country where I dwell o-openly slaundered and euill spoken off and therefore to cleare my selfe from such false reports to satisfie my friends which are readie to answer in my cause to let the enemies knowe I haue spoken nothing whereof I am ashamed but dare put it to the witnessing and testimonie of the Christian reader and also to resolue more fully the weaker sort in such things as at the first seeme strange and absurd for these and such like causes I say I am content and willing that this my trauell come to light although the whole or most part of this Sermon is vnsauory vnpleasaunt to the greater sort and specially to the ignorant people to the hypocrit to the idol or dumb minister yet this is that which chiefly misliketh and grieueth them because both in the place where I preched this Sermon and also elsewhere I sayd and affirmed that the minister which preacheth not and hath not those gyftes which the Lorde requireth in his Ministers that such a one is no Minister approoued of GOD neyther hath anye right and authoritie from the Lorde to mynister his Sacramentes which matter howe straunge and absurde soeuer it seeme to ignoraunt and carnall men yet I hope it is heere sufficiently confirmed by authoritye and examples of the holy Scripture I coulde alleadge further the allowaunce and iudgement of most famous and pure Diuines and such as are gennerally receyued and allowed of all true Christians Master IOHN CALVIN about the latter ende of his Catechisme which is allowed by her Maiesties authoritie sayth in playne wordes that the ministration of the Sacraments belongeth to them who haue the charge to preache openly in the Church For the preaching of Gods worde and the ministration of the Sacraments be things ioyntly belonging to one kind of office these be his very words which are as plaine as may be M Rodolphus Gualter in his 118. Homely vpon Mark speaking of the institution of the Lordes supper and of the right order in ministring that sacrament amongst other things sayth on this manner Peccant qui coenam absque verbi predicatione peragunt adeóque illam huic praeferunt quasi vel ad dei cultum vel ad salutem plus conferat quam verbum cum tamen huius maiorem quam sacramentorum rationem habuerunt Christus Apostoli They sinne against the institution of Christe which doe minister the supper without preaching of the word and so preferre the Sacrament before preaching as though that auayled more to saluation and seruice of God then the worde preached whereas notwithstanding both Christe and the Apostles esteemed more the preaching of the Worde then the Sacrament these are his wordes I might alleadge many other testimonies for this cause not onely from the most worthy Godly and learned diuines both old and new of other Nations But also from famous Martyrs and Byshops in this oure Lande in their sermons and writings published and priuileged by authority I hope then ther is no cause why this doctrin shold not receiue a fauorable intertainment allowance as of your honors so of al faithful Christians hauing such warrant from so pure and learned men and from the testimony of the holy word VVhat soeuer I spake in deliuering and vttering this sermon I haue here set it down so nere as I could remember both in forme and matter To conclude I moste heartily desire in the Lord the ChristiaÌ„ reader especially your honors to accept this my pore trauell I am bold to ioyn you both in one not only because the Lord hath ioined you together in the bonde of friendship in a care of my good estate but also that which is greatest of all in a zeale of Gods glory furtherance of his religion Now the very God of peace sanctify you through out and I pray God that your whol spirits and souls and bodyes may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Your Honours in the Lord THOMAS GYBSON Hearken with feare and reuerence to the worde of the Lorde written by the holy Apostle Saint Paule in his first epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 9. verse 16. Woe be to me if I preach not the Gospell OVR Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the 17. chapter of the blessed Euangelist Luke amongst manye other excellent things vttereth and propoundeth this parable Who is it of you that hauing a seruaunt plowing or feeding cattell would say vnto him by and by when he were come from the field Goe and sit downe at table c. And afterwardes in the tenth verse applieth it on this maner So like wise ye when ye haue done all those thinges which are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruauants we haue done that which was our duetie to doe The holy Apostle and seruant of Christ in this place auoucheth and confesseth in him selfe the saying of his Master to be moste true For although amongst many good workes there is not a more excellent or better work then the preaching of the word of God which was done most purely effectually and diligently by the Apostle yet he is so farre from accounting it meritorious that he sayth a necessitie is layd vpon him that duety bindeth him to do it In the former verses from the beginning of this Chapter S. Paule sheweth and that with diligence and large copie of wordes that beeing amongst the Corrinthians he was content to giue place to his owne right to forbeare that which he might lawfully doe to take no maintenaunce at all from them least he should giue occasion of cauilling to the false Apostles as though he vnder the pretence of the calling of an Apostle should seeme to seeke his owne gaine and lucre Amongst other thinges he