He that is a true Preacher mutt the fourthSonday inLent. Ser.27. neuer fparetoreprooue in the f irit ofmeekenef ?Andno leffe worthie the obferuation is that Hì1 oryof Amos, Therewas afal(è Prophet called .6maziah, anIdoll Prieft, whom leroba- am hadplaced inBethell, who could byno meanes indure cilmos 4 whether it werebecaufe hefwayed much among thepeople; or for that byhis Serrnoris (as Saint Hiereme hath noted it)he hadwithdrawnethe People from thofe facrifices whereinAmaziah was intereffed ; he labouredwithhim, both by cruell threat- nings andgentle perfuafions, that hewould get himOne into theLand of Iu- dah, Get thee into thelandofJudah, andthere eat thybread, àndpropheciethere. But whenhewas moft threatned,then did he preach molt againftleroboam; nòtflic- king tofay, leroboamfhall diebythefwerd; hiswife fhallbe a Harlotin the Citie, andrby Tonnes and thy daughters fhall fall bythe fword, and thy hand (hall bee deuidedbyline,and thou (halt diein polluted land,&c:For theWordofGod, the more it is threatned , thefreer it is ; and like the Cammomile; .DumpreinP- tur,furgit vberier,Themoreyoufeeke tofiepprefit, the moreitflrewesitfelfe. Certain Pharifees aduifingour SauiorChrift,toget himgoneout of&erods Dominions, and to fire the Kingdom ; returned them this anfwer,TellKing Herod,for allthis his heat andfpleeneagainft me , that I will cure the ficke,and call out deuils,to dayand tomorrow; Et tenia dieconfamer. Signifying thereby , that hee would hue forall him aslong as he lifred,tt dye when he lifted.S.vimbrofe when the emperor?heodoftue was fomightily incenfed againfthim forhis boldnes inprea- ching, laid vntohim, May it pleafe your Imperiali Maieftie,it becomes riot an Emperour, nor is it in his power to impofefrlence vpon the PreacherOfGods word : Nor does it befita Preachertohold.his peacewhere there isiufl reafon to reprehend. Theone isan affront offered vnto God ,whofe Legat hee is that preacheth ; theother, cowardifeinGodsMinifter,who carryingwith him the warrant of Gods word, ought not tobe afraidofany thing. Many doe excufe themfeluesof vfing reprehenfions, for that they fuppofe theywillbeSinproué- cho, withoutprofit , and worke little good vpon their Auditorie. Andyet our Sauiour Chrift did feuerly reprooue the Pharifees, though theywere neuer a- whit the betterfor it , that others mightreape fruitthereby,and beadmonifhed byothermens harmes. Iridgen of according to theappearance, but judgerighteous indgemeut. Oyr Sauiour Chrift Paid formerlyvnto the Pharifees, whydoeyee f eke tokill mee ? For euer fencethe timeofthe forementionedMiracle, theyfought to flayhim,the com- mon peoplecharginghimwithaD,emoninm, habes,êc.But Chrift making no re- plie to the vulgar,pafling that ouer,. wentabout toproouethe fmallreafon that theyhadto plothis death , becaufe he had done this gooddeed vpon the Sab- bothday, PriamQuafeci, tr armies admiranirti. Saint Chrifofiomeexpoundeth thisadmiramini, to be acondemningofhim tobee a tranfgreffourof theLaw. on the Sabboth(faith our Sauior) yeeCircumcif ; and Circumcifion is no breach of the Sabbóth, muchleffethe healing of himthat is lame. Circumcifionhea- leththe foule,butwo'undeth the bodie c But I in leffe tithecure bothbody and foule. Circumcifion is of theantient Fathers,the Sabboth ofcilfefs : youfuf- fer the Circumcifion, and fodid Mofes. If of this worke therefollowerh no tranfgreliion, neither ought there ofmine. The Lewes hereuntomight anfwer; Circumcifionis'ofthe ancient Páthers;andconfirmed byMofes; but thyworke is of a bafe,vulgar,and ordinarie perfon . Whereunto-our Sauiour anfWereth, 2(glite iudicarefecundum,erc. Iudgement oughttobemade onelyofmens aéìi- ons, without acceptionofperfons. Ye magnifie Mops (as Saint Aufienfaith) and Abraham,lfaac,and Jacob; and yeedefpife mee,myworkesbeeingmove ftrange Rr 2 and 471 Amos.7.
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