to our further comfort Nymp. Amen Well then because I do euē long to acquaint you with that which hath when I haue bene by my selfe much disquieted me you shall vnderstand that the occasion mouing me at this time to craue your aduice is this Since it pleased God to let the light of the glorious Gospel of his Sonne by preaching to shine in these parts more clearely then in former yeares it hath happened that I haue fallen into the companie sometime of common men sometime of men of better fashion which in the world we call wise men sometime also of men of learning and by profession Ministers some of whom to my griefe I haue heard speake very disgracefully some very scornefully all of them to the lessening of that reuerent estimation which we ought to haue of the preaching of the word and of the ordinary course thereof which is amongst vs. Epaph. It is not vnlike neither yet indeed is it to be maruelled at as though some strange thing were come vnto vs. The diuell knoweth by long experience that the preaching of the word is the ruine of his kingdom that therby he is made like lightning to fall downe from heauen And therefore it hath euer bene his practise at the very first entrance of sincere preaching to raise vp some men of corrupt minds to resist the truth and to stop the happie proceedings of the Gospell The first Preacher mentioned in the Scripture is Enoch the seuenth from Adam together with the relation of whose doctrine the text mentioneth also the cruell speakings and violent curses of wicked sinners against him The next after him was Noah which was a Preacher of righteousnesse and howsoeuer the storie mentioneth expresly no tumults raised vp against him yet it may easily be gathered in that he preaching so many yeares before the comming of the floud yet all that while we do not find any one to haue bene reclaimed but they all continued in their accustomed securitie and knew nothing till the floud came and tooke them all away Passe from him to Moses of whose resistance the storie relateth many particulars at his first vndertaking any authoritie among the people in séeking to end a strife betwixt them he was taken vp short with the common spéech VVho made thee a man of authoritie and a iudge ouer vs After when he was sent backe into Egypt to deliuer the people from the bondage of Pharaoh the story is a witnes how often and openly he was gainsaid sometimes by the people they murmuring at him sometimes by Iannes and Iambre two Egyptians somtimes by Korah and his complices so that though the Lord wrought mightily by Moses yet he had daily experience of the malice of the wicked against the truth Now for the times of the Prophets one Ieremie may be a sufficient witnesse he saith he heard the railing of many and the word of the Lord which he preached was a reproach vnto him and in derision daily If you examine the times after Christ at the first spreading of the Gospell this wil be more apparant Run through the book of the Acts the preaching of Peter and Iohn was entertained first with mocking afterwards more open violence was vsed the men in authoritie tooke it grieuously that they taught the people and by cōmon consent put them to silence Steuen was a man ful of faith and of the holy Ghost and they were not able to resist the wisedome and the spirit by which he spake yet certaine arose euen of the synagogue and moued the people against him Paul was mightily withstood sometimes by Elimas the sorcerer sometimes by the Iewes sometimes by Demetrius and those of that faction somtime by Phygellus and Hermogenes otherwhiles by Hymeneus and Philetus Thus we haue euen a cloud of witnesses to confirme this that it hath euer bin the diuels course by all meanes to withstand the preaching of the truth And therefore maruell not good neighbor at it when you see the like in these times these are Satans old pranks and he will thus bestirre himselfe to the end Nymp. Blessed be God you haue well satisfied me in this so that I now see that those which loue the truth haue cause to reioyce at it rather then to be dismayed when they shall see the outrage of the world and the fury of carnall men against the publishing of the Gospell Epaph. You are not deceiued for the diuel his strugling on this wise sheweth that there is a stronger then he come to bind him and to take his armor frō him And though the oppositions of men are at the first assault somthing troublesome yet we haue euer cause to reioyce when wee can say iustly After this maner did they to the Prophets Nymp. Yet sir by your leaue I cannot but maruell that seeing the preaching of the word is so excellent a thing as it is euē the power of God vnto saluation men should notwithstanding so eagerly resist it and shew themselues so great enemies vnto it Epaph. You wil cease to wonder when you shal truly vnderstand the causes mouing worldly and vnregenerate men to