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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21041	Tvvo treatises. The one, a most fruitfull exposition vpon Philemon: the other, the schoole of affliction. Both penned, by the late faithfull minister of Gods Word, Daniel Dyke, Bachelor in Diuinitie: published since his death by his brother, I.D. minister of Gods Word	Dyke, Daniel, d. 1614.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.	1618 (1618)	STC 7410; ESTC S100162	203,709	388

Epistle or Booke of a more inferiour argument lesse respecting the whole body of the Church should haue beene framed by the motion of Gods Spirit What a folly then is it for vs to imagine that Gods eye being vigilant and watchfull in looking to Bookes of lesse vse should be so heauy and drowsie when Bookes of greater vse should haue beene preserued As though he that is carefull for the safe custodie of common pieces of siluer would be negligent in looking to some rare or rich Iewell or precious stone Wee may then by this small Epistle written of so small a matter and yet remayning more then probably gather that either there were no such Bookes euer written as they say are lost or else if there were that they were not Canonicall This doctrine of the Canon entirely preserued S. PAVL plainly confirmeth Rom. 15. saying Whatsoeuer was written was written for our learning Now if some of the Canon be lost what learning can we possibly gather out of it Besides in these Bookes we haue we want nothing as in many bookes of the Heathen which are maymed and imperfect sometimes without head sometimes without taile the iniquitie of the times dealing with them as the King of Ammon with DAVIDS Embassadors But here is no such clipping or curtayling of the Scriptures here be no libri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here comes in no Desunt per pauca Desiderantur nonnulla Those bookes wee haue wee haue whole and entire no one sentence no one piece of a sentence is wanting Now how is it likely that that God who would not suffer the least tittle to be blotted out of these Bookes we haue would yet suffer whole Bookes to be razed out at once out of the number of the Canon What hath the prouidence of GOD lesse respected his owne Bookes then the Paynims whereof though many be gone yet not without some reliques and fragments still remayning But here Time which was more fauourable to their bookes nibbling vpon them and as a Moth consuming them by little and little here a piece and there a piece deales farre more vnmercifully with the Scriptures as a Lyon crushing them in pieces at the first with a wide gaping throat as an open sepulchre deuouring and swallowing downe in great gobs whole bookes at once In so much that the least footsteps of them are not to be seene I dwell the longer in this point because it is of such singular vse and comfort For first this care of God in preseruing his Word Vse 1 setteth out and commendeth vnto vs his care for the preseruation of his Church which is vpheld and maintayned by this Word Wherefore so long as we see Gods prouidence so carefully watching ouer the Scriptures we may put our selues in assured hope that he will neuer faile nor forsake his Church If he meant to do so to what end should the Scripture serue There is no vse of them out of the Church for the benefit of the Church doubtlesse are they kept not for Turks and Canibals As long then as wee see the Word of GOD continuing so long may wee assure our selues that God will still continue a remnant at the least of his Church and a holy Seed which shall be fed and fatted with this wholesome food whereof at the first it was made And as this doctrine is comfortable to the whole Church in generall so likewise to euery member thereof in speciall who here-hence haue this gracious and sweet Meditation yeelded vnto them What hath GOD beene so carefull to keepe his Word written with inke in Parchment so pure so perfect notwithstanding the endeuours of Satan to mayme and mangle yea to corrupt and adulterate it O then will hee not much more hauing written his Law in our hearts by the finger of his owne Spirit maintaine this his owne handy-worke and writing against all the dashes blots and blurs which Satan and our owne corruption make continually to deforme yea and if it were possible wholy to deface and raze out this holy writing If the Word of God printed in books after the same manner that the word of men is could neuer yet be obliterated much more then shall the same Word after a wonderfull and extraordinary manner printed and stamped in the fleshly tables of our hearts retayne there his forme and figure for euer as being written with an indeleble Character Thirdly The holy Ghost both first of all exciting 3. The honour that God doth repenting sinners and stirring PAVL to the writing of this Epistle for ONESIMVS as also guiding and gouerning of him in the writing of it we may obserue the great honour that was done to this poore seruant now repenting and becomming the seruant yea the freeman of Christ The holy Ghost himselfe writes a letter in his behalfe to his