best of them for their pains in preaching and receivs as much good by their labour in the Church as doth a Farmer by those quick cattle which continually live in his barn feed upon his corn and though they do him no great hurt yet hee hath no service from them at all Yea I doubt not but themselvs I mean these non-preachers these witty preachers will one day If ever God bee pleased to open their eyes acknowledge as much and as much disdain to preach so as now they do the contrary For as the Jews when they heard the Apostles preach burnt their curious books and had no more delight to study such toies so as these Ministers come to the knowledge and experience of the truth and to have their eyes opened they will bee content to leave these fancies and say with Saint Paul I desire to know or preach nothing but Christ and him crucified And indeed there is but one right way of preaching that is when sound doctrine and home-application goes together many indirect ways God chargeth his Ministers to refuse all ways but one Satan bids them refuse that one and take which way they please Now whether God or Satan is most heard and obeyed I leave for the indifferent Reader to iudge In the mean time these barren Trees that occupy the room where better trees might grow are not onely liable to a fearfull curse Luke 13.7 Ezek 3.17 18 19. 1 Cor. 9.16 Zach. 11.17 Jer. 23.12.19 but have made themselves guilty of the blood of the Lords people in taking upon them to bee their Captains and conductors and yet have no skill at all in managing of martial affairs being like that Souldier who was very diligent in scowring of his Musket preparing his match practising his postures c. but when hee came into the field had forgot his powder or some careless Carpenter that should square all by his rule but sticks it at his back and works by aim For this I may boldly affirm that all such as come to this spirituall warfare with carnal weapons and strive to encounter that spirituall Goliah with Sauls harness and not with Davids sling with the blunt sword of meer humane eloquence the words of men Philosophers and Fathers only and not with the sharp two-edged sword of the Spirit the Word of God shew themselvs more like the Devills deputies then Christs Vicars For instead of preaching the Word they bring a famine of it Section 16. And great pity it is they are not cast out of Churches and for ever silenced as many of them have been for some years did they not daily creep in again by means of such whose souls they have formerly poisoned and bewitched with their Philosophy and vain deceit Colos 2.8 Because so long as hee supplies the Room of a Minister hee keeps out another that would Preach better and perhaps save those poor souls whom hee destroyes An ill man in the Church is but like some Shrubby Tree in a Garden whose shade not onely keeps better plants from growing but draws away the nourishment from the rest that would bear us fruit Or as a great Oak in a Grove which not onely pines all the under-woods near it but spoiles the Grass that should feed the Cattell So that it were better for the Parish to have no Minister at all then such an one For though it bee miserable to want food for the soul yet a blank does far better in a room then an ill-filling But how much better would a godly faithfull and zealous preacher placed in his room bee who by Gods blessing would feed those souls whom hee starves and save those whom hee lets perish A conscionable Minister resembles David who would venter on a Bear rather then lose a Lamb and Jacob who would endure heat by day and frost by night rather then neglect his flocks and Moses who would fight with odds rather then the cattle should perish with thirst Onely such a Balaam as these wants this mercy But what 's the reason The hireling careth not for the sheep Joh. 10.13 they are not his own and what minds hee whether they bee fat or lean A mercenary advocate looks onely to his fee let his clients cause stand or sall it is all one to him so long as he hath his money A Capon that hath moulted away all his feathers and is cold and naked in the absence of the Hen will run to her nest not for any love to the Chickens but to warm his own sides But let such look to it for they have a fearful reckoning to make and destruction is threatned to every Prophet that thus conceals the truth or forbears to reprove sin sharply Ezek. 3.17 18 19. 1 Cor. 9.16 For if they had stood in my counsel saies God and had caused my people to hear my words then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings Jer. 23.21 22. Whereas now whensoever thou shalt hear the bell toul for a wicked man thou maist cry out There is a soul going to hell whose blood will be required at my hands becaus I was not faithful and did not give him warning Ezek. 3.18 19. Indeed these men-pleasers may seem to bee neuters as doing neither good nor harm or at least more excusable and lesse principal in blood-guiltinesse then those unpreaching Ministers I am yet to speak of who flatter sin and flout holinesse discourage the godly and incourage the wicked by false-wresting or mis-applying the Word in that starving the people seems not altogether so bad as poisoning them and to be more excusable but the truth is they are no lesse guilty of the peoples blood for they are traitors to God and his kingdome and guilty of the peoples blood whom Christ the chief Shepherd hath committed to their charge For if a man will take upon him the office of a Pastor and yet not feed his people that depend upon him to bee an Embassadour and yet not declare God's message to the people to be their Physician and yet not see to the peoples health doth he not make himself guilty of their miscarriage and betray the trust which was committed unto him it cannot be denied The Advocate that is retained to plead betraies the cause by his voluntary silence the Watchman that doth not ring the alarum-bell at the approach of danger betraies the city to the enemy he that will take upon him to be a leader when he cannot instruct God's people in the spiritual warfare betraies the trust which was committed unto him and gives great advantage to Satan and his ministers who are far more industrious in their generation Mat. 13.25 Rev. 14.11 Neither is there any difference between the shepheards destroying the sheep with his own hands or leaving them to the mercy of the Wolf or of a Captains giving up a Castle or not defending it against the enemy when it is besieged What difference between not-saving
