couetousnes is â—he cause of filthy lucre as it is the roote of all euill which must not be in the man of God It is required of Gods minister in respect of his family â—uries in respect of his family he be such a one that can gouern his family wel For the gouernment of a family is a great stay of a church and common wealth that is when by the example of the minister others gouerne wel yet there is sufficient doctrine in the word to gouern by Then doth the minister gouerne wel when his whole family is in subiection and obedience of the magistrate and willing to suffer when they offend now if any looke for liberty it is children therfore the apostle putteth children for all saith that they must be in subiection therfore much more seruants that this may not seem a smal matter he saith that it mast be in al honesty or comâ—ines to shewe that there is decenâ—ie in that family when euery childe doth his duety and great comelines is in subiection the reason is if a man cannot rule his own family how can he rule Gods church therefore he is not a minister after the Lords heart that bringeth vp his children dissolutely and here by the way we may see that God doth not require of the minister either a single life or a monkish life nor a whorish adulterous life which whoso leadeth in popery is better accepted then he that liueth in holy estate of matrimony In respect of hiâ— calling to the faith In regard of his calling to the faith it is required that he be not a yong plaÌ„t or a nouice gods church is compared to a vineyard those which are coÌ„uerted are as it were brought out of the field planted in the vineyard now if if these be but as of a years growth or so they are not fit to be ministers lest they being puffed vp as many are fal into temptatioÌ„ of the A man newely conuerted hath not sounde knowledge so falleth by ignorance of his mind to error and so to heresie by pride and so is in the same sin with the deuill nay the apostle saith in the condemnation of the deuil that is to be without a sauior or not to be saued therefore we ought to take heede for the danger is great pride and liking of hart wil bring a man to the diuils sin if it puffe vs vp then are we gone pride keepeth out humility which must needs receiue Christ He that can ascribe confusioÌ„ to himself keepeth out pride or at the least fighteth against it The last property that is required to be in a minister â—espect of â—ngers is in respect of strangers He must haue a good testimony of theÌ„ that are without euen of infidels who are not yet conuerted So he must behaue himselfe that euen froÌ„ the wicked if it be possible he may haue a good report Hee must be curteous to all good and bad not curteous to the faithful austere to the wicked but curteous to al the reason is lest he fal into reproch the snare of the deuil The reson of this duty is drawn froÌ„ the inconuenieÌ„ce that wil folow the contrarie for whom must hee conuert the wicked then if he come into hatred with them hee shall be able to do them no good if they blaspheme God and him And thus by reproch hee is cast into the snares of the deuil either to be dissolute not to care what he doth or else desperate of verie griefe and sorrow of heart by which we may see what danger it is to raise vp slander of any man it is as much as a mans soule is worth for this giueth the deuill occasion to worke vpon a man And a man may speake that which may make an other man come to destruction so much as lieth in him that so speaketh The world is a place where sathaÌ„ hath al snares on ech side therefore we must take heed They that lie in the snares it may be see nothing of all this but those who haue bin in and are gone out doe see them therfore it is needfull to pray Leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill And thus much for the duties and qualities of a minister in respect of his own person of his family of his calling to the faith and of strangers by which togither with that which hath beene saide of his doctrine it may easily appeare who be ministers according to the Lords heart or liking and who be not It followeth in the text Which shal feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding Now the Lord sheweth what benefit they shà l reape by their pastors namely knowledge and vnderstanding they shall not only be to Gods liking but also for their soules good nay they cannot be pastours to Gods liking except they be also for the benefite of Gods people for God liketh well when his church thâ—â—ueth wel the church thriueth wel when it groweth in knowledge and vnderstanding for that is the way to grow strong in faith repentance loue and in zeale and in patience and in al the â—auing graces of the spirit of God to know and to vnderstand the waies of the Lord. This knowledge is the knowlege of Gods wil reuealed in his worde which sheweth both what his purpose is concerning all men both good and bad wicked and godly the faithful and vnfaithfull the elect and the reprobate the saluation of the one and the damnation of the other the assurance of both the meanes and the causes of both It sheweth also what is required of al men to be beleeued what to be practised for the aduancement of his glory This is called the knowledge of God in Christ Iesus wherein standeth eternall life Iohn chapter seuenteene verse 3. This knowledge of God is the first and chiefest principle in christian religion because without it it is