5o2 . ThePreachers Plea. Epaph. Touching private readingof the Scripture, I am fo farrefrom difli- king-it in any way, that with that learnedCbryfofleme Idoc alwayes exhort, and willnot faile in tiirring npthe people, Thatthey Amid not ossify diligentlie duxHomil, attend tomatters fßoh`empubltkely, butendeavour tbemfelmes alfotoeeade andpenile deLr..& the Scriptures primate! y. Godforbid , I or any other of my profeffion, fhould Caßrbó 1ß,e.6, maintainethat Popi(hMaxime ; That thecemmon vfeofthe Scriptures is thecarafe 4.4,paxit. of all Herejiee ; and not rather the'concrary.taught by Chrift r and feconded Baru. by the learned in Gods Church, namely, That thecaufe.ofdeseilt, whether it tee fMat.ss,sy, errouriniadgemext, orcerrteptioninmanners, it the ignoranceof"he Scripture. Wee chOGHema.y, might wellreioycein the happineffeof our times , ifwe might be occafioned inepedcel. by ourpeoples experience in the Booke ofGod,to fay as one faid ofold: Toss 7beedoret 14, may (faith hee) fee commonlyoar opinionsandredetefReligion, tobeeheldandmain- deeenipsd. tained, not onlyby the tiffa4eríoftheChurch, andTeashersofthepeople,bateteen Gre efJítib, bySmithsandSboomakers , amd'Htesbandmen, and Hedgers, anr(Heatd-men , yea, andby'Pomenand Seamfiers a The comfort which we (hall take herein , fhould make vsa little toeleeme the fcoffes oflfmaelitifhPapifts, who obieCt itto vsasa matter ofdigrace, Thorpehasteprofaned the Scriptureby making it cemmom to Artificers and Women. He/idepeso Now thatwhich I lay of rhepnivatereading ofthe Scripture, I fay alfo of remadele- theperufing ofgodly Treatifes, and Sermons, andthe like. I with mens care geode, in this kinde encreafed, and know that thereby there commeth muchcorn. fort veto Gods people. But yet I dare not afcribe that toprivate exercifes, which by the doetrme of the Scriptúee belongeth tothe publike Minifiery, gRost. to, a4 namely the begetting ofFaith a, and the gathering togetherof theSamtsh of b EpheC4as. God intohisChurch. I findein theholy Hiflory, the reaching by theMinifler Thtas nosed of man to bee preferredbefore thofe things , to which I fuppofe no man will dyA¿ZJfaD dare to equall his owne private indullry. When Chrift called Paul from inProlog. Heauen, and Pamldemanded, Leed what wiltthou that ldee i? A man in reafon ì dßss. 6. wouldhaue thought, that there could have been no more excellent tneanes for Penis inflru&íon, then if Chrift fhould haue difcourfedto him with his owne mouth; yet tomainmise the credit of Gods ordinance, and to make knnwne the bleffìng that followeth it , Pam! is commanded todepend vpon the Minifteryand diredtion of Ananias. Notmuch vnlike is that example of kAlts ro; Cornelius k: it pleafedGod to fend an Angell cawhim, toteftifie votohim the remembrance ofhis almes and prayers with the Lord : Why thendid not the fame Angell proceede toinftruft him in the myflery of Chrift? What credit would the words of fo gloriousa Creature have carried ? ( faith (loth and blood :) And yet the Lord in his wifedome thought it the molt fitting courfe to put Duet Corneliw to the Miniltery of`Peter, (Sendmen toloppaand !Node5,6, callfor Simon, bee fball tell thee what thou omghtefies doe] e to the end that it ealaio epon might appease, that it pleafethhim tovfe mans-vovice auhisinftrument, and that place, to tyeour Faithvnto Shall any man dare to puthis owne private courfesof reading,into the ballante with publike preaching, when asit bath feemedgood to the wifedomeof God toprefer it (in regardofmans vfe) before the imme- diate teaching ofChrift, orthe inftruCtionofanAngell ? Chrill a little before his death , amongother things whereby he endeavoured to comfort the hearts ofhisDifciples,deliuered to them thispromife, Verily, verily, Ifay vnto you, be ,,,m,,4.7 that beleeaetb inmee, theworkes :bat Ideehefhalldoe sift,andgreater then chefs 'hall cala:n epon bedeew: fewasapromifemade vnto the tabaleChurch, neither peculiar to the Apidles, elemlame. nor common to emery Cbriflian. If anyman demand what bee thefe greater Aug Troll ìn parka.° , which thall bee done by men , which Chrift didnot : I confeffe with lohn s, the learned that itwas inpart verified in the miracles of the A liles;- as eflls ) o P P n aótaApoft namely in that ofPota,who curedthedifeafed with his fAadowe,tahich may be nAels Sa I, thought greater then thatóf Chrift , who healedwith the touch ofhis gar- ment:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=