as heare with faith to beléeue in Christ and his worde and with obedience to followe Christe and his worde then both idolatrous Papistes and carnall protestantes I will not once name Atheistes are quit clean excluded out of the number of true right Christian hearers That Papists hear not Christ his ministers in this sense of hearing that is that they do not conforme their religion according to the doctrine conteined in and deliuered vnto them out of the worde of God this is a matter so manifest as all the faithfull do lamentablie and with griefe of hearte beholde the same And to giue themselues if any be present some taste thereof I will here ioyne battell and incounter with them vsing that onely sentence vtterred by our sauiour in the sourth of Iohn for the weapon whereby I am sure I truste the greatest number present will confesse that their whole religion or rather superstition is wounded at the hearte and stricken quite dead For Christ in that place talking with the woman of Samaria telleth her the God is a spirit and they that worshippe him must worshippe him in spirit and truth If we either looke on the whole body of their religion in grosse or dismember and rippe the same into péeces and beholde euerie member euerie ioynt euerie sinewe euerie veine euerie arterie euerie muscle thereof we shall be enforced to confesse that among them there is no worshipping of God in spirite and trueth but that all their worshippe and religion is corporall externall and ceremoniall Whosoeuer shall with iudgement indifferētly view their Religion shall in déede perceiue it to be nothing else but an apishe and counterfeite imitation of the ceremoniall law Hence they fetch their alters candlestickes Sensours Perfumes garmentes Oblations festiuall dayes solemne feasts difference of times obseruation of meates purifications sacrifices and a number of the like nature But as in all these and the residue they haue no sauour of spirite and trueth agréeable either to gods nature discribed or to the doctrin of the Gospell deliuered by Christ so in their following of the lawe they doe shamfully halte To giue yee an instance they celebrate their masse at the Altar but Christ ministred his laste supper at a table I cannot denye but the lawe Ceremoniall doeth commaunde Altars howbeit such Altars as shall be neither of hewed stone nor haue any steppes ther vnto belonging But the Romish Altars are of hewen stowne and haue steppes as is apparant in their Sinagogues and as appereth by steppes yet remayning in many of our Temples whereby either longing for that heathenish superstition or at the least colde affection to aduance true religion is vndoubtedly signified But admitte their whole religion were fully in euery pointe correspondent and answerable to the law ceremoniall what else shoulde that bée but a full and flatte deniall of Christes death and passion and of all the merits of the same This is most substancially proued by our sauiour Christ and by his seruaunt Paule Christ in that former scripture before cited saith that God is a spirit and therefore they that worshippe him must worship him in spirit and trueth In that place Spirit truth are opposed and set against the ceremonies of the law and the words of Christ so vttered to the woman of Samaria importe thus much Before the incarnation of me the then promised and nowe perfourmed sauiour ye worshipped God in shadowes in figures in ceremonies in sacrifices but I béeing nowe come who am the body of those shaddowes the trueth of those figures the substāce of those sacrifices the matter of those ceremonies nowe that externall worship ceaseth and ye muste now worship God onely in spirite and trueth Here Paule saith in his Epistle to the Ephesians the second chapter He that is Christ is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall in abrogating through his flesh the hatred that is the law of cōmandementes which standeth in ordinaunces c. Again writing vnto the Collossians he hath the same in effect and meaning By both these places we are taught that Christ by his death and passion hath abrogated taken away the whole law of ceremonies that place also in the last to the Hebrues is verie notable to this end and purpose We haue an Altar wherof they haue no authoritie to eat which serue in the Tabernacle Whereby it is concluded that such as yet dwell in ceremonies of the law