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A47413
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A sermon preached at Lewis in the diocess of Chichester by the Lord Bp. of Chichester, at his visitation held there, Octob. 8, 1662.
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King, Henry, 1592-1669.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing K506; ESTC R17990
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15,047
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47
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in every dress An Egyptian Mantle or a Babylonish Garment were sin to an Israelite As every Light Tune would not go well with the Grave Dorick Harp so every Dialect would not fit the Church That Language which commends the Stage would misbecome the Pulpit Light conceits or flashes of unseason'd wit prophane that holy ground And again that bitter Style which in a Declamation were an ingenious Satyre translated into a Sermon might prove a Libel That Rule which St Paul gave the Church must be as well observed in the Pulpit Let all things be done decently and in order If you ask by what Rule we must measure this Decency Surely not by Theirs who condemn or laugh at all the world who are not in their fashion Decency was never measured by Singularity or Affectation Many have been more factiously proud and phantastical and therefore more ridiculous in an affected Plainness than others in their studied Curiosity Hierom says Superba Rusticitas was the garb of some in his time who had nothing but a rude Insolence to bear out their want of Knowledge for Ignorance and Boldness commonly go together The most unexcepted and safe Rule of Decency is Religious discretion When God's Messages want neâ—ther fit Ornament to set them forth nor Integrity to apply them I have it from the Prophet David This is that Beauty He loves and Holiness that He commends when he tells you both these conjoyning become the House of the Lord. For those therefore who quarrel with Learned Elaborate Sermons And are so Umbragious to boggle at any thing which is not presented to them in their Mother-Tongue Who give Sentence against a Preacher for a Latine Sentence or Authority out of a Father alleged in a Sermon I shall truly pity them for that they disallow what St Paul in his practice justifi'd Though that Spiritus Anabaptisticus Anabaptistical spirit that reigns amongst many in these latter days dares affirm Qui in Scholis Academiis Theologiam discunt tantum tenent Literam mortuam non etiam Spiritum vivificantem Quare nec possunt esse Ministri Novi Testamenti quos Paulus dixit esse Ministros non Literae sed Spiritus Those who in our Universities and Schools study Divinity grasp oâ—ely the Dead Letter attain not the Quickning Spirit and therefore cannot be Ministers of the New Testament who are styled by St. Paul Ministers not of the Letter but the Spirit Yet they may see that St. Paul Himself whom they dare not deny to be a Minister of the New Testament makes use of Human Learning and cites some Verses out of Epimenides Araâ—us and Menander which shewed that He had studied the Greek Poets as Moses the Learning of the Egyptians and Daniel the Wisdom of the Caldeans Moses disciplinas Egyptiorum Daniel sapientiam Chaldaeorum Beatus Paulus Epimenidis Arati Menandri carmina didicerunt ut his veram Religionem locupletiorem redderent supposing Religion to receive much advantage by the study of Human Learning For which cause Petrus Cunaeus writes that the Old Levites challenged as their right an universal knowledge of all Laws and all Sciences Humane or Divine Legum omnium â—erum Humanarum Divinarumque summam scientiam sub quodam sibi jure Levitae vendicabant Indeed St. Augustine invites us to the reading of Ethnick Authors upon this motive That they were Usurpers and unjust Possessors of Knowledge whereof Christians onely could make the best use This apprehension caused Porphyrius as Eusebius tells to complain of Origen That he had robb'd the Greek Philosophers of their Treasure to enrich his own Religion Therefore Julian the Apostate observing the great advantage Christians made by reading the Works of those Learned Heathens who in many things were by Them confounded and wounded by their own Pens peremptorily forbad all Christians the use or study of Human Authors How well doth this suit the humor of our late Levites quite differing from those Elder by me alleged who account Ignorance a mark of the Spirit and none so fit for the Ministery as those who never took Degree in the Schools I shall not trouble my self or you with more words in this Argument but onely say If there be any who so much dote upon their lack of Learning accounting it an Holy Ignorance to know nothing which belongs to worldly Science If there be any so wedded to their sudden Conceptions or praecipitate Barbarism that they cry down all