and by his prouidence gouerneth the same when also the doctrine is expounded concerning the thrée persons the properties of euery person of the church of the law of sin of the gospell of repentaunce of faith of charytie of hope of the sacraments of the resurrection of the dead of eternall lyfe c. These and such lyke places are frequentlye founde in the Scriptures explaned in a iust method and after the popular mener of teaching Redargution or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no other thinge then a destruction or confutation of false and eronious opinions which are obtruded of the enimies of truthe to deceue the ignoraunt and vnlearned For it is necessary that theyr mouthes be stopped by thautority of gods word for which cause the Apostle would haue him to be a Byshoppe or teacher of the church that coulde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say reproue and conuince the gaynâ—speakers Thou shalt sée not seeldome times in the Sermons of the Prophetes of Christ and thapostles the phantasticall surmises of the Gentiles of the false prophets Pharisies and such lyke grieuously assaulted and vtterly ouerthrowne Furthermore Institution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnderstand to be that whereby the lyfe and maners are informed vnto Godlines The holy Scriptures doe abounde with precepts and exhortations of this kinde into whiche sufficiently tedyous and prolixe euery man slippeth euen without occasion and intending some other matter Correction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is after a contrary order occupyed in reprouing of corrupt maners and of those crimes where vnto many men are perceiued to be giuen The Prophets Apostles in their Sermons are in nothyng more busye then inueyinge against their sinnes and wickednesse whom they couet to traine to repentaunce and to haue them become honest and vertuous Last of all vnder the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Consolation what oughte to be vnderstoode there is no man that can be ignoraunt seeing euery one of vs beynge daily conuicted of our owne iniquitie doe feele by experyence how greatly we stand in neede of consolations prepared for all euents And surely of comfortes and consolations which may assuredly stay erect vp afflicted mindes the sacred scripture is a most plentifull storehouse If therefore we will heare S. Paule what soeuer thinges may profitably be spoken out of the scriptures it is requisite that they be referred to these fiue ends or chapters Why then may we not say that accordinge to these same chapters all kindes of sermons ought to be distincted and deuided Herevnto is added that there is no treaty that hapeneth any where in the sacred scriptures which may not be placed vnder some one of these chapters as vnder a certayne captayne and guide It were no long work to demonstrate in the volumes of the Prophetes and Apostles iust Sermons the arguments and titles wherof might most aptly be prefixed after the sayde Chapters a proofe of which matter we wyll bringe in the sequell hereof and especially in the second Booke where shal be noted diuers and sundry examples And what if all thinges necessary to be knowne to a man carefull of his saluation are founde to be layde vp aboundantly in the same chapters for what things soeuer pertayne to sincere religion and christian piety are referred either vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say knowledge or science or els vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is action or doyng The author of this particion least any maÌ„ should finde fault therwith we haue the Apostle Paule which prayeth vnto God that all the godly may be filled as well with the knowledge of the misteries and will of God as also that after the measure of knowledge which fell vnto them they might fructifie in all good workes And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verely is then made perfect when as those things are perceiued and allowed which bene true and agreeable to the first truthe manifested by the holy ghost and agayne those thinges be reiected which are false and vntrue Here then are eftsoones perceiued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doctrine and râ—dargution But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaning vpon actitons or works is altogither in this continually that it may shew forth worthy examples of honesty and vnfeigned holynes and as for thinges filthy and reprochefull shonne them with all indeuour In the meane while in that one poynt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or institution bewrayeth it selfe In this other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or correction Where as if againe it chaunceth any man eyther in these thinges which are referred vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in those that perteyne vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to doubt wauer or feare in such sort that some great daunger of falling séemeth to hange ouer his head then must seasonable remedy bée applyed by ministringe apte consolations It is playne therefore that the order of comfortinge in the fift place ought in this wyse of necessitie to bée adioyned vnto the premisses Moreouer thrée thinges by the consent of all men are determined to be of themselues most worthy in which the spirituall lyfe of man doth wholely consist namely Fayth Charitie and Hope For when these things be in any man the diuine oracles testify that he shal neuer perishe And surely Fayth stickinge fast to the certeyne rules of the holy Ghost is susteyned and fortefied with doctrin and redargution Charitie busily applying to good workes is furthered and holpen forward with Institution and Correction Lastly Hope is nourished and cherished with swéet consolation and comfort Yea in thorder of these Chapters may al those thinges bée disposed also which the Rhetoricians doe comprehende in the thrée sayde common kyndes of Cases But on the other side not all the thinges agayne that are comprised in those Chapters can haue place vnder those kyndes of cases For those thinges that amonge the Oracles are ascribed to the kynde Iuditiall may conueniently bee handeled in redargution or correction Of which that one is applied to the state definit and this other to the state of qualytie But those thinges which are attributed to the kyndes delyberatiue and demonstratiue bée very aptelie placed vnder institution touching which matter we shall haue an other place agayne else where to entreate of But if thou shouldest requyre of the Rhetoritians a kynde of case to the which doctrin or consolation might be referred they coulde giue none at all as those that haue euermore set ouer the whole practise of Teachinge and comfortynge to the Philosophers of Vniuersities and thin-habitauntes of Scoles giuinge themselues to ouer muche ease and idlenesse in the meane tyme But hée that will followe the course and direction of those fiue Chapiters or fountaynes shall pretermit no order of Teaching which maye serue any thinge at all to the furtheraunce and information of the myndes of wretched men Which thinges séeinge they bée so it is very méete and
with all boldnes In the 6. cap. is commended Steuen ful of saith strength or rather power for the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there read and that none coulde resist the wisdom and spyrite which spake in hym Of lyke sorte and effect is it that the Lord sayeth vnto Ieremie Beholde I haue giuen saieth he my wordes into thy mouth beholde I haue appointed thee this daye ouer nations and ouer Kingdomes that thou maiest pluck vp and roote oute subuert and destroye build and plant Many moe places there be whiche do not obscurely make mention of this facultie and power in speaking But it appeareth that the apostle ioyned these thrée thinges together I meane Doctrine Puritie of lyfe and Facultie or Power in teaching in that place where he sayeth vnto Timothy Take a paterne of the wholesome wordes which thou haste harde of mee with faith and loue which is in Christe Iesu The notable thinge giuen thee in charge keepe thorowe the holy ghost which dwelleth in vs. By holsome wordes is playnely and sufficientlye ynough distincted and meante Doctrine by faythe and loue Puritie of lyfe by the excellente thinge giuen in charge and the holy ghost Facultie or the gifte of teachinge And certes so farre foorth is this power and vertue in teachingâ— which me haue touched in the thirdâ— and lâ—ste place requisite in all those that wyl teach the people that albeit they be endued with learning and also with integritie of mâ—ner yet tsâ—e thâ—â— be destitute of thâ—â— one let them neuer lâ—â—â—e to accomplishe any thinge worthy of prase or commendation Wherefore so muche the more muste all meâ—â—e labour the matter that prepare themselues to the function of 〈◊〉 or that haue 〈…〉 vnto that 〈◊〉 lyke as they are furnished with 〈◊〉 and good manners so also adorned with a spyrite and power in teaching they may come forth into the publyke Theatre of the Church Moreouer the spirit or power in teachinge to thintent we may ad this also is geuen freely of God in the first calling but the increasemeÌ„t thereof is obtained of hint thorow often prayer Fynally it is nourished and preserued with a feruent studye of procuringe the health and saluation of the hearers Whereof the fyrste verylye is manyfest For whomsoeuer GOD voucheth safe to choose and selecte to the excellent excellent office of teachinge the people in the Church the same also immediatelye he fréely garnisheth with hys spyrite and giftes necessarye to so weighty a charge A plentifull wytnesse of hymselfe is Ieremye Cap. 1. who when he had sayde that he coulde not speake as one that was a childe heareth the Lorde sayinge vnto hym Thou shalt goe vnto all that I wyll sende thee vnto and all thinges that I wyll giue thee in charge shalte thou speake I haue giuen my wordes into thy mouth c. Christ lykewise is a witnesse of the same matter promysyng to sende and geue to hys Apostles and Disciples the holy ghost that shoulde teach them in all trueth whiche shoulde strengthen and furnishe theyr myndes and in theyr extreame perilâ— euen with Kinges and Princes also minister vnto them in due time what thinges they shoulde speake To bée shorte the Apostle Paule affirmeth that it is GOD that maketh the ministers of the news Testamente méete both to thinck and to speake The seconde pointe béecommeth playne and perspycious by this that Thapostles in the Actes Cap. 4 doe make their petitions vnto GOD that hée woulde graunt vnto his seruaunts That they might speake the woorde with all confidence and lybertye And Paule not onely hymselfe for the same cause sueth vnto GOD with continuall prayers but also requesteth and beséecheth others to doe the same Praye sayeth hee for mee that the woorde may bee giuen vnto mee in the openinge of my mouth with lybertie to the ende I may make manifest the mistery of the Gospel for the which I supply an ambassade in chaines that I may speake therein freely as I ought to speak Agayne in the 2. Thessa. 3. Pray for vs brethren that the worde of the Lorde may haue free passage and be gloryfied For whiche cause also there is a custome receiued in all Churches that all Diuine Sermons shall begin with publick inuocation In whiche inuocation it behooueth all men with their whole hartes to pray first that the Teachers may sincerelye and with boldnesse open and explane the woorde of God then that GOD woulde vouchsaue to illustrate the hartes of the hearers to th ende they may rightly vnderstande the doctrine proposed and duly vse and practise the same As touchinge the thirde it is certayne that where the office enioyned of GOD is with zelous and feruent affection executed it cannot bée but that hée of his bountiful goodnes wyll brynge to passe that happye and prosperous successe shall follow and ensue For GOD wyll not suffer the great labours and industry of good men seriouslye séeking hys glorye to become frustrate and voyde of fruite For this cause the doctrine of the word of GOD is not in one place alone resembled vnto séede that bringeth forth much fruite The Apostle also exhorteth Timothy not to neglect the gift giuen vnto hym but to exercise himselfe dylygently to thintent his profiting might be apparaunt in all thinges For if he gaue attendaunce to him selfe and to learning and continued therein it woulde come to passe that hee shoulde both saue himselfe and his hearers And certenly he that doubteth not of his callinge hee that is assured of the verytie of the doctrine which he professeth he that cannot be reprooued of any manifest crime hée that is pryuye in his conscience of hys owne fidelytie and dylligence hee that accounteth nothinge of more weight and imporfauÌ„ce then to sanctifie the name of God on earth and to gayne as many vnto Christ as is possible Vndoutedly hee speaketh boldly and vnbashfully that which God coÌ„maundeth The sharpe and vehement Oration of this man striketh and perceth the hartes of the hearers pea hée doth not onely pricke men forwarde to the amendement of lyfe but playnely forceth and compelleth them Wherefore there is no man but that may perceyue him to bée decked and adorned with a singuler spirite powre in teachinge euen of GOD himselfe But such a study and such godly affections the Apostle very artificially describeth 1. Thess 2. his wordes no doubte are worthy of vs to be remembred and such as all Preachers ought contiunally to haue in a table before their eyes Yee your selues knowe bretheren sayth hee our entrauÌ„ce in vnto you howe that it was not in vayne but after that wee had fuffered before and were shamfully entreated at Philippos as yee well knowe wee behaued our selues boldely in our God to speake vnto you the Gospell of god with much striuing For our exhortacion was not to bring you to errour nor yet to vncleanes neither was it with guile but as we were
allowed of god that the gospel should bee committed vnto vs euen so wee speake not as though wee entended to please men but God which trieth our hartes Neyther was our conuersacion at any time with flattringe wordes as ye well know neither in cloked couetousnes God is recorde neither sought wee praise of men neither of you nor yet of any other when we might haue bene in authoritie as the Apostle of Christ but we were tender amonge you euen as a Nurse cherisheth hir children so our affection beeinge toward you our good will was to haue delte to you not onely the gospel of God but euen our owne soules also because yee were deere vnto vs Yee remember bretheren our labour and trauaill for wee labored day and night bicause were would not be burâ—henous to any of you and preached vnto you the gospell of god Ye are witnesses and so is god how holily iustly and vnblameably wee behaued our selues amonge you that beleue as ye know how that we exhorted and comforted and besought euery of you as a father his children that ye would walke worthy of God which hath called you to his kingdome and glory Which wordes if they were so exactley weighed considered as méete it were they should do euidentlye declare the the apostle taught in spirite power albeit those yet that immedialy folow touchinge the notable effecte of his Sermons doe more perfectly proue and illustrate the same Wherefore saith he we thancke God without ceasinge bicause that when yee receiued of vs the word whereby ye learned god ye receiued it not as the worde of man but euen as it was in deed the worde of God which worketh in you that beleue The like will the like study and the like feruency we may perceiue in that oratiÌ„o which the apostle had to that Elders of the church at Ephesus a little before hée trauayled to Ierusalem But we may not coueniently least we should be ouer tedious repeate the same at this prelente Therefore we saide not without cause that the spirite power in teaching is both nourished and conserued with an ardent study of procuring the health saluacion of the hearers But as touching al these points I meane lerning innocency of life spirit or power in teaching the reader may obserue muche more matter in the epistles to Timothy Titus which verili forsomuch as they séeme altogether prepared to expres the whole office of a precher whosoeuer taketh vpon him the charge of teching the people may worthily read yea often read them agayn Thus much we thought good to premise to thinteÌ„t we might make it plaine apparant that the office of teching the people in the church is of far more difficulty weight then a number suppose it to be and that it ought not rashly vnaduisedly to be takeÌ„ in hand of euery one much lesse greedily to be inuaded No smal nuÌ„ber there be the atteine to the gouernment of churches yea that I may vse the words of Iere. make hast to run before they be sent yet are touched in the meane time with very litle or no care at al of obteining of god his spirit power in teaching Bishoppes therefore aboue all men ought to be circumspect in this behalfe that they commit not rashely this reuerende function to euery one