much more of mens deuising are strangers frō Iesus Christ who by his one sacrifice of his own body once offered for al hath cancelled the obligation and handwriting of the ceremoniall lawe which was against vs By these the like testimonies of holy scripture we sée that such as worship God either after the ceremoniall law of God or after the ceremoniall deuises of men do therby deny the force of Christs death yea they deny that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh Of such mē S. Ioh. speaketh in his first epistle Euery spirit that cōfesseth not Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is not of god but this is the spirit of Antichrist c. I referre the néerer application of this sentence to their own consciences praying the lord to giue them grace effectually to sée cōfortably to fele faith fully to acknowledge the Lord Iesus togither with the mightie force of his most effectuall death passion Plinie in the eight booke of his naturall historie reporteth the Swallowes vse to make the blind soare eyes of their yong ones to sée by rubbing the same w an herbe called Celandine so named some say of the swallowes first finders and such vsers therof some say quia confert caelestia dona bicause it hath heauenly vertues The papists eyes are very sore blind they cannot abide to looke vppon Iesus Christ the glorious sonne of God thus brightly shining amōgest vs The Lord in his mercie giue thē his heauenly Celandine I mean his holy spirit that therewith their blind eyes may bee opened their darke vnderstanding lightened their hard harts mollified softened If as in grosse we haue viewed the whole bodie of their religiō so nowe we looke vppon the same by piece meale shal we therein finde any spirite and truth shal we not finde it altogether deuoid of spirite and trueth and wholy corporall carnall and earthly Spirite and truth will haue the Lord God alone worshipped and serued they worship and serue Saintes creatures Reliques bootes buskins nailes c. Spirit trueth will haue God alone to be prayed vnto they pray to Saintes to creatures to Images to stockes and stones Spirite and trueth will haue our praiers procéede from an vnderstanding hart they teach charge the people to pray in a strange and vnknowen language Spirite and trueth will haue
and such like thinges then they mourne and pull themselues a peeces This as I tolde ye is golden mouthed Chrisostoms excellent comparison wherin he notably proueth the heathen men to be children babes when as they made such great reckoning of vaine transitorie thinges and yet resisted and contemned Christ Iesus If ye vnderstād our vngentle Papists for his gentiles ye shall as it were in a glasse clearely behold the mad and more then childish follie of our Romanistes who so estéeme their Crosses Altars banners holy water Copes Images and suche like superstitious toyes as in the mean time they make none account of worshipping God in spirit and truth or to heare Christ and his gospell fruitfully and therefore the conclusion is direct and true That Papistes are not true hearers of the worde of God. Nowe touching carnall protestantes to proue them no true heares of god his worde is a matter of no great difficultie and hardnesse but may easily be accomplished and brought to passe by the former discription of true and effectuall hearers For in true hearers two thinges are necessarily required the one faith in beléeuing the other obedience in following Faith is the trée obedience is the fruit whereby faith may be discerned and knowen Let vs therefore by obedience as it were by an especiall good bloud hound trace out the faith of these carnall professours and so shall we find in them no sound faith but a pretended faith no liuely iustifiing faith but a dead condemned faith whereof S. Iames speaketh in the second chapter of his epistle Obedience is an heartie submission and through conformation of our selues to that which the Lorde our God hath prescribed in the holy scripturs either for the worship seruice of him or for our behauiour towardes men If we looke for this obedience when or how shall we finde it in these maner of men For one sort of these men wil go no further in religion then they may liue in all worldes please euerie prince serue euerie turne and susteyne neither losse nor lacke nor any kinde of trouble or displeasure If these good fellowes méet with