Learning or Elegance in Pulpits Or imagine that the spirit of Elocution speaks best from the worst Interpreters As if Gods Messages could be delivered in too good Language God forgive them I have heard a woe denounced against Those that do the work of the Lord negligently but never against any who perform it with too much care Erasmus well said Eloquentiam non pugnare cum simplicitate Religionis Eloquence is not inconsistent with Religion And Severus Sulpitius gratulated the accurate and elegant Style of St. Augustine as an improver of that devout Subject whereon he treated Quicquid de ejus plenitudine ad nos usque redundat jucundius efficitur gratius per tuum elegantem famulatum Nay St. Ambrose is said to have converted St. Augustine then a Manichee to the Christian Faith by his great Eloquence which wrought so powerfully when he onely out of curiosity went to hear Him at Millain That taken by the bait of his Elocution this great Champion was drawn into the Net of the Church Nor is this strange As St. Paul told the Corinthians That he had taken them by deceit so oft-times it falls out that the Preachers Eloquence by perswasion wins the Auditory to the Confession of some Truths which plain reason or force of Argument could not before evince 'T is true David says The King's Daughter is all glorious within and yet in that place she is presented in Garments embroidered and wrought with the needle Indeed it had been an unsuitable mismatched Beauty had not Her outward Ornaments held some proportion with Her inward Perfections I apply it thus Good Matter and sound Doctrine were unfashionable Virtues if not set out so as Becomes Sound Doctrine This is our Issue and your Fruit That Fruit whose Leaves under which it grows are our Words For this cause is Paul a Planter Apollos a Waterer that the Congregation may gather the Blessings of this Husbandry And as the Tree whereon it grows hath many Branches so the Fruit hath many Species even so many as there be Virtues Moral or Theological This is the Treasure for which we dig whose Mine is the Scripture whose Mint the Church whose Stamp Christ Himself By whose Impression in our Baptism we are coined and become Current Christians As every Vein of Ore hath a Test to try it so this hath a Touch stone joyned to the Metall which warrants both the Value and the Truth St. James defines Pure Religion by Charity
drown but often strike on Rocks which break them into Irresolution St. Paul therefore steers us from this Rocky Coast Put away vain Questions knowing that they engender strife These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fomenters of vain Curiosity Multum in disputando habentia vanitatem so the Vulgar reads Positive Divinity contains abundantly enough for the satisfaction of the Knowledge and salvation of the Soul A little Logick serves a Christian And a man may go to Heaven without quaint Distinctions Without Controversie great is the mystery of godliness which is God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles Believed on in the world and taken up into Glory This is the Scheme of Christian Religion the Scale of Faith whose Mysteries though great yet without Controversie or Dispute The Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confessedly He therefore who loves God and Believes in Him whom he hath sent Christ Jesus He who is able to distinguish Conversation which may corrupt his Manners and Opinions which may corrupt his Faith He who makes Faith his Major Greatest Proposition and a Religious fruit of that Faith exhibited in the Actions of his Life his Minor Proposition He who Syllogizes in this Figure this perfect form of Living and then Concludes according to these Premises I mean Ends according to this Beginning hath Logick sufficient to save his Soul and School-divinity enough to bring himself to Heaven I must yet add one Condition more necessarily required to sound Doctrine That it be delivered Sano modo In sound terms That there be not onely no Contradiction In Terminis That the terms be not onely not Repugnant to the Truth of the Position but not Ambiguous or Innovated so as they either darken or distort the meaning of it For which Reason the Councell of Carthage appointed that at the Consecration of a Bishop one part of the Examination should be Ante omnia si fidei documenta verbis simplicibus asserat If in the first place he assert the Doctrine of Faith in plain words and simple terms An Old truth presented in New terms hath oft-times raised new Senses and another Construction And so by a varied delivery made it suspected Error hath many faces Truth possesseth no shape but one For a man to keep within this Circle that he speaks nothing Contrary to sound Doctrine or nothing but what may be reduced to It Is safe Discretion but not sound Religion Polâ—cy or cold Neutrality use to lie at this Guard Esse Directe esse Reductivè in Praedicamento are