the n.Chap.to the Hebr. ~,.,·as written for. all mens vndcrflanding; and rhcrcforc in fuch phrafcs as arc vfuall and ordi– nnic with all men. And che like li~crtic is here taken alfo in a– nocherfigure, M 1/Jtllt)'.U tbejimds byrhe /hore of the fo:z: the vvord properly flgnificth ~nd foundeth, tbe lippe~f rhcSea. Now rhc fca hath no lippc, bur it is a fpccch taken or borrowed from man or bcaft who hauc 1'1ps, aud the [ea (bore rcfcmbleth a lippe. For, lookc what a fippc is to rhem, thc jbores are to rhc lea: as the t\r\'0' Iippes doe inclofc the mourh:IO. the t'-\'O fhorcs on both fides doe inclofe the Sea, which licth as 111 a mouth bccwixt rhern. From hence we m:ty learnc profitable in!lri.H~lion:4 Firfi, char therefore Rhctorikf 1s a \\'arranta– blc, good, and lawfull Art; and ir :uifcth thus: A women, whbmthoy hadcakeninwiar'c, .but not till they had P"rijicdthem, Num. 31. t8; r9· And more plainly and particularly, Deut; 2.1. Jt . 12.13. Mofls cxplaneth v9hat tha£ purifyu1g is : .Ar.d. thoujhaltbring berhomei;~to thinehcufe, and fhee [hall foaue furhcl!d, and p.,1irc hernailes, andput off thegarmentJl:ee wal tak.§n i~:, and then thou mliiefl maricl;er: So,hu– manc eloquence muH be brought home to Jiui.:t nitie, and Qe pared, and fbaucd vvlth fpirftuall wifcdomc; and then may Iawfullyand profita– bly be vfcd. For our more fpccialldircCtion herein; thcfa– caut~ons may be obfcrued. Firfi, the more naturall it is, lnd the lelfe afo;o feCtcd, the more commendable is It in the doer, B 1 and more profitaUe to the hearer. I Secondly, it mufi begrauc, fob er, and mo.. dell; remtmbring the height and holindfc of the place a man Hands in, and ofthe\vorkc hec doth. Therefore it mull not conGfi in telling flrangc tales, or vfing fnch gcllurcs or words, manner, or matter, as may rnooue laughing~&: finiling in the Auditors. There may be wit in fuch doing; but it can hardly be the fanC\ificd and fpirituall eloquence, which S. Paulthere !peakes of. · · Thirdly, itmultbeefuch asmaybea · That which the holy Ghofl practifcth, mufl ncedes be notoncly no.t cuill, but good and warcamabie.Bllt the holy Gho!tvfeth and pra" Clifcth Rhctorikc, here and in many other pla– ces cHC: of the Scripture. Therefore it is a good and lawfull Art. The pfopojirion is vndoubted, the aj]iemption is dc:1rc in both thcfc places, & almofl the whole bodie ofthe Script.lJre: many ofS. PaH!J Epijl/CJ, many of Chrifls owne Scr• mons, S. /ohm Gofpcl, many of the Prophets, cfpccially Ifotah, h:1uc as much and as elegant Rhetorikc in them, :lS any writers in the world; :md bcftcie all other vcrtuc aod Diuine power in them, doe cucn for figures and ornamentS' of C Art, match any Oratotm., that haue written in t!ie Grukt or Latine. Nor would it be ady hard task to vndcnake to proouc,and illufiratc cuery approoued rule of Rheroric/zy, out of fome part of Scripture. Now ifit be lawfull to praC\:.ifc the rules of Rhecoricke,then it is law... full alfo to collcelthofe rules together, to pen them, arld to make an Art ofthem. Theyther– forc that holding the contrary,do fayloi- teach, and not ahindcrance to the vndcr!landing Gqdsword: for,itisa damofelltoDiuinitic, but not her Millre!fe. Gods word therefore mufl not bowe and bende to her; much le!fc bo wrung and wrdled to her, liutihc to Gods word• . · It mult in a word be fuch, as may tnollliuc• ly,_pure!¥, plainely, and ligtiifieantly expre£fe the meanmg of Gods word. Therefore a man -mu(t endeauour that all his fpeach be in otre language, at lea{t hi fuch as his hearersvnder~ fiand:for elfc ifhe fpeak the body ofhis fpeach inone, and peece out the tnernbc:rs in other 1 .which the people vnderfiand not; he may in4eede i~ hu tJWfl< fpirit jpeaf<! myjleries, ·6ut to the hearer h.jpeaketh parables. And to his own vndcrfianding,he may preach.we!,but thehea~ rtr u notedified: as the Apofile faith, 1. Cor. 14.2. 17. Therefore let not eloquence, be a or write,it is vnlawfuii,goc againfi the fiream, and common pt3C\ifc ofthe Scripture,andrules of cotnmon rcafon. Secondly, here it is apparant, that in prea– ching Gods word, it islawfull, and warranta• b!e fora Mmifter rovfe Rhetoricke and elo– qucnce,And the reafon is good: for that which the holy Ghofl vfethinpenning of the Scrip~ ture, the fame may Gods Minillers vfe alfo in preaching the lame. They ther:fore that denie that·l!bertie to Minifiers, arc too rough and rugged, and ~ull out of the hand of the Mini·, fl:crs, one of hJs.\.veapons;and out ofthe wings of the Scripture one ofher feathers. Yet we mutt know, that all, ora,ny kindeof eloquence is not permitted to a Clirillian Mi– For, S. Paul faith, I. Cor. 2. q. Wee the words of Gad, not in the-w(1"fds r:rhich mant w_ifedome t<acheth, but whtch the holy (jhofl tcach<rh, comparing fpiritua/1 tbings with fpiritua/1 things : So that there is a holy, a fan– Clif.ied, afpirittla!l eloquence, an eloquence fit. for-fpirituall things,and that eloquence mull be fed.As the Ifraelits the Midianite D hinrlerance to the vnderllading of the hearers, which God bath ordained to be a helpe and furtherance. And with thefe oduch like lifications, doquenee may be vfed, with good warrant andmuch profit. Artd for c.autions-or qualifications herein., hardly ean any man fer downe beuer rules then euerymans confdence will vnto himfelfe. · Thirdly, inafmuch as the holy Ghofi hert and elfcwhere vfeth fomuchRhetoricke,Di– uincs may learnc where the foumaine ofChri– !Haa eloquence is; namely, in the Scriptures of the ol.de and '.'ew Tcflament. Which bccin-g comptled by the wtfedome of God; we arc to affure om· falues they containe in them true wifdomc of all fol"ts. Precepts of Rhetorickc,I are to be learned out ofother
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