Papistes they resist not if with Atheistes they striue not if with temporizers and seruers of time their humours are fedde if with zelous true Christians they become key colde and yet hollowe pretenders of loue and good will to the Gospell These honest men can w the Cameliō trāsforme thēselues into euery colour with their breath they can as is in the fable make warme their handes and make colde their pottage And although by reason of the state and time present they will bee accounted protestantes yet if yee marke it they cherish none trust none kéepe companie and delight heartely in none but such as are notorious and knowne Papistes Aesope felleth a pretie tale of an husband man who séeing his cornefeld spoiled with Géese and Cranes did therefore set a snare for them and at length tooke them both and a storke with them The storke fearing death vehementely and like an Orator pleaded her owne cause declaringe her innocencie her excellencie aboue other birdes her singular care ouer her aged parentes and vpon these considerations praied to be set at libertie The husbandman more regarding his losse of corne then the Storkes glorious wordes saide vnto her As I haue taken the in euill companie so thou shalt also die with them In like manner when the Lorde Iesus that heauenly husbandman shall call these carnall wretches to an accoūt for their treading vnder féete and spoyling the holy séede of his eternal word cōtinually cast out sowen among thē for their drawing the yoke with infidels ioyning with the sworne enemies of the Gospell let them bee assured that no wordly pollilicie no humane reason no fine deuice no forged excuse shall be accepted but as they haue kept companie with those wicked ones most offensiuely so without spéedie repentance they shall perish with them euerlastingly The good prophete and noble Kinge Dauid knowing what a great let and hinderaunce the companie of the wicked is and how it entiseth men from the zealous and heartie seruing of the Lorde doth with great zeale and in most vehement maner breake out into these words Away from mee ye wicked for I will keep the commaundementes of my God. And being taught by the holy Ghost what a good prouocation it is to godlinesse to be alwayes conuersant familier with the faithfull and godlie the same Dauid in moste ioyfull manner vttereth these wordes in the sixtéenth Psalme All my delight is vpon the Saintes that are in the earth and such as excel in vertue But the worlde doeth now take a cōtrarie course For the Saints of God are not esteemed their companie not regarded the name of saintes is derided and laughed to scorne All delight is reposed in Italianate heades discoursing tonges merie conceited companions Epicures tossepottes riotous persons leude talkers these growe nowe a dayes vnto greate credit But true Christians carefully endeuouring to shewe themselues conformable to their profession of Christ are nothing or verie little and a verie few estéemed set by But this is not to be woondered at for the verie word of God and the true preaching thereof is now so contemned and dispised so crossed and maliciously and of set purpose ouer wharted that euery vaine fidler and vagabound Piper in the country doth carrie away the vnthankefull people euen vppon the Lorde his holy Saboth dayes and other times dedicated to his seruice and that from the hearing of Gods holy worde and worshipping of him vnto carnall vnchristian and filthy dauncinges the verie nource of carnal talke of horrible blasphemie of damnable fornication of pride of theft of disobediēce to God to prince to parentes to all superious The filthines of this vsuall dancing moued the auncient fathers often and sharpely to inueigh againste it in their dayes but what woulde they haue done if they had liued in this present age Chrisostome saith vbi saltus lasciuus ibi diabolus certe adest where wanton dauncing is vsed there the diuel is certenly present And in the same homilie they that daunce nowe a days desire not that Iohn should bee headed but the soules of such as are in their company should be destroied Likewise Augustin vpon the third psalme saith Obserua diem Sabbati nō carnaliter c. that is kéepe the Saboth day not carnally not with Iewishe vanities whiche abuse and prophane their rest make it a cause of lendenesse Againe saith Augustine speaking of the rest vppon the Saboth day Non dico vt delitteris quemadmodum Iudaei solent Melius est enim toto die fodere quà m saltare die Sabbati my meaning is not saith Augustine that thou shouldest spende the Saboth daye vainely as the Iewes vse to doe For it is better to digge and delue all
