IIII 1. Corinth 2. V. Gen. 43.44.45 2. Samuell 18. Ioan. 14.15 VI. Places apt to prouoke grief and indignation for offeces coÌ„mitted II. Places apt to procure hatred of any vice Places out of Diuinitie seruing to the same effect To the stirring vp of loue Obiurgatory Sermons Places to procure hope of mercy I Places to moue men to coÌ„passiÌ„on Hovv he benifits of christ are to be published and declared I II Places of mouing of affections vvhere and in vvhat order they are most fitly to be taken Figures A heape of figures Ieremie 23. Heb. 4. Not good to cary longe in vehement affections Nullum violeÌ„cum perpetuuÌ„ Phisicum dogma Myld affectioÌ„s euery vvher to be meinte Apoc. 1. Examples The Sermons of Crisostom what Conclusion of the first booke Transition to the latter booke with a briefe declaration of the whole tractation The state of an entier booke harde to be founde The state of a parte of a booke Act. 10. The state of the Oration vvhere it is to be rendred Rom. 1. Act. 13. â—1 thess. 4. ConfirmatioÌ„s Places of Inuention and Caâ—tions ought to be diuers accordinge to the varietie of the Kindes Three things to be obserued in confirmation of the kinde didascalick I. He that wil speake vnto the people vvhen he shal vse confirmation and vvheÌ„ not II What places are to bee vsed A particion of places I Forme Places of the former order Whence these places are taken vvhen vve may rightly vse them The vse of the places of the first order II Places of the later order Principall Questions 〈…〉 Places of the question vvhat is the matter Places the questioÌ„ hovve many partes or hovve manifolde the thinge is Places of the question touching the causes of the thinge Places of the questioÌ„ vvhat be the effects or offices Places of the questioÌ„ vvhat be of affinitie Places of the questioÌ„ vvhat be the contraryes Other Theologicall places in the kynde didascalik Rom. 4. Rom. 4. Math. 2â— Rom. 3. Rom. 6. Tit. 3. 1. Iohn 1. Exod. 33. Rom. 3. Heb. 11. Rom. 10 Deut. 32 Rom. 9 Iohn 19 Math 12 Ioan. 3 Num. 21 Gala. 4. These places vvho may vse vvhen III. Cantions of the kinde didascalick Ioan. 16 1. Cor. 3. 1. Tim. 1.4.6 2. Tim. 2.3 Tit. 1. â— Examples of Sermons of the kynde didascalick Partes twofolde in the sacred Sciptures Common places hovve after vvhat sort to be gathered 1. Example of the former sorte Kynde Math 11. Ioan. 5.10.14 State Common places Math. 6. Math. 6. Psal. 14 Mat. â—6 1. Cor â–ª â— Tim. 4 Iacob 1 Whether all common places occurring in a part of Scripture ought to be declared Obseruations in expoundiÌ„g of common places Horat de Arte Poetie Places meete for the inhabitauntes of small tovvnes and viliages Places to bee expounded in lager tovvnes â— Example Kinde State. Rom. 2. Coloss 3. Math. 18. Luc. 1 13.1â—.23 Ioan 8. Heb. 7. Rom. 10. Deut. 6. Math. 4. Iere. 11. Rom. â— Rom. 9. Eâ—d 4. Esay 10.16 Rom. 9.10.11 Math. 25. Rom. 12. Example III. Diuision State. Kinde I. Confession Ephes 2. Act. 13. 2. Timoth 3. Galat. 4. Iohn 15 â–ª Rom. 8. Psal. 73. Corinth 10. II. ConfessioÌ„ of Christ 1. Corinth 7. Colloss 3. Num. â— Ephes 6 Math. 18. Luc. 18. Iere. 1. Luc. 1. Prouerb 1. Of the places afore goyng which and vvhen moste chiefely to be handled Things to be obserued in the examples of the other forme I Iohn 1 II III IIII Example State. Kinde Arguments Act. 13.14.17.18.19 I. Reason wherby it is proued that Christ is not onely man but also God. 1. Ioan. 1. 1. Corinth 5. Luc. 10. II. Reson Iohn 8. Mth. 10. Marc. 2. Luc. 12. 2. Peâ— 1 Esay 8 Luc. 1.6 Galat. 1 III IIII. Reasons Psal 51. An other forme of Sermons What places are here to be vsed Partes how to be deuided Great affinity and aliaunce of this kinde of Sermons with the former Example Math. 5. Sermons framed of sondry parables Example 1. Corinth 5â— CommoÌ„ places may also be taken out of holy historicall narrations I. Example kinde â–ª II. Example Kinde Math. â— 2. Cor. 3. III. Example State. Kinde Examples of the auncienâ— fathers What things to be considered done of him that will finde out the state Example State. Kinde Disposition Act. 8 Act. 10. Math. 25. Ephes 3. Philip. 1. II. Example State. Rom. 10. 1. Corinth 2. Math. 11. 2. Pet. 1. III. Example State. kinde Ephes 1. Luc. 17. Math. 6.8.14 15.16 Luk. 7.12.17 Rom. 4 Mat. 8.9.15 Mark. 2.5.10 Heb. 11. Hom. 4 Hen. 11. IIII Example State. Exod. 20. Math. 24. A readinge of the holy scripture hovv it is vsed of the holy fathers to be declared to the people A common place is tvvo maner of vvayes declared at large I. Example State. 1. Argumenâ— Ephes 2. II. III. IIII. V. VI. Rom. 8. VIII IX Genes 15 II. Example III Example IIII. Example out of the 1. tome of Chrisostome Obseruations A declaration of sinne by the question what it is Iacob 1.3 Math. 12. Heb. 11. Psal. 5.119 c. A deuision of sinne by the questioÌ„ hovv manifold the thinge is Psal. 51. Rom. 5. â— Ephes 2. Leuit. 5. Psal. 25 1. Tim. 1. 1. Tim. 5 Rom. 1 Math. 18. Rom. 14.15 â— Cor. 8 Math. 12. Luke 12 Psalm 19. Roma iii. xi A declaration of Death by certaine questions Gene. 2 Deut. 30. Rom. 6. Rom. 5. Rom. 3 Heb 2. 1. Pet. 3. 2. Cor. 5. Psal. 34 Philipp 1. Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 5. Luk. 2â— Rom. 8. Math. 24. 1. Thess 4. 1. Pet. 5 Apocalip 20.21 A heape of examples Rom. 1. Galat. 3. Heb. 10. Luc. 4. Actes 2. Rom. 4. Galat. 4. Solution reall Personall Cantions What things are to be ascribed out of the scholes of the Rethoritians to the kinde instructiue Doxologe The maner of persvvading How to exhort The waye and maner of praising How deedes are to be praised The maner of praysing of thinges Funerall sermons Funerall sermons hovâ— to be framed Doxologiae Cantions Examples of persvvasory Sermons Examples of hortory sermons Examples of a person praised 1 Cor. 4 16 2. Cor. 1. Philippi 2. 1. Thssa 3 Examples of a deede praysed Examples of the praise of a thing Doxologiae Cantions 2. Samucl 12. 1. Cor. 5 1 Timoth. 5 Tripartit hist lib. 10. cap. 13 Eodem lib. et cap. 2. Pet. 2. 1. Timoth 5. 1. Corinth 16. Heb. 13. Examples Mark. 11. Luke 19. Proofes Places of the 1. sort or order Pleaces of the II. sort or order Diuine places Rom. 8 Rom. 5. 1. Pet. 3â— Psal. 8. Heb. 12. 1 Cor. 10. Rom. 8. Act. 14. Rom. 8. 2. Corinth Rom. â— Rom. â— Ibidem Act. â— Iohn 15 Iohn 14 Funerall Orations Math. 23. Psal. 133. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East dwellinge betweene Poules Wharfe Baynardes Castle
Timothy and Titus whom he had ordayned bishops and teachers in the Churches of of God inculketh euery where the same and with lyke diligence vndoubtedly commandeth them to be vrged and inculked of others And to Titus 3. he willeth generallye all foolish and vnprofitable questions by all meanes to bee auoyded and eschewed Thus much therefore concerning the profit and vtylitie of matter We saide in the seconde place that an easye matter ought to be chosen And that for these causes Amonge the multitude the greatest parte is rude and vnlearned or if there be any in place that are learned in déede yet where is one amongst them all that is expert in divine matters or how many shalt thou finde in the multitude that be diuines and such diuines as can rightly attaine to matters hard and difficult which thing syth it is so in vaine shall those thinges be proposed in a Sermon that either none at al or els very few may vnderstand He must remember what soeuer he be that teacheth in the church that he serueth the turne of the multitude and that he ought to prouide rather for many then a few And what if by handling of hard and difficult places some perill commeth rather to be feared then profit and commoditie to be looked for for in déede when some curious hearers begin once to cast in their minds how with study and dilygence they may perceiue the misteries of diuine matters this commonlye commeth in vre that by long and much searching they fal into errours and whilst they call to remembraunce diuers and sundry interpretations they conceiue straunge and phantasticall opinions whiche immediatelye after they obstinatly holde and defende and to the great hurt and disturbance both of them selues also of others yea of the whole church they delight to dispearce them amonge the vnlearned For this cause therfore the apostle oft times warneth vs to auoyde all kinde of doctrine that conduceth not to godlynesse that maketh men proude and hye minded yea curious and supertitious rather then godly disposed that stirreth vp strif brawling and debate and that edifieth few or none at all And the Apostle Peter in his last epistle Cap. 3. In the epistles saieth he of our brother Paule are some thinges harde to bee vnderstoode which the ignoraunt and vnconstant doe wreste like as other also of the Scriptures to their owne destructiō Eunomius byshop of Cyzicene by the report of Sozomenus whilst he discussed on a tune hard places to the people of the substāce of god of the knowledge of god adhibiting also captious and intrycate reasons of Logick ministred occasion of an vprore in which he was expelled both from the citie and also from his byshoprick And we in our time haue harde how some mouing diuers darke and perplexed questions haue giuen occasion of much euill inconuenience but of very little or no good at al. Where if peraduenture in the booke or part of the booke which is expounded some difficult place do offer it selfe that can not conuenientlye be pretermitted then my counsell is that this moderation be vsed The place shall in deede be opened but soberly and in few wordes then simply and plainely lastly with an exhortation added concerninge the true and right vse of the same doctrine By these thrée meanes it is forséene and prouided that no scrupulus and superfluous questions and disceptations shall arise and remaine among the people Which trade of teaching we may ascribe to the apostle who hath shewed the same vnto vs Among the Thessalonians were some that with many words verye curyously and diuersly disputed of the comminge of our Lorde Iesus Christ to the last iudgement which controuersy the Apostle being desyrous to dissolue and breake vp fyrste briefly vseth in maner of a preface and admonisheth them that they would not immoderatly be terrified or mooued with the words of false teachers moreouer mindinge to signifi that the time of Christs second comming was not yet to be looked for he heapeth not togither many arguments or prophesies out of the Prophets but with one onely reson deriued of the signe or token he proueth them to erre that went about to vphold the contrary For before the Lorde come that wicked man Antichriste must be reuealed wherefore séeing he is not yet in sighte it is not to be beléeued that the comming of the Lorde is at hande Then fortwith as pertaining to the demonstration of the right vse of the same doctrine he exhorteth them that they would be of good comfort and giue thanks vnto God that vouched safe to elect them to saluation neither would suffer them to be of their number that shoulde be seduced by Antichrist howbeit that this one thing remained namly that they would abide constant in faith and with all their endeuour flye and eschew false teachers The same Apostle where to the Romaines 9. in his disputation of the reiection of the Iewes and callinge of the Gentiles he falleth into a very hard place concerning predestination and frée election coueting to declare that God whether he electeth or reiecteth dealeth alwayes iustelye and vprightly first veryly inferreth one or two examples of Iacob and Esau then of Pharao and forth with a similitude of the Potter for these are proofes very fit to teach the rude and ignoraunt people afterwarde as one terryfied with the difficulty of the cause he breaketh off as yée would say the continuaunce of his tale Either of whiche his dooyngs no doubt is very wel to be lyked for the one was profitable to the plainnes and perspicuitie of the matter the other very necessary for breuities sake and the avoyding of errour Finally in the cap. 11. shettinge vp his whole disputation he teacheth very learnedly to the Gentiles the true vse of his whole doctrine when as he putteth them in minde that they shoulde not be proude for this cause that being taken out of the wilde Oliue trée thou hast yet an other similitude they are grafted into the true Oliue for that it might come to passe that they should againe be cut off And at the length as though he had waded further then he would he endeth with an exclamation O the deepenesse saieth he of the riches and wisdome and knowledge of God. So I say he is wise and the same also worthy the name of an Apostle that is well exercised in the interpretation of the sriptures wherfore let it not repent vs to folow and imitate the example of so worthy ◠doctor in hard and difficult places Last of all the Preacher ought to choose matter necessarie and as the Apostle willeth omit superfluous I vnderstand that to be necessary which is most agréeable to the time and place and whiche the present multitude can not wel be without There be in deede a nūber of diuine places very profitable but yet not al méete to be expoūded in euery place time Some people haue their
taught of the Rhetoritians masters of well speakinge doe appertayne and belonge vnto him Howbeit our purpose is not to speake any thinge at all touchinge the formes of argumentes of Schemes or Tropes forasmuch as we doe gather these thinges onely for their sakes vnto whoÌ„ we supppose all those thinges to bee already verye well knowen But neuerthelesse we will note somwhat touchinge amplification for that we perceyue many of the holy Fathers to haue bene studiously occupied in handelinge of the same Yea and somwhat otherwyse to vsurpe amplifications and to alledge also other maner of arguments theÌ„ the Orators are accustomed For the Preacher doth not vse amplification to the intent to bring to passe that the matter might appere either greater or lesser then it is of it selfe or as it is fayed that of a flye might bee made an Elephante or agayne of an Elephante a flye in which point the Rhetoritians doe most chiefely laboure couetinge withall to corrupte the iudgement of the hearers and to withdrawe them from the right scope but to the ende it may bee acknowledged of all men to bee suche and so greate as is meete and requisite that it shoulde bee in deede which verily is no other thing theÌ„ to reclayme men erring from the truth to a prudent and sincere iudgement And herevppon we maye also gather when and at what time the practise of amplification ought most conueniently to be vsed For if at any time thou happenest vppon those places of which it is likely that the bearers cannot iudge sufficiently aright then by adding to amplifications we must labor to bringe them to this point that they may be able to conceaue both what and howe great euery thinge is And oft times it commeth to passe that certaine sinnes for asmuch as they are commnoly and euery where without controlmente committed be by the iudgement of the common people supposed not to be so haynous as they are in déede of whiche sorte are concupiscence hatred of our neighbour reuilements periurie brawlings dronkennes offences giuen c. Of these therfore when the Preacher shall fortune to entreat he shall not without good cause by vsinge of amplyfications goe about to declare the greatnesse of the same In respect wherof Esay Cap. 1. doth very artificially amplyfye certaine sinnes of the Iewes by comparisons and suche lyke places Christ in like maner Math. 5 amplifieth diuers and sondry offences as namely reproche of our neighbour concupiscence periury and proueth them to be much more grieuous then a great number did suppose Agayne some there be that estéeme certayne thinges more highly then they ought to be estéemed as for example we may sée some men to attribute so much vnto ceremonies rights mens traditions c. that they are not affrayd to prefer them before the very commaundements of god Therfore when it shall be for the behoofe of the hearers to entreat of these thinges the Preacher shall prudently extenuate al obseruations or traditions yea and with necessary and probable argumeÌ„ts so much as lieth in him conclude that they are by no meanes to be compared with the preceptes of Gods law Christe Mathew 15. and Mark. 7. doth grieuously reproue the preposterous iudgementes of men in this behalfe And Paule in his epistle to the Colossians dothe with wonderfull dexteritye shake vp and bringe into conteÌ„pt the vphoulders and maynteyners of traditions Sometimes it so falleth out that certaine notable vertues are neglected or be not estéemed as they are worthy wherefore throughe amplifications they shall bee aduaunced to the dignitye whiche of right they ought to haue In respecte whereof the Apostle to the Rom. 4. doth amplyfye the faithe of Adraham by the causes and circumstaunces thereof to the intent that all men might perceiue that the faith wherby Abraham so greatly pleased god was accepted of him and wherby also men ought to be iustified was not colde and light but vehement notable and very wonderfull Who contrary to hope sayeth hée beleeued in hope that hee should be the father of many nations accordyng to that whiche was spoken So shall thy seede bee And hee faynted not in the fayth nor consydered hys owne bodye now dead whon hee was almost an hundred yeares olde neither yet the barennesse of Saraes wombe Hee staggard not at the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was stronge in fayth giuinge glorye to GOD and beinge full certifyed that what he had promised he was able also to performe And therefore was it reckoned vnto hym for rightuousnesse There is extant also a graue amplyfycation of the same Apostle touchynge the wrath of God to be feared of all those that wyll not acknowledge Christ to be the true Messias Take heede my brethrne sayeth he least at any tyme there bee in you an euill harte of vnbeleefe to departe from the lyuing God but exhort yee one an other daylye while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne For wee are made pertakers of Christe if wee keepe sure vnto the ende the beginninge of the substaune and so foorth as it is in the texte For the place is longe Moreouer the Preacher may vse all the furniture of amplyfyinge that the Schole of Orators ministreth vnto hym Wherefore as touchinge that whiche pertayneth vnto woordes hee may mingle together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expolition definition description distribution heapinge vppe of matter encreaâ—ement As touchinge the things themselues he may transferre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye passe from a question definite to a question infinite or common place hee may examine so farre foorth as the nature of the argument wyll suffer the causes to witte the matter forme effecte ende Moreouer the circumstaunces as the personne time place maner instrument occasion and so foorth Then thinges happening or signes whereof some be antesedeÌ„ts some subsequentes other some annixed to the busines it selfe also comparisons similitudes contentions contraries and whatsoeruer thinges els are in this kynde set forth of the Rhetoritians Againe further the Preacher may borrowe many poyntes of amplifying out of Theologye it selfe whiche hath no small number of peculyar places apt and correspondent to euery kynde of argumente as well as any other discipline beside lyke as we shall a little after declare Therefore hee that teacheth the people doeth ofte times frame his amplyfication Ab attributis Dei that is of the properties of God as that God searcheth the harte that hee can not bee deceyued Of the Commaundement of God Of the Promises set foorth Of the Threatninge of punishmentes Of the Callynge of Manne to the knowledge of the trueth Of Electinge into the Churche of God Of Spirituall giftes receyued Of a Generall sentence in Diuinitie Of the Predictions of the Prophetes Of that that they bee thinges spyrytuall Of the tyme of the Lawe Of the Tyme of the Gospell Of the Signe
