owne conscience to be nothing else then that which he was supposed to be Here is theÌ„ one cause of dislike the word thus handled openeth that which men of all other things desire most to be concealed so that it is true of the word of Christ which he witnesseth of himselfe The world hateth me because I testifie thereof that the workes of it are euill Tell me now I pray you what thinke you of this Nymp. Truly I cannot but beare witnesse to the truth hereof out of mine owne experience For howsoeuer I haue now learned I thanke God to say with Dauid Let the righteous smite me for that is a benefite let him reproue me and it shall be a precious oile that shall not breake my head yet I well remember when I first heard preaching I was many times discontented me thought the Preacher was too peremptory and a great deale more plaine then needed yea I had much ado at times not to perswade my selfe that I was chiefly aimed at in some things and that the Preacher had receiued some secret informations touching me and my demeanour which he there opened in the pulpit So hard a thing is it for flesh and bloud to beare the words of reproofe yea though in the witnesse of a mans owne conscience he hath euery way deserued the same But I hartily beseech God on the behalfe of you and others of your sort that he would enlarge your spirits and giue vtterance vnto you that you may open your mouthes boldly to publish the secret of the Gospell For I thinke there were neuer any dayes of greater securitie in which it is needfull that the men of God should lift vp their voice like a trumpet to shew the people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sins because indeed as it was said of old All the world sitteth sâ—ll and is at rest And I wish vnfainedly that the seuerall watchmen in their particular charges would remember that Item which the spirit of God giueth by the Prophet Ye that are mindfull of the Lord keepe not silence But sir I am afraid I do too much interrupt you therefore I pray you proceed to shew the next reason of dislike Epaph. You haue said the very truth We can be content to heare the word vntill it rifle vs. But as a purging potioÌ„ as long as it is in drinking is but as other drink vntil it worke and then we could be content to cast it vp againe so we can quietly heare the word vntill it work vpon vs but then it seemeth a burden vnto vs. But to come to the opening of the second reason of the dislike of preaching I haue by obseruation found it to be this because preaching is as they suppose an enemy vnto libertie a thing which by nature euery man desireth to enioy In the second Psalme we reade what is the opinion that men haue of Christian obedience they call it bands cords that is to say meere seruilitie and slauery a base and ignominious thing to be conformable This is the very right conceipt which worldlings haue of yeelding them selues vnto the doctrine of Christ Iesus When Lot admonished the Sodomites begaÌ„ to perswade with theÌ„ to desist from violence against the strangers that were with him in his house they cried straite Shall he iudge and rule Forthwith they began to repine against his godly aduise as against a matter of too much tyrannie in Lot and of too great subiection in themselues It was the imputation of Korah and his adherents to Moses and Aaron You take too much vpon you they déemed the gouernement of Moses too peremptery as an enemy to their liberty therefore not to be endured When the Prophet Amos preached it was said that the land was not able to beare his words as who should say his sermons were too censorious men that were of a liberall and free disposition were not able to digest them One reason which the Iewes had against Christ to stir vp themselues to find a meanes to suppresse him was because they supposed that if they let him alone the Romanes would come and take away both their place and nation They thought bondage wold follow vpon his doctrine This might easily be enlarged with the additioÌ„ of many examples but our owne experience may be a sufficient confirmation For euen at this day the world maintaineth the same opinion of obedience and conformitie in Christian duties that it is an abridgement to liberty that it sauoreth of slauishnes basenesse for a man at the words of a Preacher to be restrained Nymph Truly sir it is euen so for out of my poore experience I am able to witnesse thus much that many men imagine that for them to liue without controlment following the sway of their owne affections if they may sweare and blaspheme and be vicious and riotous and drink with the drunkard and profane the Sabbaoth and scoffe at zeale and sinceritie in religioÌ„ and runne into all manner of excesse this is libertie On the other side they repute the restraint from any of these things to be the greatest thraldome a misery it is to be kept within compasse that a man may not sweare may not spend the Lords day in sports or in worldly businesses or in trauelling vpon his owne occasions that he must set such a narrow watch before his mouth as that there should be no filthines nor foolish talking nor iesting that he should be tied to the continuall hearing of the word to often receiuing the sacrament and the like this is a misery of all miseries a thing not to be endured they crie when you tel theÌ„ these things This is a hurd saying who can abide it and determine as those of whom you spake Let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs. But resolue me herin I pray you sir is this liberty Are not men herein altogether mistaken Epaph. Yes verily for