A SERMON PREACHED In the FRENCH CHURCH in LONDON On the 29. day of August 1652. At the Imposition of Hands on Mr. Stouppe By JOHN BULTEEL Minister of the Word of God With the Action and Circumstances thereof LONDON Printed by T.M. for Edward Archer and are to be sold at the Sign of the Adam and Eve in Little-Brittain near the Church 1654. To his Reverend and honoured Brethren The Pastors Elders and Deacons of the French-Church in London Reverend and Honoured Brethren THe Ambassadour of the Emperour of Germany who was sent to the great Emperor of the Turks writes that he saw at Constantinople an Embleme represented on a piece of Tapestry made of an exquisite work containing four Candlesticks with four Candles which represented four sorts of Religions as namely the Heathenish the Jewish the Christian and the Mahometan Three of these candlesticks were turned topsie turvie with their three Candles extinguished but the fourth Candlestick stood upright with its Candle burning There was this Arabicall Inscription This is the true Light thinking to make to world to believe that the Mahometane Religion is the onely and true light and that the three other lights extinguished are false ones But we know that the Christian Religion is the onely and true Light represented and presented not in nor by the books of the Philosophers nor in the Talmud and Cabala of the Rabbins nor in the Alcoran of the Mahumetans but within and by the holy Scripture which represents and presents unto us our Lord Jesus Christ the true light who lighteth every man that cometh into the world that whosoever believes in him and follows him shall not walk in darknesse but have the light of life It is he that is in the midst of the golden candlesticks who hath in his right hand seven stars out of whose mouth issueth a sharp two edged sword wherewith he smites the Nations whose countenance is as the Sun-shine in his strength It is that Jesus Christ the Son of righteousnesse who by his beams doth inlighten the starres who are the Angels of the Churches it is he that walks amidst the golden Candle sticks which are the Churches and doth enlighten them by his holy word which is a lamp unto their feet and a lantern of light unto passengers in the dark nights on sea which doth enlighten them within the glittering rayes of his holy spirit It is that divine word that glistering light of the Old and New Testament of the Law and of the Gospel carried by the Torch-bearers the excellent and holy Prophets Apostles Evangelists and Ministers of the word of God But the world of unbelievers whether Heathens Hereticks or Prophane persons hath not known nor received this marvellous light of this sacred word but hath rejected it indeavoured to exinguish it either in whole or in part The Pagans have rejected the holy Scripture altogether The Manichees have refused all the old Testament The Ptolemaits have rejected the five books of Moses which the Sadduces did onely imbrace refusing all other books of the old Testament The Anabaptists reject the book of Ecclesiastes the canticle of Canticles Porphyrius did refuse the book of the Prophet Daniel and the Nicolaitans did the like of the Psalmes of the royall Prophet David The Jews reject all the New Testament The Ebionites have onely Saint Matthews Gospel and Cerinthus approved that of Saint Mark Cerdon that of Saint Luke the Valentinians did onely imbrace that of Saint John and the Tatians onely the book of the Acts of the Apostles These are those that have blot out the passages of holy Scripture which were contrary to their opinions and practises Mareion the Heretick did blot out the passages of Luke and John and of the Apostles Epistles that maintained the Deity and humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ The Papists do raze out many sentences that repugne their false dogmes and among others the second Commandement of the Morall Law Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image c. is left out as appears in many of their Printed books But behold a strange case that among those of the reformed Religion there are some here in England that have caused some Passages of the holy Scripture to be razed out that were written on the walls of Churches As for Example there was a suffragant of the Archbishop of Canterbury who a little before these troubles did excommunicate two Churhwardens because they had not blotted out that notable and true sentence written on the wall of the Church where he kept his Spirituall Court My House shall be called the House of prayer but ye have made it a den of thieves yea there was at the same time a Bishop in England who caused the Clark of a Parish in his Diocesse to blot out that Divine sentence written on the wall just right over the Ministers pulpit Necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel An insupportable boldnesse and which cannot be paralelled these persons would in all appearance have indeavoured to have blotted these Divine Sentences out of the books of holy Scripture if it had been in their power Cumanus a