Ìh.e clDreldclers plea. 503 manyMiniltcrs,which men (as you fay)pleade,andfeeme alfoto groundtheir conceitvpon the Scripture. I anfwer : hrft,that it is greatly ro be lamented to fee the ouerforwardueffeof many young men, who notconfideringthe weight of thatholy calling, doe fuddenly thrult themfelues into it , andundertake (as the faying is) to teashetherr beforethey :henfelnesare wellinflrn5ied; fo that Jdoe Pri,xaddo- verily thinke, there are not at thisday more novices and puniesof anyprofelg- tendam,gMvr on then there are ofthe Miniftety. And for the presentingof thisenill, were Coni /aeadum. thole decrees of the ancient Connects,which retdowne a certaineage, before C 4. arch. ;. which a man was notco be admitted to theoffice ofa Minifter,or Bithop in theCon,Agar. Church. Secondly,Iadde this wirhall,that the graces of Gpd are not tobee li- eapi6 tinted to anyage. It was a good diftinetionof the Heathen men, betwixta Con,Tgler,q, youngman in yerres , and a young man inconditions : It is meete that young e Pf g,hIi.t men fhouldfay with E/ibn, TheStyes /hallfyeake , andthe mn/ritadeofyeeretffiefi teachwifedeme w. And yet it mull be remembredwhich isalío therenoted,thatm lobpa. it is the isl irationof the Almighty whichgineth vnderffandmg, andthat theageddoe rotetweyvnderftandiredgement YoungD amidby the findyofGods word, may nVole 8,p. come tovaderftanding shore then theancient9. Fcaalbiddeth Tiwmt/ly that no man epfing.ro® fhould depfe hieyouth ?. Ifwee (hall diftingui(h the age ofman , according as p t Tim .t.t. tome Philofophersdid, then Timothy could not bee abone fine and twenty Laaelib when Petalfo wrote vntohim. Touching the placeit felfe (that a Bithop mull invita Py notbe ayoang[ cho/ter)itmullnot beyodelftoodofa young man inyeers, but oft¿ fßome onelately conuerted to theChrililan faith, andnewly planted in the Church.obfcrueth, Timothy lined in tel./la, andtherefore wasnecelíarily to furnifh the Church out that pest ofGentilifine: forthis caufeFindaduifeth him tomake choice offuchaswere fairhnorríart (cried inthe doftrineofChriftianity,an d not to advance men to the dignity of but reóçuwr. a&Chop byand byafter their conuetfion. So that howfoeuer I confeßä, that maturity of yerres is to bee refpered in a Minifter, becaufe in the ordinary co,prfe it is accompanied with ripeneffe of iudgements, yetneitherloth that placeof theApofile prefcribea law for the debarring ofyoung men from the miniftery , neither doth any place ofScripture difablethat age, ormake it vet- capableof theminiftery, fothat it be graced with gifts fufficient for Co excel- lent a funaion. And this Ithinke maybee anfwer full enough to this obiee ftíoo. Nymphas. What exception thefewife men miffmake egainfttbìe yeareafinere ,I %nomnot ; yenharte refe/tiedme to the fag : and concerningyang e)Winflers , Ibeard once an atgaaintanceofmine , who war broughtvp ie the Vniner ley, fay, that beknew manyfehafers in hie ame, thatwhen they were 'pang .endfrfh, wereofverygreat hope, andwerea/fo veryxeatoru,andhad agoedgift inpreaching, whonotwirhftendingin time grew sold,andleffe able forgifts, hoth ofindgement andaCale, andvtterence todo.good inGone Chards: bar theft prints I wiiarc meddle with; onlyyear difconfe brought that into my mindwhich l heard a friend ofmine fay agood whilefnce, l mall craneyear isdgement pet alittle farther, reaching chofe ,nest; befidesallthefepretended reafene, theyRand machupon two things , whichfl fh andblond doth wellapprotre of a oneW, that fewof the great men of theWorld doe efteeme preaching; theotherel, that it is notwifdome for a man inmattersofReligion tobe too forward.What !anoxia thie ? Epaphrae. I fay, itis ahard matter forthole men tocome toamendment one of thefearsofthe Diesel( ,rvhrch arerater; ofhimathis will g: and weehad need toyaTims.aó, begge of that God, who commanderh the-light to thine oatofderkeneffe, that het Would blue inour hearts ,togine the lightofha knowledger : for ifaman bee once es Cor,y6. entangled in errour, Sarhan hadtfu many devices to hold him in, that itisa hard matter for him toget from him : yet if men baseany grace, or will yeeld z
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