2I h ,Dignityof`!'reaching. grant thebeginning, (no faluation withoutprayer, nopraying withópr faith). but we will diflingtufh vpon the .latter; no bcleeuing but by waitingon a Preacherwhich is (Pent.) Thus (Ihope)albeitI hauenot faidfo muchas 'Might be faid in fisch an ample fubie& , yet I haue faid enoughto confirme thetwo things which I vndertooke : Namely , firfl, that Preaching (vndefftanding thercby,as before, aff erkiegtameatoexhortation,ed+fjingawl comfort). is Cods ordinance : Secondly , that he bathnotreuealed or warrantedvnto'vs any o- ther wayofbeing faned,other helpes with this: all frnitleffeand in vaine, with the negle&of this. Thefetwo things being true, flail notthemainedo&rine be true , thatthe preaching of the Wordby mendeputedof Godtothatfer- lace, dotkdeferucefleeme ? Indeed as thewhole worfhipofGoddeferuesho nour,fo this feruice efpecially, as being the chiefeofall the refl. It is more ex- cellent then the adminiffrationof the Sacraments : Taalwas fent toPreach, not toAaptics3, that is, toPréach was his maine errand ; for baptize fome he ttCortip. did,which he might nothoue done , if he had not been lent. It is more noble thengoneening and theadminiffration ofdifcipline, bemule (as faiththeRe- at. a , . nerend Biliot) God gatherethhis Church by themouthes ofPreachers , not f.;oó d E by thelummons of Confiflories : and Paul requiringhoaoar tobee (hewed to Elders ruling well, willethit to be(hewed efpecially tothole that labor is them t Tim.ita. Wordand Detlrittem,. as theperlons employed in thebetter bufrneffe. It excel- Itch readingas much sttheApothecaries brufing and breaking the perfume, doch the prefenting it in lumpe; the Houfholdeçscutting the breadto the Fa. mily, the letting itdownein the whole finale ,, the flirtingvpof thewhole fire, andthe blowing itwith thebellowes, the letting it lie .couered in theafhes:all which are the fimilitudes ro thisend vied by reuerend B.Babingtan inhisex_ politionof that petition of theLords Prayer (Thep ktsgdosrecome) del, moreof worth thenPrayer: for what butpreaching (hall dire& to Pray? And whether in reafon fhallbe drought more excellent,our fpeaking toGod(which ispray- er)or Gods (peakingto vs (which ispreaching?) andiooke t'Cor, tq, and fee whether Post lothnotprefer prophecying before all other fpirituall gifts,,and makes it tobe thechiefe, euen wherehe allo fpeakestouching Prayer. If then theworflsipofGod isworthyofrelpe& theexcede ofpreaching moft ofall, as being indeed theheft of all: It is worthily reieftedas a Popilhbarbarifme APopr.peb. bylearned Morton, that opinion, that the duties ofthe Sabbath fettle , not foa'La ?.m muchto ediliethe people, as to ferue the Lord r whichthe Papilla maintaine for thevpholdingofthat abfurd propofition, that thehearing ofaMa(feisto bepreferredbefore the hearing oftheWord. Sothstby thebelt of iudgement, thepreachingof thebVord is reputed the mainel part of Gods publikewoe. (hip. I lay by thebelof judgement, becaufe it is notvnknowne tome, that to forte, this gluing of the precedent esto preaching abone Prayer, feemeth harft.ßut why(hould it? If thequelion fhould liebetwixt theWordofGod, andPrayer;whether were the more excellent?I fuppofe it wouldbeyeeldedby euerymaa,that theWordofGod is (of the twaine)the moreofworth. Now what is Preaching in truevnderlanding; (it being carried andperformed as it ought)But theWord of God ? The Text, is the word ofGodmore abridgedl Preaching , is thewordofGodmoreenlarged. i(Preaching (hall beexcepted againl, nott obee focertainely thewordofGod as the text , becaufe thereis in Preaching,a worke ofmanswit,andofhiscontriuing,wherein there ispoffr_ bilityoferrour,I fay thefame exception may be made again@ theText it felfe: becaufe,inbringing rhat;tobevfeful for the people,there isaltoan aft ofmans wit and labour,in tranflating it, andman isas fubieftto miftaking, incrank. sing the Text,as inexpounding it : but astheText well tranlated, is theword of God,andmoreexcellentthen Prayer:fo istheTextwel expounded, andwell applied,the Wordof God, and foafro ofgreater worththen Prayer. And it is Ggg 4 abfurd5 3g3
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