Gods Church namely that the cause of all euill whether it be error in iudgement or corruption in manners is the ignorance of the Scripture We might well reioyce in the happinesse of our times if we might be occasioned by our peoples experience in the booke of God to say as one said of oâ—d You may saith he see commonly our opinions and rules of religion to be held and maintained not onely by the masters of the Church and teachers of the people but euen by Smithes and Shoo makers and husbandmen and hedgers and heard-men yea and by women and seamsters the comfort which we should take herein should make vs litle to esteem the scoffes of Ismaelitish Papists who obiect it to vs as a matter of disgrace that we haue prophaned the Scripture by making it common to artificers and women Now that which I say of the priuate reading of the scripture I say also of the perusing of godly treatises sermons the like I wish mens care in this kind encreased and I know that thereby there commeth much comfort vnto Gods people But yet I dare not to ascribe that to priuate exercises which by the doctrine of the Scripture belongeth to the publike ministerie namely the begetting of faith and the gathering together of the Saints of God into his Church I find in the holy historie the teaching by the ministerie of man to be preferred before those things to which I suppose no man will dare to equal his owne priuate industry When Christ called Paul from heauen and Paul demanded Lord what wilt thou that I do a man in reason would haue thought that there could haue bene no more excellent means for Pauls instructioÌ„ then if Christ should haue discoursed to him with his owne mouth yet to maintaine the credit of Gods ordinance and to make knowne the blessing that followeth it Paul is commanded to depend vpon the ministery and direction of Ananias Not much vnlike is that example of Cornelius it pleased God to send an Angell vnto him to testifie vnto him the remembrance of his almes and prayers with the Lord why then did not the same Angell proceed to instruct him in the mystery of Christ what credite would the words of so glorious a creature haue caried saith flesh bloud and yet the Lord in his wisedom thought it the most fitting course to put ouer Cornelius to the ministery of Peter Send meÌ„ to Ioppa cal for Simon he shall tel thee what thou oughtest to do to the end that it might appeare that it pleaseth him to vse mans voice as his instrument and to tie our faith vnto it Shall any man dare to put his owne priuate courses of reading into the ballance with publike preaching when as it hath seemed good to the wisedome of God to preferre it in regard of mans vse before the immediate teaching of Christ or the instruction of an Angell Christ a litle before his death among other things whereby he endeuored to comfort the harts of his disciples deliuered to them this promise Verily verily I say vnto you he that beleeueth in me the workes that I do he shal do also and greater then these shal he do It was a promise made vnto the whole Church neither peculiar to the Apostles nor common to euery Christian If any man demaund what be these greater workes which shall be done by men which Christ did not I confesse with the learned that it was in part verified in the myracles of the Apostles as namely in that of Peter who cured the diseased with his shadow which may be thought greater then that of Christ who healed with the touch of his garment yet thereby was chiefly meant the conuersion of the world by the preaching of the Gosspell to which it pleased our Sauior to depute his Apostles and their successors a worke indeed far greater then any of those myracles which he wrought here vpon earth by his owne immediate power His worke it is I confesse the conuersion of sinners for neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth yet he thought it most agréeing to mans infirmitie and weaknesse and the best meanes both for the furtherance of his owne glory and the triall of our obedience to put men in the seruice of his Church that they might pray the people in Christs sted to be reconciled vnto God Who then can without great presumption no lesse contempt of Gods maiesty rely vpon any other meanes for his spirituall edification when as the Lord hath thought it meeter to put his words in the mouth of a man and to be with it theÌ„ to speake from heauen by an immediate voice or to employ those ministring spirits in that seruice which notwithstanding are sent forth for their takes which shall be heires of saluation Great is the benefite of priuate reading especially of the bookes of holy scripture but yet as giuing at endance to reading in a Minister is to make him the better able to discharge his publike dutie in exhortation and doctrine so the chiefe end of priuate searching the scripture by priuate meÌ„ is in respect of the publike ministery that before hand they may be prepared to it afterwards may the better know how to profit by it for the former of these two namely preparation by reading to the publike hearing it is a fit saying of Chrysostome We do sayth he oftentimes tell you before hand the text whereof our purpose is to entreate that in the meane while you taking your booke and weighing the summe and state of the place may make your minds fitter to receiue those points which shal after be deliuered As indéed the ignorance of the people in the language of the scripture and the generall course story of the Bible maketh preaching to be much lesse profitable vnto them Now for the latter to wit the vse of priuat reading for profite after hearing we haue that memorable example of those worthy gentlemen of