rather with thēselues than with their teachers Yea they should besides thinke with themselues that such reproofes though they be grieuous and tedious to the flesh are yet notwithstanding healthfull medicines and strong defences that they should not be ouertaken by Sathan nor deceiued by the world 1. Ioh. 5.1 Gal. 6.8 that wholly lieth in wickednes and so of the flesh reape corruption yea destruction yea they should remember that open rebuke is better than secret loue and againe that the words of a louer are faithful and the kisses of an enemie are deceitfull as the Lord saith by Salomon Prou 27. vers 4.5 In greater parishes and larger congregations The greatnes or largenes of parish assemblies both because such Churches are deuided and dispersed in many places into many townes and villages many on the Lords daies are hindred from hearing of the word of God and also by reason of the badnes of the weather the waies likewise vnto their parish Churches being sometimes troublesome and tedious the wearisomenesse whereof eyther they will not indure and swallow vp or else sometimes cannot they are let therefrom eyther by olde age or by sicknesse or by care of small children and household busines c. Verie aged people and sicke persons respected All which though I denie not but that they are certaine impediments yet are they not sufficient to excuse mens daily negligence in hearing of Gods word vnlesse it be for the most part in verie olde people and in such as lie sicke in and vpon their beddes In this case how much more hard law The remedies did the Lord in times past lay vpon the people of the Iewes Exod. 23.17 Exod. 34.23 24. whom he would haue to appeare before the Lord three times euery yeare by far longer iourneyes by much more vnseasonablenesse of weather greater dangers causes and farre greater hazard of their worldly wealth yea Deut. 12.11 18. and euery one to bring their whole familie with them and that in Ierusaelem as if it were in the chiefe or onely parish Church and that not with emptie hands as perhaps couetous harts would perswade them but with the offerings of their hands as God had blessed all or any of them And least to hinder them in this worke they might pretend losse of their goods which to very many of them indeed if men would speake according to flesh blood could not be little or small or specially the inuasions spoiles that their enemies might make all the men meeting as it were in one place and the land left as it were naked of all helpe and defence God meeteth with this colour or feare or certaine danger if you will promising that he will so worke that not any of their enemies shall so much as couet their land Exo. 34.34 much lesse assault their emptie houses and countries whilest they go vp that they may appeare those three times in the yeare before the Lord. Yea so farre forth certainely did God meane to teach and testifie vnto vs that we should not neede to feare any disprofit or losse to come to our selues families or substance whilest for Gods seruice sake wee are constrained to be absent from our houses or rather willingly leaue them for a time As for the Iewes they are such carefull obseruers of this law that euen Ioseph and Marie with Iesus their sonne Examples of twelue yeares old came vp to Ierusalem Luke 2.42 according to the custome and manner of the feast And the Iewes also within their captiuities and sundrie exiles remained dispersed farre and wide here and there in the lands of the heathen and they likewise which of the Gentiles by their labour and trauaile had imbraced the Iewish religion did at Ierusalem frequent those feastes of the Iewes As for example are those religious persons Act. 2.5 that came euery one of them out of the places where they dwelt out of euery nation vnder heauen to Ierusalem and abode there on the feast of Pentecost And the Eunuch also a chiefe gouernour vnder Candaces the Queene Act. 8.27 So certainely the Queene of Sheba came to Ierusalem with a very great companie and with Camels which bare sweet odours and gold 1. King 10.1.2 c. exceeding much and precious stones to talke with that most wife king Salomon and to heare his wisedome Which example Christ himselfe alleageth against the contemners of Gods holy word saying Mat. 12.42 Luke 11.31 The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with the men of this generation and shall condemne them because shee came from the vttermost partes of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and behold a greater than Salomon is here So a great troupe Mat. 8.1 Iohn 6.1.2 c. out of diuerse and sundrie places of Galilie leauing all their businesses at home flocke vnto Christ and remaine with him full three daies together Mat. 15.32 induring also great hunger eyther because all the thinges which they had brought with them from home were consumed or else because they brought no victuall with them which falleth often forth in such sodaine and tumultuarie meetings But Christ willingly and of his owne accord regarded them and miraculously fedde them least feeling want and lacke of things necessarie for the sustentation of the bodie they might haue cause or pretend color of fearing euen from the very hearing of Gods word Wherefore the better we would haue eyther our houshold matters or priuate affaires prouided for A cōclusion we must so much the more diligently attend the studie and exercises of Gods word and so much the more cheerefully prepare ourselues to euerie iourney of our short life that so we may haue the more libertie and freedome to heare Gods word Al wee confesse that our life is our pilgrimage and that the daies of it are few and euill Gen. 47.9 and we