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
secondly cauillers and lastly iudiciall and carefull hearers The ignorant are as vncertaine touching that which we call the scripture whether it be be the word of God as they be touching our preaching they haue no assurance of it but tradition and report which is a poore certainty they haue as good an opinion of the Apocripha books as of the other which we call canonical Besides that it is buzzed into many of our common peoples eares by whispering Papists it is thereby become ordinary in many mouthes here in the country that our Bible is no true Bible and that our translation is iustly to be doubted of Secondly those that are possessed with a humor of cauilling may as wel demand how they know the scripture to be scripture those things to be true which are writtē in it as how they may be resolued that our preaching is the truth Thirdly your best hearers which heare as Christ sayth with a good and an honest heart to them the certainety of the truth in the written text and in the sermon is both alike for as they haue a certaine secret teaching by the spirit of God which S. Iohn calleth by the name of an ointment from him that is holy whereby they are perswaded of the truth of the scripture and do account it the oracle of God in respect whereof they are said to be taught by God and Austine sayth God speaketh to our hearts so also they are enabled by the same spirit to iudge of that doctrin which they heare by the scripture and equally to embrace points confirmed by it and those which are expresly and in so many words reuealed in it So thē there is no more certainty of the text then of the doctrine preached out of the text Those which are ignorant or dispose to cauill are doubtful of both alike for the one are blockish know nothing the other are humorous and will be satisfied with nothing Again those which are Gods children are alike assured of both of the text by the secret perswasion of Gods spirit of the doctrine by triall taken of it by the text I remember a saying of S. Hieromes I know sayth he that I otherwise esteem of the Apostles then of other treatisers the Apostles I know spake alwayes the truth the other as men in many things were deceiued The spéech may well be applied to this purpose the books of holy Scripture we must yeeld consent vnto them without refusall because it is certaine that they are all giuen by inspiration of God so that there is nothing in them of any priuate motion but as for the writings and preachings of men they are not to be credited before they be tried whether they are of God Thus much willingly is acknowledged but yet after this triall made and by the dayly searching of the scriptures those things which in preaching are deliuered are found to be so then the doctrines though drawne out of the text by the art and wit of man and otherwise amplified enlarged and vrged by the helps of learning are not to be called the opinions of a man but the words of God It is a good rule of the learned that those points which are collected out of the scripture are of like authority with those which are directly writtē in it Whē Paul being at Thessalonica went into the synagogue of the Iewes and disputed with them by the scriptures I hope no man wil say but that those things which he by argument discourse drew out of the writtē word were of equal authority with points expresly mentioned Paul pleading before Agrippa stood stiffely to the iustifying of his doctrine because he had said no other things but those which the Prophets Moses did say shold come His doctrine was the same with the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets yet not in words but in sense and substance And the same Apostle is not afraid to call his preaching The counsell of God though it were in regard of the tenor and course of speech differing from the expresse letter of the text If it shall be said vnto me that there is a difference betwixt our sermons and Pauls I willingly confesse it but yet I say that euen Pauls sermons were subiect to the like triall that ours be as appeareth by the practise of the Noblemen of Beraea And therefore as his preaching was not to be estéemed as the word of God till triall and being tried was equally to be reuerenced as the written word it selfe so neither are our sermons to be by and by credited vpon our bare word but to be thoroughly examined but being once found to hold at the touch-stone then they are so to be reputed Gods word that it may be safely said He that despiseth them despiseth not man but God And indéed vnlesse we shall giue equall credit and respect to matters soundly proued by scripture and to points expressed in it we shall hazard the truth of many and the same no pettie principles of Religion which I know are substantially confirmed by the scripture but yet are not word for word so to be found in the sacred text as we maintaine them And this I think may be a sufficient answer to this obiection Tell me I pray you how you do conceiue it Nymph As far as I can coniecture your answer is this that when that course of due triall which is meete is taken touching things taught by preaching then the scripture being found to giue allowance to thē there is as great assurance of the authoritie of the one as of the other and that is as much to be accounted the word of God which the scripture warranteth as that which by name in so many words it expresseth Epaph. That is indéede the summe of the answer to which if you will you may adde this that by preaching men come to be better assured of the authoritie of the scripture for the better they vnderstand it the more comfort they find in it and the more they feele the power and working of it all which by the blessing of God are the effects of preaching the more are they assured that the scripture is the very thing which it is said to be euen a perfect pure and sweete doctrine conuerting the soule reioycing the heart and able to make a man wise vnto saluation It is truly said that the Scripture standeth not in reading but in vnderstanding What shall it auaile men to cary a kind of conceipt of some diuine authoritie to be in the Scripture so long as they are ignorant of the mysterie of it and without any apprehension or tast of the comfort which is intended in it Nymph I am sory that I am constrained to make you tary so long in this matter and that so much the rather because there are many other things yet behind wherein I am as desirous of your
