1 M.mh.7. V.I6. Sermon inthe~ount~ the true minificrs of God: for proofc hereof, A Againc,confidCr tl1:tt the VcftliC<md efficacy of,. our miniitcrs hauc the olltward calling: of the the word and San:uncms adminithcd by men, Church of England: they fay indcedc,our cal~ is not from rhc Mini(}cr,hnt from God::~. letter I I i j j I I ling is noughr,bcc.:~.u[c theyhauc no power fr? is not the "''orfc bccauiC iris brought Gy:m vn- 1 God to call, in whofc hands it is. E_ut roo:mt honcll: or vnfairhfiJil C:lticr. Nclrhcr dorh the l 1 rhat qnefiion for this time, fufficient approbacui! confcicn·cc ofrhc miniiler,dcfllc rhc good 1 rion ofour miniilcry,maybc had from the fmits confcicncc of the hondl hearer, and \\·onhv 1 of our miniHcrs, as they arc minW:crs; for ro rccciucr.This mufl be rcmcmb..red,hecaufc m:~~ J Icauc rbc fruits of thc;:ir liucs, a:s inflrfficicnt ny rake offence at the life of the mini !Ter., fo as ; meancs to iudnc them by, our miniHcrs teach they will not hca.re his doctrine, ifhis conue.r- , through God~ bldllng, rhc true and \\'holefation be fcandalous. ( I 1fame doCtrine of the Prophets and Aponies, V. In that a~~:ophet is to ~~~11.0\Vne by his 1,1,'.~.:~~~;-.'.". I and arc allow:d and ~allcd hereto by the go• fruits, and the maincfruite of a true P n}pbec .t,·;•r• i~o ,,,.. \Jcrnour.~ ofthe Church, ~mcl accepted of thdr {hnds in rhc good handlin.g of Go~sword fo_r uinitie. peoplc, ...vhofe obedience to the faith is the feal the edification and faluauon of h1s hearers; oftheirminifterie: and this is fufficicnt to conB hence the children of the Prophets, and tliolC finnc ~he calling of our minificrs;if it had not, that arc fer apart for the minificry ofthe wordt Chriil:\ vould not haue faid, Teejballf.:...m!W th~m arc taught, that thf'y_mufimakc th.is the ~:n::!i.~~ b.J thcirft'wu. . and principal ende ot :11l th~ir Huddics,to be al· Vfe. Whereas Chrir1 faith, Tu/hallk[<or. ble to bring forth the fruits of a tn~c Prophet·; th~m, fpcaking toall his hearers,he takes it for that is,to imc.rprcr a~ght the \\ 1 ord <?~God,and: graunrc~l, that cucry bclccucf may be able to th.cnc;c to g:;tthcr,out wholcfcmc dodrincs atlq 1 iudgc.of falfe Prophets; and therefore cucry vfes for cd>fi<?tion 9f God< peopk. And .fo.r one in the Church of God ought to labour for the enforcingpfthis duric IC.r v.s conlidc:·,6rfl, j [o much knowledge) whereby hce may be that it is Gods.commandcmc11t fo to doe : ~~ I able to know a Teacher by his fruits and doerCor. 14. r. S(c..ks for fpinwallgift.r,bmfpcci~!iJI rine. This thcnlhcweth,tha'ccuery one ought to p>·ophcJicr·A go.J.nC"thc grcatd! skdl ofa Proto know the fumme of rrue religion, .tompri.o. phct Ha~;~ds·i.l~'rhe true c:x_pouuding and right I fed in the Aniclcs offaith, and in the corndiuic~ing of~~ripturc..Jo as it maybecome food mandcments of the Jaw, both for the trUe fQJ: tnCO$'foules. 'f• 'fim. 2. 15. Sh~wc thJ fe(fe ! 