Heathen Governour of the Romanes caused a Romane Souldier to be beheaded for tearing the books of Moses at the Sack of a city to appease the tumult of the Jews who were scandalised thereat Surely God saith in the Apocalipse chap. 22.19 If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City Now whereas I have expounded in your Church the aforesaid passage of the 1 Corinth 9.16 For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of for necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto if I preach not the Gospel I do represent and present the Sermon unto you because it is due unto you having been the occasion thereof for being requested by Letters signed by the Pastor and some of the Elders and Deacons of your Church in the name of them all to come to London to assist to the examination of the Honoured brother Mr. Stouppe where divers reverend brethren Ministers did assist with the Elders and Deacons of the Coetus of the Dutch and French Churches of London and having heard him both in his Sermon ad Clerum and his Latine Theses as also in his Answers to what objections soever were propounded unto him the company did receive such contentment and satisfaction as he was judged able and capable to be received and confirmed in the holy Ministry Yee did me the honor to request me to preach and perform the Action on the day of his Ordination at which assisted the Reverend Brethren Mr. Calendrin Pastor of the Dutch Church and Mr. Cismer Pastor of your Church we all three together gave the Imposition of hands on the said honoured brother Mr. Stouppe Now I put this Sermon in print
his Chaplain who said that he would have nothing but his little pretty Gods book And is it not sufficient said the martyr for our salvation yes said he it is sufficient for our salvation but not for our instruction O replyed the martyr God send me the salvation and you the instruction and truly if it be sufficient for the one it is also for the other for in the 13th v. of the same chapter it is able to make thee wise unto salvation and that not onely the man of God the minister the Doctor but also the simple the ignorant it maketh wise the simple Psal 19.8 for if it appertains onely to the learned and wise to read the Scriptures it appertaineth to none for no body is learned and wise before he hath read the holy scripture We read not the word of God because we are learned and wise but to become so It is that holy scripture which is stiled a long Epistle which the Creator sends to the creature the Testament of God the son and the Library of God the holy Ghost the book of the love of God the mirror of mans miserie and of divine grace the rich treasury of the King of glory wherein the spirituall manna and the water of life are to be found the Arsenall and Armoury of the faithfull a sword with two edges a touchstone of truth a lantern to our feet and an anchor in the time of tempest yea the sacred Scripture is called a Paradise God saith Ambrose walked of old in Paradise and now God walketh in Paradise when I read the sacred Scripture Genesis is a Paradise Deuteronomy is a Paradise the Gospel is a Paradise unto me c. and truly well may it be called a Paradise for the faithfull cannot find a pleasanter place than in the Paradise of holy Scripture where the tree of knowledge is not that was forbidden but that which is appointed of God for the elect where standeth in the mids thereof the tree of life which is Christ the door whereof is not kept by Cherubims with the fiery sword but is opened unto all that are hungry there are the rivers of lively waters to refresh those that are a thirsty there are trees planted by God that is the Patriarks prophets and Apostles where the aire is calm the sweet aire and refreshing breathing of the Holy Ghost it is there where the voice of God is heard not calling Adam where art thou but inviting all sinners unto him Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest leading them directly unto the tree of Life refreshing them and comforting them The Garden of Eden out of the which Adam was thrust forth had but the shadow of the true solide and sweet pleasures which the faithfull do enjoy in this Garden of holy Scripture wherein they hear the voice of God see the apparition of Angels are conversant with the holy Patriarks and Prophets and Apostles yea with Christ himself and do feed with great delight on the fruit of the tree of Life and therefore let us content our selves with this Paradise and contain our selves within the limits and close of the holy Scripture without going for h out of it Again the sacred Scripture is compared unto a Map containing a description of the place of our sojourning here in this vale of misery of our journey towards our heavenly Jerusalem containing all things necessary for us in this our pilgrimage both for our instruction and provision as also for our salvation Beyond this sacred Scripture and without the Map thereof there are nothing but uncertain and unknown things The Cosmographers who describe the world are wont to place in the