their knowledge is but vaine iangling and their conuersation not much differing from the irreligious mulitude they are like the fish in the sea which howbeit it liueth in the salt water yet is without all tast of saltnesse So though they liue vnder a setled ministery which is the salt of the earth yet being tasted wil be found vtterly without any true seasoning Now if it might be I would be loth to be in this number and therfore my last though not my least suite vnto you is to affoord me your best counsell in this case Epaph. I must néeds commend your good care in this matter for indeed whatsoeuer men think there is nothing so ful of danger as is idle and vnprofitable hearing Those things which are in their owne nature best being ill vsed become most hurtfull Hearing is the ordinance of God to draw vs vnto himselfe but being vsed carelesly and vnprofitably it turneth to our greater condemnation and therefore you cannot be too carefull herein It is true that men pretend many things whereby to shift off the diligence which is required in this behalfe but their pretences being examined will become lighter then vanitie it selfe They say we that are Preachers cannot agree among our selues that is not absolutely true for blessed be God many of vs do proceede by one rule and do mind one thing Besides so long as we liue here in the world our vnderstanding is mixed with the darknesse of ignorance and by reason thereof there cannot chuse but be differences of opinions in some things euen among the best Take me three or foure or halfe a doozen which are dimme sighted and cannot see without spectacles if you set them to descrie a thing a farre off they will be of diuers and contrarie opinions touching it now Saint Paul sayth that in this life we do but see as in a glasse darkely and therefore our iudgements in all things at all times cannot be the same Moreouer it pleaseth the Lord sometimes for their punishment which haue not receiued the loue of the truth and for the discouerie of those which are sathan to be a false spirit in the mouths of some and to suffer them to come amongst vs in sheepes clothing though inwardly they are rauening wolues Now the possibilitie of being deceiued when we heare ought rather to increase our care in hearing then to be an occasion of vnwillingnesse to heare This may be manifested by a plaine similitude Salomon exhorting vs to be carefull to obtaine the knowledge of Gods truth deliuereth his exhortation in these words Buy the truth from this kind of speech I reason thus If a man wanting necessaries as meat and rayment and being aduised to furnish himselfe from the market should make this answer The world is so full of deceipt that a man knoweth not whom to trust those which sell many of them wil not sticke to beguile their owne fathers and the trickes and deuises that tradesmen haue are infinit so that it is twenty to one but a man in chafering with them shall be beguiled I had rather therefore go neare the wind and want necessarie prouision then put it to the aduenture of buying If I say a man pleade thus what would we thinke of him but that either he were very foolish or very froward And indéed we might well so estéeme him because we know that the fraud of others must be preuented rather with care and circumspection and not vsed as an occasion of abridging a mans selfe of necessaries Is not he then as much a foole who wanting the sauing knowledge of the truth and being called vpon to repaire vnto the house of God which is as it were the Lords market in which the hid treasures of wisedome and knowledge are laid open to the view and offered freely to the vse of all men shall eftsoones plead the deceiueablenesse of false doctrine the corruption of many Preachers the shew of some contrarieties among them Yes verily for is he to depriue himselfe of the necessarie foode of his soule because it may be for lacke of care that in stead of hoping to be fed he may be poysoned Nay rather he is to become the more warie the more diligent in prayer the more exercised in the Scripture that when he cometh to buy the truth he may not be deceiued Nymph Truly you say well onely it seemeth you build vpon a false ground at least in the opinion of some namely that we which are priuate men may iudge of that which we heare and examine it whether it be the truth or no I desire therefore that you would proue that point well vnto me Epaph. Indéed it is the opinion of poperie that it is not for euery particular person of himselfe to examine trie or iudge which is true or false doctrine who is a true or false doctor and it is a principle in that Church that it suffiseth a commō man to giue his consent to the church and to beleeue as the Pastors beléeue But all the true Ministers of Iesus Christ are of another iudgement for howsoeuer we do vrge all