within thy palaces In the second tome is read an homilie concerninge those words of Math. 25 That which ye haue done to one of these little ones ye haue done vnto mee In the thirde tome are expounded in entire Sermons these places out of Iohn 4. The true worshippers shall worship the father in spirite and trueth Out of Iohn 15. Yee are my friends if ye doe whatsoeuer I commaund you which sentence he explaneth in two homilies Out of the i. Cor. xi There must be heresies that the approued might be knowen Out of other writers other examples may be had Howbeit whensoeuer the members of a sentence or any place be in that order which is spoken off expounded and declared it is the parte truely of a wise interpreter to consyder what speciall poyntes bene expedient out of them according to the state of the church and the publike vtilitie or necessitie either largely or compendiouslye to be handeled This thing is also to be vnderstoode that those to whom it apperteyneth to preache of present businesse affaires offered by occasion doe sometimes excerpte some sentence or place out of the scripture and apply it to their purpose somtimes agayne vse no place of scripture at all in the beginninge What time therefore they prefixe to their Sermon any place of Scripture they shall very aptlye haue recourse vnto that forme of interpreting whiche in this presente Chapter we haue indeuoured to shew and commend vnto all men ¶ A simple Theame how it ought to be discussed in the kinde Didascalick Cap. VIII OFt times in this didascalik kind in which we are yet busy hauing one while no reding or sentence of the holy scriptures going before an other while agayne after the somewhat hath bene declared out of the scriptures it behoueth vs to handle simple theames and to entreat somtime more largely somtime more briefely of faith loue hope the law sinne death of the Gospel and such like Luke reporteth Act. 24. that Saint Paule disputed before the president Felix as touching iustice and temperaunce of the iudgement to come Which disputations would god we might haue had they would haue bene no doubt greatly for our commodyty Neuerthelesse we will assay to exhibit a certayne order of examining those theames profytable and easye to be knowne to all men It must bee called to remembraunce that there were two formes or orders of places of inuention once attrybuted of vs vnto this kinde in the former wherof we reherced the diuine places of vs afterwarde termed somewhere generall that is to say doctrine redargution institution correction and consolation in the latter we disposed partly the places which commonlye after the receyued maner they call logicall and reduce them to certayne questions partelye other also taken out of Diuinitie it selfe Now therfore let vs sée howe by the direction and ayde of those places a single theme may and ought to be expounded with the fruite of the hearers But to the intente all this deuise may become the more cléere and euery man the sooner perceiue it wee will comprise in certayne obseruations whatsoeuer conduceth therevnto I It séemeth good by all meanes that he that wyll declare a simple theme doe prescribe to himselfe following the example of the Logicians a certayne order of questions and exactly serch First What it is of which the sacred Sermon is appointed secondly what partes or how many formes be thereof thirdelye what the causes bee fourthly what the duties or effectes fyftely what thinges be of aliaunce therevnto sixtly and lastely what contraries it hath Neither shall any man thinke this order to be dispised séeing it is very much profytable as well for the teacher as also for the learners to haue a certayne method reteined and kept But me thinketh I here some man obiecting vnto me that this forme of entreating which I speake off is more frequented of Aristotle and of his followers the Logicians then of the Diuines And that very seldom or neuer among the prophets or holye fathers are to be founde any sermons simply declared in this method Verily I wyll say that which is trueth To the enserching and drawing forth of the nature of euery thing out of darknesse as many certes as are wisely occupyed in the office of preaching so oft as they wyll entreat of simple theames doe set before them as a rule this order of questions But yet this difference is to be marked betwene a Logician or philosopher and a diuine preacher The Logician truely by his owne proper right as he the vndertaketh and promiseth that he will vtter bring forth whatsoeuer may probably be sayde of euery argument that is offered imagineth the he hath disciples desyrous to bee come philosophers very curiouslye and subtelty pursueth the course of all the saide questions But the Diuine and specially the Preacher whiche professeth himselfe to be the teacher of the whole multitude and in it of a greate number of vnlearned suffereth not his oration to be enclosed in so narrow straightes but as one raunging in a champion fielde choseth those questions onely to be explaned whiche he supposeth to be moste congruent to the vnderstanding of his hearers and also most fyt for the place and time Wherfore albeit be premeditating at home in his studye what thinges are expedyent to bee propounded in the Church haue those questions before his eyes as the moderators of his thoughtes yet after that hee hath some while debated the matter he sticketh faste in the inuestigation onelye of one or two or els of thrée questions at the most Herevpon therfore grew the custome whereby for the most part the pastors of churches do in the first place learnedly discouer what the thing is of whiche they purpose to entreate Where if they be perswaded that the thing is knowen already to the hearers then with good cause pretermit they that question From thence they procéede to an other question whiche they déeme to be most conueniente for the place time and persones and doe alledge somewhat peraduenture of the thirde question whiche is as touching the causes This being accomplished they passe to that whiche is the fourth in number namely concerninge the duties or effectes And in this wise with the explication of two or haply of thrée questions they make account to satisfy their hearers Somtimes and that not seldome there happen thinges which in no cace doe admit all the said questions in Diuinitie As for example there is offered a thing that can be deuided into no parts or formes Why then should there be a question prefixed of diuers partes or formes In lyke maner when there can be giuen no contraryes of a thing doubtles it were very ridiculous to assigne a question to be discussed of contraryes To be short there may happen also such a theame as may easely be conueighed through all the orders of questions yet notwithstandinge the godlye Preacher forasmuche as he enioyeth as I sayde frée
lybertye and delighteth in mature deliberation and in sage aduice taking among many choseth not aboue two or thrée questions to be declared in the sacred assembly The Logician and Philosopher doe gladly trye what they are able to doe and doe take pleasure in vauntynge of their wit but the Preacher for his parte weigheth and considereth what is moste expedient to be done accordinge to the place and time for the godly enstruction and information of good men Where fynally if it bee greatelye for the behoofe of the Churche to haue many questions expounded yet shall it be the parte of a wise teacher to reserue some tyll an other time II After thou hast disposed and set in order the questions which thou iudgest will serue thy turne thou muste haue recourse to the places of the second forme those inespecially which the diuines receiue out of the schole of the Logicians to be vsed and according to their direction thou shalt excogitate whatsoeuer may conueniently be sayd of the purposed theme But in such sorte shal these thinges be gathered together that so farre forth as may be eache thinge may bee drawen out of the fountaines of the scriptures or at the least confyrmed by the testimonies of the same And albeit there occurre no where in the sacred Bookes common places explaned in that order whiche the questions and places to them attributed doe prescribe yet may it truely be affirmed that some diuine common places are to be founde of which so many and diuers thinges héere and there scattered in the Canonicall Scriptures are put in writinge that if the same were bounde together as ye woulde saye in one bundell and broughte forthe vndoubtedly we should sée those places handeled in a iust method For héere certes is founde that out of which maye be framed a definition there that conduceth to the furnishing of a diuision or partition elles where are distinguished certayne causes there is agayne where are shewed duties and effectes in some place occurreth that which is to bée counted for a contrary fynally there can scarcely anye thinge be required necessary to the openinge of the nature of a common place which a painefull man and one exercised in the holy Scriptures may not drawe out of them And by this meanes it is brought to passe that those thinges which are put in order and alledged as touchinge a common place all men may perceyue to be deriued out of the Scriptures and for that cause to bée of great weight and importaunce III. Moreouer the places which in the second forme we called diuine or Theological are in like maner to be cōsidred For euen these also doe minister vnto the minde very high and excellent things Neither truely can it bée chosen but that he that hath bene some deale envred in the readinge of the holy scriptures shall receyue of them great helpe and furtheraunce to apte teachinge And whatsoeuer thinges are deuised and inuented by the direction of these places ought to be referred vnto those questions which wee determined in the beginninge to goe thorough with and with rype iudgemente to bée placed in their order IIII. Furthermore he shall in no case thinke himselfe to haue sufficiently done his dutie that accordinge to the places reherced in the second forme hath found out those thinges which after the order and nature of the questions may bee saide except also hee endeuour further to illustrate the same thinges beinge founde out with diuers respectes as namely by producinge certaine groundes or testimonies certaine examples similitudes and other of the same kinde and that so much as in him lieth taken out of the holy scriptures or els out of the commentaries of the moste famous writers For truely ech man perceyueth that the proofes gathered together in such breuitie and straightenes as is vsed of the Logicians doe make the treatise to become bare slender and to breath foorth onely the ecliptick kinde of speakinge of the Scoles but if there be added further some certaine lightes and ornamentes of thinges together with a certaine cleannes at the leaste waye of speach then will the honour seemely for the Church and congruent to the mindes and eares of the frequent auditory appere For it is not méete that the teacher of the multitude should stand altogether vppon simple and bare inuention but he at his libertie breaketh through and interrupteth the order prescribed of the Lorgicians accordinge in déede as it is expedient yea and where all thinges are most chiefely instituted by arte there he studiously hideth and dissembleth arte And we maye sée euery where in the sacred Scriptures the wonderfull libertye that is vsed in orderinge the propositions of argumentations reasons confirmations of reasons exornations complexions and howe holy men bestowe greate laboure and diligence in this behalfe namely the their indifferent oration should not abhor from the popular coustome of reasoninge V. Last of all this diligence is also required that the manifolde spirituall vse of those thinges whch are duly collected to the explication of any question be added with out delaye For as many arguments as are handeled for the explaning of any question it is very méete to be declared and it is greatly for the behoofe of the godly to knowe what fruite they may reape out of them For certes which maketh maruelously to the prayse an dignitye of the holy Scriptures there is nothing occurrent in them neyther doe we attempte to discusse any thing out of them in which is not layed vp some notable doctrine very profitable to the confirmation of our faith hope charitye to the stirring vp of our mindes that we maye acknowledge the good will of God towarde vs that we maye gyue him thankes for his incomparable benefites that we maye be made prompt and chéerefull to render vnto euery man the duties of loue also that we maye priuatelye leade an holy and blamelesse lyfe that we maye timely and moderately correct those that erre either in Doctrine or maners and finally that we maye obteyne comfort and redresse in publicke or priuate calamities And this order of openinge the vse of those thinges which shall be explaned in the kinde didascalick as touchinge any common place we may finde euery where in the Sermons of the prophetes Christ and Thapostles yea and in the Epistles themselues Where truely vnlesse the lawfull vse be kept and all things transfered to the proofe of pietie and amendement of life the knowledge doubtlesse of most excellent thinges remaineth very barren and vnfruitefull Of this kinde it is that in the Epistle to the Romains the beginninge of the fift Chapter is discouered the spirituall vse of the doctrine touchinge the iustification of man by faith whilest many notable effectes are repeated which accompany iustification by fayth and doe wonderfully extoll the dignitie of Faith that also in the sixt Chapter after hee had spoken of Baptisme and the effectes thereof hée annexeth a graue exhortation that they should recken themselues
call diuinitie comprised in the holy writings of the Prophets Apostles The other of thinges humaine in which we doe not only account the artes called Liberal and the parts of Philosophy commonlye handled in the Scholes and likewise the tongues but also ciuill discripline and iudgement of polytyke and â—econonicall affaires And that verely is necessary to the Preacher to thinâ—ent he may sincerely inculke and repeate the principles of Christian religion confyrme the good in their godly opinions confute the euill and these that be of a sinister iudgement And this to th ende he may with the greater grace and dexterytie order al things but chiefely discouer and condemne all kinde of vices whiche raigne in diuers and sundrye sortes of men For how shall hee prudentlye frame his Sermon agaynst Usurye and manye vniuste bargaynes and contractes eyther els agaynste leude and cancred Customes commonlye receiued that haue not some kinde of knowledge of ciuill affayres Esay cap. 22. reprouinge the vaine counsels of the people touching the munition of the Citie wherein the vngodly in the time of warre dyd put more affiaunce then in God hymselfe and in many other places besides wherein he rebuketh diuers sinnes and enormities dothe sufficiently declare that he was not ignoraunt of ciuill matters How many thinges moreouer mayest thou sée in Ieremy Ezechiell Daniell and other of the Prophetes which do not obscurely argue that they were right diligent markers and wise estéemers of a number of thinges perteyninge to the state ciuill The same thinge dothe Christe testifye of hymselfe in many parables of whiche sorte is that of the vniust Stuarde Luke 16 of the Talentes Math. 25. and many of hys whole Sermons béesides Also out of the Sacred Chronicle of the Actes of Thapostles and out of the Epistles may easely be gathered that the Apostle Paule was reasonablye well séene both in the lawes of the Romaines and also in rourtlike and forensicall actions It is requisite therfore by al meanes that ecclesiasticall teachers be not onely some denie skilful in dyuine but also in humayne matters and specially in polytike and a conomicall affayres and so far forth skilful to as may be necessarye to the furtheraunce of their flocke committed vnto them and the impeachment of all kinde of wickednesse and impyetie But no smal number of thinges appertinent to this kinde as well by the familyar acquaintaunce with men of meane wisdome so they be séene in vse and experyence as also by the dylygent annotation of such affayres as daylye come to passe and the inuestigation of the causes and circumstaunces in the same euery good and wel disposed man may easely gather and conceiue Now that sanctimony of lyfe ought to be required in a Preacher of the Gospell euery man may iudge séeinge it profiteth nothing at all to edifye the Churche of GOD in worde if that whiche is already builded vp bee subuerted agayne with euill conditions A good life is as it were a scale whereby sounde doctrine is confirmed in the hearers A thing most vnséemely it is in â—ace hée that professeth to be a Phisition and wyll take vpon him to heale others of their infirmities bée hymselfe all scabbye and full of byles Phisition wyil they all saye heale thy selfe Therefore ought all men to set Christe béefore them as theyr Scholemaster whom we may heare preache not onely in worde but also effectually in déede For whiche cause the Apostle most dilygentlye prescribed what manner of men Bysshoppes or Elders lykewyse Decons with their whole families ought to bée with what vertues hee woulde haue them chiefelye garnished and from what vices hée woulde wyshe them to bée