Master for it was not so much PAVLS doing as the Spirits PAVL wrote but the Spirit indited If wee can get the Kings letter to some that may doe vs good we thinke it a great fauour and our selues much honored What a honour was this then for ONESIMVS to haue the great King of Heauen and Earth to set his holy Secretarie PAVL on worke in writing and his owne Majestie in inditing this letter for him This teacheth vs that the Lord is no respecter of persons but that according to his promise he will honour them that honour him be they neuer so base and dishonourable in the world euen bond-slaues as this ONESIMVS was As on the contrary he will bring shame and reproch vpon them who feare not to dishonour him though neuer so honourable outwardly in the Word What then though thou art small and despised though thou hast but the low degree of a seruant be not discomfited euen so was ONESIMVS yet honouring the Lord by his vnfained repentance see how the Lord honours him taking the paines himselfe to write this Epistle for him and thereby eternizing his memorie to all posterities Many great and mightie Monarchs are dead and rotten and their names are dead with them it is not so much as knowne whether there were such men on the earth in whom is verified that of the Psalmist Psal 37. 35 36. But ONESIMVS a base slaue hath a name of eternall and that most happie memorie giuen him So that wheresoeuer this Epistle shall come this which the Holy Ghost hath done for him shall be spoken of for a memoriall of him The like through Gods gracious prouidence hath befalne many other poore ones in this world as the Woman that powred the Oyntment on Christ RAHAB SIMON of Cyrene diuers others who though otherwise ignoble and obscure yet are now true Canonized Saints indeed hauing their names registred and recorded in Gods owne holy Canon Whereas according to that of the Psalmist Princes themselues haue had contempt powred vpon them contemning God and haue beene quite forgotten forgetting the Lord. Thus the Lord knoweth how to depresse and debase the

thing better because Gods Spirit hath not gone with the affliction to put life and spirit into it as Moses obserued in the Israelites Deut. 29. 2 3 4. Yee haue seene saith he all that the Lord hath done before your eyes in the Land of Egypt the great tentations which thine eyes haue seene c. Yet the Lord hath not giuen you a heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day And Dauid complaines also of them Psal 106. 7. Our Fathers vnderstood not thy wonders in Egypt They saw them but vnderstood them not because God gaue them not an vnderstanding heart The second point is The lessons taught this blessed man by the two former Schoolemasters Whom thou teachest What In thy Law Here obserue generally what it is which afflictions Doct. or God by afflictions teacheth his children euen the selfe same thing which he teacheth in his Word as the Schoolemaster teacheth his scholler the same thing by the rod which hee teacheth by words The Word then is the storehouse of all instruction Looke not for any new diuers doctrine to be taught thee by affliction which is not in the word For in truth herein stands our teaching by affliction that it fits prepares vs for the Word by breaking subduing the stubbornnesse of our hearts and making them plyable and capable of the impression of the Word Wherefore as the Apostle saith that the Lawe is our Schoolmaster to Christ Gala. 3. because the Law by shewing vnto vs our disease forceth vs to the Physician So likewise it may be said that afflictions are Schoolmasters to the Law For whilst we are at ease and in prosperity though the sonnes of thunder terrifie vs neuer so much with the fearefull cracks of legall menaces yet are we as deafe men nothing moued therewith But when we are humbled and meekened by affliction then is there way made for the terrors of the Law then doe wee begin with some reuerence of attention to listen and giue eare vnto them When therefore God sends vs any affliction we must know that then he sends vs to the Law and to the Testimony For he teacheth vs indeed in our affliction but it is in his Law And therfore if in our affliction we wil learne any thing we must take Gods booke into our hands and carefully seriously peruse it And hereby shall it appeare that our afflictions haue been our Teachers if by them wee haue felt our selues stirred vp to greater diligence zeale and reuerence in reading and hearing the Word Wee see then the generall lesson which affliction teacheth namely that which is in the Law But this generall comprehends within his large circuite many specialls worth the knowing In speciall therefore to consider of the particular lessons which affliction teacheth those whom it maketh blessed wee must knowe that they are very many They may be reduced to two heads according to the sorts of the schollers that learne which being Afflictions lessons 2. of two kinds either such as are to be conuerted or such as are already conuerted answerably are the lessons taught some for the one sort some for the other 1. For the first sort Those who are yet to bee conuerted