for break-fast He which speaks by roat and not out of the abundance of his heart is soon drawn dry What comparison then even in the judgement of malice and testimony of envy it self between these and a solid Divine whose heart is a Comment upon the whole Bible and who hath the holy Ghost to teach him even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 They may think themselves without compare as those shallow-headed Verbalists Acts 17.18 to 22. under-valued Saint Paul not thinking him worthy to carry their books after them for learning because he did not in like pompous manner and with such oftentation set forth himself But it was only in conceit wherein alone pride consisteth So how did those Epicurian and Stoick Philosophers scorn him who in their learned and deep judgements was but a babler and his preaching meer foolishness Yea what defences was Saint Paul driven to make for himself about his plainness in unfolding the Gospel In like manner also did Corah and his company not for want of ignorance compare themselves with Moses and Aaron But a wiser than they acquainteth us that he who winneth souls is wise Prov. 11.30 And that those who by their teaching turn many to righteousness shall shine as stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 So that however Goliah may make the greater vaunts yet David will prove the wiser and the better man The Moon is glorious to a Candle but pale to the Sun the Lilly white to the wool but Short of the Snow and the swarthy compared with the Blackamer thinks himself fair so these Preachers these empty casks these proud coxcombs that have more wit than learning and more learning than honesty or good intention in the discharge of their Ministery when they compare themselves with such as have neither wit learning honesty nor good intention may think themselves some-body but if they compare themselves with the meanest of Christs faithful Ministers they are not worthy to carry his Books after him Sect. 11. And the reason of it may well be their too good opinion of themselves being like Drusus grand-father to Cato who was very eloquent and learned but withal most ambitious and proud For as in Luthers time it was a Paradox justitia causa injustitiae a conceited righteousness was the chief cause of all unrighteousness So may I say to these prudentia causa stultitiae an opinion of wisdome is in a manner the sole cause of all their ignorance and folly Many a man had proved wise if he had not so thought himself and commonly they are most proud that have the least cause The more each earth advanceth it self they are ever the more barren The fuller and heavier scale is ever lowest and the emptier the ear is of corn the higher it still perks up So he that knoweth himself best esteemeth of himself least Or admit a man be like Atlas King of Mauritania who for his great skil in the course of stars is feign'd to hold up the firmament with his shouldiers yet pride makes men decay in brain for as when the Milt swelleth all the rest of the body wasteth so as the heart swelleth the brain decayeth and which is the misery few proud wits are ever reformed There was never holiness without humbleness for God resisteth the proud James 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 and as it is a sign of the going down of the Sun and of his departure when our shadows grow long so it is a sign of the Spirits departure when we entertain these high thoughts of our selves Secondly another reason of their strange mistake in thinking so well of themselves so basely of their betters is the generality of the people are extreamly taken yea transported with their singular faculty in Preaching while those Preachers whom I seem to magnifie are as much neglected Yea not one in many but will chuse rather to hear them than the other Yea who will not go from their own Pastours and pass by many others to hear one of their elaborate and accurate peeces As this is the case if they have a godly and powerful Minister in their own Parish that will not let them sleep and snort in their sins but will rouze and raise them out of their security and cry aloud against their abominations as God commands Ezekiel to do Ezek. 14 4. answer them according to their idols preach to their necessities presse them to holy duties reprove them for their unholy practices make known to them what evil consciences they have and how fearful their doom will be if they continue and go on in their wickedness and ignorance not sparing to utter the whole counsel of God to the end they may soundly repent and be saved Then they will hate him ever after as Amos speaks chap. 5.10 And that most deadly as Ahab hated Eliah and Michala Heredias John Baptist the Jews our Saviour and the Galatians Paul saying Away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not meet that be should live Acts 22.22 And not only turn their backs upon him but be ready to kill him for his kindness as appears by a world both