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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09445	Of the calling of the ministerie two treatises, discribing the duties and dignities of that calling. Delivered publickly in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, by Maister Perkins. Taken then from his mouth, and now dilligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word with a preface prefixed touching the publishing of Maister Perkins his workes, & a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to bee expected.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1605 (1605)	STC 19733; ESTC S102894	75,919	204

Gods glorie in sauing of soules then a● the first set wee not before our eyes the honour but the daunger of our calling and humble we our selues vnder the mightie hand of our GOD that hee may exal● vs in his due time and let vs be content that God giue any occasion or meanes to pul vs down either by outward cross or inward temptation and let vs reioyce when we are thereby so farre cast downe that we cry out in the astonishment of our spirits as the Prophet here Woe is me I am vndone but otherwise if we will needes follow the swinge of our proude natures and trust in our owne abilitie gifts and learning let vs knowe we vse carnall weapons in a spirituall warfare And let vs be assured the Lord will worke no great worke in his Church by our Ministerie wee may raise our selues in worldly estimation and worke out our owne purposes but we shal do litle in the saluatiō of soules for those men do pronounce the most powerfull blessings on other mens soules and speake the best wordes of comfort to other mens consciences which they oftenest say vnto thēselues Woe is me I am vndone Furthermore whereas the Prophet at this Vision and Reuelation of Gods glory vnto him cryeth out of himselfe Woe is mee I am vndone being words of extreame feare and astonishment and of so lowe a deiection as is a degree towardes desperation if it had gone forward let vs learne that the Prophet helde not in his iudgement the doctrine of Intercession of Angels and Saints for particular men for if he had hee need not at the sight of Gods maiestie foorthwith to haue cryed out Woe is me I am vndone but hee might haue stayed himselfe awhile in this cogitation I will desire Moses Samuel or Dauid to pray to this glorious God for me or here are holy Angels of the Seraphins here present they see in what fearefull case I am I will pray to them to speake to this glorious and mightie Lord for me that I perish not in this feare but hee instantly seeing the Lord appeare in Maiestie and fearing his iust wrath being guiltie of his own corruptiōs without any hope or expectation or as he seemes without the lest cogitation of helpe or assistance from any creature he cryeth out I am vndone Lastly whereas he exclaimeth Woe is me I am vndone being words of a soule humbled deiected hereby sheweth himselfe to be in that case which a poore sinner is when the preaching of the law hath humbled him by shewing him his sinnes and his extreame danger by them We may learne that to bee called to the Ministery is to be as it were conuerted and regenerate that when a man is called thereunto it is a worke little lesse then that whereby God calleth a sinner from his sinne to the state of repentance for as God first casteth downe the sinner before hee giue him grace or any feeling of his loue in Christ so here hee first abaseth and casteth downe the Prophet in the sight of G●ds Maiestie and his owne miserie afore hee honour him with a Commission to preach peace vnto his people Which I note against those men which hold it so ordinary a matter to enter into the Ministerie as many doe which take it vppon them in wordly and politique purposes And some of a better ranke which thinke if a man haue learning degrees and age he is sufficiently qualified for that calling But alas this is not all there is a greater work to be wrought then so he must be humbled cast down in sight of the greatnes of that calling of the maiestie of that God whose roome he is to execute of the vnworthines of himselfe to so great a worke hee must bee resolued that to call a man to the Ministerie is the greatest worke that GOD worketh in his Church but the conuerting of a sinner and calling him to the state of grace nay it is a worke euē like vnto it for as a sinner in his conuersion so he at his Vocation to that place is often to cry out in the amazement of his soule Woe is me I am vndone As therefore they are foulie deceiued which thinke any holinesse or sanctification can sufficiently qualifie a man without learning so are they no lesse which thinke all outward complements to be sufficient without this worke which here was wrought