howsoeuer men think themselues iolly fellowes because they can seeme to contemne all gouernement yet in indeed of all conditions it is the basest and of al thraldomes the most slauish for a man to be subiect vnto sin to be giuen ouer to his owne lusts to be led wholly by the corrupt affections of his owne hart and to say the truth euen in reason it must needs be so for as to be a slaue and a vassall is in it selfe very opprobrious and such a thing as euen the nature of man doth abhorre so the more vile he is to whom a man is in bondage the more base and odious is it in the eyes of others and the more tedious to himself if he be of any ingenious disposition Now what more vile thing can there be imagined then sinne is What more abhominable before God what more dangerous to the soule of him that committeth it so that sin being a thing so vile in how seruile an estate
to our further comfort Nymp. Amen Well then because I do euē long to acquaint you with that which hath when I haue bene by my selfe much disquieted me you shall vnderstand that the occasion mouing me at this time to craue your aduice is this Since it pleased God to let the light of the glorious Gospel of his Sonne by preaching to shine in these parts more clearely then in former yeares it hath happened that I haue fallen into the companie sometime of common men sometime of men of better fashion which in the world we call wise men sometime also of men of learning and by profession Ministers some of whom to my griefe I haue heard speake very disgracefully some very scornefully all of them to the lessening of that reuerent estimation which we ought to haue of the preaching of the word and of the ordinary course thereof which is amongst vs. Epaph. It is not vnlike neither yet indeed is it to be maruelled at as though some strange thing were come vnto vs. The diuell knoweth by long experience that the preaching of the word is the ruine of his kingdom that therby he is made like lightning to fall downe from heauen And therefore it hath euer bene his practise at the very first entrance of sincere preaching to raise vp some men of corrupt minds to resist the truth and to stop the happie proceedings of the Gospell The first Preacher mentioned in the Scripture is Enoch the seuenth from Adam together with the relation of whose doctrine the text mentioneth also the cruell speakings and violent curses of wicked sinners against him The next after him was Noah which was a Preacher of righteousnesse and howsoeuer the storie mentioneth expresly no tumults raised vp against him yet it may easily be gathered in that he preaching so many yeares before the comming of the floud yet all that while we do not find any one to haue bene reclaimed but they all continued in their accustomed securitie and knew nothing till the floud came and tooke them all away Passe from him to Moses of whose resistance the storie relateth many particulars at his first vndertaking any authoritie among the people in séeking to end a strife betwixt them he was taken vp short with the common spéech VVho made thee a man of authoritie and a iudge ouer vs After when he was sent backe into Egypt to deliuer the people from the bondage of Pharaoh the story is a witnes how often and openly he was gainsaid sometimes by the people they murmuring at him sometimes by Iannes and Iambre two Egyptians somtimes by Korah and his complices so that though the Lord wrought mightily by Moses yet he had daily experience of the malice of the wicked against the truth Now for the times of the Prophets one Ieremie may be a sufficient witnesse he saith he heard the railing of many and the word of the Lord which he preached was a reproach vnto him and in derision daily If you examine the times after Christ at the first spreading of the Gospell this wil be more apparant Run through the book of the Acts the preaching of Peter and Iohn was entertained first with mocking afterwards more open violence was vsed the men in authoritie tooke it grieuously that they taught the people and by cōmon consent put them to silence Steuen was a man ful of faith and of the holy Ghost and they were not able to resist the wisedome and the spirit by which he spake yet certaine arose euen of the synagogue and moued the people against him Paul was mightily withstood sometimes by Elimas the sorcerer sometimes by the Iewes sometimes by Demetrius and those of that faction somtime by Phygellus and Hermogenes otherwhiles by Hymeneus and Philetus Thus we haue euen a cloud of witnesses to confirme this that it hath euer bin the diuels course by all meanes to withstand the preaching of the truth And therefore maruell not good neighbor at it when you see the like in these times these are Satans old pranks and he will thus bestirre himselfe to the end Nymp. Blessed be God you haue well satisfied me in this so that I now see that those which loue the truth haue cause to reioyce at it rather then to be dismayed when they shall see the outrage of the world and the fury of carnall men against the publishing of the Gospell Epaph. You are not deceiued for the diuel his strugling on this wise sheweth that there is a stronger then he come to bind him and to take his armor frō him And though the oppositions of men are at the first assault somthing troublesome yet we haue euer cause to reioyce when wee can say iustly After this maner did they to the Prophets Nymp. Yet sir by your leaue I cannot but maruell that seeing the preaching of the word is so excellent a thing as it is euē the power of God vnto saluation men should notwithstanding