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A03717
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Sermons preached at Pauls Crosse and else-where, by Iohn Hoskins, sometimes fellow of New-Colledge in Oxford, minister and Doctor of Law
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Hoskins, John, 1579-1631.
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1615
(1615)
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STC 13841; ESTC S104239
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117,511
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248
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manner you haue heard that those termes of despight and defiance I haue no need of thee and I haue no need of thee might no more bee heard no more spoken euermore be banisht out of all Christian Congregations Therefore as in part hath beene shewed you the manifold Wisedome of God hath manifested it selfe by giuing diuers gifts to his Church as Dauid dedicated to the Temple vessels of gold vessels of siluer and vessels of brasse and as it was the custome of the Roman chiefe Generals when they triumphed and did ascend the Capitoll Bellica laudatis dona dedisseviris Sig. 2. de antiquo iure pro. To bestow warlike gifts vpon men commended and that to seuerall men in seuerall manner as Sigonius sheweth So he that ascended vp on high led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men not to all indifferently but vnto some in greater excellencie and abundance then vnto others Now let mee perswade such in this assembly as thinke they haue receiued little in humility and contentation to conforme their wills vnto his will which hath alotted them at least as themselues imagine but a small proportion It may be like yong Samuel they be but newly dedicated to the Lord and God hath yet but begun with them because they haue yet but begun with him there is a time there are degrees there must be a growth you may not now look for strange motions and sudden inspirations I know the importunitie of some wits haue happily wrested learning from this their Mother in a very short space as the prodigall Sonne did wring his portion out of his fathers hands much good might it doe them and I would to God that they would not as he did his waste it againe in riotous liuing but ordinarily it cannot be expected that a good Scholer should shoot vp in a night like a Mushrum let all the Lullian Mountebanks in the world promise what they will prescribing consâ—â—sed Methods oâ— vniuersall learning monstrously compendious coâ—â— ary to the proprietie of mans limited apprehension that apprehends but one thing at once â—o Gods owne decree and appointment plainâ— contrary The truth we must trust to is that ouâ—comming to the Vniuersitie is not like Cesarâ— expedition Veni vidi vici If wee would bee oâ— the number of the learned wee mâ—â—t bee of the number of them that loue Wisdome Loue Wisdome and she shall preserue thee of the number of them that profane not Wisdome His secret is with the righteous of the number of thâ—m that pray and take paines for Wisdome Assure your selues that when you shal be of the valiant number of those holy Champions whose diligence will encounter difficulties and their deuotion like Iacob wrastle with God himselfe for a blessing hee cannot but performe more vnto you then â—â—neas in the Poet promiseth Nemo ex hoc numero mihinon donatus abibit None of this number shall depart from me vnrewarded For if thou callest after knowledge and criest for vnderstanding if thou seekest her as siluer and searches for her as for treasures then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God then shalt thou vnderstand righteousnesse and iudgement and equitie and euery good path Prou. 2. Only be patient and wait the Lords leysure with a good eye without repining because to grudge at greater gifts is to iudge the greatest giuer This and much more might bee spoken to them that haue receiued little but I know where I stand surely not before many that haue receiued little The greater part I rather beseech with me to surueigh that much which God hath giuen vnto vs aboue all the Land I had almost said all the world besides I doe not bid you as the Psalmist speaketh Psalm 48. Compasse Sion and goe round about it behold and number her Towers marke well the wall thereof that you may tell them that come after Yet though Fathers should hold their peace and not declare it to their children though all the children of the daughter of our Sion should be dumbe and tongue-tied these stones this out-side of our prosperity the very houses of the Prophets might seeme to cry aloud Praise the Lord O Ierusalem Praise thy God O Sion for he hath made the barres of thy gates strong and hath blessed thy children within thee But to step one foot inwards how are our Mothers children blest wherein is our preeminence What is the preferment of an Vniuersity Much euery maner of way chiefly because vnto vs are committed the Oracles of God I confesse we haue not Vrim and Thummim reuelations extraordinary No we are in Canaan that Manna was for the wildernes publick and priuat Lectures publike and priuate Sermons publick and priuate Orations Moderations Disputations may be vnto vs in stead of Oracles Besides in this concourse and confluence of iudgements and inuentions wee might enioy I would we might peaceably enioy an vnspeakeable benefit in mutuall conference But suppose men are men that is meere men wanting that Wisdome from aboue which is as Saint Iames speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated and therefore as wrangling gamesters shew they play for money not for recreation so cauelling conference bewrayes men conferre for credit of victorie not for instruction God of late Sir Tho. Bodley by his faithful seruant whom we are bound to remember in our prayers hath opened a learned consistorie whither wee may appeale from the liuing to the dead shall I say I say from the dead to the liuing from cholerick emulation and contention of wit the dead works of liuing and vnmortified men vnto books of all sorts the liuing labours of good Writers whose passions are buried with their bodies Here here he that runnes may reade that Much is giuen vnto vs. A blessing of blessings my brethren that wee should bee reserued vnto these times wherein the words of Daniel are verified not only for his prophecy but for knowledge in generall Many shall runne to and fro or as Caluin and Polanus reade it Many shall search and knowledge shall be increased Dan. 12.4 Our learning is grafted on the stocke of former ages and all ancient Writers were but our Harbingers so that many conclusions for which no doubt they did sweat and beate their braines wee take ready made for our principles others haue laboured and we haue entred into their labours wherefore vnto vs aboue others much must needs be giuen Many of vs besides which at no time we should forget but at this time more feelingly consider by our Founders allowance are exempted from the sâ—nse yea from the knowledge of publick famine and â—carcitie let him that hath the best conscience tell me whether hee can free himselfe from the sinne that caused it it may be some that haue not the best are free from the punishment I should speake of knowledge but in this plenty of meanes me thinks I may take it for granted that