They by their afflictions are taught this 1 To the vnconuerted one worthy lesson worth all the lessons in the world namely to conuert turne to the Lord to repent and belieue the Gospell This affliction teacheth vs not of it selfe for of it selfe it teacheth vs rather aversion from God then conuersion vnto God of it selfe it rather driues vs further frō then drawes vs neerer vnto Christ But onely by accident and occasionally euen as the Law shewes vs Christ which of it self shewes vs nothing but damnation For in this very point as in many others affliction is the Deputy and Vicar of the Law working with vs in the selfe same manner For it is that hammer that breakes our rocky hearts and makes them to see and feele euen by our own experience how vile and miserable we are and so when we are thus brought to the sight of our own misery by sin God who can draw forth water euen out of the rock takes occasion thereby to stir vp in our hearts a serious consideration of and an earnest desire after that remedy of our misery which is propounded in the Word This lesson did Manasses learne in the schoole of affliction being before a very monster of men The prison was a meanes of his spirituall enlargement The bolts of iron wherwithall he was fast fettered and deteyned vnder the power of his aduersaries vnlosed the bonds and fetters of sinne wherewithall he was held captiue vnder the dominion of Satan Thus was it also with the Iaylor Act. 16. vnto whom the danger of his outward man was a happy meanes of the safety and saluation both of his outward and inward man The sword wherewithall he would haue thrust himselfe thorough vvas that which whetted and sharpned the sword of the Spirit to enter piercingly and deeply into his heart and conscience A scholler of the same forme was Paul Act 9. who when he was vnhorsed by Christ and striken downe to the ground and smitten with blindnesse then euen by meanes hereof was spiritually lift vp to the high dignity of a sonne and seruant of God His bodily blindnesse opened the eyes of his mind and made him in meeknesse of spirit to humble himselfe vnder his hands whom he was persecuting and to say Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe It were to be wished that afflictions might finde such happy schollers now a dayes amongst vs that by them our eares as Iob speakes being opened to discipline being before vncircumcised and shut vp we might iustly say with Paul 1 Cor. 11. that we are iudged heere that we should not be iudged heereafter Then might wee safely assume to our selues the blessednesse heere spoken of when being chastized wee haue also beene taught of the Lord to abhorre our former sinfull wicked courses and in truth of heart to turne vnto the Lord. But it is farre otherwise mens hearts are like the Smiths stith the more God strikes them with his iudgements the harder they are like to those Iewes Amos complains of in his fourth chapter I haue sent these and these iudgements as pestilence famine sword yet haue not turned vnto mee And why should yee bee smitten any more since yee fall away more and more Isay 1. 5. Such Non-Proficients are our vnconuerted ones in this schoole of affliction For he that profiteth in this inferiour schoole stayes not long here but is presently sent to an higher schoole euen the schoole of Christ himselfe And then oh thou wicked wretch shalt thou shew thy selfe a good scholler of thine affliction when by it thou art made a Disciple of Christ For this is all this Vsher teaches thee to enter into the schoole of the Arch-Teacher IESVS CHRIST Then therefore hast thou learned thy

TWO TREATISES THE ONE A most fruitfull Exposition vpon PHILEMON THE OTHER The Schoole of Affliction Both penned By the late faithfull Minister of Gods Word DANIEL DYKE Bachelor in Diuinitie Published since his death by his Brother I. D. Minister of Gods Word LONDON Printed by G. P. for Robert Mylbourne 1618. TO THE RIGHT Honourable and most vertuous Lady the Lady LVCIE Countesse of BEDFORD Right Honourable NEuer did any time afford so great a multitude of Bookes so great a throng of Writers as these present daies wherin we liue So that no lesse wisedome seemes to be required of a Reader in the choice of his Author then of a Writer in the choice of his matter I would not be so construed as if I taxed any for their writing for what if all the Lords people could prophecie And how were it to be wished that many worthy ones who confine their gifts within their parochiall bounds would giue their labours the liberty of the ayre and walke of the whole Church But if in this great variety any should be puzzeld and at a set where to bestow his time and reading if my poore counsell were worth the giuing I should aduise such whose callings and conditions giues them not the leasure to turne ouer euery mans leaues to make choice of such who may helpe and direct them in the vnderstanding of the Booke of God Like to that of our Sauiour to Martha it may be said to many both Writers Readers They trouble them selues about many bookes but One booke is necessary that Booke which is able to make vs wise to saluation