so eagerly resist it and shew themselues so great enemies vnto it Epaph. You wil cease to wonder when you shal truly vnderstand the causes mouing worldly and vnregenerate men to malice and maligne that which indeed as you say if the worth thereof were knowne they ought rather with al reuerence to embrace and if you thinke that it may be helpfull vnto you in that wherein you desire to be resolued I will open the same vnto you somthing more at large Nymp. You cannot content me better then if you shall vndertake to discourse therof for as I suppose when I haue once learned the true cause why preaching is so much misliked I shall the losse feare the pretenced reasons which I dayly heare to be alleaged against it Epaph. The true causes why the course of preaching when it is performed so as it ought is so much repined at are these three especially The first is this As men loue nothing more then their sinnes so they loath nothing more then the discouery thereof they can by no meanes endure to haue their secret coruptions ript vp it is a death vnto them to be thoroughly directly dealt withal Wicked Ahab hated the sincere Prophet of the Lord Michaiah because he neuer prophesied good vnto him but euill that is he neuer spared him but deliuered the truth of God vnto him plainly without flattery Now the preaching of the word it is as the prouerb is The finger in the bile it is euer rubbing vppon the gall and being light it maketh all things manifest and discloseth euery mans close and secret vngodlines In the dayes of blindnesse that is in times and places where there is not a setled course of preaching many a man seemeth to himselfe and to others also to be vnreproueable who when the light of the word by powerful application breaketh out is discouered both to others especially to his
is of all other cities and incorporations the most glorious so it is the greatest priuiledge that any man can attaine to be of a stranger and a forreiner admitted to be a citizen and free denizen of that societie Thus at your request I haue giuen you a taste of the doctrine of Christian Libertie the obedient Christian is the true free-man euen the Lords free-man Nymph Doubtlesse this is a most excellent point and to the soule of a Christian exceeding comfortable how much therefore are we bound to giue thankes to our heauenly Father who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse and hath translated vs into the kingdom of his deare Sonne And I beseech God giue vs the grace that being thus made free from sinne we may become the seruants of righteousnesse that so hauing our fruite in holinesse the end may be euerlasting life But now if it please you I long to heare the third cause of the small regard of Preaching Epaph. The third cause of contemptuous resistance is the iudging of that which is taught by the outward semblance of the teacher as for example Some great man in the world that happily is a Magistrate or a man of note and special reckoning in the place where he liueth comming to the Church and hearing his sinne reproued and such and such duties perswaded straite he casteth his eye vpon the person of the speaker and him he seeth to be but some ordinary man one that if he should come in place where he is should be serued as the poore man in the torne coate of whom S. Iames speaketh that should bee bidden to stand there aloofe off or sit here at my footstoole eftsoone he beginneth to thinke with himselfe that it would be a shame for him to suffer the words of such a one so far below him in the world to cary so great authority with him as that he should by and by conforme himselfe to his perswasions Another perhaps that hath had some good education and thereby hath gotten some tast of learning or is otherwise by obseruation experience growne to be a man of some reach and capacitie he when he compareth himself with the teacher seemeth to sée as much if not more learning iudgement reading and vnderstanding in himselfe as in him and therfore he sayth with himself Why should I yeeld to his instruction why should his opinion sway so far with me as to draw me from mine owne courses why should not I be as wel able to iudge what is méete as he A third that is it may be some gallant a man of spirit that thinketh it a part of his courage to be without feare euen of God himselfe he hearing at a sermon threatnings denounced against sin and against those very sins wherof his life is a continuall practise in the greatnesse of his stomacke and in the prophanesse of his heart beginneth to set all at nought imagining that it cānot stand with that hardinesse and vndaunted resolution which he professeth to be strikē with the words of a silly man or to haue his heart terrified with a few idle spéeches In a word the people generally do not consider how well a thing is spoken how sufficiently proued how soundly seconded and made good by the word this neuer entereth into their thought but they see that he which preacheth what is he but a man of their owne sort one neither armed with authority to punish them nor endued with power to constraine them neither yet furnished with wealth to contend with them and that al his force lyeth in his tongue the exercise whereof when it is once past there is all that he can do and therefore they make a Tush at his doctrine and say of the Preacher as they did of old He is but wind and what is he that he should command vs Thus this also is one cause of resistance to the holy doctrine taught men looke no higher then the man and they value all that is sayd by the quality of the speaker Nymph