part of Gods spirituall worship as preaching is be left out how must not the whole other seruice of the day be euen as a lame and maymed sacrifice before God I know indéed it pleaseth some to say that the méeting of the people together to the hearing of the word preached a phrase scoffed at as though it were not the language of the Scripture is not the chiefe institution of the Lords day But whatsoeuer mens idle conceipts be yet the truth is that the most excellent part of Gods seruice consisteth in the exercise of his word the faithfull dispensing whereof is the beautie of the Lords house and the very life of the Sabboth The other parts of Gods publike worship do but as it were waite and giue attendance vpon this For wherefore is prayer but to prepare vs to the word and to begge of God to bestow those blessings which are promised in the word And if we will credite the Scripture men cannot pray till by preaching they are taught to pray How shall they call on him vpon whom they haue not beleeued c. The place is knowne well inough Againe what is the vse of the Sacraments but to be seales to the word The preaching of the word is the tenor of the couenant betwixt God and vs the Sacraments are seales to assure vs of the performance of the gracious promises made vnto vs in the word So that indéed the other specialties of Gods worship are of no vse but onely so farforth as they haue reference to the word In the second of Isaiah his prophecie where the state of the Church of the Gospell is described the people are brought in prouoking one another to ascend vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob to encourage themselues and other hereunto they vse this reason he will teach vs his wayes no doubt in their méetings they were to vse both prayer and the Sacraments But yet that there they shold be taught was vsed as the principall motiue because as to be taught the wayes of the Lord is the principall blessing so obediently to heare is the principall seruice Wherein hath the Lord so great pleasure as in this when his voyce is obeyed and how can his voyce be obeyed till it is known and what other ordinarie meanes of knowledge shall we trust vnto besides preaching Séeing then the Sabboth day is a fit time in regard of peoples assombling together and seeing also the preaching and hearing of the word is a main part of the worship of God and by consequence especially intended in the first institution of the Sabboth he that indeuoureth to entertaine his people euery Lords day with the opening and applying the Scriptures cannot iustly be accused to be one who by too much familiaritie draweth the ordinance of God into contempt Nymph Well suppose it be yeelded vnto that it be good to continue the exercise of Preaching euery Sabbath day yet it may seeme superfluous to draw the people to hearing vpon the weeke dayes when men are otherwise in their worldly affaires to be employed Epaph. That is it which I was now next about to speake of I cannot say it is a matter of necessity for a Minister to ty himselfe or his auditors to a wéeke-day sermō yet if a Preacher be willing so to bestow his paines and the people in respect of their dwelling together as in cities and greater townes be ready to redeeme some time for so good a purpose I hold it very commendable When Paul and Barnabas preached at Antioch we reade that the Gentiles besought them that they would preach those words to them in the space betwixt that and the Sabbaoth day Now though I will not say that that example is a law yet I must needs say it is an allowance to such a course and that which was commendable in them cannot deserue blame in others of Gods childrē who are willing to diuert some of their time allowed for outward businesses to spirituall occasions as namely for the increasing of their knowledge and for the edifying themselues in their most holy faith Neither can such a course be more an occasion of bringing preaching into contempt then the established order for méeting on wednesdayes and fridaies to praier reading of the scriptures can be or is an occasion to make these good exercises to be despised Nymph I haue heard some say that it is sound and learned preaching which we that are the people must wish for and not often and continuall preaching and that the word of God is compared to raine which though it be in measure profitable yet in abundance maketh the seede rotten vnder the clods In like maner they say that preaching in moderation may do much good but if it exceed may be an occasion of barrennesse among the hearers Epaph. It is a wofull thing that men should so far stretch their wits to deceiue their own soules to beguile others also I would we had all learned the Apostles rule not to do any thing against the truth but for the truth To satisfie you touching this that you haue named hauing obserued it as you say out of the spéeches of some it is worthy the marking how Satan in his subtlety vnder the color of allowing vrging sound preaching would ouerthrow diligent preaching therein building vpon a false ground namely that a man cānot preach often preach soundly too which how false it is the vnreprouable labors of many industrious ministers in this land are a sufficient witnes It is a wise holy spéech of Salomon may be wel applyed to this purpose A slouthfull hand maketh poore but the hand of the diligent maketh rich and againe There is that scattereth is more increased but he that spareth more thē is right surely cometh to pouerty Men of excellent gifts many times whilest either in nicenesse fearing to