that will sue for the same especially to younge men whoÌ„ neither knowledge of the holy Scriptures nor the vse and experience of thinges or any earnest study and zeale of religion doe commende and set forth Neyther was it without good cause spoken of the Apostle that wyse workeman in the church of God where he sayeth Lay no handes hastely vppon any man neyther be partaker of other means sinnes ¶ The ende of a Preacher what it is Cap. III. BVt what the ende of a Preacher is may partely be perceyued by those thinges that we haue next before touched His worke and labour chiefely consisteth in this that with all study and inforcement he aduaunce and set forth those thinges that conduce to the saluation and reconciliation of man vnto god Whervnto it perteyneth that the Gospell is called the worde of health and by which men obteyne remission of sinnes And wysely sayeth the Apostle It seemed good vnto God by the folishnesse of preachinge to saue them that beleue In the same Epistle also Cap. 9. I became all thinges to all men that I might saue at the leaste some God gaue vnto vs the ministery of reconciliation and put in vs the worde of atonement In effecte syth the office of a Preacher is by the ayde of the holy Scriptures to accomplyshe all thinges we doubt not to affyrme that to be the ende appoynted to a Preacher which the holy ghost by the mouth of the Apostle hath prescribed in the sacred Scriptures The holy Scripture sayth he is able to make thee wyse to saluation Then therefore doth the Preacher giue apparaunt significatioÌ„ that he with his whole hart and power is bent to promot aduaunce the spirituall profit and vtilitie of men When as he handleth and confirmeth true and holsome opinions reproueth and grauely confuteth thinges erronious and hurtfull when he dilygently inculketh and inferreth those thinges that are requisite to the godly and due information of lyfe agayne seuerely controlleth those that offende labouryng to bryng them into the right way Lastly when he exhorteth beséecheth blameth the sluggishe and dull and comforteth the afflicted fynally pretermitteth no iote of those thinges whereby hée trusteth the mindes of hys audytors maye bee trayned and drawne vnto Christe our Sauiour ¶ That many thinges are common to the Preacher with the Orator and of the office of the Preacher cap. IIII. THat many thinges are common to to the Preacher with the Orator Sainct Augustine in his fourth Booke of Christian doctrine doth copiously declare Therfore the partes of an Orator whiche are accounted of some to be Inuention Disposition Elocution Memory and Pronounciation may rightlye be called also the partes of a Preacher Yea and these thrée to Teache to Delight to Turne Likewise againe the thrée kyndes of speakying Loftye Base Meane Moreouer the whole craft of varienge the Oration by Schemes and Tropes pertaineth indifferently to the Preacher and Orator as Sainct Augustine in the same booke doth wittily confesse and learnedly proue To be short whatsoeuer is necessarie to the Preacher in disposition Elocution and Memorye the Rhetoritians haue exactlye taught all that in their woorkhouses wherfore in my opinion the Preachers may most conuenientlye learne those partes out of them Certainly he that hath béene somdeale exercised in the Scholes of the Rhetoritians before he be receiued into the order of Preachers shall come much more apte and better furnished then many other and may be bolde to hope that he shall accomplish somwhat in the Church worthy of prayse and commendation Whiche thinge
necessitie be drawen and made apte of God to euery kinde of callinge Let vs take in hande an other example not historycall out of the epistle to the Romains the sixte Chapter As many of vs as are baptized into Iesus Christe are baptized into his death Wee are buryed then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father euen so wee also should walke in newnes of lyfe For if wee be grafte together in him by the likenes of his death wee shall in like maner be partakers of the resurrection Knowinge this that our olde man is crucifyed with him also that the bodye of sinne might vtterly bee destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sin For he that is deade is iustified from sinne And if we bee deade with Christ wee beleeue that wee shall also liue with him knowinge that Christ beynge raysed from the deade dyeth no more death hath no more power ouer him For as touchinge that he died he died concerninge sin once And as touching that hee liueth hee liueth vnto god Likewise reken your selues to be deade to sinne but aliue vnto God thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde The state is That those which are once iustifyed thorough faith and baptized into Christ ought alwayes after to liue godly and Christianly Which thinge the apostle also els where very often and with pithy reasons auoucheth This readinge therefore is ascribed to the kinde didascalick I. Here before all things is commended vnto vs baptisme as beinge instituted of Christ our Lord takinge effectes of his most pretious bloude and death and as that which is necessary to all beleuers forasmuch as by it they are engraffed into the Churche of God and by reason of it are named Christians II. The effectes of baptisme ough◠exactely to be obserued especially that by baptisme we are made pertakers of the death of Christ and of all the benefites deriued therefrom to the beléeuers of which sorte are remission of sinnes passed lyfe euerlasting saluation c. Moreouer that it behoueth all those that are baptized to dye vnto sinne and liue only vnto rightuousnes For thus the Apostle reasoneth All we which are baptized are made pertakers of the death of Christ But Christ dying dyed vnto sinne Therefore are we also by baptisme deade vnto sinne And if we be deads vnto sin it were very conuenient for vs to couet to liue againe therevnto And certes it is true that we in baptisme do dye vnto sinne and sinne dyeth vnto vs forasmuche as in baptisme all our sinnes are washed awaye and the holy Ghost is giuen vnto vs by whom bothe the force of sinne and concupiscence is restrained and repressed and we not onely are induced to well dooing but also are vehemently holpen forward For this cause also all afore they be baptized doe openly before the church of God forsake the world and the diuel that brought sinne into the worlde to the intent they might therby declare that they will hereafter haue no maner of thinge to doe with them but will institute a newe and holy kinde of life III. they that are once babtized into Christ ought highly to estéeme all thinges that are put forth as touchinge Christ forasmuch as Christ is giuen vnto vs not onely to paye the price of our redemption out of the power of the diuell and also to be an example and whom wée should with al our endeuoure imitate and folowe in those thinges specially which may be conuenient for vs. Hitherto perteyne the two reasons whereby the Apostle plainly proueth that we for that we are baptized ought to be dead vnto sinne The one is taken of the effect and finall cause of the death of Christ You knowe saith he that this is the proper effect and ende of Christes death that sinne is abolished that to thintent we should not serue it any more But this effect of Christes death he séemeth to despise whosoeuer after remission of sinnes once receiued wyll returne againe vnto sinne Wherefore it is necessary◠that we remayne styll dead vnto sinne The other reason is deriued of a similitude as touchinge ciuill seruitude which by the comminge of death taketh an ende As he that ciuilly is a bondeman so soone as he dyeth is deliuered from his power to whome hée was bounde Euen so we which were the bondeslaues of sinne séeinge in baptisme we dye once with Christ ought by no meanes to serue sinne any more Here therefore is set forth vnto vs the example of Christ himselfe whom both in dyinge once vnto sinne and liuinge againe vnto roghtuousenes we ought to imitate and folowe By this dilygent imitation we shall both be called and be in very deade perfect Christians These examples thus to haue propounded be it sufficient Further amongest the auncient writers of homilies very many thinges the same also right learned may of euery man be noted Chrisostom deuided his homily 60. vppon Mathewe entreating vppon those wordes of the. 18. chapter woe be vnto the worlde bycause of offences it must needes be that offences come c. Into two partes whereof in the former he argueth very grauely certes and yet popularly and with great cunning as touchinge the cause of sinne in the later by reason of those wordes Take heede that ye despise not one of these litell ones he entreateth of the not contemning of our bretheren whence at the length he slippeth to a place as concerninge the care that parentes oughte to haue least their children be idely and filthily brought vp The same in his homilie 62. declaring out of the sayd Chapter of Mathewe the parable of the man that was a kinge which would take accountes of his seruauntes chooseth these pomtes most chiefely to discusse at large first that sinnes are not alike Seconde where as wée which offende against God deseruinge most excellently well at our handes and against men do couet notwithstanding to haue all our offences forgiuen vs that it is very good reason why we should in like maner forbeare others that haue by any meanes hurt or endammaged vs Third that it is better to suffer wrong whereby an other mollesteth thée then to offer or inferre iniury to an other But in these dayes specially thou shalt sé all the most notable preachers for the most part to deuide their Sermons which they haue vnto the people into thrée or fower chapters partes or common places I suppose therfore that those whom we haue taken in hand to instruct can not iustly complaine that they want any excelent authors whose counsayles and steppes they may followe But to procéede the partes after they be in this sorte once noted and disposed they are accustomed ofte times to explane more at large namely by inferringe as well proofes and sentences as also apte historyes out of the store house of the holy Scriptures Moreouer by applying similitudes comparisons and whatsoeuer els is of
well the wordes as matters be agréeable and correspondent to our purpose â–ª For thou séeste how the prophisies and promises of the prophetes are of Christ Peter expounded of those things that then came to passe in Iudea thou séest Rom. 4. a very shorte sentence touchinge the maner whereby Abraham was iustified to be applied to the interprised disputation thou séest Rom. 10.1 Corinth 10. Gal. 4. historicall examples to be added to And in the place where the apostle 1. Corinth 9. goeth about to proue that to the ministers of the Gospell all thinges necessary for this lyfe are duly to be ministred of the hearers he taketh out of Duet 25. a certaine precept and showeth it to agrée very well with the cause that he hath in hande Speake I these thinges after the maner of men Saith not the lawe the same also For it is writen in the lawe of Moses Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the Corne. Doth god care for oxen Sayth he not this altogether for our sakes Yea for our sake is this writen that he which eareth might eare in hope and he which soweh in hope might be partaker of his hope It is no harde case to note in readinge many moe examples in which diuers things that are spoken off may aptlye be ioyned together and may aunswere accordingly to the purposed matter For like as the Prophets doe take and apply those their sayinges out of the law Christ and the Apostles both out of the lawe and the Prophets So haue we frée lyberty to borrow all maner of sentences whatsoeuer out of the law prophets and apostles And not onely olde and auncient matters out of the holy Scriptures but also late and new not much past our memory or the memory of our fathers yea and such daily as styll come to passe adde also thinges taken out of other writers as Poets Historiographers and such like may somtimes fittely and opportunly be adioyned to the confirmation of any thing belonging to the present state of thinges For Christ when he laboured to moue all men alyke to repentaunce to the entent they might so with feare and trembling looke for the comming of the Lorde and some were then present that shewed hym of the Galilaeans whose bloud Pilate had mingeled with their sacrifices he aunswering them that told him such newes sayth Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners aboue all other Galilaeans bicause they suffered such thinges I say vnto you no for except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Either els suppose ye that those eighteene persons vpon whom the towre in Siloe fell and slew them were detters more then al the inhabitaunts of HierusaleÌ„ I say vnto you no but except ye repent ye shal al likewise perish And Mat. 11. Luk. 7. Christ speaking of the stiffenecked Iewes which would neither admit his preaching nor the preaching of Iohn Baptist To whom shal I resemble saith he the men of this generation whoÌ„ are they like They are like vnto childreÌ„ sitting in the market place crying one to an other saying we haue piped vnto you ye haue not dauÌ„ced we haue song vnto you a mournful song and ye haue not wept For Iohn Baptist came neihter eating bread nor drincking wine and ye saye he hath the diuell The sonne of man came eating and drincking and ye say Behold a great eater and drincker of wine a friend of Publicans and sinners And wisedome is iustified of all hir children Likewise the interpretations of the parables as they are of Christ hymselfe made and put forth be replenished with this kinde of craft and workmanship of applyinge And how the Apostle in his most graue Sermons and Epistles hath vsed the testimonies or sayinges of the Poets to witte of Aratus Act. 17. of Menander 1. Cor. 7.15 of Epimenides Titus 1. it is better knowne then that it shall be needefull to reherce the places themselues But out of this admonition touching the heaping together of proofes or argumentes to be skilfully and conueniently applyed to the businesse of which intreaty is made or to the present state of the Church floweth an other exhortation as holesome and necessary as any other That is that all men would wisely weigh and consider with themselues how farre forth it shall be expedient to vse the holy sermons whiche other haue made and setle forth The causes of this exhortation when thou shalt heare whosoeuer thou art I knowe thou wilt pronounce theÌ„ to bée iust and lawfull Wée se which is greatly to bée marueled at the minysters of Churches euery where to be so tied and fastened wholly to the bookes that conteyne the diuine sermons coÌ„piled with no litle study by others that by reason therof they neglecte to reade the sacred Byble there wanted litle but I had sayd plainely contemne it But it can not be dissembled that the authors of those sermons doe ofte times adnixe long and tedious digressions also interlace without order reasons and argumeÌ„tes somwhat discrepant from the scriptures openly recited namely forasmuch as they iudged them in especially to be méete and conuenient for the place and time Now it can not be that those selfe same thinges shoulde be apt and correspondent to the present state of the church wherein thou supplyest the office of teaching Howbeit let vs admit that there be no digressions at all and that the holy scriptures are simply and sincerely expounded in them but what maketh that to thy purpose I praye thée if the whole explanation as it lyeth be directed most chifely to those poyntes of Christian doctrine whiche in those places and times were in déede very aptely and with great grace handeled of the Preachers and fauourablye receiued of the hearers where as nowe in these dayes and with thy audienâ—es they will all bee out of season To what ende serueth the explication of that portion of Scripture wherein are confuted the mayntayners and defenders of two contray beginninges the Manichees or other hereticks whose assertions haue now no where any place What shall it profyt to inueigh against those that gad to the Lystes or Theater to beholde playes and games before that people whiche is vtterly ignoraunt what those termes meane Moreouer it is no poynt of wisdome nor conuenient to vtter straight wayes euery thinge openlye especially in diuine matters that is gathered together by the labour and iudgement of other men For they doe alledge in déede out of the Scriptures sentences examples proofes and probations of all sorts but forasmuch as some of them doe note the same very briefly and onely as ye would saye by poyntes or titles some also doe scrape them together at all aduentures out of others whiche haue lykewise lately published and put forth Sermons it is very requisite except thou wilt cast as well thy selfe as thy hearers into open daunger that thou shouldest diligently examine euery thing takynge a narrow new of the
