A WORKEMAN That NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED OR The faithfull Steward of Gods house A Sermon describing the duety of a godly MINISTER both in his DOCTRINE and in his LIFE By CHARLES RICHARDSON Preacher at S. KATHARINES neere the Tower of LONDON LVKE 12.42 Who is a faithfull and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make ruler ouer his houshold to giue them their portion of meate in due season LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for William Barret and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons 1616. TO MY REVEREND GOOD FRIEND MR. D. SPARKE MINISTER OF GODS WORD AT BLETCHLEY IN BVCKINGHAMSHIRE Grace and Peace SIr I present vnto you here a Sermon penned by mee concerning the duety of a Godly Minister I confesse it may be thought great presumption that I who am the least of many thousands of my brethren should take vpon me to teach others * Magis mihi discendum quam docendum Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 4. who stand more need to learne my selfe But I may truly say as a Sui magis admonendi quam aliorum docendi gratia lib. 16. c. 5. A. Gellius said of a certaine booke of Laelius That I writ it rather for mine owne admonition then for the instruction of others Whatsoeuer it is I am bold to publish it to the view of the world in your name both in regard of that desire I haue to testifie my thankefulnesse vnto you for the great and vndeserued kindnesse I haue many waies found at your hands especially for that as I doe willingly acknowledge you were the first that perswaded and encouraged me to enter into the Ministery and the first place which I had in the Church I had of your free gift and also in respect of that reuerence which I beare vnto your graue and venerable old Age b Venerabilis non annorum sed virtutum numero Bern. de amore Dei part 2. Venerable I say not so much in number of yeeres though they bee very many as in aboundance of vertue It is not with you as it is with too many who being decrepit with age and ready to be laid on the Beere c Senec. de breuit vitae haue no other argument to proue that they haue liued long but their gray haires and their wrinckles But you haue verified that speech of SALOMON Age is a crowne of glory Prou. 16.31 when it is found in the way of righteousnesse The paines that you haue taken in the Church 2. Tim. 4.2 in preaching the word in season and out of season as the Apostle commandeth will no doubt make you famous to posterity especially considering that euen now when your strength is spent and your body worne so as you might iustly with * Veianius armis Herculis ad postem fixis latet abditus agro Horat. Veianius long agoe haue hanged vp your armour and betaken your selfe to rest yet still you continue your wonted labour as though you desired to end your life your preaching both at once And when you shall be gathered hence as a ricke of Corne you shall suruiue in those three worthy Sonnes of yours M. Thomas Sparke of New Colledge in Oxford M. Andrew Sparke of Peter-house in Cambridge M. William Sparke of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford whom you haue beene carefull to traine vp in the Schooles of the Prophets two of them being already profitable Ministers in the Church and the third as he hath attayned to a great measure of learning so I doubt not but he will imploy it to the edification of the body of Christ. But I am not willing to detayne you with any further mention of these things I beseech you to accept of these weake meditations with the same minde and affection wherewith I offer them And howsoeuer I confesse Cypr. in Symbolum Apostolorum they be not worthy the exercise of great Diuines yet if hereby I may excite some yong beginners to the more conscionable discharge of their dueties I shall thinke my labour well bestowed I pray God still to blesse your godly labours that when you shall haue finished your course you may receiue that Crowne of righteousnesse which is laid vp for you in the Kingdome of heauen Your W. in all Christian affection CHARLES RICHARDSON Errata Page 15. lin 8. for happines reade hearers p. 21. l. 27. for and r. c. p. 23. l. 32. after find r. them p. 26. l. 14. for Trade r. flaile p. 42. l. 5. for with r. to p. 45. l. 23. put out these words and the worke is an establishment to the life p. 46. l. 27. after filthinesse r. might p 47. l. 31. for heal r. heart p. 55. l. 34. for they r. he p. 67. l. 27. for filleth r. fitteth A SERMON DESCRIBING THE DVTY OF A GODLY MINISTER 2. TIM 2.15 Study to shew thy selfe approued vnto God a Worke-man that needeth not to be ashamed diuiding the Word of truth aright THis Timotheus to whom both these Epistles are written hauing beene brought vp in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures from his cradle 2. Tim. 3.15 and hauing alwaies been faithfull in the profession of Christian Religion was therefore in very great estimation with the Apostle Paul Act. 16.3.4 20.4 Rom. 16.21 and was either one of his Companions in his peregrinations or else when the Apostle himselfe was kept in prison he imployed him as a Minister and sent him to confirme the Churches which he had planted Thus was he sent