haue tenne talents some haue but one yet all must occupie for their Lords aduantage Some come at the first houre some at the last yet all sent of God Some are like Iames and Iohn the sonnes of thunder 〈◊〉 4.36 〈◊〉 4.7 Cor. 4.1 some like Barnabas the sonne of consolation yet all the messengers of God Some haue receiued a greater measure of gâ—fts some a lesse yet all according to the measure of the gift of Christ And therfore let vs esteeme of them as of the ministers of Christ and the disposers of the secrets of God Men they are as we are that is our benefite for if God himselfe should send forth his voice we must yeeld vp our liues Sinfull they are as others 〈…〉 that is because they are men mortall they are as others are and that is because they are sinfull yet still the messengers of God and beseech vs in Christ his stead to be reconciled vnto God 2. Cor. 5 2â— If this were regarded then Gods ministers shoulde be more regarded and lesse despised more beleeued lesse disgraced better prouided for lesse pinched and not so shamefully slandered and abused of so many as now they are But alas it is not once thought vpon of many and therefore euerie churlish Nabal denieth them maintenaunce euerie couetous Achab is sicke for their liuings 1. King 21. â— euery proud minion and minsiing damsell longeth for their heads in a platter Mat. 26.15 1. King 22.4 euerie Iudas is ready to betray them Zidkijah the kings claw backe will not sticke to take his fist from their cheekes Act. 24.4 5. Tertullus the oratour dareth call them pestilent fellowes and troublers of the state if any man of his courtesie will giue theÌ„ the hearing Festus in his mad mood Act. 26.24 will call them mad men and lay the fault if there be any vpon their learning too 2. Tim 4.10 Demas the wordling will giue them the slip 1 King 17 9. onely the poore widdow of Sarepta is founde releeuing poore banished Eliah And some thanks be to God but not many in respect of the multitude haue the ambassadours of the Lord Iesus in that good account which they should especially for their works sake for do not many grudge our meate number our morsels and reckon our liuings to euery farthing Christ commanded his to carry neither bread nor money 1â— nor to put on two coates he is a rich man nowadayes that hath two coates to put on except some that haue twoo or three benefices for many in the world are turned out of all and yet God be thanked they are deliuered We may say as Paul saide we are afflicted on euery side in pouerty 〈◊〉 4.8 yet not ouercome of pouerty as dead yet aliue as sorrowing yet reioycing as possessing nothing yet hauing all things In the time of popery one congregation did maintaine many masse-priests now many congregations will hardely maintaine one good preacher of the gospel and no maruell for then there were too many foolish Bees that brought all their honny into the popes hiue and nowe wee haue too many droanes that sucke all the hony out of the churches hiue yea too many horse-leaches which alwaies cry 〈◊〉 30.15 Giue giue but neuer say Ho. One crieth giue me the college landes another crieth and mee the landes of cathedrall churches another longeth for the impropriations the fourth must haue an other benefice or two for to buy him bookes withall one is sicke for a deanry and some are sicke of a consumption and a bishoprike or twoo would restore them againe or some other thing that should go to the church and some will not leaue till they haue the deuill and all or till the deuill haue them If men take paines some will rewarde them with a thistle the reward of an Asse others would send away their pastours in worse case then the basest officer in their kitchin without either warning or wages I blame not all but all such Why say some of these men can you not liue as the apostles liued Why say I againe Act. 4.35 Act. 4.2 let them lay downe their goods at the Apostles feete and then let them aske that question Truely many dee as Ananias did if they giue one groat they will brag of two Many aske from whence commeth the fall of the church Indeede it is a question to be moued though the disease wil hardly or neuer be remoued It is said that seuen ilfauoured leane kine deuoured seuen fatte kine and this was Pharaoes dreame Gen. 41.10 but now seuenty times seuen ilfauoured leane kine haue deuoured seauen hundred fatte kine and this is no dreame but a very troth but wherefore I pray you are Gods messengers thus handled Doe they demaunde their dueties No they dare not for the earthen potte dareth not striue against the brasen vessell and menne are nowe like drunken guests which hauing filled their bellies are loath to pay their reckoning What is the cause Any cause will serue the turne in this point Facile inuenias baculum quo canem cedas It is an easie matter to find a staffe to beate a dogge withall When the Pharisies could not abide the doctrine of Christ nor his disciples 〈◊〉 