hurt their bodies or in pride being as it were vnwilling to make thēselues too common they are more sparing in this exercise of preaching which is the glory of a Minister through the iust iudgment of God loose their former perfection as through disuse they grow lesse willing getting a kind of habite of negligence so also they become lesse able to do good in the Church of God then they were before Now when preaching through defalt of oftē inuring thēselues vnto it becometh more irksom they being to seek in many things when they fal to make preparatiō for it then straite because of their owne vnaptnes the iust punishment of idlenes they conclude that those who preach so oftē as they call it preach carelesly without study and without learning On the other side men it may be of meaner yet commendable gifts who remembring the necessitie which is layed vpon them and the woe which shall follow if they preach not the Gospell do euen deuote themselues
beginning of the worlds creation God for the manifesting of his owne power and glory made light to be the earth to bud forth before the Sun which to vs is the fountaine of light and the cherisher of the vital heat which is in all things was created yet now God hauing established an orderly course we cannot hope either for light in the ayre or for life among the creatures vpon the earth without the Sun I do apply al these things thus the want of the meanes of publicke preaching in former ages could not be any hindrance vnto God in sauing those which he knew before and who were ordained vnto eternall life And I am out of doubt of it that in the dayes of Popery in this land wheÌ„ the key of knowledge was vtterly taken away and the law perished from the priest counsell from the wise and the word from the Prophet so that if a man did wander from sea to sea and did run to and fro from the North euen vnto the East to seeke the word of the Lord yet he could not find it I say I am cleere in it that many then in that great darknes did as the prouerbe is see day at a very litle hole very straÌ„gely came to the knowledge of the truth some by the sight of some parcels of scripture some by the writings of good men some by conference with others though the same were both very seldom very secret some by knowing little more then the Lords prayer in English yet had they the assurance of the truth of it felt that coÌ„fort receiued the sweetnesse by it that as the histories of the church make mention they were conteÌ„ted to sacrifice their liues to spend their best blood to beare witnes vnto it which the Lord did both that it might appeare to all ensuing ages that he â—ed a small remnant euen as the shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs or a peece of an eare then when as the daugther of Sion was become as Sodome and not much vnlike vnto Gomorâ—hâ— and withal that at the day of Christs appâ—eâ—ng when he shal consume that man of sin with the breath of his mouth and abolish him with the brightnes of his coming he may haue witnesses against him out of all ages both of the deceiuablenesse of his superstitious doctrines of the cruelty of his tyrannous and bloody proceedings That which I say touching the times of the Egyptian darknes of Popery may be said also of many parte of the Realme which notwithstanding the long flourishing of the Gospell in this land yet I know not through whose default neuer enioyed the benefit comfort of setled preaching for though for the most part it be true that where the Lord hath much people there he is not waÌ„ting to send some who may continue with them and teach the of God among them yet as he sometimes vouchsafeth a Preacher to impudent and stif-necked children who will not heare to to that end that in the day of vengeance they may know there hath bene a Prophet among them so also it pleaseth him by secret and hidden yea and very vnlikely courses to affoord vnto some hearts the blessing of inward conuersion vppon whom he hath not bestowed the benefite of outward instruction by a Preacher But what then Yet this remaineth cercertaine that as when the good meanes is wanting and cannot by any meanes be procured the power and mercie of God must not be distrusted so when the meanes is bestowed his bountie cannot without great sin be despised It is herein as it is in the case of the Sacraments it is not simply the want of them when a man cannot though faine he would become partaker of them but the contempt which is damnable As for example if a father vnnecessarily deferre the baptisme of his child longer then the time appoynted by the order of the Church it is a sin in him if the child die without baptisme so likewise for a man vsually to turne is backe from the administration of the Lords Supper making no reckoning of the coÌ„fort offred therein it is doubtlesse a fault which God will not let to go away vnpunished The same may be said of the word preached if a man be depriued of it through a kind of vnauoydable necessitie simply there is no preiudice to a mans saluation thereby if so be these things be ioyned with it first that in this straite the soule do pant after that great benefit of which it is depriued secondly that a man do both desire require that one thing of the Lord euen to behold the beautie of the Lord namely the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the image of God thirdly that he be careful to vse all such helps of reading the scripture and of other godly treatises and of conference with men of knowledge as may possibly be procured But if so be a man may by any meanes enioy