This discourse of yours so fully discouering the proud conceits of an vnreformed heart calleth to my mind the commendation which Paul giueth of the Thessalonians When ye receiued of vs saith he the word of the preaching of God ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God for so long as men haue no higher a conceipt of that which they heare then that it is but a mans doctrine the respect vnto it cannot choose but be very small so that I must needs yeeld vnto you in this that this also may well go among the number of the causes why preaching is of so slender estimation here amongst vs. Yet sir men that are enemies in this case do pretend other reasons and will not be knowne of any of these to be the occasion or cause of their dislike Epaph. That is most true for sinne doeth euer seeke shades and it is a tricke which we haue learned of our grandfather Adam to sew figge-leaues together to couer our nakednesse For shame men will not say that they are hereby moued to dislike yet notwithstanding these be the true grounds and men in their consciences know it to be so If a man had asked of Pashur why he smote Ieremie the Prophet and put him in the stockes no doubt but he would tell you a very formall tale as that He prophesied against the citie he hath not sought the wealth of the people but the hurt and that he discouraged the hands of the men of warre in speaking such wordes vnto them This would be Pashurs pretence thus he wold pleade for his straite courses against the poore Prophet yet this is but a colour for the very matter is Ieremie was a little too bold he spake too plaine his sermons were like a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the stone he kept not a word backe of al that the Lord commanded him Nymph Indeede I haue heard much spoken by many and diuers exceptions made against preaching but I neuer heard any man acknowledge his dislike to proceede from any of these causes which you haue named I wish therefore that you would instruct me how to stop the mouths of gaine-sayers when I light into the companie of such They will not perhaps say much to your faces that are Preachers but such as I am shall often heare them talke at libertie and vtter the very bottom of their stomackes and spend all their powder and shot to the beating downe of that which I hope they shall neuer be able to ouerthrow Epaph. Assure your selfe of that for we may be bold to say in the comfort of a good conscience They that be with vs are moe then they that be with them And when we come on the same errand with Ieremie why may we not hope vpon the same promise They shal fight against thee
then séeke for sound instruction for their owne better edifying Thus haue you my iudgement touching the vse of humane testimonies in the exercise of preaching Nymphas I willingly agree vnto you in that which you haue said touching some mens course of preaching I haue sometimes my selfe bene at some mens sermons which haue had the name of great Clarkes and learned men and yet it may be mine owne dulnesse was the cause such hath bin their maner of handling so full of schoole-points and termes and sayings of men that neither hath my iudgement bene bettred nor my conscience any whit comforted thereby But I do not yet see how you will make the parts of your owne speech to agree you say preaching must be learned and eloquent and yet you are straite in allowing the vse of those things which may testifie learning and garnish and set forth your sermons for I tel you in the countrey here you are not thought learned nor yet eloquent so long as you speake nought but English and withall common and ordinarie words and alleage nothing but places of scripture which euery man can fetch out of the Bible as well as you I pray you therfore recōcile these two how there shall be that plainnesse in your sermons and yet learning too Ep. The matter is not what men think but what men ought to think It is possible for a man to be skilful in the tongues and yet to be farre from a learned man and much reading though it argueth industry may be a witnesse of a good memory yet it is no certaine argument of sound iudgment That man is most learned who by his skill can make another man learned for this is the end of preaching to make men schollers and he is most eloquent that can make him who heareth him vnderstand that which he him selfe conceiueth The intent of learning is not the men which haue it should therby bréed astonishmēt in their hearers gain admiration to themselues but that by it they shold be profitable helpful to those which are without it So likewise the vse of eloquence is not to be as it were a mist before a mans spéeches to cause him to be the more hardly vnderstood but to giue lustre as I may so speake thereto to bring both light delight to the dull apprehensiō of the hearers And therfore whosoeuer so preacheth as that because of the depth of his learning as men cal it he passeth the capacity of the meanest hearer again whosoeuer so speaketh as that his eloquence as men terme it maketh him to be as it were an alient to his ordinary audience surely the same is neither truly learned nor truly eloquent because his learning not conceiued profiteth not his eloquence not vnderstood benefits not So that this being considered that he is most learned whose preaching is most profitable and he most eloquent whose maner of speaking best entreth into euery ordinary conceit it is an easie matter to reconcile these two that our preaching must be learned yet familiar eloquent and yet so plaine that it may be truly said of it