+6 truths Purcha . held thawhe mere dimmed, Iairno medley withthe Scriptures, that l accountto be beyondmy reach: aaee,l amno Papift,fcontent myJilfe todo r ethers doe,endhart nadifiretobefnguler. Heerehauewcthe right humour ofourcommonmen, at this day, this is their Catechifme,thefe be the veryprinciples of their Religion: Now, baththis man(thinke you) any neede of preaching? carethhe todepend upon the Minif}erieof theword ?Surely no. For,he thinketh himfelfeoffo good aReligion, tohaue fogood a faithto God-ward, and tobe fo well minded, that licebath no needeof inftru&ion, And therefore he isckare in it , that it were a great deale better; if therewere leffe preaching ; it filleth mens heads frill of matters,breedethdiuifion amongneighbours, brochethnouelties, and troubles the whole countrey. Addehereto(faithhe) that they themfelues which preachs cannot agree; andthat difirafleththe people, fo chat theirpreaching mightbe better fpared, or ar the leaf}, be the leffe vfed ; and what fbould mendoe which haue families to prouide for ; 'and many bufrneffes to difpore of, and muchto lookeunto? they cannot intend it, to follow thefematrers fo hard and hotly as it is required. This is thefirf} fort,thatisguilrieofthisfinne ,ofnotcaring tofre- quentGods cheap-}roule which is his Church, whereknowledgeof the Tenth is by preachingoffered untovs ; and the men belonging unto it, are fo humored as f haue defcribed. The fecond in this number is the Politician, who thinketh all Religion tobe but a fable, a matter inuented by wirermen, tohold the vnl gar in fabie&ion, and tobufe them withall,left they fhould fall intoworfe mata ters, and tonne into further inconueniences. And therefore tell him Ofprea. thing, he laughed; in his litent, accounting them a fort of filly fooles , who e- f}eere it, making himfelfe beleene heeis a great wife man, becaufebee Teeth that which the commonfort path not efpied. Thus, as the former in a drowfi= neife and hardenedfecurity , contemneth the word, fo this in avery Atheiflicall andgodleffeprofaneneffe, fcorneth it, and maketh a very ieal}ofit. The third in this rankeis the proud conceited man, who as one walking in theSunne is tanned though he meant knot, fothis, byreading nowand then, doth a little finell of fome rudimentsofknowledge ;butyet that little,in hisopinion, feemes fogreat, that heimagineth, that by hisprivate reading athome, beecan doe as much,and more,then byany hearing t and therefore he bath no betteropi- $A&.ry.tE. Monof a Preacher their the AthenianshadOfParuk(h4t Wi//this rrßerfy) 5/ Sothat whereas the Lordtendering our weakeneffe, and knowing in his wife.. dome,what is fittef}forvs,hathleft inhisChurch the minifleryof hisword for cvery mansinf}ru&ion,hecareth not for hispart, if God had neuer appointed any fuchmeanes, huethinketh heecan altogether doe aswell without ir. This is the proudmans opinion. Andthus, by that timeyou haue referred to euery one oftheft forts, thole that doe by right appertains to each, and have fhuf fiedinamongthem, all Familifis and fcorners, and a rabble ofother irreli- giousperfons, you (hall finde thenumberof careful! commers, tothe bode of God, tobuythe Truthat the hands ofhisIs/Millers,tobe asciLticalrfpeaketh) o. like thefemmergatherings, and esthegrapesef the Vintage e, tobee but a fmall nunrber,fcarce ahandful! in regardof themultitude. I befeechyou therefore,let vs learnt thisleffopfróthis place, to louethegatesofthe Lords houfe, to let our feete weave outthe threfholdof it,toglue attendance at thepolis of hisdoorese f Ifs. 2, andto fayalto one to another;Ceme,lotaisone to themoraineoftheLord,rjcr. And let therecarnal! reafoningsgot, asto fay, (looking buttothe face and gifts of the Preacher)what isbeethat he fhould teach mee? andwhy may I notpro. fitsas well by fome ocher courfe ? Butremember, that the PowerofGad is made g aCor.rn.9: perfeil theorgb Weakeniffe s : and that as it wana greater honour to God, too- uerehrow the walks of Iericho,by thenoyfeof ranimes bornes, then if beehad Pres- to' Cogn,,n, kingre by thole fthat;beleese h; m then if anAngel thouldtdefend from hasen EQ
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