vnto vs silly creatures on the earth and how powerfully dost thou schoole vs and teach vs by thy example to goe vp to Ierusalem to worship God to reade not Esay the Prophet onely but euen the whole booke of God! that so vsing those and all such other gratious means which God offereth vnto vs for the illumination of our darke hearts by faith as thou here diddest we might also with thee in time be enriched with that precious and inestimable treasure of a true faith That so as the Spirit of God witnesseth of thee that thou diddest beleeue that Iesus Christ was the Son of God so the same Spirit might beare witnesse to our spirits that wee also beleeue But herein especially doth he school vs and in schooling vs reproue vs and in reproouing vs shame vs. For first if hee that had so fewe meanes to leade him to the knowledge and worshippe of God doe yet notwithstanding out-goe vs in his seruice and worship who doe abound with all gratious and needfull helpes that may leade vs thereunto how can it but be a shame vnto vs Secondly if he that dwelt so farre off as Aethiopia was from Ierusalem refused not to vndertake so long so tedious a iourney to trauell thither there to worship God How can it choose but be a shame to vs who will many of vs scarce goe out of doores or wet our foote in trauelling to the house of the Lord to heare his word and to worship him in his holy Temple Thirdly if he at one only Sermon of Philip were brought to knowe and to beleeue in Christ what a shame is it for vs that after so many yeares enioying the word of God pulickely taught and expounded vnto vs and after so many and almost infinite Sermons that haue bin preached amongst vs there should yet be so many of vs that are not wonne to the seruice of God and faith in Christ The Lord our God as much desireth our good as hee did the good of this Eunuch The word of God is as mighty in operation now as in former times the Spirit of God worketh with the word preached effectually now as in former times The industrie and desire of Gods Ministers though they be not equall to the Apostles and first Fathers of the Faith who because the Church was then newly to bee planted had Primitias spiritus sancti the first fruits and the more eminent and powerfull graces of Gods Spirit yet are they such as might in some degree of proportion serue to beget faith now as in former times and yet for all this they are but few in comparison of the multitude that profite in faith godlinesse by our labours The cause why we cannot write vpon the water is not the want of skill nor the fault of the pen but the vnfitnesse and indisposition of the water So the reason why Gods Spirit preuaileth not in vs is neither any default in God or defect in his Spirit or weakenesse in his word or disability in his Ministers but onely in men and women themselues who are not disposed fitted to receiue such stamps and impressions as they all would otherwise imprint and leaue in them For surely were men so willing so prepared as this noble Eunuch was to entertaine the Lord Iesus in their hearts and to receiue him into their soules by faith when we preach him vnto them then would our preaching bring forth in them the like precious effect and many more of them than now doe would by our preaching of Iesus vnto them be brought with this Eunuch to beleeue in him and to bee his seruants But alas the more is the pitie many of vs may truly say with Peter We haue launched out into the deep and haue let fal our nets to make a draught we haue trauelled all the night and laboured hard and yet haue taken nothing Many of vs like candles doe waste and consume our selues by studying and preaching to giue you light and yet many of you for all that doe still continue and remaine in darknes Many of vs like busie silke wormes weaue out our owne bowels as they doe in making of silke that you may be cloathed in silke and apparelled with the precious roabes of Christs righteousnesse and yet for all that many of you choose rather to be cloathed with your owne rags with the garments which are spotted with sin and stayned and defiled with iniquitie What can the husband-man doe more than till his land and sowe his seed what can the gardiner do more to his figge-tree than ditch round about it and dung it what can the dresser or planter of a vineyard doe more for it than place it in a fruitfull hill and hedge it and gather out the stones and plant it with the best plants what can we doe more than preach Iesus vnto you Nullus doctor est dator boni quod docuerit saith Bar. Wee can teach you good things we cannot giue you good things we may be doctores gratiae but not datores we may be teachers but we are not giuers of grace The Angel in the 5. of Iohn did but stirre the waters of the poole Bethesda and troubled the waters thereof hee thrust no man into the poole that was a worke to be performed by thēselues that would be healed Wee that are the Ministers of God wee open and expound the Scriptures vnto you by our diuiding the word of God and expounding the same vnto you wee moue and we stirre the water of life that floweth in them you must be carefull to step into them your selues c. And surely the very true reason why after so much stirring and troubling of these waters after so much preaching and teaching there are yet so many both men and women that lie diseased full of soares sinnes by this poole and by these waters not onely for the space of 38 yeeres but some for more yeeres