Berea who hearing the Apostles preach and receiuing the word with all readinesse searched the scriptures dayly whether those things were so Nymph Why but may it be said is not the scripture the ground and foundation of all your doctrine and are you able to say more or to speake better then many both auncient and later learned men whose excellent sermons are put in print and whose godly treatises are extant for the benefite and comfort of Gods people Epaph. If we preach vnto you any other doctrine then that which the scripture will allow we are worthy of Pauls curse we know and confesse the Bible to be the most exact rule and square and canon by which all our sermons must be tried we acknowledge also that holy meÌ„ which haue written touching matters of religion and haue published their wel labored zealously deliuered sermons haue many of them
beginning of the worlds creation God for the manifesting of his owne power and glory made light to be the earth to bud forth before the Sun which to vs is the fountaine of light and the cherisher of the vital heat which is in all things was created yet now God hauing established an orderly course we cannot hope either for light in the ayre or for life among the creatures vpon the earth without the Sun I do apply al these things thus the want of the meanes of publicke preaching in former ages could not be any hindrance vnto God in sauing those which he knew before and who were ordained vnto eternall life And I am out of doubt of it that in the dayes of Popery in this land wheÌ„ the key of knowledge was vtterly taken away and the law perished from the priest counsell from the wise and the word from the Prophet so that if a man did wander from sea to sea and did run to and fro from the North euen vnto the East to seeke the word of the Lord yet he could not find it I say I am cleere in it that many then in that great darknes did as the prouerbe is see day at a very litle hole very straÌ„gely came to the knowledge of the truth some by the sight of some parcels of scripture some by the writings of good men some by conference with others though the same were both very seldom very secret some by knowing little more then the Lords prayer in English yet had they the assurance of the truth of it felt that coÌ„fort receiued the sweetnesse by it that as the histories of the church make mention they were conteÌ„ted to sacrifice their liues to spend their best blood to beare witnes vnto it which the Lord did both that it might appeare to all ensuing ages that he â—ed a small remnant euen as the shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs or a peece of an eare then when as the daugther of Sion was become as Sodome and not much vnlike vnto Gomorâ—hâ— and withal that at the day of Christs appâ—eâ—ng when he shal consume that man of sin with the breath of his mouth and abolish him with the brightnes of his coming he may haue witnesses against him out of all ages both of the deceiuablenesse of his superstitious doctrines of the cruelty of his tyrannous and bloody proceedings That which I say touching the times of the Egyptian darknes of Popery may be said also of many parte of the Realme which notwithstanding the long flourishing of the Gospell in this land yet I know not through whose default neuer enioyed the benefit comfort of setled preaching for though for the most part it be true that where the Lord hath much people there he is not waÌ„ting to send some who may continue with them and teach the of God among them yet as he sometimes vouchsafeth a Preacher to impudent and stif-necked children who will not heare to to that end that in the day of vengeance they may know there hath bene a Prophet among them so also it pleaseth him by secret and hidden yea and very vnlikely courses to affoord vnto some hearts the blessing of inward conuersion vppon whom he hath not bestowed the benefite of outward instruction by a Preacher But what then Yet this remaineth cercertaine that as when the good meanes is wanting and cannot by any meanes be procured the power and mercie of God must not be distrusted so when the meanes is bestowed his bountie cannot without great sin be despised It is herein as it is in the case of the Sacraments it is not simply the want of them when a man cannot though faine he would become partaker of them but the contempt which is damnable As for example if a father vnnecessarily deferre the baptisme of his child longer then the time appoynted by the order of the Church it is a sin in him if the child die without baptisme so likewise for a man vsually to turne is backe from the administration of the Lords Supper making no reckoning of the coÌ„fort offred therein it is doubtlesse a fault which God will not let to go away vnpunished The same may be said of the word preached if a man be depriued of it through a kind of vnauoydable necessitie simply there is no preiudice to a mans saluation thereby if so be these things be ioyned with it first that in this straite the soule do pant after that great benefit of which it is depriued secondly that a man do both desire require that one thing of the Lord euen to behold the beautie of the Lord namely the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the image of God thirdly that he be careful to vse all such helps of reading the scripture and of other godly treatises and of conference with men of knowledge as may possibly be procured But if so be a man may by any meanes enioy the benefite and comfort of preaching though it be with some both charge and trauell if then he carelesly neglect it and trust to other meanes no doubt the Lord will curse those meanes vnto him which