0 J diuine or 'R.eligiousWorfhip. ---:c--~-o-~cinehath to heale the body (for then it !hould A this wickedcouuccll wd!JOuld firftofal waite be a natural! inflrumenr) but it is an in!lrutill we fecit the blcfsing,ofGod in our bomcnt in this refpe<..'t, bccaufe when we heare dies • and then afterward fhould wee vfe rhe and meditate on the word~ God wichall giue.~ meanes. And rhis were to commit murder. his fpirit to w0rkerhat in vswhichth.:: Word For wee muf! vfc the meanes tirfi, and d~fn lignifieth and teflifieth, and to make vs not in the meancs fhall wee finde the blef,ing of ondy to hcare with our bodily cares, but alfo God. Laflly, it is obiectod , that the mini- 'with the eares ofour hearrs,by yeelding fubie· ficrs of the new Teftam.e!lt , art' mt 111inijlers :z..Cor. 3. <'tion.The Lord fairh,Ifc·>9·21· My ffiritth.r ofthe letter, that is, (asrhey f•y) ofthe writ6. is vpQn thte,4nd my words which 1haueput in thy ten and vctcrcd word. I anfwer, ch:u: by the mou:h,JbaNnotdepartoHto{thymouth. Now by letterwe mu£\ vnderfbnd the bare law with· reafoa ofrhis coninn~ion betweene rhe word our the Gofpel; and it is fo called , becaufe it and thefpirit, in that the word by chefenfes was written by the finger of God in tablosof V<rfe 7. conueies to the minde that which the fpirit !lone. works in the heartl the preachingof the word Obiectionsofthe bommon people are maisfaid.tobean inflrumentofgrace, andnoo- B ny. Firfl ,'fayfome,ifChril\himftlfewould therwife. Secondly it is obiecrcd , that rhe preach, or an Angel! from heauen, we would preaching ofthe word fcrues for eh: conuerfihear<; bur fecing menlike to our fdues fpeake onoftt<e elect: and that n0 man knoweswho vmovs,wec:are not {o much for hearing. Firfi be ele<'t:whereupomhey fay, tbar all exhortaofall, I anfwer,it is tbe ordinance ofGod r(lar tionsto repentance are invaine. I anfwertwo men iboulQ fpc:1ke in his mome orfi:ead, and things: rhc fir£\, that the miniflcrofthe word that their dc(hioe fhould bee accepted, as it in preaching, is in the iudgement of charitie . ~he Lord himfelfc did fpeake,Lu~,IO·I6. He. to prefume thatalhishearcrs be eleCl,lc.auing h4t hearethyou,hcaret.hme:he tliat dt'jpifeth)'ou, all fecrot iudgcmcnt to God. Thus 'Paul in Jejpiftthm<. 2.Cor.5·>0· Wee•reamb•JI•dours his Epiflles.cals the Ephefians, Philippians, or Chrij/, Mtho•gh G'oa d.dbefterhyou rhro•~h ::~!::a~· ~~~e~~~:r;~;~~~.iei:r~;s1~~dt~d~(j;~,~~;;~~; 1 ~~~:'J:P~~;,;;r;;~;f;t,~:d;;,;~~~eJ:1 ~:~;.~;, I. Then-. forthe calling and conucrfion oftheeled:,but that thc:y receiued his doctrine , um as the 1 · 13 • notonely. For it fcrues alfo for the hardening word of man, but"' thewcrdof Gods: and bee of obainate £inners, and for the taki"gof all add<s,thMit wMfomdced, Againe,it isrhe will excufefromthem rhat are n<>t eltCl. The Lord C ofGod, rhatthcmaforeofhis word, fhoold faith to the prophet Ifay ,I[a.6.9,10· goe &fcy bte deliucred to vs""arthen veffils, that all totht< people,ye]hall heare indeed, h•t ye]hall not glorie might be giuentohim. La'flly, it was z.Cor. 4· vnderj/alld;mak$ the heartofthu peoplefat;mak$ themindotfome in Corinth, that they would 7 • thcirtarcs hcaltie, andjlmt th~ir cyes~tejl thtyfoe heare none but Chri!l:: and fer this Paul con.. !fiththeireyes,~tnd he11re withtheirearesJ41tdvndemnes thenh SecOndly, therebe othersthat d~rflandwith their hearts & conilert, & hehtalc fay, they can readc the Bible in their houfcs ; them. And we may not maruel at this,thatthe ~nd r~attherebe the mofl perfect fermons of word 010uld be the meanes ofrhe conucrlion Chrifi am) rhe Apofiles: and hereupon they offome, and an occalionofhardening others. fay, thatthey can as well feruc God at home For they which are hardened deferue to bee as t~ey which hearc all the fcrmons in th~ hardened, and God wil haue mercy on whcm world.To this I anfwer,firfi, that the fcrmons bewillhauc mercie. Thirdly, itisobiected, of Chrifl though they bee !l'oa perfect in that they which arc ordained to fa!uarion, themfelues, yet arerheynotfo profitablevnfhallbe faued, whether they heare the word to vs,til they beeexplained and applied roour preac:hed, or no: andconft.quently that there confciences inthe minificrie ofthe word : as is n?fuchn~edofhearil)g· I anfwer, it is fa!fe D a loafeofrhe fine!I bread isvnfir. for uoudfl 1• wh1ch IS (axd. Tncy whiCh are ordamcd to'hfe menr nlllt bee quartered aud fhmed ontvnto euerla!ling cannot bur heare the word. They vs. Secondly, the publike preaching ofthe whiCh are ordamed torheend, arelikewife wordisapartof the publikeferuiceof God: ordained to the meanes which rend to that as 'Paul terrifieth faying, Rom·I·9· Whom/ R.om. S. end. WhomGodh11th predefli~ate~ them IJe bath lflrHeinmy fjirit in the Gof}eDof hi& Sonne. Ther· 30 . caOed. And M ma11.} M beordiimed to eter1141llifc 1 fore men may not attbcir pleafurc Jic lolling A(t.rJ. j/>RDbeleCIIe in t;;hrifl. In the councell ofGod, at home, but they m11!1 ioyne themfelucs to 48. the ordination ofthe mtans is as certen as the thecongregation~ and fcrue God in the: Gof. ordination of the cad. The fourth obieuion pell of his Scone. Thirdly, there be others is this. The hearing ofthe word is vnprofithat fay, or atthcleaarhiuke, thatthcy haue table without the fpirit ofGod , which i• nor knowledge enough: and therefore neede not giuentoall:therefore we mu£\ wairetill were· heare and frequent fermons. But fuch mufr ceiuethe fpirit: and then afterward heare. By vnderfiand,lthat theycyo.ibut ill p•rt: that the the like reafon we might refufe mcate,drioke, miniflerie ofrheword fe.rucs tobMildvs vp till apparell, and allmeanes that ferue topreferue we become p<r[efJ men;n Chrifl; and that is not :jc,o:: hfe. Forwithout the blefsing ofGod,they are till after this life: that the preaching of die Eph 4· all vnprofitable, and therefore according to word feruestoteachnotonly knowledge, but 'l· alfo
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