is more easily discerned if it be separated into parts Macrob. Satur. lib. 1. praefat It were to small purpose if a workeman had stones and timber and all other stuffe necessarie for the building of an house vnlesse hee did dispose and set euerie thing in order So likewise it is to as little purpose for a Minister to be furnished with plentiful matter of instruction for his hearers vnlesse hee obserue an orderly methode in his teaching Confusion hath euer been accounted the mother of errour And therefore in all things men are carefull to proceede in an orderly course In an armie al things are placed in due order And in a feast the Sewer doth not onely set good meat on the table but also disposeth euery thing fitly in due place and time much more should this be obserued of a Minister of the Word in the right disposing of the food of mens soules This serueth for the reproofe of those that offend against this course in the two extremes As first such as obserue no order nor methode at all in handling of the word but vtter whatsoeuer commeth on the tongues end Whereby it commeth to passe that many times they wander from their Text they know not whither and are as farre from the scope and sense of it as the East is from the West And hence also ariseth another inconuenience that they weary and tyre out their hearers by falling into odious and irkesome tautologies and repetitions wherein they often lose themselues in such sort as they cannot get out Lib. 9. declam 5. Whereas Seneca saith wittily in disgrace of such a one That it is no lesse vertue to know when to make an end then how to speake Secondly such as are ouer-curious in their diuisions A thing which Seneca condemneth in the handling of Philosophie In partes non in frusta diuidam Ep. 89. Jbid. Idem n. vitij habet nimia quod nulla diuisio Ibid. I will diuide it saith he into parts not into gobbets and It is profitable to haue it diuided not minsed And againe The parts should not bee innumerable and ouer-little For it is as great a fault to haue too many diuisions as none at all And in a word it is like to confusion whatsoeuer is cut as small as dust Much more is this a thing to be condemned in diuiding of the holy Word of God For they that are so nice in their diuisions and subdiuisions without end are euen like the horse that when hee goeth to drinke blundreth and troubleth the water with his foote which was cleare before so do these leaue the Word of God by this meanes more obscure to the poore people then they found it Let it be our care therefore to obserue a plaine and easie methode contenting our selues with the naturall diuision of the Text that our hearers in their vnderstanding may be able to follow vs from point to point as they are deliuered The third thing wherein the right diuiding of the Word consisteth is to propound and deliuer the instructions of it in such apt and fit words as the hearers may vnderstand it Thus did Ezra open the law to the people in such plaine manner as he caused them to vnderstand it Nehem. 8.3 And the Apostle Paul professeth 1. Cor. 2.4 that his preaching stood not in the intising speech of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the Spirit and of power Hee did not set a glosse vpon the Word by humane art as Marchants doe vpon their wares to make them more beautifull but as he saith in the same Chapter Verse 13. He did speake in words which the holy Ghost taught him comparing spirituall things with spirituall things And indeed as the Gospell proceedeth not from men but from God so it teacheth things that are aboue mans sense and reason And therefore in deliuering of the same the Minister should vse not humane but diuine eloquence Gods Word is spirituall and therefore the speech wherein it must be deliuered must also be spirituall euen taught by the Spirit And that is a plaine and an easie stile which is both most fit to carry the Word to the conscience of euery man and also to expresse the Maiestie of the Word And therefore the Apostle saith in another place that he had rather speake fine words in the Church with his vnderstanding that he might also instruct others then ten thousand wordes in a strange tongue De Doct. Chrlib 4. 1. Cor. 14.19 To which purpose Saint Augustine hath a good saying Hee that teacheth must not care with how great eloquence he teacheth but with how great euidence and plainenesse Cicera in M. Anton. Philip. 