to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 4.17 1. Thes 3.2 To put them in remembrance of that which the Apostle had taught Thus was he also sent to the Thessalonians To establish them and to comfort them touching their faith For this cause 1. Cor. 4.17 16.10 Phil. 2.22 1. Thes 3.2 Act. 16.9.10.1 Tim. 1.3 wheresoeuer the Apostle maketh mention of him he doth alwayes giue him very great commendation Now when the Apostle was himselfe to depart into Macedonia where the Lord had called him by a vision to preach the Gospell he left Timotheus at Ephesus to resist the false Teachers which were crept into the Church and began to corrupt sound doctrine thereby to draw men from the sinceritie of faith And because there was not yet a sufficient number of Ministers in the Church of Ephesus to preach the Gospell therefore the Apostle giueth him authority to ordayne as many as should be needfull And for his better direction in so waighty a businesse 1. Tim. 3.15 hee writeth the former Epistle vnto him teaching him what hee is chiefly to respect in the imposition of hands and shewing who are to be admitted vnto that great and high calling and who are to be reiected And because Timotheus 2. Tim. 1.4 as a louing Schollar was much grieued and shed many teares at the departure of so kind a Master 1. Tim. 3.14 therefore to comfort him
two sorts of Ministers First of such as are altogether vnlearned and cannot at all performe this dutie which occupie a roome in the Church but haue no abilitie at all to teach the people committed to their charge These are such as Chrysostome speaketh of saying There are many Priests and there are few Priests many in name few in deed They are like that foolish Rhetorician which Tully makes mōtion of that made his scholars a great deale more sottish then when he first tooke them Where they could learne nothing but ignorance of learning And so God knoweth a number of Gods people liuing vnder such vnlearned Ministers 2. Tim. 3.17 are euer learning and can neuer come to any knowledge of the truth as the Apostle saith in another case I would all such Ministers would regard that which B. lewel speaketh to this purpose Whosoeuer In his exposition vpon 2. Thes 3.7 saith he asketh the pay of a souldier must buckle his armour and goe to warfare he that would drinke the wine must plant the Grape hee that desireth the milke must feede the flocke he that will not be muzled must thresh out the Corne he that reapeth carnall things must sow spirituall things he that requireth the bread of the earth must giue the bread of heauen hee that would liue of the sacrifice must offer the sacrifice hee that would liue of the Altar must waite at the Altar he that would liue of the Gospell must preach the Gospell Hee that doth none of all these I can make no account of him he is not within Pauls reckoning The workeman is worthy of his wages but what right hath hee to the hire that is not a workeman Thus farre Iewel And no doubt that which the Apostle saith of bodily labour is true also in this case 2. Thes 3.10.18 He that will not worke should not eate Who would haue a man to bee a Captaine in warre that is not expert in warfare or to practise Phisick or Surgerie that is not skilfull in that profession The Minister is a Captaine and a guide of Gods people a Phisicion of their soules and therefore there is great reason that he should be sufficient But they wil pleade for themselues that they are called of the Church and therfore are not to be disallowed As in deed euen the most vnworthy of them all are alwaies boasting of their calling There is nothing so much in their mouthes as that But I answere that it is most true and may not nor cannot bee denied that the calling of the Church is most necessary for the making of a Minister And though a man were furnished with as rare and excellent gifts and had as great abilitie to preach the Gospell as euer had the Apostle Paul yet hee may not take vpon him the office of a Minister in an ordinary time and in a setled gouernement of the Church vnlesse hee bee lawfully called by them that haue authoritie in the Church to ordaine Ministers Extraordinarie calling of men such as no doubt Luther had Act. 13.2 3. neuer hath place but where ordinarie calling wanteth But yet for all this the outward calling of the Church alone is not sufficient to make a Minister vnlesse he be also inwardly called of God Now the Lord calleth no man to any place but he furnisheth and fitteth him with gifts to discharge the duties of his place When he called Bezaleel and Aholiab Lxod. 31.2 3 4. to make garments and instruments for the Tabernacle hee first filled them with the Spirit of God in wisedome and in vnderstanding and in knowledge and in all workemanship To finde out curious workes to worke in gold and in siluer and in brasse c. And when Gedeon was called from his Trdde Judg. 6.3 4. to be the Captaine and deliuerer of the people of Israel it is said that the Spirit of the Lord euen the Spirit of courage and fortitude came vpon him and clad him like a garment So likewise when Saul was chosen to be King ouer Israel 1. Sam. 10.9 God gane him another heart That is a stout and a valiant heart fit for a King If God doe thus furnish men