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A03279
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The dignitie of preaching in a sermon vpon 1. Thessal. 5.20. By Sam. Hieron.
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Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.
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1615
(1615)
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STC 13396; ESTC S120671
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20,449
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30
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openly in the congregation make such an offer Our learned men doe in their writings deride that of the Popish Decretals Decret p. 1. dist 28. c. 5. Homilias per Circuitum anni Dominicis diebus festiuitatibus aptas which require little more of a Priest then to fetch out according to the rule of his Rubricke the appointed seruice for the day I must yet adioyne one thing more before I quit this branch namely that this is also Gods ordinance that of this sort there should bee some in euery Towne and that the same should performe this Teaching-seruice euery Sabbath The ordinance for euery towne may bee probably collected out of the ancient scattering of the tribe of Leui through all the land out of that which is said that they viz. the Leuits taught all Israel b 2. Chro. 35.3 and by that which is reported that when Christ was teaching there sate by Doctors of the Law which were come out of euery towne of Galile and Iudea c. c Luke 5.17 More directly by that that Moses was preached in euery citie d Act. 15.21 and the Apostles ordained Elders in euery Church e Act. 14.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according whereunto was Pauls Iniunction to Titus to constitute such in each citie f Tit. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereupon came the terme of charges in the old Testament g 2. Chro. 35.3 and of flocks in the new h 1. Pet. 5.2 Then the ordinance for euery Sabbath is iustly gatherable out of the former saying Moses was preached in the Sinagogues euery Sabbath day i Act. 15.21 and it may be without violence concluded out of that coÌ„mandement of the Apostle to preach in season k 2. Tim. 4 2. what better season then when the people rest from all other seruices and meet together in one place for holy duties This course was held in the daies next following the Apostles It is the report of Iustin Martyr that in his time Iust Martyr Apol 2. Tertul. Ap. c. 3. Reading and opening the word lasted an houre long euery Sabbath and Tertullian that there was not a meeting of the Christians wherin their soules were not fed with holy Sermons before they departed It was a decree of the Councell of Mentz vnder Charles the great that there should be a course taken that there should not bee one wanting who should vpon the Lords daies preach the word of God Iuxta quod vulgus intelligere possit Babing on the Lords Prayer to the vnderstanding of the people With this consents that opinion of Reuerend Bishop Babington of respectiue memorie namely that a Minister can no more enter the Church vpon a Sabbath day without preaching and not be guiltie of a damnable sinne then Aaron could goe into the congregation without death in case that at his entrance in he did not sound his bels And againe Idem vpon the Command he sinneth the sinne of a dumbe dogge who passeth ouer the Sabbath day without preaching and therein maketh the people guiltie of the prophanation of Gods holy day Vpon this ground the Canons of our Church haue ordained that euery beneficed man allowed a Preacher shall preach one Sermon euery Sunday in the yeere and againe Can. 45. that euery Incumbent shall euery Sunday before Euening Prayer examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of the parish in the tenne Commandements Can. 59. the Articles of the beleefe and the Lords Prayer These things I note to preuent a conceit which some may haue that I come hither to open a packe of Puritanicall ware and to vent some priuate humorous opinions you may see that that which I auouch touching the ordinance of God in this poynt is the iudgement of our Church And thus haue I finished the first part of my proofe that preaching is Gods ordinance It is his will that the ability for it should be in euery Minister and the execution of it in euery Congregation euery Sabbath The next part of my proofe is that without dependance vpon preaching we haue no assurance of saluation To make this manifest I demaund whether we beleeue the Scripture that without faith it is impossible to please God l Heb. 11.6 and whether any other meanes be sanctified by God to beget Faith besides the hearing of a Preacher that I am sure is ordained to that end m Rom. 10.14.17 as for any other mainly deputed thereto without this I am sure