lower most part of their Maps the far distant Regions and unknown unto them these words Terra incognita and say beyond these Countries are nothing but wildernesses of sand without water full of foul wild and venomous beasts or ponds of unnavigable mud or Scithia unhabited for cold So beyond the sacred Scriptures there are nothing but unknown Lands desarts full of sands of humane traditions stinking pools cruell and venomous beasts that is to say of false opinions and detestable heresies unknown and doubtfull wayes Beyond this holy Scripture there is nothing but Scriptura incognita the unknown Scripture and unwritten word dangerous gulphs where the anchor of our faith can take no hold where all our sounding plummets are too short and cannot sound the bottome thereof and where we must of necessity make shipwrack of our faith and therefore we must of necessity keep our selves within the Mâ—p of the holy Scripture the Sea-mans compasse the rule of sobriety the bridle of our discourse the limit of our faith lest we be tossed and cast upon some unknown coast and so perish we rest our selves in the haven of the true faith saith Austine where no tempest of troublesome curiosity or of false doctrine can either trouble us or at least drown us and therefore let us be strong in faith and hold that which we have as Christ exhorts the angel of Thyatira let us hold stedfast that which we have received and continue fast and constant in the Doctrine that we have which is the true and old Doctrine and not new as that of the Hereticks For we may demand of the Hereticks and with good ground as Optatus did of the Donatists an account of the beginning of their Chair to wit of their Doctrine which like unto Jona's gourd came up in a night and perished in a night having taken their beginning and birth since few dayes Now if they demand where is the beginning of our Chair or Doctrine we answer in the and from the sending of the Apostles if again they ask a testimony thereof we will produce the same Doctrine which the holy Scripture contains which resounds in our pulpits which sounded or rather thundred in the Chair of the Apostles The antient Heathens believed and held that the fountain Arethusa which did spring out in Syracusa in Sycilie was the river Alpheus by what argument could they be perswaded that the same water which loseth it self in the sea or under the mediterranean sea could in so long a space spring and rise up from the Land of Moreah as far as Sycily because that those things that were cast into that river were found again by the means of the said fountain in Syracusa Even so we affirm that our Chair or doctrine hath taken its beginning from the time of the Apostles although it hath been mixed or swallowed in the sea of this unclean world full of corruptions of false Doctrine and manners because it brings back unto us that precious pearl carried away and as it were ingulphed into the bottome of the sea by the power partly of error partly of persecutions but from the presence of those only unto whom God hath sent the efficacy of error because they would not receive the love of truth that thereby
propoundeth in the ninth Chapter of this first Epistle to the Corinthians he sets forth unto us explicitly and implicitly two sorts of Pastors The one sort of Pastors are such of whom an ancient Father speakes namely Chrysostome there are many and there are few many by name but few in effect who have the charge to preach the Gospel but do not preach it b Isa 65.10 They are watchmen that are blind they are dumb dogs that cannot bark as the Prophet Isaiah styles them and therefore wo unto them because they preach not the Gospel as the Apostle teacheth us covertly and implicitly in this sixteenth verse of our Text. The second sort is of those that are Pastors not onely by name but also in effect whom the Apostle subdivides in two ranks The one that preach the Gospel but against their will though the dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto them c Cor. 9.17 in the 17 verse of this Chapter as the Prophet Jonas who preached the word of God to the Ninivites against his desire and as it were perforce The others that do preach the Gospel willingly whom the Apostle doth again subdivide into two ranks Such as do preach the Gospel willingly and live of the Gospel for the labourer is worthy of his hire and Saint Paul in the d 1 Cor. 9.19 14 verse of this chap. even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel So Saint Peter and the brethren of our Lord Jesus and the rest of the Apostles preaching the Gospel have lived of the Gospel as the Apostle doth declare unto us openly in the beginning of this Chapter The others that do preach the Gospel notwithstanding do not live of the Gospel as Paul and Barnabas among the Corinthians e 1 Cor. 3.4.5 6 7. Have we not power to eat and to drink have we not power to lead about a sister a wife as well as other Apostles and as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas or I onely and Barnabas have we not power to forbear working Who