3. For what doth purenesse of speech profit which the vnderstanding of the hearer doth not follow Seeing there is no cause at all of speaking if they doe not vnderstand what wee speake for whose sake wee speake that they may vnderstand And therefore he that teacheth must shun all words that teach not This serueth to reprooue all those Horat. de art poet that thinke scorne to condescend and stoope to the capacities of the poore people but vse vaine eloquence such as the hearers cannot vnderstand As there are many that come into the Pulpit with an affected kinde of grauitie as though they were great men and with bombasted and strange new coined words labour to astonish and amaze their hearers when God knoweth the matter is so idle and vaine as that men of iudgement are almost sicke to heare it To such the common prouerbe may be applied There is great boast and little rost Ibid. These men haue little desire to edifie their hearers or to conuert soules to God when they will not speake to their vnderstanding It hath euer been accounted the best eloquence and the best Orators haue alwaies made it their chiefest care to expresse their meaning in the fittest and aptest words that could be And therfore Octauius the Emperour Sueton. in Octa. a man of excellent speech himselfe rebuketh M. Antonius as a mad man as writing such things which men might rather wonder at then vnderstand Much more is this a fault in a Minister of the Word Seneca epist 100 whose greatest defire and endeuour should bee to compose and order mans manners and not their words and to speake to the hearts and not to the eares of his hearers Affected eloquence may for a time tickle and delight the eare but it vanishethaway like the emptie sound of musicke without fruite The fourth and last thing wherein the right diuiding of the Word consisteth is to apply the same to the capacitie and seuerall necessities of the hearers Caluin in locum as if a Father should cut a loafe of bread in pieces to feede his children The doctrine must be tempered to the estate and condition of the auditorie This is the chiefe of all the rest and therfore all the Interpreters beat most vpon it as
the Apostle promised in the former Epistle if it were possible to come vnto him againe very shortly But being in the meane while carried as a prisoner to Rome and hauing now no hope euer to returne againe to Ephesus 2. Tim 4.6 but rather looking euery day for present death hee writeth this second Epistle vnto Timotheus both to confirme and arme him against the feare of persecution which in regard of his youth might trouble and dismay him and also to direct him further how to behaue himselfe in the gouernement of Gods Church But not to spend time in vn-folding the whole Epistle but to come neere the wordes that are to bee handled in this second Chapter the Apostle first of all exhorteth Timotheus vnto cheerefulnesse and diligence in preaching of the Gospell and to appoint meet and sufficient Ministers for the propagating of sound doctrine vnto posteritie which exhortation with the reasons of it is continued vnto the 9. verse Secondly hee comforteth him by many arguments both against that offence he might take at his bonds and imprisonment and also against the feare of persecution which might befall himselfe likewise and that vnto the 14. verse Thirdly because euen then the Church began to be troubled with contentions disputations and strife about words in the 14. verse he exhorteth him to restraine them to the vttermost of his power And first the more to terrifie those that delighted in such peeuish oppositions he bids him vse great vehemency of speech in reprouing them euen to protest vnto them before the Lord thereby insinuating how dangerous a thing this litigious and wrangling knowledge is Then he setteth downe two arguments to disswade from them taken from the vnprofitable effects of them First that they are to no profit Altercando veritas amittitur Caluin in locum neither to the Teachers themselues who thereby come to lose the truth nor yet to their Hearers who by such courses are not at all built vp in Faith and Charitie which is the true vse of Christian doctrine 2. Tim. 1.13 Secondly that such contentions are so farre from profiting as that rather they tend to the peruerting of the hearers turning them away from true Faith and so consequently from euerlasting saluation Now because as Caluin obserueth all this stirre and strife in doctrine ariseth from this Fountayne that men of good but vnsanctified wits desire in a vaine ostentation to vaunt and set forth themselues and their gifts before men therefore the Apostle in this verse prescribeth a most excellent remedie for that disease exhorting Timotheus and all other in his place to cast their eyes vpon God making it their chiefe studie to approue themselues to him in the faithfull execution of their ministerie and in the sincere performance of those dueties which God requireth of them As if he should say Let others that delight in it seeke to win the applause of men but doe thou studie to approue thy selfe and thy ministerie vnto God And thus doe these wordes depend on that which went before In the handling whereof for our more orderly proceeding let vs consider these two things first the duetie whereunto the Apostle exhorteth Timotheus and secondly the meanes prescribed for the better performance thereof The duetie is