for all that in their owne nature are good and might profite if they were not vsed with contempt of the principal This is my iudgment touching this supposal that by pressing the worth of preaching we do confine as it were Gods grace and â—e it to our tongues do cut them short of al hope of saluation which by any occasion haue liued or do liue without it Nymp. Wel sir this kind of men for all this is not satisfied but being beaten by argument and scripture from one fond conceit they forthwith â—un to another and seek not so much how to make a direct reply as to heape vp diuersity of obiections And therfore when they haue said all they can for the pressing of those particulars the vanity whereof you haue layed open to the full then hoping to obtaine that with multitude of words which with waight of reasoÌ„ they cannot they wil needs know a reason why there may not be as much good gotten by their owne priuate reading in the bookes of the scripture and in other good sermons and treatises which are set forth as by hearing a Preacher in the Church Epaph. Touching priuate reading of the scripture I am so far from disliking it any way that with that learned Chrysostome I do alwayes exhort and will not faile in stirring vp the people that they should not onely diligently attend to matters spoken publikely but endeuour themselues also to reade and peruse the scriptures priuatly God forbid I or any other of my profession should maintaine that Popish Maxime that the common vse of the Scripture is the cause of all heresies and not rather the contrary taught by Christ and seconded by the learned in
is a common gift and a facultie of no great note which euery man wel knoweth Let these things I say be put together and you shall find them as a threefold cord not easily broken building vp and strengthening this truth that the man not graced with any more then the power to reade is not the Minister appointed by God for the working of faith in the hearts of his people Againe to presse this place yet further this is the constant doctrine of the scripture that no Minister can haue comfort in the day of the Lord but onely he who is able to say with Ieremie I haue not thrust my self in for a Pastor For wo shall be vnto those of whom the Lord shall say I haue not sent these Prophets yet they ran So that it standeth euery man vpon who desireth that worthy worke the office of an ouerseer in Gods Church to be wel assured of his calling least in the day of suruey it be said vnto him as was said vnto the guest without the wedding garmēt Friend how camest thou hither Or as to the wicked in the Psalm What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth Now by what meanes can a man know himselfe to be sent and called of God to the seruice of his church there is no reuelation to be looked for neither is it to be expected that God should call by some immediate voyce as he did that Prophets or as he did Paul yet there is a meanes and course as certaine herein as if the Lord should say directly by a voyce sounding in our eares Go behold haue not I sent thee It is in this matter as it is in that of election A man that is carefull according to the rule of the holy Ghost to make his calling and election sure must not presume to search the vnsearchable counsels of God neither yet waite for some speciall intelligence from heauen but he must enter into his owne heart and rise vp by degrees from the fruites of sanctification to his being iustified from iustification to his effectual calling from thence to election and from all these conclude eternall glorificatiō in Gods kingdome this is a sure course to be led by the streames vp to the well head Not much vnlike is the course in iudging of a mans calling to the ministery I may in some sort apply the spéech of Paul in another case to this purpose Say not thou that affectest the ministery who shall ascend vp into heauen to assure mée what is Gods purpose touching mée for there is another way The testimonie of thy being sent if thou art sent is neare thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart Inquiry must be made by a man in this behalfe in what measure God hath fitted him to be a minister of the new Testament Now may a man with a safe conscience or with any good ground make himselfe beléeue that God hath sent him and called him to the ministery because he is able to reade distinctly the text of holy scripture Can this one facultie be a sufficient testimonie to a mans owne soule that he is one of the appointed labourers for Gods haruest Shall a man aduenture to vndertake the cure and care of soules vppon so slender preparation Surely for as much as I can conceiue the doctrine of the Scripture describing the office of a Minister is against it This vse I haue made of this place the summe is this the ordinary meanes to beget faith is the hearing of a Preacher sent that is so furnished with gifts sutable to his calling that both in respect of the tenor of his message and his abilitie to manifest the riches of the glorious mysterie of Christ his very feete may deserue to be called Beautifull but neither is bare reading to be numbred among those gifts which might argue a man to be sent neither is it safe for any man to aduenture vpon no better sufficiencie Therefore there is more required in him who must be heard for the breeding of faith then the naked facultie of deliuering to the people out of a booke the letter of the Scripture Nymph But by your leaue sir that which you speake touching sending I feare me how it will be well taken for hath not the Church the power of sending and calling to the Ministery If then a man able onely to reade the