the benefite and comfort of preaching though it be with some both charge and trauell if then he carelesly neglect it and trust to other meanes no doubt the Lord will curse those meanes vnto him which for all that in their owne nature are good and might profite if they were not vsed with contempt of the principal This is my iudgment touching this supposal that by pressing the worth of preaching we do confine as it were Gods grace and â—e it to our tongues do cut them short of al hope of saluation which by any occasion haue liued or do liue without it Nymp. Wel sir this kind of men for all this is not satisfied but being beaten by argument and scripture from one fond conceit they forthwith â—un to another and seek not so much how to make a direct reply as to heape vp diuersity of obiections And therfore when they haue said all they can for the pressing of those particulars the vanity whereof you haue layed open to the full then hoping to obtaine that with multitude of words which with waight of reasoÌ„ they cannot they wil needs know a reason why there may not be as much good gotten by their owne priuate reading in the bookes of the scripture and in other good sermons and treatises which are set forth as by hearing a Preacher in the Church Epaph. Touching priuate reading of the scripture I am so far from disliking it any way that with that learned Chrysostome I do alwayes exhort and will not faile in stirring vp the people that they should not onely diligently attend to matters spoken publikely but endeuour themselues also to reade and peruse the scriptures priuatly God forbid I or any other of my profession should maintaine that Popish Maxime that the common vse of the Scripture is the cause of all heresies and not rather the contrary taught by Christ and seconded by the learned in
things in the manner of your preaching that are much disliked and discommended the first is Rudenesse the second is roughnesse the third is ouermuch commonnesse Touching the first it is said that you preach vnlearnedly without eloquence without allegation of Fathers and of other authors and therefore you are accounted but as a company of English Doctors which preach vpon the sodaine what cometh in your heads without study which causeth your doctrine to be the lesse regarded Epaph. Verily for mine owne part I do as much mislike rashnesse in preaching without due preparation and rudenesse in handling the word of life as any man I know he is cursed that doeth the worke of the Lord negligently And as it is méete for euery man when he entreth into the house of God to take heed to his foote so it is much more requisite for him that must enter as it were into the seate of the Lord and speake vnto the people in Christs stead to be very well aduised before he take the couenant of God in his mouth And indéed the bold hardinesse of many now adayes is greatly to be pitied who so ordinarily hand ouer head as we say step vp into the pulpit and when they are there do litle better then beat the aire behaue themselues many times like the madde man of whom Salomon speaketh who casteth firebrands and arrowes and mortall things and so as the prouerbe is though they speake much yet say litle by that meanes exposing the neuer enough reuerenced exercise of preaching vnto the reproches scoffes of euill speakers Besides for learning I confesse that it is necessarily required in preaching S. Paul sayth preaching must be discharged in all learning All liberall arts and sciences are handmaids to Diuinity and doe owe a kind of seruice vnto Gods Church It is said a Minister must be a workeman rightly deuiding the word of truth now if he want his knife that is his art and cunning well he may teare and rend it and violently dismember it but that he should rightly deuide it that is vnpossible Yet withall this I adde that if to preach after a popular and familiar fashion with desire to speak to the conceipt capacity of the simplest and to stand most vpon allegation of the holy text very seldome very sparingly mentioning other testimonies eyther of profane or diuine writers if I say to preach on this wise be to be termed rude and vnlearned preaching truly for mine owne particular I had rather acknowledge that fault then séeke to put it from mee Nymph What is then your opinion touching humane learning and the writings of the auncient Fathers of the Church are they not very behouefull for you that are students and professors of Diuinitie Epap For the study of humane learning I wold not haue you conceiue otherwise of me but that I hold it very expedient for him that intendeth the profession of Diuinity I am of his mind which wold haue a scholler like the witty Bee which gathereth hony out of euery flower and I willingly yéeld to S. Augustines conceit who coÌ„pareth the knowledge of humane sciences profane authors to the spoiling of the Egyptians by the Israelites Howbeit I wold also stil giue my allowaÌ„ce to these studies with this cautioÌ„ namely if they be vsed to prepare the wit not to detain it kéep it too long from grauer studies for séeing as the saying is Learning is long our life but short it must néeds be a preposterous course to spend the most and best time in those things which are but as it were circumstances to the principall science Againe for the Fathers this I say in few words I reuerence them and do a kind of homage to their very names and I am contented to acknowledge that of them all which was sayd of two of them to wit that they are euen the hammers of heretikes and the eyes of the world Our later heretikes