of testimonies and examples for I think I may say there is not a man of God either Prophet or Apostle mentioned in the Bible no not Christ himself that hath not been some way persecuted for delivering Gods errands to the people and speaking that truth which if they had left one syllable unspoken they had been destroyed by God himself that gave them the charge see Jer. 1.17 and 15.10 The Pharisees you know could not endure Jesus Christ because he came to break their customes Luc. 6.2 The Masters of the Pythoness Acts 16.21 objected this against Paul and Silas that they did teach customes not lawful for them to receive For this cause was that uproar at Ephesus the copy-hold of Demetrius was touched he and his fellows were hindred in their profits c. Yea the Jews in their blind zeal were so furious and merciless that they put Stephen to death who sought to bring them to eternal life stoning him for a blasphemer against God and his Law who was a man full of faith and power and of the holy Ghost Acts 7. Gods truth if you mark it would cry down mens sins as Preaching would have done Demetrius's trade and therefore no marvel if the tradesmen of iniquity are up in arms against the Gospel as Demetrius was against Paul And did not the Gospel cross their sins they would not cross the Gospel But the waves do not beat or roar any where so much as at the bank that restrains them While the Preacher walks in Generals every man can be master of his own patience but descending to particular application as Nathan served David and John Herod then let him look to himself Or admit he preaches unprofitably as caring only to please not to inform or stands more upon his own credit than the peoples benefit so long they will hear
THE People's Impartiall And Compassionate Monitor About hearing of Sermons OR The Worlds Preachers and Proselites lively painted out for a person of Quality upon occasion of hearing two famous Divines whose transcendent Wit Oratorie and Elegancie made many at their wits end with admiration Being a rare discovery to Vndeceive the Deceiued By R. YOUNGE of Roxwell in Essex Wee preach not our selvs but Christ Jesus the Lord c. 2 Cor. 4.5 My speech and my preaching was not with entising words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God c. 1 Cor. 2.4 5 to 9. I am come in my Fathers name and yee receive me not if another shall come in his own name him yee will receive Joh. 5.43 See 1 Joh. 4.1 London printed by J. B. for James Crumpe in Little Bartholomews Well-yard In the year 1657. TO THE TRULY NOBLE AND DESERVEDLY HONORED Sr NATHANAEL BASILE A WORTHY PATRON AND PATTERN OF WISDOM JUSTICE FORTITUDE PIETY AND SINCERITY R. Y. Dedicates this mean piece of his Labours and wisheth long life many followers with increase of all grace and happinesse The Peoples impartial and compassionate Monitor about hearing of Sermons Or the Worlds Preachers and Proselites lively painted out for a Person of Quality Upon occasion of hearing two famous Divines whose transcendent Wit Oratory and Elegancy made many at their wits end with admiration Section 1. Much honoured Sir ACcording to your Order I have heard another of your famous Preachers and will thereof give you an account as I promised And so that hundreds I hope shall be the better for it The truth is I extreamly admire them both though I honour them not at all The one made as rare a something of nothing as ever I heard The other for his skill in Sophistry is I confess a Non-such Both may be rare Preachers for ought I know but as he said of one little learned and lesse modest who usurped all discourse at the Table I never heard learning make such a noise So I never heard a solid Preacher deliver so many words for so little matter so much Oratory for so little Divinity Well may these plashes of water be held by some deep Divines but I presume you may gage their Divinity with one of your fingers As for their Sermons for so men call them though no otherwise then the Heathen Images are called gods Nor are they more like Sermons than Michaels image of goats hair was like David I may fitly liken them to a plume of feathers for which some will give any thing others just nothing Or if I compare them to a Nightingale tongue pye as being far more elaborate and costly than profitable or nourishing it is a great Hyperbole Indeed as a Reverend Divine speaks if I had no other Mistresse then Nature I would wish no other Master then such a Seneca Cicero or Demosthenes but being a Christian I go not to hear the rarities of human Eloquence but the eternal Word of God and more to profit my soul than to please my senses A wise man should yea a good Christian will propound to himself some end some good end of his going to hear for he that in his actions proposeth no mark or main end to himself is like a Ship that aimeth at no Harbour and no wind makes for him that hath no intended Port to sail unto neither can he expect any Voyage of advantage And to what end should any of Christs sheep go to the Assemblies but to hear his voice which is spirit and life to quicken those that are dead in sin and to raise up those that are therewith cast down Yea the Gospel is the strong arm of the Lord and the mighty power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1.16 And therefore they never go to hear it but in hope to be the better for it Namely that they may have their faith strengthned by it or their patience increased or their judgement rectified or their wills reformed or their life and practise bettered or their love and zeal inflamed But certainly if any shall go to hear such Preachers as these bear with my boldness I beseech you to any or either of these ends he shall no less sail of his expectation then did those guests