that if it be hid it is hid to them that are lost Nymp. Yet it will be thought that preaching will grow into very great contempt and seeme but base in the eyes of wise men if choise speaking quaint words which in other discourses are thought very commendable shall be banished from your sermons Ep. Why man did you neuer heare of this phrase the foolishnes of Preaching When the Gospel was first preached in the world the reason why it had so cold entertainement was this The Iewes they wold either haue it confirmed by some extraordinary signes or els they wold not credit it The Iewes require a signe The Gentiles being men of great learning as appeareth they seeing Paul and the rest comming after a very meane fashion men for their personage silly for their profession making shew to know nothing but one Christ the same crucified and for their course and cariage in the ministery plaine auoyding purposely the enticing words of mans wisedome they by by scorned it and déemed it folly to be caried away by a thing of that simplicity The Grecians seeke after wisdome hereupon this Epithete was cast by the reprochful world vpon the best kind of preaching to cal it foolishnes and al for this one cause because as for the substance of it it is crossing to mans reason so for the fashiō of it according to the world it is cleane out of fashion onely beautifull in this because it is not beautified with that without which the nice and giddy world thinketh euery thing to be deformed So that the opinion of men reputing it to be but foolishnesse because it wanteth that garish garnishing which mens itching eares are much delighted with ought to be no disparagement to it in the sight of those that are truly religious and I pray God giue vs all grace that are called to the Ministerie to be so set for the glorie of God in the conuersion of soules that we may more affect foundnesse of teaching then finenesse of speech and may thinke it our best art to secret art to take héede of that bastard eloquence with this worst age of the world seeketh to make legitimate It is is a good aduice of Ierome to auoid a pompous kind of speaking in theologicall discourses for a man saith he that handleth holy matters a low and as it were a foote oration is necessarie and not such as is thickned with artificiall framing of words It is no matter though the Papists continue to call vs in scorne Inke Diuines because of our close adhering to the holy text so long as the soules of Gods seruants shall receiue comfort by vs for then I am right sure this being sought for the litle flocke shall pray for vs and the great shepheard shall be good to vs. Nymp. You haue at least to my vnderstanding well remoued this imputation of rude vnlearnednesse I pray you therfore come to the next which is that your maner preaching is too austere you haue nothing in your mouths but hell and condemnation and the iudgements of God which as some say is the next way to bring men vnto despaire Epap I confesse indéed that there is a great error committed by some whose zeale doth sometimes so farre ouer carrie them that they forget the Apostles rule of suffering the euill men patiently and it may not vnfitly be said to many such as Christ said to his disciples when they would needes haue had leaue to commaund fire to come downe from heauen to consume them which would not receiue him they know not of what spirit they are Yet notwithstanding the conceipt of the most who wold haue nothing but peace preached to them when as it may be truly said to them as Iehu said to the seruant of Iehoram what haue they to
may seeme which is in the world There is saith he a iust man that perisheth in his iustice and there is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice Now to represse the rash headinesse of mans disposition which is ready to censure Gods courses at pleasure the wise man addeth this Be not thou iust ouermuch that is Beware thou take not vpon thée vnder pretence of iustice to charge these courses of Gods prouidence with iniustice It was an error we know that Dauid by his owne confession had welneare fallen into And Ieremy the Prophet craued leaue of God that he might talke with him of his iudgement he could hardly at the first satisfie himselfe in it how God could be iust and yet suffer them to be in wealth that rebelliously transgresse This taxing of Gods procéedings in the gouerning of the world is I take it chiefly forbidden in this precept Be not iust ouermuch and this to my seeming is the meaning of that place howsoeuer it be taken as I know some otherwise interprete it yet I am sure it condemneth not that warie and zealous course in the practise of Religion which though the world is pleased to call ouerholinesse yet I am well aduised the scripture vrgeth bidding vs to walke circumspectly or exactly and by a rule and to abstaine from all appearance of euill Nymph The Lord in his mercie enable vs so to do for surely the wicked and vngodly as they are bold in euill so that the very triall of their countenance testifieth against them so also they do adde drunkennesse to thirst labouring to grow to a kind of perfection in vngodlinesse And therefore great shame shall it be for vs who professe to know God to waxe cold and faint hearted and timorous in the duties of pietie and not to striue rather to go from strength to strength and to increase in holines as fast as prophane godlesse men thriue in iniquitie I haue hitherto as farre as my experience in obseruing and my memorie in recounting hath enabled me propounded vnto you the seuerall obiections against