there is no inâ—â— euidence in all Gods book The Lord hauing Saints to gather and to translate out of the kingdome of darknesse hath appointed and gifted Pastors and Teachers to that end n Eph. 4.11 so much is apparant And whereas the promise of saluation is limited only to so many as God shall call o Act. 2.39 whereupon they which shall be saued are termed a called companie p Iude vers 1. faine would I know whereto calling hath reference but to a voyce What voyce shall wee thinke it to be but that which soundeth in the publike Ministerie Christs voyce wee will all yeeld it to be and so we may well for his sheepe heare his voyce q Ioh. 10.27 and where is Christs voyce now but in those who by their calling are in Christs stead r 2. Cor. 5.20 and of whom hee hath said plainly He that heareth you heareth me Å¿ Luke 10.16 As we can haue no certaintie of our Election vnlesse wee giue diligence to make our calling sure t 2. Pet. 1.10 so what warrant hath any man to thinke hee is called but by that meanes which God ordained to call the Gentiles and what meanes finde we that to be other then this Goe teach u Matth. 28.19 Preach the Gospell to euery creature x Mar. 16.15 What can be plainer then this God hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Christ and hath giuen vnto men a ministrie of Reconciliation y 2. Cor. 5.18 We will soone yeeld that by this place it is proued that there is no comming vnto God the Father but by Christ shall it not be as strongly proued thence that there is no ordinary accesse to Christ but by the ministrie What moued our Sauiour to pitie the multitude being without a shepheard a laborer in the Lords haruest z Matth. 9.36 was it not because they were in apparant hazard of saluation being so destitute Why is the land of Zebulim and Nepthalim said to sit in Darknes and in the Region of the shadow of death vntill the light of preaching shone among them a Mat. 4.15.16 but because the inhabitants were in the high way to hell without ministeriall instruction Note that speech Israel a long time without God and without a Priest to teach b 2. Chro. 15.3 No Priest to teach no interest in God There is no Logick in the world to conclude otherwise I am faine to
where he was I demaund Is not this written for our learning Can we say it was not well that they did were they not worthie of praise for so doing Then say I with the Apostle Whatsoeuer things are honest and of good report those things doe k Phil. 4 8. And if this satisfie not and you suspect my iudgement I pray looke into the booke you haue in your parishes the Workes of Bishop Iewell in his Sermons vpon this chapter and vpon the 12. and 13. verses what shall wee say of them that labour not that doe neither teach nor exhort nor reproue nor correct that haue no care to doe their message and no regard to the people what may I say of such God himselfe saith They are dumbe dogges that cannot barke they lie and sleepe and delight in sleeping they all looke to their owne way and their owne aduantage and euery one for his owne purpose l Isai 56.10.11 Christ calleth them Theeues and Robbers They are vnsauourie salt profitable for nothing but to be cast foorth and â—â—oden vnder feet of men Woe is vnto me saith Paul if I preach not the Gospell m 1. Cor. 9.16 Woe to the seruant that wrappeth his tallent in a napkin and increaseth not his Masters gaine God grant such idle and slothfull Ministers grace to know their office and to doe it If not God giue the people grace to know them and to shunne them and to flie from them So farre he Which words if they doe not teach not to be satisfied without preaching and to shunne those which are vnsufficient and negligent in that dutie for my part I must acknowledge I doe not vnderstand English Let this then be our honour giuen to preaching euen to striue that we may enioy it and to put our selues to hard conditions rather then to want it And doe you of this towne particularly take notice of it see how God hath moued the hearts of the Worshipful of these parts to pitie your necessitie and to procure a course of preaching with you not so much that you might rest content with this or say as Micah the Ephramite when he had got a Leuite into his house Now I know that the Lord will doe me good seeing I haue a Leuit to my Priest n Iudg. 17.13 so now We are safe we haue a Lecture in our towne No if you shall not set together amongst your selues to haue it amongst you on the Sabbath day the day principally deputed to this seruice for my part I shall thinke our paines here in respect of you to be vnprofitable 2 There is another kinde of dependance which is also preiudiciall to the honor of preaching and that is that which is but by fits starts somewhat eger happely at the beginning but slaking by degrees till it come to nothing you will disgrace it here much if filling the