which Caligula invited to his golden banquet which being set before them did indeed delight the eye but neither pleased the pallate nor satisfied the stomach Nor do such Sermons more please the ear then they starve the soul Their simple hearers being like that Calf in the Epigram which went with no small appetite to suck the teats of a painted Cow Or rather like one that whets his knife upon a chalk stone which doth not sharpen but make it more dull and blunt Yea it were well if it were no worse for this is to be understood of the best of their Sermons whereas the other may be resembled to a poisoned fountain in the way which the innocent and thirsty passenger seeing is glad to drink of but in drinking is sure to dye for it Yea how many of these rare Preachers could I name that serve their hearers had they the wit to perceive it as Busirus whom Herculus slew served the poor who killed such as came to him for hospitality Or Theodosius the Prince who fraudulently called together seven thousand innocent persons as it were to see playes and then sent in souldiers to slay them For under a colour of feeding and curing their souls they impoison and kill them Or in case they be less cruel and do answer the hunger and thirst of an empty soul it shall be no otherwise then the Jews did our Saviour who gave him gaul for his meat and in his thirst vinegar to drink Psa 69.21 But this being a truth that transcends both the understanding and beleef of all that are unacquainted with Satans wiles Nor can it be beaten into the brains of unbeleevers who want the light of Gods Spirit and the eye of faith I have taken some pains in painting out these Preachers and their Proselites affirming no more then I know by grounded experience and shall fully confirm from the Word of truth Which commands us to try the spirits and their doctrine whether they be of God or no. Nor will you I hope think the time ill spent in your serious perusal thereof If it make you a gainer give God the glory Sect. 2. All sorts of Preachers may be comprised under four heads for either they are Preaching Or Non-Preaching Or Un-Preaching Ministers Or Preachers that are no Ministers Whereof I have to deal with Non-Preaching and Un-Preaching Ministers Non-Preaching Ministers I might martial into many Bands but the cheef are witty and Rhetorical Preachers and to these will I apply my self in the first place Witty and Rhetorical Preachers are such as Preach now and
of an Hare with an Oxe or as oyle is to the quenching of fire or as smoke for curing the eye-fight Now we esteem things good according as they are proper for our use The goodness of an Horse doth not consist in his costly trappings and a velvet saddle but in his strength and swiftness What benefit is in a gilt armour if it will not defend or to what purpose is a golden key if it will not open the door Hungry stomacks like not to be fed with flashy cates but solid meat whereby they accrue both strength and growth and such as meat is to the body such is reading and hearing to the soul It is the Word of God only which moves the conscience and saves the soul And what Aristippus said of other Sciences and Philosophy is more true of all other Arts and Divinity They that study the other and neglect this are like Penelopes wooers that made love to the waiting-women The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power 1 Cor. 4.20 Again every man seeks after those that are skilful in their Art who saith Seneca will not rather desire a skilful Phisitian or Lawyer than an eloquent one so a powerful experimental Divine is to be chosen rather than a witty one Otherwise a Minstrel or Musician will serve to please the ear and starve the soul as well as a Minister As for any spiritual nourishment that redounds to the soul from their Sermons they may be compared to a Bristol stone or a Saint Martirs Ring which seem to some of great value but are scarce worth a groat Or to Hercules Club in the Tragedy of Menander which was of great bulk but the stuffing was only moss and rubbish Or to variety of meats and drinks curiously painted which look as though they would satisfie the appetite and quench the thirst but do only cheat the speedy-approaching traveller of his hungry hopes as Zeuxis did the silly birds with his lively limb'd grapes So dealing with their Auditours as Heleogabalus did by a great number of poor people whom he had invited to a feast which when they came he set before them nothing but meats and drinks in their similitudes Or to that which rometheus with a great shew of religious devotion made for Jupiter wherein he presented the bones of two Bulls covered with Skin and sinews but defrauding them of the flesh and fat Or to painted fire which at the first blush may make a man judge it to be fire indeed but if a man hold his hand to it to feel for some heat and to make trial by the effects a child in understanding will be able easily to judge that it is but a dead image because the effects are wanting In a word they couzen the world with copper for gold with glass for pearl with seeming or shadow for substance and sell us breath for the bread of life to strengthen us and froth instead of cordial and celestial water to comfort us and so cheat us whatsoever we give for its dear of a farthing that is good for nothing And we may say of their Sermons as the Apostle of Idols They are nothing in the world 1 Cor. 8.4 Or if the hungry soul findes any thing to feed upon it is but like a meal of Grafish where is much picking very little meat or a banquet of Kick-shawes which neither make good bloud nor beget spirits neither strengthen the sinews nor increase the marrow but only procure lust make the belly flatuous and swell the body I need not stand