reuerent respect to the preaching of the word as to the ordinance of God yet we take not vpon vs to haue dominion ouer the faith of our hearers as though we would bind them to giue credite to euery thing we speake by the authoritie of our name as Ambrose his words are therefore because we speake it And in truth there is nothing more manifest in Scripture then this that the people ought iudicially to examine the doctrine taught before they dare to entertaine it Paul to the Galathians sayth thus Though we or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Now if he with preacheth contrary to the reuealed truth be accursed surely the case of him which giueth credite to him must needes be dangerous and therefore for the auoydance of the danger it is meete for euery man to be fully perswaded in his owne mind that he may discerne things that differ one from another The Thessalonians are willed to trie all things those to whom Saint Iohn wrote are counselled to trie the spirits Salomon hath branded him for a foole who will belieue euery thing It is a disgrace for men professing religion to be like children caried with euery wind of doctrine It is an honor to be like the gentlemē of Beraea who searched the Scriptures daily whether those things which the Apostles taught were so Christ saith that his sheepe know his voice and will not follow a stranger What can be more expresse then these testimonies Let any man consider the places and the parties to whom these commaundementes of taking triall of the doctrine were directed and he shall find that no one man is exempted from this dutie of examining Nymph Indeed me thinketh it
standeth with some reason that we should trie the doctrine which we heare before we credit it for otherwise we may soone be drawne into many errors we haue a Prouerbe that a man must tell mony euē after his own father not in distrustfulnesse as though we thought he would deceiue but in wisdom because vnwittingly he may be deceiued No doubt we ought to be much more circumspect in matters of doctrine because euen the best that teach in that they are men may erre and because also in matters of that nature to be deceiued is so exceeding dangerous But all the matter is how to iudge and by what meanes to be able to know truth from falshood wholesome from vnwholesome doctrine Epaph. Know this therefore for a truth that in all cases and controuersies of religion the Scripture onely must be admitted as vmpire and euery thing must stand or fall at the determining thereof for therefore hath the Lord commanded it to be written and to be made common to all that by it all controuersies might be decided all doubts resolued all heresies confuted all truth confirmed euery conscience guided euery mans life framed Nothing is sound that is disagreeing frō it nothing vnsound that is consonant thereunto We are well contented to let that absurditie dwell with the parents of it the Papists namely that the Scripture is rather to be tearmed an admonisher then a Iudge let it be their glorie to thinke basely of the written word and to ascribe the authoritie of iudging to vnwritten verities and traditions rather then to it we haue learned that the Law which is come foorth of Sion and the word of the Lord that hath issued from Ierusalem must be iudge amongst the nations and we are commanded to appeale still to the Law and to the testimonie assuring our selues that there is no light in them which speake not according to this word We find that our Sauiour himself stood to the iudgement and triall of the Scripture Paul submitted his doctrine to the same rule We read the learned in former ages to giue the priuiledge of iudging onely to the Scripture Augustin disputing with a chief Arrian saith thus Let vs dispute by the authoritie of the Scriptures which are indifferent witnesses to vs both And in another place The Epistles of Bishops giue place one to another and Councels are amended one by another but the canonicall Scripture that is the rule of all and must correct all Basill the Great demandeth that against all heretiques the Scripture only be the vmpire Cyprian saith that the rules of all doctrines haue flowen from the Scripture Chrysostome willeth his hearers to fetch all things from the Scripture But what shold we stand vpon the testimonies of men when the fore-alleaged places out of the written text are so apparant Therefore to prepare you to the trying of the doctrines which you heare hold this firme ground that all points must receiue their allowance from the Scripture Nymp. I could easily agree to you in this that you haue said but that there is this difficultie therin namely how to make vse of the Scripture and to apply it to this worthy purpose of finding out the truth thereby You that are scholers and haue the helpes of learning and of the Artes and tongues may make better shift in these cases then we plaine men of the country can There is no man that preacheth but he alleageth the Scripture and so carieth it that it may seeme to be absolutely for him in that which he auoucheth so that vnlesse we be taught how to iudge by the Scripture we shall still be in suspense Epaph. You haue made a very néedfull motion and therefore if you will listen to it I will acquaint you with that course whereof my selfe both in my priuate studies and in hearing others publikely haue had very comfortable experience First of all when you haue occasion and oportunitie to heare you must remember Salomons aduice to take heede to your foote to vse some preparation before hand praying the Lord to open your eyes that you may see the wonders of his law and that his spirit of truth may be