frée Albeit this is also to be added that where wee may not haue altogether so perfect and absolute Preachers in euery respect as we couet and desyre yet ought wee to suffer and imbrace those whose doctrine is sounde and with no sâ—ot of heresye or noysome opinions infected For whither any thorow enuy or thorow contention or thorow occasion doe teache so they preach Christ all is well and God is to be thanked No man is borne without his fault great alwayes is the fragilytie of mankinde and on euerye side euermore are we misers enuironed about with certaine domestical furies as yee would say continually enticing vs to sinne In lyke maner there is no man that can eschewe the bytyng teeth of detraction And in no place mayst thou not in these dayes specially beholde the malignaunt multytude what saye I multitude yea euen those also that take vpon them far beyonde the common sort whettinge their tusshes to slaunder and backbit the ministers of the Churche euen there also where they haue no iuste cause or occasion so to doe A number of Sicophants there be of the sect and faction to that wicked Doeg in whom Ambrose expoundinge the sixt of Luke saieth appeared a type of Iudas the traitor that haue the cast to construe and interprete actions of themselues voyde of all blame as huge crimes and enormities and in their accusations to make more then mountaines of miles or oliphants of flies Whosoeuer therfore is wise wil not rashly giue héede vnto those that commonlye and willingly speake euill of Ecclesiasticall teachers Whether may be referred that which the same apostle no lesse grauely prescribeth touchinge the life and conuersation of Elders then carefully and wiselye admonisheth that an accusation against a priest or elder is in no wise to be admitted without two or thrée witnesses In the thyrde place wee sayde that to a Preacher is néedefull and requisite a spyrite and power in teachinge I vnderstande by the name of Spirite and power a certayne peculyar facultie of proposynge sounde doctrine and also of moouing and drawing of mindes â—â— thintent that as many as is possible may reape most ample fruiteâ— and as few as may be presume to disalowe any thinge as vaine vnfruitfull Which facultie in one place is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power in an other place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldnesse of speache somtime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might now and than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirit erewhile agayne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the demonstration of the spirit and power For so doe the Euangelistes testifie of Christ He taught as one hauing power All men were astonied at his doctrine bycause his woord was ioyned with power And the Apostle Paule 1. Corinth 2. My woordes and my preaching were not in flattringe phrases of mans wisedom but in the demonstration of the spirit and of power that your faith might not bee in the wisdome of men but in the power of GOD. Whiche forme of speakinge hee vseth also in the fourthe Chapter of the same Epistle Agayne in the fourth of the Actes Peter filled with the holy ghost is had in admiration for his libertie in speaking And in the same chapter the Apostles pray vnto God that he would giue his seruants grace to speake the word
homiles Long it were to reken vp what places of the scripture the same author hath in like maner explaned Which thinge may by very good right also be sayde of August Of Basill are set forth two homilies the one vppon the beginning of the prouerbes of Salomon the other vpon th'intry of S. Iohns gospell Among the homilies of Gregorye NaziaÌ„zene there is one extant wherin is expressed the euangelical history touching the Pharisies that tempted Christ with a question propounded Whether it were lawfull for a man to put away his wyfe for euery cause Moreouer in many places the custom is to haue vpon the Sundaies certen fragments as wel out of the history of the Gospel as also out of the epistles of thapostles and words of the prophets repeated in sacred assemblies and faithfully expounded to the hearers Last of al diuers sundry orations may be séeâ—e of euery thing offered by occasion in diuers sundry writers For in the workes of Chrisostom in his fifte Tome we read sermoÌ„s touchiÌ„g the calamity of the citie of Antioche thorow sedition rebellion there raised touching the wrath of the Emperour agaynste the Antiochians and that the feare of Princes is profitable to the maiestrates sent from the Emperour Theodosius for enquiry after the subuerters of the regall images of the atonemente and reconsilyation of the Emperour with the Citie the occasion of all which homilies thou shalte learne out of Theodoretus Lib. 5. Cap. 19. and 20. And out of Tripart historia lib. 9. Cap. 32 of women that decked themselues with golde and garlands and folowed diuinations and inchantmentes of those that receiue vnworthily the diuine and holy misteries of them that beléeue not the paynes of hel fyre of almes of concorde that moderate temptations are profitable also after his returne from his former exile c. Nazianzenus in lyke maner hath put forthe the Sermons as that wherein he excuseth himselfe that hee had absteined a certaine time from his ecclesiasticall function a consolation touching the calamitie of the hayle Item to the subiects stricken with feare and the Emperour moued with yre also touching regarde and prouision to be had for the poore c. There is extant a Sermon of Cyprian of lyke effect made when the pestilence waxed hote Hytherto may the Sermons be asscribed also vttered in the prayse of certain vertues or in dispraise of certayn vices of which sorte Basill hath ministred some vnto the Church Chrisostme very many Agayne the funerall orations likewise of Nazianzen and Ambrose But in all Sermons vppon what occasion soeuer they be framed and made this Cantion is in any wise to bée marked and taken héede off namelye that nothinge bee brought in or aleadged but that whiche is certaine substanciall founde taken out of the holy Scriptures oute of interpretors worthy credite or out of the chiefe moste allowable Historyographers and by all meanes agréeinge with the doctrine expresly contayned in the volume of the Sacred Bible For those men that propouned sectes or opinions grounded vpon no good foundation and those that delight to tell fabulous tales and hystoryes as a number of craftye and subtill felowes haue deuised and imagined for their owne lucres sake of Sainctes eyther of them indifferently doe incurre reprehension The one sorte are euill spoken of as vnskilfull and mutable and the other bee reprooued of leuitie and auarice Wee haue spoken of the ende and matter of Sermons it is méete that wee adde some thinges also concerning their forme ¶ Some thinges touchinge the formes of sacred Sermons Cap. VI. EVery Sermon ought to be briefe then to consist of playn and perspicious speach thirdlye to haue partes rightly ordayned The first is necessary to thintent the people may cheerefully and without yrcksomnesse come together to sacred assemblies and the more easely commende vnto their memorye the thinges that are heard For it is by no meanes requisite that ecclesiasticall sermons should excéede in prolixitie Orations sometimes accustomed to be made of Orators in their consistory Therfore duly to them both as wel Preachers as Orators were giuen certayne dyals for to measure the howers withall And many thinges may in few wordes be declared The seconde is required as well for the vnlearned whereof there is a great number in the multitude as also for the avdyding of all suspition of sinister and fraudulent dealyng For in déede an oration ouer cunninglye made and after a sorte inuolued induceth the hearers to thinke and surmise that some thinge els is sought for rather then theyr profite Wherefore albeit a man be thorowlye furnished with all kinde of preparation and furniture of speaking yet shal hée so aduisedly behaue hymselfe to the people as though hee folowed by no meanes the traces of arte beyng mindfull of that saying that it is a notable poynt of cunnynge to dissemble Arte. Now hée shall obteine the facultie of speakynge playnely in the Pulpet that vnderstaÌ„deth well the mother tongue that hath vsed some space the companye of those that sounde it purelie that hath accustomed to heare the Sermons of fine teachers in the same tongue that hath dylygentlye reade ouer theyr Bookes that are iudged to haue excelled therein but yet hee shall passe all the resydewe that is endued with a certayne prerogatiue of nature and hath a facultie and modesty in speakynge as ye woulde say ingenerate It is no lesse vertue to speake apertly simply and popularly then learnedly sharply and grauelye Which vertue very excellent and rare all men must of necessitie graunt beyond the residewe alonely to Chrysostome amonge the Geeke writers whom trulye I woulde wishe vncessauntlye that all Iunior Preachers should reade both day and night yea and if it were possible transiate hym with lyke happinesse and fertilitie into the vulgar tongue Neither ought euen those that are learned in déede to be ashamed to borrowe and mutuate diuers places of christian doctrine yea that in a maner verbatim out of Chrysostom who not without good cause hath obtained this notable name or other if peraduenture there may any be founde lyke vnto hym Now for the thirde poynte namely that a Sermon shoulde consist of his lawfull partes who knoweth not that it is required as the principall matter in euerye oration for not so muche as an epistle written priuately to one of familyar affaires ran be destitute of the aâ—t order disposition of hir parts how much more then ought the parts of a sermon which is made of most graue weighty matters to the whole multitude to be placed in order Not onely the learners but also the teachers themselues haue néede of iuste disposition of partes these verely least in the discourse of their Sermon they shoulde bee compelled to stound and by silence to doubt of what poynt it were best for them to speake and those to thintent they maye the more easily perceiue each thing by hearyng and when they are
Somtymes agayne after the lessen read some one place in fewe wordes is repeated in the beginninge of the Sermon that inespecially of which the Preacher hath determined more at large to entreate We will adde to some examples Chrysostom in a certayne homily to the people of Antioche taking in hand to expound the place of Sainct Paule vnto Timothy Vse a littel wine for thy stomacke and thy often infirmities Beginneth with the dignitie of the Apostle and compareth him to a Trumpet and Harpe The same interpretinge the Psalme 127. immediately after the beginninge of the Psalme recited vnto thee haue I lifted vp myne eyes beginneth his Sermon with that that it is good to bée strycken with aduersitie Agayne homily 68. he repeateth in the entry thereof these wordes out of the first to the Thessalonians Cap. 5. Deere brethrne saieth Sainct Paule reioyce alwayes pray without ceassing giue thankes in all thinges For this is the will of God. And forthwith hée addeth Alwayes to be thankefull is the point of a howse wisely instructed Thou hast suffred some distresse but if thou wilte thy selfe it is no distresse Giue thankes to God and thine euill shal be turned into good It is a custome also commonly receyued to take and driue beginninges of circumstaunces of causes of similitudes or of other places So Chrisostom expoundinge the euanglicall history of the woman of Canaan beginneth with the prayse of the dilligence and constancy of the hearers In the history of Elias conueied into heauen in a fyrie Chariot he beginneth with a similitude taken of the maner whereby kinges are accustomed to rewarde those that hazarde themselues in battayle with a Chariot or else to granish theÌ„ with some other princely 〈◊〉 whervppon he gâ—thereth that God would also in liâ—â—e maner adorne his faithfull minister Elias with a Chariot and so drawe him vp into heauen Nazianzenus at the Gospell which is read in the 18. Chap. of Mathew beginneth his Sermon with the labor dilligence of Christ in trayning of men to the truth But that which we haue already sayd may suffice in this place WheÌ„ a SermoÌ„ is framed of an argument offred by occasion of tyme it is lawfull to deriue an Exordium out of diuers sondri things places But neuerthelesse the most apte and vsuall order of all other is this namely wherein at the beginninge is by by opened of what matter or businesse we purpose to intreate As néere as is possible the first wordes of Thexordium ought to be aunswerable to the matter it selfe which thou haste taken vppon thée to handle yea and the very same either taken out of some place of Scripture or simply expressinge the kynde and maner of the busynesse Out of the Scriptures are taken these beginninges Nazianzenus in his Sermon to the subiectes strickeÌ„ with feare by reasoÌ„ of the displeasure of the Emperour vseth the wordes of Ieremy 4â— Oh my bowells and the inner partes of my body I am sore grieued c. And Basill when he taketh in hande to entreate of fastinge boroweth the wordes of Ioell Blowe vp the Trumpet in Sion vppon the notable day of your solemnitie c. As we haue littell before remembred when an argument or proposition is expressed in simple wordes without any place of Scripture â—â—nexed therevnto a man may fynde diuers and sundry Exordiums in Chrisostom Nazianzenus and other moe Nazianzenus beginneth his Sermon which hée made to those that came by water out of AEgipt in this sort To them that are of AEgipt will I speake Albeit hee doth not yet there open what maner of argument hée will handle Neuerthelesse hée entreateth afterward of the mistery of the Trinitie But when hée sayde that hée woulde speake to those that came from the Church of Alexandria which Athanasius and after him Peter bishops there had rightly enstructed in sounde doctrine of the Trinitie and they comminge to Constantinople were nowe approched to the Church where Gregory Nazianzene a stout defendour of the Trinity and of one substaunce in the same then taught the hearers might easely perceyue that Gregory vppon that occasion woulde speake of their faithfull consent in the confession of the Trinitie Touchinge which thinge somewhat there is Tripart Histo lib. 9. Cap. 13. The same takinge in hande to speake hys minde concerninge prouision and care to bée had for the poore beginneth thus Men and brethrne yea and as I may say fellowe beggars for wée are all the sort of vs poore and néedinge the grace and goodnesse of god although one may séeme to goe before an other if yée haue measured with small measures receyue and imbrace these wordes touchinge the loue and good will which ye ought to beare towardes the poore Thexorgiums in this kinde of Sermons are otherwise as wée haue sayde very large and frée Esay Cap. 1. reprouinge the enormities of his owne nation especially the sinne of hipocrisy and contempt of the true seruice God beginneth with an exclamation or contestation of all creatures and therewithall introduceth God himselfe gréeuously expostulatinge the matter For his whole oration from the beginning forth on is very vehement and ardent Peter willing to rebuke the peruerse iudgement of the people touching the miracle of the tongues vseth a place of attentiuenesse then wisely remoueth the cryme of dronkennesse obiected vnto them and so procéedeth to the cause of Christ our sauiour Steuen and Paule desyrous to expounde the businesse of the Gospell take the beginninge of their Sermons of the callinge of Abraham By these thinges it is manyfest after what sorte Exordiums ought to bée framed and ioyned togither when the matter so requireth that a Sermon be made of a Theme simple For the lyke reason is in this that was in the other before But as for Exordiums discrepante from the cause and such as are far fetched or also very tedyous and prolixe no wise man will allowe And yet notwithstandinge sometymes they are to bee borne with all in sacred Sermons vppon this condition that they tende to some edifyinge of the congregation and bée applyed to the commoditie of tymes and persons and bée aptely and conueniently handled But then most chiefly are they to be admytted when some thinges bée propounded to the people that may not conueniently bée enterlaced in the enarration folowing or else are iudged expedieÌ„t for some other cause and consideration Some such Exordiums are extante in the homilyes of Chrisostom vppon the booke of Genesis in the which Exordiums hée exhorteth chydeth or dooth some lyke thynge a yée woulde saye on the sodayne Such an Exordium also Paule séemeth to vsurpe Acts. 17. Where hee beginneth with reprehension of the supersticion of Thathenienses and with the Aulter of the vnknowen god Afterward hée goeth on to declare Christe to bée true GOD and to make hym knowen vnto all men Neither is this to bée passed ouer that the Exordium sometymes may bée omytted and the proposition or diuision eftesoones produced