scripture be by the Church appointed to that office is not that a suffient warrant to him in this case Epaph. The calling by the Church I acknowledge to be so necessary that without it a setled forme of Church gouernement being established no man is to be reputed a lawfull Minister though he be otherwise of neuer so great sufficiencie God I know calleth men extraordinarily sometimes as namely in the first founding planting of the Church so were the Apostles and Euangelists called and when the Church of God is defaced an vniuersall Apostasie spread ouer it so it is thought they were called who restored the sinceritie of religion after the long night of Popery But this extraordinary kind of calling neuer taketh place but when ordinary calling faileth Now though the calling and allowance of the Church is necessary yet it is not sufficient to the being of a minister The office of the Church is onely to approue it is God that maketh a minister And therefore the Church is tied to a law to lay hands sodainly vpon no man but to proue first and to vse a very precise examinatiō before they separate any mā to the office of a minister The Churches duty is to search out what men the Lord hath chosen to take a part in the ministration I know there may be an error committed herein and men in their choises and elections may be deceiued It fareth many times with the gouernors of the Church as it did with Ioab in the campe When Absolom was slain the army of those which ioyned with him in the conspiracie was ouerthrowne Ioab was purposed by a messenger to informe Dauid of the successe of the battel hereupon one Ahimaaz offered himselfe to be the carier of tidings Ioab put him backe taking another one Cushi to be the fitter for that seruice Ahimaaz notwithstanding continued to importune Ioab What I pray thee if I run also after Cushi And againe Yet what if I runne and neuer left vntil he had obtained licence to run also Hauing gotten this leaue to run he ran by the way of the plaine and ouer-went Cushi and came first to Dauid and made wise as if he could haue told great tidings But when the King came to particulars then he was silent I saw a great tumult but I knew not what The case so standeth many times in the church The spiritual Ioabs the leaders of Gods people intend perhaps to send none but
common in many mens mouthes let them say they preach and we will pray they hope their deuotion in praying will do them more good then all your preaching Epaph. It is a world to sée the cunning of the diuell who goeth about to ouerthrow one holy dutie by another and to oppose those things which ought to go as it were hand in hand together But what thing is there so senslesse whereto ignorance in the Scripture may not be perswaded It is our English prouerbe The blind eateth many a flie and so indeede the ignorant in the booke of God embrace many grosse and ridiculous absurdities for if men knew what the Scripture saith in this case they would neuer cast out such an idle speech Salomon saith He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law euen his prayer shall be abominable What thinke you shall become of their prayers then who resolue not to affoord the vse of their eares vnto Gods word Do they not make a faire hand when by their contempt of preaching they bring a curse vpon their praying Adde hitherto that Paul sayth expresly that as men cannot call on him in whom they haue not beleeued so neither can they beleeue without hearing nor heare without a Preacher Can men credite Paul in this and yet thinke to pray well without the helpe of preaching Surely no. How can men pray aright without knowledge of their owne wants without the apprehension of the promises of God vpon which to build their assurance to be heard and how can they attaine to either of these ordinarily but by the preaching expounding opening applying of Gods word That which men commonly call praying is but a lip-labor consisting in the recitall of a few words the sense meaning whereof is not vnderstood and it is méere babling in the eares of God it may be well called the sacrifice of fooles and it may truly be said of such blind deuotions and tongue-prayers which the heart doeth not conceiue as it was sayd of the hypocriticall ceremoniousnesse of the Iewes The soule of the Lord hateth them they are a burden vnto him he is wearie to beare them I thinke I haue sufficiently discouered the weaknesse of this silly obiection Nymph I praise God I do also see the vanitie of it and I hope I for my part shall learne so to esteeme of preaching as that I shall also reuerence that good meanes which God hath in his wisdome ordained for my help in the performance of that holy dutie that so by often hearing I may learne to pray and by praying I may make good vse of the things I heare Well sir now that you haue armed me against the common pretences of the ignorant sort whereby they make themselues beleeue or rather are made beleeue by the diuell that it is no daunger to contemne preaching I must challenge your promise and craue your helpe also touching another sort of men who as they are ignorant in the matters of God so are they come to a higher degree of hardnesse and haue euen almost taken vp their seate in the chaire of scorners and do not onely not regard preaching which is the fault of those of whom I haue spoken hitherto but scoffe at it and endeuour by lading it with sundry reproaches altogether to disgrace it Epaph. I am as willing to performe my promise as I was to make it and yet I know that in regard of these prophane ones themselues this will be but a thanklesse peece of seruice for a scorner loueth not him that rebuketh