If Luthers loue to this booke and the reading of it made him hate his own Ego odi meos libros et saepe opto cos interne quod metuo ●e morentur lect●●es a lectione ipsius Scripturae quae sola onmis sapientiae sons est Luther in Genes 19. bookes and wish them lost which yet were of so excellent vse and for which the Church stands so much bound to God then how much more would hee not onely haue hated but accursed not onely those bald and base pamphlets the scurse of scald scabby heads but euen a number of Authors who though they haue haply their vse yet their huge voluminous compositions swallow and drink vp either all or too much of that time which were to be redeemed for the Scriptures vse and search Surely if the Scripture be that onely booke vpon vvhich our day and nights studies must be spent Iosh 1. 8. then should such Authors as vnclaspe the same be most welcom to vs and haue the precedency in our choice Of this nature is this booke wherewithall I am bold to present your Honour presuming in that respect vpon so much the greater acceptance In the perusall whereof as you shall meet with diuerse passages not vnprofitable so amongst others with one short one the tedder of the text not giuing larger liberty concerning the right and religious gouernment of a family A point of great consequence and vse for all but for none more then great persons whom God hath betrusted with the gouernment of great families Philemons house is here honoured with the title of a Church To the Church that is in thine house Most great houses haue the ornaments of Chappels but few the honour of Churches So irreligious and irregular are the followers of many great personages that they seeme to metamorphose their Masters houses as the Iewes did the Lords House which should haue been an house of prayer into a den of thieues Yea so prodigiously inordinate are the courses and carriages of some families that a man in regard of their retinue may iudge the Prophets curse to be fallen vpon them Namely That Ziim doe lodge there and that their houses are full of Ochim or of dolefull creatures Ostriches dwell there and Satyres dance there Iim and Dragons are in their pleasant Palaces Esay 13. 21 22. And this plague that great houses are haunted with such vncleane spirits whence comes it but from a double neglect in Gouernours either in the chusing or ordering their seruants In the choice of seruants what is lesse regarded then the Truth and Power of Religion Most chuse as Salomon did Ieroboam 1. King 11. 28. he saw that the young man was meet for the worke and therefore entertained him into his seruice But with what issue He wrought a mischiefe to and against his house It had beene happy for Salomons house that a man of more conscience though of lesse skill had been retained How many scruple not to entertaine very Ieroboams so be it they be meet for their worke though otherwise their religion be either a Popish puppet and calfe-worship or a flat irreligion The world is not so empty and barren but it is possible if care were had to finde Skill and Conscience Ability and Honestie matcht in one and the same scruant But in the ordering of families is as foule a neglect whilst most masters are of Sallioes faith that matters of faith and religion belong not to their cure Hence is it that they neither constraine them to the true seruice of God nor restraine them from Popery profanenesse dissolute disordered life Ioshuaes resolution I and my house vvill serue the Lord is growne out of credit with the world Let a seruant faile in the carelesse performance of his place in the neglect of his Masters profit nay if but a paltry dog or hawke be vnfed or misdieted oh the tragedies oh the blusters and terrible thunder-cracks of fierce and furious language that ensue But let a seruant be ignorant a neglecter or despiser of Gods worship a swearer a Sabbath-breaker a drunkard an vncleane person yet I will not say against such there is no law but against such there is no anger no rebuke no censure no making the family Church-like in the excommunication and eiection of these Satyres and Ostriches All such Gouernors are as farre from the honour as the practice of Philemon Whose example if happily any great Ones should conceit to be too lowe for their imitation though the meanest of the Scripture-Saints are patternes for the greatest may they be pleased to remember not onely those ancient Precedents Abraham Ioshua and Dauid all three honourable in this particular but to looke a little neerer their owne dayes to a man of their owne ranke I meane that right religious and worthy Prince of Anhalt of whom Melancthon reports That his Chamber Cubiculū eius erat Templum Academia Curia Nam ibi haec fiebant quotidie pre●●●io lectio scriptio et deliberationes de gubernatione Melanct de Georgio Principe Anhaltino in praefat 5. Tomi oper Lutheri was a Church an Vniuersity and a Court. Besides the dispatch of ciuil businesses there was daily praying reading writing yea and Preaching too For so Scultetus reports of him I doe not thinke that this noble Earle hauing a Church for God in his Chamber suffered a