and all their whole life long neuer once offering to step in much lesse to thrust themselues thereinto when the waters therof are stirred I say the very true reason hereof is either their infidelitie that they cannot or their lazinesse idlenesse that they will not or their pride vvhich suffereth them not to humble their hearts and to subiect their wills to the will and word of God They consult their owne sense and vnderstanding and suffer themselues to be caried away with the streame of their own naturall reason and corrupt affections whereas if they would submit themselues captiuate their vnderstanding and their willes to the will and word of God and be wholly led and directed thereby they might as here this noble Eunuch did attaine to some good proportion and comfortable measure of true faith But that which the Comicall Poet spake of hands in his time I may say of our hearts in these dayes Corda nostra sunt oculata non credunt nisi quod vident Our hearts are full of
Eunuch The maine scope principall drift of the Spirit of God in this Scripture and history which I haue read vnto you is to shew and shaddow out vnto vs the large extent of the doctrine of the Gospel the kingdom of Christ and how the same is by the counsell and mercifull purpose of God to be propagated extended to the vtmost borders of the earth And therefore in this present history which I haue chosen at this time to treat of you may bee pleased to beholde how God vouchsafed to poure vpon the head of this Honorable Eunuch the precious ointment of the sauing knowledge of Christ that like as the sweete and precious oyntment that was powred on the head of Aaron ran downe from his head and beard to the skirts of his garments so also this fragrant and sweete oyntment might stream downe and flowe to the skirts as it were of his cloathing to the vtmost borders of his Countrie and first to open to him the fountaine of life and to let him drinke thereof and then by him as it were by a conduit pipe to deriue and conuey the sweete streames and waters therof to his countrie-men that dwelt a farre off euen to the people and inhabitants of Aethiopia Which thing came accordingly to passe for he being conuerted conuerted many brethren and as wee receiue it by tradition brought many of his owne nation to the knowledge of Christ The chiefe and principall points which I obserue in this Scripture and whereof I purpose by Gods assistance to speake at this time are these 1. An Angel disposeth of Philip assigneth him a place for his employment ver 26. 2. Who what he was to whom by the direction of the Angell Philip was sent First hee was of Aethiopia Secondly hee was an honourable Personage chiefe Gouernor to the Queen of that coūtrie and had the rule of all her treasure Thirdly he came or he trauelled to Ierusalem to worship ver 27. 3. In the third place wee will consider how this noble Eunuch was busied emploied in his returne homeward as hee returned sitting in his chariot he read Esaias the Prophet ver 28. 4. The fourth thing that I intend to speake of is Philips performance of that duty and seruice to which he was appointed ver 30. 5. Fiftly and lastly the effectes which his owne reading and Philips preaching of Christ wrought in this Eunuch they are three first he beleeued secondly hee was baptised and thirdly after he beleeued and was baptised he went homeward reioycing In the first place in that an Angel is appointed by God to warne Philip to hasten and meete the Eunuch for his conuersion it may teach vs how gratious and mercifull God is to the sons of men who for their sakes for their good will haue his Angels to bee seruiceable and helpfull vnto them By the help of Angels Lot was deliuered and preserued in the destruction of Sodome ver 19. An Angel of God went before the hoast of Israel and behinde the hoast and did deliuer them defend them from the Egyptians Exod. 14.19 An Angell of the Lord opened the prison doores by night and brought forth the Apostles and set them at libertie Acts 5.19 An Angel directed Cornelius to send for Peter and here an Angel is sent to warne Philip to ioyne himselfe to the Chariot of this Eunuch and to expound the Scripture vnto him So true is that of the Apostle Saint Paul Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes vvhich shall be heires of saluation Heb. 1. last Happy are they who by the blessing of God doe make a wise and gracious vse of the ministration of Angels who by the cleannesse of their life and holy conuersation make glad those holy and blessed spirits which are beholders and eye-witnesses of all their actions and by their vnfained repentance giue them cause of reioycing For there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for a sinner that cōuerteth Luke 15.10 Which thing if wee shall doe then shall those Angels which reioyce in our wel-dooing and are by Gods appointment content to loue vs and to minister vnto vs heere in sterquilinio mundi in this dūghill of the world much more honour and loue vs in aula coeli in the Palace and kingdome of heauen and beeing glad of our conuersion in this life will bee more glad of our assumption and saluation in heauen 1. In the second or next place we haue to consider the person to whom by the direction of the Angel Philip was sent and hee is here said first to be a man of Aethiopia If any man shall vvonder how any sparke of the knowledge true worship of God should giue light shine in Aethiopia by the light