hath sayde and that in the former verse It were better for me to dye then that any man should make my reioycing in vaine The which wordes may seeme to proceed and flow from an ambitious and vaineglorious spirite And therefore it might be sayde What now Paule What needes all this Thou art wont to glory in Christ alone and dost thou now glory in thine owne doinges To such a question or obiection the Apostle aunsweareth qualifiyng his former speach as if he should say Although it be an excellent worke to preach the Gospel and that freely yet take not my wordes â—o as though I repose any merite of saluation in this worke for I am called to it and bound to it by duety and commaundement from my master Christ And if I doe it not I prouoke and procure the anger of God and the sentence of his curse and condemnation on me Woe bee to me if I preach not the Gospell Of these words being but a part of the verse I haue taken vpon me to speake at this time From whence I meane by Gods grace to speake of these three pointes First I will gather some description of preaching that you may know what it is Secondly I meane to
iudgement are able to saie nothing to any purpose but yet let it bee so that some can doe this they can teach as they saie in some measure their an Catechise and ay the groundes of Religion yet this will not serue the turne there must bee building after the foundation there must be a leading forward to perfection The Lord in building the material Tabernacle did choose men of singuler wisedome and vnderstanding and will he be content with euery drudge and bungler in the building and erecting of his spirituall Tabernacle But herein chiefly haue some gathered offence and grief because I haue said in this place before and also other where that suche Ministers haue no right to administer the Sacramentes This seemeth a straunge and hard doctrine yea some are not ashamed to count it erronious and hereticall if I would stande vpoÌ„ the authoritie of men I could alledge for the confirmation of the very wordes whiche I haue spoken the iudgement of those which by common consent of all true Christians are receiued and allowed as the best most learned and most pure Diuines that euer were since the time of the Apostles but this I hope shal not neede for if of necessitie euery Minister ought to preache or if all the former argumentes wil serue to proue this then also that other doctrine how straunge and obsurde soeuer some count it I must I saie needes necessarily and consequently followe none ought of right to deale with the Lordes Sacramentes but his Ministers Christ requireth of him that Baptiseth that he teach saiing Go teach and Baptise No Teacher no Baptiser that which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder Sainct Paule speaking of the Lordes Supper As often saieth he as ye shall eate this breade and drinke this cupp ye shew the Lordes death till he come If the people at the receiuing of the Sacrament ought to haue an effectuall and thankfull remembraunce of the death of Christ it must needes follow that the Minister is bound sufficiently to instruct them in the same If any will say that this done by the dumbe Minister in reading the wordes of the institution he preacheth he sheweth and publisheth Iesus Christ crucified so may I say that he or any other doth the same and that more effectually if they doe but saie their beleefe openly before the Congregation but we speake of a singular of an effectuall of an excellent and liuely shewing of his death which is by preaching The Apostle speaking to the Galatians saieth That Iesus Christ was described in their sight and among them crucified His meaning is that Christe was so liuely preached to them as his liuely Image was set before their eyes or els had been crucified amongst them This is the power of preaching this is the duetie of the Minister plainly and effectually to discribe and set forth the merite of Christ his Passion so that it maie bee seen as it were before the eyes The first Minister of Baptisme Iohn the Baptist was a Preacher he ioyned Preaching and Baptisme together and in no douâ—t the Lorde would leaue to his Churche an example and patterne and a forme of the right ministration of the Sacramentes Christ although there were sundrie causes why he would not Baptise yet he ministred the Supper to his Apostles but Christ was a Preacher yea he preached then of his death before that first ministration and institution of that Sacrament leauing vs an example to doe the like The Apostles ministred the Sacramentes but they all preached yea the Euangelist Luke in the storie of the Actes setteth Preaching alwaies before the ministration of the Sacramentes Iohn the Baptist Christ the Apostles and Primatiue Church are the best examples that I knowe and best worthie to bee followed Consider further I beseeche you the greate inconueniences which followe in these places where the worde is not preached the people are still in ignorance and blindnesse and kept still in their olde and Popishe errors receiued from their forefathers they know not the vse of the Sacramentes or to what ende they serue they holde still their Papisticall transubstantiation some saie they receiue their maker other saie they neuer heard what a Sacrament meant some saie they doe it in a good intent and yet they knowe not their owne intent other say thei hope that they receiue it as others doe fewe make any conscience with knowledge feare and reuerence to prepare themselues The greatest cause of this is lack of Preaching and in deede how