¢92 ThePreachersplea. - Nymph. lndetdlhaae fllaetimer calf isawardaccarding to my rkt11, when lharm been in thecompanya ffnoh; and theybastefor the meJ patsflid'hewed them f luor1,4 qPrwrás, the Foote, mhomaketh a mocke offinne s,j wham itiseuenapaltimetodoe wic- rProa,a6.i; kedly r : Tctiegoodtabeafefemaimette anfwer themaacordieg tn dimfool #nefe, left they Lhould be wifein theirowneconceit Wdshen, raceme te themiter withoutcircermflante, the exceptionso fprofanemenagain, Preaching aredinerf, fame againfl theperfontefthePreachers,fameaga; Ji the hearers,fameotherwife,atyeu(hall The obketi- vaderJland in"arterial. Firfl,toucbingyam that arethePreachers, it Se common in their opsof pro. marcher. Whobe worfe then they ? Iftherebe any couetoufneffc , or pride,or phase men a- ambition,and thelike, where (hallyoufinde it but in the Clergy ? When y ainapreach- are in the Pulpit,they mull-needs fayfomewhat; andtherefore,thougb they the be C there, they be very hot and eager against vice, yet in their courCes, theyareas bad,or worfethen other men,Tbiais antexceptían. Epapbraa. The anfwer to this wretched exception (not forthe weight ofar- fumentthatit carieth, butfor the varietyof lewdnes and error whichis in it) k46"1/44 willdiuideitfelfeintomanyparticulars. Pith ofall therefore touching them that obiedi this,they are veryproperly by a learned man ofour timescompa- red to foule Garnelters, who when they haue loft all atthe Cards, andhaue the Iasidealing in their hands,and perceive, that,noe likely toproue totheir mind, rice vp ina chafeand flingdownall,and fay,therehashbeen fouleplay played, tTq j rr when indeed the fault is chiefly in themfelues : fomany being naught them_ felues, and being (as the Apostlefpeaketh) damned by their pinecenfcienafe, when theyhaue soother lisift, cryout vponPreachers, thereby tociao their own iniquity : thereinnot muchvnlike to Trim, that in a throng at a Faireor market,bidsmen tobewareof the Cotpurfe, that he in the meane time (be- ingamen ofthe trade) maypratlifedining intomens Pockets with the lefre fufpition, And marke it when you will , you (hall neuer find themanyother thenmoere fenfuall men , yea,and forthe moltpart openly noted forTome one bad courfe orother ofdrunkenneffe, opprelfing, vfury, couetoufneffe, adnl_ tery, or thelike,that make this obiedhion. Secondly, (becaufe theremaybee . truth in anobieftion, thoughthere bee little truth or honeftyin him that ma- kethit)know this therefore forthe fublianceof this cauill,thatputcafe itwere fo, (which thankes be to God, is not fo) that all Preachers did confute their ovine Sermons with theireuill life, and had Efaw hands withlambs voyce,and were likea file which fmoothethother things,it felfe remaining rough,yet this could make nothing againstpreaching. For is Phificke naught , becausemany Phifrtiansperhaps huecontrary totheirowne rulesofphificke?Or is lawdam- nable, becaufe fosseprofefforsthereof dohue lawleffe, givingrulesofequity to others, themfelues keeping nonebutill rule?no man will be fo without fence, to affirme it :why then? Shall the courfe ofpreaching be condemned, for the fuppofedmil-demeanor of them which preach ? God forbid. Is any man fovn- wifeas ro difobey a warrant comming apparantly froma manofauthority, be caufe the Confiable orTithing-man is a naughty fellow that bringer!:it?Who theneitherbut a foole, ora froward heart, will tread the holydo6Rrine of God under his feete, becaufe bee is a manofnogood carriage that deliurreththe fame? Thirdly, men are to confider this afro , that all are not Minifters which are fo called neither all true Preachers come fromGod that stand vp in the samara, fa. Pulpit : for in there corrupt timesmany are crept into the ChurchofGod by Anaof da- thewindow, whom Goddid neuerfet apartto that holy feruice : now is is vn. ptex atigaitar poffble, but that fuch -as thefe (thigh they may a long timecaner theirden- ..exgaaP/.oi. hit iniquity under-a-diftmb/edfanaity) yetfirould at last breake oat intoextre- mities. Now itisagainstcommon rcafon,to tome theirmifcariage into the go- neralldisgraceofallhonest Minifiers. There be manycounterfecDog-leaches iandpretenced Surfions, that havinggotten a littleRubarbe or Ralramum, ao3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=