with gifts necessarie when he calleth them to offices in the Common-wealth can we doubt of the like care in him to furnish them sufficiently whom he calleth to serue in his Church in the Ministerie of his Word 1. Tim. 1.12 And this the Apostle PAVL confesseth and acknowledgeth of himselfe that as the Lord in his mercie counted him faithfull though most vnworthy hauing been before a blasphemer and a persecuter c. and put him in his seruice so also he made him strong to the performance of his dutie As he called him to preach the Gospell so he gaue him strength and abilitie to doe it with fruite and profit Hence as we haue heard before when the calling and Commission of the Prophet Is AIAH was to be renued Isei 6.6 7. his lips were touched with a coale from the Altar Ier. 1.5 9. And when the Prophet IEREMIAH was to be sent to preach vnto the Nations the Lord first touched bis mouth and said Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth c. And the Apostles Luke 24.49 before they went foorth to the execution of their office they were first endued with power frō on high And howsoeuer all these examples be extraordinarie yet still whomsoeuer the Lord calleth by ordinarie meanes hee maketh him in some measure sufficient to discharge the dutie that appertaineth vnto him And therefore vnlesse a man haue as well an inward calling from God as an outward calling from the Church hee is no true Minister he is but halfe a Minister As the Lord denounceth against the Priests in the time of the Law Hos 4.6 Because thou hastrefused knowledge I will also refuse thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me They may be Ministers to satisfie Law but they are no Ministers of God As Cyprian saith plainely Lib. 4. ep 9. They that are vnworthie are not ordained of God nor by God And therefore by the way it were to bee wished that the Gouernours of the Church to whom this authoritie to appoint Ministers is committed De consid lib. 4. would alwaies in all their ordinations remember that which Bernard writeth to Eugenius namely that they would make it their chiefest care to bring in such as after they haue brought them in they may not repent of it But to returne to these Ministers againe and to their calling Exposition in 1. Thes 2.4 Bishop IEWEL saith expresly and plainely that they that enter into the Ministerie must be allowed not of men onely but of God And therefore whosoeuer taketh that charge ouer the people must looke narrowly into himselfe and see whether his calling be of God Vnlesse he haue a testimonie that God hath called him inwardly all outward calling is to small purpose God
able to doe the dutie of Ministers There is a good President for them in the Prophesie of Zechariah where the Prophet speaketh of some such Friests Zech. 13.4 5 6. that pestered the Church in his time that they should no longer weare a rough garment to deceiue But he shall say I am no Prophet I am an Husbandman for man tanght mee to bee an Heard-man from my youth vp That is he shall lay aside his Priestly habite Gualter Tremellius in locum illum and shall freely confesse his ignorance and acknowledge that he ought rather to be sent away to the plough or to play the Shepheard then to be suffered any longer in the Ministery of the Church and so shall willingly betake himselfe to the labour of his hand that hee may no longer bee a burden to the Church And where it is said in the next verse And one shall say vnto him What are these wounds in thy hands Then he shall answere Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends The meaning of it is that he will be so farre from murmuring and complaining for the losse of his gaine and honour as that rather hee will account them his greatest friends that first perswaded him to leaue his sinne Oh that our ignorant and insufficient Ministers would follow this example There are many of them of strong and able bodies and though they cannot worke this worke of a Minister yet no doubt they would prooue tall workemen in other things It were a happy thing for Gods Church if they would returne to those professions wherein they were brought vp and exercised before they entred into the Ministery and wherein they haue more skill So doing though their life would be somewhat more painefull then now it is yet doubtlesse their sleepe would be a great deale more sweete and comfortable As Salomon saith Eccles 5.11 The sleepe of the labouring man is sweete whether he eate little or much Whereas now I cannot see how they can take any quiet rest when their guiltie consciences doe continually barke against them or if they haue gagged their consciences for a time yet the bloud of so many soules which haue perished through their negligence cryeth lowder in the eares of God for vengeance then cuer did the bloud of Habel Genes 4.10 Another sort of Ministers that come within the compasse of this reproofe are such as are idle that though they haue gifts whereby they might doe much good yet seldome or neuer vse them They neuer entred into the Ministerie with any purpose to serue the Lord Iesus Christ but rather their owne bellies Rom. 16.18 as the Apostle saith If they may eate the fat Ezech. 