malice and maligne that which indeed as you say if the worth thereof were knowne they ought rather with al reuerence to embrace and if you thinke that it may be helpfull vnto you in that wherein you desire to be resolued I will open the same vnto you somthing more at large Nymp. You cannot content me better then if you shall vndertake to discourse therof for as I suppose when I haue once learned the true cause why preaching is so much misliked I shall the losse feare the pretenced reasons which I dayly heare to be alleaged against it Epaph. The true causes why the course of preaching when it is performed so as it ought is so much repined at are these three especially The first is this As men loue nothing more then their sinnes so they loath nothing more then the discouery thereof they can by no meanes endure to haue their secret coruptions ript vp it is a death vnto them to be thoroughly directly dealt withal Wicked Ahab hated the sincere Prophet of the Lord Michaiah because he neuer prophesied good vnto him but euill that is he neuer spared him but deliuered the truth of God vnto him plainly without flattery Now the preaching of the word it is as the prouerb is The finger in the bile it is euer rubbing vppon the gall and being light it maketh all things manifest and discloseth euery mans close and secret vngodlines In the dayes of blindnesse that is in times and places where there is not a setled course of preaching many a man seemeth to himselfe and to others also to be vnreproueable who when the light of the word by powerful application breaketh out is discouered both to others especially to his
the teachers some beleeue and others beleue not and men fall to haue great reasoning among theÌ„selues there cannot but follow a kind of diuisioÌ„ siding so that they which in their ignorance accorded together touching religioÌ„ are by the working of the word sundred some become zealous folowers others malicious oppressors laboring to stop the passage of the Gospell to peruert the strait waies of the Lord some neuters neither cold nor hot but iust of deputy Gallio his religion who cared nothing for those things The preaching of the word is the fan in the hand of Christ by which he parteth his wheat from the chaffe and whereby he maketh way for that great day of separation in which the beleeuing sheep shal be separated from the rebellious and vnbeléeuing goates Againe let it not be forgotten that the word in the right applying of it is called a light which maketh all things manifest When things lie his in the darknes though they al differ each from other in colour yet they séeme all â—o like but the light approching the variety of colours is soone descried So though men in the duskishnes of ignorance are reputed to be knit together in the vnitie of affection yet when the bright beames of Gods word breake in among them the thoughts of many hearts be opened and then you shall see diuers humors and varietie of dispositions By these things it appeareth that if it be well vnderstood diuision and tumult especially at the beginning and first entrie of it among an vntaught people must needes follow the soundnes of setled preaching though those that are reclaimed and brought to the knowledge of God are al of one heart and of one soule proceeding by one rule minding one thing and endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Nymph You haue thankes be to God at least to my iudgement well quit your selfe against this sort of men The next that you haue to do withall are more dangerous being such as Paul saith which do seeme wise in this world and do both liue after a good ciuill fashion and doe also make shew to be not altogether enemies vnto religion They haue also some insight into the Scripture and are wont to reade it and other good bookes priuately onely this their resolution is to keepe a certaine temper in matters of Religion to carrie themselues in an allowable conformitie and not to be ouerforward as many seeme to be whose zeale they account rash and heady indiscretion Epaph. The daunger of this kind of people is most of all in respect of themselues becauss this to be wise in a mans owne eies and to feare God cannot stand together otherwise for answering any thing that they are able to obiect it is a matter of no such great difficulty For the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and as waxe melteth before the fire so shall their best framed conceipts vanish at the very name and presence of the Scripture Nymph I am glad you are so confident for to tell you true these things being as they are very agreeing to mans reason haue much troubled me and I haue not vpon the sodaine knowne well what to answer when in my presence these things haue bene vrged by such as are thought in the world to be men of good discretion First then it is demaunded why preaching should be the most excellent meanes