1 Af.mh.5. 't'.Il· ~- - /. "un•:non Pcuer.and intcnogati· onsimpor· ting4cnill1. ( a.Sam.s+o Sermon inthe~ount. I· 25 ficrs :md rhofc alfo that dc!tinatc thcmfcluas A 1 pcoplc:Sccondly,_rh: wo~d in r.htn~ is vnfa~ou- -· --- to rhis Cllling, mufi ha.uc fpcciall care, fo to be ry ..,,·hi eh lhould tealon them,and fo rhere ISno I qualified- tOr this workc, and fo topreach the mher mcancs to rccoucr themordinarily. Goc word of God, that it may be fauouric in ti.1c through all ages, and obfcruc the examples of hearts and confetcnccs of them char hearc tt. faHC prophet> in the oldTdl:ar:ncm, offalfc AThis is a matter ofgreat importance, as well in pofllcs in the nc·.v, and of Archhcrctickcs in · refpett of the Mini£ler, as of the people; and the primitiue Church;and hardly fhaU y.ou fi11d rhus !hall it appcarc, that they at·c nor oncly no any that repented: yc::t, markc fu.ch Miniflers as vnfauouryfalc,butcucn fuch as doe (ca(on oiu our age incline to Popcric, and for the thcrs. mo!! p:!rt they becom.e irrcuocablc. Hereby , JI. Point.The danger ofthis finnc,in bccing then cuery miniHer is taught ~o lcarnc and pravnf.1uouric falt (t':'tat is vnfaithful~ in the Minitl:i(e Pauls ldf01.1 toTimo~hic,To tak}bcrd V11ficrie) is v(ry great, noted in thcfc words; to himfr:lft, and '•.mu; !:arning, continuing there:- wiJtmPith jiMII it 6< falt<d? Some referre thi• ilr, f.~bti<>g a goodfight, ha:.ir.g faithar.d a good .fa!ting to the catth,as ifChn£1 had faid,"'here• con/cima. Thele things Paul doth norably with fhall the earth be falted; but it cloth more B vrgc iu that EruH!c, biuing good direCtion to trudy belong to the fait it felfe, as Mark. 9· 5· anaine thereunto: 1, Tim.4·'3·'4· 16, and 6, Salt Ugood,lmt if thefolt he vnfounrie, JV!ureI r, t 1. withjhaO it, that is, th<falt itfolfe, be.fo-Joncd! II!. Point. The vnprofitablendfe ofvnfaithAgaine, the interrogation whaewith,ir:lports a full Miniftcrs,exprcffcd in thcfc \1\·ords; It t1 vehement dcniaU; as.i£Chrift fhould fiy"Jffa!t then~efortb goud for nothing: that iS, as vnfa.. once loofe his natural! proptrtic of falrncffc 1 it u~urie falt,bccomming vnht to fcafoil mcatc,is can ncuer be recouercd : now ·vnfaithfull and gooJ for nothing; (for call: it-on the gt·mmd,it vnprofitablc MiniUers,arc vnfauourit falt; :md makes it barren ; nay, ca!l it on the dung-hill, therefore their danger is exceeding great. And and it hurts that alfo which othcnvifc ferucs yet the comparifon mull not fo be vrged, as for good. vfe:) fo is it with MiniHers that bethereby to proouc the ftatc of Miniflers to be come vnflithfull,they are ofall other mo(\:.noiincurable, if they once bc:comevnfaithfull:but fome both to the Church and commonwealth; Chri!ls mcani1•g is, to fhewe that vnprofitablc for Gods curfe is vpon them,and they arc good Minillers are very hardly, orfcldom euer made for no foc!ctie. This miaht be dedared by ma~ fauourie againe; at Jeaft, ifformerly they haue ny.examples, offuch as tauing fallen to Popebeene faithfull, and after haue fallen from it, C rie, from our Minii1:erie, haue lftcr prooued That this is the true meaning, may thus apnot oncly deadly enemies ro our Church, and peace; for notes ofnegation in .. Scripture,doe to th~ truth, but the rankefi:Rebcls and Trai ... not alwaics import arr abfolute deniall, but tors vnto our Prince and State, of all ofomctime they arc pur to exprdfe great diffithel'S. cultie, and to fhew things that fcldome come f2.!!.eflw11. Whether may [uch.Miniftel'S as to paffe, Match. 1 j. 33· 0 generationof viperJ, become ynfauoutic falt: by making ApoHaciC hOTPjhould;oucfcape the kmna_tion of hell? that frotn the truth (as if a Protdlant Miuiltcr be..: is, very hardly:And fo where it is faid,tbt Dacome a Mdf:-prielt) be reHored againe into t<iddidnotdedine fromthewaJof the Lord, faru the Mmilterie of Gods Church,vpon their rein them:atterofVrUth: that is, ver;feldome: for pcn~ance? A!1[»'d. Some be of rnindc, that he finned gric:uoul1y in f numbring thepeople:fo they maY ~ot be rcceiued at all into the MiniMatth. q. 5 7• A Prophet ionotwithout honour lterie,aftcr fuch apoHacie 1 butl findc nothing (that is, very fcldomc)fa~~e in hiJ or"necountrie; in :.he Scripture, which fhould hinder their refor fometimc hee may be difhonourcJ elfc.. !l:itution, if their conuedion vnto God,anq ~o where; and fometimcalfo, haue honour in his his truch,may appcare to be true & vnfained.It owne countrie:So in this place,this refemblace D is allcdged,tbat thePm:/hvnder the iJw,faU:ng ofincuraPicnes invnfair:hful Minifl:ers, mufi be to Idolatrie, t were for euer debarred from the t ~z:ek41• ~uderftood, of great hardndfe and dillicultic; Priefts office? Anfwer, That was for fpe~ia\i "•'l· not ofan impoffibilitie, as e-xperience alfo tea. caufc; for the Pricfl:s wc~c types of Chri!l,and cheth:for KingSalomon was a Prophet ofGod, their outward holine!fe fhadowcd out the perwho by his adulteries and idobuic, became feet intcgritie &holines o( qur Sauiour C.hr:i!l; wondcrfull vnfauouric, and yet no doubt, he for which caufc there \Vas none chofcn t.o the 2.ftcrward rccoucrcd, and became Cauourie Prirlls office,v·:hohad any blemHh in his bbd?. againe by true repentance, whereupon he pen. Now by fuch open Idolmie,t~eydifab!ed thcned rhe booke ot Eccleliaftes: fo Pete-r by his fclues from.beeing figures ofChrift,and theredenial! of Chrilt, became vnCauourie; yet by fore were reieCl:ed. Again<;,.)\"Cfi1~dc thatinfc,.. Gods mercic, vpon his rcpcntanceJ he was feriour officcrs,wcre not debarred from their offoned againe. fice i11 the Sal'i.C1:tiarie, though they commi::ed I This then is the danger, that Mini!l-crs deidolatric,as the Priefis did.It is faid againe,.that dining from fidclitie, <foe fddome or hardly a Minifier mufi be vnblameablc; but a Maffe.. ) rccoucr: the reafon is; Firfi, bccaufc rhcy want priefl: cannot bcvnbl:tmeable. Anfw. With~ut te::t.chers to inO:ruCl: them, as they inllruct the true repentance none is vnblamcablc ~butby c 4 true
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=