to forsweare themselues But I cease to make any further annotations vppon that place furnyshed with all kynde of conninge and conueigâ—aunce By these thinges it may sufficientlye bee perceyued that amplyfications are ofte times gathered out of those places whiche Diuinitye challengeth as proper to it selfe The same Chrysostom in his homilie 46. vpon Genesis with wonderfull prudence and dexteritye amplyfieth like as did Origen also before him the fayth of Abraham and his obedience deriued of faith being readye to offer vp his onely sonne Isaac the discourse wherof whosoeuer will attentiuely reade he shall hardly I am sure refrayne hym selfe from teares Agayne in his homilie 14. touching the temerarious othe of Saule wherein he swore that who so euer dyd taste any bread before the euening should dye the death it is an easy matter to obserue many mo amplifications deriued out of diuers and sondry places of Diuinitie I cannot choose but that I must néedes adde this also by the way and as ye would say minding of some other matter Some there be that propounde vnto the youth in Scholes arguments in which thei may exercise their stile and make a tryall of the towardnes of their wit but those for the most parte are taken out of fables or certes things vayne and friuolous that I say not somtimes filthy or otherwise huâ—â—fillâ— But how muche better should the Scolemasters doe if they woulde oftentymes prescribe vnto their Scollers committed to their charge to those inespecially that are enformed to the study of diuine letters argumentes taken out of the holy Scriptures and woulde commande them to explicate and in explicating to adorne the same one while by amplifications an other while by other formes of exercises accordinge to the imitation of Chrysostom or some other excellent diuines Of mouinge of affections Cap. XVI THe Preacher shall not employe his least care in mouinge of affections forsomuch as all the learned sorte doe confesse that he staÌ„deth of no one thing more in néede then he doth of this one onely faculty They that teache no otherwyse in the temple then professors are accustomed in the Scoles it cannot be that they shoulde be the authors of any greate spirituall fruites and very fewe or none are séene to bee induced with such Sermons to repentaunce and amendement of lyfe Wherefore whosoeuer he be that hath once taken vppon him the office of teaching in the church must with great industry apply himself vnto this that he may at the lengthe féele himselfe able to performe somewhat worthy of commendation in this behalfe Wée in the meane tyme will add to some thinges that serue vnto this ende and firste verily wee will declare when and what tyme it is conuenient to moue affections then next where or in what parte of the Sermon lastly in what places or with what practise it may be done It is well knowen out of the bookes of the Rhetoritians that the common affections are accounted to be fower Gladnesse Hope Feare Griefe And vnder gladnesse are ordinarily placed deletation vaunting or bosting vnder hope desire indigeÌ„ce or néede Vnder feare slouthfulnesse shamfastnes terrour timorousnes trembling preturbatioÌ„ Vnder griefe are enuy ire euill will hatred emulatioÌ„ pitie sorrowe lamentation carefulnesse paynefulnesse desperation c. Now the Preachers doe not accustomably vse to excite the myndes of their hearers to euery of the kyndes of affections nowe reherced but vnto those moste chiefely which euery man at the first sight may knowe distinctly to be most conuenient and as it were destinate to diuine affayres that is to say to thinges perteyninge to the eternall saluation of mankinde They induce therfore their hearers most specially to the care of obteyning saluation to sorrowe or indignation for offences committed to the lothsomnesse and hatred of sinnes to the loue of vertue to the feare of gods iudgement and of punishment to the hope of mercy to be obteyned with God to compassion and loue towardes our neighbour and vnto those affections besides that are vnto these moste semblable but scarcely to any other Wherefore the mener of mouinge of affections assigned vnto Preachers in the Church is not altogither lyke vnto that that the Orators vse in their Forum or Consistory To the intent therefore thou mayest knowe when and at what tyme it is méete and conuenient that affections be moued of the Preacher before all thinges the partes of the whole Sermon and the principall places which are specially to be touched therein ought effectually to be comprised in the mynde and reduced to a perfect order For the tractation of what place soeuer thou shalt iudge to be most profitable and necessary either to the state of the Church or to the tyme and causes incident in the illustration thereof chiefely beyonde the rest thou shalt employ thy dilligent labour and also endeuour thy selfe to moue the affections of the hearers The effecte of our meaninge is this Thou expoundest some entier booke of Scripture or some parte of a booke in the wordes that come nexte to hande are founde peraduenture touched diuers and sondry profitable places wherof some doe conteyne manifold doctrine othersome redargutions other institucions other corrections or consolations And in these one there is most apte to styrre vpp the myndes of menne vnto vertue verye requisite in the lyfe of man and chiefely in respecte of present considerations therefore thou shalte vnderstande that this same place is in suche sorte to bée declared of thée that thou mayste endeuoure thy selfe to moue the affections either more vehement or moderate according as thou shalte sée it expedient At what tyme therefore thou shalte perceyue men to be giuen to drounkennesse and excesse if there happen any wher in the Sermon a place of sobrietie and temperance or agaynst superfluitie in this verily thou shalte longest tary and through exhortation or reprehension so styrre vp the affections of the hearers that they may both couet sobrietie and abandon excesse Moreouer wher many of the common sort are oppressed with pouerty and that there is euery where greate scarcitie of vittayle and yet in the meane tyme charitie very colde and vnneath any where to bée founde if then a conuenient place offer it selfe touchinge liberalitie thou shalte wyth all thy power goe aboute to explayne it at large and wyth as greate industry as thou canst induce the myndes of the hearers to bountifulnesse and compassion towardes the poore Furthermore there happeneth peraduenture a place wherby it is signified that God woulde haue littell children to come vnto him Héere very fitly shall bee entreated of the loue of parentes towardes their childrne yea and with some vehemence also and prouocation of myndes shall the parentes bee vrged to sende their childrne to Scole in tyme conuenient and prouide that they maye rightely bee enstructed in the principles of godlynesse To be short if at any tyme an history or precepte or sentence be purposed
that vertue or power of spirit in Teaching which wee sayd in the second Chapiter of this present Booke to be most requisite and necessary to euery Preacher For all men must confesse that the power of mouinge affections doth not in such wyse consist in exquisite termes exacte of spéech and apte pronounciatiō but that a much greater dignitie brightnesse yea and maiesty doeth rest in thys maner of speakinge wherin we sée some men to excel and shyne before others For we know by experience that some commonly speake atogither without arte and very simply and plainely and yet in the meane tyme doe drawe their hearers whithersoeuer they lyst c. And herevppon it commeth to passe that in Thappostles speakinge so simpely and playnely I had almoste sayde also rudely and disordredly is so ofte tymes commended their wonderful power in speaking and teaching wherby all the most learned and smooth tongued enimies of the Gospell have maruaylously from tyme to tyme bene vanquyshed and compelled to giue place Neither doth this excellent gifte happen to any other then vnto those that are seriously occupyed in Gods busines which thing is the cause why the apostle so studiously setteth the same ad oppositum agaynst the faculty of well Speakinge which the Rhetoritians doe challenge to themselues as their owne proper right My preachinge sayth hée was not in the flatteringe phrases of mannes wysdome but in the demonstration of the spirite and of power Agayne wee haue not receyued the spirite of the worlde but the spirite which is of God to the intent wee may knowe those thinges that bee giuen vs of Christ which also wee speake not in wordes taught by mannes wysdome but such as wee are learned by the holy Ghoste Fiftly the matter themselves many tymes wherof entreatie is made be of great weight and force to the stirring vp of the motions of myndes For ther happen some thinges of such a nature that the narration thereof though it be rude and homely doe moste swiftely and déepely sincke into the hartes of the hearers and that doe very greatly moue and delight the same We may take for examples sake the narration of Ioseph acknowledgeing his brethrne when hee helde the chiefe gouernement of the common wealth of AEgipte which who I praye you except he be of flynt can réede without wéeping Grigory Nazianzene in his first oration touching the reconcilement of the Monkes affirmeth that he neuer read the Threnes of the Prophete Ieremie without shedding of teares Very shorte but yet very vehement and lamentable is the complaynt of Dauid bewailing the deth of his son Absolō To these may be adioyned certain Sermōs pronoūced by Christ a litel before his death Sixtly to the same effect are ordeined certaine places artificiall whereof we may perceiue not a few to be taken out of the rules of the Rhetoritians but many moe also out of Diuinitie it selfe and out of the sacred scriptures What these places be and to the mouing of what affectiōs every one doe serue it shall not be a loste labour briefely to declare Therfore if the Preacher at any time be desyrous to bring to passe in his Sermon that men vtterly desperate and past hope in a maner of recouery thould become carefull of atteyning vnto eternall saluation he may borrowe certayne reasons and arguments out of these places that folow 1 Of the honestie of the cause For it were a vere fylthy and vnhonest thinge to persist in that kinde of life of which all good men would be ashamed 2 Of the lothsomnesse and greatnesse of sinnes Either of which is to be learned out of the law of God. 3 Of the knowledge of mans fragilitie What is this lyfe but a vapour sodainly vanishing a way why therefore doe we not spéedely frame our selues to the amendement of lyfe 4 Of the miseries as wel externall as internall whiche being subiect to the crimes of this lyfe are adioyned thereunto A great miserie it is to liue in contempt perpetuall vexation of minde 5 Of the harmes that accompany for the most part the fylthynesse of this lyfe as losse of good name and estimation losse and consumption of goods to be cast downe from the degrée and estate of honor c. Adde also hereunto the euils that shall follow after this lyfe 6 Of innumerable benefits which shal happen through the purposing of a better lyfe Where it behoueth vs to remember the promises of God. 7 Of the necessitie of the matter Except we repent we are vtterly vndone and shall doe nothinge els then heape moe sinnes vppon more And may so many thretninges of God hym selfe sette foorth in the Scriptures nothing moue vs at all 8 Of the easynesse of the matter God planteth in the mindes of all men a certayne studye and desyre of health The same at all times inuiteth allureth draweth vs and layeth open vnto vs a most easy entraunce unto saluation What néede many wordes As well these places as also many other besides may be obserued in the Sermons of Christ the prophets and Apostles touchinge repentaunce amendement of lyfe Peter in his fyrst Sermon that hee made Act. 2. vsing some certayne places of this kynde doth by and by so moue the hearers that they foorthwith were pricked in their harts very desyrously required to know what they might doe to obtayne saluation Moreouer the Preacher shall vse partly these same partly also some other places if at any time hee endeuoureth to moue his hearers vnto sorrow or indignatiō for their offences committed or vnto hatred detessation not of wretched and miserable men as the Orators are accustomed to doe but of sinnes and of the deuill continually without ceasing prouoking vs to euill For truely Diuinitie teacheth vs the euen our enemies also are to be holpen with all maner duties of Godlynesse and Christ willeth vs to praye vnto God the father for the health and saluation of our aduersaryes Furthermore wee have obserued amonge the Diuine writers to the stirryng vp of hatred and detestation of any one or moe vices these places followynge as fyt to be vsed 1 Of the authorytie and diligence of these men that before vs laboured by all meanes to extirpate and roote out those vices out of the company of the faythfull 2 Of the greatnesse of the same vices as namelye that they are not common that they be straunge seldom heard off c. 3 Of the qualitie of the persons that be infected with those nices 4 Of the very shape matter other circumstaumces of the same vices which declare their filthynesse indignitie 5 Of that that euen by the secret instinct of nature alone al men ought to abhorre and absteine from them 6 Likewise sinnes are compared with sinnes and those that be touched are shewed to be far more grievous then all the residew 7 Of the greatnesse of the euils that be already spronge out of the sinnes present and
appereth Ephes 5. where he sayth that Christ hath loued his Church and that he hath giuen himselfe for it to the intent hée might sanctifie the same The state of the euangelicall history by him written Ihon himselfe declareth in his owne sense Cap. 20. namely that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God by whome the beléeuers obteyne euerlasting lyfe Now euery man may easely iudge that these thrée states of entier bookes are to bée referred to the kynde didascalick as those that conteyne the chiefe principles of Christian religion But when a parte of any one booke is explayned it is of no greate difficulty to fynde out the state For one while by consideringe the order of the argumentes consequently followinge one an other and tendinge to one the same scope it is soone and easely inough to bée picked out other whiles agayne the diuine writers themselues doe in apte and perspicuous woordes set forth the same Steuen Act. 7. hath a Sermon very sharpe and vehemeÌ„t the state whereof is That true relygion doth not consist in the Temple or ceremonies but in fayth to God warde and his sonne Iesus Christ For to this scope doe concurre as well those things that were spoken of the accusers of Sainct Steuen as also the actes which hee calleth to memory in all that time wherin there was no Temple amonge the Iewes consecrate vnto GOD lykewyse the prophesies of Moyses touching the cumminge of Christ also the woordes added by him lastly concerninge the same matter It appeareth therefore euidently that the holy Sermon of Steuen is of the kynde redargutiue inasmuch as the false perswasion of the sanctitie of Hierusalem and the temple is subuerted theirein Where Paule the Apostle exhorteth the Bishops or elders to prouide for themselues and the flocke lest any hurte or detriment shoulde be ministred on the sodeyne by false Teachers the discourse of his Oration doth not obscurely demonstrate that his wholle Sermon is of the kynde instructiue In that parte of the Epistle to the Romaynes whih consisteth in the 9.10 and 11. Chapiters howe it is affirmed of the Apostle that the Iewes ought by the iustice of GOD to bee reiected and the Gintiles to bee called by gods mercy to the knowledge of the truth the argumentes in due order placed doo more apparantly signifie then that it may be dissembled Therefore we conclude the all that tractation also is of the kynde didascalick Moreouer those men that render the state of their Oration themselues doe it sometymes in the beginninge sometymes in the later ende Examples of the state rendred in the entry of the disputation are these The Gospell is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth The rightuousnesse of God by it is reuealed from fayth to fayth The same state or generall proposition is repeated more apparauntly cap. 3. we suppose sayth he that man is iustified by fayth with out the workes of the lawe Therefore is that state of the kynde didascalick Moyses Deuteronomy 11. admonisheth all the Israelites in the beginninge to obeye the commaundementes of God wyth their whole harte which likewyse he inculketh in the ende wherefore all that Sermon is of the kinde Institutiue or instructiue Esay Cap. 40. beginneth in this sorte Comforte O yee prophetes O comforte my people and in the wordes followinge each one maketh to consolatioÌ„ By meanes whereof it appeareth sufficiently that his Sermon there is instituted in the kynde consolatory Agayne Peter Act. 10. beinge in the house of Cornelius addeth to the state of his Sermon in the very ende saying Whosoeuer beleeueth in the name of Iesu shal receyue through him remission of his sinnes In lyke maner S. Paule in the later ende of his SermoÌ„ By hym sayth hee is declared vnto you forgiuenes of sins from the which yee coulde not bee iustified by the lawe of Moyses It is requisite therefore that we reduce these two Sermons to the kynde didascalik Againe the same S. Paule reasoninge of them that were fallen a sléepe in Christ in the beginning of the same place sayth Be not sorowfull and in the ende he addeth Comforte your selues one an other with these wordes Who therefore perceyueth not that parte to be conteined in the kinde Consolatory And certes if any man be determyned to expounde in his Sermon some certaine place or senteÌ„ce out of the scriptures he after his owner arbitrement choseth out such a one as he supposeth to bee most méete and conuenient for his purpose for which cause it is very necessary that the state of his Sermon be knoweÌ„ vnto him before he taketh the same place in hande The like iudgement is worthily to be taken of those men that are prepared to speake of busines offred by occasion or of a Theame either simple or compound For in asmuch as it behoueth theÌ„ to prefixe to themselues a certaine state or generall proposition truely it can not bee chosen but that they muste be verye well instructed as touchynge the kynde of Sermon vnto which their dicourse followinge doth apperteyne But these thinges touching the maner of findynge out the kynde whervnto all sacred sermons are refâ—rredâ— we suppose to be sufficient ¶ That there ought in euery kinde of Sermon certayne thinges to be obserued as proper to the same kinde and fyrste how that may bee accomplished in the kinde didascalick or doctrinall cap. II. IN our former Booke entreating of all and singuler the partes of diuine sermons we haue shewed certayne briefe and ordynary formes of exhordiums propositions diuisions and conclusions But when we were come to confirmation wee admonisshed that there was no small diuersitie to be séene in this and no little study and dilygence required to the apt conuenient pertractation therof That thing how true it is it is time that I declare and that by discoursing orderly through all the kindes of Sermons For truely as ther is great difference of the things which are handled in euery kinde so is it verye requisyte and néedefull that diuers and sondry kindes of furniture be prouided For who séeth not the great variaunce and contraryetie that is betwixte a true opinion and a false opinion Agayne what diuersitie there is in defending the one and impugning the other Furthermore great is the difference betwéene vertue and vice and in stirring vp to the one and disswading from the other Moreouer of the perils which coÌ„tinually oppresse vs on euery side beset vs wonderfull is the varietie Whosoeuer therfore is endued but with a meane iudgement perceyueth that in all these thinges confyrmations â—ught diuersly to be framed manifold places of inuentioÌ„ together with sondry and distinct caÌ„tions to be sought for Wherfore this diuersitie of coÌ„firmatioÌ„s we wil first take in hand to declare in the kinde didascalick in whiche if we shall bestow somwhat the more dilligence it shall be lawfull for vs to vse fewer woordes heereafter in the other kindes Thrée thinges