in the holy Prophet Thus we see the feare and astonishment of the Prophet It followeth For I am a man of polluted lippes Now follow the causes of his feare which are two The first is his owne pollution and sinfulnesse and the sinfulnesse of his people his owne he freely confesseth in these words I am a man of polluted lippes that is I am a miserable and sinfull man and therefore I feare and tremble to stand in Gods presence nay I dare not looke vpon the Lorde for my sinnes But it may bee demaunded how could the Prophet say thus truely for he was a holy man and iustified in Gods presence by his true faith in the Messias and sanctified by repentance can a man iustified and sanctified say he is a man polluted I answere It is doubtlesse he was so he therefore complaineth here not of any great and enormous sinnes which he had committed to the publicke scandoll of the Church but first of the corruption of his nature which in him as in al mē is a very sea of iniquity which alwaies appears the more the neerer a mā comes to God and therefore did now most apparantly discouer it selfe in the Prophet when he was in the presence of the Lord himselfe Secondly he complaineth of some actuall sinnes of his life and it is more likely of some sinnes of omission then of Commission for we find not that the Prophet was euer touched with any great sinne and where we know it not we are in charitie not to imagine it So that it t s most probable he complaineth of some smaller faul●s or negligences in his Ministerie as not preaching to the people at some time when he ought or not preaching so willingly or cheerfully as he should or desire to lea●e preaching because the people were stubborne and disobedient or some impacience in his Ministerie when the people were reb●llious and resisted his doctrine which passiō might the rather vexe him as we read it did Ieremie the Iewes were so stubborne and stifnecked a people or it may be some want of zeale or forwardnes these or some such were the cause of his feare And the conscience of ●●ese makes him here cry out that he canno stand in the sight of God Where we le●r●e first what a tender conscience godly Ministers must haue aboue all men ●am●ly that they must make conscience 〈◊〉 of the great and grosse sinnes onely but euen of the lowest least sinnes and he m●st endeuor in his calling not onely to be cleere of great crimes but as farre as

them quite out of themselues finding nothing in themselues but cause of feare and astonishment then powres hee the oyle of grace and of sweete comfort into their hearts and refresheth their weary soules with the deawe of his mercy this point needes no further proofe for looke into the scriptures and wee shall finde God neuer called any man to the state of grace or to any notable worke or function in his church but he first humbled them and then brought them out of all cōceit with themselues then wrought in them and by them his wonderfull workes The vse of this doctrine is first of all to teach all men to esteeme aright of the afflictions that God layeth vpon them in this world cōmonly men take them impatiētly our nature grudgeth hagainst them but let a Christian man consider with himselfe how God hath alwaies dealt with his children and he hath cause not to thinke so for doth God laye some great affliction on thee it may be he hath some mighty work of his grace to worke in thee or some great worke of mercy to bee wrought by thee in his Church and hereby prepareth thee for the same Say therefore with the holy Prophet I helde my tongue ● Lord and spake nothing because it was thy doing and what God may intend in his so doing to thee thou canst not tell and therefore in silence and patience possesse thy soule Againe here is a comfort to all such as are distressed in minde in sence of their sinnes and sight of Gods wrath their states is not miserable much lesse desperate for they are in the high way to grace and fauour God iustifieth not but him that repents God exalts not but him that is humbled God comfort not but him that is distressed God hath mercie on none but such as both knowe and feele they want it and knowe also that they knowe not where to haue it but at his hands Happy therfore is that soule that feeles the waight and burden of sin for to him wil Christ bring most ease and comfort Gods Misnisters therefore are hereby to comfort distressed consciences to assure them that if with this Prophet they bee so deepely touched with sight of their sins and Gods iustice as that they cry Woe is me I am vndone Then euen Then are they most capable of comfort and best prepared to receiue it as here it fell out to the holy Prophet Thirdly here is the way taught vs how to attaine to any excellēt graces of God either for our own saluation