the Corinthes and homilie 5. vppon the first to the Thessalonians Now let vs distinguish and sorte out the kindes of men to the intent it maye appere and become euident vppon whom chiefely the dartes and dint of rebukes ought of right most frequently to be throwne XVI As it is apparaunt that there is no state or degrée of men voide of lustes or frée from sinne so the Preacher shall in no wise let to blame and accuse the enormities of all men without exception To which effecte it perteineth that the apostle writinge as well vnto Timothy as to Titus so prouidently teacheath them how and after what sort they should behaue themselues in oxhorting reproouing of al sortes of men And againe the same hath generally coÌ„maunded that those which offend should openly be reprooued to the terrour also of others That in like maner is vniuersally to be taken which long before to the prophet Ezechiell cap. 3. god him selfe said If thou shalt not warne the vngodly nor speake vnto him to disswade him from his wicked way that he might liue I will require his bloude at thy hande But if thou doest admonishe him theÌ„ hast thou delyuered thine owne soule Wherefore to come to that which I was about to say the Teacher of the people shall iudge all his hearers indifferently in this behalfe to be accompted in the selfe same order and that ther is none amonge them all whiche ought not to be subiecte to Ecclestasticall discipline XVII But in the meane time there appéereth to bée some difference made of holy Teachers in reproouinge comptrollinge of persons The prophetes doe in their wordes both more often and also more bitingely stinge the Iewes vnto whom had shined plentifully the knowledge of gods will then the Gentiles drowned in the diepe gulfe of ignoraunce Againe the apostle Paule more seuerely chideth the Galathians then he doth the Corinthians or any other beside The same admonisheth Titus that he shoule sharpely reproue the Cretensians And this he doth truely not as though they should thincke it méete to haue regarde onely of the crimes themselues but also of their qualities and kindes Moreouer wee sée the Prophetes Apostles and CHRIST chiefe Capteyn of the preaching schole to be accustomed as most coÌ„monly so also most grieuously to assault the vngodly priestes Doctors Scribes Pharyseis the authors of false opinions and that for this cause inespecially in that settinge out their externall and counterfet rightuousnesse they sought meanes to haue the internall and true rightuousnes in déede to be vtterly buryed vnder foote and agayne for the they preferred mens traditioÌ„s before the law of god With lyke lyberty of speach doe the prophets oft times shake vp the corrupt Iudges terming them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and oppressors of the poore againste all righte and equitie And peraduenture for this cause doe they assayle both the sortes that is to saye one while the priestes an other while the Iudges for the of these two kindes of men depeÌ„d the safety of the whole citie séeinge that from them sins and vices are soone deriued into all the people and againe these being brought into order it is an easy matter to reduce all the rest of their subiectes to the obedience of lawes What néede many wordes we may gather out of these things that how much the more fowlely any are fallen or be of more obstinate dispositions or hurt more through their offences then others so much the more studiously and seuerely are they to be corrected xviii But in noting and reproouinge the vices of maiestrates there is néede of singular iudgement For some potentates there be which wyll suffer themselues to be rebuked of some men but not of euery man some againe will admit no teacher or instructer at all Sainct Ambrose as it is recorded in the Tripartite history lib. 9. cap 30 trusting to the goodnes of his cause which he had in hand vnbashfully reprooued the Emperour Theodosius and he so worthy a prince tooke wel at worth the reprehension of so worthy a doctor although it were bytter publique For vnto Ambrose was known right wel the notable towardnes of the Emperour and the feruâ—t zeale of his minde enclyned to equitie againe Theodosius had perfect trial experience of the wisdom integrytie of Ambrose And certes where the preacher himselfe leadeth a pure and vnspotted lyfe the maiestrate for his part vnfeignedly imbraceth iustice there doe the holsome endeuours of the minister of the Gospell aspire to most happy successe Iohn Baptist doubted not openly to repâ—oue the wicked kinge Herod he againe as the Euangelist witnesseth feared and reuerenced Iohn Christ Luk. 12 ouerthwartly pinched Herode calling him fox Nathan séemed to vse as it were a certaine stratageme or fine poleey when intending to reprooue kinge Dauide he sodeinly deuised a parable of two men the one riche the other poore Neither is it a straunge thing to obserue other parables also put foorth of the prophets in hard and difficult matters as Esay 5. Iere. 24 c. To be short it is plaine and euident that maiestrates are to be reprooued in time and place as ofte as they depart from the path of rightuousnesse but with what foresight and prouision that is expedient to be done no man canne certeinly demonstrate by rules but it is necessarye that euery man according to his owne discretion doe partely out of the sermons of the prophets and of Christ partely out of the kinde causes circumstaunces of matters incident gather and deuise with him selfe Neither truely doe I knowe very well how it commeth to passe that in the Sermons of the Apostles wee finde not any thing ouer hardly spokeÌ„ against any maiestrates but rather there occurre many thinges whereby subiects are admonished to obey them yea though they be euyll and wicked But I suppose two causes may be rendred of that matter One for the al gouerners of coÌ„mon weales at the time were euery where ethnicks vnbeléeuers and therfore not as yet receiued into the societie of the church whervnto the Apostles knew right wel that their authorytie only stretched For those that were without they left vnto GOD alone to be iudged The other that forasmuch as the doctrine of the gospell was euery where euill spoken off of a great nuÌ„ber also flaundered as seditious and tending to the decay of common weales the Apostles iudged it very vntimely to exasperate them with the ouer sharp controlment of their priuate vices whoÌ„ being stirred vnto wrath they knewe would forthwith séeke by all meanes possible to hinder and stop the course of the gospell Where I might adde that the apostles peraduenture enstructed by the holy ghost saw before that in reproouing the princes of that age whoÌ„ God as yet vouched not safe to call they shoulde loose all their labour and trauaile But the processe of our talke groweth further then wee think for XIX Certes that we
ought more modestlye to deale sometimes with those that supply any publicke charge and are placed in the degrée of worshippe or dignitie the apostle séemeth to insinuate where vnto Timothy he saieth Rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a Father And we may doubtles prosecute the cause of religion and of the Church with great feruentnes and may also vrge the seuerity of ecclesiastical discipline but yet this whole busines requireth a certaine moderation and discretion Wherefore of some is improoued the sharpnes of Chrisostom in his correctory Homilie entituled against Eutropius of which sée the Tripartite histo lib. 10. cap. 4. The like iudgment haue a number giuen of the homily wherin the same Chrisostom by reason of Eudocia the Empresse whom he knew to be grieuously displeased and to practise wiles against him displaied and layed open the vngraciousnes of women Like wise of an other against the saide Eudocia the beginning where of is Herodias once againe waxeth mad and is troubled shee longeth once againe to gette Iohns head in a dish XX But howsoeuer we prepare a Sermon to reproue our fuperiours we must take diligent héede leaste wee vnaduisedly powre foorth any thing wherby the vngodly may snatch occasion either to vtter or attempt any thing seditiously So to secke to take away offences that greater offences grow thereby séemeth to be the part of an vnaduised or rather of a mad man And vndoubtedly euery Ecclesiastical reprehension ought to tende to amendement not vnto tumult to edification not to destruction XXI And albeit so oft as any degrées of men are touched by way of rebuke it be expedient to refrayne from their names yet when entreaty is made of such persons as procure destruction to the whole multitude of whiche sort inespecially are the authors of sects and open rebels then is it lawful to vtter their names or to paint foorth their persons in their coolours For so doth Paule the Apostle 1. Timothy 1.2 Timoth. 2. call Himenaeus Alexander and Philetus hetitickes by name and willeth them to be auoyded Againe in the same Epistle cap. 4. he toucheth Alexander the copper Smith But least any man shoulde alledge and saye that this is done in an epistle writen priuately to one looke Esay cap. 22. openly preaching against Sobna the scribe xxii Thou must not think much to reproue the selfe same crimes often times and in diuers sermons and truly so long till thou shalt perceiue some amendement to follow Touching this thing Chrisostō admonisheth in a certaine homily entituled of Dauid and Saule and of tolleration or sufferaunce The same also hath left vnto vs notable examples especially where hee inueigheth against swearing wrath c. xxiii Now and then also he that hath the ouersight of the Church doth wisely threaten those that declare by euydent proofe that they wyll by no meanes forsake theyr vycious lyuinge howe hee wyll exclude them according to Christes institution from the holy table of the Lord that is as they vse to speake excommunicate them especially where the crimes be such that they minister reproche to the Church onely where they are committed and be supposed to require such a remedye or medicine Which thing we may sée Chrisostom to doe with a stout and valiaunt courage in his tome v. homilie 26. 28. where he entreateth against those that vsed vnaduisedly to sweare XXIIII Neither is this ynough The Preacher shal admonish also and exhort the christian maiestrate to put to his helpinge hande to the suppressinge of sinne and vice Which thing truely he may easely bring to passe in case he will but inioyne a certaine ciuyll penaltye to those that dispise or deride the worde of GOD and the censures of the Church For what shall the Preacher of the Gospell preuaile with brutish and degenerate people though he stoutly set forth things profitable comptrole the contrary if so be the maiestrate doth not acknowledge it also to bee a parcell of his charge to aide and assist him Truely there shall neuer be any common weale established worthy the name of christian where it commeth to passe that how much the teachers of the Churche doe build vp through their trauaile in declayming continualy against vices so much againe the ciuil maiestrates doe pluck downe through their negligence in neuer séeinge execusion done vpon those that be offenders XXV But in all the order of reprouinge of sinnes it is very necessary that the minister of the worde doe studiously teach by what meanes sinnes and the custome of sinning may best be auoyded of euery man. Chrisostom in his tome v. homily 5. doth skilfully show a way how the wicked custome of swearinge might be eschewed Ezechiel whilest cap. 34. hee reprooueth euill pastors by the same diligence declareth what the office of a good sheapheard is xxvi I had almost forgotten this Vnto euery bitter and vehement rebuke shall be adioyned some temperature of comfort and that chiefely by propoundinge vnto them that repent certayne and assured hope of mercy which god accustometh bountifully to exhibit to all those that vnfeignedly craue it at his handes The maner is among the Phisitions of bodies to put to their simple purging medicines when by their sharpenosse they molest the stomack or other parts of the bodye certaine thinges to allay their strength yea and with all bitter medicines least the mouth should be brought out of fast to intermedle swéet thinges We sée therfore that this deuise hath lyked also the prophets the Phisitions of soules whose perpetuall fashion in a maner is vnto rebukes to ioyne consolations and vnto threatnings to add promises And why it ought so to be this is the reason The preacher must with all diligence bende him selfe to this that he bring sinners not onely to sorrow of minde or contrition as they call it but also vnto faith for in these two partes that is to say contrition or mortification faith is repentaunce accomplished and that for this cause least such as finde themselues gilty of euerlasting dampnation being cast downe by the seuerytie of Gods iudgement should be driuen headlong into desperation xxvii At length when the preacher féeleth and perceyueth that by his fidelity and diligence by his timely and vntimely entreatings pursuinges cryings twitchinges instigations some are brought to amendement of lyfe he shall at some conuenient time prayse them and comfort them either publikely all in generall or some also priuately as much as lieth in him shall be the author vnto them of perseueringe in their good and godly purpose Which thing also we may perceiue the prophets to haue done oft times whilst they commende and set foorth the felicitie of them that reuoltinge from the tents of vngodlynesse do repayre to the Ensignes of fayth and repentaunce And it commeth to passe truely by this meanes that they doe not lightly returne againe to the filth of their former life neither can iustly be touched with these prouerbes The dog
two bookes Of framing of Diuine Sermons as the fower bookes touching a Diuine as the two bookes Of reading and daily meditation of the holy Scriptures as that Cathechisme or Shorte Instruction which he last put foorth Many other bookes of his are witnesses also penned and written by him with great laboures and watchinges which we are sory could not of him be ouerséene and recognized that so which would haue turned to the great profit of all studious Diuines they might haue come abrode For he had written as well in Philosophye some thinges as Touching the order of Studye Of Logicke Rhetoricke Arithmetick Geometry Cosmography The ScieÌ„ce perspectiue some things of Astronomy and likewise of Naturall causes and Scolies to the ten bookes of Aristotles Ethickes as also in Diuinitie many notable matters as touching The not forsaking of the studies of holy Scripture thrée bookes Of Diuine places fower bookes ObseruatioÌ„s of places vpon those parcels of the Gospels which are vsually read in Churches euery Sonday Againe Of the life and maners of students Of publicke liberalitie towards the poore Of ecclesiasticall Scholes Of the mariage of Ministers of the Church How a man ought to proue himselfe Of the prouidence of God Moreouer vppon all the Epistles of Saint Paule certaine peculiar formes of speaking and the Method of Diuinitie of which hauing appointed six bookes he had not yet finished thrée He had beguÌ„ likewise to write 12. bookes entituled of Scolasticall vacations as touching the Ordering of the Church 6. bookes Which bookes if he him selfe might haue corrected fully accomplished then should haue appered sufficiently out of them his diuine wit theÌ„ should haue shined foorth sufficiently his notable learning theÌ„ would haue bene séene sufficiently his wonderfull knowledge of the auncient histories of the Church theÌ„ would haue bene apparant sufficiently his grounded practise experience of manifolde things togither with his déepe excellent wisdom But euen out of those notwithstanding which he hath already put foorth may all these thinges also be sufficiently perceyued though I should holde my peace We haue maruayled forsooth often times whensoeuer any thinge was propounded in familiar talke as touching Ecclesiasticall matters to heare that he had alwaies in a readines out of auncieÌ„t histories some thing that made for the mater in questioÌ„ how he did so promptly illustrate determine the same But there was no lesse power in the man of teaching and arguing then ther was furniture of learning and erudition With what force and facilitye be taught the selfe same can testify that are witnesses before of his other gifts what dexteritie in disputing what sharpenes of witte he alwayes vsed his bearers doe remember He would not as many are wont to do dally and scoffe at the argumentes proposed neyther handeled he the matter with clamoures and outcryes whereby no profit could redound to the hearers but hée so openly and grauely discussed all thinges that the diligent hearers might receyue thereby most ample fruite And in this his maner as well of teaching as of reasoning he was alwaies from time to time of so great modestye and of so great constancye that neyther woulde he vnaduisedly moue idle questions neyther alter or interrupt the order of teaching that he had once with iudgement taken in hande As touching which thing you remember I am sure right learned Master Chunrade Mathew my very worshipfull kinseman what he