goeth to Warfare at any time at his own Charges who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock c. Now S. Paul doth glory in regard of the Corinthians because he preached the Gospel for nought although he might have lawfully taken a Salary which was due unto him and according to the ordinance of Jesus Christ and therefore he glories not in respect of God or in respect of the Apostles but partly in respect of the Corinthians partly against the false Apostles He glories not that he preached the Gospel but that he preacheth the Gospel gratis for nothing for it were better for him to dy than that any man should make his glorying void as he saith in the verse that precedes our Text. But for that he preacheth the Gospel he cannot no more than he ought not to glory as he teacheth us in this 16 verse of our Text which we have read unto you For though I preach the gospel I have nothing to glory of for necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel A notable and noble passage of Scripture an excellent emphaticall and patheticall sentence wherein there is not a word but hath its weight in the which we are to consider by Gods grace and assistance these two points the first is the duty the office and exercise of the Apostle which is to preach the Gospel for he saith Although I preach the Gospel The second point is that the Apostle doth not glory in that he preacheth the Gospel and that for two reason the first is the necessity for necessity is laid upon me The second is the threatning Wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel We will not stand here to represent unto you what the word Gospel and to preach the Gospel signifies because we have understood not long ago what this word signifies in the expounding of these words f Gal. 1.8 Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Onely we will observe that the word Gospel is a Greek word which in prophane Greek authors signifies First of all good and happy news Secondly it signifies the sacrifice that they offered unto their gods for the good news they had received and that sacrifice was called Gospel Thirdly it signifies the Salary and reward or the gift that was made unto him that brought the good news and that gift and Salary was called Gospel But in holy Scripture the word Gospel signifies by excellency the good news and solemn publication of g 1 Tim. 3.16 the Son of God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory h Apoc. 14.6 The everlasting Gospel which hath been preached since the fall of man in the beginning of the Creation and shall last unto the end of the world The Franciscans had invented and published a book full of horrible blasphemies which they named the Gospel of the holy Ghost or the everlasting Gospel saying that the Gospel of Christ should not last above fifty years But the Book was refuted by Guiliemus de sancto amore condemned by the Pope and secretly burnt Now the holy Apostle Saint Paul did preach the Gospel in Arabia at Damascus in Antioch at Cyprus in Licaonia at Lystra at Pisidia in Macedonia at Athens at Corinth in Asia in Europe at Troas at Miletum in Jerusalem at Rome in Pamphilia at Pergamus in Attalia in Mysia at Salanus at Paphos in Samothracia at Neapolis at Philippi at Berea at Thessalonica and other places i Rom. 15.19 Through mighty signes and wonders by the power of the spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum he fully preached the Gospel of Christ The Apostle therefore preached the Gospel of Christ and that at all times and in all places according to his Apostolicall charge and laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles k 1 Cor. 15 10. Yet not he but the grace of God which was in him Now although he preached the Gospel in this manner with so much labour and pains he hath not wherein to glory and that is the second point that we have to observe when he saith I have nothing to glory of Although the Gospel is an excellent thing and the preaching thereof an Honourable work although I have preached the Gospel I have nothing to glory of he glories indeed in many other things in that he hath exercised his office to teach with a pure conscience l 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world and more
the word and by good example For otherwise the Pastor will ruine the Church of God more by his bad life than he will edifie it by his wholesome Doctrine He will destroy that which he hath built and will pluck up with one hand that which he hath planted with the other for the people look as much or more to his life and conversation than to his preaching He that preacheth well and lives ill is like the statue of Mercury who shews the way unto others but doth not bow one step he resembles the Scribes and Pharisees that sent the wise men of the East that came to adore Jesus Christ to Bethlehem but stirred not from their houses they are like unto the Comedian who crying with a loud voice O heaven shewed with his finger the earth which the principall Magistrate beholding could not fit longer in his place but rose and