Psal. 26. 8. Three things commeÌ„d this scripture Matth. 23. 2. 3 Iohn 15. 26. Rom. 8 14. The holy ghost author of the Canonicall Scriptures Act. 28. 25. 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2. Pet. 1. 21. Exod. 20. 1. The present scripture vttered by Moses Stephan and Peter Moses Deut. 18. 18. Against our Popish witches Deut. 18. 13. Hipocrisie halting condemned Wee must depend vpon yelde our selues wholy vnto the worde of God. An obiection An answere of the same Stephan Act. 7. 2. c. Moses and the law teach and point vnto Christe Actes 7. 3 Peter Actes 3. 22. 23 Christs name Peters sincere humilitie Peters sharpe reprouing sweet comforting the Iews True repentance fleeth vnto Christ An obiection An answere of the same The imbracing of Christ is no transgressioÌ„ of the lawe The matter of this text The raiser vp of this Prophete Ephe. 1. 4. The meÌ„bers of the church fore apointed Rom. 8. 30. The preching of the worde the meane to call the elect Gods will is the perfect rule of righteousnesse The office of Christs ministers Esa. 58. 1. Ezech. 33. 8. Math. 28 19. 2. Tim. 4. 2. Tit. 1. 9. A comfortable assurance of true ministers of the worde The minististery ordeined by God. Mark 26. 15. Iohn 20. 21. Rom. 10. 15. Eph. 4. 11. Math. 9. 83. Apo. 1. 16. 20 What care is to be vsed in the election of ministers The popish Clergie no true ministers of Christ Tit. 1. 9. An obiection against some of our ministers Answere to the same Some causes of a maimed ministerie in the beginning No cause of the continuance thereof Causes to the contrarie No cause why any papist should reioyce at the former speach of some of our ministers Our ioyfull plentie of good ministers Our simplest ministers better then the best if any be good of the popish clergie The conscience and abilitie of such as desire the ministerie Heb. 5. 4. No man can assure himself that he is a true minister vnlesse he bee called of God How a minister shall know if he be called of God. What greeuous offences ignorant ministers giue The dignitie of true ministers is manifest by Their names Mat. 5. 13. 14. 1. Cor 5 1. 2. Tim. 4. 2. Apo. 1. 16. 20. Their office The person thei represent Mat. 10. 40. Luc. 10. 16. The conteÌ„pt of godly ministers What maner of Prophete this is Three kindes of prophetes Marlor loc com Seers 1. Cor. 21. 9. 26. 28. Interpreters of the lawe To prophesie Preachers of the worde Actes 13. 1. Pro. 29. 18. The necessitie of Preaching Stephan and Peter aplie this text chefly to Christ This prophet importeth Christ and all his ministers Christ the marke of all true ministers The comfortable signe of this prophet The wofull estate of the Church wanting true ministers 1. Cor. 4. 1. Mat. 28. 19. Iohn 10. 16. Psal. 74. 9. God leaueth not his church destitute of ministers in persecution How these wordes concerne the whole ministerie An obiection The maiestie of God. Deut. 19. 18. Deu 20. 18. 1â— An aunswere to that obiection The goodnesse of God in teaching vs by our brethren Howe this speach toucheth Christ Gen. 22. 18. Christ not so like Moses but that hee farre passeth Moses Wherein Christes likenesse to Moses doth stand Exod. 2. 11. Luke 2. 11. 12 Nu. 12. 1 14 2 Iohn 1. 11. Exod. 14. 27. Col. 1. 13. 2. 15. Exod. 16. 15. Math. 26 26. The scripture conteineth all things necessarie to our saluation Luc. 16. 29. Ephe 2 20. 2. Tim 3. 15. What eare obedience must be giuen to this Prophet Gala. 3. 24. 25 The office of the Law is to bring vs vnto Christ Christ our alone Scholemaster Math. 17. 5. Two sortes of hearing Hearing that is only external to damnation Esa. 6. 9. Math. 13. 14. 2. Cor. 2. 16. Faithfull hearing to saluation Mat. 17. 5. Iohn 8. 47. Iohn 10. 27. Gene. 12. 4. Gene. 17. 24. Gene. 22. 10. Ia. 1. 22. 25. A conclusion inferred vpon the discription oâ— true hearers Papistes are not true hearers of Christs Gospell This alone sentence confuteth and coÌ„foundeth all poperie Iohn 4. 25. Romish Religion A vew of poperie in generall Meere ceremoniall An Apish imitation of the ceremoniall lawe Mar. 14 18. Exo. 20. 25. 