Two things in Logick That which may be Reducible to a Praedicament is Oblique or Collateral not Directly in it Nor can we call what is Reducible Direct Truth Sound Doctrine conveyed in Dubious or Indirect Phrase is not sound Doctrine but lame and crazy The best that can be said of It 'T is Doctrina sana non sano modo Sound Doctrine delivered in unsound sick Terms which like infected cloathes Infect the Body that wears them Axitheus tells Theophrastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is much Error in those Discourses which are delivered in doubtful or different or unsound Phrase St. Paul requires Soundness as well in the Form as in the Matter of Doctrine Therefore he writes to Timothy thus Formam habe sanorum verborum Hold the form of sound words so the new Translation Or as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which another renders Keep the true Pattern of the wholesome words That is Deliver sound Doctrine in sound words To wind up all It is Magalian's useful Application and shall be Mine St. Hierom interprets this soundness of Doctrine in Truth of Learning confirm'd by Integrity of Life Tunc doctrinae sanitas cum doctorum doctrina pariter vita consentiant For which cause St. Paul more fully interpreting this Charge bids Titus shew himself a Pattern of good works Example is the most powerful Sermon And a Blameless Life the best Comment upon the Text of Christ. It was the advice of Nilus Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And justly for he perswades strongest whose Life is as Eloquent as his Tongue preaching in his Conversation no less than in his Words This indeed is sound Doctrine and as the Apostle styles it sound speech that cannot be condemned This is the End of our Sermons this is the Fruit of your Patience For this cause we preach and the People hear That by the Rule of sound Doctrine they may rectifie their Crooked lives All sin is an Obliquity and the habit of Vice Prophaneness Adultery Murther Lying c. are contrary to sound Doctrine Whatsoever therefore teacheth the Unmarried Continence the Married Chastity Children Obedience to their Parents Subjects Loyalty towards their Soveraign Whatsoever teacheth the Afflicted Patience the Happy Temperance the Faithful Perseverance and all sorts of People Charity is Doctrina sana That sound Doctrine which we must preach the Congregation learn When St. Paul had delivered his perfect Charge to Timothy He concludes with Haec doce exhortare These things teach and exhort I cannot make a better close than to exhort you to Receive what we are commanded to Teach These Lessons digested into a Religious practice will approve the Teachers of the Congregation True Disciples of Christ and you not Hearers onely of the Law but Doers of it When we have taken this Degree in Faith it will derive on Us the Reward of Labourers on You the Reward of the Righteous Which the Righteous Lord will in due time give us for His Dear Son's sake To Whom with the Blessed Spirit the Assurer of this Mercy to us Be all Honor and Glory and Thanksgiving for ever AMEN FINIS Errata Page 5. line 5. Doth page 13. line 13. Creatours page 20. line 22. is page 22. line 20. Hirself page 24. in Marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 page 24. line 2. Marg. 29. 1. The Person Thou Aug. Epist 7. Hieron Lib. 1. Ep. 51. 2 Pet. 1.12 13. Joh. 14.25 Ignat. Epist. ad Trallens August Epist. 81. Ovid. Trist. Lib. 5. Eleg. 5. Ephes. 4.3 5 6. Judg. 2.11 Act. 2.1 Aug. Tertull. Apologet. â—ap 40. 2. Speak 1. Commission Isa. 6.8 veâ—s 9. Heb. 5.4 vers 5. Hieron Lib. 1. Ep. 55. Jer. 14.14 15. Jer. 17.16 1 Cor. 1. 2 Tim. 1.11 Esa. 49.2 Rom. 10.15 Act. 2.37 Esa. 6.7 Ezek. 33.22 Mat. 28.19 2. Their Chaâ—ge Psal. 148. Mal. 2.7 Joh. 4.7 Gen. 24.21 Rev. 22.17 Eccles. 3.7 2 Tim. 4.2 Gregor Pastoral â—aâ—t 2. cap 4. Psal. 39.1 Ambâ—os Oâ—â—â—c 11.3 Esa. 5.1 Chrysost. Homil. ad Pop. Antioch Ambros. Hieron Lib. 1. Epist. 28. Ecclâ—s 41.15 Bernard Prov. 18.7 1 Cor. 9.16 17. 3. Things Esa. 40.6 Lactant. Hier. Lib. 1. Ep. 55. Gregor Pastor part 2. cap. 4. Isidor Peleus Lib. 1 Epist. 62. Luc. 5.10 Isidor Peleus Lib. 2. Ep. 101. 4. Which become 1 Cor. 14.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazianz Orat. 26. Psal. Hinckel man Errâ— Anabaptism cap. 2 Error 1 2. Petrus Cunaeus de Repub Hebr. lib. 2. cap. 9. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. 6. cap. 13. Socrat. Hist. Ecclos lib. 3. cap. 10. Jer. 48.10 Aug. Epist. 37.6 2 Cor 12.16 Psal. 44.14 5. Sound Doctrine Jam. 1.27 Ephes. 2.20 1 Cor. 3.11 Psal. 40.8 Eccles. 12.13 1. Pure Matth. 15 9 Psal. 18.31 1 Pet. 2.2 2. Wholesome 2 Tim. 2 13 Jer. 6.14 Psal. 141.5 3. Entire 4. Plain 5. Firm. 6. Solid 2 Tim. 2.23 Eccles. 6.11 1 Tim. 3.16 Joh. 17.3 7. Sano modo Concil Carthag 4. Can. 1. Aenaeas Gaâ—â—dus pag. 14 2 Tim. 1.13 Conclusion Hierom. Tit. 2.7 Nilus Paraen 11. Tit. 2.8 1 Tim. 9.10 1 Tim. 6.7 Jam. 1.22