as the Antitrinitarians the Anabaptists the Suencfeldians the Libertines the Papists haue reuiued the auncient heresies of elder times against which those holy men euen spent themselues and it is to be reputed as great a blessing of God and an argument of his especial care and prouidence for his Church that their writings are preserued to this day by which we are the better fitted to grapple with the enemies of Gods truth And yet in the study of the fathers there is many times a double error coÌ„mitted the one is that men begin the study of Diuinitie with the reading of their workes which course for the most part bréedeth both confusion for want of methode and error also through the lacke of knowledge in the rule and proportion of faith by which to trie all things that so onely that which is good may be kept the other error is that many are ouermuch deuoted to theÌ„ being ready almost to sweare to any thing which is affirmed by them whereas indeed they both might and did erre in many things often altering their iudgements retracting and repealing many things séeing more in their grauer yeares then at the first they did perceiue Hierome confesseth that he was of one mind in some things when he was a youth and of another when he grew more in yeares He acknowledgeth also that in some things he played the Rhetorician and did discourse something idly after the manner of declaimers Augustine in many things was led more by affection then by iudgement speaking sometimes that wheâ— of he was not fully resolued as touching purgatory and prayer for the dead out of the abundant loue to his mother Monica sometimes forbearing to vtter that which he thought through lothnes to incur the offence of some yea frankly he acknowledgeth that his ignorance in scripture was greater then his knowledge And Origen was so iealous of his owne iudgement that he would neuer aduenture to write any thing till he was lx yeeres old neither would he suffer those things which he had taught publikly to be takeÌ„ by notaries whose intent was to make them coÌ„mon to the world And therefore though it be very profitable expedient for a Diuine to be wel studied in the Fathers yet it is good to reade their workes as the works of meÌ„ It was a good aduice which Augustin gaue to a friend of his I would not saith he haue thee follow my authority as though you should thinke your self bound to beléeue whatsoeuer I say because I say it It is wisedome to hold that rule in the perusing of them al. But I forget my selfe to enter into this discourse to you whom it doth not so propâ—y concerne Howsoeuer by this that I haue now said you may vnderstand my opinion touching both the Fathers other as you call it prophaner learning Nym. But I pray you sir why may not
dayes of our life in holinesse and righâ—eousnesse before him And therefore that doctrine which presseth vpon men the most procise and strict obedience to Gods will not giuing any the least toleration to any the smallest sinne but still bridling mans naturall inclination vnto euill that is the truth of God which euery seruant of God ought to entertaine Tell me now vnderstand you this direction Nymph Yea truly I do in some measure vnderstand it yet if you shall please by one or two examples to shew the vse of it I shal the better perceiue it and know the rather how and after what sort to apply it Epaph. I will not sticke with you for that because I am very willing to satisfie you in this matter For the first branch therefore touching the glorie of God take this example We teach at this day that faith onely iustifieth our meaning is that the very thing which maketh a man stand righteous before God and to be accepted to life euerlasting is the imputed righteousnesse of Christ Iesus which righteousnesse is appropriated and applyed to vs onely by faith Others as the Papists say that to the iustifying of a sinner before God two things are required remission of sinnes and the habit of inward righteousnesse that is to say charitie with the fruites thereof So that we exclude they establish the merit of mans works Well then in this difference of opinion there being learned men on both sides and Scripture alleaged on both sides you desire to know which is the truth bring them both to the touchstone sée which of the two maketh most for the glory of God the matter wil soone be answered the doubt will quickly be cleared Consider therfore how euen the Apostle Paul by this rule decideth this controuersie by what law saith he that is by what meanes of saluation is boasting excluded Not by the law of workes but by the law of faith Hereupon he concludeth therefore a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe And indéede the reason is excellent for if man could by any of his owne doings further his owne saluation or procure the increase of glorie in heauen he had then some matter of glorying and might as it were account himselfe the lesse beholden vnto God But iustification by faith onely taketh all vtterly from man and ascribeth his whole saluation the beginning middle and ending vnto the Lord haue you both an example of this rule and warrant for it being vsed by the Apostle to decide so great a controuersie and I am sure that you shall find it of very great vse in many main points of our religion Secondly for the second branch of the rule which is about the coÌ„fort and reliefe of a distressed and distracted conscience marke this particular for the manifestation of the force of the rule It is taught and maintained in our Church that a Christian man may be vnfallibly