this that he studie to approue him selfe to God The meanes whereby this may be effected are two first if he be a worke-man and such a one as needeth not to be ashamed Secondly if he diuide the Word of truth aright And thus much for the opening and resoluing of the wordes Let vs now proceede to the doctrines and instructions that arise from them Studie to shew thy selfe approued to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 festinatio The word that is rendred studie is of great force in the originall and signifieth to endeuour to the vttermost of ones power to vse al diligence and euen to inforce a mans selfe to doe a thing and so it is vsed and translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solicitè stude ante omnia hoc labora c. Hieron in loc 2. Pet. 1.10 Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure And Hebr. 6.11 Shew the same diligence And therefore S. Ierome readeth it study carefully or diligently and labour for this aboue all things c. This then may bee our first instruction Doct. 1 That it ought to be the chiefe and principall care of a Minister of the Word to approue himselfe vnto God This was the endeuour of the Apostle Paul as himselfe testifieth 1. Cor. 4 3.4 As touching me saith he I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement no I iudge not mine owne selfe For I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. Vpon which place Musculus giueth this good note The faithfulnesse of a Minister of Christ is not commended in that that hee hee appeare faithfull to men but that hee bee found faithfull of Christ the Lord. And therefore saith he this hee studieth most that from his heart hee may serue Christ seeking nothing else but to aduance his Kingdome And in another place the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 4.2 In declaration of the truth we approue our selues to euery mans conscience in the sight of God And againe In all things we approue our selues as the Ministers of God 6.4 The same care ought to bee in all other godly Ministers The reason is because euery good Minister is the seruant of God and that after a speciall manner as the Apostle saith God is my witnesse whom I serue in my Spirit Rom. 1.9 in the Gospell of his Sonne and in another place 1. Tim. 1.12 Hee counted me faithfull saith he and put me in his seruice Now as euery good seruant is carefull to approue himselfe to his owne Master aboue all other so should euery godly Minister desire most of all to approue himselfe to God Yea it is required of earthly seruants that in the seruice they performe to their bodily masters they should seeke the approbation of God and therefore they are commanded Ephes 6.7 Cel. 3.23 With good will to serue the Lord and not men And Whatsoeuer they doe to doe it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men Much more should Ministers who doe immediately serue the Lord in the worke of the ministerie seeke to approue themselues vnto him In the beginning of this Chapter 2. Tim. 2.3 the Apostle calleth Timotheus and so all the Ministers of the Word a good Souldier of Iesus Christ Now a Souldier hauing by oath bound himselfe to his Captayne or Generall endeuoureth so to carry himselfe in the warres as he may please him that hath chosen him to be a Souldier as the Apostle saith In like manner a Minister hauing giuen vp his name and bound himselfe to fight vnder the Banner not of some earthly Captayne as
is a iust Iudge and will say vnto him Friend how camest thou in hither c. And indeede what comfort can a man haue in his place when his owne conscience shall tell him Ier. 17.16 23.21 that he hath thrust in himselfe to bee a Pastour as the Propbet saith and that hee hath runne when the Lord hath not sent him TINDAL that blessed Martyr doth sharpely reproue such kinde of Ministers Exposit in Matth. 5. In what case are they saith he that haue benefices and preach not verily though they stand at the Altar yet they are excommunicate and cast out of the liuing Church of Almightie God And againe Priests that preach not are none of Christs nor none of his anointing but seruants of the beast whose marke they beare And good Father Latimer saith after his blunt and plaine manner In a Sermon preached before King Edward the sixth If there were but one vnpreaching Minister there were too many by one And againe as good Preachers are worthie of double honour so these are worthie of double dishonour And what is this double dishonour saith he If the salt be vnsauory it is good for nothing but to cast out and to be troden vnder foot of men By this salt is vnderstood such as haue cure of soules If they be negligent what be they worthy of wherefore serue they for nothing but to be cast out that is one dishonor Another dishonour is to be troden vnder foote of men that is not to be regarded not to be esteemed And againe I say if one were admitted to view hell and