524 TheTreachersplea. beingrecorded in the Bible, andread outby another,fo properly calleda Ser- mon: becaufe inourcommon fpeech,aSermon requireth the tongue and voice ofhim that framedit. And therefore to fay(as fome doe)that Chrift or tome one ofthe ancientprophetsor Apoftlespreachethtovs, when weehearethe fummeoftheir Sermons read unto vs, is buta bòrrowedkinde offpeech , vfu- Ileb.ta.s an amongit Schollers. Suchasthat is that , fpeakethd; and that }p¡ / 44 ' hebeiagdead,yetfpealgetho; or whichisfaidoftheheauensandfrmament ,thatth,re uMOfpeechnor language; where their voice u rot heardr, and Menke, common in the Scripturet which may alto(by tue way)bee notedto anfwer thole, who in this matterto pronethe Scriptures read,to be preaching, doeauoch theScrip.. tures ;ohauenot onelya hotlyvoice , asbirds andbeafs, But gRom3y voice too,as men and Angelsbane, whereby they both teach vs,and preach vn- bHeb.ra.r, to vs, Towhich end they alkage holeplaces, in which feyingsandjeakirgh is afcribedto the Scripture. May not aman as well prooue that theearth can fpeake, and that (tones aadbeameshaueavoyce, becaufe lobfaith , that his Hob31.3t landdid eso:ery againfkhim, nor the farrows complains r? and becaufe theProphet aflimes,touchingoppreffion, thattbeffone/hallerieontofabewag, and thebemire &Hab.a,tr fhaüanfwerkî' Betides, is there any lenfe in it to fay,the Scripture hatha voyce asa man (for oftheother, that they baneavoyce as Angels, Iwill not dif pute, for what voyceAngels haue,asAngels, Icannot determine.) TheScrip- ture fpeaketh mediately by man : Man fpeaketh of himfelfe without another from himfelfe,to taufehim tobe heard. And ifthis were true, that the Scrip- ture bath fischafpeakingvoyce as manbath, I feenot formypart whatneed ofa Miniftery atall : For what fhould needmorethen to let vp a Biblein the Church, It bath an articulate (peakingvoyce, itcanpreach. Againe, not to dwell vpon the anfweringofloch enforced colle&ions,let the nature andelate of thofe whichare calledthe S:rmons of theProphets, ofChrift, andhisApo- files be a little confidered. Firftin general'this istobeknowne,that wee haue but thebriefeand fumme, and as it were theheads oftheir Sermons related in MeScripture: for ifall that eueryone oftheft fpake publikely by wayof tea- chinghad beenwritten,wemight wellfay,as Saint lohn laid touching theAft Ilahnzt;ar. and fayingsof ourSauiour Chrift , Theworldetteld»otcontain thebookgi; and therefore (ifprofit bedefrred) there muff neceffarily be fomecoarfe taken, by which the thingsabridgedby thePen-menof theholy Ghoftin their writings, may beenlarged. Secondly, pheSermons of tdotes, are fo interlaced with Iù- diciall ordinances and ceremoniall rites, appertainingonely to the policyof thofe times, thatforthe peoples behoofe, it ismorethenconuenient, that they fhould enioy the benefit ofan able Minifter, who may informe them herein, whatthingsbe morrall,andwhat be temporary,whatis the fubflanceofeuery ceremoniall fhadow,andwhat the perpetual) andvnchangeableequity ófeve- ry iudiciallconflitution. Thirdly , touching thepreachings ofthe Prophets ; though theybe fullofcomfort,andabounding with fweet confolation,becaufe themaine(copeand driftof them al,is to forefhew the renewing andreftoring of theChurch by Chrift , and though theydoealfo notably make knowne the iuft iudgement ofGod againft fi-ne; yet theyare fo intermixedwith myfticall prophecies,withhidden parables,with hiforicali narrations, anddefcriptions ofCountries, with borrowedfpeeches, andproprietiesofthat holy language GregeratiA in which they were deliuered,that, howfuetorfometimetalambe (as theprouerb. adleaed. is)mayfindaafeorde41 to bewadedthrough , yet vnlcffe there beadded thehelpe ñlobkesa. andguidanceof fome learnedEzra.' fotnetílef/'enger, orlmerpreter, asE- 33. 3 liba fitlycalled himo, and the fameno ordinaryman, but (as the Text fpea- keth) oneof a tboafand, the people cannot poff iblynape that goodwhichGod eMath. 4.t7. intendeth in the revealing of thofe things. Fourthly, forthe Sermonsof our bake4.a4. Saviour, aswebanebut thevery IhortfummeofMany ofthemo, according as
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