preaching vrged ordinarily by three sorts of men the grossely ignorant the wretchedly prophane and the worldly wise and you haue I thanke you opened vnto me the blindnesse of the first the vilenesse of the second and the vanitie of the last The contentment that I haue receiued by your discourse hitherto maketh me to presume further vpon you and to request your patience in hearing and your skill in resoluing some exceptions made by a fourth sort of men last in order but not least in argument because they are by education learned and by profession some of them Ministers and Preachers and yet do not altogether fauour those courses of preaching which some do magnifie so exceedingly Epaph. Neighbor to say nothing of my dutie I am bound by my promise to endeuor to satisfie you and howsoeuer I am of Hieroms mind am vnwilling to oppose my self against any learned men of mine owne profession least I should séeme desirous of contention yet because the truth is to be preferred before all other respects and to giue titles is a thing so dangerous therefore I will forget all things which might hinder me in frée speaking that which in my conscience I am verily perswaded is the truth and wil set before me only the glory of God and the common good and benefite of his Church Nymph Being then assured of your readinesse I will tell you what I haue marked partly out of the speeches partly out of the sermons of some that are reputed learned men I am no scholler and therfore you must not expect any precise order at my hands yet to my seeming their exceptions are either against preaching it selfe or against the maner of it as by some it is performed Epaph. Your methode is good enough But do you know any professing the ministery which do vtterly mislike and disallow preaching Nymph I do not say so for they who are the most eager in this matter if you fall to reasoning with them cannot for shame but say that preaching is the most ordinary and vsuall meanes which God vseth to worke by in the hearts of the hearers and againe that preaching doeth profite more then reading And yet for al that in their ordinarie discourse they make knowne their opinion thus that the word of God is as effectuall when it is read as when it is preached and that reading is preaching Epaph. Certainly I cannot but maruell that men of learning and professed Diuines should vndertake the maintenance of such an opinion yea though it were but for their credits sake for put this case that in the vacancie of an Ecclesiasticall preferment there were ioynt suters for it a man of note quality that hath spent many yéeres in study and runne through the whole circle of sciences and is graced also with degrees of schooles the testimonie of his desert and another an ordinary fellow that hath had but reasonable breeding and no seasoning but in a countrey schoole and therefore is able to do little perhaps saue onely reade faire and go by his Rubricke thinke you that your Vniuersitie scholler would not think himself greatly wronged and grow into a maruellous discontentment if that other should be preferred before him yes doubtlesse he would renew that old complaint of Salomons and say Folly is set in great excellencie I haue seene seruants on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the grouÌ„d He would say it were enough for such a one as he if he were appointed to some lower office in the church where he might caâ—e a morsel of bread and that if he were so well prouided for as was Michah his Leuite with ten shekels of siluer by the yeare and a sute of apparell and his meate and drinke surely then he were as well preferred as he deserueth Like to these would be the priuy thoughts of a wel deseruing scholler being disappointed of his hoped preferment by so vnworthy a competitor And for mine owne part I thinke him to haue very iust cause so to complaine But yet this being held for a truth that reading is as effectuall as preaching and that an ordinary man may doe as much good saue as many soules draw as great a multitude to heauen with his distinct reading as the other with al his vniuersitie learning and long labored for Diuinitie surely then the scholler hath no reason to thinke him self wronged in missing his preferment for why should there be a disparitie in reward where there is no great precedeÌ„ce in respect of the possibilitie to do good in Gods Church So that I say me thinks if it were for no other cause yet men of learning and Preachers by profession should neuer go about to equal bare and naked reading vnto preaching Nymph This may perhappes be some reason in policie but I hope you haue some better proofe
then this for the matter otherwise I know what the world will say euen that which it spareth not to speake alreadie that you Preachers are so earnest in the extolling of preaching onely for your owne priuate credites sake that you may be the better esteemed Epaph. God be thanked variety of sufficient proofes is not wanting in this cause but yet this I thought good to obserue as it were by the way to the end that men who it may be haue a good opinion of their owne well deseruing may see what an inconuenience is like to follow by the defence of such an opinion Nymph I am very desirous to heare what may be said in this case touching the comparison that is made betwixt reading and preaching and therefore I do euen long til you come vnto it Epaph. Well then to cut off all preambles and vnnecessary circumstances for this point touching the efficacy of preaching aboue reading I will stand vpon two reasons chiefly the one is experience