26 A transgressi-of the law ceremoniall Altar steppes in our Temples The through obseruation of the Ceremonial law is a through deniall of Christ Iohn 4. 25. The effectual signification of those wordes Spirite trueth Ephe. 2. 14. Colloss 2. 14. Christs death ended and abrogated the Ceremoniall lawe Heb. 13. 10. Obseruers of the Ceremoniall lawe cut themseluâ— from Christ Plin. li. 8. nat histor cap. 27. Celandine The papistes eyes sore and blind A view of the principal meÌ„bers of their and our religion together Only God to be worshipped Deu. 10. 20. 6 19. Mat. 4. 10 Only God to be praied vnto Psal. 50. 15. Mat. 6. 9. We must pray with the hart Esa. 29. 13. Mat. 15. 8. 1. Cor. 14. 15. Faith onely iustifieth Gen. 15. 6. Hab. 2. 4. Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 2. 16. Two Sacraments Mat. 28. 19. Mat. 26. 26. The sacraments must be administred accorping to christs institution 1. Cor. 11. 23 Christ must be hâ—rd in all thinges Deut 18 22. Mat. 17 5. Tâ—e holy scripture conteineth al thinges necessarie to saluation Deu. 4. 6. Lu. 1â— 29. c. An obiection that the Papists are learned c. Answere to the same Mat. 11. 25. Ioan. â— 8. Mat. 13. 55. Mar. 2. 16 The fond arguments of ignorant deceiued soules A liuely and true picture of the Popish masking religion Can ye here finde any spirite and truth The belly reasons of carnall and senslesse people Fowle faultes I promise you But Christened ye were in the name of the Father c. and therefore tied not to the masse but to the worshipping of God. Ier. 44. 16. Chrisost in 1 Cor. Hom. 4. Chrysostom proueth the Gentiles to be children The more then childish folly of our Popish babes That carnall protestantes are no true hearers of the worde The worde caÌ„not be effectually heard without faith obedience Obedience the fruit of faith Iam. 2. 20. What obedience is One sorte of counterfeit Christians described These applye themselues to liue in all worldes saue in the world to come The storke taken in ill company sussteineth like punishment with them The state of such as are companions with professed enemies of Christ Dauids detestatioÌ„ of wicked companie Psa. 119. 115. Dauids hearty delight in goâ—d companie Psal. 16. 3. The worlde is drowned with the carnall loue of vaine companions No meruell if gods children be contemned wheÌ„ his word is so dispised Dancing in many places more estemed then preaching The effectes of the commonly vsed dancinges The auncient fathers sharpe inuectiues against dancing Chrisost in Mat. 14. homil â—9 Augustine in Psal 3. Mat. 14. 6. 10 Mortification and newnesse of life commanded Rom. 6. a. 4. 2. Cor 4. 10. Gal. 5. 16. Mat. 5. 28. Mat. 12. 36. Ephe. 5. 11. Aug. ad frat in Eremo Ier. 33. Vanitie better countenanced then veritie We are vniustly accused to dislike all recreations 1. Cor. 10. 31. Mat. 3. 11. What it is to bee baptised with fire the holy Ghost A most needfull prayer Ephe. 6. 17. The damnable disposition and occupation of many Godlesse people Plaiers about London Amos. 8. 11. What the lothing of Gods word doth foretell The famin at the destruction of Ierusalem Ioseph de bello Iudaico lib. 7. Cap. 8. The effect of the spirituall famin of god his word A dolefull daunce Another kind of carnall Christians Figge treers with leaues onely These means are gluttony tipling vile companie vain talk c. The miserable estate of these men Math. 7. 21. Iam. 1. 22. Iude. 12. Psal 1 4. Mat. 3. 12. Mat. 21. 19. 2. Sam. 10. 2 3. 4 c. Euill counsel Ingratitude What vilanies all carnall hearers do to themselues The fourth â—nd last part The punishment of disobedient and carnal hearers Eph. 2. 5. 6. 7. Math. 11. 28. Matth. 21. 43. Christ his maner of calling vs. Lu. 14. 18. c. Math. 8. 34. An exhortation to papists Psal â—8 4. To vaine protestants To both papistes and counterfeit Christians Math 25. 41. Rehersall of the premisses What is to be done when we haue heard the word preached How we shall knowe whether we heare it profitably or otherwise The effect of vain hearing The effect of fruitefull hearing Ia. 2. 18. c. Matth. 7 24. Matth. 25. 33. Marc. 3. 35. ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Middleton for George Byshop