of spirituall instruction and wherefore you should take so much vpon you as that your speaking is able to saue mens soules you be but men as others are and it is but your pride who because you would be thought some body do thus endeuour to extoll the worth and necessitie of your profession Epaph. Here is indéed a perillous argument it sauoreth altogether of the sawcinesse of an ignorant and vnhumbled heart It is come to a proper passe when as the sonne of man who dwelleth in a house of clay whose foundation is in the dust and which is but a worme shall dare to talk so presumptuously and so to set his mouth against heauen as to aske of God a reason of his doings Is it not enough that the Lord hath made it knowne vnto vs that his will is by the foolishnes of preaching to saue those which beleeue O Man who art thou which pleadest against God And yet behold a reason though this kind of men generally are wiser in their own conceit then seuen men that can render a reason and a man may haue more hope of a foole then of them Looke what reason there was why the Lord would haue the walles of Iericho beaten downe onely with the sound of Rammes hornes and with a shout looke also why the Lord would haue no more circumstance obserued in the cleansing of leprous Naaman but onely this Wash and be cleane the same is the reason why God hath sanctified the ministery of man to so excellent a worke as is the casting downe of the holds of Sathan and the gathering together of his Saints God vsed no engines of warre no pollicies of men in the ouerthrow of the walles of Iericho to the end the people might haue cause to say This was the Lords doing and it is maruellous in our eyes So likewise the Prophet vsed so little ceremonie about Naaman that he might sée the finger of God in his recouerie The same may be said of Preaching the Lord hath sanctified hearing to be the outward meanes to beget faith and hath imparted to vs the treasure of his word in earthen vessels to the end that the whole glorie of our conuersion may be his and that He that reioyceth in the renewing of his mind and the reclaiming of his soule may reioyce in the Lord and acknowledge with humilitie the excellencie of that power which by so meane a meanes could bring so mightie things to passe It is a generall rule and holdeth in the whole course of our saluation that Gods power is made perfect that is apparant and more conspicuous through weaknes Great is the pride and arrogancie of the heart of man and if it may find it selfe able though but by a thought to further and helpe forward it owne saluation it prides it selfe foorthwith and to it self secretly it more magnifieth the litle which it imagineth to be in it own power then all that which it receiueth froÌ„ the Lord. For this cause and for the preuention of this euill God in his great wisedome hath so caried the whole Mysterie of godlines from the first foundation of it in heauen his Election according to his foreknowledge vnto the last perfecting of it vntill the day of Iesus Christ that when a man shall enter into a déepe consideration of it and withall marke the order and progresse of his own conuersion he may lay his hand vpon
standeth with some reason that we should trie the doctrine which we heare before we credit it for otherwise we may soone be drawne into many errors we haue a Prouerbe that a man must tell mony euē after his own father not in distrustfulnesse as though we thought he would deceiue but in wisdom because vnwittingly he may be deceiued No doubt we ought to be much more circumspect in matters of doctrine because euen the best that teach in that they are men may erre and because also in matters of that nature to be deceiued is so exceeding dangerous But all the matter is how to iudge and by what meanes to be able to know truth from falshood wholesome from vnwholesome doctrine Epaph. Know this therefore for a truth that in all cases and controuersies of religion the Scripture onely must be admitted as vmpire and euery thing must stand or fall at the determining thereof for therefore hath the Lord commanded it to be written and to be made common to all that by it all controuersies might be decided all doubts resolued all heresies confuted all truth confirmed euery conscience guided euery mans life framed Nothing is sound that is disagreeing frō it nothing vnsound that is consonant thereunto We are well contented to let that absurditie dwell with the parents of it the Papists namely that the Scripture is rather to be tearmed an admonisher then a Iudge let it be their glorie to thinke basely of the written word and to ascribe the authoritie of iudging to vnwritten verities and traditions rather then to it we haue learned that the Law which is come foorth of Sion and the word of the Lord that hath issued from Ierusalem must be iudge amongst the nations and we are commanded to appeale still