or the good of the Church namely to labour for a sencible feeling of the want of them in our selues for God vseth to bestowe no gifts on any man but such as do in humility lowlinesse confesse to God acknowledge in themselues the want of them So the blessed Virgin singeth God f●lleth the hungry with good things but the rich hee sendes empty away And so the psalmist God satisfieth the hungry soule and filleth the empty soule with goodnesse So then if thou be rich in thy conceits God hath not for thee but if thou be hungry hee i● ready to fi●● thee with good things and doest thou acknowledge thy soule emptie then behold treasures of goodnesse to feede and fill thee and art thou cast downe with the Prophet and is thy soule empty of hope and fraught with feare then behold euen then God and his Angels ready to raise thee vp to fil thee with cōsolatiō T thus much for the time of his cōsolation the minister by whom was One of the Seraphims The 2. circumstance of his consolation is the Minister by whom it was done An angel One of the Seraphims that is an Angell of that order so called out of which we learne First that there are diuers degrees seuerall orders of Angels though wee knowe not the true distinction thereof nor thinke it lawful to imagine them to be 9. nor to set them down particularly as the Church of Rome doth who make many of their owne deuises which they cal traditiōs of equal authority with the scriptures Secondly that these holy Angels are the glorious guard of God and do continually stand about the throne of his glory attend his holy wil both in heauen and in earth Thirdly that they are also by the merciful appointment of God the guard of Gods children and ministring spirits sent out as it were with a commission for the good of the elect All these points because they are plaine in the scripture and do lesse cōcerne our general scope which is concerning the Ministery I passe them ouer Fourthly here it is apparāt that as the Angels are sent out for the help and seruice of the elect so specially of Gods ministers as is plaine in this place where the Prophet being afrighted a holy Angel is ready to giue him comfort and so ouer the whole course of the Prophets and at this day their protection and comfortable assistance is no lesse present to the godly Ministers of the newe Testament though not in such sencible signes and such visible manner as in the olde for if they bee ministring spirits sent out for the good of them which shal bee saued howe much more for their good which shall both bee saued themselues and saue others also A doctrine of great comfort and much good vse to all Ministers who first of all may here learne contentment in their calling for howsoeuer no calling hath more crosses so none againe hath more comforts and howsoeuer none bee more disgraced by euill men yet none is more honoured by the holy Angels and howsoeuer in this world they aboue any calling are seruants to all mē yet none hath the seruice attendance of Angels so much as they for though wee haue them not to helpe vs to do the outward actions of our ministery with vs or for vs as some Popish Doctors teach that in their Masse Amen is not said to one collect because the Angels say Amen to it yet doubtlesse they are presēt alwaies as at all holy exercises and lawfull actions so especially at the publike seruice of God performed by the Ministers and beside that they are witnesses thereto and of the paines and diligence and faithfulnesse of a good Minister they also do Minister vnto them oftentimes bodily strength and assistance many comforts in their troublesome trauels which they know not how by any naturall manes they come vnto them And as this Doctrine doth thus yeelde them contentment against the contempt so also courage against the danger of this calling For what though thou hast mighty men of this world against thee when thou hast angels for thee what though thou fightest against principallities and powers when thou hast Cherubins and Seraphims on thy side Godly Ministers haue many enemies but if by the eye of faith they can see as well who are with them as with the eye of reason who