vs fréely iustified by faith in Christ they ioyne mans merits purchasers with the pretious bloude of Christ Spirite and truth wil haue but two Sacramentes to wit Baptisme and the Lords supper they adde to these two fiue moe of their owne coyning so will haue seuen sacraments Spirite and truth willeth vs simplie to administer the Sacramentes according to the Lords holy institutiō they haue added altred deminished augmented as them selues lusted To baptism they haue added oyle creame spittle crossings baptizing by women baptizing before the birth of the childe a tying of saluation vnto baptisme To the Lord his supper they haue added Altars candlestickes Tapers pixe Transubstantiatiō Adoration reseruatiō circumgestation and carrying about of the Sacrament c. Spirite and trueth willeth vs to heare christ In al things whatsoeuer he shal say vnto vs Wherby we are throughly assured that all things necessarily required vnto our saluation are conteined in the sacred scriptures but they ground vpon reuelatiōs apparitions vnwritten verities lying myracles and most absurd fables Thus I might right welbeloued in the Lord examine the huge mōstrous masse of all their religion and nether in it al generally nor in any particular part thereof finde any spirit and trueth but only that which is earthly corporal carnal and fleshlie If it be replied that the papists are learned men antient men wise men of long experience and that therfore it is maruel they shold so grosly be deceiued that wheras god being a spirit therfore wil be worshipped in spirit and truth they haue yet in al their seruice worship no spirit truth The scribes Pharises were as ancient wise learned and expert as the papists yet they persecuted crucified Christe and with all violence opposed set themselues against his gospell In the eleuenth of Matth. Christ breaketh out into these words I giue thee thanks O father Lord of heauē earth bicause thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them to babes It is so O father bicause thy good pleasure was such This our heauenly Scholemaster here teacheth that true religion right knowledge of the worde and a thorough féeling of Christ are not tied to the Vniuersities to great Doctours to gray heads but that the Lord God bestoweth these good giftes fréely in what place soeuer at what time soeuer and vpon whome soeuer he pleaseth And verily as the Scribes and Pharises framed to themselues certeine deuices to kéep them from Christ as that he was but the sonne of a carpenter kept companie with sinners abounded not with worldly iolitie in princely maner so for all the world do our Papists deuise means to hinder them from comming vnto the same Christ We cannot say they away with his newe doctrine for so they sclanderously call the auntient trueth of God his worde all is new plaine Dunstable the seruice is in the vulgare toung euerie bodie may vnderstand it the edifying of the soul is now altogether cared for there is now in our Church no pleasing and delighting of our outward sēces In our masse time the verie name whereof comforteth our hart our seruice was in a learned language it was not vnderstanded of the common sorte wee prayed to the blessed Saintes in heauen we knéeled to trim painted images our churches were gailie decked there was ringing singing sēcing piping glittering copes siluer Censours golden Crosses mitred fathers encloistred brethren religious Sisters Christening of belles hollowing of fontes créeping to the crosse offering of egges sprinkling of holy water dealing of holy bred auriculer confession good sporte on Alhallon night lighting of tapers making merrie going on pilgrimage pardoning of sin for a litle monie we liued as we lusted Priestes were good fellowes adulterie was borne withall bread was bigger ale was stronger béefe more plentifull troutes fatter and better all thinges cheaper xxiiij egges for a penie Nowe all these ar gone euerie childe can now vnderstand the seruice Images are forbidden God is now worshipped in spirite truth euery bodie is now skilfull in the scriptures the knowledge of the Catechisme and abilitie to yelde an account of our faith is looked for and commaunded We were borne and christened in the Masse time our forefathers were of that stamp we wil none of this new doctrine Euen so the Iews when they were deliuered from Idolatrie restored vnto the true knowledge and worship of God many of them misliking that estate as Ieremie witnesseth cried out against him in this manner We will not heare the worde that thou speakest vnto vs in the name of the Lorde but we will doe euery thing that shal proceed from our own mouth as to burne