to the Law and to the testimonie assuring our selues that there is no light in them which speake not according to this word We find that our Sauiour himself stood to the iudgement and triall of the Scripture Paul submitted his doctrine to the same rule We read the learned in former ages to giue the priuiledge of iudging onely to the Scripture Augustin disputing with a chief Arrian saith thus Let vs dispute by the authoritie of the Scriptures which are indifferent witnesses to vs both And in another place The Epistles of Bishops giue place one to another and Councels are amended one by another but the canonicall Scripture that is the rule of all and must correct all Basill the Great demandeth that against all heretiques the Scripture only be the vmpire Cyprian saith that the rules of all doctrines haue flowen from the Scripture Chrysostome willeth his hearers to fetch all things from the Scripture But what shold we stand vpon the testimonies of men when the fore-alleaged places out of the written text are so apparant Therefore to prepare you to the trying of the doctrines which you heare hold this firme ground that all points must receiue their allowance from the Scripture Nymp. I could easily agree to you in this that you haue said but that there is this difficultie therin namely how to make vse of the Scripture and to apply it to this worthy purpose of finding out the truth thereby You that are scholers and haue the helpes of learning and of the Artes and tongues may make better shift in these cases then we plaine men of the country can There is no man that preacheth but he alleageth the Scripture and so carieth it that it may seeme to be absolutely for him in that which he auoucheth so that vnlesse we be taught how to iudge by the Scripture we shall still be in suspense Epaph. You haue made a very néedfull motion and therefore if you will listen to it I will acquaint you with that course whereof my selfe both in my priuate studies and in hearing others publikely haue had very comfortable experience First of all when you haue occasion and oportunitie to heare you must remember Salomons aduice to take heede to your foote to vse some preparation before hand praying the Lord to open your eyes that you may see the wonders of his law and that his spirit of truth may be with you to leade you into all truth Secondly you must labor by all meanes to subdue suppresse the seeming wisedome of your owne heart resoluing to yeeld vp your self to whatsoeuer the Lord reueales though it be altogether crossing to your owne reason and displeasing to nature For as God resisteth the proud and maketh them which professe themselues wise to become fooles so he will guide the meeke in iudgement and teach the humble his way and reueale his secret to them that feare him Thirdly when you haue thus framed and fitted your self by prayer and humilitie be sure to remember this rule especially namely that that doctrine is the truest which maketh most for Gods glorie most for the comfort reliefe of a wounded conscience most for the restraining and curbing of our corrupt nature and fleshly affections Mark a litle and I will shew you the reason of this rule First of all the end why God made all things was the glorie of his owne name the thing especially aymed at by him in that great and admirable worke the redemption of mankind and in all the particulars of it euen from the first foundation of it his eternall election vnto the last end hereof our glorification in heauen is That no flesh might glorie in his presence but that he that glorieth might glorie in the Lord. This being then the maine end of all Gods courses to kéepe the glorie of al things entire vnto himselfe it must needes be that that doctrine is the most sound which doth not admit the least empeachment of Gods glorie Secondly one chiefe end of the Scripture is as to beate down man and to cleane strippe him of all goodnesse and inclination thereunto for the kéeping of Gods glorie whole vnto himself so also to put gladnesse into all distressed hearts and to bring the ioy of saluation to all afflicted spirits Dauid saith it is one propertie of the word of God to reioyce the heart and Paul affirmeth that the drift of all the Scripture is that we through patience and comfort thereof might haue hope So that looke what doctrine bringeth the fullest comfort to a poore soule when it is euen at the depth of sorrow that must néedes be wholesome doctrine séeing it concurreth with the whole scope of the Scripture Thirdly one thing principally intended in the discouerie of that grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men was that vngodlinesse and worldly lusts should be denyed that the flesh with the affections and lustes shold be crucified that the body of sinne should be destroyed and that mortifying our members which are on the earth we should serue the Lord all the