can their greate ignoraunce be taken awaie how can their olde supersticious errors bee effectually confuted but by the continuall and pure preaching of the worde And is it not then most fitt and conuenient when the Sacrament is to be ministred but we are so farre from hauing any vsuall preaching before the Sacrament that be many thousandes whiche neuer heard any preaching at al of the Sacramentes in al their life they haue liued these 25. yeares in a Christian land vnder the Gospel and yet they haue profited no further and if they should liue still dubble and triple the same yeares they should bee neuer a whit the better except they had better Ministers Woe be to me if I preach not the Gospell Learne one thing further before I goe to the next parte of my Text if there depende a woe ouer the Minister if he preache not the same woe is also against the people if they heare not and obey not the worde preached Woe Chorazin woe Bethsaida woe Capernaum wo to these Countries Citties Townes and People which neglect and contemne the word preached it shall be easier for the lande of Sodome and Gomorrha in the daie of Iudgement then for suche a people The same God the same worde whiche requireth preaching of the Minister requireth also hearing and obedience of the people He that is of God heareth Gods word and therefore doe ye not heare it because ye are not of GOD. My Sheepe saieth Christ heare my voyce And to the true Minister it is said He that heareth you heareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that dispiseth me dispiseth him that sent me And againe Verely verely I saie vnto you if I send any he that receiueth him receiueth me Wherefore we ought diligently to giue heede to the things which we haue heard least at any time we should let them slippe For if the worde spoken by Angels was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of rewarde how shall we escape if we neglect so greate saâ—â—…ation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him GOD bearing witnesse thereto both with signes and wonders and with diuers miracles and giftes of the holy Ghost according to his owne will Woe then vnto all Papistes Infidells Atheistes Hypocrites ignorant and carnall men for
⧠A FRVITful Sermon preached at Occham in the County of Rutland the Second of Nouember 1583. By Thomas Gybson PROVERB 29.8 ¶ VVhere there is no Vision the people decay GOD IS MY DEFENDER GOD IS MY DEFENDER AT LONDON Printed by Robert Walde-graue dwelling without Temple-Barre 1584. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Lorde FRAVNCES Earle of BEDFORD and one of her Maiesties most honourable priuy Counsell Knight of the Noble order of the Garter VVith the Right Honourarable Syr VVALTER MILDEMAY Knight Chancelour of the Queenes Maiesties Court of Exchequer and one of her Highnes most honourable priuy Counsell Grace Mercy and peace be multiplied from God our Heauenly Father from our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christe THE blessed holy Euangelist Saint Luke Right Honorable penning and publishing the Heauenlye story and blessed Gospell of Iesus Christ doth also dedicate the same to one Theophilus a Noble and famous man of singular credit and authority The reason and cause that mooued him thereto is because in those times the purenesse of the Gospell was hindred and persecuted whereby many erroures began to be spreade and allowed and therefore in great Wisdom it pleased the holy Ghost not onely to write a faithfull sure and perfect story but also to offer and present the custodie and defence of the same to one of Religion and Povver The verye same cause partly hath mooued me at this time to bee so bolde as to offer and Dedicate this poore and simple testimony of my trauaile to your Honoures For although I doe confesse vvee liue vnder a Gracious Prince whome the Lorde long continue to his glory to the shame and confusion of his enemies and to the dayly profit of his Church although I say we liue in so peaceable happy and gracious a time vnder the flowrishing state of the Gospell yet truely the dearest Children of God and the sincerity of Religion is subiect to bitter Persecution These wordes at the first may seeme verye greeuous hard and haynous and yet they are most certaine and true The holy Apostle S. Paul writing to the Galatians 4.29 speaketh on this maner As he that was borne after the Flesh persecuted him that was borne after the Spirite euen so is it nowe hee speaketh of Ismael and Isaac and yet we do not reade in the scripture of any persecution betweene them neither did Ismael persecute his Brother Isaac with hande or sworde but that which is worse proudly arrogantly he raised him selfe against him mocking him and as it were treading vnder feete the promise of God And this dealing by the apostle is cálled a persecution in deede there is not any persecution more greeuous to the Children of God then this Nowe who doth not dayly see that the best Christians and the purenes of Religion are greatly persecuted by Papists Atheists and Hipocrites as Isaac was by his Brother Ismael And of all matters of religion I thinke there is scarse any in these dayes more generally hated of such kind of men then that which is most altogether almost only hand led in this simple Sermō For these such like men many of them can bee content with a common ordinarye profession to heare Mattins and Euensong and sometimes a Sermon by such men as they like of but that there should be any continuall course of the pure preaching of the worde of God they can in no case