this babbler say he seemeth to be a setter forth of strangâ— gods may we heare what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is for thou bringest certaine strange things vnto our eares These were not the vulgar but the Philosophers of no vile City but of Athens which was the Greece of that Greece which counted all the world besides their owne inhabitants Barbarians Now if in Israel or in Athens the great things of Gods Law bee accounted as a strange thing wee must not maruell if godly men bee taken for signes and wonders in Israel or in Athens For that they that walke according to the rule should bee deemed miracles where the rule it selfe is taken for an hidden mystery to mee it can bee neither miracle nor mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Peter 1. Pet. 4.4 They thinke it strange you runne not with them to the same excesse of riot The Henne that hath hatched Partridge or Phesants egges seeing them soare aloft looketh strangely after them because she knoweth not that they are of a higher kinde The world that in some such sort hath brought vp Gods children for that which is naturall is first then that which is spirituall when they take a flight somwhat aboue the world standeth amazed because it is ignorant that they are of a better generation thus you haue heard briefly in what sence for what reasons with what consequents the great things of the Law are accounted a strange thing Now let vs bee bold in the conclusion to aske what is the degree of this great Lawes acquaintaÌ„ce in this place whether it haue indeed the sincere welcome of a friend or the sleight and transient remembrance of a stranger amongst vs Act. 28. The Barbarians of Melita shewed Paul no little kindnesse God forbid that our Athens as that Athens of old should vse him like a Barbarian yet other Authors we can learne by heart and haue the Text at our fingers ends but let a Text of Scripture bee pressed vpon our consciences from the mouth of the Preacher Aristotle we know and Plato we know but who are ye Quis nouns hic nostris successit sedibus hospes If we be to speake at home wee would not be thought ignorant of Grammaticall congruities and proprieties things which might be more precisely kept especially in publike without derogation on of granitie or exprobration of curiositie if wee bee to conuerse abroad with others digitum exere peccas the nicest rules of decencie are thought worth the learning things which well vsed serue to stirre vp and maintaine louing kindnesse But not to know Christ is no false Latine sencelesly to wound him thorow with fearefull othes is no breach of good manners our complement is compleate inough without him Alas no negligence or ignorance can make vs bee pointed at for punies or for freshmen here doe I descend too low my brethren and speake I but of trifles Blame your selues then yee that tithe Mint and Rue and Cummin and passe ouer the mightier things of the law When Alcibiades came into a Schoole asking the Schoole-master for one of Homers workes and the Schoolemaster answered hee had none hee vp with his fist and gaue him a sound box on the eare There is a keeper of Israel that with a watchfull eye visiteth howerly the Schooles and Colledges of our Prophets if hee take shall I say thee a Prophet no that were too foule a shame I will not suppose it or once suspect it but if hee take thee a faire Professor of Christianitie without this booke of thy profession though thou presently feele not his hand and thine eares doe not tingle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God shall smite thee thou whited wall But if we haue this booke and for our vse many thousands more liuing for all that like beggers in the middest of our wealth and like strangers amongst our owne seruants what may we nay what may we not feare Moses shall accuse vs the word that Christ hath spoken shall iudge vs Iohn 12. Let vs cast vp our helpes our meanes our prouision so haue we the number of our accusers our walkes our retirednesse our Maintenance our Languages our Lectures our Exercises our Libraries wee cannot reckon them Lord Lord thou knowest we shal reckon for them In that thy day thou maist iustly say vnto vs Depart from me I know you not if in this our day Iob 21. we shall say vnto thee Wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies If it will be no good answere then it is a shift and no good answer now to say I am no Diuine this is none of my profession for all learning as you haue heard without modification hence doth make but strong holds and high things to keepe out such batteries as come not alwaies from our enemies Wee are sheepe and of Christs fold John 10. My sheepe heare my voyce wee are children of Wisdoms houshold Matth. 11. Wisdome is iustified of her children Mich. 2. we would be thought honest men Are not my words good to him that walketh vprightly Wee would be made blessed men Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Law of the Lord. Here then you blessed soules who haue begun to vow and professe in your Christian station to follow this your exercise both day and night let it be your crowne and your reioycing still that your thoughts which are meditations vpon this booke are deemed fits of melancholy which many men scorne and deride that your workes which are your obedience to this booke are supposed paradoxes against which most men dispute eloquently that your speech which is the language of this booke is taken for such a Shiboleth as all the world besides cannot pronounce giue not one foote of ground sticke close to your vowes hold fast your profession Pardon mee brethren I know not how many rules of lesser circumstance I haue broken whilest it hath been my desire to keepe my selfe to this one great one And now that the great things of Gods law may neuer bee accounted a strange thing vnto you let me once for all exhort you in the Apostles words which because they are most naturall for my purpose I wish from my heart may be remembred as the last words vttered in the last breath of a man expiring and departing Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome not lodge for a night like a stranger but like a friend or a brother dwell nor so dwell that the niggardlines of our diligence should afford vs but a scant and sparing measure but plenteously nor so plenteously that it should notwithstanding be vnconceiued or vnapplied misconceiued or misapplied but in alwâ—sdome and the God of all wisdome lead you by the conduct of his spirit in his feare through the knowledge of his will to the fruition of hâ—s glory through Iesus Christ Amen THE CONCLVSION OF THE REHEARSAL SERMON at Pauls Crosse Anno 1614. 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