sayd the selfe same daye he let his lyfe either of vs both you and I being present with him I sayeth he haue alwayes bene carefull of this in the Schole that I might propound profitable doctrine to my hearers and auoyde idle and superfluous questions I haue taken diligent heede leaste I should giue anye occasion of contentions and haue euermore reteyned one vniforme order of teaching and so long as I liue will reteyne These in a maner were his wordes which when we had heard not without teares we affirmed that we were witnesses of that matter and how that we lykewise had alwaies hitherto kept the fame order of teaching and would kéepe also hereafter But as touching that which perteyneth to his fidelitie and diligence in the office of teaching there is no cause why I shoulde saye much I appeale to the felfe same to testifie of his diligence that were witnesses euen now of his learning and abilitye in teaching This is certaine he was rauished with so great zeale and feruencie in promoting the studies of holy Scriptures that ouer and besides the laboures the were enioyned him he would also ofteÌ„ times â—hoose to himselfe vacant houres wherin he might teach something extraordinarily He diligeÌ„ly procured and set forward the exercises of disputations and declamations wherein as he alone by the space of certaine yeres was alwaies with great trauayle the chiefe so afterward when other of vs also his coÌ„panions kept our course in the order he was both willingly and commonly present As for the forme maner of preaching in the Schole with what great laboure I pray you with what great paynfulnes did he order it He prescribed common places which he thought most néedeful to be handeled he corrected the Sermons written by Studentes before they were recited he hearde also them that were appoynted to preach before they should openly come into the Church to the intent that if any thinge were amisse either in their voyce or in their gestures that also might be ameÌ„ded He praised those that had wel behaued themselues in these exercises he reproued and pricked forwarde the negligent and slouthfull vnto diligence He had adioyned to these kindes of exercises besides an Examining in matters of Diuinitie which he appointed once commonly in two yeres a certain order also of Diuine Consultation where some question béeing propofided either of Doctrine or of rites and matters Ecclesiasticall he would bid euery one in order to put foorth his opinion in a full continewed forme of speaking to the intent that so by diuers sundrye sentences on either side giuen it might be perceyued out of many what was true what false what made for the pourpose and what might be sayd against it All which labours be so willingly tooke vpon him that hauing also no rewarde appointed for his paynes he neuerthelesse most diligently prosecuted the same I omit his priuate studies of which I will now say nothing more then that which I may truely auouch namely that he was neuer at home alone but that he either wrote something or read something or meditated something so far foorth that bée séemed vnto me euen to weaken and debilitate the strength of his body and eueÌ„ to consume him selfe with ouer great studies and laboures There was in him besides all these thinges a most diligent meditation touching the reforming of Churches wherein he was occupied day and night For he coueted greatly to reuoke the people of our Nation to the paterne of the primityue Church he coueted to remoue many
to whether kind of interpretation ech sentence treatise of diuine matters ought to be referred Howbeit since we haue already spokeÌ„ of Scolastical interpretatioÌ„ of the scriptures wheÌ„ as we intreted of the order of diuine study so much as the matter theÌ„ séemed to suffer require now it semeth good to put forth som things more large forsomuch as we haue diuers suÌ„dry times 〈◊〉 earnestly moued by a number of men therevnto concerning Popular interpretation or that is all one of framing of diuine sermons to the people Which if they shall séeme scarce absolute in learning as truely I must néedes confesse them to be Yet haue we bestowed some trauayle and paynes at the least that they shoulde be apte and correspodent to the time preseÌ„t to the capacities of yong beginners such as be vnskilful whoÌ„ we haue takeÌ„ in hand to instruct which also our hope is we shal by some meanes obteyne Nowe my purpose is to deuyde thys worke into two bookes Whereof in the former I entend to declare and touch all those thinges that are common in generall to all Sermons In the later such things as be peculiar seuerally to euery kind of sermon and ought exactly to be noted and obserued in the same But in very good season euen in the firste entry as ye woulde say of this booke shall we call to memory how excellent their function is that declare vnto the people the diuine oracles The prophet Malachy Cap. 2. termeth him the teacheth in the Church the angell of the Lorde of hostes Which woorde sithe it properly signifieth the office of hym that bringeth the commaundementes of God vnto men each mannes mynde hearing the same maye forthwith of necessitie conceyue some thinge then man more high and excelent and approchinge more néere to the heauenly nature Moreouer the prechers are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of god himselfe as though God vouched safe to admytte them as hys fellowes and companions in the worke of buyldinge and establishing his church For by like reason in a maner the apostle Paule termeth his frnd Epaphroditus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say fellow labourer or as other lyste to turne it companyon and fellowe Souldiour No lesse notable is it that the same Apostle affyrmeth the faithful teachers to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is gouernours and stuardes of the housholde and secret affayres of god 〈◊〉 as it woulde be to recken vp the residewe of the titles 〈…〉 â—â—llations of lyke and greater dignitie as also the wise and sage sayings examples types and other ornamentes wherewith the Preachers of the Gospell aboue all that can be sayde are adorned and set forth Yea and amonge all ecclesiasticall functions I suppose there is no man that either can or wyll denye this one to excell farre away ther rest For it is euident that in it is placed the most excellent office of the whole ministery of the Gospel For why Christ departing from the earth gaue in charge to his disciples that before all thinges they shoulde stoutely applyâ— the office of teaching Goe sayeth he into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to euery creature In whiche place the charge of teaching is preferred before Baptisme or administration of the Sacraments Like as also the hearing of the worde ought of necessitie to goe before the confession of faith Wherevppon it commeth to passe also that the Apostle chalengeth to hymselfe by his owne right the faculty of teachinge as the peculyer office of Thappâ—stolike order leauing to ' other all other kinde of actions Christe sent not mée sayeth hée to Baptise but that I shoulde preache the Gospell Neither is there any other more certayne and sure marke whereby the true Church may be discerned from the false then by sounde doctrine Sith euen heritickes also haue the Sacramentes in their méetinges and conuenticles but as for sounde doctrine they can in no wise boast or brag of Fynally if the seruice wherewith God is most chiefly delighted be sought for euen this vndoubtedly consisteth also in the publyke denunciation of the Gospell Whervpon the Apostle Paule agayne to the Romaines 1. doubted not to make his vaunt that he worshipped God in spyrit and trueth by preachinge the Gospell of Iesus Christe And in the 15. Chapter hée professeth that grace was for this cause giuen hym of God that hee shoulde be a minister of Christ Iesu to the Gentiles administringe the Gospell of God to thintent the oblation of the Gentiles might become acceptable sanctifyed by the holy Ghost For these consyderations the same Apostle both wisely and grauelye pronounced that all those that are desyrous to aspyre to this kynde of lyfe doe couet an honest callynge and agayne that all suche as are duly occupyed therein ought of al men to be loued and had in hygh estimation Hee that coueteth the office of a Bysshoppe sayeth hée desyreth an honeste woorke And The Elders that gouerne well are worthy of double honour those inespecyally that labour in the woorde and in teachynge For the Scripture sayeth Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. And the woorkman is worthy of his hyre Last of all what inestimable glorye remayneth also after this lyfe for the faithfull teachers the noble Prophet Daniel hath left in writinge They that teache others sayeth hée shall shyne as the brightnesse of the Firmament and those that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall be as the Starres for euer and euer Whiche wordes lyke as they may be an occasion to moue them to dilygence in their office so agayne doe they minister vnto them incomperable solace in theyr labours and trauailes And séeynge the Prophet entreteth there most chiefely of those things that shall come to passe about the ende of the worlde those vndoubtedly whosoeuer they be that in these dayes and in this declyning age of the worlde doe with all dylygence and fydelytie sustayne the troubles of teachinge in the Churche may worthylye interprete the same propheticall Oracle to appertayne vnto themselues ¶ With what thinges it behoueth hym to bee furnished that taketh vpon hym the office of teachinge in the Churche Cap. II. MOreouer whosoeuer taketh vpon hym the excellent office of teachinge the people in the church ought to be furnished inespecially with thrée thinges Learninge Puritie of maners and with a Spirite or power in teaching For wittily is it sayde of Gregory Nazianzene in hys Apology dâ— Fuga That it is the point of notorious mad meÌ„ to take vpon them to teache others before they themselues be sufficiently taught For that were according to the prouerbe Vltra crepidare and to meddle with diuine matters to the perill of the soule Those therefore that endeuour themselues to teache the people in sacred assemblies haue néede of a double doctrine and vnderstandinge The one of thinges diuine which they properlye
call diuinitie comprised in the holy writings of the Prophets Apostles The other of thinges humaine in which we doe not only account the artes called Liberal and the parts of Philosophy commonlye handled in the Scholes and likewise the tongues but also ciuill discripline and iudgement of polytyke and â—econonicall affaires And that verely is necessary to the Preacher to thinâ—ent he may sincerely inculke and repeate the principles of Christian religion confyrme the good in their godly opinions confute the euill and these that be of a sinister iudgement And this to th ende he may with the greater grace and dexterytie order al things but chiefely discouer and condemne all kinde of vices whiche raigne in diuers and sundrye sortes of men For how shall hee prudentlye frame his Sermon agaynst Usurye and manye vniuste bargaynes and contractes eyther els agaynste leude and cancred Customes commonlye receiued that haue not some kinde of knowledge of ciuill affayres Esay cap. 22. reprouinge the vaine counsels of the people touching the munition of the Citie wherein the vngodly in the time of warre dyd put more affiaunce then in God hymselfe and in many other places besides wherein he rebuketh diuers sinnes and enormities dothe sufficiently declare that he was not ignoraunt of ciuill matters How many thinges moreouer mayest thou sée in Ieremy Ezechiell Daniell and other of the Prophetes which do not obscurely argue that they were right diligent markers and wise estéemers of a number of thinges perteyninge to the state ciuill The same thinge dothe Christe testifye of hymselfe in many parables of whiche sorte is that of the vniust Stuarde Luke 16 of the Talentes Math. 25. and many of hys whole Sermons béesides Also out of the Sacred Chronicle of the Actes of Thapostles and out of the Epistles may easely be gathered that the Apostle Paule was reasonablye well séene both in the lawes of the Romaines and also in rourtlike and forensicall actions It is requisite therfore by al meanes that ecclesiasticall teachers be not onely some denie skilful in dyuine but also in humayne matters and specially in polytike and a conomicall affayres and so far forth skilful to as may be necessarye to the furtheraunce of their flocke committed vnto them and the impeachment of all kinde of wickednesse and impyetie But no smal number of thinges appertinent to this kinde as well by the familyar acquaintaunce with men of meane wisdome so they be séene in vse and experyence as also by the dylygent annotation of such affayres as daylye come to passe and the inuestigation of the causes and circumstaunces in the same euery good and wel disposed man may easely gather and conceiue Now that sanctimony of lyfe ought to be required in a Preacher of the Gospell euery man may iudge séeinge it profiteth nothing at all to edifye the Churche of GOD in worde if that whiche is already builded vp bee subuerted agayne with euill conditions A good life is as it were a scale whereby sounde doctrine is confirmed in the hearers A thing most vnséemely it is in â—ace hée that professeth to be a Phisition and wyll take vpon him to heale others of their infirmities bée hymselfe all scabbye and full of byles Phisition wyil they all saye heale thy selfe Therefore ought all men to set Christe béefore them as theyr Scholemaster whom we may heare preache not onely in worde but also effectually in déede For whiche cause the Apostle most dilygentlye prescribed what manner of men Bysshoppes or Elders lykewyse Decons with their whole families ought to bée with what vertues hee woulde haue them chiefelye garnished and from what vices hée woulde wyshe them to bée frée Albeit this is also to be added that where wee may not haue altogether so perfect and absolute Preachers in euery respect as we couet and desyre yet ought wee to suffer and imbrace those whose doctrine is sounde and with no sâ—ot of heresye or noysome opinions infected For whither any thorow enuy or thorow contention or thorow occasion doe teache so they preach Christ all is well and God is to be thanked No man is borne without his fault great alwayes is the fragilytie of mankinde and on euerye side euermore are we misers enuironed about with certaine domestical furies as yee would say continually enticing vs to sinne In lyke maner there is no man that can eschewe the bytyng teeth of detraction And in no place mayst thou not in these dayes specially beholde the malignaunt multytude what saye I multitude yea euen those also that take vpon them far beyonde the common sort whettinge their tusshes to slaunder and backbit the ministers of the Churche euen there also where they haue no iuste cause or occasion so to doe A number of Sicophants there be of the sect and faction to that wicked Doeg in whom Ambrose expoundinge the sixt of Luke saieth appeared a type of Iudas the traitor that haue the cast to construe and interprete actions of themselues voyde of all blame as huge crimes and enormities and in their accusations to make more then mountaines of miles or oliphants of flies Whosoeuer therfore is wise wil not rashly giue héede vnto those that commonlye and willingly speake euill of Ecclesiasticall teachers Whether may be referred that which the same apostle no lesse grauely prescribeth touchinge the life and conuersation of Elders then carefully and wiselye admonisheth that an accusation against a priest or elder is in no wise to be admitted without two or thrée witnesses In the thyrde place wee sayde that to a Preacher is néedefull and requisite a spyrite and power in teachinge I vnderstande by the name of Spirite and power a certayne peculyar facultie of proposynge sounde doctrine and also of moouing and drawing of mindes â—â— thintent that as many as is possible may reape most ample fruiteâ— and as few as may be presume to disalowe any thinge as vaine vnfruitfull Which facultie in one place is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power in an other place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldnesse of speache somtime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might now and than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirit erewhile agayne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the demonstration of the spirit and power For so doe the Euangelistes testifie of Christ He taught as one hauing power All men were astonied at his doctrine bycause his woord was ioyned with power And the Apostle Paule 1. Corinth 2. My woordes and my preaching were not in flattringe phrases of mans wisedom but in the demonstration of the spirit and of power that your faith might not bee in the wisdome of men but in the power of GOD. Whiche forme of speakinge hee vseth also in the fourthe Chapter of the same Epistle Agayne in the fourth of the Actes Peter filled with the holy ghost is had in admiration for his libertie in speaking And in the same chapter the Apostles pray vnto God that he would giue his seruants grace to speake the word
