in the teachers it cannot be but that there shall follow thereupon very excellent fruits of Sermons Tenthly godly hearers must not thinke the minister tedious or be wearie Men must not waxe weary with long Sermons or fret in themselues much lesse trudge and packe out of the Church if the Sermon be sometimes more long or grow greater than at other The ministers and preachers of Gods holy word must carefully indeuour to auoid that But perhaps the doctrine that is presently to be treated of is more plentifull and fruitfull than that it can be comprehended and concluded in a few words It may be also In what cases the minister may now then be somewhat more long and large that there was not in former time any fit opportunitie offered to propound it or may in short space after to be offered Perhaps also the present state of things requireth men againe and againe to lay vppon the same anuile The hearers sometimes are present which perhaps at another time haue not leaue or leasure to be there and for whose sake the ministers must stand vpon the present points and doctrines eyther of faith or of pietie In these cases therefore godly hearers must patiently beare some protracting of time and not be wearie A very strong reason and fit comparison but waite as it were the deliuerie of many good things we do easilie and without any loathsomenes passe away the time if that idle speeches and talkings together or disorderly and drunken or riotous feasts be deferred and put of many houres yea euen to midnight Iob. 17.12 And the day be turned into night as it is in Iob. Wherefore if in the holy assemblies and exercises of the Church we be so quickly wearie or fret and fume it is sure a signe of such a minde as is ill affected and doth not hunger and thirst after as it should the righteousnes of Gods word Matth. 5.6 Psalm 1.2 Chrysost hom 3. in Genes and hath not his delight in the law or testimonies of the Lord. On the other side as to be an hungrie is a token of bodilie health so with a great earnest desire to heare Gods holy word is a most assured argument of the good health and welfare of the soule so saith Chrysostome Surely that must needs be a long Sermon when Iehoshua read in the presence and hearing of all Israel all the words of the lawe Iehosh 8.34 35. in so much as there was not a word of all things which Moses had commanded which Iehoshua read not before all the congregation of Israel The like consideration was there also of the ecclesiasticall assemblie when Iosias the King 2. Chron. 34.30 in the hearing of all the people and that from the greatest to the smallest read all the words of the booke of the couenant which was found in the house of the Lord. The same booke of Moses law Ezra did reade from the morning vntill the mid daye before men and women Ezra 8.3 and them that vnderstoode it and yet notwithstanding the eares of all the people were in so long a Sermon directed and hearkened vnto the booke of the law Afterwards the children of Israel read in the booke of the law of their God foure times a day Ezra 9 3. How long was that Sermon of Christs which is set out in the fift sixt and seuenth chapters of the Gospell according to S. Matthew specially if we regard this that the Euangelists doe propound vnto vs onely the bare heads points or summes as I may say of Christs Sermons S. Paul being to depart from Troas the day following his speech Act. 20.7.11 continued his words and preaching euen vntill midnight and speaking long vnto them euen vntill the dawning of the day at the last he so departed Therefore it is not any new or vnaccustomed thing though sometimes for sundry causes it so fal out that Sermons be somewhat prolonged and yet the hearers be held and remaine with continuance and that also without loathing or stomacke and chasing in good and continuall attention Eleuenthly parents masters and elders must in the Sermon while obserue and looke to their children Euerie one should look to his own in the Sermon time schollers and flocke least either by sleeping or talking together or committing some light and vnseemely things or else gadding out of the Church in the Sermon time they commit something that is vnseemely or vnworthie of the holy assemblies of the Church And if perhaps any such thing should be performed they must either by and by or at home or in the schooles or vpō euerie first occasion so falling out admonish correct them as in this behalfe For in the holy assemblies of the Church one must haue speciall regard of reuerence comelines and modestie and if as in this behalfe there be any offence committed 1. Cor. 11.4.5 1. Cor. 14.34.40 it must be corrected and censured and that according both to the doctrine and the example of Saint Paul the Apostle in his epistle to the Corinthians Schollers must write Sermons Commodities insuing that exercise Particularly schollers must be accustomed to take Sermons in writing which kind of holy exercise hath many commodities and the same of great moment also For whilest they must attend diligent hearing and ordinarie writing of Sermons continually they cannot haue leisure to giue themselues to wantonnesse and lightnesse which otherwise they do without measure exercise and practise if this or some other