`I "he Preachersplea. 523 lusting for thole which arecontrary mindede;a roikand/harpe !debtoflowbetel,pa Tim.a.3f: that they + noybefoandin the faithç :lmpronmg(or conuincing)ofgam- flyers, that '1 21.(;:.r;4-?? moathermay beflopped t:aelmonition for tnsm thatstrew/lily: comfortfer thefeo- fve`te bleminded r :a difcreet and refpediue framing ofexhortation to feuera)l ages t t Thefl:çaq and degrees,to theElders,au tofathers; to tbeyeanger men astobrethren, to theelder womenasto mother. ,totheyoangermtoAJ7ers'. After this fort ,euery mans portion alTlm.S.t,a mufft e allottedout vntohim.: and this orderingofthat prouii on, which-the Lord(as a carefull houlholder) hath left for hisfpirituall family, is committed vnto the Si inifter.. This is that a&ion whï:h Pan( callothadealingveto the peo- ple theGofpell of Cyoàa, our Sauionrtearmeth itfuming(,which euery country-man x : Thef. s. S. knowethtobemore then to bringthe feed into the place , and to let ¡t at the)Matth.13;. furrowes end, (which is intffct as much as theReaderdoth) there maU been d:fpofing and adifperfing of the feed with the hand , that entry part of the land which is eared vp, mayhaue fome, which is the l;tiely reprefentation of thevery aft ofPreaching, bywhich the word ofGod (that feedofimmortality s)zt pat, a. a ;, is call by the laboarersiv Gods batbandry s into everyheart:TheScripture I con. a i con.3.;. feffe is profitable fortheft purpofes, and ableto makethe manofGodabf lx;eand ba Tiw. ;, perfetl bin, aal the goodworker', ofhis calling; and it is nowholefomefood, nor Ieyy° no eeane feed, vnleflè it be deliveredoyt ofthat ggarner: butyet,vnlelfe there bemoreperformed, then is done by naked reading (co wit,a propounding to the houlhold the whole 'lore, as it were ingroffi.-) it cannotbe,butwhileltcue. ry one is left tobehisowne earner,the young ones willbe flashed,and the rio- tousandmifgouerned will Parfet themfelues,with greedy and vnbefeemingta- king that vnrothem, which theyaie neitherfit nor able to receive. And this I thinke may freue to thew how little rrafonthere is in this firftreafon,why rea ding of the Scripture lhoulddeferuc the honourable name ofpreaching : when asbothour common fpeech, and (which is more) thelanguageof thehate Aâsmat. Ghoft,hath paean apparant differencebetwixttheaa aí dra7 roex e Nymph. Indeed l acknowledge thattobe triooat afmyowneexperience:for though úwe bypriaatereading the Scriptare,arelf*byhearing it read," haste receiaedmachcomfort: (the memoryofthingstaagbfheríby being renewed,and the trothofthem confirmed)yet I bane oftenbeen roefit, often been altogether mtlfaken, andffillafraid of mineowne nidgement earnin plaintplacer, vn,illl hale foundthe publikeexpoftionpeen by the Moser iampeandaccordwithmy opinion. Batwhat fi- you to thefecond reafan:name- ly,thetin the Scriptures readwr heeretbe worthy SermonsofChrifl,oftheProphets, and ofhie Apaffles: andtherefore reading iepreaching?, Epaph. Ifay it is a veryweakeargument. That theSermonsof Chriff , the Prophets and Apofiles were er:cellextSermons, and that the furo andabridg- ment of them is to be found inScripture, noman goethabout to deny t yet chit being granted , willneuer proouea Readerto bee aPreacher. For bee is nota Preacher, whorecitethpublikethings ofanother mans inditing (for then bow eafiea thingwere it tobea Preacher? but ht which deliuerethmatters (though not invented) yet in refpeft ofart and induflry compiled and framed byhim- felfe. Wit be fa id,thattheSermons ofChrift, &c. though theybee notofhis fra. mina that readeth them, yet beingread, may turneto the-profit ofthe people; I anfwer,that the queflion is not, whether theymay be profitable, but whe. therthe readingof themmaybe calledpreaching: Godforbidany man Ihould deny thepublike reading of then;to bee for the behoofe of Godspeople ( I hope you haue not forgotten what I told you was my judgement in this cafe) but how it may be faid,that hewhich hath read them tothe people, hathper. formed that officeof a Minifler whichwee call preaching , neither can Icon. ceint, neither (as Ithinke)isanymanable toPetdowne. Betides, iftheword Sermon, (hallbe precifelyvrged, that which was the fermonofChrift, or lore- mid),or Pardwhenthey Iined, and the fame vtteredby them, cannot bee now , being
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=