peculiar vices in some one citie reigne diuers enormities which to an other citie are scarce lye knowen Moreouer among some be stirred vp contencions and varieties touching the doctrine of religion againe amongst other some all thinges are quiet Therfore in â—ace thou speakest of crimes and errours to the people in whom those crimes or errours are not to be founde truly thou doest not wisely For it is to be feared least thy sharpe and tedious reprehension bréede offence amonge those that be weake whiche will now beginne to learne some euill of thée that before they were ignoraunt off They that minister medicines to the whole doe rather hurt them then confirme thei health But on the other side if in any place sinnes or straunge heresies doe budde forth thou doest not eftsoones and before they take déepe roote méete with them and endeuour to roote them out all the blame of the euill shall be imputed vnto thée and if wher it behooued thée stoutly to speake thou filthily holdest thy peace thou shalt worthily be reported off according to the sayiÌ„g of the prophet Esay A dumbe dog not daring to barke Furthermore it so chaunceth oft times that diuers and sondrye affaires happen of which it standeth the preacher vppon to frame Orations of diuers kindes as when the common wealth is oppressed with famine pestilence or warre when the fruits of the field lie beaten downe with hayle or intemperature of the ayre when sedition tumults or other daungers are to be feared Againe it is the part of a teacher to comforte the dismayed multitude to induce them to the knowledge of their sinnes to stir them vp to implore and call vpon the mercy of God. To be short how many and sundry soeuer the euentes in humane matters be so many and sundrye Sermons may and ought to be had yea and necessitie it selfe doeth from time to time teach vs to vse now one forme of speaking and now and then another By these thinges therfore it may appeare vnto all men what kinde of matter ought openly to be handled of the ministers of the church Neyther is it to be doubled but the the holy fathers as many as were euer occupied in this most excellent function of preaching had a right dilygent care consideration of these things For vndoubtedly to thintent the auncient Doctors of the Church might at all times propose the like matter that we haue spoken of to the people in sacred assemblies they one while explaned the holy canonicall bookes entirely from the beginning to the ende an other while some parte of the holy Bible nowe and then some certaine chapter or place excerpted out of the same againe somtime they framed their oration of any matter offred and insident by occasion And lest they should be thought not to haue so dilligent regarde and consideration of the publique vtilytie edifying of the whole congregation as was méete and expedient their custome was which custom in many places dothe yet still endure and where it is abolished ought woorthily to bee restored agayne that in euery Churche the pastor with the residewe of the priestes or elders labouryng together as well in the word as in gouernment should méete and assemble themselues and then maturely delyberate and define accordyng to the state of the churche and maner of the time present what books or what parts thereof what places out of the same fynally what matter or what chapters were most expedyent to be handled and illustrated to the people Therefore the ministers of the worde like as the affayres of the faithfull required in euery place after the aduice and determination of the Colledge of Elders were eyther occupied in the interpretation of certen of the scriptures or dyd inculke more exactly frequently then they were accustomed some certayne sounde principles of religion or by reason of rauening wolues that is to say hereticks and hipocrits they impugned and subuerted their absurde opinions or reproued the vices of certain brethrne lyuing rather after the flesh then after the spirit and excited them to diuers and sundry vertues or els they vsed apt consolations for some publique calamitie that had lately happened Neither thought they yt sufficient if an argument proposed were once or twice of one onely speaker entreated off but as many as were there placed in the ministrie prosecuted in many sermoÌ„s the selfe same cause with great and wonderfull consent And of this custome of the more ancient and purer church we finde written by Tertulian Cap. 39. Apologetici Wee came together sayth he to commemorate the diuine scriptures if the qualiti of the times preseÌ„t doth compel vs ether to premonish or to reknowlege any thing certes with holy communication we feede our faith we arest our hope wee fix our affiaunce and with ofte repetitions and suggestions we confirme the discipline of precepts More cleare is that which S. August explaninge the 34 and 139. Psal as he hymselfe counteth them also in his second Sermon vpon the 36. Psalme about the beginning sayth that he was commaunded of his brethrne and companions to interpret those Psalmes Moreouer as touching entier whole bokes of scripture expounded to the people examples ther be nothing obscure Origen opened and interpreted to the people certaine bookes of the olde testament as well out of the law as out of the prophets namly Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numbers Iosua c. albeit some parcelles thereof are wanting But Chrisostom hath more grace in his homylies vpon Gensis vpon the gospell of Mathew Iohn and on the Epistles of S. Puele S. August also in the beginninge of his exposition of S. Iohns epistle sheweth that he had explaned in order at the whole gospel of S. Iohn when as by reson of feastful daies falling in the meane time necessitie requâ—rod certaine readings out of the gospel to be recited declared he would procéede those daies being past in the traâ—tation of the sayd epistle of S. Iohn Neither want their sermons wherein are opened and expounded certaine partes of the sacred scriptures Basill in eleuen homilies vttered apparauntly the beginning of Genesis touching the creation of thinges and some certayne Psalmes There be extant also certayne percels of Esay Ieremy and Ezechiel in lyke order illustred of Origen We may reade in like maner the most learned homilies of Chrisostom vpon some of the Psalmes If a man require Sermons compacted and applyed to the explication of some one place out of the Scriptures he shall finde euery where inowe In Chrisostom thou shalt sée homilies coÌ„cerning those wordes in Genesis I will put enmitie discord betwixt thee the womaÌ„ also touching the faith of Abraham and offeringe vp of Isaac of Ioseph solde by hys bretherne of the continency of Ioseph of that whiche is written Iudicum 1. Iephthe went forth to battell vowed a vow c. of Anna Elcano of the education of Samuel 4.
that the whole Sermon beâ— applyed to the reprouinge of a false opinion or to the correction and abolishinge of superstitions or of some euill inueterate custome then doubtelesse it is both seemely also very requisite that all thinges bée dissolued in order that are produced of obstinat men for the defence of their errors For great labor and dilligence is néedefull to the extirpinge and rooting out of peruerse opinions wherwith the myndes of men haue any longe tyme bene infected séeinge they alwayes subtilly and craftely goe about to imagine and contriue a number of thinges to establish and confirme their noysom opinions withall For after this sorte wee may sée confuted in the booke of Salomon which is entituled Ecclesiastes the false and erroneous opinions of many touchinge the soueraigne felicitie And the Apostle Paule in his Epistle to the Romaynes Cap. 5.6 and 7. wysely infringeth and dissolueeth no fewe thinges which the aduersaries obiected against the doctrine of iustificatioÌ„ by faith without workes Moreouer the Preacher shall vse all the order and conâ—ing in confutation which wée sée to be prescribed to the Orators and he shall franckely vse negation eleuation translation excusation digression regestion inuersion distinction absolution conquestion inuestigation of the matter and forme of argumentes after the maner of Logicke and whatsoeuer else is of this kynde For of all these thinges examples may be shewed in the Sermons of Christ the Prophetes and Apostles Notwithstandinge he must take dilligent héede of this that his Confutation bée vtterly voyde of all subtill sophistry that it bee without ostentation of the deceytfull drinkes of Logicke and lawelyke craftinesse to be short that it bee without any desyre of cauillinge And that verily for this cause least any man shoulds suspect hym either to trifle or else to bee desirous to circumuent and begyle his auditors Whereof the one is the poynt of shamefull vanitie and the other of malitious subteltie Full well goeth the ecclesiasticall discourse forward that is séene to bee decked and adorned with veritie and simplicitie Some there bee that in confutinge now and then become so hote and vehement that as men enraged wyth ire they brast forth into contumelious reproches yea and somtimes into Thiestes execratioÌ„s which whilest they doo they excéede all measure and mediocritie These men wee wishe to be admonished that they woulde endeuour themselues to restrayne with the bridell of charitie the excursion of their vehement and hasty Oration For it lesse offendeth albeit it bee a sharpe reprehension if it may bee vnderstood to procéede of charitie These thinges touchinge the maner of Confutinge applied to the Popular vnderstanding and congruent to euery kinde of Sermons whither it be a whole booke or a parte of the booke or some certaine place that is expounded or whither we entreat of affayres offred by occasion of tyme may suffise For the thinges that ought besides to be accommodate as proper to the kinde râ—dargutiue or correctiue those things we will with more dilligence declare when we shall seuerally entreat of the same kindes ¶ Of Conclusion Cap. XIII IN euery sacred Sermon eche parte or common place doth craue a briefe conclusion but besides that a certaine apte and conuenient peroration must be added to the whole oration Now it this if many notable places out of a whole booke or a part of a booke haue ben examined a short repetitioÌ„ is rightely made of some principal points Chapters therof If two or thrée places haue bene expouÌ„ded then of euery one in order may be called into memory some certayne proufes such as séeme to be most emineÌ„t probable nowe and then the Preacher strayeth onely in those thinges that pertayne to the last place the doctrine and vtilitie whereof he alonely studiously commendeth But in cace some one certaine place of Scripture or a Theame simple or compound shall thorow out the whole Sermon be declared at large or that the Sermon be taken in hande touchinge businesse which the state of the Church requireth to be handeled then for the most parte a peroration is accustomably bestowed in mouing of affectioÌ„s to the inteÌ„t meÌ„ may be stirred to desire or eschew to alow or dissalowe that whereof entreaty hath bene made Somtyme to Sermons of euery kinde are annexed exhortation or obiurgations vtterly deuided from those places that are before expounded Which then truely rightely commeth to passe when certayne affayres doe happen whereof it behoueth the people to bee admonished So Chrisostom in a place in the ende of his Sermon rebuketh those that neglectinge diuine Sermons vsed to gadd to the Theatre to beholde there the games on horsebacke called Ludi equestres The same in his Hoâ—â—lie 19. vppon Genesis after the Scriptures declared wyth a briefe conclusion hee passeth to an exhortation wherein he detesteth couetousnesse and requireth all men that they woulde endeuoure themselues to helpe the poore and to giue almose vnto them In his Homilie 15. after hee had besought his hearers that they would commende vnto their memory the thinges that had bene spoken touchinge the incomnparable mercy of GOD he admonisheth them that they woulds laboure to passe the residewe of the Lente fruitefully and studye not onely to absteyne from meates but also much more from sinne and wycked attemptes But most commonly he concludeth simply in prayinge and beseacute echinge his audientes that they woulde haue dilligent consideration of the holsome doctrine propounded vnto them that they woulde repeate it after they were returned home somtymes also declare it vnto others which we may sée him to haue done Homilie 2.14 and 20. vppon Genesis and else where and finally conuert it wholely to the amendement of their lyues Moreouer nowe and then the Preachers doe admonish in the conclusion of what matter they are determined to entreate in their Sermon followinge Out of Chrysostom Homilie 4. vppon Genesis also 4. vppon the first Epistle to the Corinth Item his 5. Tome Homilie 28. agaynst Swearinge some gather that the custome was in the church in tymes past that the people after the ende of the Sermon shoulde clappe their handes and make acclamations but so asmuch as this custome séemeth to haue folowed from the Theatre or market place it is worthely obsolete and growen out of vre Much better it is verely to ende all sacred Sermons with prayer or that wee certaynely knowe to bee done in some place wyth the confession of fayth that is to saye with the repetition of the Symboll Apostolyke or Nicaene ¶ Of Amplification Cap. XV. WHatsoeuer thinge is profitable either to teache perspicuousely or also to moue perswade withall all that shall the Preacher purchase to himselfe as most requisite and necessary furniture Therefore let him knowe that argumentations tripartite quinquepartite Enthymemata also Schemes and Tropes further the crafte of amplifying and mouing of affections and finally whatsoeuer else of this order is
taught of the Rhetoritians masters of well speakinge doe appertayne and belonge vnto him Howbeit our purpose is not to speake any thinge at all touchinge the formes of argumentes of Schemes or Tropes forasmuch as we doe gather these thinges onely for their sakes vnto whoÌ„ we supppose all those thinges to bee already verye well knowen But neuerthelesse we will note somwhat touchinge amplification for that we perceyue many of the holy Fathers to haue bene studiously occupied in handelinge of the same Yea and somwhat otherwyse to vsurpe amplifications and to alledge also other maner of arguments theÌ„ the Orators are accustomed For the Preacher doth not vse amplification to the intent to bring to passe that the matter might appere either greater or lesser then it is of it selfe or as it is fayed that of a flye might bee made an Elephante or agayne of an Elephante a flye in which point the Rhetoritians doe most chiefely laboure couetinge withall to corrupte the iudgement of the hearers and to withdrawe them from the right scope but to the ende it may bee acknowledged of all men to bee suche and so greate as is meete and requisite that it shoulde bee in deede which verily is no other thing theÌ„ to reclayme men erring from the truth to a prudent and sincere iudgement And herevppon we maye also gather when and at what time the practise of amplification ought most conueniently to be vsed For if at any time thou happenest vppon those places of which it is likely that the bearers cannot iudge sufficiently aright then by adding to amplifications we must labor to bringe them to this point that they may be able to conceaue both what and howe great euery thinge is And oft times it commeth to passe that certaine sinnes for asmuch as they are commnoly and euery where without controlmente committed be by the iudgement of the common people supposed not to be so haynous as they are in déede of whiche sorte are concupiscence hatred of our neighbour reuilements periurie brawlings dronkennes offences giuen c. Of these therfore when the Preacher shall fortune to entreat he shall not without good cause by vsinge of amplyfications goe about to declare the greatnesse of the same In respect wherof Esay Cap. 1. doth very artificially amplyfye certaine sinnes of the Iewes by comparisons and suche lyke places Christ in like maner Math. 5 amplifieth diuers and sondry offences as namely reproche of our neighbour concupiscence periury and proueth them to be much more grieuous then a great number did suppose Agayne some there be that estéeme certayne thinges more highly then they ought to be estéemed as for example we may sée some men to attribute so much vnto ceremonies rights mens traditions c. that they are not affrayd to prefer them before the very commaundements of god Therfore when it shall be for the behoofe of the hearers to entreat of these thinges the Preacher shall prudently extenuate al obseruations or traditions yea and with necessary and probable argumeÌ„ts so much as lieth in him conclude that they are by no meanes to be compared with the preceptes of Gods law Christe Mathew 