to amplifie it you finde in your own observation and experience a great difference between these speculative Preachers and experimental Divines As hear the one that speaks spiritual things in spiritual words with spiritual devotion and zeal and you will be ready to say with those Disciples going to Emmaus Did not our hearts burn within us while he spake Luke 24.32 Or with those Mat. 7.29 He speaks with authority and not as the Scribes Or with him the Apostle speaks of 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Who hearing the secrets of his heart made manifest being convinced falls down and worshippeth saying God is in him of a truth Whereas hear one of these speculative Divines preach perhaps like a Discourse of Philosophy read the invention the eloquence and the pertinency doth presently move you and tickle your spirit but there is nothing moveth or pricketh your conscience for it is not to her they speak And indeed for the most part when speculative men preach of practical and experimental truths it seems to experimental Christians as Phormio his argument of the wars seemed to Hannibal no better then dreams and dotage Sect. 4. Besides holiness in a Preacher gives addition to the matter and is a great means to heighten liking in the hearer It is much moving in an Orator when the soul seems to speak as well as the tongue Saint Austin says Tully was admired more for his tongue then his minde Aristotle more for his minde then his tongue but Plato for both And both together is more perswasive in working on the soul it meets with for he that hears has only those affections that the speaker gives him and devotion kindles devotion where it is not as a live coal kindles a dead one And it is very requisite that Ministers should be exemplary in all they urge and teach for the eyes of the whole Parish are upon the Pastor and then is there life in their doctrine when there is doctrine in their life Men in this case as in other cases of Manufacture except they see they will not beleeve Their eyes must be taught as well as their ears Phillip 4.9 Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me doe He that will cast a stone at an offendor must be free himself before Samuel doth charge Israel with their sin he clears his own innocency 1 Sam. 12. Shall a prophane liver prescribe rules of sanctity and piety Shall an Officer that reforms the Tap-house be himself found in a Brothel-house Were it not strange that the Witch should tell the Jugler he hath a bad conscience Or that the Hypocrite should rail at the Player Or the Usurer challenge the Theef Or if so will they not retort this answer Physician heal thy self Luke 4.23 Neither is it enough for them being converted to be common lines in Christianity or pious in ordinary For so every private Christian is commanded to be blamelesse and pure and as the sons of God without rebuke Philip. 2.15 But Ministers should be as set-copies of sanctification to others and shine as lights among whom they live in the world The Apostle exhorteth Titus to soundnesse of speech and uncorrupt doctrine but above all things saith he shew thy self a pattern of good works as preferring them and gives this for his reason that he which withstandeth may be ashamed as having nothing concerning you to speak evil of
Among the Jews Baal had four hundred and fifty false prophets maintained sumptuously God but one true Prophet and he was forced to hide his head 1 Kings 18.22 Our Saviour was entertained by some few but his opposers the Priests and Pharisees were adored of all Matth. 27.22 though indeed their refusal of him more strongly approved him neigold of Cornucopia that it hath all things necessary for food in it of 〈…〉 ther could he be proved the Messias if they had not rejected him Paul at Ephesus could have no audience the truth must not be heard but all of all sorts cry out for Diana Acts. 19.34 Yea aul complains that all they which were in Asia turned from him 2 Tim. 1.15 and the chief Jews at Rome tell him that his Sest is every where spoken against Acts 28.22 Yea Simon Magus had so bewitched the people that they all took him for the great power of God even a Sorcerer shall have more disciples and applauders than an Apostle Acts 8.10 How then should not these silver-tongued Preachers that only study to please the ear and speak well not be more applauded than those that deliver the plain truth which makes men become their enemies Gal. 4.16 Especially when their hearers rellish no Preaching except it be full fraught with secular learning and flashes of wit For such as the pastor is such are the people Like Shepherd like sheep as the Prophet speaks Hosea 4.9 Neither go they to Church to any other end but as some Heirs goe to the Universities and Innes of Court not to get learning law or money but to learn fashion and complement being like Saint Austin before his conversion who took great delight in hearing Saint Ambrose but it was more for the eloquence of the words than for the substance of the matter Yea as himself confess'd after repentance being a young man he so affected eloquence that in vain things he heard Jupiter thundering and therewithal committed adultery Confession 2. As ignorant Lapidaries chuse stones that delight the eye and measure the value not by the hidden virtue of them but by the outward glistering so these prefer such Sermons as please the sense before others which work upon the affections and change the heart they are like little children who if they see a Corn-field over-grown with poppies a fit resemblance of such a Sermon think it very glorious and prefer it exceedingly before other Corn that is cleer from weeds Sect. 9. But to let pass the invalidity of their judgements I would fain know