him neither will he go vnto the wise Therefore I wil do it rather in desire to satisfie you then in any great hope I haue to reclaime them Nymph Indeed I haue sometimes cast in a word according to my skill when I haue bene in the companie of such and they haue for the most part still shewed themselues like the foole who maketh a mocke of sin to whom it is euen a pastime to do wickedly yet it is good to be able sometimes to answer them according to their foolishnesse least they should be wise in their owne conceit Wel then to come to the matter without circumstance the exceptions of profane men against preaching are diuers some against the persons of the preachers some against the hearers some otherwise as you shal vnderstand in seueral First touching you that are the preachers it is common in their mouthes Who be worse then they If there be any couetousnes or pride or ambition the like where shal you find it but in the Clergie When they are in the pulpit they must needs say somewhat and therfore though when they be there they be very hote and eager against vice yet in their owne courses they are as bad or worse then other men This is one exception Epaph. The answer to this wretched exceptiō not for the waight of argument that it carieth but for the variety of leudnes error which is in it wil diuide it self into many particulars First of all therefore touching them that obiect this they are very properly by a learned man of our times compared to foule gamesters who when they haue lost all at the cards and haue the last dealing in their hands and perceiue that not likely to proue to their mind rise vp in a chafe and fling downe all and say there hath bene foule play playd when indéed the fault is chiefly in themselues so many being naught them selues being as the Apostle speaketh damned by their owne consciences when they haue no other shift crie out vpon Preachers thereby to cloke their owne iniquity therein not much vnlike to him that in a throng at a fair or market bids men beware of the Cut-purse that he in the meane time being a man of the trade may practise his diuing into mens pockets with the lesse suspicion And marke it when you will you shall neuer find them any other then méere sensual men yea and for the most part openly noted for some one bad course or other of drunkennesse oppression vsury couetousnes adultery or the like that make this obiection Secondly because there may be truth in an obiection though there be little truth or honestie in him that maketh it know this therefore for the substance of this cauill that put case it were so which thankes be to God is not so that all Preachers did confute their owne sermons with their euill life and had Esaus hands with Iacobs voice and were like a file which smootheth other thinges it selfe remayning rough yet this could make nothing against preaching For is Physicke naught because many Physitians perhappes liue contrary to their owne rules of phisicke Or is law damnable because some professors thereof do liue lawlesse giuing rules of equity to others themselues keeping none but ill rule No man wil be so without sense to affirme it why thē shal the course of preaching be
set downe the truth of God soundly and bene the meanes of much comfort to well affected people but yet though the doctrine be the same in substance that is read priuately which is publikely deliuered yet the like fruite cannot follow vpon both If you demaund a reason I can giue no better then that which Christ gaue of Gods reuealing those things to babes which he hid from the wise and prudent Euen so it is because the Lord his good pleasure is such When the people of Israel were in their iourney to Canaan and were fed with bread from heauen we read that if vpon the week dayes any man had reserued of the Manna til the morning it was full of wormes and stanke but being kept the day before the Sabbaoth vntill morning it stanke not neither was there any worme therein I would faine sée who could giue me any other reason why the Manna should at the one time corrupt at the other continue swéete but onely this God shewed his power in preseruing it at the one time because it was his own ordinance for the better sanctifying the Sabbaoth and he shewed his iustice in rotting it at the other time because he had forbidden it to teach them to depend vpō his prouidence After the same sort one man he taking himselfe to be a wise man thinking himselfe to be as able to draw good matter out of the books of the scripture and other writings as the best Preacher of them all either contemneth or else neglecteth the publike Ministery Another he in obedience to Gods commaundement VVatcheth dayly at the gates of the Lords house and giueth attendance at the postes of his doores framing all his priuate readings and meditations to the fitting of himselfe for the assembly exercises You will aske me why should the knowledge of the former rot as it were and putrifie and become nothing worth he being a man of good capacitie and vnderstanding reading none but sound authors and the other thriue in knowledge and in the power of godlines that yet for all that learneth no other doctrine then he findeth in his good bookes at home I might happily but verily for mine owne part I will seeke no other answer but this God hath promised to blesse the latter course saying If thou cause thine eares to hearken vnto wisedome and incline thine heart to vnderstanding then thou shalt vnderstand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God But for the other because it is a course of mans owne deuising sauouring of inward pride therefore the Lord turneth it as hee doeth all humane