good matter be not laid vpon them By this meanes also men shall meet with that offence which verie easily and sometimes also not without iust cause the Church conceiueth aswell by the vnbridled and corrupted manners of children as of their masters One foule fault in schoolemasters manfesting it felf in the neglect of schoole discipline For many iudge verie hardly if not vniustly concerning schooles and schollers whilest amongest children brought vp at schoole and others who were neuer so much as at the schoole doores threshold they do as in regard of honesty and pietie see no difference at all Thirdly they shall not a little profit by this kind of exercise in Christian religion and in the true vnderstanding of the Catechisme which is taught them in the schooles specially if the Preachers in the Church striue vnto this to bring their Sermons vnto some heads or points of the Catechisme and the master in demaunding repetition of those things diligently and carefully referre and bring all and euerie one of them to that point I meane of the Catechisme Yea we may assure our selues of this that as if it were by plaie and by doing some other thing they may euen from their young yeares get vnto themselues so great knowledge in the blessed Bible booke specially if they accustome thēselues to the reading of the Bible both in the schooles which thing certainely should be practised in all Christian schooles and also
may without sinne be dealt withall on the Lords day 130 6 That either the ministery or other that are skilfull in holy matters must be councelled withall touching points that are darke or not sufficiently vnderstood 132 7 That according to the sermons heard mē must make a cēsuring an anatomy of thēseues 135 8 That parents schoolemasters elders must correct the offences and scapes of such as are committed to their charge according to sermons made touching such offences 137 The conclusion of this treatise 138 CHAP. 1 It is a matter of much skill not onely to make but to heare Sermons well NO man that will well consider of and vprightly weigh What great skill is requited to make Sermons the thinges that hitherto haue been deliuered will or can doubt but that it is a point of excellent skill to preach with fruite in the publike assemblies of the Church for a man to fetch out of that most large sea and which indeed can neuer be drawne dry of holy diuinitie matters that may be fitly applied to the point and busines that is propounded and to take no more but such as are indeede profitable and necessarie for the true edification of the Church and when he hath thus found them out in a sit meet method well and orderly to digest and dispose them as may best serue for spirituall profit and hauing disposed them well and readily out of the holy chaire or pulpit to render them and then and there before a publike and solemne assembly of the Church with present courage and a tongue that doth not stut or stammer to speake vtter them and with such countenance habite and action or gesture of the whole bodie to cloath and decke his speech and to cause it to become as it were liuely that so not onely delight fit and conuenient for holy things and place may be yeelded vnto all men but also that all things may be performed euen with a certaine demonstration and euidence of spiritual power that they may not be spoken only but taught also yea and not taught alone but the hearers may be affected therwith and their minds bowed to obedience all these things I say a man cannot causelesly doubt of whether they require more skill and cunning in the word of God or more iudgement wit wisedom eloquēce courage and aptnes in them that shall teach and deliuer the same But yet withall we must know that it is a point of no meane or common skill and paine also It is no small cunning to heare them well to heare holy Sermons well Of which howsoeuer some men may doubt and the thing it selfe may to many seeme very strange specially at the first blush and the rather because it is not vsually propounded or heard yet will I assay to say somewhat and to proue it also because the order and course of this present worke and treatie craueth and calleth for the performance of it Now because to make Sermons and to heare them are as we say in schooles relatiues that is the one importing and implying the other and because as all men know it is no easie matter to performe that high dutie well heere being required to the doing of it before they come to it preparatiō reading meditation prayer and sundrie such like and beside faithfull performance of it with many other things when they haue accomplished that dutie any man that hath but a crum of sound iudgement may hereby plainelie perceiue that many excellent duties are required also in hearing of Sermons wherein me thinkes these three following are principally to be respected shewing indeed what he is to doe 1 Before the Sermon 2 Secondly in the verie Sermon time The summe of this booke 3 And lastly after he hath heard the Sermon CHAP. 2. Touching the dutie of the hearers before the Sermon Mēs minds are with great religion to be framed and set to hearing of Sermons THE verie heathen themselues did in former time so reuerently and vncorruptedly esteeme of