king in whose daies Esayah was first called being now 〈◊〉 and an other succeeding him God with the new king reneweth the calling and cōmission of the Prophet wherin God doth not giue him another calling for one calling to the office of the ministery is sufficient but he confirmeth the calling formerly giuen by repeating ratifying it And this God did to Easy not as he was an ordinary but an extraordinary Prophet for ordinary Ministers need no renouation of their calling nor any newe signes of confirmation but extraordinary Prophets who come in extraordinary maner to do many extraordinary workes God in his wisdom wil haue their calling confirmed againe and againe that by very extraordinary meanes Out of which practise of the Lord we learn how great cause we haue to doubt those men to be either fantasticall or worse who pretend extraordinary callings in these daies and yet scarce can shew vs any good signes of an ordinary much lesse of an extraordinary motion for if in those dayes when such courses were more common God will haue his extraordinary prophets caling to be renewed confirmed againe and againe then certainly in these dayes we may iustly require more more wonderful signes of an extraordinary calling afore we belieue it and if God himselfe was so carefull to satisfie his Church in those dayes of the vocatiōn of his Prophet surely y e Church in these daies hath much more cause to doubt in such cases and to require many extraordinarie signes afore it acknowledge any such extraordinary calling These men therfore offer much wrong to the church deserue both the censure thereof the sword of the Magistrate who dare so boldly offer and obtrude to the Church their own fancies dreams as extraordinary motions of Gods spirit This is the occasion and coherence This Chapter hath two partes first the meanes of his confirmation f●om the beginning to these words secondly the confirmation it selfe from these words to the end the me●ne● of his confirmation is a vision he saw from heauen of certaine holy Angels appearing and speaking to him in the first 4. verses In the confirmation which followeth in these words are three points 1 The effect of the vision which it wrought in the Prophet it caused him feare it astonisht him cast him down in the fifth verse 2 His Cōsolation and raising vp againe after his feare in the 6. and 7. verses 3 The renuing of his Cō●ssion againe from thence to the end The feare astonishment of the Prophet is described 1 By the signes of which are two 1 A note of exclamation woe is me 2 By a note of extreame deiection in himselfe I am vndone 2 By the causes of it which are also set downe to be two 1 He was a man polluted and dwelt amongst people polluted 2 He had seene the Lord Then said I woe is me I am vndone The first point in order is the feare and extasie into which the Lord d●oue this holy Prophet which the Lord did not in his anger but in his loue vnto him not for a punishment of sinne but as an euidence of his further loue for the intent and purpose of God in striking this feare into him was to make him to be a true prophet a fit messenger for himselfe It may seeme a strange course which God taketh to confirme and raise vp his seruāt in zeale corage to strike him into an extreame feare euen to astonish amaze him yet we see it is the course which the Lord taketh out of which practise of the Lord wee learne this doctrine That al true Ministers especially such a● are deputed to the greatest workes in his church must ●e first of all striken into a great feare 〈◊〉 consideration of the greatnes of their ●●nction yea into an amazemēt and astonishment in the admiration of Gods glorie and greatnesse whose roome they occupy and whose message they bring the more they are afraide and shrin● so it be vnder the contemplation of Gods maiestie their own weaknes the more likelier it is that they are truly cald of God and appointed for worthy purposes in his church but he that steps to this function without feare he may thrust in himselfe but its doubtful whether he be cald of God as here y e Prophet was Nor is it so here alone but euery where when God called any of his seruants to any great worke he first droue them into these feares and amazements as is euident in Moses in Ieremy in S. Paul and others The reason of this calling of the lord is plaine namely because mans nature is alwaies ready to take enough and too much vnto it selfe God therfore in his wisdome puts a bridle vnto the corrupt nature of man and astonisheth it lest it presume too much and take too much vpon it self Againe a Minister is to preach vnto the people feare and reuerence of the Lord bu● how can he do so to others whē he hat● not tyed the Lord in his own cōscience nor was euer cast downe in admiration of Gods glory and Maiesty And lastly the Ministry is a high excellent cal●ing especially the office of extraordinary Prophets in the old testament and is therefore subiect to pride and to be ●uft vp with self●-conceits therefore ●eacheth the Apostle to Timothy that a Minister may not be a yong scholler least he 〈◊〉 puft vp and fall into the condemnation of ●he wicked giuing vs to vnderstād that it ●s the peculiar danger of the calling to haue high conceits of thēselues because of the height dignity of their functiō Therfore to preuent this incōuenience God in mercy appointeth that all his true Ministers shall haue