what they are the better for these rare Rhetorical Sermons Doth it not fare with them as it did with Ezekiels Auditors who took such delight in his Preaching that he was unto them as the pleasant voice of a Musitian and they commended him highly but yet their hearts ran after their covetousness as did Herods after his incest for all he delighted so much in Johns Preaching Ezek. 33.31 32. You shall hear them highly commend these Sermons Oh it was a rare Sermon He is an excellent man It was the best Sermon that ever I heard He is an admirable Preacher c. But ask them what they remember of such a Sermon and you shall finde admit the Sermon be Indifferently mix'd with pleasant and profitable things that such an one like a crack'd vessel poureth out of his thoughts all the good liquor and keepeth only the dregs His memory is not like the Sieve or Cullender which casteth out the chaff and water retaining the good corn and herbs but like a Searce of Lawn which keeps in the grosse things and lets the purer passe Or Secondly ask them what rare effects did it work within What wonders wrought it in thee What excellency or what goodness hast thou received or gained by it For that is to be accounted an excellent a rare a good Sermon which produceth rare effects in thee makes thee better than thou wast before and then maist thou wonder when the Preacher worketh wonders in thy soul A faithful Preacher cares not so much for thy verbal commendations as thy real Thy good conversation is his best commendation his commending stands in thine amending and thy godly practice is his best praise The sheep that saith nothing commends her Shepherd when her skin is whole her fleece fair and her self in well-liking Likewise he hears well that doth well he learns well that lives well and he only doth prove himself a good hearer which hears the truth in humility beleeves it in simplicity and obeys it with alacrity A good institution changeth both judgement and manners as it fared with Polemon a dissolute young Grecian who going one day to hear a Lecture of Xenocrates not only marked the eloquence and sufficiency of the Reader but brought home so apparent and solid fruit thereof that it caused a sudden change and amendment of his former life Whereas these hearers mark what I say and see whether I am mistaken like Pharaohs lean kine feed much but are never the fatter Perhaps they have somewhat enriched their tongues but their lives are not a whit changed For what is their religion to say the Creed is all their saith to pay what they needs must all their equity to give fair words all their bounty to take their own all their mercy to carry a formal profession all their piety to cry God mercy all their penitence and to come to Church all their conscience Yea hear they never so many of these Sermons they can go as merrily away with all kinde of prophaneness at their heels as horses with an empty Coach And when the truth of obedience and power of godliness is wanting I pray tell me what difference between an Israelite and an Ishmaelite a circumcised Hebrew and an uncircumcised Philistine a baptized English man and an unwashen Turk Yea they are so far from being Christians that they have not made one step towards Christianity The first step to Religion is to love Religion in another whereas these men generally hate scoff at and persecute the power of Religion whereever they perceive it Yea they hate that Preaching whereby alone men become Christians For let them hear a Minister that preaches profitably if they can find no fault with his Sermon at least their verdit shall be Oh he is no Scholar whereas if their opinion be askt touching any other suppose him a dumb dog that perhaps hath been tongue-tyed from his birth like Crasus his son they will tell you he is a great scholar a man of deep learning and great knowledge though he want utterance and cannot express himself nor vent his knowledge when the plain truth is he hath no knowledge to vent only these men love to justifie what God in his Word condemns and to condemn what he justifies Luc. 16.15 for if men Preach fruitlesly they are great scholars though they shew it not or if they do though these understand it not as one spake of Quintilians
and destroying Not to water a plant when it is dry is to kill it And the fire is as well put out by the subtraction of fewel as by powring water upon it Section 17. Nor are these Non-preachers more guilty of the people blood then the people are of their own for all that forsake their faithful Pastors whom Christ hath placed over them to follow these mountebanks are in the sight of God wilful murtherers of their own souls For as when God had given the children of Israel Sampson to deliver them out of the hands of the Philistims that so much oppressed them they spared not to betray him themselves and to deliver him bound into their oppressers hands Judg. 15. when yet he was the onely deliverer that God had appointed them or as Jephtha was rejected of his brethren and yet the Lord appointed and intended no other to save and deliver them but him 〈◊〉 as Christ albeit he came to his own yet they received him not but disdainfully refused him and yet the Lord decreed him to bee the onely Saviour of his people and that by no other means or name under heaven we should look for salvation but by the Name of JESUS Acts 4.12 So they reject and persecute their faithful Pastor whom God hath set over them and sent to be their deliverer from the thraldom of sin and Satan and probably resolved to save them by him and none else Yea they will hear honour applaud and reward these men-pleasers these soul-murtherers while in the mean time Christs faithful messengers shall meet with nothing from them but contempt