haue not we cannot attaine vnto the yeares of the life of nor fathers And yet we laie vp for this brittle course as if we had many yeares to runne Whereas we know that man liueth not by bread onely Deu. 8.3 Mat. 4.4 Pro. 10.22 but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God And againe the blessing of the Lord maketh rich Wherefore wee should first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes then all these things which we stand in need of for meat drinke cloth c. Mat. 6.33 Psal 127.2 should be giuen vnto vs otherwise it is in vaine for vs to rise vp earely to sit and to eate the bread of sorrowes But if mothers wiues or other of the household What wiues mothers others of the familie that cannot come must doe cannot safely sometimes by reason of their houshold businesses and attendance of infants vpon the Lords daies come vnto their parish Churches yet they must indeuour that turne by turne as it were vpon the next
sorting in nature the rest that they are to be acquainted withal they might be brought into this wrestling place come to this exercise more prepared and depart from it more profitably But of all these things belonging to preparation we may not without cause say as we are wont to speake He that beginneth well hath attained halfe the worke Now we will bring out hearer as it were vpon the Theater or into the open view sight of the Church and will furnish him with such lawes instructiōs as which if he bring with him and practise there he shall neuer come thither but he shall depart better learned and more blessed before God in himselfe also For first let none that hath any learning specially Citizens and townesmen Such as can reade must alwaies haue their Bibles readie enter into the holy place of praier and preaching but besides the booke of Psalmes which are sung in the Church let them haue alwaies in a readinesse the holy Bible that so they may with the whole Church in their voices singing both praise God Psal 47.5.7 Psal 119.54.171 Ephes 5.19 Col. 3.16 and call vpon him which part of Gods worship indeed the holy Ghost requireth of all the faithful as appereth by the places quoted in the margine also the better turne ouer harkē vnto that chapter or those chapters of the Bible which vpon the Lords daies especially in the ordinary reading of the Bible are wont ought to be read as those textes likewise which are expoūded in the Sermons Furthermore they must at the least note with some marke such testimonies texts of scripture also as in the Sermon time are alledged and were either not known before or not vnderstood as they should haue been or else in which they marked some speciall point that so they may more diligently meditate vpon them at home cause them to become more familiar to them And that this was vsuall amongst Christians in the ancēit Church may from hence plainely be gathered out of Augustine who writing vnto Ierome August ad Hieron epist 19 telleth him of a certaine Bishop who was almost cast or pulled out of the pulpit because that in expounding a place of the prophet Ionas he swarued somewhat from the words of the common translation For from whence could the Church or people so quickly smell out this vnlesse some of them at the least if not very many had in their hands and in a readinesse as we may say the blessed Bible booke and had looked vpon the text which was read and expounded vnto them And this custome of bringing their holy Bibles with them Diuers vses of bringing Bibles to Church will manifest in them no meane or common argument both of excellent zeale towards the word of God and also of a mind that is very desirous to profit in that truth of God which bringeth saluation Neither can it but cause that to take deepe roote in them which by one and the selfe same labour of two of our most noble senses that is by the helpe of hearing and seeing is conueyed to the mind Also by this meanes all suspicion that men might conceiue of or against their preachers and teachers for or concerning the corrupting of the word whether it fal out in reading of it or in alledging texts of scripture not rightly or not dealing so faithfully with them as were fit adding at their pleasure something or taking away as they will I say by this meanes all that shall vanish away As we heare them that are vnlearned and seldome or neuer vse the blessed Bible somtimes to blatter out such bad matter to complaine without a cause which also we read one Sabbatius a Bishop of the Nouatiā heretickes in former time to haue practised who reading this text of the Gospell Luke 22.1 Now the feast of vnleauened bread which is called the Passeouer drew neere addeth such things of his owne as were neither euer any where written or heard at any time namely this Cursed is euery one that keepeth the Passeouer without vnleauened bread Socrat. lib. 7 hist eccle cap. 5. and that by this falsification those more simple Nouatian heretickes that were of the common people were caried away from the faith Socrates witnesseth it in his ecclesiasticall history Such a like thing also doth Sozomenus rehearse in his ecclesiasticall historie touching one Tryphillus Bishop of Lodre who in a solemne assembly of Bishops being to alledge that saying of our Sauiour Christ Take vp thy bed and walke he changed the word Iohn 5.8 and vsed another that signified a very low and base bed for which things sake Sozom. lib. 1. hist eccle cap. 11. Spiridion did openly reproue him as Sozomenus writeth Wherefore the ministers of the Church shall be made much more diligent heedie also in making of their Sermons and in alledging textes and testimonies of scripture if they know that there are some that will