allowe or like of This I say is hated reiected and persecuted so farre as may be of the greater sorte and therefore not without cause haue I attēpted to dedicate this my labor to your honors as special Patrons defendors of the Lords cause tried Friends and Fauorers of God his trueth But yet this attempt may seem very raish and needles For who am I that I should take vppon mee to set foorth and to publish any thing The vnworthiest I confesse of many hundreths and the vnablest of manye thousands and yet seeing many things more simple lesse needefull and profitable are not only suffered but alowed to come abroad I am not altogether discouraged neither hath any mā iust cause to accuse mee in this my simple enterprise I know these be daies of knowledge learning there bee greate store of famous and learned diuines in our land whom I beseech the Lorde to blesse that they may assist their weake brethren in the defence of this and such good causes and yet the two mites of the pore widow cast into the treasury amongest the great giftes of the wealthy are not to be refused I know your Honours be daily hearers of famous and learned men both in your houses and abroad you are acquainted with the sermons of profound deepe diuines and such as are mighty in the scriptures notwithstanding hauing in my self sufficient trial experience of your honors most curteous humble fauorable dealing towards me and also of some liking of my simple my poore trauelles in preaching heretofore I am not ashamed or afrayd after such triall and proofe to offer this so small and simple a thing vnto your Honours The great necessity of the matter I deale withall the care of Gods glory the zeal of his house the benefit that his church may haue by it hath especially mooued me that it should be published come abroad Let not therefore hypocrites bee too rash in iudging the Lorde the searcher of the hearts and reynes knoweth my purpose and affection in preaching and publishing this matter The cause that hath moued me to present it to your Honors rather then to other is the lōg proof and acquayntance of your honourable courtesies and friendlye good will towards me which for my part I am neuer able to requite for the which I thinke my selfe as long as breath is in me moste bound and indebted to your Honours And here I offer this poore fruite of my trauaile as some Testimony of good will and thankfulnes And whereas wee are wont commonly to offer and present to our dearest Friendes some giftes as tokens of good will or else of special duety Amongst many great and precious presentes vvhich are no doubt giuen and presented to your honours I also offer this simple mite and yet I hope more pleasant and acceptable to the receiuers then thousands of gold or siluer or any earthly thing whatsoeuer And in deede can there be any matter more sweete and pleasaunt to the cheefe Patrons and Defenders of the Godly Preachers and the word of God then to heare of the necessity profite and excellency of preaching which things are set foorth plainly largely in this little Sermon For howsoeuer many mē hate and abhorre this matter and can in no case disgest it yet your honours zeale courage liking goodwill and countenaunce to this and other good causes is cōmonly known and spreade abroad A further reason why I publishe this Sermon is because there is some matter in it for the which I haue beene in the
Minister oweth vnto Christ and to the people as it appeareth Ioh. 21.15 where Iesus Christ sayth to Peter after his resurrection Simon sonne of Iona louest thou me more then these He sayde vnto him yea Lorde thou knowest that I loue thee he sayde to him feed my Lambes He said vnto him the second time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me He sayde vnto him yea Lorde thou knowest that I loue thee he sayd vnto him feed my sheepe Christ said to him the third time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me Peter was sory because he sayd to him the third time louest thou me said vnto him Lord thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee Iesus sayd vnto him feed my sheepe Whereby it is euident that those which feed not loue not Christ Séeing then that feeding or preaching is so plaine a token of the loue that the minister oweth to Christ it is moste necessarily required if any do preach and yet not vpon this loue they haue their condemnation 3 The Church of God is begunne and grounded by the preaching of the word and therfore necessary Paule sayth Faith commeth by the worde preached Againe he counteth his preaching amongst the Corrinthians a planting of them in faith and religion S. Peter sayth We are borne a new not of mortall seede but of immortall by the word of God who liueth and indureth for euer And presētly addeth This is the word which is preached among you 4 By preaching the church of God is not onely begun but also amplified buildes and enlarged It wil not onely make vs babes in Christe but strong and spirituall men It hath not onely milke for the weake but strong meate for them that are of age By it we are brought not onely to the beginning of Christe and firste rudimentes of Christian religion but also we are ledde forwarde vnto perfection The holy Apostle affyrmeth this when as hee sayth that Iesus gaue some to be Apostles and Prophetes and some Euangelistes and some Pastoures and Teachers for the gathering of Sayntes for the worke of the Ministery and for the edification of the bodye of Christe vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christe 5 The Church of God begun and