wisedome into foolishnes so that the knowledge so gotten I meane by another by-way not by that old trodē path of hearing either becometh as the Apostle speaketh vaine iangling or els if it be sound in regard of the apprehension of truth yet it swimmeth onely in the braine and neuer worketh to the renewing and seasoning of the heart Nymph There is yet one thing more touching this conceit which men haue to game more by their owne priuate courses then by the publike ministery and that is this men that write write with great deliberation and aduice as for you when you preach you speake many times at aduenture and nothing so iudicially as do those who commit things to writing Besides that many of you are but nouices and yong schollers whom S. Paul seemeth not so well to approue of And for these causes as they must needs be iealous of your iudgement in many things so neither can they receiue that profit by your preaching as they may by priuate reading Epaph. Alas a poore excuse it is true if men write as they ought they write with iudgement and heedfulnesse and so do they also preach with good aduice who haue learned to feare him that hath said Cursed be he which doeth the worke of the Lord negligently I will not go about to patronise the negligence and carelesnesse of any man I wish we would all studie to shew our selues approued vnto God workemen that neede not be ashamed diuiding the word of God aright that so when the fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is ours may abide Yet this I will say that if you compare like with like that is sound writers with sound preachers you shall find the sermons of the one framed with as good iudgement as the bookes and writings of the other And if that be a commendation as I see no reason but it should for a mans labors to smell of the candle no doubt you shall perceiue euen the ordinarie exercises of painefull and conscionable Preachers to sauour of as much art and industrie as the treatises of your most iudicious and grauest writers Neuerthelesse because as the Scripture sayth In many things we slippe all both Preachers and writers both readers of bookes and hearers of sermons therefore there is a necessitie of care and iudgement in those that seeke to reape benefite by other mens labours that like bées they may sucke out the best and sweetest and most wholesome doctrine from them both Now for the youth of many Ministers which men as you say pleade and seeme also to ground their conceit vpon the scripture I answer first that it is greatly to be lamented to sée the ouerforwardnesse of many young men who not considering the weight of that holy calling do sodainly thrust themselues into it and vndertake as the saying is to teach others before they themselues are well instructed so that I do verily thinke there are not at this day more nouices and punies of any profession then there are of the ministerie And for the preuenting of this euill were those decrees of the auncient Councels which set downe a certaine age before which a man was not to be admitted to the office of a Minister or Bishop in the Church Secondly I adde this withall that the graces of God are not to be limited to any age It was a good distinction of the Heathen man betwixt a yong man in yeares and a yong man in conditions It is not méete that yong men should say with Elihu The dayes shall speake and the multitude of yeares shall teach wisedome And yet it must be remembred which is also there noted that it is the inspiration of the Almightie which giueth vnderstanding and that the aged doe not alway vnderstand iudgement Young Dauid by the studie of Gods word may come to vnderstand more then the auncient Paul biddeth Timothy that no man should despise his youth If we shall distinguish the age of man according as some Philosophers did then Timothy could not be aboue fiue and twentie when Paul so wrote vnto him Touching the place it selfe that a Bishop must not be a young scholler it must not be vnderstood of a yong man in yeares but of one lately
the best learned that each time could affoord all these are flowne together into this last age as into a common sewer So that there is not any error which the former times knew and withall condemned to the pit of hell but this our age hath raked it vp againe and set as it were a new glosse vpon it and made it by addition much more dangerous Besides we haue Popery which is a fardle of heresies and the very compound of all the rest Now for the quality of those which are the patrons thereof of Popery especially it is well knowne that though they haue among them as it was said of old many woodden priests all whose learning hangeth at their girdle in their Portuis yet they which in these our times haue put forth themselues to support the drouping and decaying kingdome of Antichrist are no punies but many of them men of excellent wits deepe learning and vnwearied industry by their writings and bookes and disputations making good the saying of our Sauior Christ The children of this world are in their generation wiser then the children of light Now then to discouer the force of my intended reason I draw it to these heads first I know that whosoeuer should vndertake out of the scripture to describe the office of a Pastor he cannot without a palpable betraying of the truth leaue out these two things which I haue named the ability to teach the obedient childrē of the Church and the skill to oppose himselfe against the enemies of the Church Secondly this I know also that he that shall either by discourse examine or by personall eperience try the difficulty of well performing these duties will say with S. Paul VVho is