whereof this great and noble man might attaine to any glimse of the knowledge of God and thereby bee brought to desire to performe any seruice and worship to him and that in the place principallie appointed thereunto namely in his holy Temple at Ierusalem especially seeing that howsoeuer the Commission of preaching the Gospel to all Nations though it were giuen sealed to the Apostles and Disciples yet it was not yet sped or as yet executed If any man I say shall wonder hereat he must knowe that although the light of the Gospell did not as yet shine either in Aethiopia or in the remote and vtmost kingdoms of the earth yet besides that knowledge which men might haue by nature and by the beholding of the creatures and the frame of the world the light of the law and the knowledge of God did in some proportion either more or lesse shine or shimmer foorth to all Nations singulis generum though not generibus singulorum as the Schoole speaketh to some of all Nations though not to all particulars of euerie Nation God hath not left himselfe without witnesses in any place but hath left in all the Nations of the world some prints footsteps of his knowledge of his power and goodnes And although it might be said in regard of the eminencie thereof that in Iurie God was well known that his tabernacle was in Salem yet was he knowne in other Nations also and he made his Name glorious in all the quarters of the world The prayer or wish of Noah that Iaphet might dwell in the Tents of Shem was in some measure in all succeeding ages heard and granted Gedeons fleece was not onely and alone watered but the whole threshing floore the Land of Iury was not alone bedeawed moistned with the heauenly deaw of the knowledge of God but the whole earth with the Nations that were farre remooued euen to the vtmost bounds thereof Some part of this heauenly deaw might light vpon this Eunuch's head and with some part of this holy oyntment his heart might be anointed The bookes of Moses and of the Prophets came into the hands and Schooles of many of the
Wise men to our Sauiour Christ were not receiued by him into his owne hands because hee was an Infant but into the hands of his Mother that yet neuerthelesse he gaue vnto the Wise men that offered him those gifts Pro auro fidem pro myrrha spem pro thure charitateÌ„ for the gift of golde the vertue of faith for the gift of myrrh the vertue of hope for the gift of frankincense the vertue of charity And why may not we likewise say that although those temporal blessings which by honourable or rich or great men are offered to Iesus Christ himselfe in his poore members or are bestowed to pious and good vses that though they bee receiued onely by the hand of their Mother the Church yet for all that Christ Iesus himselfe will gratiously and plentifully reward the giuers of them 3 The third or the next thing which I noted in the person of this noble Eunuch is that hee came from his owne Countrie to Ierusalem to worship He might haue stayed at home and so haue saued himselfe a great iourney hee might haue sacrificed to the Gods of his owne Nation and there haue had other Noblemen of his owne ranke to associate him Hee might haue worshipped in Meroe the chiefe and Metropolitan Citie of Aethiopia and needed not to trauell so far as Ierusalem the chiefe and mother Citie of Iudaea But he could not so satisfie himself the Spirit of God wrought another effect in him and that light of knowledge which he had by the operation of the same Spirit which now had changed him into another man did to affect him and worke with him that now no Country but the Countrie of Iudaea no Hill but the Hill of Sion no Place but the Temple no Citie but the Citie of Ierusalem no God but the God of Israel could containe the large extent of his deuotion could fill the desires of his heart and satisfie his soule with comfort It was not contentment enough for him to wish with the Prophet Dauid O that I might ascend into the house of the Lord and come againe vnto Ierusalem there to pay my vowes to the Almighty and so to goe thither in conceit onely It did not sufficiently content him with the Prophet Daniel to set open those his windowes which were towards the holy Citie and looking towarde Ierusalem to direct his prayers to the Almighty It could not sufficiently content him to make a proxie to send giftes and to visit Ierusalem by his deputie but though the iourney were long the way dangerous and the expences great yet would hee vndertake the iourney and goe his owne selfe in person thither Hee went vp to Ierusalem to worship And although it could not choose but prooue a matter of hatred at the least if not of danger and disgrace to this noble Eunuch to entertaine a new forme of Gods worshippe different from that which was vsed by his owne Nation to renounce the superstitions of his Countie-men to single himselfe from the multitude and to refuse to communicate with his Ancestors and forefathers their heathenish and idolatrous seruing of God Yet did hee more esteeme the fauour of God then he feared the malice or disgrace of men and therefore the reuerence and loue which he did bear inwardly in his heart towards the law and truth of God and his holy worship hee shewed it outwardly in his actions openly professed the same before men Hee went vp to Ierusalem to worship An excellent example and worthie imitation not onely of great men and noble personages but of all men of what degree or calling soeuer