tosse vp and downe and bring to the skales such things as they shall vtter and deliuer to the people Secondly men must striue yea euerie one must striue Eeuery mā must be present at the whole Sermon to be present at the whole Sermon and all the parts peeces of it For we see a very wicked custome to haue preuailed very farre in many Churches that in the Sermon while the people doe continually gad in and out and runne vp and downe some packing away in the midst of the Sermōs or after the Gospell is read as they vse to speake But I would gladly know what zeale there can be in such giantlike and barbarous confusion or what desire to learne and profit or what fruit can ensue therupon for how can it euer come to passe that that doctrine should be vnderstood A reason which is not harkened vnto or known from the beginning to the end and that with as great attention of mind and intention as may be How shall any man attaine the drift of a Sermon or keepe himselfe within any such bounds as in hearing of Sermons he should obserue which hath not heard the text A caution or exception that is to be publikely expounded attentiuely read and hath not sundry times called backe his senses and thoughts thereto I cannot but confesse that very olde people and women great with child whom sometimes swouning or bad health doth vpon the sodain trouble do iustly deserue as in this behalfe to be excused as also other women whom care for their yoong children and some speciall regard of household businesse may now and then eyther make more slow in comming or call away before the time of the full finishing of the exercise But these being excepted I see that many Churches and congregations want that auncient discipline of the Church whose ouerseers and watchmen seniors or elders should be whom also they should haue placed in euery seuerall congregation and that
ours we should ascribe this that we do with great impietie heare such things as were well produced and alledged in the holy Sermons not onely to be diuersly tossed too and fro but to be torne rent in peeces with scoffes scorns and slaunders And yet sith it sundrie times falleth out that some things spoken in one place are left imperfect or else are vttered in a certaine respect or may breed some scruples and doubtings or offend some other way beside of which eyther the more full explication or the limitation or the solution is of purpose reserued to their own peculiar and more commodious places therefore that the Church also in this respect may in better season be prouided and no occasion giuen to the godly and simple hearers to goe backe or secretly to whisper or to snatch a cause of some offence a wise preacher or minister of Gods word will in one or two words What a wise and carefull minister should performe in doubtfull speeches as it were by a parenthesis yeeld minister them hope either of a more large explicatiō of those points or of the answere of those doubts and obiections will promise them aboundantly and sufficiently to satisfie them wil intreat them to remaine attentiue and a little to support him by patient hearing of him Mēs minds must be free from preiudice or foreconceiued opinion Fiftly mens minds whilest they are hearing Gods word especially must be free and set at libertie from the inchantment of all preiudice and foreconceiued opinions whatsoeuer which either others haue proposed and broached vnto vs or we haue drunke in and forged to our selues For as they that haue bleare eies The proposition of a fit similitude or else see something by the meane of a coloured or dyed glasse are not able to behold any thing well nor to iudge rightly of diuers colours but all seeme to be of that colour which the glasse is of which they vse in steed of spectacles The reddition of it so the same thing falleth out vnto them that are before hand possessed with the inchanting of preiudice that they are not able rightly to vnderstand any thing in Gods word or in the holy sermons though otherwise it be neuer so easy plaine and familiar but doe as it were violently snatch and drawe all things vnto the maintenance of those opinions which they haue sucked in How familiar plaine and altogether without any ambiguitie or darkenesse is that which Christ foretelleth his disciples Luke 18.31 32. saying Behold we go vp to Ierusalem and all things shall be fulfilled to the sonne of man which are written by the Prophets For he shall be deliuered to the Gentiles and shall be mocked and shall be spitefully intreated and shall be spitted on And after they haue scourged him they shall kil him but the third day he shall rise againe But what cause was there that they vnderstoode none of these things that these sayings were hidden frō them neither perceiued they the things that were spoken Verily because they were bewitched and besotted with preiudicate and foreconceiued opinions touching the carnall worldly kingdome of Christ This vaile was laid ouer their hearts And therefore they were not able to make these things agree betwixt themselues namely how Christ should suffer that infamous death of the crosse and withall how according to their preconceiued opinion he should raigne as a most mighty worldly king Wherfore in this case men must according to Gods commaundement 1. Iohn 4.1 1. Thess 5.21 Trie the spirits whether they be of God or no and trying all things yet retaine and hold that only which is good Surely it is a very wicked thing euen in the outward matters of this life to giue place to preiudgement and to giue a sentence on either side the cause not being on both sides sufficiently knowne and searched out But the hearers of Gods holy word are here occupied