incense to the queene of heauen to offer vp drink offerings vnto her as both we haue done our fathers our kings and princes in the Citie of Iuda and in the streates of Ierusalem For then had wee plentie of victualles and were well and felt none euill c. These deare brethren these are the reasons which stoppe manie Papistes eares from hearkening to this Prophet Iesus Christ Ye heare and sée the vanitie of these reasons and howe farre they are from any reason They néede no cōfutation very children haue them in derision and laugh them to scorne Chrisostom most notably compareth the gentiles or heathen people to children which comparison will serue now verie fitlie if in stéede of his heathen men we vnderstand our heathenish papists Saieth Chrisostom Vt pueri nullius vtilitatis curam suscipiunt c. As children haue no regarde of any profite so the gentiles are desirous to play continually and they lye flatte vppon the ground and are in loue with base things When we often talke of necessarie matters children vnderstand not our talke but fall a laughing Euen so the gentiles when wee speake of the kingdome of heauen they doe nothing but laugh And as out of a childes mouth there issueth much spitle which nowe and then marreth both meate and drinke so the wordes which come out of the gentiles mouthes are vaine and vile and if thou set needfull food before thē they vexe thee with cursed speches wish it to be taken frō thē Childrē moreouer when they see a theefe goe into the house and steale away the furniture thereof they doe not onely not reuenge but they smile look pleasātly on him but if you take awai their suckling box or rattle or any such like childishe bable then they take that heauily they are grieued they teare them selues they stampe vpon the pauement So do the gentils when they see the diuell steale away all they haue both their inheritance or liuelihod what soeuer thinges are necessarie for their soules health they laugh and as if he were their friend they go out to meet him But if any man lay hand vpon their possessions riches
worde vnto his people then we shall finde in these dayes of ours and in this our owne Churche many that are no good ministers It were a straunge and lamentable case if in this age of our Church such grosse imperfections should be founde and if suche bee founde verely rather teares are to bée shedde and prayers powred out for spéedy reformation then any long aunswere made in this place to that former obiection But this I must néeds say that as in the beginning when the abolishing of poperie was attempted flesh and bloud might haue pretended some reasons for the placing of vnméete ministers namely that the number of Popish sacrificers to be displaced was great the number of learned ministers to succéede them was small the Vniuersities were infected as man might haue coulorablie pretented these causes of a rawe ministerie in that beginning So I knowe no expresse worde of God no sounde authoritie of any writer no good reasō which can be now yelded for the continuance and encrease of the same especially in this longing of the people to be taught in this staruing of soules with wante of teaching in this comfortable aboundaunce of able ministers whiche both the Vniuersities maye and are willing yearely to sende out into the Lordes great haruest Let vs all therefore as many as wishe for the perfect beautie of Sion heartily pray the Lord so thoroughly to deuour the heartes of all placed in authoritie with his gratious spirite that both in making ministers and in bestowing liuings appointed for ministers the glorie of God the profite of the church the institution and description of ministers conteined in his worde may alwaies be carefully obediently resoected Mée thinkes I sée by his outwarde countenaunce that some Romanistes heart is inwardly cheared with this my speach of our ministers But soft a while looke before ye leape and be not merrie without cause For blessed bee God Englande hath at this time good and great cause spiritually to reioyce and hartily to blesse and praise the Lord for the goodly store of godly learned wise painfull ministers wherewith he in his rich mercie thath so blessed vs as our forefathers albeit no doubt they often wished yet they seldom or neuer enioyed the like And this I may boldly say and proue it substantially that the meanest of all our ministers though