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Page 16
But heere I may turne reprooving into rejoycing, that preaching is
growne in any better fashion and grace with our times, by royall and
reverend, both examples and countenance: only I wish that every
_Archippus_ may fulfill his Ministery, be instant and constant in
preaching. _Salomon_ the older, and wiser hee grew, the more hee taught
the people, sharpened his goads, and fastned his nails; whereas many
amongst us are so wise in their youth, as to affect the foolishnes of
preaching; but in their dotage, Ease slayes the foole; when the doore is
oyled, it leaves creaking; they must then fall to make much of
themselves, till contrary with the Prophet they cry out, My fatnesse, my
fatnesse, my belly, my belly; so favouring their lungs, that they will
bee sure never to die of _Davids_ consumption of zeale; let such preach,
say they, that want livings: and if for shame they preach at all, it
must bee rarely and easily, for breaking of their winde (my meaning is
not to tax such, whom God disinables by weaknesse of body; or such as
recompence their rarity with industry, as _Perkins_, &c.) and yet
forsooth these thinke they may justly challenge, and weare the double
honor of countenance and maintenance; I marvell with what right, or with
what face, so long as there remaineth expresse Canon of Scripture,
bequeathing it to those, that toyle in word and doctrine. Neither will
zeale set us on worke onely to preach, or to preach often to avoyd the
infamy of bare readers; but it will teach us to preach painefully, and
that in the evidence and demonstration, not so much of art, or nature,
as of the spirit and grace; regarding onely, that the people know Christ
and him crucified; not caring whether they know what wee have read, how
many quotations our memory will carry levell, how roundly wee can utter
our minde in new minted words, in like sounding, idle, vaine, and
offensive _Paranomasies_; I blush to fall into the least touch of that
kinde: yet at once to shew and reproove that childish folly, It is a
vaine of vaine preaching, turning sound preaching into a sound of
preaching, tickling mens eares, like a tinckling cymball, feeding them,
[Greek: h�dusmati kai ouk edesmasi], spoyling the plaine song, with
descant and division: what is this but to shew our owne levitie and want
of true Art; indeede affecting such a dancing, piperly and effeminate
eloquence (as _Tully, Demosthenes_, or any Masculine Oratour would
scorne) in steade of that divine powerfull deliverie, which becommeth
him, that speakes the Oracles of God. If ever wee meane to doe any good,
wee must exhort and reproove, with all vehemency and authority; lifting
upp our voyce as a trumpet, as the sonnes of thunder; pearcing their
eares, witnessing, striving and contending, according to our gift
whatsoever it bee, to manifest our affections, that wee may worke upon
the people; which all the Art in the world will not teach us to doe:
onely zeale at the heart will naturally produce it, without straining or
affecting. If God require the heart as well as the head; why should wee
not labour to moove the affections, as well as enforme the judgement;
There is a doctrinall, and as some tearme it, a Doctorly kinde of
preaching, which is admired of some that understand it not; of others
that could be content with the Masse againe, because it was gentle, and
had no teeth in it. And such Sermons I have sometimes heard, for matter
voyd of exception, but so delivered, as if one were acting a part, or
saying a lesson by heart. It hath called to minde a song which sometimes
I have met withall, excellently composed, full of sweet ayre, surely and
truely sung; but with flat and dead voyces without spirit, which hath
marred the musique: Of such a Sermon and Preacher, the Countreymans
verdict did well, that said, this man may bee a great scholler, but hee
wants beetle and wedges to heaw our knotted timber withall, our greene
wood will not burn unlesse it be better blown; you shall sometimes see
an excellent horse of shape and colour, having many of those markes _Du
Bartes_ describes in _Caines_ supposed horse; which yet wanting mettle
hath beene of little worth, and lesse use. If there were no other
Preachers then these, which hold themselves the onely profound and
learned Preachers, I muse what should become of conversion of soules,
which they that covet; must come with the spirit of _Elias_, to turne
the hearts of the fathers to their children, I may in truth, and I hope
with modesty speake with the Preacher, that in observing I have
observed, and have found, that divers great Clarkes have had but little
fruit of their ministery; but hardly any truely zealous man of God
(though of lesser gifts) but have had much comfort of their labours, in
their owne and bordering parishes, being in this likened by _Gregorie_,
to the yron on the Smiths anvile sparkling round about. And if for this
any bordering neighbours, whose cold labours worke not the like
successe, shall accuse them of some kinde (I know not what) of policie
in bewitching the people; they may well reply, Behold our zealous
affections are our charmes, and zeale all our witchcraft, as _Latimer_
well answered one that accused the people of partiality, for not
affecting him that preached one of his printed Sermons, that hee had
indeede his Sticke, but wanted his Rosen; meaning his zealous manner of
preaching and living, without which last, all the former will doe but
little good, if a good ensample of life accompany not their doctrine, as
lightning doth thunder. For there are some (I speake with sorrow of
heart) that seeme to have fire in their preaching, but carry water in
their life; being notoriously proud, covetous, or debauched, stained
with odious vices. Let us heare the summ of all. Doe wee love Christ
more then ordinary? would wee give proofe of our trebble love to him?
Let us then feede his flocke with a trebble zeale, expressed in our
prayer, preaching and living: Let us make it appeare to the consciences
of all, that the top of our ambition is Gods glory: and that wee preferr
the winning of soules, to the winning of the world.
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