certaine of his saluation in his owne conscience in this life and that by an ordinarie and speciall faith Others there are both Papists and some also amongst our selues which hold that the certainetie of saluation which in this life can be attained to is onely coniecturall and probable grounded onely vpon likelihoods and this certaintie they confesse to be vncertain and such as many times doth deceiue Behold here is a great controuersie and much is said on either side now you that are a priuate man would gladly know to which part you may safely encline and what to rest vpon as the alone truth in this case My aduise is therefore that for your full satisfaction herein you scan the matter by this rule suppose a spirit déepely wounded a conscience set as it were vpon the racke seeing nothing in God but iustice and maiestie and a consuming fire finding nothing in it self but sinne and corruption and infinite matter of despaire so that by this meanes it is brought to such an exigent that it knoweth not which way to turne but is euen readie to crie out with Paul Who shall deliuer me Enquire now which of those two doctrines doth affoord the best comfort in this wofull case that will quickly appeare for the one holdeth the conscience in a continuall suspence the other laboureth to settle it in the firme assurance of Gods vnchangeable loue in Christ Iesus the one bringeth a plaister but much too litle for the sore telleth of the riches of Gods mercie of the depth of his loue of the vnsearchable sufficiencie of Christs merite but yet denyeth the soule to be assured of a particular interest into it and by that meanes rather increaseth then relieueth the anguish the other applyeth the medicine to euery part of the wound sheweth Christ discouereth the riches of Christ and putteth the amazed heart into a full assured and comfortable possession of Christ So that whatsoeuer shall be argued to the contrarie you may be bold to build vpon that which bringeth the most ioyfull and welcome tidings to an affrighted conscience that is best agréeing to the scope of the Scripture that cometh nearest to the nature of the Gospel Come now to the third braÌ„ch which is concerning the libertie of the flesh and let me giue an instaÌ„ce of that also There is at this day a doctrine almost openly taught or at least tolerated by many that shold teach otherwise namely that a man may do well inough without so much preaching that it is not a matter of that great necessitie to frequent the places of Gods publike seruice but that a body may do well inough at home with some priuate deuotions that common men néed not trouble themselues greatly with the scripture or with knowledge in religion that the religious spending of the Sabboth is a thing indifferent that often communicating at the Lords table is not of any great importance but that once or twise in a yéer is as good as euery day that it is not good to be too forward in matters of religion ouerstrait in conuersatioÌ„ that God wil beare with many smal matters c. On the other side there is a doctrine that telleth vs and proueth vnto vs that if we desire to walke and to liue so as may please God and as becommeth Christians we must make conscience of often hearing the word we must as new born babes desire the sincere milke thereof that we may grow thereby neuer contenting our selues with any measure of knowledge we must striue straine our selues though sometime it be with some trouble and diseasing of our bodies to come to the places of Gods worship and to giue attendance at the postes of the doores of the Lords house we must call the Saboth a delight to consecrate it resting not onely from labour but from al things that may disable vs and make vs more vnfit for Gods seruice either in respect of preparation before it or of conference and meditation after it we must
the teachers some beleeue and others beleue not and men fall to haue great reasoning among theÌ„selues there cannot but follow a kind of diuisioÌ„ siding so that they which in their ignorance accorded together touching religioÌ„ are by the working of the word sundred some become zealous folowers others malicious oppressors laboring to stop the passage of the Gospell to peruert the strait waies of the Lord some neuters neither cold nor hot but iust of deputy Gallio his religion who cared nothing for those things The preaching of the word is the fan in the hand of Christ by which he parteth his wheat from the chaffe and whereby he maketh way for that great day of separation in which the beleeuing sheep shal be separated from the rebellious and vnbeléeuing goates Againe let it not be forgotten that the word in the right applying of it is called a light which maketh all things manifest When things lie his in the darknes though they al differ each from other in colour yet they séeme all â—o like but the light approching the variety of colours is soone descried So though men in the duskishnes of ignorance are reputed to be knit together in the vnitie of affection yet when the bright beames of Gods word breake in among them the thoughts of many hearts be opened and then you shall see diuers humors and varietie of dispositions By these things it appeareth that if it be well vnderstood diuision and tumult especially at the beginning and first entrie of it among an vntaught people must needes follow the soundnes of setled preaching though those that are reclaimed and brought to the knowledge of God are al of one heart and of one soule proceeding by one rule minding one thing and endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Nymph You haue thankes be to God at least to my iudgement well quit your selfe against this sort of men The next that you haue to do withall are more dangerous being such as Paul saith which do seeme wise in this world and do both liue after a good ciuill fashion and doe also make shew to be not altogether enemies vnto religion They haue also some insight into the Scripture and are wont to reade it and other good bookes priuately onely this their resolution is to keepe a certaine temper in matters of Religion to carrie themselues in an allowable conformitie and not to be ouerforward as many seeme to be whose zeale they account rash and heady indiscretion Epaph. The daunger of this kind of people is most of all in respect of themselues becauss this to be wise in a mans owne eies and to feare God cannot stand together otherwise for answering any thing that they are able to obiect it is a matter of no such great difficulty For the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and as waxe melteth before the fire so shall their best framed conceipts vanish at the very name and presence of the Scripture Nymph I am glad you are so confident for to tell you true these things being as they are very agreeing to mans reason haue much troubled me and I haue not vpon the sodaine knowne well what to answer when in my presence these things haue bene vrged by such as are thought in the world to be men of good discretion First then it is demaunded why preaching should be the most excellent meanes of spirituall instruction and wherefore you should take so much vpon you as that your speaking is able to saue mens soules you be but men as others are and it is but your pride who because you would be thought some body do thus endeuour to extoll the worth and necessitie of your profession Epaph. Here is indéed a perillous argument it sauoreth altogether of the sawcinesse of an ignorant and vnhumbled heart It is come to a proper passe when as the sonne of man who dwelleth in a house of clay whose foundation is in the dust and which is but a worme shall dare to talk so presumptuously and so to set his mouth against heauen as to aske of God a reason of his doings Is it not enough that the Lord hath made it knowne vnto vs that his will is by the foolishnes of preaching to saue those which beleeue O Man who art thou which pleadest against God And yet behold a reason though this kind of men generally are wiser in their own conceit then seuen men that can render a reason and a man may haue more hope of a foole then of them Looke what reason there was why the Lord would haue the walles of Iericho beaten downe onely with the sound of Rammes hornes and with a shout looke also why the Lord would haue no more circumstance obserued in the cleansing of leprous Naaman but onely this Wash and be cleane the same is the reason why God hath sanctified the ministery of man to so excellent a worke as is the casting downe of the holds of Sathan and the gathering together of his Saints God vsed no engines of warre no pollicies of men in the ouerthrow of the walles of Iericho to the end the people might haue cause to say This was the Lords doing and it is maruellous in our eyes So likewise the Prophet vsed so little ceremonie about Naaman that he might sée the finger of God in his recouerie The same may be said of Preaching the Lord hath sanctified hearing to be the outward meanes to beget faith and hath imparted to vs the treasure of his word in earthen vessels to the end that the whole glorie of our conuersion may be his and that He that reioyceth in the renewing of his mind and the reclaiming of his soule may reioyce in the Lord and acknowledge with humilitie the excellencie of that power which by so meane a meanes could bring so mightie things to passe It is a generall rule and holdeth in the whole course of our saluation that Gods power is made perfect that is apparant and more conspicuous through weaknes Great is the pride and arrogancie of the heart of man and if it may find it selfe able though but by a thought to further and helpe forward it owne saluation it prides it selfe foorthwith and to it self secretly it more magnifieth the litle which it imagineth to be in it own power then all that which it receiueth froÌ„ the Lord. For this cause and for the preuention of this euill God in his great wisedome hath so caried the whole Mysterie of godlines from the first foundation of it in heauen his Election according to his foreknowledge vnto the last perfecting of it vntill the day of Iesus Christ that when a man shall enter into a déepe consideration of it and withall marke the order and progresse of his own conuersion he may lay his hand vpon
his mouth and in the truth of his soule may say Not vnto me ô Lord not vnto me but vnto thy name giue the glory This is the sum the reason why the Lord hath thought good to commend the hearing of a Preacher and teacher aboue other courses for the calling of vs from the power of darknesse into the kingdome of his deare sonne is because it maketh most for the setting forth of Gods glorie which is the thing chiefly respected by him and for which he made all things euen to this very end that all being of him and through him and for him to him might be glorie for euer If it were left vnto man by his owne wisedome to find out God in the wisedome of God in the pride of his heart fearing his owne disparagement he would neuer make choise of preaching for we see how the world in the wisedom thereof doth euen scorne it but he would either drowne