1 . meaning, and right and ptofi~able vFc vnro a tvork_mzan that nt>cdetiJ not to bee rJ(hamrd, in thcmfclucs:which thing! notc,bccaufei know C dmiding t~c wprd of mub ""izbt. And laflly, I many dcceiue themfclucs herein,thinking that this true fruitc ofaMiniller ferues to build yp 1 1 Godwill cxcufe them for their wane ofknowChrill:s kingdornc, to bcate downe the kingledge, bccaufc they are not bookc-lcarned.But d9mc of finne, and to feed the foulcs of men I let vs conlidcr, we haue cucryone this carc,'to with the foode ofeucrlafiing lifc.Ir will be faid be able to iudgc ofmeates which concerne our this courfc is.good among the commonp~o- . bodies, which be wholefome, and which not; ple;but this is not the learning which is rcqui- J {hould we nor then hauc much more care of red in the handling of the ·word in the fchoolcs ·~ our foulcs, to be able to difcc:rne ofdotfrins in of the Prophets. I anfwcr, Jc is the grea~d! religion,which be either the poifon,or faluatilearning that can be in a minifi-cr to bcablc thus ! on ofour foulcs? to dcuide the word of God aright: it goes be:- ,. Wc~2yvre ~ 4.Vfo. Whereas wholefomcdoCl-rinc out of yond the gift of tongues and miracles, 1. Cpi·. ~ht~::k~~e1i: Scripture is a note ofa true Prophet, it teach14. r. 2, 1 dcnie not but.char it is :1 parr oflcareth vs that we may lawfully vfc the miniftcrie ning \'f<:9 o{the le::~rncd,to take a text ofS.ct:ipof thofc men,whofe Hues and conucrfations be rurc,rin~ t.o make a fchola!ticall difcuur~c vpon euiii and oft.cnfiuc> if fo be their. doCtrine be rhe fonne.But ycc the vvorke ofa Prophet aands found and good. The Difciples ofour Sauiour D rather in expounding Scripture by Scrip~urc:& Chrifl mutl: not doe according to the waies of in diuiding the fame ~right, giuing thereout the Scribes :md Pharilics, but yet they rnuil: wholfo:11c doCtrine fOr the cdit}'ing ofthe peol>h,tt.lp;J. he11re them when they fit in Maft.r chaire: that plc of God that hcarc. In former times when is, when they teach Mofcs doCtrine. And Paul the flud.ic of Scripture \\'as ncglctlcd, mel1 bcPhilip.1.1s. is glad \'\'hC!l Chrijf is tm~!r preached, though took thCfclues to expound the \\'ritings of men ;t bu not in fncairtc ~f tiffe£/ion, hut of enand fo prophdic was bani{hcd, and all found Luk.9o<f9• ~if:, V\l·hen the DifcipJes fa we a man thac was kno\\ lcdgc in the truth of God : :md hence a1 !hr:pee~pk ~bf~~:~:~~~~;e oftc~c!Jcrs. I ...,._, ...r:l·.l' ,~.,; ·~,I; .u~· ·~ not called by any fpeciall calling to followe rofe diucrficie of opinions, and multitudes of ' I Chrifi as themfclucs vvcre, and can Ollt dcuils foolifl1 qudlions. And fo will it be With \'S if in the name O'fChrilt,thc:y tho-ught it intolcraprophefic failc: for to lcauc: the right handling blc, and therefore forbad him; but Chr;ft faid, of Scripture is the way to bring in all errour & FQr6id him not, fo:- hce that i6 not vgr(mft vs, H barb:uifinc in religion. ! withv; :And the like may be faid ofthcm,th:lt V J. Eucry miniOcr of the G.cft,cl is here·by WhHc<'n•: l---~-~p-re_a.ch -wholfo. me doCl:rinc, though their liucs taught thar l~c ought to be :tn(\Yerablc to h1 s 1 ;;;~,~~~.s ~ nd· be H11l offcnf1Hc : for in doCtrine thcvbe 'I.Yith ca:~li.n~,"\'.:lll<lllf?, "1-Yorthy o~thc: fame:fo: agood I 1 .S:.l:.rifl, an.~ fo f.1rrc~fonh mull be apilrOO\tcd. mm1ftcr 1s kncwnc hy h1s pood fi·ttas and. : 1 --·------~-------X4- ~-~ --"----__:_ tllC!·c- 1 •
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