34s 'Mt thehoyScriptureswere inditedby Godsf jiirit. humilitie they{hall difcerne more tnaiefly,vnder this fimplí. city more deepe wifedome,vnder this vnpolifhed plainneffe more powerfull perfwafions to worke vpon and incline the affeecions,than in all humane writings whatfoeuer.Thirdlie, humane eloquence and wittie fharpe conceits, are not onely unfitting thegraue maieflie of our heauenlyKing, but alto needles in refpeet oftheScriptures themfelues; for what are theybutGods truth,and what is more agreeable and befee- ming truth,thanplainneffe and fmplicity ? Forwhat needes beautie the helpeofpainting, or aprecious Diamondmuch, art to polifh it,feeing theyare gloriousin theirovine nature? And what needs the truth ofGod, which in it felfe fhineth cleerely like the Sun in his chiefefl brightnes,the goodly or- naments ofhumane eloquence which wouldbut darken the beames thereof? Or what needs that which is heauenly and diuine,any helpe from that which is earthly andcarnali t® commend it tomans iudgement? No,no,the flowers ofRhe- torickeand helpe ofwittie So.phif}rie, ismore fit for Tallies orations,wherby oft timesa good caufe is made bad,& abad one good,right wrong, andwrong right, than for Godsdi- uine truth,which like the Sun fhineth mofiglorioufly when it isbare &naked.Laflly,it is tobe obferued that the Lord in his wifdomdothmanifefl his power inweaknes,his maieflie in bafcnes,andhis wifdom in foolifhnes,to the end weak- nes,bafenes,and folly,may ferue as foilestomake his power, maiefly,andwifdom appeare toysmore glorious,though in truth in themfelues theyareinfinit,andnothing canbeadded to their excellécy. But becaufe we liegroueling on the earth, and areready to alcribealto the inferiour meanes,¬hing vnto God:therfore the. Lord chufeth-weak and Pimplemeans, that his own power and wifdommay bein themmoremani- feíl. For example,ifthe Lord had penned ÿ fcriptures in fuch an eloquent flile as wouldhaue rauifhed the readers with de- light,wewould like fooleshaue flood admiring at ÿ curious workofthe casket,and neuer opened it to lookvpon the pre- cious iewel therein contained;andhaue bin fomuch affeàled with the words. that in the mcane time wewould haue neg- ihedthematter; but when this treafure is brought untovs bus
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