not possible for any man to worship him as he ought to bee worshipped of vs for the Apostle saith how shall we call on him on whom we haue not beleeued and how can we beleeue in him of whom we haue not heard and how shall we heare without a preacher 〈◊〉 10.14 as if hee shoulde say we can doe none of these things without knowledge for knowledge is the end of hearing and of preaching therefore doe we preach and heare not to make the scriptures better as some sencelesse idiots doe immagine but to bring men to the knowledge of the truth Now as the apostle speaketh of faith and prayer which bee twoo especiall parts of Gods worship wee can neither beleeue aright nor pray aright without knowledge so may it bee saide of feare and loue and all other points of the true worship and seruice of God that men can neither feare God aright nor loue God aright nor confes him aright nor acknowledge his gouernment aright without the knowledge of those things And for the
good for them but yet they must take heed that they make not those things the ende of their worke but that at the first and at the last we may be approued in the sight of god The apostle had matter of reioycing in his countrey for he was an Israelite and of his bringing vp for hee was brought vp at the feete of Gamaliel a learned man hee could haue stoode vpon his learning for he spake with tongues more then any other if others were doctors he was a doctour of the Gentiles and many great priuiledges he had that others had not But what doth hee stand so much to the maintenance of those thinges No Philip. 3.8 he counteth them all but dung to winne Christ he forgetteth them as things left behind him so that hee may attaine vnto the marke that is set before him euen the price of his high calling the Lord Iesus Christ he careth not a point for them so that he may approoue himselfe a faithfull workeman in the sight of God And so shoulde wee doe if we be ministers approoued of God wee must not be as many are which make merchandise of the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God we must speake in Christ 〈◊〉 2-17 If we be pastors according to Gods heart we must not praise our selues nor stand in neede of letters of commendation vnto our charge or of recommendation from them vnto others as the Apostle saith but our flocke must bee our epistle written in our hearts to be read and vnderstoode of all men â—or 3.1 not with incke but with the spirit of the liuing God If we be ministers approoued of God wee must giue no occasion of offense in any thing â—or 6.3 that our ministerie may be free from reproofe But in al things saith the Apostle we must approoue our selues as the ministers of god in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons in tumultes in labours by watchings by fastings by puritie by knowledge by long suffering by kindenesse by the holi-ghost by loue vnfained by the worde of trueth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left that is both in prosperitie and aduersitie amongst friends and foes by honour and dishonour by euill report and good report as deceiuers and yet true as vnknowen and yet knovven as dying and yet liuing as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alvvayes reioycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things What a notable approbation is this How many fellovves hath the holy Apostle saint Paule in this This is for saint Paule alone and such Puritanes as he was Heere is no mention all this while of Dispensations nor of Qualifications nor of Pluralities nor of Vnions nor of Totquots nor of any such implements belike they were not allowed of in Saint Paules time for if they had surely the Apostle would not haue left them out or it may be that they were not then in vse and the world is grovven wiser now then it was in saint Paules time Oh quantum mutatus ab illo The worlde is greatly altered since saint Paules dayes it can no skill of saint Paules course Well yet wee must learne to haue skill of it if wee will be approoued in the sight of God And if all the world do commend vs and yet God condemne vs what shall it aduantage vs Most miserable and wretched caitifes shall we prooue our selues to be and better it had beene that wee had neuer beene borne if the Lord shall say hee knoweth vs not This was Micaiah well perswaded of and therefore hee stoode to the truth when foure hundred false prophets flatterers stood against him yea when the king and all was against him but yet he was a Prophet according to the Lords heart and that was sufficient for him Many at the first and a great while haue made a good shew of great sinceritie that no man would haue taken them but to be men of God indeede as good Prophets were called in old time vntill they haue fallen by the world as Demas did or till they haue fallen into fauour with the court or the state or till they haue taken som high degree of schooles or til they haue climed vp the ladder of promotion and then the date of their zeale and painfulnes and sinceritie hath bin expired and they haue turned ouer their coppy to others hauing made shiprack of faith a good conscience they haue gone forth like Thamar out of hir brother Ammons chamber when Ammon had defloured hir she weÌ„t out with her garment of diuers colors rent torn so they haue goâ— away with their garment of gods graces rent and torne â—am 13.19 onely this difference is betweene Thamar and them she wept mourned