perswades them to unity of opinions and minds in these words Now I beseech you Brethren that you be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement Lastly that he might with the greater successe do this and like a skilfull reconciler might win upon all sides he for a while layes aside the Authority of his Apostleship and mingling Request and Conjuration with Exhortation and Advice he acts the part of an Apostle in the forme of a Petitioner in these words Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Upon these parts the Apostles mild insinuation and addresse of himselfe and the severall Degrees of unity and concord in speech in Assemblies and in Opinions to which he here exhorts the Corinthians I will build my future discourse In the ordering of which I will begin with the Apostles submissive insinuation or addresse of himselfe in these words Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ For the clearer and more usefull handling of this part of the Text First it will be necessary that I speake somthing to you of Saint Pauls person the Preacher here in the Text and of his calling to the Ministery which well considered will conduce very much to the removall of a certaine dangerous error received of late into the minds of too many unlearned vulgar men among us Which is That Universities and Bookes and Studies and Learning are so farre from being necessary preparations to make a Preacher of the Gospell that any Lay-man though perhaps brought up to a manuall Trade of a vocation of Husbandry or attendance upon Cattel if he finde by himselfe that he is called by the Spirit of God may put himselfe into Orders and take the Ministery upon him And thus enabled from above without the forme of Ordination or those other slow tedious lazy helps of sitting twenty years in a Colledge to understand the Bible may in the few minutes of a powerfull Inspiration spring up an Apostle and go forth a Preacher of the Word of God To this perswasion they have been invited by two sorts of Examples in the Scripture one in the Old Testament the other in the New In the Old Testament Doe you not read say they that God called Elisha from the Plough to be a Prophet And doth not Amos tell you in the 7. Chapter of his Prophesie at the 14. Verse that he was a Herdman and a gatherer of Sycamore fruit Then for examples in the New Testament pray what were the Apostles were they great Schollars or did Christ send to Athens for them were they not Fishermen men altogether unletter'd men called from mending nets to preach the Gospell If this were so That God according to his good pleasure without any consideration of study or height of parts chose simple unlearned unstudied men to be Prophets and Apostles and Teachers then why should any thinke he hath so confined or entailed his free Spirit or vocation of men upon great parts and studies that he may not if he please call the like unstudied simple men from the Plough or Fisher-boat or Stall or Shop-board to be Ministers of his Gospel and Teachers of his people now My Brethren you see I have not prevaricated or diminished ought of the strength of the Argument which is urged in favour of Lay-mens preaching In answer to which laying aside all partiality to my selfe and prejudice against them I shall with the same spirit of meekness and Candour with which Saint Paul here in this Text bespoke his Corinthians beseech you who heare me this day to observe and weigh and consider well this which I shall say for a Reply First Far far be it from me so to flatter the place of my Education or so to biass my beleef by any false ovevarluing of humane Industry or great parts that I should pinion as it were or put limits to the power of the Almighty Or should be so irreligiously bold as to gain-say that piece of his Gospell which compares his holy Spirit to the Wind which bloweth where it listeth If they who thus pretend to a private Inspiration doe meane that whatever God did in the times heretofore he is able to doe now I shall easily grant it And here in the presence of you all confesse my selfe to be of their opinion Nor shall I make any doubt or scruple at all to say that if we looke upon what God is able to doe by the fame power by which he was able to raise up Children to Abraham out of stones or to speake yet more neerly to the Argument in hand by the same power that hee was able to make a Herd-man a Prophet or a Fisher-man an Apostle he is able in our times also if he please to make the meanest Tradesman one of the greatest Luminaries of his Church Since to an Omnipotent Agent whose gifts are meerly Arbitrary and depend wholly upon the pleasure of his owne will the greatest endowments of men and the least are alike easie But though he be able to doe this and in the ancient times of the Scripture have imparted his Gifts without respect of Persons yet whether he now will or whether in our times hee doth still thus extraordinarily raise up Teachers to himselfe is extreamly to be doubted For here with all the Christian gentleness and reason which may possibly conduce to the clearing