they be In the matter of religion and the seruice and worship of God not to tie themselues to tread in the steps of others not to bee swayed by a multitude nor to follow their Ancestors and Forefathers in their errours and superstitions but most humbly and most willingly to embrace the true knowledge and sincere worshippe of God whensoeuer and by whom soeuer it is truly taught and brought vnto them A lesson not vnfit for these times and this Age wherein wee liue in which our aduersaries the Papists do so commonly vrge and so strongly inforce the example of our Ancestours and Forefathers against vs thereby concluding that because they were borne and brought vp liued died as they speake in the Romish religion that therefore we ought not to dissent from them and that without the blot imputation of Schism and heresie wee â—ay in no wise separate our selues from their communion or professe any other faith than that which they professed And to speake a truth I am hereof verely perswaded that by this as by their most powerfull and potent charme they doe bewitch and enchant more soules especially of the weaker sort than by all their other sorceries whatsoever and by this as by their strongest argument they do much preuaile and draw many from Iewry to Italy from Ierusalem to Rome from Christ to Antichrist By this motiue especially it commeth to passe that heere in this our Land as it may bee obserued great and whole Families great and whole Kindreds almost haue been and doe continue Popish because their Ancestors and Forefathers were so before them and because it were great presumption in them as they are made beleeue to thinke themselues wiser than They were But if this were an vniuersall absolute and certaine truth that fathers must be patterns and rules for their children to serue God by so that in no wise they may differ from them in matters of Gods worship then how is it that our Sauiour saith in the 14. of Luke the 26. that He that will not leaue his father and his mother for Christs sake should not be his disciple When all the Tribes reuolted together saith Tobit and the house of my father Nepththali sacrificed to the heifer Baal I alone went often to Ierusalem at the feasts as it was ordained vnto all the people of Israel Tobit 1.5.6 Gedeon was commanded by the Lord to throwe downe the Altar of Baal which his father had made and to cut downe the Groue that was by it Iudg. 6.25 And some of the Kings of Iuda are commended because they walked not in the Idolatrie of their Forefathers Saint Paul was the sonne of a Pharisie and the scholler of a Pharisie yet neither Father nor Master could make him continue in the superstition of the Pharisies after that hee was once illuminated and instructed in the truth It is a wise and and a godly speech of Seneca Epist 117. when wee cannot dissentire salua gratia nor consentire salua conscientia when wee cannot dissent from others without their displeasure nor consent vnto them without wounding or offending our owne conscience Let vs preferre conscience before fauour And it is a golden rule which Diuines haue resolued on and deliuered Where God and man speake both one thing there harken vnto both but where God speaketh one thing and
parts of that prophecie and so his bare or onely reading therof was not in vaine or vnprofitable vnto him And farther I answer that there is great difference between such as haue neuer heard of Christ of faith or of the word of God such as are heathen people Infidels who indeed without an Interpreter cannot much profit by reading and between such who beeing borne of Christian Parents haue as it were suckt religion vvith the milke of their mothers and therefore by continual exhortation of their Parents and by their good example by beeing catechised in the principles of Christian religion and in some sort instructed euen of children as they are among vs Gods Name be therefore glorified I say betweene Infidell and heathen people and vs the case is diuerse for wee may euen by reading onely of the Scriptures or hearing them read in some measure profit in the knowledge of the truth To conclude this point against their exceptions that speake against reading without learned exposition it is most certaine that Scripture read and Scripture expounded chapters read and chapters expounded sentences read and sentences preached on expounded haue all of them one and the same passage to the soule outwardly by the sense of hearing and inwardly by the assent of the iudgement and vnderstanding the text is one and the same that is the word of God the Schoolemaster is the same the Spirit of instruction the meanes the same that is attention the helps the same which are godly motions the fruite the same that is peace of conscience and the end though not in degree yet in some proportion the same that is edification 4 In the fourth place I am now to speake of Philips performance of that duty and seruice to which he was appointed by the Angell ver 30. And Philip came thither and heard him read the Prophet Esaias And ver 35. Hee opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached vnto him Iesus In which words wee may obserue three circumstances 1. First Gods ordinance vvho was pleased to vse the preaching of Philip and not the helpe of the Angel for this Eunuch's conuersion 2. Secondly I obserue Philips readinesse and godly discretion who tooke the present occasion beginning at that Scripture which the Eunuch then read