for it and so doe not they but rather reioyce at their alteration holding these things nowe as most vile which before the time of their sinceritie they counted most precious this is yet a most feareful iudgement of God vpoÌ„ them for their apostacie for when they begin thus with tongue to persecute the trueth which before they haue professed what doe they else but turne into that hie way which leadeth vnto the sinne against the spirit of truth And being thus reuolted from their first loue they fell to be iust of Sauls humor who perceiuing himselfe to bee forsaken of the Lord for his hypocrisie and dissembling in Gods busines desired yet of Samuel that he might bee honoured before the elders of the people and then he was safe that was all that hee looked after So say they let vs bee honoured before the elders of the people and that is sufficient for that is all that they looke after as hauing their reward of men and not of God The third Sermon of God wooing his Church IEREMIE Chap. 3. Verse 15 And I will giue you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding NOw the question groweth how we shal knowe who be pastors and ministers according to Gods liking and who be not The Lord Iesus doth best resolue that doubt in the 7 of Iohn ver the 18 â—â—b 7.18 thus He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and no vnrighteousnesse is in him that is hee is a true messenger of God and no counterfeit A man is saide to speake of himself two waies either when he speaketh before he be required to speake or being required to speake speaketh not the truth truely but mixeth some deuice of his owne braine therewith so did the false prophets for both they ranne before they were sent and also spake the errours of their own hart in stead of the word of the Lord So did Vzzah that which he did of
sent him must haue his life clothed with robes of holines and righteousnes I mean not that a holy life is essentiall to a minister so that he is no minister that wants it but that it is necessary for a minister for many shall say at the last day to Christ 〈…〉 7.22 Wee haue prophesied in thy name to whom answere shal be made againe depart from me ye workers of iniquitie I know you not The necessitie of it may appeare by many reasons first a minister vnlesse hee bee sanctified hee shall neuer soundely and liuely vnderstand the word of GOD 〈…〉 5 9. for the Lorde reuealeth his will vnto the humble and his counselles vnto them that feare him and to none else Lawyers become cunning by long reading and Phisitions by experience yet no man was euer a perfect found and iudiciall diuine without holines This knowledge is rather feeling then learning in aboundance of bea rt rather then extreame studie sent by God to good men so that hee that can say with Dauid Psal 119.117 I loue thy lawe may say I haue more vnderstanding then my teachers It is the equitie of God vnwilling to obey vnwoorthy to knowe for what should hee do with a talent which wil not vse it Therefore he which forbiddeth pearles to swine staies his hand from casting knowledge to the wicked except so much as shall condemne them Further the ignorant people cannot see the ordinance of God but they vse to iudge of a mans ministery by sensible things which they see in him therefore a good life is necessarie in a minister For they say because he liueth according to his teaching wee will heare him as Herod heard Iohn Baptist Mar. 6.20 because he was a good man and a godly If teachers of humane artes shall tell generall things without examples it is hard to learne of them so if teachers of diuine things shall teach onely without examples it wil be as hard to learn of them therefore the minister must set a copie with his life which the Apostâ—e saint Peter requireth when hee saieth â—et 5.2 3 Feede the flocke of God which dependeth on you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde not as though ye were Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples of the flocke VVhat manner of examples ministers must bee Saint Paule sheweth 1 Timothie 4.12 when hee saieth Bee vnto them that beleeue an ensample in worde in conuersation in loue in spirite in faith and in purenesse It is said vnto all men Be ye holy but it is enioyned the minister more specially to be adorned both with inward and outward holinesse Inward holinesse standeth in faith and a good conscience which the Apostle Paul would haue to be in Timothie as weapons Tim. 1.19 without which he cannot fight a good fight the first is a perswasion of the trueth or true doctrine the other excuseth a man in euery action â—ron 15.15 and therefore Salomon calleth a good conscience a continuall feast And Paul laboured to keepe that aboue all things â—ct 24.16 for I endeuour my selfe to haue alway a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men Outward holines which must be in the minister of God is set foorth in I. Tim. 3.2 A Bishop must be vnreprooueable Againe there be outward dueties required of him in regard of his person in regard of his familie in regarde of his calling and in regard of strangers First in regarde of his owne person he must be vnblameable so farre from outward crimes and grose sinnes that hee must bee free from all iust cause of suspition because he must reforme others not to be free from sinne for that is not possible in this life Hee must wisely conceale his infirmities from others for being once knowen