of this doubt were I to argue this Controversie with one of those men who invade our function and from gathering of Sycamore fruit step up into the Pulpit I would onely aske him this question What Commission he hath thus to usurp upon our Office Or who signed him his patent Since the Apostle tells us in the fifth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes at the fourth Verse A place well worth your marking my Brethren That no man taketh this honour of a Priest to himselfe But he who is called of God as was Aaron I know his common answer will bee that God hath called him to this Office by the secret Instinct and Motion of his Holy Spirit But then he must not take it ill if I yet farther aske him by what signes or markes or testimonies or tokens he can either maâ—e it reasonably appeare to himselfe or others that God hath dealt with him as he dealt with some of the Prophets or Apostles called him from his Trade by such a motion of his Spirit Elisha we know made Iron swim and knew mens Closet-discourses in a farre Countrey which was a sure and certaine signe that God had called him to be a Prophet The Apostles also we know wrought many of Christs miracles which was a most infallible signe that God had chosen them to be Apostles If any of these men who derive their warrant from the same sacred spring can make Iron swim or like Elisha remaining here in their owne Israel can tell us what the King of Syria saies in his
Bed-chamber Or if like Saint Peter they can cure fevers and diseases by their bare shadowes passing over them Or if like the rest of the Apostles having never before knowne Letters they can of a sudden speake all Languages the Controversie is at an end It would bee a very great sinne against the Spirit of God to deny that hee is in them of a Truth But if all the proofe and signe they can give us that they have him be onely a strong perswasion of themselves Nay if by an infallible Illumination they could assure themselves that they have him yet as many as have not the like infallible Illumination to assure them so too will not be guilty of an unpardonable offence if they suspect they have him not For here I must once more repeat my former Question and aske by what effects or signes of the Spirit men shall know them to be called By what will some man say why Doe you not heare them preach expound Scripture unfold Prophecies interpret Parables nay plucke the veile and cloud from the Booke of Mysteries it selfe the very Revelation Can any of you great Schollers with all your study of Philosophers Fathers Councells Schoole-men Historians Oratours Poets either hold your Congregations longer or send them away more edified And will you yet ask Questions Or doubt of the certainty of their vocation I must not dissemble with you if I could meet with an unlearned Handicraft-man who without study can doe this to the same height and measure of Truth as those unjustly-cryed downe learned and well-studied men doe I should begin to alter my opinion And should reckon him as hee deserves in the number of the inspired But alas my Brethren as I am not come hither to disparage the guifts of the Holy Ghost in what person soever I finde them or to perswade that Scripture rightly expounded is not one and the same from the mouth of a Priest or an inspired Lay-man so this I must freely say to you That as many of those strange Teachers as I have heard have expounded Scripture indeed and have ventured upon some of the hardest places of the Prophets But then if all my studies of the Bible assisted with all those holy uncorrupted learned helps which might enable mee to understand it aright have not deceived me their expositions and Sermons how passionately delivered or how long soever are evident proofes to mee that they have not the Spirit If they had they would never certainely expound Scripture so directly contrary to his meaning Or make the writings of the Prophets or Apostles weare only that present shape not which the holy Ghost hath imprinted and stampt upon them but which tends to the division of a Kingdom and the confusion of a Church Nor would they as they do what ever the Text be presse that sense from it not which is genuine and naturall but which tends most to the destruction of a party or the fomentation of a most unnaturall Civill Warre Saint Paul tells us in the fift Chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians at the 22 and 23. Verses that the fruits or effects of the Spirit are love peace long-suffering gentlenesse meeknesse temperance He useth to speake to men in the voice and figure of a Dove But to entitle him to all those forbidden workes of the flesh of variance hatred sedition heresies envyings murthers and the like there reckoned up in the precedent Verses of that Chapter is to make him speake with the voice of a Raven In short my Brethren the Holy Ghost is not the Author of such Doctrines as breake Gods Commandements in the Pulpit Nor is it a long Prayer or a zealous two-houres reviling of the foot-steps of the Lords Anointed their lawfull Soveraigne which can make