of opening his mouth and preaching vnto him 3. Thirdly I consider what it was that he spake and vttered when he opened his mouth Hee preached vnto him Iesus For the first Philip opened his mouth and preached Iesus Not the Angel but Philip. In the building of the Church it pleaseth God to preferre the seruice of men before the seruice of Angels and to chuse that his holy and heauenlie truth contained in his word should rather be manifested made knowne by earthly and sinfull men than by celestiall and holy Angels And therefore although our Sauiour had the Angels at commaund so that he could haue commaunded and imployed whole legions of them if he had listed in that seruice yet in the busines of preaching his Gospel and the divulgation of his holy and sauing truth vnto the sonnes of men he chose rather to vse the help and ministery of men than of Angels of his Disciples and Apostles than of those holy and blessed spirits Paul was conuerted not by the instruction and ministery of an Angel but by the preaching of Ananias Cornelius was wonne to the faith not by an Angel but by the preaching of Peter The whole world afterwards was brought to beleeue in Christ not by Angels but by men And here this noble Eunuch is conuerted not by the Angel but by the preaching of Philip. Philip opened his mouth c. A reason whereof may be this As our Redemption was to be wrought and was performed onely in the nature of man and not of Angels no more was the preaching of the said Redemption to be declared by an Angel or any other creature saue onelie by man And this reason the Apostle seemeth to vse 2 Cor. 5.18 when hee saith All things are of God which hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath giuen vnto vs the ministery of reconciliation From hence we may must learne this lesson Seeing it is the proper and peculiar dutie of the Minister to expound Scripture That although it be most true that God who is almightie and therefore can doe all things and that in such sort and after such manner as he listeth either by order or by miracle by means or without means Yet in the course of our conuersion the work of our regeneration we must not expect when God will send an angel from heauen to instruct vs or whē hee will immediatly and miraculously call vs and worke our conuersion vnto him but must content our selues make our best vse of those meanes which God in mercy offereth vs by the ministery and preaching of such as he hath by his owne dispensation holy designment appointed to waite vpon his Altar to attend his seruice and by preaching of his word to beget sonnes and daughters vnto him And therefore if wee desire either to knowe or to beleeue in God wee must attaine to that knowledge and to that faith by the onely effectuall meanes of the word of God and by the Ministerie and help of such men as God hath set aparte for the worke of the Ministerie and for the gathering together of the Saints which is the institution and holy ordinance of God himselfe For this is Gods own appointment and his owne holy ordinance That as children should expect receiue from their corporall Parents and Fathers of their bodies such corporall foode as is needful for the nourishment of their bodies So they should likewise expect and receiue from their Pastors and spirituall Fathers such as are appointed by God to beget them in Christ through the Gospell such spirituall food of knowledge instruction as is needfull for the spiritual nourishment of their soules and consciences And this was the manner and custome in former and ancient times they were wont to go to the Prophets and men of God for resolution of their doubts and for comfort in their heauinesse For resolution in their doubts The Priests lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth Mala. 2.7 So doth the Eunuch in this place desire Philip that he would tell him the meaning of these words of the Prophet which without an interpreter or a guide he acknowledgeth that he could not vnderstand For comfort in their heauiness One example for many The Shunamite trauelled to mount Carmell to Elisha the Prophet when her soule was full of heauinesse for the death of her onely sonne and shee was comforted 4. King 4. The reason why both in former and later times and indeed why in all times men and women should repaire to the Prophets Ministers of God both for the resolution of their doubts and for comfort in their heauinesse is
because They haue or should haue a tongue of the learned and should knowe to minister a word in due time to him that is wearie They haue or should haue the balm of Gilead wherewith the sores and wounds of Gods people should be cured and healed They haue or should haue in store Vinum merentibus the wine of comfort and consolation for them that mourne and are heauie hearted And therefore to end this point my exhortation shall bee this vnto you When you read any thing that is hard which you desire to vnderstand but cannot When any great grieuous crosse calamity befalleth you and you are ignorant of the meanes and knowe not how to be eased When you groane vnder the burthen of your sinnes and finde the hand of God heauy vpon you so that you find not in your selues the groūds of sound comfort When any great and violent temptation which you cannot encounter taketh fast holde vpon you so that you finde it too strong for you To conclude when feare and anguish afflict your soules your consciences be troubled so that you know not how to