withdrew himself from the company in a fury saying this man hath made a solecisme with his hand So they that have Heaven at their tongues end and the earth at their fingers end speak false and bad Divinity whereas they might avoid such an incongruous irregularity and make a congruity between the tongue and the hand if they did as they speak and lived as they preach They are like to those that built the Ark of Noah but did not enter into it and were not saved so that those who build the Church of God by their preaching but are not of the Church by faith which worketh by good deeds shall not be saved They will say in the last day of Judgement to Jesus Christ the Soveraign Judge i Mat. 7.22 23 Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name done many wonderfull works but the Judge will say unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity k Psal 50.16 18. k Ps 50 16 18 What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing when thou sawest a thief thou consendest with him and hast been partaker with adulterers Origen being excommunicated for offering Incense on the altar and so denying covertly Jesus Christ requested by some to expound unto the people a a passage of Scripture fell by Gods providence on these 16 17 18 verses of this 50. Psalm shut up the book not able not willing to expound that place and wept and all the people wept with him l Rom. 2.21 22 23 24. Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou that preachest a man should not steal doest thou steal thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery thou that abhorest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God for the name of the Lord is blasphemed amomg the Gentiles through you And therefore let us endeavour to marry our preaching with our life lest that by any means having preached to others we our selves should be cast away and reprobates 1 Cor. 9.27 Let us build the Church of God with the one and the other hand m 1 Tim. 4-13 12.14 Let us give attendance to reading to exhortation to Doctrine and be also patterns of the believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity and that in consideration of the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery as it is in the 19. verse of that same Chapter We intend not to discourse here of the Imposition or of the laying on of the hands upon the sacrifices upon particular persons in blessing them or in healing them and such like things But we say that the Imposition or the laying on of the hands is not a naked ceremony as some suppose as if it were of no efficacy or on the other side as if it did imprint an indelible character which cannot be blotted out as the Papists say or in breathing on persons as the Bishops do and saying to them Receive ye the Holy Ghost they received the Holy Ghost as Christ in breathing on the Apostles and saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost they received the Holy Ghost or as the Apostles in laying the hands on some who received the extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost as it was in the time of the Primitive Church when God did inrich his Church with that miraculous gift when those that had received the Imposition of hands did speak strange languages c. No such matter but the laying on of the hands which we that are Ministers have received and which our dear brother here present is to receive doth signifie other things For it signifies that the Minister is not sent by himself no man imposeth hands on himself Aaron himself hath been chosen n Heb. 5.4 For no man taketh this Honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himself but was called and truly o Rom. 10.17 14 15. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent p Jer. 23.21 I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied The laying on of hands therefore signifies a sending The Holy Ghost said q Acts 13.2 3. separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away So Moses r Num. 27.22 23. laid his hands upon his servant and successour Joshua before all the Congregation and gave him a charge as the Lord commanded him Besides it signifies the power and authority given unto him to preach that receives the laying on of hands authority according to the power that is given by Jesus Christ not to destruction but to edification the laying on of the hands doth also signifie that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights Jam. 1.17 that God gives necessary and convenient gifts to the discharge of the Minister in his Ministry Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers c. The laying on of the hands therefore doth shew that God governs the Ministry and guides his Ministers by his hand and his Church by the hand of his Ministers t Ps 77.20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron It declares the hand of God and his help that he will be with his servants in all things and every where will preserve them in all dangers and against all kind of evils u 1 Kin. 18 46. The hand of the Lord was on Elijah he girded up his