their Sermons to be any other then so much Libell or holy Detractation Or which can make their Intrepretations of the Word of God how moderate soever in other cases if they be not agreeable to the scope and minde and intention of the Holy Ghost to be any more then so many zealous mistakes and so many illegitimate births and creatures of their own deluded fancies Next in pursuit of this seasonable Argument give me leave I pray with all the plainenesse I can for I well know where I am and to what Auditorie I speake to make it yet farther evident to you that if I should grant what these {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as S. Basil calls them these Saints of a daies growth challenge to themselves who thinke that all that is required to make a Minister of the Gospell is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} onely to be willing and to start up a Preacher If I say it should be granted them that they have the inward calling of the Spirit yet God is so much the God of order that unlesse they will enter themselves into his service by undergoing those Rites of Consecration and Imposition of Hands which God hath prescribed in his Church to stand for ever as the outward formes and signes of their vocation too every act of the Ministerie which they performe is but a sacrifice like theirs who offered strange fire before the Lord and miserably perisht by their owne forbidden Censors Or if you will have me expresse the danger of it by a judgement as terrible Thus to put their hand to the Arke thus to support it if 't were ready to fall is such an unwarranted piece of officiousnesse as will certainely unrepented at some time or other draw the punishment of Vzzrah upon them provoke the abused Almighty to breake forth in a flame of fire upon them and consume them for their unnecessarie diligence For here all the Scripture examples which imbolden them to this worke do returne upon them as so many instances and proofes of their incroachment on our office For here let me once more ask them How was Elisha called to be a Prophet meerly by the secret unknown whisper and instinct of the holy Ghost Truly if he had yet this would not make much for them because God never tyed himself precisely to those outward formes in the choice of a Prophet which he then did and still doth in the choice of his Priests Yet the calling of this Prophet was not without its visible signe Goe saies God to Elias in the 19. Chap. of the first booke of Kings at the 16. Verse Anoint Elisha the Son of Shaphat to be Prophet in thy roome And whether the like Ceremony of powring oyle on his head were not also performed by some elder Prophet upon Amos as the younger as 't is not affirmed so 't is not denyed in Scripture but left probable In the Consecration of the Priests of those times the case is much more evident Read at your leisure the 29. Chapter of Exodus there you shall finde that before God would receive them into that sacred function first divers Sacrifices were to bee offered for them then they
or Gods glory for its marke And this Saint John calls trying of the spirits which is then done when as I said before you reduce what you heare spoken by the Preacher to the infallible Rule of Truth the Word of God and make that well consâ—â—â—…ed the scales to weigh his Doctrine in Does hee preach charity and banish strife from his Pulpit Does he not flatter Vice though he find it clothed in Purple nor speak neglectfully of Vertue though he finde it clothed in rags Does he strive to plant the feare and love of God in his Auditory the forgivenesse of their enemies and pity towards the poore Dares he arraigne a publique sinne though never so fortunate or speak in defence of afflicted Innocence though over-borne by oppression Dares he maintaine his Christian courage in Tyrannicall doubtfull times And dares he call prosperous Sedition but a more successefull mischiefe Lastly does he preach such Christian Truths for which some holy men have died and to which he himselfe would not be affraid to fall a sacrifice This this man is to be hearkned to this man is fit to bee obeyed And this man speaking the same things which God himselfe doth in the Scripture whatever his gifts of pleasing or not pleasing sick fastidious delicate fancies be is thus at least to be thought of That though he speake not by the Spirit as a thing entailed upon him yet for that time the Spirit speaks by him which ought to be all one to you On the contrary does the Preachers Sanctity and Religion consist meerly in the devout composure of his looks and carriage Does he strive to preach downe Learning or does he call Study a humane folly Does he choose his Text out of the Bible and make the Sermon out of his Fancy Does he reprove Adultery but preach up discord Is he passionate against Superstition but milde and calme towards Sacriledge Does hee inveigh and raile at Popery and at the same time imitate the worst of Papists Jesuits urge Texts for the Rebellion of Subjects against their Prince and quote Scripture for the deposing and But chery of Kings Does