to behold it throughly the Deuill would say On yonder side are punished vnpreaching Ministers I thinke a man should see as farre as hee could kenne and see nothing but vnpreaching Ministers This was the iudgement of these worthie men and reuerend Fathers of our Church thus they thought of all such Ministers as occupy a roome in the Ministery and haue no abilitie to doe the dutie of Ministers And indeed they are the very calamity and plague of the Church They keepe the people in ignorance and blindnesse to the destruction of many a poore soule if God be not mereiful As the Lord saith Hof 4.6 Prou. 29.18 My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Where there is no vision that is where there is no preaching of the doctrine of God out of the Law and the Prophets the people decay Tremel in annot in locum Serm. on 1. Pet. 4.11 or as Tremellius readeth it are made naked Bishop Iewell vrging the necessitie of preaching hath a good saying that euen as when the Sunne is taken out of the World all things are left dorke so is it when the voice of the Pastor is not heard in the Church And in another place he saith Serm. on Luke 10 23.24 Wher e the Word is not preached there the Church must needes runne vpon the rocke Little maruell is it if faith faile where good instruction wanteth Vbi supra And Latimer goeth yet further Take away preaching saith hee and take away saluation GOD helpe those poore Congregations that grone vnder the burden of such Ministers I haue no purpose to disgrace any mans person Onely my earnest desire is to perswade all that haue any gifts though neuer so small not to suffer them to rust as they doe for want of vse I confesse that it may not bee looked for that there should bee a like measure and proportion of gifts in all Ministers For as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.11 The Spirit of God distributeth them seuerally to euery man as he will But as it was said of Dauids Worthies that though diuers of them did not attaine to the first three 2. Sam. 23.19 23. yet they were most excellent and honourable among others So though wee bee much inferiour to them Horat. lib. 1. Epist 1. whose gifts are most eminent in the Church yet let vs striue to bee as excellent as wee can And therefore they that haue any measure of giftes let them bee admonished to stirre them vp 2. Tim. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TIMOTHEVS Where hee vseth a word taken from a sparke of fre raked vp vnder the ashes which by gentle blowing is quickened and kindled to a flame And indeede there were neuer more helpes to further a man this way then there are in this age wherein wee liue if he haue any wit to make vse of them or any desire to doe good with them It was a very good speech which our worthy and reuerend Diocesan in his last visitation at Lincolne B. Barlow vsed to some vnprofitable Ministers there present that if they would but diligently studie the English bookes of Dininitie that are now in print they might doe much good in Gods Church For haue we not the writings of many excellent Ministers of our owne Church as D. Willet Mr. Greencham Mr. Perkins Mr. Dod and others published for the benefit of all men And are not the learned workes of Mr. Caluin and other Ministers of forraine Churches as also S. Augustines excellent booke of the Citie of God translated into our owne language All which if they bee read with diligence may furnish a man with competent knowledge of Diuinitie And haue we not many of our owne Writers that haue trauelled also very profitably in handling the controuersies betweene vs and the Papists as B. Iewel D. Rainold D. Abbot D. Willet D. Morton and others And if any man desire to bee instructed also in matter of historie and other humane learning are not the workes of Liuie Plinie Plutarch Iosephus Eusebius and others turned also into English Nay indeede what learning is there almost that a man desireth to know but God make vs thankefull for so great a blessing he may haue it in his owne mother tongue So that now vnlesse a man will be wanting to himselfe though he be neuer so much a Lacke-Latine as we vse to say though he vnderstand no more tongues then that hee was borne with yet he may be able to teach the people committed to his charge and to instruct them profitably at least in the grounds and principles of religion Let them therefore be excited to shake off that slothfull negligence that hath so long possessed them and let them at the last seriously set themselues to the Lords worke and pray earnestly for Gods blessing so shall they become more profitable to the Church and haue a great deale more comfort in their owne consciences But if there be any that haue no gifts nor abilitie at all to discharge their dutie as God knoweth there are many shepheards that differ but little from their flocke I know not what to say to them but as the poore woman said to the Heathen King that could not attend to doe her iustice Why then doest thou raigne so I say what doe they in the place of Ministers if they bee no way