with you to leade you into all truth Secondly you must labor by all meanes to subdue suppresse the seeming wisedome of your owne heart resoluing to yeeld vp your self to whatsoeuer the Lord reueales though it be altogether crossing to your owne reason and displeasing to nature For as God resisteth the proud and maketh them which professe themselues wise to become fooles so he will guide the meeke in iudgement and teach the humble his way and reueale his secret to them that feare him Thirdly when you haue thus framed and fitted your self by prayer and humilitie be sure to remember this rule especially namely that that doctrine is the truest which maketh most for Gods glorie most for the comfort reliefe of a wounded conscience most for the restraining and curbing of our corrupt nature and fleshly affections Mark a litle and I will shew you the reason of this rule First of all the end why God made all things was the glorie of his owne name the thing especially aymed at by him in that great and admirable worke the redemption of mankind and in all the particulars of it euen from the first foundation of it his eternall election vnto the last end hereof our glorification in heauen is That no flesh might glorie in his presence but that he that glorieth might glorie in the Lord. This being then the maine end of all Gods courses to kéepe the glorie of al things entire vnto himselfe it must needes be that that doctrine is the most sound which doth not admit the least empeachment of Gods glorie Secondly one chiefe end of the Scripture is as to beate down man and to cleane strippe him of all goodnesse and inclination thereunto for the kéeping of Gods glorie whole vnto himself so also to put gladnesse into all distressed hearts and to bring the ioy of saluation to all afflicted spirits Dauid saith it is one propertie of the word of God to reioyce the heart and Paul affirmeth that the drift of all the Scripture is that we through patience and comfort thereof might haue hope So that looke what doctrine bringeth the fullest comfort to a poore soule when it is euen at the depth of sorrow that must néedes be wholesome doctrine séeing it concurreth with the whole scope of the Scripture Thirdly one thing principally intended in the discouerie of that grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men was that vngodlinesse and worldly lusts should be denyed that the flesh with the affections and lustes shold be crucified that the body of sinne should be destroyed and that mortifying our members which are on the earth we should serue the Lord all the
entring through euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule the spirit more discerning the thoughts and the intents of the hart and this is my first reasō fetched frō experience against which there can be no disputing for it is in vain to go about to perswade a man that the thing is not so with he by obseruatiō hath stil foūd to be so Nymph I haue wel marked your speech duly considered the course of your argument and as I am wel strengthened by it in that good opiniō which I haue alwaies had of preaching so I am glad of one thing which I obserued in your discourse namely that you seem not altogether to condemne reading nor to desire the banishing of it out of the Church I can tell you it is commonly said that you and others such as you are do mislike the reading of the scriptures Epaph. God forbid that I or any man should hold so grosse an error as to condemne a course of that antiquitie Moses was read in the synagogue euery Sabboth day there was the lecture of the Law Prophets And our Sauior Christ coming into the synagogue on the Saboth day stood vp to reade And for mine owne part I agrée to the opiniō of a learned man of our later times that reading of the holy scriptures in the congregation is good to that end that the phrase maner of speaking of the scripture the scripture it self might be more knowne more familiar to the people and I confesse also with him that by that meanes the iudgment of the people is confirmed in al points of religiō so that thereby they are made able to iudge of the interpretation of the scriptures of the doctrine taught them by their own teachers or others all this I willingly acknowledge And howsoeuer mē are disposed to interpret it yet that which is spokē in the praise of preaching tendeth rather to the countenancing then to the disgrace of reading for he who obserueth it shall find that none in priuate examine the scripture more carefully none in publike hear it read more respectiuely then those whō preaching hath taught to see the excellency of Gods word the worth of the scripture Nymphas You haue done very well to make knowne your iudgement touching the reading of the scripture for the conceit that you think basely of the word read is a great preiudice to you in many places and in many mens opinions If it please you come now I pray you to your secōd reason Epap The second reason which I haue for the maintaining the efficacy of preaching aboue reading is grounded vpon the abilitie to preach which the Lord requireth in euery Minister For this being taken for graunted that the Lord would both in the riches of his loue and the depth of his wisdome set downe that course which should be most for the behoofe of his Church it must néeds follow that if he haue not thought it sufficient for a Minister to be able to reade but to performe some further dutie of instructing then surely there is something more in preaching then in reading and more profite like to folllow by opening the text then by bare propounding it Nymph Your reason is good if you be able to proue it for it seemeth to some