ„table to heare the soules mone for want of spiritual foode oh what accompt haue they to make vnto God that take the place of spirituall nurses and haue no milke in their breasts that is know nothing to any purpose is it nothing to starue the Lordes people Is the murthering of mens soules no sin before the Lorde O that the smoky Kemarius of this our age as vnpreaching ministers and non-residents and such like did consider well of this pointâ— then would they not leaue their occupations and trades as many haue done and betake them to the ministerie as their last refuge for liuing and maintenaunce sake but they would leaue the ministerie as fast and betake themselues to some other trade of life againe and wish that their heades were fountaines of teares that they might weep day and night for the slaughter and destruction which they haue made of the Lordes people VVhich they were better to doe nowe while the Lorde doeth allot them a time of repentance then heereafter in