about a much more great excellent subiect Wherfore they must so much the more carefully indeuour and take heed The more excellent the matter is the more heedily it must be regarded that they doe not so stiffely cleaue to the opinion which they haue once imbraced that they will altogether stop their eares against them that think otherwise or are not of the same mind with them and so hinder thēselues from hearing better more wholsome also and sound matters neither yet that we be as ready to shake off the things that we haue receiued The inconueniences of preiudicate and forestalled opinions being sound and good as we were readie to catch them and to snatch them when they were offered least through a false shew of truth we may be deceiued and least we striue fight rather for our own opinions than the sentence of the scriptures or take that for the sentence of the scripture which is our owne deuise and dreame and which is farre more haynous blaspheame slaunder condemne God himselfe and his truth whilest we do more sharply toughly than is meet cōtend for our own precōceiued opinions Eccle. 4.17 Wherfore when we go vnto the house of God we must well looke to keepe our feete that is to say our wicked affections yea such preiudicate opinions conceits of our own with Mary to sit rather at Iesus feet Luke 10.39 that so in a certaine true kind of humilitie and lowlinesse of heart we may shew our selues to be his obedient schollers disciples For if when we heare things contrarie to our opinions or such as are not pleasant to our palate taste we will presently eyther harden our eares and our hearts or brawne and benumme them or in the middest of the Sermons will get vs out of the Church and from those good exercises which sundrie vse as we see not onely if such false doctrines and opinions as to which they haue inured themselues be confuted but also if they heare such faults offences somewhat more sharpely rebuked as in which they haue been nourished and vnto which they are giuen then I say The euils that insue going from Sermons we do not so much ill indeed to the minister and preacher of the Church though such departing imagine that they hurt them as we doe vnto our selues and depart and flie not so much from the minister of Gods word as from God himselfe and our owne saluation and bewraie a heart addicted not to God and our owne saluation Men must be presēt at publike assemblies exercises not with a mind of sifting too much but of learning well but to the world and to our selues and verie much differing from that denial of our selues which Christ requireth to be in his very naturall and true disciples Sixtly it behooueth those that come to places of praier preaching to be present there not with a mind peremptorily to determine of matters according to our fantasies
doe beseech Christ to open vnto them the parable of the tares of the field Mat. 13.36 So when they were ignoraÌ„t what this meant that Christ said it should come to passe that after a while they should not see him c. Christ knew that both they inquired concerning this amongst themselues Iohn 16.19 c. and also were desirous to aske him thereof And how often do we read that Moses Aaron Saul Dauid and all the people of Israel did in hard and doubfull things aske councell at the mouth of the Lord Seuenthly godly hearers must verie diligently search and sound their owne hearts 7 We must vse a certaine censuring and sentencing of our selues according to the SermoÌ„s we haue heard whether yea and how farre forth they doe in their life and actions expresse the doctrine they haue heard And in this behalfe they must make a certaine sperituall anatomie of themselues to wit how their hearts affections thoughts eyes eares countenances hands feet the actions of all and euery one of these members doe agree with the Sermons heard and the doctrine of Gods word yea they must search and sift all the nookes and corners of their hearts And if in this case we find a certaine sweet harmonie consent betweene Gods word and the will that is in vs VVhat the sifting of our heartes must bring forth in vs. there will flow and follow from the ioy of our consciences thankesgiuing vnto God whose free fauour and gift this wholly is But if we find in our selues contrary affections or haue other desires or opinions in our selues we must at no hand smooth or flatter our selues 2. Cor. 7.10.11 but through a certaine sorrow which is according to God and godlinesse we must accuse our selues that so God may absolue vs and we call vpon God for the forgiuenes of our sins and by praier intreat his sauour that so the olde leauen 1. Cor. 5.7 and the superfluous filthinesse of sinne being more and more purged and cast out we may be sweet bread to the Lord and be renewed in our inward man For indeed so great is partly our blindnesse partly our security and carelesnesse and partly selfeloue also through the corruption of nature Three nenecessarie things that without such censuring and anatomizing of our selues we cannot easily be brought eyther to the right acknowledgement of our selues and of our sinnes or to the true and serious exercises of godlinesse or to faithfulnesse in our calling And what should not we Christians as in this case do and that againe againe throughout euerie weeke so oft as we haue heard holy Sermons seeing that the verie heathen themselues notwithstanding their blindnesse haue as it were by a certaine law laid vpon themselues such a daily censure of all their actions For Virgils verse touching a good man is verie well known which because it is famous worthy to be remembred I haue thought good here to put downe For thus he admonisheth and painteth out