come vnto performe their idolatrous seruices worships that they euer tooke it to be a very wicked thing to touch them as it were or to handle them with vnwashen hands Whereupon grew that prouerbe amongest them with vnwashen hands so often as they would signifie that men repaired to or dealt in some holy thing or matter otherwise of great moment irreligiously negligently or vnprouidedly as we say How much more then both in hearing Sermons also in handling of the holy word of God as likewise both in administring and in vsing holy things and Gods seruice especially shall we haue iust cause to thinke that we haue need of as much religion reuerence and deuotion of minde as we can attaine to that so we may the better prepare and dispose our selues to so holy and heauēly things in which consisteth the onely top as I may say of our felicitie and chiefe good and the better take heed to and keepe our foot when we shall goe to the house of our God as Salomon admonisheth vs in the booke of the Preacher chap. 4. vers 17. for in this case whether we consider that most holy and most excellent maiestie of almightie God which treateth with vs and speaketh vnto vs Psal 18.7 Ioh. 15.15 at the presence whereof euen the mountaines tremble and in whose sight not the heauens themselues verily no nor the Angels indeed are cleane or regard the height and the excellencie of those heauenly things which in the holy assemblies and meetings of the Church are performed and at which all our senses cannot but faile and the very eies of our minds wax dim which the Apostle meaneth as I take it in his first Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Corin. 2.9 or respect that exceeding great miserie corruptiō yea nullitie which through our nature cleaueth vnto vs of which the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God or weigh the most high Gods vnmeasurable goodnesse mercy and gentlenesse which openeth his most holy mouth vnto vs Isay 54.10 and vouchsafeth to make with vs a couenant of grace and saluation not disdaining that our exceeding miserie and vnworthinesse or in a paire of iust scales vprightly ballance how much it presently behoueth vs and hereafter shall be beneficiall for vs rightly to handle such great matters and well to performe them for Gods glory and the saluation of our soules I say all or any of these things well considered it cannot otherwise be sure I am it should not otherwise be but that we should goe to the holy assemblies and meetinges not with snailes paces that is creepingly and slowly but with wide and large steps as those that goe vpon stilts and to come to them and to be present and cōuersant in them not hauing our hands and our garments washed only but our minds
An exception notwithstanding it be to women in child-birth and to sicke persons for by this same very law strangers and trauellers also should be bound restrained and so euery man might come soberly and wel prepared to the sober meditation of Gods word and the performance of the whole worship and seruice of God euen as Saint Peter also will haue vs to be sober and watching vnto praier 1. Peter 4.7 Secondly men must before hand purge and emptie their hearts from cares Too much care of present things and from the vncertaine thinges of this world that so they may be made able to receiue holy heauenly things and before they go out of their houses they must as it were bind them together in a bundle and if not altogether cast them away yet for a time lay them aside leaue them at home For in worldly affairs indeuors it cōtinually almost fareth with vs as one wel said be that bēdeth himself to many things shal haue his senses lesse busied about some one And again Our hearts are such as they cannot at one time admit two diuers cares A double reason Muchlesse can we hādle wel and as we should worldly heauenly things together as well by reason of the excellencie of heauenly holy things and the basenes of earthly matters as also because not onely of the great diuersitie but also of the contrarietie and repugnancie that is betwixt them for cares heuinesses and the riches of this life Luke 8.14 are those thornes which cheake vp the seed of Gods word that it cannot bring forth his fruit 〈◊〉 8.7 And the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeed can be How much better therfore were it in this behalfe for Christians Remedie against excessiue care to imitate that same Crates of Thebes who cast his goods into the sea because he supposed that by them he should be pulled back from the studie of philosophye saying I had rather lose them than that they should destroy me or cast me away A reason for howe great folly and blindnesse is it so to imbrace and coll the mutable vncertaine and brittle things of this life yea such as haue adioyned vnto them infinite vexations and troubles as that a man will preferre them before the hearing and studie of Gods word yea before such things as are sure and stable and doe bring with them to them that haue them perfect both pleasure and blessednes which what is it else but after the example of our first parents Gen. 2. 