sufficient for these things and acknowledge with Bernard that the ministery is a burden which the Angels themselues may wel tremble at Thirdly I am as cléere in this as in any of the two former that there is no such difficulty in the faculty of reading which as it is the first step to learning so it is of all other things incident to a scholler the most easie So that seeing to hold opinion that an onely reading Minister is a sufficient Minister maketh that calling of all other the most easie which in it own nature as it is described to vs in the scripture is most laborious requiring so studious preparation to it and so great intention diligence in the performance of it I must needes settle my selfe vpon this point perswade others also to it that there is more required in a minister of the new Testament then to reade the scripture though I still hold that a part of his duty and as I haue sayd before a matter very behouefull for the spirituall benefite of Gods Church Nymp. I could easily agree to that which you haue said onely this doubt something stayeth me if you hold no man a full Minister except the same be able to preach what shall we think then of the sacraments administred by such how can they be true sacraments if such be no true Ministers Epaph. For answer to that doubt first this is a true and a receiued rule that a sacrament is not to be estéemed by the hand of him which administreth it neither doeth the dignitie of the deliuerer adde worth to the sacrament nor the indignity lessen the true nature of it Secondly he which hath an outward calling by the Church though happely he be vnworthy and vnméet for the place whereto he is called yet he is to be reputed as more then a priuate man and therefore because by the appointment of the Church he standeth in the roome of a right and lawfull Minister if there be no fault in the substance of the action of administring the sacraments are true sacraments though the party executing that office be not altogether so allowable The Scribes and Pharisées who were the Doctors of the Iewes many of them were of other Tribes then of the tribe of Leui and crept in by corruption and bribery into those places and were of vnsound iudgement in many things as many easily be gathered by the story of the Gospell yet our Sauior willed his Disciples to heare them because they sate in Moses chaire Their entrance was naught yet their ministery was to be esteemed so long as they failed not in the substance thereof And this I thinke may resolue you for that matter Nymphas I will rest satisfied with this answer til I shal find either by mine owne priuate meditation or by conference with others better skilled in these points then I what further to reply I desire to heare you yet further in this matter touching the necessitie of preaching in a Minister Epaph. I am very willing to procéed onely I would haue you to remember what I sayd at my first entrance into this matter namely that I would stand onely vpon proofes of Scripture S. Augustine sayth that that was the auncient order of disputing to haue the bookes of holy scripture by and to stand to the triall thereof And therefore it was an excellent memorable course of Constantine the Emperor who commaunded the Fathers met together in the Councell of Nice to refer that great controuersie then in hand touching the Godhead of Christ to the decision of the Scripture And it is Gods owne voyce that we should to the law and to the testimonie Wherefore wishing you to looke for no proofes from me but such as are fetched out of the scripture I set this downe as my third reason that whereas the Lord made very good prouision for the maintenance of those who were to minister about holy things I find not either in the old or new Testament that any were prouided for by such allowāce but onely such as were able to instruct the people by opening and expounding the law The office of the Leuites in the old law stood vpon two things one was to put incense before the Lords face and the burnt offering vpon his altar therein they were the peoples mouth vnto God the other was to teach Iaakob Gods iudgement and Israel his law in that they were Gods mouth vnto the people for this cause it was the ordinance of God according as I noted to you the place in the beginning of this conference that the Priestslips should preserue knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth for sayth the text he is the messenger of the Lord of hoasts that is one appointed to be the opener and declarer of the will of God among the people And lest any man should thinke that the law which the people were to seeke at the Priestes mouth was nothing but the bare letter and written text of the law we may remember first that the people had the frée vse of the law in their priuat houses so that they had no such neede to seeke that at the Priests hands Secondly that it was the