15. and Mark. 7. doth grieuously reproue the preposterous iudgementes of men in this behalfe And Paule in his epistle to the Colossians dothe with wonderfull dexteritye shake vp and bringe into conteÌ„pt the vphoulders and maynteyners of traditions Sometimes it so falleth out that certaine notable vertues are neglected or be not estéemed as they are worthy wherefore throughe amplifications they shall bee aduaunced to the dignitye whiche of right they ought to haue In respecte whereof the Apostle to the Rom. 4. doth amplyfye the faithe of Adraham by the causes and circumstaunces thereof to the intent that all men might perceiue that the faith wherby Abraham so greatly pleased god was accepted of him and wherby also men ought to be iustified was not colde and light but vehement notable and very wonderfull Who contrary to hope sayeth hée beleeued in hope that hee should be the father of many nations accordyng to that whiche was spoken So shall thy seede bee And hee faynted not in the fayth nor consydered hys owne bodye now dead whon hee was almost an hundred yeares olde neither yet the barennesse of Saraes wombe Hee staggard not at the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was stronge in fayth giuinge glorye to GOD and beinge full certifyed that what he had promised he was able also to performe And therefore was it reckoned vnto hym for rightuousnesse There is extant also a graue amplyfycation of the same Apostle touchynge the wrath of God to be feared of all those that wyll not acknowledge Christ to be the true Messias Take heede my brethrne sayeth he least at any tyme there bee in you an euill harte of vnbeleefe to departe from the lyuing God but exhort yee one an other daylye while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne For wee are made pertakers of Christe if wee keepe sure vnto the ende the beginninge of the substaune and so foorth as it is in the texte For the place is longe Moreouer the Preacher may vse all the furniture of amplyfyinge that the Schole of Orators ministreth vnto hym Wherefore as touchinge that whiche pertayneth vnto woordes hee may mingle together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expolition definition description distribution heapinge vppe of matter encreaâ—ement As touchinge the things themselues he may transferre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye passe from a question definite to a question infinite or common place hee may examine so farre foorth as the nature of the argument wyll suffer the causes to witte the matter forme effecte ende Moreouer the circumstaunces as the personne time place maner instrument occasion and so foorth Then thinges happening or signes whereof some be antesedeÌ„ts some subsequentes other some annixed to the busines it selfe also comparisons similitudes contentions contraries and whatsoeruer thinges els are in this kynde set forth of the Rhetoritians Againe further the Preacher may borrowe many poyntes of amplifying out of Theologye it selfe whiche hath no small number of peculyar places apt and correspondent to euery kynde of argumente as well as any other discipline beside lyke as we shall a little after declare Therefore hee that teacheth the people doeth ofte times frame his amplyfication Ab attributis Dei that is of the properties of God as that God searcheth the harte that hee can not bee deceyued Of the Commaundement of God Of the Promises set foorth Of the Threatninge of punishmentes Of the Callynge of Manne to the knowledge of the trueth Of Electinge into the Churche of God Of Spirituall giftes receyued Of a Generall sentence in Diuinitie Of the Predictions of the Prophetes Of that that they bee thinges spyrytuall Of the tyme of the Lawe Of the Tyme of the Gospell Of the Signe
Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sitte on my right hande If Dauid calleth him Lorde howe is he then his sonne 3 Of the significatioÌ„ of the wordes to the sentence or meaninge of the speaker It behoueth this most chiefely to be obserued in figuratiue spéeches albeit euen where no figures bée at all yet some obscuritie may séeme to lurke Nowe this must bée remoued by searchinge the authors mynde out of the circumstaunces or out of the thinges either antecedent or consequent 4 Of wordes goinge afore and comminge after This also is a helpe in no wyse to be neglected For where it séemeth good out of some place of Scripture to confirme a doctrin or sentence it is requisite forthwith to marke as well the wordes antecedent as consequent and out of them to declare the sentence to bée true which wée proponed 5 Of a generall sentence in Diuinitie Such a one is this Deut. 10. God is no respecter of persons Therfore Peter Act. 10 gathereth herevppon that the Gentiles also in cace they feare God and giue themselues vnto rightuousnesse may bée accepted with God. 6 Of the thinges atributed to god God is true therfore will he performe his promyses proue vs to be liers God is rightuous wherefore of him shall the worlde be iudged 7 Of the signe to the thinge signified We are baptised therefore are we clensed from our sinnes by the bloode of Christ 8 Of one tyme to an other or of the tyme of the lawe to the tyme of the Gospell Rom. â—â— it is shewed how at all tymes some are elected by the grace of God to saluation and therefore that we ought not to cast away all hope touching certayne of the Iewes to be saued and that by this argument out of the â— Reg. 19. Knowe yee not sayth he what the Scripture sayth of Elias Howe he crieth vnto God agaynst Israell sayinge Lorde they haue killed thy prophetes and broken downe thyne altars and I was lefte alone and they lye in awayte for my lyfe But what aunswere maketh God vnto him I haue reserued vnto my selfe seauen thowsande men that haue not bowed their knees to Baall Euen so in this tyme also haue some remayned according to the election of grace 9 Of one tyme to all tymes I will haue compassion on whom I haue compassion and I will haue mercy vpon whome I haue mercy It is knowen that these wordes were thus spoken of God when he threatened destructioÌ„ to the Israelites by reason of their vprore in the absence of Moyses their worshippinge of the golden calfe But the Apostle doubteth not to vsurpe those wordes which God then pronounced in his anger for the cause about-sayde to proue that God at all tymes choseth some and of his mercy when it pleaseth him willingely saueth them 10 Of the head to the members Christ the sonne of God hath receyued an heauenly inheritaunce the same therefore shall those also receyue that beléeue which truly by adoption are the sonnes of God. 11 Of the members to the head Some thinges that bée attributed in the body of the Church to the members are not vnaptely transferred also to Christ the heade of the Church Heb. 4. and 5. The highe Priestes that be chosen of men forsomuch as they are compassed aboute with infirmitie are moued also with the feelinge of other mens infirmities The man Christ therefore beinge made an highe Prieste and tempted in all thinges is moued with the feelinge of our infirmities But in no wyse may humayne matters bee applyed vnto Christe in which is to bee séene the corruption of sinne 12 Of a thinge corporall to a thinge spirituall The promyses made of GOD to our fathers touching temporall benefites caused them to laye holde vppon spirituall and euerlasting benefites Inasmuch as these carnal things are after a sort shadows tiâ—es of things spiritual eternal By faith AbrahaÌ„ departed into the lande of promise as into a strange couÌ„try whan as he dwelled in tabernacles with Isaac and Iacob coheires of the same promise For he loked for a citie hauinge a sure foundation the buylder and founder whereof is God. Of which place this is the summe By fayth Abraham wente out of his owne Couutrey and came to the lande of promise therefore by fayth likewyse must we come to heauen or to the heauenly Citie 13 Of a thinge spirituall to a thinge corporall Esaye Cap. 59. the Lorde sayth My house shal be called the house of prayer amongest all people That mention is there made of the spirituall house of God that is to say of the Church or congregation of the faythfull whom it behoueth continually to worship God a right and truly to call vpon the name of the Lorde it is manifest by other things which in that place doe both goe before and also followe after And certes Christ whilest he throweth the byers and sellers out of the materiall Temple of Hierusalem applieth the same wordes to his purpose and argueth in this sorte In the Church or spirituall house of God it is meete that inuocation of the Lordes name be exercised without ceassinge Ergo therefore in the materiall Temple also it behoueth prayers continually to be made Séest thou not therefore howe that is deduced to a thinge corporall which before was simply spoken of a thinge spirituall 14 Of a thinge earthly to a thinge heauenly The author of the Apocalypes Cap. 7. transferreth the words which Esay the Prophete had vsurped Cap. 49. touchinge the felicitie to followe when the Gospell shoulde bée divulged into all the prouinces of the worlde to celebrate the reste and glory which the Sainctes that dye for the confession of the truth doe obteyne in the lyfe to come in heauen The wordes are these They shall not honger nor thirste any more neither shall the Sunne rise or fall vppon them nor any heate For the Lambe which is in the myddes of the throne as one that pitietâ—e them shall leade them forth to the comfortable springs of water The wordes therefore spoken of these thinges that ought to be done in earth are translated to those that come to pas in heauen This forme of reasoninge doth not much differ from that which a little before we intituled of a thinge corporall to a spirituall 15 Of the threatning of God to the effect thereof Thapostle affirmeth the time to be at hande wherein the Iewes ought to be reiected and excluded from the church of God and the Gentiles to be called and to succéede the Iewes addinge to a grieuous communication published of God in time past touchinge that matter I will prouoke you to enuy by a people which is no people by foolishe nation will I stirre you vnto wrath That which God hath once determined coÌ„cerning the punishment of wicked men muste of necessitie be accomplished except peraduenture some condition be either openly or pryuily adioyned to the threatning 16 Of the promise of God to the effect
therof Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through incredulitie but being made strong by faith gaue the glory to God conceiuing a certaine perswasion that he which had promised was able also to performe So is it read Rom. 4. we may therfore argue in this sorte God hath promised ergo hee will vndoubtedly performe Héere also must héede be taken whether any maner of condition be annexed to the promise 17 Of a prophesy or propheticall prediction The Euangelistes doe very frequently commend vnto vs this place of inuention so oft namely as they shew this or that thing to be therfore accomplished in or by Christ forsomuch as it was necessary those thinges shoulde be fulfilled which were spoken before of the Prophets touchynge the same 18 Of the truth of a diuine or propheticall determination The thinges that are once pronounced and decreed of God or of some notable Prophet by Gods commaundement those thinges must of necessitie be accounted certain and sure He that vnderstandeth how to argue conueniently of a generall sentence shall also well perceiue the vse of this place 19 Of the person of one good man to the person of all the godly So gathereth the Apostle Rom. 4 Abraham was iustified by faith therefore shall all that beléeue lykewise be iustifyed by faith It is not written saith he for his cause onely that it was imputed vnto him but also for our sakes to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeue c. 20 Of the person of one vngodly man to all The hardeninge of Pharao came of God therefore commeth the hardenyng of all other wicked persons of GOD likewise 21 Of a type or figure to the truethment thereby The bones of the lambe that was eaten at Easter might not be diminished ergo neither ought the legges of Christe hanging on the Crosse to be broken And the tipes of the prophet Ionas and of the brason serpent erected in the wildernesse Christ interpreteth of hymselfe So then we may elegantly gather they that behelde the serpent in the desart were healed ergo those also that beléeue and hope in CHRISTE shall obtayne saluation 22 Of an allegory to the thing signifyed The prophet Esay Cap. 54. by an allegorye and in many wordes teacheth how wonderfully the Churche encreaseth Reioyce thou baren saith he that bearest no Children breake foorth and cry thou that trauailest not for shee that is desolat hath many mo children then she which hath an husband And the Apostle intending to demonstrat that albeit the Iewes raged neuer so much yet it would come to passe that the churche collected of the Gentiles should be increased and amplyfyed yea euen then when by reason of troubles and contentioÌ„s if should be supposed to be vtterly destroyed applyeth the same allegâ—ry very fifly and saith If she that was baren despised as Sara doth yet bring forth children and hir posteritie encreaseth beyonde all mens expectation why shoulde we not beleeue that the Church though small and abiecte receiueth dayly encreasement also These places therefore if not alwaies all yet at the least a greate sorte of them and one while these an other while those doe they rightly vse that haue to speake in sacred assemblies And then verily do they vse them when as they shall entreate either of a certaine place or sentence of holy Scripture or of busines offred by occasion of time or else of a theame simple or compounde like as afterward we will once againe admonishe when wée shall come to the addinge to of some peculiar examples They haue néede vndoubtedly of a right iudgement and of some wisdome and experience in this behalfe gotten by the continuall readinge and â—earinge partly of the Scriptures partly of some faithfull and probable interpreters He truely shall beste prouide for himselfe and may at the length be able to performe some thinge worthy of prayse and commendation who so will dilligently obserue the profes and reasons extant in the didascalick Sermons of the prophetes Christ and Apostles and will enserch the places out of which they are taken and deduced and fynally beinge night and daye studious of imitation will endeuour after hys power and abilytie to practise the same Now vnto this kinde forsomuch as it is weighty and diffyculte and no small wisdome is required therein wée will worthely adioyne like as wée vndertooke to doe certayne Cantions whereby euery man may bée premonisshed to vse dilligent héede and circumspection in his procedings Which wée haue in lyke maner determined to doe in the other kindes followinge I In doctrines or princyples of relygion to bée taught before the people it is very requisite to be considered what maner of persons the hearers are how far forth traded in the knowledge of diuine matters For it is necessary that all the order of teaching so oft I saye as it is thought good to examine any sentence be tempered accordinge to their capacitie Christ himselfe that we should be circumspectâ— in this behalfe hath admonished vs when as he said to his Apostles I haue many thinges to saye vnto you but ye can not beare them away now And the apostle I could not speak vnto you brethren as vnto spirituall but as vnto carnal as vnto babes in Christ I haue nourished you with milke and not with meate For ye could not as yet away with it neither can yee as yet It is certayne therfore that the thinges whiche are true vndoubted and taken out of the worde of God are to be taught and set forth vnto all men And albeit a man taketh in hand one and the selfe same doctrine to handle and entreate off yet truly ought he to attempt all thinges far otherwise among the hearers and Citizens of an ample citie hauing now of long time ben accustomed to hare men excellinge in learninge and eloquence then in an obscure place where men of rude wits and maners can neuer attayne to any thing but that which shall very grosly be inculked and beaten into their heades To whiche effecte well nere S. August hath somewhat in his treatise 98. vpon the gospell of Iohn II What hearers soeuer shall betide let the tractation of those poyntes be eschewed and pretermitted whiche doe smally conduce vnto godlynesse and the inquifition and knowledge whereof doe make the hearers rather curious then godly disposed Whervnto pertayneth that whiche Thapostle writinge in diuers places vnto Timothye and Titus forbiddeth any place to be giuen in the church to doctrine which is not after godlynesse to foolishe and fantasticall questions to contencions and striuings about the law which are vnprofitable and superfluous and which do rather procure deuision then edifiyng III After thou hast chosen out suche a sentence or assertion as is holsomelye to bee handled and entreated off it is requisyte that thou dilligently enserche and perpende the doctrine contayned in the bookes of the prophetes and Apostles touching the same whiche onely is