they are as a barre cast in the way of the people to stumble at And howsoeuer great and foule faultes in an other man seeme to bee but small yet euery light infirmitie in the minister is accompted as a plague-sore running vppon him the which maketh him to be abhorred of the profane and ignorant sort therefore if the minister shoulde make his infirmities knowen vnto them it were all one as if hee shoulde say I haue the plague about me and so make them to abhorre both his person and his doctrine Secondly in regarde of his ovvne person it is required that hee be the husband of one wife for in those times men had twoo wiues and then he might not be a minister because that hee hadde broken the holie ordinaunce of almightie God in himselfe which should see it kept in others If hee had bin such a one and now is single or ioyned onely to one hee may be a christian but not a minister And the like is to be said of him that hath been sometime a Preacher of the gospell and after that fell to be an idolater or a Popish priest and is now a professor of the gospel again the church may vpon his repentance take him for a christian but hee ought not to serue in the publique ministerie of the word as yet many doe because hee is not onely blemished himselfe worse then a man that wanteth a member which in no wise might serue in the worke of the ministery but also is a fowle scarre in the face of the church which must be remoued that the church may looke with a louely and comely countenance that her friends may be in loue with hir and not through hir vgly and deformed visage be occasioned to loathe her and this is that which the Prophet Ezechiel in plaine words hath recorded in this manner â—â—zech 44 10 Thus saith the Lord God No stranger vncircumcised in heart nor vncircumcised in flesh shal enter into my sanctuarie Neither the Leuites that are gone backe from mee when Israel went astray which went astray from me after their idolles but they shall beare their iniquitie And they shal serue in my sanctuarie and keepe the gates of the house and miâ—nister in the house But how shal they minister they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people and they shall stand before them to serue them that is they shall serue as drudges to doe all the seruile worke that belongs to the sanctuarie like the Gibeonites who were appointed by Ioshua to carry wood and draw water and why Iosh 9.27 because they serued before their idolles and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquitie Ezech. 44.12 Therefore haue I lift vp mine hand against them saith the Lord and they shal beare their iniquitie And they shall not come neere vnto me to do the office of the priest vnto me neither shal they come nere vnto any of mine holy things in the most holy place but they shall beare their shame and their abominations which they haue committed And I will make them keepers of
better bringing vp of men in this holy knowledge of God the Lorde hath giuen his statutes vnto Iacob and his ordinaunces vnto Israell which hee hath not vouchsafed vppon all nations for the heathen haue not the knoledge of his waies Psalme a hundred fortie and six And these statutes of God are contained in the bookes of the olde and new Testament called the holie Scriptures by the waie of excellencie which being rightly vnderstoode of vs doe bring vs directly to the true knowledge of God and of our selues And because there are in the scriptures som things that be hard and darke to our vnderstanding therefore the Lord hath ordained pastors doctors whome hee hath also furnished with giftes of knowledge and vtterance and learning and sanctification that they may teach the Lords people the true meaning of the scriptures and so traine them vp in the knowledge and obedience of the Lord. By this then it appeareth how necessarie it is for all Gods children to haue the knowledge of GOD the vnderstanding of the scriptures and the preaching of the word amongst them by a painefull faithfull and learned ministerie And on the other side it be wrayeth the pestilent daunger of ignorance and ignorant ministers and also the barrennesse of bare reading without the tillage of expounding of catechising of doctrine of exhortation and of application the which is the life of doctrine by which holy meanes as it were with the Lords ploughs the fallow groundes of mens hearts are broken vp 〈◊〉 4.4 whereas otherwise the seede is but cast amongst the thornes as Ieremy speakes When the Queen of Ethiopia her chamberlaine was reading the prophet Esay in his chariot â—8 30 Philip asked him if he vnderstoode what he read to shew that a man may reade and reade againe and bee neuer the nearer without an interpreter as that noble man confessed for how can I vnderstand saide he without a guide Therefore Ezra when he had read the scripture he also gaue the sence Nehem. â— 8 and caused the people to vnderstand the reading to shew that bare reading is not sufficient to bring men to vnderstanding And therefore our sauior Christ also when hee had read a place of Esay that concerned himselfe hee closed vp the booke Luke 4.20 and opened the text making application thereof to his hearers whereuppon it followeth in the same place that all that heard him bare him witnes and wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth to shewe that preaching giueth grace to reading And when the word read is opened and applied then men beare