therof Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through incredulitie but being made strong by faith gaue the glory to God conceiuing a certaine perswasion that he which had promised was able also to performe So is it read Rom. 4. we may therfore argue in this sorte God hath promised ergo hee will vndoubtedly performe Héere also must héede be taken whether any maner of condition be annexed to the promise 17 Of a prophesy or propheticall prediction The Euangelistes doe very frequently commend vnto vs this place of inuention so oft namely as they shew this or that thing to be therfore accomplished in or by Christ forsomuch as it was necessary those thinges shoulde be fulfilled which were spoken before of the Prophets touchynge the same 18 Of the truth of a diuine or propheticall determination The thinges that are once pronounced and decreed of God or of some notable Prophet by Gods commaundement those thinges must of necessitie be accounted certain and sure He that vnderstandeth how to argue conueniently of a generall sentence shall also well perceiue the vse of this place 19 Of the person of one good man to the person of all the godly So gathereth the Apostle Rom. 4 Abraham was iustified by faith therefore shall all that beléeue lykewise be iustifyed by faith It is not written saith he for his cause onely that it was imputed vnto him but also for our sakes to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeue c. 20 Of the person of one vngodly man to all The hardeninge of Pharao came of God therefore commeth the hardenyng of all other wicked persons of GOD likewise 21 Of a type or figure to the truethment thereby The bones of the lambe that was eaten at Easter might not be diminished ergo neither ought the legges of Christe hanging on the Crosse to be broken And the tipes of the prophet Ionas and of the brason serpent erected in the wildernesse Christ interpreteth of hymselfe So then we may elegantly gather they that behelde the serpent in the desart were healed ergo those also that beléeue and hope in CHRISTE shall obtayne saluation 22 Of an allegory to the thing signifyed The prophet Esay Cap. 54. by an allegorye and in many wordes teacheth how wonderfully the Churche encreaseth Reioyce thou baren saith he that bearest no Children breake foorth and cry thou that trauailest not for shee that is desolat hath many mo children then she which hath an husband And the Apostle intending to demonstrat that albeit the Iewes raged neuer so much yet it would come to passe that the churche collected of the Gentiles should be increased and amplyfyed yea euen then when by reason of troubles and contentioÌ„s if should be supposed to be vtterly destroyed applyeth the same allegâ—ry very fifly and saith If she that was baren despised as Sara doth yet bring forth children and hir posteritie encreaseth beyonde all mens expectation why shoulde we not beleeue that the Church though small and abiecte receiueth dayly encreasement also These places therefore if not alwaies all yet at the least a greate sorte of them and one while these an other while those doe they rightly vse that haue to speake in sacred assemblies And then verily do they vse them when as they shall entreate either of a certaine place or sentence of holy Scripture or of busines offred by occasion of time or else of a theame simple or compounde like as afterward we will once againe admonishe when wée shall come to the addinge to of some peculiar examples They haue néede vndoubtedly of a right iudgement and of some wisdome and experience in this behalfe gotten by the continuall readinge and â—earinge partly of the Scriptures partly of some faithfull and probable interpreters He truely shall beste prouide for himselfe and may at the length be able to performe some thinge worthy of prayse and commendation who so will dilligently obserue the profes and reasons extant in the didascalick Sermons of the prophetes Christ and Apostles and will enserch the places out of which they are taken and deduced and fynally beinge night and daye studious of imitation will endeuour after hys power and abilytie to practise the same Now vnto this kinde forsomuch as it is weighty and diffyculte and no small wisdome is required therein wée will worthely adioyne like as wée vndertooke to doe certayne Cantions whereby euery man may bée premonisshed to vse dilligent héede and circumspection in his procedings Which wée haue in lyke maner determined to doe in the other kindes followinge I In doctrines or princyples of relygion to bée taught before the people it is very requisite to be considered what maner of persons the hearers are how far forth traded in the knowledge of diuine matters For it is necessary that all the order of teaching so oft I saye as it is thought good to examine any sentence be tempered accordinge to their capacitie Christ himselfe that we should be circumspectâ— in this behalfe hath admonished vs when as he said to his Apostles I haue many thinges to saye vnto you but ye can not beare them away now And the apostle I could not speak vnto you brethren as vnto spirituall but as vnto carnal as vnto babes in Christ I haue nourished you with milke and not with meate For ye could not as yet away with it neither can yee as yet It is certayne therfore that the thinges whiche are true vndoubted and taken out of the worde of God are to be taught and set forth vnto all men And albeit a man taketh in hand one and the selfe same doctrine to handle and entreate off yet truly ought he to attempt all thinges far otherwise among the hearers and Citizens of an ample citie hauing now of long time ben accustomed to hare men excellinge in learninge and eloquence then in an obscure place where men of rude wits and maners can neuer attayne to any thing but that which shall very grosly be inculked and beaten into their heades To whiche effecte well nere S. August hath somewhat in his treatise 98. vpon the gospell of Iohn II What hearers soeuer shall betide let the tractation of those poyntes be eschewed and pretermitted whiche doe smally conduce vnto godlynesse and the inquifition and knowledge whereof doe make the hearers rather curious then godly disposed Whervnto pertayneth that whiche Thapostle writinge in diuers places vnto Timothye and Titus forbiddeth any place to be giuen in the church to doctrine which is not after godlynesse to foolishe and fantasticall questions to contencions and striuings about the law which are vnprofitable and superfluous and which do rather procure deuision then edifiyng III After thou hast chosen out suche a sentence or assertion as is holsomelye to bee handled and entreated off it is requisyte that thou dilligently enserche and perpende the doctrine contayned in the bookes of the prophetes and Apostles touching the same whiche onely is
short and ouer briefe speakinge it would of necessitie come to passe that the same thinges shoulde oftetimes bée iterated and repeated to the great ircksomnes of all men Moreouer it is much better and more thankfull to the preacher in cace he expounde now these now those places somwhat more exactly and with as great sharpenes as maye bée setle them in the mindes of his hearers And loke what places he leaueth vntouched at one tyme the same at an other time conuenient he shall euidently declare For if a man repeate often the same places with like breuitie and with like fourme of wordes it is to bée feared truely lest he incurre that which a certayne Poete pleasauntly spake And that same Harper eke Is to be laught to scorne that aye Vpon on stringe doth streke II. Where if thou wilt nedes vtter and alledge diuers and soundry common places as in déede somtimes the present readinge of Scripture doth minister many the same very profytable yet shalt thou laboure with more fydelytye and deliygence specyally in explayninge of thrée or fower as for the other and those also very fewe it shall bée sufficient briefely and as it were houerly to touch them all the residue pretermitted After which sorte Crysostom in his 60. homily vpon Mathewe comminge to those wordes in the text I say vnto you that their aungels in heauen do alwayes behold the face of my father prudently gathereth and noteth an assertion namely that to euery man are appointed certayne aungels as their kepers or ouerséers But be absolueth this place in very fewe wordes eftsâ—nes procéeding to other matters as more profytable and apte for the enformation of lyfe For he passeth to a common place touchinge the not contemninge of our brethren III. Let those common places bée chosen that are suffycieÌ„tly large and apparaunt and that conteyne nothinge intricate or doubteful to thintente thou maist entreate amply and playnely and popularly to the hearers For there be some matters very barren and as ye woulde say pent vp in a streight prison and the same also obscure with darke and perplexed questions If any suche therefore doe happen in the holy scripture which is expounded it is much better to couer or dissemble them with silence then with many wordes to stande vpon the same Of this kinde it is it a man explaning the history out of Luke 16. touching the riche gloutton buryed in hell and Lazarus raried into Abrahams bosome shoulde goe about a longe time and with much a doe to deteine his audytory alledging many things of Abrahams bosome whereof séeing the opinions of interpreters yea euen of the learned sort be so diuers and discrepant few thinges certaine and fruifull can be sayde where in the meane time in the verye same hystory many profitable places might holsomely be handeled as against superfluitie in meate and apparaile against couetousnesse touching pouertie to be taken in good part touching the poore not to be contemned of almes déedes of the mercy and iustice of God of the rewardes of the godly and paynes of the wicked In sumnme all those places shall bée pretermitted which ingender perith us perplexed questions or dissentions amongst the people or doe by any meanes cast doubtes into the consciences of good men or lastly doe minister small â—â—â—â—â—tie or proâ—ite 4. Out of the manyfolde places which are profitable apparaunt those chiefely beefore the residewe shall bée chosen to bee discussed that are moste apte and conuenient for the place and tyme. As for example there happen in the Euangelicall history places conteyning assertions and the same peraduenture touching high misticall matters Againe other places â–ª wherin vices are reproued and perhappes the very same where with the multitude is knowen that presente tyme to bée infected or other places enstructinge the lyfe and maners of men Heere truly it shall bée the parte of a wise Preacher to omitte those places that demonstrate the assertions of fayth and to turne himselfe vnto those that teache the duties of loue wherein sinnes are corrected and corrupt maners amended séinge the multitude is vnapt to conceyue that doctrine and of this also standeth greatâ—ly in néede Bee it sufficiente once for all generally to note that the places touchinge assertions especially of greater weight and importance are not to bée handeled but before that multitude in which are mixed many learned men as is to bée séene in greate Townes or Cities and then moste chiefely suben any heresies or errors bée crepte in which it is expedient to refute by those assertions more playnly expounded Agayne with such perspicuitie as not onely the learned but also the vnlearned maye perceyue them In which order verily Chrysostom also with wonderfull prudence and dexteritie decideth many hard and difficulte places as touching the cause of sin in his saide homily 60. vppon Mathewe and that by reason of the Manichees which in those dayes had far and nére spred their venime of two principles or beginninges or the one whereof they affirmed all thinges to bée made touchinge the same substance and equall dignitie of each persone in the holy Trinitie in duiers and sundry Sermons bycause of the Arrians of that age Nazianzenus both gaue and followed the like counsayle in a number of his Orations Amonge the places which are applied to the institution of lyfe in rightuousnesse or to correction those alwayes before other shall profitably bée declared which concerne the present state and conditions of the Church As touching which thing somwhat wée haue sayde already what tyme we entreated of the matter of Sermons These thinges thus generally premised let vs nowe weighe and consider what common places maye seeme moste chiefely to bée chosen out of those which wée haue gathered vppon the historicall narration aforegoinge Marc. 8. accordinge to the state of the Church and of the hearers to the intente a fruitefull Sermon maye bée had Certes bée that is purposed to teach and instructe that kynde of people which inhabiteth small Townes and Villages shall with very good righte take those places that to suche maners and dispositions are moste agreeable Such places are these Of the dilligente hearinge of gods worde Of séekinge firste after spirituall then after temrorall benefites Agaynst those that so gape after carnall thinges that they vtterly neglect thinges spirituall Of prayer and thankes giuinge for meate and drincke and other daily benefites of GOD bestowed vppon vs. Agayne if peraduenture there hath happened lately any calamitie or publyke daunger then with greate fruite shall bee handeled a place consolatory as namely that GOD suffreth not his children longe tyme to bée troubled or tempted aboue theire strength c. These kinde of places I saye that minister either instruction or consolacion shall very fytly and profytably be declared to the vnlearned people to whose capacitie and profite in lyfe and conuersation all the whole oration of the Preacher ought to hée applied But in bigger townes or cities
the deuises of mannes wisdome But assone as they perceiue themselues to be conuinced as well by the Scripture as by naturall reason they knowe not in the worlde which way to turne them Wherefore they conuert themselues to deceites and wiles and when they are fully bent in their mindes vppon mischiefe and in the meane time stand in doubte of all thinges they séeme as though they were moued with some fauour and zeale of the truth but in very déed they imagine nothinge els then howe to deface and oppresse it But at the length their malyce one way or other brusteth forth in such wise that the godly may both eschew them and auoide their snares pryuily prepared xxxi Institution All the godly therefore are admonished to béeware and circumspecte and to obserue diligently so far forth as may be the tokens whereby they may finde out the fraude and impietie of those men with whom they haue to doe Those that goe about to oppresse the truthe some are tirauntes some hipocrites of either of them we may beholde the image and paterne in Herode alone and goe no further Both of them at the first coulloure their deuises yea and fame themselue to séeke with the godly to promote the sincere worshipping of God as Herode saith here that hee will worshippe Christ But surely those affections of the mindâ— shime not forth neither doth that spirite appeare to bee in them which otherwise is to bee founde in the godly sort but rather alwayes there are noted in them either some wordes or déedes out of which it is no harde matter to gather their contempte and hatred of pure religion Such a one is this where Herode héere not without disdayne calleth Christ a childe sayinge Serch diligently for the younge childe Neither truely can the wicked any otherwise doe then extinuate the dignitie of Christ the worde of God the Church the ministery of the gospell and one while openly an other while ouerthwartly giue some signifycation of their malignante minde especially when they feare either that it will come to passe that their enormites shal bée disclosed and reproued or els their credite and commoditie any thinge empayred There is no doubt but that the Iewes perceiued some such signes in them which after they were brought out of Babilon into Iury would haue ioyned themselues as inhabitauntes vnto the Iewes returned out of captiuitie in buildinge of the Temple Howbeit Zorobabell would not admit them and that for good cause For albeit they auouched themselues to worshippe together with them one and the same GOD yet notwithstaÌ„ding sone after they declared many wayâ—s how cruel vnmercyful enemies they were of pure sincere religioÌ„ And loâ— the Starre which they had seene in the Easte went before them tyll it came and stoode ouer the place where the childe was XXXII and XXXIII Doctrine and Institution The iudgement of the Scriptures is heard the common incklinge engrauen in the mindes of all men likewise naturall causes are considered and that to the intente all those thinges so farre forth as may bée beinge compared amonge themselues bothe our Faith might be confirmed and also the knowledge of spirituall thinges chiefely of the rightuousnesse goodnesse mercy and power of God myght growe and encrease in vs. To which ende and purpose God himselfe oft times is accoustomed els where to adioyne eftesones vnto his worde and doctrine notable workes and effectes Let vs not contemne therefore the reasons and naturall causes which doe illustrate and set forth vnto vs the knowledge conteyned in the woorde of God and wonderfully helpe forwarde our weake vnderstandinge XXXIIII Doctrine There was néede of a Starre which shoulde shewe not onely the Citye but also the house yea and the childe himselfe It is very lykely that all thinge there were so vile and abiecte that no man woulde haue thought Christ the king to bée there Albeit the Scripture be a faithfull wytnes testifyer of the truth yet is it néedefull for vs to learne many thinges of men of causes naturall of signes and other of the same kinde which are ordynary and allowed of God and so be made certaine of many particular thinges necessary to be knowne And when they sawe the starre they reioyced exceedingly with greate ioye XXXV Institution The doctrine touchinge spiritual matters by which we are directed vnto Christ doo profite in Christ we ought to imbrace with gladd ioyfull minde and also to giue thanckes vnto God for the same Which thinge truely they gladly wil doe that haue any vnderstandinge at all what great vâ—iliâ—ie and profyte commeth of sounde doctrine And entring into the house they founde the young childe with Mary his Mother and fell downe and worshipped him and openinge their treasures they presented vnto him giftes Gode and Frankensence and Myrhe XXXXVI and XXXVII Doctrine and Institution Faith fyxed on the promises of God is not dcceiued but like as god that promiseth is true so the faith also of the belieuer fyndeth at the length the trueth by experience and perceyueth in déede the large fruites of fayth By fayth the wise men were drawen out of farre Countries into Bethlem for howe shoulde they haue taken vppon them so longe difficulte and daungerous a iorney the way being altogether vnknowne vnto them except they had bene incensed with a wonderfull Fayth there then they founde in very déede that which afore they beléeued Therefore let vs also lokinge vppon the promises of god touchinge the benefytes as well of the life present as to come neuer caste away our faith but by the example of the faithfull Abraham beyond hope beléeue vnder hope nothinge doubtinge but that God will performe his promises if not for our cause which verely are vnworthy of his benefytes yet for his owne sake xxxviii Doctrine The wise men whilest they honour Christ with that honour which is due to God alone doe confesse Christ not onely to be man but also true and perfecte God. Which thing they fyrst learned in Persia by reuelation from heauen afterwarde in Iury by the oracles of the Prophetes XXXIX and XL. Redargucion and Doctrine Here are conuinced all heretikes as the Ebionites Cerinthians and such like which contended that Christ is onely pure man and not god But much more grieuously are confuted the Iewes which when they had heard partly of the wise men partly out of the Scripture many and most certaine testimonies touchinge Christ yet would they not adioyne them selues to the wise men to the intent to worshippe him as neyther they will be perswaded to this daye to worshippe and ackonwledge Christ to be true god Howe much better had it bene neuer to haue had any knowledge of Christ at all for vndoubtedly looke how much more manifestly Christ is declared vnto them so much more grieuously shall they be punished whiche refuse to beléeue in him beinge knowne But in déed those thinges ought to be fulfilled which God longe before by his Prophetes
