take it this is a difference between an Apostle and a Byshop or ordinarie Pastor that the Apostles were not confined to any set place but were appointed to goe into all the world and to preach the Gospell to every creature but Byshops and Pastors are confined to their owne Circuites and Churches To the Angell of the Church of Pergamos I haue done with the Superscription I come now to the Secretaries Commission in this word Write It is the voyce of Gods spirit to Saint Iohn A word much used in scripture but especially in this booke of Revelation very frequently Cap. 1. 19. Write the things that thou hast seene Cap. 14. 13. And I heard a voyce from heaven saying vnto mee Write And in this and the next chapter often Write Hence wee gather divers things The first thing wee gather hence is the divine authority of this booke ot Iohn is not the Author of it but the instrument onely to convey it unto vs. The holy Ghost is the inditer Iohn is but the writer of it So that what S. Paul saith of the whole Scripture we may truly affirme it of this booke that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given from God by inspiration Which I note against the errour of all such as haue either doubted or denyed this booke to be in the Canon of scripture or of authenticall authority Secondly Write I know and confesse that God might haue written this booke and the whole scripture with his owne finger as he did the ten commandements they were written with the finger of Gods owne hand or God might haue spoken these things himselfe to the Churches as he delt with Moses to whom he talked as one friend to another face to face but it hath not pleased him to deale with us after such an immediate manner least we might bee too much daunted with his glory And therefore because he would graciously descend to our weakenesse he hath used the Ministerie of his servants to deliver unto vs his holy Oracles not that he needed their helpe at all as Kings and great men neede their Secretaries but onely to remember us of these 2. short instructions 1. To let us see our owne weakenesse that we are not able to sustaine Gods immediate presence and 2. to teach vs a necessary and most excellent use of the ministerie which God hath established in the Church meerely for our benefit Thirdly Write And why must these things be written was it not enough to haue them delivered over by word of mouth from the father to the sonne and so haue remained as a Tradition perpetually in the Church but they must be written But who is this that calls Gods actions into question Wee see it was his will to haue these things written and let us rest in that and know that it was not expedient for vs that it should be otherwise If they had not beene written peradventure nay without all peradventure they would haue beene corrupted and received addition or diminution according either to the over-quick or over-dull capacities of men in the long line of succession but being once written that feare is past The text will not admit of any addition but it will plainely appeare to be interlined and their can nothing now be taken from the text but it will plainely appeare to be blotted out The Papists may tell us that the Canon of the Scripture is not perfect unlesse we adde thereunto unwritten Traditions But we know the Canon is perfect Adoroplenitudinem Scripturarum saies Tertullian I adore the perfection of the scripture and we dare not adde any thing to it Wee feare the curse denounced in the last of this booke which is set downe with earnestnesse a solemne protestation I protest unto every one that shall adde any thing to this booke God will also adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke Revel 22. 18. They may tell vs of a twofold word of God Scriptum non Scriptum the one written the other unwritten But we cannot admit of this distinction If it be the the word of God it is written as Saint Ambrose saith excellently Quod non legi usurpare non debeo I dare not make use of any thing as authentique proofe that I read not written in the scriptures Write Fourthly Write Words you know are but a winde and they quickly vanish in the aire with the sound sed littera scripta manet if they be once put in writing then they stand upon a sure record both for our owne present use and the benefit of all posterity And therefore when the Lord had wrought a great deliverance for his people the Prophet saith This shall bee written for them that come after and the people which are yet unhorne shall praise the Lord. They are not content to praise God themselues for his deliverance but they will haue it written downe for them that come after that they also may haue occasion thereby to praise the Lord. These things then must be written both for their use that then lived and also for our benefit that by this excellent meanes they might the better be preserved in the Church to be read and learned of us For whatsoever was written afore time was written for our learning that we through patience c. Rom. 15. 