they imbrace rightuousnesse and pietie the holy ghost is giuen and the trueth reuealed Beholde I beséech you what great diuersitye there is of those that confesse and celebrate CHRIST as soone as he is borne Some are angels some are humaine creatures and of them both men and women some are simple and rude shepehardes and the same Iews and neighboures borne some are learned some vnlearned some are pagan wyse men and straungers some are maried folke as Zacharias and Elizabeth some single as Anna the widow c. For certes he that was sent to procure the saluation of all men is worthily made manifeste to all sortes or men and of the same honored and praised XVIII Institution Let euery man haue a diligent consideration of his owne callinge and be altogether in this that he maye please the Lorde in that state wherevnto he is called For in eche kinde of life wée may serue and please GOD least any man should thinck y he might iustely pretende any excuse Albeit it can not be dissembled but that sometime in one kinde of life more oportunitie doe happeÌ„ to the furtheraunce of pure inuocation and to the accomplishement of such like dueties of pietie then in an other which thinge both here in this place and also 1. Corinthians 7. touchinge single life wée sée to bee signified XIX Institution Amongeste other exercises of godlynes here is commended vnto vs the continuall inuocetion of gods name and fastinge whereof that norrysheth Fayth thys humylytye and mortyfycatyon of the fleshe Neyther shalt thou thincke it suffycient in cace thou exercysest thy selfe in these kynde of Godly actyons whilest common prayers or publick fastinge is appointed but rather thou shalt indeuoure thy selfe to this that of thine owne accorde without the appoyntement or commaudement of any man thou maist chéerefully accomplyth all thinges as it is euident the widowe Anna did God is moste cheifly delighted with a frée harted chéerfully and liberall worship But seuerally by name these exericses are to bee commended to Widowes vnto whom is sette forth and be paynted in Anna the Prophetist an absolute image and paterne of life rightly to be framed Wherevnto may be added that whch is reade as touchinge Widowes 1. Timoth. 5. And she came forthe that same hower and praysed the lorde and spake of hym to all that looked for redemption in Israell XX and XXI Doctrine and Institution This thing may all men worthily iudge to be euen miraculous that so many men and women of diuers degrées and calling hauing no talke or communiation togyther before and without making any conspirasie should pronouÌ„ce one and the same sentence of Christ namely that he is both true God and true man the Messias that was promised to the fathers And cerâ—es this consent and agréement of the doctrine and confession of Christ ought greatly to confirme and establishe our fayth Neither let vs doubt to adioyne our selues vnto that Church in which is heard a perpetuall consent both in the doctrine and confession of Christ For this confession is as it were a marke and token wherby the true Church is adorned and sequestred from the false They that consent and agrée not with the catholike Church of God which euen from the beginninge of the worlde hathe alwayes confessed and preached Christe to be the true Messias which should breake the Serpentes head doo exclude themselues from the Church of Christ and departinge awaye become the authors of newe sectes And surely without the Church which standeth vppon a perpetuall consent of doctrine no man can nay more obteyne saluation then without the arke of Noe any could be saued from drowninge the flood couering and swallowinge vp all thinges Therefore nothinge is more amyable thou the concorde and vnitie of the Church seing where the same is by the temeritie and mallyce of wicked men once broken and dissolued it can by no Councells Synodes Colloquies or assemblies be amended and redressed except the holy Ghost doe after a certaine priuie and wonderfull maner conciliate the myndes of those that be at variaunce XXII and XIII Doctrine and Institution Confession as touchinge Christe ought not to be done in hudder mudder but openly and before all the Congregation Let our news followers of Nicodemus goe packe them hence which are of opinion that they doe aboundantly satisfie the duties of Christians when as they whisper in the eares of two or thrée that they professe the trueth of Christ But that is not suffieient For it is required that thou make also confession before all men whensoeuer the oportunitie of confessing shall offer it selfe to the glory of God and edifiynge of our neighbour And this oportunitie is not to bée omitted but rather diligently to be sought for For as Anna was inflamed with incredible feruency of fayth which durst so promptly and fréely confesse Christ openly in the very temple â–ª Euen so we also if at least there remayne any sparke of sincere fayth in vs ought no lesse wyllingly and vnbashefully to confesse Christ as occasion shall serue and be ready to render an account of our fayth to euery one that will require the samâ— XXIIII Doctrine The Euangeliste dooth not obscurely signifie that Anna witnessed by hir confession that the redemption and deliuerance of mankinde which was brought into the power and seruitude of sinne and death ough to be accomplished onely be Christe which the Lawe and Prophetes had euery where declared XXV and XXVI Doctrine and Consolation The expectation and loking for redemption is a notable token of the true Church For in the Church alone remayneth the vndoubted hope as touchinge redemption and saluation and the godly sorte onely donne with an vnshaken Faith looke for saluation by and for Christ For which cause the church is thought to bée armed with such a Faith touchinge Christ our sauiour that the gates of hell can not preuaile against it Therefore with this hope of redemption to bée had in the Church let the godly comforte them selues in all daungers and temptations With this hope let the weaker sorte bée armed as ofte as they shall enter into any spirituall conflictes And thou whosoeuer thou arte take héede in any wise that thou bée alwaies in the noumber of them that looke for redemption of Christ Which if thou doest care for in déede thou shalt no doubt féele euery where great peacè and consolation And when they had performed all thinges according to the lawe of the lorde they returned into Galile to their owne citie Nazareth XXVII and XXVIII Doctrine and Institution By the law of God it was commaunded that euery first borne should bée brought and consecrated to the Lorde Gods lawe hath nothinge vaine or superfluous in it but what soeuer God commaundeth is grounded vppon iust and weightie causes Wherefore God saith well that al the first borne in Israell was due vnto him from that time wherein he strake all the first borne in the lande of Aegipt But nowe all euen
as it is required of vs that we should expound a parte of an holy boke or also some certaine place taken out of the holy Scripture it is by all meanes very requisite that we expresse the state or summe of those thinges whereof wée will entreate in one theame compounde And that the like thinge happeneth somtimes when entreatie is made of an entier booke of Scripture wée haue already by examples brought as touchinge Ecclesiastes Cantica Salomonis and the Gospell after Iohn aboue declared Besides when any thinge falleth out by occasion to be talked off in the pulpit it is necessary that the same be propounded in a theame compounde Of this sorte it is if I say Honger or drouth is paciently and quietly of vs to be endured God by his iust iudgement sent the calamitie that fell through haile Of the one Theame Basilius Magnus most grauely entreateth of the other Gregorius Nazianzenus Now hereby it maye plainely appeare that the vse of those thinges which are to bée touched in this Chapter is of very great importance in the Church of god In the meane time it shall be lawfull briefely to absolue these thinges forasmuch as very many pointes doe accorde herevnto which are sufficiently at large discussed in the former Chapters I. Where if so bée therefore thou be determined to handle a theame compounde when a whole booke is taken in hande to be declared or a part out of any booke of scripture is proposed to the multitude there is no man that seeth not the very text of the diuine wordes which are recited in the sacred assembly to minister and suggest by it selfe many and diuers things which may both godly and relygiousely be vttered and through euery part thereof be aptly dilated and amplified It shall then therefore be best to imitate followe some one of those orders of expoūding which we haue comprised in the 3.4.5.6 chapters of this present boke II. But where as no reading or lecture of holy Scripture ouer longe shall goe before but onely either a briefe sentence or a place out of some sacred booke shall be taken in hande or els no wordes at all be premised out of the scriptures thē truely it shall be expedient thoroughly and exactly to consider all those thinges in order which we haue in certaine obseruations comprehended noted in the seauenth Chapter as touchinge the maner of handelinge one place or sentence of scripture For it is conuenient that the same consideration be had as well of a sentence as of a theame compounde A proufe hereof is this that oftentimes those that are purposed to declare a theame compound doe gladly borrowe some sentence out of the scriptures which may be agreable to their purpose doe prefixe it before their Sermon or in any wise insert it The Apostle to the Romaynes 4. intendinge to proue that man is iustified by faith taketh that sentence out of Gene. 15. Abrahā beleeued god it was imputed vnto him for rightuousnes In the Epistle to the Galathians handeling the same matter he produceth out of Geneses 22 the promise of god made vnto Abraham In thee or in thy seede shal al the nations of the earth be blessed Moreouer in the two sayd Epistles in that to the Hebrues is prefixed a theame compounde or briefe sentence out of the prophet Abacuc 2. The iust man shall liue by fayth That the same craft or cunning therfore is aptly to be applied to the tractatiō of a theame cōpound which a litell before we shewed to be requisit to the discussing of a sētence or place of holy scripture ther is no cause why any man should doubte III. And forasmuch as wée then also admonished that it is somtime very necessary in case a resolution of a sentence or place taken out of the Scriptures be had and all the partes therof examined a parte it shall be profitable also to vse the like experience in the tractation of a theame compounde When this thinge is to be done it shall be conuenient not onely to goe that waye to worke which we haue shewed to bee open vnto vs in the holy Scriptures and that truely very excellent but also wée shall gette furniture of teachinge both substanciall and plentious out of those thinges whiche in the former Chapter bée of vs declared as touchinge the explanation of simple theames For certes the places which deuided into two formes or orders we shewd to be attributed to the kinde didascalicke doe giue occasion of deuising and finding out great and weightie thinges of euery theame that is offered Wherfore wee shall not without cause require ayde and succoure of them As touching all which thinges here to repeate againe with many wordes that which hath bene already sayd would bée very superfluous IIII. And surely séeinge the multitude and varyetie of thinges is infinite that are treated off in the Church so ofte as the vse and order of time doe require there can no better counsaile or aduice be giuen then that euery man haue a speciall regarde vnto their Sermons which haue most aptely and holily handeled theames compound and that he endeuour so far forth as lieth in him to render and expresse in his sermons that which he perceyueth to haue most force and grace in them Such Sermons are with great care and exacte iudgement to be pervsed to the intente thou maist examaine euery thinge occurrent in them and that which is best to bee liked choycely digest and put in order as things to be adioyned to thy household stuffe to be vsurped as thine owne when time and occasion shall serue To make any futher declaration it is not necessary But examples wherein theames compounde of the kinde didascalick are most learnedly explaned these inespecially be commended in the sacred Scriptures In the Epistle to the Romaynes the Apostle declareth at large that men are iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Againe cap. 9.10.11 That the Iewes are reiected of god and the Gentiles called to be the people or Church of god In the first Epistle to the Corinthes cap. 15. it is proued by stronge argumentes that the deade doe all rise or reuiue againe In the Epistle to the Galathyans it is againe confirmed that men are iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe in the last part of the second Chapter and also in the 3.4 and some parte of the 5. Chapters In the Epistle to the Ephesians Thapostle teacheth in thrée Chapters that men by the onely grace of God in Christ are elected called iustified and glorified The author of the Epistle to the Hebrues in two Chapters declareth with wonderfull perspicuitye that Christ is true God and true man. In the same Epistle cap. 7.8.9.10 out of one sentence of scripture are drawen fower distinct theames compounde and euery one of thē is with certaine and assured reasons established and explaned whereof the first is that Christ is a preist after the order of Melchisedec
fountaines of scripture obseruing there all thinges that either goe before or followe after what causes or circumstaunces hange together agayne what driftes of reasons or arguments there be what force they be off determine finally with thy self whether they be agréeable to thy purpose or no. And by the same paynes taking that thou must of necessitie sustayne in this behalfe thou thy selfe mightest as wel after thine owne lykement deuise a new and entier sermon according to the state of thinges present But to draw to an ende be it so that those straunge and forreine Sermons be in all respects perfect and sounde and that there is nothing as touching either matters or wordes wanting in them yet art thou very much deceyued which supposest that thou shalt with as good a grace sette foorth the doyngs of an other man as thou vtterest thine owne made at home in thy house Labour striue enforce thy selfe so far as thy wittes wyll suffer and yet truely will there neuer appere in thée that voyce that plyauntnes of sounde that moderation of gesture and mouing that grauitie that ardent affection that power and vehemency in words which were found in the first author Euery man is the best and most graue reciter of his owne doyngs And the chiefe part of a Preacher teaching with commendation is absent when he wanteth pronounciation I omitte to tell that if it shall fortune any of thy hearers to haue the very same author at home of whō thou borrowest in a maner all thinges it will come to passe that in short space thou shalt procure to thy selfe great haterd and contempt amongst all men I could my selfe wil they say make as good a Sermon as our Preacher I can read at home at my house euery day in the wéeke al the he preacheth neither is there any cause why I should after this resort to the church And by this meanes is engēdred in their minds a certein contempt of holy assembelies and by litle and litle all ecclesiasticall actions and the whole ministery of the Church begin to waxe vile and lothsom Verily I beléeue that those which doe alwayes thus vse yea rather abuse the labours of other men bring forth litle or nothing of their owne are of Gregory Nazianzenus well and thriftely taunted and taken vp where as in his Apologeticus he saith If there be any peraduenture that haue learned two or thrée sermons out of the auncient writers and that haply more by hearing then by reading Or in case we haue kanned a few Psalmes héere and there out of Dauid afterward doe vse them by apparelling them with a more fulsome and well plighted vesture or if we can bragge and vaunt of Phylosophy euen to the starres counterfettinge a certaine shewe of godlynesse and disguising our face with such like inuentions we will now in all the haste be praysed and had in admiration we thinke now forthwith to be placed ouer some peoples we séeme in our owne fantasy euen from our cradels to be some consecrated Samuels We will also be counted wise and teachers of diuine misteries yea and set our selues amonge the Scribes and Doctors of law c. And certes it is to to be lamented that the labours of most excellent men replenished with no lesse learninge then godly zeale shoulde be racked to a far other end and purpose then the authors when they put them forth looked they should haue come For we sée how shamefully both the vnlearned and learned do