3. Chap. for an apple to leaue Paradise and the same not earthly but heauenly and as Esau to sell our birthright the priuiledge of the first borne for bread pottage of lentils Gen. 25.34 Num. 11.5 and more highly with the Israelites to esteeme the garlike onions of Egypt than that holy land of Canaan And with the prodigall sonne to chuse rather to feed with the shales and buskes for hogs than in his fathers house Luke 15.16 plentifully and daintily to eate the meate of Angels And more eagerly to desire the filthie and infamous pleasures of the Sodomits than leauing them to follow Gods holy calling euen to euerlasting life Thirdly there are some also found when some singular I cannot say perswasion but imagination of learning and knowledge in Gods word Singular cōceit of knowledge withholdeth from the boundes and borders of the Church and from hearing of Gods word And herein they do the more foster and feed themselues because they haue the holy Bible at home in their houses and some one or other postill as also other profitable bookes by the reading of which they can profit more as they suppose than by frequenting the Church yea they feare not to boast that they themselues better know and vnderstād the holy things of God thā the publike preacher or minister of Gods holy word But for the remouing of this obstacle or let and for the right setling of a mans selfe Remedies against cōceit of knowledge to the hearing of holy Sermons men must again and againe thinke vpon that speech of Christ wherin he saith That you ought to haue done and not to haue omitted the ether For both of them are enioyned and commanded vs from God Math. 23.23 And how often are the holy assemblies of the Church commended vnto vs both by Gods commaundement and also by holy mens examples which examples haue as it were the force of precepts As that in the Temple of the Lord all his people speaketh of his glory That they declare the Lords name in Sion Sentences Psalm 29.9 Psal 102.21 22. Psal 149.1 Math. 13.43 Reuel 2.11 Luke 16.29 Hebr. 10.25 and his praise in Ierusalem when the people shall be gathered together and the kingdomes to serue the Lord That the Lords praise is in the congregation of saints That hee that hath eares to heare ought to heare That men should heare Moses and the Prophets And that we should not forsake our assemblies Churches as the manner of some is Examples And with what great knowledge of heauenly matters and misteries was that kingly Prophet Dauid furnished Yet he affirmeth Psal 122.1 that he reioyced when it was said vnto him we will goe into the house of the Lord. And being driuen into banishment he earnestly and hartily bewailed this that he could not safely be present at the holy meetings and assemblies of the people Priscilla indeed and Aquila beeing man and wife Psal 42.4 Psal 84.4.5 Acts. 18.36 made such good proceedings in the way of God that they did more exactly instruct in the way of God a man wel instructed before in the way of the Lord and a very eloquēt man to whom also the Apostle beareth witnes that he watered in the Church Apollos by name 1. Cor. 3.6 and yet notwithstanding they heard him publikely speaking in the Synagogue And how often both in the Acts of the Apostles and in the first epistle to the Corinthians is there mention made of the publike assemblies of the Church A reason For the publike preaching of Gods word hath many peculiar priuiledges and preheminēces that the priuat reading therof hath not in regard of which that in many respects and by many degrees is worthily to be preferred before this For in the ecclesiasticall assemblies Sermons through the gift of prophesie or interpretation both common places of Christian doctrine and also the articles of faith and religion are discussed and compared one with an other more darke and hard points are made plaine by more cleare and easie Contrarieties if there be any as somtimes in shew there be are reconciled obiections against the truth are confuted and answered the doctrine of the holy scriptures is applied to the present places times persons and condition of things and that for
the instruction of all euerie one of them in sound faith and holy life which hardly the hundred person shall performe though he can reade very well or be indued with a perswasion of greater knowledge than others Besides the liuely voice of the teacher is more effectuall and piercing than bookes which are but as dumbe schoolemasters or teachers as one Papias in Eusebius saith Euseb histo eccle lib. 3. cap. 36. witnesseth of himselfe I perswaded my selfe I could not get so much profit by bookes as from the liuely voice Lastly the publike assemblies of the Church and the things that by calling vpon Christs name or according to his will and power are performed in them haue singular promises of Gods presence grace and blessing For whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord Ioel. 2.32 Rom. 10.13.14.15 shal be saued But how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher therfore faith is by hearing hearing by the word of God as the Apostle Paul testifieth Rom. 10. vers 17. And Christ himselfe saith Mat. 18 19.20 If two of you shall on earth agree vpon any thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shal be giuen them of my father which is in heauen for where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them