4. And hath God taken such care to haue these things written for our learning What shall we thinke then of the folly shall I say or the madnesse of Popish Bishops and Prelates which strike the Bible out of Lay mens hands and will not suffer the common people to haue or use the holy Scriptures least forsooth they should turne heretiques and Apostates from the faith Was not the world trow you come to a faire passe when the Bible was not onely put into the Index of prohibited bookes and the people interdicted and debarred utterly from once peeping into it but when it was accounted a capitall crime for a man to haue the New Testament in his house or any English Scripture about him yea such a crime that Gods booke it selfe shall be cast into the fire to bee burnt and Gods Servant that used it shall fry at the stake for it as is happened in our forefathers dayes good Lord No wonder if thou Iohn Husse poore goose of Bohemia bee'st derided and thy Monuments blackt over with dust and cast behinde the screene to be meate for moathes when the Monuments of Gods sacred word are so sleighted and disgraced cast sub scamnum under the bench as Luther complained No wonder Luther if thou bee'st condemned for an heretique and thy workes burnt at Rome by the Pope when the sacred word of God is condemned for making men heretiques and burnt in England in the open market places was it now not high time thinke you for the Lord to lay to his hand for they had destroyed his law Yes the Lord arose and his enemies
Because Paritie among Churchmen was the high way to bring in contention and confusion into the Church Lib. 4. Instit. c. 4. § 2. Therefore we thinke thus that in the mother Cities there were Byshops and that therefore this word Angell reacheth vnto them and in the other Churches appending there were ordinarie Pastors and that this title of Angell doth belong also unto them Byshops and Ministers are Angells I doe not now speake of their nature but of their office And indeed to say as the matter is this word Angell is Nomen officij non naturae a name that doth rather import the office then the nature of that thing which is so imposed Thus S. Iohn Baptist who was the Minister of Christ is called the Angell of the Lord Malac. 3. and I haue heard some learned Divines of opinion upon the mentioning of that place of the Apostle 1. Cor. 11. 10. That Women ought to haue power on their heads because of the Angels and it is Lyra's exposition too upon that text that by Angels there are understood Gods Ministers The Apostles argument being this Women when they come to Church ought to be covered and veyled least they be occasions of sinne and a stumbling blocke to the Minister in the exercise and performance of his holy function For if they should appeare in the Congregation with their heads uncovered their haire displayed their breasts naked what doe they know but that by gazing upon them the Minister might withdraw his mind from his busines and so be hindered or disabled for that time in the performance of his holy function therefore ought the women to haue power on their heads because of the Angels that is the Ministers Howsoeuer that interpretation hold sure I am that the Byshop of Ephesus and the Ministers of the other Churches here in this Chapter are called Angels To the Angell of the Church of Pergamos This title brings to our consideration these two things 1. The dutie of Ministers 2. The dignitie of our calling First our dutie My beloued brethren of the Clergie you are Angels that is Gods Messengers and Embassadors and therefore with all diligence and faithfulnesse you must remember to deliver Gods word unto the people without adding or diminishing for that is the propertie of a messenger Thou shalt therefore receiue the word at my mouth and deliver it vnto them saith the Lord to the Prophet Ezek. 3. Nay this meditation must ascend yet higher you are Angels and therefore ought yee as chearefully and readily performe Gods will here on earth even as the Angels do it in heaven who stand ever in his presence readie prest to doe his commandement They are spirits you are men both are Ministers They ministring Spirits in heaven you ministering Angels on earth and therefore see that you giue none offence in any thing but approue your selues as the Ministers of God in all puritie and alacritie for these are the properties of Angels The second thing that I told you this title or appellation pointed at was the dignitie of our calling The Ministerie as the world goes now a dayes is a profession that is more subject to contempt and vile usage then any calling whatsoeuer And therefore the Lord that he might meete the better with those base conceits the wordlings haue of his servants and the more to advance the honour of