some meanes 〈◊〉 other to be cast downe euen to no●hing in themselues and shall be driuen ●nto such feares amazements at sight of their owne weakenesse as they shall ●hrowe downe themselues at Christs ●eete and denying themselues wholy shall acknowledge that they are in him whatsoeuer they are and doe relye and trust onely on his grace and helpe The vse of this doctrine as it is for all Ministers so specially for vs which liue in the Vniuersitie we liue as it were in a Seminary and many of vs are hereafter by Gods grace to be framed to the Ministery and some of vs already are Now here we haue many occasions to be puft vp in selfe-conceits we see our selues growe in time in degrees in learning in honour in name and estimation and to many of vs God giues good portions of his gifts what are all these but so many baites to allure vs to pride and vaine opinions of our own worths but let vs remember the end we aime at is not humane nor carnall our purpose is to saue soules Then the weapons of our warre raust not be carnall as pride vaine-glory and selfe-conceit If therefore we euer looke to be made instruments o●

and to doe the will of God Where we learne First what excellent seruants of God the holy Angels bee which so readily willingly and speedily execute the will of their Lord. This must teach al Gods seruants to doe the like and to imitate them in this excellent obedience And the rather because wee pray dayly to God Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen In earth of vs as it is in heauen of the holy angels But they doe it most cheerefully and without all lingring therefore so ought we Magistrates in their places and Ministers in theirs and euery man is his functiō is to apply this to himselfe and to be stirred vp thereby to a cheerfulnesse and quicknesse in their duties for therein they resemble the blessed angels then their deeds accord with their prayer but contrarywise he that doth his dutie vnwillingly and vnreadily is like the Diuel which indeed doth Gods will and yet against his will and surely vnto such obedience there belongeth no reward But as God loueth a cheerfull giuer so doubtlesse loues he a cheerfull worker Secondly we see here how great loue angels beare vnto Gods children especially vnto godly Ministers how willingly they are imployed to doe them good Willingnesse and readinesse to doe good to any man must needes come from loue and yet alas all men euen the best and all Ministers euen the best are creatures farre inferior to the angels Here Magistrates and Ministers must learne to be farre from contempt of their inferiours and to doe their duties of ruling and teaching carefully though the people be farre their inferior● it is the nature of loue to make any man do seruice most willingly to him that he loues though he bee farre meaner then himselfe If therefore Princes loue their subiects they will not spare any care cost nor paines nay they will reioyce to doe them good and they will labour to be like the angels who are as farre greater then men as they are then their subiects And if Ministers loue their people they will forget their owne dignitie which oft times they might stand vpō and will make themselues euen seruants to all that they may winne some And seeing angles do flie so fast to giue helpe and comfort to good Ministers this must teach them further First euery one to labour to bee a good Minister for then are they sure of the loue of angels and then most willingly doe the angels any seruice to them Againe let it teach them to flye as fast to the discharge of their duties to Gods Church as the angel● flye to doe them seruice so shall Gods angels thinke their diligence and carefull seruice well bestowed vpon them Lastly this diligence of the angels and their willingnesse proceeding frō loue must stirre vp al Christians to performe all duties of godlinesse to God and of loue vnto his Church with alacritie and cheerfulnesse So doe Gods angels we looke to be like the angels in glory in the world to come then be like the angels in diligence loue faithfulnesse in this world The Wiseman saith He that is slouthfull in his businesse is good for nothing but the diligent man shall stand before the King And surely he that is willing and diligent in the duties of Christianitie shall stand before the King of kings in heauen And let this suffice for the Angels seruice and his diligence in his seruice Now let vs see what instrument the Angell vsed A coale fr●m the Altar The fourth Circumstance of this consolation is the Instrument which it pleased God the angel should vse to minister comfort to the Prophet a strange instrument for so great a worke A coale of fire Here let humane reason hide it selfe and wordly wisedome bee confounded to see the wonderfull