THE ART OR SKIL WELL AND FRVITFVLLIE TO HEARE the holy Sermons of the Church Written first in Latin by a godly Minister named CVâ—â—LMVS ZEPPERVS and now truly translated into english by T. W. For the religious edification of such as vnfeinedly feare the Lord amongst vs. Eccles 4.17 Take heed to thy foot when thou entrest into the house of God and be more neare to heare than to giue 〈◊〉 sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they do euill Marke 4.24 Take heed what ye heare Luke â— 18 Take heed how ye heare Imprinted at London by Felix Kingston 1599. To the Christian Reader grace and peace from God the Father and from his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord c. WE that now liue brethren may truly say both that our times are good and yet that our daies are naught If any will demaund how this can be so seeing it implieth a flat contradiction the answere is easie readie and right also For if we consider God Iam. 1.17 the onely giuer of euerie good and perfect gift or weigh his blessed bountie in all sorts of graces or respect the long continuance of these singular fauours we cannot but plainely perceiue and openly confesse the truth and certainety of the first part of this sentence For first touching God we may speake it and that truly also to the glory of his great name that he hath opened his hand Psal 14â— and filled with his blessing all sorts and degrees amongest vs. No mans sight as I take it is so bleared or his heart so brawned or his mouth so stopped vp but that he must of necessitie euidently see sensibly feele and freely lay out the same And for his graces generally we may safely acknowledge as the Prophet in a certaine place doth they are so many that none can count his thoughts towards vs yea though we would declare and speake of them Psal yet are they more than we are able to conceiue in our vnderstanding so much are our hearts straitned within vs and therefore greater also than we are able to expresse by speech Now particularly if we could consider as we ought outward and bodily blessings either for the number or varietie of them haue we not iust cause to say that God hath bountifully vouchsafed vs that which the Prophet heartily desired might be giuen to his people Psal 122.7 namely that peace is within our walles and prosperitie within our palaces And that he hath powred that vpon vs which Izhac wished vnto his sonne He hath giuen vs of the dewe of heauen Gen. 27.28.29 and the fatnesse of the earth and plentie of wheat and wine and so forth as it followeth in the Patriarches words And touching spirituall graces we may doubtlesse speake no lesse liberally than the faithfull doe in another Psalme He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euerie nation Psal 147.19 20. neither haue they knowne his iudgements or as it is in another Prophet I will poure out my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie Ioel. 2.28.29 your old men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions And also vpon the seruants and vpon the maydes will I in these daies poure cut my spirit yea they shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. Iere. 31.34 And concerning the continuance of them we must acknowledge vnlesse we will rob God of his praise and other men of great good and our selues of speciall comfort that we haue had the Lord not onely forbearing vs a yeare two or three together but digging round about vs yea digging and dressing vs not three or foure yeares as in the parable of the figtree planted in the vineyard is declared â— 13.6.7 but full fortie yeare at the least be hauing not only made our wheat and wine to abound all that while â— 6.7 but daily lifting vpon vs the light of his countenaunce On the other side if we weigh either how blind we haue been in these blessings not seeing them at all or consider how carelesse to performe duties for them after light receiued or else regard how hypocriticall we haue been in the seruices which we made shew to accomplish we shall then euidently see in others and sensiblie feele in our selues the truth of the latter part of that sentence For how many be there in the land who whether they deliuer it of ignorant malice or malicious ignorance we will not stand now to determine it say as the people did in the time of the Prophet Ieremie Iere. 44.16.17 The word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare it of thee But we will doe whatsoeuer thing commeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queen of heauen to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done c. Other some again there are amongst vs and I feare me there is no small number of them who whether they doe it of carelesnesse and carnalitie of heart in themselues or presuming before hand Deut. 29.19 that notwithstanding iniquitie God will be gracious vnto them the Lord best knoweth abusing Gods mercy and turning his grace into wantonnes Rom. 2.5.6 do in themselues despise the riches of his bountifulnes patience long suffering forgetting that the bountifulnesse of the Lord should lead them to repentance and so from God heape vp vnto themselues as if it were treasure wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Besides what swarmes of hypocrites be there in the lap and bosome of the Church of whom we may iustly say either as the Apostle doth they haue a shew of pietie 2. Tim. 3. â— but haue denied the power thereof or else serue him for bread and water wool and flax oyle and drinke corne Hos 2. â— wine Hose 2.5 c. gold siluer c. as the idolaters did their Idols in Hosea his time or at the best as our Sauiour himselse saith out of Isaiah touching the age in which he liued This people draweth nigh vnto me with their mouth Mat. 15.8 and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from me By all which we may not onely clearely behold the truth of our first sentence in both the parts of it affirmatiue and negatiue but may further see and learne that it is verie apparant that we haue many waies giuen the Lord iust cause not onely to exclame or complaine of vs as in some of the Prophets he doth touching the nation of the Iewes saying O my people what haue I done vnto thee Micah 6.3 Esay 5.4 or wherein haue I grieued thee And againe what could I haue done any more to my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it but also as it
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