his owne ordinance hee hath beene pleased in the scriptures to grace the Ministers of the word with as faire and honourable titles and appellations as any other calling whatsoeuer To what end should I now recite them all Let it suffice that in the text they are called Angels Doest thou thinke to rayle and revile the Kings messenger and yet be guiltlesse and will'st thou kick and spurne against thy Pastor the messenger of the Lord of hostes and thinke to goe unpunished What man Doest thou not esteeme highly of the Angels how comes it about then that thou esteemest so basely of the Miuisters oh my Christian brethren deale not so foolishly as to say or thinke it of thy Minister that he is but a base Pedanticall fellow or a poore bell'd preist For I tell you of a truth the Lord will not suffer these flowts and scoffs to goe unrevenged And the more his Ministers are scorned of wordlings the more honor he lookes should be put upon them by you that are his servants according to his owne example And therefore howsoever the world thinkes of us yet doe not you account of a Minister as of an ordinarie man for he is an Angell upon earth Let him not be twitted and scorned let him not be sleighted and neglected let him not be coursly and roughly entertained but let him be reverenced and respected and honoured according to his place and calling for he is an Angell And herein you haue an excellent patterne in the Galathians whose religious and chearefull entertainement of St. Paul is set downe for your imitation to teach you with what reverence and affection you ought to entertaine a good Minister even no otherwise then they did St. Paul and that was as an Angell So he testifies of them Yee received mee as an Angell of God Galat. 4. 14. Secondly before wee leaue this first part obserue here that the Angell is confined to his place Hee is not a Minister at large but the Angell of this Church Not of all the Churches but of this Church The name of Oecamenicull or Universall Byshop was not heard of in those dayes That is a later broode of Antichrist Let him be a Byshop he is confined to his owne charge Let him bee an inferiour Minister Hee is confined to his proper cure the first Angell at Ephesus the second at Smyrna the third at Pergamos Hee must not step beyond his limits I grant the Byshop hath a larger scope like vnto that prime and common intelligence the Philosophers speake of which regulates the Primum mobile in that most apparant diurnall motion common to all the Spheres the inferiour Ministers being those other particular Angells or intelligences according to that opinion assisting each particular orbe in his owne proper periodicall motion yet both are limited If hee be a Byshop hee is limited to his owne Diocesse and hee must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a busy Bishop in another mans Diocesse If he be an inferiour Pastor hee hath his particular flocke too whereof the holy Ghost hath made him a Byshop or an Overseer as the word imports and he must take heed unto that Act. 20. No Pastor unconfined to some Church No Byshop set over all Churches It is true Saint Paul saith of himselfe that he had the care of all the Churches 2. Cor. 11. 28. But first it is one thing to haue a Christian care and another thing to haue a particular charge over all Churches Secondly Saint Paul was an Apostle and that office is non-dated long agoe And I
that double effect it worketh upon the harts of men It hath two edges and it cuts with both But the one edge cuts so as that it lets out only the impostume and corrupt blood upon which there followes health and salvation the other edge cuts more deepely and giues a mortall blowe upon which there followes death and destruction For the better opening of this obserue that in the visible Church of Christ there are intermixed two sorts of people and will alwaies so remaine untill the day of separation at the last judgement Then they are called sheepe and goats now they are called elect and reprobate Both these living within the borders of the Church where God hath set up the ministerie do both of them heare the Preacher and receiue the word but with different successe for to the one it is the savour of life unto life and to the other it is the savour of death unto death 2. Cor. 2. 16. That position in philosophie is most true Idem quà idem semper facit idem that if the cause be the same in each respect then it bringeth forth alwayes the same effect but if it varie never so little either intrinsecally in it selfe or extrinsecally in respect of some circumstantiall adjacent it produceth not onely different but also most contrariant effects as we see in the fire The same heate that melteth waxe till it drop againe like water hardneth the clay till it be a very stone And we see the same in sweet oyntment as Gregor Nyssen hath observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen as the same oyntment which addeth life and strength to the doue taketh away both life and motion from the beetle so the word of Christ or Christ preached to the Iewes is a stumbling block and to the Grecians foolishnesse but to them that are called both of the Iewes and Greekes it is the wisdome of God and the power of God Rom. 1. 