works of the Lord God could haue healed the Prophets infirmities and giuen him comfort against his feare courage in his calling without means but he wil vse meanes And what a weake meanes nay a meanes that seemes contrary A coale of fire must touch his lippes that which in all reason would haue made him speake worse by Gods appointment and the power of his word shall make him speake better Out of which practise of God we learn many points First see how God magnifieth meanes hee can worke without them and so he did in the Creation giuing light to the world diuers dayes before there was Sunne but since the order of nature was established hee generally vseth meanes not onely in his ordinarie but euen in his miraculous actions and though hee vse not alwayes the ordinarie and direct meanes yet meanes hee generally vseth though they seeme contrary as heere in this place and the same will bee found true in almost all the miracles both of the Old and New Testament This therefore commends vnto all men the vse of such good meanes as Gods prouidence hath ordained of any duties or effecting of any thing that doth belong vnto vs to doe and not to depend vppon immediate helpes from Heauen as many fonde and fantasticall men doe who are therefore oftentimes iustly forsaken of GOD and left destitute of all helpe and so exposed to shame and reproach Secondly see here the mightie power of Gods ordinance how it appeareth in weakenesse such are all his great workes In the Creation hee brought light out of darknesse In our Redemption hee brought vs life out of death In our Conuersions hee workes vpon vs by his Worde and by it hee drawes vs to him which in all reason would driue vs from him and by it confounds the wisedome of the worlde which is starke foolishnesse to the wisedome of the Lord. And so heere hee cleanseth the Prophet by a Coale of fire which would rather defile him and seasoneth his mouth with it which in reason should haue burnd him so great so admirable and so powerfull are the ordinances of GOD though they seeme neuer so contrarie or so weake in themselues or in their meanes Let this teach al men not to contemne the Sacraments though the outward Elements Bread Wine and Water bee weake and common and dead creatures in themselues nor the Ministerie of the Word though it bee exercised by a weake man mortall and miserable as others are for that God which can season the Prophets mouth and clense his heart by a coale of fire no maruell though hee worke vppon the consciences of men by his word and Sacraments And againe when we see Grace and Holinesse conueyed into mens hearts by the Word and Sacraments let vs learne not to ascribe it to the dignitie either of the Minister or the Elements but to the supreme power of the mighty God who can purge the Prophet by a coale from the Altar Neither is it altogether without Misterie that God here sanctifieth the Prophet by touching his lippes with a fierie coale for it signifieth that the apt and sufficient teacher must haue a fierie

here hee doth Whom shall I send for the Lord meaneth not such as beare the name of Leuites or Priestes in the olde or of Ministers in the newe for there were alwayes more of them who some for preferment sake some for their ease and some for a refuge how to liue are willing to enter that function and accordingly in that calling seeke not the Lord but themselues and their owne ends But heere the Lord inquireth for such men as first purely doe seeke and vndertake that function therein to honour God to gather his Church and then in all their labours and ministeriall duties truly and faithfully endeuor to the same ends Preaching Gods word and as Gods word diligently prouing exhorting and admonishing and shining before their people in good works for such men it is no maruell though the Lord light a Candle at Noone day and make open Proclamation to seeke for them saying Whom shall I send for such a man is as Iob saith One of a thousand for ●ome wāt abilitie to discharge their duties as S. Paul saith Who are sufficient for those things And some want willingnesse to vndertake the labour as God here complaineth Who shall goe for vs Now to make vse of this doctrine to our Church It were to be wished that in these daies for our christian Churches the Lord had not as great cause to cry out in the want of able faithfull and godly Ministers Whom shall I send and who shall goe for vs But alas this want is too apparant and his blemish is too notorious and it is a worke worthy the labour of kings and princes to reforme it and is a kings euil nor to be healed but by the power of a king for as long as there are so fewe and meane preferments for painefull Ministers there will neuer want abundance of such Ministers as doe want either