34 3. and clothe themselues with the wooll they care not greatly what becommeth of the flocke But they might know that the calling vnto the Ministerie is not directed to that ende that such slow bellies should onely enioy the dignities and idly possesse the reuenues of the Church but according to the common saying Beneficium datur propter officium A benefice is giuen for the duties sake And this is that which the Apostle saith The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour 1. Tim 5.17 specially De consid lib. 4. they that labour in the word and doctrine To this purpose Bernard hath a worthy saying There haue been Bishops saith hee that would wholly set themselues to the feeding of their sheepe glorying in the work and name of a shepheard counting nothing vnbeseeming them but that which might be thought to hinder the saluation of their sheepe not seeking but bestowing their owne things bestowing their care bestowing their substance bestowing euen themselues as the Apostle saith I will be bestowed for your soules All their gaine was for their people their onely pompe and their onely pleasure was to prepare them a perfect people to the Lord. But where Is now this custome a farre vnlike is come in the place of it These studies are changed into other and I feare into the worse In Declamat c. And in another place he is conuinced to be vnworthy of the milke and the wooll that doth not feede the sheepe that doth not watch for the safegard of the flocke Such a man eateth and feedeth vpon his owne iudgement Woe woe be vnto thee Behold death is in the pot death is in the flesh-pots death is in the delights of this world and especially for this because it is manifest that they are the sinnes of the people which thou eatest It were better for thee to digge yea to begge For thou eatest the sins of the people as if thine owne were not sufficient for thee Our Sauiour Christ when he called his disciples hee bids them follow him and hee would make them Fishers of men Matthew 4.19 Wherevpon one well obserueth CHRIST hath not enioyned them to fish for great liuing and other dignitie nor for earthly gaine or for the praise of men They that doe so shew that they are rather from the Deuill fishers of money then from God fishers of men Let these men harken to that which Bishop IEWEL saith of such as they are O what a case saith he are they in Exposit in 1. Thes 2.17 18. that are carelesse of Gods people that hunt after many liuings and bend themselues to doe no good which serue their owne belly and seeke to be rich and eate vp Gods people as it were bread What account shall they giue to God for the soules of their brethren where shall they stand or what shall they say when they shall be called to giue account of their Stewardship It were to be wished that they that are gouernours of the Church would vse their authoritie to reforme this grosse idlenesse of the Ministers They might iustly say to them Exod. 5.17 18. as Pharaoh said cruelly to the poore Israelites Yee are too much idle get you to your worke and to your burdens Is it not a lamentable thing that wee should haue some that goe for licensed Preachers that preach not once in seuen yeeres If these be Preachers they are Preachers by the contrary They may bee fitly compared to Welles without water 2. Pet. 2.17 which a wearie traueller commeth to in hope to quench his thirst but alas he goeth away discomforted Iude vers 12. or to cloudes without raine which giue men some hope of a shewre to water and refresh the earth but in the ende their hope is frustrate They are like that Fig-tree which our Sauiour cursed Mark 11.13 that flourished with leaues but had no fruit So many of them make a very faire shew with outward grauitie but they want inward substance In a word they are like those Idols in the Psalme Psal 115.5 1. Cor. 4.2 that haue mouthes but they speake not The Apostle saith that it is required of the Lords Stewards that they be found faithfull But alas to
Nay from them wickednesse went forth into all the world Master Green ham Hence is it that one calleth ill Ministers the deuils hawks and his best factors because there is none that doth more build vp his Kingdom then they As God knoweth we see for the most part that such Parishes as are pestered with them are little better then the suburbes of hell For alas is there any thing to be found except it be in some two or three in whose hearts the Lord hath wrought a hungring and thirsting after the Word but horrible swearing and blasphemy beastly swilling and drinking the Minister being not ashamed nor afraid to make both himselfe and others drunke Ser n. de chrietate as Augustine saith filthy vncleannesse and whoredom notorious prophanation of the Sabbath c So that though the prouerbe seldome hold in the better part yet it is alwaies true in the worse part the force of our corruptions swaying vs that way Like Priest like people So true is that saying of Saint Cyprian lib. â— p. 21. The ruine of the ouerseer is most pernicious to the downefall of them that follow him Againe such Ministers doe exceedingly hurt themselues and weaken the credlt of their ministerie and make euen the doctrine which they teach to be suspected Saint Augustine maketh it the first degree of abuses De decem abus