himselfe in the puddle of ignorance as the most do or else trust to his owne iudustrie as many do vpon whom this curse iustly falleth that they become vain in their imaginations and when they professe themselues wise proue meere fooles thinking they know much but yet knowing nothing as they ought to know If this reason cannot satisfie those who wil néeds haue a reason of Gods ordinance I know not what will satisfie them Once I am sure that as many as haue learned the first lesson of Christianitie to denie themselues and to vnderstand according to sobrietie they wil yeeld to this truth and by yéelding no doubt they shal haue comfort Now whereas we are thought to take too much vpon vs so often as we endeuor to make knowne the worth and excellencie of our office it is a méere slander for I hope we haue learned to preach not our selues but Christ Iesus and to account our selues no more then the Ministers by whom ye beleeue We confesse the increase to be the Lords we leaue the purifying and opening of the heart onely to him God forbid that we should dare as it were to encroch vpon the Lords right seeing we know that he is a iealous God and wil not giue his glory to another This is our opinion of our selues herein and if any man be so suspicious or so hardly conceited of vs that he will not otherwise be perswaded let him remember that Loue thinketh not euill And yet I must néeds adde this also that so is the Lord pleased to blesse the labors of painful Ministers in his Church that he douchsafeth them the name of Gods labourers nay which is more workers together with his grace and sauers of them which heare them The Lord for the gracing and crediting of the instrument and to preserue it from contempt attributeth that to it which is in his owne onely power to effect Tel me now whether this answer doth in your opinion silence this grand obiection Nymph A man would thinke that this which you haue spoken should stop their mouthes which are otherwise minded but yet they do replie and say that you doe much streighten the grace and power of God and seeme as it were to tye the working of Gods spirit which yet bloweth where it listeth to your tongues as though without preaching there were no saluation whereby you seeme also to cut them cleane off from any hope of heauen which either heretofore haue wanted or now enioy not the common and ordinary vse of preaching Epaph. It is no wrong done vnto the grace of God to limit it to those means which God in his wisedome hath set apart for the conueyance thereof vnto vs. When Paul was in his daungerous sea-voyage in the night there stood by him the Angell of God saying Lo God hath giuen vnto thee all that sayle with thee yet notwithstanding when as afterwards the mariners were about to flie out of the ship and had let downe the boate into the sea purposely to make escape Paul said to the Centurion and the souldiers Except these abide in the ship ye cannot be safe Did Paule herein streighten the almightie power of God in saying there could be no safetie without the staying of those mariners in the shippe Was the Lords hand shortened that he could not deliuer but by the skill industrie of those men Surely no but because Paul knew that God was not pleased otherwise to giue deliuerance therefore he said that vnlesse the mariners taried the company could not be preserued The learned do thus distinguish of the power of God it is an absolute power by with he can do infinite things which he will not do so Iohn said of him that he was able of the very stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Againe it is an actuall or a working power which he executeth in the gouerning of the world and the things therein now when we speake of the power of God in this sense it may be truly said that he cannot vs that which he will doe So touching preaching we may say without any restraint of Gods power that except there be preaching men cannot be saued not that God is tied to the voice of man that without it he cannot saue but because the Scripture hath reuealed to vs that these things are linked together with an indissoluble knot praying faith hearing preaching sending There is no praying without faith there is no faith but by hearing there is no hearing to beget faith but of a preacher sent that is furnished with gifts frō aboue for the feeding of the flock of Christ depending vpon him with knowledge and vnderstanding If it shall be vrged as me thought you also touched it that we shal by this preiudice them who haue either liued died without preaching or those who enioy it not now I answer that it is one thing what God can do where the meanes is wanting another thing what he will doe where the means is supplied When the people of Israel were in the wildernesse and were destitute of the vsual helpes of tillage the Lord gaue them bread from heauen to eate but as soone as they came into the promised land the Man ceased neither had the children of Israel Man any more Euery man was then to fall to his worke and not to hope by those extraordinary meanes to be releeued To strengthen the faith of Hezekiah the Lord sayd to him Thou shalt eate this yeare such as groweth of it selfe and the second yeare such things as grow without sowing but in the third yeare sow ye and reape and plant c. He that those two yeeres being expired had trusted to the former courses neglecting husbandry out of al doubt he might haue bene starued and yet before he that had called Gods power to furnish them with foode without sowing into question had bene worthy to be punished In the