brought to that perfection which can be in earth is also stayed strengthened vpholden and preserued by the preaching of the worde against sinne and errour And therefore for these causes also the preaching of the word is most necessary yea and that daylye and continually because some are weake and haue need of daily strengthening some fall into errours and some into greeuous Sinnes from the which they are to bee drawen out by the effectuall preaching of the worde This doth the holy Apostle confirme whereas he sayth that The whole Scripture is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute beeing made perfect vnto all good workes 6 Againe to the pure preaching of the word the Lorde hath promised a blessing the minister shal be blessed the people also blessed through it They that be wise sayth Daniell shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament And they that tourne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer The wise and faithfull Steward that giueth meate to the housholde in due season when his maister commeth he shall be blessed and made partaker of exceeding ioy and glory Take heed sayth the Apostle to thy selfe and to learning continue therin for in doing this thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee God so blessed the preaching of his Seruaunt Ionas that through it the Niniuites beléeued God humbled them selues and forsooke their former wicked wayes At one preaching of Peter there were wonne to the Lorde about thre thousande soules Thus doth the Lorde blesse his owne order the minister by pure and faithfull preaching dischargeth his owne soule obtayneth peace in conscience and so is blessed in this life but shall be farre more blessed in the life to come when hee hath finished his course he shall receiue an incorruptible crown of glory The people also by this means are many ways blessed they receiue knowledge faith saluation their eies are opened they are turned frō darknes to light frō y e power of satan vnto God All these great and notable blessings doe ensue the preaching of the worde and therefore required most necessarilie in euery minister 7 On the other side without this both the minister and the people are accursed the bloud of the people shal be required at his handes because he hath not as a faithfull watchman forewarned them of daunger and yet they shall die in their owne sinnes The Lord complaineth by his Prophet Hosea saying My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge because thou haste refused knowledge I will also refuse thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me To this agreeth our Sauiour Christ If the salt haue lost his saltnes it is good for nothing but to be cast out and to be troden vnder foot of men And if these Ministers which sometimes haue had Salte in them zeale and knowledge to season the people and by negligence and carelesnes decay and loose it If these I saye be worthy to be cast out howe miserable and cursed are they which neuer had nor yet haue any Salt in them It muste needes be fulfilled of them which our Sauiour speaketh in an other place They be blinde leaders of the blinde and if the blinde lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch that is both the ignoraunt Minister and the ignoraunt people shall perishe And in another place it is sayde Cast that vnprofitable Seruaunt into vtter darkenesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And here it is sayde Woe be to me if I preach not the Gospell Seeing then that euery way there hangeth so manye greeuous curses both vppon the minister and people where the worde is not preached it is most requysite and necessarie that euery minister looke to this euen as hee will escape the fearefull and heauie cursse of God 8 Moreouer the chiefe ende and vse why the scriptures were written doth requyre preaching They are lefte for our comforte instruction and edifying But we are most comforted instructed and edifyed if they bee opened and applyed to vs and therefore moste necessarie that they be so vsed 9 Also the Corruption and dulnesse of our nature requyreth the same we are dull ignoraunt and carelesse We please our selues in our owne sinnes the Deuill goeth about continually to deuour vs and therefore we haue need to haue continuall preaching of the word The naturall man perceiueth not the thinges that are of Gods spirit Dauid after he had sinned continued in his sinne vntill the Prophet reprooued him for
it yea and woulde not take it to him selfe although Nathan spake a very plaine parable till it was particularly applyed to him Seeing then there is in our nature such corruption such blindnesse such slouthfulnesse and also forgetfulnes what can be more necessary for the curing of these so great diseases then the continuall and dayly preaching of the word Besides all this it hath beene an vsuall order in the church of God vnder the lawe by Christ and the Apostles not onely to reade but also to expound and apply the Scriptures and therefore the same order is to be obserued of vs. It is sayd of the Leuites that they red in the booke of the law of God distinctly and gaue the sence and caused them to vnderstande the reading Christ as we haue heard already cōtinually preached and commaunded the same to his Apostles who as they obeyed in them selues their Maisters commaundement so they required it as a continuall and vsuall rule to be obserued for euer of al the Ministers of God in his church And most specially the Apostle in those Epistles which he wrote vnto Timothie and Titus very largely effectually vrgeth this matter I referre you also vnto the 14. Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians wherein so highly he commendeth the gift of Prophesieing Interpretation or preaching that he preferreth it before all other giftes and accounteth it so necessarie that he would haue it continually obserued in the Church of God Againe Christ commaundeth vs and wee doe daylie praie for the enlarging of his Kingdome whereas he hath taught vs to say thy kingdome come Now the singuler and excellēt meanes to establish the kingdome of Iesus Christ is by the pure and effectual preaching of the word and therefore he saieth in an other place Pray to the Lorde of the Haruest to send forth Labourers into the Haruest And how cā they pray with any safe cōscience for the enlarging and establishing of the kingdome of Christ which by their ignorance and carelesnesse do altogether hinder it Furthermore all and euery one of the names whiche are giuen by the holie Ghost to the ministers in y e word of God doe necessarily require at their handes Preaching They are called the light of the worlde the salt of the earth They are called Pastors and Sheepheards They are called Husbandmen Guides Stewards and Messengers besides many other excellent titles giuen to them Now how can they bee called Lightes whiche haue no light in them which either are in ignoraunce and darknesse themselues or els hide their cādle vnder a Bushel How can they bee called the Salt of the earth which cannot or will not season the vnfauorie and sinfull people with the heauenly wholesome doctrine of eternall life How can they be called Pastors and teachers which do not feed or haue no foode at all to giue to the flocke How can they be called the Lords Husbandmen which haue no skill at all in tilling his ground and sowing his seede How can they bee called Guides vnto other whiche either know not the way themselues or els will not vouchsafe to open and declare it to other How can they be called Stewards which haue no care of the houshold which either cannot or will not feede them And how can they bee called the Lordes Messengers whiche are not able to doe their message or haue no care at all to doe it If the Minister bee a light to the people of necessitie he must needes goe and shine before them in knowledge and doctrine If he bee the Salt he must needes season If he be a Pastor or Sheepheard he must needes feed If he be a Husbandman he must needes haue a care of the Lordes Husbandrie If he be a Guide he must needes shewe the waye If he bee a Stewarde he must prouide for the housholde If he bee a Messenger he must bee willing and able to do his message Naie I saie more it standes for the Lordes glorie and credite to haue suche Pastors and such Husbandmen such Stewardes and Messengers as haue wisedome knowledge The poore people of the Countrie will not hire him to be a Sheepheard to their Sheepe whom they know to be ignorant and carelesse and shall the Lorde choose such to gouerne guide his flock The Gentleman and the Yeman wil not hire any to be ouerseers of their Husbandrie except they knowe them to haue sufficient discretion and experience and wil he thinke ye bee content with simple foolish and recklesse ouerseers of his so dere and precious a Husbandrie The Noble man for his honors sake wil seeke to haue such a one to be the Steward of his house as is trustie wise of sufficient to guide and gouerne a whole housholde and shall the Lorde be lesse carefull of his honour shall he bee content with vnwise and vnfaithfull Stewardes The Prince will haue a speciall care to sende such to be his messengers and Ambassadors as be most wise and faithfull and are able discreetly and cunningly to doe their message and shall the Lordes messengers bee without knowledge What can be more to the discredite and dishonour of his holy name This argument I amplifie the more because it is very plaine effectuall Mark I beseech you wel all these and other names giuen to vs in the holie Scripture doe require of euery minister of God that he preach the worde as we haue a rare to aunswere to our names and a care of the glorie and credite of our God euen so let vs be carefull in doing this so necessarie a duetie What shall I saie more the end and purpose of our calling and Ministrie requireth at our handes Preaching The Lorde hath ordained Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of his Saincts and to the edification of the bodie of Christ Seeing then we are called to this ende seing we are ordained to this purpose there is no remedie we that are the Ministers of God must needes of necessitie preach his worde For a further proofe and conclusion of this matter I call you to recorde I appeale to your owne consciences which are now wonne to the Lord which haue some measure of knowledge which are called out of darknesse to light from ignoraunce to knowledge ye that sometime haue been content with reading Ministers and quarter Sermons but now hunger and thirst for the worde preached I call you I saie as witnesses in this cause what comfort you feele what profite what power in the effectuall preaching of y e word How carelesse how prophane how ignorant how leaude you were before notwithstanding the daylie and the ordinarie Readinges whiche diligently you had What hath wrought in you that measure of faith that heauenly knowledge whiche you now haue What is it that hath wrought in you suche a sorrowe of your former life suche a griefe and hatred of sinne and superstition both in your selues and others suche an earnest zeale