hatred base language and blows But fools as they are the case will be strangely altered for come they once to a sence and sight of their sad condition as when they lie gasping at their last hour they will wish O that I had now but the opportunity to converse with such a Minister As Saul sleighted Samuel while hee lived but would sain have heard and advised with him when he was dead He saith Solomon that rebuketh a man shall finde more favour at the length then he which flattereth with his tongue Prov. 28.23 a point well worth these mens minding And the same touching the cause of their dislike as observe I pray you Manna we know had no fault but that it was too good and too frequent onely the Israelites liked it not and indeed the pulse of Egypt had been fitter for their course stomachs and so is poetry Roman history c. sweeter unto these mens ears which are so grosse of hearing But where lies the fault Look into thy self that heavenly bread was unspeakably delicious it tasted like wafers of honey and yet even this Angels food is contemned He that is full despiseth the honey comb and no lesse sweet is the Gospel not onely the Fathers of the Old Testament but the Angels desired to look into the glorious mysteries of it and yet thou art cloied this supernatural food is too light the bread-corn of humane reason and profound discourse will better content thee But little do'st thou think what a damnable sin this is and what it will cost thee another day if thou continuest in the same mind For this is the condemnation none like this that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light because their deeds were evil Joh. 3.19 And so on the contrary This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 Section 18. But the misery is there is no perswading these men that they are ignorant of God or of Christ What they ignorant persons when they are the onely lovers of wit and knowledg which makes them frequent these witty preachers nor can they endure your dull drones To which I answer This wit in Scripture language and in Gods account is foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2.14 and enmity against the wisdom of God Rom. 8.7 So that as wise Solomon speaks there is more hope of a fools becoming wise then of these mens that are wise in their own conceit Prov. 26.12 And as love and lust are not all one so a witty and a wise-man is not all one The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome and to depart from evil is understanding Job 28.28 And hereby saith Saint John is it known that we know God if wee keep his commandements 1 Joh. 2.3 But he that saith I know him and yet keepeth not his commandements is a lier and there is no truth in him ver 4. He onely is wise that is wise for his own soul If they were wise saith Saint Bernard they would fore-see the torments of hell and prevent them Alas one spark of spiritual experimental and saving knowledg guided by the fear of God is more worth then all secular wisedom and learning Mat. 16.16 17. Rom. 8.15 16. Psal 111.10 Luk. 24.45 Joh. 15.15 But this wisdome descendeth from above and keepeth a man from every evil way Prov. 2.12 and God onely is the giver of it and he gives it to none but his children the godly Psal 25.14 Luk. 24.45 Mark 4.34 Gen. 18.17 Prov. 1 7. It is not so much scientia capitis as conscientia cordis that knows Christ and our selves Whence Solomon saith Give thine heart to wisdom Prov. 2.10 and Let wisdome enter into thine heart Prov. 4.4 The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 and indeed if they are spiritually discerned how should they discern them that have not the spirit Obj. You seem to condemn all that frequent these witty Preachers do you think none of their hearers good nor wise Answ To this I will make a three-fold answer the first shall be in the words of our Saviour Christ and of Saint John They are of the world saith Saint John therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them Wee are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth us not Hereby know wee the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error 1 Joh. 4.5 6. And again Hee that is of God heareth Gods words Yee therefore hear them not because yee are not of God Joh. 8.47 Every one that is of the truth saies our Saviour heareth my voice Job 18.37 Christs sheep know not the voice of a stranger neither will they hear or follow strangers or hirelings because they care not for the sheep But as they know Christs voice so him onely will they follow and fly from a stranger as you have it Joh. 10.3 4 5 13 14 27. Now if we would know whether a Minister comes in Christs name or in his own whether hee be of God or of the world wee need no better note then to observe what his hearers are For usually if the Church of such a preacher should be searched as Jehu and Jehonadab did the house of Ball
these fruitlesse Preachers or indeed any others that preach not point-blank against sin and ignorance that discover not Satans wiles and the hearts deceitfulness that preach not faith and free grace that presse not to Repentance Regeneration and the like that make not the glory of God and the good of souls the main end of their preaching As why do or why should men go to hear if not for profit and comfort to their souls Good stomachs make better account of wholsome fare then of dainty cates Why but to hear the good Word of GOD that they may grow thereby and to be nourished Now nourishment is the making of food received like to the bodie nourished Therefore a wise Christian affects to hear powerful preaching searching Sermons rather then run after Rhetoricians because the rarities of humane eloquence works no such effect nor tends to any such end For Philosophie and