in the end Let them beware that the cry of the Lords labourers James 5.4 whose hire they haue kept back by fraud do not enter into the eares of the Lord of hosts We should know that Gods ministers ought to be maintained though the Law had appointed them no tithes at al for their maintenance And we see that the most vnworthie Ministers that are will haue their tithes to the vttermost yea with greater rigour then they that toile and take most paines for them And therefore let all the people of God be exhorted conscionably to giue the portion that is due to their Ministers lest they bee driuen for want thereof to forsake the house of God as they did in the time of Nehemiah chap. 13. vers 10 11. and as they doe at this day in many places of the land In a word let them be carefull to performe this and all other their duties with such alacrity and chearefulnesse as that their Ministers may be incouraged to doe their duties backe againe with ioy Heb. 13.17 and not with griefe as the Apostle saith For doubtlesse the griefe which a Minister shall conceiue from the way-ward and peruerse disposition of his people cannot chuse but greatly daunt his spirits and make him altogether listlesse to preach vnto them And indeed what heart can a man haue to take paines with such a people as neither regard him nor his Ministery if that necessitie which God hath laid vpon him 1. Cor. 9.16 as S. Paul saith did not compell him Last of all it may serue to admonish all true Christians to mourne in their soules and with bitternesse of heart to bewaile the miserie of so many thousands of their poore brethren who are like to perish in many places because there is none to teach them knowledge Hos 4.6 Is it not a lamentable thing to see so many townes for want of preaching Ministers Isaiah 9.2 who are the Candlesticks to hold foorth the light of the Word vnto them sitting in darknesse and in the shaddow of death Our Sauiour Christ when he saw the people of his time Matth. 9.36 that they were dispersed and scattered abroad as sheepe hauing no shepheard his very bowels were moued with compassion towards them And if we be led by the Spirit of Christ we cannot but be affected with commiseration in regard of the like miserie of the people of our times that haue no guides but blind guides to leade them into the ditch Mat. 15.14 Would it not grieue any mans heart in the world to see a goodly haruest of croppe like to rot vpon the earth for want of Reapers to gather it into the barnes Mat. 9.37 Iohn 4.35 Euen so the Lord hath a great haruest and the regions are white alreadie as Christ saith What a griefe then ought it to bee to euery good heart to consider that there are so few labourers to thrust in the Sickle The people of God in many places begin to feele the want of the Word and as new-borne babes 1. Pet. 2.2 they desire the sincere milk of it that they may grow by it But alas what a pittifull thing is it that their Ministers are either drie nurses and haue no milke at all in their brests to giue them sucke Lam. 4.3 4. or if they haue they are become through idlenesse more hard-hearted then the Dragons and more cruell then the Ostriches in the Wildernesse they will not draw out their brests to feede them but euen suffer the tongue of Gods poore sucklings to cleaue to the roofe of their mouth for thirst And therefore to conclude this point let euery one of vs bee stirred vp in a fellow-feeling of this great miserie to pray to God in the behalfe of our brethren and euen to importune him and giue him no rest vntill hee bee pleased to set ouer euerie Congregation such a Minister as may bee apt and able to teach and instruct them in the way of godlinesse That needeth not to bee ashamed The word properly signifieth that needeth not to blush 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so the Apostle vseth it an another place where hee saith What fruite had yee then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Heere then hee exhorteth TIMOTHEVS to keepe a good conscience in the whole course of his life that when hee shall come to giue account vnto God his face may not becouered with shame for where shame is there is guiltinesse And thus doth Saint Hierome expound it Liue so saith hee lest thy wordes wanting deedes bee confounded for the doctrine is an ornament to the life and the worke is an ostablishment to the life and the worke is an establishment of the doctrine And Aquinas The doctrine saith hee which he preacheth with his mouth let him confirme with his work which if he do not he is worthy of shame and confusion And Gorrā interpreteth it one that needeth not blush to consesse the Gospel for his euil life Anselmus readeth it vnreproueable For saith he from a reproof riseth confusion to him