vnable to preach are notwithstanding such as for their true religion right worshipping of God zealous affection to the Gospell prayinge for and with their congregations in a knowen language onely to the Lord and their wishing well and séeking as they can to doe good in their charges c. may iustly bee preferred to the learnedst to the wisest and deuoutest of all that Romish rabble of sacrificing priestes As yee haue hearde that the Lorde God beeing authour of the ministerie therefore great care must be had in opening the dores of the ministerie that none vpon any carnal respect be therevnto admitted so this consideration that the Lorde is the raiser vp of Prophetes the ordeiner of ministers the sender foorth of preachers ought so to preuaile in the hearte of euery priuate true Christian man that hee shoulde make choyse rather to begge his bread and abide any hard estate in the world then beeing vnfite for that function to intrude himself into the same either for a last refuge or for ease or for profite or anye other vnchristian considerations It is saide in the Epistle to the Hebrues No man taketh honour to himselfe but hee that is called of GOD c. It is then Gods calling that maketh the office entring into the same lawefull Whosoeuer therefore taketh on him the office of a minister without this inward calling of god cannot haue the sure testimony of a good cōscience y he is a true minister And how shal any mā assure himselfe that the Lorde hath called him to take the charge of his people to guide his flocke to breake vnto their soules the bread of life vnlesse hee finde that the same Lorde hath mercifully adorned and beautified him with such graces as are requisite and necessarie for a minister of the worde to witte sounde knowledge of the worde abilitie sincerelie to teache it strongly to maintaine the trueth valiauntly to conuince errour and to applie thys worde with profite and discretion This consideration of these notes and markes whereby the Lordes calling of any man to the ministerie maye bee discerned will I trust teach men to holde themselues thankefully contented with their owne vocations and not to leape of from their stalles and out of their shoppes and trades into the ministerie to the offence of the godlie the hardening of the wicked the contempt of the worde and displeasure of the LORDE our GOD which is the author of the ministerie Héere according to promisse I woulde speake of the dignitie and excellencie of Christ his true ministers but that the same is so often and so plainely mentioned in the holy worde of God as no diligent reader or hearer of the worde can bee ignorant of the same The names whereby they are called the office to them inioyned the person they represent all these euery one of these diuers other respects to the same end do plainly certifie vs of their high holy and excellent function They are called the salt of the earth the light of the worlde the ministers of Christe disposers of the secretes of God preachers of the worde starres Angels Their office is to season and poulder the heartes of the elect with the swéete sauour of Iesus Christ their sauiour to be meanes to illuminate and lighten our darke vnderstanding by a sincere interpretation of the worde to minister the Gospell and sacramentes of Christ to receiue light frō Iesus Christ the Sunne of righteousnes and to conueigh the same to vs for the guiding of our steppes to carie like trustie Ambassadours and faithfull messengers the Lorde his will and pleasure to his seruaunts They represent the verie person of the Lorde Iesus as is euident by his owne wordes He that receiueth you receiueth me again He that heareth you heareth me he that dispiseth you disspiseth mee c. These fewe but yet greate thinges spoken of the worthynesse of Christe his ministers are I trust sufficient to bringe them out of that contempt wherevnto they are growen by the malice of Sathan by the wicked practises of his instrumentes and by the horrible vnthankefulnesse of the worlde THE SECOND PART AS ye haue heard in the first parte that the Lord shal raise vp this prophete whereby hath béen declared that not carnall man but the immortall and euerliuing God is authour of the ministerie so in the second place we are to consider what manner of Prophete the Lorde shall raise vp our text saith A Prophet of your brethren like to mee Wée reade in the holy