a hard doctrine to say that God requireth euery Minister in the Church to be able to preach and therefore I wish you may be able to make it good Epaph. How hard soeuer and incredible it may séeme to some yet I doubt not but to proue it especially if we will be content to stand to the iudgement of the scripture and to that sure word as S. Peter calleth it endeuouring by a reuerent kind of examination to search out the secret and hidden meaning of Gods spirit And first of all I will place in the front as it were of this proofe that worthy place in the tenth chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent The summe of the place is this that the hearing of a Preacher which is sent is the ordinary meanes ordained of God to beget faith From thence ariseth another point that he whose ministery must be the meanes and instrument to beget faith must be a man sent for How can they preach except they be sent onely that man is a preacher which is sent Now if we shall examine what it is to be sent it will appeare to be true that a sufficient minister to cal Gods people must be a man of better qualitie then a bare reader of the Scripture To be sent therefore is this to be appointed and deputed of God and as the Lord speaketh of Ieremie sanctified or as Paul sayeth of himselfe put apart to that seruice Were it not now a presumptuous and ouerbold imputation of a certaine dissolute carelesnes vnto the wisest and most prouident God to say or thinke that he would put any man in his seruice for the worke of the ministery vnlesse the same were so gifted and qualified as is méete for the discharge of so weighty a businesse Salomon sayth that He that sendeth a message by the hand of a foole that is of a man vnable to deliuer the tenor of his message and to open it to him to whom it is sent is as he that cutteh off the feete It is as if he should bid a man go and yet chop off his feete wherewith he should trauel A Prince purposing an ambassage to another Prince thinketh it not enough that the man whom he wil employ in that seruice be able to cary his errand written in a paper and faithfully to deliuer it according to directions for that euery ordinary Currer and common Post may do but he maketh choise of one that hath had the best bréeding a man of good vnderstanding of good discourse of good behauior and of no lesse discretion who is in these respects able to debate and manage those great affaires as may be most for the behoofe and honorable aduantage of him that sendeth him Shall we thinke God to be lesse carefull for the businesse of his church then earthly Princes be for their State causes Shall a man of the best qualitie be sought out for the carying of a message from one man to another and shall one of the meanest sufficiency haue the ministery of reconciliation betwixt God and man giuen vnto him God forbid Let all these things then be put together First that he whose ministery shall be the means to breed faith is a man sent which the text auoucheth Secondly that to be sent is to be gifted in that measure as is agréeing to the waight of so great a calling which cōmō sense will not suffer vs to deny Thirdly that to be able only to reade the scripture
is a common gift and a facultie of no great note which euery man wel knoweth Let these things I say be put together and you shall find them as a threefold cord not easily broken building vp and strengthening this truth that the man not graced with any more then the power to reade is not the Minister appointed by God for the working of faith in the hearts of his people Againe to presse this place yet further this is the constant doctrine of the scripture that no Minister can haue comfort in the day of the Lord but onely he who is able to say with Ieremie I haue not thrust my self in for a Pastor For wo shall be vnto those of whom the Lord shall say I haue not sent these Prophets yet they ran So that it standeth euery man vpon who desireth that worthy worke the office of an ouerseer in Gods Church to be wel assured of his calling least in the day of suruey it be said vnto him as was said vnto the guest without the wedding garmēt Friend how camest thou hither Or as to the wicked in the Psalm What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth Now by what meanes can a man know himselfe to be sent and called of God to the seruice of his church there is no reuelation to be looked for neither is it to be expected that God should call by some immediate voyce as he did that Prophets or as he did Paul yet there is a meanes and course as certaine herein as if the Lord should say directly by a voyce sounding in our eares Go behold haue not I sent thee It is in this matter as it is in that of election A man that is carefull according to the rule of the holy Ghost to make his calling and election sure must not presume to search the vnsearchable counsels of God neither yet waite for some speciall intelligence from heauen but he must enter into his owne heart and rise vp by degrees from the fruites of sanctification to his being iustified from iustification to his effectual calling from thence to election and from all these conclude eternall glorificatiō in Gods kingdome this is a sure course to be led by the streames vp to the well head Not much vnlike is the course in iudging of a mans calling to the ministery I may in some sort apply the spéech of Paul in another case to this purpose Say not thou that affectest the ministery who shall ascend vp into heauen to assure mée what is Gods purpose touching mée for there is another way The testimonie of thy being sent if thou art sent is neare thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart Inquiry must be made by a man in this behalfe in what measure God hath fitted him to be a minister of the new Testament Now may a man with a safe conscience or with any good ground make himselfe beléeue that God hath sent him and called him to the ministery because he is able to reade distinctly the text of holy scripture Can this one facultie be a sufficient testimonie to a mans owne soule that he is one of the appointed labourers for Gods haruest Shall a man aduenture to vndertake the cure and care of soules vppon so slender preparation Surely for as much as I can conceiue the doctrine of the Scripture describing the office of a Minister is against it This vse I haue made of this place the summe is this the ordinary meanes to beget faith is the hearing of a Preacher sent that is so furnished with gifts sutable to his calling that both in respect of the tenor of his message and his abilitie to manifest the riches of the glorious mysterie of Christ his very feete may deserue to be called Beautifull but neither is bare reading to be numbred among those gifts which might argue a man to be sent neither is it safe for any man to aduenture vpon no better sufficiencie Therefore there is more required in him who must be heard for the breeding of faith then the naked facultie of deliuering to the people out of a booke the letter of the Scripture Nymph But by your leaue sir that which you speake touching sending I feare me how it will be well taken for hath not the Church the power of sending and calling to the Ministery If then a man able onely to reade the scripture be by the Church appointed to that office is not that a suffient warrant to him in this case Epaph. The calling by the Church I acknowledge to be so necessary that without it a setled forme of Church gouernement being established no man is to be reputed a lawfull Minister though he be otherwise of neuer so great sufficiencie God I know calleth men extraordinarily sometimes as namely in the first founding planting of the Church so were the Apostles and Euangelists called and when the Church of God is defaced an vniuersall Apostasie spread ouer it so it is thought they were called who restored the sinceritie of religion after the long night of Popery But this extraordinary kind of calling neuer taketh place but when ordinary calling faileth Now though the calling and allowance of the Church is necessary yet it is not sufficient to the being of a minister The office of the Church is onely to approue it is God that maketh a minister And therefore the Church is tied to a law to lay hands sodainly vpon no man but to proue first and to vse a very precise examinatiō before they separate any mā to the office of a minister The Churches duty is to search out what men the Lord hath chosen to take a part in the ministration I know there may be an error committed herein and men in their choises and elections may be deceiued It fareth many times with the gouernors of the Church as it did with Ioab in the campe When Absolom was slain the army of those which ioyned with him in the conspiracie was ouerthrowne Ioab was purposed by a messenger to informe Dauid of the successe of the battel hereupon one Ahimaaz offered himselfe to be the carier of tidings Ioab put him backe taking another one Cushi to be the fitter for that seruice Ahimaaz notwithstanding continued to importune Ioab What I pray thee if I run also after Cushi And againe Yet what if I runne and neuer left vntil he had obtained licence to run also Hauing gotten this leaue to run he ran by the way of the plaine and ouer-went Cushi and came first to Dauid and made wise as if he could haue told great tidings But when the King came to particulars then he was silent I saw a great tumult but I knew not what The case so standeth many times in the church The spiritual Ioabs the leaders of Gods people intend perhaps to send none but
scripture by preaching doeth derogate from the dignitie of the scripture and doth seeme to fauour the doctrine of Poperie touching the obscuritie and darknesse of the holy writte as though there were such necessitie of a Teacher to come to the vnderstanding of it Epaph. The answer to this is easie Touching the Scriptures God forbid but we should acknowledge that they are both in their owne nature light and such also which by the beames thereof do giue light vnto the eyes And it is true which S. Austine sayth that all matters necessary to faith and manners are to be found in those things which are set downe plainely in the Scripture and therefore we do both exhort to the reading of the scriptures priuately and commend the publike rehearsing of them in the congregation Yet this is no whit contrary to the opinion touching the necessitie of preaching And so much shall euidently appeare if we marshall our hearers into three companies The first sort are grossely ignorant and extremely negligent in the matters of God The second are of some better both care to looke into the scriptures and capacitie to conceiue them The third are as well able to sound out the truth by the priuat study of the scripture as those who be professed Diuines There is no hearer I meane among our people professing the present Religion but he belongeth to one of these thrée rankes Now for the former of these preaching cannot but be most necessary for as in their negligence of themselues they will neuer seeke for knowledge but it must euen in a kind of violence be put vpon them so in their ignorance the plaine text read wil profit them nothing vnlesse with it be ioyned the skilfull industry of some painefull workman who by framing himselfe to the shallow