that is reproued and he that cannot be reproued is not confounded As if he should say Shew thy selfe such a one in al thy works as in none of them thou maist sustaine the confusion of shame Frō hence thē our instruction may be this That it is not enough for a minister to preach sound doctrine vnlesse he be blamelesse in his life And therefore our Sauior Christ in that excellent prayer of his for his Disciples because they were to bee Ministers of the Word prayeth for them to his Father Iohn 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is the truth And indeede how can they cleanse others that are vncleane themselues how can they free others from pollution that are polluted themselues according to that saying of Cyprian Lib. 1. Epist 1 2. who can giue that which himselfe hath not And the Apostle exhorteth Timotheus 1. Tim. 4.16 to take heede to himselfe and to doctrine Attend first to thy selfe and then to the teaching of other whereupon the ordinary Glosse saith He doth not say Attend to doctrine and to thy self but Attend to thy selfe and vnto doctrine first take heed how thou liuest and then how thou teachest for as Caluin well noteth doctrine will doe little good if holinesse of life bee not answerable And great reason is there that Ministers of all other men should bee holy For first they administer the holy things of God Alex. ab Alex. genial dier ◠4 cap. 17. as the Apostle saith they are disposers of the secrets of God They beare the vessels of the Lord as the Prophet saith and that after a more peculiar manner and therefore it behooueth them especially to bee cleane Isay 52.11 And this the poore Heathen people in their blind and superstitious seruice of their Idols had a very
great care of Sabellicus Ennead 1. l. 3. It was one of their Pontificall lawes Det them come chastly to the gods let them vse pietie They that do otherwise God himselfe will reuenge it The Priests of Egypt euery third day did shaue their bodies lest any filthinesse appeare Plutarch in Quaest Centuriat Roman when they were offering their sacrifices And those Priests that were troubled with Byles and Botches were forbidden to study Diuination either because it becommeth not them to haue any vlcer in their mindes that apply themselues to heauenly things or else if they vse not a diseased beast for sacrifice nor diseased birds for Diuination much more must they auoid such things in themselues If these Heathen men had this care for the seruice of their false gods which were but stockes and stones the workes of their owne hands how much more ought wee to be carefull of all puritie and cleannesse in the worship of the true God Heb. 12.29 Leu. 10.3 who is a consuming fire against sinne and sinners and who will be sanctified in them that come neere him or else he will glorifie himselfe in their confusion It was forbidden in the Law Leu. 21.17 18 19 20 21. that whosoener had any blemishes should not prease to offer the bread of his God as if hee were blind or lame or had a flat nose or any misshapen member c. And howsoeuer this ceremonie be ceased and be no more in vse yet the equitie of it remaineth still namely that they that haue blemishes in their liues or are mis-shapen in their soules should not be admitted to serue the Lord in the ministerie of his Word Secondly a Minister must goe before his people in the example of a godly life It was the exhortation of our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples Matth. 5.6 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen As in the Orbes and Circles of the Heauens the highest Spheare moueth all the rest and therefore is called the first Moouer So the Minister being highest in the Church should by his example moue and draw them that are vnder him vnto holinesse For the people in our times will say to vs as they said to our Sauiour Christ What doest thou worke that we may see it and beleeue thee Not what doest thou teach Iohn 6.30 And therefore as it is said of him that first he began to doe and then to teach Act. 1.1 that he was first mightie in deed and then in word according as Cyprian saith Serm. 5. de lapsis Luke 24.19 Christ was a Teacher in words and a performer in deeds teaching what ought to be done and doing whatsoeuer he taught And it is said of Ezra Ezra 7.10 that first he prepared his head to seeke the Law of the Lord and to doe it and then to teach the precepts and iudgements in Israel So must it bee with vs that wee may say with the Apostle PAVL Phil. 3.17 Brethren be followers of me and looke on them that walke so as ye haue vs for an example And Thinke of those things which ye haue both learned 4 8 9. and receiued 1. Tim. 4.12 and heard and seent in me And to this purpose the Apostle exhorteth TIMOTHEVS to be vnto them that beleeue an ensample in word in conuersation in loue in spirit Tit. 2.7 in faith and in purenesse And hee biddeth TITVS aboue all things