the other is Gods ordinance who hath appointed the abilitie to preach as a matter of necessity in euery one that is called to the ministery Experience is sometimes called the mistresse of fooles but by it in this point wise men may learne a good lesson first of all if there be a view taken of all the places parishes where there hath bene onely reading and of those which haue bene furnished with a setled preaching Minister whose care hath bene to diuide the word of truth aright the different estate of the places wil soone make known the worth of preaching aboue reading for looke into those who haue euer rested themselues satisfied with a reading Minister neither séeking nor caring for better meanes of instruction and you shall find generally wofull ignorance lamentable blindnesse in the matters of God men altogether childrē in vnderstanding popish superstitious heathenish in one word to speake with the Apostle Walking in the vanitie of their mind hauing their cogitation darkned and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnes of their hearts This is the generall condition of such places But looke againe to those who haue bene taught in the word haue made conscience to profit by the good meanes wherewith God hath blessed them there shall you see the seale of the ministerie euen the conuersion of soules comfortable knowledge conscionable cariage the Lords Saboth sanctified his word accounted precious the sacraments reuerently vsed priuate families trained vp in instruction and informatiō of the Lord euen a very church in euery house I know indéede that there are many good people dwelling in parishes wanting preaching and many ignorant and vngodly ones in places well furnished with teaching but yet let these circumstances noted by me be remēbred of resting wel enough satisfied with bare reading and of reioycing in the benefite of an able preacher then it wil be found true which I haue said and be a sufficient testimony of the power of preaching aboue reading Secondly whereas the scripture is a witnes of the bad opinion which the world will haue of the ministery of the word assuring them that are called to that office that the faithfull discharge of their duty shal be rewarded with affliction with hatred with all maner of euill sayings let any man examine his owne obseruation and sée in which of the two the Reader or the Preacher this is best verified It is an old saying that by the market folkes you shall vnderstand how the market goeth Take me therefore a common man whom you méet by chance question with him touching the place where he dwelleth about his minister if he be but a Reader you shall haue him say straite Truly we haue a good honest quiet man mary indeed he cānot preach but he liueth peaceably medleth with no mā is very wel beloued amongst vs for why he is a fellow like man c but put case the minister be a painful preacher one that seeketh to draw the people from their godlesse and superstitious courses to the knowledge of God then you shall heare him in another tune he wil say thē there we haue a man some say he is learned but sure I am he hath troubled vs all a good many of vs wish he had neuer come amongst vs we were all quiet before but now all is out of frame there is such reprouing finding of fault bringing vp of new fashions orders that we know not what to do some of the best of our parish will do what they can to remoue him these the like are the thoughts and speeches of no small many and the same no fooles in the eyes of the world who do indeed iustifie preaching by condemning it shew it to be the power of God by resisting it Thirdly for one other specialty drawn frō experience I wil appeale vnto mens cōsciēces whether they be such as feare God or otherwise They which feare God tremble at his words do in humility desire to know the secret of the Lord cānot but acknowledge that they do much more increase both in the knowledge of the truth which is according to godlinesse in the power of godlinesse do find their iudgements better strengthened their faith more confirmed their consciences more wrought vpon their affections more quickened by the word when it is effectually preached applied then when it is but only read vnto them And no maruell for indeed it cannot be that a briefe clause of holy scripture wherin in a short tenor of words such is the riches of the sacred text many particulars are comprised being onely read should profit so much as if by preaching it were expounded and according to occasions applied vnto Gods people If a mā saith the heathen Orator come into a wardrobe where many rich garments are folded vp together in a narrow roome it cannot so satisfie him as if the same might seuerally be layed forth to his view time being graunted to take notice of euery particular because being lapped vp he cannot see the whole beautie and being together he is not able to obserue euery specialty euen so it fareth with the scriptures if a man heare them read it cannot but draw him to admire the maiesty and riches of them and it wil cast some glimmering light vpō the vnderstanding but when he heareth them laid open by preaching it will much more astonish him it wil euen rauish him as it were casting a cleerer light vpon his iudgement working more mightily vpon his affections This truth al which truly feare God are able to iustifie out of their own experiēce Now for others I know they also must yéeld to this that they find the word being vrged and pressed by preaching to be far more powerful more piercing more maiesticall more awaking the conscience more