that kinde profitable to teach illustrat moue all which things so far forth as may bee they adioyne to the vnderstandinge of the hearers and to the present state of thinges As touchinge which diligence and industry somwhat we haue saide in our former booke what time we noted some thinges in generall of confyrmation Herevpon it commeth to passe that they déme this order of treatinge to bee easie and of no great laboure and like as to them that teach so also to the hearers whō it is best not to bee ouerated with ouer many places or partes very apte and accommodate That somtimes the whole sacred readinge is with all the partes thereof to bee directed to the explication of one common place Cap. V. IT happeneth somtimes that a sacred readinge is offered so subsistinge and linked together in partes that euery one may in order of discourse be aptely referred to one and the same common place By cōmon place I here vnderstand the state it selfe and the certaine preposition which is summarily excerpted out of the whole readinge and may profitably be prefixed to the intent a further entreatye may be made therof Howbeit he that coueteth to finde out this same state hath néede inespecially to bestowe some time in readinge reuoluinge the sacred lesson and to serch diligently with rype iudgemente whither and to what ende it wholly tendeth For take this by the waye let no man thinke that he can by interpretation apply the whole readinge to one common place excepte the very partes thereof be by a certaine propinquitie and consent ioyned together after a sorte betwene themselues Wherefore the profitablest waye is by glidinge eftesoones thorough all the partes to looke whether thou maist in them obserue any certain order and progression of causes effectes contingents connexes adiacents and such like places howsoeuer allied one with an other Where if thou findest such an order in déede then maye the whole order of partes bee easily deduced to one certaine common place Howbeit this maner of interpretinge is scarcely vsed any other where then in historycall narrations For where any thinge is simpely affirmed and manye argumentes prouinge the same thinge bee in a didascalick method orderly digested there no man shall deuise to excogitate any strange thinge neither induce any thing discordinge from the same In the first to the Corenthes cap. 15. is proued and established with most learned and weighty argumentes the chiefest principle of Christian religion namely touhinge the resurrection of the dead I praye theée therefore were it a pointe of wisdome either to serche out other argumentes as more fytte for the purpose or otherwise to interprete the selfe same then the simple and plaine sence of the wordes requireth Him that shoulde goe aboute to attempt this thinge all men vndoubtedly would accounte to be madd Therefore it shall bée best for vs to tarye and abide still in historycall narrations An example of an entier history as touchinge one common place explayned in the kinde didascalick amongest other very excellent and fytte occurreth in the epistle to the Hebrues cap. 7. where whatsoeuer is read in the olde Testamente of Melchisedick we may sée very aptely expounded to declare Iesus Christ to be the onely high and euerlastinge Bishop of gods Church And least we should any longer deteine the reader wée will euen forthwith make a proofe of the mater There is extante Luke 24. a very proper narration of the twoo disciples gooinge to Emaus Two of the disciples of Iesus went that same daye to a towne which was from Hierusalem about threescore furlonges called Emaus And they talked together of all these thinges that were done And it came to passe as they communed together and reasoned that Iesus himselfe drewe nere and wente with them But their eyes were holden that they coulde not knowe him And he sayde vnto them What maner of cōmunications are these that ye haue one to an other as yee walke and are sadde And the one named Cleopas answered and said vnto him Arte thou onely a straunger in Hierusalem and hast not knowen the thinges that are come to passe there in these dayes And he sayd vnto them what thinges And they saide vnto him of Iesus of Nazareth which was a prophet mightie in deede in word before God and all the people And how the high priestes and our rulers deliuered him to be condemned to death haue crucified him But we trusted that it had bene he which should haue redeemed Israel and as touching all these thinges to daye is the third day that they were done Yea and certaine women among vs made vs astonied which came earely to the sepulchre and when they found not his body they came saying that they had also seene a vision of angels whiche saide that he was aliue Therfore certaine of them which were with vs went to the sepulchre and founde it euen so as the women had said but him they sawe not Then he saide vnto them O fooles and slow of harte to beleeue al that the Prophets haue spoken Oughte not Christe to haue suffered these thinges and to enter into his glorye And he began at Moyses and at all the prophetes and interpretd vnto them in all the scriptures the thinges which were writen of him And they drewe neere to the towne which they went vnto but he made as though hee woulde haue gone further But they constrained him saying Abide with vs for it draweth towards night and the day is farre spent And so he went in to tary with them And it came to passe as he sate at the table with them he tooke breade and gaue thankes and brake it and gaue it vnto them Then their eyes were opened they knewe him but hee was taken out of their sight And they said betwene themselues Did not our harts burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way whē he opened to vs the scriptures And they rose vp the same howre and returned to Hierusalem found the eleuen gathered together them that were with thē which said The Lord is risen in deede and hath appeered to Simon Thē they told what things were done in the way how he was knowen of them in breaking of bread Whilest I somwhat briefely come ouer this readyng I perceiue that in it is most cléerely shewed how and by what meanes the disciples came to the knowledge of the trueth of Christ and how after many things it is sayde that their eyes were opened and that the Lorde was knowen of them Therfore I may séeme very aptely to gather the state of the whole reading namely how we may aspire to the knowledge of God and the trueth of his word Wherefore I doubt not to pronounce this readynge to be placed in the kinde didascalick Moreouer I sée the partes to be so disposed and so mutually followinge one an other that any man may verye well note and poynte out in them
the Church comprised in the volumes of the prophetes and Apostles And thus much touching this euangelicall narration of Mark 16. There are in the thirde Chapter aforegoing certaine readinges out of the Euangelicall history explaned of vs in such order as we there handeled and set foorth and yet nothing letteth but that the very same may no lesse profitably then godly be expounded also in this forme wherof we nowe entreate Which thing truly I will not sticke héere briefely to declare That narration out of Mark. 6. as touching the multitude which was thrée dayes without méate through the desyre they had to hére the most holy sermons of Christ doth first of all wonderfully commend vnto all men the studye of learning and vnderstanding the worde of god Therfore we shall worthily accept this sentence in steade of the state In the second place is added the which declareth the al those the are touched with any desyre at al of profiting in the doctrine of true religion are cared for of god and the god will in no wise forsake them I haue compassion sayth he on the multitude Thirdly by the wordes of the disciples supposinge that it coulde not be that so many might be satisfied with breade in the wildernes may bée gathered that those which prepare themselues to the study of sacred and heauenly thynges are first hindered and oppressed with many griefes and temptations before they can attayne to their wished scope yea and ofte times they strike vpon the rockes as they saye euen in the very heauen it selfe and are haled awaye from their godly purpose But whereas christ in the fourth place demaūdeth of his disciples how many leaues they haue we are taught euidently thereby the God hath alwayes in a readines diuers apte and conuenient meanes whereby he may prouibe for the godly next after spirituall or heauenly benefytes minister also corporall or earthly For by the meanes the we least thinke off god succureth all those that labour and be in necessitie And therefore in the fyfte place Christ giueth vnto his disciples that they shoulde set before others for God sendeth alwayes in season teachers which maye with all fydelitie and diligence enstructe those that are desirous to learne Lastely and in the sixt place they all eate and are suffysed They that a litle before hongered and thristed after the knowledge of the trueth doe now happely profyt therein yea and so far forth doe they eftesoones procéede the there remayneth vnto them what they may giue an imparte vnto others and at the length may either publikely or priuately teach the doctrine of pietie vnto the rest Nowe that history likewise of Mathew 2. as touching the wise men that come from the East to worship Christ it shall be very easye to applye wholy to the tractation of one common place The state or common place maye aptly bee prefixed as concerninge vocation or callynge This state beinge assigned first of all shall bee declared whensoeuer God calleth any man by a signe either externall or internall or rather by them both to the knowledge and confession of the Gospell or els to some certaine kinde of lyfe in which he may dayly serue God and profyte his neighbour that he ought not to refuse but with chéerefull harte to come and deuoutly obaye vnto the caller In the seconde place where it is reported that Herode and the whole citie was troubled thou shalt not without cause inculke an exhortation to ouercome temptations For thus commonly it commeth to passe assoone as any is elected and called of God to a godly worke Sathan by and by together with his conspirators the fleshe and the worlde worketh wiles and leaueth nothinge vnattempted whereby they may withdrawe him from his good and holy purpose But their followeth in the thirde place the which in this kinde of conflict bringeth an excéeding great comforte namely that against the most fierce and bitter temptations a present remedie is to be sought for out of the holy Scripture The lawe the prophetes and Apostles doo certifie the conscience as touchinge thinges doubtefull they shewe most apparauntly where Christ is to be founde and where the minde finally may rest in safetye For it is euen the holy Scripture alone that confirmeth and susteyneth thée in the knowledge and confession of the Gospell in sincere faith in puritie of life and conuersation Fourthly where the subtelty of Herode priuily calling the wise men vnto him is disclosed shall very well be added that after the first and most grieuous temptations are ouercome and after the minde is confirmed and that by the ayde of Gods worde in hir calling holy purpose there remayne as yet successiuely newe daungers which hipocrits which false teachers or heretickes which tyrauntes and such kinde of aduersaries of true religion will forge and contriue For as longe as we liue here in this life ther is nothing but perils vppon perils and euen as if a certaine rancke of troubles were linked togither with chains so doth one distresse after an other fasten vppon the godly But yet we ought in no cace to be discouraged in our minds through the frequency or greatnesse of the perills Hitherto perteineth that which followeth in the fift place as touching the departure of the wise men and the starre againe going before them Thou shalt here not vnexpertly add that he which by valiaunt striuinge bath already escaped the daungers of the first and seconde sorte doth nowe lye as it were at anchor and rest in a quiet baye For let the Champion of Christ constantly ensue the first signes of his callinge but most diligently let him folowe the scripture which doth assure him of his vocation and all the order of his dutie he shall vndoubtedly come vnto that place where hee shall see Christ in his glory and obteyne thorough him euerlasting life He that endureth to the ende shal be saued Thou seeste therefore all the partes hereof not vnaptly to be reduced to one common place as touching calling or vocation and perseueraunce in the same Againe in lyke maner the historye out of Luke 2. as concerning the confession which as well Simeon as Anna made of Christ shall fruitfully be expounded by declaring out of it how necessarye it is that all the faithfull whensoeuer oportunitie will serue shoulde render an account or that which is all one make confession of theyr faith And the this is the state of the sayd reading it shal truly vs auouched as soone as mencion shal be made of Simeon Secondly at the wordes of Siemon in which he pronounceth Christ to be put for the ruine and vprysinge agayne of many and for a signe which is spoken agaynst moreouer that a sworde shoul perce Maries soule shal aptely be intreated as touchinge that poynte that a confession made is alwayes pursued with offences sondry mocions contencions and great daungers The world neuer ceaseth to bringe the godly confessors into peryll and hazard Thirdly
alwaies an entier booke not alwaies a parte of a booke is offered to be declared but ofte times it behoueth the Sermon to bée framed to the people of one onely sentence or of one place of Scripture and the same also not very largely stretchinge But that the same order of gatheringe diuers common places shoulde héere bée vsurped which we haue shewed to be profitable in the premisses it can by no meanes bée What then will some man saye remaineth to bée done In what maner and method shal one place or one certain sentence bée fruitfully declared Wée so far forth as we maye will set forth a most syt and absolute forme which excepte any shall deuise a better it shall bée expedient for him to folowe and as well for breuities sake as also that it may become the more clere and euident we will comprehende the same in certaine obseruations I. Before all thinges it is conuenient very carefully to consider and to declare vnto the people vppon what occasion or to what ende the author of the sacred booke out of which the place or sentence is taken spake and pronounced those wordes And that for this cause that whilest wée declare of what matter wée will speake and what our purpose is we may credibly auouche that we will in no wise abuse an other mans sayinge neither transfer it vnto other purposes theÌ„ is méete but vsurpe it altogeher in the same or at leaste in the like cause for which the author himselfe did so speak After this maner we may sée Peter Act. 2. intendinge to interprete certayne wordes taken out of the Psalme 16. as touchinge Christe risynge againe from death prudently to add some thinges of Dauid and of his meaninge and iudgemente in those wordes And truely it standeth vs very much vppon to deale faithfully and vprightly in this behalfe For it is a greuous offence yea and the holy Ghost is moued with vnspeakeable reproch in cace a man doth force or wreste any sentence out of the scriptures to any other ende or purpose then becommeth him He that shall be founde to haue done this but once doth quickly loose all his authoritie with the hearers and afterwarde yea euen then when he alledgeth the Scriptures aright he shall hardely bee credited To apply aptely and properly the Scriptures to present busines and affaires is the principall vertue that belongeth to a preacher II. Where it is nowe discouered of what matter wée minde to entreate and declared that the sentence taken out of the holy scripture accordeth to our purpose the next poynt is that we diligently consider whether that very sentence as it standeth in the sacred writer doth minister any proofes at all of causes circumstaunces signes or discriptions agréeable to the busines of which entreaty is made As many as are founde to be such shall worthily before any other be brought forth and as those that be of greate weight and importaunce forasmuch as they answer to the minde and method of the author from whiche it is not lawfull vnaduisedly to depart and doe in all pointes agrée with our matters shall studiously be digested adorned and inculked Neither is it a hard matter to drawe forth such kinde of proofes or argumentes partly out of the thinges that lye hid and are included in the sentence it selfe and partely out of those things that either goe before or folowe after the same Of this kinde I would affyrme it to be tht Peter Act. 2. in that Sermon whereof mention is made before to the intent he might shew the he rightely vsurpeth the sayinge of Dauid reduceth into memory howe Dauid in that he was a prophet knewe before hand that Christe after the flesh should take his beginning out of his posteritye and therfore also by the inspiration of the holy Ghost prophesied before of Christes rising againe And whosoeuer is but meanely exercised in the holy scriptures may easely perceyue that in the same Psalme as of the death and great deiection of Christ so also certaine thinges are ioyntly spoken of his resurrection It is not much vnlyke that the Apostle Galat. 