24. they quickly found a iust defence of their quarrell They do that on the sabboth daie which is not lawfull And wot you what that was they plucked the eares of corne Our Pharises also haue taken vp the same accusation against vs for say they we do that on the saboth day that is not lawful And first to begin withal they crie out vpon him rebell he wil not weare the surplis euerie sunday and holy day Againe he will not reade all seruice at all times and therefore whether lawe dispence with him or no for his preaching we haue found sufficient cause to denie him his dutie Againe he will not reade diuine seruice to the walles and the windowes to the stooles and the stones is not this cause sufficient to denie him his dutie Againe they preach against papists Atheists vsurers drunkards swearers lords of missc-rule abuse of apparrell and other profanings of the sabboth day and such like comendable and common excercises of good neighbourhood and is not this a sufficient cause also Lastly if they should pay the minister his dutie the lone of so much money were lost which in many yeares would amount to some round summe and are not all these or any of these sufficient causes thinke you to handle Gods poore ministers and seruaunts as hath beene shewed before But what hath good queene Elizabeth done that she can get nothing of some of them I hope it is not because she hath banished idolatrie and brought in the gospel Some can rob Peter to pay Paul they say but these men can cunningly rob both Peter and Paul too and pay neither of both Well we haue beene all this while but among the eares
sent him must haue his life clothed with robes of holines and righteousnes I mean not that a holy life is essentiall to a minister so that he is no minister that wants it but that it is necessary for a minister for many shall say at the last day to Christ 〈…〉 7.22 Wee haue prophesied in thy name to whom answere shal be made againe depart from me ye workers of iniquitie I know you not The necessitie of it may appeare by many reasons first a minister vnlesse hee bee sanctified hee shall neuer soundely and liuely vnderstand the word of GOD 〈…〉 5 9. for the Lorde reuealeth his will vnto the humble and his counselles vnto them that feare him and to none else Lawyers become cunning by long reading and Phisitions by experience yet no man was euer a perfect found and iudiciall diuine without holines This knowledge is rather feeling then learning in aboundance of bea rt rather then extreame studie sent by God to good men so that hee that can say with Dauid Psal 119.117 I loue thy lawe may say I haue more vnderstanding then my teachers It is the equitie of God vnwilling to obey vnwoorthy to knowe for what should hee do with a talent which wil not vse it Therefore he which forbiddeth pearles to swine staies his hand from casting knowledge to the wicked except so much as shall condemne them Further the ignorant people cannot see the ordinance of God but they vse to iudge of a mans ministery by sensible things which they see in him therefore a good life is necessarie in a minister For they say because he liueth according to his teaching wee will heare him as Herod heard Iohn Baptist Mar. 6.20 because he was a good man and a godly If teachers of humane artes shall tell generall things without examples it is hard to learne of them so if teachers of diuine things shall teach onely without examples it wil be as hard to learn of them therefore the minister must set a copie with his life which the Apostâ—e saint Peter requireth when hee saieth â—et 5.2 3 Feede the flocke of God which dependeth on you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples of the flocke VVhat manner of examples ministers must bee Saint Paule sheweth 1 Timothie 4.12 when hee saieth Bee vnto them that beleeue an ensample in worde in conuersation in loue in spirite in faith and in purenesse It is said vnto all men Be ye holy but it is enioyned the minister more specially to be adorned both with inward and outward holinesse Inward holinesse standeth in faith and a good conscience which the Apostle Paul would haue to be in Timothie as weapons Tim. 1.19 without which he cannot fight a good fight the first is a perswasion of the trueth or true doctrine the other excuseth a man in euery action â—ron 15.15 and therefore Salomon calleth a good conscience a continuall feast And Paul laboured to keepe that aboue all things â—ct 24.16 for I endeuour my selfe to haue alway a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men Outward holines which must be in the minister of God is set foorth in I. Tim. 3.2 A Bishop must be vnreprooueable Againe there be outward dueties required of him in regard of his person in regard of his familie in regarde of his calling and in regard of strangers First in regarde of his owne person he must be vnblameable so farre from outward crimes and grose sinnes that hee must