conscience or abilitie to discharge their duties In the meane time till God put into the hearts of Parliaments and Princes to looke to this great and needfull worke let vs Ministers learne our duties and first wee who are in the Vniuersities are here admonished to look to our selues By Gods blessing we are many and daily grow more and more let vs therefore so furnish our selues as that when God or his Church shall say Who shall goe for vs and whom shall I send then he may finde many amongst vs whom hee may send to that great worke of the Ministerie and let vs feare to bee such as that God may affirme of vs as in the dayes of Iob that hee cannot finde one of a thousand Secondly all Ministers learne here not to content themselues with the name and title of Ministers but labour for the substantiall ornaments thereof nor to be willing to take the honour and li●ings and to refuse the burthen and 〈◊〉 of the Ministerie For else let them know God hath no neede of them for had the Lorde pleased or contented himself with such kinde of men as seeke to bee Ministers for themselues and not for his sake or being Ministers doe feede themselues and not their flocke or preach themselues and not Christ then had he not needed to haue made this Proclamation for all Ages haue yeelded store of such But contrariwise he that is painefull and faithfull in this Function let him know that God and his Church hath neede of him Lastly here the Romish Cleargie are iustly to bee taxed whose number is infinite but it is lamentable to see howe fewe among them be such as the Lord here seeketh for Their Orders of Regulars are exceeding many beside all their Secular Priests and it is almost incredible how many thousands there be of Dominicans or Franciscans or in some one of their orders and yet amongst the many millions of their Monkes there is scarce to bee found one of many who for his learning other gifts is fit to be sent to the work of God nay their ignorance was palpable and rediculous to the world vntill of late being by Luther and others of our Church made ashamed thereof they haue laboured especially the Iesuits to become learned How foule a thing is it that amongst so many the Lord should haue cause to complaine Whom shall we send The Iesuits indeed many of them are learned but for other qualities they are fitter to be plotters practisers in State matters Spies or In●elligencers reconcilers seducers and subuerters then Ministers and fitter to be instruments of pollicie to euil kings then Ministers of the Gospel vnto God But take away them and some fewe selected Monkes and those but few out of many millions● then euen for learning also God may cry and call proclaime in their Monasteries Whō shal I send And if it be a shame and miserie to a Church to want such as God may send or to haue but a fewe then the Romish Church is shamelesse which shames not to haue so many and yet amongst them all whom God may send almost none In the next place By this inquirie and question made by God Whom shal I send and who shall goe for vs The Lord would teach vs that no man is to vndertake this function vnlesse God call and send him therefore here are condemned the prophaine fancies of the Anabaptists and all like them who thinke that any man vpon a priuate motion may steppe foorth and vndertake the duties of a Prophet to preach and expound c. Oh but say they these motions are from Gods spirit surely they can say litle for themselues who cannot say so much but that cannot serue their turne for if we say contrariwise nay but they are from the diuell or at the least from your owne vanitie and pride how can they disproue it Againe might not the Prophet haue alledged that with a better pretence and colour then they yet he stayeth till God here call him euen so all good Ministers are to stay Gods calling If any aske how he shall know when God calles him I answere God calleth ordinarily by his Church her voice is his therefore whensoeuer the Church of God saith vnto thee thou shalt bee sent and thou shalt goe for vs euen then doth the Lorde call vs out to this holy function Thirdly let vs obserue how the Lord saith Who shal I send who shal go for vs Some Interpreters gather out of this Chapter an Argument for the Trinitie of persons as namely out of the third Verse where the Angels sing Holy Holy Holy Lord God c. But it is not sound inough to ouerthrowe our stubborne enemies the Iewes and therfore it seemes those Diuines are of a sounder and wiser iudgement who seeing we haue other places pregnant and plaine enough therefore thinke it no good discreetiō to vrge this or any such place which may probably admit another Interpretation least that the Iewes finding the weaknesse of the argument doe iudge all our proofes to be as weak and so