hee startle at a dumb picture in a Church-window and at the same time preach all good order and right Discipline out of the Church Does an Oath provoke his zeale yet does he count lying in the godly no sin Lastly does hee preach separation upon weake untemper'd grounds Or does labour to divide the minds which hee should strive to reconcile Let him bring what demurenesse or composure of countenance he please into the Pulpit Let him if he please joyne sanctity of deportment to earnestnesse of zeale Let him never so devoutly bewaile the calamities of his Country which he hath helpt to make miserable Or let him weepe never so passionately over the Congregation which he hath broken into factions In short how seemingly holy how 〈◊〉 how unprophane soever his behaviour bee though the Scripture doe so continually over-flow in his mouth that hee will neither eat nor drinke nor speake nor scarce sleep but in that phrase yet as long as he thus forgets his Charity thus Preaches strife thus Division I shall so farre mistrust whether he have the Spirit that I shall not doubt to reckon him in the number of those false Prophets which S. John sayes are gone out into the world The Conclusion then of this Sermon shall be this Men and brethren I have with all the sincerity and plainnesse which might benefit your soules preacht Truth and Concord and mutuall Charity to you I have also for some yeeres not been so sleepy an Observer but that I have perceived some of you who have thought your selves more Religious then the rest to be guilty of the I might say Crime but I will rather say of the mis-guided Zeale of these Corinthians here in my Text There have been certaine Divisions and I know not what separations among you I have farther observed that certaine false causlesse prejudices and aspersions have been raised upon our University which to the grief of this famous Nursery of Gods Church at home and the reproach of it abroad are still kept waking against us by some of you as if Conscience and Religion as well as Learning and Gifts had so far forsaken us that all the Schools of the Prophets cannot afford you a set of able vertuous men fit to be the Lecturers to this soule-famisht Parish How we should deserve to be thus mistaken by you or why you should under-value those able Teachers which you have already or refuse to take your supply from so many Colledges which here stand present and ready to afford you choyce or why you should supplicate to the great Councell of this Kingdome in pitty to your soules to send you Godly Teachers which perhaps is but a well-meaning Petition from you but certainly 't is a great scandall and Libell against us I know not But whatever the mysterious cause be I am confident that unlesse they will sleep over their infamy and reproach it will alwayes be in the power of our despised University-Divines to make it appeare even to those whom you intend to petition That this is but a zealous errour in you And that they are as able to edifie you certainly as he whose occupation it was to repaire the old shooes of the Prophets I should shame some of you too much who were the Disciples of that Apostle if I should discribe him to you by a larger character Instead therefore of a farther vindication of the reproach throwne upon us that which I shall say of more neere concernment to you is this If I have in the progresse of this Sermon ript open any wounds among you it hath not been with a purpose to enlarge or make them bleed but to powre wine and Oyle into them and to heale and close them up Next If I have cleared any of your sights or inabled you at length to discerne that the reason why the mote in your brothers eye seemed so big was because an over-scrupulous zeale had placed a beame in your owne and that in contributing to the ruine of one of the purest Religions in the world the reason why you have swallowed so many monstrous Camels hath been because at first you made scruple and strained at gnats I have what I intended Which was to let you see that to divide and separate your selves from the communion of our Church if it had been guilty of a mole or two is as unreasonable as if you should quarrell the Moon out of her Orb or think her unworthy of the skies because she wears a spot or two writ on a glorious ball of light Lastly if I have said any thing in the reproof of discord or the praise of charity which may re-unite your minds and make you all men of the same heart and beliefe as well as of the same Citie and Corporation I shall thinke I have done the work and businesse of a just Divider of the World of God towards you and of a faithfull Servant and Steward towards my heavenly Master Whose blessing of peace be upon you all together with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost To which glorious Trinity be ascribed all Honor Praise Dominion and Power for ever AMEN FINIS S Pauls qualification Ephes. 5 15. Luk. 24. 49. Acts 9. 6. c. Act. 9. 17. The artiâ—… insinuation himselfe Unity of Asseâ—…blies Dan. 3. 16. Unity of minds Mat. 15. 17. 2 Cor. 10 10. Numb. 11. 29. 2. Cor. 4. 7.