bee free from all iust cause of suspition because he must reforme others not to be free from sinne for that is not possible in this life Hee must wisely conceale his infirmities from others for being once knowen they are as a barre cast in the way of the people to stumble at And howsoeuer great and foule faultes in an other man seeme to bee but small yet euery light infirmitie in the minister is accompted as a plague-sore running vppon him the which maketh him to be abhorred of the profane and ignorant sort therefore if the minister shoulde make his infirmities knowen vnto them it were all one as if hee shoulde say I haue the plague about me and so make them to abhorre both his person and his doctrine Secondly in regarde of his ovvne person it is required that hee be the husband of one wife for in those times men had twoo wiues and then he might not be a minister because that hee hadde broken the holie ordinaunce of almightie God in himselfe which should see it kept in others If hee had bin such a one and now is single or ioyned onely to one hee may be a christian but not a minister And the like is to be said of him that hath been sometime a Preacher of the gospell and after that fell to be an idolater or a Popish priest and is now a professor of the gospel again the church may vpon his repentance take him for a christian but hee ought not to serue in the publique ministerie of the word as yet many doe because hee is not onely blemished himselfe worse then a man that wanteth a member which in no wise might serue in the worke of the ministery but also is a fowle scarre in the face of the church which must be remoued that the church may looke with a louely and comely countenance that her friends may be in loue with hir and not through hir vgly and deformed visage be occasioned to loathe her and this is that which the Prophet Ezechiel in plaine words hath recorded in this manner â—â—zech 44 10 Thus saith the Lord God No stranger vncircumcised in heart nor vncircumcised in flesh shal enter into my sanctuarie Neither the Leuites that are gone backe from mee when Israel went astray which went astray from me after their idolles but they shall beare their iniquitie And they shal serue in my sanctuarie and keepe the gates of the house and miâ—nister in the house But how shal they minister they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people and they shall stand before them to serue them that is they shall serue as drudges to doe all the seruile worke that belongs to the sanctuarie like the Gibeonites who were appointed by Ioshua to carry wood and draw water and why Iosh 9.27 because they serued before their idolles and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquitie Ezech. 44.12 Therefore haue I lift vp mine hand against them saith the Lord and they shal beare their iniquitie And they shall not come neere vnto me to do the office of the priest vnto me neither shal they come nere vnto any of mine holy things in the most holy place but they shall beare their shame and their abominations which they haue committed And I will make them keepers of
better bringing vp of men in this holy knowledge of God the Lorde hath giuen his statutes vnto Iacob and his ordinaunces vnto Israell which hee hath not vouchsafed vppon all nations for the heathen haue not the knoledge of his waies Psalme a hundred fortie and six And these statutes of God are contained in the bookes of the olde and new Testament called the holie Scriptures by the waie of excellencie which being rightly vnderstoode of vs doe bring vs directly to the true knowledge of God and of our selues And because there are in the scriptures som things that be hard and darke to our vnderstanding therefore the Lord hath ordained pastors doctors whome hee hath also furnished with giftes of knowledge and vtterance and learning and sanctification that they may teach the Lords people the true meaning of the scriptures and so traine them vp in the knowledge and obedience of the Lord. By this then it appeareth how necessarie it is for all Gods children to haue the knowledge of GOD the vnderstanding of the scriptures and the preaching of the word amongst them by a painefull faithfull and learned ministerie And on the other side it be wrayeth the pestilent daunger of ignorance and ignorant ministers and also the barrennesse of bare reading without the tillage of expounding of catechising of doctrine of exhortation and of application the which is the life of doctrine by which holy meanes as it were with the Lords ploughs the fallow groundes of mens hearts are broken vp 〈◊〉 4.4 whereas otherwise the seede is but cast amongst the thornes as Ieremy speakes When the Queen of Ethiopia her chamberlaine was reading the prophet Esay in his chariot â—8 30 Philip asked him if he vnderstoode what he read to shew that a man may reade and reade againe and bee neuer the nearer without an interpreter as