brethren yea for men to despise their owne saluation The auncient Church had respect of these considerations Anacletus sith Anacletus the second Romaine Bishop is affirmed to haue decreed That after the consecration was ended all should communicate that would not want entrance into the Church and assemblies thereof Conc. Antio can 2. Sith also the Councell of Antioch decreed That such as come into the Church and heare the holy Scriptures and doe not communicate but do of a certaine intemperancy turne themselues away from the receiuing of the holy Communion should be remoued out of the Church till they had amended this fault Which though in the first Councell of Toledo it were mitigated or at the least propounded with some more milde words yet there also it was decreed Concil Tolita 1. can 13 That they that come into the Church and are found seldome or neuer to communicate should be admonished And if they doe abstaine after admonition giuen let them be separated from the fellowship of the Church And what meaneth this that euen yet to this daye in the reformed Churches such as yeeld not to the ministers and elders a iust cause of their absence and doe rashlie withdraw themselues from the vse of the holy Supper are therefore admonished and for the same ecclesiastically reproued Metaphrastes writing the life of one Iohn Eleemosynar Metaphra in vit Iohn Eleemosy or almes giuer as we would say reporteth that seeing all his hearers whilest the Supper was in celebrating to depart out of the Church hee also leauing the action went his way speaking thus That he had no neede of that labour but that hee administred the Supper for the benefit and profit of the people And that therefore seeing they would not voutchsafe to bee present hee went about a needeles worke Why they should be present at the catechising of children Furthermore if men dealt well and christians had that zeale they should none of them that were of the yeares of discretion or parents should depart out of the Church no not when the nouices were to be examined instructed For the holy Scripture is wont to call such children not only as are so in yeares but such rather as are so in vnderstanding and in the knowledge of Gods word and of the way of trueth But how many are there the greater is our griefe that euen amongst them that are of the yeares of discretion yea that are of great yeares and haue hoare haires are not at this day found infants and children as in this behalfe These interrogations can hardly be answered Why therfore should not such suffer themselues to be catechised and though they would refuse to be examined to yeeld confession of their faith as commonly they do why do they not yet by their hearing and presence indure at the least wise that instruction which is bestowed vpon children For those catechisings of children because they are performed by continuall course of questions answers and in the same al things be childishly and rudely handled in a shorter maner dispatched may more easily be cōprehended in memorie than Sermons that are made in a continual tenor course of speech and are with greater labour beautified and adorned Parents duetie And to prouoke the greater better attention to all the things that in this behalfe shall bee performed there must bee no small care and regard in parents for their children which are to be instructed that they may satisfie the questions demaunded and may proceede in the course of faith godlines and saluation that they themselues might not be constrained to blush to be ashamed if their children be silent at the demaunds and fowly giue ouer And because this is the chiefest part of the dutie of parents towards their children to bring them vp in the instruction and information of the Lord Ephes 6.4 a double care and respect should in this behalfe stay hold thē fast not to depart from the catechisings or instructions of youth The one is Two excellent respects that they might publikely heate iudge with what faithfulnes the Ministers of the church do their duty in instructing their children that so if they perceiue any thing to be wanting in thē they might think vpon and prouide some other way course that their childrens saluatiō might not be neglected and troden vnder foote The other that if they themselues be not so well instructed in the points which they shuld powre into their children as it were beat vpon at home as I feare me certainely A lamentable thing very many parents the more is the pitie and with griefe wee may speake it are as yet very rude and ignorant of heauenly things concerning their owne saluation they notwithstanding might yet learne such things as are needefull for them both for the better doing of their dutie towards their children and also more fitly belong to their owne saluation A very strong reason forcible to perswade An argument from profit to the people to the Ministers which also by the benefit of these catechisings almost without any labor sure I am without any shame or confusion of them themselues they may attaine vnto And vnles my iudgement vtterly faile me youths such as are of the yeres of discretion and parents also may in some manner profit more by these catechisings than by Sermons in so much that the Ministers of the Church should at no hand loose their labour if in the summer season and in the assemblies that are made vpon the Lords daies in the afternoone in which many men as we well perceiue The good vse of catechising are so farre from fitting themselues to good exercises that they doe of purpose giue themselues ouer to sleeping and snorting they would sometimes omit Sermons of instruction and giue themselues onely to the catechising of children and vse withall some more plentifull exposition of the Booke of the Catechisme which might euidently stand in steed of the Sermons omitted and satisfie such as were of the yeares of discretion and had made further proceedings than other And so the Church might at the last Why men should stay the blessing of the Church vpon good ground receiue and be partaker of the blessing of the Church before the congregation were dissolued In the olde Testament God himselfe ordained that all holy exercises and duties being done the assemblie should not be dimissed till it had receiued a solemne blessing from the priestes whereof also God himselfe put downe a solemne forme for the priests to vse as may appeare by these words where he saith Thus shall ye blesse the children of Israell and say vnto them Num. 6.23.24 The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine vpon thee and giue thee peace To which ordinaunce and commaundement of God the Psalmist doubtlesse alludeth in one of his Psalmes where the priestes