a man euen ciuilly good and hardly giuing place to any impietie He doth not giue his eies ouer to sweet sleepe Virgil. before he hath deepely thought vpon all the actes of the day past As also what is past what was done in time what not why comelines was wanting in such a deed or reason in another what escaped my selfe why that opinion stood which it had been better for him to chaunge pitying one why I felt some griefe in a broken heart why I willed somewhat which was not good to will why my selfe being euill I preferred profit before honestie Whether any man were hurt by word or by countenaunce why nature more draweth me than correction or education Thus walking as it were through all his wordes and workes and beginning at the euening and reuoluing all things is offended with the euill and ascribeth praise and promiseth and giueth rewards to things well done Eightly parents schoolemasters Inferiour persons offences must be corrected by the Sermons and elders yea all Christians indifferently if they see or certainely know that either their childreÌ„ or schollers or people or neighbours and fellow brethren haue offended this they must assaie to correct and redresse by alleadging and calling to remembrance the Sermons that were made touching these sins yea by more speciall and strict applying of them to the present transgression For so they indeed shall performe their dutie A double profit while they exercise discipline and vse brotherly admonitions and corrections to which all the faithfull are mutually bound one to another and amongest themselues and the other shall be well inured to beare the censure that is giuen of them by and from occasion of the Sermons heard and shall more deepely thinke vpon the Sermons themselues and treasure them vp better in their hearts These things haue I obserued partly out of the speeches and conferences of excellent diuines The conclusion of this whole treatie and such other skilfull men in the matters of the Church ministerie as I could indeed see and heare and partly from the proper course and experience of mine owne ministerie and from the Sermons of my fellow ministers and others that I could heare marking such things in theÌ„ as I tooke to be worthy either praise or obseruation or else were to be imitated or auoided and lastly from the writings of other men touching the making or hearing of Sermons putting down such things as I thought worthy meet both to appoint and take to mine owne priuate vse and also publikely to communicate and impart to and with other of my brethren that runne with me in the selfe same race By which things if they shall be as much furthered and holpen in their ministerie VVhat fruits his labours shal bring forth if others profit by it and in this their heauie and hard charge of preaching as I perceiue I haue receiued profit thereby then I shall haue cause therein to thanke God and in respect of my selfe to reioyce and to be glad also for their sakes And surely he must be more than blind that perceiueth not by these things how excellent difficile and hard a skill and charge it is both to make to heare Sermons as on the other side how much they are out of the way that perswade themselues that they haue in this behalfe excellently yea sufficiently done their duties if either for an howrs space obseruing as it were some custome they coldly deliuer some certaine speech to the congregation out of the pulpit or being hearers go vnto the holy assemblies either to spend the time as we say or vpon some hypocriticall custome How much rather through the grace of almightie God doth it behoue all the labouring ministers in the Lords vineyerd carefully to apply themselues What faithfull ministers should doe and to striue vnto this namely verie holily to handle this dutie of preaching verie diligently meditating vpon their Sermons at home deliuering them in the Church with greater zeale and demonstration of spirituall power and with exceeding great care euerie one of them watching for the profit of their doctrine and Sermons both in faith and in conuersation and that as wel in themselues as in their congregations What good people should doe And how much more doth it concerne the people or hearers with great religion to dispose and prepare them to the hearing of Gods word but yet with greater to heare the Sermons and with greatest of all in the whole course of their liues to expresse the same through the obedience of faith Prouocations to well doing To which worthie works these things following shall adde no small edge and not a little sharpen prouoke theÌ„ on In the ministers verilie those glorious promises and great praises which God hath vouchsafed vnto them 2. Tim. 4.7.8 namely that if they shall well performe and finish their course in this holy race there is laid vp for them the crowne of righteousnesse Daniel 12.3 and that the wise or teachers of others shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that iustifie or instruct many vnto righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euer and euer And in the hearers this should prouoke yea preuaile verie farre that the word which is grafted in them Iam. 1.21 being receiued with meekenesse is able to saue their soules And that our Sauiour Christ himselfe pronounceth them blessed Luke 11.28 that heare Gods word and keepe the same Which that we might be the better and more assuredly perswaded of the Lord hath repeated it againe and againe in his holy word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Errata Pag. â—4 lin 5. read whom p. 20. li. 5. r. time pa. 35. li. 19. r. costâ— pa. 43. li. 8. r. for p. 89. l. 1. for without r. with p. 91. li. 3. r. he