to shew himselfe an example of good works c. And the Apostle Peter exhorteth all ministers 1. Pet. 5.3 so to carry themselues as they may bee ensamples to the flocks In all which places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word that is vsed doth signifie that the life of a Minister should be such a patterne of godlinesse as that it may set a stampe and an impression thereof as it were vpon his people Men wil sooner learne of their Ministers by their eyes then they will doe by their eares For they commonly beleeue their eyes Seneca epist 6. better then they doe their eares And it is a long course to teach by precepts but short and effectuall by examples When the people of Israel were to passe ouer Iorden into the land of promise the Priests that bare the Arke of the Coxenant went before them Iosh 3.15 16 17. So must the Ministers goe before their people in the iourney to the Kingdome of heauen And indeede Doctr. Chr. lib. 4. as Saint Augustine saith though they profit many by saying that which they doe not yet they would profit a great many more by doing that which they say It is said of Iohn Baptist that he was the voice of him that crieth in the wildernesse Iobn 1 23. Dominica 3. aduentus Whereupon Stapleton well obserueth that he had not onely a well-sounding voice but also he was a voice Whatsoeuer was in him namely his food his apparrell his habitation and his whole life was a voice that cried and proclaimed repentance mortification and holinesse His life first cried before his preaching The same order should a Preacher obserue that first he be a voice and then lift vp his voice They whose liues are not answerable to their doctrine haue a voice indeed but an emptie one like sounding brasse or a tinckling Cymball 1. Plutarch in Apotheg vulgar Lcc. num Cor. 13.1 but they are not a voice or at least a man may say of them as the Country fellow said of the Nightingale when hee had stripped her out of her feathers Thou art onely a voice and nothing else This was it that made Herod reuerence Iohn Baptist so much Marke 6 20. and heare him so gladly not that he was a good Preacher but chiefly that he was a iust man and an holy The Heathen Philosophers haue made three markes of a good Teacher first that he teach not sleightly and negligently but diligently and with due premeditation Secondly that he obserue a good order and methode in teaching that his hearers may vnderstand him And lastly that his life be answerable to his words and profession Whereunto agreeth that saying of Saint Augustine Confess lib. 10. It is to little purpose for a Minister to command his hearers in words if he doe not also goe before them in deeds De Consid lib. 4. And therefore Bernard willeth Eugenius to consider that it behooueth him to bee a forme of righteousnesse a mirrour of holinesse and a patterne of pietie So should it be with all the Ministers of the Word Cyp. lib. 3. epist 1. that they may exhort their people not by words only but by deeds not onely by the incitement of their speech and voice but chiefly bee the example of their faith and vertue And indeed if it be expedient for all men to liue orderly Cyr. lib 1. epi. 11 much more doth it stand with reason that
be vnprofitable to his owne soule And a little after he addeth They may be heard with profit to others which doe vnprofitably themselues Diuiding the Word of truth aright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caictanus in locum Beza Piscator c. Leu. 1.6 7 8 12 c. The word here vsed is a borrowed speech taken as some expound it from Carpenters that cut their timber by a right line or as others interpret it from that cutting and diuiding of the sacrifices which the Priests vsed in the Law wherein the Aposile expresseth the chiefe and principall office of a Minister For seeing a Minister is implied in the most excellent profession of al others namely in propounding and deliuering the Word of truth vnto Gods people then which there is nothing greater nor more precious in all the world the Apostle here instructeth him how hee is rightly to handle the same Now this right diuiding of the Word consisteth first in the right interpreting of the Scripture Secondly in the right disposing of it in an apt and fit methode Thirdly in propounding and deliuering it in such plaine words and easie stile as the hearers may vnderstand it Fourthly in applying the same vnto the hearers as their capacity is able to beare and as their necessity doth require For the first of these the Minister must be carefull to interpret the place of Scripture which he handleth and to lay open the meaning of it especially if there bee any thing in it that is hard to be vnderstood Thus did Ezra that learned Seribe who was prompt in the Law of God Ezra 7.6 when he stood vp in the Pulpit which was made for the preaching Nebem 8.4 8. he read in the booke of the Law of God distinctly and gaue the