capacitie of the silliest and by adding precept to precept line to line here a little and there a little may drop in some knowledge and thorough often sharpening of the necessary points of Religion may make something to enter Secondly for the next sort which according to Christs commandemēt do search the scripture though I know they shall find their spirituall hunger to be satisfied by many plaine and comfortable places yet they shall many times be so plunged set as it were that they shall say with the Eunuch How can I vnderstand except I had a guide It is Gods wisedome as well to exercise vs with hard places as to feede vs with those which are perspicuous both to teach vs to pray with Dauid that the Lord would open our eyes that we may see the wonders of his law and withall to establish the necessity of the publike ministery and to teach vs humilitie when we must be faine to depend vpon the instruction of others As for the third kind who perhaps are able because of education in good letters to search out the mistery of the text by their owne priuate industry as well as the most sufficient Preacher yet as I doubt not but the same shall euen better their iudgements by the meanest sermon if that be a fit tearme to be giuen to a sermon in which Gods truth is soundly deliuered so I am sure they shall find hearing to be very behoouefull if it be for no other thing yet as a learned father well obserueth it for their owne sluggishnes that so they may be quickened vp to good duties we being all in nature so proue though we know much yet to be weary of well doing and to be idle and vnfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ It is an excellent saying of the Apostle Paul writing to the Romanes and well fitting this purpose I my selfe saith he am perswaded of you my brethren that ye are also full of goodnes and filled with all knowlege and are able to admonish one another what greater cōmendation could be these men might seem not to néed any further instruction but marke what followeth Neuerthelesse brethren I haue somewhat boldly after a sort written vnto you as one that putteth you in remembrance through the grace that is giuen me of God Though a man haue attained to neuer so great perfection in knowledge yet he standeth stil in néed of a Preacher though it be but to be a remembrance◠vnto him Theophilus was wel instructed in the mystery of Christ yet Lukes Gospell was néedfull for him that he might acknowledge the certaintie of those things Preaching is not superfluous though a man were neuer so cunning This briefe view of the state of our seuerall hearers may serue to make this good that to vrge the necessitie of preaching as the meanes to beget faith is no derogation to that doctrine which we hold touching the brightnes and plainnes of the scripture The scripture is as a light shining in a dark place but neither do all looke into it neither can al that heare it read publikly conceiue it vnlesse they be prepared to it by some former familiar instructiōs neither do al that peruse the booke of God so fully vnderstand all that they neede no teacher neither yet can any man though of neuer so good parts attaine to that fulnes as that he shal not at the least stand in néed of an admonisher It is a good obseruation in my iudgement of him who saith that the word is indeed light but the preaching Minister is as the candlestick of which Christ speaketh by which the word of God giueth light vnto all that are in the house And indéede this similitude may haue the better approbatiō if we note how by the candlesticke which the Lord Iesus threatneth to remoue out of the church of Ephesus is meant especially the ministery of the word God doth all things by means ordinarily Christ is the true light which giueth light to them that sit in darknes yet the faithful Ministers of seuerall congregations are said to be staires in his right hand by which he giueth light vnto his church If this be true I see not what inconuenience can follow vpon it if we say though the word be a lanterne yet it then giueth best cléerest fullest light when it is lifted vp as it were and the brightnes thereof caused to spread forth into euery corner by the skill and paines of a sufficient Minister Nymp. Another exception vsed by some whose endeuour is to equall if not to preferre bare reading vnto preaching is that there is more certaintie in the word read then in that which you preach that which is read men are sure is Gods word but they haue not the like assurance of that which is preached Epaph. If you desire a short direct answer to this exception take it thus This allegation touching the certainty of tho word read aboue the doctrine preached is not true There are in our congregations thrée sorts of people especially first ignorant persons
part of Gods spirituall worship as preaching is be left out how must not the whole other seruice of the day be euen as a lame and maymed sacrifice before God I know indéed it pleaseth some to say that the méeting of the people together to the hearing of the word preached a phrase scoffed at as though it were not the language of the Scripture is not the chiefe institution of the Lords day But whatsoeuer mens idle conceipts be yet the truth is that the most excellent part of Gods seruice consisteth in the exercise of his word the faithfull dispensing whereof is the beautie of the Lords house and the very life of the Sabboth The other parts of Gods publike worship do but as it were waite and giue attendance vpon this For wherefore is prayer but to prepare vs to the word and to begge of God to bestow those blessings which are promised in the word And if we