3. speakinge of the Gentiles that should be blessed in the séede of Abraham affirmeth those that are of faith to be the sonnes of Abraham and howe it was longe before tould vnto Abraham that it would please God to iustifie the Gentiles by fayth againe where he addeth that the inheritaunce was giuen vnto Abraham by promise III. Moreouer it is very profitable to make as it were a certaine resolution of the whole sacred sentence and to examine in a iust balaunce euery words therein and diligently to ensearche the significatioÌ„ force and vse of them And that to thintâ—nt out of euery of them may be gathered certaine argumentes or proofes agreable to the state of th appointed Sermon and may afterward be oportunely applied to teache and instruct the hearers Of which craft and diligence I meane in drawing foorth of proofes out of euery worde well nighe of any one sentence we haue the holye Scripture it selfe as a moste expert maistres and most faithfull teacher Which thing we will straight wayes make playne and euident III. After the wordes wisely weighed and considered it is requisite that we procéede with like industrye to a more exacte contemplation of the matters themselues or affayres which in euery sentence are signified For it is not very lykely that there shoulde any where happen thinges of them selues so barren that a man may not out of theÌ„ if at least he be not altogither endued with a blount and blockishe witte deuise and excogitate some profes profitable to teach He that hath once throughlye sifted and examined the thinges whereof he entreath may easely finde the meanes to make his oration become both frutefull plentious and delectable We see in this behalfe the Apostle Paule after arguments draweÌ„ out of euery worde of one peculiar sentence to heape vp still a plentifull matter of other proofes and the same flowing out of the nature of the thinges themselues The examples which we will a litell after touche shall plainely testifie this thinge to he true V. Last of all to him that feareth and suspecteth that he shall want sufficient matter of speaking we giue this aduice namely that he put before his eyes the places of inuencion which he knoweth to be attributed vnto that kinde of Sermons to which the sentence of the sacred author appertayneth For euery kinde of sermon as is afore sayde hath certayne proper and peculiar places of inuention the order whereof beinge attentiuely considered we are eftsones admonished of many thinges which maye aptely be spoken of eche kinde of busines taken in hande Therefore him that shall speake of a sentence or state of the kinde didascalick we remitte to the places of inuentioÌ„ as well diuine as other not diuine that he may so longe exercyse himselfe in them as that he maye procure for his true méete and sufficient furniture therby Of which
iudgement when as wretched man is so many wayes euery where beset with perils and for the causes that he least supposeth found giltie of sinne For by this meanes the whole worlde is in daungered to God and God concludeth al men vnder vnbeléefe which neuerthelesse we may not so interpret to be done that he shoulde destroy all men and damne them for euer but rather that he shoulde haue compassion vpon all men and by that meanes set forth and make knowne his goodnesse euery where Howbeit these thinges doe admonishe all the sorte of vs that we should be sober vigilant ware circumspect and that we should studiously avoyde not onely open and manifest but also priuy and secret sinnes yea all occasion of sinne and euen suspition also We are lilke vnto Pilgrimes or to those that trauaile in a straunge and vnknowne country by waies in which we are euery moment in daunger of théeues wilde and venemous beasts waters downe falles such lyke hurtful and perillous things The diuell the worlde and our flesh doe neuer cease to lye in awayt for vs they séeke by a thousand wiles to draw vs into their nets and snares But we must resist valiantly striue against thē by faith prayers fastings by the word of God and other spiritual weapons which Christe the inuincible confounder of all vices and wicked spirites hath prepared hath vouched safe to shew vs how we should vse them 1. Pet. 5. Ephe. 5. Math. 4.17 c. Thou séest what great plenty of things doe offer themselues and how large fields are opened vnto him that wyll procéede after this maner Wherfore we will make an ende In asmuch as the other questions may be reserued tyll an other time namely that touching the causes of sinne and another touchinge the effectes of which sort in the scriptures are handeled no smal number and alas wretches that we be in so many troubles and calamities of our times great store may dayly be obserued But forasmuch as death also is numbred amonge the effects of sinne we will adde lykewise an example but briefely handeled as thouching this He that will speake therfore of death may aptly prefixe two questions out of which he shall finde sufficient plenty of matters that he may declare to the commodytie of his hearers Let them therfore be these What death is and what the effects of death For a description or definition of death this may be had Death is the penalty of sinne iustly inflicted of god vnto al men like as al men also are sinners It is deriued of the causes and aboundantly proued by the testimonies of the scriptures God threateneth the payne of death vnto sinners The reward of sinne is death Through one man sinne entred into the world and through sinne death and so death came vpō al men inasmuch as al we haue sinned In which place are touched the chiefe causes of death man I say sinne whervnto may be added out of Gene. 2. the the Serpent also or the diuell is the author of death which to the Hebrues 2. is sayd to holde the empier of death Heb 9 it is saide This is appointed to all men that they shall once dye and after that commeth the iudgement Out of which places diuers and sundry things may be drawen to demonstrate more amply what Death is And by like industrye may the godly be excited to true humilitie of minde to the contempt of carthly thinges to passe theyr lyfe in the feare of God to call vpon Gods mercy for the intigation of the paynes whiche we through our sinnes haue deserued c. When he shall come to the question of the effectes it shal be necessary to discerne the effects of death in the Godly from the effects of death in the vngodly and that partlye by this meanes first The godly are perswaded that death shal in no wise happen vnto thē to their condemnation destruction but rather to their health and saluation inasmuch as the sentence of dampnation now long since pronounced agaynst vs is by the death of Christe vtterlye cancelled and rased out The law of the spirite of lyfe through Christe Iesus hath made me free from the law of sinne and death Christe by his death hath abolished the power of death Christe hath once suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to god We know that if our earthly māsion of this tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue an other building of God a mansion not made with handes but eternal in heauen But as touching the vngodly◠they know that death is appointed to them as a moste bitter paine doe féele vndoubtedly the heauy iudgement of damnation by reason whereof it commeth to passe also that in temptations but chiefely in their extreame conflictes they are vehemently troubled afflicted and doe miserably faint and giue ouer I will not say for the most parte vtterly dispayre For what can they els doe in whom remayneth no hope or confidence at all touching the remission of their sinnes Euill shall slea the vngodly and they that hate the rightuous shall be desolate Secondly The godly forasmuch as they suffer continually many aduersities and so long as they liue in this worlde are vexed of the vngodly doe willingly longe after death and with ioyfull mindes imbrace it as they that are not ignoraūt that by it is giuen vnto them an entraunce to a happy blessed life I desyre saith Saint Paule to be dissolued and be with Christ We mourne inwardly in our selues for the adoption looking for the redemption of our body We grone in this our tabernacle longing to be translated into that which is from heauen And after a few words Wee truste and doe better lyke to be farre away absent from the body and to be present with God. And 2. Pet. 1. Death is called the putting off of this tabernacle On the other side the vngodlye for that they enioy héere in this life wealth prosperitie and all thinges happen vnto them for the moste part after their hartes desyre are plucked away sore against their willes and doe take it very grieuouslye if a man doth but once make mention of death vnto them But what followeth When they flatter themselues most of all and thinke to settle themselues heere most sure sayinge O soule thou haste great aboundance of wealth enioye it at thy pleasure Not long after yea the very same time when they least do suspect they héere it sayde Thou foole this night shall they fetch thy soule from thee And generally both of the godly and vngodly we reade 2. Thes 1. It is a rightuous thing with God to render vnto those that persecute you afflictiō vnto you that are persecuted peace tranquilitie with vs when our lord Iesus shall be reuealed from heauen And moreouer Abrahā saieth vnto the ritch man Luk. 16. Sonne remēber that thou in thy life time receiuedst
as it is required of vs that we should expound a parte of an holy boke or also some certaine place taken out of the holy Scripture it is by all meanes very requisite that we expresse the state or summe of those thinges whereof wée will entreate in one theame compounde And that the like thinge happeneth somtimes when entreatie is made of an entier booke of Scripture wée haue already by examples brought as touchinge Ecclesiastes Cantica Salomonis and the Gospell after Iohn aboue declared Besides when any thinge falleth out by occasion to be talked off in the pulpit it is necessary that the same be propounded in a theame compounde Of this sorte it is if I say Honger or drouth is paciently and quietly of vs to be endured God by his iust iudgement sent the calamitie that fell through haile Of the one Theame Basilius Magnus most grauely entreateth of the other Gregorius Nazianzenus Now hereby it maye plainely appeare that the vse of those thinges which are to bée touched in this Chapter is of very great importance in the Church of god In the meane time it shall be lawfull briefely to absolue these thinges forasmuch as very many pointes doe accorde herevnto which are sufficiently at large discussed in the former Chapters I. Where if so bée therefore thou be determined to handle a theame compounde when a whole booke is taken in hande to be declared or a part out of any booke of scripture is proposed to the multitude there is no man that seeth not the very text of the diuine wordes which are recited in the sacred assembly to minister and suggest by it selfe many and diuers things which may both godly and relygiousely be vttered and through euery part thereof be aptly dilated and amplified It shall then therefore be best to imitate followe some one of those orders of expoūding which we haue comprised in the 3.4.5.6 chapters of this present boke II. But where as no reading or lecture of holy Scripture ouer longe shall goe before but onely either a briefe sentence or a place out of some sacred booke shall be taken in hande or els no wordes at all be premised out of the scriptures thē truely it shall be expedient thoroughly and exactly to consider all those thinges in order which we haue in certaine obseruations comprehended noted in the seauenth Chapter as touchinge the maner of handelinge one place or sentence of scripture For it is conuenient that the same consideration be had as well of a sentence as of a theame compounde A proufe hereof is this that oftentimes those that are purposed to declare a theame compound doe gladly borrowe some sentence out of the scriptures which may be agreable to their purpose doe prefixe it before their Sermon or in any wise insert it The Apostle to the Romaynes 4. intendinge to proue that man is iustified by faith taketh that sentence out of Gene. 15. Abrahā beleeued god it was imputed vnto him for rightuousnes In the Epistle to the Galathians handeling the same matter he produceth out of Geneses 22 the promise of god made vnto Abraham In thee or in thy seede shal al the nations of the earth be blessed Moreouer in the two sayd Epistles in that to the Hebrues is prefixed a theame compounde or briefe sentence out of the prophet Abacuc 2. The iust man shall liue by fayth That the same craft or cunning therfore is aptly to be applied to the tractatiō of a theame cōpound which a litell before we shewed to be requisit to the discussing of a sētence or place of holy scripture ther is no cause why any man should doubte III. And forasmuch as wée then also admonished that it is somtime very necessary in case a resolution of a sentence or place taken out of the Scriptures be had and all the partes therof examined a parte it shall be profitable also to vse the like experience in the tractation of a theame compounde When this thinge is to be done it shall be conuenient not onely to goe that waye to worke which we haue shewed to bee open vnto vs in the holy Scriptures and that truely very excellent but also wée shall gette furniture of teachinge both substanciall and plentious out of those thinges whiche in the former Chapter bée of vs declared as touchinge the explanation of simple theames For certes the places which deuided into two formes or orders we shewd to be attributed to the kinde didascalicke doe giue occasion of deuising and finding out great and weightie thinges of euery theame that is offered Wherfore wee shall not without cause require ayde and succoure of them As touching all which thinges here to repeate againe with many wordes that which hath bene already sayd would bée very superfluous IIII. And surely séeinge the multitude and varyetie of thinges is infinite that are treated off in the Church so ofte as the vse and order of time doe require there can no better counsaile or aduice be giuen then that euery man haue a speciall regarde vnto their Sermons which haue most aptely and holily handeled theames compound and that he endeuour so far forth as lieth in him to render and expresse in his sermons that which he perceyueth to haue most force and grace in them Such Sermons are with great care and exacte iudgement to be pervsed to the intente thou maist examaine euery thinge occurrent in them and that which is best to bee liked choycely digest and put in order as things to be adioyned to thy household stuffe to be vsurped as thine owne when time and occasion shall serue To make any futher declaration it is not necessary But examples wherein theames compounde of the kinde didascalick are most learnedly explaned these inespecially be commended in the sacred Scriptures In the Epistle to the Romaynes the Apostle declareth at large that men are iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Againe cap. 9.10.11 That the Iewes are reiected of god and the Gentiles called to be the people or Church of god In the first Epistle to the Corinthes cap. 15. it is proued by stronge argumentes that the deade doe all rise or reuiue againe In the Epistle to the Galathyans it is againe confirmed that men are iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe in the last part of the second Chapter and also in the 3.4 and some parte of the 5. Chapters In the Epistle to the Ephesians Thapostle teacheth in thrée Chapters that men by the onely grace of God in Christ are elected called iustified and glorified The author of the Epistle to the Hebrues in two Chapters declareth with wonderfull perspicuitye that Christ is true God and true man. In the same Epistle cap. 7.8.9.10 out of one sentence of scripture are drawen fower distinct theames compounde and euery one of thē is with certaine and assured reasons established and explaned whereof the first is that Christ is a preist after the order of Melchisedec