Church now at the first you shall hereafter like men whose stomackes are full begin to grow wearie and full of that which you now seeme to affect Giue vs not occasion to say hereafter as Christ of Iohn He was a burning and a shining light and you were willing for a season to reioyce in this light o Ioh. 5.35 It is a thing to be suspected experience sheweth that as the saying is euery thing is pretie when it is young so such exercises as these are flocked vnto at the first but after men by little and little fall off some will heare onely this man some onely that man some onely now and then when they haue occasion to come to towne some neuer a whit You will bring a disgrace vpoÌ„ our paines here if you shall cause it to be thought that wee haue cloyed your stomackes and taken away the edge of your appetites Haue not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glorie with respect of persons p Iam. 2.1 make much of and honor any mans endeuours that doth his dutie vpon his conscience This shall be your first way of honoring preaching your manner of dependance vpon it let it be earnest painfull constant let it appeare that you will not hope to be saued but by the meanes that God hath sanctified The second way of honoring preaching by common Christians The second way by which you shall honour preaching is yeelding obedience to that which is taught and conformitie in life to our preaching It is not the bare hearer but the doer withall that shall be blessed q Iam. 1.25 There is no fouller staine to preaching then when they which say they loue it and desire it and esteeme and follow after it and trauaile to enioy it shall yet make no conscience of obedience to it How doth this open the mouthes of gain-saiers and embolden them to their imputations vpon preaching when they shall haue some colour to crie out there be none worse more proud wanton contentions couetous oppressing fraudulent then the greatest hearers when you walke not according to the rules you are taught you make preaching and professing to be reputed the nurserie of vngodlinesse and the couert for all villanie And therfore you that are of the first sort Gentlemen and Iustices who haue laboured to draw Preachers hither and who now giue countenance to vs by your presence honour vs also I pray you with your holy practise make it to appeare by your zealous execution of Iustice when you sit here vpon the businesse of the Countrey by your suppressing of grosse disorders and that world of Alehouses that is and which is the very neast of all wickednes and by the reformation of your followers and families and principally by the Christian cariage of your selues and by the abatement of your excesses vaine pleasures Epicurismes swearings and such like that you haue not drawne preaching hither for a forme or out of a glorie but that in sinceritie of heart you haue sought your owne furtherance in the waies of pietie Let it not be said as it will be if you preuent it not Behold here be such and such euery weeke at Sermon and yet how doe they liue rather as Atheists and enemies to Religion then as godly Christians And you of the towne who seeme to bee glad of this erected course resolue with your selues that you will set on with a generall reformation Let vs see some fruit by our labours with you giue no cause to haue it thought you reioyce in this for outward respects as to encrease your Market and to draw companie to your towne or to vent your commodities or that you may glorie Oh wee haue a Lecture too as well as such a towne or as such but as other adioyning townes shall be beholding to you for borrowing from your Church the light of Doctrine so let them receiue from you the light of good example And you all whether Gentlemen or Yeomen or whatsoeuer else I beseech you in the feare of God receiue not this grace of God in vaine make some vse of your comming learne to practise that by which your families through you may be bettered your neighbors prouoked especially your owne soules comforted in the day of Christ Let not the Lecture-day now when the Sermon is ended be made a day of voluptuousnes of quaffing swaggering disorder goe not from the Church to eate out and eate vp one another in the Market by fraud and crueltie Runne not euery man to his rase as a horse to the battell but let vs haue comfort to spend our spirits among you when we shall behold your good conuersation in Christ that wee all both Preachers and hearers may reioyce together at the last day that we haue not runne in vaine If you faile in this it is not your comming to heare vs your commending vs your respectiue saluting vs your prouiding to entertaine vs that can honour our ministerie we shall notwithstanding all this complement hang downe our heads with shame and say You haue requited our labour with intolerable contempt FINIS Wodbury first of August 1615.