secondly cauillers and lastly iudiciall and carefull hearers The ignorant are as vncertaine touching that which we call the scripture whether it be be the word of God as they be touching our preaching they haue no assurance of it but tradition and report which is a poore certainty they haue as good an opinion of the Apocripha books as of the other which we call canonical Besides that it is buzzed into many of our common peoples eares by whispering Papists it is thereby become ordinary in many mouthes here in the country that our Bible is no true Bible and that our translation is iustly to be doubted of Secondly those that are possessed with a humor of cauilling may as wel demand how they know the scripture to be scripture those things to be true which are writtē in it as how they may be resolued that our preaching is the truth Thirdly your best hearers which heare as Christ sayth with a good and an honest heart to them the certainety of the truth in the written text and in the sermon is both alike for as they haue a certaine secret teaching by the spirit of God which S. Iohn calleth by the name of an ointment from him that is holy whereby they are perswaded of the truth of the scripture and do account it the oracle of God in respect whereof they are said to be taught by God and Austine sayth God speaketh to our hearts so also they are enabled by the same spirit to iudge of that doctrin which they heare by the scripture and equally to embrace points confirmed by it and those which are expresly and in so many words reuealed in it So thē there is no more certainty of the text then of the doctrine preached out of the text Those which are ignorant or dispose to cauill are doubtful of both alike for the one are blockish know nothing the other are humorous and will be satisfied with nothing Again those which are Gods children are alike assured of both of the text by the secret perswasion of Gods spirit of the doctrine by triall taken of it by the text I remember a saying of S. Hieromes I know sayth he that I otherwise esteem of the Apostles then of other treatisers the Apostles I know spake alwayes the truth the other as men in many things were deceiued The spéech may well be applied to this purpose the books of holy Scripture we must yeeld consent vnto them without refusall because it is certaine that they are all giuen by inspiration of God so that there is nothing in them of any priuate motion but as for the writings and preachings of men they are not to be credited before they be tried whether they are of God Thus much willingly is acknowledged but yet after this triall made and by the dayly searching of the scriptures those things which in preaching are deliuered are found to be so then the doctrines though drawne out of the text by the art and wit of man and otherwise amplified enlarged and vrged by the helps of learning are not to be called the opinions of a man but the words of God It is a good rule of the learned that those points which are collected out of the scripture are of like authority with those which are directly writtē in it Whē Paul being at Thessalonica went into the synagogue of the Iewes and disputed with them by the scriptures I hope no man wil say but that those things which he by argument discourse drew out of the writtē word were of equal authority with points expresly mentioned Paul pleading before Agrippa stood stiffely to the iustifying of his doctrine because he had said no other things but those which the Prophets Moses did say shold come His doctrine was the same with the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets yet not in words but in sense and substance And the same Apostle is not afraid to call his preaching The counsell of God though it were in regard of the tenor and course of speech differing from the expresse letter of the text If it shall be said vnto me that there is a difference betwixt our sermons and Pauls I willingly confesse it but yet I say that euen Pauls sermons were subiect to the like triall that ours be as appeareth by the practise of the Noblemen of Beraea And therefore as his preaching was not to be estéemed as the word of God till triall and being tried was equally to be reuerenced as the written word it selfe so neither are our sermons to be by and by credited vpon our bare word but to be thoroughly examined but being once found to hold at the touch-stone then they are so to be reputed Gods word that it may be safely said He that despiseth them despiseth not man but God And indéed vnlesse we shall giue equall credit and respect to matters soundly proued by scripture and to points expressed in it we shall hazard the truth of many and the same no pettie principles of Religion which I know are substantially confirmed by the scripture but yet are not word for word so to be found in the sacred text as we maintaine them And this I think may be a sufficient answer to this obiection Tell me I pray you how you do conceiue it Nymph As far as I can coniecture your answer is this that when that course of due triall which is meete is taken touching things taught by preaching then the scripture being found to giue allowance to thē there is as great assurance of the authoritie of the one as of the other and that is as much to be accounted the word of God which the scripture warranteth as that which by name in so many words it expresseth Epaph. That is indéede the summe of the answer to which if you will you may adde this that by preaching men come to be better assured of the authoritie of the scripture for the better they vnderstand it the more comfort they find in it and the more they feele the power and working of it all which by the blessing of God are the effects of preaching the more are they assured that the scripture is the very thing which it is said to be euen a perfect pure and sweete doctrine conuerting the soule reioycing the heart and able to make a man wise vnto saluation It is truly said that the Scripture standeth not in reading but in vnderstanding What shall it auaile men to cary a kind of conceipt of some diuine authoritie to be in the Scripture so long as they are ignorant of the mysterie of it and without any apprehension or tast of the comfort which is intended in it Nymph I am sory that I am constrained to make you tary so long in this matter and that so much the rather because there are many other things yet behind wherein I am as desirous of your