well the wordes as matters be agréeable and correspondent to our purpose â–ª For thou séeste how the prophisies and promises of the prophetes are of Christ Peter expounded of those things that then came to passe in Iudea thou séest Rom. 4. a very shorte sentence touchinge the maner whereby Abraham was iustified to be applied to the interprised disputation thou séest Rom. 10.1 Corinth 10. Gal. 4. historicall examples to be added to And in the place where the apostle 1. Corinth 9. goeth about to proue that to the ministers of the Gospell all thinges necessary for this lyfe are duly to be ministred of the hearers he taketh out of Duet 25. a certaine precept and showeth it to agrée very well with the cause that he hath in hande Speake I these thinges after the maner of men Saith not the lawe the same also For it is writen in the lawe of Moses Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the Corne. Doth god care for oxen Sayth he not this altogether for our sakes Yea for our sake is this writen that he which eareth might eare in hope and he which soweh in hope might be partaker of his hope It is no harde case to note in readinge many moe examples in which diuers things that are spoken off may aptlye be ioyned together and may aunswere accordingly to the purposed matter For like as the Prophets doe take and apply those their sayinges out of the law Christ and the Apostles both out of the lawe and the Prophets So haue we frée lyberty to borrow all maner of sentences whatsoeuer out of the law prophets and apostles And not onely olde and auncient matters out of the holy Scriptures but also late and new not much past our memory or the memory of our fathers yea and such daily as styll come to passe adde also thinges taken out of other writers as Poets Historiographers and such like may somtimes fittely and opportunly be adioyned to the confirmation of any thing belonging to the present state of thinges For Christ when he laboured to moue all men alyke to repentaunce to the entent they might so with feare and trembling looke for the comming of the Lorde and some were then present that shewed hym of the Galilaeans whose bloud Pilate had mingeled with their sacrifices he aunswering them that told him such newes sayth Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners aboue all other Galilaeans bicause they suffered such thinges I say vnto you no for except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Either els suppose ye that those eighteene persons vpon whom the towre in Siloe fell and slew them were detters more then al the inhabitaunts of HierusaleÌ„ I say vnto you no but except ye repent ye shal al likewise perish And Mat. 11. Luk. 7. Christ speaking of the stiffenecked Iewes which would neither admit his preaching nor the preaching of Iohn Baptist To whom shal I resemble saith he the men of this generation whoÌ„ are they like They are like vnto childreÌ„ sitting in the market place crying one to an other saying we haue piped vnto you ye haue not dauÌ„ced we haue song vnto you a mournful song and ye haue not wept For Iohn Baptist came neihter eating bread nor drincking wine and ye saye he hath the diuell The sonne of man came eating and drincking and ye say Behold a great eater and drincker of wine a friend of Publicans and sinners And wisedome is iustified of all hir children Likewise the interpretations of the parables as they are of Christ hymselfe made and put forth be replenished with this kinde of craft and workmanship of applyinge And how the Apostle in his most graue Sermons and Epistles hath vsed the testimonies or sayinges of the Poets to witte of Aratus Act. 17. of Menander 1. Cor. 7.15 of Epimenides Titus 1. it is better knowne then that it shall be needefull to reherce the places themselues But out of this admonition touching the heaping together of proofes or argumentes to be skilfully and conueniently applyed to the businesse of which intreaty is made or to the present state of the Church floweth an other exhortation as holesome and necessary as any other That is that all men would wisely weigh and consider with themselues how farre forth it shall be expedient to vse the holy sermons whiche other haue made and setle forth The causes of this exhortation when thou shalt heare whosoeuer thou art I knowe thou wilt pronounce theÌ„ to bée iust and lawfull Wée se which is greatly to bée marueled at the minysters of Churches euery where to be so tied and fastened wholly to the bookes that conteyne the diuine sermons coÌ„piled with no litle study by others that by reason therof they neglecte to reade the sacred Byble there wanted litle but I had sayd plainely contemne it But it can not be dissembled that the authors of those sermons doe ofte times adnixe long and tedious digressions also interlace without order reasons and argumeÌ„tes somwhat discrepant from the scriptures openly recited namely forasmuch as they iudged them in especially to be méete and conuenient for the place and time Now it can not be that those selfe same thinges shoulde be apt and correspondent to the present state of the church wherein thou supplyest the office of teaching Howbeit let vs admit that there be no digressions at all and that the holy scriptures are simply and sincerely expounded in them but what maketh that to thy purpose I praye thée if the whole explanation as it lyeth be directed most chifely to those poyntes of Christian doctrine whiche in those places and times were in déede very aptely and with great grace handeled of the Preachers and fauourablye receiued of the hearers where as nowe in these dayes and with thy audienâ—es they will all bee out of season To what ende serueth the explication of that portion of Scripture wherein are confuted the mayntayners and defenders of two contray beginninges the Manichees or other hereticks whose assertions haue now no where any place What shall it profyt to inueigh against those that gad to the Lystes or Theater to beholde playes and games before that people whiche is vtterly ignoraunt what those termes meane Moreouer it is no poynt of wisdome nor conuenient to vtter straight wayes euery thinge openlye especially in diuine matters that is gathered together by the labour and iudgement of other men For they doe alledge in déede out of the Scriptures sentences examples proofes and probations of all sorts but forasmuch as some of them doe note the same very briefly and onely as ye would saye by poyntes or titles some also doe scrape them together at all aduentures out of others whiche haue lykewise lately published and put forth Sermons it is very requisite except thou wilt cast as well thy selfe as thy hearers into open daunger that thou shouldest diligently examine euery thing takynge a narrow new of the
authors of great and publike offences c. We will shew a compendious way how these thinges may be brought to passe I No small number of reasons may chiefely be deryued from those places which we sée to be in vse with the Orators as Of the honesty Of the cause or matter Of the iustice and equitie Of the cause or matter Of the goodnesse Of the cause or matter Of the profitablenesse Of the cause or matter Of the surety Of the cause or matter Of the comlynes cōmendation Of the cause or matter Of the necessitie Of the cause or matter Of the easines or possibilytie Of the cause or matter II To declare any thing to be iust godly praise worthy necessary many grounds and proofes may be drawen out of the most plentifull storehouse of the sacred Scriptures whiche thou mayste dispose in what order thou wilte Of the commaundement of God. Of the promises of God. Of the counsell of the holy prophets or Apostles whiche séeme to perswade some such lyke thing Of the examples and déedes of the holy Saints Of the profit and vtilitie which wyl redound to the mindes of the faithfull or to the whole church Of the illustration of Gods maiesty and glory when namely we shew the to the settyng forth of Gods glory to the sanctyfying of his name vpon earth the thing that we speake off wil wonderfully auayle Of the edifying of others when we declare that the same déede wil be profytable to a great number of other to the end they may be confirmed in godlynes For these and such lyke places moe be as ye woulde say domesticall and companyon lyke to diuinitie but to the Orators they are straunge and vnaccustomed if so bee I meane they be handeled after the same maner that we sée them to be handeled in the holy scriptures Now if thou be disposed to exhort or admonish thou hast in this behalfe also certaine places at hand I And worthily in the first place shalt thou put before thée those thinges that may be taken out of Diuinitie as a treasury by it selfe very ritch and plentifull Argumentes are deriued Of the prayse of the thing wherof entreaty is made or also of the persons which we desyre to admonish For so the Apostle doth oftetimes through praysing stirre vp mens mindes Of the hope of the successe For God fauoreth gladly helpeth the endeuorus of the faithfull Of the publike expectation of other brethren or congregations Of the glory to be looked for as well with God as with men For to require a testimony of the trueth of honest good men is an honest poynt And all men ought to labour in this that they may to all euery where bee a good sauour of Christe It behoueth all men to profit a lyke both by good reporte and euill report and to promote the thinges that are Jesus Christes But yet shall no good man couet ouer much to séeke after glory with men much lesse shal he rest in it being gotten and that for this cause least whilest be obteyneth temporall glory of men he be spoyled of a more ample glorye to wit immortall which he should haue enioyed of the immortall God. Of the feare of ignominye or reproche For it may be obiected vnto them that they profit not in Christ but rather reuoult from Christ as we sée the Galathians to be taunted of the Apostle whom he doubteth not to call foolysh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the certaintie and greatnesse of the rewards which remayne for vs as well in this lyfe as also in the lyfe to come For there be promises of both kyndes put foorth vnto vs. II And héere againe be effectuall those places that a litle before I reherced to wit Of the commaundement of God Of the promises of God Of the threatnings of God Of the counsell of holy men Of the examples and déedes of the same Of comparisons c. III What shall I saye that of causes moreouer and circumstaunces may no slender argumentes be taken when as in these oft times lye hid many thinges which minister no small force to the styrring vp of mindes IIII Neither shall héere be pretermitted the craft or cunning of mouing of affections For in case thou desyrest to induce the multitude to the loue of vertue to the hatred of vice to compassion towardes the oppressed with wronge to indignation against the despisers of vertuous exercises to the seruēt study of any thing it shal be thy part to set abroch all the engins of art and grace in speaking Hitherto finally do pertaine also communications obsecrations contestations and such like figures as we sée oftentimes the prophets and apostles to haue vsed Furthermore he that wyll prayse eyther a person or déede or thing shall vnderstand that he must somwhat otherwise frame his talke in the Church then the company of Rethoritians is accustomed at the barre or in the Scholes For these truely when they prayse any person doe prefixe before their eyes these places the nation countrey lygnage wounders or miracles that went before the natiuitie name ornamentes of the body as fauour strength comlines moreouer education studies artes also the goodes or ornamentes of the minde as witte docilitye sharpnes of sight prudence gentilnes sobrietye grauitye constancy fortitude godlines zeale of religion then the kinde of life state or condition likewise the benefites of fortune as riches friendships possessions enheritaūces againe the actes done both publickely and priuately afterward the rewardes of the actes done as honours offices triumphes last of all the thinges accomplished in the olde age death end of life opinion after death signes or wonders going before or following after death After this sort I saye are the Orators wont to run through all the degrees of age But somtimes they distribute those places in this order the first they speake of the gifts of the body next of the gifts of fortune and finally of the giftes of the minde But verily the preacher in all this busines vseth somuch vnlike practise I. First truely the Churche hath not bene accustomed to prosecute with prayses those that be a liue still subiecte to all kindes of tempations and sinnes as the Orators haue done in puttinge forth their Panegyricall and plausible Orations vttered in prayse and commendatiō of men as who saith iudgeinge that to be either the propertie of flatterers or of such as prepare a triumph before the victory Of whom that the doinges of those are shamefull of these fonde and folishe it is plaine and manifest But it prayseth and extolleth those onely whom all good men trust assuredly to be now translated into the felowshippe and societie of Saintes II. Againe the Preacher that will celebrate the praises of any good holy man dealeth very slenderly with those places which wée reherced yea so far is it off that he taketh matter of prayse of the benefites of the body and of fortune that he scarce
be so many masters hast thou excelling in this craft Againe such as these be a number of Christes sermons wherein he reprooueth the vngraciousnes as well of the rude multitude as also of the Scribes and Pharisees Looke Math. cap. 11.12.16.21.23 Mark. 2.8.11 And further to this ende ought to be referred the histories or actions tendinge to the extirpation of vices as that touchinge the castinge out of the Temple those that bought and solde Neither want there examples in the Epistles to the Galathians and Corinthians For 1. Corinth 5. the Apostle expostulateth against those that had committed offence and willeth them to be chastened by the censure of the Church Cap. 6. he inueigheth against brawelinges in lawe and wisheth rather iniury to be suffered In the same Chapter he speaketh against sondry vices but especially against leachery and sensualitie Cap. 11. against the custome whereby men prayed in the sacred assembly with their heads couered and women with their heads bare Likewise against those that came not soberly and â—â—aritably to the Lordes Supper Cap. 12. against strifes raysed by reason of spirituall giftes and chiefely through prophesy and tongues To the Galat. 6. he teacheth how spirituall brethren ought to be haue themselues towardes those that are fallen In Chrysostome are extant diuers and sondry Sermons against the detestable custome of swearinge and periury whereof some be wholly applied vnto this ende alone as the 27. and 28. other some haue onely certaine pointes mixed here and ther to that effect as homilie 5.6.7.8.9.10 11.12.13.14.15.16.19.26.28 Of which in some thou mayst finde also certaine thinges scattered against backe biting Against that vice are the homilies 29.30.31 against ambition the 43. against enuy 44.45.53 Against dronkennes and riot 54.55 against such as come vnworthily to the holy misteries in the Lordes Supper 60. 61. also that we giue no offence to any man that we followe not the concupiscence of the fleshe against slouthfulnes in well doing against the desire of vayne glory aginst leachery and other pleasures c. Moreouer it is be noted that vnto these two kindes of Sermons the Instructiue I meane Correctiue may iustl be added those thinges which the Rethoritians in the kinde iudiciall doe affirme to make statum qualitatis seu iuridicialem the state of the qualitye or the state iuridiciall For when entreatye is made of déedes and it is called into question whither a thing be done lawfully or iniuriously or whether a déede be iust or vniust to the doing truely of those thinges that be iust men are admonished and prouoked or if they be don already praised and commended but the thinges that be vniust men are deterred and diswaded from or it they be already committed blamed and coÌ„dempned and the verily by the groundes and reasons taken out of those very places which to these two kindes instructiue and correctiue we haue sayde to be accommodate Of the kinde Consolatory or Comfortatiue Cap. XIIII THat all mortall affayres are tossed and turmoyled euermore with the tempestuous waues of innumerable daungers and that we bee all the sort of vs borne in that state and condition that as well through the offence of our first parentes Adam Eue as also through our owne corrupt nature we are continually oppressed with sondry aduersities and calamities it is not néedfull to be declared in wordes séeing the dayly euents the happen doe much more euidently then were to be wished verify and demonstrate the same For truely we sée by experience that the greatest number of men is miserably vexed and distressed one while with warre or besiegement or sedition an other while with dearth and scarcitye of victuals as hauinge thei corne fildes destroyed through vnseasonable weather somtimes wiâ—thâ—â—stilence and other contagious disseases sometime with ouerflowinge of waters somtime with the rage of fire and burning of villages or some part of the citye sometime with eruell persecution for the confession of faith He therfore that in these publike calamities can lift vp those that be downe comfort the sorowfull confirme tho weake and wauering shall be thought verily to deserue well of all men and to haue fulfilled the dutye both of a good pastor and also of an expert phisition But as touching the Rhetoritians they haue vtterly cast from theÌ„ this part leauinge it to the Philosophers the masters of lyfe and maners Howbeit none in very déede can handle adorne it more excellently then Diuines as the profession of whom like as it doth far awaye surmount excell all others so is it peculiarly ordeyned to the easing and asswaging of soro we and griefs Wherfore whosoeuer is destrous to comfort the afflicted must first of all borrow certaine rules or proofes out of the places of the kinde instructiue with which we vse either to perswade or disswade For what is it els to comfort but to disswade froÌ„ griefe Then shall he procéede to places of Diuinitie Of the first sort therfore be these places I. Of the honesty of the cause It is the part of a wise man with a strong and inuincible courage to stand stedfast in euery daunger It becommeth men chiefely to imbrace all manhood and prowesse but especially constancye II. Of the iustice and equitye of the cause It is méete and conuenient to lay a side mourning especially séeing we are more fauourably dealt withall then our desertes doe require III. Of the profit or disprofit What profiteth it thée to lye tumbling in deformitye to wast and consume thy selfe with sorrowe Thou art grieuous both to thée and thine thou disquietest both thy body and minde in vaine IIII. Of the comelines and commendation All the be of a sound iudgement doe thincke it very vncomly and womannishe to lament without measure to take so impaciently the chaunce that happeneth All thinges doe inuite thée to pacience V. Of the easines Thou so oft procurest to thy selfe a freshe newe heauines as oft as thou procéedest to bewayle thy case VI. Of the necessitie What meanest thou Thou must bears and not blame that which cannot be remedied These rules also bée taken out of the frontiers the Philosophers VII Of the kinde of euills which wée suffer to witte that they are not so gréeuous as they be commonly taken yea that they bée rather benefites then euiles as being certaine prouokementes vnto vertue Againe that they bée not neither can bée continuall that they molest the body onely and not the minde which is frée from all dammage and detriment that they bée common to vs with many that they are recompensed with other commodities that in respect of many other inconueniences they are very small that wée haue before valiantly susteined the like and also greeuouser thinges Nowe to the places of the other sort Truely there bée conueighed alongest the féeldes of Diuinitie very pleasaunt and delectable riuers of Consolations when as it appéereth to bée giuen of GOD vnto mankinde especially to this ende I meane to