that noble man confessed for how can I vnderstand saide he without a guide Therefore Ezra when he had read the scripture he also gaue the sence Nehem. â— 8 and caused the people to vnderstand the reading to shew that bare reading is not sufficient to bring men to vnderstanding And therefore our sauior Christ also when hee had read a place of Esay that concerned himselfe hee closed vp the booke Luke 4.20 and opened the text making application thereof to his hearers whereuppon it followeth in the same place that all that heard him bare him witnes and wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth to shewe that preaching giueth grace to reading And when the word read is opened and applied then men beare witnesse of the trueth that is they knowe what to holde and beleeue for trueth and not before This the apostle Paul knew very well and therefore hee did not onely teach the Ephesians openly but priuately also in euery house going from house to house warning Act. 20.20 3â— and exhorting euery one as hee had occasion to shewe what course those sheepeheardes must take that would bring their flocks vnto the green pastures of heauenly comforts and the liuing waters of eternall happinesse both growing and flouring out of the liuely fountaines of knowledge and vnderstanding in the holy word of God And further for the necessity of knowledge vnderstanding what could the lord say more to shew the greatnes therof then to call them by the name of foode or meate and drinke for so he doth I will giue you pastors which shal feed you with knowledge and vnderstanding as if knowledge and vnderstanding were foode of the soule and so they be to teach vs as there is nothing more necessary for the strengthning of the bodie then meate and drinke so there is nothing more necessarie for the sauing of the soule then knowledge and vnderstanding Take away from the bodie ordinary sustenance long and it starueth And take away knowledge and vnderstanding from the soule and it perisheth Therefore as Christ said when he raised vp Iairus daughter giue hir meate so the Lorde saieth when the soule is raised vp to the life of God giue it meate but that must be knowledge and vnderstanding Againe as knowledge and vnderstanding are here called food so pastors are called feeders as if they were nurses the people as babes children which neither know what is good for them nor howe to dresse their meat nor how to feed themselues And therfore many doe not vnfitly compare the bare reading of the scripture vnto a whole loafe set before children which must bee cutte in peeces and be dâ—uided before it can profite them The preachers are also called feeders to shew that they must be like nurses in abilitie in affection and discretion Some haue wherewith to feede their children but they are vnkind and vnnaturall like cruel harlots that kill their children that they may not be troubled with theÌ„ Some beare a good affection to their children but their breastes are drie and they haue no meate to giue them when they crie for it as in the great famine of Samaria Som haue wherwith to feed but for want of discretion to obserue the childes nature and constitution as also the weaknes or strongnes of the stomack the frowardnes tendernes of thinfant and the causes of al it happeneth that much is giuen and little digested great pain is taken to little purpose bicause the child is either misdieted or distempred or handled too tenderly or too rigorously Therefore in the feeders of the soule there ought to bee sufficient store of knowlege there ought to be a louing tender affection tempered with wisedome and discretion that euery one may haue his due portion faithfully distributed vnto him and that in due time and season It is a lamenble hearing to heare the children crie for bread and it shal be answered againe by the Nurse I haue none for thee thou must starue for I haue none to giue thee But it is a thousand times more lameÌ„table to heare the soules mone for want of spiritual foode oh what accompt haue they to make vnto God that take the place of spirituall nurses and haue no milke in their breasts that is know nothing to any purpose is it nothing to starue the Lordes people Is the murthering of mens soules no sin before the Lorde O that the smoky Kemarius of this our age as vnpreaching ministers and non-residents and such like did consider well of this pointâ— then would they not leaue their occupations and trades as many haue done and betake them to the ministerie as their last refuge for liuing and maintenaunce sake but they would leaue the ministerie as fast and betake themselues to some other trade of life againe and wish that their heades were fountaines of teares that they might weep day and night for the slaughter and destruction which they haue made of the Lordes people VVhich they were better to doe nowe while the Lorde doeth allot them a time of repentance then heereafter in