gradib when a Preacher is without good workes neglecting that in his actions which hee teacheth in his speech For the hearers doe easily contemne the sayings when they see the workes of the Preacher differ from the words of his preaching For the authoritie of a Preacher is neuer made effectuall vnlesse by the practice of his worke hee fasten it in the heart of his hearers And in another place he saith De doctr Christ lib. 4. The life of the Teacher is of greater force to make the people heare him obediently then the greatest waight of words whereunto agreeth that speech of Gregorie His doctrine is contemned whose life is despised And no maruell if the people giue no credit to such a mans preaching because it is like a writing without a seale And as in ciuill iudgement the testimony of one man is not beleeued but in the mouth of two or three witnesses Matth. 18.16 euery word must be confirmed so in preaching men doe not beleeue the voice of the Preacher onely vnlesse it be further confirmed by the testimony of his life As Gregorie saith The authoritie of teaching is lost when the voice is not helped by the worke A Minister by teaching well and liuing well instructeth the people how to liue but by teaching well and liuing ill he instructeth God how to condemne him Nay he condemneth himselfe by his owne voice as it is said in the Gospel Luke 19.22 Of thine owne mouth will I indge thee thou euill saruant Such a man carrieth a candle before himselfe to shew others his filthinesse He maketh his light to shine before men that they may see his euill workes and so despise both him and his doctrine De consider lib. 2 It is a monstrous thing saith Bernard for a man to haue the highest seat and the lowest life loftie words and idle hands much speech and no fruite Let euery one of vs therefore take heede that our ill life confute not our good preaching Happy is hee who if his doctrine be refused can yet say in some measure with our Sauiour Christ Iobn 5.36 10.38 The workes that I doe beare witnes of me that the Father bath sent me And againe Though yee beleene not me yet beleeue my workes c. Finally the sinnes of a Minister are more grieuous then the sinnes of other men The waights of the Sanctuarie were double as heauie as the ordinarie waights of Marchants signifying that the sinnes of Ministers should bee waighed with heauier waights and so receiue heauier iudgements then the sinnes of ordinarie persons Leuit. 4.3 12.13 c. And therefore in the Law there was as great a Sacrifice appointed to bee offered for the expiation of the sinne of the Priest as of all the people And not without iust cause For a Minister hath or should haue more knowledge then the people haue Now where there is more knowledge there the transgressour is liable to greater blame As our Sauiour Christ saith Vnto whomsoener much is giuen Luke 12.48 of him shall bee much required And besides the excellencie of his place is greater And therefore Bern. de consid lib. 2. if his conuersation bee lewde and wicked the more excellent hee is the more deformed hee shall appeare in the sight of all men As a little staine of incke is more seene in faire white paper then a great one in browne paper so a small fault in a Minister is more notorious then a great one in another man The sinne of a Minister is like the leprosie of Vzziah that rose vp in his fore-head and was in euerie bodies sight 2. Chron. 26.19 but the sinne of another man is like the leprosie of Moses in his hand which hee put in his bosome and so kept it from being seene Exod. 4.6 Not that other mens sinnes also are not seene but because they are not so much obserued as the sinnes of the Minister A second vse of this doctrine to vs that be Ministers is to excite and stirre vs vp to endeuour that there may bee an agreement betweene our hearts our mouthes and our hands Tract 2. de babit Virg. that as Cyprian said of Virgins when men snal see our conuersation they neede not doubt whether we bee Ministers or no. And herein wee should labour to imitate God himselfe whose seruants wee are of whom Salomon saich 1. King 8.24 that whatsoeuer hee spake with his mouth hee performed it with his hand It is an excellent thing when men shall truly say of a Minister Seneca epist 75. that hee liueth as hee preacheth And this did the Heathen man require of the Philosophers of his time that their speech might agree with their life for he saith hee hath fulfilled his promise who is the same man both when men see him and when they heare him As they that are teachers of Musicke doe not onely giue certaine precepts to their scholars but also shew them the practice of it by playing before them themselues so the Minister should not onely deliuer wholesome doctrine to his people but also shew them the practice of it in his owne example And indeede as Hierome writeth The house and conuersation of a Minister Ad Heliodor cpist 3. being set as it were on a watch-Tower ought to bee the Schoole-mistresse of publike discipline Whatsoeuer hee shall doe all his people will thinke they may doe the like And therefore they must take heed hee giue no cause that either they that will reproue him may seeme to raile vpon him worthily or they that would imitate him