witnesse of the trueth that is they knowe what to holde and beleeue for trueth and not before This the apostle Paul knew very well and therefore hee did not onely teach the Ephesians openly but priuately also in euery house going from house to house warning Act. 20.20 3â— and exhorting euery one as hee had occasion to shewe what course those sheepeheardes must take that would bring their flocks vnto the green pastures of heauenly comforts and the liuing waters of eternall happinesse both growing and flouring out of the liuely fountaines of knowledge and vnderstanding in the holy word of God And further for the necessity of knowledge vnderstanding what could the lord say more to shew the greatnes therof then to call them by the name of foode or meate and drinke for so he doth I will giue you pastors which shal feed you with knowledge and vnderstanding as if knowledge and vnderstanding were foode of the soule and so they be to teach vs as there is nothing more necessary for the strengthning of the bodie then meate and drinke so there is nothing more necessarie for the sauing of the soule then knowledge and vnderstanding Take away from the bodie ordinary sustenance long and it starueth And take away knowledge and vnderstanding from the soule and it perisheth Therefore as Christ said when he raised vp Iairus daughter giue hir meate so the Lorde saieth when the soule is raised vp to the life of God giue it meate but that must be knowledge and vnderstanding Againe as knowledge and vnderstanding are here called food so pastors are called feeders as if they were nurses the people as babes children which neither know what is good for them nor howe to dresse their meat nor how to feed themselues And therfore many doe not vnfitly compare the bare reading of the scripture vnto a whole loafe set before children which must bee cutte in peeces and be dâ—uided before it can profite them The preachers are also called feeders to shew that they must be like nurses in abilitie in affection and discretion Some haue wherewith to feede their children but they are vnkind and vnnaturall like cruel harlots that kill their children that they may not be troubled with theÌ„ Some beare a good affection to their children but their breastes are drie and they haue no meate to giue them when they crie for it as in the great famine of Samaria Som haue wherwith to feed but for want of discretion to obserue the childes nature and constitution as also the weaknes or strongnes of the stomack the frowardnes tendernes of thinfant and the causes of al it happeneth that much is giuen and little digested great pain is taken to little purpose bicause the child is either misdieted or distempred or handled too tenderly or too rigorously Therefore in the feeders of the soule there ought to bee sufficient store of knowlege there ought to be a louing tender affection tempered with wisedome and discretion that euery one may haue his due portion faithfully distributed vnto him and that in due time and season It is a lamenble hearing to heare the children crie for bread and it shal be answered againe by the Nurse I haue none for thee thou must starue for I haue none to giue thee But it is a thousand times more lameÌ„table to heare the soules mone for want of spiritual foode oh what accompt haue they to make vnto God that take the place of spirituall nurses and haue no milke in their breasts that is know nothing to any purpose is it nothing to starue the Lordes people Is the murthering of mens soules no sin before the Lorde O that the smoky Kemarius of this our age as vnpreaching ministers and non-residents and such like did consider well of this pointâ— then would they not leaue their occupations and trades as many haue done and betake them to the ministerie as their last refuge for liuing and maintenaunce sake but they would leaue the ministerie as fast and betake themselues to some other trade of life againe and wish that their heades were fountaines of teares that they might weep day and night for the slaughter and destruction which they haue made of the Lordes people VVhich they were better to doe nowe while the Lorde doeth allot them a time of repentance then heereafter in
hell from whence there is no redemption Oh that our Patrons and Bishops likewise did enter into the due consideration of this point then should not so many symonaicall and vnworthy worldlings be presented and admitted nor so many godly and painefull pastors be dismissed as ther are to the great woe and sorrowe of many poore soules that haue receiued most sweete comfort from their blessed ministerie and painefull endeuours in the Lord. But now it is time to enter combate and encounter with our aduersaries the Papists nay the aduersaries of Christ and his church about this point who wold beare the world in hand that Ignorance is the mother of deuotion and that there is no necessitie of the scriptures for the common people but that euery one must beleeue as the church beleeueth without any further triall or examination had of the matter by the word of God Which bloudy doctrine and vncomfortable assertion we shall see by Gods grace to fall downe and breake his necke at the sight of the trueth as Dagon the idoll of the Philistimes did at the presence of the Arke Ignorance say the Papists is the mother of Deuotion And Ignorance say the Protestants is the mother of dānation Now ther is great oddes between Deuotion and