abuse them alike Those verily when by the helpe of them they craftely and deceitfully intrude themselues into the ecclesiastical function for the which they are vnméete and these for that assoone as they haue gotten them they become all together sluggishe and slouthfull they neglect to peruse the holy scripture and other godly bookes they are not carefull neither doe they once thinke any more to frame sermons by their owne with and labour And yet it is most certaine that the scope and meaninge of those good men was not to aduaunce and promote vnto dignitie any impudente vnlearned and shamelesse persons or to maintaine the slouth vnlustines of any meane schollers and of all other they ment least to withdrawe any from the readinge of the canonicall Scriptures But this rather they alwayes wished and hoped by all meanes it woulde come to passe that the Lucubrations which they consecrated to the whole Church and submitted to the iudgement thereof should redounde also to the profit and vtilitie of all the whole Congregation And amongest other their desire was chiefely to profite those that being called to the ecclesiasticall ministery beginne with commendation to exercise themselues therin to the intent doubtlesse they might out of their most sacred workes gette a ready and familiar methode of popular teachinge to the intent they might learne apte and vsuall phrases the maner of findinge and disposinge all maner of proofes of chosinge and applyinge common places and to be shorte the order of mouinge of affectious againe to the intent they might by their example be stirred and prouoked to the continuall readinge of the prophetical and Apostolick books to the collection of apt reasons and argumentes out of the same and to the diligent deuisinge and framinge of sacred Sermons For like as those mē that sell Sinamon Galingale nutmigs cloues and mace and such like straunge and precious spices doe vse to giue a peéce of euery of them for a taste to the commers by to the intent they might the raher be allured to bye Euen so they that haue put forth bookes of holy sermons haue wished and desired nothinge more then by giuinge as ye would say a certaine taste of diuine matters to excite all men to the reading of holy bookes and to encrease their diligence in the study of imitatiō Now hitherto doe al these things tende We couit to perswad al those the haue already applied their mind to the ministery of the Church yea and we beséech them in Christ Iesus that first formest they would withall possible diligence peruse and turne ouer the sacred Scriptures conteined in the body of the holy Bible that they would make them to be most familiar vnto them whiles they may haue out of them sondry and manifoulde matter of heauenly doctrine prepared against all euentes purposes then after that they would with as great endeuour as they can enure themselues to make and describe godly Sermons after the patterne and examples of the Sermons of Christ the prophetes and Apostles and lastely that they would aptly and conueniently apply to their busines in hande those things that they shall finde in other doctors of the Church whither they be Greekes or Latines to be profitable for their vse directinge in the meane time all thinges to the glory of God alone and to the edifyinge of their hearers And so finally by this meanes shall they be iudged and that truely by the verdicte of the authors themselues rightly
the praise of him that hath left this transitory lyfe X If there be any pointes beside in all these things to be obserued the due consideration of the causes and circumstaunces therof will easely prompt and minister the same Now let vs note some examples of this kinde of sermons Esaias cap. 49. laboureth to perswade all men that thei would embrace the Gospell and the sonne of GOD Iesus Christ and so be graffed into the Church There is extant in Ieremy xxvii a swasory Sermon where the prophet perswadeth the Iewes that if they will be saued they must yéelde themselues to the king of Babilon The same cap. 29. is a perswader of them that were in Babilon not to attempt any alteration of the state in the common weale i. Cor. xvi and 2. Cor. 8. Thapostle perswadeth the Corin. that they would make a collection of almes to be sent to HierusaleÌ„ Chrisostom in a certaine homilie in his fift tome perswadeth the the bishop Seuerianus is to be receiued againe the force of whose reason is expressed in the Tripartite history lib. x. cap. x. In an other homilie he perswadeth the people that they shoulde not be moued or disquieted in case it were his chaunce to be put away Hortatory or admonitory sermons are very rife plentifull in the sacred scriptures Moyses Deut. 6.11.28.29 warneth all men straightly to kéepe and fulfyll the law of god Looke Esay cap 40.55.56 Also Ieremy cap. 3.4.18.33.44 For in all these places are graue and weighty Sermons wherin they exhort their hearers to repentaunce to the loue of Gods word and amendement of lyfe c. Cap. 22. Ieremy exhorteth the king to imbrace iustice There is none of all the prophets in a maner in whom thou mayst not note a number of such lyke places Moreouer there be sundry sermoÌ„s of Christ pertaining to this effect Mark. 9. Christ exhorteth all men to beware least they giue offence to any Cap. x. he exciteth euery man to deny himselfe cap. 12. he admonisheth his hearers to shonne the Phariseis Saint Paule Act. 20. commaundeth byshops to take diligent héede to their flock Chrisostom in his v. tome in diuers and sundrye sermons exhorteth to repentance to humility to loue to concord to liberalitie towards the poore to the contempt of earthly things glory honour c. Whereof in some may be séene the order of handelinge theames simple in other some theames compounde The same Chrisostom explaneth a sentence or place of Scripture in this kinde with incredible skill and â—unninge in that his homily so well knowen touching the wordes of the apostle vnto Timothy Vse a litle wine for the weakenesse of thy stomack Gregorius Nazianzenus hath put foorth a notable oration as touching reléeuing of the poore The praise of a person is to be séene handled in Esay 42 where Cyrus king of the Persians is commended and that so much the more magnificently bycause he bare the type and figure of Christ Christ Luk. 7. prayseth Iohn Baptist Saint Paule in moe places then one greatly commendeth Timothy Chrisostome in his v. tome preacheth in commendation of Iob of Elias of the Macabees of the thrée children put into the firy furnace of Susanna of Inuentius and Maximius martirs Nazianzenus in lyke maner of Cyprian and the Machabees The praise of a déede how it is to be adorned and set foorth may be learned out of the epistle to the PhilippiaÌ„s and out of the first to the Thessalonians For these the Apostle praiseth forasmuch as they persâ—uered constant in the confession of the trueth and suffered not themselues to be withdrawen from the truth by any delusions or sophistications of the false apostles Chrisostom in his tome v. celebrateth in full sermons the hospitalitie of AbrahaÌ„ the patience of Iob and the notable déedes of other holy men beside To this order in lyke case may be ascribed out of tome v. his third homily touching bishop Flauianus supplying an ambassade for the citie of Antioche to the Emperour Theodosius where is extolled a like the déede both of the byshop and the Emperour In the 9. homilye are commended those that absteyned from the custome of swearing In the homily 10. those that after meales repayâ—ed imediately to the church to heare the diuine sermon Nazianzenus hath left to posterytie thrée exquisit sermons as touching peace making atonemeÌ„t of parties at varieÌ„ce Concerning the praise of a thinge be these thexamples Psalm 119. conteyneth a praise of the lawe and worde of god Psal. 78. a praise of the church Psal. 133. a praise of vnitie and concorde Paule i. Cor. xii xiii xiiii commendeth diuers giftes especially prophesye which is the facultie of interpreting the Scriptures and loue To the praise of faith perteine those things that are read Heb. xi ChrisostoÌ„ in his tome v. praiseth almes giuing in a certaine homilie wherin he proueth it to be an arte and that truely of all arts the most gainefull Tertulian and Cyprian commend patience in Sermons purposely writen thereof As touching funerall sermons we haue spoken sufficiently before Those may be counted for Doxologiae which are expressed Esay 12.25.42 Againe likewise many of the Psal. songen in the way of thanks giuing but aboue the residue those are most fit apt herevnto wherein the whole multitude is prouoked to giue thankes and prayse God of which sort are the Psalmes 81.92.93.95.96.98 99.100.103.104.105 Chrisostom in his tome v. homilie xi exciteth the people to giue God thankes for their deliueraunce out of the daungers that were feared by reason of discorde and sedition Homilie xii he exhorteth them to be thankfull for their lybertie obteined of the Emperour Theodosius Lykewise in the homilye whiche he made after his returne out of exile Herevnto may be adioyned also thrée other homilies whereof in the first hee teacheth that God is to be thanked forasmuch as he commaundeth no grieuous thinge to be done in the second that to acknowledge GODS benefytes is the greatest Sacrifyce that may be in the thirde that we ought to be thankful vnto God not onely in wordes but also in déedes Of the kinde Correctiue Cap. XIII AS in the kinde of Sermons Redargutiue are properly confuted and amended all errors contayned in assertions or principles of doctrine Euen so in the kynde Epanorthotick or Correctiue is reproued corrected whatsoeuer is founde vicious and offensiue either in maners or rites Therfore to this kinde pertaine all Sermons and Orations ordeined to reclayme men to a better trade of life or to suppresse vniust dealinges or to condemne vices which are rifely vsed whither they doo consist in perswasions or disswasions either in dehortations or rebukements For all these formes must we vse when we take in hand to correct the maners and conditions of men For why we perswade and exhort that men leauinge vice woulde embrace vertue we disswade and dehort from those thinges that are iustly to be reproued Moreouer we
commendation in an other that also thou mayelt allure thy selfe if at least thou feately and cunningly resemblest him in that point will be well liked and well thought off in thée Hee that applyeth diligence to the imitation and emulation of an other man it can not be chosen but the he shall at length obteyne some of hys vertues whom hée coueteth to bee like And hée may alwayes finde some one or more yea euen néere at hande also right worthy to bée folowed imitated which shall not bée an arrogant and partiall esteemer of an other mans workemanshippe The other is that the Preacher doe request some good man beinge of a sound and vncorrupt iudgement that he would vouchsafe sometime to admonishe him priuately when he perceiueth any thinge in the speaker that offendeth either the eares or eyes of the hearers and that in his iudgemente wolde bée amended Wee our selues doubtlesse are more blinde then Béetles in notinge of our owne proper faultes to omitte in the meane time that a number also doe euen when they commit offence folishely fawne and flatter themselues but some other truely doe espye many thinges which escape vs and can wisely discerne what pointes are worthy of reprehension in vs. Certes many a one there bée that would in time reforme their owne faltes if so bee they might haue such a Monitor as were voyde of all guyle and dissimulation Which thinge séeinge it is so so far is it off that the Preacher if he bee a wise man should take the matter grieuously to be after a friendly and ciuill sort comptrolled of any man that hée ought also to giue harty thankes to the comptroller as vnto one amonge sewe that beareth him especiall good will and friendshippe couetinge by that meanes to prouide very commodiously for his estimation and dignitie That great Prophet Moyses the loadstarre and chieftain of all gouernours of the Church sufferd himselfe paciently to bée admonished of most weightie affaires by his father in lawe Hiethro willingly imbraced accoÌ„plished his wholsom couÌ„sayle aduice why should not therfore the priuate reprehensioÌ„ of some honest and sober man louing thée from his hart be as grateful and acceptable vnto thée also The foole despiseth the chastisemeÌ„t of his father sayth the wise Salomon but he that endureth correction shall become wise Againe he that hateth correction shall dye Prouerbe 15. But he that longeth to know more touching this whole busines of priuate admonitions let him reade attentiuely the learned Homilie of Chrisostom deferendis reprehensionibus de conuersione diui Pauli Apostli concerning the taking in good part of reprehensions and the conuersion of Saint Paule the Apostle in the first part whereof he yéeldeth entire thankes to certaine which had signified vnto him that the prolixitie of the Exordiums which he very much vsed greatly displeased and misliked his hearers III. Nowe it is requisit that we speake somwhat as touching the last point that is to say the study of norishing and establishing concord Surely the concord and tranquilitie of Churches is many waies interrupted and broken in sonder by the preachers themselues of which seeing it would be ouer long and troublesom to recken vp all we will onely at this present forsomuch as the matter so requireth rehearce some omitting the rest We sée therefore oft times certayne Preachers especially young men or as the Apostle termeth them young Scollers and the same puffed vp with a false opinion of their notable learning and integritye both to saye and doe all that euer they can possible to corrye fauour with the multitude to hunt after vayne glory and to bringe theyr fellow ministers into hatred and contempt Which when their Collages once vnderstande they by by are as busy for their partes they béestirre them not a litell to bringe to passe that they maye be counted as good men of their handes as they or better yea and they seeme to be at a full point rather to trye and hazard any maslâ—ins then they will suffer their glorye late gotten by their manhood and chivalrye to be obscured and defaced 〈◊〉 the victory by any meanes to be taken from them in the battayle Sée then how immediately and euen at the first dash the vnlucky séedes of discord and dissention are sowen Some there bée that bring into the Chruches straunge and vnaccustomed phrases or formes of speach and that to this ende that the ignoraunt and vnlerned might hée made to beleeue that they teach and set foorth maruelous and profound misteries which other men neuer learned or hard of before when as notwithstanding they vtter nothing worthy either of knowledge or admiration Wherefore euen here againe as well theyr colleagues as the people beginne to whisper and stomake somwhat against them Now and then thou mayst finde such as not onely in wordes but also in the thinge it selfe doe vehemently differ and dissagree from their fellowe brethren whiles namely they goe about to graffe into the mindes of their hearers newe and straunge opinions touching the principles of religion or at least imagine some other thinges as hurtfull and noysome of which sorte is this when they take vppon them without cause why to innocate certaine thinges in the Rites and Seremonies of the Church when they pretend I knowe not what visions and reuealations when they promise to prophesy and foretell of thinges to come and such like For by these sleightes wiles as it were with charmes and inchaunâ—meÌ„ts they inueagle the simple sorte to wonder at theyr doinges and to haue them in admiration And there can be nothinge so absurde and inconuenient at any time abtruded but that it will of some bée friendly and plausibly receiued Againe the vnconstant people through hearing of strange deuises are euen with the turninge of a hande deuided into contrary factions Certaine Preachers there are which doe set wide open their eares such is their folly to fonde detractors and backbiters which delite to bringe tidinges what this or that body hath at any time reported of them and their Sermons or of their maners and conditions and in the meane while they themselues feigne and imagine many thinges that no man euer thought off or speake off yea no small number of thinges well and friendly ment they wrest and wringe to the worst part Here vpon therefore by this oceasion are againe harde from the Pulpet many things vttered with great despight angry and disdaynfull inuectiues and if ther be any other thinges more bitter then these Wée haue harde of some that haue fallen to such outragious folly that they would take aduice of most vile persons and busy tatlinge Gossups and would suffer themselues to bée stinted and limited by them of what matters they should intreate and howe and after what sort they should frame their Sermons in the Church Wherefore héere againe is ministred manifolde matter of errors and therefore also of contentions To bée short by these and such like