will credite the Scripture men cannot pray till by preaching they are taught to pray How shall they call on him vpon whom they haue not beleeued c. The place is knowne well inough Againe what is the vse of the Sacraments but to be seales to the word The preaching of the word is the tenor of the couenant betwixt God and vs the Sacraments are seales to assure vs of the performance of the gracious promises made vnto vs in the word So that indéed the other specialties of Gods worship are of no vse but onely so farforth as they haue reference to the word In the second of Isaiah his prophecie where the state of the Church of the Gospell is described the people are brought in prouoking one another to ascend vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob to encourage themselues and other hereunto they vse this reason he will teach vs his wayes no doubt in their méetings they were to vse both prayer and the Sacraments But yet that there they shold be taught was vsed as the principall motiue because as to be taught the wayes of the Lord is the principall blessing so obediently to heare is the principall seruice Wherein hath the Lord so great pleasure as in this when his voyce is obeyed and how can his voyce be obeyed till it is known and what other ordinarie meanes of knowledge shall we trust vnto besides preaching Séeing then the Sabboth day is a fit time in regard of peoples assombling together and seeing also the preaching and hearing of the word is a main part of the worship of God and by consequence especially intended in the first institution of the Sabboth he that indeuoureth to entertaine his people euery Lords day with the opening and applying the Scriptures cannot iustly be accused to be one who by too much familiaritie draweth the ordinance of God into contempt Nymph Well suppose it be yeelded vnto that it be good to continue the exercise of Preaching euery Sabbath day yet it may seeme superfluous to draw the people to hearing vpon the weeke dayes when men are otherwise in their worldly affaires to be employed Epaph. That is it which I was now next about to speake of I cannot say it is a matter of necessity for a Minister to ty himselfe or his auditors to a wéeke-day sermō yet if a Preacher be willing so to bestow his paines and the people in respect of their dwelling together as in cities and greater townes be ready to redeeme some time for so good a purpose I hold it very commendable When Paul and Barnabas preached at Antioch we reade that the Gentiles besought them that they would preach those words to them in the space betwixt that and the Sabbaoth day Now though I will not say that that example is a law yet I must needs say it is an allowance to such a course and that which was commendable in them cannot deserue blame in others of Gods childrē who are willing to diuert some of their time allowed for outward businesses to spirituall occasions as namely for the increasing of their knowledge and for the edifying themselues in their most holy faith Neither can such a course be more an occasion of bringing preaching into contempt then the established order for méeting on wednesdayes and fridaies to praier reading of the scriptures can be or is an occasion to make these good exercises to be despised Nymph I haue heard some say that it is sound and learned preaching which we that are the people must wish for and not often and continuall preaching and that the word of God is compared to raine which though it be in measure profitable yet in abundance maketh the seede rotten vnder the clods In like maner they say that preaching in moderation may do much good but if it exceed may be an occasion of barrennesse among the hearers Epaph. It is a wofull thing that men should so far stretch their wits to deceiue their own soules to beguile others also I would we had all learned the Apostles rule not to do any thing against the truth but for the truth To satisfie you touching this that you haue named hauing obserued it as you say out of the spéeches of some it is worthy the marking how Satan in his subtlety vnder the color of allowing vrging sound preaching would ouerthrow diligent preaching therein building vpon a false ground namely that a man cānot preach often preach soundly too which how false it is the vnreprouable labors of many industrious ministers in this land are a sufficient witnes It is a wise holy spéech of Salomon may be wel applyed to this purpose A slouthfull hand maketh poore but the hand of the diligent maketh rich and againe There is that scattereth is more increased but he that spareth more thē is right surely cometh to pouerty Men of excellent gifts many times whilest either in nicenesse fearing to hurt their bodies or in pride being as it were vnwilling to make thēselues too common they are more sparing in this exercise of preaching which is the glory of a Minister through the iust iudgment of God loose their former perfection as through disuse they grow lesse willing getting a kind of habite of negligence so also they become lesse able to do good in the Church of God then they were before Now when preaching through defalt of oftē inuring thēselues vnto it becometh more irksom they being to seek in many things when they fal to make preparatiō for it then straite because of their owne vnaptnes the iust punishment of idlenes they conclude that those who preach so oftē as they call it preach carelesly without study and without learning On the other side men it may be of meaner yet commendable gifts who remembring the necessitie which is layed vpon them and the woe which shall follow if they preach not the Gospell do euen deuote themselues