such like may civilize but not sanctifie hide some sins but not heal them cover not cure them harb and curb them not abate and abolish them Yea we may say of their problemes as the Philosopher did of the Athenian-shops How many things are here that we have no need of Wherefore I shall conclude with an Exhortation or Advertisement to these men to use this means and to affect that food which is wholsom and would nourish O! that I might prevail with them to hear either Scripture or reason though my betters cannot for then would they finde it the happiest counsel that ever they met with Nor am I altogether out of hope for though all the water in the sea will not wash a Blackmore white yet others with Naaman may wash and be clean Nor can it be denied but an Emperick now and then hath had the hap to cure a patient which a learned Artist could not do Section 21. An Advertisement to all uncircumcised hearts and ears exhorting them to hear the Word of GOD purely and powerfully preached and not to listen after such as seek onely to please the ear with rarities of humane eloquence and the inticing words of man's wisdom IF there be any if but one even thy self that shall by what I have said be induced to judg of things according to clear truth not blinded opinion and be willing to depart from this discourse better then they came to it let him in the first place know that the onely ordinary means of grace and conversion is by hearing the word of God impartially and powerfully preached and by entertaining it with a good and honest heart for this Word and this onely is able to make a man wise to salvation As thus we may argue Without knowledge the heart cannot be good Prov. 19.2 A man may know the will of God and yet not do it but he can never do it except first he know it Whence as in the Creation of the World the first thing that God made was light Gen. 1.3 So when he makes us new creatures he first creates light in the understanding whereby the poor soul may see his spiritual misery and wretchednesse which before by reason of that vail or curtain which is drawn over every natural mans heart 2 Cor. 3.14 15 16. he is so far from discerning that with Laodicea he thinks himself rich and to want nothing when yet he is wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked of all spiritual indowments Revel 3.17 1 Tim. 6. ver 4. Therefore let your principall care and ambition bee to know those things the knowledge whereof is eternall life John 17.3 And the neglect whereof is of all most the damnable John 3.19 Therefore it is said of Christ whose first coming was to save the world that hee will come the second time in flaming fire to render vengeance unto all those that know not God 2 Thes 1.6 7 8 9. A terrible text to all that are ignorant in the midst of so much means as wee injoy Which being so bee diligent above all to hear Christs faithfull messengers And not these who if they preach not wickedly in flattering or furthering of sin yet they preach unprofitably as if they were resolved to connive at sin as feeding their flocks rather with words then matter as caring onely to please not to inform forming their voice to the liking of their hearers not their hearers judgment to the voice of Christ in the Gospell and striving more to make them in love with the teacher then with the lesson Because they stand more upon their own credit then their peoples benefit 3. Or if they labour to fill the head with knowledge they leave the heart empty of grace spending their time either in curious Questions and vain speculations which kinde of preaching tends rather to mirth then godly edification as it is observable that that age of the Church which was most fertile in Nice Questions was most barren in Religion The reason is it makes people think Religion to bee onely a matter of wit as tying of knots and untying them Wherein the brains of men given this way are usually hotter then their hearts 4. Or if their preaching be more solid they rove altogether in generalities which are no more aiding to practise then an Ortelius Universall Map is to direct the way between London and York 5. Or if they descend to particulars they pass over the grounds of Religion the most usefull part of all Divinity For this laies the Foundation the other raiseth the Walls and Roof This informes the Judgment that stirs up the Affections And what good use is there of those Affections which run before the Judgment 6. Or lastly If they give you the grounds of Religion and preach wholesome truths yet they bring forth their Doctrines as some women do their children still-born for want of application without which the former seems to be no better then a fair Image or Statue which is beautifull to Contemplate but is without life and motion It being the soul of preaching when the Word is brought home to mens consciences and applied close For whereas those other Divine discourses inrich the brain and tongue This settles the heart changes the will and works upon the affections The onely way to become such indeed as men dream themselvs to bee is to trust Satan and their deceitfull hearts less and Gods Word and Mininisters more This is to become fools that they may bee wise as the Apostle adviseth 1 Cor. 3.18 Wherefore receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your soul as Saint James adviseth James 1. verse 21. And that you may not want incouragement mind but what our Saviour Christ says Joh. 13. Verily verily hee confirms it with a double asseveration I say unto you If I send any hee that receiveth him receiveth mee and hee that receiveth mee receiveth him that sent mee ver 20. Loe in entertaining the Word with an honest and good heart wee entertain both God and Christ with it Another famous