sense Now the Scripture is best interpreted when it is interpreted according to the meaning of the author of it that is the Lord. 1. Cor. 2.16 And if any shall obiect who hath knowne the minde of the Lord I answere that if in interpreting the Scripture we follow the analogie of faith we cannot faile of the mind of the Lord. Rom. 12.6 As the Apostle saith If we prophesie that is if we expound the Scripture let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith Where he sets downe the true Canon of discerning a true interpretation from a false Beza in Rom. 12 namely if it be examined according to the infallible maximes and principles of Christian faith contained in the Apostles Creede as it is commonly called which from the beginning of the preaching of the Gospell was written as an epitome and abridgement therof and was therfore worthily called the rule and square of faith Whereunto agreeth that saying of S. Augustine De Doct. Chr. lib. 3. When diligence applied shall perceiue it vncertaine how a thing must be distinguished or how it must be pronounced let a man consult with the rule of faith which he hath receiued from plainer places of Scripture and from the authoritie of the Church And indeede for the most part we shall find that the harder places of the Scripture are interpreted by some other that are plainer Nehem. 8.8 Exponendo sensum dabant intelligentiam per scripturam ipsam And therefore it is said of Ezra in the place before alleaged as Tremelius readeth it that when hee read the Law to the people he opened the sense and gaue the vnderstanding by the Scripture it selfe But I will dwell no longer in the amplifying of this point he that desireth to reade more hereof let him peruse the learned Treatise of that worthy and reuerend man Master Doctor Whittakers wherein hee disputeth the same at large against Bellarmine The vse of it in a word is to reprooue first all those who being sworne vassals to the Pope make him the onely interpreter of the Scriptures For howsoeuer they talke of the Fathers and of generall Councels to bee consulted withall in this case yet in the ende they bring all to the Pope and make him the vmpire in the whole businesse But the Apostle Paul hath taught vs 1. Cor. 2.11 that as no man knoweth the things of man but the spirit of man that is within him euen so no man knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God 2. Tim. 3.16 That same Spirit by whose inspiration the whole Scripture was giuen 2. Pet. 1.21 and by whom the holy men that penned the Scripture were mooued he must needes bee the best Interpreter of the Scripture Secondly it reprooueth those who when they come to handle the Scripture in the hearing of Gods people doe dwell onely in the rind or outward barke and leaue the marrow and inward life and soule of the Scripture vntouched For euen as the fruit of light metals Seneca epist 23. is aboue in the top of the earth but those are richest whose veine is hidden deepe and will euery day more fully satissie him that diggeth so there are many excellent things hid as it were in the bowels of the holy Scriptures which with a superficiall and ouerly kind of studie cannot be attained vnto And therefore if it bee the dutie of all that studie the Scriptures John 5.39 Prou. 2.4 to search them diligently as our Sauiour saith yea to seeke for the knowledge thereof as for siluer and digge for it as for hid treasure Much more is it the Ministers dutie who must open and explaine the same vnto the people In cap. 3 ad Ephes And the rather because as Saint Hierom saith There is no word no syllable no tittle or accent no little pricke in the holy Scriptures but it is full of knowledge Thirdly it reprooueth yet another sort who search too farre into the Scriptures and not contenting themselues with the naturall fense and meaning of the place draw all to Allegories and mysticall expositions Concerning whom I will onely set downe what Saint Augustine saith in this case De Ciu. Dei lib. 17. cap. 3. As saith he they seeme to be much deceiued which thinke there is nothing at all in the Scriptures that signifieth any thing else but that it was done after that manner so they seeme to bee very bold which auouch that all things there are wrapped vp and infolded in Allegories The second thing wherein the right diuiding of the Word consisteth is the right disposing of the things to be deliuered in an apt and fit method This is most necessary For hereby euery thing commeth to haue his due place that it may bee orderly and methodically vttered It is a true saying that Seneca hath to this purpose Epist 89. It is a profitable thing and very necessarie for him that would attaine to wisedome to haue Philosophy diuided and that great body to bee disposed into his members For we are more easily brought by the parts vnto the knowledge of the whole And a little after Whatsoeuer is growne somewhat great it