And what meaneth Christ else when he marketh his sheepe or his elect with this note that they heare his voice Iohn 10.27 Other some there are who are bewitched by a certaine partiall or rather schismaticall choice Partiall or rather schismaticall respect of ministers which they make of ministers and are not onely nice and coy or wanton as we would say but fall to open contempt or carelesnesse which then falleth out when sundry are established in the ministerie of some one certaine Church or Citie and ariseth eyther from a certaine naughtie and corrupted affection or from the difference and diuersitie of Gods gifts which appeare to be in them Now if they know or learne that such a one ordinarily doth preach What manner of preachers men do for the most part like of whom eyther they themselues doe not affect or fauour or who will not flatter them nor yeeld vnto their affections nor cannot he will not tickle their eares with a certaine smoth kinde of speech eyther by pleasant histories tales compiled and fetched from prophane authors as if they were like tingling brasse and no better then do they euen as it were for the nonce and of set purpose withdraw themselues from the holy assemblies withhold themselues from Sermons But that shall befall such hearers as fell vpon that wicked king of Israell Ahab of whom when Iehoshaphat the godly king of Iudah demanded whether there were not besides those foure hundred prophets of Baall yet any other prophet of the Lord of whom they might inquire and take counsel touching their warre against Ramoth-Gilead answered 1. King 22.7.8 there is yet one man to wit Micaiah the prophet but I hate him because he doth not prophesie good vnto me but euill or else it shall betide thē as it did to Felix his wife Drusilla who desired to heare Paul a prisoner at Cesarea to preach vnto them Act. 24.25 But when Paul disputed of righteousnes and temperance and of the iudgement to come Felix being afraide and trembling answered now goe thy way for this time and when I haue conuenient time I will call for thee againe For whereas Felix in the gouernmēt of that prouince did many things tyrānously had greater regard to gain than to iustice and whereas Drusilla who was a Iewesse was contrarie to Gods law maried to an vncircumcised man and so became a filthy adulteresse Paul in a certaine kind of graue wisedome which yet had ioyned with it great libertie of speech reasoneth disputeth principally of such things which he knew to be wanting in his hearers But when this song pleased them not they enioyne Paul to be silent and send him packing from them faining that some other time if it shall be sit and seasonable for them they will call him againe and heare him more at large cōcerning those points But as for them that in hearing of Sermons in choice of the ministers of the word do by a certaine prophane and carnall leuitie seek nothing else but eyther a certain pleasing of their eares or a spending of them they shal haue the same that that Herod Antipas had to whom when Pilate commanded Christ to be led captiue Luke 23.8 he greatly reioyced seeing that hauing a long season desired to see Christ he thought now good occasion was giuen him that he might both feede his eies and delight his mind with certaine newe miracles and such as before were neuer seene no otherwise than if he had gotten some Iugler or Inchanter that would shew him some pleasant sight Which thing when such Herodian profane curious carelesse and idle hearers cannot obtaine of Christ and his faithfull ministers they nothing at all regard them and doe not onely with most wicked scoffes scorns deride thē but cloathing them with a certaine scornefull kind of attire or apparell and loading them with all maner of scoffes they openly produce and traduce them to be derided of all But Saint Paul which also is of great force to breake cut in sunder this Gordian knot not with Alexanders sword The remedie but with the two edged sword of Gods word did in the Church of Corinth sharpely reproue this Heb. 4.12 that being led therūto by a certain lightnes of mind carnal affectiō some did hang vpon one doctor some vpō another so enuiously preferring one before another they brought in dissensions 1. Cor. 3.3.4 and schismes into that Church not that they whō he named fostered maintained dissensions among themselues or taught contrary things one to another but because the Corinthians themselues did consider of esteeme eyther certaine cōditions of those their ministers or their vnequall gifts and graces and so became diuersly affected one of thē towards another Which thing he declareth is done vniustly without cause whilest amongst themselues the teachers agreed in soundnes puritie of doctrine for it was an absurd thing to diuide as it were to cut in peeces Christ himself A reason who is our only master as he himself saith Mat. 23.8 the only head of the church that by professing Ephes 1.22 following esteeming other masters teachers besides Christ Furthermore it is conueniēt that frō him alone we should both take our name professe him who hath purchased vs with his blood also hath Lordship Act. 20.28 power and authority ouer vs into whose name likewise we haue bin baptised haue againe giuen