Damnation as much as is betweene ignorance and knowledge or between light and darknesse Indeede of Popish deuotion whose fruites are idolatrie and superstition and sacrilege and blasphemie and pride and ambition and couetousnesse and treason and all abhominations and in the ende eternall damnation Ignoraunce is the mother but not of true deuotion which pleaseth God Knowledge and Ignorance be contrarie one to another and as they be contrarie causes so their effects must needes be contrary and that by the rule of contraries for Contrariorum contraria est ratio Now if knowledge be the roote of faith and of loue and of zeale and of obedience and of all vertue and goodnesse as it is then is not ignorance the roote of faith but of vnbeleefe not of loue but of hatred not of zeale but of rashnesse and coldnesse not of obedience but of rebellion not of goodnesse but of mischiefe and therefore not of deuotion neyther but of damnation In the ninetie fiue Psalme the Lorde accuseth the Iewes of hardnes of heart tempting of God and continuall rebellion against the Lorde for the space of fortie yeeres and addeth this withall as a reason of all their wickednesse that they knew not the waies of the Lorde for which cause the Lorde sware in his wrath that they shoulde neuer enter into his rest to shew vs what bee the fruites of ignoraunce which if it bee the mother of deuotion it is of such deuotion as bringeth foorth all manner of iniquitie and shutteth men out of eternall felicitie In the fourth Chapiter of the Prophet Hosea in the first second third and fourth verses the Lord hath a controuersy with the inhabitants of Israel because there was no trueth nor mercie nor knowledge of God amongst them but swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring and oppression for which things the Lord telleth them that the land shall mourne and euerie one shall be cut off to shew what is to bee looked for where the knowledge of God is wanting When the Prophet Esay reproued the Israelites idolatrie and hypocrisie hee saide Knowest thou nothing as if he should say these are the fruits of ignorance In Philip. the first chapter and the ninth verse the Apostle prayeth God that the church might abound in knowledge and iudgement which hee woulde not haue doone if ignoraunce were the mother of deuotion Our Sauiour Christ commaundeth his church to search the Scriptures adding this as a reason that they beare witnesse of him Ioh. 5.39 and shewe the way to eternall life to shew that ignorance is not the mother of deuotion By this may we see how much we are beholding to the papists for shutting vp the doores of knowledge against the church of God They are like the Philistines that put out the eies of Sampson 〈◊〉 16.21 that so they might the better make sport with him and when the Papists had put out the right eye of knowledge in the church they might then make them doe what they list themselues They are like the cruell Nahash the Ammonite that would make no couenaunt with the Israelites 〈◊〉 11.2 but vppon condition that euerie man woulde put out his right eye The rauen when hee falleth vppon a sheepe the first thing hee doth is to picke out his eies that so he may the more easily deuoure the body so when the Papists fall vpon the sheepe of Christ the first thing they labour to effect is to put out their eies of knowledge that so they may the more easily prey vpon their bodie and goodes too They tell vs forsooth that the searching of the scripture is the cause of errour And our sauiour Christ saith therefore you erre because you knowe not the scriptures 〈◊〉 12.24 which of these must we beleeue the Papists or our Sauiour Christ They tel vs that the scriptures are hard to bee vnderstoode but the Lorde saith Al the words of my mouth are righteous there is no lewdnesse 〈◊〉 8 8 9. nor frowardnesse in them They are all plaine to him that will vnderstand and straight to them that would find knowledge The papists say they are hard and the Lord saith they are plaine and straight which of these now shal we beleeue the papists or the Lord Indeede saint Peter saith that in the writings of his brother Paul there are some things hard to be vnderstoode 2. Pet. 3.1 6 which ignoraunt and vnstable men doe peruert as they doe all other scriptures to their condemnation now if they be hard we see to whome they are hard to the ignorant and vnstable but not to those that desire knowledge to them they are made easie by the Lorde Therefore it must stand vs in hande to bee well repaired and sanctified by fayth and prayer when wee deale with the scriptures and bee truely resolued to bee reformed thereby or else wee may fall into errour as a iust recompence of our pride presumption Exo. 19. VVhen the Israelites shoulde come before the Lord they must be sanctified to day and to morrow saith the Lord when we come to the handling of the scriptures wee come before the Lorde and therefore wee must bee throughly sanctified and with Moses wee must put off the shooes of our carnall affections when wee come to deale with the booke of GOD for the scriptures are the mount from which God doth shew himselfe and the bush out of which goeth a flame of fire In them the Lord speaketh to vs and wee heare the words of euerlasting life wee must therefore strip off all our affections and fall downe before the Lorde with feare and knowe who it is that speaketh His worde is holy let vs take heede therefore into