24. By this then we haue now delivered there is taken away a scruple of some Ministers who dare not in a manner preach some part of Gods word I meane the Law and the threatenings of the Law against Sinners because that by the preaching of these things many fall back into desperation and damnation But the man of God ought not to be offended at this for what saith the Apostle We are the sweet savour of Christ unto God both in them that are saved and in them that perish 2. Cor. 2. Let us be carefull to discharge our duties and let us leaue the successe to God And let this be our staffe of comfort to support us in the exercise of our ministrie that whether the word that we preach worke life and salvation in our auditors which we so much desire or it worke death and destruction in them which we so much feare yet still we are the sweet savour of Christ unto God both in them that are saved and in them that perish 2. Cor. 2. 15. Secondly hereby we haue an error corrected that runs among the people They cannot indure at no hand that the preacher should open the doctrine of the Law or denounce the curses contained in Gods word against sinners Why I say they this is the ready way to plung men into the pit of despaire and to send them to hell before they be dead But these people do not rightly understand themselues It is not for them to prescribe unto vs either the forme or matter of preaching We are tyed unto both to presse the law with all earnestnesse and to preach the Gospell with all meekenesse of spirit A necessity is laid upon us for both and wee must not keepe backe any part of Gods counsell from the people And let men content themselues and never storme at the matter Let them looke carefully about them and let them be assured of this that God will haue his glory upon them either in their conversion if they belong to the number of his chosen servants or in their confusion if they be rejectaneous and castawaies The Lord hath created all things for his owne sake euen the wicked men against the day of evill Prov. 16. 4. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We haue done with the first attribute a double edged sword there remaines now the other onely a sharpe sword and this seemes to giue life to that which went before If it were a sword and had never an edge it would be of no use if it were a sword which had two edges and they were dull and blunt ones it would be but of small use and therefore as it is a sword and a double edged sword so it is a sharpe two edged sword If men will walke on in sinfull and wicked courses they must not make account to go away smoothly and never be touched for it They shall meete at one time or another with a sharpe sword in their way which God hath set up in the ministrie of his Word and they shall not avoyd it For what Esay the Lords Prophet saith of himselfe every faithfull minister of Christ may apply to himselfe The Lord hath called me from the wombe and made mention of mee from my mothers belly and he hath made my mouth like a sharpe sword Esay 49. 2. Ministers must deale sharpely with notorious sinners If Herod will play the wanton and keepe his brother Philips wife against Gods law he shall be sure to heare of it as well by S. Ioh. Baptist. It is not lawfull for thee to haue her Math. 14. 4. If the Scribes and Pharisees will take part with their fathers and progenitours in their viperous qualities they shall be sure to heare of it aswell by the same S. Iohn O generation of vipers who hath forwarned you to flye from the Wrath to come Now also is the axe laid to the roote of the trees Every tree therefore that bringeth not foorth good fruit is cut downe and cast into the fire Math 3. 10. Indeed I confesse in the text there it is called an axe Now also is the axe layd to the roote but that axe there is all one with the sword here and so you haue them both expressed together in one verse Hos. 6. 5. I haue hewen them by my Prophets and I haue cut them with the words of my mouth An elegant metaphor to expresse Gods sharpe dealing with that sinfull and rebellious people that were growne tanquam nodosa ligna saith Zanchius such knottie peeces of wood that a plainer would not serue the turn to smooth them but they must haue an axe to hew them so knottie and hard withall that a knife would not serue to prune them but they must haue a sword to cut them asunder Dolavi eos I haue hewen them by my Prophets there 's the worke of the axe secui eos I haue cut them with the words of my mouth there 's the worke of the sword And because we haue