lay your selues downe in peace Then desire some Philip that hee will come sit with you desire some of Gods learned and faithfull Ministers that they will abide with you and conferre with you that so they may resolue your doubts and ease your griefes But heere I might take vp a iust complaint and lament the state of these times wherein there is so little or almost no vse at all of conference either in secular learning wherein men are loath to conferre with such as are more learned then themselues least they should bewray their owne ignorance or in points of faith and cases of conscience with Gods Ministers least they should thereby discouer to them their errors and imperfections But this complaint may sooner bee made than it can bee remedied The second thing I noted in these later words is Philips readinesse and his godly discretion his readinesse in that hee presently followed the direction and appointment of the Spirit in respect whereof it is here said that he came to his chariot His godly discretion in that hee tooke the present occasion and began at that very Scripture which the Eunuch then read and preached Christ vnto him From hence we that are Ministers may learne this lesson To take all occasions that are offered vnto vs speedily to doe good to cut-off long and vnnecessarie prefaces and discourses and to go roundly and directly to the matter not to holde our Auditors in the Church porch when wee should bring them into the Church it selfe not to stay them in atrio templi in the outwarde court of the Temple but speedily to leade them in sanctum sanctorum into the holiest of holies where the Mercy seate standeth not to lead them along by tedious wearisome paths but to bring them the straightest nearest way to Christ to take all opportunities of doing them good And you also that are Auditours may from hence learne with the like alacritie and speed to heare and to receiue those good tidings and doctrines which are preached vnto you and to striue euen at the first hearing of them to embrace and lay hold of them with the hand of faith as here this Eunuch did The third thing I noted in these later words is what it was that he vttered and spake when hee opened his mouth He preached vnto him Iesus In these wordes I obserue two things first here is not set downe at large the Sermon which Philip made to this Eunuch neither are the words of that discourse which Philip had with him at that time here mentioned Indeede it is true that all the Sermons and exhortations of the Apostles and disciples of Christ are not verbatim word for word set downe in the Scripture but onely per summa capita the chiefe points only and such generall and chiefe heads as the Spirit of God thought meete they are remembred and set downe vnto vs. Paul and Silas preached to the keeper of the prison and to all his househould the word of the Lord Act. 16.32 but his Sermon is not set down at large but the summe and substance of it is set downe in the verse going before namely the 30. verse Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thine houshould In the 2. of the Acts when they mocked and saide that the Apostles were full of new wine what time they being full of the holy Ghost beganne to speake with diuers tongues Peter when he had reprooued them and instructed them what they should think of that miracle and exhorted them to haue a care of themselues and their owne soules so that they began to be pricked in their hearts and said Men and brethren what shall we doe then he said vnto them Amend your liues and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins And then it followeth verse 40. And with many other words he besought and exhorted them Which many other words are not set downe in that place or there mentioned yet the summe and substance the principall scope of them and the maine drift of Saint Peter is set downe and contained in these few words which go immediately before Amend your liues and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes And so in this place it is saide that Philip preached to this Eunuch the words of which Sermon with all the parts and passages thereof are not set down as may be euidently discerned in that no mention being made in this chapter of baptisme or of water yet this noble Eunuch when hee saw water saide to Philip See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized And yet this proueth not the Scriptures to be maimed or vnperfect as our Aduersaries would willingly haue the world beleeue forasmuch as there is so much set downe in Scripture as is any way needfull and necessarie for our saluation So that although we haue not all the Sermons which the Prophets Apostles of Christ preached word by word and at large set downe and deliuered vnto vs in Gods booke yet it may and ought to suffice vs to know that God in his wisedome hath so disposed that so much of their heauenly discourses and Sermons is set downe vnto vs as might serue to direct vs in the knowledge and worship of God and might further Gods glorie in vs and our saluation And therefore there is no cause at all why wee should listen to the enchantments of Rome or giue any care of credite and beleefe to our Aduersaries the Papists when they tell vs that in som things the Scriptures come short in some things they are silent and say nothing in many things they are doubtfull and vncertaine and in most things hard and full of obscurity With all which and many more the like imputations